Mummysboy sets the stage for DreamMakers

Ever wonder where dreams come from? Well, according to a new series from U.K. indie studio Mummysboy, they're created in an amateur studio run by a dedicated crew of movie-making bedbugs. Targeting the six to nine set, DreamMakers goes behind the scenes to check out the often-chaotic process of weaving dreams that thrill somnolent audiences everywhere. In one episode, the Tooth Fairy gets kicked off the set of a dream after she cracks a smile and reveals that her seemingly pearly whites are marred by one tooth that's black with decay. When she refuses to go to the dentist, the director auditions counting sheep with strap-on wings to take her place.

Created by Mummysboy founder Peter Dodd, the 26 x 13-minute model animation series will be digitally shot for a budget of US$4.5 million. Dodd is currently in talks with broadcasters and is negotiating a co-production deal. At press time, a pilot/trailer DVD was finished, along with a bible and scripts.

Musical robots dominate Bzots

Mixing the rebellious nature of rock 'n' roll with robots, B-movies and classic Japanese sci-fi, Eat Your Lunch's Bzots is a mixed-media series aiming to teach kids ages eight and under about music and modern corporate society. The 13 x half-hour series stars three live-action assembly-line robots who escape the clutches of their narrow-minded corporate employer (Globocrud) to follow their bliss and form a band. In each ep, the trio uses the power of song and support from the citizens of Phantberg to help keep the evil corporate conglom from returning them to the assembly line.

Illinois-based Eat Your Lunch is shopping for presales and co-producers for this US$2.6-million series, which it expects to complete by Q4 2004. A CD of 14 Bzots songs and two half-hour home videos are finished, and there are plans for a live 30-minute touring show with videos, special effects and plenty of audience participation.

Icon Animation has more than three wishes for Flukey Fred

Spanish hotshop Icon Animation will revisit a classic Arabian tale in its new 52 x 11-minute Flash series Flukey Fred. Aimed at seven- to 11-year-olds, the show stars a witty 10-year-old boy who tries to avoid catastrophe after releasing party-hardy genie Ali Oli from the magic lamp that's been his home for the last 1,000 years.

Although the genie's spells are intended to make Fred look like a superhero to his friends, they don't always hit the mark. In one episode, for example, a pair of magical cleats inadvertently turn Fred into a ballroom dancer, embarrassing him in front of the girl he wanted to impress with his soccer abilities. Another time, an enchanted weather map Ali Oli creates so that Fred can enjoy a sunny day at the beach during the off-season gets into the hands of an unscrupulous businessman, who uses it to sell air conditioners, winter coats and umbrellas. At the end of each ep, Fred reverses the magical SNAFUs on his own, proving that his problem-solving skills are more powerful than the genie's paranormal tricks.

1

2

NEXT PAGE

Quick Search

advanced search