The Toll News
Future of High-Def Toons Far from Crystal Clear
Although several companies are gearing up to deliver HD animated content, many are taking a wait-and-see approach.
By Chris Grove
Currently, the only channel in the U.S. with a regular schedule of HD animation is Animania HD, one of the VoomTV HD channels available to Dish Network Subscribers. “[HD animation] is part of the conversation right now”, says Bill Schultz, co-CEO of Taffy Entertainment/Mike Young Productions and producer of the Animania hit Pet Alien. “But it’s not yet a pervasive requirement or standard for delivery. “Schultz is not a big fan of re-mastering existing shows and adds that, with 3D shows in particular, producersare better off building an HD show from scratch. A frame of animation in SD takes up 1.2 MB of disc space. The same image in HD is 4 MB. It is possible to take the files of an SD show and interpolate the images (or “up-res” them) to an HD sized image. “But that probably has a damaging effect on the demand for HD, as the experience of the final picture is not as dramatic”, Schultz warns.
Vertically integrated Canadian media company Corus Entertainment (Nelvana, YTV, Treehouse, et. al.) began mastering its shows in 16:9 three years ago and HD two years ago. “The demand for HD is virtually non-existent”, says Scott Dyer, executive vice president and general manager of Corus Kids from his Toronto office. The rationale behind the company’s strategy is threefold. First, it’s recognition of the inevitability of 16:9 HD as a mass medium. Second, it’s a TV format that allows for a wider pallet of visual and audio creativity. Finally, the larger files means that transferring the TV shows to the new high-def DVD formats will be easy and virtually cost-free. For now though, almost all Corus shows are shipped in standard definition 4:3. “you need to fill the screen for children,” says Dyer, with a chuckle. “if you letterbox a show, a lot of kids think there’s something wrong with the TV.”
Because high-end software and hardware has become (and continues to become) ever more affordable, smaller independents such as Portsmouth, NH-based Hatchling Studios can be players in HD animations as well. The company’s short, "The Toll", was runner-up for best HD Animation at this years iteration of traveling festival HDFEST. Because of Hatchling’s lower,not-in-L.A. overhead, com-company CEO and producer Marc Dole says that , like his Irish counterpart, he can deliver HD for a mere five percent over and above an SD budget. “When we tell potential clients that, their interest really perks up,” he says.
To make the HD transition, Dole spent $80,000 on computer and hardware upgrades and another $50,000 on Hatchling’s improved render farm. “The enhanced rendering capacity lets our crew focus on the visuals and not data management,” Dole says. Even so, it still took four months to render the multiple passes on the Toll’s 10,00 frames at 1080p, 24 frames per second. In SD, the process would have taken a month. “once you have labored for two years on a project and you go to a festival and see it on DigiBeta, you’re very happy. Then when you go to a HD theatre and see it at full resolution on a 30-foot screen, your jaw just friggin’ drops.”
Two of America’s biggest cartoon broadcasters, meanwhile, are currently pursuing different high-def strategies. Over at Nichelodeon, there are no HD toon programs and none are planned, says Alison Dexter, senior vice president of production at Nick. “We could do our shows in 16:9, and it’s possible that we may soon do this. But (for us) HD is really more about live action and we produce all (those) new show in HD,” Dexter says.
As of January 1, 2007, Cartoon Network will produce all it’s toons in HD. Among the HD series to be delivered this year. Class of 3000, Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, Squirrel Boy, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey and Ben 10. Juniper and Camp Lazlo were the first series produces in high-def beginning two years ago. “while there are no immediate plans for Cartoon Network to broadcast in HD, we thought it prudent to be prepared for the future,” says CN executive vice president/general manager, Jim Samples.
