CHESHIRE SMILE ANIMATION AND STUDIO B PRODUCTIONS TEAM UP TO PRODUCE 1 HOUR ANIMATED CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR TELETOON.

For Immediate Release

CHESHIRE SMILE ANIMATION AND STUDIO B PRODUCTIONS TEAM UP TO PRODUCE 1 HOUR ANIMATED CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR TELETOON.

Television movie’s development, pre-production and post-production at Cheshire Smile Animation’s new Saskatoon Animation Studio, to be animated in British Columbia at Studio B Productions.

24 March 2008 – (Saskatoon, SK) Producers Cheshire Smile Animation and Studio B Productions announce the beginning of production on The Side Show Christmas, an animated Christmas special following The Most Unbelievable Show on Earth, a Side Show facing foreclosure on Christmas Day. Written by Jeff Martel and Directed by Tim Tyler (The writer/director team from A Fairy Tale Christmas, 2005), The Side Show Christmas will be in production from January – September 2008 in Saskatoon and Vancouver. The Side Show Christmas will be broadcast on Teletoon Christmas 2008.

The production is executive produced by Blair Peters and Chris Bartleman of Studio B Production and is produced by Tim Tyler of Cheshire Smile Animation.

“We are thrilled to be producing The Side Show Christmas in Saskatchewan and British Columbia” says producer Tim Tyler of Cheshire Smile Animation, “our partnership with Teletoon, Canada’s Animation Station, and Studio B Productions, a world leader in the production of quality children’s television, represents a significant opportunity for the evolution of the animation industry here in Saskatchewan.”

When Sandwell Shanks, the owner of The Most Unbelievable Show On Earth, hypnotizes Santa, turning him into the star of a wildly popular Side Show attraction to stave off foreclosure by the Bank on Christmas Day, it is up to his son Jason, with a little help from his friends at the Side Show and North Pole, to save Christmas and his fathers beloved Side Show. The Side Show Christmas is a story about family, friendship, and what it really means to give in these modern times

“This is an exciting project for Studio B,” states Blair Peters of Studio B Productions, “The Side Show Christmas promises to be a great success, as already demonstrated by the commitment from TELETOON. We are delighted to add this to our 2008 production slate, alongside Kid vs. Kat and Martha Speaks.”

Established in 2000, Cheshire Smile Animation is an award winning animation and interactive production studio located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Cheshire Smile Animation specializes in animation development, production and management services for the creation Broadcast Television and Interactive Media. The company website is www.cheshiresmile.com.

Colin Murdock and Cathy Weseluck perform during the recording of The Side Show Christmas at Dick and Rogers in Vancouver BC.

The Side Show Christmas is produced in association with Teletoon, with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund License Fee Program, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program, the Saskatchewan Film Employment Tax Credit Program, and the British Columbia Production Service Tax Credit Program. The Side Show Christmas was developed with the assistance of SaskFilm and the CTV Saskatchewan Program Development Fund.

About Studio B Productions Inc.
Headquartered in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, Studio B Productions Inc., a production subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., is a leader in the field of kids’ entertainment. Studio B is the producer of such popular and award-winning properties as Ricky Sprocket – Showbiz Boy (seen on TELETOON and Nickelodeon worldwide), Being Ian, The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers!, Class of the Titans and George of the Jungle®, a co-production with Classic Media, Inc. on Cartoon Network U.S. In addition, Studio B will launch two new properties in 2008, Kid vs. Kat, an original series with YTV and Jetix Europe and Martha Speaks, a co-production with WGBH Boston. For more information, please visit www.studiobproductions.com

About DHX Media Ltd.
DHX Media Ltd. is a leading international producer and distributor of film and television programming and interactive content with an emphasis on children, family and youth markets. DHX Media Ltd. shares are listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange, AIM and the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX. In addition to Studio B, DHX Media’s other production companies, Decode Entertainment and Halifax Film, are the producers or co-producers of 14 original television series and theatrical releases currently commissioned for production and maintain a growing library of over 1,750 half-hours of mostly children and youth-oriented television productions. DECODE Enterprises is the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd. It handles programme sales for third party producers and for DHX subsidiaries DECODE Entertainment, Halifax Film and Studio B Productions. www.dhxmedia.com.

For more information about The Side Show Christmas, contact Tim Tyler, Producer, Cheshire Smile Animation Inc., 306-652-2102 or by email tim@cheshiresmile.com

 

The Great Adventure Begins

I am trying to write this post using my iPhone after a couple of crazy days on the road

I got in to Vancouver on Sunday night (10 February) and went down to Studio B first thing Monday morning. It was great to go meet the people who have been doing such a great job working with the crew in Saskatoon to visualize the show. In this modern world you can do a lot with email, FTP, and an iPhone but nothing beats a handshake and a look in the eye.

After Studio B, I went over to Voicebox to meet Lana and Terry to go over voice casting for Side Show Christmas. Wow there is a ton of talent out in Vancouver. It was truly great to start hearing the voices come together. A lot of the voices were very much what I was hoping for but also, some really wonderful surprises.

The big thing we were shooting for was to find actors with range and depth to their voices who can give the animators some real meat to build the performances on. At the same time we need depth and texture to the voices as a cast so that each character can stand out in their own way from the other characters in the cast.

Next step is to see how Teletoon feels about the casting choices we present to them.

We record on the 14th of March. I can’t wait.

 

Side Show Christmas Cast

Drysdale, Jason, and Sandwell from Side Show Christmas.

 

Exciting times for Cheshire Smile Animation in 2008

Well it is official, Cheshire Smile Animation is on the grow in 2008. After working away slugging, it out in producer / director Tim Tyler’s home office (which remains the official world HQ) for part of 2006 and and all of 2007, Cheshire Smile Animation Inc. has set up a new studio for the production of “Side Show Christmas”.

“Side Show Christmas” is a one hour special that will be broadcast in Canada on Teletoon Christmas 2008. The show is written by Saskatchewan writer Jeff Martel and will be produced in Saskatchewan by Cheshire Smile Animation Inc. and animated in British Columbia by Studio B Productions. Blair Peters and Chris Bartleman are Executive Producing.

Animation design is currently underway and is being split between Studio B and Cheshire Smile. I will direct the production of the boards and animatic here in Saskatchewan. The show will then move out to Studio B for animation production in Flash, and then will return to Saskatchewan for Audio and Video post production.

This production was the result of a pitch that was delivered to Teletoon initially at the Banff World Television Festival in 2006 and has been developed in partnership with Teletoon, SaskFilm, SCN and the CTV program development fund to create an original story with vibrant characters.

 

Side Show Christmas - Animation Designs VI

Things have really been hopping for me in the last little while, so I have not had too much time to write any posts.

We are in the final phases of putting together the financing and production deal for “The Side Show Christmas”. It is very exciting right now, if everything goes according to plan it will be produced in 2008 and for Broadcast on Teletoon in English and French, Christmas 2008. More details to follow soon.

Thanks to everyone who has worked on this to date, your great efforts have helped to visualize and make the story real for our production partners.

This is a concept design for Santa’s Workshop.

This is a concept design for the Performers Lounge, or Green Room back stage at the Side Show.

 

Side Show Christmas - Animation Designs V

A concept design for an icicle forest on the journey to the North Pole.

 

Side Show Christmas - Animation Designs IV

Here is a concept design for the Santa Show. Only the real Santa can successfully navigate any chimney pipe. Santa slides down this convoluted chimney pipe to the audience’s great amazement.