general animation questions

I am sure your email box and/or pm will be full in a matter of minutes.

What type of animatio ? 2-D ( pretty explationary) step-motion ( i.e like wallace and grommit ) or like 3-D animation ( shrek )

Hi there,
I work in the music business and I am working on a project which involves mixing animation and music in the form of a children's animated series and stumbled upon this forum. I have absolutely no knowledge on animation whatsoever so I wondering if I could post a few questions up here and may-be some of you could help me out?
So here you are:
1. What are the problems with getting an animation made abroad? I have been told that alot of places in the far east etc have very dubious attitudes to work and pay, is this true and what areas should I avoid?
2. How much cheaper is it on average to make a children's animated series abroad than it is to get it made either here in England (where I am from) or in the US?
3. Could anyone give me the names of any of these foreign companies so I could contact and speak to them myself?
Thanks for your help guys
Nick

1) problems are - lack of communication, misunderstandings, lack of committment. there is no specific area you should avoid. there are some great studios all over the S&E Asia as well as some real bad ones.
2) it is really cheap, depending on where you are. it could be between 30%-40% cheaper than quoted rates in N.America / W. Europe for production.
3) i think if you just look around you will get plenty of info.look on AIDB. You will need to decide what level studio you wish to work with. I would recommend in India Crest, Color Chips,Toonz but of late both have branched out into IP for the western market with Crest and CC raising $25million and $12million respectively. Toonz has signed up with First Serve for production deals as well.
So the really big studios are doing really big things. But if you are looking to do something in Flash there are some solid studios doing some good interesting work right now.

http://www.aidb.com/index.php?ltype=list&cat=loc&loc3=Asia&loc2=India

well here is one listing for India. you can also look at other options on the site.

id be interested in hearing what you have in mind as well :)

I also don't see why animators in the UK and the US should be better at what they do than their eastern counter-parts, but as I have said I am looking to explore this for myself. Thanks for everyones comments so far, if anyone else can put me in touch with any other companies abroad that would be great, at least this way I can discover their methods for myself. Thanks everyone. Nick
Any company e-mail addresses and web-sites would be fantastic

Maybe because animation developed in the states, and those that trained those in the east were those that were willing to "sell-out" to a certain extent and go over and train that workforce. It's your call. And I am sure you'll base it on the bottomline concerns.

the way i look at it is this.
with the money you will save it will be fully possible for you to pop up and check out your overseas animator. assuming the work you have is relatively substantial.

there is plenty of work going on overseas almost every major production has an overseas partner even the ones that animate stateside go out and do so because it brings costs down and speeds up time.

also most of the quality of the work will depend on the level of pre-production you offer. the greater the preparation and detail the lesser the chances of screw ups and re-takes.

I am sure your right Laurence, my point was why shop Walmart with their mostly chinese import merchandise, then wonder why the local shops are closing and industry is moving overseas.

I am sure there are many skilled workers in the off shore market, but I also remember seeing so many posts by these same workers asking us to educate them. They want us to share tips and shortcuts. And as a freelancer, I get a little peeved when they offer to spend eight hours on a project and their bid is 25.00 on it. I can't compete with that and live.

Here in the States with the technology and other skillsets moving offshore, we that are displaced are told by the global economists that we need to invest in retraining and education. My question is for what? You have to know Spanish these days where I live to get a job as motel maid, or landscaper. I have a degree in Horticulture, but that doesn't even cut it anymore unless you know Spanish on top of it. What's global for some, is just a barrier for others. What are your kids training to do?

The lumber mills have been closed because of environmental issues, the equipment was sold to companies overseas, who I guess don't care about the environment. But we the american consumer buy their lumber at an inflated price now.

The cattle industry has totally declined. And many of the ranches have been bought and consolidated into huge syndicated farms owned by oversea's interests.

The job categories are getting limited around here. I grew up in the fifties, my folks learned a trade, worked hard at it, and had security (medical coverage for themselves and dependents) and a secure retirement. Those days are over.

I wonder if the off shore workplace folks are promised these things, or are the only parachutes that are stocked on this global plane for the ceos and financial wizards.

If I moved to Mexico I would learn Spanish, but I am California native why should I have to....

If I moved to Mexico I would learn Spanish, but I am California native why should I have to....

I don't think it's necessarily a "have to" so much as making yourself as valuable as possible. If job competition is only going to increase, and the world is only going to get more interconnected, language is just another skill that can separate you from other would-be job-snatchers. A bilingual me is simply more useful than a monolingual me.

I consider it thoughtful for a person to adapt to the primary spoken language of a land they choose to inhabit. Or at the very least, not flip out or resent those who trouble understanding when they don't oblige. My grandparents have lived here since the end of the 60s but they won't budge an inch learning any English, and thus they're locked into certain interactions, a certain world and certain subcultures. Their opportunities have been limited as a result of the barrier.

Spanish being the second most popular language is the flipside of that. It's there, and considering you live in or near a place that used to be part of "New Spain," I don't think it's unreasonable to expect some of that language to stick around, and become familiar with it, IF you want to be among those successful enough to find and keep employment. It's another kind of hard work that can aid in the bills getting paid, just like learning a trade like your parents did. If English disappeared tomorrow and was supplanted by Spanish would you stop speaking altogether or get started toward learning it?

It's all about adapting. English wouldn't even be here if something else didn't die.

My argument would be I am legal resident. Why should I a learn a language primarily spoken by those that are in this state and employed illegally. Believe me I understand enough Spanish that those that speak it in front of me and believe me to be an ignorant gringo, would be surprised to know that I understand how rude they are being. I am too old learn to read, speak it and write it formally now. I chose French in high school, I thought I might travel there one day. I didn't know that one day my state would be inundated by illegal aliens.

Then the onus is on them to also learn English if -they- want to compete, but I thought we were talking about you. Doesn't matter how the language got there if it's there and it won't be leaving any time soon. In your eyes this is a sh-- situation so either roll with it, change it (though I can't imagine how anyone would lol) or accept it...

Then the onus is on them to also learn English if -they- want to compete, but I thought we were talking about you. Doesn't matter how the language got there if it's there and it won't be leaving any time soon. In your eyes this is a sh-- situation so either roll with it, change it (though I can't imagine how anyone would lol) or accept it...

The thing is they don't have to compete anymore. A friend recommends them and they are in, because the boss doesn't understand the language, but most of his workforce speak it, so he hires who they recommend. It's only the gringo now that has to prove that they are bilingual before they are given any chance at a job. And yes it's people like me that it affects. I used to have quite a few chicano friends, but as the situation has worsened for the legal citizens of the state, I find myself more embittered of the whole situation. Eventually we might as well be citizens of Mexico. Bush wants to allow Mexican nationals to receive Social Security at the same time he tells the American citizens it's a broken system.

Mexico is a large country with all kinds of natural resources, why do their people have to come here to find gainful employment...it's called political graft.

The thing is they don't have to compete anymore. A friend recommends them and they are in, because the boss doesn't understand the language, but most of his workforce speak it, so he hires who they recommend. It's only the gringo now that has to prove that they are bilingual before they are given any chance at a job. And yes it's people like me that it affects. I used to have quite a few chicano friends, but as the situation has worsened for the legal citizens of the state, I find myself more embittered of the whole situation. Eventually we might as well be citizens of Mexico. Bush wants to allow Mexican nationals to receive Social Security at the same time he tells the American citizens it's a broken system.

Mexico is a large country with all kinds of natural resources, why do their people have to come here to find gainful employment...it's called political graft.

i think this is veering very far off course but i have a pov.

its not that all jobs are moving overseas. there are certain sectors that are and it is the nature of economics.

certain industries big ones are staying stateside.

also the nature and quality of people working certain jobs overseas is indeed higher. there are certain call centres and i say certain where the type of people hired are usually graduates, well educated, well trained and they get a very solid wage not to mention the additional services they get such as insurance, incentives and some really great working conditions.

a friend of mine worked call centre somewhere in Milton Keynes and he quit in 4 days said it was apalling and low grade work - the same job when shipped overseas is done in great conditions by people who are clamouring for the job because it pays great and is widely accepted as upwardly mobile.

i know animation jobs are moving overseas and some of these people are making it impossible to compete. forget about working 8 hours a day for $25 mate, i cant compete with these guys and i work in the same city probably. its impossible.

but here is where the people out west score - content creation. the overseas shops are so far behind in terms of following or creating pop-culture and cinema that the chances of content creation-pre-production ever moving is near impossible in the next decade.

anyway. im kinda busy so ill cut this short for now. I just want to say that i do feel for you guys and personally have never made a ridiculous or unfair bid to take a job and treat my guys really well.

and the bit about the spanish speakers being rude. I dont know what they are saying but i personally have been the butt of quite a few racist comments in my time in N.America and Europe. meant nothing to me though.

I am glad some boats are being lifted, just kind of wish I was in one of them. Instead of constantly treading water or trying to swim out towards that distant life ring. I believe anyone that takes the time to master a skill should be rewarded.

In my (albeit limited experience)...Trying to get in a good boat is a skill to master in itself...

I used to be an excellent swimmer and boater. But you will find the older you get the harder it gets. But I know Scattered you have hurdles of your own that you are striving to master, that no one should have to at your young age. So I applaud your courage to keep up the good fight and good humor. I am surviving, but that doesn't mean I can't gross about things from time to time. Just bear with me.

well its not that solid a boatride. i got people trying to poke holes in the bottom all the time