www.anashinteractive.com (This link is not
to NHK online.)
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Anash Interactive is a stand-alone site also created to accompany the half-hour animated children's television series, Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock. The television series tells the fictional tale of Anash, an Aboriginal boy bestowed with the mission to re-unite the shattered parts of the Sun-Rock in order to fulfill a prophecy to attain peace amongst the Tlingit people and protect a fragile land. In addition to its roots in Tlingit oral history, Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock has elements similar to The Lord of the Rings in that it is inspired by classic myths that recount the elaborate tale of an epic and grand quest. The interactive content is eclectic in its design, incorporating flash animation and appeals to the senses with vivid colors and intriguing sound effects. n addition to the rich content including webisodes, vidocasts, and podcasts, children can make their own stories and comics by using many visual items provided on the site. Anash Interactive will offer insight into their own personal values, and by sharing their creations with others, reveals the differences and commonalities of cultures across the country and around the world.
Anash Interactive is evaluated highly not only by the JAPAN PRIZE but also by Canadian and international festivals, and received Gold Remi Prize at WorldFest in the U.S.A and Silver Prize at World Media Festival in Germany.
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A wonderful thing about JAPAN PRIZE, and education overall, is that we can celebrate new methods without sacrificing appreciation for the traditional. This is the first time that linear TV and interactive media have competed side by side for the JAPAN PRIZE, and the winning entry in the Primary category applies tools of the 21st century, extends children’s enjoyment of a popular animated television series, and immerses young people in the stories and culture of an aboriginal people.
Visitors can watch webisodes of the animated stories, look behind the scenes of the TV production, and see features on the indigenous people at the project’s heart. Then, young people are given a powerful and visually-rich set of writing and illustrating tools, to create and share online their own graphic legends. The site can be used effectively by children independently, or in schools as part of language arts or social studies curricula. |
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Ava Johanna Karvonen
President Reel Girls Media
The Tlingit (pronounced Klink-it) are thought to be one of the oldest indigenous cultures in North America. Numbering 5,000 in the early 1800’s, the Tlingit maintained a warrior culture based on ancient laws and rituals. Today, fewer than 100 people speak Tlingit as their first language in Canada, putting it and Tlingit culture on the brink of extinction. When Reel Girls Media set out to create Anash Interactive, not only did we want to create an online project where kids and their families could create their own comics and stories, we wanted to introduce people to the Tlingit and their culture. Webisodes, Vidcasts and Podcasts featuring Tlingit voices and stories can be found in the Longhouse and Pre-loaders offer cool facts and information about the Tlingit. We created a virtual world as a user interface similar to a gaming environment so kids would see this as a destination to have fun and play games, not as a learning object. In addition to meeting the Tlingit they can also create their own stories and comics using digital assets (characters and artwork) from the series, watch webisodes, play games, build puzzles and read stories created by other users. Anash Interactive was produced as an online companion to an animated television series but it is also a stand-alone destination. Visit us online at www.anashinteractive.com.
The production team at Reel Girls Media is proud to receive the prestigious Japan Prize for our "modern-day efforts" to help preserve and honour an ancient culture. |
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