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Drawing on the Immigrant Experience Big Bad Boo’s multicultural show 16 Hudson tackles the experiences of a Kurdistani refugee family in its second season.
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ancouver-based Big Bad Boo Studios founder Shabnam Rezaei remembers the first time she decided to get into the animation business. “It was shortly after 9/11, and at the time, I worked on Wall Street as a computer software engineer developing software for banks,” she recalls. “I used to live across the street from the Twin Towers. Not only did the event leave me in complete shock, but the subsequent rhetoric that demonized all Iranians as terrorists made me reevaluate my mission in life. I decided to do something that has a positive effect on future generations, to educate them in a meaningful way, to create world citizens who are cosmopolitan and compassionate.” Soon after, Rezaei and her husband Aly Jetha founded the studio and went on to produce their first children’s animated show, Mixed Nutz, which aired on PBS stations in the U.S. Over the past decade, Big Bad Boo also launched successful toons such as 1001 Nights, 16 Hudson and The Bravest Knight, all of which were lauded for their multicultural themes and inclusive cast of characters. This month, the second season of 16 Hudson continues Rezaei and her team’s bold mission of delivering socially relevant content that represents a diverse society for its family audiences. “The second season of the show brings lots of new adventures and comedy with our main cast Lili, Sam, Amala, Luc and Eddie, and three new holiday specials highlighting Christmas, the celebration of an Eagle feather and the www.animationmagazine.net
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Moon Festival,” says Rezaei. “In addition, we introduce a new family, the Garmianys, with a six-episode arc. The Garmianys are a refugee family who arrive to 16 Hudson from Kurdistan. The 16 Hudson gang welcome Ray and Rona, get to know them and see the world through their eyes and understand what it’s like to be in a new place. There are of course good and bad things about a move, including all the challenges they face and in turn all the value they add to the 16 Hudson building with their skills.”
A Tale of Three Cities The 39 x 7’ show is a huge collaborative effort between the teams in Toronto, Vancouver and New York City. “Our writing rooms start in Toronto, led by John May and Suzanne Bolch, and we hire anywhere between eight to 10 writers, who will reflect the backgrounds of
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our series mains such as Iran, China, India and the Philippines,” notes Rezaei. “This writing approval process takes in notes from broadcasters TVO Kids and SRC Radio-Canada and approvals from cultural and educational advisors, led by Sarah Fewson.” Once the scripts are completed, the Vancouver-based production team, led by VP of Production Paddy Gillen, takes over. That’s where the designs, model builds, auditions, casting, voice records as well as storyboarding, animation and post production take place. “The entire process is overseen by senior creatives in New York,” says Rezaei. “As with any animated series, it is a very involved process: Over 100 people work behind the scenes to bring 16 Hudson to life.” The animation team uses a variety of software products to make the series. According to the producers, this includes Microsoft Of-
march 21
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