HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH ANIMATED SERIES FOR 3-5 YEAR OL DS
52 x 7’
Writer KATY SEGROVE — Director KATERINA LAVRIONOVA — Producer INESA IVANOVA
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LOGLINE
Logline MEE T HOPSCOTCH! THE HAPPY HORSE - SHE’S ON A MISSION TO CHEER UP THE WORLD!
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Concept
CONCEPT
Tucked away in a quiet corner of a busy city, is a very special mews. It’s the mews where Hopscotch lives. What’s so great about Hopscotch? She’s a little horse who knows exactly how to be happy. That’s what our show is about too - introducing the Science of Happiness, one adventure at a time. The Science of Happiness shows that developing healthy habits promotes joy and builds resilience to life’s ups and downs. These habits include: • Being with friends • Learning to persevere • Practicing optimism • Learning to share • Expressing your needs
• • • • • • •
Learning to change perspectives Trying new things Learning to forgive Learning to be organised Helping one another Being mindful Keeping active
It’s all about learning new skills one little step at a time and knowing what to do when life gets wibbly-wobbly. So in every episode, Hopscotch conjures up delightful plans to help her friends and neighbours to be joyful. Like… growing a massive sunflower, visiting a splendid castle, or having a picnic in a hot air balloon. So much fun to be had - yet something always seems to go wrong - the sunflower’s too tall and they HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
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can’t reach the seeds, the castle is shut, the picnic is dropped. Oh no! It’s a happiness crisis! What’s to be done? With Hopscotch around there’s no need to panic, she shows everyone that life’s little dramas are the perfect chance to learn something new and laugh along the way – to turn your upside down mood the right way up again! Wrapped up in comical stories, Happy Go Hopscotch is a mini curriculum that teaches our young viewers about what makes us happy and how to bounce back when something goes wrong. We’ll learn more about the Science of Happiness later, but for now, let’s meet the gang…
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HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
“As a Clinical Psychologist who works with children and young people I am reminded every day of the importance of developing skills for managing emotions, maintaining a positive focus and having a happy and resilient approach to life. What Happy Go Hopscotch is showing us is that these skills can not only be taught, but that they can be taught in a fun and engaging way to children. I can’t think of a better way to support our young people than to equip them with the skills they need for a happy and successful future.”
DR ELIZABETH KILBEY,
AS SEEN ON THE SECRE T LIFE OF 4 YEAR OLDS (CHANNEL 4)
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Main Characters
MAIN
Hopscotch H A P P Y, S I N G I N G , D A N C I N G HORSE, WHOSE JOYFUL ANTICS RUB OFF ON EVERYONE AROUND HER (YOUNGSTER).
CHARACTERS
When the clouds are grey, Hopscotch is happy. When her plans go wrong, Hopscotch is happy. Even when her favourite coat gets shrunk in the wash, this little horse finds a way to be happy – and she wants you to be happy too.
ready to help. Without a second thought she’ll encourage them to see the world with different eyes, look for a silver lining or try something new. Malcolm never thought he’d like trampolining until Hopscotch made him try, now there’s no holding him back!
She’s a ray of sunshine, a ball of energy and she’s always ready to sing, to dance, to shuffle and hop, to wiggle and skip, to bounce and spread great dollops of laughter all about. Her top task is showing you that really awesome things can happen - you just need the right attitude - like the time the picnic fell out of the hot air balloon and Hopscotch was sure they wouldn’t go hungry, and they didn’t!
In Hopscotch’s world there are no limits when it comes to having fun. This can be a source of conflict especially if there are chores to be done or plans to stick to. Hopscotch doesn’t know the meaning of the word plan! She’s also gullible and liable to believe anything you tell her, particularly if it sounds wondrous.
It’s all to do with the Science of Happiness -not that she’d call it that but if her friends are feeling grumpy, angry, sad or afraid Hopscotch is 12 — HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
Hopscotch is impulsive, innocent, and a little bit giddy, but she is always ready to grab life by the horns. And if you don’t watch out, there’s every chance her zany zest for life might just rub off on you.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Ingrid N E RV O U S, S E N S I T I V E , S W E E T P I G L E T, L O Y A L F RI E N D, PAY S FABULOUS COMPLIMENTS (YOUNGSTER).
Ingrid is a squeaky, young piggy whose cheeks blush puce whenever she feels confused or overwhelmed - which is actually quite often - especially if there are lots of people around. When her mind goes blank, she panics, and next thing you know, her ears and tail take on a life of their own, and she find herself saying yes, even when she means no. She’s an emotional pig and you don’t always know if her tears are for joy or sadness, they just gush out in an unexpected torrent. On days when she’s extra nervous, you might find her hiding behind a big bush.
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She adores her hero Hopscotch though and given half a chance would follow her to the end of the earth. This suits Hopscotch fine, as she loves this surprisingly sensitive pig. She thinks Ingrid might even have a secret power. It’s true that Ingrid is a great listener - sometimes, when Hopscotch is carried away with one of her mad-cap ideas - Ingrid will quietly blurt out an amazing solution, and bowl everyone over with her unexpected wisdom. She’s also known for paying the loveliest compliments, and making you feel like a superhero.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Carlo S C R U F F Y, C H E E K Y, B O Y C AT W H O S AY S T H E F I R S T T H I N G T H AT C R O S S E S HIS MIND (YOUNGSTER).
Carlo considers himself a very cool, grown up boy, who would never in a million years admit to being scared or confused. He’s rowdy, mischievous and loves a bit of rough and tumble. He helps himself without asking, doesn’t think to say please or thank you, and almost always forgets to share – like the time he found a pile of lost pennies under his bed and decided to spend them all on himself. Luckily, Hopscotch is usually around to bring him back on the straight and narrow. He loves her joyful escapades, but sometimes feels left out of her and Ingrid’s special bond – 14 — HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
not that he’d ever tell them – instead he spies on their activities, making passing comments and sometimes hurting Ingrid’s tender feelings. Secretly he’s hoping they’ll eventually invite him to join in. Carlo loves playing tag or chasing balls in the garden. He’s also rather fond of teasing Jules. When he wants your attention he’ll come and purr in your ear, or roll on his back and let you tickle his tummy, whilst giggling hysterically. If he’s in the mood, he’ll give you the most amazing cuddle. Despite his little foibles, the mews wouldn’t be the same without him.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Barbara FA B U L O U S M U LT I - TA S K IN G S HE E P W I T H A WA R M , M AT E RN A L S O U L ( A GROW N UP ) .
Barbara is a super organised woolly bundle, who puts boundless energy into caring for the local scamps. She looks after the grown-ups too, especially her old friend Malcolm - she gets a twinkle in her eye whenever he’s around. Always busy-busy - with at least ten things on her to do list – but, Barbara will still find time for a kind word or a gossip over a cuppa. She’s the one to go to if you need a helping hand and she always say yes to Hopscotch’s plans, but then again, she secretly loves a fun game or wild adventure. She’s not so keen on dancing though, so Hopscotch’s plan to enter them all into a local dance contest didn’t go down well. HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
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She considers everyone a friend and loves to spin long, rambling stories, but she usually gets a bit lost in the middle. Talking of rambles, that’s one of her favourite hobbies– the faster the better. Barbara’s big weakness is never putting her hooves up, even when she’s knitting - another favourite activity (with her own wool of course) - it’s always at 100 miles an hour. She also enjoys baking cakes (often for charity), running clubs (usually involving the neighbours), and bossing everyone around. Someone has to keep the mews in order, and that someone is Barbara. Luckily they love her for it.
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Malcolm WISE OLD BULL, LIKES TO READ AND DRINK CUPS OF TEA. QUITE FORGETFUL (A GROWN UP).
Malcolm is a rotund old Scottish bull, who also happens to be a professor of human nature. He loves reading about what makes us tick from the towers of books that fill his home. If he isn’t learning he’s explaining his theories to anyone who’ll listen, often using wacky drawings and diagrams. He’s more of a thinker than a doer quite happy to daydream for hours on end or talk to himself as he figures something out. He gets so absorbed in his reading that he frequently loses track of time and forgets what he had to do, particularly when it comes to tidying up (not his favourite thing). His home is therefore chaotic. 16 — HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
He’s a bit of a hoarder, who hates to throw out anything that might come in handy, the problem is, he often can’t remember where he’s put something. He’s calm and patient, and loves looking after the local youngsters; finding books for them and answering questions when they have them. If he’s out with the gang he struggles to keep up - especially if Barbara is leading the way. His hefty weight slows him down, so he’s likely to take short cuts or find an excuse for a rest, which frequently means diving into a café. He’s rather partial to a bit of meditation, though some might call it dozing... he does a bit of chanting too, or is that snoring?
MAIN
CHARACTERS
Jules is a grumbler and a grouch. He stumbles from one disaster to another, always convinced that it’s worse for him than anyone else. He’s stuck in his ways, stubborn to the core, hates anything new and refuses to ask for help.
Jules
G R U F F, G R U M P Y, O L D C O C K E R E L WHO HAS A TENDENCY TO MAKE EVERYONE L AUGH (A GROWN UP).
When he needs to let off steam, he goes to his shed and puts all his seeds in order, a long and tricky job, which gives him just enough time to calm down. Other days, he races really fast around the garden, until his temper has properly run out of steam, however Carlo usually thinks this is a game, and chases him! Jules does not like that. Despite appearances Jules has a big
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heart, so even if he says ‘no’ ten times, he’ll always give in on the eleventh (the kids know this, and take advantage). He does brilliant impressions that make everyone laugh. Sometimes he has big, crazy ideas that will never work in a million years – like the time he tried to lasso his sunflower to reach the seeds, but ended up all tied up in knots. He stewed and moaned and stomped around for ages until he eventually realised that his friends might like to give him a hand. He often insists that he just wants to be on his own, but Hopscotch doesn’t want him getting lonely, so she rarely gives him any peace and quiet.
The Rules of the World
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THE RULES OF THE WORLD
Their colourful world is rather like ours, except that it’s full of friendly animals; big ones, small ones, furry ones and feathered ones - no matter what they look like, they walk and talk just like us. Jules will flap his wings, but if he tries to fly he won’t get further than about 2 feet! They won’t be fully clothed, but they sport the odd item of clothing from time to time, such as a coat for Hopscotch and a pair of shoes for Jules.
They live in streets with cute houses and sleep in comfy beds, just like ours, except for Jules, who insists on sleeping in a pile of sawdust, perched at the top of a ladder – he is a chicken - after all. That’s what happens when you’re dealing with animals, their animal natures burst out from time to time. So you might hear the odd meow or moo here and there, or see them eating lots of raw fruit and veg,
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possibly disguised as a cake with crunchy seeds on top... yum! But generally speaking, you’ll forget that this little posse are animals, and just consider them like your very best friends... Hopscotch, Ingrid and Carlo hang out after school with their super kind neighbours Malcolm and Barbara, as well as funny, old, grumpy Jules. And no matter what their age, they all love playing goofy games and having fun-filled adventures.
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LO C AT IONS
Many of their adventures take place around home – an enchanting cobbled mews hidden away in a corner of a city. There are no cars in their street so it’s perfectly safe to play or dance or chat, Barbara even has a bench outside her door, so that friends can drop by and join her for a gossip. Inside the houses, there are lots of perfect places to hang out and have fun, like Hopscotch’s bedroom, a happy, yellow and zen-like room. All her toys are tucked away in secret cupboards in the wall panelling. Malcolm’s study is a delightfully cluttered Aladdin’s cave of books and
nik naks. His shelves are overflowing with curious objects – he can never quite find what he’s looking for, but Hopscotch loves to explore it all. Barbara’s favourite room is her spickand-span kitchen – the floor is so clean and shiny, you can see your face in it. Try dancing and you’re liable to slide all over the place. Her large wooden table is perfect for baking – Hopscotch and Ingrid love spreading out all over this table to make artistic, but usually very messy things! At the end of the mews is an amazing garden filled with flowers – like Jules’ gigantic sunflower – there’s also a
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vegetable patch and enough room to trampoline or even pitch a tent. Carlo has his own special chair and Malcolm has a corner for digging up archaeological remains! There are plenty of secret corners for playing hide and seek, something that Hopscotch and Ingrid adore. The gang go on lots of wonderful adventures away from their street too – such as the local market or to a crafty art café. Sometimes they visit the funfair or a marvellous museum. If it’s a really special occasion, they might climb a mountain, row down a river, or float away in a super-duper hot air balloon.
Director’s Note
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DIRECTOR’S NOTE
As Happy Go Hopscotch is a series about happiness, it’s very important for me to create an overall ‘feel-good’ vibe. Every episode should therefore be as comforting and light hearted as possible. To achieve this and on top of the general tone and nature of the performances, the visual look is something I want to focus on. For instance, the background and general design of the world will be light, sun-filled and spacious. I will use a technique of thickly applied loose and floppy gouache, combining a traditional painterly look and modern quirkiness. Slightly chalky and washed out textures will give the characters an ‘old toy’ feel, while the sketchy imperfection of their outlines will make them clumsy, in a touching way. It was important to me that the music and sound design of the show match
the visual style. In the same way that the show looks hand-crafted, I want the music to sound very natural, crude, shaky and raw. Using very few instruments – saxophone, drums and guitar – we want the music to be almost like a fun improvisation, rather than a refined and polished arrangement. Making the pilot episode was a fantastic experience and a useful one; we were able to bring the world of the happy mews to life, as well as realising where the challenges would be in terms of achieving the right tone of the piece. It was really rewarding to use CelAction as our main software, as it allowed us to preserve our original style. During the process, we built a solid creative and technical foundation to confidently move forward with the production of a first season. HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
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I love the dynamics between the characters - Hopscotch and Jules are particular favorites of mine, because they were the first characters we created and got attached to. Despite being opposites, they are still very good friends. Another big inspiration is the relationship between Hopscotch and Ingrid - their childhood friendship offers a lot of potential for quirky and touching situations. For me, I love the fact the ensemble cast combined with the concept of the show allows us to create an almost never-ending series of stories and adventures. We intend to create a show that will teach the basis of well-being and mental health, as well as being amusing and exciting at times, and soothing and comforting at others, we also hope to entertain both parents and children alike.
THE Sunflower GIVING AND RECEIVING HEL P WITH FRIENDS
THE SUNFLOWER
Jules is in a bad mood because the market has run out of sunflower seeds again. He wishes he could find an everlasting supply, and comes up with the excellent idea of growing his own. But he’s never grown anything before and doesn’t really know how. Hopscotch is desperate to help – she always feels happy helping her friends! But Jules is determined to do it all on his own. Meanwhile, Hopscotch decides to grow some carrots. She asks the other neighbours if they want to join her – they would love to! And they all decide to grow their favourite foods. Side by side in the garden, the animals work happily, except for Jules, who grumpily refuses every offer of help. Time passes and seedlings pop up here and there, the animals celebrate with glee. All except for Jules, as his little flower remains deep underground. The friends offer him more help, but stubborn old Jules goes home in a sulk. Hopscotch, meanwhile, investigates Jules’ patch
of earth. She thinks his seed must feel sad and lonely, deep down in the earth. So she decides to sing and dance to it as an act of friendship. She is sure it will feel happier, out in the sunshine surrounded by friends, if only it would poke its head out. Maybe her song will encourage it to grow. The next day when Jules arrives in the garden, he’s astonished to find that his sunflower has not only popped out of the ground, but grown up big and ever so tall – it looks beautiful, but however will he reach it? And where are all the neighbours? He would love to show off his pride and joy. They eventually appear, but to his disappointment, they leave him alone and get on with their own gardening. He asks them if they’re going to offer him any more advice, but they assure him that they won’t interfere any more. Jules sadly returns to his sunflower, and gazes longingly up to his tasty seeds, which are way out of reach. HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
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He jumps up and down, but doesn’t get anywhere near. Next he tries to shimmy up the stalk, but quickly slides back down again. Finally, he finds a rope to lasso the sunflower, but he just ends up all tangled up. Eventually, he has an idea and trots back to his neighbours. He doesn’t want to trouble them, and he knows they are awfully busy, but as they all enjoy helping each other, would they like to help him reach his sunflower seeds? Everyone is delighted to be needed, especially Hopscotch who has a plan and leads the way. She gets the gang to turn themselves into a tall, wobbly animal ladder; Jules climbs to the top and finally reaches his tasty seeds – woohoo! He shakes the flower so that seeds scatter down to the ground. As everyone tucks into the tasty feast, Jules muses happily that Hopscotch was right all along, life is more fun with friends. They all sing and dance and have a jolly old celebration.
Short Synopses
SHORT SYNOPSES
Malcolm doesn’t like gymnastics
Picnic in the sky
TRYING NEW THINGS
PRACTICING OPTIMISM
Hopscotch and Ingrid are doing gymnastics in the garden. Malcolm is reading his book nearby. The girls pester him to come and try trampolining, but Malcolm argues that he’s never done it before and it’s too late to start now. Hopscotch persists – it’s fun and good for you too, you won’t know until you try! Malcolm continues to resist, so Hopscotch decides to lure him with the help of a book. Before Malcolm knows what’s what, he’s on the trampoline, and bouncing. He starts slow and steady, and then gets faster and higher – woohoo, it’s fun! Malcolm’s thrilled he tried something new and the three of them all can bounce happily together.
Ingrid wants a picnic in the sky, so everyone goes up in a hot air balloon. When they’re high in the sky, Ingrid opens the picnic basket, but in her excitement she drops it over the edge. Everyone is distraught, but Hopscotch says, “let’s be positive, something’s bound to turn up”. Led by Hopscotch, they give it a try, summoning up all their positive thoughts. Suddenly they realise they’re drifting over treetops stuffed with ripe fruit. Fruit salad for lunch! A big rain cloud dips their mood again, but remembering to be positive, they get out their cups and collect a refreshing drink of water. What a magical picnic!
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SHORT SYNOPSES
Lucky Pennies
The Shoe Laces
LEARNING TO SHARE
LEARNING TO PERSEVERE
When Carlo finds some lucky pennies, he buys a bag of sweeties. Encountering the others on the way back from the shop, he hides them away so he doesn’t have to share. When no one is looking, he sneaks a mouthful, but that makes him feel strangely miserable. Hopscotch meanwhile has made a milkshake, and wants everyone to try it! Carlo watches Hopscotch sharing, curious to see how much she loves giving away her delicious shake. This gives him an idea and he finally decides to share his sweeties too. Everyone is thrilled by the yummy feast – Carlo even more so, because he feels so happy making everyone else happy!
The gang are at the ice rink – everyone rushes onto the ice, except for Jules, who doesn’t know how to tie his laces. Sitting all alone, Jules gets more and more frustrated, tying his laces in knots. Hopscotch sees the problem and tries to help, cleverly drawing a big bow on the ice. Jules tries to copy, to no avail. He gives up. But Hopscotch persuades him to have one more go. Reluctantly Jules tries again and succeeds! He’s so excited he rushes straight onto the ice, immediately falling over – because he doesn’t know how to skate either! But he now knows if he perseveres he can learn!
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SHORT SYNOPSES
Ingrid Learns to Make her Bed
Camping
LEARNING TO BECOME ORG ANISED
EXPRESSING YOUR NEEDS
Ingrid has a very messy bed but whenever she tries to make it, she gets herself in a tangle. So she leaves it messy, feeling strange in doing so. In the mews, Hopscotch is delighted to see her and wants to play. Ingrid declines; she doesn’t feel good because her bed is messy. Hopscotch, wanting to help, takes Ingrid to visit the neighbours and see how they make their beds. They visit everyone’s homes, watch their bed-making technique and eventually Ingrid decides Hopscotch’s method is the easiest – so they go home to try it. It works! Suddenly her bed feels much better again and in fact, so does she!
Hopscotch has a new tent and the gang decide to camp in the garden. Carlo has never been camping before so he’s very excited. That night they all snuggle down to sleep, but every time they’re about to drift off, Carlo makes an excuse to leave. First it’s too dark, then it’s too noisy. Each time he’s asked if he is scared, but Carlo denies it. Eventually, he runs out of excuses and admits that he is a bit afraid. Hopscotch says “that’s ok – if you tell us we can help you!” They give Carlo a huge comforting hug and before long they’re all fast asleep.
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SHORT SYNOPSES
The Castle
Hopscotch’s Coat
LEARNING TO CHANGE PERSPECTIVES
LEARNING TO FORGIVE
The gang plan to visit a castle but when they arrive, to their dismay, it’s unexpectedly closed. Everyone is bitterly disappointed. Hopscotch suggests they visit the grounds since they can’t go inside, but everyone moans “What’s the point if we can’t go in?!” Hopscotch persists – they can imagine all the exciting things inside. She tells a magical story involving the whole gang with sparkly jewels, knights in armour and draw bridges. Soon they’re all adding details and acting it out with pretend swords and fancy crowns. They have so much fun that they forget about their disappointment and have a jolly day out after all.
Hopscotch is wearing her favourite coat and playing toys with Ingrid in the garden. Ingrid borrows Hopscotch’s coat, but when she gets it dirty Hopscotch is upset. Ingrid insists she can wash the coat, and they do so together, having so much fun, but not realising that it’s shrinking. Now Hopscotch is devastated! Ingrid apologises profusely, Barbara reminds Hopscotch it was an accident and Malcolm says forgiveness makes us feel good, but Hopscotch is inconsolable. Ingrid takes their toys to re-enact the scenario with one toy forgiving the other. Hopscotch eventually realises she is more upset about losing Ingrid’s friendship than her coat and forgives her. She feels so much better for it too!
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The Science of Happiness and our intention 32 — HAPPY GO HOPSCOTCH
THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS AND OUR INTENTION
Happiness makes the world go round. It’s the one thing we want for our kids - both now and as they grow up, but did you know we don’t have to wait for happiness to appear? We can control it, to some extent, and our other emotions too. That’s what the Science of Happiness is all about and that’s the theme of our show. Over the last 20 years, studies across several scientific disciplines have discovered that there’s a lot more to happiness than simply making us feel good. People who are happier are healthier, more resilient, live longer, have more stable marriages, earn more money and perform better academically than those who are less happy. Question is: if we’re not of a naturally happy disposition, is there anything we can do about it? Actually, yes! Research has revealed that we all have a genetic happiness ‘set point’, which is widely accepted to account for 50% of the variation in our personal happiness – and this we cannot change. Just 10%
of our happiness is affected by our circumstances: if we’re in a relationship, have a job, lose a job, win the lottery or fall sick etc. However, the final 40% relates to our habits, thoughts and daily activities. This is exciting, because this is the part we can control, if we know how. It’s not just the scientists who are talking about this. In 2011, a United Nations resolution on happiness asked all countries of the world to focus more on what can be done to increase well-being for their citizens. A ‘World Happiness Report’ was launched in 2012, as a “landmark survey into the state of global happiness”. As a result government policies are being influenced, and happiness classes are being added to school curriculums across the world. So how do we control it? Friendship, kindness, gratitude, optimism, forgiveness, mindfulness, learning new skills, achieving goals, amongst other things, have all been proven by research to boost happiness.
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Increasingly, research shows learning emotional intelligence at a young age has the most efficiency and multiple studies prove pre-schoolers who participate in social-emotional skills programs exhibit less aggression and anxiety and become better social problem solvers. In turn this improves social and emotional skills, helping children spend more time engaged in learning. So we think this is the perfect time to introduce them to the Science of Happiness in tiny, entertaining bite-size chunks. With Happy Go Hopscotch we plan to create a beautiful, high-quality animated TV series that will tap into the Science of Happiness and help pre-school kids to build healthy thought patterns and behaviours, learn to bounce back when things go wrong, and most importantly understand that happiness is something that can be learned. In short we want to enhance their mental health, and shape the way they think and act day after day.
CROSS MEDIA
CrosS MEDIA
TV series Workshops
Books
Music Apps
Clothes Toys
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HA P P Y G O H OP S C OT C H S T ORY S O FA R
Happy Go Hopscotch story so far •
Katy, Katerina & Inesa met at the National Film and Television school. They began developing the project two years ago. We founded Happy Horse Pictures limited and our company owns all the rights to Happy Go Hopscotch IP.
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September 2014 - the project was shortlisted for Bafta Rocliffe Children’s Writing Competition.
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October 2015 - the project was awarded development funding from Creative Europe.
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January 2016 – we partnered with the Pumpkin Patch Nursery to set up on-going research involving pre-school kids to gauge their reaction to the characters, stories and animation.
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March 2016 - Pitched at Malmo, Sweden - Financing Forum for Kids Content.
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April 2016 – Approached Dr Elizabeth Kilbey (Clinical Psychologist, The Secret Life of Four Year Olds) to validate our approach and invite her professional opinion about on-going developments.
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May 2016 - Pitched at Visegrad Animation Forum in Třeboň, Czech Republic.
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June 2016 - Partnered with Queen Mary University of London for pioneering research, studying the responses of young children as they watch our mini pilot.
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July 2016 - Set up on-going mini market research to collect feedback from parents about how children respond to the characters.
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July 2016 - Presented the project at Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, UK.
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July 2016 - met with broadcasters and co-producers at Galway Film Market, Ireland.
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JULY 2016 Sarah Senior joins Kinomind Films.
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September 2016 - Pitched at Cartoon Forum in Toulouse, France.
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Creative Team Biographies
CRE AT I VE T E A M BIO GR AP HIE S
KATY SEGROVE
KATERINA LAVRIONOVA
WRITER
DIRECTOR
Katy Segrove has written comedy sketches, shorts, features and children’s’ animation. Her sketches appeared in the ITV sketch show ‘Shoot the Writers’, where she was voted a winning writer and invited to form a comedy writing team along with the other winners. Katy’s feature film, Salsa Cartel, was optioned by Fahrenheit Films; her other feature scripts have been selected by Industrial Scripts Talent Connector, and shortlisted for She Writes, Script Factory Serious Screenwriting and the Met Film Screenwriting Programme. Her shorts have been shortlisted by the UK Film Festival and 50 Kisses, amongst others. She was also invited to develop high concept film ideas for the Eon Screenwriters Workshop (a spin-off of Eon Productions). Katy’s animated series Happy Go Hopscotch was shortlisted for the Bafta Rocliffe Children’s Writing Competition in 2014, and selected for a BCre8ive Lab in 2015, which lead to a mentorship with Plugin Media. Katy is the co-founder and co-organiser of a London based screenwriters’ workshop, where experienced screenwriters meet, network and exchange feedback. Katy has a Masters in screenwriting from the London College of Communication.
Katerina Lavrionova was born in Moscow, Russia in 1987. She was classically trained for 5 years at Moscow Fine Art Watercolor School, which prepared her for the course in Production Design at the Russian national film school (VGIK).Having spent 6 years working and studying closely with animation directors and artists, she developed a true passion for the animation media and decided to complete her studies at the National Film and TV School in the UK. Katerina has completed her MA in Directing Animation and continues her career in animation and fine arts.Her most recent credits include: Animation Director for TV docu-drama “Lermontov” 2x50min, 2014 commissioned by major Russian Broadcaster Russia-1; Animation Director and Fine Artist on the drama called “Decembrist revolt”, 2015, commissioned by Russia-1.
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CRE AT I VE T E A M BIO GR AP HIE S
INESA IVANOVA
SARAH SENIOR
PRODUCER
PRODUCER
Inesa Ivanova is an award-wining producer and founder of production company Kinomind Films. With extensive experience producing fiction films, she has recently extended her activity to distribution and the development of cross-media projects. Kinomind Films projects have been selected for renowned development labs, such as Eave B’est, Eave Marketing, Eric Pommer Institute, DPC II Lab by Focal, Birds Eye View Filmonomics (observer) and BeCre8ative Lab. Inesa has been supported with bursaries from Creative Skillset, Lithuanian Ministry of Culture and the Nordic Council. Within the past six years, Inesa has produced a diverse body of work from award-winning shorts to feature documentaries. She has developed relationships with several talented writers and directors. Two of Inesa’s short films were supported by Arts Council of England, and were presented at La Biennale di Venezia the 55th International Art Exhibition and Geneva Museum of Contemporary Art.
Sarah Senior is a producer with a solid business and practical production background having founded and run her own UK company, Shoot Productions, since 2004. She studied her MA in Producing at the NFTS where she met and studied alongside Inesa Ivanova. While at the film school Sarah was mentored by BAFTA, Oscar and Emmy nominated producers. She successfully produces live action and animation and her films have screened at festivals worldwide including Annecy, Anima Mundi, Edinburgh IFF, Hamptons IIF, and Palm Springs. She has a British Animation Award, one win and two RTS Award nominations and multiple Audience Awards and Jury Awards for her work. Sarah has co-produced and line produced three feature films in the last four years and is currently living in Toronto, Canada developing a slate of live action and animated productions.
Inesa graduated from the National Film and Television School in 2012 with an MA in Film and TV Producing. Andrea Calderwood, Slate Films, mentored Inesa through the NFTS scheme.
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E. hello@kinomindfilms.com W. happygohopscotch.com T. +44 7881 553 087
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