As revealed last week, ANDERSON ENTERTAINMENT have launched a crowd funding endeavour to help fund the initial ‘minisode’ for their planned series GERRY ANDERSON’S FIRESTORM

Filmed in ULTRAMARIONATION, it will utilise brand new puppets, beautifully detailed miniatures, and practical effects. Big names from previous Gerry Anderson productions will be returning to lend their expertise to the visual effects, voice artistry, and direction of FIRESTORM.

The initial goal of the Kickstarter project is to raise £49,000, which will help create the 5-8 minute sampler to show off the series to potential investors and distributors, in order to get a full-blown TV series made. There will also be stretch goals within this campaign to produce a full-length pilot episode.

ANDERSON ENTERTAINMENT is run by the estate of the late, great Gerry Anderson, who sadly passed away in 2012. His son, Jamie Anderson has taken charge of the operation with the intention of keeping the great man’s name and legacy fresh within people’s minds. These new projects, as well the upcoming documentary FILMED IN  SUPERMARIONATION will go a long way to ensure that will be the case.

Synopsis:
By the end of the 22nd century mankind has pulled itself up by its bootstraps. The wars and political disputes that were so common throughout the 21st century are long behind us, and man has finally taken responsibility for his own actions. The Earth in 2200 is very different from the one we worried about in 2014 – environmental, social and humanitarian crises are a thing of the past, and things have been that way for nearly 50 years. But in 2202 a new threat emerges.

Terrorist activity surfaces on several continents. At first the world governments deal with them quietly, without any real public awareness but the activity becomes better and better co-ordinated and more widespread. Soon the Continental senates decide to take action, and they invest vast amounts of resources into forming Storm Force – an organisation designed specifically to investigate and neutralise this new threat.

Supplied with the most advanced technology available Storm Force begin operation Firestorm to bring down the terrorist group known as Black Orchid. But as the 9th division of Storm Force (SF9) begin to make progress, they discover that Black Orchid is only a very small part of the picture, and that they themselves have had to make an impossible choice…

 

The puppets are being developed by world renowned sculptors and puppet-makers Mackinnon and Saunders, who’s Director, Peter Saunders, had this to say… “As well as making animation puppets for TV and films,  Mackinnon & Saunders have made a variety of puppeteered characters for TV shows  in the last couple of years.  We’ve had the privilege of working with Gerry Anderson on several projects in the past, and we were thrilled when Jamie asked us to be part of the Firestorm team – this project is a fantastic opportunity for us to work in the iconic Anderson style.”

The early prototypes (see above) look great and the finished models will have real hair and the classic ‘Thunderbirds’ proportions, so we’re hoping for a familiar, yet modern take on the Anderson production.

 

So far so good! Although the initial aim is to raise £49,000  for a 5-8 minute minisode, stretch goals include a 22 minute pilot episode (£135,000) and a 45 minute feature episode (£342,000). The show will be filmed in Ultramarionation – the next evolution of Gerry Anderson’s revolutionary Supermarionation technique. In the words of Anderson Entertainment, the key ingredients to this technique, and ensuring that they deliver a true Gerry Anderson project are:

• Practical effects – yep, that’s REAL explosions
• Physical sets
• Beautifully detailed miniatures
• and yes… puppets!

They had us at practical effects… There’s also some nice concept art that’s been released:

Needless to say, we’re pretty excited about this and looking forward to seeing the results of a successful Kickstarter campaign and so is Anderson Entertainment head Jamie Anderson “It’s my hope that generations of Gerry Anderson fans from all over the world will join us for this project on Kickstarter and help us bring the UK’s own Walt Disney’s next project – Firestorm – to TV screens in the very near future!”.

You heard the man, pledge today!

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