Series 2, Episode 12: Blue Zoo Pegbar and Grill

***PLEASE NOTE THIS PODCAST WAS RECORDED IN LATE 2016. PLEASE ACCEPT OUR APOLOGIES FOR OUR RIDICULOUS LATENESS IN RELEASING IT.***

Oli Hyatt and Tom Box are 2 of the co-founders of Blue Zoo, an animation production company based in London.


They spoke to us about their studio, as well as Animation UK, an advocacy organisation for the animation industry, which successfully lobbied the UK government in 2012, leading to the introduction of the Animation Tax Relief. Oli and Tom provide fascinating insights into running a studio with more than 120 employees. They discuss the challenges of growing the company since its founding in 2000, and how they've struck a balance between profitability and creative fulfilment. Blue Zoo produce ads, idents, apps and VR, but they are best known for their children's TV series, which include Alphablocks, Digby Dragon, Numberblocks, Q Pootle 5 and Tree Fu Tom. In 2014 Oli was awarded an MBE for services to Children’s TV and Animation and in 2017 Blue Zoo was awarded the Children's BAFTA for Independent Production Company of the year.

Tom Box’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrtombox

Oli Hyatt’s profile on Screen Alliance http://www.ukscreenalliance.co.uk/profile/Oli-Hyatt

Blue Zoo website: https://www.blue-zoo.co.uk/

Digby Dragon https://www.blue-zoo.co.uk/animation/digby-dragon/

Olive The Ostrich https://www.blue-zoo.co.uk/animation/olive-the-ostrich/

Animation UK: website http://www.ukscreenalliance.co.uk/about/animation-uk

Note: In November 2016, UK Screen Association announced that it was joining forces with Animation UK to create the Screen Alliance UK http://www.ukscreenalliance.co.uk/index.php?/news/article/5064