FREEFONIX
CBBC/France 2/Cinammon/Method Animation/Toonz Animation
Created by: Magnus Fiennes and Alex Tate
Produced by: Chris Rice and Richelle Wilder
Executive Producers: Magnus Fiennes and Anthony Bouchier
Directed by: Jerome France and Pierre Alan Chartier
I conceived the animated, music-driven mythic story of Freefonix on the eve of the millennium though it took five years of development, three years of production, a budget of $20 million and a production pipeline that stretched from LA to London, Paris, Ireland, and India, to finally realize the idea.
The forty half-hour episode series, originally conceived as a transmedia property with gaming and performance elements, first aired on CBBC in the UK in 2007 and then around the world. Freefonix eventually achieved a cult success with diehard fans and cosplayers are often seen dressed as characters such as Kurtz and Lady Lux at Comic Con and similar conventions. Freefonix was nominated Best Animated kids show at Annecy Film Festival in 2008.
In telling the story of three ‘Freewavers’ from the sci-fictional city of Los Bosmos who are chosen by Sonic Guardian Sugar Che to protect a primal musical force called the Thirteenth Note from evil band Mantyz and their apocalyptic overlord, Vox, I enlisted music creators such as Lucas Secon, Richard X, Blair Mackichan, Paul Statham, Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), Jamelia, Leo Abrahams and Gary Go, and voice actors Joseph Fiennes, Adam and Shelley Longworth, Marcel McCalla, Jules DeJongh and Susan Zelouf to help bring this sound-clash fuelled ultrafunkular epic to life.
Over a hundred songs and twenty hours of score were written for the series.
40 Episodes / 30 Minutes
Freefonix is available for license and broadcast in the USA.