How to raise money to make an animated movie.

This is the most difficult thing to do when making an animated film. Animating the Monstro the whale sequence in Pinocchio by hand is nothing compared to actually getting somebody to part with any money to pay for animation.

There are several sorts of animated movie that could be made. Short independent films (which no body can make money out of, so are very difficult to fund). Entertainment T.V. series (these are usually part funded by a Broadcaster [anywhere between 5% and 35%] and the rest of the funding comes from the animation company making the series or another source (they make their money by flogging the series around the world and all the commercial tie ins [toys, magazines etc.]). Educational T.V. series (these are usually completely funded by the Broadcaster, but the budgets are very low). Educational T.V. series inserts (this is where you have a live action program that has animated inserts. These will be completely funded by the T.V. company that has produced the program, they in turn are funded by the Broadcaster. Again budgets are very low). T.V specials (the kind of half hour or hour long show that is on T.V. at Christmas, again usually part funded by the Broadcaster). Feature films (Usually funded by a large group of organizations [Broadcasters, banks, venture capitalists, film companies]. Money is made from cinema ticket sales, video rights, T.V. rights and product tie ins).

There are organizations that fund animation in the UK (and around the world) but the competition for this cash is fierce.

UK funding organizations.

www.ukfilmcouncil.org.uk/ The UK Film Council is the Government-backed strategic agency for film in the UK. Its main aim is to stimulate a competitive, successful and vibrant UK film industry and culture, and to promote the widest possible enjoyment and understanding of cinema throughout the nations and regions of the UK.

www.scottishscreen.com/ Handles all film business in Scotland, from production and development to distribution of National Lottery money (totaling about £3 million a year), training and locations.

www.a-i-r.info/ Animator In Residence at The National Centre of Photography, Film and Television. (If you want to be in a box in Bradford, this is the place for you)!

www.cineworks.co.uk/ Cineworks is Scotland's entry level short film funding scheme, commissioning 5 films each year in the fields of drama, documentary and animation.

www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/M/mesh/ Mesh is Channel 4's cutting edge interactive animation scheme!

http://www.animateonline.org/ The Animate! project challenges the bounderies of animation through production funding, discussion and screening.

www.sgrin.co.uk/ Distributes National Lottery funding for film in Wales and runs short film schemes, offering up to £36,000 to produce short films of up to 10 minutes long. Studio Film Completion Fund offers grants of £7,500 for short films.

www.nesta.org.uk/ NESTA is the National Endowment of Science Technology and Arts. We help fill a funding gap by investing in ideas and the peowho have them.

www.mediadesk.co.uk/ This scheme offers funding for television programmes in the areas of fiction, documentary and animation.

www.exeterphoenix.org.uk/Phoenixmedia/funding.htm Production Bursary SchemeFollowing on from the three year's highly successful short film night, Phoenix Media is proud to announce our 2004 Production Bursary Scheme. The funds are aimed at filmmakers and animators with burning ideas they would like to realise. All films will be screened at the Phoenix's film festival in December 2004.

www.screenwm.co.uk/funding/ Screen West Midlands has public money to invest in film, television, games, animation and digital media. We want to create a vibrant, dynamic, productive and constantly evolving screen culture and industry in the West Midlands.

www.em-media.org/ Distributes Regional Investment Funds for England (RIFE) lottery money. Funds projects with a strong connection with East Midlands up to maximum budget of £3.5 million and digital features under £1 million. Development money: up to £13,000; production: up to £225,000 or no more than 25 per cent of production budget.

www.filmlondon.org.uk/ Amalgamation of London Film and Video Development Agency and London Film Commission.

www.northernmedia.org/ Northern Film & Media is the screen agency for the North-East of England. Our job is to promote and encourage the moving image industry in our region. We do that by investing in people and ideas.

www.northwestvision.co.uk/ Production funding for north-west of England which has £230,000 in 2004. Provides funding for digital shorts, script and audience development.

www.screeneast.co.uk/ Has approximately £450,000 from the National Lottery of which a portion supports up to 25 writers per year with £4,500 per project. Also has a UK Film Council supported training fund.

www.screensouth.org/ Funding includes Taped Up (six digital documentary or shorts from new filmmakers) with Brighton-based Lighthouse.

www.screenwm.co.uk/ Funds short films through the Digital Shorts and First Cut. Can also provide Lottery money for script development and offer loans for development.

screenyorkshire.co.uk/ Has money from the National Lottery for business development and production.

www.swscreen.co.uk/ For 2004, Screen South West is looking to support a range of investment to meet its three main priorities: developing the film, television and digital sectors; developing talent and innovation; developing film and moving image culture and increasing access to it.

International funding organizations.

www.afc.gov.au/Funding/fd/animation/fund_20.aspx Austrailian Film Commission.Assists the early development of pitching materials for outstanding short animation projects or series, to enable them to attract marketplace development or production finance.

www.pftc.com.au/funding/ani_projDev.asp Pacific Film and Television Commission. To facilitate production opportunities for writers, producers and directors by providing funding to develop film and television projects for which there is market demand.

www.filmboard.ie/guidelines.php The Irish Film Board.To meet the specific needs of animation development, the maximum amount of funding available for animation development (€70,000) may be applied for as a single-phase development at one point in time. Loans are repayable on the first day of principal photography. Teams (producer/animator/screenwriter) or individual animators may apply.

www.film.vic.gov.au/DMF/ Film Victoria.Film Victoria's Digital Media Fund aims to position Victoria as the multimedia content capital of Australia.

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/regions/atlantic/work/e_m.html Population and public health branch, Canada.The Community Animation Program ended on March 31, 2004. However, Environment Canada has expanded the mandate of its Eco Action program to include support for community capacity building activities.

korda.obs.coe.int/web/en/recherche_aide.php Database of funding for the film and audiovisual sectors in Europe.

europa.eu.int/comm/avpolicy/media/index_en.html The web site of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

UK Broadcasters.

www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/ With an annual budget of £9 million, BBC Films makes a minimum of six films per year with budgets generally up to £10 million. A wide variety of films made with a particular link to new talent.

www.channel4.com/film/ Newly-refocussed film arm of Channel 4 was scaled down in 2002, witrh annual investment cut by two thirds to £9 million. Now under Channel 4's former head of drama Tessa Ross and favouring British talent.

www.bbc.co.uk/talent/newanimation/ If you've always had a burning desire to see your animation on screen then now's the time to act. We're on the look out for short animated films that have the potential to grow into successful series.

 

 

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