African Animation Projects
August 15th, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. 'Genesis' with A3. As current chairperson of The Association of Animation Artistes Kenya (A3) Kwame, and the steering commitee put together A3's inaugural event 'Genesis'. This conference brought together both local and international players in the African animation scene for a one day bonanza held on Aug 15th at the British Council in Upper Hill. MC'ed by reknowned personality Kobi Kihara of Citizen TV, the event focused on the business case for animation production in the morning sessions and then technical trainign workshops and african animated film screenings in the afternoon sessions.
Guest speakers included Claudia Lloyd of the Tiger Aspect/Homeboyz 'Tinga Tinga Tales' series, Nairobi, Dumi Gumbi of AnAmazing Workshop, South Africa, Ngendi Mukii of Mediae's 'The Know Zone' Nairobi, Indy Choudrie from ToonBoom Ltd, Nairobi, Jimmy Gitonga of The Ark, Nairobi, Paula Callus of Bournemouth University, UK, and Yvonne Muinde, a Kenyan who works as a Lead Digital Matte Painter at WETA Studios, New Zealand. The occasion was graced by guest of honour permanenet Secretary in the Minstry of Information and Communication, Dr Bitange Ndemo. For more information please visit the A3 website www.animationkenya.com
July, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. 'Kenya Census' with Apex Communications. Kwame assisted Apex Communications Ltd and VisualEdge Ltd to produce compelling animated graphics for the Kenya nationl Census 2009 campaign seen across Kenya via the major broadcasters.
June, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. 'The Amazing Tales of Sungura Sam ' with World Food Programme and Unilever. Apex communications contacted Kwame to join the joint WFP/Unilever campaign 'Together for Child Vitality' to do character designs and develop a comic book. The campaigns aim is to raise nutrition awareness amongst primary school age children. This first phase targeted children mainly in Narok and the Nairobi slums, later to be expanded to other various parts of Kenya. To this objective, Kwame designed Sungura Sam, a fun loving, child friendly superhero who gives children an introduction into healthy eating habits in the 20 page comic book 'The Amazing Tales of Sungura Sam'. This comic book Kwame created has four short stories with entertaining, yet educative, crossword puzzles and cool mazes.
May, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. Apes in Space Ltd. Kwame co-founded new animation company based in the Valley Arcade shopping center, Nairobi. Apes in Space provides hi-quality 2D and 3D animation services to the African and international market. Content for TV, film and mobile devices. Apes in Space also provides storyboard and pre-viz services. See www.apesinspace.net
April, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. 'Ridsect' animated TVC's with Redsky. As part of Ridsect Ltd new advertising strategy, Kwame was contracted by reknowned Nairobi agency Redsky to produce 3 fifteen second spots featuring 3D mosquitoes, cockroaches and flies.
February, 2009, Nairobi, Kenya. Brand Kenya. Kwame designed and produced compelling 3D animation titile graphics for the 'Aspire Kenya' campaign for Brand Kenya.
January 15th , 2009, Ann Arbor, USA. The University of Michigan. Kwame delivered a 45 min presentation on african illustration and animation for the University of Michigan's Art Department senior thesis students. He also then went one with one with the illustration and animation students to help with their thesis project development.
December 6th, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. Animated Kenya. Kwame delivered a 30 min presentation on 2D animation for the 1st Animated Kenya animation workshop, held at the Sarit Centre. See www.kenyan-animation.com for more details.
September to November, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. Tinga Tinga Tales. Kwame worked with Tiger Tinga Ltd as a computer art director, creating layouts and designing elements for TInga Tinga Tales, the first childrens animated full season series to be produced in Africa, due for release on the Disney Channel and BBC Beebies in December 2009. See www.tigeraspect.com
August 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. Ushahidi.com . Kwame completed a set of illustrations that were incorporated into the new website for www.ushahidi.com, an international disaster relief organisation that relies on the internet and mobile phones to deliver its rapid response communications infrastructure.
May 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. Cadbury's Bournvita TV Spot. In conjunction with Visualedge Ltd of Nairobi, Kwame was responsible for the character development, 3D animation and compositing for this stunning 30 second advert for Cadbury's Bournvita chocolate drink.
January - March, 2008, Nairobi, Kenya. Owen and Mzee Animated Films. In conjunction with Rainmaker Studios and Eric Wainaina, Kwame directed three one-minute film pilots to pitch for the production of the children's book 'Owen and Mzee' into a feature film or mini-series.The short films feature the titles 'Sina Makosa',' Love Has a Way' and 'Safari Ya Bamba', scores produced by Eric Wainaina and others. The 100% Kenyan story,'Owen and Mzee', published jointly by Scholastic and the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation, has sold millions of copies around the world since its release in 2006.
September 22nd 2007, Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya International Film Festival (KIFF). Kwame facilatated an animation workshop for the participants of the Kenya International Film Festival 2007. Look out for more animted films and workshops in the upcoming festival in 2008. For more information please contact www.kifftrust.org
May 27th, 2007, Nairobi, Kenya. Pixelcorps workshop sponsored by the Association of Animation Artist Kenya (A3) and the Minsitry of Information and Communications. Kwame help coordinate an animation workshop heldat the KTTC in Nairobi with the help of the US based Pixelcorps and the Ministry of Information and Communication. the workshop featuredthe chairman of Pixelcorps, Alex Lindsay, who covered many subjects including modelling, texturing,green screen, cameras and new technologies from his vast experience as a digital artist and animator on such projects as Star Wars The Phantom Menace. Pixelcoprs is an online training and information resource for animators and digital artist based in San Francisco, CA. Pixelcorps is aiming to grow in Africa and currently has free membershipe for artists based in Africa. For more information please contact www.pixelcorps.com
2007, Nairobi, Kenya. Association of Animation Artist Kenya (A3). Kwame played a leading role in setting up the Association of Animation Artists Kenya (A3), a legal entity in Kenya whose aim is to support the animation industry in Kenya. A3 plans on setting up a permenent resource centre in Kenya for animation artists, supporters and other interested parties. For more informationf please contact www.animationkenya.org
November- December 2006, Nairobi, Kenya. Tiger Aspect/Homeboyz production: Tinga Tinga Tales. Kwame worked on the pilot for a children's series: 'Tinga Tinga Tales'. Spearheaded by Tiger Aspect in the UK, the 52-episode series is slated to begin production in 2008 and will be one of the first animated series produced in Africa. For more information please contact www.tigeraspect.co.uk
October 15- November 19, 2006, Nairobi, Kenya. Africa Animated! 3.0 Kwame coordinated and facilitated the most recent chapter of and highly successful animation training and production workshops hosted by The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with partners Canal France International (CFI), UNICEF and others. These workshops aim to spur the growth of the animation industry in Africa by providing African artists with the tools and training they need to produce the continents own programming.This latest workshop was held at the newly established UNESCO animation training and production centre in Nairobi. The subject matter for the films focused on environemental issues. The short film titles included: 'A Bottles Life', 'Samak', Rendezvous',' Money Business' and 'Sayari Yetu'. The sound desing was porduced by students of the Mohamed Amin Foundation Television and Film Training School in Nairobi (www.moforce.com). Contact: www.africa-animated.org
Stills from the Africa Animated! 3.0 films 'A Bottles' Life' and 'Samak'.
June 23-24, 2006, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. . Photoshopsoup2nuts. Kwame involved in fundraising conference focusing on digital imaging techniques with experts and software companies from across the globe, featuring among others Thomas Knoll, the co-creator of the world famous computer imaging software Photoshop.... Contact: www.photoshopsoup2nuts.com
July 2004 and July 2005, Nairobi, Kenya & Durban, South Africa.. Africa Animated! Kwame facilitatated in the newly launched and highly successful animation training and production workshops hosted by The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with partners Canal France International (CFI), UNICEF and others. These workshops aim to spur the growth of the animation industry in Africa by providing African artists with the tools and training they need to produce the continents own programming. Contact: www.africa-animated.org
2004-2005, Nairobi, Kenya. African Sky Art Institute. Kwame has faciltated drawing and animation workshops with youth in the greater Nairobi area, including youth from Don Bosco's Boys Home and Mama Fauzia's Youth Orphanage, in partnership with such groups as the Arts Go Down and Childrens Voices Foundation. Contact:www.africaskyart.org
