Express News

The Express Tribune

Urdu E-Paper
English E-Paper
Express Live

Thursday, 18 Apr 2019

Today's Paper
Advertise

The Express Tribune > Business

3D-animated content: Pakistani company creates animated show for

the UAE
Mansour Cartoon has been animated by Ice Animations, a Karachi-based company.
By Our Correspondent
Published: May 4, 2013

0SHARES
Share Tweet Email
KARACHI: Pakistani animators are at par with animation artists from Vietnam, South Korea and Singapore – countries
known for high-quality production of 3D-animated content – according to Stu Gamble, head of creative and production
at Fanar Production, a UAE-based computer-generated animation company.

Gamble was speaking to The Express Tribune on Thursday evening at a dinner organised to celebrate the launch of Mansour Cartoon – an
animated cartoon series for Emirati children produced in the Karachi studio of Ice Animations, an animation company which is part of the
Lakson Group. Gamble said Ice Animations and other Pakistani visual effect companies have the potential to compete in the global
animation industry.

“Cartoon Network and other top producers from the West have actually said that it [Pakistani animation] is very high-quality animation. So
you’re actually standing up against some of the bigger animation houses,” he said.

Mansour Cartoon is a project of the Mobadala Development Company, which was established in 2002 by the Abu Dhabi government and has
interests in a range of fields, including healthcare, infrastructure, financial services, aerospace, real estate, metals and mining and
information and communications technology.

Mobadala hired Fanar Production, which did the pre-production work on the project. This involved creating designs, colour schemes,
scriptwriting, direction, production management etc. The production and part of the post-production of the series was outsourced to Ice
Animations. “Ice Animations was by far the best in delivering the kind of quality I was looking for,” Gamble said, adding that the company
also offered very competitive rates. Pakistan’s geographical proximity to the UAE also made it easy for Gamble to travel back and forth and
keep track of the project.
Gamble believes the total size of the global animation industry is roughly $100 billion. About 20% of it consists of animation in the television
industry alone, he says. “Animation is everywhere. It is in films, TV, computer games; but it is very difficult to get ahead in this field,” he
observed.

The animation industry catering to the TV segment is concentrated mainly in China, Singapore and other countries in the region, Gamble
says, while the animated films industry is concentrated mainly in the United States. “The Middle East is an emerging market, and they need
to invest more in developing needed infrastructure,” he added.

While speaking to The Express Tribune, Ice Animations CEO Asif Iqbal said that the company earns most of its revenues serving foreign
clients, but is involved in a few local projects as well. “We have so far made three live action visual effect films for international audiences. As
far as I know, we are the only Pakistani company that does this kind of work at the international level,” he added.

Mansour Cartoon is a 13-episode, Arabic language television show that revolves around an Emirati kid called Mansour. Its first season has
already aired in the UAE. Iqbal said Ice Productions will be producing the next season, too, which will be aired during the month of
Ramazan.

Rashed Al Harmoodi, who created Mansour and works for the Mobadala Development Company, told The Express Tribune that Mansour is
a role model for Emirati children. “He is a role model that kids can relate to. He drives kids towards different industries that we want them to
go to. He is into science and engineering. He has built a robot that is a walking encyclopaedia and a search engine with high capabilities,”
Harmoodi said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2013.

Like Business on Facebook to stay informed and join in the conversation.

Read full story

Recommended Stories

Comic review: Umru Ayar, the rebirth of a hero

A pox on all djinns, the comic-strip team Kachee Goliyan has breathed new life into the legendary Umru Ayar.

Cricket: Tendulkar to feature in animation show

Master Blasters Season One will consist of 26 episodes of 22 minutes each.

Duddoo Aur Dhobi: New mobile app introduces Urdu nursery rhymes
App has received generally positive reviews; users say they want more.

You May Like Sponsored Links by Taboola

High Speed WiFi Booster Takes Pakistan By Storm

Wi-Fi Booster

Play this Game for 1 Minute and see why everyone is addicted
Desert Order

Flights In Pakistan At Ridiculously Low Prices

TripsInsider

Read Why The Teeth Whitening Industry Will Never Be The Same
Snow Teeth Whitening

This New $89 Trap Finally Solves The Pakistan Mosquito Problem
Electric Mosquito Killer
If You Eat 3 Dates Everyday For 1 Week This Is What Happens To Your Body
Food Prevent

10 Easiest Countries for Immigration From Pakistan

Immigration DO

10 Foods To Never Eat If You Have High Blood Pressure

Health & Human Research

Easiest Ways to Immigrate to Canada From Pakistan

DestinationON

More in Business

Fertiliser companies brace for higher gas prices

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed or derived from.
Unless otherwise stated, all content is copyrighted © 2019 The Express Tribune.
Technical feedback? webmaster@tribune.com.pk

-->