Introducing an unforgettable adventure, the craziest show in the wilderness, Baby Lemmings! Cartoonito Africa presents a show that encourages a life of wonder, adventure, and navigating a toddler’s life through each episode. Bringing comfort and excitement right into your living room! Parenting Hub has had the privilege to interview some of the key people involved in creating such a magical series, helping us to travel into the mind of the series for the afternoon. The creators, and all involved in the making of Baby Lemmings were a lovely and inviting group of people to speak with. And together, have created a beautifully crafted series, dedicated to the younger audience of preschoolers. This show offers not only insight and familiar feelings for preschoolers to navigate through and relate to, but something that parents might also connect with. We asked Josselin Charier, one of the brilliant creators, “Grizzy and the Lemmings is loved worldwide. What made you feel that exploring the Lemmings’ early years was the right next step for a preschool audience?” To which Josselin was very keen and insightful, explaining that, “It was really intended to be a show for ages 6 – 9/10. The Lemmings weren’t meant for preschoolers because they are pushing boundaries, and doing crazy things. Things that aren’t aligned completely with a preschool audience. So we thought it would be a good idea to make a show for preschoolers. But to be transparent, for a long time we thought it wouldn’t be possible because the Lemmings are so crazy. We thought we couldn’t make a show without portraying them for preschoolers. And so we just put this idea in a drawer…and then one day we woke up and said that in the true DNA of the Lemmings, it’s not to be crazy or taking risks — it’s to be creative and playful. And if we stick to this core DNA of the Lemmings we could do preschool shows, which is aligned with preschool expectations, and for it to be totally okay. We had this idea, and we worked on that. We started writing, it was there. And I think it would very cool for an audience to have a first, kind of, introduction unto a safer environment, with takeaways. So this is really meant for them. ” We loved the way he spoke of the show; that it was something more than just entertainment for your children. That it was introducing a way of life. Cedric Lachenaud, a wonderful writer, had his welcoming opinion to add, “We tried this concept in the first season. There is an episode with a flashback, and when they were little they (the Lemmings) found their way back to the house. And it was a very beloved episode, so we had decided to be here for a long time. We knew it could be fun, but there was some time before where we had to figure out how to do it.” We also had the honour to speak with the talented character designer, Bertrand Gatignol. We asked, “The Baby Lemmings are instantly lovable. How did you approach designing characters that preschoolers could recognise and emotionally connect with at a glance?” “At first, the job of creating characters is about creating emotion. So, even for adults, you find that it’s a bit of the same problem. The big difference is only the age because you are projecting. The audience is projecting themselves into the character. So you have to adapt the age in function of the audience. The real difficult point was that at first the Lemmings was designed for the ‘Grizzy and the Lemmings’ show. They were designed as squish balls, because they are acting together. So then they are not just one character. So first it was created to be very, very cute and very, very simple. The problem was to make it more cute, and more simple. We worked a lot with the 3D department to adapt because, of course, when you are drawing something it always works because it’s flat. So most of the time you have to also find a solution just by modelling the character. ‘Cause you cannot really find the solution just by drawing it. You have to work together — so it really is team work. And finally, what is very interesting for the preschooler aspect was that the emotions are very simple like happiness / fear, so everything is in the eyes — most of the things are in the eyes. Most of the part was to make expressions that are just instantly readable by the young audience to feel alike.” The hardworking art director, Constance David had liked to add, “The character scale is smaller than a lemming. A lemming is 7cm, its really small. So all the nature is bigger, it gives a magical vibe, and I think that children can identify with it also.” Which encouraged our follow-up question, “Constance, the forest feels warm, safe, and full of wonder. What guided your team in creating an environment that parents would feel comfortable letting their children “live in” for a few minutes each day?” Constance replied, “Thank you. First of all, it wasn’t with a team, it was Josselin, Antoine, who gave me lines, which helped me to work it out but I did it alone. And I was inside books from my childhood, because it has very strong images that are infused in you, with many details — and water colour. We wanted to have it back. For example, there are different colours on the different elements, it gives this special water colour look. Then we played with all the textures, very soft materials and the atmosphere was very important. So with the 3D team and the composite team, we worked on the warm light to give this atmosphere, like a little bubble. To be really safe.” Josselin included, “For the comfort and to feel safe. A Baby Lemmings wouldn’t hurt itself because everything is soft.” Constance added, “And
