The Pacific Rim

Our fine entertainment conglomerates outsource animation to various parts of the globe ... usually where there are lower wages and/or free money. Cartoon Network, part of Time-Warner, is trying out studios at a newer geographical location.

Cartoon Network Studios will unveil a new series later this year that is going to be animated in Malaysia.

Christina Miller, president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim, was in Kuala Lumpur last month to explore possible partnerships with local animation studios – specifically on the production of this upcoming new series to be aired globally across Cartoon Network. ...

The upcoming series is titled Mighty Magiswords, created by Kyle Corrozza. It revolves around a brother and sister who are warriors for hire. ...

While this is the first time a Malaysian animation studio is going to work on a show for worldwide consumption, it is not the first time local companies have been employed by Cartoon Network’s arm in Asia.

Previous partnerships with this regional division has resulted in the animated series Roll No. 21 (by Animasi Studio) and telemovie Johnny Bravo Goes To Bollywood (co-produced by Inspidea), both of which were aired on Cartoon Network in India. ...

Miller attested that to make the international relationship work – whereby the creator in Burbank, California, storyboards the content while the production studio in Malaysia does the animation – there has to be a two-way communication and participation. ...

“The great thing about Malaysia is, in 2015, we ended as No. 1. It’s good to know (our series) resonate here. ...

Entertainment conglomerates over the past forty years have been unremitting in their quests for more efficient and economical animation facilities. Today, more than ever before, domestic animation studios -- most of them anchored in California -- have fingers that reach from Los Angeles to Asia ... Europe... and occasionally South America.

But the newest wrinkle is foreign companies setting up outposts in Southern California, the better to take advantage of the talent pool that turns out so much profitable animation.

Chinese and European companies are many things, but stupid they are not. They know that the simplest way to acquire experience and savvy in the realm of animated content is to go to the place that creates a lot of it, and tap into same.