***This article originally appeared in the January ’23 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 326)***
Over the past decade, TV audiences in the U.K. have grown accustomed to watching a new animated special based on the popular books by Julia Donaldson and longtime collaborator Axel Scheffler on Christmas. This year is no exception as BBC One premieres The Smeds and the Smoos, a lovely tale about Bill and Janet, two aliens from warring families who fall in love. The special features the voices of Sally Hawkins, Adjoa Andoh, Bill Bailey, Ashna Rabheru and Rob Brydon. We caught up with the special’s producer Barney Goodland, who has also worked on the previous award-winning adaptations of Donaldson’s books by Magic Light Pictures.
“This our 10th adaptation of a Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler book,” says Goodland was a producer on last year’s Superworm and also worked on Zog and the Flying Doctors, The Snail and the Whale, Zog, The Highway Rat, Revolting Rhymes and Stick Man. “Their books are the most beautiful collaborations — Julia’s witty, creative and engaging text combining with Axel’s rich, unique and endearing illustrations to create wonderful worlds and stories. Those elements are an absolute treat for animation and for us it’s a joy to get to expand them into half-hour films.”
According to Goodland, the team at Magic Light Pictures began working on the special in early 2021, developing the story into a 25-minute script and animatic. “These specials take about two years to produce, from starting work on the script to delivery to the BBC,” he says. “The film is a Magic Light Pictures production with services by Blue Zoo Animation in London. In total, approximately 140 people worked on the film across two years.” The production used ZBrush for modeling, Maya for animation and lighting and Nuke for compositing. “We also use Photoshop and Premiere and rendering was done using Redshift,” the producer says.
Obviously, the starting point for the visuals is always Axel Scheffler’s original illustrations. “In The Smeds and the Smoos, Axel created such an incredible range of aliens and planets with stunning colorscapes that we were really spoiled in terms of a starting point,” says Goodland. “We then worked hard to keep the aesthetic in line with our previous films so that they all feel part of the same universe. We looked at lots of real world influences (from slime to water vapor shapes to exotic plants) so that things feel believable and realistic for the story world.”
However, creating an entire universe from scratch was one of the production’s big challenges. “On previous specials we’ve been able to make some efficiencies from reusing assets, but these worlds and characters are so unique that we had to design and build everything from day one,” admits the producer. “We still managed to do that within our usual schedule and pipeline, which is a testament to our talented crew.”
Goodland says he loves how the special elegantly balances an emotional story with moments of great humor. “The themes of putting differences aside and understanding one another feels very relevant at the moment, and our directors Samantha Cutler and Daniel Snaddon have done an incredible job carrying them delicately through the story,” he offers. “My favorite scene is when the Smoos have run out of their black tea and so the Smeds share their pink milk. It represents a softening of the two families’ feelings towards one another, and in the scene we go through despair, tension and kindness with the characters, and the story then takes a new turn towards the final act.”
The producer says he hopes the special spreads the message that our differences are to be celebrated and that they make life more magical. “The Smeds and the Smoos learn that through their bickering they lose the people they love and feel worse as a result,” he explains. “By working together and accepting others they all get to enjoy themselves and experience new things. On their journey, the Smeds and Smoos also visit lots of incredible planets and meet new aliens. Similarly, I hope that this will leave young viewers feeling excited about discovering new cultures and the benefits of doing so.”
The Smeds and the Smoos will premiere on BBC One on Christmas Day.
