DAMIÁN PEREA LEZCANO

BIOGRAPHY

Damián Perea, 20 years working on animation industry. For 14 years he has been directing and producing in twelve countries the International Summit Animayo, the only Spanish animation «Qualifying Festival» by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscar Awards® (since 2018).

Through Animayo, he offers training and professional opportunities, focused on the new generations, promoting a powerful industry of animation and visual effects in different countries.

He was named Ambassador in Spain for the European Animation Émile Awards, he’s currently member of the European Film Academy of Cinematography (EFA), ASIFA Hollywood and member of Egeda España. In 1997, was the Director and Producer of the first animated work made in Canary Islands (Spain), winner of awards such as “Canarios del Mundo” and “Joven Canarias”. In 1999, he was nominated to the Goya Awards® for his work “Could be Worse”. In 2001, was the animation director of the multi-million dollar Campaign of the Euro “Los García” (2001), commissioned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Government of Spain.

Leader, creative, innovative, entrepreneur, visionary, communicator and team manager. He combines his work as director and producer of Animayo, with other works such as: director and producer of film, advertising and video clips, event producer, strategic consultant, advisor, speaker, jury of international festivals and talent recruiter.

Other works: “Year Zero” (in production) and “Mad About Cinema" (2003), selected in Festivals such as SICAF (South Korea) or Bimini (Latvia) and in other Festivals in Germany, Italy, Holland, Japan or New York.

PERSONAL ITINERARY

He was born on the island of Gran Canaria in 1974, a time when there was no training, audiovisual, technological or artistic professions in the Canary Islands. His passion about cinema started when he was 5, watching 80’s movies. He played shooting shorts films with his friends, whom he turned into actors, scriptwriters, stylists, production assistants ... until one day the animation came into his life.

With little more than twenty years, he made his first professional animation short film. He spent 7 months locked in the studio making the characters and taking thousands of photos of each scene, shooting in stop motion until the release of “Could Be Worse” (1999). His first work went down in history for being the first animated short with stop-motion technique made in the Canary Islands, and for which he was nominated for the Goya Awards®.

Years after that, he founded the First Animation Studio in the Canary Islands, becoming himself director and producer, with the recruitment of 300 national talents and a continuous working process of 10 years for the creation of his most personal work "Year Zero" and for the development of his career as a filmmaker and advertising and music videos director.

In 2001, he submitted to the national Contest organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Government of Spain with an animated shot of ‘Los García’, along with his team in order to make the multi-million dollar Campaign of the Euro. After winning the contest, he became the director of such campaign, with a team of almost 100 people. The result was a series of animated spots with plasticine for television, which gave him numerous awards in Spain.

The international recognition came with more personal works such as "Mad about Cinema” (2003), selected in Festivals like SICAF (South Korea) or Bimini (Latvia), and at Festivals in other countries such as Germany, Italy, Holland, France, Japan or New York.

DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER OF THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL ANIMAYO (2006-2022)

Animayo is an inspirational meeting point with animation, VFX, video games and VR, aimed at enhancing creative development through international artists and creators who transmit their knowledge with revealing lectures.

The international contests receives over 2.000 submissions to contest, of which we pre-selected around 80 for the Official Sections, which he personally supervises as programming manager, allowing him a direct approach to new artists and latest trends on animation.

Besides that, he also supervises all the master classes, lectures, workshops, screenings, cinema sessions, recruitments, portfolio reviews and forums.

More than € 100,000 are offered in scholarships for the recruitment of talents in each edition in cooperation with animation schools and projects for the training, employment and recruitment of companies and investors in the audiovisual sector are launched. Participating schools and companies include: U-tad, Ilion Animation Studios, Cartoon Saloon or Illumination Macguff.

Within the expansion project, he has managed to screen the Animayo Winners for nine consecutive years, in Studios such as DreamWorks Animation SKG, The Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disneytoon Studios and Sony Pictures Animation.

Animayo allows him to generate training and career opportunities, focused on new generations and promoting a powerful animation and visual effects industry in different countries. Also, allows him to be connected to the global market, to the latest trends, techniques and advances, expand contacts and recruit annually more than 30 international talents from Animation, visual effects and video game industry (390 international talents to date), with more than 17,000 participants in the last edition, 12,000 artist contacts, producers, studios and international schools in CRM, 4,800 contacts on LinkedIn and 15,000 followers on social media.

Currently he has also created a project linked to the Festival called “Animayo Educational System”, an educational initiative for spotting talent from an early age, from primary to high school students. His team works with the teachers during the whole academic year in order to make an animated work, including preproduction, production and postproduction phases; and working in parallel with key competences, digital and technological skills, multiple intelligences and social values.

TALENT RECRUITER (2000-2021)

During his whole professional career, he has been also working as a talent recruiter.

In over 20 years, he has managed to specialize himself in finding, catching and keeping talent. All of this, thanks to:

- His multi-faced and visionary profile

- Empathy and ability to see and comprehend people’s needs

- His training and experience as recruiter

- Global knowledge about the different professional profiles needed in animation and VFX industry

- The ability to absorb and be in contact with new techniques after reviewing over 2,000 works every year

- The excellence he requires at work

- His interpersonal abilities

- His abilities to innovate

- Professionals contacts provided by the Festival

To date, he has recruited approximately 850 talents for the different projects he has managed, of which 300 of them have worked almost continuously for 10 years on his studio

JURY MEMBER IN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS (2009-2022)

President of the Jury in Festival Zlin (Czech Republic)

Member of the jury in these festivals:

- ANNIE Awards (USA)

- SICAF (South Korea)

- Festmak (Uruguay)

- Viva Festival (Holland)

- Festival de Cine de Huesca (Spain)

- Animaizon (Spain)

- Cinanima (Portugal)

- Animayo International Film Festival (Spain)

- Festival de Cine de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain)

- Premios Canarias Joven (Spain)

SPEAKER - TEACHER (2001-2022)

He has given presentations, courses and training workshops around the world since 2001, having presented for more than 20,000 students and 15,000 industry professionals, adding more than 200 papers or presentations, in places such as:

- Pratt Institute de Nueva York (USA)

- Los Angeles Film School (USA)

- Festmak (Uruguay)

- Viva Festival (Netherland)

- University of Berlin (Germany)

- University of Lisbon in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes in Lisbon (Portugal)

- Instituto Cervantes in Prague (Czech Republic)

- Orbit Live (Mumbai)

- La Truca Festival (Colombia)

- Instituto Cervantes in Belgrade (Serbia)

- Festival Monstra (Portugal)

- Cinanima (Portugal)

- La Città Incantata (Italy)

- Universidad de Monterrey (Mexico)

- Academia Española de la Cinematografía (Spain)

- Escuela de Cinematografía y del Audiovisual de la Com. de Madrid (Spain)

- U-TAD Centro Universitario de Tecnología y Arte Digital (Spain)

- FX Animation 3D School (Spain)

- ESDIP School (Spain)

- Be Water Studios (Spain)

- Escuela Profesional de Nuevas Tecnologías CICE (Spain)

- Centro de Estudios del Video CEV (Spain)

- Animaizon, Zaragoza (Spain)

- Carlos III University, Madrid (Spain)

- European University, Madrid (Spain) - Festival de Cine de Huesca (Spain)

- BAC Barcelona (Spain)

- CAAC Sevilla (Spain)

- Instituto Puerta Bonita (Spain)

- Escuela Universitaria de Artes y Espectáculos (Spain)

- Espacio Fundación Telefónica de Madrid (Spain)

- Universidad de Las Palmas de GC (Spain)

- Universidad de La Laguna (Spain)

- Escuela de Arte Pancho Lasso (Spain)

- Centro Cívico Francisco Javier de Lanzarote (Spain)

- Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño de Gran Canaria (Spain)

- Escuela de Bellas Artes deTenerife (Spain)

- Instituto Politécnico de Las Palmas (Spain)

- Universidad de Verano de Maspalomas (Spain)

FILMOGRAPHY (DIRECTOR - PRODUCER. CINEMA, ADVERTISING, MUSIC VIDEOS) (1993-2022)

• 1993 SIN TÍTULO
• 1995 CROOKED
• 1996 SOS
• 1999 PODRÍA SER PEOR
  
  • Awards and Mentions:
    • Best Short Film in International Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain)
    • Public Award VI edition of film Festival of Maspalomas (Spain)
    • Special Mention of the Jury- Aguilar del Campo Spanish Cinema Week (Spain)
    • Best Animation Short Film and Best Animation Director Award Pixel Coop Alcalá de Henares (Spain)
  • Nominations:
    • Nominated for the Best Animation Short Film in Goya Awards (Spain)
    • Mostra (Portugal)
    • New Young Directors - International Festival Granada (Spain)
    • Short Film and Documentary Film Festival Bilbao (Spain)
    • MadridImagen International Festival (Spain)
    • Sitges International Film Festival (Spain)
• 2001 Spot Presentación- “LOS GARCÍA” - Presentación
  
  • Awards
    • European Award for the best Euro Publicity Campaign
• 2001 Spot “La Pregunta Fatídica”- “LOS GARCÍA”
  
  • European Award for the best Euro Publicity Campaign
• 2001 Spot “La Pegatina Misteriosa”- “LOS GARCÍA”
  
  • Awards
    • European Award for the best Euro Publicity Campaign
• 2001 Spot “Al Loro con los Céntimos”- “LOS GARCÍA”
  
  • Awards
    • European Award for the best Euro Publicity Campaign
• 2003 LOCOS POR EL CINE
  
  • Awards and Mentions
    • Official Selection of the International Animation Film in SICAF (South Korea)
    • Best Animation Short Film festival Ibercaja - La Rioja (Spain)
    • Best Canarian Production Company - Imacine (Spain)
    • Best Animation Short Film Canarias Mediafest 2004 (Spain)
    • Castelli Animati International Film Festival -Roma (Italy)
    • Festiberico Muestra de Cine Español (Holland)
    • Animac 2004 - Lleida (Spain)
    • San Roque Short Film Week- Cádiz (Spain)
    • Bimini 2004 - Latvia (Latvia)
    • Imacine 2004 (Spain)
    • Asolo Film Festival (Italy)
    • Ciberart Bilbao (Spain)
    • Short Film Exhibition Kurzundschoen 2004 awards (Germany)
    • Opening Short film in the independent and documentary Film Festival Halle Saale (Germany)
• 2004 TODA LA INFORMACIÓN EN UN INSTANTE
  
  • Nominations:
    • Nominated to the best spot in Canarias Mediafest (Spain)
• 2005 UN PUNTO Y APARTE
  
  • Nominations:
    • Nominated to the best spot in Canarias Mediafest (Spain)
• 2005 ENCHÚFATE A LA RED
• 2005 NUESTROS MEDIOS SON TU ÉXITO
  
  • Awards and Mentions
    • Best spot in Canarias Mediafest 2005 (Spain)
• 2005 ¿CUÁNTO ESTÁS DISPUESTO A PAGAR POR UNA OBRA COMO ÉSTA?”
  
  • Awards and Mentions
    • Best spot in Canarias Mediafest 2006 (España)
• 2010 LA ABUELA
• 2011 UNA LUZ EN EL OCÉANO
  
  • Commissioned short film for the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria candidacy to European Capital of Culture 2016
• 2012 DREAMS COME TRUE
  
  • Commissioned short film for the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria candidacy to European Capital of Culture 2016
• 2015 NUESTRO MOMENTO ES HOY
• 2009- 2019 CABECERAS Y VIDEOS CORPORATIVOS ANIMAYO

STRATEGIC CONSULTANT AND ADVISOR (2012-2022)

In order to give added value to his creativity, he has been working as a strategic consultant and advisor for Spanish companies and organizations since 2012, focusing his services to optimize the performance of companies through innovative ideas / projects.

Main services provided by him:

• Marketing consulting
• Audio-visual consulting
• Innovation consulting
• Human resources consulting
• Technology consulting

Companies to which he has offered consulting services:

• Cabildo de Gran Canaria (Government Agency)
• Film Commission Tourist Board
• Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Office 2016 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria City Hall)
• Audio-visual White Book of the Canary Islands (Libro Blanco del Audiovisual)
• Animation White Book of Spain
• PROA Project 20-20.

PHOTOGRAPHER AND EXHIBITIONS CURATOR (2009- 2022)

- Personal exhibition “Traveling Notes” (“Cuadernos de Viaje”):

• Centro Cultural Arganzuela (Madrid)
• Hotel Villamagna (Madrid) organized by Sotheby´s, Biondetta
• Art Gallery (Madrid)
• CICCA (Las Palmas de G.C.)

- Scout Location for: “Una Luz en el Océano”, “Dreams come True”, “Idílica” y “Nuestro momento es hoy”

- Exhibition curator of: Matte Painting. Roger Kupelian’s works.

- Exhibition curator of “Raúl García. And animated genius”.

- Exhibition curator of“Gris, el videojuego” de Nómada Studio.

EDITOR AND GRAPHIC NOVEL WRITER (2012- 2021)

- Graphic novel“East of Bizantium” by Roger Kupelian. First and Second Edition in USA and Spain.

- Graphic Novel “Cien años de Historia del Cabildo de Gran Canaria- Las Claves del Origen”.

EVENT PRODUCER (2005-2021)

- “Cartoon Music”, an event of nightlife with activities and shows of animated film as audio visual approach.

- “Zona Activa de la Caja Sonora”, an event with activities and shows for a music concert.

- Contest of Manga and Anime Illustration, co-organized by the Health Office, Gov.

- Program of activities related to Healthy Leisure. Program created for the Department of Attention to Drug Addiction, Gov.

- Direction and coordination of master classes given at Gran Canaria Espacio Digital – Plan Avanza: live VFX master classes, business models of the film industry, crowdfunding and creative commons ZBrush software, video games design.

- Children's programming of animation workshops for the children of the Pequeño Valiente Foundation and the San Juan de Dios Association (charity associations).

- Line Producer for the spot “Idílica”, for Russian television. Co-produced by Brownie Film Co.

- Courses to teachers- Educational System Animayo.

- Opening Gala of the Basket World Championship. Gran Canaria as official venue.

ACADEMIC AND COMPLEMENTARY TRAINING:

- Studies in Business Administration. Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain).

- Professional Education. Artificial Intelligence and Data Science for Leaders. The University of Chicago.

- Interactive Image Seminar

- Cinema course, given by the DOP Tote Trenas

- Cameraman course

- Locution and voiceover course

- Music in cinema course

- Filmmaking workshop, given by the Film director Juanma Bajo Ulloa

- Filmmaking workshop, given by Elisa Rabelo de Juan

- Seminar on audiovisual distributors

- Animation course, given by Laurent Pouvaret

- International Development Course of animated series organized by AEPA

- Introductory Course in Digital Music Production, given by Michel Martín

- Writing workshop: an invitation to create from the senses, given by María Henríquez Betancor.

- The art of communicating and solving conflicts effectively with PHL coaching

- Practices to always speak effectively, by Angel Lafuente Zorrilla

- Master class given by Syd Field (screenwriter)

- Master class given by Linda Seger (screenwriter)

- Master class “All about Pink Panther”, given by Bob Kurtz.

- Lecture: “Current funding keys for animation and visual effects in Spain”, given by Carlos Biern Lliviria

- Master class “The design of characters in animated feature films. Live demonstration!”, given by Borja Montoro.

- Master class “The art of a character TD”, given by Luis San Juan Pallares.

- Master class “From words to images: The art of storyboarding”, given by Cinzia Angelini.

- Master class “From Star Wars to Paddington: Making and Simulating Digital suits”, given by Juan Luis Sánchez.

- Master class “3D for photography, graphic design and illustration”, given by Lorenzo Zitta.

- Master class “Angry Birds IP case study”, given by Paulo Alvarado.

- Master class “Animayo Premiere of the last Amanita Design’s last video game, CHUCHEL”, given by Jaromír Plachý.

- Lecture / Workshop “New forms of video-creation with 3D fractal techniques”, given by Patryk Kizny.

- Master class “The world of 3D simulations. From Puss in Boots to the Penguins of Madagascar, Home and much more”, given by Jennifer Lasrado.

- Master class “Samorost 3, Art and Animation”, given by Václav Blín and Adolf Lachman.

- Workshop “Pixilation. Animate me dancing”, given by Ivana Laučiková.

- Master class “The new age of Czech animation. A success: comedy and artistic animation”, given by Aneta Zabková.

- Master class “How to make a production plan for Pocoyo, Planet 51 or any animation project”, given by Belli Ramírez.

- Master class “30 years of Celebration in Animation”, given Jean Thoren.

- Master class “A Road Trip around the globe of VFX and animation”, given by Céline Velasco.

- Master class “The pipeline in VFX, from the screenplay to the screen”, given by Carolina Jiménez.

- Master class “Moana, The Art of Character Animation”, given by Riannon Delanoy.

- Master class “Technologically advanced projects: a tour of the best video game cinematics in Platige”, given by Olga Szablewicz-Pisuk.

- Master class “From Pencil to Pixel: My animated journey from Bologna to Burbank (Los Angeles)”, given by Silvia Pompei.

- Master class “Video Games, animation and education. 25 years dedicated to the digital industry. From Planet 51 to Commandos”, given by Mercedes Rey Cuadrado.

- Master class “The strange case of a smooth production... How to stop worrying about and enjoying the road!”, given by Adrian Corsei.

- Master class “The fusion of reality and VR: the mixed rereality of Magic Leap”, given by Edgar Martin Blas.

- Master class “The Czech childhood through Czech animation films / Humour, Kindness and Joyful”, given by Jaroslava Hynstova.

- Workshop “Stunts for cinema and advertising. Stunt Academy”, given by Natasha Durán, Sara Leal and Laura Menéndez.

- Master class “How to survive the animation industry, without you or your projects dying in the attempt”, given by Esther Encabo.

- Master class “Those wonderful years. The magic of Spanish animation in the 80's”, given by Claudio Biern Boyd.

- Master class “The bride’s father: Grangel Studios, 25 years creating characters for animation movies”, given by Carlos Grangel.

- Master class “Focus on virtual reality! - Recommendations for your first VR experience”, given by Daniel Candil.

- Master class “Work in progress of ‘memoirs of a man in pajamas’”, given by Carlos Fernández and Lorena Ares.

- Master class “How to work in postproduction to arrive to the Oscars®”, given by Toni Mena.

- Master class “Anime: from the origin of the anime to today”, given by Ángel Sala.

- Master class “VFX, How to work in Hollywood”, given by Nacho Doctor.

- Master class “Raúl García, an animated life”, given Raúl García by Rocío Ayuso.

- Master class “Rocío Ayuso interviewing Hollywood”, given by Rocío Ayuso and Raúl García.

- Master class “Behind the scenes of voiceover!”, given by René Veilleux and Donald Roman López.

- Master class “The Tribu Animation: how create an animation studio”, given by Jaime Maestro and Nadia Ruiz.

- Master class “25 years of VFX, from risotto to paella”, given by Félix Balbas.

- Master class “Approach to Design in Animation: The Secret of Shapes”, given by Carlos and Jordi Grangel.

- Master class “Abi Feijó: 25 years of Portuguese animation”, given by Abi Feijoó and Regina Pessoa.

- Master class “Making off of a movie in Illumination Mac Guff”, given by Natacha Ravlic and Amélie Paraiso.

- Master class “Digital sculpture for cinema. From Stone to pixel”, given by Rafa Zabala.

- Master class “Revealing the profession of the layout artist in animation”, given by Jorge Santamaría.

- Master class “Living animation by computer design, from "Final Fantasy", "Tangled" to “The Little Prince”, given by Hidetaka Yosumi.

- Master class “Virtual and Mixed Reality” given by Edgar Martín Blas.

- Master class “Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Treasures of the past by its creator Daniel Vavra”, given by Daniel Vavra.

- Workshop “Creativity vs. Reality: genesis of a project”, given by Carlos Fernández and Lorena Ares.

- Workshop “Basic introduction to stop motion animation”, given by Martin Smatana.

- Master class “Making of The Minions, Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and The Grinch”, given by Fabien Polack.

- Master class “Creating digital characters”, given by Hidetaka Yosumi.

- Master class “Character modeler within the fantastic cinema for Hobbit, Ironman, The Avengers, Ready Player One and Aquaman”, given by Rafa Zabala.

- Master class “From script to screen in Cartoon Saloon”, given by Louise Bagnall.

- Master class “How to survive and be in demand in animation.”, given by Aya Suzuki.

- Master class “Path and lessons learned throughout my career”, given by Carlos Baena.

- Master class “Storyboard: the art of storytelling with drawings”, given by Carlos Zapater.

- Master class “The principles and foundations of animation. Tips to be considered”, given by Cécile Brossette.

- Master class “Animating with the heart”, given by Kike Oliva.