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| George Caton-Coult, Kevin Richards and students |
George Caton-Coult is the Studio Manager at Love Love Films, responsible for the TV hit "Pop Paper City" developed in partnership with Aardman Animation. Many Escapees worked on "Pop Paper City". In this in-person visit, George explained how the series came about, and how Escapees might find work at the studio.
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| Pop Paper City |
Pop Paper City
The series was pitched across Europe, including at MipCom in Cannes, and also at the Children's Media Conference (CMC) in Sheffield.
Many Escapees contributed to the making of Pop Paper City, including animation tutor Kevin Richards who was a Lead Animator at Pop Paper City.
To see some of the Escapees who worked on the show, follow the links below:
All prospectives candidates had to do a short animation test for Love Love Films to make sure they were right for the show. George explained "we weren't looking for perfection", but wanted to see "they had a good grasp of the basics". They also wanted to see enthusiastic candidates at the interview stage, animators who "really wanted to work on the show".
Create Craft
Pop Paper City teaches children how to craft along with the characters, encouraging ‘doing as well as viewing’. Each episode features a craft sequence, in which a live-action human hand interacts with the 3D environment, assisting the characters with the crafting process and showing the audience how to follow along at home.
Aardman Animation & Lovelove Films
The official distribution partner for Pop Paper City is Aardman Animation, creators of Wallace and Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep. "Pop Paper City" is a new animated TV series being produced by Lovelove films.
Pop Paper City is a preschool craft TV show distributed by Aardman Animations and produced by Lovelove films. The series focuses on a group of paper friends as they find ways to have fun together by creating new parts of their paper world.
Development
Pop Paper City was an original series pitch, developed as a CG project that would mimic the look and feel of hand-crafted paper. Everything that is in the show can be (and was) also made out of paper.
Pitching
Pitching the project enabled Lovelove Films to hone the idea, find out what buyers are looking for, and test the market. Lovelove Films also had to develop a Series Bible, and a proof of concept animated test to establish the look and feel of the show.
Studio Manager George Caton-Coult came to visit our students on Thursday 21 March to talk about the show, discuss opportunities in the animation industry - and also offer portfolio and interview tips.
Award-Winning Series
"Pop Paper City" was nominated for "Best Pre-School Programme" at the 2024 Broadcast Awards, which took place on 8 February 2024.
Escapees at Pop Paper City
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| Pop Paper City team at the Royal TV Society Awards |
George Caton-Coult explained that Escapees were "the very best" graduates that they hired onto the show. What made Escapees different? "Talent, obviously", but also "the ability to work together in teams and get stuck in".
George added "I don't know what you guys are doing here exactly, but whatever it is - it works".
Escapees
- Ben Swallow Joins Pop Paper City
- Alex Maynard Animator at Pop Paper City
- Molly McCabe animator at Pop Paper City
- Shauna Ludgate Animator at Pop Paper City
- Gary Roche Animator at Pop Paper City
- Louis Chevis Animator at Pop Paper City
- Dave Novis Animator & 3D Generalist at Pop Paper City
- Kevin Richards, Lead Animator at Pop Paper City
- Simone Costa, Animator at Pop Paper City
- Eilin Berrio Pena, Animator at Pop Paper City
Hiring Graduates
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| Love Love Films |
Kevin explained that students hoping to get hired should "keep in touch" on a regular basis, "not being a pest", but just gently reminding the studio of their availability. Right now Love Love Films is quiet, but they "hope to be hiring again later this year". George also stressed the importance of being easy to find at LinkedIn.
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| Pop Paper City |
Aardman Animation & Lovelove Films
The official distribution partner for Pop Paper City is Aardman Animation, creators of Wallace and Gromit, and Shaun the Sheep. "Pop Paper City" is a new animated TV series being produced by Lovelove films.
Kevin Richards' Jobs and Careers Advice
To see more advice from Kevin Richards on how to find your first job in the animation industry, see the links below:
Interview and Demo Reel Resources at Escape Studios
To see more resources on animation jobs and careers generally, see the the links below:
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| Kevin Richards teaching at Escape Studios |
- Kevin Richards' "Crucial Tip" for animation graduates
- How Animators Get Hired - with Kevin Richards
- Animation Recruiters (and how to handle them) - with Kevin Richards
- How to do well at your first job interview
- Animation Demo Reel Tips from Kevin Richards
To see more resources on animation jobs and careers generally, see the the links below:
- How to create a great animation demo reel
- Escape Studios Showreel Guide
- Nine Ways to Blow a Job Interview
- The Number One Reason Why Animation Graduates Don't Get Hired
- Why Animators Need to Be on Linkedin
- Should Graduates Accept a Job as a Runner?
The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects.
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