Animations of Mexican Stories Complete the Picture

Animex Estudios has focused the world’s attention on some Mexican legends, tales and, coming soon, a story reflecting the reality of Mexico.

Mexican cleverness can also fill up seats in movie theaters. With support from Puebla’s state government and private investment by a regional business association, but most importantly with great stories to tell, Animex Estudios (www.animex2d.com.mx) has taken the international industry by storm with its animation and audio work, as well as by producing scripts, character designs and storyboards for companies in other countries.

But these global services are just the tip of the iceberg for this young Mexican company. It is passionate about recovering Mexican stories and legends –pre-Hispanic and modern alike– and revealing them to other cultures. Over the past three years, the studio has reached an audience of almost two million children for its La Leyenda de la Nahuala (The Legend of the Nahuala, 2007) and Nikté (2009). The story continues. Its latest children’s animated film project El Americano (The American) is currently being co-produced by Mexican-American actor Edward James Olmos, and by founder and current CEO of Animex Estudios, Ricardo Arnaiz. The movie will be released in early 2011. Its characters are birds and Ricardo Arnaiz says that “the story is about migration and the many positive results of contrasting cultures meeting together.”

Yes, yes, yes. Hollywood tries and dumps productions all over and has Animex’ success at least 30 times per year. However, the difference is that the company from Puebla is hardly ten years’ old, its directors, Eduardo Jiménez and Ricardo Arnaiz, are very young –Ricardo is thirty-five– and until recently it operated exclusively with family backing. For example its offices were located in a space lent by Arnaiz’ father. In 2000, Animex employed just five people but now has a full-time staff of 55 employees.

This Mexican company has also shown that a first-rate film does not need massive investment. La Leyenda de la Nahuala and Nikté cost just 2.5 million usd each. Nothing compared to Disney productions, which cost an average of between 90 and 180 million usd.

Even without the benefit of the Hollywood marketing machine, Animex Estudios has scored some great successes with a selftaught process and bottom-up, low-budget scripts. The story of a frightened boy who in 1807 personally discovered the legend of La Nahuala, a spirit that hides in an old house in the city of Puebla, was seen by 1.2 million people. The Spanish company Filmax took an interest in the film and is now responsible for distributing it across ten countries in Europe and Asia. In the US, the animated film is on sale on DVD. Nikté, the story of a young girl in the Olmec culture –which flourished in the state of Tabasco in south-east Mexico– is still showing in movie theaters across Mexico, says Ricardo Arnaiz.

For Nikté, Mexican ingenuity was used right from pre-production. For the film’s sound effects some of the crew travelled to the Agua Selva community in Huimanguillo in the state of Tabasco to record natural sounds for the animation.

The most wonderful aspect is that, in common with other parts of Mexico where animation is an emerging sector boasting solid technical skills and talent, in the state of Puebla those behind Animex managed to persuade other sectors not normally associated with the film industry. “We received support from the state government of Puebla and a group of businessmen who are members of the state business development council [The Council for Industrial, Commercial and Service Development of the State of Puebla, CDICSEP],” says Arnaiz.

—There’s a generation of Mexican directors who have received awards in other countries. Is there a boom in animation in Mexico?
Definitely. Several Mexican feature-length animated movies are being screened in commercial movie theaters for the first time. Some recent ones include: La leyenda de la Nahuala, Nikté, El agente 00P2 and Triple AAA: sin límite en el tiempo [both by Ánima Estudios], Una película de huevos and Otra película de huevos y un pollo [by Huevocartoon Producciones], and others coming soon are La revolución de Juan Escopeta [produced by Arnaiz himself] and Brijes 3D [by IThrax Producciones].

—Most of the young Mexican directors have not had a formal education in film or animation. Do you think that this generation of creative talent has a mutual influence?
Sure. The same animated cartoons that we grew up with and which are still being made around the world; access to technology, for example, to free programs available on the Internet, and our own culture. Most of the recent animated films have been done on low budgets with great creativity. We have grown up. Although Mexico did not have much experience with animation, us Mexican directors have learned by ourselves what works and what doesn’t and we have made improvements with each film.

—Almost everyone says that art and financial survival are incompatible. Is animation the exception?
It is difficult to find financing to make a film anywhere, but it’s worth it. In Mexico, we receive increasing support from government and the private sector. Many people make a living with animation. Obviously we don’t charge the same as in Hollywood but we are creating interesting products for a global audience and the response is positive.

—Animation is a competitive and globalized industry. How much interest is there in other countries to see stories like La leyenda de la nahuala and Nikté?

In this globalized world, differences offer opportunities. Children, like their parents, are looking for something new when they go to the movies because they are keen to find out new things. Good stories make good films and in Mexico we have lots of stories to tell that can be understood and appreciated in any culture.