Jetlag Productions
Encyclopedia
Jetlag Productions was an American
-Japan
ese animation
studio that, just like the similar studio Golden Films
, has created a number of animated films based on different, popular children's stories, while at the same time creating a few original productions. Produced mainly for the American market, the films were animated in Japan
by KKC&D Asia among South Korean
companies and were later released directly to VHS
through the GoodTimes Home Video
distribution
company. Years later, with the introduction of DVD
, a newer department of the same company, GoodTimes Home Entertainment
, distributed the films in that new format. The films in Jetlag's catalog were dubbed
into many different languages and were distributed by international departments of the GoodTimes corporation. Since 2005, the Gaiam
company has held the copyrights to Jetlag Productions' animated films, following GoodTimes Entertainment's filing for bankruptcy.
" in 1990 and "Conan the Adventurer
" in 1992 until it was approached by Joe, Ken and Stan Cayre (known artistically as the Cayre Brothers) of GoodTimes Entertainment. The company then replaced Golden Films
as GoodTimes' provider of budget animated productions when the contract with that company expired. Under the name of their new establishment, the Cayre Brothers produced a series of animated films that were very similar to those from Golden Films in style. Beginning their releases in 1994 Jetlag Productions produced a total of seventeen different animated films, thirteen adaptations of existing material and four original features. All seventeen films were around 45 minutes in length and were released as direct-to-video
VHS
features under the "GoodTimes" name by GoodTimes Home Video
. Their last release was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was released on April 30th, 1996, just before GoodTimes turned to a new company, Blye Migicovsky Productions for their new line of animation releases. Jetlag Productions' films were revived on DVD under a "Collectible Classics" label in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment. The new releases were widely available until GoodTimes filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and all assets were transferred to Gaiam
.
, Jetlag Productions did not rely on familiar classical
compositions as the soundtrack to their films (the only exception would be Heidi
, which featured a variation of Edvard Grieg
's "Morning Mood
"). Instead, a variety of original compositions was created from scratch, produced by Andrew Dimitroff.
(1995) and Little Red Riding Hood
(1995) among others. Though these musical numbers were placed into the films in often formulaic patterns, there were a few exceptions: A Christmas Carol (1994) was the only film to not feature an opening musical number while Hercules (1995) was unusual in that it ended with an instrumental rather than a vocal version of "Son of Zeus". Though the vast majority of the songs were performed by off-screen voices, Snow White
(1995)'s "Hip Hip Hooray", Magic Gift of the Snowman (1995)'s "Sleep and Dream", Cinderella (1994)'s "(It's the) Chance of a Lifetime" and Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994)'s "Out on My Own" were sung by actual characters within the films;
Cinderella (1994)'s "When Love Has Gone Away" was the only duet performed by characters from the film, Cinderella and the prince, respectively.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studio that, just like the similar studio Golden Films
Golden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
, has created a number of animated films based on different, popular children's stories, while at the same time creating a few original productions. Produced mainly for the American market, the films were animated in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by KKC&D Asia among South Korean
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
companies and were later released directly to VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
through the GoodTimes Home Video
GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
distribution
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
company. Years later, with the introduction of DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
, a newer department of the same company, GoodTimes Home Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
, distributed the films in that new format. The films in Jetlag's catalog were dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
into many different languages and were distributed by international departments of the GoodTimes corporation. Since 2005, the Gaiam
Gaiam
Gaiam is a "lifestyle company" that sells products catered toward healthy and sustainable living.Gaiam is probably best known for fitness media, such as its award-winning yoga routine videos taught by well-known instructors such as Rodney Yee....
company has held the copyrights to Jetlag Productions' animated films, following GoodTimes Entertainment's filing for bankruptcy.
History
Jetlag Productions started out as a small animation company assisting in the productions of such series as "The New Adventures of He-ManThe New Adventures of He-Man
The New Adventures of He-Man is an animated series which ran in syndication in the fall of 1990 while Mattel released the toy line He-Man, an update of their successful Masters of the Universe line...
" in 1990 and "Conan the Adventurer
Conan the Adventurer (animated series)
Conan the Adventurer is an American animated television series adaptation of Conan the Barbarian, the literary character created by Robert E. Howard in the 1930s. Produced by Jetlag Productions and Sunbow Productions, the series debuted on September 12, 1992, ran for 65 episodes and concluded on...
" in 1992 until it was approached by Joe, Ken and Stan Cayre (known artistically as the Cayre Brothers) of GoodTimes Entertainment. The company then replaced Golden Films
Golden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
as GoodTimes' provider of budget animated productions when the contract with that company expired. Under the name of their new establishment, the Cayre Brothers produced a series of animated films that were very similar to those from Golden Films in style. Beginning their releases in 1994 Jetlag Productions produced a total of seventeen different animated films, thirteen adaptations of existing material and four original features. All seventeen films were around 45 minutes in length and were released as direct-to-video
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
features under the "GoodTimes" name by GoodTimes Home Video
GoodTimes Entertainment
GoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
. Their last release was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which was released on April 30th, 1996, just before GoodTimes turned to a new company, Blye Migicovsky Productions for their new line of animation releases. Jetlag Productions' films were revived on DVD under a "Collectible Classics" label in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment. The new releases were widely available until GoodTimes filed for bankruptcy in 2005 and all assets were transferred to Gaiam
Gaiam
Gaiam is a "lifestyle company" that sells products catered toward healthy and sustainable living.Gaiam is probably best known for fitness media, such as its award-winning yoga routine videos taught by well-known instructors such as Rodney Yee....
.
Fairy tale and short story adaptations
- CinderellaCinderella (1994 film)Cinderella, originally released directly to video in 1994, is a 48-minute animated film adapted from the classic fairy tale, "Cinderella" by Charles Perrault...
(1994), based on Charles PerraultCharles PerraultCharles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
's fairy tale "CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
" - Jungle Book (1995), based on the "Mowgli" stories from Rudyard KiplingRudyard KiplingJoseph Rudyard Kipling was an English poet, short-story writer, and novelist chiefly remembered for his celebration of British imperialism, tales and poems of British soldiers in India, and his tales for children. Kipling received the 1907 Nobel Prize for Literature...
's The Jungle BookThe Jungle BookThe Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
(1894) - Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood (1995 film)Little Red Riding Hood is a 48-minute direct-to-video animated film produced by Jetlag Productions. It was distributed by GoodTimes Home Video and originally released on VHS on July 31, 1995. The film was produced by Mark Taylor and directed by Toshiyuki Hiruma Takashi...
(1995), based on Charles PerraultCharles PerraultCharles Perrault was a French author who laid the foundations for a new literary genre, the fairy tale, with his works derived from pre-existing folk tales. The best known include Le Petit Chaperon rouge , Cendrillon , Le Chat Botté and La Barbe bleue...
's fairy tale "Little Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding HoodLittle Red Riding Hood, also known as Little Red Cap, is a French fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings....
" - The Nutcracker (1995), based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's short story, "The Nutcracker and the Mouse KingThe Nutcracker and the Mouse KingThe Nutcracker and the Mouse King is a story written in 1816 by E. T. A. Hoffmann in which young Marie Stahlbaum's favorite Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil Mouse King in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls...
" (1816) - Sleeping BeautySleeping Beauty (1995 film)Originally released directly to video in 1995, Sleeping Beauty is a 48-minute animated film adapted from the classic fairy tale, "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault...
(1995), based on Charles Perrault's fairy tale "Sleeping BeautySleeping BeautySleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
" - Snow WhiteSnow White (1995 film)Originally released directly to video in 1995, Snow White is a 46-minute animated film based on the classic story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the Brothers Grimm...
(1995), based on Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm's fairy tale "Snow WhiteSnow White"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
"
Myths and legends adaptations
- HerculesHercules (1995 film)Hercules is a 1995 film that is about the story of the Greek demigod Hercules, the son of Zeus and Alcmene. While the original story was more violent, this version toned down certain elements like removing Zeus' disguise as Amphitryon to seduce Alcmene, the killing of his children to make a more...
(1995), based on the legend of HerculesHerculesHercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
from Greek mythologyGreek mythologyGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece... - PocahontasPocahontas (1994 film)Pocahontas is a 45-minute direct-to-video animated film produced by Jetlag Productions. It was distributed by GoodTimes Home Video and originally released on October 19, 1994. The film was produced by Mark Taylor and directed by Toshiyuki Hiruma. Writer Jack Olesker adapted the script from the...
(1994), also known as The Adventures of Pocahontas: Indian Princess, based on the life of PocahontasPocahontasPocahontas was a Virginia Indian notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the head of a network of tributary tribal nations in Tidewater Virginia...
Literary novel adaptations
- Alice in WonderlandAlice in Wonderland (1995 film)Originally released directly to video in 1995, Alice in Wonderland is a 46-minute animated film based on the classic novel, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll...
(1995), based on Lewis CarrollLewis CarrollCharles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
's Alice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in Wonderland is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures...
(1865) - Black Beauty (1995), based on Anna SewellAnna SewellAnna Sewell was an English novelist, best known as the author of the classic novel Black Beauty.-Biography:Anna Mary Sewell was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England into a devoutly Quaker family...
's Black BeautyBlack BeautyBlack Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only...
(1877) - A Christmas Carol (1994), based on Charles DickensCharles DickensCharles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
's A Christmas CarolA Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
(1843) - HeidiHeidi (1995 film)Originally released directly to video in 1995, Heidi is a 49-minute animated film based on the classic story of Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The movie was produced by Jetlag Productions and it was distributed to DVD in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment, as part of their "Collectible Classics" line.-...
(1995), based on Johanna SpyriJohanna SpyriJohanna Spyri was an author of children's stories, and is best known for her book Heidi. Born Johanna Louise Heusser in the rural area of Hirzel, Switzerland, as a child she spent several summers in the area around Chur in Graubünden, the setting she later would use in her novels.-Biography:In...
's HeidiHeidiHeidi is a Swiss work of fiction, published in two parts as Heidi's years of learning and travel and Heidi makes use of what she has learned.It is a novel about the events in the life of a young girl in her grandfather's care, in the Swiss Alps...
(1880) - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), based on Victor HugoVictor HugoVictor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's Notre-Dame de Paris (1831)
Original works
- Happy, the Littlest Bunny (1994), written by Larry Hartstein
- Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994), written by George BloomGeorge Arthur BloomGeorge Arthur Bloom is an American screenwriter known for his work on Nelvana television titles such as The Magic School Bus and Cyberchase. He also wrote the pilot for The Transformers. In 1980, he was a scriptwriter for Disney's The Last Flight of Noah's Ark...
- Curly, the Littlest Puppy (1995), written by Larry Hartstein
- Magic Gift of the Snowman (1995), written by Larry Hartstain
Music
Unlike its predecessor Golden FilmsGolden Films
Golden Films is an American production studio founded in 1992 by Diane Eskenazi. The studio produces direct to video animated features. Many of its animated titles tell the same stories as popular Disney films.- Distribution :...
, Jetlag Productions did not rely on familiar classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
compositions as the soundtrack to their films (the only exception would be Heidi
Heidi (1995 film)
Originally released directly to video in 1995, Heidi is a 49-minute animated film based on the classic story of Heidi by Johanna Spyri. The movie was produced by Jetlag Productions and it was distributed to DVD in 2002 by GoodTimes Entertainment, as part of their "Collectible Classics" line.-...
, which featured a variation of Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
's "Morning Mood
Morning Mood
Morning Mood is a composition belonging to Edvard Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46. This composition is often used in films, television commercials, and shows . The piece depicts the rising of the sun. Along with In the Hall of the Mountain King, Morning Mood is one of Grieg's best known works....
"). Instead, a variety of original compositions was created from scratch, produced by Andrew Dimitroff.
Original songs
As a general rule that went unbroken in all of their seventeen animated films, each film featured three original songs performed by a variety of singers. Jetlag Productions' successor for GoodTimes Entertainment, Blye Migicovsky Productions, continued this trend in their films. The instrumental bases to these original songs were sometimes used as part of the soundtrack outside the main musical numbers, as was the case in HerculesHercules (1995 film)
Hercules is a 1995 film that is about the story of the Greek demigod Hercules, the son of Zeus and Alcmene. While the original story was more violent, this version toned down certain elements like removing Zeus' disguise as Amphitryon to seduce Alcmene, the killing of his children to make a more...
(1995) and Little Red Riding Hood
Little Red Riding Hood (1995 film)
Little Red Riding Hood is a 48-minute direct-to-video animated film produced by Jetlag Productions. It was distributed by GoodTimes Home Video and originally released on VHS on July 31, 1995. The film was produced by Mark Taylor and directed by Toshiyuki Hiruma Takashi...
(1995) among others. Though these musical numbers were placed into the films in often formulaic patterns, there were a few exceptions: A Christmas Carol (1994) was the only film to not feature an opening musical number while Hercules (1995) was unusual in that it ended with an instrumental rather than a vocal version of "Son of Zeus". Though the vast majority of the songs were performed by off-screen voices, Snow White
Snow White (1995 film)
Originally released directly to video in 1995, Snow White is a 46-minute animated film based on the classic story, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the Brothers Grimm...
(1995)'s "Hip Hip Hooray", Magic Gift of the Snowman (1995)'s "Sleep and Dream", Cinderella (1994)'s "(It's the) Chance of a Lifetime" and Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994)'s "Out on My Own" were sung by actual characters within the films;
Cinderella (1994)'s "When Love Has Gone Away" was the only duet performed by characters from the film, Cinderella and the prince, respectively.
Musicians
The credits attributed to the different composers and writers of the original soundtrack were listed in a formulaic manner in all seventeen animated productions, and were thus never associated with their actual compositions or performances. Among these credits, the following artists were credited as:- Music producer: Andrew Dimitroff
- Composers: Nick Carr, Ray Crossley and Andrew Dimitroff
- Lyricist: Joellyn Cooperman
Credited musicians:
- Ray Crossley
- Andrew Dimitroff
- Milcho Leviev
- Mel Steinberg
- Leslie Woodbury
Uncredited vocalist performers:
- Kathleen BarrKathleen BarrKathleen Barr is a Canadian voice actress. She is also the sister of Professor Mark Lyle Barr at Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Filmography:...
(as the voice of a young lion in Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994), performing "Out on My Own") - Gary ChalkGary Chalk (actor)Gary Chalk is an English-born Canadian actor, tri-national US-Canadian-UK citizen and voice artist. He has lend hit voice in over 30 animated television series and has been in films such as The Fly II and Freddy vs. Jason....
(as the voice of Leo in Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle (1994), performing "I'm a Really Nice Guy") - Wendy K. Hamilton-Caddey (for songs such as "A Little Bit of Magic," "The Season of Love," "Keep Christmas in Your Heart" and "Land of Pocahontas" among others)