THE STARS are the limit for an ex-Stratford college student who has created his own children’s television show about a character who lives on the moon.
Craig Reeves was made redundant from his position in visual effects at Stratford’s Ragdoll Production two years ago, which had seen him work on shows such as In The Night Garden.
But the 28-year-old saw it as a “perfect opportunity”- and funded entirely by himself – created the pilot episode of ‘Moon Man Dan’, an idea he had been working on privately for several years.
He told the Observer: “I grew up in Stratford and my whole family live here. I knew with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Ragdoll here that it is a great place for new talent and where I should base myself.
“I am passionate about Moon Man Dan. He has been my baby for more than four years and I have seen the impact he has on friends and family’s children.
“The show is a bedtime animation for children aged two to seven, designed to ease them to sleep, feeling safe in the knowledge he watches over us as we drift off to sleep.”
But it was not all smooth sailing for Craig, who can usually be found in one of Henley Street’s coffee shops using his laptop to work on the show.
To raise enough money to build a studio in his Sambourne home, he had to do freelance work in London and Dublin – which saw him help with visual effects on Shaun the Sheep and Peter Rabbit.
After building the studio himself, he created his company Pickled Pepper Limited and enlisted the help of fellow ex-Ragdoll employees – who had also been made redundant.
Voicing several of the characters and working late into the night, Craig hopes his efforts will not go unnoticed when the pilot episode is released online on April 12 – the anniversary of the first man to orbit the earth.
He told the Observer: “I took almost a year out of work dedicating myself to Moon Man Dan but in order to continue creating our series we need investment.
“I am hoping that with the online success of our pilot episode I can bring it to the attention of investors and commissioners from all over the world.
“We would love to see our series rocket and showcase Britain’s talent for animation and children’s production. “
Visit www.moonmandan.com or pickledpepperproductions.com to find out more.
Moon Man Dan is the first show from Pickled Pepper Limited. (s)
