Director and visual artist Stuart Birchall and producers Leila Mousavi and Seb Brown have unveiled joint UK production outfit Scrapbook Pictures, with a focus on using physically produced special effects for family-focused live action theatrical features.
For its first feature project, Scrapbook Pictures has teamed up with model visual effects supervisor José Granell, who has worked on the Harry Potter franchise, A Haunting In Venice and Napoleon, alongside The Magic Camera Company to co-produce fantasy adventure feature A Paige Odyssey (working title), which will combine physically built miniature environments and creatures with virtual production and CGI. It aims to start shooting in autumn 2025, with a director yet to be attached.
The trio wants to integrate more traditional filmmaking skills with ever-evolving technology for independent filmmaking.
Brown, whose credits include as a production manager on Disney+ series Sexy Beast and Willow, said: “Family entertainment has the potential to reach a repeat, wide international audience of all ages and that is what we are hoping to accomplish. We are excited about championing British talent in front of and behind the camera as well as what can be achieved by collaborating internationally.
”Our goal is to spark joy, awe and amazement within the children who come to watch our films, no matter where in the world, and do our part in building the next generation of cinema lovers.”
“How we make these films is just as important to us as the story we’re telling,” noted Mousavi, who has worked below-the-line on TV series The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance and features Kingsman: The Golden Circle and The Jungle Book.
“The technology available is phenomenal and constantly evolving. In combination with practical FX, this means more potential in a growing toolbox. Few independent filmmakers have been fortunate enough to experience or explore the capabilities of physical FX themselves, yet audiences love them, and they are often the shrewdest and most creative way to get memorable shots.”
Filmmaker Birchall, who has worked across experimental shorts and music videos, added: “Films such as Jurassic Park, Short Circuit, Jason And The Argonauts, Labyrinth, Alien… they stay with you, and often the things people talk about to this day are the practical effects that were used. We want to use the opportunities that new technologies provide to push us into finding ways of combining what was possible with what is now possible.
”We are extremely excited about our slate and have been working on stories and characters behind the scenes over a number of years. We are aiming squarely for PG-rated projects, and will explore every genre from sci-fi to adventure, comedy to holiday.”