Triggerfish Animation Studios
 | |
| Industry | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Cape Town, South Africa |
Key people |
|
| Website |
triggerfishstudios |
Triggerfish Animation Studios, or simply Triggerfish, is a computer-animated film studio based in Cape Town, South Africa. The studio is best known for its animated feature films Adventures in Zambezia[1] (2012), Khumba (2013), and a television special, titled Stick Man (for Magic Light Pictures, 2015). In 2016, Stick Man was awarded the Cristal for best TV production at the Annecy International Animation Festival.[2]
History
Triggerfish was established in 1996 by Jacquie Trowell and Emma Kaye in Cape Town, South Africa.[3] As a stop-frame animation studio, it produced multiple commercials for South African ad agencies. From 1998 through 2008, Triggerfish produced animation for Sesame Workshop for the South African version of Sesame Street, Takalani Sesame, as well as the US domestic and international versions of the pre-school kids' program.
Stuart Forrest joined as a junior animator in 2002 to work on Takalani Sesame for seasons two and three. In 2004, Forrest and James Middleton became partners in Triggerfish and in 2005 became the sole partners when the original founders left the company. In 2007 Anthony Silverston joined as creative director, and Mike Buckland joined as head of production. At the same time, the company moved away from stop-frame animation and relaunched as a computer animation studio.
In 2008, Triggerfish created a 30-minute short entitled The Rise and Fall of Tony the Frog. The short was produced by Ambient Animation in Cape Town[4] for Isaac Entertainment.
Feature Films
From 2006, the team began to shift focus to motion pictures by writing their first script Adventures in Zambezia, with US-based rights company Wonderful Works. The script went into production in 2009 and was released in 2012. In 2010, the studio started production on Khumba which started its worldwide release in Q3 2013. Triggerfish are now working in their third feature provisionally called Here Be Monsters, which is slated for release in 2016. The studio is planning a fourth film, entitled Seal Team.[5]
Story Lab
In mid-2015, Triggerfish announced the Triggerfish Story Lab, a program that aims to develop African writers and directors. The initiative has financial backing from the Department of Trade and Industry of South Africa, and has the support of the Walt Disney Company.[6]
Filmography
- Feature films
| # | Title | Release date | Budget | Gross | RT | MC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adventures in Zambezia | July 3, 2012 | $20,000,000 | $34,428,345 | 17% | N/A |
| 2 | Khumba | October 25, 2013 | $20,000,000 | $27,000,000 | 47% | 41 |
| 3 | Seal Team[5] | TBA |
- Television specials
| # | Title | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stick Man[7] (for Magic Light Pictures) | December 25, 2015 |
| 2 | Revolting Rhymes[7] (for Magic Light Pictures) | December 2016 |
Awards
Adventures in Zambezia
- 2012 Best South African Feature Film at The Durban International Film Festival[1]
- 2012 Best Animation at South African Film and Television Awards
- 2013 Best Animation at Africa Movie Academy Awards
- 2013 Best Children's Feature at Anima Mundi.
Khumba
Prior to its release, Khumba screened in competition at Annecy International Animation Festival 2013 and was in the Official Selection of Durban International Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival 2013.
- Gold Panda Award for Best Foreign Animation (2013)
- Gold Panda Award for Grand Prize (2013)
- 2014 Best Animation at South African Film and Television Awards
- 2014 Best music composition for a feature film at South African Film and Television Awards
- 2014 Best Animation at Africa Movie Academy Awards
Upcoming projects
In March 2013, Triggerfish announced that they will produce a third feature film called Here Be Monsters that tells the story of a girl and a sea monster with magical powers, set for release in 2016. A fourth film, Seal Team, is a story that pits Cape Fur Seals against Great White sharks.[5]
References
- 1 2 Teo Kermeliotis (April 22, 2012). "Zambezia 3D animation puts South Africa film in the picture". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
- ↑ "SA animation 'Stick Man' wins top TV prize at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival". Times Live. 26 June 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ↑ Mfonobong Nsehe (October 1, 2012). "Meet The Man Behind Triggerfish". Forbes. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.animationsa.org/article/milestone-south-african-animation
- 1 2 3 Szalai, Georg (November 15, 2013). "South African Animation Studio Triggerfish Gets Funding, Plans Action-Comedy 'Seal Team' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/triggerfish-animation-story-lab-disney-808493
- 1 2 "Triggerfish's 'Stick Man' to screen on BBC". Screen Africa. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2016.