AfroAnimation Summit 4.0
TEC Leimert attended the fantastic AfroAnimation Summit 4.0, which took place April 10th through the 12th at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center in Burbank, CA. Started online during the pandemic in 2021, the AfroAnimation Summit is the largest 3-day summit in the world bringing together Black and BIPOC animators, content creators, storytellers, illustrators, and entertainment professionals. Over 7,500 individuals logged-in for that initial conference four years ago, and since transferring to an in-person event, the Summit has followed a trajectory of growth that saw over 800 in-person attendees this year.
The team that runs the AfroAnimation Summit knows what they’re doing, and it shows. With over 25 years combined within the industry, Keith White (CEO & Co-Founder), Rio Cyrus (Co-Founder, Event Panels Primary), Laurie Meiring (CMO, Event Operations Primary), and Senjobi Olumide (Creative Director, Animation) presided over the festivities and brought a professional, fun, and informative atmosphere to the environment. In attendance were studio animators, artists, designers, directors, executives, producers, story editors, voice-over actors, writers, VFX & gaming engineers, as well as entrepreneurial publishers, manufacturers, and merchandisers. Everything animation, even peripherally associated was represented here, and if you work or are interested in any segment this is where you want to be.
The conference began by acknowledging the entertainment industry is still reeling from the pandemic and subsequent strikes, and that BIPOC, ADA, and other traditionally underrepresented personnel populations have been more adversely impacted. Studios are scaling back and Black creative technologists have to depend more and more on being subject matter experts in whatever area of animation, and entertainment in general, in which they are involved. Coming June 2024, AfroAnimation is launching “GETit”, their app for creative careers (www.joingetit.com) to address this. The app, much like the conference, is an effort to create a safe space for Black creative technologists to be noticed for the merits of their knowledge, skills, and unique experiences.
A throughline of all panels and panelists was the consistent comment/concept of being technically proficient first (be it artist, writer, director, etc.) as a means of being seen/heard equitably within the workplace. Additionally, panelists of the diaspora consistently spoke of networking internationally online as well as within corporation’s Employee Resource Groups (ERG’s) as they are excellent sources of support and opportunity.
In all, it was an extremely wonderful, enlightening, and organically comfortable atmosphere to network, but more importantly, to simply geek-out on all things Black and animated with your folks. I highly recommend the AfroAnimation Summit as a must attend event next year. From their inception to their current innovations, the Summit personifies the expression, exhibition, and education of the next generation of “Creative Technologists”.
For more information on the AfroAnimation Summit check out the weblink https://www.afroanimation.com