Jadooworks, an Indian animation company, is on the fast track to creating their own intellectual property (IP). In doing so, the company plans to bring out their own animated teleseries, Krishna, and start airing the same by 2006.
"We are in the process of creating a pilot for Krishna. Once the pilot is ready, we will send it to some of the networks across the world that have shown interest in the script. Once one or more networks affirm their participation in the production process, we will start on the teleseries and it should be on air in 2006," said Ashish Kulkarni, COO of the company.
According to him, Krishna, which they have been working on for over two years now, ran into a few problems as many Indian writers' scripts were rejected by foreign TV networks.
Now, with Jeffrey Scott, the multiple Emmy award winner for animation writing, on their rolls and writing the script, some networks had evinced interest which has led to the pilot. Their other important IPR project, Bombay Dogs, is a little ahead of the game.
Kulkarni says, they have almost concluded a deal with a global distributor and the only thing pending now was to find a co-producer for the Indian market alone. Both Krishna and Bombay Dogs have been fashioned for a global audience.
"Animation projects, especially TV series, can cost anything from $7 million to $8 million. Projects can be handled only with external funding which can come either as co-producing or outright buying over of rights by TV networks, or through distribution deals which could give the studio a part of the revenue from the series. While Krishna would cost $3,00,000 for each episode, Bombay Dogs would cost close to $1,50,000. The general airing pattern for animated TV series would be 13, 26 or 52 episodes," explains Kulkarni. He adds that the process of concept to screen for a series could take anything from two to five years.
He points out that the investment can pay back over time since, unlike other art forms, animated series can last the test of time. Winnie the Pooh is more than 90 years old, Mickey Mouse recently turned 75, Popeye and Flintstones were created in the 60s, followed by Tom and Jerry in the 70s.
He remarks that all of these remain popular and their creators are continuing to rake in the money. "That's the reason we see IP as the future. Apart from Krishna and Bombay Dogs, we are currently working on seven original concepts."
Nevertheless, services remain the bread and butter of the company, the revenue and cash flow generator as the company builds its IP slowly. This is obvious from the fact that only 20 of the 306 big team that Jadooworks employs works on IP creation. Actual revenue figures were unavailable though.
Speaking on the Indian mentality towards animated series, Kulkarni says, "We are in talks with the government in the hopes of a regulation that will enforce Indian TV networks to co-produce Indian content. In countries like China and Canada, 40 per cent of all TV content has to come from local players. Regulations such as that is necessary to bring out more Indian content like Toonz Tenali."
Jadooworks took wings in 2001 out of $10 million angel fund raised to form vMoksha and vFortress by Rajiv Sahani and Pawan Kumar. The company provides animation services for TV series, commercials and games and is pursuing different projects in the services arena at present.
The company also recently obtained the rights for a TV series entitled Animated World Tales produced by S4C, a government-funded network in Europe.
The series consists of 39 tales from as many countries. Jadooworks is looking for a network to which it can sell the rights. This includes seven countries in South East Asia.
