New Adventures of Ocean Girl

The **New Adventures of Ocean Girl** is an animated series that; was created; by Jonathan M. Stiff and based on the live-action 1994 television series, "Ocean Girl". It premiered on February 11, 2000 and ran for 26 episodes. Opening song "The Promised One" was performed by Tiddas.

## Story summary

The New Adventures of Ocean Girl is a mythical, enchanting tale set on the planet of Oceana. Oceana was once a peaceful planet that embraced profound knowledge and culture. The keepers of all wisdom and custodians of Oceana’s four life-giving crystals were the Sacred Whales.

Two thousand years ago, an evil Space Wizard named Galiel, stole one of the four crystals for his own greed and power. As a result, the balance of nature was upset. The polar ice caps melted and the ocean rose, reducing Oceana to a water-world. Over the years, some creatures of Oceana adapted to living in and out of the water.

Our story begins when Galiel returns to Oceana. The power from his stolen crystal is diminishing, and he is intent on finding and stealing the remaining three crystals which are hidden on the planet.

Our heroine is Princess Neri (Ocean Girl). Neri’s quest is to find the crystals, wrestle the stolen crystal from the Space Wizard and reunite all four crystals so that harmony may be restored to Oceana. She is the ‘Promised One’, spoken of in the Prophecies, who will have the strength to save the planet from ultimate disaster if the crystals are not returned in time to the Sacred Whale, Mandrool.

Princess Neri’s journey will lead her to a time of danger, discovery and adventure. With the help of her friends, she will conquer the Evil Wizard, unite the clans, and restore peace and harmony to Oceana. (link)

## Production

A team of eight artists spent 6 months designing the planet of Oceana. The artists began to explore and research the many different designs that have an association with the past. Art Director, Roberto Fino further reveals that, " We looked at ancient and modern architecture, from buildings of the Inca and Maya eras in Central America, to the columns and temples of the Egyptian, Greek and Roman periods. We also looked at the work of the Spanish architect, Gaudi, for inspiration." The result is a very board and exciting range of different designs based on the above styles.

The fact that the backgrounds were being constructed in 3D represented a real challenge for the layout artists as they had allowed for 3D landscapes within their 2D layout drawings. "You have to design the buildings from different angles, because you are actually drawing a 3D set, which is different from drawing 2D flat background, "says Fino. The designs were also being created for different areas of the planet. For example, the spectacular Royal Palace is located just below the water's surface, a setting which demands the creation of a different atmosphere to that associated with Galiel's meteor, which is hidden in a dark and threatening underwater area. Another unique atmosphere was created around the Amphibian territory to give it a lush and tropical feel.

The original designs of the characters, were based on the character descriptions outlined by the writers and producers. These were then shared amongst a team of animators. During the development stage, ideas were passed around until the best designs were chosen. (link)

With the original  Series, Media World producer John Tatoulis describes how they wanted, ‘…to create a whole new universe that couldn’t be made in live-action … and take audiences on a fantastic journey’. (link)

An episode, depending on characters complexity of movement, could take 3 to 4 weeks to animate. (link)

## Trivia

* The series is often dubbed as the 5th season of live-action television series, "Ocean Girl".