The French Are Keen on Animation Business in Ukraine

Experience gained in cooperation with Ukrainian animators was spotlighted by Thomas Digard, art director of Ankama, a French company, as he addressed the Animation Workshop at the Film Business Conference in the course of KYIV MEDIA WEEK 2014. During his 8-year employment with the French company Millimages/Bacfilm he was in charge of the company’s  Borisfen-Lutece animation content project given that the three studios engaged in it were located in Ukraine and namely: in Kyiv, Kharkov and Nikolayev. 

According to what he said it was only in Kyiv that more than a few hundred animators were employed in creating  the animation series. 

“It is where I met the best animators I have ever worked with. Ukraine might boast extremely powerful human resources, a very special animation history and gifted animators in numbers. The products made here were sold to 120-160 territories being translated into 80 languages. We know for sure that they were viewed by no less than 100 million children over the world”, recounts Thomas Digard.

A few years ago the Millimages managers made a decision to terminate cooperation with Ukrainian Borisfen, money being a time-worn reason for the move. Although production in Ukraine did come to French producers much less expensive than in Europe the French could not resist dumping card rates offered by China, in fact 4-5 times lower as Digard put it. “I was not among the decision makers but the Chinese and Millimages representatives were soon aware of the blunder they had committed”, the expert recounts. Although at a first glance the prices in China  seemed rather low, quite a lot of problems (both artistic and technical in nature) arose in the course of work which often backfired with additional costs. “Total expenditures in China were in fact equal to those in Ukraine but China brought about a headache into the bargain”, Digar comments.

Thomas gladly looks back at the time spent in Ukraine featuring animation prospects in Ukraine as breath taking. “I would like to have a better idea of opportunities offered in this country now since we are going to have our  technologies transferred here. It is an excellent period for business as I see it: some people are apprehensive of the issue and there is no tough competition. The chances are well worth the risk, and we might play on financial difference. People would be motivated by jobs more than ever. Well, I would be glad to come back to Ukraine “, says the Frenchman pointing out that his company Ankama is now looking for Ukrainian subcontractors to produce animation.

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