2012

Frederator Aims High With Cartoon Hangover and Bravest Warriors

2 Comments / Animation, Frederator /

Perennial innovator Frederator Studios is currently firing on all cylinders as they gear up for the big push to launch their latest venture, Cartoon Hangover. In times past the studio has been a prime online outlet for animation through their Channel Frederator series’ and with a close relationship to the former Next New Networks (now the YouTube Next Lab), it was inevitable that the studio would continue to play a role close to the forefront of online video.

Which leads us to Cartoon Hangover, which is described as: “the home for cartoons that are too weird, wild, and crazy for television. It’ll have you saying “What a #$@!?* cartoon!” but in the good way.” In other words, the kind of content you couldonly get away with on the internet; veering near the edge but trying hard not to leap over it.

The channel has been around for a while but it was only earlier this year (April 2012) that it began streaming animated content. In addition to the series discussed below, the studio also actively solicited for ideas and/or completed animation; Elliot Cowan being one who dutifully complied with the request for wild and crazy content.

However, what really makes Cartoon Hangover stand out that we bit higher than other animation channels on YouTube is the fact that they are betting on higher quality content than others. What I mean is that in addition to the short, silly stuff, they are also producing a few original series from established creators with fairly high production values (at least for those with a sole online presence).

Two of the series’ in question are Bravest Warriors and Superf*ckers. The latter (based on the comic by James Kochalka) has yet to premiere, the former premiered yesterday with the episode ‘Time Slime’:

Bravest Warriors is created by Pendelton Ward, erstwhile genius behind smash TV show Adventure Time and is traditionally animated (believe it or not). The first episode is fairly funny and shares similar themes and styles to Adventure Time, but what’s interesting is that outside of it’s short length, it is hard to differentiate it from a traditional TV show. The production values are there, the plots are there and the vocal talent is there for all to hear.

This is undoubtedly deliberate; although the upfront cost is higher, the payoff is in the longevity of the series. Cartoons from the 90s are still paying dividends almost 20 years later; there is little reason to assume that being streamed via the internet will change that in any substantial way. Heck, the presence of so much old content on YouTube itself should evidence enough of that.

How will the series pan out? At this very early stage, it is hard to say (as of writing, the episode has been up mere hours but has garnered thousands of views; no stats are available yet) but Frederator are normally quite good at getting the word out through Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. In this regard, they are putting their experience with the Adventure Time tumblelog to good use.

Frederator have also been busy ramping up the ancillary revenue generators with T-shirts and comics. Both are designed to engage the fans and the strategy has proven to be very successful with Adventure Time.

What will be interesting to watch is not so much how successful the show is or indeed how many views it attracts but rather how the viewers behave and indeed, what demographics they fall under. This is the silent draw of online streaming, the ability to know much more about your audience. So much, in fact, that it would make a traditional broadcaster weep. No doubt the folks at YouTube and Frederator will be paying close attention to all those views in the weeks and months ahead to see exactly what viewers are watching and how they are reacting to the show (for example, writing blog posts about it).

What will make those months even more interesting is the premiere of Superf*ckers. Although there’s no date set (yet), the theme song and heck, even the title should point out that this series has a distinctly more mature tone. With Bravest Warriors aiming for a crowd slightly older than Adventure Time, Superf*ckers aims even older, possibly starting at the mid to late-teens. The strategy employed by Frederator and Cartoon Hangover is a bold one. They are muscling in on [adult swim] territory but lack the traditional TV presence.

How Cartoon Hangover plays out is still relatively unknown, however if successful, it will provide the blueprint for all other original web series for some years to come. Here’s hoping that’s the case.

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The Holy Grail of Channel 4 Idents

Animation /

The video below appeared on my tumblr dashboard the other day and if you remember my post from the other week, you’ll know that there was no way I could ignore it. It’s a (very complete) compilation of just about every form of ident that the UK TV network Channel 4 used for the first 20 years of its existence. At just under half an hour, it isn’t short, but it is somewhat magical to see how animation can form the basis for a strong brand identity and reinforce it hundreds of times a day.

 

 

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Piecing Together the Animation Studio Puzzle

Animation /

Via: Rotten Tomatoes

After a week of weddings, ‘Superstorm’ Sandy and general life upheaval, this blog is finally getting back to normal. In the course of my absence, Disney released Wreck-It-Ralph, a film about a video game character who’s fed up being the bad guy. The reviews have been quite glowing and it currently occupies the top spot at the box office (although that doesn’t mean everything). However, I am in no rush to see the film and in the course of trying to figure out why, it was that I began to look at the bigger picture, and tried ever so hard to fit Wreck-It-Ralph into it.

In any business, there is a goal, or multiple goals that companies and individuals aim for. They can be both long and short-term in nature but success is derived only by constantly progressing towards and eventually achieving them. In the case of an animated studio, the goals are multiple: create great content, make money, expand the business, and so forth.

But what if your business is already quite successful? What if you’ve already accomplished an awful lot, what do you do then? This appears to be Disney’s current dilemma. Walt, as everyone knows, was a fantastically driven guy. He was constantly thinking of ways to grow and improve his business but he did it through ways that are often sidelined today in favour of the quickie solution.

Without getting into too much detail, Walt rarely (if ever) grew the company through acquisition, preferring innovation instead. Compare that to today’s Disney Company, which just recently bought Lucasfilm, and previously bought Marvel Entertainment and Pixar. How do these acquisitions grow the business as opposed to bolting-on profits?

Thinking of Wreck-It-Ralph, where does it fit into the bigger puzzle? Where is the Disney Company actually going? It’s getting bigger, sure, but bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better and the ultimate goal (short of being the largest media company in the world) is startlingly unclear.

Compare that to DreamWorks. It’s a far smaller company and is heavily centred around its animation studio, but at least it seems to be going in a clear direction. Jeffrey Katzenberg is slowly but surely steering the studio away from being a strictly entertainment company and is instead attempting to meld both entertainment and technology; a strategy that is quite apt given the current ‘digital’ shifts in the industry.

For a company as large as Disney, it’s hard to zero in on the feature films as the engine of the empire, but they do play a critical part in driving the rest of the business (TV shows, merchandise, parks, etc.) and every single one should at least nudge the company towards its goals. However, with Ralph, it’s becoming increasingly hard (at least for me) to see what those goals are and how the film helps move the company towards them.

When Walt was alive, The Disney Company had some lofty ambitions and goals that it has sadly lost since then; becoming much more content to gun for short term successes, quarterly gains for the investors and betting on historically successful properties. The sad thing is that people who only look at the road in front of the car fail to see the curve that’s rapidly approaching; the same is true for companies.

 

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What else could Disney have done with 4 Billion dollars?

Disney /

By Dave Callan via The Guardian

OK, so by now we all know that Disney is coughing up just over $4 Billion for Lucasfilm with the entire amount (half in cash, half in Disney stock) going entirely to Mr. Lucas himself who wisely maintained ownership of the entire company. Much analysis has been done by this point with plenty of people falling on both sides of the “is it a good thing?” line. However, what isn’t being asked is what else could Disney have done with 4 Billion dollars? This post proposes a few ideas.

1. Release a LOT of films (or TV shows for that matter)

Four Billion dollars. That’s $4,000,000,000.00 or a heck of a lot of money. The most expensive film in the world cost not even a quarter of that and the vast majority cost only a fraction of that amount. When Disney bought Pixar a few years ago, the point was raised that for the $11 Billion they paid for that studio, they could have released a ton of films instead, with the theory going that however good Pixar was, Disney could have easily caught up with better products.

The same holds true now. Although studio accounting is notoriously murky, even a film like Toy Story 3 or Tangled, both rumoured to have cost in and around $300-350 million each, could have been made 11 times over what Disney just paid Lucas; all in the hope that the Star Wars franshise will pay dividends. The real question is, will it pay ones larger than releasing 11 films would? I’m going to say no.

Eleven chances at getting it right can be worth far more than that, especially given the potential for the films to live on after the original. Even if you had, say, three duds in there, that still leaves 8 potential Lion Kings, right? How much dough has that film brought in over the years? Oh sure, Star Wars does too, and likely will for some time to come, but that is just one idea/concept. If you go in a different direction each time, you discover many brilliant ideas you can build upon.

2. Expand the parks even further

Disney is the master of the theme park but even the company’s Imagineers have limits. Investing in the existing parks (or even a new one, say in South America) would go even further to bringing in the dough, but more importantly, the customers. Just think, an entire continent could be waiting to discover Walt’s dream. Would $4 Billion get a project started? It surely would, even in this day and age. You wouldn’t even have to create new content! The existing stuff that’s already paid for will do just fine (with some regional adjustments of course).

4. Give everybody in the company a raise.

I’m deadly serious. With about 156,000 employees, $4 Billion would be enough to give everyone a bonus of nearly $26,000. Heck even  just the cash they’re paying out could give everyone $13K in their back pocket. How do you think that would affect morale and productivity within the company? How about instead of a cash raise, they use the money to give perks to valued employees, maybe a day off for employee of the month or an extra week for employee of the year. Or give everyone a paid lunch break?

These are just a few of the ideas that employees could be rewarded and would all enhance their working lives. Do you think happier employees are more productive? You’d be right if you said yes, just look at DreamWorks; a studio that’s considered one of the best companies to work for in the entire country.

5. Make a Serious Effort to Transition the business model.

OK, a bit left of field with this one, but imagine the kind of experimentation that Disney could do with $4 Billion. Right now everyone and their cat is trying to figure out how to make internet/online content work and while some people are making progress, it’ll really take a big investment from an established company to truly crack the nut. Disney wouldn’t even have to spend the $4 Billion or maybe even half that to figure it out.

The studio has the content, it has people willing to pay for it, and it has the resources and brains to make something work. All it has to do is stump up the finance to get something great together. And before you say it, no, I’m not talking about Key Chest; I’m talking about a Hulu-like variant that will give consumers what they want. The money would cover the losses that would be likely during the initial phases of the project.

Just think, if Disney could get a decent platform together that is popular with customers, it could license it, share it and get everyone on board. It’s exactly how Microsoft steamrolled Apple. The latter wanted to control everything, the former was happy just to control that key that made it all work; and they made sure that they did. Disney could do the same, and make money in a similar manner by charging studios access to the audience.

Conclusion

The fact of the matter is, someone, somewhere within the Disney machine ran the numbers and algorithms and determined that Lucasfilm was good value for money. That’s really it at the end of the day. People will proclaim that it was a perfect merger that fits both brands, but at the end of the day, Disney is banking on Star Wars continuing to mint money for decades to come. Whether that will be the case is yet to be seen. What is known, is that will $4 Billion spent, Disney (and its shareholders) will be praying that it does, because spending that kind of money in one go is an awful lot like going all in at the poker table.

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Opinion: Animated Character Halloween Costumes Suck

Animation /

Let’s get a few things out of the way before we begin: no, not every Halloween costume sucks and not everyone who wears a sucky costume is an eejit (although a fair few are). I’m also narrowing in specifically on a certain type of costume, that is to say, the ones that are based on animated properties we all know and love. In lots of ways, they should be awesome but sadly in so many, more realistic ways, they suck.

Have a look at any of these and see if you can spot what’s wrong:

Maleficant

Snow White

Ursula

This one caused a ruckus when it became apparent that only small, slim sizes existed; quite ironic considering the nature of the character.

Care Bear – Bedtime Bear

 

OK, so besides the fact that they’re all “sassy” what else do you notice? Perhaps the fact that they’re all based on films and the like that are suitable for kids?

Yes, all the above are based on animation that is suitable for kids to watch and it raises and number of questions, but also some concerns. First of all, why??? Why would anyone want to make a “sassy” Care Bear? I mean really, I’m sure there are a few members of the furry community who have notions, but for everyone else, it’s surely a bit too much, right? Secondly, none of the costumes even come close to accurately representing what they’re supposed to. Now I know that fancy dress isn’t known for being entirely accurate, but you can go too far the other way too. At what point does the costume stop being a representation of a character and instead become a kind of perverted homage to it?

You’ll also notice that all the costumes above are for women. Why? Well I simply couldn’t find a “sassy” male version of animated characters and I certainly wasn’t going to type “Assless chaps Andy” into Google let alone publish it here. Yup, the Disney Adult line is all women, so sorry lads, we’re neglected when it comes to skimpy costumes of Disney characters.

Besides the questionable moral  issues (you’ll notice all the above costumes are for adults because I sure as hell won’t post the ones for the teens, but do check out Rebecca Hains’ post on the topic of kid’s costumes), such costumes (while naturally made for adults) will be seen by kids at some point. And therein lies the dilemma. Kids are smart, and they can instantly recognise characters even when they don’t look like they should. So what kind of message does it send when kids see a risque version of their favourite character? Will it confuse them? Probably not, but it will send them mixed messages. All that hard work that Sesame Street does to educate could be wiped out by the sexy Ernie and Bert costumes.

Can costumes be done right? Of course! Check these ones out.

Quora

Jessie from Toy Story

So these ones are grand. Why can’t people be satisfied with them? Why the need to go so far in the other direction? I don’t know. Costumes like the ones at top were only ever sold in the joke shops at home with that special corner in the back, and even then none of them were licensed! I suppose it’s just a wee bit depressing that in order for adults to enjoy dressing up as animated characters, makers and studios feel the need to spice things up.

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Holograms: Party With the Ninja Turtles, Snuggle with Elvis

1 Comment / Guest Post /

Today’s post is a guest post by Michelle Patterson. Michelle is a writer/editor living in the San Francisco area with expertise in video and online gaming. She and her boyfriend, Oscar, have three flat-screen TVs in their living room where they rule the MMOG world.

Imagine a world where Marilyn Monroe sings “Happy Birthday to You,” or you can watch Elvis perform atop the Colosseum. Picture one of Michael Bay and his beloved Transformers descending upon your dinner table, now that’s dinner and a show! The bridge between fantasy and reality is thickening, with many new technologies on the verge of crossing. At the forefront of this digital evolution forges holographic technology. While most are familiar with the famous Princess Leia hologram sequence in the original Star Wars, those fantastical images could quickly become a reality. The Apple Incorporation and production studios are racing to bring that fantasy to your fingertips, raising eyebrows and dropping jaws.

An Ethical Dilemma Arising?

The tech world is waiting with bated breath to see where this technology will take us. Tech nerds and hip-hop fans alike jumped with fascinated joy when Tupac Shakur was resurrected on stage at this year’s Coachella. Gasps shook the audience as the long-dead star rose into the limelight in holographic form. He danced, he rapped, and his sculpted abs rippled as only a resurrected icon’s could. Studios are scrambling to bring beloved celebrities back to life, sparking debates about the morality of utilizing posthumous holograms. Marilyn Monroe’s estate has already sued a digital hologram studio for planning on using her likeness, and Elvis Presley impersonators are collaborating with another to re-craft the King in all his former glory. Some think it’s a fantastic way to pay homage to beloved icons, while others feel it’s a disrespectful ruse driven solely by profit.

The Innovative iTitan

Now, Apple has been scurrying to slap a patent on a three-dimensional display system that would create a holographic effect without any equipment or glasses. Apple is renown for their ability to innovate and dominate the technological world. But Apple has taken a step back from the TV tech world the past few years, sitting, poised and ready to pounce on the ultimate game changing technology. The holographic patents work by recognizing human faces and eye movement, then beaming light from different angles to accommodate the visual field of each viewer. This could be the answer to the lagging sales in 3-D movies and television, as there is no need for awkward goggles and eye strain, and many of the re-imaging demands would be reduced.

Let the Coolness Factor Win

Unlike current image-popping 3-D technology, Apple’s new patents would bestow images upon us that are completely realistic. The theoretical holographic tablet being designed would be able to identify observers uniquely by their height, shoulder width, and other defining traits. The digital projectors would then have the ability to adjust different aspects depending on the viewer. In other words, this technology would be a dream come true for Michael Bay. It would allow you and the friends to run around the city alongside Michael Bay and the Ninja Turtles, fighting crime one katana at a time, except it could allow each one of you to play up close and personal with your favorite turtle; Donatello could theoretically join you at the dinner table for a delicious round of pizza. You could finally see what your living room looks like transformed into a sewer, without having to worry about clean up! This technology also promises much in the world of business transactions- letting colleagues meet in person from across the world- making Skype look like a Gutenberg press.

With this technology, Apple could help single handedly in a whole new era in virtual reality. While it might be wrought with lawsuits and hiccups, it seems like the wheels have already been set in motion.

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The Importance of Colour in My Life as a Teenage Robot

3 Comments / Animation, MLaaTR /

It’s no secret that My Life as a Teenage Robot is one of my favourite animated TV shows. It’s an underrated gem that is enjoyable even if it isn’t quite as clever as other shows. Besides it’s awesome sense of Art Deco style, the great voice cast, the deeply embedded in-jokes and a central female protagonist, the show also makes superb use of colour. (And no post about colour should go without a link to Oswald Iten’s excellent blog, Colorful Animated Expressions)

I’m not talking about the use of colour in the sense of The Simpsons either; strong colours existed exist in that show, but rather to make them stand out against other TV shows. My Life as a Teenage Robot instead uses colour as a tool to accentuate atmosphere, moods and important plot points.

Don’t believe me? Then check out the series of screenshots below, from the season three episode, Stage Fright.

We start off with Jenny (XJ-9) in her normal colours, that is, white and turquose.

Now we’re entering the theatre, where the darker setting changes Jenny’s colour to an off-white and straight blue.

Still in the theater, but it’s darker now and Jenny’s colours follow along.

Now that she’s on stage and in the light, Jenny’s colours change back to the lighter shades but include even more shades to account for the costume.

First big change. After the aliens invade, we get an orange Jenny nicely contrasted against a green background.

Same colours but with a regular background. (Also, awesome pose.)

Action mode is now off so we revert back to the darker theater colour in the sitting pose above.

The aura lightens Jenny to the point that she is brighter than in the second screencap but doesn’t revert to her normal colours.

Aaaaaaand, ACTION! Big changes here as Jenny becomes pink and purple, contrasting nicely with the orange and brown background. For the most part, Jenny is always some combination of white and blue/green except when engaged in some kind of action. In these instances, she can be just about any colour.

Not a great shot, but it shows what Jenny looks like in the shadows; practically violet.

Bad guys defeated, Jenny reverts to the white and blue that’s been the theme for this theater setting.

Last but not least, here’s Jenny on stage in full wardrobe retaining the blue and including some lighter shades to fit the costume.

And that’s it! If you know your stuff, you’ll realise that in just about 11 minutes, Jenny’s colour changed a total of 5 times (not including costume and shades). In the grand scheme of things, she changed appearance a total of 12 times, that’s about once a minute!

This wouldn’t normally be too much but Stage Fright is a fairly average episode. Some of the more action oriented ones get even more colour changes and things get really interesting once Jenny goes into space!

So there you go, a quick look at how the crew of My Life as a Teenage Robot managed to use colour as a a great tool throughout the series.

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Children’s BBC Animated Idents from the 1990s

1 Comment / Animation /

I love animated idents; they’re a hidden gem of animation as branding that has long disappeared from American TV screens but continues to enjoy a prominent place in Irish and British programming. Anyway, Children’s BBC was the afternoon block of programming for kids on the two main BBC channels before the division was renamed CBBC sometime in the late 90s. Below is a compilation of some of the animate idents the block had to differentiate the programming from the rest of the day’s programming.

 

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