Jerusalem Venture Capital
Full-length animation on its way to Israel?
Jerusalem Venture Capital launches animation studio in Jerusalem with eye on creating largest movie studio outside United States; JVP head Erel Margalit: Israel doesn't maximize potential
With the Tuesday launching of Jerusalem Venture Capital's new animation studio in Jerusalem, Israel might be well on its way to producing its first ever feature-length animated film.
Some stalwarts in the animation field, however, are wary to express optimism before the venture gets off the ground, citing the collapse just a year ago of a similar project sponsored by IDT.
But if it succeeds, the multi-million dollar graphic studio, JVP founder and manager Erel Margalit says it would be the largest in the world outside the United States.
Margalit, the driving force behind the project, was inspired to establish the animation studio in order to bring together Israel's world-competitive technology and its creative minds.
"Israel is a hi-tech powerhouse," he explains, "but its creative potential isn't sufficiently exploited."
He says that by mixing the two, he hopes to create a local animation industry that surpasses international standards.
Hands-on nurturing
Margalit founded the JVP investment company in 1994 "with the goal of advancing change and improvement in Jerusalem's cultural and social," and so far his track record is impressive. Among his most recent successes is the Ma'abada (The Lab), a new multi-media art center on Hebron Road in Jerusalem, which opened in 2005.
The cutting edge venue promotes experimental theater, film, music and provides a much-needed outlet for artists and the avant-garde in the capital.
As for its business approach, JVP believes in "hands-on company building" using intimate techniques "to nurture investments."
Building the idea
After coming up with the idea of creating an animation studio, Margalit traveled to Los Angeles, the heart of the film industry, to seek out the best man to head the venture. After dozens of meetings, he found Max Howard, a London native and a respected producer.
After holding a senior position in Disney's Feature Animation Division for nearly a decade, Howard was recruited by Warner Bros. in 1995 to head their new feature animation department. He has been involved in dozens of box-office successes and award-winning features, including Space Jam, The Iron Giant and Quest for Camelot.
Howard, a middle-aged man with floppy white hair and a disarming grin, came to Israel for the first time in December to investigate the location. Pleased with what he saw, he decided to take on the job.
Expanding the vision
JVP plans to focus on producing family-oriented films, video games, and animation for cell phones. The feature films will be in English to reach the greatest potential audience.
Right now, Howard says, the team is working on finding a script for their first film. After reading dozens of screenplays, screenplay consultant Douglas Wood says they have narrowed it down to three, all of which "would make fantastic movies," he says enthusiastically.
Wood, himself prolific writer for film and television, a former actor, and film producer, was in the past involved in such animated favorites as the Animaniacs and TV's Tiny Toons Adventures.
Although he couldn't divulge top-secret details, he said all three were proposals were written by Americans who were established and experienced in the field, one of whom, he reveals, worked on the hit movie Shrek.
Getting started
According to Howard, once the studio decides on which film to go with, they hope to launch operations by making a short-length version in July for promotional purposes. A short film requires a team of about 25 animators.
Once the short film is finished, they will expand the team to 125-175 members to make the feature-length film, which they hope to follow up immediately with a second feature.
"The secret to building a studio is the second film, not the first film," Howards confides. "Once you have your team of animators, you can't just let them go. You have to be ready with the next project for them to work on, and that's how you keep moving forward," he explains.
Raised eyebrows
Not everyone is optimistic about the project, though. Guy, a 1998 graduate in animation from Jerusalem's Bezalel Art Academy mentions the failed IDT project, and says he is skeptical. "They've tried this before," he says, "but it didn't work."
Digital Productions Solutions Israel, a subsidiary of the IDT Corporation, opened an ambitious digital animation studio in Beit Shemesh in 2003, but the firm went belly-up before it got around to producing anything noteworthy.
Its U.S.-based overseers decided to close down the project at the end of 2004, and fired the entire staff. In its brief heyday, DPSI employed about 160 people.
"If it succeeds, it will be amazing," Guy says. "It will create a fantastic outlet for animators in Israel." But he's not so sure it will be an automatic success story.
His colleague, Dovi, who graduated from Bezalel in 1997 with a degree in Graphic Communications, was also hesitant to express premature excitement about the venture. "We'll see what happens," he says.
Forced overseas
Bezalel hosts Israel's largest animation studies program, with dozens of students every year. But few of the schools graduates go on to make feature films.
"There is work," Guy explains. "There are always commercials and shorts and post-production and stuff. But if you want to make feature films you can't do it here."
Most Israelis who wish to pursue that branch of animation move abroad, mainly to Germany, he says.
Animation pioneer
Illustrator Yossi Abulafia has seen Israel's animation industry come a long way since he started drawing years ago. A self-taught artist, Abulafia is affectionately dubbed "the pioneer of Israeli animation" by his colleagues.
"Pioneer? Me?" Abulafia shrugs, his head of wavy gray head tilted to the side. "At that time there was no one else doing it, so everything I drew got put on TV." Now he works as a teacher at the Bezalel Art Academy in Jerusalem, teaching illustration and animation drawing and is involved in numerous projects of his own.
Abulafia is unreservedly optimistic about the project. "I have a feeling it will work," he says, nodding.
Surrounded by former students who are obviously happy for a chance to run into their old mentor, Abulafia says, "There are a lot of talented and creative people here. This project has fantastic potential."
But will it go the same route as the previous attempt? "No," Abulafia states unequivocally. "The previous project had bad management. Plus, people have learned a lot from the failure of the last experiment. They won't make the same mistakes again."
For now, as dozens of local animators, investors and others assemble in the tent outside the Ma'abada, spirits seem high. Even Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has dropped by to toast the studio's success.
Addressing the audience, Howard says from the stage, "I hope next year at this time we can all be together again watching clips we've made in our new studio."
And soon afterwards, maybe Israel's first animated feature film.
