Magic Light Pictures
- Film Production Company
- Brand Licensing
- Martin Pope
- Michael Rose
Magic Light Pictures Limited is a 2003 English independent film and television production company based in London. The company was founded by producers Martin Pope and Michael Rose.
Productions
Since 2009, Magic Light Pictures have produced 11 half-hour animated specials based on the best-selling children's story books by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler: The Gruffalo (2009), The Gruffalo's Child (2011), Room on the Broom (2012), Stick Man (2015), The Highway Rat (2017), Zog (2018), The Snail and the Whale (2019), Zog and the Flying Doctors (2020), Superworm (2021), The Smeds and The Smoos (2022), and Tabby McTat (2023). Overall, their productions have won over forty awards, including two Children's BAFTAs[2] and the Prix Jeunesse,[3][4] and have been nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Short Animation.[5][6] Their most recent production, Tabby McTat, premiered on BBC One on Christmas Day 2023 at 2:35pm. They are currently producing a half-hour TV adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Tiddler, due for broadcast on BBC One over Christmas 2024.
Their other productions include: the Oscar-nominated[7] Revolting Rhymes (2016), a two-part animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl book of the same name; and feature films including the Oscar-nominated[8] Chico & Rita (2010), a Spanish language animated feature; Wild Target (2010), a comedy thriller starring Bill Nighy and Emily Blunt; The English version of Terkel in Trouble, a Danish language animated feature and Sparkle (2007), a romantic comedy feature starring Shaun Evans and Stockard Channing.
Filmography
Title | Year | Co-produced with | Type |
---|---|---|---|
Terkel in Trouble (English UK dub) | 2006 | Animated Feature | |
Sparkle | 2007 | Romantic Comedy | |
Glorious 39 | 2009 | Thriller | |
The Gruffalo | Studio SOI | Animated Short | |
Wild Target | 2010 | Black Comedy | |
Chico and Rita | Animated Feature | ||
The Gruffalo's Child | 2011 | Studio SOI | Animated Short |
One Life | Documentary | ||
Room on the Broom | 2012 | Studio SOI | Animated Short |
Stick Man | 2015 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
Revolting Rhymes | 2016 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
The Highway Rat | 2017 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
Zog | 2018 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
The Snail and the Whale | 2019 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
Zog and the Flying Doctors | 2020 | Triggerfish Animation Studios | |
Superworm | 2021 | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | |
Pip and Posy | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Animated TV Series | |
The Smeds and The Smoos | 2022 | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Animated Short |
The Velveteen Rabbit | 2023 | Red Knuckles Studio | Animation |
Tabby McTat | Red Star Animation Studio | Animated Short | |
Tiddler (in production) | 2024 | Red Star Animation Studio | Animated Short |
Awards and nominations
Production | Ceremony | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Highway Rat | 46th Annie Awards[9] | Best Animated Special Production | Magic Light Pictures | Nominated |
Rose d'Or[10] | Children and Youth | Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
Revolting Rhymes | 90th Academy Awards[11] | Best Animated Short Film | Jakob Schuh Jan Lachauer | Nominated |
British Academy Children's Awards 2017[12] | Best Animation | Jakob Schuh Jan Lachauer Martin Pope Michael Rose | Won | |
6th International Emmy Kids Awards[13] | Kids: Animation | Michael Rose Martin Pope Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
Stick Man | British Academy Children's Awards 2016[14] | Best Animation | Production Team | Nominated |
British Animation Awards[15] | Best Use of Sound | Adrian Rhodes Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
Best Voice Performance | Martin Freeman Magic Light Pictures | Won | ||
Best Long Form | Jeroen Jaspaert Daniel Snaddon Magic Light Pictures | Nominated | ||
Room on the Broom | 86th Academy Awards[16] | Best Animated Short Film | Max Lang Jan Lachauer | Nominated |
British Academy Children's Awards | Best Animation | Max Lang Jan Lachauer Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
International Emmy Kids Awards | Kids: Animation | Max Lang Jan Lachauer Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
The Gruffalo's Child | British Animation Awards[17] | Best Long Form | Johannes Weiland Uwe Heidschötter | Won |
British Academy Children's Awards | Best Animation | Johannes Weiland Uwe Heidschötter Magic Light Pictures | Nominated | |
Chico and Rita | 84th Academy Awards[18] | Best Animated Feature Film of the Year | Fernando Trueba Javier Mariscal | Nominated |
The Gruffalo | 83rd Academy Awards[19] | Best Animated Short Film | Jakob Schuh Max Lang | Nominated |
62nd British Academy Film Awards[20] | Best Short Animation | Michael Rose Martin Pope Jakob Schuh Max Lang | Nominated | |
Prix Jeunesse International[21] | Prix Jeunesse 7-11 Fiction | Magic Light Pictures | Won | |
Prize of the Children's Jury 7-11 Fiction | Magic Light Pictures | Won | ||
The Snail and the Whale | BAFTA Children & Young People Awards[22] | Best Director | Magic Light Pictures | Won |
BAFTA Children & Young People Awards[23] | Best animation | Magic Light Pictures | Won |
Licensing
Magic Light Pictures runs a licensing programme and carries ranges in Sainsbury's, Debenhams, John Lewis, Waterstones, and M&S, among others.[24] Launched in 2009, the programme has markets in Germany, Australia, Scandinavia, New Zealand and the USA. Products available in The Gruffalo brand include plush, stationery, homewares, games, toys and apparel.[25]
Magic Light has won five Licensing Awards[26][27][28] for their branded apparel, furniture and Forestry Commission trails.
Brand partnerships
Magic Light Pictures has several award-winning brand partnerships with organisations including Chessington World of Adventures Resort,[29] Forestry Commission England[30] and Arla milk.[31]
The Chessington World of Adventures Resort currently hosts the Gruffalo River Ride Adventure, themed hotel rooms, an arena dedicated to the films and characters, and a food outlet. In March 2019 Chessington launched a Room on the Broom attraction with specifically themed hotel rooms.[32]
Since the year 2014, The Forestry Commission has worked with Magic Light on providing free, self-lead trails based on the Gruffalo brand family on over 20 sites around the UK, as well as offering Gruffalo orienteering, Gruffalo sculptures in several forests, and an augmented reality app, The Gruffalo Spotter.[33]
2019 marked the 20th anniversary of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's Gruffalo book and 10 years since the premiere of the animated special on BBC One. As part of the celebration, Magic Light partnered with the Royal Mint to release a set of commemorative silver and gold fifty pence collectors' coins, and with the Royal Mail to release a set of bespoke Gruffalo stamps.[34]
Apps
Since 2013, Magic Light Pictures has developed a range of mini-game and augmented reality apps based around the Gruffalo brand family.[35] Room on the Broom: Games and Gruffalo: Games were both nominated for a Children's BAFTA in the Interactive Adapted category in 2014 and 2015 respectively.[36][37]
The Gruffalo Spotter app, launched in early 2017, is an augmented reality app that works alongside the Forestry Commission trails, where users can follow a set of clues and signs to locate animated characters from the book and take photos with them. The app was nominated at the 2017 BAFTA awards in the Interactive category.[38]
References
- ^ "Magic Light Pictures Limited overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". Companies House. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ^ "Children's in 2013 BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "2010". prixjeunesse.de. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "'The Gruffalo' Wins Special Prix Jeunesse International Award". Animation World Network. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "The 83rd Academy Awards 2011". Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "The 86th Academy Awards 2014". Oscars.org Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "Revolting Rhymes heads to the Oscars". 3 March 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The 84th Academy Awards | 2012". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "46th Annual Annie Awards". annieawards.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "News". www.rosedor.com. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2018". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Children's Awards Winners 2017". www.bafta.org. 18 October 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "'Revolting Rhymes' Wins International Emmy for Best Kids' Animation". Animation World Network. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2016 Children's Animation | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "British Animation Awards (2016)". IMDb. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The 86th Academy Awards | 2014". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ Zahed, Ramin (19 March 2012). "'Gumball,' 'Gruffalos' Child' Win British Animation Awards". Animation Magazine. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The 84th Academy Awards | 2012". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The 83rd Academy Awards | 2011". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2010 Film Short Animation | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2010". www.prixjeunesse.de. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Winners announced: 2022 BAFTA Children & Young People Awards". bafta.org. 27 November 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ "'Dodger,' 'The Snail and the Whale' Lead BAFTA Children and Young People Awards Nominations". variety.com. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ^ Langsworthy, Billy. "Magic Light Pictures on 15 years of The Gruffalo". Licensing.biz. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Official Gruffalo Shop". Gruffalo. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2011 Winners | The Licensing Awards". www.thelicensingawards.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2013 Winners | The Licensing Awards". www.thelicensingawards.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ Burke, Jade. "Licensing.biz People Awards 2017: Winners revealed". Licensing.biz. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "The Gruffalo at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in 2017". Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Gruffalo". Forestry Commission England. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Arla BIG Milk Gruffalo". www.arlafoods.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Room on the Broom - A Magical Journey - new for 2019 at Chessington World of Adventures Resort". Chessington World of Adventures Resort. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "Forestry Commission". www.forestry.gov.uk. Retrieved 18 February 2019.
- ^ Andrews, James (14 February 2019). "Gruffalo 50p coin to launch - when it goes sale and how much it will be worth". mirror. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ Dredge, Stuart (28 August 2014). "Oh help! Oh no! It's a Gruffalo Games app for children". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
- ^ "2014 Children's Interactive: Adapted | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2015 Children's Interactive: Adapted | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
- ^ "2017 Children's Interactive | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
External links
- IMDB Magic Light Pictures
- Magic Light Pictures
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