NI Animation studio Flickerpix is behind a short animated appeal film to air as part of Comic Relief 2009 on Friday 13th March on BBC 1 at 9pm. The short animation focuses on the killer disease of malaria and is devised from a script by writer and director Richard Curtis whose credits include ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral,’ and ‘Love Actually’.
The three minute film features hand drawn animation and illustration, rotoscoping, motion graphic in After Effects and 3D Modeling and will be the opening sequence to an hour-long special appeal to fight malaria.
Curtis contacted the Flickerpix crew after seeing an episode of their IFTA nominated ‘Days Like This’, a 15 part series broadcast on BBCNI at Christmas last year which brought to life the memories of ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Creative Director Joel Simon directed the Flickerpix animation crew which included Production Manager Evelyn McGrath, Assistant Director Robin McFarland, animators Nathan Mateer, Sreejesh Kadalayil and Tory Farley, and Kris Kelly, Head of Animation.
Speaking on the completion of the animation Joel said: "It has been a huge project on an insanely tight deadline but we’re incredibly proud of this film, and to be part of Comic Relief 2009. It’s our highest profile commission so far and an example of what we can achieve as a studio.”
Flickerpix also has a wide slate of projects in production, from adult comedy animation to title sequences. Among current developments are a pilot for ‘Hollywood Home for the Aged’ with Meredith Viera in New York, 'Police Camera Asshole' (working title) for BBC3, two short films for the BBC Learning Zone and the title sequences for Discovery and the History Channel.
