Scrawl’s short film ‘Flats’ wins at VSIFF 2011

Scrawl Studios’ short film about a pair of siblings as they explore their HDB estate after school – and a paean to our living Singapore landscape – took home the “I Want To Remember” award, sponsored by the Singapore Arts Festival, at the recently concluded Very Short International Film Festival 2011.

Founded in Paris and now in its 13th year, The VSIFF is an international event that spans 20 countries and 80 cities, providing an integrated platform for screenings, workshops and competition in each country. View the film HERE.

A pitch project

A pitch project for Health promotion board which called for a series of recipe that parents can share with their kids on eating healthy good, especially the greens!

MIPTV 2011

Off we go to another trip to the south of France – that beautiful, if somewhat tiresome town called Cannes. It’s April, which means its MIPTV.

It felt like yesterday when I was blogging about MIPCOM, which was 6 months ago.  What’s gotten annoying about MIPTV is that it’s literally just over a month after Kidscreen in New York. Seriously, how many of these markets do we need?

It’s especially rough for producers based in Asia like us. 36 hours on a plane (to and fro) including layovers is time you don’t get back. I do empathize with our Australian colleagues, who probably travel the furthest from down under to reach Cannes.

Back to MIPTV. One thing good about this year’s market is that it was shortened by a day. Usually the market lasts 5 days (Mon-Fri). This year, it ends on Thursday. Given as we typically leave a day earlier, that means it’s a smash and grab, quick 3-night stay before we jet back home.

It’s a nice thought, but not after you think about the time and money spent just to be able to walk through the main door of the Palais with that MIPTV badge around your neck.

It’s become a cliché to say that the market is ‘quieter this time’. Yet somehow each year the participant numbers released by ReedMidem (the organizer) show more people are at MIP, regardless of how slow traffic seemed to be on the show floor. Well, this year Reed actually said the number of participants was the same as last year. I guess attendance must have fallen.

I think I really need an extended stay in Europe, maybe a detour to Paris or Milan or Prague or Madrid, to erase this muted contempt I have for coming all the way here. Eleven times in Cannes and I’ve never gone anywhere else after the market except back home.

As always, two things in Cannes that make it almost worthwhile:

1)      Catching up with friends and making new contacts and just talking about the business with different people other than my colleagues. It’s amazing how obvious it is sometimes to tell apart those who are truly passionate about the business that you literally feel the kid inside them struggling to break free, and those who see it plainly as a business. There’s nothing inherently wrong with either, and we obviously need both, but one does get reminded of the reasons why we do this. With each passing year in the industry, I find myself becoming a bit more reflective, and occasionally flirt with the philosophy side of this thing called making cartoons. If it takes coming to Cannes a couple of times a year to get me in that mood, I’m cool with it.

2)   The Riveria weather. If Singapore’s like that all year round, I’ll happily report for reserve army training.

Same apartment as last year.

View from balcony. Crisp morning air.

Every year someone got something made in Singapore…

Singapore Pavilion

Singapore and Malaysia Pavilions separated by the Red Sea.

10 bloody Euros for this feast in between meetings.

Choon Meng has a more evolved taste for French food than I do.

Breakfast at the pastry shop below the apartment.

Embarrassingly early for our dinner meeting.

It was hotter than it looks. The weather – not the suit / shades combo.

Choon Meng calling to check why his private yacht is late.

Not quite Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Choon Meng’s choice of travel literature. You know – light, easy-reading stuff.

Munich airport on transit. Never seen a barber shop in an airport before. A cut above the rest, clearly.

Best thing about German airports – Bavarian lager. Noyce.

CNY dinner – A Crabby affair

Our annual CNY dinner. Crabs were available this time, unlike the previous year where the restaurant ran out of them.

Photo credit of Bella, with her fancy iphone

A must have for CNY dinner- Lo Hei

Proposed concept for IDA cepas card

Problem : IDA wants to create a greater awareness on the CEPAS card and let the general public know it can be used for other purposes beside public transport.The card can be used for purchases at 7-11 , supermarkets etc but not alot of consumers are aware of it

Solution: We created a” larger than life” card and our concept revolves around the consumers using the card at ease, despite its size. We took photos of our office colleagues and “photoshopped” various items and merchandise for them. As the target audience is the general public, we try to make it impactful and tongue- in -cheek . Nothing too highbrow . Unfortunately, we did not get the project but it was  a good learning experience for us. 

Our collaboration with wonky films on coldhardflash

Here’s a sample segment from a new series concept from Wonky Films and Scrawl Studios. It’s titled iLand, a Flash-animated project aimed at 6-12 years olds. The one and only Peter Peake (Aardman) is the writer behind the project, and what you see here was directed by Miki Cash and Joe Wood.

http://coldhardflash.com/2011/02/wonky-team-try-to-put-iland-on-the-map.html

Happy Rabbit New Year!

Funny that as we finish up on one rabbit show, another one is about to start and will consume much of 2011. Add the fact that 70% of senior management are born in the year of the Rabbit, there’s certainly gonna be lots of jumpin’ and humpin’ around this year.

Goodbye Bunny…

Hello Hare…

 

 

 

Healthy Lifestyle

Poll by Scrawl staff (only 50% voted) on their preferred sport / exercise activity on each Thursday, starting…today!

Ciao 2010

In a year that some might say wasn’t the best for the Singapore animation industry (and there are reasons that shall be left for another post), we have to be thankful that the studio has been kept busy and was able to throw a Christmas party in joyous spirits, and most of us were able to take a few days’ break to recharge. I’m not sure there are easy days for anyone in the business of animation these days. You’re either scrambling for projects or financing for them (often both), and even after the projects come in the headaches have just begun as a massive 12-18 month operation beckons. It’s also a business that hardens you with disappointments, be it a project that falls through, or one that never seems able to take off. Yet, we soldier on, as perseverance is worth dusts of gold in this game. There are no overnight success in this business, and every once of experience and dexterity the studio has acquired over the last 8 years have provided the solid basis for sustainability. Eventually, projects do come in, and perhaps this year we might even see one or two originals get off the ground. Uncertainty breeds opportunities and vice versa. The ride’s been bumpy but we’ve covered good distance so far, and even managed to bring a few more people onboard. Who knows what 2011 might bring in this ongoing voyage?

 

Rushing a project

This is a project we just completed for a client.The team had only one week to rush out the project. The video footages was provided by our client and our job scope involved creating the animation to be overlayed onto it. It was an interesting project and it’s always “fun” to rush a project to see it to completion.