AboutPlatform

OVERVIEW• PLATFORM is the only major international animation festival in the

United States and the only multi-platform animation festival in the world.

• It is a gathering place for animation industry professionals, artists, students, fans and the public

• The first PLATFORM took place in June 2007 in Portland, Oregon. 2,000 films were entered, 8,000 tickets sold, with over 800 pass

holders from 15 countries, and 44 accredited press• The next PLATFORM event will be an independent animated feature

showcase in July 2010 with plans for a full PLATFORM festival in 2011.

Platform Festival Presentation 2

WHY PORTLAND?


Portland was chosen because it is: • A beautiful city with a vibrant arts and youth culture matching

the festival’s demographic• Located in the spectacular Pacific Northwest; easy to walk

around, with many attractions, from Powell’s bookstore and Oregon Museum of Science and Technology, to the nearby Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, wine country, and the Oregon coast• A well-known center for animation

• Conveniently located for other animation hubs on the West Coast

• It has the ideal facilities for a festival, including a world class downtown theater complex, a wide range of hotels and restaurants nearby, great food, local wines and beers

WHY ‘PLATFORM’• The festival is a multi-platform event reflecting the

diversification of animation across different platforms, new as well as traditional media

• PLATFORM is the only animation festival in the world incorporating a range of platforms from internet and cell phone animation, indoor and outdoor installations, to traditional theatrical and television animation formats

• It is a literal platform for artists


THE FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS

The festival center is Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA) in Downtown Portland, a multi-level, purpose-built arts complex with three theaters, seating 880, 340, and 200, plus:


• Many meeting and networking spaces

• A central atrium which is an excellent location for parties; in 2007 this included the festival opening and closing events

• It is surrounded by hotels and restaurants

• Two bars and a restaurant, plus an outdoor terrace

THE FESTIVAL HEADQUARTERS


SCREENINGS PLATFORM’s international competition includes categories for

animated shorts, tv cartoons, internet and cell phone animation and animated installations. At our first PLATFORM: • Out of 2,000 entries, 106 theatrical and tv films were selected, 21

films for the internet, 18 films for mobile devices, and 18 installations.

• 23 awards were given, including: cash prizes; a trophy specially designed by British artist James Jarvis; animation software and equipment

• Prizes were presented at a closing night gala Awards Show with animation celebrities, followed by the Closing Night Party


SCREENINGS (contd.) PLATFORM also offers a packed program of rare screenings and retrospectives:

• Premieres in 2007 including of the Japanese feature ‘Tekkon Kinkreet’, and Pixar Studio’s animated short ‘Lifted” introduced by its director, 7 times Academy Award winner Gary Rydstrom

• Rare historical films, which in 2007 included a 70th anniversary screening of Walt Disney’s ‘Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs’, with guest appearance by Marge Champion, the original model for Snow White

• Aardman Animations founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton • A slate of renowned international artists presenting their work.


CELL PHONE ANIMATION• Cell phone animation was viewed in custom

‘Phone Booths’ in the Festival Center, PCPA• The program included a competition, with public

voting by cell phone using a special code (instructions provided on the wall)

• Additional cell phone animation was provided by presenting sponsor, Cartoon Network


CELL PHONE COMPETITION


2007 Winner:Best Film for Mobile Devices Office Buddies: Stapler Face-offDirs. Dan and Jason

INSTALLATIONS

• Animated installations represent a highly innovative art form, occurring at the intersection of animation with other arts, technology and/or science.

• Some are viewed indoors, in galleries or other buildings; or outdoors on the sides of buildings, through windows or even projected from a moving car.

• This section of PLATFORM was staged in Portland’s reclaimed industrial Pearl district, adjoining downtown


INTERIOR INSTALLATIONS


EXTERIOR INSTALLATIONSSome installations are created for outdoor spaces, taking the festival out into the city…


PANELS & PRESENTATIONS

• PLATFORM includes a daily slate of panels, seminars, masterclasses and presentations aimed at professionals, students, and public, covering subjects from the impact of new media, to how to get a job.

• Some of the biggest names in the industry participated in 2007, from directors Henry Selick, Aardman’s Peter Lord to comics guru Scott McCloud, plus representatives from major studios including Pixar, Disney, Laika, Electronic Arts, plus the major US and Canadian TV networks.


EXHIBITIONS


PLATFORM includes exhibitions on animation and its influences. In 2007 these included:

• British photojournalist Robbie Cooper’s portraits of people and their 2nd Life avatars, from his forthcoming book Alter Ego

• Mid-20th century illustrator and Oregon native Basil Wolverton, curated by artist Kenny Scharf

• Pictoplasma, the Berlin-based movement for character design and art

OTHER EVENTS


• Vinyl toy painting• Technology demos• Daily ‘Meet the Filmmakers’ breakfasts

PARTIES & NETWORKING

Social networking is a major attraction, and PLATFORM offers many opportunities; in addition to hanging out between events, the festival offers a daily program of parties and other events. In 2007 these included:• Opening and Closing Night parties at the festival center• An afternoon picnic outside Portland on picturesque Sauvie

Island on the Willamette River, with barbecue and bluegrass music, hosted by Laika

• A children’s dance party• A ‘Drinking and Drawing’ party hosted by Channel

Frederator, at the Someday Lounge• A Friday Night multi-venue block party in Portland’s Old

Town, including a video gaming lounge and music by DJ Johnny Colt


PARTIES & NETWORKING


PRESS QUOTES


“Platform Starts out at Platinum- Platform International Animation Festival, the 1st anything-goes show in Portland simply rocks.”(Shawn Levy, oregonlive.com)

“…the mood was vibrant, funky and fun. Much like the overall identity branding…” (Ward Jenkins, AWN)

“The Platform Festival is helping to widen how the audience thinks about animation and looks at its use beyond traditional platforms of the television and big screen. ….it was notable that they included a competition specifically for mobile devices and jaw-dropping installations.” (Jas, fpsmagazine.com)

“I mean, I've been here for four days and the city's alphabetical streets and crunchy, slapdash fashion misfires have totally won me over. Never in my life have I used the word "delightful" so many times when describing a city...”(C. Edwards, New York Press)

ONLINE MARKETING

• The PLATFORM website, averaging 80,000 hits per month, features graphics and animation by top designers from Adult Swim, securing our brand identity as hip and edgy

• Supplemental content on MySpace, Facebook and Wikipedia

• Wider online marketing in 2007 included an integrated strategy of ad-buys, email newsletter blasts to 24,000 subscribers, affiliate marketing, viral marketing and creative advertising on animation, art and general websites

• Promotional contests in animation blogs and magazines challenged participants to create animated drawings, winners receiving passes to the festival


PUBLIC RELATIONS

For the launch of our first festival in 2007, public relations targeted creative, animation and entertainment publications and blogs, and the Oregon media market. We succeeded in reaching our target audience of :

• Trend setting artists, students, anime fans, and animators

• Animation and comic enthusiasts• General “hip” young adults 18 to 34 years

old• Influencers and decision makers in the

animation, film and art worlds


SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITES

• PLATFORM offers many sponsorship opportunities at all levels that can be adapted to your company’s needs:

Presenting Sponsor/Festival PartnerPlatinum, Gold, and Silver SponsorContributing Sponsor• Also, consider becoming a specific Event Sponsor:

the festival’s screenings, panels, workshops parties and awards are all available as sponsorship items

• Becoming a Festival Patron is a cost-effective way for companies to show their support for the festival

• Sponsorship-in-Kind/ Official Supplier is also a valuable contribution to the festival


For more details please contact Festival Director Irene Kotlarz, 310 455 1005 [email protected]

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS

• Recognition on festival website and online newsletters, with links to your company website

• Recognition in Platform marketing including posters, print ads, flyers, on-site banners signage and official program

• On screen sponsors roll at every screening, plus verbal recognition at screenings and other events

• Sponsors may insert material and giveaways in pass-holder bags

• Facilities can be made available for recruitment, demonstrations, and other on-site needs

For more details please contact Festival Director Irene Kotlarz, 310 455 1005 [email protected]


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