The creator of children’s TV shows Paw Patrol and Bob The Builder has joined the team behind a new brand aiming to take centuries of Irish folklore to a global digital audience.
Keith Chapman has become executive producer at Carlichauns Entertainment ahead of the launch of the CG animated children’s series.
Aimed at four to seven-year-olds, the series will follow a group of Carlingford leprechauns, or Carlichauns, as they embark on adventures to grant wishes to children.
The Carlichauns travel all over the world via a magical portal under Carlingford on the east coast of Ireland.
The brand launched on St Patrick’s Day this year.
Work continues on the animation series, which will be created using gaming technology and produced in Ireland.
The company making the series has just closed a seed funding round and secured match funding from Enterprise Ireland’s High Potential Start-up programme.
Chief executive Niall Watters said: “We are also having encouraging conversations with some big players in the US who really see the potential of the project.
“St Patrick’s Day is a colossal celebration in America and now through the Carlichauns we have a vehicle that makes the event even more kids and family inclusive, which in turn provides a new and special connection for the younger generation.
“Keith is onboard as executive producer and brand ambassador which is a great boost.”
The Paw Patrol creator said he believes the animation series will have appeal in the US.
“Everything to this point has been really positive and I’m excited to see where this adventure leads.”
Donnchadh Cullinan, from Enterprise Ireland, said: “Carlichauns is a shining example of the cutting-edge storytelling and animation emerging from Ireland right now.
“The Carlichauns adventure series has a global appeal and coupled with the latest advancements in CG animation led by an expert team is primed for future growth.”
Mr Watters added: “The technology we are using is typically the domain of gaming companies, but it is incredibly flexible, efficient and capable of delivering unprecedented levels of detail when it comes to animation.
“The rendering process is also dramatically reduced meaning our animation series is more environmentally friendly, which is important to us as sustainability is a theme which runs throughout the animation series.”
A digital book series has also been launched. The first edition sees the Carlichauns rescue a cat for a child in New York while the second will be based on a St Patrick’s Day special wish.
An existing augmented reality app, which was launched across Ireland this year, has now been rolled out in Los Angeles, with more locations to be added including Knoxville, Tennessee, and Melbourne.
