User:Negar Motevali

Production in Iran

   The history of animation in Iran can be dated back to the Bronze Age. A 5,200 earthenware goblet discovered in Burnt City in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, southeastern Iran, depicts a series of drawings of a goat that jumps toward a tree and eats its leaves. Similar forms of pottery with sequential pictures can also be found throughout medieval Islamic Persia. Such drawings are early examples of precursors to the history of animation in general.

Although the first signs of world animation have been seen in this land, today, animation has not been a money-making industry in Iran.

Animation in Iran, like countries such as Japan and the United States, did not become an industry in Iran, animation production in Iran is generally divided into several sections.

   The first is short fiction or experimental films with low personal and government budgets, which are the most important animation productions in Iran and are seen in international festivals, and the second is mass-produced TV series with government support. Third, feature films on specific, religious, and moral issues made with large budgets from government agencies. Fourth, small groups with limited personal budgets who personally invest in web series, series, and sometimes feature films.

There are 4 different government institutions to support Iranian filmmakers

1. Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (KANOON)
2. Documentary and Experimental Film Center
3. Saba center
4. OWJ, Arts and Media Organization

The Process of Animation Production in Kanoon

   One of the biggest animation studios In Iran, we refer to this center as “KANOON” and its oldest animation studio is in Iran. they work mostly in traditional Cel Animation and Stop Motion. Kanoon also organizes the Tehran Animation Festival.
   Kanoon was established in 1940 by the Queen of Iran, Farah Pahlavi, as a cultural center. Graphic artists and painters came together and produced the first Iranian art animations. In 1969, Kanoon sent Noureddin Zarrin Kelk to Belgium, and when he returned to Iran, he activated Kanoon's animation department, and Kanoon Cinema Center was born. The golden age of the center's productions was at this time when all films were made with government funding. The center continued to operate after the revolution, but due to the restrictions and policies of the managers, it never returned to its original golden age.

  For a long time, the only animation production center in Iran was Kanoon of the intellectual development of children and adolescents. After the Islamic Revolution in 1978, Iranian art fell into a long sleep. The Islamic Revolution and the Iraq-Iran war led to the flight of artists from the country and the change of their jobs and the closure of art schools. After a long hiatus in cinema and animation, the arts and cultural centers gradually reopened. Kanoon is one of the most important centers for the production of short animations in Iran today.

They paid in 5 Instalment:

(After they approved the script and one concept) In every installment, they pay the director 20% of the whole cost

1. Concept, Character design, Animatic (20%)
2. 70% of the animate (20%)
3. 30% of the animate, editing (20%)
4. Sound and music (20%)
5. Final animation (20%)

  The duration of the contract depends on the time of the film usually takes two years and the film director, who has received the full budget, is responsible for paying for other elements of the film, such as the animator, editor, sound designer, and composer of his choice.

Short animation for ten minutes is paid 3200 euros to 5600 euros. That means on average 435 euros per minute, depending on the type of technique as well as the director's skill.

But!

 After the film is made, the center is responsible for participating in festivals, distributing and selling the film in world markets, and the director has the only Intellectual property rights of the film.

DEFC�Documentary and Experimental Film Center

The center is a reference point for young filmmakers to enter film directing. DEFC has produced short documentaries, movies, and animations and is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance.

 The DEFC has produced successful films that have been screened at international film festivals in recent years.
  At DEFC, there are councils of animation masters and artists who review and select proposals. The production process in DEFC is like the Kanoon, but it is more flexible. DEFC, unlike Kanoon, includes 70% of the DEFC's dividend and 30% of the director's dividend in the contract, and the director's name is mentioned as a co-producer in the film credits. This means that if the film is sold, a percentage of the film sales will go to the director.

Like Kanoon, animation production is the responsibility of the director. A contract is made with the director and he is paid in several installments during the production of the film. The director selects the agents of the film and all the responsibilities of the work until the final delivery of the film are on him.

 Due to their governmental nature, these two centers are the only centers available to obtain funding for independent and artistic animations in Iran, where animation production is somewhat far removed from religious and political issues, and the artist can make his own film on any subject.

The Process of Animation Production in DEFC

But! 70% of the DEFC 's dividend and 30% of the director's dividend are considered in the contract, and the director's name is mentioned as a joint producer in the film credits. This means that if the film is sold, a percentage of the film sales will go to the director

SABACenter

     Governmental animation production centers in Iran work on specific issues due to political affiliations. One of these animation production centers in Iran was the Saba Center affiliated with the Islamic Republic Broadcasting, which was responsible for the mass production of television animated series for many years. Saba Center was a large studio with different departments that produced animators, directors, and other agents of animated series. But today, with the budget they receive from government TV, instead of producing in the studio, they have become one of the customers of mass-produced TV series in Iran. With the spread of computer animation, small and independent groups produce TV series in small or home studios for this center.

The Process of SABA�Center

1. Concept, the initial idea of the series
2. According to the contract between director and SABA, the director will be paid as an example every 2 episode

Animation series for 1 minute is paid 125 euros to 350 euros. depending on the type of technique as well as the director's skill.