MISSION
Celebrating children from around the world, Animation Without Borders invites young communities belonging to nations which have not resolve their political issues to join the very creative and unifying process provided by the art of animation.
As for every film, it starts with a story, and Animation Without Borders is all about storytelling! Its programs are providing teachers a simple and proven pedagogical material which features a main character about to discover its surroundings and live a beautiful adventure.
The story development process involves a period of information research to have the children write in a fashion that mixes imaginary events and factual environmental data. Then creation occurs, first with a synopsis and rough drawings of the main character in key situations, then with finalizing the script to be read in front of the class, and finally color illutrations the 8 major moments of the story to be edited with the text as an ebook.
In the end, children see their ebooks sent to an animation studio from the other side of the "political fence". There, professional animators produce the short film to be shared among the young scriptwriters and illustrators for them to enjoy their contribution to peace among their nations through the art of animation.
KOREAN PENINSULA
As one of the longest divided people in recent history, the Korean peninsula is the first place chosen for Animation Without Borders to organize its workshops simultaneously in North Korean and South Korean primary schools. Also motivating this choice is the very well established animation industry both in the North and the South of the Korea peninsula, respectively in Pyongyang and in Seoul.
Animation Without Borders is taking the necessary steps to proceed with the selection of the primary schools to be involved in this cultural operation. Both animation studios in the North and in the South have been identified as SEK Studios in Pyongyang and SMIP Co. Ltd. in Seoul. Animation directors from both studios will participate in advising the children at the illustration and visual composition stage of the 8 key moments of the adventure they tell. On the script-writing level, one executive from Animation Without Borders will follow-up on site or/and online this storytelling process starting, as mentioned in the Mission statement above, with gathering factual information prior to let the imagination kicks in.
Over the 2 months, 8 weeks, period, the North and South Korean primary school will complete one ebook for every group of 2 students, hence about 15 ebooks per class, leading to a series of 30 ebooks in total. These ebooks will be shared between the 2 primary schools and, via the Ministry of Culture and Education of both nations, with the all country for all citizens to appreciate the common good that animate the creativity of children from the North and from the South, that is, genuine intuition.
PEDAGOGY
Developed by Odile and Pascal of Brittany Studios, "Ataô the little oak" is a program that invites children to write a script for an animated series. The main character is Ataô the little oak. Each one of his stories presents the discovery of an animal. At school, this program gives a chance to elementary classes to experience 5 disciplines in one course: natural sciences, language study, script-writing, drawing, illustrating and story-boarding. After writing their story, the children are visited by professional from Animation Without Borders and receive advice on its content and its structure too, on the way the information combined with the action brings an entertaining experience for the readers first, and the TV animation audience then.
Within the 8 sessions running over as many weeks, the Ataô program awakes interest and often passion, and results in happy classes producing well-balanced informative scripts and illustrations always surprising for their imagination, generosity through colors, and beauty.
PRODUCTION
Both the creation of stories with ebooks as their end products, and the animated TV series adapted from these ebooks are to be financed in two phases: a) the school workshops involving 2 classes of 30 children each, hence 60 students, together with professionals from the animation industry, and b) the development of 60 ebooks into a TV series of as many episodes. Animation Without Borders is to fund-raised these 2 separate budgets via its institutional and private partners established in the country were this operation takes place as well as in globaly influencial part of the world, from the USA, to Europe, China, South America and Africa, all with vibrant animation industries.
PLANNING
In association with NGOs with an outreach within countries facing division or after-war difficulties, Animation Without Borders selects a pair of nations or of regions with political differencies and set itself in motion to organize its animation and script-writing workshops for children from both sides to be united in the creative process of animation production.
