Paris-based Dada! Animation (dada-animation.com), a specialist in real-time animation, will exhibit four of its projects at this month’s Cartoon Forum 2022 (cartoon-media.eu). One of these, Mekka Nikki, a sci-Fi series targeting kids and teenagers aged 12+, will be presented to European broadcasters and animation professionals during a pitch session with its co-producer, Squarefish, as part of the co-pro event’s official selection.
Mekka Nikki is an initiatic 3D/2D animated science-fiction adventure comprising 10 x 30-minute episodes for Season 1. Described as an “epic saga,” the series is adapted from the comic book by Belgian authors Exaheva and Félix Laurent, with an eye to carryign on the legacy of the futuristic series while exploring the topics of preserving the human species, gender issues and physical disability, amongst others.
The Mekka Nikki pitch at Cartoon Forum will take place on Wednesday, September 21 at 11:45 a.m. in the Purple Room.
Dada! will also use one-on-one networking meeting opportunities at Cartoon Forum to present the pilot episode of its edutainment series, Captain Tone-up, currently in development with Disney Television France. The program targets six- to 10-year olds and promotes the benefits of eating well and moving well.
The studio will also introduce two other projects: the animated documentary French Patisserie, which offers a gastronomic journey in partnership with Gaël Clavière, the head pastry chef at the official residence of the French Prime Minister; and the animated poetic preschool cartoon The Nebulons, in co-development with Diabolo films.
“We look forward to presenting our portfolio of projects at Cartoon Forum 2022. These projects target all audiences, from preschoolers to families, and include contemporary and universal subjects in an enjoyable and captivating way,” says Jérôme Mouscadet, Director and Producer at Dada! Animation.
Producer Jean-François Ramos notes, “We use real-time game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine for rendering and compositing in the development stage as well as to test and optimize some of our projects.”
Cartoon Forum takes place Sept. 19-22 in Toulouse, France.
Dada! Animation at Cartoon Forum:
Mekka Nikki (10 x 30′ S1) – Mekka Nikki is a science fiction soap opera for children and teenagers aged 12 plus, adapted from a comic book written by Belgian authors Exaheva and Félix Laurent. This committed initiatory quest, developed in collaboration with Squarefish, carries on the tradition of the great futuristic series while contributing to space opera’s revitalisation. It does this through the contemporary graphics it employs and the topics it explores, including preserving the human species, gender issues and physical disability.
Captain Tone-up (12 x 2’30”) – As part of the broadcasters’ commitment to Arcom’s dietary charter, Disney Television France collaborated with Dada! Animation to create a 3D-animated series for children aged six to 10 called Captain Tone-up. This series will encourage children to eat well, be active and get enough sleep. In each of her adventures, Captain Stella Tone-up provides a solution to a question presented by a youngster. She then explains the specific behaviour scientifically and engagingly while sharing the steps one can take to remedy that impact.
French Patisserie (30 x 7′) – French Patisserie is a gourmet family animated documentary that tells the remarkable story of France’s sweet gastronomy. The documentary was produced in partnership with chef Gaël Clavière, who has served as the head pastry chef of the French Prime Minister for 17 years at the Hôtel Matignon. French Patisserie takes viewers on a scrumptious journey through some well-known French culinary creations, from the addictive saga of the world-famous Macaron to the conception of the Paris-Brest in tribute to a cycling race at the Belle Epoque.
The Nebulons (78 x 7′) – The Nebulons is a poetic animated cartoon series created in co-production with Diabolo Films for children aged three to five. The series tells the burlesque and dreamlike adventures of adorable little legendary elves called the Nebulons, who like to create shapes in the clouds to amaze children.
