RE-ANIMATION

Animation is one of the most important parts of any state's cinematography. Namely, it is with animation that the world of big films begins. The Azanfilm production and creative association has for many years engaged in the production in Azerbaijan of animation, incidentally targeting not only children, but also adults. Today the studio has produced over a hundred of bright and meaningful cartoons, built on the Azerbaijani folk tales, legends and parables of contemporary authors. In 2013, the domestic animation is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

Despite this advanced age, this sphere of culture in Azerbaijan is not going through the best of times, Fariz Ahmadov, manager and artistic director of the Azanfilm, said in a conversation with R+. "We lack highly qualified specialists, not because they are not out there, but because there is nowhere in Azerbaijan to prepare and train them. At this moment the "youngest" highly qualified professional of the national animation is 70 years old," Ahmadov said.

Self-taught animation 

The production of animation is a multifaceted and labour-intensive process. It starts with the script and choice of soundtracks. Because this sound will be used to adapt to it the mimics and gestures. A cartoon is a series of fluidly changing pictures that create the impression of natural movement. Therefore, Ahmadov says, it is not enough to be an animator, but one has to be an artist, writer and composer. Because animation is the synthesis of various forms of arms. In addition to the ability to draw, the animator requires acting skills, the skills of the artist and playwright.

The young specialists who currently work in the animation studio are mostly self-taught. It was very difficult to recruit them for this job because the studio work is mainly linked with state purchases and these are not very regular. In other words, this is an unstable and episodic work. In spite of these challenges, the studio management was able to send two animators for two-month professional development courses. In September the young specialists will go to Moscow. 

The demise of the Soviet Union had a negative impact on both cinema and the animation industry. The animators were chiefly trained in Moscow. Azerbaijan's own school of animators was formed by the 1960-70s, after a host of specialists underwent professional education and training. However, by the 1990s there were very few specialists remaining in Azerbaijan. Most of them went abroad. 

The history of the animation cinema goes back to 1933, when for the first time the Azarbaycanfilm specialists began doing the preparation work for its production and acquired the necessary equipment for this from Moscow. In the same year they used technical animation during the filming of documentaries Lokbatan and Oil Symphony (directed by Pumyanskiy). In the film Jat (by Basov) they completely used animation methods. The film was shown on screens across the USSR until 1938. 

 The public and political processes that unfolded in Azerbaijan from the end of 1980s, their influence on all spheres, including on creative organizations, and the search for new ways in connection with Azarbaycanfilm's shift to a new style of work provided an impetus for independent activities of associations and departments that functioned under the cinema studio. For the first time in the Soviet Union the Azerbaijani animators in April 1990 began working on the basis of lease. The name of the animation department wa changed to the Azanfilm production-creation association.

Two or three films per year 

"The Azanfilm studio produces animation every year, but in very low quantities: two or at most three films per year, depending on the state orders. But it still seems to me that this is about the quality, not quantity. Today we have to strive for quality. When planning to make a new animation film I always ask the question what will it convey? The idea is what matters most for me. The film must convey humanitarianism and kindness. Because this is a unique form of art that combines drama, performing arts, and music. It is like the reflection of the country, its politics and ideology. I disagree with the view that animation is just entertainment necessary for the child to spend his/her time in front of TV, to keep them busy. The animation films often have a much deeper meaning. Therefore, today our task is to create a quality product not only in terms of the image, dynamics and effects, but also in terms of ideas and plot," Ahmadov said.

There is no doubt that animation films form an irreplaceable part of the children's world and help shape the identity of the would-be adult. Roughly speaking, what films the child watches influences their outlook on the outside world and their place in it. The Soviet cartoons are a case in point. They were packed with moral content, kindness, and meaning! How instructive were they!

The production of cartoons is not just labour-intensive, it is also costly. However, for small countries like Azerbaijan animation may lack the commercial perspective. Ahmadov said that the production of one animation film may cost the state a hefty sum in the range of $100,000 to $200,000. For us this figure is considerably less. 

Competent "promotion" 

"Sometimes the presentation and popularisation of films costs as much as their production did. This is some kind of "promotion" that envisages showing them frequently on TV, demonstration in pre-school and school facilities, sales through DVD disks, sale of related toys and so on. We can say on the example of the well-known Russian cartoon "Masha and bear" that its production cost Russia as much as its PR did. Before the film reached the wide screens there was a mass promotion, presentations in cinema theatres and so on," Ahmadov said.

It must be said with regard to the relative most effective way of popularizing the national products - broadcasts on TV stations - that the local airtime envisaged for children is full of cartoons. However, in the majority of cases it is foreign cartoons that are broadcast, with minimal broadcast of the national products. 

So what is happening with the national animation? Do we have nothing else to offer to our children? According to Ahmadov, we do have something to offer. And he disagrees that the local TV stations seldom broadcast Azerbaijani cartoons. 

"From the beginning of the 1990s 35 cartoons have been produced. In connection with the small number of national products our TV channels had to use foreign products more extensively. However, in terms of their potential capabilities and quality the Azerbaijani animation films are in no way inferior to foreign ones. On the other hand, I am more concerned about the content of cartoons and their treatment of children. We must manufacture products while considering the mindset of the country and ideas. As for the frequency of broadcasts, the monitoring of three local channels - AZTV, ITV and ANS TV - showed that over 180 in 2013 Azerbaijani cartoons were broadcast 42 times," Ahmadov said. 

What is necessary to revive the animation production? In the opinion of Ahmadov, resolving this issue requires addressing a complex of measures: training specialists, necessary equipment, structural changes and popularization of the national products through electronic mass media, mass screening in cinemas, recording on DVD disks and so on. One would like to hope that in the future animation films produced in Azerbaijan will not be inferior to Western ones and the problems of the national animation will soon be resolved.