Triggerfish, Netflix open Story Artist Lab


By Content Nigeria reporter
June 24, 2021

News

South African studio Triggerfish Animation and global streaming platform Netflix have partnered to launch an animation talent incubator for African citizens.

Tendayi Nyeke

The Story Artist Lab initiative is sponsored by Netflix, produced by Triggerfish and will give shortlisted applicants an opportunity to take part in three months of paid skills development with international industry experts as well as be trained by Nathan Stanton, a story artist from Oscar-winning animated feature films like Brave, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc.

The Story Artist Lab builds on the success of animated series Mama K’s Team 4, a Triggerfish Story Lab writers’ initiative in 2015 that saw nine African women placed in the writing room for the first animated Netflix series from Africa.

African citizens with concept art and/or storyboarding portfolios can apply here before July 23, 2021. They must be available full-time for three months from August. Remote working is encouraged.

Triggerfish’s Zimbabwean development executive Tendayi Nyeke said: “Story artists translate screenplays into animatics, the loose first version of the movie that then shapes every step of animation that follows.

“So having skilled story artists from the continent in control of how their stories are told is a gamechanger, not only in grooming the next African directors but also in giving pre-production artists the opportunity to establish their own voice as they bring African stories to life.”

Triggerfish is currently producing three Africa-set TV series, namely Mama K’s Team 4 for Netflix; Kiya for Entertainment One, Disney Junior and Disney+; and the recently announced anthology Kizazi Moto, for Disney+.

The company also featured prominently at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival last week, winning the 2021 Mifa Animation Industry Award for the pioneering role that the company has played in animation in South Africa, and Africa more widely.

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