Charles Falzon.

From its earliest incarnation as simple drawings photographed in sequence to evoke a sense of movement, to the sophisticated rendering capabilities of today's computer generated imagery, animation has undergone significant progression and advancement fueled by both artistic and technical innovations. But whether it's the beautifully hand-drawn animation cels that come together to create the classic artistry of a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or the cleverly crafted lumps of clay that tell the amusing tales of Wallace and Gromit, or the ingenious, albeit straightforward, presentation of Captain Pugwash in 3D, animation styles are often determined by the content and environment of the story it's trying to convey.

Is There Only CG?
While the latest hit animation series may fuel a number of similarly styled programs, such as the recent deluge of anime style series that are currently bombarding children's programming schedules, we at Gullane prefer to focus on the style of animation that is best suited to the property we are developing. However more often these days, we're seeing a shift from the Japanese anime style of animation (Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z) to more sophisticated computer generated imagery or CGI techniques.

Among the many benefits of CGI animation are reduced costs and efficient production schedules, not to mention the form's multi-dimensional abilities and lifelike textures, colors and properties. CGI also offers a flexibility to blend various animation styles with live-action, while also providing a sense of interactivity or connect-ability for the audience. CGI styles can range from the crisp, cold look of early video games and the futuristic look and feel of ReBoot, to the softer, warmer look and feel of Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs.

Advancing technologies and desktop workstations have combined to make CGI more affordable as well as more accessible. When you factor in broadcasters' decreasing licensing fees, reductions in advertising commitments and the consolidation of the licensing and merchandising marketplace, more affordable animation programming becomes increasingly attractive to producers.

The Tweens
But before jumping on the CGI bandwagon, today's animation producers need to consider the sensibilities of the property they are developing and the tastes and perceptions of their target audience. The children that comprise our audience are not only more sophisticated than previous generations, they are also uniquely connected to what their peers perceive to be hip or cool. And those perceptions change as quickly as the wind. That said, there is also the growing "tween" demographic group. These are the 11 to 14 year-olds that are being so expertly marketed to by the music industry. Picture the audience at an *NSync or Britney Spears concert and you've got a picture of this unique demographic group.

The added attraction of developing animation programming for this group is that if you can attract these 11 to 14 year-olds, their younger siblings come along for the ride. The challenge however, lies in the fact that it doesn't matter if your animation program is delivered via 3D CGI, traditional cel, model animation, claymation or any combination of the above.