The People's Republic of Animation
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Predecessor | Dabble Animation |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Eddie White, James Calvert, Hugh Nguyen |
| Headquarters | Adelaide , Australia |
Area served | Australia, international co-productions |
Key people | Eddie White, James Calvert, Hugh Nguyen, Brodie McCrossin, Sam White |
| Products | Short films, television commercials, feature films (development) |
The People's Republic of Animation (PRA) is an animation studio located in Adelaide, Australia. Established in 2003, PRA initially focused on creating music videos for Australian musical acts and has since grown to produce award-winning short films, television commercials, and develop feature-length films.
Foundation
The studio was established by Eddie White, James Calvert, and Hugh Nguyen, who began exploring animation during their teenage years in 1996 under the name ‘Dabble Animation’. Their early short film Natural Born Animators (1998) received acclaim at both national and international student festivals. In 2000, White rebranded the group as 'The People's Republic of Animation' to suggest a grand, empire-inspired identity. Animator Brodie McCrossin became part of the team in 2000, followed by producer Sam White in 2002, leading to the official formation of the company in 2003. That same year, PRA obtained its initial government funding for a stop-motion television pilot and computer-animated music video projects.
Works
PRA has created two short films honored with Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards: Fritz gets Rich (2005) and Carnivore Reflux (2006), with the latter also earning the title of best animated film as voted by Australian audiences at the Inside Film Awards in 2006. Among its significant endeavors is the international co-production Sweet & Sour, developed alongside China’s Shanghai Animation Film Studio.
Founders White and Calvert directed the Mitsubishi Lancer/Sony Tropfest 'supershort' film Safer in a wild world, which combines elements of 2D animation and 3D animation. The acclaimed short The Cat Piano, narrated by Australian musician Nick Cave, was directed by White and Ari Gibson.
Additional works include the shorts I Was A Teenage Butterfly and The Ghastly Gourmet Cooking Show.
Collaborators
- Benjamin Speed – Composer / Musical Direction
- Deane Taylor – Art Director
- Greg Holfeld – Director of 2D Animation
- Barry Plews and Hu He – Reckless Moments – Co-production collaborators
- Shanghai Animation Film Studio – Co-production partner
- Jessica Brentnall – Producer at Magic Films
Short films
- 2009 - The Cat Piano – 8:00 – Directed by Eddie White & Ari Gibson, Narration by Nick Cave, Poem authored by Eddie White
- 2007 - Sweet & Sour – A collaboration with Shanghai Animation Film Studio and Reckless Moments – 17:00 – Written and Directed by Eddie White
- 2006 - Carnivore Reflux – 7:00 – Directed by Eddie White & James Calvert, Written by Eddie White
- 2005 - Fritz Gets Rich – 12:05 – Directed by Eddie White & James Calvert, Written by Eddie White
TV specials and interstitials
- 2008 - I Was a Teenage Butterfly 'Battle of the Bug Bands' – Directed by Eddie White & Ari Gibson, Written by Eddie White
- 2008 - The Ghastly Gourmet Cooking Show 'Meat, Meat, Meat' – Directed by James Calvert & Eddie White, Written by Eddie White
- 2006 - Dust Echoes "Whirlpool" and "Mermaid Story" – Directed by James Calvert
- 2006 - Errorism: A Comedy of Terrors – Directed by Eddie White
Music videos
- 2006 - Hilltop Hoods - Clown Prince
- 2003 - The Fuzz - The Bomb (also known as "Sixxx Legs")
- 2003 - Trentwood - Operation Never Fall Apart
- 2015 - Jetpack Joyride Rock Opera - Shirt Sleeves
Awards and honors
- The Cat Piano
- Awarded Best Animation at the IF (Inside Film) Awards in 2009
- Recipient of the Yoram Gross Award for Best Short Animation at the Dendy Awards, Sydney Film Festival 2009
- Best Animation Short winner at the Melbourne International Film Festival 2009
- Audience Choice Award for Best Short Film at the Adelaide Film Festival, 2009
- Official Selection at the Annecy International Festival of Animated Films, 2009
- Nominated for Best Short Animation at the AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards
- Jury Prize for Animation and Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 15 Short Film Festival, 2009
- Sweet & Sour
- Golden Monkey Award for Best International Co-production at the China Cartoon & Animation Festival, 2008
- Winner of the Yoram Gross Award for Best Short Animation at the Dendy Awards, Sydney Film Festival, 2007
- Recipient of the SBS Television Award at the St. Kilda Film Festival, 2007
- Awarded Best Animation by ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) in 2007
- Earned Bronze Shorts Award (third place) at the Shorts Film Festival, South Australia, 2008
- Carnivore Reflux
- Jury Prize at Istanbul Animation Festival, 2006
- Movie Squad Award at Holland Animation Festival, 2006
- Winner of Best Short Animation at Inside Film Awards, 2006
- Best Original Score winner at St Kilda Film Festival, 2006
- Awarded Best Under 25 Years at Shorts Film Festival, 2006
- Mermaid Story
- Jury Award for Visual Storytelling at Kalamazoo Animation Festival, USA, 2007
- Fritz Gets Rich
- Best Film For Children at Bradford Animation Festival, UK, 2005
- The Bomb (Sixxx Legs)
- Best Visual Effects Award at Belowground Music Video Festival, 2004