82 www.blackeoejournal.com Black EOE Journal
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nimation has not traditionally been a haven of representation for people of color. This is coupled with the reality that animation distribution for creators is limited. The time has come, however, for animation enthusiasts to rejoice; it's time to delve into a world never experienced before. Husband and wife duo Jermaine and Whaketa Hargrove plan to launch the first-ever Black-owned streaming ani- mation network, Animation TV, in Summer 2022. Animation TV is the first and only animation stream- ing platform that streams all aspects of animation culture. Animation TV will become the sole medium that can introduce viewers to the versatility of animation and all it has to offer. This platform will allow view- ers of all ages and nationalities to experience the beauty of animation culture. Animation TV will offer its content with a sub- scription and linear channel model for ease of access to viewers. Animation TV will work in collaboration with Small Town Animation Studios to deliver origi- nal, exclusive animation content such as the highly
Husband & Wife Duo Launch First Black-Owned Animation Network
anticipated diabetic superhero movie Gumshe: The Type 1 Protector , or faith-based series The Sunday Schoolers , and other originals like Animate My Life , Welcome to Gamerville , Princess Tatenda and the award-winning series Shelly: The Dancing Spider . Animation TV is intentional about giving back and makes that a part of its business model. Animation TV is the only animation streaming plat- form that creates opportunities for future animation industry professionals by using a portion of its rev- enue to provide animation scholarships for students from underserved communities. In line with this initiative, Animation TV has part- nered with some of the biggest names in animation, including Kit Bash 3D and The Animation School in South Africa. The Director and Co-founder of The Animation School, Nuno Martins, has this to say about the initiative, The Animation School contin- ues to drive diversity through partnerships such as Animation TV. These [partnerships] highlight the importance of building a diverse community within the international animation industry. CEO and Founder of Animation TV, Jermaine, also commented on his impending launch, stating, We are using Animation TV and exclusive content to bring awareness to the lack of diversity and inclu- sion in the animation industry. By offering distribu- tion to global animation creators, we will amplify the voices that sometimes go unheard. Structuring a theatrical partnership with a major film studio for some of our stronger animation IPs is also a goal of Animation TV. We are currently looking to finance, develop and distribute all forms of animation content (2D/3D) from creators all over the world. Animation TV is poised to be a platform that translates animation culture into real-world value by tapping into the Metaverse and NFTs as features of the platform. Animation TV will also be distributed globally for users of all operating system interfaces, including iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV and the worldwide web. To find out more about the platform and how you can access their content, visit animation.tv.
Source: The Animation TV Network
THE ANIMATION TV NETWORK
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