Conferences, showcase of projects, networking with experts and meetup in a monographic day to bring together the vibrant community of Blender and Grease Pencil organized by Next Lab Generation in collaboration with IBERMEDIA NEXT. Registration for the event can be done through this link until February 20th until full capacity is reached.Download the complete schedule of the event here.

‍SEDES:

Conferences: Espacio Rastro Madrid

Meetup: San Fernando Market

PROGRAM:

16:30 SHOWCASE OF BLENDER AND GREASE PENCIL PROJECTS
17:10 REASONS TO ADOPT BLENDER/GREASE PENCIL IN A LARGE STUDIO
17:40 BREAK AND NETWORKING
18:25 THE FUTURE OF GREASE PENCIL
18:55 TD, PIPELINE AND PROGRAMMING IN GREASE PENCIL AND XR /
19:25 THE IBEROAMERICAN COMMUNITY BLENDER/GREASE PENCIL: BLENDER TODAY
19:55 GREASE PENCIL MEETUP

Pick up your badge at the reception desk.

The accreditation pick-up schedule is:

Friday 1, from 09:30 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00

Saturday 2, from 09:30 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00

During both days you will be able to test exclusively the work in progress demo of Next Lab Grease Pencil VR.

Come and try the new HP Z devices with AMD, optimized for audiovisual work with AI and realtime.

Opening remarks and start of the day.

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Round table on access to financial tools and how to finance innovation processes in our audiovisual projects. We will be attended by representatives of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, CDTI, Enisa and Diboos.

In this case study about "PEPITOS"; Ruxandra Gabriela Popescu, director and producer of this immersive storybook in VR, will address different relevant aspects of the creation process of this project. More specifically, she will share her experience during the process of creating worlds for VR, emphasizing conceptual art and its aesthetics, painting and sculpture for VR. He will also address different aspects of film editing and its techniques, the cinematic language itself; and will end the session by sharing the testing and optimization process.

Brief presentation of the current status of the beneficiary projects. Next steps and most important milestones of the call for proposals. Training and promotion phases.

IBERMEDIA NEXT is an initiative of the IBERMEDIA Program, created to promote pilot lines that support productions other than those participating in the classic lines of the Program. The first call, launched in 2023, was aimed at the application of new technologies in the field of digital animation and audiovisual content with a high percentage of animation.

This presentation will focus on the heart of animation production: its people. Technology, no matter how advanced, is nothing without the creative and technical teams that drive it. Emmanuel will explore how collaboration, creativity and the passion of people transform tools and processes into animated masterpieces.In addition, the talk will delve into the joint evolution of teams and technology within animation studios. Through practical examples and personal experiences, Emmanuel will share how continuous adaptation and innovation not only advance the technological field but also the professional and personal development of those working in the industry. Get ready for an inspiring insight into how the marriage of human talent and technology is shaping the future of animation.

Will Anderson is a filmmaker who has been working with digital animation for over 10 years and has recently switched to the open source 3D software Blender. He will talk about his influences and how he made the transition between 2D and 3D digital animation workflows from the point of view of someone who works primarily with animated characters, his innovative approach to rigging for animation, procedural workflows and also his animated follies.

A time to rest or to connect with other attendees and share what was learned during the day.

The European animation and digital culture sector is a diverse ecosystem that encompasses creators, training centers, research institutes, game developers, festivals and funding agencies. Animation, video game and new media studios have similarities, talents and somewhat similar lines of development that often create opportunities to work together, but also structural differences that push them to seek innovative paths of development and production. However, despite considerable innovation driven by the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, scaling, growth and professionalization within the sector face obstacles, including funding constraints and inadequate infrastructure for distribution and presentation. Efforts are underway to address these challenges: growing number of European and national funding sources, initiatives such as Moonshot in the Netherlands, animation pitch forums with new virtual reality pieces, and new distribution platforms aiming to broaden audience access and integrate digital culture into popular culture. The presentation will cover the difficulties of leading a sustainable business model for a virtual reality company, the challenges of deepening engagement and fostering sustainable growth within this dynamic and evolving landscape of the animation and virtual reality sector.

At the upcoming conference, we will explore the exciting synergy between two powerful creative tools: Quill and Unreal Engine. We will discover how these two innovative platforms can merge to streamline the video game prototyping process, allowing us to bring our ideas to life in a more immersive and visually stunning way than ever before. Through practical examples based on the developing video game "Bogdan's Cross" we will learn how to take full advantage of Quill's capabilities for creating assets and environments, and then how to effectively integrate them into Unreal Engine to achieve interactive and exciting prototypes. This conference will be a unique opportunity to unlock the potential of these tools and take your game development projects to the next level.

During the day there will be breaks and coffee breaks to promote networking and there will be a space available for informal meetings with other attendees.

Pick up your badge at the reception desk.

The accreditation pick-up schedule is:

Friday 1, from 09:30 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 19:00

Saturday 2, from 09:30 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00

During both days you will be able to test exclusively the work in progress demo of Next Lab Grease Pencil VR.

Presentation of the jury and start of the second day.

Pitch of the first block of finalist projects of the Next Lab Generation 2024 workshop:

-Socks
-DESECHABLE
-DIBUS
-Lázaro
-The highest ruin
-Martina e Guará

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Pitch of the second block of finalist projects of the Next Lab Generation 2024 workshop:

-The Cutting of the Forest
-Nanomia
-Parallel Lines at Infinity
-Catwalk
-PUTA BARCELONA
-Welcome to Fucking Rainbowland

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A time to rest or to connect with other attendees and share what was learned during the day.

Immerse yourself in the virtual frontier with LAVAMACHINE studio's talk on animated short films in stereoscopic virtual reality. They will explore their collaboration with Meta, showcasing three animated masterpieces created almost entirely in virtual reality using the innovative Quill software. Learn about their self-defined post-production process and join the journey of a two-year production that will result in stereoscopic and fully immersive storytelling experiences that push the boundaries of virtual storytelling.

Talking about the future is always fun and above all makes us imagine what the new ecosystem that is being created will be like. Technology has more and more to say in creativity and in these turbulent times, stopping to reflect and debate is a luxury we want to give ourselves. In this round table we will move away from speculation and we will have voices that are creating this new ecosystem where the boundaries between media, sectors and technologies are blurred.

Next Lab Generation 2024 Workshop Awards Ceremony. The winners will participate in the Next Lab Generation conference at Annecy MIFA 2024; they will also receive €8,000 gross in development assistance, three months of mentoring, a travel grant and accreditation for a representative of the project to attend the Annecy Festival 2024.

During the day there will be breaks and coffee breaks to promote networking and there will be a space available for informal meetings with other attendees.