Architosh last month first introduced Luminetik Animation Studio's Dis_Konnected feature built around the super-heroine Alex. In that article we learned that Alex was a character built to respond to the massive billion dollar teen and tween market. We also learned that Alex was a product of a very special animation studio, Luminetik, who's Macintosh-oriented production pipeline is one this publication has discussed in much detail before.

In this special interview article we get to learn a little bit more about Alex straight from the film's director, Eric Durst. Durst, who is a Hollywood veteran and two time Academy Award finalist for Visual Effects, is enthusiastic about Alex and what she may mean to the young audience she is directed at.

So let's get to the heart of the matter. Who is Alex anyway, and why was she created?

[Durst] We created Alex for two reasons, to create a new action superhero character with a modern twist and to explore this new engaging teen marketplace.

There's a real void in the market for a female superhero character that can connect with her audience. Typically, female superhero characters in animation are very hard edged two dimensional personalities. There is no way to penetrate into their soul or their emotions. Alex is both a very powerful being, with great strengths, as well as a girl with vulnerabilities and questions about who she is. This film we are doing will show a growing living being. It is a human journey, not just an action film. We see Alex as an actress that we are assisting in her performance.

So tell us about the teen market a bit, just how big is it?

The teenage arena is a $170 billion marketplace that has not been explored fully with animation. Shrek had such a huge teen following. We knew the time was ripe for a film written directly to this audience.

We are at a point in time where technologically we can truly blend between reality and animation. We plan to use these technological advances to tell the story of Alex. We are also adding a very hip MTV type soundtrack, video game feel and all the cool things that teens relate to.

What kind of role can we expect to see Alex in?

Alex's role will show off her mental and physical abilities, as well as what she is thinking and feeling. Alex has great human depth and her role will explore this dimension of her personality. She is an action figure, as well as an actress with dramatic and comedic parts.

You will also be able to relate to what she is going through because there is a real human need that is built into Alex.

Okay, I'm looking at Alex and thinking a bit about a character like Lara Croft. They seem a bit similar physically, what are the differences that you intend to bring to Alex that will separate and differentiate her from other popular female action heroes?

Lara Croft's character is very hard and one-dimensional, a cartoon of a real person. Alex fills out the physical look with emotion, intelligence and moral questions that need to be answered; she is nothing like Lara Croft.

Alex is much younger, softer, and more expressive with her powers. She constantly discovers more about herself and develops a responsibility for her powers. Alex continues to grow emotionally much like her human counterparts. I guess, as they say, all brunettes are not the same person...

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