Local Macedon Ranges creatives, Darcy Prendergast and Josie Mackerras, have long been tinkering away on a gentle kids show concept, but now that dream takes one step closer to our screens, securing production funding from both Screen Australia and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.
Pit Pats is a gentle mixed media show, combining the duo’s varied skills in clay animation, puppetry, live action filmmaking and hand-drawn animation — but it’s real uniqueness lies in its relaxed tone.
“We wanted to make something chill, as our pre-schooler is pretty sensitive to high stimulation shows,” Josie said.
“Strobing colours, fast edits, loud music, it all just dysregulated her. So we set out to make a show about relaxed musical creatures that feels more like a warm cuddle, than a bowl of pure sugar.”
There’s a lot of science backing up the approach too, showing that slower paced shows are linked to improved cognitive development and emotional regulation, something the duo felt was extremely lacking on platforms like YouTube, where the show will launch in August.
“We’re like ducks. On the surface, we’re making this gentle calm show but beneath the water, completing it is utter madness,”Darcy said.
“We’re animating at all hours of night, making the music, writing scripts and editing during the day.
“I’ve got my sister making costumes, we’ve got our neighbours making puppets and a few other artists out this way lending their skills to get this across the line.
“It’s a lot, but also a lot of fun.”
And while AI offers shortcuts, the duo were passionate about steering clear of the emerging tech.
“We felt strongly about this being 100 per cent handmade, because if you’re skipping past care just to fast-track profit, then the true cost is the healthy development of our kiddos. And we’d like Pit Pats to contribute in it’s small way, to a generation of creative, well-rounded and nature-loving humans.”
To keep up to date on launch dates and releases, give them a follow on Instagram: @Pit_pats
