[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/in-conversation-with-ervin-han-cartoon-animation-director\/#NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/in-conversation-with-ervin-han-cartoon-animation-director\/","headline":"In Conversation With: Ervin Han, Cartoon Animation Director","name":"In Conversation With: Ervin Han, Cartoon Animation Director","description":"There are two types of people: Those who watch cartoons, and those who don\u2019t \u2014 and local animator Ervin Han blurs the lines between them every day.\u00a0 First inspired by the likes of Studio Ghibli in his college years, Mr Han has a theory that cartoons hold a nostalgic place in the hearts of many.\u00a0 […]","datePublished":"2021-12-15","dateModified":"2022-04-15","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/#Person","name":"Rachel Teng","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/author\/rachel-teng\/","identifier":367,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rachel_Teng-100x100.jpg","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TheHomeGround Asia","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/photo_2021-07-22-222533.jpeg","width":640,"height":640}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/ICW-Ervin-Han_Source-Robot-Playground-Media.jpg","url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/wp-content\/uploads\/ICW-Ervin-Han_Source-Robot-Playground-Media.jpg","height":900,"width":1600},"url":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/in-conversation-with-ervin-han-cartoon-animation-director\/","video":[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE","name":"NDP 2021 Show Film - Animating the Singapore Spirit","description":"Love the inspiring animated films at yesterday\u2019s NDP 2021 Show? \ud83d\ude0d \n\nWatch on to learn how local animation studio Robot Playground Media adopted a 2D animation style to tell generation-spanning stories and connect the various acts of the Show together! \n\nKudos to the team behind the films for making last night\u2019s Show such a heartwarming one! \ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec\ud83d\udc96\n\n#NDP2021 #TogetherOurSGSpirit","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K_2PgtrQcVE\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K_2PgtrQcVE\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K_2PgtrQcVE\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K_2PgtrQcVE\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/K_2PgtrQcVE\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2021-08-22T02:00:03+00:00","duration":"PT5M45S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/K_2PgtrQcVE","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQLietlhBUOlfKYptkiTDHg#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQLietlhBUOlfKYptkiTDHg","name":"NDPeeps","description":"NDPeeps is the official channel for Singapore's National Day Parade! Updates, behind-the-scenes sneaks, exclusive showcases and more.","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/QZUAofYdYzt1NJdhaQ-TqxyZ76NXvlZaImafx3Q0dl4276ZpPAox9diM1egGX3JsqQTqJed1Bw=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":18548}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K_2PgtrQcVE#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":493}]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY","name":"Lamput | Haunted House \ud83d\udc7b | Cartoon Network","description":"Hiding in the shadows inside a haunted house, Lamput plays pranks on the terrified Docs. But something or someone else is watching them from the darkness...\n\nWatch more Cartoon Network videos:\nhttp:\/\/www.cartoonnetworkindia.com\/video\n\nCheck out our Cartoon Network Facebook page:\nhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/CartoonNetwork.India\n\nSubscribe for more Cartoon Network fun!","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/izUQCD3zrQY\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/izUQCD3zrQY\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/izUQCD3zrQY\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/izUQCD3zrQY\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/izUQCD3zrQY\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2018-01-08T22:55:41+00:00","duration":"PT2M8S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/izUQCD3zrQY","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UClUsCEaF7EkbNFLBOwjCK8w#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UClUsCEaF7EkbNFLBOwjCK8w","name":"Cartoon Network India","description":"Welcome to the official Cartoon Network India YouTube channel!\nCartoon Network is India\u2019s leading kids\u2019 entertainment brand, offering a mix of iconic 90\u2019s\ncartoons and modern animated hits. Relive the nostalgia with classics like Scooby-Doo,\nLooney Tunes, and Courage the Cowardly Dog, alongside timeless chase comedy\n#TomandJerry . #CartoonNetwork also features multi-award-winning shows like Ben 10, We\nBare Bears, #TeenTitansGo , The Powerpuff Girls, and the local favourite #Lamput .\nReaching 82 million homes nationwide, Cartoon Network is available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu,\nMalayalam, and Kannada.\n\nCartoonNetworkIndia.com is a destination where kids can find a large selection of #cartoon\ncharacter-based games, videos on demand, and a community site featuring personalized\navatars and message boards. Cartoon Network, companion brand to POGO, is a brand\ncreated and distributed by WarnerMedia International. For more information, visit\n@CartoonNetwork.India on Facebook and YouTube Channel.\n\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/Te17F6ihWtmKLAV5Ir4Kauw8f7DKFn50aT43b7NEG4b42n0XjpisoywM4Ej8IuxfbXFSNlgk=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":20558863}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=izUQCD3zrQY#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":53872}]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ","name":"Mickey Go Local | Animated Shorts | Episode 1: Master Hawker","description":"Goofy is checking out a hawker street. What is he going to have for dinner? Mickey\u2019s satay or Donald\u2019s roti canai\/prata? Or hey, maybe both! SHIOK!\n\nStay tuned for the next episode of Mickey Go Local animated shorts, coming to you next month! \n\nCheck out more Disney Channel games and shows \u25ba http:\/\/www.disneychannel.asia\/\n\nSubscribe to our YouTube channel \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DisneyChannelAsia\n\nLike Disney Channel Asia on Facebook \u25ba https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DisneyChannelAsia\/","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MWddaS3KWAQ\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MWddaS3KWAQ\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MWddaS3KWAQ\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/MWddaS3KWAQ\/sddefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2019-07-24T08:39:11+00:00","duration":"PT2M1S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MWddaS3KWAQ","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8_U5UgvlckScAlagxWi_uQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8_U5UgvlckScAlagxWi_uQ","name":"Disney Channel Asia","description":"Welcome to Disney Channel Asia's official home on YouTube -- your go-to place for exclusive videos on all your favorite shows, movies and music!\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_mpJXzXzeZqs8DlbQDSOMI93ttZz2ZB4h60avs3mqcnikE=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=MWddaS3KWAQ#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":6048636}]]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8","name":"Mickey Go Local | Animated Shorts | Episode 4: Rainforest Hunt","description":"Mickey and Minnie explore the local rainforest and stumble on a baby orang utan! ALAMAK! And a snake too and some wild boars and a crocodile and even a tapir! It\u2019s a rainforest date gone wild!\n\nStay tuned for the next episode of Mickey Go Local animated shorts, coming to you next month! \n\nCheck out more Disney Channel games and shows \u25ba http:\/\/www.disneychannel.asia\/\n\nSubscribe to our YouTube channel \u25ba https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/DisneyChannelAsia\n\nLike Disney Channel Asia on Facebook \u25ba https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DisneyChannelAsia\/","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/xqItIRHQMC8\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/xqItIRHQMC8\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/xqItIRHQMC8\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/xqItIRHQMC8\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/xqItIRHQMC8\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2019-10-25T05:00:04+00:00","duration":"PT2M29S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xqItIRHQMC8","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8_U5UgvlckScAlagxWi_uQ#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UC8_U5UgvlckScAlagxWi_uQ","name":"Disney Channel Asia","description":"Welcome to Disney Channel Asia's official home on YouTube -- your go-to place for exclusive videos on all your favorite shows, movies and music!\n","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/ytc\/AIdro_mpJXzXzeZqs8DlbQDSOMI93ttZz2ZB4h60avs3mqcnikE=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xqItIRHQMC8#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":19386550}]]},{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"VideoObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q#VideoObject","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q","name":"Life during the Pandemic: The 'best' of the pandemic | Downstairs","description":"Parodies the pandemic and all the bad behaviour around it. Also, the intriguing notion that one is forced to always tell the truth.\n\n#LifeDuringThePandemic #Downstairs1\n--\nFor more catchup videos visit meWatch: https:\/\/www.mewatch.sg\/\n\nmeWATCH Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mewatch.mediacorp\/\nmeWATCH Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mewatch.mediacorp","thumbnailUrl":["https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/BFXu5iVhA3Q\/default.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/BFXu5iVhA3Q\/mqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/BFXu5iVhA3Q\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/BFXu5iVhA3Q\/sddefault.jpg","https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/BFXu5iVhA3Q\/maxresdefault.jpg"],"uploadDate":"2021-05-11T09:49:05+00:00","duration":"PT6M19S","embedUrl":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BFXu5iVhA3Q","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCnUQ8urh9t0vlHluTJdVLTg#Organization","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCnUQ8urh9t0vlHluTJdVLTg","name":"Mediacorp Drama","description":"","logo":{"url":"https:\/\/yt3.ggpht.com\/vbBLvv_JG2h3aIv8yHipTVpxTeXzVKb1f9T1bhpo69oOVXk260D-JBuzHYk2e6K4TcpdeYGI4A=s800-c-k-c0x00ffffff-no-rj","width":800,"height":800,"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q#VideoObject_publisher_logo_ImageObject"}},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q#VideoObject_potentialAction","target":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q&t={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"},"interactionStatistic":[[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_WatchAction","interactionType":{"@type":"WatchAction"},"userInteractionCount":31759}],{"@type":"InteractionCounter","@id":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BFXu5iVhA3Q#VideoObject_interactionStatistic_LikeAction","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":252}]}],"about":["Features","In Conversation With","Local","Singapore"],"wordCount":2659,"keywords":["adult animation","adult cartoons","animation","cartoons","comedy","downstairs","ervin han","local","mrbrown","rishi budhrani","robot media playground","Singapore"],"articleBody":"There are two types of people: Those who watch cartoons, and those who don\u2019t \u2014 and local animator Ervin Han blurs the lines between them every day.\u00a0First inspired by the likes of Studio Ghibli in his college years, Mr Han has a theory that cartoons hold a nostalgic place in the hearts of many.\u00a0\u201cSometimes, even if you drag your \u2018too-old-for-cartoons\u2019 friends to watch a Pixar film, they would still cry themselves silly,\u201d he says. \u201cMaybe for a moment, they remember that there is something very special about this form of storytelling, and maybe they go back to their childhood again for a little bit.\u201dDriven by the fantastical method of storytelling and the boundless nature of the animated universe, Mr Han and team went on to produce a string of regionally-acclaimed short films.\u00a0(Photo courtesy of Ervin Han)\u201cFor most people, the perception is still that animation is something only for children, even though that\u2019s really not the case,\u201d says the co-creator of Robot Media Playground, an award-winning team of artists, animators and producers.\u00a0With the rise of adult animation content like Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty, and Family Guy on major streaming platforms, Mr Han foresees a growing demand for such content.\u00a0\u201cI think animation in Singapore and the region will benefit from the opportunities presented by this rapidly evolving media landscape and a shifting focus to local creators,\u201d he says.\u00a0He took his bold ideas to Mediacorp, and pitched an unprecedented attempt at a locally-grown adult animation series with the simple premise of \u201caunties and uncles behaving badly\u201d. They were, as he puts it, \u201ccrazy enough to go with it\u201d.\u00a0\u201cThey were really open to trying something different,\u201d says Mr Han \u2014 and wise they were for it. Today, Downstairs is streamed widely and regionally on Netflix and MeWatch, and the winner and nominee of multiple accolades, including the Asian Academy Creative Awards and Asia Contents Awards.\u00a0TheHomeGround Asia sits down with Ervin Han to peek into the world of cartoons, their growing place in the region, and the power they have to tell unique locally-based stories.\u00a0TheHomeGround Asia (THG): Tell me more about the animation scene in Singapore.Ervin Han (EH): It\u2019s quite a small sector compared to the rest of the media industry. Animation in Singapore has been around for only about twenty years. It\u2019s a relatively young part of the creative arts industry here. There are really only a few studios that are producing commercial, original animation. A good way to tell is to just turn on the TV and watch our local channels or MeWatch. Not much local animation is [being aired] on them, and most, if not all of it, are for kids.\u00a0THG: Is that why you’re trying to inculcate as many Southeast Asian elements into your work as possible?EH: For me and my co-founder, Bernard [Toh] \u2014 we both come from an environment where we produce a lot of animation for international clients, most ostensibly Western clients. At the top level, they would be the likes of Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and other international broadcasters. The characters would almost always sound American because the market is international, and by that, it means that they usually sound a certain way \u2014 they can\u2019t sound too local, since the US has such a strong influence from a commercial standpoint. Animation can easily be dubbed into different languages, of course, but the original shows we worked on always had the veneer of an \u2018American-made\u2019 show, even if they were created locally.We did that for about a decade, and then when we started Robot Playground Media about eight and a half years ago, we wanted to use our craft and experience to find more local stories, create animated content that feels like it came from our own voice. That doesn\u2019t mean just sounding Singaporean, it means having a distinct local flavour and context. An international audience can watch and enjoy it, but if you are born and bred in Singapore or Southeast Asia, it means something a little bit more to you. You can probably relate to certain story points, character traits, locations, or situations a little bit more.\u00a0Robot Media Playground’s NDP 2021 Show Film \u2014 Animating the Singapore Spirit. (Photo courtesy of Ervin Han)At the point when we started, no one was really doing that. Everyone who was interested in animation just wanted to make the next big hit on Cartoon Network. But I think we wanted to do something a little different and didn\u2019t really think too much about how commercial it could be. It\u2019s just something we wanted to get out of our system.\u00a0THG: Is the demand for content that is more localised to our region growing?\u00a0EH: A lot of clients come to us now, wanting us to not make the exact same thing as what a Western studio would make. Maybe similar, but infused with a different flavour. I think there is a real demand now for content that feels a bit more local or regional. Currently, I\u2019m co-directing a show for Cartoon Network called Lamput, along with three other studios from Malaysia, Thailand and the original Indian studio that created the series. It\u2019s an international, Emmy-nominated show, but the different Southeast Asian studios are encouraged to introduce some local elements and flavour into the stories \u2013 and that is the point.\u00a0\u00a0Hit shows will always be hit shows. But increasingly, I think they do want something that feels more local, but can still travel internationally.Another example is when Disney came to us two years ago to produce a series of Mickey Mouse animated shorts Mickey Go Local, (available on Disney Plus), except that the stories had to be set in Singapore and Malaysia. So we\u2019d have Mickey Mouse flipping a prata, and Donald Duck hustling in a hawker centre. There was an episode that was set in Georgetown, Penang, another one in the Sabah rainforest where they come across Orangutans. There was also a Chinese New Year episode where Mickey and friends lo hei. So we take classic properties and give them a fun, different spin in a way that only we can do. I\u2019m hopeful that there will be more options like this for studios around the region, and certainly in Singapore.\u00a0\ufeff\ufeffTHG: What were some of the struggles you would face when you try to localise your stories?EH: How \u2018local\u2019 to make it, really. It\u2019s often very tempting to oversell local culture in the name of being local, but I think there’s always a balancing act there. Every project is different. For example, for Lamput, something like a prata would be a little bit too culture-specific, because it\u2019s an international show that does very well in the US. So we have to be mindful not to have something too esoteric such that a young foreign audience doesn’t understand. For the Mickey Go Local series, it was fine, because they wanted it specifically based in Singapore and Malaysia, and the target audience is by and large Asian.\u00a0THG: Which piece of the work are you the proudest of in your career?\u00a0EH: It\u2019s quite a clich\u00e9 to say but every project is sort of precious and we are all proud of them as a studio. I think one thing that I\u2019m proud of is that so much of our content has the DNA of many Singaporean artists that have passed through our studios. We have a core team in-house, but we engage with many freelancers on a project basis. We\u2019re never too sad when staff leave the company; they might find other pastures or want to explore being freelancers, but many of them come back and work with us for other projects, or even rejoin the company. So the fact that we produce quite a distinct brand of local animation with so many Singaporean animation artists is something I\u2019m very proud of.THG: Tell me more about Downstairs.\u00a0Characters from Downstairs are voiced by popular local comedians like mrbrown and Rishi Budhrani. (Photo courtesy of Ervin Han)EH: I\u2019ve always wanted to do an adult animated comedy. Our first attempt was Heartland Hubby back in 2015 (for Mediacorp Channel 5). It was ten episodes and was never renewed for a second season. But I’ve always believed that there is an audience for adult animation in Singapore, especially over the last several years where streaming has become such a prevalent platform in our media landscape. Everyone now has a streaming service.\u00a0At my age, I\u2019m not ashamed to say that I\u2019m quite \u201cuncle\u201d already. So a lot of the observational humour and situations in the show came quite easily for me. It\u2019s really based on the daily frustrations and first-world problems in Singapore. Cartoons are often a vehicle for fantasy and wish-fulfilment. Downstairs is no different, except it\u2019s for adults.\u00a0\u00a0The context is very local, and the content is quite adult. I have friends who watch Downstairs with their kids, thinking that since it\u2019s animated, it must be a kids\u2019 show, and within the first minute they have to shut it off.\u00a0What\u2019s interesting is that the show lets us talk about some topics in a way that allows us to bring it to a whole new level of exaggeration and fantasy that will be difficult to pull off in live action. For us there is really no limit or rule to how far we can go. The whole world could blow up and the next day, everything goes back to normal.\u00a0THG: What\u2019s the conceptualisation process like for each episode?\u00a0EH: We start with a story group, which actually consists of some of the actors in the show like mrbrown and Rishi Budhrani. We sit around for a few hours in a room to just chit chat and brainstorm, and I think they love it. On the side, my writer and I will just take notes.\u00a0They will just come up with crazy things. Once, mrbrown said something random like, \u201cWah, what if one day we fart and there\u2019s no sound?\u201d and I just thought that was quite hilarious \u2013 because wouldn\u2019t you be worried if you wake up one morning and there\u2019s just no sound when you flatulate? So it became part of an episode where a character asks for bedroom advice and it’s executed wrongly, resulting in her partner\u2019s soundless farts.\u00a0It\u2019s mostly about daily life and first world problems, and touches on evergreen issues here in Singapore like education and cost of living. At the end of the day, it\u2019s about aunties and uncles behaving badly.\u00a0A behind-the-scenes storyboard for Downstairs. (Photo courtesy of Ervin Han)THG: Which are some of your favourite episodes?\u00a0EH: The one that I\u2019m really proud of is where we spoofed the pandemic. On top of flu-like symptoms, the virus also works as a truth serum such that the characters can\u2019t lie. So it gets very dangerous for couples, and everyone\u2019s cleaning their hands profusely. At one point, this character tries on a dress and asks her husband, \u201cdo I look fat?\u2019, and his entire face turns red \u2013 because he\u2019s trying to hold in the truth but he can\u2019t because he\u2019s infected\u00a0\u2014\u00a0and he jumps out the window. It\u2019s all a bit crazy and trivial, but we can take a premise like this and sort of spin it around to give it a different dimension.\u00a0youtubeembedcode.com\/nl\/https:\/\/youronlinecasino.org\/youtubeembedcode plhttps:\/\/casinofreebonus.org\/                                 Another one is when visiting aliens observe our ERP system \u2014 how it never fails and is an engineering marvel. Everything man-made fails from time to time, right? But the ERP always works. How? So they plan to abduct the ERP engineers to study their brains. Things like these, many Singaporeans can relate to and laugh at because it\u2019s true and as nonsensical as it seems, it\u2019s how we vent our frustrations sometimes.\u00a0THG: What makes Downstairs different from other adult animations?\u00a0EH: Downstairs actually rates better with audiences aged 35 years old and above. Typically, with adult animation, the sweet spot is for those aged 18 to 34 \u2014 which are your Gen Z and millennials. TV content in general seems to always skip a generation \u2014 my generation \u2014 and go straight to the Silver Age group (60 and above). Before streaming came along, you didn’t see a lot of content on local TV that aims squarely at Gen X. Downstairs does that. We are the 80s kids, so a lot of us feed on nostalgia and have a certain outlook about the world. That said, if we get to make more episodes, we\u2019d want to capture more of the younger adults, not just the Gen X audience \u2013 although I believe we all have a little bit of aunty and uncle in us.THG: Is there anything you can do to change people\u2019s impressions that cartoons are only for kids?\u00a0EH: Most animation will still be aimed at children, and that\u2019s totally fine and good. It\u2019s the best introduction to storytelling and stimulating imagination for the young ones. I still work on animation for children, even as young as pre-schoolers. But ultimately, animation is a storytelling art form, not a genre. It is just one of many ways to tell stories on screen \u2014 perhaps the most eclectic of all screen art forms.For me and people slightly younger than me, the first content we saw on the television was probably a cartoon. And we could only watch them on Sunday mornings and weekday evenings. There was no such thing as Netflix or the internet. So if you miss an episode, that was it. You\u2019d have to wait until the next day or Sunday morning.\u00a0So, I have a theory that for those of us who watched these cartoons growing up, there is a real love for it that stays with us for very long after. Even after we\u2019ve grown up, there\u2019s almost a pathological element to it, where every time you watch an animated film in the cinema, or a show on TV, you always harken back to the time you were a kid and you watched these drawings come alive, and there\u2019s something magical to it.\u00a0I\u2019d like to think that even in a time when animation and content in general is available 24\/7, there\u2019s still some truth to this \u2014 that because animation was the first thing a child saw on a screen, that magic stays forever with him or her. And as the child grows into an adult, that magic is still in there \u2013 we just need to tell more good adult stories to rediscover it.Sometimes, even if you drag your \u201ctoo-old-for-cartoons\u201d friends to watch a Pixar film, they would still cry themselves silly. Maybe for a moment, they remember that there is something very special about this form of storytelling, and maybe they go back to their childhood again for a little bit.\u00a0But the world is such that you quickly forget the feeling, and you carry on with adulting, again relegating animation to being \u2018something for kids\u2019 \u2013 until the next great animated film or cartoon comes along to remind people of that feeling again. And that\u2019s our job.\u00a0Timescapes, an animated anthology of 5 stories about life, love and the landscapes of Singapore past and present. Written, directed, and produced by Ervin Han. (Photo courtesy of Ervin Han)Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Destinations","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Singapore","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/\/singapore\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"In Conversation With: Ervin Han, Cartoon Animation Director","item":"https:\/\/thehomeground.asia\/destinations\/singapore\/in-conversation-with-ervin-han-cartoon-animation-director\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]