Press Release from Primal Screen
ATLANTA, GA – May 11, 2011 – Further building Atlanta-based Primal Screen’s (www.primalscreen.com [1]) portfolio of dynamic, multiplatform media for the children’s broadcast market, the creative studio announced it completed another integrated entertainment and education program – this time for The Electric Company’s math-literacy segment Prankster Planet, involving on-air animation paired with online learning games and a printed activity workbook.
Check it out here: http://www.primalscreen.com/projects/electriccompany/ [2]
For the animated show Primal Screen developed an entire world from scratch. The company’s team of artists and designers collaborated to ensure the Electric Company brand and characters were conveyed accurately and in particular labored over interpreting the Electric Company actors as animated characters, with all their personality quirks, and giving them fun and unique environments to express themselves in.
In terms of the game development and avatar creator, Primal Screen’s challenge was to repurpose the animation assets and translate them to a playable platform so that kids playing the game actually feel as if they’re in the show – a feat easier said than done.
Produced in collaboration with Sesame Workshop, Prankster Planet summoned all of Primal Screen’s creative and technical know-how. Chief Creative Officer Doug Grimmett says, “Our goal for the campaign was to create a truly immersive experience and we took great pains to ensure this was an engaging experience versus a passive one. We developed a system where the animated show leads viewers to the online game which directs kids back to the show and the print magazine supports both experiences; basically a very dynamic feedback loop of engagement for the audience.”
The Prankster Planet TV segments end with the show’s characters directing viewers online, where the story continues in 12 multilevel online quests, 60 minigames, an avatar creator, a rewards system to encourage repeat play, and a magazine. And coming in early summer, there also will be a progress tracker online for parents and teachers to follow kids’ learning online.
Debuting this May on PBS Kids Go! in conjunction with the third season premiere of The Electric Company, the animated math-literacy segment includes twelve two-minute episodes featuring Electric Company members Jessica and Marcus as comic book heroes. The characters embark on an adventure in which their mission is to get to Prankster Planet ASAP and stop the pranksters from stealing all the words from Earth.
ABOUT PRIMAL SCREEN
Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Primal Screen has been a brand collaborator in the entertainment and marketing arenas since 1995. The creative studio’s keen insight into the world of branding has produced work for television, film, the web and environmental media. Primal Screen works in many design sectors and with many audiences, having a particular affinity for children’s broadcast.
Links:
[1] http://www.primalscreen.com
[2] http://www.primalscreen.com/projects/electriccompany/