Helping young Macedonian understand positivemessages such as energy, environment and health.

March 2010

Contents

Background• Who is Boo?• The Story Behind Boo

The brilliant projects behind Boo• Animate EU project: The origin • The Methodology behind Animate EU• Animate EU Partners

Our wonderfully cool and fantastic series • Concept• Character Biographies• Secondary caracthers• Summary Episodes • Teaching Packs

Contacts

Background

Who is Boo?

My Friend Boo is a fun-filled animated series. The aim of the series is to help young viewers (aged 5-8) understand some of today’s most important world issues like energy and climate change, the environment and conservation and health.  The series uses imagination, comedy, adventure and magic to help kids understand these really important issues.

In our 9 episodes children can see that even with everyday gestures they can also help make a difference to their worlds and the wider world around them – and their families & friends can too.

 We hope Boo and his inspirational stories reach and motivate millions of European children .

To make this happen we are making the series available free of charge to European broadcasters from JUNE 2010.

We are also providing free and downloadable ‘Teaching packs’ for educators and schools from JUNE 2010.

The Story Behind Boo • One day, a group of enthusiastic, young Europeans hailing from the

world of communication, TV, campaigning and policy had an idea…

• This generation of European children is the most vulnerable ‘next generation’ in history. They are the ones that will make the difference, they are the ones that will need to clean up our mess…

• But, communicating to younger kids on global issues can sometimes be a mammoth task. These issues are often too complicated and just too gigantic for them to identify with, or to understand.

• So how best to get the message across?? Through a medium that kids love and interact with every day of course – cartoon animations!

• We hatched a plan, put together a unique partnership of the best in the business – kids, issue, communication and broadcast experts and award winning animators - and put our plan to the European Commission…

• They loved it, in fact 3 different departments of the European Commission loved it!

• And so here we are, many months down the line… with three great projects, one fantastic series and although we aren’t as young any more (due to a few more grey hairs!) we have more enthusiasm than ever to make Boo a HUGE hit… and you can join the fun too!

How is born Animate EU?

Animate EU project: The origin • Animate-EU is a project to bring My Friend Boo to

Macedonian children. The idea is to dub the series which is currently in production and broadcast on Macedonian TV and translate the accompanying Teaching Packs to the series in Macedonian and Albanian

• Animate-EU builds on three current European Commission funded projects aimed at modernizing EU public policy messaging

• The Water strand – was put together by EcoAnimation with the support of LIFE+ programme

• The Energy strand – has been produced by the Young Energy Savers project with the support of the Intelligent Energy Europe programme

• The Healthy Living strand – was devised by the ACTIVE project with the support of the HEALTH programme

The Methodology behind Animate EU

500 Kids are quizzed on their knowledge of the issues and of

their animation likes and dislikes

Issue experts brief the animators on the issues and identify key

messages

Animators develop concept, characters and storylines for My friend Boo

Kids give their views on the concept, characters and storylines

Animators refine concept, characters and storylines and write scripts

Issue experts work with script writers to finalize scripts (and check that they are technically sound)

Scripts finalized. Voices recorded. Animation process begins..

Talks start with broadcasters

Animation finalized and dubbed into local languages

Issue experts develop teaching material

Kids see the animations for the first time

Teachers and educators test the teaching material

Series launched

Millions of European children watch My Friend Boo!

Animate EU Partners

Business Solutions Europa (UK)Project Coordinatorwww.bs-europa.eu

FEJS Macedonia (MK) Local Partnerwww.mladiinfo.com

Business Solutions Europa and FEJS Macedonia never cooperated together before Animate EU project. However, FEJS closely was following the developments of the 3 animation projects managed by Business Solutions Europa. They got in contact thanks to FEJS informative web portal “Mladi Info” covered the launch of project ‘YES’ (Young Energy Savers) in 2009. From then they have decided to collaborate together to bring My Friend Boo in Macedonia, and through it disseminate the messages of sustainability and well-being among the new generations of Macedonians

Our wonderfully cool and

fantastic series!

Concept Whilst playing in their junk filled attic one day, BEN, JAQ and LUCY stumble across a very scruffy looking toy dog and a broken children’s carrousel. They also discover an old toy chest, which is home to a mysterious glowing golden ‘wind up’ key that fits into the back of the scruffy little toy.

Lucy winds up the key and suddenly the tatty little toy dog magically comes to life. The toy quickly introduces himself as Boo. Boo is a fast-talking adventurer with incredible magical powers. He’s kind, funny, smart, a little bit mysterious. He becomes the children’s friend and their guide as they travel in his magical carrousel embarking on extraordinary journeys and totally amazing adventures to all types of different worlds that help the three young explorers to learn lessons about some important issues whilst of course having lots of fun!

LucyBen

JaqBoo

Lucy

Character Biographies/1

BEN is eight years old and is very active, good at sport and loves to skateboard. He’s practical and considerate and is the leader of our little group. He’s great at getting everyone to rally together to get things done and to think of himself as a bit of a ‘cool dude’ but he’s easily embarrassed by his Little Sister, Lucy who follows him and his friend Jaq around.

JAQ is Ben’s best friend and is also eight years old. She’s kind hearted and is very knowledgeable about environmental issues. She likes to listen to music, ride her bike and loves food!

Character Biographies/2

LUCY is Ben’s little sister, she’s five years old and quite precocious. She likes to hang around with her big brother and his friend, she thinks of herself as being ‘very grown up’ and certainly doesn’t like being told what to do. She’s enthusiastic about practically everything, very inquisitive, has no fear and just doesn’t know when to shut up. She has a great knack for accidentally stirring up/ causing trouble and embarrassing her Big Brother.

BOO is a toy dog. He’s bit tatty and worn BUT when he becomes a ‘real’ character he’s transformed. Boo is fast-talking and a little bit out there but lots of fun. He has something of the circus ringmaster or a vaudevillian comedian about him (as per his Victorian origins).When they travel to different worlds on his magical toy carousel, Boo shows hints of a previous knowledge of these places/ greater knowledge of things. He’s a little mysterious and it’s hard to give him an exact age. He’s kind, warm and acts as guiding mentor for the children.

Secondary caracthers

Victoria the Vole whose wetland home is almost destroyed by a local factory who isnt taking care of its waste

Aliens from the planet Klexus – where inhabitants learn a lesson or two from Boo and his friends about conservation

The Zoreffatrons are large monster-like creatures and although they are a little grumpy they are really quite harmless. They speak a language that sounds like ‘belaBoolahbulahbulah.’

Zeno The Wizard is an old friend of Boo’s – although he looks like an 8 years old boy. Boo, Jaq, Ben and Lucy go and visit him for his birthday and they will have a lot of fun doing all kinds of physical activity.

Summary Energy Episodes

‘Switch it Off!’ (Theme: Energy Conservation)The children travel to a strange alien planet and meet Klexus, who changes her mind about saving energy after an inter-galactic dance mat contest with Lucy.

‘The three alternatives’ (Theme: Renewable Energies)Boo and his friends visit a clean and fresh earth in the far, far future, which uses alternative ways to produce energy and travel about.

‘On your bike!’ (Theme: Sustainable Transport)

Ben and Jaq get on their bikes as they race Lucy to the finish line in an unconventional game of ‘Alien Racers’

Episode length – 3 x 8 minutes

Summary Water Episodes

‘Victoria’s Wetlands’ (Theme: Water Pollution) The children meet a rather talkative vole whose riverbank home has been abandoned by animals and humans because a local factory isn’t taking care of its waste.

‘It’s only Water!’ (Theme: Water Conservation)Boo takes the children to Klexus to see if they can help to save water on her planet

‘The Big Picture’ (Theme: Water and the World)The friends take a ride along a riverbank to look at the “bigger picture”, where they see the damage that chemicals and dam-building can have on local wildlife but also what we can do to make the world a better place

Episode length – 3 x 8 minutes

Summary Health Episodes

Worldenball (Theme – Breakfast) Lucy, Ben and Jaq learn the importance of eating a balanced breakfast, as they are challenged to a game of Worldenball by the grumpy Zoreffatrons.

Zeno’s birthday (Theme – Physical activity) In Maikos Boo and friends get active when they are invited to a very special wizard’s 300th birthday party.

A little bit of everything (Theme – Snacks-Lucy, Ben and Jaq learn that the right kind of snacks can be important to keep energy levels up, and that a little bit of everything is good for you- even the occasional piece of cake!

Episode length – 2 x 8 minutes; 1 x 2 minutes

Teaching packs

The series will also be accompanied by downloadable ‘Teaching packs’ for educators and schools – again free of charge

This material is being developed by our experts and schools and will be available in local languages on www.myfriendboo.com from June 2010

You want to get involved? Yay!

Contact:

Sian Hughes (EN/FR/SP/IT)Business Solutions Europasian@bs-europa.eu0032 485 915 707

Helene Soyer (FR/EN/PT)Business Solutions Europahelene@bs-europa.eu