Hunt is on for Aussie animators
A Coburg-based animation studio is ground zero for US producers looking for new talent.
- Published by David Knox
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US producers have been on the hunt for fresh animation talent from Australia for the Burbank-based Cartoon Network.
Curtis Lelash, Vice President of Comedy Animation, recently visited Sydney and Melbourne to meet with producers, animators and writers, with hopes of uncovering new talent.
Cartoon Network has already screened the feature-length Exchange Student, by Coburg-based production company Bogan Entertainment Solutions and it is now in development as a series. BES is also producing the 70 minute special Monster Beach, set to launch for Halloween.
Both projects feature the voice of Rove McManus, while Tripod is also supplying music.
Other original Cartoon Network titles have been largely US produced: Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball alongside acquired titles.
“We’ve expanded to an international programme scouting for talent and ideas in Australia, Asia, Latin America and Europe as well,” Lelash says.
“Our recent shows have translated to different markets with Adventure Time and Regular Show being big hits. We’re pretty close cousins (with Australia) in our sensibility of humour to see if there are talented artists and animators here, going from east to west.
“There’s some great stuff going on here.
“Cartoon Asia works on a virtual studio model with different directors and producers in different regions. Fortunately in the US it’s a little easier because pretty much everyone will find their way to Burbank, so there’s a very deep and rich animation community there.”
There’s no shortage of demand for new content. Social media has driven audience feedback, and plenty of it has been good news.
“The audience response has been to ask for more. So most of our time has been in full-throttle production and try to produce more,” he says.
“People are writing really in-depth episode recaps and there are hundreds of comments and responses. If you delve into the deeper abysses of the internet there are some really insightful and intense fans who argue points about the show.”
In terms of their storytelling, should Australian animators be aiming for international markets or striking more colloquial works?
“I don’t think there’s a huge difference. We’ve been discussing what makes something ‘regional’, what translates and what doesn’t,” he explains.
“But I don’t think there are really huge obstacles. I just think we haven’t done a great job in trying to take artists and animators from here and spread their ideas around the world.”
Lelash acknowledges that while Asian markets have a strong appetite for Anime, comedy tends to be more universal.
“People always ask ‘What kind of shows are you trying to make for 6-11 year olds?’ Our goal is to make great cartoons which typically are focused more on children. But I think we’re trying to make something really broad, smart and unique. Hopefully it translates to every region, and to every age as well,” he says.
“We’re always saying in the US ‘We’re looking for talent more than ideas.’ So I hope this international programme unlocks people’s passion and voices for the way they want to tell stories and introduce characters.
“We tend to see a lot of co-productions around the world trying to give the US back what the US has been putting out –which is good, but it gets a little frustrating because we know people have things that they do better us.”
So should emerging Australian animators be creating Australian stories if they want to work overseas?
There are no easy answers, but Lelash believes there is value in colloquial stories.
“You have to pick your battles but hopefully your characters and story are universal so you’re not having to edit yourself too much.”
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- Tagged with Exchange Student, Monster Beach
5 Responses
Thanks David. I hit the wrong key, the “Z” and “W” so close to each other. You’d believe that, wouldn’t you? 🙂
David, do you know if a new series of Shewow been commissioned?
SheZow? I haven’t heard of any more.
I don’t believe that ‘great cartoons’ part, Cartoon Network are focused solely on comedy series these days. Any good cartoon series with on-going story (Beware the Batman, Green Lantern, Sym-Bionic Titan, Thundercats, Young Justice) gets cancelled, and they currently lack any new action cartoon series.
So look elsewhere, if you want to work on any story focused cartoon series.
Ahh Kirben, can always rely on you to weigh in on cartoons / kids! Good to see you have some favourites, but also good we have local companies scoring some runs.