BOOSNOO! (2022 to 2026)

Credit: BooSnoo Ltd's Production Team
Created by Julian Bashford from his family’s lived experience, BooSnoo! is a Sky Kids Original designed as a calming time-out show for busy young minds.

At the heart of each episode is a little red ball, travelling through a fantastical machine and triggering art, music, mechanics and moments of joy. The show combines live-action models and 3D CG animation, alongside stop motion, slow motion and 2D animation.

With a strong audience around the world, including many neurodiverse children, the production team has placed the viewer at the heart of every creative decision. Sustainability has been considered alongside this, with reuse, energy efficiency, recycling and a mix of physical and digital production techniques helping to reduce the impact of the show.
A little ball. A big idea.
Created by Julian Bashford from his family’s lived experience, BooSnoo! is a Sky Kids Original designed as a calming time-out show for busy young minds.

At the heart of each episode is a little red ball, travelling through a fantastical machine and triggering art, music, mechanics and moments of joy. The show combines live-action models and 3D CG animation, alongside stop motion, slow motion and 2D animation.

With a strong audience around the world, including many neurodiverse children, the production team has placed the viewer at the heart of every creative decision. Sustainability has been considered alongside this, with reuse, energy efficiency, recycling and a mix of physical and digital production techniques helping to reduce the impact of the show.

Making sustainability part of the story

01.

Although the worlds inside the BooSnoo! machine are fantastical, the show uses them to introduce ideas around real-world sustainability.

02.

Episodes have explored cause and effect through creative, child-friendly moments: solar-powered sunflowers rotate when their panels catch the sun, solar power meters rise as the sun comes out, and kitchen waste is composted into healthy soil.

03.

In another episode, boxes, food cartons and bottle tops come together to create everything from a dolls’ house to a recycled robot.

Designing for reuse

01.

With one or two unique physical sets created for each episode, the team looked closely at how materials and set elements could be reused.

02.

Tracks, blocks, flats, entry and exit holes, set dressing and ball mechanisms were reused throughout production. Water tanks were also used across multiple episodes, while existing props were reused wherever possible.

03.

The central props have also been retained for potential future exhibition or reuse in additional episodes.

Using technology to reduce takes

01.

The production team developed motion-controlled systems to improve consistency and reduce the number of takes needed.

02.

The ‘Noe’ Nudger, named after its creator Justin Noe, moves the ball at exactly the same speed each time. Alongside motion-controlled camera moves, this helped reduce retakes and, in turn, the amount of studio time and energy required.

03.

The team also increased the use of CG elements alongside live-action filming. By digitally creating parts of the worlds around the central physical sensory elements, the production could reduce the number of physical builds and the materials and construction work required.

Impact

01.

Series 2 had a footprint of 7.67 tCO₂e per hour, down from 13.15 tCO₂e per hour in Series 1.• That’s a reduction of around 42% per hour, driven by a focus on energy saving and reuse.

A show making a difference

Since its launch, the team has heard from families around the world who say they benefit from the show, including families with neurodiverse children.

 

By bringing together thoughtful storytelling, accessible design and more sustainable production practices, BooSnoo! shows that creating for the next generation can mean thinking about both the world children see on screen and the world we leave behind for them.

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