UAE: Netflix, Disney animators to headline Sharjah Animation Conference

Sharjah: The Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC), which will take place from May 3 to 5 at Expo Centre Sharjah, will host professionals from Disney, Netflix, Pixar, Ubisoft, Activision and others at exclusive workshops.

The workshops will cover various areas of animation, such as drawing anime-style characters, creating mecha and anime-style heroes, and much more.

The conference will provide a platform for industry professionals and fans to share skills and knowledge to meet with the growing global demand for animation. SAC is said to be the first of its kind conference in the Arab region and stems from a partnership between the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) and the Bergamo Animation Days (BAD) festival in Italy.

The lineup of workshops will cover a wide range of topics, including character design, storyboarding, and other areas of animation, led by award-winning experts who have worked on major releases for Disney, Pixar, Netflix, and Ubisoft, giving those who attend direct access to the very best the industry has to offer.

Visitors can find out more about the conference, activities, as well as book their tickets through the conference’s website.

Workshops

Attendees can learn from director Takahiro Yoshimatsu, known for his work on popular anime titles such as Dragon Ball Z and Hunter X Hunter, in the ‘How to Draw Anime Style’ workshop. Yoshimatsu will guide participants through theory and practice sessions on body proportions, facial details, and line style.

During the ‘Character With Personality’ workshop, they can learn from Annie Award-winning 2D animator and designer Sandro Cleuzo. He will guide participants through the entire process of character creation.

Film and storyboard artist John Nevarez, who worked on the oscar-winning film ‘Coco’ will lead a workshop titled ‘Let’s Talk About Story Moments’ on the art of delivering a story in a visual form.

At the ‘Bringing Characters To Life: Techniques For Designers’ workshop, attendees can learn from character designer Wouter Tulp, who has worked for Netflix, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures. Tulp will teach participants the techniques and principles for creating characters that “feel alive and full of personality”.

Creative Director Andrea Bozzetto will host the workshop ‘Studio Bozzetto: Storyboard and Creativity’ and reveal the creative process behind storyboarding for animation production.

For ‘How To Draw Mecha Super Robots And Anime Style Heroes’, character designer and producer Mamoru Yokota; famous for his work on Death Note, Naruto Shippuden and One Piece, will discuss design, personality traits, and how to portray signature moves of characters.

The Majid Workshop by Majid Kids TV will be led by experienced professionals and aims to inspire the creativity of young minds, whether they aspire to be animators or simply love watching cartoons.

Robin Linn, artist manager, recruiter and creative at Activision Blizzard, will help those attending gain insights into making an impression with potential clients, in his workshop ‘Crafting the Perfect Portfolio’.