animation i n korea Korea’s creativity and technical ability is cross-pollinated through all segments of the content industry, spanning animation, character, music, broadcast, comics, games and publishing. The country is eagerly embracing stereoscopic 3D, CGI, and is even preparing to take on 4D. Meanwhile Korea is building a reputation for creating original content, and memorable characters. This year’s prestigious Annecy International Animated Film Festival invited Korea to screen two films — Green Days and The House. Korea has learned some lessons about marketing its product inside and outside the territory. For animation The Airport Diary, Choi Mun-ho, general manager of DPS Animation, says the company has lined up copromotion deals with airlines and will also have an online portal. DPS’ partner in China is in talks on the possibility of a theme park tied to the animation. And Korean animators are increasingly linking with international partners who can contribute to marketing, distribution and storytelling. Among its co-production, licensing and distribution partners are Cyber Group Studios and awol animation in France, as well as Imira Entertainment and BRB in Spain, Millimages in the UK and Canada’s ToonBox Entertainment. Korea has a number of co-production treaties, which it liberally taps to bring in partners it needs, including France and Canada. Original Korean drama has been enjoying a strong reputation in other parts of Asia — and further afield internationally — for some 10 years now, and the same could happen with the country’s animation. Korean animation is getting a helping hand from public broadcasters KBS and EBS. The latter, with its educational brief, has co-produced some of Korea’s most renowned animation titles and has publicly gone on record as saying it will continue to do so. EBS has recently commissioned a second season of kids show Ava Riko Teo from Korea’s Character Plan, in association with the Seoul Animation Centre and France’s Moonscoop. France Televisions is also on board. The first season of the animated paper cut-out series aired in 170 territories. Korea is aware of its need to continue building its storytelling for the world market. Well-known English-language scriptwriters and directors are being brought in to fine-tune Korean productions — for example, SAMG Animation’s Vroomiz. Veteran Disney animation screenwriter
Synergy Media’s Me And My Robot
Lorne Cameron is writing the screenplay for The Nut Job, Redrover’s new stereoscopic 3D animation with Canada’s ToonBox. Bolts & Blip was directed by Toy Story 2 animator Peter Lepeniotis. Success on the international market has brought Korean characters and their companies considerable status and they are clearly looking to add to that. Iconix Entertainment’s Pororo The Little Penguin has travelled to more than 110 territories and inspired the creation of more than 3,000 licensed items — and season four is in preparation. Meanwhile Iconix is planning for its title Tayo The Little Bus to follow in the famous Penguin’s webbed footsteps. Ocon Studios’ 3D CGI TV series Dibo The Gift Dragon has topped sales to dozens of territories, including Russia. There are several themes that are close to Korean hearts, among them, green and sustainable living, and the country is carving out serious eco-credentials with several of its titles. Merchandise from animation company Little Farmers is organic and eco-friendly, and its character Dalki — who features in the animations I Like Dalki and Little Farmer Dalki — spreads a green and sustainable message. Episodes in Olive Studio’s Cocomong 2 are directly tied to the dangers of global warming. Robots feature regularly in Korean animation. There’s Redrover’s Bolts & Blip, Toonzip’s Robot ARPO, Synergy Media’s Me And My Robot and Robot Chipa, a title NHC Media is helping to license — and a crew of super robot heroes star in Digiart’s Super Proposal. ROI Vision’s Robocar Poli mixes robotic cars, fire engines and helicopters.
Iconix Entertainment’s Pororo The Little Penguin
LEARNING FOR FUN MANY titles coming out of Korea have an educational theme. G&G Entertainment’s animated HD 3D adventure TV series, Kemy, takes place inside a supermarket and poses some interesting questions for city-bred kids, like: ‘Where does milk come from?’. FunnyFlux Entertainment’s animation Katuri, A Story Of A Mother Bird, aimed at a general audience, comes from the allegory by famous Korean children’s novelist Kwon Jung Saeng. The story is an allegory about the hardships Korea faced during the Japanese occupation and the Korean War. Profits from the animation are being donated to the Kwon Jung Saeng Culture Foundation for Children, a non-profit organisation founded in honour of the author.
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Animation In Korea I Ocotber 2011 I www.mipcom.com