Ignite called for ideas from across the UK, the response was overwhelming and it has not been easy to decide which projects to take forward.
大象传媒 Children鈥檚 and Education has today announced three projects that will be taken forward from Ignite, the first-of-its-kind initiative to find the UK鈥檚 next animation hit.
The projects chosen are Duck and Frog created by Sam Shaw, a slapstick comedy with a modern British setting and an energetic anarchic sense of humour; The Underglow, a 2D pre-school series created by Tanya Scott and Sam Morrison full of little creatures and characters that come out to play when the sun goes down and Captain Onion鈥檚 Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth, a comedy created by Matthew Bradley at ALT Animation that follows Marvin and his friends on their boat-based boarding school, the Unsinkable II.
The projects were discovered after submitting ideas to the 大象传媒 and have been chosen following an 18 month development process. The 大象传媒 worked with the creators to attract key talent including writers, designers, script editors, consultants and development production partners to bring the ideas to life. The ambition is to broadcast all three on the 大象传媒 in the future once additional investment from third parties is secured alongside the 大象传媒鈥檚 contribution.
Patricia Hidalgo says: 鈥淚gnite called for ideas from across the UK, the response was overwhelming and it has not been easy to decide which projects to take forward. The reason we chose these three is because they all have a clear sense of the audience they are trying to target and a strong creative vision. The ideas, stories and characters felt truly British and very original but they hold a sense of the familiar which is what usually makes a show successful amongst kids.鈥�
Ignite was launched in 2021 as an unprecedented initiative to uncover UK animation talent to develop the next hit. The 大象传媒 called on talent from both established independent production companies, 大象传媒 in-house production and talented individuals looking for their first break and received over 1000 ideas.
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Duck and Frog
Duck and Frog is created by Sam Shaw, the proposed 50x7' series is aimed at 7-12 year-olds and the production company is Sun & Moon.
Duck and Frog is a dialogue free slapstick comedy with a modern British setting and an energetic anarchic sense of humour. Duck is just trying to make rent and accepts a new job each episode but his dreams of keeping a job for longer than a day inevitably crumble before him thanks to over-bearing Frog鈥檚 鈥榟elp鈥� and interventions.
Q&A with Duck and Frog creator Sam Shaw
What did you think about the Ignite process and how did it help you develop your idea?
Everything about the Ignite process has been incredible. From how easy it was for everyone to apply, right down to the huge amount of support and guidance given at every stage. It's been a rollercoaster but every stage of development has felt like a real collaboration. Any changes to the initial idea and designs have only helped strengthen the concepts and characters. It鈥檚 been so nice to work with people who just want to make this as fun and silly as it can be and not forcing the idea or characters down routes that feel safer.
What are your thoughts now your project is on the road to being commissioned by the 大象传媒?
I'm still pinching myself every day to check this is really happening, but mainly I'm just excited. I've loved every second of bringing these characters to life through Ignite and the idea I could get to keep doing that a bit longer is amazing.
Captain Onion鈥檚 Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth
Created by the production company ALT Animation, this proposed 50x11' series is aimed at 7-12 year olds.
Transferred to Britain鈥檚 most fearsome boat-based boarding school, Marvin is a fish out of water who quickly learns that aboard the ominously named Unsinkable II all school dilemmas are better faced with friends - from classmates baring their teeth to strange adults forgotten by time.
Q&A with Matthew Bradley, ALT Animation
What did you think about the Ignite process and how did it help you develop your idea?
The strength of the scheme for me was the sustained co-development. It was great to be able to develop our idea alongside the 大象传媒 rather than in isolation. It felt much more like a creative partnership. Having the 大象传媒 involved from very early on in the project has removed a lot of the mystery of what a broadcaster is after in a series.
What are your thoughts now your project is on the road to being commissioned by the 大象传媒?
We believed in this idea's potential, but when it's an open call from the biggest broadcaster in the country the odds aren't exactly in your favour. To be on the other side, having made these connections with the 大象传媒 is incredible. We hope that when people see Captain Onion's Buoyant Academy For Wayward Youth they're as excited about it as we are.
The Underglow
Created by the collective, Sam Morrison and Tanya Scott, this proposed 50x7' series is aimed at pre-school age.
A 2D pre-school series within an inclusive and diverse community of characters, who seek to reinvent seemingly forgotten objects they encounter. This is no ordinary place - it鈥檚 somewhere that wakes up when the sun goes down as little creatures come out to play, explore and find themselves in the world.
Q&A with co-creator Sam Morrison
What did you think about the Ignite process and how did it help you develop your idea?
Ignite has been incredibly helpful in bringing The Underglow into focus; in terms of character identity and dynamics and the potential for what an episode can be. We had ongoing conversations with Liz (Chan) incorporating feedback from the 大象传媒 over several months, and that process allowed us to continuously reiterate and evolve an idea we had into a fully-formed world, brimming with story possibilities.
What are your thoughts now your project is on the road to being commissioned by the 大象传媒?
I'm incredibly excited. Several years back I saw a beautiful image Tanya had created, and we started a conversation where we found we shared a bunch of inspirations - and ideas about how we could develop them into something new, and something that would resonate with both children and parents. The Underglow's heart is really about valuing the component parts of our world, from the environment to the artefacts to the people. We want it to be timeless but also timely in terms of what it represents. I hope we get to bring it to the screen.
Q&A with co-creator Tanya Scott
What did you think about the Ignite process and how did it help you develop your idea?
Being part of Ignite was an incredibly educational and enjoyable process. From the beginning, it was clear that the 大象传媒 were keen to help us develop our vision for The Underglow and they provided us with all we needed to achieve this. It was wonderful to work directly with them and receive invaluable feedback directly from producers and commissioners. The Ignite process was always project-specific, which meant The Underglow got the attention it needed at any given stage. Being respected and encouraged as a creative throughout development meant the show always reflected our original vision and retained its unique authenticity.
What are your thoughts now your project is on the road to being commissioned by the 大象传媒?
It's amazing! It's quite strange to think this all started with us submitting an anonymous one-page, but I think that demonstrates what The Underglow (and the other fabulous series from Ignite) have to offer. I'm really excited to continue working with the 大象传媒 and (hopefully) we will be able to expand the world of The Underglow onto TV screens soon!