Reading · Studio Secrets · RSS Amplifier

This page did not load. You can still read it on the original site — the toolbar below keeps your place in the directory.

Several years ago, I got an exciting email from Cartoon Network. They asked if I had any show concepts I’d want to pitch for their new (and sadly now defunct) preschool programming block called Cartoonito.

Although I’ve been a freelance character designer for ages, I had never even considered creating an animated series before and had zero knowledge on where to begin. Apart from my singular year working on Dot, I also had barely any actual production experience.

I spent several months researching and developing a pitch bible with the help of more experienced friends and trusty Google.

And so, I created HELLO WORLD.

Subscribe now

Although CN liked the idea, they proposed some changes that would’ve strayed too far away from my concept so it didn’t work out. I considered pitching to some other places, but then I got carried away with book-work and now it seems like no one is picking up original content with the current state of the industry.

SO, today I am sharing my pitch bible! I hope you enjoy this, and if any executives or editors are reading this, let me know if you wanna do something with it haha.

Let’s start with an intro!

Hi! I'm Anoosha Syed. Here's an interesting fact about me: I was born in Karachi, Pakistan but only lived there for three months. I moved away because of my dad's job at an international company, and I actually moved around a lot during my childhood. So far, I have lived in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Switzerland, the US and Canada. I speak three languages and attended seven different schools, all before turning 18. I am also a Third Culture Kid. Third Culture Kid: A person who spends a majority of their childhood years in a culture other than the parents' culture and develops a sense of relationship to all of the cultures while not having a full ownership in any. That's why I hate hearing the question, "Where are you from?" I have no idea! I'm a culmination of all my experiences!

I know l had a very unique upbringing. As a kid it was a bit difficult since I was always the new kid and would have to leave friends behind, but as an adult I am just so grateful and feel privileged for this childhood. By moving around I was able to experience and absorb so many different cultures. The schools I attended were international schools, built specifically for children of expats, military brats and missionary kids. The student body was extremely diverse with kids from literally all over the world; speaking different languages and bringing in different school lunches, from vegemite to samosas. The schools placed a big emphasis on celebrating these differences; we observed a variety of religious holidays to encourage acceptance and even had a yearly event called 'International Day. jeddah, saudi arabia 1999 Students would wear their traditional outfits, hold student-lead performances like river-dancing or a sitar solo, and there were stalls representing every country where you could sample food and learn more about the countries your classmates were from. Having a global upbringing absolutely shaped me into the person I am today, and I believe that exposing yourself to different cultures is incredibly important to broaden your view of the world and encourage empathy and inclusion, especially in the hyper-connected world we live in today.

And now we talk about the show itself:

What is the Show About? Hello World is a pre-school series that follows Aleena, a six-year old Pakistani-American girl who moves around frequently because of her mom's career. Inspired by the travel shows Aleena watches with her dad, she decides to vlog her experiences to share with us. In a travel documentary style format, every episode we see Aleena in a new school in a new country. Making the most of her new environment, Aleena absorbs as much as she can. Along with her parents and new friends, she'll explore the city, try new cuisines and cultural activities, and learn about the local history. Aleena might be in France in one episode, and in Indonesia the next. Whether it's a new word in another language, some yummy food her classmate brought in, or a cultural landmark she visited on a field trip, she is always learning something new about the world around us as well as the extraordinary people who inhabit it

In this day and age where we are seeing such a rise in hatred in all forms, I believe a large part of it is a lack of empathy to people ‘other’ from you. This show is essentially a children’s version of Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown, where the goal is education through an emotional connection.

NOTE: Cultural exchange is such a nuanced topic that needs to be approached in a sensitive way. I created this pitch several years ago and my views have evolved a bit since then.

The message of the show is curiosity, exploration, and empathy. I believe that exposing yourself to new cultures, whether through travel or more accessible experiences, benefits everyone by broadening your perception of the world, correcting misconceptions and prejudices, and generally realizing that in the end we're all just human. With Hello World, I want children to learn about countries they might not have visited before and show things about these new cultures that might be similar (that all kids love to play, and draw, and laugh), and some things that are different (things like food, education, or clothing) than what our viewers are used to. I hope that after watching each episode, a child might look further into these cultures on their own. If they see Aleena trying Ethiopian beyainatu, they might try to see if there are any Ethiopian restaurants in their city. If Aleena is learning a new language, a child might try to pick up a word or two as well. And if they see that Aleena is making an effort to pronounce her classmates names correctly, they might keep that in mind too. Because the show is set in classrooms around the world, I hope to show that whether Aleena is visiting Peru, Australia, or India, in the end all the kids she meets are just like you.

While Hello World is broadly inspired by travel shows, it is basically Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown... for kids. Like Parts Unknown, Hello World will dive deep into exploring different cultures; from food, to art, to media, but bringing it down to a kid's-eye-view. There is also a touch of The Wild Thornberries; minus the magic. This was one of my most loved shows as a kid, but my favourite part was always seeing a new country featured in every episode. I was especially excited to see Pakistan shown in one episode since I had never seen my home country shown in a positive light in the media I consumed before. While The Wild Thornberries was focused on nature, Hello World is rooted in people and culture. In the end, Hello World is something entirely new, and a theme that hasn't fully been explored in preschool media yet.

Episode Structure Details: 22min episodes for preschool (episodic) Every episode will take place in a new location and I hope to showcase cities that normally don't get much attention in children's media. Half of the episode would take place in a school environment (either in class, on a field trip, or interacting with her classmates), and the other half would be exploring the city with her parents (eating at local restaurants, exploring nature, and taking part in activities). Aleena will have a 'guest' on her vlog; a classmate, teacher, friend or assigned buddy who is a local of the city and our eyes into this new environment. Aleena will also interview 'experts, for further insight into the things she is learning in the episode. For example, a restaurant owner, a crafts person or a museum tour guide. At the end of the episode, Aleena discusses what she has learned in that week.

I am so passionate about children’s education!!! We are not creating any slop here today, friends.

Every episode, Aleena will learn four new things about the city she's in using the four main learning styles: Visual (images) • Visiting Local Museums • Studying about art, architecture and art movements Exploring the natural landscape and the animals that live there Learning about their traditional outfits and origins Auditory (listening and speaking) • Learning a new language • Listening to local music • Learning a new instrument Reading & Writing (words) • Learning the local alphabet • Reading famous texts/books from the region • Learning about local forms of writing like haiku Learning about the local history Kinesthetic (hand-on) • Taking a class of a local craft • Learning a dance • Cooking and tasting a local dish and ingredient • Understanding local customs, in school and at home

Aleena Adil (6) Six-year old Aleena is the friendliest kid you'll ever meet. She loves to make new friends, and will chat your ear off with her endless questions if given the chance. Because of her mother's job, the Adil family relocates frequently. This means Aleena is usually the new kid at a new school but she's able to fit right in with her cheery personality. She's always ready to try new things and will taste any 'weird' local snack you give her. Since Aleena is a child, she might accidentally be careless with her questions. She might bring in preconceived notions of the new country she's in, like asking an Arab friend if she rides camels to school (someone actually asked me this when I lived in Dubai!). But Aleena will readily accept when she's wrong and correct herself. halohalo Aleena started a travel vlog with the help of her dad as a way to record her experiences in each of the countries she visits and share anything new she learns that week.

Hamza and Mariam Adil (33) Mariam is Aleena's mom and was recently promoted to a global assignment that requires her to relocate frequently, working in a Historic Preservation organization. Like Aleena, she's always ready for new experiences! Through her work in an international company she's able to adapt easily and as a polyglot, she knows enough local phrases to get around each city. She always seems to 'know a guy, so if Aleena ever needs an expert on her vlog, Mariam can have them on! Hamza is Aleena's dad; He works as a freelance web developer and he has the flexibility to work from home and travel with Mariam. As a tech-savvy guy, Hamza helped Aleena set up her vlog and now manages it for her. While he loves watching travel documentaries, he hasn't travelled as much as Mariam has so he's a bit of a fish-out-of-water in these new environments. Although Hamza may be a bit more hesitant to try out new things, after a little push he'll (usually) end up loving it. While most of the show takes place in Aleena's school, her parents do make an appearance when exploring the neighborhood and attractions.

Zain Adil (3) Zain is Aleena's baby brother! Unlike the ever-curious Aleena, Zain is more hesitant to try new things. He's a bit of a picky eater, preferring his chicken nuggets over escargot, and would rather run through the halls of an art museum touching everything, than sit and look at the art. But Zain is adventurous in his own ways; he's messy and playful and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. His favorite part of traveling is discovering new animals (and trying to convince Mom to adopt them all). Zain adores his big sister and acts as her little assistant, even if he doesn't fully understand what he's doing. But trailing after Aleena when she goes off her adventures is enough for Zain!

Aleena's Classmates Because each episode takes place in a new school, we have an ever-changing cast of international characters. Although we will continuously see new students and friends, each episode will introduce a main classmate who is assigned as her buddy and is the featured 'guest' on her show. This guest would be our guide around the new school and the city, and would share their culture with Aleena. It's important that all these guest characters are diverse; while they will likely all be Aleena's age, we want to have kids of different races, body types, family backgrounds, social/economic backgrounds, religions etc.

This show would probably get super expensive haha. Like, what do you mean we have an entirely new cast and location every episode. Nothing is usable, even their home??? What a budget nightmare lol

Appropriation vs Appreciation We are never trying to appropriate any cultures. Aleena doesn't wear these cultures as a costume or indulge on a surface level; she will always aim to understand and appreciate local customs and traditions fully and with respect. Through her guests and classmates, she will ask genuine questions and invite them to share their stories and experiences. Hello World should avoid a 'touristy/voyeuristic' approach; while Aleena is our protagonist, she is essentially the framing device for the show. Our weekly 'guest' classmate is our secondary protagonist, and it is important that they are given a proper voice and outlet to share their culture, without being talked over by Aleena. It is also important to focus on sustainable tourism. This includes habits like avoiding animal tourism, supporting local businesses, minimizing negative impact on locals, environment and wildlife, and respecting local customs. Because Aleena is human, she makes mistakes. She will have preconceived notions about a culture or wariness to try something new which is usually the conflict of an episode. But in the end, Aleena will always learn and correct herself.

I did also create a few sample episode synopsis’s, but upon rereading I’m not super happy with how they turned out, so we’re skipping that haha.

Instead, here’s some concept art!

Aleena vlogging at the end of the episode:

Aleena’s family exploring the city and interviewing a local expert on their craft:

Our secondary protagonist of the week; a local new classmate who is sharing their culture on Aleena’s show.

And that’s it!!!

I don’t think there’s any future for HELLO WORLD; the animation industry isn’t doing too hot right now and I wouldn’t even know where to begin for something indie.

I have considered reshaping parts of this for an early reader series, but I would have to figure out what to do with the vlogging framing device which I love so much…. Maybe one day (hit me up, editors!).

Would love to hear your thoughts on this or any feedback you have, and where Aleena should move to next.

ANYWAY THANKS BYE!

Thanks for reading Studio Secrets! If you like juicy BTS content liek this, subscribe for free to receive new posts about illustration and creating a sustainable creative business.

I pitched an animated TV series to Cartoon Network

And so, I created HELLO WORLD.

Let’s start with an intro!

And now we talk about the show itself:

Let’s meet our cast!

Instead, here’s some concept art!

Comments