In 2003 Gerry Anderson created an idea for Firestorm. The series followed the group called Storm Force 9 as they went up against a terrorist organization called Black Orchid. The anime mixed classic cel animation and CG. Alas the series had little publicity and was only shown in Japan. Fast Forward to the present day and Gerry's son, Jamie is relaunching the Firestorm idea with Kickstarter. He plans on funding a short pilot in hopes of selling the idea for a future TV series.
Go to the website link below to read up on all the exciting things going on with this project. There is more background information about the project, its goals and stretch goals and the rewards you will receive at different pledge levels. If the project goal is not reached, you are not charged your pledge but at the current rate, things look good!!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1717674777/gerry-andersons-firestorm-filmed-in-ultramarionati?ref=email
For the story, teaser trailer, information on who is going to be involved, including a Doctor Who connection,
The Story - By the end of the 22nd century mankind has pulled itself up by its bootstraps. The wars and political disputes that were so common throughout the 21st century are long behind us, and man has finally taken responsibility for his own actions. The Earth in 2200 is very different from the one we worried about in 2014 - environmental, social and humanitarian crises are a thing of the past, and things have been that way for nearly 50 years. But in 2202 a new threat emerges.
Terrorist activity surfaces on several continents. At first the world governments deal with them quietly, without any real public awareness but the activity becomes better and better co-ordinated and more widespread. Soon the Continental senates decide to take action, and they invest vast amounts of resources into forming Storm Force - an organisation designed specifically to investigate and neutralise this new threat.
Supplied with the most advanced technology available Storm Force begin operation Firestorm to bring down the terrorist group known as Black Orchid. But as the 9th division of Storm Force (SF9) begin to make progress, they discover that Black Orchid is only a very small part of the picture, and that they themselves have had to make an impossible choice...
The project will be filmed in Ultramarionation and will use practical effects, physical sets, miniatures and puppets!! Just like Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet, this project will go old school.
From the Kickstarter Website
Filmed in Ultramarionation
Ultramarionation is a brand new method of filming based on the foundations of the Supermarionation techniques developed by Gerry Anderson and his pioneering teams through the 1960s, used in series like Supercar, Fireball XL5, Stingray, Captain Scarlet, and the iconic Thunderbirds.
With Ultramarionation we are taking the very best aspects of those incredible shows - the physical sets, marionettes, breath-taking model work, and practical effects and tying them together with modern film-making technologies.
The Production Team
A team with a passion for all things Gerry Anderson
We're very lucky to have some amazing people already involved in this project, and this is just for the initial phases. We're hoping that even more people will join us as we move into the next stages of production.
The crew selection for Firestorm is based primarily on finding technical and artistic crew who worked closely with Gerry Anderson on past productions, or those who have a true love and understanding of those aspects that made his productions so special. A high degree of devotion to the legacy is a must for creative staff on this project.
Steve Begg - Effects Supervisor
BAFTA award winning effects supervisor best known for his recent work on the Bond films (Skyfall, Casino Royale, Goldeneye), Wolfman, Tomb Raider, Batman, Batman Begins, and Aliens but also a long-time Gerry Anderson regular - working on everything from Terrahawks to Space Precinct and New Captain Scarlet.
Steve is the original concept artist and designer of almost all the craft in Firestorm, and we're thrilled to have him on board.
Eric Chu - Concept and Design
Best known for his beautiful redesigns of the spacecraft and Cylons in the new Battlestar Galactica, Eric has become part of the Gerry Anderson fold with his excellent poster designs, digital paintings and concept work for new Gerry Anderson productions.
Mike Tucker - Model Effects
BAFTA award winning, and Emmy nominated model effects artist, best known for his work on Doctor Who and Red Dwarf. Mike's "Model Unit" was responsible for the BAFTA award winning effects on the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode in 2013.
Bill Pearson - Model Supervisor
Bill is a top model maker, best known for his work on Alien, Moon, Gravity, Casino Royale and Red Dwarf. He went into effects because of his love of Gerry Anderson shows, and was model designer on Gerry's 1994 series Space Precinct.
Mackinnon & Saunders - Puppets
With over 30 years of experience Ian Mackinnon and Peter Saunders’ talented team have had the privilege of bringing some of the world’s best known animated characters to life - from Bob the Builder, Postman Pat and Fifi and the Flowertots, to Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox.
Their Gerry Anderson connection runs deep - Ian Mackinnon had his very first paid job working on the 1980s pilot show Space Police, and the company was also responsible for the puppets in Gerry Anderson's Lavender Castle.
From concept maquettes, mould making and armatures to costume, hair and paint, their team will always go the extra mile to ensure the characters that are produced create the maximum impact on screen.
Mark Woollard - Director
Mark worked with Gerry from the early 1980s right up until his last project (New Captain Scarlet - 2005) and beyond - working with Gerry to develop his new ideas until Gerry's Alzheimer's Disease stopped him working in 2011. Mark's Anderson credits include Terrahawks, Dick Spanner, Space Police, Space Precinct, and New Captain Scarlet. Mark is also an experienced animation director - recently directing Little Charlie Bear for Annix Studios.
David Elliott - Consultant Director
Steve Kyte - Character design
Steve's name is inextricably linked with Gerry Anderson productions, and in particular Firestorm. His work includes strips and covers for Thunderbirds, Stingray, Captain Scarlet and many more. He was also the original character designer selected by Gerry Anderson in 2001, and we're thrilled to have Steve back on board for the new series.
Michael Okuda - Visual Consultant
Best known for his contributions to the Star Trek Universe (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager) - Michael is the man behind LCARS - the famous fictional computer system used throughout the Enterprise D and other Starships.
Andy Rolfe - Set construction
Andy is a lifelong fan of Gerry Anderson's work, and worked with Gerry on several projects. Fans may have seen his work on Captain Scarlet: SIG, and the recent documentary - Filmed in Supermarionation - where Andy was responsible for some incredible recreations of the original Supermarionation sets. He has also built incredibly detailed 1/3 scale props and sets for films like Wolfman, Casino Royale, and Skyfall.
Peter Greenwood - 2nd Unit/Additional Voices
Peter is another lifelong Anderson fan, As a voice artist he headlined the Thunderbirds radio campaign in Australia in the 1990's previous to that he worked for Disney on "The Rescuers Down Under" and recently "The Pirates Of The Caribbean", as well as voicing a number of the key monsters for "Power Rangers" and "Big Bad Beattleborgs".
Peter was also the driving force behind taking Firestorm to Kickstarter in the first place. So, thanks for that, Peter!
Dave Low - Design & Brand
Dave has been tied to all our recent projects - from the 2013 Gerry Anderson rebrand (and its iconic A logo) to Gemini Force One, and beyond. He's a massive Space: 1999 fan, and works closely with me to get the right look and feel for our projects.
And of course, yours truly - you can read a bit more about me in the creator bio section.
The Voice Cast
Nick Tate - Best known as Alan Carter - hero Eagle pilot from Space: 1999 and son of John Tate who voiced multiple characters on Thunderbirds. Nick is making his return to a Gerry Anderson production for the first time since 1976.
Nicholas Briggs - Nicholas will be familiar to many as the voice of the Daleks and Cybermen in Doctor Who. A lifelong Gerry Anderson fan, Nicholas joins us as the voice of Ocean Storm's AI system "REMUS".
More of our voice cast will be announced during the campaign.
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