Singapore announces three finalists; Malaysia to premiere two animated shorts
HONG KONG (APRIL 10, 2012) – Cartoon Network Asia’s SNAPTOONS, a program designed to identify the next generation of cartoon heroes, today announced three finalists from Singapore and the completion of two animated shorts from Malaysia. Shortlisted finalists are chosen based on the originality and creativity of the concept while fulfilling the Cartoon Network criteria of being fun, funny and character driven.
“Original content lies at the heart of Cartoon Network and we’re seeing some refreshingly awesome ideas emerging from animators in Southeast Asia that have incredible potential,” said Silas Hickey, Regional Creative Director of Animation, Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc. “With the amazing support of both Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and MDeC from Singapore and Malaysia respectively, Cartoon Network is committed to nurturing local talent and bringing SNAPTOONS to even greater heights in this region.”
The three Singapore shortlists are 101 Ways: The World by Sabreena Shanu; Maxine Starr Last Vanguard of the Zodiac by Kane Wheatley-Holder; and DNA – Definitely Not Animals by Dreamforest Animation – with production of shorts expected to be completed by 2014. The completed shorts from Malaysia are Blox Brigade by Unizaru; and Ziro The Wizard…In Training by Tomato Animation. Both shorts, four and ten minutes long respectively, took a year to complete.
Said Mr Yeo Chun Cheng, Director of Broadcast, Animation, Film and Music, MDA, “Turner’s commitment to source for original content from Singapore is commendable, and in line with our strategy of nurturing and showcasing the next generation of media talents on an international platform. Indeed, we were pleasantly surprised to receive more than 40 entries from budding and professional animators, three of which have been selected by Turner for further development. We certainly hope to see more of these homegrown ideas blossom into popular content with strong global appeal, in time to come.”
Speaking about the programme Kamil Othman, the Vice President for the Creative Multimedia Department at MDeC said, programmes like SNAPTOONS provides an excellent opportunity for members of the local creative fraternities to convene and share their knowledge, insights and ideas with their regional, and even global, counterparts. This will in turn inspire the birth and growth of a new generation of animation studios and talents who can lead Malaysia’s creative content and ideas to critical international acclaim. Beyond that, programmes like SNAPTOONS also provide local budding animators with the opportunity to meet with renowned international animators and studios and develop international partnerships and collaborations.
SNAPTOONS (Short New Asia Pacific Cartoons) invites animation industry professionals, individual animators and animation studios to submit their pitches with the potential to see their ideas come to life alongside Cartoon Network’s lineup of iconic characters including Ben 10, Gumball and Darwin, Chowder, The Powerpuff Girls and Johnny Bravo, which developed as a result of the SNAPTOONS initiative.
For more information on the program, interested parties can visit the SNAPTOONS site at www.snaptoons.org.
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About SNAPTOONS
Originally conceived in 2006 as a regional Asia-Pacific project, SNAPTOONS takes Cartoon Network’s commitment to nurturing home-grown creative talent to a whole new level. From concepts submitted through the original SNAPTOONS search, Cartoon Network has been working with studios all across the region to bring these ideas to life through this original content development initiative. Out of this first SNAPTOONS, Cartoon Network has produced, or is in production, on a variety of projects including Kul Veera (India), Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood (India), Hi-So Hillbilly (Thailand) and Exchange Student Zero (Australia).
About Cartoon Network Asia Pacific
Cartoon Network, the number one kids’ channel in Asia Pacific, offers the best in original animated entertainment while drawing from the world’s most iconic cartoon library of Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna-Barbera titles. Original series showcased on Cartoon Network include the globally popular series Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force, Ben 10 Ultimate Alien, Adventure Time, The Amazing World of Gumball, Chowder, The Powerpuff Girls and The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack. Cartoon Network is available in 23 territories throughout Asia Pacific and is currently seen in over 63 million cable homes in the region. Online, Cartoon Network reaches nearly five million unique visitors a month in Asia Pacific.
Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of multiplatform news and entertainment content around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.
About Media Development Authority (MDA) Singapore
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the growth of globally competitive film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media industries. It also regulates the media sector to safeguard the interests of consumers, and promotes a connected society.
About Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Malaysia
The Multimedia Development Corporation is a unique organization established to direct and oversee MSC Malaysia, the national ICT development initiative, by advising the Malaysian Government on legislation and policies, developing industry-specific practices and setting the standards for multimedia and digital operations. MDeC is also responsible for promoting MSC Malaysia locally and globally, whilst providing strategic support to MSC Malaysia Status Companies. For more information, please visit www.mdec.my
For more information, please contact:
Angela Lau
Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific, Inc.
Tel: +852-3128-3780
Email: angela.lau@turner.com
Michelle Lim
Media Development Authority of Singapore
Tel: +65-8183-3947
Email: michelle_LIM@mda.gov.sg
Radha Warrier
Multimedia Development Corporation
Tel: +603-8315-3250
Email: radha@mdec.com.my