Dog Star Series 2

BACKGROUND Dog Star is an animation series (two series, 26 eps) produced through Media World Pictures. The series was written, directed, animated and produced in Australia using high profile Australian voice talent inc. Shaun Micallef, Marg Downey and Michael Vietch. Cawley worked on both series 1and 2 as an animator. CONTRIBUTION Unusually for a commercially produced and broadcast animated series, the Dog Star voice talent performed with their Australian accents. This created a research challenge for the animators in terms of lip-synch and dialogue performance. The mouth shapes, tone and pace of dialogue were all distinctly Australian, requiring a re-thinking of the traditional lip-synch process used for American accented English. Such large scale animated series produced in Australia usually also represent character and culture in a North American context where words and gestures fit together differently. Working under Animation Director Neil Salmon, a very experienced animator (who reviews and critiques regularly) enhanced knowledge of character animation. Dog Star references an Australian, suburban trope interpreted and projected in performances that came from a particularly Australian perspective, reaching into the animators own experience and culture to build character and story. Cultural references were derived from physical gestures (those contradictions between words and actions) and the understatement of large events that are all part of an Australian vernacular. SIGNIFICANCE Created for Channel 9, also screened Disney Channel Australia, and CBBC UK. Dog Star has been highly awarded locally and internationally, inc. 2013: Asia Image Apollo Awards, Singapore (Nom. Best 2D Animation), Asian TV Awards, Singapore (Best 2D Animated program); 2012: Hugo Award and Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), (Finalist, Best Flash Animation); 2011: Hugo TV Awards, Chicago International Film Festival (Silver Plaque).