Brown Bag Films Named European Producer of the Year as Irish Animation Goes From Strength to Strength
Irish animation company, Brown Bag Films, has been named ‘European Producer of the Year' while David O'Reilly's PLEASE SAY SOMETHING has picked up the Cartoon d'Or at Cartoon Forum in Norway today.Brown Bag Films was nominated alongside three other European animation studios for the award, which was voted by European producers. Over the past year, the company has produced 20 hours of computer animation for international broadcasters. Their 52 part series ‘Olivia' is currently airing on Nickelodeon US and FIVE UK, and their remake of ‘Noddy in Toyland' for TF1 France and FIVE UK is also on air. Brown Bag Films are currently in production with a new 52 episode series as well as a number of pilots for international broadcasters. During the Forum they presented their new series ‘Granny O'Grimm' based on the IFTA-winning short film produced in 2008 for Frameworks (Irish Film Board/RTE/Arts Council).
Located in Smithfield, Brown Bag Films are a computer animation studio employing more than 50 permanent staff with offices in Toronto and Seoul. Co-founder and Chief Executive Cathal Gaffney, was recently nominated for the Ernst & Young ‘Entrepreneur of the Year'.
David O'Reilly's Please Say Something is a ten minute short concerning a troubled relationship between a cat and mouse set in the distant future. The final film was completed in January 2009 and contains 23 episodes of exactly 25 seconds each. It previously won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film earlier this year at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival.
Another Irish animation achieving success and critical acclaim is JAM Media's ROY, a children's series on CBBC on Wednesdays at 4.30pm with episodes being repeated on Saturday mornings at 9.30am. Commissioned by CBBC and executive produced by Sue Nott, ROY centers on the trials and tribulations of a cartoon boy who is born in the real world.
When it first aired on 5th August, it attracted 149,000 viewers (share 2%) which was well above the average of 123,100 (1.2%) for the 4.30pm - 5.00pm timeslot. In the first month on air it saw its popularity soar resulting in its audience growing to 218,200 (2.24%).
Here's what the critics have said
"An intriguing conceptual departure for CBBC". "It both parodies the language surrounding minorities and special needs while sympathetically highlighting the plight of the ‘different'. Guardian Guide
"Clever, touching, well-written and acted but also gratifyingly silly". Mail on Sunday
"A brilliant new series", Daily Mail Weekend
"Unusual, imaginative fun". TV Times
"The mix of live action and animation is endlessly entertaining" Radio Times