MIPCOM Special Korea

october 2011

mipcom

®

www.mipcom.com The official MIPCOM magazine

animation in korea KOCCA CEO

Jae-Woong Lee on the future of Korean Animation SEE PAGE 8

LEADING THE CHARGE

Top executives give their views on the industry SEE PAGE 10

Also inside: • Product news •Leafie and Balloopo •New talent •Korea on the cutting edge • Co-production, licensing and merchandising • And more ...

COntents i introduction

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Korean Animation is on the move Korea is in Cannes with nearly 100 animation companies in a major new drive to showcase the territory’s original talent and its technical expertise on the global media landscape 4

i intervieWs The future of Korean animation Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) CEO and president Jae-woong Lee unveils his vision of where the Korean animation industry is now, and where he hopes it will be in the future

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Who’s leading the charge?

Get the views from the top Korean animation executives focused on making Korea a major player in the global media landscape 10

iproductneWs What’s on the menu? Korean companies are serving up an wide range of new product at MIPCOM

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i features

Meet Leafie And Balloopo …

Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is throwing the spotlight on Leafie, A Hen Into The Wild, which will be feted at the MIPJunior closing party, and Balloopo, also to be screened at MIPJunior 20 How the characters earn cash Strong characters and brands in the field of animation boost co-production, licensing and merchandising

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New talent explodes onto the scene A number of kids animation titles coming out of Korea are part of a new wave of productions boasting originality of design and characters, as well as top-quality production values 28 Korea on the cutting edge Korea has succeeded in keeping ahead of the game in so many areas of the media and communications industries, where technology is concerned 34

34 mipcom animation in korea October 2011. Director of Publications Paul Zilk EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Sub Editor Clive Bull Technical Editor in Chief Herve Traisnel Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frederic Beauseigneur Graphic Designer Carole Peres Contributing Editor Marlene Edmunds Editorial Management Boutique Editions PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Content Director Jean-Marc Andre Publications Production and Development Manager Martin Screpel Publishing Product Manager Chealsy Choquette Publishing Co-ordinators Emilie Lambert, Amrane Lamiri, David Le Chapelain Productions Assistant Veronica Pirim Production Assistant, Cannes Office Eric Laurent Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France) MANAGEMENT, MARKETING & SALES TEAM Director of the Entertainment Division Anne de Kerckhove Director of the Television Division Laurine Garaude Director of Digital Media Ted Baracos Sales Director Sabine Chemaly Marketing Director Stephane Gambetta Programme Director Tania Dugaro Managing Director (UK / Australia / New Zealand) Peter Rhodes OBE Sales Manager Elizabeth Delaney Vice President Sales and Business Development, Americas Robert Marking Vice President Business Development, North America JP Bommel Executive Sales Director, North America MJ Sorenson Sales Executive Panayiota Pagoulatos Sales Managers Paul Barbaro, Nathalie Gastone International Sales Manager Fabienne Germond Sales Executives Liliane Dacruz, Cyril Szczerbakow Sales Manager Samira Haddi Digital Media Sales Manager Nancy Denole Australia and New Zealand Representative Natalie Apostolou China Representative Anke Redl CIS Representative Alexandra Modestova English Speaking Africa Representative Arnaud de Nanteuil India Representative Anil Wanvari Israel Representative Guy Martinovsky Japan Representative Lily Ono Latin America Representative Elisa Aquino Middle-East Representative Bassil Hajjar Poland Representative Monika Bednarek South Korea Representative Sunny Kim Taiwan Representative Irene Liu Germany Representative (Digital Media Sector) Renate Radke Adam Published by Reed MIDEM, BP 572, 11 rue du Colonel Pierre Avia, 75726 Paris Cedex 15, France. Contents © 2011, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 3rd quarter 2011. ISSN 2104-2179. Printed on 100% recycled paper ®

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animation i n korea Korean animation is on the move Korea is in Cannes with nearly 100 animation companies in a major new drive to showcase the territory’s original talent and its technical expertise on the global media landscape …

SAMG Animation’s Vroomiz

ORGANISING the animation industry’s presence during MIPJunior and MIPCOM is Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA).

The agency was formed more than two years ago through a fusion of five Korean media entities — The Korea Culture And Content Agency, the Korea Game Development And Promotion Institute, the Korean Broadcasting Institute, the Culture Centre and the Digital Contents Business Group of the Korea Software Industry Promotion Agency.

That fusion made it possible for the Korean government to conduct more streamlined business operations, and respond to new media platforms and new media services, says KOCCA president and CEO Jae-woong Lee. And respond it has. Since its formation, KOCCA has been busy both in front of, and behind the scenes in driving the message of Korea’s creativity, its content and its technological ability across the globe. Its activities include organising a range of events, including trade fairs and conferences, as well as helping Korean animation companies strike up a record number of deals over the last two years. In mid-July, for example, KOCCA and Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation 4I

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(MDeC) signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at accelerating the growth of animated co-productions between South Korea and Malaysia.

Also in mid-July, KOCCA organised the 10th edition of the Seoul Character And Licensing Fair, sponsored by the Ministry Of Culture And Tourism. The event was attended by some 200 companies and 200,000 delegates, representing the character, licensing, publishing, production, toy and fashion industries.

The Korean animation industry is the third largest in the world. Its studios work for some of the biggest players in the global animation industry, including Disney. But that situation is rapidly changing. Korean companies still work for hire, particularly today in the area of new media — for example, in the production of apps — but the territory’s major focus for the last 10 years has been on building a reputation for creating original content across all areas of the industry.

Sales for the entire content industry in Korea in 2009 accounted for 6.1% of the territory’s GDP. The value of exports from the domestic content industry totalled $2.5bn at the end of 2009, with 18% annual growth.

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 i n korea The future of Korean animation The Animation industry is one of the strongest forces on the Korean media landscape, but in terms of international global success, it still has some way to go. Here, Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) CEO and president Jae-woong Lee unveils his vision of where the Korean animation industry is now, and where he hopes it will be in the future THE ANIMATION industry has grown since its early days of main- we believe, offers high-quality development and production both for TV ly outsourcing. What’s the next step? and theatrically, at lower prices.

While our industry was very successful in working on OEM projects with some of the biggest animation playConsidering the success of the Korean ani“Korean ers in the world, we were also fully aware of the limitamation industry, what still needs to be done? companies are tions of outsourcing. As a result of this Korean animaOur biggest challenge is to create and develtion companies began exploring our own creativity and thinking op and produce new content and superb stories building a home-grown industry around that. At this such as that found in Robocar Poli, and to take internationally point in time, we are still in the process of doing that that content and those stories to the next level — more than ever and while we see that we are fully competent in some that is, to market them internationally and win before” areas — character development, originality of ideas global recognition for them. and especially cutting-edge technology — we are still on a learning curve when it comes to other aspects of the industry. For example, we want to strengthen our abilities in the area of project planning as well as interJae-woong Lee national distribution, and we believe that international co-production is a way of doing that. We have already done quite a bit of co-production, but we plan to continue to do more to help us achieve our goal of developing content that will have both domestic and global impact.

The number of animation companies doing business abroad has grown exponentially. What’s the secret?

Because our market is small, Korean companies are thinking internationally more than ever before. At the same time, our skills in the area of animation are becoming globally recognised, and that includes stereoscopic 3D animation. On top of that, the government of South Korea has shown that it is seriously committed to supporting overseas market penetration through KOCCA-sponsored showcases, screenings, competitions, and co-production support programmes. All of these combine to underscore the Korean animation industry’s ambitions to become, and remain, a global force.

At MIPCOM, what message would you like to give to delegates about the animation industry in South Korea?

Our basic message is that we can, and do, produce high-quality animation that meets global market standards and requirements, and we do so with very competitive budgets. Other countries may produce animation with lower budgets, and Europe and the Americas may have historically produced high-quality animation in considerable volume. But Korea, 8I

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animation i n korea

Who’s leading the charge?

KOREA moved front and centre on the world animation stage when Redrover’s Bolts & Blip, a co-production with Canada’s ToonBox Entertainment, premiered in a primetime special on September 25 on 3net, the stereoscopic 3D joint venture network by Discovery,

Sony and IMAX. In another first of sorts, Korean player FunnyFlux Entertainment’s Tickety Toc is set to air on Nickelodeon channels around the globe from 2012.

These are but two of a number of recent coups for Korea’s animation industry whose companies and executives have unleashed an impressive and unprecedented new energy aimed at making Korea a major player on the global media landscape.

Behind that charge is a roster of top executives who are reflecting new ways of thinking about creativity, marketing, and the next challenges of the industry. Here is a sampling of their views on several areas of the industry

Redrover’s Bolts & Blip

REDROVER CEO, HOEJIN HA “We in Korea are very imaginative and we have a unique way of using our creativity, but translating that to a global media community is a big challenge. Preproduction and global distribution and licensing are also big challenges for us, so at the moment co-production is a good option for us. For example, working with our partners in Canada has taught us to think outside the box and further to expand our creative potential. I believe that Bolts & Blip is an ideal harmony of North American sensibility and Korean creativity and technical expertise.”

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G&G ENTERTAINMENT HEAD OF MARKETING AND CO-PRODUCTIONS, NARAE HA “Koreans are still struggling with some of the processes in co-production, including keeping the originality of Korean design. Korean designs are often changed to fit scripts that are inevitably written by international partners so that they will work for the global market. The end result of this is that the Korean characters lose their distinctive look. There is also a tendency on the part of producers to develop projects and ideas that they know will appeal to investors but the downside of that is that it can cut into original thinking and original design.”

animation i n korea POV DIGITAL FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, AIDEN TAEHONG LEE “In these days of social networks and social media, it is more important than ever before to understand different backgrounds and cultures. First and foremost, that is what we try to do with our co-production partners. Based on that understanding, we develop, produce and license together on any given project. That’s the goal. So in the case of Balloopo, for example, our company’s role was mainly script work design, set up and core production while our partners took the rest, including post-production. In essence, however, it always depends on the project and the partners.”

GOLDILOCKS CEO AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, HONG KI KIM “Korean producers and artists are willing to experiment with cutting edge technologies and different styles in the production of TV series and feature films. On top of that, Korean people are very keen on new trends, new fashion and new ideas. I think that fashion brought on by passion and new ways of thinking are some of the major plus points of the Korean animation industry, and I think that makes us very attractive.”

FUNNYFLUX ENTERTAINMENT FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, GIL HOON JUNG “Although Korean animation has a 50year history, it has only been in the last decade that Korean studios have moved seriously into the area of creative productions. Local studios and the government have worked together to turn the Korean animation industry into a global player and their efforts have led to advances in animation techniques as well as in creativity. Korean CGI animations, in particular, are doing very well in global competition against production by the countries that have traditionally dominated the world’s market. Case in point: Tickety Toc is the first Korean animation to be broadcast on Nick channels around the world.”

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ROI VISUAL CEO AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, DONG WOO LEE “I see raising brand awareness of ROI Visual as an animation production company as our biggest challenge. Major distribution and production companies have the experience that allows them to inherently understand the significance of branding and what it takes to raise a branding profile. Smaller businesses have a more difficult time raising brand awareness enough to bring it to the attention of the international marketplace. This is an area we are taking a close look at and it will be a priority in the next five years, as will increasing our marketing and merchandising efforts.”

SUNWOO ENTERTAINMENT MANAGING DIRECTOR, MOONJU KANG “Traditional distribution is very important but the entry of new digital media such as smart phone apps are quickly becoming powerful as tools to provide entertainment and brand awareness around the world. Balancing and designing traditional and new media is the key to maximising brand awareness. On another note, one of the major strengths of Korean animation is character design. Korean expertise in this area allows animation studios to create and produce high quality properties that both broadcasters as well as licensees are looking for.”

OLIVE STUDIO VICE-PRESIDENT, DAVID LEE “People living in our information-oriented society have more stress than ever before. We sit behind computers or interface with a number of digital platforms every day but that doesn’t teach us how to communicate on a personal level.

Some people are very intelligent but fail to succeed because they lack harmony and the ability to relate with respect and mutual support. I call this emotional intelligence and I think that teaching this to toddlers and pre-schoolers is very important. As humans, we have to learn to live together in harmony and with emotional intelligence and I believe our latest titles, including Cocomong and Barnacle Lou, teach this.”

animation i n korea SYNERGY MEDIA PRESIDENT, EUGENE KANG “The main role of Synergy Media is to discover great ideas, to invest in them and to create business from them. We at Synergy are constantly looking for opportunities to try new content. Our greatest challenge as an industry is to develop content suited to new media business, including wired and wireless combinations and smart TV. Our second greatest challenge is to continue to enter new markets through co-production. Finally, it is fundamentally important to have an attitude that embraces steady development and production of content that has great potential for global success.”

NEON PUMPKIN HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, JEREMY CHOI “The main goal of our company is to push up creative energy and to increase our original content and IP holdings. We believe that our management and production team is structured to aim toward and strengthen that goal. For example, we have a highly creative core team that develops original concepts aimed at the preschool market. In addition, however, we work on the principal that anyone in our company can become an author, can contribute ideas. That is why our core team encourages anyone, not just the graphic artists, to come up with ideas and put them forward.”

TOONZIP CEO, NAM-KYU KANG “The state of the art in CGI technology in Korea is quite competitive in terms of both cost and efficiency. The process of making CGI animation is much more complicated than many might think. It’s all about efficient productivity, research and development, and focus. That having been said, from the very beginning, ToonZip has been paying attention to storyline, character, and global marketing potential. Our aim has always been that the storyline and character is unique, and that it also remains our own branded property.”

PIXTREND PRESIDENT, SARA KYUNGWON HAN-WILLIAMS “As a territory, one of the biggest challenges for Korea is to bring up the level of Korean animation so that it can be sold globally. Pixtrend is very much international in the way we develop projects and our content is always aimed at being sold across the world. Another challenge is in the area of 3D CGI which our partner company Neon Pumpkin is producing. The biggest task in that area is getting enough budget to produce the kind of high quality output that is expected on the global market.”

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GIMC VICE-PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING DIRECTOR, CREATIVE PRODUCTION DIVISION, JEE EUN LEE “Korea is already a centre for animation design. Our task is to continue to take risks and continue to produce innovative shows.

Most of all, we need to pay more attention to the art of storytelling. This is where Korean productions receive the harshest criticism.

Nevertheless, Korea’s love of learning, its great cultural background, great technology and great creative community and most of all, its originality, are all coming together and getting a lot of attention from the global media community.”

ICONIX ENTERTAINMENT CEO, JONG-IL CHOI “Iconix is expanding considerably in the Asian markets as well as in the West and we will continue to follow this path. We do have big challenges ahead on a number of fronts, however, and that includes finding additional revenue streams. New media, such as smart TV, IPTV, web, digital TV and mobile are still in the process of determining their strength in the markets and of proving how much they will contribute to future revenue streams. I believe additionally that new platform players need to focus more on software, in other words, content, rather than hardware alone.”

PrOductnEWs Korean animation companies are serving up a raft of new content at MIPJunior and MIPCOM. Here is a taste of what’s on the menu

OLIVE STUDIO

AVA ENTERTAINMENT

OLIVE Studio’s 3D animation Cocomong 2 is a 26 x 15 mins second series of the comic edutainment TV animation that begins behind closed refrigerator doors. Once a sausage but now alive as a monkey, Cocomong loves inventing and Robocong is Cocomong’s greatest invention.

Then there’s Aromi, once an egg but now a cute bunny. All help Cocomong save Cing Cing village from the evil Virus King, a villain created by global warming who tries to pollute and conquer Cing Cing village. Also from the company, Barnacle Lou is an award winning 52 x 5 mins full 3D animation series about a little seagull who thinks he is a barnacle. He plays with his friends in a barnacle town floating on the sea.

AVA ENTERTAINMENT is handling worldwide distribution for Painter Hitdog. The pre-school 2.5 digital animation series, targeting three- to fiveyear-olds is produced by Gogumi. In the 78 x 7 mins series Hitdog and his friends make their world more colourful with a magic brush, and in doing so encourage friendship, creativity and social skills.

The series is set to be delivered in 2012.

VOOZ CO.

VOOZ CO. is unveiling Myo & Ga, its 52 x 11 mins 3D co-production with Spain’s Imira Entertainment. Adventures and misadventures abound in this tale of a brave but gullible turtle named Ga who joins forces with a noble chicken named Co, and Myo, a fugitive kung fu rabbit. The trio are on a quest to save the world, but are distracted again and again. Vooz Co. will be seeking additional licensing and distribution partners at MIPCOM.

Myo & Ga (Vooz Co.)

FUNNYFLUX ENTERTAINMENT

Cocomong (Olive Studio)

Painter Hitdog (AVA Entertainment)

DPS ANIMATION

DPS ANIMATION has brought the first episode of its 3D co-production The Airport Diary to Cannes. In the 78 x 7 mins series a small plane at Billowing Fluffy Airport meets airplane friends from around the world. The little plane dreams of a bigger world — even though he doesn’t have much mileage. The co-production with KTH, a subsidiary of Korea’s giant KT Telecom, and Chinese company Pinggo, is set for completion in May of 2012. Season 2 will be out a year later.

The Airport Diary (DPS Animation) 16 I

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FUNNYFLUX Entertainment is unveiling Katuri: A Story Of A Mother Bird. The co-production with Andong Media Centre, aimed at a general audience, is an allegorical tale of a mother pheasant that dies, leaving her chicks to grow up and overcome adversity on their own. It is based on the novel written by renowned Korean children’s author Kwon Jung Saeng. Distribution outside of Korea and Japan is by France’s awol animation.

Katuri: A Story Of A Mother Bird (Funnyflux Entertainment)

PrOductnEWs SUNWOO ENTERTAINMENT

SUNWOO Entertainment is showcasing its animation Mix Master Final Force, a 39 x 22 mins mix of 3D and 2D entertainment skewed towards boys. The action follows average boy turned hero Ditt and his friends as they try to save their realm from the evil Dr Root, transforming into different battle modes and strategically mixing with each other to enhance their powers to combat the enemy. A series of mixable toys as well as trading cards and online games are part of the merchandising range that are linked to this title.

GRIMM STUDIO

GRIMM Studio’s series Cobot revolves around Wan, a failure prone depressive youngster who is one day visited by strange beings from the future who call themselves Cobots. The Cobots become Wan’s guardians until one day the Cobullots appear. It turns out that Wan is destined to become a great leader and the Cobullots are not happy about that. In a battle that ensues between the Cobots and Cobullots, Wan realises that he no longer needs anyone as a guardian and has become strong enough to protect himself and fight alongside the Cobots for his future destiny.

PIXTREND

PIXTREND is looking for co-production and cofinancing partners for Rolling, Rolling Counting, a maths themed 3D CGI edutainment series targeted at pre-schoolers. The main character is Poi, a colourful and cute crocodile shaped train and his rolling ball friends whose lives are filled with amusing tales of mathematics. Pixtrend has also been getting some attention from its title Call For Chi Chi, a CGI series co-produced with Neon Pumpkin and Millimages UK, and Pixtrend sister company Neon Pumpkin is firming up codevelopment and co-financing talks for 2 Eyes Monster. The 52 x 11 mins 3D CGI series about the bizarre inhabitants of Monsterville is targeted to ages six to 13. Chief among them is 2 Eyes, a likeable guy with a blue eye that gives him an overly trusting sunshine outlook on life and a red eye that turns him into a frustrated major grouch.

Cobot (Grimm Studios] Rolling, Rolling Counting (Pixtrend]

SYNERGY MEDIA

K-PRODUCTION is in Cannes seeking pre-sales for I Love Ddung and investment and coproduction partners for Tales Buster, The World Of Twisted Fairy Tales. I Love Ddung is a full HD 2D animation series and Tales Buster, combining 2D and 3D animation, is described as a fantasy drama for all ages. Tales Buster will air on Korean channel MBC in January of next year.

SYNERGY MEDIA is looking for licensing and distribution partners for Larva, the 104 x 2 mins HD 3D series about cute little worms that live underneath a gutter on 52nd Street. The adventures feature violent and impetuous Red and gluttonous and foolish Yellow. In one episode, Red and Yellow save the day when a beautiful goldfish in a plastic bag is tossed into the gutter and the bag starts to leak. Chewed up bubble gum, thrown away melted ice cream, coins and rings tempt the two worms while mosquitoes and flies vie for the edible goodies that fall under the grate.

ONE RAINY morning, two children find a small cloud snagged on a twig and they take it to their mother. She bakes it into bread and when they eat it, the kids begin to float like clouds. Cloud Bread, the pre-school series in stereoscopic and traditional 3D animation is a co-production of GIMC, DPS Animation and Carloon Studios. The first 26 episodes have been aired on Korean public broadcaster KBS, and the series is set to air on a number of other channels across Europe.

EMEA distributor is Cyber Group Studios.

I Love Ddung (K-Production]

Larva (Synergy Media]

Cloud Bread (Cyber Group Studios]

Mix Master Final Force (Sunwoo Entertainment)

K-PRODUCTION

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GIMC

animation i n korea

Meet Leafie And Balloopo …

In Cannes, Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is throwing the spotlight on Leafie, A Hen Into The Wild, which will be feted at the MIPJunior closing party, and Balloopo, also to be screened at MIPJunior. Both are properties the agency believes exhibit enormous talent and international promise.

LEAFIE, A Hen Into The Wild, is a 90-minute animated tale based on Korean author Seonmi Hwang’s runaway pre-teen novel of the same name.

In South Korea the novel’s classic tale of adventure, love and sacrifice sold more than a million copies, and the home grown animation pulled in record breaking box office admissions when it opened in late July.

The animation, about a laying hen named Leafie who wants to escape

Leafie, A Hen Into The Wild, based on author Seonmi Hwang’s runaway pre-teen novel 20 I

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the repetitive life of being confined to a chicken farm, has been six years in the making. It is the work of a group of talented Korean illustrators with some hefty credentials to their names, including working for Pixar and Disney.

Leafie’s story opens with her living in a cage on a chicken farm, where her lot in life is to spend her days laying eggs while confined to a small space. She yearns to breathe free and finally escapes the chicken farm — but then is hunted down by a weasel named One Eye. Leafie meets Wanderer who helps her get adjusted to life in the wild. But one day, One Eye kills Wanderer and his beautiful mate, a female duck with white feathers. Leafie finds a duck egg and hatches it.

When the baby duck is born with a green patch on its head, Leafie names it Greenie and adopts it. To avoid the fate of Greenie’s parents, Leafie moves the baby duck to a swamp where they will both be safer.

However, being a mother chicken to a baby duck proves a daunting challenge, especially when Greenie is captured by the chicken farm owner and Leafie has to save Greenie from the very fate from which she once fled.

The film has a star-cast of Korean talent, including voice-overs by veteran actors Choi Min-sik and Moon So-ri and rising teen star Yoo Seungho, who also dubbed the voice for Astro Boy in South Korea.

Who doesn’t like balloons? Our universal love of these pretty flying objects filled with hot air is what POV Digital and KOCCA is counting on for Balloopo, a 52 x 11 mins pre-school CGI animation series still in pre-production.

animation i n korea THE TALENT BEHIND LEAFIE LEAFIE, A Hen Into The Wild, is produced

by Myung Films and Odoltogi, and is directed by Seong-yun Oh. Screenplay is

by Eunjeong Kim, with world sales for Leafie by Seoul-based Finecut. Leafie was screened internationally in the market sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival in May while it was in post-production, but the screening at the MIPJunior closing party marks the first international bow of the film since production was completed.

Balloopo, the lead character, has a small elephant brain, but a big heart. Loyal and kind, with magical morphing powers as well, Balloopo lives in The Land Of Puff, where everything is made of balloons. Together with best friend Balloon Boy Paru , they have adventures growing and planting balloons, filling them, and perhaps, best of all, popping them.

Paru and Balloopo work together in the Puffy Pumper Pump House, part-filling-station, part-repair-station, and a balloon hospital as well.

They also travel around in their Vanaloon to repair punctures and restore order whenever trouble occurs.

Princess Elpo, Hugpo, Needles, Poppy, Gordon and Slim are also stars in The Land Of Puff, and are all complex characters, even if they are filled with hot air. Paru is cheerful, playful, sensitive, an improviser and a catalyst for action. Not surprising, given her royal heritage, Princess Elpo is said to be fond of making proclamations when she doesn’t like the way things are going, but she’s also fiercely competitive and can’t stand losing. Poppy is Princess Elpo’s best friend, while Gordon and Slim are palace guards. Hugpo is big and grumpy and emotional but also given to extremes of joy, while Needles likes to think of himself as a fearless spy — but he’s really lazy, cowardly and given to easy solutions.

Targeting three- to six-year-olds, the original concept came from POV founder and president Aiden Taehong Lee. Lee’s background includes both art and design, including a stint at the renowned Parson’s School Of Design in the US. Lee says: “I originally studied interior design but I’m also an artist, so when I started the animation business, I knew it required a great creative mind in the areas of both art and design. These industries are interconnected.”

Balloopo is a co-production with Europe’s KidsPlant, which has offices in The Netherlands and France. KidsPlant is handling pre-production and production with post-production at Italy’s Connectoon.

The series was developed by head writer and development editor Paul Dawson, who also spearheaded the adaptation of Vooz Co.’s Pucca. Lee says: “Each episode is a completely self contained story.”

POV is handling distribution for all Asian territories as well as Australia,

Finecut’s director of international sales Yunjeong Kim says: “Leafie is an animation that shows the true meaning of being a family. And while it has a contemplative mood to it, it is entertaining for both children and adults, with a mix of the action, comedy, and heart-warming drama as well.”

Myung Films was founded in 1995 and is considered one of the most successful film companies in Korea. It has produced such blockbuster titles as Joint Security Area, Forever The Moment and last year’s romantic comedy Cyrano Agency.

New Zealand and the Middle East. KidsPlant and Connectoon will distribute for other territories, with licensing as one of the major priorities for all three companies in Cannes during MIPJunior and MIPCOM. Balloopo got a major kickstart some four years ago when it was awarded in the Creative Idea category by KOCCA, giving it the seed money needed to make the pilot.

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animation i n korea How the characters earn cash Strong characters and brands in the field of animation are helping to boost co-production, licensing and merchandising

The Beet Party (Redrover) A NUMBER of companies including Synergy Media, Vooz Co., Neon Pumpkin, GIMC, Redrover, SAMG Animation and NHC Media have lined up new alliances with partners from across the globe.

Many have tapped co-production treaties to help get the finance ball rolling, especially with France. “We’ve done at least five co-productions with France,” says SAMG’s vice president Harry Yoon.

Synergy Media has been a pioneer in globalising Korean animation co-production and has completed, or has on the front burner, at least eight co-productions in recent years, many with France. Latest is Me And My Robot, the 52 x 11 mins TV series between Synergy’s Tuba Entertainment and France’s Millimages. EBS, France 3, and Canal J are on board as broadcasters for the series set to be delivered in 2013.

Synergy president Eugene Kang says financing production costs and merchandising internationally is a major challenge but he adds that for the actual co-producing “patience and trust throughout the development and production process” have been key to the success of Synergy’s projects. Also to be delivered in 2013 is Synergy’s 26 x 11 mins Playground 22 I

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Robot Bboing with Crazy Bird Studio in Korea and co-production partner Tulus Fikir in Malaysia. EBS is on board as broadcaster.

Malaysia has significantly increased its co-production ties with Korean companies. NHC Media’s co-production Eori with Malaysia’s Ed-Online Technologies was inked in 2010 and is now being brought to MIPJunior and MIPCOM. NHC Media director, Christine Yu, says: “When we presented Eori, Ed-Online instantly fell in love with it, and since then, everything has been easy. We worked together to find and preserve common themes and values in each story.” She adds that while Eori is a young boy, other characters were given animal identities — “it helps eliminate potential cultural or other bias”. The 78 x 7.5 mins series is also adaptable to other platforms including mobile, she says.

Differences in humour between cultures arose in the making of Vooz Co.’s Myo & Ga, a co-production with Spain’s Imira Entertainment, but Vooz Co. CEO Boo-Kyoung Kim says: “It actually helped us to work together more closely and to turn Myo & Ga into a work with appeal to much wider audiences.” Kim, by the way, is the creator of Pucca,

animation i n korea one of Korea’s most widely known animation characters.

G&G Entertainment has produced some 16 titles in the 11 years it has been in existence.

Head of marketing and co-productions Narae Ha says currently G&G is discussing co-productions with a few experienced international producers at MIPJunior and MIPCOM. “No matter how much experience you have in coproducing, it seems unavoidable that problems will arise due to differences in working backgrounds. We are still trying to figure out the best way to co-produce a project without having to give up the originality and distinctive look and feel that we think really reflects G&G.” Canada’s co-production treaty with South Korea has ended in an increasing number of animation co-productions, among them Redrover’s Bolts & Blip, a co-production with ToonBox Entertainment.

Redrover broke new barriers on more than one level when Bolts & Blip was chosen to be in the opening line-up of animations on US 3D network 3net’s kid friendly programming block.

The 26-episode series features two oddball best friend Civi-bots living on the Moon who get drafted into the Lunar League Of Robotic Sports. Director of Bolts & Blip is Toy Story 2 animator Peter Lepeniotis.

Redrover and partner ToonBox are now at work on another co-production The Nut Job. The 4D feature film with a budget of $42.5m is being scripted by Lorne Cameron from Ratatouille and Brother Bear, with Lepeniotis also on board to direct.

Nayoung Lee, manager, licensing and marketing

for Redrover, says that other projects are being developed for 3DTV and interactive platforms.

The Beet Party, for example, is a non-verbal interstitial (104 x 2 mins) about beets living in the refrigerator and exploring new items that come into their world. They communicate with each other through beatbox sounds and celebrate each new addition with a beatbox party.

Redrover will be looking for pre-sales and additional partners at MIPJunior and MIPCOM. Neon Pumpkin and sister distribution company Pixtrend’s co-production agreement in 2010 with Millimages UK for Call For Chi Chi moved the company into the international co-production camp. Neon Pumpkin’s latest title, 2 Eyes Monster, a wacky comedy whose concept was introduced a year ago at Cannes, is now looking for co-production partners. Jeremy Choi, director of business development for Neon Pumpkin says: “It’s been pitched to a number of channels already and we do have pre-sales commitments but we are still in negotiation for co-development and co-financing. We’ll be looking at MIPJunior and MIPCOM to finalise that.”

10-year-old Korean studio GIMC has completed some four co-productions with Chinese company Carloon Studios, including Cloud Bread. Korean company DPS is also a co-production partner on Cloud Bread. The series of 52 half-hour episodes produced in both stereoscopic 3D as well as traditional 3D, has distribution for EMEA by France’s Cyber Group Studios. Korean public broadcaster KBS has come on board as a funding partner for the second season.

“We specialise in advanced CGI and

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MIPJUNIOR WINNER KOREAN companies’ growing success in the field of licensing and merchandising was underscored when Roi Visual won the MIPJunior licensing challenge for its Robocar Poli last year. The company is back this year to find broadcasting and merchandising partners for the title.

June J Lee, international marketing director for Roi Visual says that winning the license challenge attracted more attention for Robocar Poli but, “winning the challenge is no guarantee of success”. Some producers believe their licensing challenge is bigger for producers from smaller countries, than it is for producers from bigger territories, but she adds: “It’s not the size of the country that matters. It’s the content. I’ve found if I take pride in my content, people automatically pay attention.”

Eori, NHC Media’s co-production with Malaysia’s Ed-Online Technologies

● Genre : Sitcom and adventure - TV Series ● Format : 3D CGI animation ● Series : 52 eps x 11 minutes ● Target : 3 to 6 Preschooler ●Europe, America, Africa Robbert Laddan : +31(0) 348-419638 robbert@kids-plant.com ●Asia, Oceania, Middle-East Aiden T. Lee : +82-70-7701-3879, +82-10-9330-8936 povceo@naver.com

animation i n korea stereoscopic production but we also do 2D, depending on budget and creative needs,” says GIMC vice-president international marketing director Jee Eun Lee. Carloon, she adds, “participates in every stage of production. Because both companies are involved in funding the projects, this is important. We tend to be more involved in pre- and postproduction and Carloon more involved in the main production.”

It is merchandising and licensing that is becoming increasingly important in the media landscape today in terms of generating revenue, says Moonju Kang, managing director of Sunwoo Entertainment. “That is particularly true with the rise of new digital media, including apps.” Sunwoo will be at MIPJunior looking to finalise partnerships for broadcasting, licensing and merchandising in Europe and the US for the launch of its latest title Mix Master Final Force into those markets.

SAMG’s first season of Vroomiz has already been sold to Al Jazeera Children’s Channel. SAMG’s vice-president Harry Yoon says: “The sale is significant because Al Jazeera has some very strict rules for animation and one is that education comes first. So on some level, it is an endorsement of Vroomiz’s educational value from a very respected broadcaster.”

The 52-episode pre-school series is a co-production with Korean public broadcaster EBS that combines the love of animals and kids fascination with anything on wheels. It is set in the mythical town of Zippy City where five animal car friends live.

Yoon says: “We’re hoping to attract the right partners for the acquisition of the second season which will be finished in March of 2012.” He adds that he’s also looking for the right partners for the third season, noting SAMG has also developed a hefty range of merchandising to accompany the series, including apps.

Tayo The Little Bus (Iconix Entertainment)

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Pucca, one of Korea’s most widely known animation characters Iconix Entertainment needs no lessons in how to sell its iconic property Pororo. Since the mischievous blue and white penguin, sporting a flying helmet and aviator glasses, first hopped onto the screen it has sold to more than 110 territories. Rising popularity in China and Southeast Asia now has executive director Mikyeong Jung aiming to close a number of merchandising deals, including with China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand. Iconix will also be at MIPJunior and MIPCOM showcasing the second season of 52 x 11 mins Tayo The Little Bus. EBS is the local broadcaster and Disney Asia is on board, so Iconix will be shopping for new partners in other areas of the world in broadcasting, licensing and merchandising. Interestingly, the city of Seoul is also an investor in the project. “It is one of the policies of the Seoul Metropolitan City to invest in cultural projects like this,” says Jung.

animation i n korea

New talent explodes on to the scene A number of kids animation titles coming out of Korea are part of a new wave of productions boasting cutting-edge originality of design and characters, as well as top-quality production values KOCCA global business division general director In Sook Lee highlights five titles — Kioka, Super Proposal, Tickety Toc, Doong Doong and Little Train Choo Choo — that are part of a new wave of Korean animation content that is stirring up interest among broadcasters and investors in Korea as well as around the world.

SUPER PROPOSAL DigiArt’s new sci-fi comic action adventure Super Proposal has everything, from romance to heated battles, from robot superheroes to wicked villains. The CGI animated feature film targeted at families, will be delivered in mid-2013. Super Proposal is set in Metro City, where humans and robots live side-by-side. Sam, the timid janitor of a theme park builds up the courage to ask Sue, the love of his life, to marry him. At the same time, the super villain Oscar is in love with Katherine, the mayor of Metro City, and wants to marry her. Oscar’s proposals, however, sound more like blackmail and are soundly rejected.

Super Proposal (DigiArt)l]

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On the day Sam decides to propose, his engagement ring accidentally falls into the hands of Oscar. When Sam tries to get it back, he enlists the help of Kit and his crew, all friends who work as actors at the same theme park. But Sam and his friends seem to be failing in the task.

In the meantime, Oscar’s henchman Victor decides Oscar isn’t tough enough and plans to take over the city himself. He activates a giant robot that puts the entire population in danger.

At the same time that Sam is trying to find the missing engagement ring, along with Kit and his robot crew, the timid janitor becomes embroiled in a major battle to save the city from the giant robot and discovers that Kit and his crew are more than they seem. They are genuine superheroes who help Sam save Metro City.

“The characters are well developed and the theme of superheroes in disguise is intriguing and caters to an already established demand on the international market that we believe Super Proposal fills,” says producer Sujin Hwang.

animation i n korea KIOKA Goldilocks Studio’s pre-school series Kioka is a 3D CGI animated tale of a curious and confident little girl with a magical snow globe. When Kioka shakes the snow globe, her room is filled with magical snowflakes and she ends up inside the globe where all of her toy friends have come to life!

Kioka’s everyday adventures bring new questions, and her answers come through teamwork with her friends, as well as other ways that are not always conventional.

A creation of Michelle Kim and Canada’s

Nuranee Shaw, the 78 x 7 mins series targets the younger end of the pre-school market and is a co-production with Korean public broadcaster KBS. “The production from the beginning was intended to be international, one of the reasons that it was produced so that children could understand it without the use of dialogue,” says Goldilocks CEO and executive producer Hong Ki Kim. “Kioka looks at situations from a child’s perspective, not in the one-sided or logical way that adults might. And she solves these problems

in creative and unique ways.”

Today’s kids, Kim says, “are smart and inherently have unique approaches to problems.

It’s important that they understand that it is okay, and that there are many different ways to solve problems.” Kioka is distributed by awol animation in France for all territories outside of Korea.

Kioka (Goldilocks Studio)

TICKETY TOC FunnyFlux Entertainment’s kids animation series Tickety Toc, a 52 x 10 mins collection of episodes with time as the theme, broke new ground in a major way when it was picked up for worldwide distribution by Zodiak Rights (outside of Korea and Japan) and sold to Nickelodeon while still in its pre-production stage. The series takes place in an old clock shop.

Big clocks, little clocks, crazy clocks and very sensible clocks — but most of all, there is the Tickety Toc clock.

Every hour on the hour the Tickety Toc clock chimes in the time, with the help of wooden dolls Tommy and Tallulah. But behind the cuckoo clock doors is a world where Tommy and Tallulah’s wooden friends have some crazy adventures that take them far beyond the workings of the Tickety Toc clock. Each hour, however, they rendezvous to chime in the time.

“Tickety Toc is the first Korean animation to be aired on the Nick channels around the world and that is very special,” says FunnyFlux Entertainment founder and president Gil Hoon Jung. The originator of the series, Jung says that the wooden characters in the series remind him of his own childhood.

“When I was a child, I loved to play with wooden blocks and other wooden toys and I’d spend hours with them, creating, frankly, a bit of a mess — but having a great time. I think the sense of delight that I felt then comes across in the series.”

Tickety Toc is a co-production between FunnyFlux Entertainment and Zodiak Kids production studio The Foundation TV Company.

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Tickety Toc (FunnyFlux Entertainment)

animation i n korea DOONG DOONG Sunnyside’s Doong Doong was planned from the very beginning to be seen anywhere and anytime, says producer Suk-Yong Hong. “It’s one of the reasons that it is available in animated two-minute shorts but also on apps that can be downloaded on smart phones and tablet PCs.” Doong Doong is a 104 x 2 mins slapstick 3D CGI HD animation telling the stories of a baby gorilla and his friends living in Sunny Land.

Characters include Doong Doong — whose dad was a monkey, his mum a gorilla — and his playmates, Keaton, Toy, Charming and Wood. Doong Doong can be jealous and quarrel with friends, like all pre-school aged kids, says Hong. As for the other characters, Keaton is a cynical fish that can live out of water; Toy is a baby lion so eager to grow up he wears fake manes; Charming is an ostrich who dreams of flying; and Wood is a baby elephant who is very strong but not terribly clever.

Episodes include adventures such as banana racing, fishing, dancing and skydiving.

Doong Doong (Sunnyside)

LITTLE TRAIN CHOO CHOO In full 3D stereoscopic animation HD, Studio B’s 52 x 11 mins Little Train Choo Choo is aimed at pre-school audiences with a love for education, mathematics and adventures. “Our aim is that children will become comfortable and have fun with mathematics,” says Studio B producer and managing director Hoonjae Lee. Little Train Choo Choo is a yellow shuttle train that drives around Toyville with his best friends, Miles, Jackie and B-Bot. Together they encounter problems and situations that occur in everyday life. Each episode begins with the characters approaching an everyday problem, understanding what the problem is and thinking it through to discover what is needed to solve the problem rationally.

The edutainment series has been specially designed in consultation with Dr Seung Youn Lee — who holds a PhD in mathematics from Ohio State University — and can be used as part of a curriculum.

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logical thinking, the same kind of thinking used in mathematics, and to have the confidence that they can use it to solve everyday problems.”

Little Train Choo Choo combines distinctive and beautiful art as well as advanced 3D technology, Lee says. The concept is being used not only as an animation series for TV but also other platforms, including publication, performing arts, and as apps for smart phones and smart TV.

Little Train Choo Choo (Studio B)

animation i n korea

Korea on the cutting edge Korea has succeeded in keeping ahead of the game in many areas of the media and communications industries, especially where technology is concerned. What is the driving force behind this urge to progress?

KOREA was one of the first territories in the world to have nearly 100% broadband coverage. It was the first to launch mobile TV and it was the first to launch satellite 3D TV. It is not surprising then, that South Korea has heavily immersed itself in the tools of the digital trade, particularly when it comes to animation. Korea Creative Content Agency

(KOCCA) CEO and president Jae-woong Lee says Korea has plans to stay on the cutting edge of technology when it comes to content development. “Our government is actively engaged in the support of content development for CGI and stereoscopic 3D, as well as apps for new media platforms, including tablet PCs, smart phones and smart TV,” he says.

“Our government is actively engaged in the support of content development for CGI and stereoscopic 3D” Jae-woong Lee, KOCCA

Pororo (Iconix Entertainment)

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DPS Introduction

Starting its business in 2005 with the moto "All About Contents" and putting out its first TV series <Tori Go! Go!> on KBS in 2006, DPS has continued to create animations for kids such as <Let's Go!! MBA> in 2009 and <Cloud Bread> in 2010.

DPS is producing a new animated TV series <The airport diary> and <Cloud Bread season2 >.

With the animation film development at its core, DPS conducts business in a wide spectrum: animation film sector including TV series and feature films; character business including character products, toys, publishing, games, education content, musicals; advertising business including commercials, PR and diverse joint promotions.

Targeting the world market and crossing the whole range of content business, DPS is set to take a stronger position and emerge as a new leader in the world animation market.

The airport diary

Small plane Winky’s adventure at Billowing Fluffy Airport unfolds in 3D animation. Meeting airplane friends from around the world Winky comes to dream of the world he’s never been to, and develops friendship with his airport friends, each of whom has his own personality. Watching Winky grow to cherish the dream of a bigger world even though he does not have much of a mileage, our children will come to see the importance of dreams, and of friendship which nurtures and helps to realize the dreams. Children dreaming of a big world will get the exhilarating and inspiring pleasure of sky travel. Winky’s Thrilling Intriguing Fun Inspiring Flight Diary! It will convey the lesson that there is nothing in the world that is useless, that we all have some purpose through adventures of a young airplane.

Nestled on a suburban beach, Billowing Fluffy Airport is a large international airport. Passengers and planes visiting the airport are even more increasing after a renovation a few years ago. And one day, on this hustle-bustle busy Billowing Fluffy lands a puny rookie passenger plane, and that is our hero Winky. As he is from a small rural, though with a long history, airport, this large and busy international airport called Billowing Fluffy gives him some expectations surely bigger than a temporary enjoyable pit-a-pat. And as with heroes anywhere, or with anyone for that matter, it isn’t easy at first. He gets to feel challenged as things are different from what he thought and expected. Now, here come new friends, each with his own personality: diligent, goofy, lazy etc etc. Getting along with these good friends, Winky starts to do his best in the job he is given. This hectic airport of Billowing Fluffy presents a variety of events and experiences to Winky, who cherishes his rekindled childhood dream of going around the world someday.

Dinoops Heroes

A distant planet in the vast universe, Dinoops. In the Dolmen Tower, only ubcontaminated place on this devastated, there live dinosaur, Unlike others, though, they are very modernized. A vegetarian tyrannosaurus Mooba, a nerdy inventor ankylosaurus Tango, a talkative pteranodon Cheese Coo and so on……They are more like human on the Earth. One peaceful day, a spacecraft from another planet makes an emergency landing on them. Mooba and friends get mysterious powers from the aliens, powers to transform themselves into robots.

At first, they have no idea what is going on. Meanwhile, Miya, one of the aliens, thinks that Mooba and friends are blame for the accident, and holds grudge against them. Mooba and friends slowly realize their super powers fighting with Miya.

As Miya’s attacks are growing more powerful, Dioops becomes more and more devastated. And now, our Mooba and friends’s great deal of struggle to save Dinoops has atarted. Will they really be to protect once peaceful Dinoops from Miya?

animation i n korea Korea also announced this year it will invest Eugene Kang, president of Synergy Media, some $50m in helping local companies main- says: “Korea is the test bed for every possible tain their lead in the global smart TV mar- cutting-edge information technology.” A comket and to back smart-TV-related content. pany that has set a track record for organisThe territory’s animation industry has in fact ing co-productions between Korean and other been out there on the cutting edge for some companies around the world, Synergy Media also engages in international sales and distritime now. The list of titles in pre-production, production or completed — and gaining at- bution of Korean entertainment content, intention across the globe for taking the dig- cluding apps. Kang adds: “This test-bed status ital high road — is lengthy and impressive. has allowed Synergy to study trends and carry Among them are Redrover and Canadian co- on new business. We started as early as three production partner ToonBox Entertainment’s years ago to develop apps for our content, and Bolts & Blip; Pixtrend’s 3D-CGI titles Rolling, now have them in service on both Android and Rolling Counting and Call For Chi Chi; IOS platforms. We are also planning on develDigiart Production’s Super Proposal; G&G oping content suited to the new demands of the Entertainment’s stereoscopic-3D boys action- mobile market such as web-mobile connected adventure series Magic Han War; and HD 3D content, and interactive content for smart TV.” Korea has moved to the fore in 3D and CGI. education adventure series Kemy.

Korean companies are also investing in Redrover’s Bolts & Blip premiered on 3net, apps and other new media tools. Iconix the 24/7 joint venture 3D network from Sony, Discovery and IMAX, Entertainment launched and was among the first its first app for Pororo in the scheduled anin English and Korean “South Korea is on imation block on the for iPhone, iPad and the same page with network.

Android, and racked other leading Some 60% of Redrover’s up some 50,000 buyers countries in sales come from conin the first week; the setent. Since the rest is ries Pororo has sold to technology and from hardware sales of more than 110 territoanimation skills” its high-end 3D moniries around the globe.

Joshua Sohn, Digiart Production tors sold to research inIconix executive direcstitutes and medical tor Mikyeong Jung says: clinics, Redrover CEO “Apps can be an active way to build our brand awareness.” She adds Hoejin Ha clearly knows the worth of 3D. He that, with the dramatic growth in the number says that the global content industry is not of smartphone and tablet PC users, success in keeping up with the need for 3D software; custhe global apps market can lead to a significant tomers are buying new 3D TV sets but there is not enough in 3D for them to watch. “We’re additional revenue stream.

Specialising in 3D production, Olive Studio excited about Bolts & Blip premiering on 3net, also co-operates with Korean hardware and IT but it’s not just about that. There is increasing leaders Samsung, KT, LG — and some game use of 3D TV’s, 3D channels and 3D theatres companies too — on the creation of apps for and the demand is there and it’s rising. The its hit title Cocomong. “They are very popu- time is now for us to plan and actively produce lar in Korea,” says David Lee, vice-president of more stereoscopic 3D content.” He says that Olive Studio. Next to the US and China, Korea Redrover will steadily increase its production ranks third in the number of free daily down- of 3D animation projects and live-action 3D films. The company is at work on The Nut Job, loads of apps.

Apps also contribute to new brand aware- a stereoscopic 3D animated TV series based on ness, says Moonju Kang, managing director of the feature of the same name.

Sunwoo Entertainment. “The rise of new dig- Aiden Taehong Lee, founder and president ital media such as smartphone apps is quick- of POV Digital, says when he first started the ly becoming a powerful contributor, not only company in 2004, the main focus wasn’t stereto entertainment but also to brand awareness oscopic 3D. “The company’s past experiences with several projects put us on a learning curve around the world.”

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POV Digital’s Aiden Taehong Lee

Olive Studio’s David Lee

Synergy Media’s Eugene Kang

animation i n korea and has given us considerable field experience. its expansion into overseas markets as well as Now we are in a position where we have com- in the Korean animation industry.” fortably moved into producing stereoscopic 3D AVA Entertainment is a distributor focusing on 3D, VOD, smartphones and TV applicaprojects.”

Toonzip Animation’s latest title Robot tions. Last year at MIPCOM AVA unveiled its ARPO, a co-production with Malaysian out- own production, Magic World In 3D, an HD stereoscopic 3D producfit Centraline, runs across tion. This year the compaa number of platforms, ny is back in Cannes with and includes a stereoscop“The 21st stereoscopic 3D, HD-3D ic 3D TV series. Toonzip century is a time and other titles, including CEO and executive proof creativity” Gogumi’s digital animation ducer Nam-Kyu Kang says: Su Hoon Kim, SAMG 2.5 title Hitdog. AVA is also “Korea is fully competitive showcasing for Studio Loft, on the international marAnimation which is at the high end of ketplace when it comes to companies in Korea that cutting-edge technology. are involved in 2D-to-3D The state of the art in CG technology is competitive, not only in quali- conversion. In 2010 it developed a 2D-to-3D ty, but also in terms of cost and efficiency and converting system on which it now has a patent.

Toonzip is internationally recognised as being Digiart Production has a near 10-year histoat the high end of this technology.” He adds: ry of churning out CGI animation TV series and features. In 2009 it released its first 3D ste“This definitely gives Korea an edge and has allowed us to lay down the building blocks of reoscopic animated feature film Garfield Pet Force, among other productions. In 2010, it began producing the 3D stereoscopic CGI animated feature film Outback, and this year has been in pre-production with 3D stereoscopic CGI animated feature film Super Proposal.

“South Korea is on the same page with other leading countries in technology and animation PUBLIC skills but the important thing is a good story SUPPORT and well-organised production pipeline,” says Joshua Sohn, president of Digiart Production.

THE KOREAN animation industry’s first line of support is Sohn adds that, unlike TV animation, the dooften public broadcaster EBS, either as a commissioner mestic market for theatrical animation is at an or as a co-producer on some of the major titles coming early stage. out of the animation industry. Not surprisingly, EBS has made a serious commitment to stereoscopic 3D, and “Outback will lead us to continue creating feaespecially in animation. EBS president and CEO Kwak Duk ture animations using our own skill and ultiHoon has gone on record as saying he believes that 3D mately to expand the base of the Korean martechnology is “highly instrumental” in improving the ket,” he says. Outback is set to be released at effects of education. He says that EBS plans to expand year-end. “We believe that Outback will be a the scope of its 3D production to animated films for kids.

The broadcaster has already launched a 3D English masterpiece showing both our creativity, and language version of the domestically produced animation cutting-edge technology.” film Cocomong.

Companies like SAMG Animation have inEBS is also a co-producer on the Vooz Club stereoscopic creased their global marketing efforts as 3D series Canimals, along with the UK’s Aardman, Screen well, when it comes to profiling their 3D cre21 and Spain’s BRB Internacional. The series is about the adventures of mischievous can shaped CGI animals. ative and technological expertise. SAMG Samsung Electronics and Vooz Club have a coAnimation CEO Su Hoon Kim says: “The development and licensing deal for the Canimals brand.

21st century is a time of creativity. SAMG Animation has been working to achieve originality, a streamlined production system, a global network and the highest quality content with the aim of breathing fresh energy into the global 3D animation industry.”

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Iconix Entertainment’s Mikyeong Jung

Toonzip’s Kang Nam-Kyu

Redrover’s Hoejin Ha