ITV

Category: Kids

  • Disney to postpone ‘Hungamathon’ in Delhi and Kolkata

    Disney to postpone ‘Hungamathon’ in Delhi and Kolkata

     MUMBAI: Following the pandemonium that took place at the ‘Hungamathon’ (8 -15 year olds) organized by Disney owned kid’s broadcaster Hungama TV in Mumbai on 7 January, the channel has decided to postpone the mini marathon slated to kick off in the other two cities of Delhi and Kolkata on 14 and 28 January, respectively.

    A scroll running on the channel will indicate the change in schedule. However, a fixed date for the same has not been announced yet, confirms a Walt Disney spokeperson.

    An official statement issued by the channel prior to the event claimed that they had “received an overwhelming response of more than 90,000 entries across three cities in India, with close to 30,000 entries only from Mumbai.” However, later reports say that the organizers, Total Sports Asia, were only equipped to handle 15,000 registered participants.

    The Britannia Tiger sponsored ‘Hungamathon’ was to be planned, promoted and executed by Total Sports Asia in association with the Athletic Federation of India and conducted across the three major metros. However, the unexpected turn out in the number of participants and spectators gave way to a disorderly situation, in which a few children received injuries. This has now put the other two events on hold.

     

  • Disney powers it up with the first ‘Power Rangers’ tour in India

    Disney powers it up with the first ‘Power Rangers’ tour in India

    MUMBAI: Setting the stage for a mammoth on-ground initiative, the Walt Disney Company has brought the Power Rangers to India for the first time in a multi-city tour called ‘Jetix Live.’ This also marks their first visit to the Asia Pacific region.

    One of the key properties of Disney, the Power Rangers that airs weekly at 4 pm on ‘Jetix’, the action adventure block on Toon Disney, will tour six cities. It will perform a sequence of four half-hour live shows in each city.

    As a prelude to the event, Disney hosted a special welcome for the action heroes at the Gateway of India in Mumbai today.

    The company has launched a mass media campaign and has conducted a three week contest on the Disney Channel, Hungama TV and Jetix that short listed children to attend the performances, as entry is by invitation only.

    The three city outdoor campaign for ‘Jetix Live’

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com Walt Disney Television International (India) director marketing and communications Tushar Shah said that besides using outdoor and print in the six cities, radio will also be used in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata. The company has roped in sponsors to initiate a multimedia co-promotional activity. Partnering Disney are Dabur, Real Fruit Juice, Colgate, Boost ChocoBlast and Nerolac on radio and retail activation.

    Additionally, a special edition of the Power Rangers game was added to the official website www.toondisneyindia.com. While on the mobile route, the Power Rangers Gaming Challenge across principal mobile networks in the country was used to promote the arrival of the super heroes.

    Mumbai’s Inorbit Mall will house the first show on 14 January. Other cities on the agenda include Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The channel promises that the shows will be charged with high octane music, dynamic action, interactive games and on ground contests in each of the six cities.

    Disney MD Rajat Jain strikes a pose with the Power Rangers at the Gateway of India in Mumbai

    Welcoming the action heroes was Walt Disney Company (India) Managing Director Rajat Jain. He said, “Power Rangers is amongst the most popular action adventure series of all time around the globe. With over two years of television viewing on Jetix in India, Power Rangers has created a captivating experience for Indian audiences in the form of merchandise, on air contests, mobile gaming and home entertainment. Power Rangers Dino Thunders Live performance in the country will complete our 360 degrees entertainment offering to consumers around this popular franchise. “

    The Power Rangers franchise lends itself to a range of kid’s merchandise including toys, books, clothes, bags, stationary and bed linen. The Power Rangers mobile game claims to be the most downloaded game in India with over a million downloads.

    The schedule for the six city tour is as follows:
    Mumbai, January 14, at In Orbit Mall
    Ahmedabad, January 18 at 10 Acres Mall
    Delhi, January 21 at Ansal Plaza
    Kolkatta, January 26 at City Centre
    Bangalore, January 28 at Garuda Mall
    Hyderabad, January 31 at Spencers Mall

  • Disney to postpone ‘Hungamathon’ in Delhi and Kolkata















    MUMBAI: Following the pandemonium that took place at the ‘Hungamathon‘ (8 -15 year olds) organized by Disney owned kid‘s broadcaster Hungama TV in Mumbai on 7 January, the channel has decided to postpone the mini marathon slated to kick off in the other two cities of Delhi and Kolkata on 14 and 28 January, respectively.


    A scroll running on the channel will indicate the change in schedule. However, a fixed date for the same has not been announced yet, confirms a Walt Disney spokeperson.



    An official statement issued by the channel prior to the event claimed that they had “received an overwhelming response of more than 90,000 entries across three cities in India, with close to 30,000 entries only from Mumbai.” However, later reports say that the organizers, Total Sports Asia, were only equipped to handle 15,000 registered participants.


    The Britannia Tiger sponsored ‘Hungamathon‘ was to be planned, promoted and executed by Total Sports Asia in association with the Athletic Federation of India and conducted across the three major metros. However, the unexpected turn out in the number of participants and spectators gave way to a disorderly situation, in which a few children received injuries. This has now put the other two events on hold.

     

  • Nickelodeon inks deal with Movie Park Germany to set up theme park ‘Nickland’

    Nickelodeon inks deal with Movie Park Germany to set up theme park ‘Nickland’

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon and Movie Park Germany, a film and entertainment theme park, have signed a multi-year strategic partnership to bring Nickelodeon’s animated children’s television programs to life in a 50,000 square feet interactive adventure zone called Nickland.

    Scheduled to open in April 2007 at Movie Park Germany, Nickland will feature seven new attractions and will be the first Nick- themed adventure site in Europe.

    Also inclusive within the new partnership, Nickelodeon and Movie Park Germany will create co-branded promotions and marketing campaigns; develop licensing and merchandising programs within the park and increase advertising on Nickelodeon’s kid’s channel, Nick in Germany.

    This agreement grants Movie Park Germany theme park rights to use Nickelodeon’s characters and intellectual properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Jimmy Neutron, Dora The Explorer, My Life As A Teenage Robot, Danny Phantom and The Backyardigans, at its theme park. The first two attractions to premiere will be Jimmy Neutron’s ‘Atomic Flyer,’ a suspended coaster and ‘Splash Bash,’ a romp through the undersea world of SpongeBob SquarePants, informs an official release.

    Nickelodeon costumed-characters including SpongeBob, Patrick, Dora the Explorer and Jimmy Neutron, will be on-site at the park.

    “Nickelodeon and Movie Parks Germany epitomize kids, families and fun, and together we are exceptionally well positioned to create an innovative, bespoke destination for German kids,” commented Nick and Comedy Central, Germany vice president Markus Andorfer. “NICK has the highest brand affinity among kids in Germany and Nickland at Movie Parks will serve the same objectives, where kids come first and have fun.”

     

  • Nickelodeon inks deal with Movie Park Germany to set up theme park ‘Nickland’













    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon and Movie Park Germany, a film and entertainment theme park, have signed a multi-year strategic partnership to bring Nickelodeon‘s animated children‘s television programs to life in a 50,000 square feet interactive adventure zone called Nickland.


    Scheduled to open in April 2007 at Movie Park Germany, Nickland will feature seven new attractions and will be the first Nick- themed adventure site in Europe.


    Also inclusive within the new partnership, Nickelodeon and Movie Park Germany will create co-branded promotions and marketing campaigns; develop licensing and merchandising programs within the park and increase advertising on Nickelodeon‘s kid‘s channel, Nick in Germany.


    This agreement grants Movie Park Germany theme park rights to use Nickelodeon‘s characters and intellectual properties, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Jimmy Neutron, Dora The Explorer, My Life As A Teenage Robot, Danny Phantom and The Backyardigans, at its theme park. The first two attractions to premiere will be Jimmy Neutron‘s ‘Atomic Flyer,‘ a suspended coaster and ‘Splash Bash,‘ a romp through the undersea world of SpongeBob SquarePants, informs an official release.



    Nickelodeon costumed-characters including SpongeBob, Patrick, Dora the Explorer and Jimmy Neutron, will be on-site at the park.


    “Nickelodeon and Movie Parks Germany epitomize kids, families and fun, and together we are exceptionally well positioned to create an innovative, bespoke destination for German kids,” commented Nick and Comedy Central, Germany vice president Markus Andorfer. “NICK has the highest brand affinity among kids in Germany and Nickland at Movie Parks will serve the same objectives, where kids come first and have fun.”

  • Scooby Doo creator Iwao Takamoto passes away

    Scooby Doo creator Iwao Takamoto passes away

    MUMBAI: Cartoon artist Iwao Takamoto who created the mystery-solving Great Dane, Scooby-Doo passed away at the age of 81.

    Takamoto who suffeerd a heart attack was VP of special projects for Warner Bros. Animation until his death. Most recently, Takamoto storyboarded the 2005 Tom and Jerry animation short The Karateguard, and was instrumental in the design of many characters in the current Cartoon Network and Kids’ WB! animated series Krypto the Superdog in the US. He also served as a consultant on Warner Bros. Animation’s ongoing Scooby-Doo direct-to-video series, including the 2006 release Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! and the upcoming Chill Out, Scooby-Doo.

    Warner Bros. Animation president Sander Schwartz says, “Iwao Takamoto was not only a tremendously talented designer and artist, he was a beautiful human being. Iwao was always ready with a wide smile, a firm handshake and a warm welcome. Iwao’s designs will be his legacy for generations to come. Those of us who had the privilege of working closely with him will miss his mentoring presence, his good counsel and his unparalleled talent and spirit.”

    Disney hired him as an apprentice in-betweener in 1945 – just two months before the end of World War II.

    Takamoto trained under Disney’s legendary ‘nine old men’ including Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas and Eric Lawson. While at Disney, Takamoto worked on short animated cartoons as well as full-length films, including Cinderella, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.

    In 1961, Takamoto moved to Hanna-Barbera Studios, where he helped reinvent cartoons for television. Virtually all the characters and cartoons released by Hanna-Barbera over the following four decades were touched by the design and artistry of Takamoto. As a character designer, it was his job to create the look and images of the characters based on an idea for a proposed cartoon show.

    Takamoto designed Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the rest of the Mystery Machine crew. He named the Great Dane after the late crooner Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night rendition where, at the end, Sinatra sings “Scooby Dooby Doo.” At a recent chat with Cartoon Network Studios personnel in Burbank, Takamoto offered some tidbits regarding his approach to creating the Scooby-Doo design.

    He said, “There was a lady at (Hanna-Barbera) that bred Great Danes. She showed me some pictures and talked about the important points of a Great Dane, like a straight back, straight legs, small chin and such. I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin and such. Even his color is wrong.”

     

  • Scooby Doo creator Iwao Takamoto passes away

    MUMBAI: Cartoon artist Iwao Takamoto who created the mystery-solving Great Dane, Scooby-Doo passed away at the age of 81.








    Takamoto who suffeerd a heart attack was VP of special projects for Warner Bros. Animation until his death. Most recently, Takamoto storyboarded the 2005 Tom and Jerry animation short The Karateguard, and was instrumental in the design of many characters in the current Cartoon Network and Kids’ WB! animated series Krypto the Superdog in the US. He also served as a consultant on Warner Bros. Animation’s ongoing Scooby-Doo direct-to-video series, including the 2006 release Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! and the upcoming Chill Out, Scooby-Doo.


    Warner Bros. Animation president Sander Schwartz says, “Iwao Takamoto was not only a tremendously talented designer and artist, he was a beautiful human being. Iwao was always ready with a wide smile, a firm handshake and a warm welcome. Iwao’s designs will be his legacy for generations to come. Those of us who had the privilege of working closely with him will miss his mentoring presence, his good counsel and his unparalleled talent and spirit.”


    Disney hired him as an apprentice in-betweener in 1945 – just two months before the end of World War II.


    Takamoto trained under Disney’s legendary ‘nine old men‘ including Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl, Ward Kimball, Frank Thomas and Eric Lawson. While at Disney, Takamoto worked on short animated cartoons as well as full-length films, including Cinderella, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp.


    In 1961, Takamoto moved to Hanna-Barbera Studios, where he helped reinvent cartoons for television. Virtually all the characters and cartoons released by Hanna-Barbera over the following four decades were touched by the design and artistry of Takamoto. As a character designer, it was his job to create the look and images of the characters based on an idea for a proposed cartoon show.


    Takamoto designed Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the rest of the Mystery Machine crew. He named the Great Dane after the late crooner Frank Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night rendition where, at the end, Sinatra sings “Scooby Dooby Doo.” At a recent chat with Cartoon Network Studios personnel in Burbank, Takamoto offered some tidbits regarding his approach to creating the Scooby-Doo design.


    He said, “There was a lady at (Hanna-Barbera) that bred Great Danes. She showed me some pictures and talked about the important points of a Great Dane, like a straight back, straight legs, small chin and such. I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin and such. Even his color is wrong.”

     

  • Animax to premiere two ‘Inu Yasha’ feature films in January

    MUMBAI: Animax, the youth animation channel from SPE Networks in India has outlined its animation programming schedule for the month of January promising to deliver more exciting and entertaining animation series and features.

    The channel will kick off the year with the premiere to two Inu Yasha movies including Inu-Yasha: Sword of an Honourable Ruler on 13 January at 7 pm and Inu-Yasha: Fire on the Mystic Island on 27 January at 7 pm.

    In addition, Animax has also announced its weekly (Monday to Friday) line up of new episodes of Ghost Fighter at 7:30 pm, The Law of Euki at 8 pm, Curious Play at 8:30 pm and Full Metal Alchemist at 9 pm, informs an official release.

     

  • Animax to premiere two ‘Inu Yasha’ feature films in January















    MUMBAI: Animax, the youth animation channel from SPE Networks in India has outlined its animation programming schedule for the month of January promising to deliver more exciting and entertaining animation series and features.


    The channel will kick off the year with the premiere to two Inu Yasha movies including Inu-Yasha: Sword of an Honourable Ruler on 13 January at 7 pm and Inu-Yasha: Fire on the Mystic Island on 27 January at 7 pm.



    In addition, Animax has also announced its weekly (Monday to Friday) line up of new episodes of Ghost Fighter at 7:30 pm, The Law of Euki at 8 pm, Curious Play at 8:30 pm and Full Metal Alchemist at 9 pm, informs an official release.

     

  • Disney’s Robert Iger unveils redesigned Disney.com at Consumer Electronics Show















    MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Company president and CEO Robert Iger unveiled the newly redesigned and enhanced Disney.com web site at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show.


    The site will be launched later this month, informs an official release.



    “We are witnessing an explosion of media and Disney is both reaping the benefits of that explosion and acting as a catalyst by taking a technology-friendly approach,” said Iger, noting that the company was the first to offer movies and TV shows for download on iTunes last year.


    Taking advantage of the growth of broadband and new web tools, Disney.com is an interactive experience that offers personalization and community-building amidst a broad array of Disney entertainment, products and services.


    Disney Xtreme Digital (Disney XD), the broadband centerpiece of the new site, will allow guests to personalize their favorite Disney content as well as watch and share with others videos, including television shows and shorts; chat with friends, listen to music; create playlists; and enjoy an array of games.


    Disney.com guests will also be able to access premium content through Disney XD, such as the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean Online multiplayer game, which is set to launch in 2007, adds the release.


    “Disney.com is the digital doorway into Disney and both a destination and a portal into a vibrant, rich online entertainment experience for children, parents and people genuinely interested in Disney,” Iger said.