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New kids on the Toonz

D Jose in Thiruvananthapuram

Five Indian kids have won the Cartoon Network's 'Get Tooned' loyalty programme.

The programme would be aired on the Cartoon Network from January 1, 2000. Each interstitial would feature a 45-second segment of live action from the winners in front of empty blue screen in a local studio, said Ian Diamond, creative director of the Turner Entertainment Networks Asia.

He told newsmen on Thursday that the screening, which comes on the eve of the Cartoon Network's fifth anniversary in the Asia Pacific Region, would depict the transformation of the winner into animated form. "It will effectively share the moment with Dexter, the Powerful Girls, Fred Flintstones, Scooby-Doo and other Network stars," he said.

The five kids, who would be the 'Toons' to be shown on the network in the new millennium, are Waleed Khot, Kartik Krishna Ayyar, Kanchan Matkar, Niazari Mangeshikar and Urvashi Lele. They would become cartoon heroes as Banana Boy, Construction Kid, Flamenco Kid, Ninja Kid and Rollercoaster Kid, Mr Diamond said.

He said they wanted to project the kids as "household names" in India's cartoon network, which has 14 million viewers, of which 35-40 per cent are kids above 12 years.

Asked whether the Cartoon Network might not spoil children as they are far from reality, he said, "It would augment their creative faculties." Diamond, who has exhaustive experience as script writer/director for the Channel 4 series True or false, said that cartoons was only a subsection of the animation.

The Turner Broadcasting Systems Inc's network was launched in Asia Pacific in 1994 has the world largest cartoon library of Warner Brothers, MGM, Barbera titles and showcases originals series including Ed, Edd n Eddy, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken etc. It was sheer "madness" that brought him into cartoons and that cartoons were half-baked creativity, he quipped in a reply to a question.

Meanwhile, Joan Vogelesang, the Chief Operating Officer of the Toonboom technologies, which has the only 100 per cent vector based resolution independent software systems, today reminded that Bollywood had not contacted them so far for animation technology. "I would love them to approach," he added.

Addressing a press meet in Thiruvananthapuram, she said the high quality labour force coupled with ease in communication, had brought in more potential to India. The "next frontier in animation will be India," she added, after Thailand, Philippines and Korea.

"Our objective is not to override the tradition," she said adding, "Only creativity matters in animation."

Toonz was opened mainly with special emphasis on quality. She said that the opportunities arise through sub-contract or in the local market place or through exports, and she believed in the local talents.

She said that the 3-D technology would co-exist in the new era and that the entertainment would go on relentlessly.

"China has increased attention to the animation technology earlier than India and India has started paying attention of late," she said.

Toonboom is the leading edge software developer fully dedicated to providing state-of-the-art tools for the 2D cel animation industry, Joan said.

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