Animax Presents New Original Multiplatform Project

SINGAPORE, May 16: Sony’s youth-skewing
anime channel Animax has unveiled LaMB, the first animated program produced under the
$6-million Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPE
Networks—Asia Joint Production Fund, which aims to foster local
production in Singapore.

LaMB, which is also Animax’s first original animated
production, will encompass
television, online and mobile platforms. At the heart of the multiplatform
project is an animated movie that will be produced in high definition by Singapore-based
Peach Blossom Media for premiere on
Animax. A broadcast date for the movie has not been announced.

LaMB is the brainchild of amateur Filipino writer
Carmelo S. J. Juinio, who submitted his 50-page entry for a regional
script-writing competition, Animax Awards, organized by Animax last year.
Although he lost out to winner Hayato Takamaga from Japan, he was presented
with a Special Award recognition for the script. The story of LaMB centers around the life of a protagonist who can
barely speak nor make her own decisions, being one of the many felons sealed in
a laminated suit, known as LaMBs for short.

As part of the
multiplatform project, viewers will also be able to read the prequels to LaMB via a series of
web manga as well as graphic novels delivered online and through mobile. To
enhance the interactivity, mobile and online games surrounding the theme of
“Lamination” and “LaMBs” will be offered, where viewers can decide if they are
pro-LaMBs and support the government propaganda, or become rebels to free the LaMBs.
Following the movie premiere on Animax, viewers will also have the opportunity
to watch a series of specially edited mobisodes that are tweaked in sequence to
let viewers get a different perspective of LaMB. The first promotional
activity for LaMB will roll out later in 2008, starting with the web
manga series.

Gregory Ho, the VP and general manager of Animax Asia, commented: “Anime
is not just about great entertainment. Anime inspires creativity and passion,
and as can be seen in this excellent script written by an amateur writer, youth
today need that one big break to indulge in their imagination and pursue their
interests.

Continued Ho: “Animax is a great believer in that—thus we create
opportunities like Animax Awards to let talents like Carmelo make that bold
attempt in treading the unconventional path to success. The investment and
resources that we are ploughing into Project LaMB shows that we
truly believe in nurturing the youth. Hopefully through this massive campaign,
we will be able to encourage more young talents to follow their dreams and
achieve success.”

"EDB
is pleased to collaborate with Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks (SPENA) on
this groundbreaking animation project,” added Ko Kheng Hwa, the managing
director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). “The ability to
create compelling content by combining different disciplines to transcend delivery
platforms and cultures is a leap forward in the digital world. We are thus
excited that our homegrown studio, Peach Blossom Media, has been chosen to help
breathe life into LaMB, and have a hand in creating a franchise that can
be enjoyed by Animax's audiences across Asia. This project is testament to the
capability of Singapore's creative talent, and will help bring us one step
closer to our goal of being an interactive and digital media capital, where
Singapore creations are made for global consumption.”

—By Irene Lew