 English logo used from 2019 to 2023 | |
Native name | АО Киностудия Союзмультфильм |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Studio Soyuzmultfilm (1936-2021) |
| Company type | Joint-stock company |
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | 10 June 1936; 88 years ago (1936-06-10) |
| Headquarters | 21, bld.1,Akademika Korolyova str.,Moscow,Russia,127427 |
Key people | Yuliana Slashcheva (Chairman) Boris Mashkovtsev (Director) |
| Products | Animatedfilms Television series |
| Revenue | $2.76 million[1] (2017) |
| −$8.58 million[1] (2017) | |
| $12,906[1] (2017) | |
| Total assets | $15.4 million[1] (2017) |
| Total equity | $168,401[1] (2017) |
| Owner | Federal Agency for State Property Management |
Number of employees | (February 2020) |
| Divisions | Christmas Films |
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| 【Creating ‘Mr. Theo, Cat & Dog’ and ‘Orange Moo-Cow’】 on YouTube Channel - English Subtittles | |
 Legendary Russian animation studio Soyuzmultfilm (@Мультики студии Союзмультфильм).Watch as the convertible creator laptop, ideal for demanding 2D and 3D work thanks to its Wacom® EMR pen and outstanding color accuracy, helps the studio to remain the innovative beacon of creativity known throughout the world. onYouTube |
Soyuzmultfilm (Russian:Союзмультфи́льм,IPA:[səˌjʉsmʊlʲtˈfʲilʲm]listenⓘ,Unioncartoon) (also known as SMF Animation Studio in English, formerly known as Soyuzdetmultfilm,Unionchildcartoon) is a Russiananimation studio,production, anddistribution company based inMoscow. Launched on June 10, 1936 as the animated film production unit of the U.S.S.R.'s motion picture monopoly, GUKF,[2] Soyuzmultfilm has produced more than 1,500 cartoons.[3] Soyuzmultfilm specializes in the creation of animatedTV series,feature films andshort films. The studio has made animated films in a wide variety of genres and art techniques, includingstop motion,hand-drawn,2D and3D techniques.[4]
The "Golden Collection" of Soyuzmultfilm, produced from the beginning of the 1950s and to the end of the 1980s, is considered to be the classics of theanimation medium and the best works of world-renowned directors, production designers and animators. Among the studio's best-known films areHedgehog in the Fog (1975), theCheburashka series (1969–1983), theWell, Just You Wait! series (since 1969),Karlsson-on-the-Roof (1968) and others.[5] Many of the films rank among the classics of world animation, garnered a multitude of international and Russian awards and prizes, and became an integral part of Russian and global culture.[3]
In 2018, the studio released thefeature filmHoffmaniada, considered a masterpiece ofstop motion puppet animation, based on the tales ofE.T.A. Hoffmann. The3D full-length animatedhistorical epicSuvorov is currently in production.[6]
The studio has released 7series projects since 2017. One of them is a sequel of the well-knownProstokvashino trilogyMr. Theo, Cat and Dog [ru] based on the aesthetics of the original. Six other series, with new original scripts, areOrange Moo-cow, which is co-produced withCyber Group Studios,Squared Zebra,Claymotions,The Adventures of Peter & Wolf,Captain Kraken and His Crew,Pirate School.[7] The seriesMr. Theo, Cat and Dog andOrange Moo-cow ranked in the top 5 among the cartoons shown on Russian television in 2019, according to Mediascope research company.[8] Several other series are in production and expected to be released in the second half of 2020.
Theshorts produced by the studio participate in prestigious festivals and receive international prizes. Among the recent award-winning shorts are:Vivat Musketeers! (2019),Good Heart (2018),Coco's Day (2017),The Sled (2016),Two Trams (2016),Moroshka (2015),Pik Pik Pik (2015) and others.[9]
In addition to the production ofanimation, the studio launched manyeducational activities. Soyuzmultfilm conducts advanced training programmes for animators and script-writers.[10] In 2018, it opened a development center for children Soyuzmultclub with animation workshops, interactive programs, regular animation courses for children, the museum.[11] In 2020, the first indoorrecreationalmultimedia park Soyuzmultfilm will be opened at theVDNKH exhibition center.[12] ATechnopark, which is to become the largestanimation production centre in Russia, is being created on the basis of the studio.[13]
The film studio was founded on 10 June 1936, by order of theChief Directorate of the Film and Photo Industry (GUKF) of theState Committee on the Arts under theCouncil of People's Commissars of the USSR. Two of the animated groups that existed in Moscow at that time were merged into a single film studio under the name Soyuzdetmultfilm, which was changed to Soyuzmultfilm in 1937.[14] The studio was located atNovinsky Boulevard, 22.
The creative staff included already well-known masters ofhand-drawn animation –Ivan Ivanov-Vano,Olga Khodataeva,Valentina and Zinaida Brumberg,Vladimir Suteev,Dmitry Babichenko [ru],Alexander Ivanov [ru] and others.[15]
Three-months retraining courses were organized by the studio for all creative artists. The masters taught young animators the basics of professional skills. The studio turned into the main production base ofSoviet animation and became a creative centre for animation of theUSSR.[14] In the early years, Soyuzmultfilm embraced thecel technique – the so-calledDisney's conveyor method, which was convenient for mass production ofhand-drawn animation. Contour with a drawing pen and an exposure sheet borrowed from theDisney became essential elements of production. In the late 1930s, the studio began actively using the Eclair method (orrotoscoping), developed by the American animatorsFleisher Brothers andCharles Mintz Studio. The reason was the reorientation of the studio to current topics and the need to create not only grotesque, but also heroic characters.[14] From the very beginning, the studio took as a basis for production the principle of division of work into separate specialties (in-betweeners, ink artists, paint artists), which accelerated the process of production and made it cheaper.[15]
For several years Soyuzmultfilm focused mainly on the creation of entertaining shorts for children with animal characters depicted in aDisney manner. One of the first cartoons created at the studio was the black-and-whiteIt's Hot in Africa [ru] (1936) byDmitry Babichenko [ru]. That was the first experience of the famous children's poetSergei Mikhalkov in animation as a screenwriter.[15]
Despite the chosen direction, many animators developed their own styles – in particular,Vladimir Suteev (Noisy Swimming [ru] (1937) andWhy does Rhinoceros' Skin have Folds [ru] (1938).[15]
Since 1937, the studio started to produce color films. The first experience wasSweet Pie [ru] byDmitry Babichenko [ru]. Many cartoons of 1938–1945 were made both in colouColor and black-and-white.[15]
If in 1936–1937 the animation was limited to the children's themes within the genres offables andfairy tales, then in 1938 it was ordered to direct Soviet cinema to contemporary issues. The studio's repertoire policy was changed, it again began to produce political films in the genres of the Soviet "political fairy tale",political cartoons andagitprop posters. The possibility of portraying a person as a positive Soviet hero in animation was discussed. At that time, the films (Fedor the Hunter [ru] (1938) byAlexander Ivanov [ru],War Chronicles [ru] (1939) by {{ill|Dmitry Babichenko were produced.[14]
In the late 1930s – early 1940s, was a shift in priorities from quantity to quality indicators. Animator courses were resumed. Films created between 1939 and 1941 were subsequently included in the "gold fund" of world cinema:Limpopo [ru] (1939) andBarmaley [ru] (1941) byLeonid Amalrik andVladimir Polkovnikov [ru],Moydodyr [ru] (1939) byIvan Ivanov-Vano,Uncle Styopa (1939) andFly-Tsokotuha [ru] (1941) byVladimir Suteev. These cartoons defined the original "Soviet style" of animation.[15]
In the first months of theGreat Patriotic War, all creative groups switched to producinganti-fascist propaganda posters. Many employees went to the front. In October, the part of the studio was evacuated toSamarkand, where the directorsMikhail Tsekhanovsky andMstislav Pashchenko [ru] joined the team evacuated from thebesieged Leningrad. They formed part of the Central United Film Studios team as a specialised division, independent from its leadership and keeping the brand. InSamarkand the studio worked in the strictest economy of materials and electricity. Scenarios were revised in order to simplify the production, which was extremely slow because of lack of materials and staff.[14][16]
In 1943, Soyuzmultfilm returned toMoscow. In early 1944, the studio organized the first Arts Council. By the end of the 1940s,Korney Chukovsky,Samuil Marshak,Evgeny Schwartz, Sergey Bolotin,Oleg Erberg [ru],Mikhail Volpin,Nikolai Erdman,Valentin Kataev,Yury Olesha,Boris Laskin [ru],Lev Kassil,Vladimir Suteev,Georgy Grebner [ru],Nikolai Klado [ru],Georgy Berezko [ru],Nikolai Abramov [ru] were invited to cooperate with the studio.[14]
Under difficult working conditions, several outstanding films were created:[15]
In 1945, the studio produced its firstfeature filmA Disappeared Diploma byValentina and Zinaida Brumberg, based on the story with the same name byNikolai Gogol.[2]
Soon after the end of the war, in 1946, Soyuzmultfilm moved its offices to the building at Kalyaevskaya street (nowDolgorukovskaya Street [ru]), 23A (the formerchurch of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in New Sloboda [ru], previously occupied by the Museum of the History of Religion and Atheism).[17]
In the post-war years, the studio stopped the direct lifts of American animation techniques, and the original aesthetic "canon" of the children's Soviet cartoon was determined.[3]
The best Soviet cartoons of the second half of the 1940s were distinguished by impressive plasticity and facial expressions, harmony of word and movement. A lot of new names appeared among the directors and artists of the studio:Lev Atamanov,Yevgeny Migunov,Leonid Shvartsman,Alexander Vinokurov [ru] and others. One of the main fundamental components of the Soviet cartoon school was continuity, when beginning animators gained professional experience from prominent artists and directors.[14]
The most striking works of Soyuzmultfilm in the late 1940s were the animated filmsThe Flower with Seven Colors (1948) byMikhail Tsekhanovsky,Fedya Zaitsev [ru] (1948) by theBrumberg sisters, andLittle Gray Neck [ru] (1948) byLeonid Amalrik andVladimir Polkovnikov [ru].[18]
In 1947, Soyuzmultfilm received the first international award –The Song of Joy [ru] (1946) byMstislav Pashchenko [ru] was awarded the bronze medal at theVenice Film Festival for the Best Animated Film.[3]
In 1951, the filmThe Humpbacked Horse (1947) byIvan Ivanov-Vano received the SpecialJury Prize at theCannes Film Festival.[14]
In the first half of the 1950s, the studio released popular films, many of which were based on the use of theEclair method:[14]
In 1953, the studio began the production ofpuppet films. One of the firststop motion animated films wereAt the Dacha [ru] (1954) byGrigory Lomidze [ru][3] andTwo Greedy Bear Cubs (1954) byVladimir Degtyarev [ru].[14] The first major success of the puppet production was the directorial debut ofYevgeny MigunovThe Pencil and Blot –The Cheerful Hunters [ru] (1954),[16] in which several technological innovations of making and shooting puppets were applied. Many employees of theState Central Puppet Theater [ru] under the direction ofSergey Obraztsov joined the staff of the studio's puppet association.[14]
In 1956, having changed several addresses, thethree-dimensionalpuppet film workshop received a permanent area inSpasopeskovsky Lane [ru] (the building of theChurch of the Transfiguration of the Savior on the Sands [ru]).[19]
In 1959, the well-knownmotion pictureThe Cloud in Love [ru] byRoman Kachanov andAnatoly Karanovich [ru] was released, combiningstop motion,traditional andcutout animation, and won a number of prestigious awards at international festivals, including the prize of theInternational Film Press Federation (FIPRESCI).[20]
In the middle 1950s, the studio began to abandon the naturalistic representation ofhand-drawn films, prioritizing more conventional forms.[21] The volume of filmmaking increased (at the peak of production by the beginning of the 1970s, the studio released more than 30 films a year), including annual production offeature films.[14]
In 1957,Lev Atamanov put into practice the technique of assigning individual animators to specific characters[14] (e.g. the role ofOle Lukøje was completely "played" byFyodor Khitruk in the filmThe Snow Queen[22]).
Among the most famous feature films of the studio of the second half of the 1950s:[23]
The studio also created cartoons for an adult audience:
Familiar Pictures was shot entirely in an innovative for that time conventional manner.[14]
On the cusp of the 1960s, a crucial moment in the history ofRussian animation occurred. The so-called "aesthetic switch" began with a whole galaxy of films:
Since the 1960s, the range of stylistic, genre and technological searches and solutions had been continuously expanded and developed. The old production system prevented art from moving forward,[14] andFyodor Khitruk introduced a "team method" of working, in which animators were involved in film production from the very beginning.[24]
In the 1960s, Soyuzmultfilm was also actively developingpuppet animation. Colour, decoration, texture of the material were applied in a new way. Semi-dimensional, bas-relief, includingpaper dolls began to be used. A new breakthrough in children'spuppet animation began[14] with the famous filmsA Little Frog Is looking for His Father (1964) andThe Mitten (1967) byRoman Kachanov,Who Said Meow? [ru] (1962) andThe Little Goat Who Counted to Ten [ru] (1968) byVladimir Degtyaryov [ru].[18]
During these years, many new animators joined the studio's puppet division:Mikhail Kamenetsky [ru] andIvan Ufimtsev [ru] (Whose pine cones are in the forest? [ru] (1965)),Vadim Kurchevsky [ru] (My Green Crocodile [ru] (1966),The Legend of Grig [ru] (1967),Frantishek [ru] (1967)),Nikolay Serebryakov (I'm expecting a baby bird [ru] (1966),Happiness Is Not in the Hat (1968),Ball of Wool [ru] (1968)).[18]
In the 1960s, the production ofsatirical cartoons increased. Animation began to raise acute social and philosophical topics. Especially famous[14] were
The most famous works of the Soyuzmultfilm of the 1960s:
and cartoons about sportsSnowy Roads [ru] (1963),Puck! Puck! (1964),A Rematch [ru] (1968) andMeteor in the Ring [ru] (1970) byBoris Dyozhkin.[18]
In 1968,Yuri Norstein andArkady Tyurin [ru] made a directorial debut with an unscheduled filmThe 25th, the First Day [ru].[25]
In 1969, the animatedanthology seriesHappy Merry-Go-Round was founded. The first release was produced under the direction ofRoman Kachanov by the beginning directorsAnatoly Petrov,Gennady Sokolsky,Leonid Nosyrev,Valery Ugarov [ru] andGalina Barinova [ru], the world-recognised masters of animation today.[14] The famous to this dayAntoshka [ru] and the first artistic presentation ofWell, Just You Wait!, which was soon turned into a popular series of its own, were released exactly in the first run ofHappy Merry-Go-Round. Experimental technologies, audacious concepts and innovation solutions were often used in the production of theshorts.
The period from the beginning of the 1970s to the middle 1980s is called the halcyon days of Soyuzmultfilm. At that time, it became the largest animation studio in Europe, that employed more than 500 people and released more than 1000 films.[3]
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the most popular cartoons appeared:[18]
Recognized masters ofhand-drawn animation continued to work at the studio:Boris Stepantsev (The Nutcracker (1973)),Ivan Ivanov-Vano (The Humpbacked Horse (1975)),Lev Atamanov (The Pony Runs Around [ru] (1974)), a series of cartoonsThe Kitten Named Woof [ru] (1976–1982)),Lev Milchin (The Steadfast Tin Soldier (1976)),Fyodor Khitruk (Icarus and the Wise Men [ru] (1976)),Andrei Khrzhanovsky (The House That Jack Built [ru] (1976),I Fly to You Like a Memory (1977),And I Am with You Again (1980),Autumn [ru] (1982)),Vladimir Popov (Bobik Visits Barbos [ru] (1977), the trilogy –Three from Prostokvashino (1978)),Holidays in Prostokvashino [ru] (1980),Winter in Prostokvashino [ru] (1984)),Yefim Gamburg (Robbery, ... Style (1978)).[14][18]
At that period were released:[3]
The cartoonsIsland [ru] (1973) andI Grant You A Star [ru] (1974) byFyodor Khitruk were awarded at theCannes Film Festivalshort films competition.[26]
The new generation of directors actively produced films, among them:[18]
Anatoly Petrov, using traditional animation materials, invented the technique of photographics and created films inhyperrealism aesthetics (And Mother Will Forgive Me (1975),Polygon (1977).[18]
Over the years many talented Soviet composers performed in the animation:Isaak Dunayevsky,Nikita Bogoslovsky,Alexander Varlamov,Karen Khachaturyan,Alfred Schnittke,Gennady Gladkov,Alexander Zatsepin,Yevgeny Krylatov,Vladimir Shainsky,Alexey Rybnikov,Maksim Dunayevsky,Mikhail Meerovich [ru],Sofia Gubaidulina and others.[14]
Alongside famous composers, musicians and sound engineers, prominent theatre and cinema actors worked at the studio, voicing popular characters:Yevgeny Leonov (Winnie-the-Pooh),Anatoli Papanov (Wolf in the seriesWell, Just You Wait!),Vasily Livanov (Karlsson-on-the-Roof andGena the Crocodile),Klara Rumyanova (Lillebror fromKarlsson-on-the-Roof,Cheburashka, Hare fromWell, Just You Wait!),Maria Vinogradova (Hedgehog fromHedgehog in the Fog, Uncle Fyodor fromThree from Prostokvashino).The Bremen Town Musicians are singing with the voices ofOleg Anofriyev andMuslim Magomayev,Faina Ranevskaya even finished the dialogue of the housekeeper Fröken Bock.[14]
Many series characters became cult figures for several generations of viewers (the main heroes fromWinnie-the-Pooh,Cheburashka,Karlsson-on-the-Roof,Well, Just You Wait!,Three from Prostokvashino).[14]
Masters of thepuppet association created popular films:[18]
During that period the filmsThe Master of Clamecy [ru] (1972) andSadko the Rich [ru] (1975) byVadim Kurchevsky [ru],Crane’s Feathers [ru] (1977) andBalagan (1981) byIdeya Garanina [ru],The Guess [ru] (1977) andBlack and White Cinema (1984) byStanislav Sokolov,The Memories [ru] (1986) byVladimir Arbekov [ru] were released.[18]
Yuri Norstein continued directing – he developed a new technological direction ("multiplane cut-out animation") to give his animation a three-dimensional look and introduced a number of innovative techniques[27] together with the cinematographer Aleksandr Zhukovskiy. His filmsThe Fox and the Hare [ru] (1973),The Heron and the Crane (1974),Tale of Tales (1979) received worldwide recognition.[28] The cartoonHedgehog in the Fog[29] (1975) won more than 35 international andAll-Union awards, and in 2003, it was recognized as the best animated film of all time according to a survey of 140 film critics and animators from different countries.[30] By the early 1980s, Soyuzmultfilm's works won a total of more than 150 prizes and diplomas at international and domestic festivals.[3]
The studio significantly expanded its thematic boundaries. The repertoire "grew up", a number of large-scale projects were launched:The Overcoat (begun in 1981, but not completed) byYuri Norstein,Heracles at Admetus [ru] (1986) byAnatoly Petrov and others.[21]
Soyuzmultfilm released a series of sports themed cartoons dedicated to theMoscow 1980 Summer Olympics. The main character of most of the films was themascot of theOlympics – thebear cub Misha:[31]
By the beginning of the 1980s, viewers became aware of the new names of the directors –Eduard Nazarov (The Princess and the Ogre [ru] (1977),Once Upon a Dog (1982),Adventure of an Ant [ru] (1983)) andGarri Bardin, experimenting with unconventional textures and materials (Conflict [ru] (1983)).[3] In 2012, the filmOnce Upon a Dog was recognized as the best Russian film in 100 years at theOpen Russian Festival of Animated Film inSuzdal.[32]
Leonid Nosyrev explored theRussian North folklore with a series of films based on the stories byBoris Shergin andStepan Pisakhov:If you don't like it – don't listen (1977),The Magic Ring [ru] (1979),Arkhangelsk Novels (1986).[14]
The domestic animation became a multigenre form of national cinema – the studio actively producedphilosophicalparables, extendedsocialmetaphors,tragicomedies,satiricalshort films,poetry films,romanticballads.[14]
Among the best films made at the studio in 1984–1990:[18][33]
The short filmFioritures [ru] was awarded theShort Film Palme d'Or at theCannes Film Festival in 1988.[26]
In the late 1980s, gifted masters ofstop motion animation appeared in the studio's team –Natalia Dabizha [ru] (Vanya and the Crocodile [ru] (1984),The Lonely Grand Piano [ru] (1986)),Maria Muat [ru] (The Crow of an Amorous Disposition (1988),Ancient Lyrics (1989)),Sergey Olifirenko [ru] (How Ninochka became a Princess (1990),Mashenka [ru] (1992)).[14]
Throughout its history, Soyuzmultfilm collaborated on a number of various projects with film and animation studios ofEurope andAsia. In 1981, the musical feature filmMaria, Mirabela, in whichLev Milchin and Victor Dudkin appeared as production designers,[34] was released together with theRomanian studio Casa de Filme 5 andMoldova-Film.[35]
In 1987, the animatedtrilogyThe Adventures of Lolo the Penguin, directed byGennady Sokolsky andKenji Yoshida, was released jointly with theJapan's Lifework Corporation.[36]
Since 1989, in collaboration withS4C (UK) television channel the series of theanthologyShakespeare: The Animated Tales, based on theplays ofWilliam Shakespeare, began. The series was co-directed by several Russian animators –Stanislav Sokolov,[37]Maria Muat [ru],Nikolay Serebryakov,[38]Yefim Gamburg andNatalia Orlova [ru]. The premiere took place in 1992 onBBC2. The show was highly praised by viewers and critics and won threeEmmy Awards.[39]
In the second half of the 1980s, the work of the studio was reorganized. In 1988, five creative associations were formed within Soyuzmultfilm: Search (art directorAndrei Khrzhanovsky), Comics (art directorVladimir Tarasov), Tradition (art directorAnatoly Petrov), Children's film (art directorVyacheslav Kotyonochkin), 3D stop motion (art directorVadim Kurchevsky [ru]), as well as the stand-alone workshop byYuri Norstein. That lasted until 1990, when the studio's division into Creative Production Association forstop motion andhand-drawn films was returned.[3]
In the early 1990s, new economic realities made it impossible for the government to support the studio any longer, and cartoon production decreased dramatically. Soyuzmultfilm was experiencing several crises at once – production and creativity, a number of talented employees left the studio. The production mechanism became impaired, there was a shortage of animators and workshop personnel, and the creative atmosphere was drying up. The studio lost its leading position in the system of Soviet film studios producing animated films.[16] Production volumes were falling gradually. TheUSSR State Committee for Cinematography began to reduce the amount of funding for the studio.
In 1989–1999, Soyuzmultfilm was made into aleased enterprise – the staff members leased their own studio from the state in order to continue producing films.[3]
In 1993–1995, the studio lost its puppet division building, which was transferred to theRussian Orthodox Church.[40]
In 1990s, Soyuzmultfilm became a production base for independent private studios as well (Christmas Films [ru], Argus International, School-Studio SHAR, Renaissance, Studio 13, Chris, Polinkevich and others).[3] Film production almost completely ceased.[41]
In 1999, pursuant to theDecree of thePresident of the Russian FederationBoris Yeltsin, a new structure was established – theFederal State Unitary Enterprise (FSUE) "Soyuzmultfilm Film Studio", which was given the premises, production facilities andfilm rights.[3]
In 2004, it was decided to establish theFSUE "Soyuzmultfilm Film Fund", which was supposed to manage thefilm rights and headed by Ernest Rakhimov,[42] and theFSUE Creative Production Association "Soyuzmultfilm Film Studio", headed by Akop Kirakosyan,[43] and which mission was to create new films.[3]
In 2008–2009, theFSUE "Soyuzmultfilm Film Fund" was transformed into the "United State Film Collection".[3]
Gradually there was a technical re-equipment of the studio.[41] Directors Sergey Kositsyn,Natalya Dabizha [ru],Aida Zyablikova [ru], Galina Shakitskaya, Natalya Ryss,Elvira Avakyan [ru] and others collaborated with Soyuzmultfilm.
In 2005,Stanislav Sokolov began the production of thestop motionfeature filmHoffmaniada.[44] In 2008, the post of artistic director was introduced at the studio. It was occupied byNatalya Dabizha [ru] (until 2010) andStanislav Sokolov (in 2011–2013).
In 2011,Vladimir Putin, at the meeting with animation directors, decided to abolish the "United State Film Collection" and transfer the films to the studio. He also promised to significantly increase funding for domestic animation and children's cinema.[45]
From that moment, with the support of the state represented by theMinistry of Culture, the studio got out of crisis and the revival of Soyuzmultfilm began.[46]
From 2013 to 2016, the artistic director of the studio wasMikhail Aldashin [ru].[46]
At the time, the production was activated, many new films were made, new directors were involved in the process.[46]
In 2015, the Experimental Youth Association was established, under the special programme "Production and Training", which is designed for directors and animators who want to develop and improve their professional skills.[47]
In 2016, the Soyuzmultfilm film studio celebrated its 80th anniversary.[48]
As of today, Soyuzmultfilm received about 90% of thefilm rights to its collection.[49]
In terms of the number of projects and the volume of created content, Soyuzmultfilm has reached the level of amajor film studio and presents its projects again at international film and television markets.[7]
In August 2021, Soyuzmultfilm was facelifted from Federal State Unitary Enterprise (FGUP) to joint stock company with 100% of shares held byFederal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo) according to the plan of reorganization of FGUPs by theGovernment of Russia. In a future, 75% of share or even more will be offered for sale and the rest will be held by Rosimushchestvo on behalf of the Government of Russia.[50]
In 2017, Soyuzmultfilm moved to a new building onAkademika Korolyova Street,[51] with almost 6000 square meters of floor space. There are about 300 employees in the studio today, 250 of them are engaged in the projects production process.[49] Up-and-coming talents work under the guidance of experienced masters of animation.
In 2017, by order of theMinistry of Culture a new collegial-advisory body – theboard – was established at the studio.[52] Since February, 2017,Yuliana Slashcheva has been managing the Soyuzmultfilm studio as thechairman of the board. Her past experience includes a position ofchief executive officer of the leading Russian independent broadcasting holdingCTC Media. Yuliana has several significant rewards in the Media Business category – in 2007, she was included in the ranking of the Most Influential Business Women in Russia, prepared byCareer magazine [ru], and became the winner of the annual national award Media Manager of Russia 2007 in the nomination "Public Relations", in 2015, Yuliana appeared on the list of The 20 Most Powerful Women in Global TV 2015, prepared byThe Hollywood Reporter.
In July, 2017, Boris Mashkovtsev became thedirector of the Soyuzmultfilm film studio. Before that he was heading Airplane Studio LLC, bringing with him over a decade of experience in animation production. Boris is also a member of the management board of the Russian Animated Films Association. Boris is one of the key experts in the animation industry in Russia, he is a co-author and the chief scholarly editor ofA Dictionary of Modern Animation Terminology and co-author of the textbookProducing Animated Films.[53]
Since June, 2019, Julia Osetinskaya became thegeneral producer of the studio. She was the executive producer in Riki Group and the head of Riki Development Fund, where she developed and produced several successful new animated brands and projects of the group.[4]
The studio today is equipped with the most modern facilities and presents a wide variety of animation techniques:hand-drawn animation,2D animation,stop motion animation and the most modern3D animation, usingCGI graphics.[7] Despite the digitization, the studio tries to preserve the aesthetics as much as possible.[54]
Recently, Soyuzmultfilm has developed, ready to introduce into production and is alreadypatenting several unique technological solutions.[55]
The studio keeps producing and developingclay andpuppetstop motion animation as this is an incredible legacy ofRussia, with professional specialists using unique techniques. The initial task, according to the new management, is to develop all existing animation techniques under the studio's roof.[56]
Today the studio is actively engaged in the development ofseries production with a focus on international markets. Soyuzmultfilm actively develops co-production and creates projects with other well-known studios.[57]
Nowadays Soyuzmultfilm has seven released projects. Several otherseries are in production[49] and expected to be released in the second half of 2020.
The main direction of the studio is the creation of completely new, original images and characters. Six projects have original scripts and heroes.[58] The animated series are intent on not only at entertaining children, but also at education and personal development through visualization in a funny way without strict edification.[59] Most of the series are created with the participation of professionalmedia psychologists.[60]
Together withChannel One Soyuzmultfilm is creating the educationalmini-series aimed at the very youngest audience segmentClaymotions[61] (2+) (since 2018), made in authenticclay-motion technique and teaching kids through games. Themusical comedyOrange Moo-cow (3+) (since 2019), co-produced withCyber Group Studios,[62] forms important value orientations among children.[57] The adventure comedy for family viewingSquared Zebra (3+) (since 2020) approaches to the topic of tolerance.[63] The adventure storyCaptain Kraken and His Crew (4+) (since 2017), co-produced with Rocket Fox Animation Studio,[4] shows children how to act in various life situations.[64] The adventure social comedyPirate School (8+) (since 2018) was the onlyRussianseries project that entered the competition program of theAnnecy International Animated Film Festival, in 2018,[65] and became a winner at theOpen Russian Festival of Animated Film inSuzdal as Best Series, in 2020.[66] The series for a teenage audienceThe Adventures of Peter & Wolf (12+) (since 2020), in which the real world and the magical world collide, is full of funny adventures and many unexpected events.[67] The series develops ability to think out of the box and find a way out of any situation with the help of knowledge and ingenuity.
At the same time, Soyuzmultfilm preserves the continuity of the classic legacy and keeps the atmosphere of the original cartoons with a focus on modern audience. One of the most popular series – the adventurefamily sitcomMr. Theo, Cat and Dog [ru] (6+) (since 2018) which is a sequel of the famous Russian trilogyProstokvashino based on thebook byEduard Uspensky. It is produced in the traditional technique of complexhand-drawn animation, where each scene is sketched manually, but today it is made with a stylus on the touchpad so that it looks modern.[7] The mission ofMr. Theo, Cat and Dog [ru] is to develop kids’ imagination and sense of humor, using exciting and entertaining stories with a strong comic element in them, and to encourage independence and nurture critical thinking of children.[68] The premiere of the series became the record breaker for the number of views on the air of theCarousel Russian television channel[69] and collected more than 1 million views in just 2,5 hours on social networks.[70]
The seriesOrange Moo-cow andMr. Theo, Cat and Dog [ru] took 2nd and 4th places, respectively, among theanimated series shown on Russian TV in 2019, according to the 4-17-year-old audience rating of the most-watched television programme which lasts more than 5 minutes, Mediascope research company indicates.[71]
The 2021 seriesRockoons, about a group of seven differently colored performing raccoons, is one of a few Russian animated media that took part in the Key Buyers Event for a chance to gain worldwide exposure.[72]
One of the main directions that the studio is developing today is a production of feature films.[73]
In 2018, the studio released thestop motionpuppet animatedfantasyHoffmaniada directed byStanislav Sokolov, which was being produced for 17 years.[74] The film conceptualized the struggles of an animation studio and its revival through its historic production cycle.
The film is about the life and work of renownedGerman writerErnst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann. The screenplay incorporates storylines and characters from his talesThe Golden Pot,The Sandman, andKlein Zaches genannt Zinnober.[74]
Hoffmaniada premiered on June 11, 2018, at theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival in official selection Out of Competition.[75] The film released in Russia on 11 October 2018 and later in Japan in 2019.[76][77] The feature received positive reviews from critics who remarked the film is at the same level as contemporary legends of stop motion films succeeding in reviving 19th century Romanticism literature in animation format.[78][79] It won awards at theGolden Eagle Award asBest Animated Film,[80] the Icarus,[81] the Brazil Stop Motion International Film Festival award,[82] and was nominated at theAsia-Pacific Screen Awards asBest Animated Film.[83]
A newanimatedfeature for family viewingSuvorov, co-produced byGorky Film Studio, is currently in production. It is a historical fiction, which combines several genres:adventure,militaryhistorical andbiographical.[84]Suvorov is made inCGI graphics and3D withmotion capture technology.[85] This entertaining and educational story promotes traditional values of loyalty, courage and self-realization, filled with the spirit of adventure, subtle humor and romance.[60]
This is the direction that Soyuzmultfilm has been engaged in for the past 20 years, preserving the traditional school of the studio –hand-drawn animation.[73] "Original author animation is a mandatory area for development, it moves the industry forward from an artistic point of view, invents new techniques and stories", says Julia Osetinskaya.[4] "This is our workshop of ideas. Our task now is to continue to develop and maintain this course of production, and to find the most talented directors, artists and animators", made it clearYuliana Slashcheva. "This comes up with not only producing of high-qualityshort author films, but also with potential ideas for further use inseries andfeature films".[6]
As of 2019, the studio produced more than 80 newshort animated films,[9] and keeps producing approximately 10–15short films a year.[86]
Theshorts produced by the studio regularly participate in prestigious international festivals. Among the recent award-winningshorts are:
and others.
Among the studio's production are new programmes of the legendary compilation ofanimated shorts for childrenHappy Merry-Go-Round, first released in 1969. The collection includes unique works in gouache and sand techniques.[4] The production of animated shorts at the studio is supervised by the masters of animation – artistic directors and creative producersMikhail Aldashin [ru] andIgor Kovalyov. Both of them, in 2019, became the members of theOscars, selected nominees and chose winners at the ceremony.[98] In 2017, Soyuzmultfilm released the newBicycle almanac, which was created by students of animation colleges and up-and-coming directors.[73]
Soyuzmultfilm is in the process of restoring classic tapes – the cartoons are digitized, color-corrected and given a modern surround sound. The first to be digitized and shown at cinemas are the most popular cartoons among viewers:The Twelve months (1956),The Snow Queen (1957),The Adventures of Buratino (1959),The Nutcracker (1973),The Mystery of the Third Planet (1981),The Tale of Tsar Saltan (1984).[99]
According to surveys of kids, the heroes of the "Golden collection" are among the most popular and favorite children's characters. The studio decided to create a continuation of these cartoons.[100] "We selected the ten most popular characters from the old collection and are ready to give a new lease of life to them. Our task is to pack the new product with respect to the continuity of the animation traditions, using a modern language and a visual range that is understandable to modern children",Yuliana Slashcheva says.[55] In 2018, Soyuzmultfilm announced about a release of the continuation of the cult cartoons:Well, Just You Wait!,Adventures of Mowgli,Umka,The Bremen Town Musicians,Cheburashka and some others.[101] In 2020, the second re-release of the Golden Collection commenced on 19 December 2020.[102] TheHigh Definitionfilm restoration materials for the films were released. The film stock were renewed with all thefilm grain and extra flickering dots removed ensuring the stability of the films for the foreseeable future.[103] Distributed by United Network "Cinema Park", the HD version of the classics are screened in many of the major cities in Russia.[104]
In 1992,[119] the studio signed a deal with the American company Films by Jove, owned by Russianimmigrant actorOleg Vidov and his American wife Joan Borsten.[120] It was the first international offer that the studio had received. The deal stipulated that Films by Jove would be granted the rights to 547 of the most popular classic studio films for a period of 10 years in all territories except theCIS; as part of the return, Soyuzmultfilm would receive 37% of the net profits. Films by Jove restored many of the films and released many of them on television, video and DVD in the United States and Europe, albeit usually with dubbed voices (in the case of the series "Mikhail Baryshnakov's Stories from my Childhood" having celebrity actors dubbing some characters in the films featured in the series) and changed music.
According to current director Akop Kirakosyan, the original deal seemed promising at the time but turned out to be "deadly" for the studio. The expected payouts never materialized because Films by Jove never posted any net profits; all of the money officially went to things such as new soundtracks, lawsuits and copy protection measures.[121]
Whether either deal was legal was debated in court, with the Soyuzmultfilm Film Fund (see section below) claiming that because the company's lease on its possessions would have expired in 1999 (at which time ownership would have automatically reverted to the government if no new lease were signed), Soyuzmultfilm had no authority to issue rights that lasted beyond that timeframe.[122] Joan Borsten presented a different story.[123] In the end, the Russian courts sided with Soyuzmultfilm and the American courts sided with Films by Jove.
U.S. Federal Court found that the Russian government has twice tried to invalidate Judge Trager's August 2001 summary judgment decision in favor of Films By Jove and transfer the copyrights to a library of 1,500 animated films, which Films by Jove licensed from Soyuzmultfilm Studios in 1992 to a new state-owned company. The judge found evidence of "continued actions being taken by the Russian government and judiciary to influence the outcome of this United States litigation with the purpose of depriving plaintiff Films by Jove of its right to distribute the animated films in the United States and elsewhere outside the former Soviet Union." The voluminous and very thorough decision further noted that, "In the case at bar, expropriation of the property of an American company by an act of a foreign sovereign is unquestionably against the public policy of the United States."[124][125]
On 11 April 2007, Russian businessmanAlisher Usmanov announced that he was in the final stages of negotiating a price with Films by Jove to buy back the collection.[126] A source close to Usmanov said that Films by Jove's initial price was $10 million, while Usmanov is willing to pay "several times less", as he considers that the rights already belong to Soyuzmultfilm and that he himself is only buying the physical film prints.[122] In September 2007, the deal was finalized, and Usmanov handed everything over to Russian state children's TV channelBibigon.[127]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)Hedgehog Fog Norstein.
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