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Indie French studio Millimages, which is best known for popular shows such as Molang, Mouk and Pirata & Capitano, is one of many global players which will be introducing new content at two of the season’s animation events, Cartoon Forum and MIPJunior. The studio’s head of development and producer Bonnie Lener recently spoke to Animation Magazine about the studio’s new series Camp Farmcreek, which is being presented at Cartoon Form. Described as a humorous, quirky series of 52 x 11-minutes, the show follows the adventures of Leo, Violet and San — three city kids who have been sent to summer camp for holidays, Camp Farmcreek.
“This camp isn’t a typical summer getaway: it’s an old farm roughly converted to a summer camp, all thanks to the one and only Hector — a farmer who’s both incredibly friendly and delightfully unconventional,” explains Lener. “It might not strike as the perfect spot for 11-year-old pre-teenagers; being surrounded by nature, farm animals and mud, and only doing activities that are a bit … rustic. Yet, the kids manage to have a blast, sometimes (well, let’s say often) getting into trouble. What they didn’t expect was that everything there would turn out to be incredibly exciting and full of wild adventures! Hector’s camp is about to redefine fun for these soon-to-be teens!”
Wild & Rustic Fun
Lener says the show’s concept is universally relatable to children worldwide. “Everybody as a kid has experienced a first party, mischievous escapades, the excitement of making new friends, camping in the forest … And summer camp is the place that brings all of these ‘firsts’ together in one spot,” she notes. “Therefore, our stories make it easy for viewers to relate, even if Camp Farmcreek sometimes surpasses reality. Everything leads to wild and crazy adventures! Combining a relatable concept with quirky stories is surely going to captivate kids after school. Moreover, in terms of production, this concept offers great potential, with a multitude of narratives that could spread across multiple seasons, which is undoubtedly fantastic!”
The 2D-animated look seems to be perfect for the fun, light-hearted and cartoony content. “The tone is humorous, even absurd at times, with a cartoonish feel, yet not fully embracing the pure cartoon style, in order to leave room for more tender and touching moments,” says Lener. “The talented Hugo Cierzniak (50/50 Heroes, Mighty Mike) directed the teaser, and his expertise contributed to its success. We created the teaser at Millimages studios, and we want to maintain production in-house to preserve our French savoir-faire. We used Flash Animate for animation and After Effects for compositing.”
The producer says Camp Farmcreek’s ability to be hilarious and transmit core values such as solidarity, tolerance and friendship, makes it a stand-out. “The stories are very much character driven, which naturally leads to excellent and funny storytelling,” she says. “Everyone is incredibly well-characterized, funny, and has very different personalities. However, despite their differences, there is something that unites them all, and it is their love for this camp. So, whenever the camp is in danger, they all join forces to save the day. All its numerous imperfections have conquered everyone’s heart, which can be very touching at times. It’s a real family in a cheerful mess!”
In addition, Millimages is bringing several other noteworthy projects to the fall markets. Among them is an adaptation of the classic Bambi book, titled Bambi at the Grand Oak Hotel. The 52-episode show is tailored for preschoolers. “We are working on an ambitious CG sitcom project aimed at bringing Felix Salten’s iconic fawn back to our screens with a fresh and original approach, while still preserving the essence and major themes of the book,” notes Lener.
“We are also thrilled to present our new kids’ comedy series titled Watch out Wollyhood. This 2D series promised to be another humorous after-school series, following the footsteps of our previous successes Corneil and Bernie and soon to be Camp Farmcreek,” she adds. “Additionally, we are developing Star Slingers, an innovative semi-serial project for kids/teens, which narrates the spectacular and funny journey of a duo composed of Cubbie, a pizza-loving bear, and Ozzie, a skilled sheep pilot! Our heroes decide to participate in the most-watched show in the cosmos, Who Wants to Become the Best Pizzaiolo in the Galaxy?”
An Expanding Portfolio
Lener says Millimages’ top priority for the new future is to broaden its portfolio to meet the varied needs of preschool and kid audiences. “The environment today is highly competitive and demanding,” she points out. “Each one of our projects is unique and targets a specific audience.”
When asked about the current TV and streaming climate in France, Lener says one of the main challenges is to cope with the market’s evolutions and to implement the best strategy to finance projects. “Indeed, we are facing major changes since the arrival of global streaming platforms, and their new participation in the French investment requirements,” she says. “We aim to diversify our financing partners; between historical broadcasters and the streaming platforms whose goals and interests are not always compatible. Finding common ground between these multiple partners is a key issue due to the increase in animation costs over the last few years.”
For more information, visit millimages.com.
