Tern Television, one of Scotlands most diverse and creative indies, has jumped into the animation pool with a raft of high-profile projects involving such leading talents as Oscar-nominated animator Sylvain Chomet (BELLEVILLE RENDEZ-VOUS) and Hollywood writer Brian Ward (THE INTERPRETER). Terns first foray into the animation genre with a commission for Channel 4, a pilot for the BBC and a £20m feature film in development for Scottish Screen.
Scotland has made an international name for itself in Animation and Terns leading the TV charge in this booming sector," said Harry Bell, exec producer, Tern Television. "Our C4 series, THE KNTV SHOW, is an animated comedy clip show that celebrates weird science. The aim is to make the shows virtual hosts, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, a global returning brand for C4. BBC Scotland Ent. (Alan Tyler) has funded a satirical comedy pilot, THE CLAN, animated and directed by one of the worlds leading animators, Sylvain Chomet. And, last but not least, is the childrens animated musical feature film, RAVENS WING, written by another world-class talent, Brian Ward. Were having a lot of fun but were also building a strong business on a talent base thats emerging as a recognized global force.
THE KNTV SHOW (6x30), commissioned for C4 Education by Lucy Willis, takes an anarchic, fun and entertaining approach to science. Presented by two virtual animation characters hosts, Kierkegaard and Nietzsche, the series showcases hard science from weird clip montages and the mad world of science trivia. Tern is also producing a special episode for C4 Educations forthcoming Alcohol and Addiction week of programs. THE KNTV SHOW is directed by Garry Marshall and produced by Bell.
THE CLAN is a comedy-animation pilot for BBC Scotland, commissioned by Alan Tyler, BBC Scotlands head of entertainment and comedy. It satirizes the day-to-day life of a host of charming characters inhabiting a remote Scottish island. Directed by Chomet and written by an award-winning team whose credits include 2DTV, Smack the Pony and Revolver, the series is produced by Bell. A 13x30 series is also in development.
RAVENS WING is a 90-minute animated children's musical feature film scripted by Ward with music composed by Paul Wilson (CBBCs BALAMORY). Scottish Screen has given Tern £25,000 for the script as part of this £20 million project. The film is a Christmas fairytale about a little girls journey through a dangerous Celtic world of mythical creatures, physical challenges and intricate mysteries to reunite her family. The film is directed by animator John Gorman (THE LONELY WIDOW, FROZEN HEART) and produced by Bell, for a planned release in Christmas 2007.
Award-winning Tern Television (www.terntv.com) is one of the U.K.s fastest-growing independent producers of quality terrestrial, digital and satellite TV programming. Tern produces an average of 60 hours of programming output each year, and has grown a strong reputation for high-end landmark factual programming in the genres of factual entertainment, leisure, religion, sport, observational documentary and drama for the major broadcasters. Based in Scotland, Tern is also an influential player in encouraging the growth of production in the regions.
Established in 1988 in Aberdeen, founders David Strachan and Gwyneth Hardy, made headway at a time when production infrastructure outside of London was small. In the early days, Tern produced gardening and religion programs as well as one-off documentaries, including the BAFTA-winning PLEASE LEAVE THE LIGHT ON for ITV Scotland, which boosted its profile across the U.K. In 2001, the company expanded to new offices in Glasgow and recruited Bell as creative director, who has successfully helped to increase the company's network and digital channel presence.
With its client list now expanded to include BBC ONE, BBC TWO, BBC Scotland, Scottish and Grampian Television, Channel 4, Discovery Channels, UK Style and BBC Radio 4, as well as non-broadcast video, Tern opened a London office, its first south of the border, in 2003. Tern employs a team of 24 production staff in Aberdeen, Glasgow and London.
