FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, November 30, 2006
CT Treasurer’s Office Partners with Innovative Non-profit to Develop State-of-the-Art Financial Education Animations for Youth; New Music Video Series Debuts on TV This Weekend
Local Youth Learn the Art and Business of Animation While Working Hands-On; Partnership to Help Teach Young People Key Financial Lessons
HARTFORD -- State Treasurer Denise L. Nappier and the Hartford Animation Institute (HAI) today launched of a series of original, locally-developed, animated music videos highlighting financial education themes, aimed at teaching young people important lessons about using money responsibly. The first three, in what is expected to be a series of six, videos will begin airing this weekend on FOX61, and will be telecast beginning in January by Comcast on its Connecticut cable systems and nationally by the Black Family Channel.
The series of 90-second video shorts is called “Big Time Saver,” and features the “Scruples” characters. The characters were developed by the Hartford Animation Institute, a non-profit organization that mentors local youth in the art and business of high-tech digital animation. The founder, Joe Young, developed “Scruples” for other youth-related initiatives, and worked with the Treasurer’s office to develop themes, storyboards and lyrics for the financial education video shorts.
The videos are geared to kids ages 7-12, and present the financial lessons using modern music and high-tech animation. Plans are in the works for the videos to be available on the Connecticut Treasury’s website, and to be made available to teachers for use in conjunction with classroom instruction on money-related topics. Additional initiatives featuring the characters to promote savings and financial themes are also under discussion.
The first three financial education videos featuring the Scruples characters are:
Big Time Saver – focuses on the importance of saving money for one’s future, including the concept of interest
Save Your Money - highlights saving money for college, and the greater likelihood of financial success resulting from higher education
No Debt, It’s My Rep - introduces the concept of paying one’s debts
Treasurer Nappier has made advancing financial literacy a hallmark of her administration, working collaboratively with community-based and faith-based organizations and the business community to promote financial education statewide, including programs aimed at young people, women, and underserved communities.
“As a state, we must do everything we can to provide our young people with the financial education foundation they’ll need to succeed, and initiatives like this speak directly to the audience we’re trying to reach,” Nappier said. “Working with the extraordinarily talented professionals and students at the Hartford Animation Institute in creating this series has been exceptional, and I commend their creativity and dedication in helping us to get more young people tuned in to the importance of saving and managing their money responsibly.”
"These animated cartoons will be effective because it teaches youth financial responsibility through a fun vehicle," said Joe Young, Executive Director of the Hartford Animation Institute, a non-profit, education, training and employment program created specifically for the purpose of teaching the art and business of digital animation.
Students from WEAVER High School, QUIRK Middle, AND MILNER ELEMENTARY Schools participated in the artistic rendering of the characters and storyboards utilized in the videos, as well as the computer animation process. They worked with professionals including RICHARD FERGUSON-HULL of the Cartoon Network and MYRTON BEWRY A FORMER NICKOLODEON AND DC AND MARVEL COMICS STAFF ARTIST. In addition, 7 students, most from Hartford, provided the voices for the seven cartoon characters included in the videos. The students spend the past 8 months working on the project. STUDENTS ASSISTED HAI ARTISTS IN PRE AND POST CONCEPT MEETINGS, VOICE OVERS, SINGING AND COLORING CHARACTERS AND BACKGROUNDS.
Initial funding for development of the financial education video series was provided by Bank of America in Connecticut. (Reference: Bank of America, Susan Rottner, President of Bank of America – Connecticut.)
Richard Ferguson-Hull, a long-time animation director at the Cartoon Network noted for his work on the Adult Swim animated program Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, was a technical advisor on the Big Time Saver video series. As an animation director at the Cartoon Network, Ferguson-Hull is in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated film or animated segment for a live-action film.
“In addition to kids having fun working and learning about animation on this project it can a be a catalyst to a job opportunity in animation,” says Richard Ferguson-Hull
Also among those supporting the initiative are Grammy Award winning artist Wanya Morris of popular R&B hip-hop music group Boyz II Men, who commented that "educating kids on finance through Scruples is cool. I wish I had this education as a kid, I'd be even farther along." Morris
With the support of local businesses, commercial time worth approximately $700.00 has been purchased during the Saturday morning cartoon block on FOX 61 for Saturday, December 2 (between 7AM and 12 Noon) to debut the financial education videos. Additional time is being purchased later in the month, and FOX 61 is providing additional broadcast time in support of the initiative.
Comcast will begin airing the videos in January on youth-oriented channels on its cable franchises throughout Connecticut as part of its public service programming. In addition, Comcast will be working with HAI and the State Treasurer’s Office to provide additional support on the issue of financial education for young people.
The Black Family Channel, which can be seen on Comcast, Cox, and cable systems in Connecticut, will telecast the financial education videos beginning in (month). The Black Family Channel is America’s only minority owned and operated, 24-hour cable network committed to providing quality entertainment for the entire family. The mission of Black Family Channel is to entertain, inform and empower urban communities with family programming.
Connecticut’s Department of Education also supports the development of the financial education video series.
“The State Department of Education salutes the tremendous collaboration between the State Treasurer’s Office and the Hartford Animation Institute for their work to help educate our youth about responsible money management. It is never too early to teach students how to manage their money wisely and the “Big Time Saver” videos will go a long way to do that,” said George A. Coleman, Interim Commissioner of Education. “Our state is proud to have had our students play an integral role in the production of this national project.”
The videos were developed at the Hartford Animation Institute studios at the WEST END COMMUNITY CENTER, 461 FARMINGTON AVENUE, HARTFORD, CT, HAI also offers evening classes at the CRT Youth Art & Technology Center, 1445 Main Street, in Hartford.
To learn more, visit www.state.ct.us/ott (State Treasurer’s Office) or www.scrupleskids.com
Additional material included in Media Kit:
List of local businesses support broadcast of financial education videos on FOX 61
Scripts and Lyrics
Character Sketches
Background on Scruples characters
Background on Connecticut Treasurer’s Office – Hartford Animation Institute collaboration
Contact: Bernard L. Kavaler
Director of Communication
(860) 702-3277 FAX (860) 702-3043
BERNARD.KAVALER@PO.STATE.CT.US |
