Chiku & Katope

About the Pilot

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Before getting into filmmaking, I wrote scripts for social communication radio dramas. While taking an extended break from the work, I found myself thinking more and more about creating for children. I wasn't sure what or how, but I knew that it would involve stories about the environment. It's a subject that is always with me. 

As time went on, the idea of creating an animation started taking shape. I didn't know the first thing about making an animation. Like, how are the characters' voice and actions in sync with each other? I learned that they record the voices first and then animate them! Wow. 

So, I set about finding an animator. Through word of mouth I met Charles Lupali. He is an incredibly talented artist and animator. I didn't have enough to pay him what he deserved, but I gave him what I could as the project was self-financed. Charles then instructed me to write a very simple script as we couldn't have too many characters and locations, and so I went back and re-wrote what I had, haha.

Then came the time to look for voice actors and a sound engineer and studio for recording. Emmanuel Mtui, a sound recordist, was an enormous help from beginning to end. After editing the audio clips in Audacity, now came the animation! It was so exciting to see the words on paper come to life through Charles' playful creativity! The whole experience is just unforgettable.

The pilot won the award for Best Film for Children at the Lake International PanAfrican Film Festival (LIPFF) in 2020 and was a finalist at the Lagos International Festival of Animation (LIFANIMA) . Thank you to everyone who took part and took a chance.