He’s the cutest undersea unicorn anybody has ever seen, and positively the one narwhal-identifying unicorn anybody has ever met. Or is he?
Based on “Not Fairly Narwhal” writer Jessie Sima, the kids’s guide character Kelp, a unicorn raised by Narwhals, is all of us and embodies everybody’s life story, it doesn’t matter what two (or extra) worlds any of us discover ourselves juggling.
Tailored for tv by co-executive producers Brian Okay. Roberts (Dragons: Rescue Riders), Nakia Trower Shuman (Fancy Nancy), and Sarah Katin (Curious George), DreamWorks Animation’s tackle Sima’s New York Occasions bestseller tackles the topic of identification by way of the curious and fun-loving Kelp (voiced by Nevin Kar). The blue, big-eyed, aquatic marvel has all the time believed he is a narwhal like the remainder of his household underneath the ocean, till the day he makes probably the most wonderful discovery – he’s really a unicorn!
Moderately than select one or the opposite, Kelp embraces being each a narwhal and a unicorn, juggling his day-to-day life as he figures out the best way to navigate his two worlds: ocean and land.
Developed alongside The Octonauts at Brown Bag movies and releasing on Netflix Monday, June 19, Not Fairly Narwal‘s 26 3DCG episodes additionally star Lucy Lowe as “Scallop;” Ryan Lopez as “Cruz;” Scarlett Kate Ferguson as “Pixie;” Sasha Knight as “Ollie;” and Mixie Chen as “Juniper.”
AWN met with Roberts, Schuman and Katin to debate translating story and illustrations from web page to display, Kelp’s place within the pantheon of DreamWorks “not-quite-heroes,” and the potential widespread impression this present may have on a brand new era of viewers.
Victoria Davis: Had been you all followers of the guide by Jessie Sima? Or their sequence of books? I learn my very own daughter “Completely Pegasus” and was so excited to see that considered one of their books was being tailored by DreamWorks!
Sarah Katin: We have been first launched to the guide by our rockstar DreamWorks improvement exec, Vanessa Taylor Sands, and have become rapid followers.
Nakia Trower Shuman: That’s so beautiful that you simply and your daughter have learn “Completely Pegasus” collectively. It doesn’t should be stated that Jessie Sima is an all-round outstanding unicorn themselves. All their books are past pleasant.
Brian Okay. Roberts: Vanessa requested me to learn the guide and let her know if I’d be involved in serving to develop and make the present. As quickly as I learn the guide, I knew it could be an unbelievable honor to get to work on this.
VD: What was it concerning the guide that lent itself so effectively to a DreamWorks sequence?
NS: It had all the suitable components, actually: implausible and cinematic world-building, coronary heart, dynamic characters, comedy, and journey. These are all qualities that DreamWorks has confirmed to take action effectively with time and time once more.
SK: I really feel like DreamWorks strives to make youngsters’ content material that’s each enjoyable and imaginative but in addition has substance behind it. Which is precisely the form of storytelling Nakia and I like to do, so working for DreamWorks has been a dream.
BR: DreamWorks has all the time been identified for misfit and not-quite-heroes, like Shrek, Hiccup and Po. Kelp is the right Not Fairly Narwhal/Unicorn to affix the household.
VD: How a lot of the content material within the present comes from the guide, and the way a lot is new? What have been the important thing belongings you needed to incorporate that got here straight from Sima’s authentic concepts?
SK: We all the time drew inspiration from the guide. From its stunning themes to its character design to its whimsical spirit. That being stated, the guide solely centered on Kelp. The problem got here in increasing Kelp’s worlds – each land and sea. We created new characters and areas that aren’t within the guide however really feel true to the spirit of the guide that Jessie brilliantly created.
VD: How did you go about designing these characters? They’re way more bubbly and spherical than depicted within the guide’s illustrations. Had been there any challenges with the visible translation?
BR: One of many earliest and smartest issues we did in improvement was to rent an unbelievable character designer, Gosia Arska. Gosia brilliantly discovered methods to offer some visible references to the guide model of Kelp, resembling his cute triangular legs, whereas additionally designing a face that may very well be animated with a broader vary of expressions.
VD: Rather a lot has been written about how extremely cute these characters are and, whereas very totally different in design, run parallel with the texture of Sima’s books. There’s simply a lot sweetness there! How a lot was Sima concerned in making the sequence and the way the characters would look?
NS: A ton of thought was given on the best way to hold the integrity of the design of the characters from the guide as they have been being translated into 3DCG. Identical to ourselves, Jessie had a number of belief within the uber-talented artists we had so as to try this. We might periodically geek out with Jessie once we had issues to indicate them and that was all the time a spotlight for us to share with them.
BR: All of us liked the guide a lot, so we actually needed to reside as much as the inspiration that Jessie’s work supplied. At our first few check-ins with Jessie, we have been actually nervous, frightened that someway we’d do one thing that didn’t match their imaginative and prescient of the character and the world. Jessie shortly laid all our worries to relaxation as they grew to become our largest cheerleader and by no means had something however pleasure and enthusiasm once we confirmed them the newest work on the present.
VD: As you’ve stated, DreamWorks is fairly well-known for utilizing magical animals as conduits for nice youngsters exhibits — The way to Prepare Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda, simply to call a pair. However what was totally different about this story than what DreamWorks has achieved earlier than? What made it notably pleasant to work on as creatives?
NS: Truthfully, we simply saved pinching ourselves with how fortunate we have been to work on such a particular story with probably the most proficient and superior artists in bringing it to life. I feel DreamWorks has all the time been on the forefront of telling stunning, distinctive, and entertaining tales. The very essence of this present is its uniqueness and due to this fact, the themes, the characters, the world constructing are the very issues that make it totally different from anything we’ve seen.
VD: It is a story a couple of lovable, inclusive character that lives in two worlds, and loves them each. Do you suppose this type of story theme is well timed territory to discover with younger youngsters today?
NS: Younger youngsters, outdated youngsters, grown-ups, it doesn’t matter what age, I feel it’s all the time an necessary dialog to embrace all of the issues that make you, you. As adults, I feel we generally nonetheless should be reminded, but when we will instill a way of energy and conviction and, due to this fact, safety about these concepts from an early age, that may solely have optimistic results as they develop up for themselves, however I think about for society as an entire.
SK: The writer, Jessie Sima, instructed us that after a studying individuals would come as much as them and ask, “Is that this an adoption story?” “A biracial story?” “A popping out story?” And they’d say, “Sure. Sure to all of it.” It is a story for all of us as a result of none of us are only one factor.
VD: What are you able to inform us about what’s in retailer for this primary season that younger viewers, in addition to their dad and mom, can look ahead to seeing?
BR: My youngsters are all effectively exterior the goal preschool demographic now, however they’ve all seen some episodes and are completely followers of the sequence. Considered one of my favourite issues concerning the present is that we lean into sincere feelings in a method that isn’t quite common in preschool media. This led to 2 of my favourite episodes, “Angries” and “Cruz Blues”, each of which may help youngsters – and adults – higher perceive their difficult emotions.
NS: It’s a sequence stuffed with comedy, coronary heart, and journey. These characters are a lot enjoyable to be round and there’s a lot spark. Underwater, we see the pure spark of all issues sea life. On land, we now have a unicorn spark that may flip a chunk of wooden right into a seesaw and make rainbows. We expect it’s thrilling to be in these two colourful distinctive worlds and see them by way of the characters’ eyes. However we additionally hope that we’ve created a way of familiarity for viewers.
On the finish of the day, if it’s a present that oldsters and their kiddies get pleasure from and share collectively, then we’ll be fairly stoked with that. I’m slightly keen on episodes with songs and journey and we now have a few episodes the place our younger characters let their imaginations soar. I’m excited for my very own boys to see these in completion.
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all issues anime. She’s reported on quite a few tales from activist information to leisure. Discover extra about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
