With close ties to the audiovisual production, animation, and television industry in Côte d'Ivoire, the duo decided to launch Afro VFX with the ambition of putting Côte d'Ivoire, and more broadly Africa, on the international production map.
To do this, they decided to draw on their experience and expertise to change the existing audiovisual and film production offering, but also to prepare future generations for digital VFX techniques.
They are therefore launching AFRO VFX in March 2022.
Can you tell us about AFRO VFX?
E.M: AFRO VFX is currently a free training program to build and develop a skilled workforce that meets international standards, starting locally. We come from Montreal, which is the third largest
VFX hub in the world, and we want to develop this culture on the African continent, drawing on Montreal resources in the form of master classes, for example. We are starting with this free program, accessible via applications, then we will move on to creating a fully-fledged certification school and finally, a local VFX studio.
D.B: The initial ambition is to make Côte d'Ivoire the African hub for VFX. We want to develop an ecosystem of studios, talent, schools, and production companies specializing in special effects. Our approach aims to bring this ecosystem in line with major international standards in order to increase the quality of local productions and be able to absorb international demand. Today, there is a real and considerable demand for VFX productions, whether it be superhero movies, science fiction, or even the smallest explosion scenes, which are filmed in studios around the world using green screens or digital screens.
The global industry is experiencing both growing demand for productions from studios and a significant shortage of skills and labor.
We want our French-speaking African region, starting with Côte d'Ivoire, to be able to respond to this demand, both locally and internationally. For the past 20 years, India has played this role as a subcontractor for VFX productions for major film studios on the American West Coast. We want Côte d'Ivoire to take its place.
How does the training work?
D.B: We have launched this training program in partnership with Orange Digital Center and the Canadian Embassy in Côte d'Ivoire. This allows us to train 20 young people, 12 boys and 8 girls, on three digital software programs used in the VFX industry: Maya, Houdini, and Nuke. They are students, self-taught, novices, or professionals in other sectors. The trainers are digital artists who work in international studios based in Montreal, and they will be involved for two months.
At the end of the training, the candidates will begin a four- to six-month professional integration internship at local partner studios such as Afrikatoon, Voodoo Communication, Baby Art Studios, and others
.
E.M: We received more than 500 applications in Abidjan in just one week! But we could only accept 20, with a goal of gender parity. It is important to note that many of our candidates are self-taught enthusiasts who cannot afford specialized software but are learning the ropes using accessible online versions.
Alongside the training, we organized masterclasses led by industry professionals to introduce candidates to their jobs and activities. These included Sidney Kombo Kintombo from WETA Digital, known for the movie Avengers, Omar Morsy, animation director at Moving Picture Company, and Saïdou Bernabé and Josée Chapdelaine. These masterclasses helped raise awareness of VFX. We are also preparing a masterclass with DNEG, a major international studio, which will present the theme of the film production pipeline, focusing on VFX.
D.B: We also have a dedicated video podcast called "AFRO VFX Meet" to discuss major industry topics with renowned players. We have a business ambition, but we also take the time to raise awareness and create a solid foundation for an ecosystem. In addition, we offer informational webinars and participate in major events such as the Abidjan Animation Film Festival.
You are starting in Ivory Coast, what will be next?
D.B: We are already receiving requests from Senegal, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This leads us to look further ahead… But we need partners to establish ourselves elsewhere.
E.M: The demand is there! Preparing this "workforce" for VFX will transform the ways in which we tell stories that have not yet been told. A director thinks about what is possible to tell, including technically. VFX will allow us to explore other ways of telling our stories: inviting the viewer to travel through time, travel the planet, be entertained with action, imagine… We want to showcase local stories and take them around the world.
What is still holding back the development of VFX?
African cinema and audiovisual production have budgetary constraints, and VFX are not yet included in these budgets. This makes it impossible to find the necessary resources locally. In a region like Quebec, the involvement of public authorities has been decisive, particularly in terms of tax credits to attract American studios. In Africa, the public sector is still somewhat lacking.
How do you see the arrival of streaming platforms on the continent? Is this an opportunity for the development of VFX?
D.B: Of course. Recently, the Kenyan studio Kugali signed an agreement with Disney to produce an animated series called "Iwaju." Amazon is opening an office in Lagos, Netflix is in Lagos… English-speaking Africa is already on board. French-speaking Africa will catch up through VFX. We are convinced of this. But we can't do it alone! We need more players, we need to create synergies with screenwriters, directors, broadcasters…
E.M: With AFRO VFX, we are part of a dynamic that has already begun. A number of studios and production companies are already offering stories for VFX, such as the CANAL+ series "Mami Wata." Today, we need a boost to really make things happen. People are connected and consume this type of content, as the COVID crisis has repeatedly shown. The timing is right.
D.B: Quebec is the third largest VFX hub in the world. Why? Because the players have worked hand in hand with the government. A proactive policy has been put in place to attract major production studios and develop the industry. We therefore want to draw the attention of public authorities to the importance of deploying a framework that promotes the industrialization of VFX, job creation, and the promotion of the region…
More info: https://afrovfx.com/formation-abidjan
