On 30 October 2023, Manon Massacci, 32, producer at Circus/Mr Loyal (France), and Hugo Sallé, 27, Development & IP Management Executive at Média-Participations (France/Belgium) founded the Animation Society association.
The association’s goal is to connect young professionals involved in all business-side aspects of the French animation industry (from production, to broadcasting, to international sales, marketing, legal, audiovisual rights), providing a space for networking and discussing industry challenges.
Manon Massacci, co-president of Animation Society, tells EAJ how the idea came about:
Hugo and I met to discuss our respective professions. Following our conversation, we thought it would be a good idea for people like us, who are at the start of their careers, to get to know each other and think together about the future of our sector. This resonated so strongly that we decided to found the association. Today, it counts around 90 members.
Membership is open to anyone aged under 40 who is in the early stages of their career and actually working in the French animation industry’s business side.
Hugo Sallé, co-president of Animation Society, adds:
Apart from major events like Annecy or Cartoon Forum, where most of the people but not everyone can go, it’s complicated for young newcomers to forge links with other ones. The association meets a need for sharing experiences.
During its inaugural year, the Animation Society successfully organised two kinds of gathering events, which are intended to continue. Manon Massacci comments :
Firstly, we have organised meetings for our members, where they can connect. Secondly, we have set up events where our members can talk up to three people from a company, who are keen to pass on their expertise to the next generation. The teams at Mediawan, Warner and Xilam have joined us in this way. Other companies will be doing the same soon.
For the coming season, Animation Society has two new projects in the pipeline, which will see the light in October. Hugo Sallé unveils:
For the association’s first anniversary, we’ll be bringing together senior professionals from different companies for a round-table discussion. At the same time, we will be launching a film club. While the association is a space for young professionals, we also want to build a link with the general public. In a partner theater, we will be showing animated feature films coming from all over the world. For each movie, we will provide an artistic, historical and economic analysis.
The association is already working on other projects. In particular, it would like to promote the animation sector and careers to students at business schools, universities and other training courses.
The establishment of Animation Society reflects the current transformations taking place in the industry: the growing role of digital technology, the shift towards environmental sustainability, and the market concentration. Through this association, the young French professionals are collectively preparing to confront these challenges and shaping the future of French animation.
