Agnė Adomėnė

Agnė Adomėnė
Founder
Art Shot
Lithuania
Pitching: BFF

What is the biggest issue facing the animation industry right now?
For me the biggest issue in animation now is with the originality and variety of content. The animation industry is much more focused on the technological aspects of animation and less on the stories it tells. The technologies are evolving much faster than the storytelling in animation. It’s especially obvious in the feature animation of the past decade. Mostly there are two types of feature animation films: 3D family films and 2D ‘war/human rights’ films. The majority of feature animation films are very similar to each other in terms of the subjects and storytelling.

What is your company doing in response to this?
As our company background is in the production of artistic short animation films, we are less constrained by the commercial animation industry rules and I think this is our strength. It helps us to look out of the box.We intend to apply more freedom and creativity on the children’s content we produce.

How do you see the rise of the metaverse impacting animation?
I see the metaverse as an alternative possibility for animation content. I think there is a lot of potential there, but it also struggles with the storytelling challenges. The metaverse is still in the process of conversion.

How do you work with YouTube Kids and is it a platform that supports high-quality animation producers?
At the moment we are developing our first animated series for children, BFF, and we will definitely work with YouTube Kids once the series is released. YouTube, in general, is a very powerful tool that can help producers to reach young audiences, especially those aged nine years and older.

Tell us about the project you are pitching at Cartoon Forum.
BFF (26×11’) is set in Howl Town, a place inhabited by all kinds of animals where there is a cosy cafe called Buns, Friends & Family. The cafe is run by a large and neighbourly squirrel family, whose eldest daughter, Frida, loves to hang out there with her besties, Ben and Freddie. All three are classmates and partners in crime experiencing a never-ending awkwardness of social life. Dealing with casual relationship situations, the friends learn the importance of tolerance, acceptance and compassion. True friendship is the series’ superpower. It depicts relatable characters, imperfect families and real-life relationships, treats kids with respect and boosts their emotional intelligence. The magic of BFF is its focus on genuine friendship and belonging. Poland’s GS Animation and M-Films in Lithuania are coproducing.