Flying Pigs, May '11

We've recently completed more design work for our favourite Austrian Warthog, Franz Ferdinand, for our friends at KidsTV. He required a Space ship with accompanying Star-Trek style control bridge, as well as a super-spy gadget filled secret agent lair, and suitable outfits for each.
Below are a couple of Kev's initial concepts, with work in progress of the set construction, and the finished result of the Space ship set which was completed by the hugely talented Marlies & team in Austria.

Oli & Nush at CFWeek, May '11

This week, 8th-14th May is CF Week, the Cystic Fibrosis Trust's annual fundraising and awareness drive. Cystic Fibrosis is one of the UK's most common, life-threatening, inherited diseases.

At the end of last year we completed a short film for the CF Trust called 'Getting Nosey About CF with Oli & Nush'. It stars our friend Oli Dillon, voice of Nok Tok from Waybuloo, who happens to have CF. Oli & Nush have their own fundraising page which we urge you to visit and donate what you can, large or small!

Caitlin Watson, an inspiring girl who won a 2 month work placement with the CF Trust as part of the Vodaphone 'World of Difference' initiative, asked us to create some colouring-in sheets using characters and scenarios from the film to use in her specially constructed lesson plans. They are being used this week to help promote CF awareness in schools across the country.

It sounds like Caitlin made a great contribution there and we wish her the very best of luck with her continued fundraising and awareness raising efforts with the CFTrust. We also like to thank her for her kind comments about our contribution- we were happy to help!

You can read more about her great work on her blog here

You can watch the film on Youtube or Vimeo
or read more about it in previous posts here and here.

You're too old to understand how I feel! Jan'11

Here's a nice video made before Christmas of the Cam's Den launch day made by the very talented Jam Flicks with special guest appearances by Dan, Max, Kitty and Flynn.

You can see the Cam's Den films we made further down the blog, and can read more about the lanuch day, and the evolution of the Cam's Den website here

Bubble & Squeak, Jan'11

Here's a recently completed advert we made for ProtectYourBubble.com that's been showing since Christmas.

Wis Cracker, Dec'10

Here's some lovely fan art by Kev's talented niece Faye aged 5 (now 6). If you have any of your own Waybuloo drawings or models you would like us to show, scan or photograph them and email them to the address at the top and we can try to show them off here.

More to come soon!

Getting Nosey About CF with Oli & Nush, Dec'10

Finished film for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust on Dvd to be shown in schools aiming to help kids with CF understand their condition, and to help other children understand what treatment kids with CF have to have to stay healthy.
If you would like to make a donation so the CF Trust can keep supporting people with CF in the UK please head over to Oli & Nush's fundraising page here: Oli & Nush fundraising page

There are stills and photos from the making of the film at this older post here.
Credits:
Oli Dillon - Oli the boy
Anouska Powell - Nush the anteater
Directed & Designed by Ben Austin
Written & Produced by Dan Good (additional writing by Jacqueline Ali & Gemma Matthews @ the CF Trust)
Animation by Dan Mitchell
Additional animation by Ben Austin
Sound & Music by Joe Kelly @ Brighter Day Music

Cam & Crew for Tavistock & Portman, Dec'10

Finished work for the NHS Tavistock & Portman, featuring Cam & friends filming their visit to a clinic, and starring in their own music video to music by James from www.brighterday.co.uk.



You can visit Cam's website here: www.camsden.co.uk

You want me to be a mouse? Nov'10

Great trailer for Cbeebies teaching kids about the benefits of Waybuloo.

BBC CBeebies Waybuloo from James Spence on Vimeo.
Worth a look on James Spence's Vimeo page, there are plenty of other gems there including: Cbeebies 'I Can Cook'
Posting here because we thought it was fun, but we were'nt involved in making this. Here are the credits:
Writers: James Spence, Anton Ezer
CD: James Spence
Director: Ben Gregor

7 Wunder! Nov'10

A hefty portion of our year has been taken up with more exciting work for our friends in Austria at KidsTV. This time it was work on Thomas Brezina's '7 Wunder'.
Working with KidsTv we developed a wacky Heath Robinson style flying vehicle called Lola. We made CG animated elements of Lola in motion, and designed the vehicle interior which was constructed in Vienna. We also designed Lola's pilot 'Nelson' Thomas's companion and co-host for their fantastic voyages of discovery around the world.

The show is due to air very soon on the ORF network in Austria, we hope to be able to post snippets soon, but in the meantime you can see a short trailer here, or you can learn more about the show on the KidsTV website Read on to find out more...

CF Trust Film, Nov'10

We're almost finished on a 2D animated film for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust called 'Getting Nosey About CF with Oli & Nush'. The film's star Oli Dillon has recently been interviewed about the film and his other acting work by the Sun newspaper, and BBC1 South East local news. He's a talented lad, and definitely a name to watch out of in the future.

Here are some stills, some early sketches and some production photos featuring Dan, Oli & Nush making puppets, and Nush approving the script during the recording sessions. We'll be posting the film up in the next couple of weeks along with a full list of credits.

Please ask permission if you would like to use these pictures.

A TV Show of Delight and Wonder! Sep'10

Article, and interesting comments from the public on Waybuloo- it really divides opinion!
Daily Telegraph Article

 

For the record- Kev's beautiful CG animation of the Piplings for the pilot that he slaved over day and night for weeks looked not in the slightest bit like cardboard cutouts, you can see a very small snippet of it in our reel.

Lots of excting news and stuff about recent work to post soon, so watch this space, or subscribe to get updates on new posts at the bottom of the blog.

Meet Alan, May '10

We've just filmed a fun Blue Peter-style 'Make & Do' film on how to make a sock puppet for the NHS Tavistock & Portman.

It's chirpily presented by the fantastic Polly James who managed to remain bright and bubbly throughout. Dan approached the project with his characteristic vigour and intensity. Look out for the edit in the coming weeks.

Quiz Safari! May '10

You can now see a snippet of the fantastic 'Quiz Safari' made with our good friends in Austria at KidsTV. We designed and animated all the characters and backgrounds in 2D, KidsTV then dropped presenters and real kids into the animated / live-action mix.

We worked long and hard on this through the winter months, and it's great to be able to finally show it off. It's currently playing on ORF in Austria alongside other KidsTV/Cuckoo productions 'Quiz Castle' (Rätselburg) and 'Franz Ferdinand'.

Here's one of 7 environments we made as a 30 second loop:

Shameless plug, March '10

We've just got our latest delivery of merchandise through, the cake was nice, but this is the one we've all been waiting for: The Waybuloo Wet Wipes.

Fingers crossed the Scooter and Wendy tent will arrive very soon. Get yours here, or here !

Cam & Friends at the Tavi, Feb '10

Cuckoo have just finished a puppet shoot featuring 'Cam' & friends for the NHS Tavistock & Portman.

Despite having Dan's hand up his backside for 8 hours straight, Cam delivered a moving, subtle, and nuanced performance, and apart from a few sweary outbursts was utterly professional throughout. Watch out in the coming weeks for the finished edit.

Waybuloo Window At Hamley's! October '09

For one month only, Hamley's, on Regent Street, one of the largest toystores in the world and a major London tourist attraction in itself, is hosting those adorable little Pipling's from Waybuloo. Pictured Kev dropping in to say hi.

Quiz Castle, September '09

Completed summer last year- Rattlehead & Pizza star in 'Rätselburg' a.k.a. 'Quiz Castle'. 

All character work from design through to animation by Absolutely Cuckoo. Backgrounds by KidsTV. Click here to see a short snippet. Currently playing on the ORF network.

Visit to Nara, December '08

Dan & Lucy arranged a surprise trip for their daughter Kitty’s birthday treat with her brother Flynn to visit the set of WAYBULOO in Glasgow...the Land of Nara!

Isn't Flynn growing into a strapping young lad? taller than his dad already!

Flynn was the star of the original pitch animation that won the BBC commission and it was agreed that sour cherry cola bottles for life would be written in on his contract rider next time.