2x2 opens its own animation studio
The only adult animation channel in Russia, 2x2, became the first broadcast channel to get its own animation studio when it opened the facility in November 2016. The creative minds at the 2x2 animation studio are already creating weekly absurdist shows, including Mult TV and Kit Stupid Show as well as the detective show Podozritelnaya Sova (Suspicious Owl).
According to TNS Russia, the first season of Kit Stupid Show attracted audiences that were above the average share of the channel - 3.2% with a total share of 2.2% among the audience aged 11 to 34 years. But the real hit of the season was the animation show about a feathered cop of Russian origin in the United States, Podozritelnaya Sova. The audience share for the first episodes of the show, broadcast in August, reached 5.1% in Moscow with the average share of the channel being 2.4% and 2.6%, while the share of the channel across all of Russia is 2.1%.
The studio plans to expand its production next year. One of the planned projects, Semeynyi Poluys (The Family Pole), is a sitcom about an ordinary family trapped in the conditions of extreme cold and having to interact with international neighbours.
By November 2017 the 2x2 Animation Studio will produce more than six hours of animations for the channel each month. Moreover, the studio plans to produce content for foreign audiences, as well as full-length animation films and adaptations of characters for computer games.
Anna Moryakova, general producer of the 2x2 channel, was appointed the general manager of the studio, while the animator Kirill Danilchenko was named its creative producer.
“As late as five years ago there was this strong belief in our country that animated shows were just for children. We are challenging this stereotype and our own studio is a secret weapon in this battle. At the same time, we are planning to disprove the myth that animation can be either goor or quickly produced. We are staking our bet on interesting and timely story lines, and are already producing 40 minutes (of animation) per week. We are planning to triple our volumes by the end of next year. Our viewers across the whole country know and love Podozritelnaya Sova, Stupid Kit and other characters that were created at 2x2. And next year were are planning to create a sensation on the air with new animation sitcoms,” said Anna Moryakova, general producer of 2x2 channel.
“These kinds of animation studios have not existed in Russia in the past. Our unique production process allows us to create cartoons quickly, but also without sacrificing quality. For example, right now our studio creates roughly 160 minutes of animation per month. We create content that is understandable and funny to the Russian audience,” said Kirill Danilchenko, creative producer of the 2x2 Animation Studio.