Keith Tutt studied philosophy and psychology at Bristol University, before starting a career as a writer in 1982.  Since then, Keith has worked mainly as a scriptwriter, author and filmmaker.  In 2000 Keith won a BAFTA award for his work on the BBC children’s animation series Pablo – the little red fox.  The series has run for eight years on BBC and has now aired in over 50 countries.

Keith also writes scripts for other children’s programmes and is involved in the development of television series’ and feature film projects.  He is a previous winner of the National Screenwriting Competition and has written two non-fiction books with major publishers. Keith also writes children’s picture books including Pablo goes Hunting (with Hannah Giffard) which was released in June 2005.

Pablo - the little red fox was originally a series of children’s books by Hannah Giffard.  The idea to set up Red Fox Productions and produce this as an animated children’s television series came about after a television company approached them with the intention of buying the rights to Pablo.  Keith and Hannah felt that if it had this kind of viability then perhaps they should do it themselves.

European funding from the Media Cartoon scheme enabled them to develop the bible and pilot, which led to interest from broadcasters and eventual co-production with Millimages of France.  Since then Pablo has been shown on the BBC continuously and in 50 other countries around the world.  This is partially due to its transferability, timeless quality and the rotating pre-school audience.

When starting out Keith advises that you need experience to build up an understanding of the industry, get screen credits and work out what your best role is.  It might mean that you move into scriptwriting, being a producer or character designer, for example.  Armed with this awareness you may choose to set up your own company and find funding for your own productions, or choose to work on other people’s shows.

Keith believes that “the longevity of an animated series is very important in order to recoup costs”, with children’s animation this is slightly easier because the audience base is constantly changing as children grow up.  The adult animation industry has more changeable tastes and moves more quickly. Keith recommends that a series should be capable of lasting at least 20 years for it to stand a good chance of being profitable. He believes “you need to build a brand, but at the same time create something that has captured the imagination of both its creator and the viewers. Your ideas need to be original and evoke a response, giving something to the audience through the process of telling a story.”