With a slot on Netflix and Discovery Kids soon, locally-developed children animation series Hogie The Globehopper is set for a global push, writes Izwan Ismail
LOCAL animation films and series such as Upin & Ipin and and Saladin have penetrated the global market with much success. Now, another series Hogie The Globehopper aims to emulate the feat.
Created by Lil Critter Workshop, it is about a curious tree frog named Hogie, and his best pals Bernie the dragonfly and Lorna the duck.
Their adventure begins when they rescue a hot air balloon named Floaty that had crashed into their swamp.
They become good friends and have fun travelling the world together and meet other children across the globe.
ABOUT CHILDREN
Lil Critter Workshop's executive direcor Walid Omar says the series is all about educating children.
“Hogie's globe-hopping adventures are designed to teach young children aged 2 to 6 about cultures around the world, languages, the unique features of various communities and the importance of embracing them as global neighbours,” says Walid.
“We want to make sure that all children around the world can relate to the series easily.”
The animation series is the first homegrown production to be featured on Netflix to be shown around the world, including Malaysia, the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Southeast Asia.
Walid, who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, says the 52-episode 11-minute show is expected to be completed by end of this month, after 17 months of production.
Before the Netflix deal, Hogie The Globehopper won the Best Planning Award at the Seoul Promotional Plan (SPP) 2015 Project Competition in 2015.
Lil Critter Workshop has also pre-sold Hogie The Globehopper to multiple broadcasters including Discovery Kids MENA and Netflix via its distributor Imira Entertainment, which handles worldwide rights.
Sergi Reitg, CEO of Imira Entertainment says: “Hogie is one of those rare gems. We immediately saw its huge potential with solid storylines and fantastic production values making it very attractive for broadcasters. In a very short time, we have secured great distribution with leading global SVOD platforms, and we look forward to continue taking Hogie into homes worldwide, and to collaborating with Lil Critters and its quality productions.”
“It’s a fantastic start for the series. We look forward to completing the series and watch Hogie travel across the globe,” Walid says.
Lil Critter Workshop had also won an award at the MSC Malaysia Intellectual Property Creators Challenge (IPCC) 2014 for its animation piece titled Outlaw Dark.
HUGE POTENTIAL
Malaysia is no stranger in the global creative content industry.
MDEC Creative Content and Technologies Division director Hasnul Hadi Samsudin says the creative content export from the country totalled RM1.1 billion from 2013 to 2015 with a 40 per cent growth year on year.
“Last year, we recorded RM1.17 billion of the total export sales,” he says.
Hasnul says MDEC is always on the move to push the local creative content industry through various initiatives.
Currently, there are about 400 creative content industry players in Malaysia, and 100 of them are in the animation space.
Among the initiatives is the establishment of the Creative Content Centre (MAC3) in Cyberjaya to nurture companies pursuing this industry.
“At the MAC3, we hold workshops to help participants and companies learn about the industry, and present their ideas at the IP Creators Challenge (IPCC),” he says.
“We want them to learn and we are also regionalising a programme called Creative, from August 9-12, to be a content festival. We want the public to get involved,” adds Hasnul.
The event will have less international speakers and more local ones so that the ideas shared will be more relevant to the participants, says Hasnul, hoping that initiatives like these would help boost the local animation industry further.