FOCUS ON KOREA: ANIMATION
credits include co-writing DreamWorks Animation’s Over The Hedge and scripting Pixar’s Ratatouille. Nut Job director Peter Lepeniotis also directed the 2010 TV series Bolts & Blip, another Redrover/Toonbox coproduction that has sold globally. A Nut Job spin-off TV series is also planned between the two companies. SAMG Animation Studio brought on board a US scriptwriter for its latest TV animation, Vroomiz. “Our reasoning behind this is that from the very outset we wanted Vroomiz to appeal to North America and Europe,” says Harry Yoon, vice- president of the 10-year-old CGI specialist company. The pre-school series targets boys and is now in its second season. Because it is a co-production with the Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), “each episode provides highspeed racing filled with a curriculum that underscores creativity and teamwork”. SAMG has already churned out five co-productions with Europe. Considering the Korean industry’s transition from outsourcing to original output, it is no surprise that much of the animation work is still centred on pre-school and young kids. Iconix Entertainment’s Pororo The Little Penguin has travelled to more than 100 territories, inspired the creation of more than 3,000 licensed items and Season 4 is now in development. Dibo The Gift Dragon, the brainchild of Ocon Studios in South Korea, has sold to dozens of territories. Latest Dibo conquest: all rights for the 3D CGI TV animation series, including home video and licensing
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Our reasoning behind this is that from the very outset we wanted Vroomiz to appeal to North America and Europe Harry Yoon
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and merchandising, sold to Russia by Dutch distributor Telescreen International. Iconix is responsible for a pack of series, including Chiro, Z Rangers and Tai Chi Chasers, bringing it millions of dollars in royalties. Tai Chi Chasers, a co-production with Toei Animation of Japan, will begin distribution later this year through 4Kids Entertainment. It is a track record Iconix is clearly hoping to continue with Tayo The Little Bus, launched at MIPCOM and now back in Cannes. “We’re looking to close deals now on the table as well as to find new partners for Tayo,” says Mikyeong Jung, contents business division executive director. Back at home, the iconic characters are served up to as many as 20 channels across Korea. As early as 2004 Synergy Media began linking up with European partners, brokering deals — among them Korea’s RG Animation Studios border-breaking co-production with BRB Spain for the Backkom series. Known as Bernard Bear in the West, Backkom is about a polar bear stranded in the big city. The bear is intended as family entertainment, says Synergy managing director Alex Sung, noting that the character appeals to young kids and adults. Just out is the third series, Backkom Sports. Synergy has also partnered with TF1 and Nickelodeon for Korean Studio Tuba Entertainment’s 3D HD Ooohhh Asis series. It now has as many as five co-production projects in play, among them Me And My Robot, which began production in February with French studio Millimages; G-Fighters, a co-production with Tiny Island Studios in Singapore; and Playground Robot, in partnership with Malaysian animation studio Tulus Firkir. Two feature projects, Yeti and Backkom, are also on the front burner.
Backkom, or Bernard Bear, a co-production with Korea’s RG Animation Studios and BRB Spain, brokered by Synergy Media
If there is one trend that Korea is all over, it is robots. One of its first breakout animation hits was Eon Kid (aka Iron Kid), a martial arts action series with robot mythology in the storyline. Eon Kid, which began drawing major international attention as early as 2007, was developed by Design Storm and co-produced by Daewon Media and Spain’s BRB Internacional. Aside from Synergy’s Me And My Robot and Playground Robot, Redrover’s Bolts & Blip shouts robots, sport and saving the Earth. RoiVision’s Robocar Poli, aimed at kids three to five years old, mixes robotic cars, fire engines, and helicopters in a co-production with EBS. The 52 x 11 mins HD series picked up a KOCCA prize in 2009 and was MIP Junior 2010 Licensing Challenge winner. In the series, police car Poli, fire engine Roi, Amber, a kind and smart ambulance, Helly, the witty Helicopter, and Jene, the eccentric inventor and operator, all come to the rescue when there’s trouble afoot. Robocar Poli also teaches kids basic safety tips.
While a fair amount of Korea’s animation has been tilted towards boys’ action, that is beginning to change. Sunwoo Entertainment managing director Moonju Kang says the company is seeking to balance its new development properties between boys’ action, girls’ content and family-oriented animation. The fully integrated network of companies, including animation, toys, character design, distribution and merchandising studios, is out in force at MIPTV with its latest co-production, Mix Master Final Force, a 39 x 22 mins 2D and 3D boys’ action production. It is also on the hunt for co-production partners for Ted, a 52 x 11 mins CGI educational title. Paul Kim, producer for G&G Entertainment’s new CG action/comedy series Maskman 3D, says comedy in anime is getting more play in Korea these days. In Maskman 3D, you have an evil doctor, magic masks and two characters — Blue Bomber and Pinky Winky — who thwart the evil doctor and save the world. Kim is on