Serious Kids has made a solid start to international sales for the award-winning animation series from Eagle Vs Bat, since signing the worldwide distribution rights.
Last year, the series, narrated by Keira Knightley, was also recognized for its excellence in many international festivals. The series, co-produced with Italian company Enanimation, launched on ITV and RAI last year, where the ratings amazed the commissioning editors.
In addition to ITVBe and ITVX and RAI’s Yoyo, The Sound Collector has now travelled to twelve more platforms in just three months since delivery: Knowledge Network (Canada), CBeebies (Africa and Poland), Kidstream (USA), BeiN (MENA), Czech TV, HRT (Croatia), ERR/ETV (Estonia) HTV (Croatia), LTV (Latvia), Channel 1 (Slovakia) and RTVS (Slovenia), with others underway.
The series has been nominated/won 27 awards and has just been announced as a finalist in the Prix Jeunesse taking place in May 2024. It has also just been nominated for two British Animation Awards for Best Children’s Series and Best Use of Sound. The Sound Collector was Winner of the 1st Prize for Animated Television at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, nominated as Best Series at Annecy and The Pulcinella Awards, and won an Industry Excellence Award for Best Character Design at the Manchester Animation Festival.
We’re really proud that The Sound Collector forms part of ITVX Kids’ offering, it’s a special show that captures the magic of discovery and curiosity in a unique way. Upon its release in 2023, the show was the third best-performing pre-school series and in the top ten kids programmes for all ages on ITVX, beating some much bigger franchises.
Darren Nartey, ITV
The series, launched in November 2023 in Italy, has had an excellent result in terms of ratings and is particularly appreciated for the high quality of the project, both in terms of production and content, and with an original narrative that delicately conveys the theme of disability and inclusion, in the full spirit of Public Service broadcasting.
RAI Kids
As a viewer and a parent, The Sound Collector is a welcome relief for me. It’s a real hit with my own family – something three generations can sit down and enjoy together. I love the space it allows – every time we watch an episode, we feel soothed.
Keira Knightley, Narrator on The Sound Collector
The Sound Collector is a 60 x 5 minute live action and stop frame animation series aimed at 4-7 year olds and family, from UK producer Eagle Vs Bat for ITV, in co-production with Enanimation for RAI, made with the support of the Young Audiences Content Fund (which is financed by the UK Government and managed through the BFI), and the Italian Selective Funds (financed by the Italian Government).
The series is created and produced by Erica and Tom Angell of Eagle Vs Bat, co-produced by Federica Maggio of Enanimation, models and animation by Mackinnon & Saunders (The House, Fantastic Mr Fox, Corpse Bride), and written by Dave Ingham (Lucas the Spider, Clangers, Shaun the Sheep). The show’s ambassador and advisor is the world famous deaf percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennie. The series is narrated by Keira Knightley, directed by Chris Tichborne and co-directed by Lisa Arioli, with episodic direction from Barry Purves and Andy Burns.
It is comprised of sixty short stories about sound, as heard through the ears of a small but very active little being called the Sound Collector, who has a passion for sound despite the fact that he is very hard of hearing. He spends his days discovering and using new sounds that he finds on his adventures: the blooping and popping of sea anemones, the scuttling of a beetle or even the snores and snuffles of his best friend and pet, Mole. The Sound Collector is all about finding, recording and creating sounds that we may take for granted, and perhaps have never experienced before.
Whenever I watch The Sound Collector, I feel the world really is an orchestra where we can be the composers and the performers. There is no end to the bridges that can created when we observe even the minutest detail. It is wonderful to be able to enter his gentle and fascinating world that ignites so many emotions. We can all learn so much from him (and, of course, Mole too)!
Dame Evelyn Glennie, Ambassador and Advisor on The Sound Collector
