jessi

Source:http://star-ecentral.com/news/st ... 81&sec=tvnradio

Sunday March 22, 2009
Animation buff

VANNESS Wu, 30, the voice of LaMB’s Dr Jack Griswold in both the Mandarin and English versions, is a member of boyband F4 (now known as JVKV) and has also appeared in movies (his latest is Kung Fu Chef, which opened in February).

He shares his experiences on the LaMB project in a recorded telephone interview.

Vanness Wu doesn’t really know how he came to be chosen to be a voice actor in LaMB, he’s just thrilled to be involved.

Why did you say yes to this project?
Vanness Wu doesn’t really know how he came to be chosen to be a voice actor in LaMB, he’s just thrilled to be involved.

I love animation, I love the fact that we’re able to create even bigger worlds, then go into different stories, and just have broader imaginations of everything. Any type of animation that has good artwork, good story, I’m in.

How did you get involved in LaMB?

I really don’t know how it fell into my lap, but I’m just very grateful that it did. The producers, they told me that they were looking for somebody who could speak Mandarin and English, and could do both dubs, and luckily enough, my name popped up.

When they approached me and asked me about it, and I was looking at the artwork and I was looking at the story, I thought it was a great project to get involved in. And I’m just a very big animation buff!

What are the challenges you faced in voice acting in English?

The biggest challenge, for this one, was ... because the artwork was not finished and there were no actors or actresses that were picked at that time, so pretty much the only other lines (of dialogue) – the only other person I was hearing – was the vocal producer in the other room.

She really helped me get into the character, helped get more details of what’s going on in the room. (Laughs) God bless her for being professional.

How different is voice acting from acting?

It’s a little bit different, you don’t have to really worry about camera angles – because there is no camera (laughs). Sometimes, it’s simple lines, like “I’d like to get a cup of water”, that you have to do a couple more takes of just to get the proper effect, because it is animation. Some of the simpler lines I thought would be throwaway lines, but instead they had to be more specific in the way you said it.

How different is it to do voice acting in English compared with Mandarin?

English is my mother tongue, so it came quite easily. The Mandarin part was a little more difficult, the accent’s a bit different, and that was the most challenging part for me.

How long did it take you to do the voice acting, compared to other types of recordings that you’ve done?

It took about four hours to do the LaMB dubbing in English. The Mandarin version I did for (the Disney/Pixar animated feature) Cars took about two days. Music, that can take forever. You go in there, and then , after a day, you go back and listen to it, and you go back again. Music definitely takes a lot more of time.

jessi

Source: http://star-ecentral.com/news/st ... 94&sec=tvnradio
Sunday March 22, 2009
So what’s LaMB?

BASED on an original story by Filipino writer Carmelo Juinio, LaMB takes place in the distant future, on the inhospitable desert planet Cerra. Life is pretty tough on this planet, but the humans living there are intent on making it tougher for criminals. Break the law, and you won’t go to jail, you’ll get “laminated” instead.

You see, Cerra has abolished prisons, and has opted instead for the more creative – and cruel – punishment of “laminating” criminals in cybernetic skin-tight suits. These “LaMBs” are then put to work as useful members of society on Cerra (read: slaves), given incredible strength and durability by the suit, but robbed of their free will for the duration of their sentence.

Much of this futuristic sci-fi story revolves around the ethical/moral conflict of using the arguably inhumane lamination technology, the heroes’ attempts to turn the arid red planet into something much more green, and the romance between the two protagonists.



The characters

Dr Jack Griswold (Vanness Wu, English and Mandarin), is a scientist specialising in advanced botanical engineering. He’s a new arrival on Cerra, and his goal is to rejuvenate the planet’s harsh biosphere with the introduction of new vegetation. He has good intentions, but underneath it all, he’s still haunted by the tragic loss of his wife.

Keiko Suzuki (Josie Ho, English and Cantonese; Tanaka Chie, Mandarin) seems every bit the law-abiding, no nonsense chief scientific advisor to Cerra’s administration. In truth, however, she’s seething with fury and intent on getting revenge for the death of her parents at all costs (we can’t say any more about their deaths without giving away too much).

Rita Goldberg (voiced by new talent Alison Lester) is the mayor of Cerra, and although she’s not one of the main characters, she plays a vital role in bringing Dr Griswold to Cerra, and in the development of the lamination system itself. Goldberg is a ruthless yet efficient administrator; she’s precisely the kind of person that you wouldn’t want to cross.

I’ve saved the best for last.... Eve (voiced by Medicorp DJ, Petrina Kow) is the show’s other protagonist, and she’s one of the unfortunate souls who has been laminated. Formerly a bioweapons scientist called Major Sara Integra, Eve was charged with manslaughter and given a 200-year sentence when her negligence resulted in casualties during a military operation. Awful for her, we’re sure, but on the bright side, hey, Eve looks really good in that skin-tight lamination suit!

[ 本帖最後由 jessi 於 2009-3-24 14:58 編輯 ]

jessi

Source: http://star-ecentral.com/news/st ... 08&sec=tvnradio
Sunday March 22, 2009
An ambitious anime airs
Stories by SHAUN A. NOORDIN

Proud papa Animax announces the successful birth of LaMB, its very first original animation.

LIKE many anime/manga fans, I’ve always wanted to see one of my own story ideas brought to life as its own anime. It’s a nice dream, but I know what you’re thinking: it’s not as if we otaku (fans) can just submit our stories to a big anime company and then expect them to make an OVA (original animated video) out of it, right?

Well, as it turns out, that sort of thing isn’t so far-fetched after all. One particularly lucky person actually managed to get his idea turned into an anime – and this is how Animax’s anime project, LaMB, came to be.

Laminated Woman: To the Sand Planet Cerra was submitted by Filipino writer Carmelo Juinio as his entry for the 6th Animax Awards in 2007. It was the first time that Animax had opened the scriptwriting contest to participants from beyond Japan’s borders; the grand prize was ¥2mil (RM76mil) and the honour of having the story brought to life as an anime.

More than 3,000 entries were received; Juinio’s entry was a regional winner, and he became one of a handful of people representing the Asian nations at the final held in Japan in September 2007.

Although Juinio’s Laminated Woman didn’t win the grand prize (that honour went to Takane’s Bike by Hayato Takamaga) it impressed the judges so much that they decided to transform it, too, into a feature length animation.

In a press release, vice president and general manager of Animax Asia, Gregory Ho, said, “Carmelo’s story was so compelling that we could not bear to let it go to waste. Animax is very pleased to have turned his dream into reality with LaMB. And with it we are very proud to have made Animax’s first ever original animation production.”

The talent

You can tell that Animax is very proud of their maiden anime production from the resources they’ve poured into the project. The company has snagged a number of notable creative talents from the Asian region and further, including singer/actor Vanness Wu.

Fans of the Asian entertainment scene would be going “ooh” and “aah” at this point, as Wu is a member of hugely famous boyband, F4 (now known as JVKV). The self-confessed dork and manga/comic book/animation fan was more than happy to take on the LaMB project when the opportunity to do so “fell into his lap”.

“I’m very excited about this project. I’ve been a very big animation buff since I was a kid, so to be part of (an) animation, any type of (animation) ... I can be in any part of it and I’ll be excited.

“I love the way you’re able to create such worlds in different time eras and explore the imagination, and to be part of such a great story is a real blessing,” Wu said in a telephone interview made available to us.

Wu voices one of the protagonists, Dr Jack Griswold, in both the English and Mandarin dubs. This is the first time that the star has tried his hand (well, his mouth, really) at English voice acting; his only previous voice acting experience was in the Mandarin version of Disney/Pixar’s animated feature, Cars.

The show’s antagonist, Keiko Suzuki, is voiced by two notable actresses.

Josie Ho, an actress/singer from Hong Kong and daughter of businessman and multibillionaire Stanley Ho, provides Keiko’s voice in both the English and Cantonese dubs. She has mostly appeared in Asian films – like 2007’s The Drummer directed by Kenneth Bi – and recently appeared in an English movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

Tanaka Chie is the Japanese-born, Taiwan-based actress who’ll provide Keiko with her voice in the Mandarin dub. If you’re familiar with Chie, it’s probably because you’ve watched the Initial D film (which was based on the eponymous manga/anime series).

Animax also managed to get two popular international bands on board their LaMB project: French Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan, and American pop/alt-rock band the Click Five. If I have to explain who these people are to you, then ... welcome back to planet Earth from whichever part of the galaxy you’ve been living in.

The high-tech hardware apparent in the anime reinforces the feeling of looking upon a different world.

Simple Plan’s I Can Wait Forever from their self-titled album and the Click Five’s Summertime from Modern Minds and Pastimes have been made into exclusive music videos for Animax.

In a press release, the Click Five had this to say about their participation in the LaMB film: “It’s pretty cool that our song is featured in a movie. Animax is doing something really, really cool, something very futuristic and New Age. So it’s good for us to be a part of that. And Summertime fits perfectly in the movie.”

Simple Plan is more involved than the Click Five in LaMB. In addition to the aforementioned Animax-exclusive music video, the band also gets to be animated within the film itself.

“We’re very excited about being animated. We’ve been animated once before in a Scooby Doo cartoon, but that was more like (a) comical, funny cartoon but this time around it’s going to be, like, real, realistic, and badass,” said the band in a recorded interview.

The animation

They have the Singapore-based animation studio, Peach Blossom Media, to thank for their transformation into animated characters. Peach Blossom Media worked with Animax Asia on the animation and production of LaMB.

Thomas Chou, co-founder and director of the Hong Kong production house Da Joint, directed the animation. Ryosuke Tei, former founder and creative director of the Japanese creative agency Furi Furi, served as a project consultant.

One other creative talent of note is the storyboard artist, Yasufumi Soejima. He used to work at Studio Gonzo – a name that most anime fans would be familiar with – and has been involved with anime like Last Exile, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, and Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, mostly in a 3D capacity.

With these kinds of people working on the project, I will expect a lot from the film’s quality of animation....

For those who are into the tech-y side of things, Thomas Chou had this to say in the press release about LaMB’s interesting blend of (2D) Flash animation and 3D animation: “We realise it’s very, very difficult to repeat that kind of very sophisticated production in traditional anime, so we opted for a fairly unconventional way of doing it. So eventually we came up with Flash animation to create this unique visual style.”

Expect beauty

You’ll have to forgive me if I sound particularly excited when I mention that the Singapore-based Imaginary Friends Studio provided the concept art and designs for LaMB, as well as the web manga and graphic novel.

The studio’s works would be immediately recognisable to a certain set of otaku and gamers, as the IFS has done illustrations for DC Comics, Electronic Arts, and the World of Warcraft TCG (trading card game) to name a few.

My fellow Warcraft 3 gamers might also recognise that the famous Demon Hunter-Archmage-Eredar-Shadow Hunter DotA loading screen was done by IFS’ studio head and creative director, Artgerm.

One of this studio’s trademarks is the illustration of really, really beautiful characters, and that trait’s pretty evident in the artwork of LaMB’s promotional posters.

Stanley Lau, better known as Artgerm to the online artist community, had this to say in a recorded interview regarding the style IFS used to illustrate LaMB: “LaMB animation isn’t actually Japanese anime. It’s influenced by Japanese (anime) – but how our style can help to bring LaMB into something different, I think that’s the challenge.”

The good looks aren’t just limited to the characters, though. Animax has enlisted the services of New York-based fashion designer Vivienne Tam, who created two designs that are “worn” by the female protagonist, Eve (voiced by Singapore’s Mediacorp talent Petrina Kow).

It’s everywhere!

LaMB took the project’s 50-strong production team 10 months to create, with US$6mil (RM21.6mil) in funding pumped in from the Singapore Economic Development Board and SPE Networks – Asia (wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, SPE offers AXN and Animax channels across Asia).

The final product is being touted by Animax as an original multimedia, multiplatform animation project. That’s a bit of a mouthful, but, essentially, it means that Animax’s LaMB can be enjoyed through different media, such as a series of web manga, graphic novels for mobile phones, online games, and, of course, the HD animation itself.

You can check out the web manga, graphic novels and games – as well as other downloadable goodies – through the official website, animax-lamb.com. That’s quite a large serving of LaMB, but if you’re eager for the main dish then you’ll have to catch the anime on – where else? – Animax (Astro 715). See below for broadcast details.

You’ll find me tuned in to Animax during those times, as I have some pretty high expectations of LaMB. The show’s got several things that an otaku like me enjoys: a futuristic sci-fi setting, cybernetically enhanced humans, and a conflict that centres around a practice of a dubious moral nature. And girls in skin-tight outfits – let’s not forget that!
MALAYSIA
> ‘LaMB’ airs on Animax (Astro channel 715). The first part premieres at 8pm on Tuesday, the second on March 31 at the same time, and the hour-long finale will air on April 7, also at 8pm. For more information and to enjoy the online content, surf on over to animax-lamb.com.

jessi

SOURCE: http://www.animax-asia.com/news/lamb-multimedia-universe-unravels

LaMB: The Multimedia Universe Unravels
LaMB: The Multimedia Universe UnravelsMarch 23, 2009

• Following ten months of production, LaMB, Animax Asia’s first original multimedia, multiplatform animation project, will culminate in the premiere of the LaMB HD animation TV feature in 2 half-hour segments at 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB) on Tuesdays, 24 Mar 09 and 31 Mar 09, before the one-hour special airs 7 Apr 09, exclusively on Animax

• The LaMB animation TV feature is the centrepiece of the project that comprises music videos, a web manga, a mobile graphic novel, mobisodes, as well as online and mobile games, made under the US$6million Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) – SPE Networks – Asia (SPENA) Joint Production Fund

• Based on the winning script submitted by Filipino viewer Carmelo Juinio to Animax Awards 2007 script-writing contest, LaMB is produced by Singapore studios Peach Blossom Media and Imaginary Friends Studios, directed by Hong Kong-based Thomas Chou with Japanese project consultant Ryosuke Tei, and storyboards by Yasufumi Soejima

• LaMB stars Taiwan-based singer-actor Van Ness Wu, Taiwan-based actress Tanaka Chie and Hong Kong artiste Josie Ho as voice actors in lead roles. International bands The Click Five and Simple Plan provide musical tracks to the show which also features costume designs by Vivienne Tam

17 March 2009, Singapore – 10 months in the making, with the efforts of stars in Asia and North America, a 50-strong production team, as well as on- and off-air creative, marketing and promotional efforts of a regional TV network, comes LaMB, the first original multiplatform multimedia animation project undertaken by anime and youth entertainment TV network, Animax Asia!

A universe built by a range of TV, online and mobile content rolled out since December 2008, LaMB will culminate in March 2009 in the highly-anticipated debut of the original, LaMB high definition (HD) animation TV feature based on a truly compelling story. Definitely a show not-to-be-missed, the LaMB animation TV feature premieres 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB) across Asia on consecutive Tuesdays in two half hour segments on 24 Mar 09 and 31 Mar 09, before the one-hour special airs 7 Apr 09 exclusively on Animax!

Based on the script submitted by Filipino viewer Carmelo Juinio, winner of the Animax Awards 2007 regional script-writing competition, LaMBwas developed as Animax Asia’s first ever original animation production. Set in the year A.D.2472, LaMB unfolds on Cerra, a barren desert planet 25 light-years away from Earth where humans are seeking redemption for their wastage that has destroyed their own world. On Cerra, not even the creativity and labour of prisoners are left untapped as criminals are ‘Laminated’ in special suits as virtual slaves called ‘LaMBs’ to remain productive, but not free members of society. Jack Griswold, a visiting eco-scientist is about to embark on a journey to change the fate of a ‘LaMB’, Eve, his life, and the future of all on Cerra…

“Carmelo’s story was so compelling that we could not bear to let it go to waste, and Animax is very pleased to have turned his dream into reality with LaMB. And with it, we are very proud to have made Animax’s first ever original animation production,” said Gregory Ho, Vice President and General Manager, Animax Asia.

Made under the US$6 million Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and SPE Networks – Asia (SPENA) Joint Production Fund, the premiere of the LaMB­TV feature brings the curtains down on ten months’ worth of collaborative production work between Animax and Singapore-based animation studio Peach Blossom Media, as well as comic and concept art house Imaginary Friends Studios. Executive produced by Animax Asia, LaMB is directed by Thomas Chou, founder and director of Hong Kong-based production studio Da Joint, with project consultant Ryosuke Tei, founder and creative director of Japanese creative agency Furi Furi, and storyboards by Yasufumi Soejima, ex-creative from Japanese anime studio Gonzo.

A STAR-STUDDED PRODUCTION
LaMB is the regional animation production that brings together a truly stellar line-up, featuring celebrity voice-overs, fashion creations by a world-class designer, and even songs from international bands.

In voice-overs, Van Ness Wu, Taiwan-based actor, star of Ken Yip’s Kung Fu Chefs (2009), and singer of Mando-pop group ‘F4’ fame takes on the English and Mandarin voices of protagonist eco-scientist Jack Griswold. His character faces off against scheming villain Keiko Suzuki brought to life in Mandarin by Taiwan-based actress and star of Wei Te-Sheng’s Cape No. 7 (2008) Tanaka Chie, as well as in English and Cantonese by Josie Ho, Hong Kong-based rocker-actress and star of Kenneth Bi’s The Drummer (2007).

In launching the LaMB animation TV feature, sneak preview events are being held across Asia in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Van Ness Wu and Tanaka Chie will be gracing the Taiwan event, while Josie Ho will be making her appearance at the Hong Kong launch.

Beyond celebrity voice-overs, the LaMB animation TV feature also features in fully animated form, two exclusive dresses designed by New York-based international fashion designer Vivienne Tam. Donned by protagonist Eve in LaMB, both Vivienne Tam designs have also been made into actual dresses to be showcased exclusively at LaMB launch events in March 2009 across Asia. Ready-to-wear versions of both dresses were in the Fall/Winter 2008 Collection from Vivienne Tam, the designer responsible for gowns worn by Hollywood stars including Halle Berry, Ashley Judd, Hayden Panettiere, Heather Graham and Ashanti

Further, the original soundtrack for LaMB is graced by Canadian pop punk band Simple Plan, whose hit ‘I Can Wait Forever’ stars as the title track, with single ‘Summertime’ by American rock band The Click Five also featuring in the show. Both songs have been brought to life in specially created music videos which can be viewed on Animax and the LaMB website at www.animax-lamb.com.

A MULTIMEDIA, MULTIPLATFORM ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE
Beyond the exciting animation feature and MVs on TV, Animax viewers can enjoy a host of exclusive LaMB content via the online and mobile platforms.

On the LaMB website (www.animax-lamb.com) to introduce the LaMB universe are a web manga (comic) series produced by Imaginary Friends Studios to provide the prequel to LaMB, and five online multiplayer games to introduce different concepts of the story. In addition, visitors to the website can browse a gallery containing work-in-progress artwork; watch viral marketing videos and TV spots; download wallpapers and emoticons; get to know the characters through their profiles; as well as find out more about the production.

On the mobile front, Animax has rolled out a mobile graphic novel modelled after Japan’s hugely popular ‘Keitai fiction’ (mobile phone novels), with stunning visuals by Imaginary Friends Studios tracing female protagonist Eve’s experiences in being a ‘LaMB’. Following the premiere of the LaMB animation TV feature, viewers can expect mobisodes and mobile-based games to be launched via local mobile operators in various territories.

“The star-studded line-up behind the characters’ voices, music and costumes in LaMB is as exciting as its multimedia entertainment experience that spans across TV, online and mobile platforms. The completion of LaMB is a landmark achievement for Animax Asia as we take a first step into offering original branded entertainment, as well as bring story-telling and viewer involvement to a whole new level, for a totally immersive experience,” added Gregory Ho.

Experience the world of Lamination in LaMB, premiering 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB) starting from 24 Mar 09 exclusively on Animax!

###

Catch LaMB ONLY on Animax
The Making of LaMB : Tue, 17 March 2009, 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB)
LaMB (Part 1): Tue, 24 Mar 2009, 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB)
LaMB (Part 2) Tue, 31 Mar 2009, 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB)
LaMB (1-Hour Special): Tue, 7 Apr 2009, 8pm (SIN) / 7pm (WIB)

About Animax Asia
Animax Asia is 100% owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. Launched on 1 January 2004, Animax is Asia’s first youth anime brand specializing in the fastest growing youth entertainment genre - Japanese animation. Animax Asia’s programming strategy is to not only offer a dynamic line up of the highest-rated, most popular anime programs as well as shows never before seen outside of Japan, but also original productions, music and technology-lifestyle programs, that are exclusive to Animax Asia.

It is the channel of choice for Asia's trendsetters, image-conscious, tech-savvy youth & young adults, and individuals seeking a unique entertainment experience. The channel now reaches over 29 million households across Asia (including Japan), achieving the fastest roll-out among new channel launches in recent years, and is set to become a leading iconic brand synonymous with popular youth culture. More information about Animax Asia can be found at www.animax-asia.com, www.animax-taiwan.com, www.animax-hk.com, www.animaxindia.com and www.animaxtv.co.kr.

jessi

LAMB

Catch and watch more online videos at http://www.animax-asia.com/videos

Register as a member in order to view it on9..

vanness猫猫

Thank you~~~~~~~~~~

鑫鑫

thanks

彭婷

好期待啊~~ O(∩_∩)O谢谢

1syun1

Jessi, sweetie, thank u so much!!!!

honeytomato

thanks jessi