TheBruvs – Animated Comedy Series

Why hasn’t there been a massively successful UK animated sitcom – in the style of US juggernauts The Simpsons or Family Guy?

That’s a question that got me thinking about 10 years ago. Just over two years ago I decided to try to do something about it. That is how TheBruvs.com was born.

Short, punchy comedy animations featuring a family of London villains trying to go straight in Essex – and failing, the films feature brothers Doug and Den, their dad, sister Janice, her son Jason and the lovely Chanterelle.

It’s my first proper venture into animation, although I was lucky enough to write a piece for Homer Simpson, no less, for a message to Simon Cowell on his This Is Your Life programme.

My background is news, current affairs, comedy and entertainment TV shows. Throw in projects with Jeremy Clarkson and some Top Gear credits and that makes up my CV – working with a lot of household names along the way.

But I wanted to do animation. I had the idea for The Bruvs and touted it round broadcasters and production companies. The costs and time involved with animation put all off.

Then I managed to persuade award winning animation director Eoin Clarke and sound and editing wizard Paul Richmond to come in on the project with me.

It is a passion project – which means persuading others to work on something with you on less than a shoestring.

We decided to have a go and put the films on YouTube. We also set up a website. And I had to get to grips with social media… setting up The Bruvs’ facebook, twitter, tumblr and instagram accounts.

Two years on and we have 17 films on YouTube – and 11 films running on the UKTV channel Dave and their on-demand service UKTVplay.

We have many more big ideas. I’m not saying we are anywhere near The Simpsons, American Dad or South Park but The Bruvs is growing and there has been a lot of positive feedback from round the world.

To have taken something – literally – from page to screen – is very rewarding. The instant feedback from the social media sites is also a great encouragement – on the most part. Our hope is to gradually lengthen the episodes and develop them and the characters into more of a sitcom style. We have many plans for all the characters.

Now we have music too – thanks to the very talented Stig Winslet and Pete Harbour – who have brought a new dimension to The Bruvs with songs about their antics. If something we come up with amuses us, we tend to put it into the films – subject to our budget and time constraints.

It’s still relatively early days, but The Bruvs are growing and are finding their feet on the world stage.

They have come a long way since they moved to Essex. It might be something in the water.

By Ian Brown

TV writer and producer / co-creator TheBruvs.com

THEBRUVS

CREDITS  

Writer : Ian Brown

Director : Eoin Clarke

Sound : Paul Richmond

Music : Stig Winslet, Pete Harbour

 

YOUTUBE CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI5al_Dl4V0kh-dxBsbjyig

twitter / facebook : @TheBruvsTV

instagram: thebruvstv

 

Simon’s Cat Indiegogo Film Campaign Raises Over £88,000 In Under a Week

simon's catBritish animator turns to crowdfunding to make first colour enhanced extended film

The #1 UK animation channel on YouTube with over 500,000,000 views!

 

The lovable and mischievous Simon’s Cat first appeared online in the animated film ‘Cat Man Do’, which was a viral smash-hit on YouTube in 2008. Now boasting over half a billion views and 3 million subscribers, Simon’s Cat is the #1 UK animation channel on YouTube.

 

The Simon’s Cat animation studio is looking to fund a special extended-length, colour episode, based on the chaos that erupts on the day of a veterinarian appointment. For this they have adopted the Indiegogo crowd-funding platform.

 

Simon’s Cat creator Simon Tofield explains “In the messages we receive from fans, a film about preparing for and visiting the vet is definitely the most common request. It’s a deep subject to explore, rich with the potential of loads of humour which is why we feel we’d like to make this our first broadcast length episode in colour! I am so grateful to our fans for their wonderful support!”

 

Indiegogo’s UK’s Anastasia Emmanuel says “We’re delighted and proud to have helped the Simon’s Cat team achieve their ambitions with ‘Off to the Vet’. We’ve successfully helped fund the ideas of hundreds of creators, inventors and businesses across the globe. Simon’s Cat is definitely one of the most fun and memorable campaigns we’ve ever hosted. We can’t wait to see the final film!”

 

For more information visit:

www.igg.me/at/simonscat

www.simonscat.com

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/simon-s-cat-in-off-to-the-vet

 

TinTin Review

TinTin is a must-see film. Although the Guardian gave it a poor review, for which they have rightly now been castigated, I cannot find anyone else who agrees with them. TinTin is already famous, so it was brave of Steven Spielberg to make a film on a childhood classic. He does not disappoint.

Although 3D is not a new thing, it has become the gimmick of the moment. While waiting for the film to start, it seemed that every film made in the last 10 years had a trailer announcing they would be in the cinema soon in ‘full 3D’. This is not a complaint, only an observation. I saw TinTin in 3D and definitely think it was worth donning the specs. Not every film needs to be in 3D, but some of the scenes, without giving anything away, really worked.

Spielberg is a master storyteller. He makes the kind of films the cinema experience was made for and TinTin is no exception of his talents. A rip-roaring, entertaining film. Spectacular animation, some of the best you have ever seen, and technically incredible. The voice acting was amazing and the characters were brought to life wonderfully. Though what do you expect from a film which is not only directed by Steven Spielberg, but also has Peter Jackson on the second unit?

My only complaint is the film is a PG, so you might be in the cinema with some badly behaved children whose parents won’t tell them to be quiet.

Five stars. Loved it.

Nathan Love and Barry Sonnenfeld give Esquire a Very Digital Christmas.

Nathan Love Delivers “A Very Digital Xmas” Animation and Illustrations for Esquire Magazine and Director/Contributing Editor Barry Sonnenfeld

NEW YORK — Award-winning animation studio Nathan Love (www.NathanLove.com) is delighted to share news of its recent contributions to the December issue of Esquire, the leading men’s lifestyle magazine, for its holiday gift guide feature presented by contributing editor and world renowned filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld.

“The guys at Nathan Love took on a project that I thought would be impossible to pull off and turned it into a great experience,” said Darhil Crooks, Esquire’s art director. “Their enthusiasm about every aspect of the ‘Xmas with Barry’ showed through in the final product. They were able to take something that Esquire has been doing for years to another level.”

“2010 has been a breakthrough year for our studio, and this project is another example of our expansion across all media,” began Joe Burrascano, Nathan Love’s executive creative director. “After starting out four years ago as a pure 3D character animation studio, we’ve now grown into a true, full-service production company. More and more agencies and brands are coming to us to handle high-profile projects that include live-action, animation, and/or VFX, and our audio division has been booked all year.”

“Producing this holiday animation for Esquire allowed us to explore more of the world of traditional 2D animation and illustration for print,” added Mike Harry, Nathan Love’s executive producer. “Collaborating with Esquire’s art director Darhil Crooks was a great experience, and working with filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld was both an honor and a lot of fun. We hope our enthusiasm comes through in the feature, and invite everyone to please stay tuned-in as our adventures continue.”

For this project, Burrascano served as creative director, working alongside Mike Harry, animation director Robin Steele, designers Sigmund Lambrento and Jessica Namnum, animator Stieg Retlin and music composer and sound designer Drew Skinner. The challenges presented by Crooks and Sonnenfeld called for Nathan Love’s crew to deliver a full-page print layout introducing the feature story, as well as three more partial-page layouts, miscellaneous illustrated images of the famous director and his dog Lucky, numerous props and items related to the story’s content, and a :70 animated film showing Sonnenfeld and Lucky putting the featured holiday gifts to use.

The film was also finished and optimized for mobile delivery, to take full advantage of Esquire’s international cross-platform distribution, which includes print, online and mobile editions, as well as its new iPad App launched in October.

“This was our first time working with Robin Steele,” Harry explained, “and his experience working as a Disney animator taught us all a lot about traditional animation. Robin and Joe both have a great sense of comedic timing, and they had a great time collaborating together. They set up the gags to unfold in one, static scene, and let the madness ensue.”

Key artistic tools for the artists at Nathan Love included original illustrations and Adobe Creative Suite, and for the animated content, Adobe After Effects.

Please visit www.esquire.com to check out “A Very Digital Xmas” and the December issue of Esquire.

About Nathan Love
Break out the crayons and beer, because Nathan Love is ready to play! This world-class animation studio is known for creating memorable characters, detailed worlds and engaging narratives, making it a party and inviting your whole crew. Driven by a passion for storytelling, their creative, technical and production capabilities are constantly evolving. Equally at home creating sensational 2D and 3D animation, the studio’s talents span all aspects of project creation and production. They are creators of commercial campaigns, original films, super-fun web content, video game projects, merchandise and more. Besides their extraordinary craftsmanship Nathan Love is also fun and inviting to work with, enjoying daily collaborations with leading creatives, live-action and CGI directors, sound designers, composers, web developers and other artists. So next time you’re dreaming-up a project, drop your briefcase and join the fun at www.NathanLove.com.

About Esquire
Esquire (www.esquire.com), published by Hearst Magazines, was the winner of the 2010 National Magazine Award for “Profile Writing.” It is the most-honored monthly magazine in America with a total of 14 awards over the past 13 years. In addition to its U.S. flagship, Esquire publishes 22 editions around the world.

Wallace & Gromit want your inventions{TV}

To launch the brand new BBC One series, Wallace And Gromit’s World Of Invention, world-renowned inventor Wallace and his ever faithful sidekick, Gromit, are asking the UK to get inventing.

From their self-built basement television studio in 62 West Wallaby Street, the inimitable pair are trying to track down Britain’s best amateur invention. Wallace and Gromit are asking enthusiastic kids and crackpot inventors to invent their very best contraption. The winner – chosen by a panel of judges, led by Nick Park – will be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have themselves or their invention immortalised in a future Aardman production.

To celebrate Wallace and Gromit’s debut as TV presenters, BBC One are unveiling a website and nationwide series of regional roadshows, that hope to get Britain inventing. In their brand new BBC One series the inimitable pair present a factual series for the very first time, uncovering the quirky, inspiring and accident-prone world of inventions.

But not everyone is as expert an inventor as Wallace, so the pair are planning to kickstart the UK’s inventive spirit through a series of regional inventors roadshows that will provide the tools and motivation needed to root out the inventor in all of us.

Nick Park, Oscar-winning creator of Wallace and Gromit, said: “It is an enormous honour for Wallace and Gromit to be asked to take up the torch (all be it solar powered) and shine it on the world’s top and most innovative inventors.”

Create your own cracking contraption:

Wensleydale-loving inventor Wallace knows just how powerful a great idea combined with only a little bit of engineering know-how can be. So, inspired by his favourite contraption, LAD, Wallace is asking the British public to unleash their inner inventor and create their own device. He’s asking budding inventors (complete novices included) to design and build their most inventive contraption, made entirely from bits and pieces around the home. It could be something that wakes up Wallace, helps Gromit complete his household chores or moves one (or both of them!) from A to B – anything goes, as long as it meets the judges’ criteria, which are available online.

Anyone can enter – individuals, teams of friends or even entire school classes. Entrants need to record a short video (maximum three minutes) of their creation, and upload it onto the BBC’s Wallace And Gromit website.

For full details, including judging criteria and terms and conditions, visit bbc.co.uk/wallaceandgromit.

Inspiring invention

The BBC have teamed up with Aardman Animations to create an exciting new roadshow event to accompany the new BBC One series Wallace and Gromit’s World Of Invention. Inspired by Wallace’s love of inventing, the BBC Learning roadshows will give budding inventors the opportunity to step into the world of Wallace and Gromit.

The tour will visit six UK shopping centres throughout November and December 2010 and will be open to the public on both Saturday and Sunday.

The roadshows will be accompanied by an entire Wallace and Gromit world online. To find out more about the secrets of invention, play in Wallace’s Workshop and find out more about the regional roadshows, visit bbc.co.uk/wallaceandgromit.

DreamWorks Animation Reports Second Quarter 2010 Financial Results

Company Announces New $150 Million Share Repurchase Program

DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ:DWA) today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2010. In the quarter, the Company reported total revenue of $158.1 million and net income of $24.0 million, or $0.27 per share on a fully diluted basis.

“Our strong second quarter was driven primarily by the blockbuster performances of Shrek Forever After and How to Train Your Dragon, two of the top 10 films of 2010 on both a domestic and a worldwide basis,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks Animation’s CEO. “We have once again surpassed $1 billion in worldwide box office and with Megamind still to be released on November 5th, we are on track to make 2010 not only DreamWorks Animation’s single biggest year at the box office, but also the biggest year ever for any CG animation studio.”

Shrek Forever After, which was released on May 21, 2010, contributed $51.8 million of revenue in the quarter, generated by its domestic box office performance as well as merchandising and licensing activities. It has reached approximately $235 million in domestic box office and approximately $368 million in international box office for a worldwide box office total of approximately $603 million to date.

How to Train Your Dragon, which was released on March 26, 2010, contributed $33.4 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by its domestic and international box office performance. It has reached approximately $480 million in worldwide box office to date.

The Company’s 2009 release, Monsters vs. Aliens, contributed $17.2 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by international pay television. The film reached an estimated 7.7 million home entertainment units sold, net of actual and estimated future returns, by the end of the second quarter.

The Company’s 2008 releases, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Kung Fu Panda, contributed $4.4 million and $2.5 million of revenue to the quarter, respectively.

Library and other items contributed approximately $48.8 million of revenue to the quarter.

Costs of revenue for the quarter equaled $98.7 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $27.8 million, including approximately $7.9 million of stock compensation expense and approximately $2.0 million of marketing expense related to the launch of the Company’s online virtual world, Kung Fu Panda World.

Additionally, the Company recorded an expense of approximately $8.7 million related to its tax sharing agreement with a former stockholder. Combining the amount due to the former stockholder with the Company’s income tax expense of approximately $0.7 million, the result is an overall equivalent tax rate of 28.1% for the second quarter.

The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors has approved a new $150 million share repurchase program. For the six months ended June 30, 2010, the Company has repurchased approximately 3.1 million shares for approximately $111 million.

The Company’s third quarter results are expected to be driven primarily by the continued international box office performance of Shrek Forever After. The Company expects its full year 2010 results, which will likely be heavily weighted toward the second half of the year, to be driven by the continued box office performance of Shrek Forever After as well as the home entertainment performance of How to Train Your Dragon and Shrek Forever After, both of which are expected to be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the fourth quarter.

Items related to the earnings press release for the second quarter of 2010 will be discussed in more detail on the Company’s second quarter 2010 earnings conference call later today.

Conference Call Information

DreamWorks Animation will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the results on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. (ET). Investors can access the call by dialing (800) 230-1096 in the U.S. and (612) 332-0107 internationally and identifying “DreamWorks Animation Earnings” to the operator. The call will also be available via live webcast at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available shortly after the call ends on Tuesday, July 27, 2010. To access the replay, dial (800) 475-6701 in the U.S. and (320) 365-3844 internationally and enter 163006 as the conference ID number. Both the earnings release and archived webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

About DreamWorks Animation SKG

DreamWorks Animation creates high-quality entertainment, including CG animated feature films, television specials and series, live entertainment properties and online virtual worlds, meant for audiences around the world. The Company has world-class creative talent, a strong and experienced management team and advanced filmmaking technology and techniques. DreamWorks Animation has been named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by FORTUNE® Magazine for two consecutive years. In 2010, DreamWorks Animation ranks #6 on the list. All of DreamWorks Animation’s feature films are now being produced in 3D. The Company has theatrically released a total of 20 animated feature films, including the franchise properties of Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. DreamWorks Animation’s next feature film is Megamind, scheduled to be released in 3D on November 5, 2010.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company’s plans, prospects, strategies, proposals and our beliefs and expectations concerning performance of our current and future releases and anticipated talent, directors and storyline for our upcoming films and other projects, constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the industry in which we operate and management’s beliefs and assumptions. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions which are difficult to predict. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. These risks and uncertainties include: audience acceptance of our films, our dependence on the success of a limited number of releases each year, the increasing cost of producing and marketing feature films, piracy of motion pictures, the effect of rapid technological change or alternative forms of entertainment and our need to protect our proprietary technology and enhance or develop new technology. In addition, due to the uncertainties and risks involved in the development and production of animated feature projects, the release dates for the projects described in this document may be delayed. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. DreamWorks Animation is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.

** FINANCIAL TABLES ATTACHED**

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

December
June 30, 31,
2010 2009
—- —-
(unaudited)
(in thousands,
except par value and
share
amounts)
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $76,918 $231,245
Trade accounts receivable, net of
allowance for doubtful accounts 46,558 42,175
Income taxes receivable 13,690 9,016
Receivable from Paramount, net of
reserve for returns and allowance
for doubtful accounts 161,259 171,292
Film, live performance and other
inventory costs, net 752,950 695,963
Prepaid expenses 33,018 25,505
Other assets 21,913 15,958
Property, plant, and equipment, net
of accumulated depreciation and
amortization 174,862 161,558
Deferred taxes, net 7,106 7,669
Goodwill 34,216 34,216

Total assets $1,322,490 $1,394,597
========== ==========

Liabilities and Equity
Liabilities:
Accounts payable $2,194 $2,400
Accrued liabilities 101,998 111,281
Payable to former stockholder 61,744 67,456
Deferred revenue and other advances 41,060 60,870
—— ——

Total liabilities 206,996 242,007
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Stockholders’ equity:
Class A common stock, par value
$.01 per share, 350,000,000 shares
authorized, 97,022,472 and
95,967,515 shares issued, as of
June 30, 2010 and December 31,
2009, respectively 970 960
Class B common stock, par value
$.01 per share, 150,000,000 shares
authorized, 10,838,731 and
11,419,461 shares issued and
outstanding, as of June 30, 2010
and December 31, 2009,
respectively 108 114
Additional paid-in capital 953,203 922,681
Retained earnings 841,940 796,296
Less: Class A Treasury common
stock, at cost, 23,612,421 and
20,430,031 shares, as of June 30.
2010 and December 31, 2009,
respectively (680,727) (567,461)
——– ——–

Total stockholders’ equity 1,115,494 1,152,590
——— ———

Total liabilities and stockholders’
equity $1,322,490 $1,394,597
========== ==========

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)

Three Months Ended
June 30,
——–
2010 2009
— —
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues $158,095 $131,990
Costs of revenues 98,734 74,022
—- —-

Gross profit 59,361 57,968
Product development 422 93
Selling, general and
administrative
expenses 27,751 24,831
—— ——

Operating income 31,188 33,044
Interest income, net 171 979
Other income, net 2,004 1,613
Increase in income
tax benefit payable
to former
stockholder (8,668) (11,020)
—— ——-

Income before income
taxes 24,695 24,616
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes 720 (940)
— —-

Net income $23,975 $25,556
======= =======

Basic net income per
share $0.28 $0.30
Diluted net income
per share $0.27 $0.30
Shares used in
computing net
income per share
Basic 85,709 85,890
Diluted 87,582 86,382

Six Months Ended
June 30,
——–
2010 2009
— —
(in thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues $320,238 $395,514
Costs of revenues 204,917 230,428
—– —–

Gross profit 115,321 165,086
Product development 607 2,461
Selling, general
and administrative
expenses 51,261 45,522
—— ——

Operating income 63,453 117,103
Interest income,
net 230 1,518
Other income, net 4,097 3,065
Increase in income
tax benefit
payable to former
stockholder (16,856) (27,030)
——- ——-

Income before
income taxes 50,924 94,656
Provision (benefit)
for income taxes 5,280 6,790
—– —–

Net income $45,644 $87,866
======= =======

Basic net income
per share $0.53 $1.01
Diluted net income
per share $0.51 $1.01
Shares used in
computing net
income per share
Basic 86,741 86,673
Diluted 88,972 87,390

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)

Six Months Ended
June 30,
2010 2009
(in thousands)
Operating activities
Net income $45,644 $87,866
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net
cash (used in) provided by operating
activities:
Amortization and write off of film, live
performance and other inventory costs 183,295 192,183
Stock compensation expense 15,210 14,695
Depreciation and amortization 2,526 1,831
Revenue earned against deferred revenue and
other advances (53,499) (51,667)
Deferred taxes, net 563 12,330
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Trade accounts receivable (4,383) 2,427
Receivable from Paramount 10,033 72,534
Film, live performance and other inventory
costs (223,418) (183,574)
Prepaid expenses and other assets (15,540) (16,242)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (9,347) (27,749)
Payable to former stockholder (5,712) (1,466)
Income taxes payable/receivable, net (4,851) (8,001)
Deferred revenue and other advances 35,549 74,515
—— ——

Net cash (used in) provided by operating
activities (23,930) 169,682
——- ——-

Investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment (26,590) (31,495)
——- ——-

Net cash used in investing activities (26,590) (31,495)
——- ——-

Financing Activities
Receipts from exercise of stock options 8,786 90
Excess tax benefits from employee equity
awards 673 –
Purchase of treasury stock (113,266) (52,125)
——– ——-

Net cash used in financing activities (103,807) (52,035)
——– ——-

(Decrease) increase in cash and cash
equivalents (154,327) 86,152
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of
period 231,245 262,644
——- ——-

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $76,918 $348,796
======= ========

Supplemental disclosure of cash flow
information:
Cash paid during the period for income
taxes, net $8,891 $2,373
—— ——

Cash paid during the period for interest,
net of amounts capitalized $281 $355
—- —-

Source: DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.