Tuesday 16:43
Norfolk animation company seeks to repeat export success with a new character
A Norfolk production company is looking to repeat the worldwide success of Pablo - The Little Red Fox - with help from government organisation UK Trade & Investment.
On Monday 18 October, Red Fox Productions, based in Topcroft, near Bungay, will be celebrating 10 years of success with its most famous production - the BAFTA award-winning Pablo.
The company, run by husband and wife team Keith Tutt and Hannah Giffard, are now working to animate a new character Wolfgang, a Mozart-loving wolf cub.
Wolfgang, along with his magic flute and animal friends, is aimed at four-to-seven-year-olds and has a potential world-wide market.
Keith said Pablo had been shown on the BBC since 1999 and had been seen in more than 20 countries across the world including Dubai, Singapore and Finland.
He said:
"Getting the funding to create a new series, depends on having pre-sales from broadcasters before it can go into production. We also look to find studio partners to work with us to produce the animation.
"We used UK Trade & Investment to help us research the Canadian market and, as a result, we now have broadcast partners for the Wolfgang series. Pre-sales have also already been agreed with several countries including Belgium and Australia.
The research has been carried out through UK Trade & Investment's Export Research Marketing Scheme (ERMS).
Mike O'Malley, International Trade Advisor at UK Trade and Investment said:
"Red Fox Productions has worked hard to achieve success with Pablo and we hope that this will be repeated with Wolfgang.
"The Passport to Export Programme is a successful framework for helping new and established exporters enter new international markets. We can provide advice and a range of contacts to help UK companies do business abroad."
Mike said UKTI had also been able to help Red Fox Productions by helping them to showcase their work at international media festivals in France.
He said:
"Red Fox Productions has used several of UKTI's services and we hope this will help bring them continuing exporting success."
Mike added that UKTI also had a specialist international trade advisor, John Marshall. who can advise all creative and media businesses in the East of England.
For more information about Red Fox Productions go to http://www.redfoxproductions.com .
For further information on UK Trade & Investment contact the International Trade Team at East of England International or visit http://www.exporteastofengland.org.uk.
NOTE TO EDITORS
1. Photographs of the characters are available from GNN. To arrange an interview with Keith Tutt or Mike O'Malley please contact Karen Dowle at GNN East on 01223 372791.
2. UK Trade & Investment is the government organisation that provides integrated support services for UK companies engaged in overseas trade and foreign businesses focused on the UK as an inward investment location. It brings together the work of teams in British embassies and FCO posts overseas and government departments across Whitehall. In England, international trade support is coordinated by nine International Trade Directors working in partnership with each Regional Development Agency. UK Trade & Investment services are delivered locally through a network of International Trade Teams typically located in Business Link operators or Chambers of Commerce. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own arrangements for local delivery of services. For more information visit the web site http://www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk
3. UK Trade & Investment services are available to companies through the network of Business Link organisations which each have a dedicated International Trade Team. Visit the regional website: http://www.exporteastofengland.org.uk or contact your local International Trade Team for further details: Business Link for Bedfordshire & Luton: 01582 522 448 Business Link for Cambridgeshire: 01480 846 414 Business Link for Essex: 01245 241 460 Business Link Hertfordshire: 01727 813 813 Business Link for Norfolk: 08457 218 218 Business Link Suffolk: 01473 694 816
Issued on behalf of UK Trade & Investment by Government News Network East (http://www.gnn.gov.uk)
Client ref UKTI 166-05
