Dublin-based digital animation company Jam Media, which is in the midst of creating 60 new jobs as part of an €8.5m investment, last night picked up a BAFTA award for its long-standing CBBC series Roy.
It emerged in October that the €8.5m investment was made possible following the recommissioning of the series by the BBC.
The show filmed as a fly-on-the-wall ‘mockumentary’ follows Roy, an 11-year-old cartoon boy living in the real world. Roy lives in Ballyfermot with his real family and plays with his real friends, he is like any other real kid his age, only he is a cartoon.
The Jam Media series appeals to both kids and parents, as it touches home on a number of everyday issues, including bullies, responsibility, trust and teamwork.
“This is the third time we have been nominated so we are obviously thrilled that we have won a BAFTA,” Jam Media’s John Rice said last night.
“The competition was stiff and this award, coming just after the re-commission of a double series of Roy by CBBC, proves that the series and the character of Roy really seems to resonate with viewers in the UK, Ireland and beyond,” Rice said.
An excellent year
The filming for the animated and live-action show in Ireland has been made more possible with the Irish tax relief incentive, section 481, which encourages investment in Irish-made film projects that make a significant contribution to the national economy and the exchequer. As well as this, a further 60 jobs on top of the existing 48 have been created.
They year 2012 has been excellent for Jam Media. Earlier this year, the company won the Cartoon Forum Producer of the Year Award.
When announcing the recommission last month, CBBC controller Cheryl Taylor commented: “Roy has a really distinctive visual style and an engaging tone which explores some of the more tricky elements of growing up with rare charm and humour.”
