WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?
A new animated movie based on a book by HM the King is about to hit the big screen
It’s that time of the year when the cinema becomes animated, with cartoon dinosaurs and robots providing family fun in time for the holiday season. But this year there’s a difference — it will be domestic animators who are trying to wow us.
Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations, which hits cinemas on Thursday, is a film version of a 2002 biography illustrated by HM the King about his favourite adopted pet dog.
Producer Vinij Lertratanachai, 54, said he wanted to make an animated film version of the book as soon as he read it, but the former event organiser and radio presenter knew he had a steep learning curve ahead.
Vinij had worked on documentaries and musical productions in the past, but his only previous experience with animation was limited to being an occasional fan of the ’70s Japanese TV cartoon Tiger Mask.
Aware that any content based on HM the King’s publications means strictly sticking to the rules of adaptation and interpretation, he said it never occurred to him that the project was a risky move.
“I’ve never regarded [making the movie] as a challenge. I would’ve never thought of making it in the first place if my intent was to take a risk, or to conquer the impossible,” he said.
“We could have selected any story by any author and worked our way through the production process right away without all the odds and ends. But that was not our initial intention.”
During his early work in turning the book into an animated movie, Vinij discovered the virtues that made Khun Thong Daeng a role model for humans.
“Khun Thong Daeng, as I found in the book, was incredibly intuitive and well aware of the surroundings. Not to mention the fact that she gave her full respect and loyalty to her owner as well.
“I was simply amazed by Khun Thong Daeng’s impeccable nature and thought it would touch many hearts the same way as it did to me,” he said. “Yet, I also believed that if we were to retell the story, then it should be done through a perspective where we could add comedic, dramatic and even fantasy elements to it as well, not just focusing on the biographical aspect of it. So, that was when the idea of creating an animated film came along.”
Vinij had previously worked with the Bureau of the Royal Household in producing Mahajanaka the Musical last December and was the executive producer of a documentary, The Greatest of The Kings, The Greetings of The Land, in 2012. “After I proposed my idea to Distorn Vajarodaya, the Grand Chamberlain of the Royal Household, we came to the conclusion of using the book as an inspiration,” he said.
“Children of this generation may not have had the chance to read the book, since it was released more than 10 years ago. But the story is definitely worth retelling.
“I hope this movie will be one of the tools that introduce people, especially children, to the many good things about Khun Thong Daeng.” Made with a budget of 150 million baht over two years, Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations revolves around three dog-centred animated tales, by three studios — Imagimax Studios, Monk Studios and Workpoint Studios. For coherence, the three studios were asked to create a story based on Khun Thong Daeng’s principled characteristics as depicted in the book.
Mah Wad (Mid-Road) by Imagimax Studios tells the story of stray dog Jorn, who is adopted by an elderly monk and becomes a temple dog (commonly referred to in Thai as mah wad). In this segment, the theme of gratitude is demonstrated through the canine’s courage to lead his pack to fight thieves who harm the elderly monk and the temple.
Created by Monk Studios, which has been credited for work behind Hollywood animated films and series like Rango and Star Wars: Detours, Thong Lor depicts the heartwarming relationship between a grandmother, a blind girl named Fah and the family’s white dog. It conveys how a dog can be intelligently helpful and unconditionally loyal to his owner.
The third story, Little Copper from Workpoint Studios, takes the audience into the future, with every character taking the form of distorted robots. It is in this world where the audience sees how even the most worthless things can be treasured.
The three films are finally interwoven by the action of an uncle (Choosak “Nong Cha Cha Cha” I am sook) and a girl who asks him to buy her a pedigree dog. The uncle teaches her how to save money and how to value every life.
Vinij said that apart from world-class animated cinematography and lovable characters, the movie’s charm also lies in its soul, which bears the special characteristics of Thai culture.
“The three films will reflect the characteristics which I think can be commonly found in Thai society, such as the value of close families, gratitude and humbleness. We tried to emphasise those values, not only because we wanted to maintain the concept of the book, but also because these traits are what Thai people have always cherished and identified with.”
Despite being an animated film, Vinij assured viewers the movie is not child-oriented and said every member of a family can enjoy the film.
“It was our idea since we first discussed the project — to produce an animated film that people of all ages can enjoy watching. To target only young viewers was too small an audience. The most entertaining parts in the movie are not too childish, nor too difficult to understand.
“Its storyline and aesthetic techniques are able to capture the hearts of both children and adults. However, that being said, the movie is not a random mixture. Every element is based on one storyline.”
Vinij admitted that making an animated film was not easy, and that most obstacles involved budgetary issues. However, he believed he had covered many of the costs thanks to sponsorships from large companies, including Kasikorn Bank, PTT, Air Asia, Betagro, MK Suki and Sahamongkol Film, which also acts as the film’s distributor.
The production team were not only grateful for the financial support, but also thankful to the team of movie stars, singers, comedians and sports stars who gave their voices to the characters in the movie. They included Jirayu “James” Tangsrisuk, who lent his voice to the brave canine Jorn, Chanathip “Messi J” Songkrasin, whose voice was used for Jorn’s sidekick Boon Long, Patcharasri “Kalamare” Benjamas, Sarunrat “Lydia” Visutthithada and Ketsepsawat “Na Nake” Palagavongse Na Ayutthaya. The animated movie is being promoted via a tour of 50 schools, where students will get to learn about the concept as well as see exhibitions of Khun Thong Daeng. In the city centre at Parc Paragon there is also a 10-metre-high statue of Jorn, which will be there until Jan 7.
Vinij also has plans to make one of the three stories, Thong Lor, into a miniseries which will be shown on television late next year.
He has noticed that the animated film industry in Thailand has been struggling for some time and hopes that Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations will eliminate the stereotypical mindset that many Thai viewers have towards domestically produced cartoons.
Most Thai audience’s reactions are always negative when it comes to animated Thai films, and there aren’t many of them, he said.
“It’s true that we have such a small market. So a handful of our studios aimed at the international market instead. I think it’s important for our animation studios to seek ways to expand their market. Possibly we can start with our own Southeast Asian region.
“We definitely have hidden gems who create high visual quality, but not many people know that. I hope Khun Thong Daeng: The Inspirations will put Thai animation in a new light and go a long way towards dissolving the stereotype that Thai animated films have been suffering for decades. I hope Thai animated films and all of the workers in the industry will be thriving from now on.
“Animation is not something we can simply create overnight, so that’s why I’d like to maintain it for as long as possible, whether in the form of TV shows or some kind of souvenirs. Who knows, perhaps we may get to see Little Copper, Thong Lor and Jorn in a theme park one day. I think that would be really amazing. I know we are way slower than Walt Disney, but I just hope we are not too late.”