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

 

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 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.

 

Side Show Christmas - Animation Designs III

Santa Clause’s Office

 

Side Show Christmas - Animation Designs II

Amongst all the other insanity, I have been busy trying to get the designs wrapped up for Side Show Christmas so that we can move the project forward for production this winter. Chris Steininger, has brought his distinct design vision to the universe of this show.

 

A Pitch for the Ottawa Television Animation Conference

I am off to the Ottawa Television Animation conference tomorrow. I am quite excited about it this year, last year was my first time so it took a bit to figure out what was going on and then it was over. This year I am ready.

So far my meetings include Teletoon, CBC Kids, YTV, Cartoon Network, and Jetix Europe as well as other animation producers & executive producers. I had a lot of luck with the FastTrack, and have been able to get meetings with everyone who I would like to speak to.

My meetings are primarily focused around moving Side Show Christmas and Toby’s Canada forward, however I have been developing a new TV show for this conference that I am really excited to pitch to broadcasters for the first time.

Boxed Out is an adult, animated Situation Comedy, that Jeff Martel (A Fairy Tale Christmas, Side Show Christmas) and I have been developing / designing for the Detour Pilot Project or the Adult Swim on Cartoon Network. Our focus has been on story, the creation of an original, unexpected, situation, universe and characters + a couple of juicy ideas for episodes.

Ideally we will get enough interest in this project to move forward in development, however it has been fun developing this idea as it is.

 

 

Boxed Out

Climbing back to the top of the heap has never been harder… or funnier

13 x 22 Animated Adult Situation Comedy

It’s like: Fat Actress meets Entourage set in an animated world where Cereal Box stars reign as the ultimate glitterati.

Logline: For ten years Donnie Delight was the biggest and brightest star in the world of Cereal Box Celebrities, until his career mysteriously landed in the toilet; now he’ll do anything to get back on top in the land of the rich, famous… and sleazy.

The community of Highland Falls lays claim to one thing: Breakfast Cereal… where it is the fuel of life. It’s a cereal town… manufacturing, marketing and the stars that hawk their cereals’ parade as the undisputed kings and queens.

Donnie Delight (a.k.a Donald Francis Kowalsky) was the toast of the town and the cream of the crop of all Cereal Box stars. Starting out as a rosy-cheekd kid, Donnie enjoyed the height of fame for ten years: his face plastered on his cereal box… Crunchy Sugar O Delights… bill boards, personal appearances, elaborate commercials that featured his multi-talented performances. He shone as the undisputed star, until one day… it ended: contract terminated; calls to the head of Nero Brand Cereals, Mr. Arnold Nero went unreturned; even his agent, tough as nails, Angela Demotrakas doesn’t have the time of day for her former favorite client. Broke, instant has-been, Donnie loses his mansion and all the trappings of fame (well… except his cell phone and its list of important people).

On his quest for a soft place to land, Donnie turns to him mom and dad: Marjorie and Frank Kowalsky but he discovers that they don’t have room in their empty nest and they’ve blown all the money he earned while he was a child star. Obsessed by her on-line shopping habit, Marjorie surfaces just long enough to tell her son to settle down and start a family. Meanwhile, Frank has become a Cereal Box Celebrity manager, with a stable of young impressionable clients ready and willing to do anything to break into the business.

Donnie ends on the doorstep of General Munch, a self-made Rastafarian pirate and long running cereal box celebrity. Munch lets Donnie string up a hammock in his house boat/party palace where Donnie begins his quest: restore his career while negotiating the twists, turns and outrageous characters like Snack, Crack and Crunch (long time, surly, unreasonable stars of their own cereal), Larry the Leapord (Donnie’s fitness guru and self-appointed life coach) and Cassandra Nero (the famous for being the famous daughter of rich and famous Arnold Nero and Donnie’s girlfriend for one night… before he fell from grace!).

Donnie remains fixed on getting back into the business and he’ll do anything to succeed: there is no one he won’t hustle for work, no public appearance too small, no dinner theater too shabby, no publicity stunt too outrageous, no angle too thin to be worked in Donnie Delight’s desperate climb back to the top of the Cereal Box world.

For more information about this show please contact Tim Tyler, Producer.
tel: 306.652.2102 email:tim@cheshiresmile.com http://www.cheshiresmile.com
2007 Cheshire Smile Animation Inc.
All Rights Reserved

 

Angry Elf Ice Cavern

Here is a location design for Side Show Christmas. Keep up the good work Jordan!!

To get to the North Pole, Sandwell and his troop from The Most Unbelievable Show on Earth must bypass a couple of challenges. The Angry Elf Cavern is one of them.

 

Ottawa Television Animation Conference 07

I just bought my pass for the Ottawa Television Animation Conference in, you guessed it, Ottawa from the 19th to 20th of September.

I personally think that this event is probably one of the best events you can go to if you are interested in pitching shows to the major Canadian and US commissioning animation broadcasters. Last year Teletoon, CBC Kids, YTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and others were all in attendance and relatively accessible for meetings.

In addition to being significantly cheaper than Banff, Kids Screen, or markets like MIP, it is intimate setting with a very small group of animation focused broadcasters, producers and creators. There are many great panel discussions that allow you to see what trends are developing in the animation industry at a very high level. If, like myself, you are from somewhere out in woods like Saskatchewan, this information is absolutely invaluable.

I personally am on the lookout for new projects that I can get behind and help develop, so if you are going to be at the event, make sure to drop me a line.

 

Side Show Christmas - Concept Art I

Haven’t posted for a while, too much lake time. Here is a location concept design for Side Show Christmas that Jordan R. has been working on for me.