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On this week’s show, we speak with Michael Logan, the Content Director for International News at Next Animation Studio. For more than half a decade, his studio has been cranking out animated renderings of the news. Some of these animations offer a straight, by the numbers depiction of serious news stories; some, however, take a more irreverent approach, skewering news stories with incisive visual comedy and a distinctive animation style.

The latter has gained a degree of international notoriety: just Google the phrase “those crazy Taiwanese animators” and you’ll get a sense of the international response to their work.

In this interview, we discuss the turbo charged animation process that allows Next Animation Studio to keep up with a global news cycle, the changing role of animation in news media, and how the studio is working to update its product to keep up with changing technology.

Check out their Tomo News service here, or get a feel for how they approach the serious stuff, here.

About Taiwan Talk

Taiwan Talk is ICRT’s weekly interview segment bringing you conversations from and about Taiwan. It broadcasts every Monday during the 8am and 6pm newscasts.

Find past episodes here, or learn more about Taiwan Talk at the show page here.