BAFTA-nominated studio experiences period of remarkable growth, brings four animation series to air in one year.
ALTRINCHAM, ENGLAND -- Multi genre animation studio Factory is celebrating its fifth birthday following a period of remarkable growth. This period has seen four high profile productions come to air. These productions include Newzoids (ITV), Clangers (CBeebies), Scream Street (CBBC) and two specials for Disney and Club Penguin.
Since the launch in 2010, Factory has grown seeing its workforce increase from 5 to 149. The BAFTA- nominated studio has also doubled its capacity expanding into two more units on Altrincham Business Park. The company now occupies 35,000 sq. feet of bespoke studio and office space where it is producing content with Coolabi Group, ITV and Disney.
“We’re extremely excited to be celebrating our fifth birthday after such a fantastic year. It is rare for animation studios to produce and air four television series in one year so we are extremely proud to achieve this whilst maintaining the highest standards from pre-production right through to final delivery,” commented Phil Chalk, MD of Factory.
Factory is further building its own intellectual property and rights management portfolio and has recently co-produced Newzoids with Citrus Television for ITV1, which is airing in its prime time slot. The topical puppet animation sketch-show features new animation techniques pioneered by Factory.
Factory is working on three specials for the major international broadcaster Disney. The studio’s comprehensive production facilities have been developed while working on the Disney specials. They combine state of the art stop-motion animation with digital animation and visual effects.
In addition, Factory is currently in production with Clangers, a co-production from Cbeebies, Coolabi and Sprout, which successfully launched on CBeebies in June, immediately reaching number 1 in the UK’s Children’s program charts. The program received critical acclaim for its stop-frame animation techniques, which maintained the charm of the original series while appealing to a new, pre-school audience.
Factory is also co-producing Scream Street with Coolabi, which is launching on CBBC this autumn. Scream Street is based on Tommy Donbavand’s popular children’s book series of the same name, published by Walker Books. It has been brought to life as a fast-paced and stylish stop-motion series with a strong focus on drama and storytelling.
Since inception, Factory has also co-produced the BAFTA and Emmy nominated Strange Hill High, in partnership with CBBC and Freemantle Kids and Family Entertainment. The show has picked up prestigious RTS and Kidscreen Awards, plus received a nomination for an International Kids Emmy in addition to multiple BAFTA and Broadcast Award nominations.
From concept through to final delivery, Factory has expertise across all animation disciplines including CGI, 2D animation, digital animation and stop motion as well as being a full service studio. Embracing new talent, technology and delivery platforms the studio has developed a reputation as a leader in the design and collaborative development of immersive entertainment. As pioneers of new animation techniques and processes, Factory is constantly developing innovative new methods in house to create its groundbreaking content.
Source: Factory
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
