23/10/2003

The 2004 edition of the Cartoon Forum will be taking place in Spain, at San Sebastian in Galicia. Manuel Cristóbal is the executive producer at Dygra Film, the production company based in La Coruña in Galicia. Dygra Films is the first European company to have produced a animated feature length film in 3D.
Why did you think of trying to get funding for an animated feature length film in Spain?
"After the film Kirikou e la strega we thought that there was a niche for animated films in the European market. The film cost €3.5m, and all the funding was raised in Spain. We managed to keep the costs low thanks to 3D. I think that 3D is a real alternative to help us avoid de-localising animation by having it done in Asia. Co-production in Europe is a necessary evil, it’s useful for getting more funding. It’s been essential for Dygra to concentrate the production on El Bosque Animado in a single studio: it meant lower costs, higher artistic control and quicker production time".

What was the marketing budget for Bosque Animado?
"€1 million. But it’s important not to confuse advertising and marketing. There was a unique and original promotional campaign for El Bosque Animado. We organised different animations for schools and a travelling exhibition which was seen by more than 200,000 people. We created a website with a lot of teaching content. Europeans are finally understanding the importance of websites. The film was seen in a lot of European countries, a rare event for “live” films".

Do you think that a pan-European distribution company can guarantee a better distribution for European films?
"Distribution companies are complementary partners, which need to be involved in the production to get a minimum guarantee. But the more partners you have, the more complicated the work gets for the producer. In addition European distribution companies aren’t used to distributing animation films. One thing that would be useful is some coordination with the future sales companies. Bearing this in mind I think it would be useful to invite sales agents to Cartoon Movie, funded by the Media Programme".

What will Dygra Films’ next production be?
"We’re working on a loose adaptation of "A Midsummer Night’s Dream". The film will be called "El sueño de una noche de San Juan" and will have a budget of €6m. We already have distribution deals in place in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Holland. We’re developing new production techniques to allow us to create very expressive and elastic characters. It will all be put together with a high quality of animation".