Women in Animation Talk Solutions to Labor Shortage at Annecy

variety.com:

Lise Pedersen Speaking on Monday at the 6th Women in Animation (WIA) Summit at the Annecy Animation Festival, Chris Mack, director, Grow Creative at Netflix, addressed issues of labor shortage and inclusivity in the animation industry.“Never before in the history of person kind have we told these many stories, or pumped these many dollars into entertaining the world.

The fact is we don’t have enough skilled talent to create and produce this content,” he announced.“There have never been so many opportunities,” he added, noting that his company has executives in some 15 countries, whose jobs are to create pipelines and tap into local talent pools, both new and established.“You need executives who look like the creator you want to work with, who understand cultural storytelling.

That’s what’s unique with Netflix,” said Mack. “They have buyers who can identify a story that’s relevant for their territory.” The day-long summit brought together key thought leaders, filmmakers and executives from around the world to discuss the importance of inclusive talent development in addressing the needs for unique storytelling, artistic authenticity and labor shortage solutions in the animation industry.In the final “Fireside Chat” panel of the day, moderated by WIA Secretary and DEI Chair Julie Ann Crommett, Mack was joined by fellow Netflix manager Janine Weigold, in charge of animated series for EMEA region, and Marya Bangee, VP of RISE (Representation and Inclusion Strategies) at The Walt Disney Studios.Asked what specific opportunities there are within the animation industry, the panelists all agreed on the huge need for writers.