Honolulu-based production company Hawaii Film Partners has entered in to a partnership with the city of Changzhou in China and the Gagwon Information Multi-Media Corporation (GIMC) in South Korea to produce an original animated television series tentatively entitled GUARDIANS OF THE POWER MASKS. Preproduction of the animated series has begun in Hawaii.
Annie, a young Chinese-American girl, wants to spend her summer at a music camp at home in America. But instead, her parents send her off to a remote village in China to spend a summer with her grandmother. Determined to teach Annie the traditional ways of her Chinese culture, Grandmother gives her the mysterious ancestral Power Masks that have been passed down through the family from generation to generation.
These masks not only give abilities and extraordinary powers but also enhance the wearer's very own talents, gifts and personalities. Together, Annie and Qi, her male Chinese cousin, become the GUARDIANS OF THE POWER MASKS, and embark on remarkable adventures while battling the forces of evil while learning and appreciating their heritage and traditions.
The (26x30) episodes are a collaboration between the partners with all three contributing funding as well as participating in the artistic creation and production. "Hawaii Film Partners was invited to come to China by the city of Changzhou and GIMC to explore ways to work together and develop creative programming to air all over the world," says Gina Watmull, co-owner of Hawaii Film Partners and one of the series' exec producers.
Rann Watumull, exec producer on the series, added, "We had meetings in Changzhou, China which resulted in the formulation of the Asian Animation Round (AAR), an historic agreement for the three different production entities to collaborate and work together in creating entertainment programming for a worldwide audience with Hawaii being the perfect bridge between Asia and the mainland USA as well as the different cultures."
Rann Watumull, Gina Watumull, David Jackson, Shauna Shapiro Jackson, and Heung Soo Park (President of GIMC) are exec producers. Konnie Kwak is the producer. Kwak was the production executive for all the overseas studio productions for YR Studios and Yeson Animation Studios in South Korea, and played a key role as a Producer on Hawaii Film Partners' production of APE ESCAPE for NickToons.
In addition, she has worked on DILBERT, SAMMY, ED EDD N EDDY, THE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS, FAMILY GUY and OH YEAH! Larry Hubert serves as creative producer. His credits include exec producer of the WHAT A CARTOON! anthology series, and he helmed the new OH YEAH! anthology series, which resulted in two spin off series: THE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS and CHALKZONE, the latter which he co-created with Bill Burnett. John Kafka is director. His credits include the animated CINDERELLA II: DREAMS COME TRUE, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK FURY and VAN HELSING: THE LONDON ASSIGNMENT.
Writing and storyboarding of GUARDIANS OF THE POWER MASKS will be done in Hawaii. Voice over work also will be done in Hawaii. The basic animation work will be done by Chinese artists under the supervision of GIMC and HFP at the Changzhou Carloon TV & Film Animation Industry Company at the Changzhou National Animation Industry Park, two hours outside Shanghai. The facility in China is a state-of-the-art animation complex built by the Changzhou government.
Hawaii Film Partners will retain all rights across all media throughout the world excluding Asia for GUARDIANS OF THE MASKS OF POWER. Hawaii Film Partners has teamed with Showcase Ent. to exclusively distribute the animated series in these territories. The city of Changzhou will retain all rights in China, and GIMC will retain all rights throughout the rest of Asia.
