SEK Studio
Scientific Educational Korea or SEK Studio (Korean: 조선4·26만화영화촬영소; lit. "Korean April 26 Animation Film Studio") is a North Korean animation studio, based in Othan-dong, Central District, Pyongyang.[3]
 | |
Native name | 조선4·26만화영화촬영소 |
|---|---|
Romanized name | Chosŏn 4.26 Atong Yŏnghwa Ch'al-yŏngso |
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | September 7, 1957[1] |
| Headquarters | Othan-dong, Central District, , |
Key people | Jun Ok Kim |
Number of employees | 900 (2014)[2] |
| SEK Studio | |
| Chosŏn'gŭl | 조선4·26만화영화촬영소 |
|---|---|
| Revised Romanization | Joseon 4.26 Adong Yeonghwa Chwal-yeongso |
| McCune–Reischauer | Chosŏn 4.26 Atong Yŏnghwa Ch'al-yŏngso |
History
The studio started operations in September 1957, as April 26 Children's Film Studio.[1] Around 1985, it began to outsource animation for European television.[4] It was registered as the SEK Studio in 1997 in order to take part at an animation festival in France.[5] SEK Studio participated in "Shijiazhuang International Animation Exhibition" on September 30, 2014.[6] SEK Studio is expected to introduce a new science fiction genre animation.[7] Since 2010s, SEK studio has contracted with many animation studios in China and outsourced in Chinese TV series, web animations, game graphics and commercials. SEK is currently pursuing large-scale projects with Chinese animation companies. It relates to web animated series that will be produced in China.[8]
History of names
- Chosun National Film Studio – Puppet Animation Film Research Institute (1957~1959)
- Chosun National Film Studio – Animation Film Studio (1959~1960)
- Chosun National Film Studio – Animation Film Production (1960~1964)
- Chosun Children's Film Studio (1964~1971)
- Chosun Science Education Film Studio – Animation Film Production Team (1971~1980)
- Chosun Science Education Film Studio – Children's Film Production Team (1980~1996)
- Chosun 4.26 Children's Film Studio (1996~2013)
- Chosun 4.26 Animation Film Studio (2013~)
Corporate size
As of 2003, SEK Studio employed over 1,500 people[5] and subcontracted work for over 70 companies from around the globe, including Europe, South Korea, China, Canada and the United States. After the introduction of advanced equipment, the number of employees was reduced to about 500.[9] There are 11 animation production teams in SEK Studio, 9 production teams are responsible for overseas animations subcontracting, and the 2 production teams produce domestic animations.[10] According to Animation Career Review, SEK is the 85th most influential animation studio of all-time. SEK Studio's staff is mostly from Pyongyang Art Academy, and SEK Studio has established an animation training institute to teach young students.[11]
In 2014, SEK Studio cooperated with Chinese companies to establish an office in Beijing. SEK Studio also invested $70,000 in Chinese companies.[12]
Filmography
SEK has provided animation for the following works:[13]
Television
SEK Studio has produced over 300 Animations.
| English title | Original title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gojumong | 고주몽 | 2016- | |
| The Boy General (Series 2) | 소년장수 (2부) | 2015-2019 | 50 episodes, ended in 2019. |
| Two Boys who Found the Answer | 답을 찾은 두 소년 | 2015 | |
| The Awangnyeo Who Found Fire | 불씨를 찾은 아왕녀 | 2012 | |
| Ants to Suri Mountain | 수리봉으로 간 깜장이 | 2012 | |
| Ant and Big Centipede | 개미와 왕지네 | 2012 | |
| Byeolnam and Rubber Ball | 별남이와 고무공 | 2011 | |
| Singsing's Golden Fleece | 씽씽이의 금빛털옷 | 2011 | |
| The Bustle Caused by Scale Brothers | 저울형제가 일으킨 소동 | 2010 | |
| Long Long Sunday | 긴긴 일요일 | 2009 | |
| The Enchanted Mountain | 금강산 팔선녀 | 2008 | A film based on the Korean fairy tale "The Fairy and the Woodcutter" |
| A Greedy Dog | 욕심많은 개 | 2008 | Based on the Aesop Fable The Dog and Its Reflection. |
| Heungbu and Nolbu | 흥부와 놀부 | 2008 | A film based on the Korean fairy tale Heungbu and Nolbu |
| Photographed by Chalkak | 찰칵이가 찍은 사진 | 2008 | |
| Stonefish Brothers | 쏠치형제들 | 2007 | |
| The Oriole’s Song | 꾀꼴새가 부른 노래 | 2007 | |
| Squirrel and Hedgehog (Series 2) | 다람이와 고슴도치 (2부) | 2006-2012? | The show was discontinued after episode 32 in 2012 for reasons unknown. |
| The Lazy Pig | 놀고 먹던 꿀꿀이 | 2006 | Remake of the 1969 film |
| A Butterfly and a Rooster | 나비와 수탉 | 2006 | Remake of the 1976 film |
| A Boy Defeats Robbers | 도적을 쳐부신 소년 | 2006 | Remake of the 1983 film |
| Two Friends Drinking Spring Water | 샘물을 마신 두동무 | 2006 | |
| Tong Tong's Story | 통통이가 들려준 이야기 | 2006 | |
| Let's Keep the Traffic Order | 교통질서를 잘 지키자요 | 2006- | Traffic Safety Animated Series for Kids |
| A Chodong and Father | 초동이와 아버지 | 2005 | |
| A Cat and Kids | 야웅이와 꼬마들 | 2004 | |
| A Little Squirrel in Tolbaegol | 돌배골의 꼬마 청서 | 2004 | |
| Grandpa's Mirror | 할아버지가 준 거울 | 2003 | |
| The Bell | 방울소리 | 1999-2005 | 7 episodes, ended in 2005. |
| Prince Hodong and the Princess of Nakrang | 호동왕자와 락랑공주 | 1990 | |
| Clever Raccoon Dog | 령리한 너구리 | 1987-2012 | [14] |
| Welcome to Pyongyang Festival | 평양 축전에 오신걸 환영합니다 | 1989 | |
| Monkey Brothers | 원숭이 형제 | 1985 | |
| Three Friends | 세 동무 | 1985 | |
| A Winged Horse | 날개달린 룡마 | 1983 | |
| A Hedgehog Defeats a Tiger | 호랑이를 이긴 고슴도치 | 1983 | |
| A Boy Defeats Robbers | 도적을 쳐부신 소년 | 1983 | |
| The Boy General | 소년장수 | 1982-1996 | 50 episodes, ended in 1996. |
| Gun Shooters | 포쏘기 선수들 | 1978 | |
| Squirrel and Hedgehog | 다람이와 고슴도치 (Series 1) | 1977-2005 | 26 episodes, ended in 2005. |
| Raccoon Dog's Height Measurement | 너구리의 높이재기 | 1976 | |
| A Butterfly and a Rooster | 나비와 수탉 | 1976 | |
| Why did the dog cry? | 멍멍이는 왜 울었나? | 1974 | |
| A Little Tree and Sudong | 애기나무와 수동이 | 1972 | |
| The Lazy Pig | 놀고 먹던 꿀꿀이 | 1969 | |
| Time Bomb | 시한폭탄 | 1967 | Anti-USA Propaganda Film |
| Pig's Pumpkin Seeds | 꿀꿀이의 호박씨 | 196? | |
| Dog and Cat | 멍멍이와 야웅이 | 1965 | |
| Little Red Star | 꼬마붉은별 | 1961 | |
| Swallow Brothers | 제비 삼형제 | 1961 | |
| Our Hill | 우리 동산 | 1959 | SEK Studio's First Animation Film |
Animation services
SEK Studio has subcontracted over 250 Foreign Animations. They mainly work on subcontracting Russian, Italian, French, Spanish and Chinese animation. American animation is outsourced in an indirect way.[15]
SEK has done work on several animated series with Mondo TV, including Pocahontas: Princess of the American Indians[16] and Simba the King Lion,[17][18][19] (due to this two, it has been repeatedly misinformed that SEK has worked for The Walt Disney Company). SEK also has produced features such as the French science fiction epic Gandahar (The Light Years) and Empress Chung.[20]
According to DVD commentary and IMDB, 2007’s The Simpsons Movie was the most prominent US project that SEK helped with. Other projects include Futurama: Bender’s Big Score and even an episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender. Therefore, it’s highly possible that millions in America and beyond have unknowingly experienced the handiwork of North Korean animators.[21]
According to the Korean Film Council, SEK Studio outsourced episode 72 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series).[22]
The list below is a part of the works outsourced by SEK studio.
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bu-Bum! La strada verso casa | 2016 | With Rai Fiction |
| Sissi The Young Empress | 2016 | |
| Egyxos | 2015 | With Rai Fiction and Musicartoon |
| Flower Angel | 2014 | With Shanghai Taomee Network, Chinese Magical girl animated series |
| Stan Lee's Mighty 7 | 2014 | |
| Star Key | 2014 | Italian television animated series, With Gama Movie Animation and Rai Fiction |
| Le straordinarie avventure di Jules Verne | 2013 | |
| Il sogno di Brent | 2013 | With Rai Fiction and Lucky Dreams |
| Baskup Tony Parker | 2011 | French television animated series, With Télé images kids and The Walt Disney Company France |
| Spike Team | 2010 | Italian series |
| Giovanni e Paolo e il Mistero dei Pupi | 2010 | |
| Chumballs | 2009 | |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | 2009 | Chinese-Japanese Co-produced animated series based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. |
| Angel's Friends | 2008 | Produced by Mondo TV |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | 2007 | Episode "The Awakening", outsourced by MOI Animation Studio |
| Jurassic Cubs | 2007 | |
| Padre Pio | 2006 | |
| Foot 2 rue | 2005 | Italian-French series |
| La cuisine est un jeu d'enfants | 2004 | French series |
| The Boy (TV series) | 2003 | |
| The Spaghetti Family | 2003 | Italian series produced by Mondo TV |
| Pororo the Little Penguin | 2003 | Season 1 (26 episodes); credited as Sam-Cheon-Ri |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) | 2003 | Episode 72 (1 Episodes); uncredited |
| Raindrop, water is adventure | 2002 | Produced by Motion Pictures, S.A., TVE, TV3 and TVV |
| The Bellflower Bunnies | 2001 | Season 1 (4 episodes) |
| Lazy Cat Dinga | 2001 | With Hanaro Telecom; credited as Sam-Cheon-Ri |
| Prudence Petitpas | 2001 | |
| Marcelino Pan y Vino (anime) | 2001 | Japanese series |
| Bécassine et le Trésor viking | 2001 | French series |
| Narigota | 2001 | |
| Les enfants de Toromiro | 2000 | |
| Les Aventures outre-mer | 2000 | |
| La Princesse du Nil | 1999 | 1999 Animated Series |
| Sophie's Misfortunes | 1998 | |
| Dragon Flyz | 1996 | French-American television animated series |
| Princess Sheherazade | 1996 | |
| Papa Beaver's Storytime | 1993 | 1999 episodes; credited as Studio SEK |
| Pocahontas: Princess of the American Indians | 1998 | Television animated series, Produced by Mondo TV, Directed by Orlando Corradi |
| Simba the King Lion | 1997 | Television animated series, Produced by Mondo TV |
| Davy Crockett | 1994 | |
| Les Misérables | 1992 | |
| Pif and Hercules | 1989 | Credited as Studio S.E.K. |
| Ernest Le Vampire | 1989 | |
| Bamboo Bears | 1995 |
Film
| Title | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Futurama Bender's Big Score | 2007 | Outsourced by Rough Draft Studios |
| The Simpsons Movie | 2007 | Outsourced by Rough Draft Studios |
| Little Soldier Zhang Ga | 2005 | |
| Le petit Wang | 2005 | |
| Tentacolino | 2004 | Produced by Mondo TV[4] |
| Corto Maltese, la cour secrète des arcanes | 2002 | |
| Gandahar (Light Years) | 1988 | [4] |
| How Wang-Fo Was Saved | 1987 |
In popular culture
Canadian animator and cartoonist Guy Delisle documented his experiences whilst working at the SEK Studio in his graphic novel, Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea.[23] because SEK studio subcontracted the Corto Maltese animation.
See also
- Korean animation
- List of animation studios
References
- Yonhap News (December 26, 2001). 北`4.26아동영화촬영소` 아동영화 다수 창작 (in Korean). Tongil News. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- A Short History of North Korea’s Animation Industry
- "Korea SEK Company". Naenara. Archived from the original on February 13, 2005. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- "Korean-made Cartoon Films Win Popular Acclaim among Animation Film Fan[s] in Europe". PK Report from Pyongyang. The People's Korea. December 26, 2001. Archived from the original on February 23, 2002. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- Susan Kitchens (March 3, 2003). "Axis of animation". Forbes. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
- "북한 애니메이션 산업 육성, 해외진출 확대 전망" (in Korean). Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- "북한 "SF애니 과학기술 역군 육성위한 중대한 과업"" (in Korean). April 18, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
- "韩媒:朝鲜动画达国际水准 用动画片教育孩子" (in Chinese). Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- "북한의 비교우위 산업은?...애니메이션!" (in Korean). Retrieved May 9, 2018.
- "북 대표적인 아동영화 제작소 '조선4.26아동영화촬영소'" (in Korean). Retrieved May 23, 2018.
- Fronczak, Tom. "Top 100 Most Influential Animation Studios of All-Time". Retrieved October 12, 2012.
- "中 북한 대중투자 금지 조치의 영향은?" (in Korean). Retrieved February 28, 2019.
- "SEK Animation Studio [kp]". IMDb. Retrieved October 12, 2012.
- "Title not available" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Culture & Travel Institute. 2012. pp. 138–39. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- "North Korean animation industry, Expansion into overseas markets" (in Korean). Retrieved April 24, 2018.
- "Mondo tv S.P.A - LIBRARY Pocahontas".
- Khorsand, Solmaz (April 2007). "Knuddelachse". Datum (in German). Archived from the original on July 17, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- Park Chan-Kyong (February 5, 2007). "North Korea supplies laughs as well as lethal weapons". North Korean Economy Watch. AFP.
- "Mondo tv S.P.A - LIBRARY Simba the King Lion".
- Russell, Mark (August 31, 2005). "Uniting the Two Koreas, in Animated Films at Least". The New York Times.
- "A Short History of North Korea's Animation Industry".
- "North Korean animation industry, Expansion into overseas markets" 남북 애니메이션 교류 백서 (PDF) (in Korean). Retrieved February 1, 2019.
- Delisle, Guy (2004). Pyongyang: A Journey into North Korean. Montreal: Drawn and Quarterly.