If You Like To Sketch And Have A Story To Tell....We Want You!

Animax Asia and the Media Development Authority Organise Storyboard Competition to discover animation talents

Budding animators will stand a chance to see their story come alive on Animax! Announced today, the Q &T Storyboard Competition organised by Animax Asia - the first-ever 24-hour Japanese Animation Channel, and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), will give animation talents a regional platform to showcase their work.

Starting from today, contestants have till 5 May 2005 to impress judges with their visual storytelling skills. They have to design a storyboard involving two animation characters named Q &T (pronounced as “Quu” and “Tee”). A panel consisting of representatives from Animax Asia and the MDA will shortlist the entries, and the selected storyboards will be judged by a prominent animator from Japan. In June, the top Singapore entries will be showcased together with top entries from Philippines and Hong Kong, the two other markets that Animax has also extended the competition to.

The winner from each country will have his / her creative storyboard jointly-produced into animated vignettes (1-2 minute animation based on the storyboard) by Animax Asia and the MDA. The final production will be broadcast regionally on Animax Asia and will reach over 20 million households in Asia including Japan. The winner will also win a pair of tickets to Tokyo, where they will have the chance to visit some animation museums.

According to Mr Seto Lok Yin, Director of Industry Development at the MDA, “Storyboarding is a fundamental process in developing animation projects as it is where the story takes shape and words are taken from a script and translated into images. The MDA is pleased to partner Animax Asia in this competition. Storyboarding is an important skill-set that should be developed so as to build up a strong talent pool of animators in Singapore. Through this competition, we aim to heighten the profile of Singapore as an animation hub by providing a platform for talents to showcase their work regionally.”

Said Ms Betty Tsui, Vice-President, Animax Programming &Production, SPE Networks –Asia, “Animax, being the only 24-hour animation channel in Asia, aims to interact closely and contribute positively in the markets where we are present. We are committed to exploring opportunities that will allow us to work with the local authorities, animation studios and production houses in promoting animation talents. This competition is the first of such initiatives, and we will definitely be looking into opportunities to further our cause, and to support the MDA’s vision of making Singapore an animation hub.”

Details of the Q &T storyboarding competition can be found on www.animax-asia.comand www.animax-hk.com

Media contact:

Joyce Poon Tel: 6849 4868 (joyce.poon@octagon.com)
Lee Tien Sin Tel: 6849 4837 (tiensin.lee@octagon.com)