Animation from Spain

TV Kids Weekly talks to a number of companies represented under the Animation from Spain banner about the latest developments in the country’s animation business.

Spain has positioned itself as having one of the most prolific animation production sectors in the international TV market. The variety of kids’ product coming out of the country is extensive, ranging from classic animation to the latest technology in 3D as well as products for transmedia exploitation. While Spain is currently on a hot streak, its successful history in animation production goes back decades.

Motion Pictures, for example, is a leading production and distribution company established in Spain in 1975. After more than 30 years in the field, Motion Pictures has built up solid international relationships with free- and pay-TV broadcasters. "Though it seems rare, it’s not uncommon that Spanish animation finds spots on the international broadcasters before the domestic ones," says Tony Albert, the sales director at Motion Pictures. "Our case is not an exception."

He adds, "Despite the [insufficient] investment from networks and governments in our own territory, talent in our market is expanding year by year and our content is getting more rewarded internationally every time."

"Spanish studios offer great designers, CG artists and fresh ideas," notes Carlos Biern, the executive VP of co-production and worldwide distribution at BRB Internacional and the president of DIBOOS, the Federation of Spanish Animation Producers. BRB is also a veteran of Spanish animation, having been around for more than 35 years.

Biern says he’s been impressed by the number of collaborations between Spanish producers and major channels from North America and the European public broadcasters, as well as merchandising companies, in the last few years.

Iván Agenjo, the sales director for Edebé Audiovisual Licensing, has a similar feeling about Spain’s collaborative spirit. "Spanish companies are used to going to the international market to look for partners and financing, and that’s why a lot of projects are born here or have a Spanish collaborator. This is really useful now that the domestic market is kind of slow, so we can take profit of the foreign incipient growth." 

"We are lucky to have such an excellent pool of talent; there is a strong tradition of innovation and creativity in Spain," agrees Christophe Goldberger, the head of distribution and marketing at Imira Entertainment. "Equally, in the Spanish industry there is a desire to integrate new technologies in productions, so we’re always exploring new platforms and opportunities aiming to stay ahead of the curve."

Goldberger continues, "In terms of business, with so little public funding available, Spanish companies develop a strong expertise in financing shows in the international market, and are adaptable and flexible in the way work can be split. It makes us good partners to have on board!"

In addition to production, licensing has been a key strength of Spanish companies, according to Ignacio Orive Martín, the president of Elastic Rights. "Along with Italy, Spain’s licensing market has traditionally been one of the most relevant in Southern Europe and is viewed as a reference point. Licensed toy sales represent 35.5 percent of the overall toy market in Spain."

He continues, "During periods of economic hardship, licensing becomes more valuable to manufacturers and distributors as a way of generating sales. The downside, however, is that as the economic crisis has hit harder and lasted longer than hoped, retail clients are naturally more risk-averse and are no longer willing to take a punt on licensing opportunities that do not guarantee results. This has led to a situation whereby they focus their efforts on two or three of the strongest TV animation brands per year. So, while Spain remains a licensing hotspot promising considerable reward, it is an extremely competitive one."

Indeed, a number of new players have recently emerged within the Spanish animation landscape. Among them, Nottingham Forest is a young audiovisual branding agency that has focused its first-year IP-development efforts on identifying high-quality properties. It is arriving at MIPCOM and MIP Junior with three series. "This year, Nottingham Forest is aiming for international broadcast deals," says Laura García Ortega, the head of international sales, of the company’s initial goals.

Enne Entertainment Studios, another recent entrant, is using interactivity to help its shows stand out from the pack. "We are a new company that focused previously on video games, and apart from some animated short films, Escape Hockey is our first animated TV series," says Guillermo Velasco, the business director.

"When we look around at the animation that has been done in Spain recently, we can see high production standards combined with great creativity," he adds. "But the key issue is the challenge of the interactivity, and in this sense Spain is exploring new ways, such as our ‘watch&play’ format that combines series and video games. Escape is the first animated series worldwide that includes this format and it won’t be the last one for sure."

Vodka Capital got its start just a few years ago, and has already found success in Spain and internationally for its series Jelly Jamm, which is scheduled to launch in more than 150 countries this fall. Steven Posner, managing partner at Vodka, says he’s sees two key drivers for the animation industry in Spain.

"First of all, Spain has always been a hotbed for creative talent in the arts and this applies also to the world of animation," he says. "Ironically, there really aren’t that many great animation schools in Spain, so anyone who wants to do animation really has to have a passion for it and be extremely resourceful in learning the required skills as well as hunting for the professional opportunities. To a certain degree, this acts as a filtering mechanism that allows the raw talent that is passionate and persistent to actually make it in this world.

"Secondly, historically the Spanish animation industry has not really [received] that much government and broadcast support like in other countries in Europe," Posner continues. "This forces producers to be more creative in how they raise the financing and, by definition, focus on and compete in the international markets in order to have profitable businesses. Some of the strongest animation content might be ‘Made in Spain,’ but they are produced for the world. To a certain degree, not having a highly subsidized industry has resulted in more resourceful and stronger independent producers."