KingstOOn Animation Festival Kicks Off with Pitch Boot Camp

Five teams of local animators have benefited from training to effectively pitch their business ideas to potential investors.

The teams, comprised of four persons each, participated in a two-day booth camp on April 3 and 4 at the University of Technology (UTech) campus in Papine, St. Andrew, at the 2019 KingstOOn animation festival.

The training covered pitch preparation and presentation, including writing skills, how to pitch to investors, and scheduling and budgeting.

It provided an opportunity for the animators to fine-tune their pitching skills and garner feedback from world-class animation experts.

The teams will deliver their presentations to a large audience during the concept competition on Saturday (April 6).

A member of the winning team will receive a paid trip to an international trade show to pitch to potential investors. The winners will also receive hardware and software to undertake animation projects.

Animation Specialist, Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industry (YEDAI) Project, Robert Reid, in explaining the importance of the boot camp and competition, told JIS News that “when filmmakers go to the market, in order to get funding and financing for their idea, they have to pitch or present a business plan”.

“The writing aspect will help the animators refine their skills in creating stories with an international market appeal,” he added.

In expressing her admiration for the work of the participants, Boot Camp Coach Raquel Benitez, told JIS News that based on the high quality of work she has seen, she anticipates “a great future in animation for Jamaica”.

The five finalists were selected from among 30 entries submitted between April and November 2018.

They were coached by Business Development Consultant at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Carlos Biern; Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Comet Entertainment, Raquel Benitez; Programme Manager, Digital Skills, SlashRoots Foundation, D’Oyen Williams; Digital Media Lecturer, Caribbean School of Media and Communications, University of the West Indies (UWI), David Soutar; and Senior Producer, Big Studios Inc., producer for Little Blackstone, Chara Hunter.

The KingstOOn animation festival involves collaboration with the World Bank and the YEDAI Project.

The festival, which concludes on April 7, is free of charge and is open to the public.

source: www.jis.gov.jm