Kangaroo Beach creator Tim Bain’s new series features animatronic toys on ABC Kids
No kangaroos, koalas and echidnas Kangaroo Beach creator Tim Bain’s enchanting new adventure for kids, Knee High Spies. That doesn’t mean there isn’t an Australian flavor in the live-action series, which was produced in Melbourne and featured puppeteers in animatronic costumes shot in front of a green screen and reduced to size.
Christie Whelan Browne plays the mother, Gareth Yuen the father, and cabaret soprano Ali McGregor voices the villain, a guinea pig named Silver Paw. A talented troupe of Australian child actors bring to life, on screen and in the sound booth, the toy group working to gnaw on biscuits as part of Silver Paw’s nefarious plans (hiding his teeth from the tooth fairy, not baking cookies for Nana).
Tim Pain, creator of Knee High Spies, with Jeremy.
“I love taking every chance I can to make Australian TV shows that reflect the Australian lifestyle to Australian kids and also to the world,” says Bain, whose projects include: Thomas and Friends, Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder, morph and HBO Max animation Let’s Go Banana!, He created it to reflect his own family life as a gay father of three children.
“We shot over the summer, so there’s a beautiful, sunny backyard… They’re Australian kids, but these undercover missions, which can be done with toys inside any home anywhere in the world, have global appeal.”
inspirational Toy Story, Wallace and GromitLike the world of Jim Henson and the action-adventure movies Bain thrived on Crazy Maximum, Mission Impossible And Contentionthe series is a delightful throwback to “old-school special effects in a pre-CGI and AI era.”
“Initially I thought this might be an easier route than computer animation and would save on budget,” says Bain. “Boy, was I wrong about how complicated and time-consuming making puppets and dressing up in puppet costumes really is.
“And on top of that, adding all the visual effects in post-production, combining layers of images to create a single frame. But despite all the headaches and heartaches, I’m glad we persevered, because the result is magical.”
On the set of Knee High Spies, where puppeteers in animatronic costumes film in front of a green screen.
Directed by BAFTA award-winning Jack Jameson; He has also worked on programs such as: teletubbies And Sesame Street. The 20-episode series focuses on four toys that come to life when no one is watching. Puppeteers include Cirque De Soleil’s Nick Barlow and international clown sensation David Splatt.
