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Donkey Wrong

The power of storytelling through animation to reveal the magic of everyday life.

Once we’d got the knack of the ‘new normal’, we wanted to take on the challenge of a longer-form narrative piece while working remotely as a team. We were able to refine our capabilities, delve deeper into character development and showcase the immense talent in the studio. We also got to draw a great donkey.

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Selected for Pictoplasma's revered annual screening, Donkey Wrong is a charming study on luck, magic, and the human condition. Bucky’s journey shows us that life can change at any moment and that the difference between success and failure can be found between your ears.

Donkey Wrong is packed with exquisite details that say more than dialogue ever could.

Creative Boom

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Inspired by beach photographers such as Martin Parr and the illustration style of the New Yorker, we set the scene with a vivid and nostalgic seaside backdrop. We used filmic grain and a traditional screen ratio, and classic cinematic techniques (like the ‘Jaws’-style dolly zoom) highlight major comic and plot-based developments.

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A realistic, relatable and diverse cast of secondary characters add to Bucky’s story. They all have their own shapes, sizes and personalities; it was important to us that the film was an inclusive reflection of real life.

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In a soundtrack worthy of Donkey Wrong’s thrills and spills, Rob Flynn’s four fab compositions drive the story. Sound wizards Coda to Coda added effects as only they can—listen out for super squelches, donkey breaths and beachside bridle jingles.

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While it’s no secret that we wanted to flex our technical and creative muscles, we didn’t want digital methods to make the film any less charming than a hand-drawn piece. We love making characters and raising smiles, so we put our heads together to make something that everyone can enjoy.

Credits

Writer and Director

Jim Billy Wheeler

Executive Creative Director

Ed Barrett

Producer

Zak Khan

Executive Producers

Georgie Lister-Fell, Jen Judd, Tom Judd

Lead Animators

Jess Mountfield, Sam Stoney, Robert Duncan, Yukari Schrickel

Animators

George Judd, Julia Olsson, Max Halley, Milo Targett, Peter Cobo, Pip Williamson, Ryan Bird, Stewart Harvey, Theresa Haas

Composer

Rob Flynn

Sound Design

Coda to Coda

Press and Marketing

Razia Hussain

Production Support

Michael O'Brien, Simona Somma-Mullins

Special thanks

Amy Egan, Bekki Leahy, Dev Joshi, Eilidh Reid, Ewa Sarnowska, Florence Layer, Frida Ek, Jenna Kirby, Katie Nash, Laura Darby, Michael Davies, Sophie Neophytou, Tracey la Cour, Romane Wach, Victoria Darriba Rios

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