Anna Lucia Pisanelli
Producer
Graphilm
Italy
What is the biggest issue facing the animation industry?
The surge of animation production during the past decade pushed the industry to a point where there is so much great content coming from all over the world. Broadcasters and platforms are investing high budgets to constantly produce new titles, which is great. But at the same time, there is no time for the audience to get affectionate about a title or character if something new is constantly coming out, so they rely on well-known IPs. In this urge to produce new content, it’s hard to keep up with what is out right now and what the next big thing could be.
What is your company doing in response to this?
In order to compete with big-budget titles and get noticed in a crowded industry, Graphilm is putting content front and centre to focus on high-quality productions that bring audiences great stories, that are full of adventure and excitement but also important values and social content, as well as highly polished and visually innovative design. We have been experimenting with our most recent titles, Nefertina on the Nile and The Case, and have noticed an excellent response from the market. Both titles have strong storytelling and a unique visual concept at their core.
What place do original ideas have in animation when known IP is being increasingly relied on?
There is always space for new original ideas. Well-known IPs are a safe and reliable choice for the industry that invests in them because it can count on audience recognition and thus a secure return on investment. But audiences are becoming more demanding and are developing a refined taste. They will always want to hear and watch something new and never seen before.
Will artificial intelligence (AI) have a positive or a negative impact on the animation industry?
AI is undoubtedly bringing some changes to the industry. Whether it is positive or negative depends on how it is used. We can see it as a support mechanism for our marketing strategy and eventually in the future for animation production, but always keeping the original idea and creativity as human-made products.
Tell us about the project you are pitching at Cartoon Forum.
Cassy on the Stars (52×11′) is a TV series intended to stimulate curiosity in children about STEM subjects. The main character is Cassy, a curious child who wants to become an astronaut just like her mother. The journeys she will undertake with her spacecraft to discover unknown worlds are metaphors for the journeys of knowledge that always start from asking questions.
Aimed at an audience of four- to seven-year-olds, Cassy on the Stars is full of adventure and fun but also scientific content made simple through entertainment. Rai Kids supports the series and we hope other partners will fall in love with this beautiful project as we have.