3AMIGONAUTS

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Alley Crawford, Producer, 3 Amigonauts

Brown Bag Films producer Alley Crawford has been an animation aficionado since she was just a wee tyke! She chatted with us about her experience producing the fresh and funny, goof ball comedy, 3 Amigonauts! Read the full story below and find out Alley’s favourite episode and which Amigonaut she identifies with most!

1. To get started I always ask for a favourite life motto or quote?

Integrity is crucial.

2. What is your origin’s story? (How did you get started in your career?)

I fell in love with animation watching Saturday morning cartoons with my sister - Looney tunes, Smurfs, He-Man, Astro-boy, Animaniacs, Ninja Turtles…  After pursuing a double Bachelor’s degree in Film Production and Fine Arts, making the career change to animation seemed like a natural and progressive direction.

3. What does a day in the life an animation producer look like?

Day to day as an Animation Producer is a balance between logistical, technical and creative. Basic rule is to support the creative while maintaining the schedule, budget and crew.

4. What did you love most about working on Season 1 of 3 Amigonauts?

There are many things that I loved about working on the ‘3 Amigonauts’, but I would have to say that the unique stories and incredible art really stand out for me. I also have a soft spot for the music from the amazingly talented Kid Koala, DJ Vekked and Patrick Cooke.

5. What do you think makes 3 Amigonauts one of the best new show in the galaxy?

I have not seen another show that looks like ‘3 Amigonauts’ on Canadian television.  It makes no apologies with the neon arcade-colours, graphic beauty shots and almost rudimentary animation style.

6. Without spoiling too much what is one of your favourite moments from the show?

Favorite show moment is probably the ‘fart-battle’ between Kirbie and the Shaman of Stink. It’s ridiculously explosive.

7. What is your number one reason why everyone needs to watch the 3 Amigonauts?

Some of the best dialogue was improvised and the cast are hilarious!

8. Which Amigonaut are you most like and why?

I feel like I am closest to Herby. As series producer, I must be a leader. Like Herby, things don’t always go my way or end up how I intended, but that just makes me strive higher. This is where creativity is key.

9. Anything you would like to share – like funny behind the scenes moments, interesting tid-bits about the making of the show that people might like to know, cool voice talents, things that stand out.

We often recorded Herby (Annick Obonsawin), Kirbie (Julie Sype) and Burt (Doug Hadders) as an ensemble and it really made a difference nurturing the relationships between their characters. Recording Donnie (Cory Doran) was always a riot because he is possibly be the funniest man alive!

Learn more about Alley’s career in animation here!

Want more Amigonauts?

Watch on YTV!

See more content on the Amigonauts YTV Website!

Play The Amigonauts Game!

Follow The Official     Amigonauts Tumblr

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You This Long Weekend!

And while you are chillin’ why not check out some full episodes of Amigonauts via YTV!

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Sandwich Goals! 

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Composer Profile - Kid Koala, 3 Amigonauts

Did you know that the opening and closing theme music for 3 Amigonauts was composed by world-renowned scratch DJ and music producer Kid Koala! We interviewed Eric San, aka Kid Koala to get the lowdown on what goes into creating a super catchy theme song for outer space, and his answers were out of this world! Read the full story below!

What are three words you would use to describe the 3 Amigonauts theme song?

Nostalgic, Future, Funk!

What is the story behind the creating of the 3 Amigonauts theme song?

To start, I was given the series bible and some of the initial designs the Amigonauts crew were working on for Herby, Kirbie and Burt. I also got to see a couple early stage animatics, (they weren’t coloured at that point), but they showed me how everything would move in terms of the style of animation, like how stretchy and squashy it could get. So I kind of had all that swimming around in my head, while I was trying to make a track that could harmonize with the whole vibe of the show.

It was also really helpful to see the characters and the colour palettes the team were using, and their test animation, so I could see how stuff would move. It was very snappy but also very bouncy and stretchy. I knew the music would have to fit that type of animation. If it had been more vectored and cold feeling, I think I would have made something quite different. It seemed like such a joyous world that the 3 Amigonauts lived in, so I just wanted to see if I could match that.

Did the show’s space setting play into the piece?

Of course, the show being set in space always helps! It is funny, they say every musician at some point has to do a space phase, and I think I started mine 8 years ago and I haven’t left. So a space themed show was one of those things that I was actually kind of comfortable with – My last album was called Music to Draw To: Satellite and was set on Mars. And musically I was pretty equipped for the job, because a lot of the equipment I had accumulated and searched for to make said space records, and music, was designed to create spacey sounds. For instance, the most obvious one being the Roland Space Echo.

What instruments, gear and or samples did you use to create the song?

Drums, bass, several synthesizers, the Roland Space Echo – a synth with a tape based delay, so it records sounds that go into and then plays it back slightly later, so you can create spaceship-y sounds. A lot of guitar effects, the record cutter, and turntables. And there were some horns and a baritone sax in there as well.

And just FYI there were no samples used in the track.  For the “three” scream you hear throughout the piece, I just recorded my daughters yelling ‘THREE’. And if something sounds like a sample it’s because I recorded instruments with 1950s microphones and sometimes cut stuff to vinyl on my record cutter and then scratched it back into the track on a turntable.

Even the counterpoint melody line is just me singing though a bunch of robot vocoders.

Above you mention “nostalgia” as one of the words to describe the song… can you expand on how you achieved this “feeling?”

When I was speaking to Kyle, he wanted it to have this kind of dusty sample feel and aesthetic in the music.

So what I would do, would be to play instruments and synthesizers, and then I would cut them to vinyl records – as I mentioned above I have a record cutter in my studio –  I would then use that record and scratch it back in. What ended up happening is you kind of get the feeling like “Oh these samples came from some old record”, when really they are original-made tunes, which were just treated to sound that way.

That’s fun for me, because I’m mostly known for my turntable work, and once a sound is cut to a piece of vinyl, then I’m in my safe place so to speak. I like all the combinations of things you can do, once a sound is on vinyl. So, to have the ability to do that is pretty cool, at least in my recording process, it’s kind of a fun little revolution that I’m enjoying.

How does the process for writing a theme song for a show, differ from writing an original song for an album?

With a theme song you want it to kick off the show and signal, “Hey, this is it, we are heading into Amigonauts land!” A theme song is pretty much the tag of the show, so you need to create a welcoming piece, where the palette of sounds and the vibe of the song reflect the world you are about to go into.

After seeing what the Amigos team had created, and speaking to Kyle about the vibe and the tone of the show, it was pretty clear that the best thing would be for the theme to be joyous and inviting, something that would elicit a smile, and of course, something that was a bit squashy and stretchy in sound as well.

I tried to create sounds that suits the mechanics of the show. For example, Herby, Kirbie and Burt have skeletons that can stretch, so it would make sense that the instruments should be able to have a similar elasticity too! So imagine you hear what you think is a traditional instrument being played, and then you realize “Oh no wait, that is really just someone playing that sound on a record and now they’ve bent it out of the human range!”  

Anything else to add about what makes a themes song different from writing your own music?

Yes! The time limit is a huge factor in writing a theme song. On my own albums I can do an 8 minute song, but here I had to think like “It’s the Amigonauts, we’re going in, we’ve landed and we only have a relatively short period of time to open the doors to their universe and pull the audience in with this piece!”

Is the short time limit challenging?

Well, I have a short attention span for the most part, so I felt kind of at home with the time limit!

Which Amigonaut are you most like:

a) Herby - Heroic, fidgety and blindly confident, Herby is the Amigos’ front-man.

b) Kirbie - A consummate over-sharer with zero filter, Kirbie can come off as kinda gross.

c) Burt - Joyfully mischievous yet supremely polite, Burt is a walking pyrotechnic fun-machine.

Yeah, I’d have to go with Burt. Mainly because of the pyro-mania, also “fun-machine” is a good title. If I ever have an office with big glass walls, with my name and title etched across the door in a big font, I want it to say “Eric Fun-Machine San”. But yes, I did have a minor pyro-mania phase, when I was maybe ten or eleven. I was into lighting off bottle rockets and firecrackers, but I grew out of it.

What was your favourite class in school?

Hmm… to be honest in high school it was physics. They do always say music is physics.

But, my fondest memories are from a course I remember taking, which spanned an entire year, where we had to do woodshop, metal work, electronic, soldering and cooking! That year, in the once class alone, I learned how to solder a circuit board and cook an egg. I don’t remember what it was called, but I think, as far as life skills are concerned, that class taught me the most profound amount of information I’ve actually held with me my entire life! In fact, just this morning I cooked an egg!

Any advice for the next generation of Amigonauts, who also want to become world class DJ’s, Musicians and Turntablists?

Dabble! Dabble in the stuff that you are interested in!

And if you have an idea for a project, if you have an idea for a song, don’t wait, just start. You don’t need a book contract to start writing, you don’t need a record contract to start making music, and you don’t need to have a gig offer to start creating a live show. If that’s what you want to do just start doing it and you’ll always find your audience.

I’m kind of like living proof of the fact that you can do the most weird, left field music and projects, and you’re still going to find an audience that are in your same boat creatively! You have to trust that even if you feel like you are a bit of an outsider with your artistic ideas, you are not alone, and there are other people, that are equally excited about the same ideas as you. In my experience, that is how it has worked! If you put your stuff out there on any level, eventually you being to attract people into your working sphere, who have that same mentality and same enthusiasm for stuff, and then when you start collaborating, that is when really wonderful things start happening too.

People just have to trust in their hearts that they know why they are here, and do what makes them happy!

For more Amigonauts:

Watch on YTV!

See more content on the Amigonauts YTV Website!

Play The Amigonauts Game!

Note: Hyperlapse drawing of Kid Koala done by 9 Story designer, Francis Yeh.

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5 Things You Didn’t Know About...

Herby, Kirbie and Burt! 

Time to go a little deeper into what makes our Amigos tick and tock! For example did you know Burt enjoys mixing different foods together to create SUPER FOODS! 

And don’t forget to catch all new episodes of 3 Amigonauts, weekdays starting at 1:15pm, on YTV!

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Happy Cheeseburger Day!

Here is a little “cheesy” gif party in honour of this momentous day!

Perfect burger toppings to accompany the cheese? Go...

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Workout Wednesday!

Everybody JUMPING JACKS! 

Loving Herby and Kirbie’s moves... but where’s Burt?

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Flashback...

...to all the amazing title cards from this week’s 3 Amigonaut episodes! And don’t miss A Farewell to Arm Wrestling/Catch Her in the Lie, starting today at 1:15pm on YTV!

Title card artwork done by the talented Alex Azalea Jin.

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Lunchroom Life!

Happy Thursday folks, only one more day till the weekend! Hope your first week back in class has been good, and not full of shady looks! 

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The Amigonaut’s Guide To Surviving School!

Just a helpful Survival Guide for all those who are heading back to school tomorrow! 

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You Today!

Hello Friday and see you next week, when new Amigonauts starts airing Tuesday-Friday on YTV, everyday at 1:15pm!

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It’s from Canada!

http://3amigonauts.tumblr.com

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Lovin’ this Amigonaut Fan Art! It is out of this world AWESOME!

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This Weekend’s 3 Amigonauts Title Cards!

That’s right, 4 new episodes of Amigonauts airing this Saturday and Sunday, starting at 8am on YTV!

Don’t miss the adventures!

And again shout outs to Alex Azalea Jin and her amazing title card artwork!

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Director Profile - Mike Geiger, 3 Amigonauts

Meet award-winning artist and creator Mike Geiger, director of the summer’s “space-iest” animated show, 3 Amigonauts! We chatted with Mike about what he thinks makes 3 Amigonauts stand out from the crowd, and why you don’t want to miss out seeing a single episode of this madcap intergalactic animated adventure series!

1. To get started can you share a favourite life motto or quote?

Cut yourself some slack. Remember, 100 years from now, all new people.

2. What is your origin story? (How did you get started in your career?)

My interest spawned from skateboarding culture in the late 80s/early 90s. Artists like Jim Phillips, Twist (Barry McGee), Dave Kinsey, and Andy Howell who were designing graphics back then all had an illustrative style that lent itself really well to animation.

3. What does a day in the life an animation director look like?

Mainly reviewing leicas, scripts, cuts, records, mixes, and so forth. Just trying to keep things consistent with Kyle Marshall’s (the creator) vision as much as possible.

4. What did you love most about working on Season 1 of 3 Amigonauts?

The opportunity to work with a lot of artists I admire like Kyle Marshall, Firas Momani, Kid Koala, DJ Vekked, Terry McGurrin, Laurie Elliot and the whole writing crew, the voice talent, Andy Guiterrez, Oliver Costes, Dave Pietila, and the list goes on...

5. What do you think makes 3 Amigonauts one of the best new show in the galaxy? (What makes it stand out from the crowd?

From story to colour, the show does have a different vibe than viewers may be used to. I’m proud that we were able to lean into some new territory. All credit goes to Kyle for having the vision and our YTV exec Matt Sheppo for trusting us to execute on it. It takes a lot of extra work from the entire team to try to break convention, and I'm appreciative of our crew for believing in the show enough to accept that. 

6. Without spoiling too much, what is one of your favourite moments from the show?

Herby befriending a rock is one of my faves.

7. What is your number one reason why everyone needs to watch 3 Amigonauts?

So the next day you don’t feel left out when your friends are talking about the cool new show they saw. Remember what happened when you didn't watch Game of Thrones?

8. Which Amigonaut are you most like and why?

The Amigonauts are at their best when they are able to bounce off-of one another. So I'm cheating and going with the group. 

9. Anything you would like to share – like funny behind the scenes moments, interesting tid-bits about the making of the show that people might like to know.

Back in 2010, I used to be a contributing artist to a weekly comic site called THE SUPERVILLAIN with fellow artists Mick Harrison, Hobo Divine, Scott Macdonald and Kyle Marshall. Kyle's weekly contribution was called, none other than, The 3 Amigonauts! So it’s been fun to follow the idea from early comics to completed television show.

10. Social links to follow your work please list below.

http://www.mikegeiger.com/

For more Amigonauts:

Watch on YTV!

See more content on the Amigonauts YTV Website!

Play The Amigonauts Game!

Note: Hyperlapse drawing of Mike Geiger done by 9 Story designer, Francis Yeh.

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Time To Deploy: Eclipse Safety Glasses! 

You bet the Amigos are having an Eclipse Viewing Party, along with the rest of the crew at the Oober-Doober Space Academy! They potentially have the best seat in the house... considering they are in SPACE!

How about you? Will you be donning some protective eclipse safety glasses and watching this planetary craziness? 

And if you don’t have glasses, don’t worry, you can always stream the fun live via Nasa!

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You, when you hear that all new Amigonauts starts...

...NOW!

8am on YTV!

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Catch All New 3 Amigonauts This Weekend On YTV!

Adventures begin at 8am, Saturday and Sunday, on YTV!

And here is a little sneak peek at this weekend’s amazing episode title card art. 

Artwork done by the talented Alex Azalea Jin.