LOCAL ANIMATION COMES OF AGE:
The Legend of Buddha' all set for premiere.
Continuing old fairytales with a new twist or animating one of the oldest stories in the world, Cartoon Network has decided to soak in Indian colours in more ways than one this summer.
With two "desi" cartoons, "Son of Alladin'' and "The Legend of Buddha'', local content will fight for space with the bigger names in the cartoon business. Kicking off this programming this Saturday is "Son of Alladin''. Produced by Pentamedia, this cartoon will see Mustafa, Prince of Basra -- as Alladin's son is known -- get the better of the evil Zee Zee Ba, meet the woman of his dreams and also rescue his long lost parents. The perfect feel-good cartoon for a lazy weekend, it is bound to have the tiny tots hooked to the screen. And literally adding a new dimension, it is in 3D.
While most people might see this as the triumph of good old Indian stories over the other more dominant world of well-marketed fairytales, the bigger victory is the coming of age of local animation. Produced by Pentamedia, these two animations take the tally of local animations acquired and showcased by Cartoon Network to eleven, with three of these launching in 2006.
"Cartoon Network is extremely proud of its pioneering role in bringing Indian folklore and historic tales to young audiences in a format that is appealing, educating and entertaining. We are also very happy that local animation has very quickly gained its rightful place of honour on the network, right beside the ever-popular international animation shows, demonstrating that quality content, be it Indian or international, resonates with the discerning young viewers,'' says Anshuman Misra, Managing Director of Turner International India Pvt. Ltd.
Giving young viewers something new in the popular story of the Buddha is `The Legend of Buddha', which will premiere on June 25. An animated version of the classic, the cartoon will take children through the life and times of Prince Siddhartha till he becomes "The Enlightened One".
Ushering in a new age for children watching the small screen and animators looking for a chance to show their skills, Cartoon Network promises that it is the beginning of a whole new world. Having paved the way for Indian animation shows on television channels in the country, we are very enthused by the success of these shows on the Network. Taking a cue from the overwhelming positive response to Indian content by viewers across the country, Cartoon Network is now moving to the next level of being involved in the creative process. The Network is scouting avenues for lending its expertise on the likes and dislikes of Indian kids to partner studios from the conceptual stage to the finished product.
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If it's animation, it must be India!
India's
animation sector is booming, with overseas entertainment giants like Walt Disney,
Imax and Sony outsourcing more and more cartoon characters and special effects
to India.
So
what makes India a hub for animation? Why is the sector experiencing exponential
growth?
Tenali
Raman, for long, has been a symbol of fun and merriment for generations of Indians. Produced in
classic 2-D animation, Tenali Raman revolves around the clever adventures of the
popular Indian folklore character. The
character of Tenali Raman has not just appealed to Indians. But he is also a figure
whom Americans and Europeans are enjoying. The animated film was sold to television
stations in Asia, the European Union, North America and Singapore by Toonz.
Riding
on the major success of Tenali Raman, Toonz has now embarked on producing an action/adventure
series The Adventures of Hanuman. The proposed series have already been pre-sold
to Cartoon Network Asia, and Toonz plans to launch the property in the Western
markets.
More
than that, Korean Production House ANI21 Co. Ltd has engaged Toonz to produce
its new animated show Twin Princes. This big-budget project involves a six-minute
trailer and 26 episodes (22 minutes each) followed by another series of 26 episodes
of 22 minutes each.
Another
Toonz production called Maharaja Cowboy is a film about a newly crowned boy king
from southern India who escapes the responsibilities of his palace and travels
to the old west in the United States to discover his childhood. Like
Toonz, animation studios across India are bagging major contracts to create cartoon
characters.
Bangalore-based
Jadoo Works is producing an animated film series about Lord Krishna and the crime
caper Bombay Dogs. Scripting and pre-production for these series are done in the
US to ensure that they have universal appeal. The Mumbai-based Maya Entertainment
has produced special effects for The Mummy and Stuart Little. Maya is animating
short films starring a character called Wabo, which the United Nations is using
to educate worldwide audiences on the importance of fresh drinking water.
First,
foreign entertainment companies like Walt Disney, Imax and Sony are increasingly
outsourcing cartoon characters and special effects to India. Other overseas firms
are also outsourcing animation for commercials and computer games created in India.
Second,
Indian companies are creating their own animated films based on characters in
Indian folklore and mythology. "These films are not just for the Indian audience.
Indian mythological characters are designed to impact a universal appeal. And
there is a good foreign audience for these animated films.
Experts
say the future of animation in India is bright. "India has great stories,
good cartoon characters from mythologies, good artists and technicians. Above
all, we offer a competitive price, which nobody can match".
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