Press Release #3

FMX 2023
Film & Media Exchange
On Site April 25-27, 2023
Online April 28, 2023

Stuttgart, Januar 30, 2023. Ticket sales for FMX 2023 are now open. This means that preparations for the conference, which will once again be held as a hybrid event, are now in full swing. Moreover, there are further announcements from the conference program as well as Forum additions – and the Animation Production Days are looking for exciting project submissions. The FMX Partner section is also growing in size: Accenture Song, Framestore and Scanline VFX join the 27th edition of FMX as Silver Partners.

FMX ticket shop is now open

Two ticket categories allow the audience to be present on site in Stuttgart and online: With the Conference Pass, visitors can experience FMX live at the Haus der Wirtschaft in the center of Stuttgart from April 25 to 27, while attendees holding an Online Pass can immerse themselves in the online event on April 28. Select content will then be available to all visitors on demand through May.

In line with the certification as a climate-friendly event (see press release #2), visitors who buy an FMX ticket are eligible for discounted tickets with Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) and can use public transport in Stuttgart free of charge.

Buy your tickets here: Ticketshop.

Confirmations for FMX 2023

Art Direction and Concept Art for Indie Productions and High-Profile IPs

The art of filmmaking, art direction and concept art for indie productions as well as other high-profile IPs are the focus of a talk by Almu Redondo. Redondo will share her creative approaches using examples of her work on MY FATHER'S DRAGON, WOLFWALKERS, BELLE or Riot Games cinematics to show how storytelling can benefit from the power of images.

The VFX of KLEO

The conception and world building of authentic but not necessarily historically accurate locations in 1980’s Berlin as well as in Spain and Chile for the Netflix show KLEO with Jella Haase will be illuminated by Pascal Bußmann and Matthias Backmann (LAVAlabs). Together they will explain how they realised around 450 VFX shots within a year, from pre-production to the final shot.

Cinematography for Stylized Motion Pictures

Christos Obretenov will be discussing how Stylized Rendering in feature films has opened up the creative possibilities in cinematography through different techniques using painterly, watercolor, illustrative lighting, and linework. These techniques are used in lighting design, shadow placement, focus & depth of field through various animated feature film projects. Christos' company Lollipop Shaders has been developing shading tools and workflows in Stylized Rendering for feature film animation, he is the Lead Developer for Pixar's RenderMan Stylized Looks, as well as Principal Shader Writer on numerous Stylized & Non Photoreal Rendering feature films with Sony Pictures Imageworks including THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES and the upcoming SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE.

Forum News

The FMX Forum with its Recruiting Hub, Marketplace, School Campus and Workshops is currently filling up with longtime as well as new partners. Talent continues to be in high demand, as the fully booked Recruiting Hub demonstrates. The following list includes just some of the partners that have already confirmed their participation (more to follow):

Recruiting Hub: benuts, Ghost VFX, One of Us, Outpost VFX, Realtime UK, Rotomaker, Scanline VFX, Untold Studios.

Marketplace: Artineering, Das Element, Golaem, Notch, Ranch Computing, The VFX Shop.

Workshops: Binary Alchemy, Notch, vrbn studios.

School Campus: Animationsinstitut, Flinders University, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule der Medien, Howest University of Applied Sciences / Digital Arts & Entertainment, Luleå University of Technology, Merz Akademie University of Applied Art, Design and Media Stuttgart, SAE Institute, Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe - University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Silver Partner: Accenture Song

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. With 738,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture is a company driven by talent and innovation. At Accenture Song VFX, the award-winnning team of international artists take an integrated, collaborative approach from script to concept art, to screen. The team also goes beyond the final results— considering timing, cost-efficiency, and quality at every step of the way, and taking additional care with security via benchmarks like the TPN Audit.

More information here.

Silver Partner: Framestore

Framestore is an Oscar, BAFTA and Cannes Lions award-winning creative studio known for bringing extraordinary ideas to life across genre defining film and TV, iconic advertising campaigns, video games and pioneering immersive experiences. Home to over 3,000 creatives, artists, producers and technologists, Framestore is known for blending creative excellence with ground-breaking technical innovation to consistently deliver exceptional visual storytelling.

More information here.

Silver Partner: Scanline VFX

Scanline VFX is an award-winning, global leader in the visual effects industry with studios in 7 global core locations. From humble beginnings over 30 years ago, they've grown to a team of over 1,400 made up of diverse nationalities from around the world. Scanline VFX believes in the power of storytelling and are committed to helping filmmakers realize their artistic vision. Underpinned by a commitment to innovation, collaboration and long-standing partnerships, they continue to develop innovative tools, techniques and technologies, to offer filmmakers the ultimate in creative freedom. Netflix’s recent investment in Scanline’s pipeline, infrastructure, and workforce allows Scanline to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in VFX.

More information here.

Animation Production Days (APD) – Call for Projects

Bring that brilliant animation idea you have been working on to the right people! Newly developed animation projects can now be submitted for the 17th Animation Production Days (April 26-28, 2023 in Stuttgart). The co-production and financing market – a joint venture of ITFS and FMX – also offers a Talent Programme for newcomers and a Co-Producer Programme for production companies and studios who are looking for animation projects to collaborate on. Deadline for registration and project submissions is 9 February.

More information: www.animationproductiondays.de.