U.S. HISPANIC Versión en español
Miami Media & Film Market: “Animation is the Future of Content”
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 17 de enero de 2025
José Luis Martínez, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Miami Media & Film Market (MMFM)
Based on the premise that animation is, for many, the future of content, and for Miami to enter this industry, both activity incentives and training are essential. Over a year ago, José Luis Martínez, Creative Director and Co-Founder of the Miami Media & Film Market (MMFM) and Creative Consultant and Producer at Lucky Seventeen Entertainment, LLC, along with Patricia Arias, Executive Director of The Latin Chamber of Commerce of the United States (Camacol) and CEO of MMFM, launched an incentive and training program for animation in Miami with partners like Creatives Miami, City of Miami ARPA, CareerSource South Florida, and MAGIC at Miami Dade College.
Recently, they announced that the first beneficiary of the program was the animation studio Team Legend Studios, which created the animation sequences for the Paramount+ film Henry Danger, debuting this Friday, January 17, on the platform.
Henry Danger debuts Friday, January 17, on Paramount+
“We believe that animation and digital content creation hold an important place in the audiovisual industry, but it’s a field that changes frequently with new technologies, from 2D to 3D. Now we’re talking about virtual reality and augmented reality, which demand more training. The idea is to connect companies looking for animation talent with this new generation of animators in Miami. Then, with another partner — CareerSource Florida — we help these animators find jobs after their training,” Martínez told PRODU.
He explained that the incentive program currently covers 70-75% of the selected animators’ salaries for the first three months of their project work. “This is the tax incentive within the project. Additionally, with the City of Miami, we cover the training costs. So, the training is free for both the animators and the companies. The first project in this program was with Legend Studios,” he noted.
Joe Menéndez, Director of Henry Danger
Trailer for Henry Danger The Movie
Martínez added that the film’s director, Joe Menéndez, a Cuban-American filmmaker who studied in Miami, sought ways to attract more production to Miami, a city that lost its incentives about eight years ago. Menéndez connected with Martínez and Team Legend to take advantage of the animation program. “We funded the training, allowing them to add an animator to the project. This is why all the animation for this Paramount project was done in Miami,” Martínez emphasized.
“The animation industry has grown significantly through film, TV, and family-friendly content like what’s showcased at Kidscreen, as well as video games. It’s an entire world with an economic value of millions of dollars. For Miami to grow within this world — considered by many to be the future of content — it’s crucial not only to incentivize production but also to train young people so they can work on exciting projects like Paramount’s and remain local,” he said.
SECOND ROUND OF TRAINING
MMFM is preparing a second round of training for a studio based in Orlando. “We can’t disclose the studio or project yet due to confidentiality. The idea is to offer training between February and May, with the animators working on multiple projects over the summer and up to a year at the studio,” Martínez shared.
He also mentioned plans to expand the program and ongoing discussions with the city to make this happen.
“We have many partnerships and are constantly seeking companies and studios globally. Besides the UK, which has a strong animation industry, Spain is also notable — particularly the Canary Islands, which offer excellent incentives. We’re collaborating with various partners in Madrid and exploring co-productions and training programs between Miami and Spain,” he said.
Together with Arias, Executive Director of Camacol, Martínez has been developing programs to help Miami’s local industry establish international connections. “Our programs run year-round. We are continuously developing initiatives, the latest being this one for animation and digital content,” he explained.
Martínez highlighted animation work by companies like iKartoons and the SuperEllas series on Canela.TV.
More info. info@creativemiami.com
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