Inc.com Magazine covers Animaze Animation Festival 2019
Disney Dominates a $250b Market But These Startups May Be the Future
Well, it turns out that the truly disruptive animation startups are popping up in unexpected places, like Malaysia, Latvia, and inside a much-loved studio that most industry observers have considered something of a dinosaur.
Based upon what I saw at Animaze Montreal Animation Film Festival, it's clear that the animation industry is on the cusp of of multiple revolutions, all happening simultaneously, and all of which are the antithesis of Disney.
Before providing details, I simply must say something about Animaze. Most film festivals tend to be over-produced and over-planned (and therefore boring) but Animaze is all about serendipity. Most festivals are like Baroque music; Animaze is like Jazz.
As a result, attendees (like myself) end up being exposed to creative work that they otherwise might avoid, because they're "not into that." And such was the case here; I was overwhelmed with creative ideas that I otherwise wouldn't have known even existed.
Probably my most interesting discovery at Animaze was Les' Copaque, an animation enterprise in Malaysia. To understand why they're unique, I have to explain something about the animation business.