“Dru” commented on the last post and said some relevant stuff which I’ll respond to here…
I was just wondering what channel will this show be played on
So am I!
I kind of feel like there’s not much chance of it being shown on a TV network here. Even if we assume The Precinct will actually be pretty good and funny, there aren’t too many avenues for a five minute adult cartoon on Australian TV. Definitely not on a commercial station (Seven, Nine, Ten). They have nowhere to put such a thing and no reason to want to pay for it. They could show it late at night maybe, but they’ve got home shopping and three hour retard quiz shows so, you know.
The ABC is probably out. They have a special “charter” which dictates the sort of thing they show, and they’ve never shown any adult cartoons that I can think of. Also, they have no money to pay for it (to clarify: The Precinct: Season One, 65 minutes of animation, can not be made without a bunch of money. Not a big bunch by TV standards, but still big. Like perhaps $150,000. This money needs to be provided up front so the production can be paid for).
These are, to my mind, the possibilities for an animated series like The Precinct to be shown to a reasonably wide Australian audience:
- SBS
- The Comedy Channel
- Direct-to-DVD, via a distributor that likes animation (like Madman)
- As corporately funded “webisodes”
- On mobile phones/handhelds
SBS-TV, Australia’s “other” government funded broadcaster.
Pros:
- They show foreign things, ethnic things and things they think are good
- They even like animation
Cons:
- They also might not have the money to throw around
The Comedy Channel is an Australian cable TV channel.
Pros:
- They like comedy, apparently
- Occasionally commission short animated things as filler between programs
Cons:
- Animated things they commission are generally not funny
Direct to DVD
Pros:
- Who needs TV? Bypass networks, get show made and sell it directly to people who like funny things
- If it sells well it may end up on TV anyway
- DVDs are great!
Cons:
- Maybe fewer people see it
Produce the show with money from a corporation like Coke or Telstra and let them show it on their site
Pros:
- Bypass TV AND DVD, whack it straight on the Web
- Potentially enormous international audience
Cons:
- Viewing quality not as good
Hip mobile phone company pays for production then sticks it on their phones as “content”
Pros:
- Show gets made and shown to some people
Cons:
- Not that many
- People aren’t that excited about watching stuff on their phones yet
So there are possibilities which I’m going to chase up. But I feel like maybe I’d have a better chance of interesting a network or financier in the USA, where they actually have a history of creating and showing adult cartoon shows.
and hopfully it;s a big as the simpsons
I think I’d be extremely happy just to make it and for it to make no impact on mainstream culture whatsoever.
i’m an australian and want to be an animator like you.
It might be for the best if you weren’t an animator like me. There’s a lot more opportunities around for 3D animators. But if you love to draw then go for it!
i hope animation will be introduced more in australia by the time i become an animator.
Unfortunately there seems to be less 2D animation here than there’s ever been. There’s no more Disney studio in Sydney and most companies are going with 3D or “motion graphics” for their advertising. But there’s interest in Flash cartoons, which could be exploited…