CLEAR CUT GROUP COMMITS TO NET ZERO

Clear Cut Group receive the SME Climate Hub Badge

The Clear Cut Group has announced its commitment to achieving Net Zero. It is now a member of the SME Climate Hub, committing to halving all emissions by 2030 as part of the UN’s Race to Zero campaign; and then reaching Net Zero by 2050. In recognition of this commitment to lowering their environmental impact, the post production group has received the SME Climate Hub badge.

“For too long the impact of post-production in the production lifecycle has been under-reported. We are making significant progress to operate in a greener and more sustainable way, reducing our emissions year on year. The Clear Cut team has been on a sustainability journey for some time and this public commitment ensures we continue reducing our carbon footprint, in keeping with client expectations, while supporting global climate action.”

Rowan Bray, Managing Director of Clear Cut Group

Clear Cut Group, along with sustainability consultancy Cut the Carbon (CTC), won a Broadcast Tech Innovation Award in December. This recognised the innovative and ground-breaking CTC Methodology which had been developed to accurately assess the carbon footprint of individual processes in post-production – something that had not been achieved before. Further plans include the roll out of the methodology to other post-production environments, gathering comparable industry data which can be used by all those engaging with post-production.

Some programmes recently post produced at Clear Cut Group include; Alan and Amanda’s Greek Job (Voltage TV for BBC One); Lost Boys, Deadly Men (Pulse Films for Now TV); At War: Trump, Israel and Iran (BBC Panorama BBC One); Inside the Rage Machine (BBC World Service for BBC Two) and Tucci in Italy (BBC for Nat Geo and Disney+).

VINE FX’S HYBRID VFX WORKFLOWS ON ITV’S AFTER THE FLOOD SEASON 2

Vine FX blends moorland fire simulations, hybrid terrain workflows, and invisible visual effects to amplify tension and maintain realism

Produced by Quay Street Productions for ITV, After the Flood returns for a second season set one year after the catastrophic floods that devastated the town of Waterside. As newly promoted DI Jo Marshall, portrayed by Sophie Rundle, investigates an unconscious man discovered amid simmering moorland fi res, with the renewed threat of flooding looming over the community, she is drawn into a case that rapidly escalates in scale and consequence. With scorched peatlands increasing runoff risk framing the unfolding mystery, After the Flood Season 2 expands its environmental scope, placing fi re and unstable terrain at the centre of both the narrative stakes and visual challenges.

Working as the sole vendor, Vine FX delivered a full suite of effects across 336 shots and 94 sequences spanning all six episodes.

“There was a real spirit of creativity on set, especially as we had established a great relationship with Director Azhur Saleem and the QSP team on Season 1. Azhur trusted us to explore bold ideas, and we were able to take on much more ambitious shots as the collaboration evolved during filming. Being part of those early recces meant that the team and I could offer direct insights on what was captured on set, which made a huge difference for our work, such as the Gaussian Splatting, later in the pipeline. With the mutual respect we had developed, we were able to find some really creative solutions and work together to get the best possible result on screen. From dramatic environmental augmentations to subtle continuity fixes, the team’s focus was always on heightening tension and maintaining realism.”

Michael Illingworth, Executive VFX Supervisor

Crafting Flames on Protected Terrain

For Season 2 of After the Flood, Vine FX encountered the challenge of bringing sprawling moorland fire sequences to life on protected terrain, where practical burns were restricted, and on-set smoke was minimal.

“A lot of our initial work was the big fire sequence in Episode One. It was filmed in a protected area, so they couldn’t actually burn anything on it. Our job was to build upon the smoke captured on set, using a combination of 3D and 2D techniques and close collaboration among departments to bring everything together.”

Kaitlyn Beattie, Executive Producer

“Thankfully, we were involved early, attending shoots while production was still underway. We gathered reference photography and studied how grass and smoke behave, which is very different from structural fires.”

Alesja Surubkina, VFX Supervisor

Using custom fire simulation systems, procedural controls, and real wildfire references, Vine FX crafted fi re sequences with varied behaviours.

“The fires had to feel natural at every scale, from wide open landscapes to closer medium shots, without repetition. We couldn’t rely on a single asset repeated across shots, it had to feel random and organically develop over time. Josh Curtis, our Primary FX Artist, created a beautiful, highly creative system that gave the client a flexible platform they could adapt and expand. Alesja was then able to provide rapid feedback, and together we literally drew curves and painted areas on plates, using some geometry to produce fi res that appeared alive. Once early tests landed, the client’s brief quickly expanded: more shots, more embers, more intensity – all heightening narrative impact.”

Tim Kilgour, CG Supervisor

Hybrid Data, Gaussian Splats & Collaborative Innovation

Another major challenge was the season’s climax, which required reimagining a real-world low cliff edge into a dramatic fall. The Vine FX team combined extensive research with close interdepartmental collaboration, merging multiple geospatial captures with CG elements to create a visually cohesive, treacherous environment.

“Our early tests didn’t merely meet expectations, they inspired the client to expand the scope of the sequence. That growth was only possible through effective collaboration between the R&D, CG, DMP and compositing departments.”

Beattie, Executive Producer

A key example of this was the innovative use of Gaussian splats to extend the cliff environment. Using drone-captured photography, the team reconstructed scenes as highly detailed, volumetric representations, effectively creating a three-dimensional photographic base of real locations. Rather than relying on traditional mesh-based geometry, this approach enabled the team to build directly from accurate captures of the natural world, forming a realistic foundation that could then be adapted to suit each shot’s requirements. These splats were integrated with additional techniques to produce a seamless, believable environment.

“We start with photography and solve for camera positions, which gives us a spatial understanding of the scene. From that, we train Gaussian splats, points that carry colour and can vary in shape and density, to reconstruct the environment. It’s essentially like building up a scene from lots of soft, fuzzy points rather than rigid geometry. We captured multiple drone scans and assembled them into a single scene, but combining these areas wasn’t always straightforward. Where transitions between scans didn’t work perfectly, we introduced a hybrid approach using CG environment patches and matte painting to blend everything together. The splats form a highly realistic base because they directly represent what was captured in the real world. But the tools are still evolving, so when stitching different areas together or resolving gaps and edges, we relied on CG and compositing to smooth those transitions and maintain continuity across the environment.”

Peter Noble, Research & Development Engineer

“We saw real progression on this show from earlier experimentation to a production-ready workflow. The hybrid approach brought together the strengths of each technique we had at hand.”

Jake Newton, CG Lead

“This shot was highly collaborative. Everything, from 3D grass patches to layered sky domes, parallax layers, and volumetric splats, demanded minute coordination between departments to avoid any pop or visual discontinuity.”

Preet Katta, Lead Compositor

By combining Gaussian splats with CG environment patches and compositing, Vine FX created a treacherous cliff environment which proved both narratively compelling and technically robust. The approach supported rapid iteration, maintained image consistency across intricate shots, and showcased how research-driven, collaborative workflows can transform real-world locations into high-impact, story-forward sequences.

Enhancing Storytelling with Invisible VFX

Beyond the high-impact moorland fire sequences and dramatic finale, Vine FX delivered extensive invisible effects across the season. From photographic inserts and slight environmental fixes to continuity enhancements critical to plot development. These often small but narratively significant shots called for meticulous compositing under pressing production deadlines.

“There were a large number of shots involving photographic inserts, incident boards, CCTV frames, and scenes that hadn’t yet been filmed. It’s the kind of invisible work that keeps continuity and quality consistent throughout the series. For some of the closer performance moments, we used face-tracking to integrate minor adjustments for blood, sweat, and even small injuries, without ever distracting from the actors’ performances. With this type of work, it’s always about supporting the story, not drawing attention to the VFX.”

Simon Carr, VFX Supervisor & Creative Director

Water continuity further tied the season to its predecessor, with Vine FX delivering a detailed shot of the flood wall built after the events of Season 1.

“What was nominally a small shot – adding a flood wall and water – was given detailed treatment to appear real and consequential. This meant that the water simulation was turned around quickly and ended up feeling far richer than its brief would suggest.”

Tim Kilgour, CG Supervisor

Together, these invisible and continuity-driven effects reinforced narrative stakes, supporting the story without ever drawing attention away from the drama onscreen.

All six episodes of After the Flood Season 2 are currently streaming on ITV.

BRIGHTON ZOO APPOINTS NEW CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Blue Zoo’s Regional Animation Hub Appoints George Sawyer as Creative Director

Brighton Zoo, the bold and agile sister to award-winning animation studio Blue Zoo, has appointed George Sawyer as Creative Director, a strategic hire that signals the studio’s accelerating ambition in digital-first content, multiplatform storytelling, and a widened reach beyond kids to young adult audiences.

The Brighton-based studio, which operates as a regional animation hub within the Blue Zoo group, has built its reputation at the convergence of creativity and technology in today’s dynamic content market. George’s appointment strengthens that positioning, bringing a rare combination of narrative craft, creative leadership, and cross-format experience spanning animation, live action, digital and branded content.

George Sawyer is a multi-award-winning writer, director and creative lead. His credits include the International Emmy-winning Horrible Histories and the BAFTA Scotland-winning The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. Known for combining strong narrative instincts with hands-on creative direction, he has developed innovative projects for broadcasters, studios and major global brands, working across scripted comedy, children’s television, and digital content.

“We’re really excited to be bringing George formally into the fold, following our recent collaboration on the Fugglers YouTube content. His appointment allows us to move with greater creative ambition on all fronts.  George will lead on our digital-first social video and interactive productions, spearhead our cross-platform development slate, and push into content for older audiences. This is Brighton Zoo growing into its next chapter.”

Juliet Tzabar, Managing Director of Brighton Zoo

“I love telling stories, and I’m always looking for new and interesting ways to do that. What stood out to me about Brighton Zoo is its innovative, collaborative approach and a true instinct to develop ideas that work across multiple platforms. I want to deliver stories from a diverse range of voices that extend beyond traditional TV. I’m really excited to get started with Juliet and the team.”

George Sawyer, Creative Director of Blue Zoo

Since its inception in 2023 as a joint venture between Blue Zoo and Plug-in Media, Brighton Zoo has established itself as a regional powerhouse – delivering two series of Supertato for CBeebies, interactive games for BBC Bitesize and the Tate Gallery, and branded entertainment for companies including Tonies, Radio Flyer and Fugglers. Their episodic and shorts content for toy brand Fugglers has generated over 20 million views on YouTube and TikTok, with an average TikTok engagement rate of 11.68%, demonstrating the studio’s ability to build genuine audience connection beyond traditional broadcast. Through its innovative slate, the studio creates bold, platform-native stories that connect with young audiences through the channels they love – reflecting how they play, what they watch, and where they interact.

With George Sawyer now leading creative, Brighton Zoo is well placed to push further – developing new IP, targeting broader audiences, embracing new production pipelines, and continuing to redefine what a nimble, digitally-native studio can achieve.

MAGIC LIGHT PICTURES LAUNCHES STIRLING ANIMATION STUDIO

Magic Light Pictures has confirmed the launch of its new, wholly owned studio

Magic Light Pictures has confirmed the launch of Stirling Animation Studio (SAS) where the company will complete production of its landmark preschool series Zog for the BBC. 

Following Wild Child Animation entering Administration, Magic Light acted swiftly to acquire the studio’s assets and production pipeline in order to safeguard crew roles, protect vital Scottish animation infrastructure, and ensure continuity of production.

Stirling Animation Studio keeps the highly skilled and experienced crew together, and SAS will complete production of all 52 episodes of Zog on schedule for delivery to the BBC and international partners.

“We’ve acted quickly to protect something valuable – a brilliant team, a major production, and a key part of Scotland’s animation capability.  It’s been important to provide stability and renewed confidence for the crew at a critical time. The formation of Stirling Animation Studio will ensure completion of our Zog series and we hope ​it can also be a platform for future productions. We are already exploring ideas about the future so we can support the next generation of world-class animation talent in Scotland.”

Martin Pope and Michael Rose, co-founders of Magic Light Pictures

Based on the internationally bestselling books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, Zog remains a cornerstone project for Magic Light Pictures and its partners, including the BBC, ZDF, BBC Studios and Creative Scotland.

BUILDING A STORM: CRAFTING THE VISUAL WORLD OF UNDER SALT MARSH

Milk VFX delivers 662 visual effects shots for Under Salt Marsh

Milk VFX, a Phantom Media Group company, delivered 662 visual effects shots for Under Salt Marsh, supporting the project from early concept development through to final compositing. Guided by director Claire Oakley’s vision, the work combined large-scale visual ambition with a commitment to realism and invisible effects. The brief called for expansive environments, dramatic weather and significant digital world-building, all grounded in authentic locations and believable natural conditions to ensure the story’s setting felt tangible and lived-in.

Working closely with Milk Production VFX Supervisor Mark Harris, Production VFX Producer Patrizia Mule and Milk VFX Producer Jasmine Ford-Elgood, the team delivered large-scale environment builds, complex weather simulations and seamless compositing in support of Oakley’s vision of a place that felt entirely authentic and grounded.

The work began with concept designs for drone shots showing the town of Morfa Halen before and after the flooding. These were developed into digital matte paintings using a lidar scan of the real town as a base, before moving into compositing where the environments were carefully integrated into the drone-shot plates.

More than 100 shots required digital extensions to the practical town set. Milk created concepts to define how the set should expand beyond what was physically built, which were then developed by the environments team using lidar scans of the studio backlot, bespoke house and street models, and photo-scanned assets captured on location in Wales by Milk’s VFX Supervisor and on-set team.

A key part of the story was the construction of a seawall. While part of this was built practically on set, it also required significant digital extension, with the environment team expanding the structure and surrounding landscape and the compositing team seamlessly integrating the CG work into the plate photography.

Milk’s biggest challenge was the weather work. As the story evolved, the scale of the storm continued to grow throughout the edit and into post-production. The ocean work was particularly demanding due to the use of wide-angle drone photography, which required vast expanses of simulated water. Milk’s FX team simulated miles of turbulent ocean in Houdini, with storm-driven waves crashing against the shoreline and sea defences. Dozens of simulations, including foam, bubbles, splashes and water interaction, were layered together in compositing to create a cohesive and photorealistic result, with the most complex shots combining low-flying camera moves close to the ocean surface while still revealing huge distances into the horizon.

“The storm work was the most complex aspect of the show. Simulating miles of ocean and integrating that work into wide-angle drone photography, often shot in calm conditions, was a huge challenge, and one the team rose to.”

Mark Harris, Production VFX Supervisor

The storm reaches its peak in Episode 5, as rising water threatens to breach the seawall. Much of this sequence had been shot in fine, sunny conditions, requiring extensive sky replacements, added rain, atmospherics and rough water to sell the intensity of the storm. Stormy seas and skies were added throughout Episodes 5 and 6, alongside large amounts of rain work and, in some cases, snow.

Several establishing shots were created to define the geography and character of Morfa Halen. One extends the view of Spider Island, revealing houseboats sitting among the marshlands backed by the Welsh mountains, achieved using a mix of projected DMP backgrounds and 3D environment builds. Another wide establisher features Kelly, Rafe and Brian in a small patch of practically built marshland, shot as a locked-off plate, with Milk’s environment team digitally extending the marsh and compositing adding a camera move to reveal a dawn horizon created as a digital matte painting.

To support delivery across the series, Milk collaborated with sister studio Phantom FX, part of the Phantom Media Group, who delivered 200 VFX shots across seven sequences. Working closely with the Milk team over six months, Phantom FX handled compositing, set integration and CG rain work, contributing to the smooth delivery of all six episodes of the acclaimed series.

See Milk’s VFX breakdown here:

FREEFOLK’S FUTUREFOLK RETURNS FOR ITS NINTH YEAR

The initiative continues to broaden its search for talent from all backgrounds

East London-based, independent, commercials and longform VFX studio Freefolk, launched its ninth annual Futurefolk competition today.

The initiative to nurture, inspire and spark the careers of the next generation of VFX talent with a paid internship, was originally launched in 2018.

The Freefolk talent team are ready to spot the skill, creativity and enthusiasm required to kick-start the careers of the next generation of VFX stars. And, after the huge success of last year, Freefolk again wants to hear from people from all backgrounds, those who have, and just as importantly, those who haven’t followed the traditional college based route.

Freefolk CEO Fi Kilroe explains what they’re looking for in the Futurefolkers of 2026:

“This is an incredible opportunity for someone with the drive and enthusiasm for a career in VFX to gain real-world experience within a creative studio. We’re interested to hear from all candidates, from all backgrounds – its talent and passion that we’re looking for”.

Fi Kilroe, CEO of Freefolk

Since 2018 Freefolk have welcomed 18 Futurefolkers, who have all gone on to have successful careers in the industry. One of last year’s winners, Nuke Compositor Sophia Harrington, has since come back to work on a project with Freefolk.

“Trying to bridge the gap between studying VFX and having actual professional experience seems like the hardest and most pivotal point of a whole career. For a long time, it felt like being on the outside looking in and trying hard to find an opportunity to get a foot in the door. Now that that’s happened, there’s no going back. I’ll leave this internship with not only professional work for my reel, but experience and understanding of a professional pipeline and hopefully lasting connections with Freefolk and all the amazing people that I’ve met here.”

Sophia Harrington, Nuke Compositor

“Once again Freefolk are generously offering valuable work experience to develop the future talent that our industry depends on. The fact that this scheme is now in its 9th iteration, demonstrates that it is effective for both Freefolk and the new entrants who participate in it.”

Neil Hatton MBE, CEO of UK Screen Alliance

“This is a great opportunity for someone who dreams of a career in VFX but who hasn’t necessarily got relevant – or any – academic background. The only requirement is that they can demonstrate genuine passion for VFX. The lucky candidate will be working with great people who will support their development.”

Steve Davis, Chief Executive of the Advertising Producers Association

How to Apply:

If you’re a budding animator, CG generalist, FX TD or a 2D compositor, you’ll need to submit a two minute reel of your best work to be considered for the one-month paid work placement. Importantly, the reel needs to showcase your skill in either 2D or 3D VFX.

The one month internship will involve experience within Freefolk’s Commercials and Film & Episodic departments. This year’s placement will be hybrid from our central London studio and will take place during the summer months.

Upon selection of your reel, you’ll be invited to meet the Freefolk team to put your case forward for the chance to learn from award winning VFX professionals on both TV and commercial projects.
Applications open Monday 30th March 2026.

The deadline for submissions is midnight on Friday 17th April 2026.

Apply via the Freefolk website here.

CAKE Signs Deal with BBC Studios on Animation Family Sitcom ‘Nikhil & Jay’ for Poland, South Africa, Asia, and India

Leading kids’ entertainment specialist CAKE has announced a deal with BBC Studios for 2D animated family sitcom Nikhil & Jay

The agreement finalised by CAKE’s Director of Sales Julien Farçat will see the 52 x 11 minute funny family centred series launch later this year on CBeebies in Poland, South Africa, Asia and India.

Based on award-winning author Chitra Soundar’s book series, Nikhil & Jay is produced by King Banana TV (Yakka Dee!, Meet the Experts), Paper Owl Films (Pablo, Happy The Hoglet), exec produced and distributed by CAKE (Angry Birds Summer Madness and Supa Team 4) and with funding from Northern Ireland Screen. The series premiered in the UK on CBeebies and iPlayer in 2025.

A multi-award-winning series, Nikhil & Jay most recently won an RTS Northern Ireland Award for Children’s Animation as well as being nominated for a Rockie Award in 2025. The series is a finalist in the 6+ fiction category at this year’s Prix Jeunesse. 

Nikhil & Jay follows the adventures of two dual heritage brothers and their loveable family. With both Indian and English grandparents, their life is a rich blend of customs, traditions, festivals, foods and music. A family sitcom written from a place of knowledge, love and authentic, lived experience of two cultures coming together, Nikhil & Jay celebrates the similarities and differences with funny and relatable stories, full of warmth, heart and humour.

The series stars British Tamil actor Charithra Chandran (Bridgerton, One Piece, Dune Prophecy, Alex Rider, How to Date Billy Walsh, Instructions for A Teenage Armageddon),  Janine Duvitski (Old Jack’s Boat, One Foot in the Grave, Abigail’s Party, Benidorm); Mark Benton (Early Doors, Waterloo Road, Christmas Lights, Catterick, Shakespeare and Hathaway, The Syndicate) as well as a diverse team of writers, animators, composers and directors who make up Nikhil & Jay’s offscreen talent. 

“Nikhil and Jay is a beautifully animated, world-class series and a wonderful addition to our slate. Featuring two dual-heritage brothers, it offers a joyful and authentic portrayal of everyday family life while strengthening representation of South Asian and multicultural families in children’s media. Created by the acclaimed production company behind Yakka Dee!, a cornerstone of CBeebies’ output, the show brings diverse stories to life with warmth and charm.”

Maga Diaz, Global Acquisitions Executive at BBC Studios

“We’re proud to see Nikhil & Jay continue its journey around the world. Its warmth, humour and authentic cultural storytelling make it a standout series, and we’re delighted to partner again with BBC Studios to bring it to new audiences.”

Dominic Gardiner, Managing Director Distribution at CAKE

DISAUTHORITY EXPANDS INTO FARRINGDON

The independent studio expands beyond its South London base with a new central London grading suite

DISAUTHORITY, the next-generation independent studio known for unifying post and production under one roof, has announced the opening of a new colour grading suite in Farringdon, marking a significant expansion into central London. The new suite represents the studio’s continued investment in high-end finishing infrastructure while extending its presence beyond its South London base in Croydon. Designed for feature films, high-end television, commercials and music videos, the Farringdon space will operate as a dedicated environment for colour grading, final image finishing, and VFX revisions supporting productions.

“Colour is one of the final creative decisions a film makes. Opening a central London suite allows us to collaborate more closely with directors, cinematographers and agencies while maintaining the same obsessive focus on image quality that built the studio.”

Marcus Hundsnes, Managing Director of DISAUTHORITY

The move reflects the steady growth of the studio, which has evolved from a small team working out of a garden shed into a full-service post-production company with integrated filmmaking capabilities. While the Croydon headquarters continues to house the studio’s broader post pipeline, including editing, VFX and finishing, the Farringdon suite provides a central hub for colour sessions and director-led reviews.

The expansion arrives during a milestone year for the studio, which is currently in post-production on its debut feature film Sticks & Stones, a grounded supernatural horror produced under DISAUTHORITY Originals and scheduled for release in 2026.

By establishing a presence in Farringdon while maintaining its home base in Croydon, the studio aims to combine accessibility with the independent ethos that has shaped its growth.

“London has always been central to the filmmakers we work with. Opening a suite in Farringdon allows us to meet that community closer to where they create, while continuing to build the kind of studio environment where independent filmmakers feel supported and creatively understood.”

Maria Shevtsova, Producer and Vice President of DISAUTHORITY

The Farringdon suite is now operational and available for bookings across long and short-form projects.

BAFTA TELEVISION CRAFT AWARDS 2026 NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED

The nominees have been announced for the 2026 BAFTA TV Craft Awards, highlighting the work of UK Screen Alliance members

Yesterday, BAFTA announced the nominations for the 2026 BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED, hosted by Maisie Adam, celebrating the very best in television over the past year.

View the full list of nominations for the BAFTA TV Craft Awards with Samsung OLED HERE. Below, find the nominees for Special, Visual, and Graphic Effects.

BAFTA TV Craft Special, Visual, and Graphic Effects Nominees

Andor

• Luke Murphy
• Mohen Leo
• Neal Scanlan
• Jean-Clément Soret

A special mention to the team at Industrial Light & Magic for their work on Andor.

Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age

• Framestore
• Russel Dodgson
• Andy Jones
• Simon Bland
• François Dumoulin
• Gavin McKenzie

USSR Callister: Into Infinity (Black Mirror)

• Union VFX
• Stargate Studios Malta
• Magic Lab Studios
• James MacLachlan
• Josie Henwood
• Sam Chynoweth

The Witcher

• Sara Bennett, Milk Visual Effects
• Richard Reed
• Scanline VFX
• David Stephens
• Jet Omoshebi
• Caimin Bourne

A special mention to the team at Cinesite for their work on The Witcher, as well as the team at Milk VFX, and One of Us.

The BAFTA Television Craft Awards with Samsung OLED will take place on Sunday 26 April.

‘TEAM NUGGETS’ BREAKS THROUGH AGAIN WITH MAJOR ITALIAN NETWORK DEAL

Serious Kids secures another major broadcast deal with RAI in Italy

Serious Kids has secured another major broadcast deal with RAI in Italy for both Season 1 and Season 2 of  ‘Team Nuggets’. Targeted at 5-8 year olds, the gender neutral comedy series will air on RAI Yoyo  and launch as a box set on RaiPlay on May 1^st 2026.

Serious Kids also recently announced a deal with ZDF/Kika in Germany and RTVE in Spain and another new deal has just been closed with Midolala for China.  All of this adding  to the previously announced deals with NRK, SVT, YLE (Swedish service), RUV, Czech TV, RTV Slovenia, RTBF Belgium and RTS Switzerland.

Commissioned by DR from Sparre Production and co-produced with Godo Films for Canal + France, all 91 x 7’ CG animated episodes are ready for delivery.  An episode from the first season has just won 1^st prize for best short film at the Singapore Film & Script Festival adding to previous wins of the Pulcinella award for Best Animation for Upper Pre-School audiences and landing the runner up prize at the much lauded Prix Jeunesse International Awards.

The series also won both Best Children’s show and Most Innovative New Creation at Danish TV Prisen Awards show in 2024 and first prize at the 2024 Rotterdam Children’s Film Festival as well as being nominated for 12 more around the world.

Serious Kids acquired the worldwide content distribution rights (excl. Nordics and French Speaking Europe) from Sparre Production in 2024 following the case history presentation of the title at APD in Stuttgart.

‘Team Nuggets’ is a highly original CG animated comedy series created by Sparre Production in Denmark. It is a fast paced primary school comedy starring an ambitious young chicken, Karla, and a band of very volatile and diverse classmates.   Navigating school life for the first time is a huge deal and emotions run high. Lessons and schoolyard games often spill into chaos which can only be calmed by working out the important stuff; like true friendship and self-control.

DR and Danish publishing house Gyldendal have already produced a series of books based on the characters e.g ‘How to Be a Good Friend’ as well as the school diaries of the key characters.  A plush deal has also been signed with MAKI.  The recently produced digital game ‘Fantastic Class’ has been short listed for a prize at Kidscreen 2026.  

Despite being a brand new IP the show entered the top 10 on Canal + as soon as it was launched and on DR Ramasjang the series has an average 300k screenings per episode (based on a population of 6M).  60% of this number is made up a family co-viewing.

‘Team Nuggets’ was co-financed with the support of CNC, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Haute Savoie, Region Île de La Réunion, Creative Europe MEDIA, SOFICA, Cofiloisirs, Nordisk Film and TV Fund, and the NordVision Fund.  

“It is fantastic to have RAI onboard. This yet another key platform we have secured for ‘Team Nuggets’ and we now look to the other major markets to look again at this ultra original series.”

Leila Ouledcheikh, Director of Global Distribution at Serious Kids

“We are so delighted to see our series travel to Italy, Spain and Germany, it is really rewarding to see ‘Team Nuggets’ scoring major broadcast platforms which will assist the roll out of further content, films and more.”

Irene Sparre, CEO of Sparre Production