Pick up your badge at the reception desk.

The accreditation pick-up schedule is:

Thursday 27th, from 16:00 to 19:00

Friday 28, from 09:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00

Opening remarks and start of the day.

In this presentation we will review the state of the art of Extended Reality, ranging from Virtual and Augmented Reality to Virtual Production, and we will discover real uses and applications at national and international level in different sectors: video games, animation, audiovisual... Get ready to get inspired and understand why the XR world is the next big step for the industry!

Whether you are looking for a Ghost in the Shell style look or a more stylized approach, in this lecture you will find valuable information for artists and developers working with non-photorealistic rendering (NPR). We will discuss practical approaches to toon shading, including the use of custom shaders, materials and rendering workflows. We will also explore anime-style shading techniques in Blender using OctaneRender, and learn how to achieve clean, high-contrast lighting, sharp shadow transitions, and expressive line work while staying true to traditional anime aesthetics.

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

We will discuss how AI is affecting audiovisual production, tools to optimize pre-production and how to automate repetitive tasks in order to dedicate more time to the creative process.

ClayPencil is a tool under development for Blender that combines Grease Pencil and nodes. Its goal is to animate 3D characters through a 2D workflow, avoiding rigging and speeding up 3D animation in certain use cases, simplifying what with another workflow would be more complex and expensive since 2D would be more direct and spontaneous.

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

An informal meeting place for professionals to network, share knowledge and discuss industry trends.

Pitch of the finalist projects of the Next Lab Generation 2025 workshop:

1. Rollin' Punkis

2. Echoes of Drowning

3. Where is my yellow pencil?

4. Our Father who art in heaven

5. Ashes

6. We've run out of milk!

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

VR artist and director Dan Franke shares his journey from CG generalist to full-time VR creator and founder. Dan will bring his expertise on creating immersive stories, from his work on the Oscar-nominated VR short film "Namoo" to directing "Tales from Soda Island," the world's first VR series. He will also showcase his viral VR artwork, including recreations of Spiderverse and Arcane, and discuss his ambition to grow the Virtual Reality art community. In addition, Dan will present his newly launched VR painting course, with the aim of inspiring more artists to explore this exciting medium.

The team of "Urke", one of the beneficiary projects of the first edition of Ibermedia Next, will tell us how they have applied new technological tools and free software to the production of their animation project. A walk through the history of one of the indigenous peoples of the Iberian Peninsula, the Iberians, through Urke, the wild girl who fascinated Hannibal. It is a co-development between the Spanish production companies Bígaro Films and Aupa Studio, together with the Mexican Sísmica Studio, whose objective is to turn it into a feature film. Directed by Aitor Herrero and with art by figures such as Pakoto, it promises a suggestive and colorful aesthetic, which thanks to tools such as Blender will multiply its formats, from 2.5D to VR.

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

In this conference we will explore how creative processes in graphic design and audiovisual content are being transformed with the use of AI. Freepik has launched a suite of different artificial intelligence tools aimed at content creators, and in the past year they have established themselves as a key player in the transformation of the audiovisual sector. And all this, without being in Silicon Valley, but in Malaga.

The team behind Catwalk, one of the beneficiary projects of the second edition of Ibermedia Next, will tell us how they plan to apply new technological tools and free software to the production of their animation project. What would happen if our routine imploded and we stopped being humans to become cats? Would we be able to live our seven lives freely? Maria faces this revolutionary change in this animated miniseries developed in 7 chapters, which dispenses with dialogues to deal with a universal dilemma: the problem of freedom. La Chula Films (Spain) and Hilda Studio (Brazil) join forces in this winning bet of the fourth edition of Next Lab Generation, with a team composed of 69% women. Catwalk entrusts the production entirely to Grease Pencil VR, Grease Pencil and Blender.

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

Innovation also comes from the change of approach, and in this case we will learn how taking the best of an ancient technique such as puppet manipulation, and putting it together with video game render engines, electronics and 3D printing; we get something new and disruptive. Digital puppets are a new approach in the production of animated content in real time, not only for broadcast but also for RRSS or live events. In this conference we will make a tour through different proposals and we will focus on "HaMo Real-Time Animation System", one of the most cutting-edge systems in this field.

We will analyze the challenges of this disruptive technology that is changing the animation and video game sectors, affecting all phases from creation to production.

Moderated by Jose Luis Farias (Director of Next Lab Generation)

A conference held thanks to the support of the ICAA and the Ministry of Culture.

A moment to rest, connect with other attendees and share what was learned during the day with Spanish wine. An activity offered by the ICAA

Next Lab Generation 2025 Workshop Awards Ceremony. Winners will receive professional accreditation to Annecy MIFA 2025 and the opportunity to make a presentation at the Next Lab Generation conference.