ProAnimats was created in Barcelona in 2007 as an association of a handful of independent production companies specialized in animation. A couple of years later, the economic and financial crisis started, leading to major cuts in production aids, the drop of advertising revenues and, consequently, of broadcasters’ license fees. Meanwhile, the technological revolution underway since 2010 had drastically transformed consumers habits with the increasing use of multiple screens and online video. However, this change had not directly translated into further revenues for the industry.
In 2015, in the midst of this transition, ProAnimats decided to incorporate itself into the PROA Federation. Under this new institutional umbrella, the Federation has managed to represent a considerable portion of the sector in its territory. It mostly brings together small and mid-sized companies which generate their own IPs and are relatively active in international markets as they co-produce most of their shows. Thus, at PROA, we firmly believe that cooperation with other agencies is essential for the growth as a community.
Our challenge indeed is to strengthen our financing, production and development structures, as well as adapting to the European ecosystem and market changes. In order to achieve this goal in upcoming years, we need the support from other partners. Therefore, we are federated into Diboos, a strategic partner to PROA for animation issues, and we have been members of the board of the Animation in Europe federation since its creation in 2016. In line with these initiatives, we see our participation in the ALICE project as a natural step forward into a path we started five years ago. ALICE pursues the same objectives of industry promotion as we do, while approaching the sector with a new and broader perspective, from training and production to content distribution. At the same time, this project allows us to access an extended and rich network of new collaborators, thus expanding the scope of our work as an association.
I personally started in the animation business in 2010, and became President of ProAnimats ten years later, just as ALICE was launched. My goal is to continue the good work my predecessors have done so far and to contribute to our regional development. In the near future, I strongly believe ALICE will offer us valuable tools to continue promoting Catalan animated films within and beyond our borders.
By Iván Agenjo, President at ProAnimats and Vice President of Animation at PROA.
