Animators incubate new-look Turtles (hktdc.com)


	Douglas Glen, Co-CEO and Executive Director of Imagi, explains why Hong Kong animators are so skilled at creating entertainment for global audiences

	At the TMNT studio in Hong Kong, superheroes are created at a fraction of the cost of animated features from the US

The green shelled superheroes - Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael – whom you last saw on the big screen in the 1990s are back with a vengeance.

Hong Kong movie studio Imagi International Holdings is releasing its first blockbuster computer-generated (CG) animation film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) globally on March 23 on over 10,000 screens, partnering with Hollywood players Warner Bros and Weinstein Co for worldwide distribution.

The US$30 million action packed superhero movie will also be screened simultaneously in Hong Kong at the glittering International Film & TV Market (Filmart) held in conjunction with the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) and the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF).

Douglas Glen, Co-CEO and Executive Director of Imagi, said TMNT has been created according to a well-established success formula. "If you look at the top 10 films of 2006 – which did over 25 per cent of the worldwide box office for the year – you’ll find that four are CG animated movies, two are superhero films, and five are sequels," he said. "Imagi’s TMNT embodies all three success factors – because it’s a superhero sequel done in CG animation."

Cost efficiencies

TMNT is also produced at less than a quarter the cost of high end CG animated features made in the US. According to Mr Glen, the 450 animators based in Imagi’s Chai Wan studio deliver the same high quality work as their counterparts at Pixar and DreamWorks, but are much more cost-effective. Imagi’s Hong Kong "CG pipeline" is the only permanent high end CG animated feature film facility outside the United States.

"Hong Kong is a world-class labour market that offers a unique blend of the East and West," Mr Glen said. "Hong Kong people grew up as consumers of media and entertainment from both Asia and the West. As children, they watched American, Japanese, and Chinese cartoons. Little wonder that they are so skilled at creating entertainment for global audiences." Mr Glen worked with George Lucas as General Manager of his Games division in the 80s and with Mattel Toys as Chief Strategy Officer in the 90s.

Mr Glen joined Imagi last year when Co-CEO Francis Kao transformed Boto, the family owned Christmas tree manufacturing business, into a world-class CG animated production house, up there with the best of Hollywood, such as Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Walt Disney, Sony and Fox. Mr Kao set up the CG production facility at Boto headquarters in Chai Wan, and complemented it with a story development, pre-production, and post-production operation in Los Angeles, now employing 50 seasoned Hollywood storytellers, directors, and producers.

Market niche

"Imagi is the only CG animation studio based outside of the US that creates, produces and owns CG feature animation," explained Mr Glen. "In addition to our unique Hong Kong production capability, we’ve differentiated ourselves through another key strategy. Rather than making the kiddie films that the other CG animation shops produce, we’re focusing on superhero action films for the video game demographic - eight to 18-year-olds - who spend more time playing CG games on their Playstations than they do watching television. With films such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gatchaman, and Astro Boy, Imagi’s direct competitors are the major Hollywood studios making the big budget, live action superhero films such as Spiderman, Batman, Superman and X-Men."

He said that preview screenings of TMNT have been shown in LA and NY to enthusiastic consumer audiences. "Imagi has kept a low profile so far, but the buzz is building. When you make movies as good as TMNT for a quarter the cost of the US-based studios, you start attracting attention. When TMNT is released worldwide, I’m sure there will be a lot of interest in bringing more CG work to Hong Kong," said Mr Glen.

The original TMNT live action film in 1990 broke box office records. Expectations are high for the new CG animated version from Imagi. "Our TMNT has amazing action sequences that just weren’t possible in live action. The Turtles come alive as never before. In addition to the exhilarating action scenes, you’ll see the four brothers deal with family strife and anxiety, which get in the way of them saving the world," said Mr Glen.

Mega-merchandising

Several A-list celebrities have lent their voices to the shelled ones. They include China’s Zhang Ziyi as Karai the villain, Star Trek’s Patrick Stewart and Sarah Michelle Gellar from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To coincide with the March 23 release, McDonald’s has ordered as many as one billion little turtles to go with their Happy Meals; Ubisoft is making a video game based on the film; and Hong Kong-listed Playmates Holdings is coming out with a whole new line of Turtle dudes.

"Our vision is to make the best CG superhero films for global audiences. We want to be the Pixar of animated action films. By telling the right stories and managing our intellectual property judiciously, maybe we can achieve what Pixar did in their first 10 years. That’s a lofty goal, and worth aspiring to," said Mr Glen.