Channel Frederator Blog

If you frequent the Frederator Blogs, you’ll notice we talk about The Muks a lot! WAAY back in April, The Muks sent out a distress call looking for Flashimators. I helped them out with a BatCall. This is a great Second Season Episode of Sparkle Friends and shows what happens when everyone wants Remote Control. One of my favorite episodes thus far. Great job Muks.

1. Can you tell us about the process that goes into creating an episode of Sparkle Friends?
We start with a basic concept eg, pirates, bigfoot, robots etc and then brainstorm until we have what we think is a unique spin on the subject. Then we script, storyboard and make an animatic, always trying to add more gags and tighten the story at every stage. The Sparkle Friends themselves are voiced by the What Now presenters in Christchurch NZ, but we handle the voices of most of the other characters at Mukpuddy in Auckland. Then it’s animating, editing and adding music/sfx: as we go.
Yeah, so all of that happens in a week…yikes!

2 Who are some of your influences?
Hanna-Barbera, Jim Henson, Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Frank & Ollie, Glen Keane, Tim Burton, John K, The Simpsons + numerous bloggers out there who are are doing amazing stuff.

3. What do you do when you get stuck creatively?
For visual inspiration we have a look around the net. If we are stuck for gags or are having story problems, we usually just sit around telling stupid stories and making jokes until something clicks. If it makes all 4 of us laugh, it goes in.

4. How’s the second season going, and do you have any special plans you can tell us about for season 3?
Second season is finished and it’s been hugely popular this year with the ‘What Now?’ audience. As for season 3….who knows! The producers of ‘What Now?’ are very happy with us right now, so we might try to sell them on a new idea.

5. When are you guys coming out with toys? If given the choice to produce some, what would be the ultimate cool? Stuffed or Collector Vinyl? (Either way I want both!!!)
New Zealand is a bit small to produce a line of toys for, but we’d kill for a vinyl Gun-gi!!!

Us too, y’all. Us too. Thanks for submitting Muks!

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Seriously. If yr film or short is featured on CH.Fred, what better way to promote yrself than embedding the Fred on yr very own website, blog or myspace page? For the extreme Fredheads, there’s the ultimate “Always Fresh” embedding code.
What are you waiting for? All the cool kids are doing it. I have mine up on my Myspace Page now.
Don’t believe me? Take a look, and add me while yr at it!
Cheers!