"The Bruvs" are taking the Internet by storm.
The two leads are similar to The Mitchell Brothers in EastEnders but unlike Phil & Grant, Den & Doug Bruv (yes, that's their surname) are not as logical in their methods.
The recipe to create a Doug or Den would be; Mix Phil & Grant Mitchell with Mr. Bean then add a hint of Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin and you should get A Bruv out of it.
The animated comedy series, co-created by Ian Brown & Eion Clarke, which debut on YouTube.com in 2015 has been discovered by UKTV and the creators have recently signed with one of their channels, Dave.
It is so good in the way it's written. Each conversation the brothers have are to-the-point. If you watch the video when Den is at the dentist they put the common joke into action. We've all said to someone going to the dentist jokingly "if you give me a bat, I'll knock the tooth out for you" or words of that manner, well The Bruvs actually go through with it. The best part is, it's animated - it's pen to paper drawings - it's computerised - so no-one gets hurt. The only people getting proverbially hurt are the ones not watching The Bruvs on YouTube or Dave.
The animations are simply drawn as well, there's no annoying overly produced 3D effects which does my rare eye condition a world of favours as I can't see in 3D.
Earlier this week, I had a brew with The Bruvs co-creator, Ian Brown, and here's what Ian had to say.
The two leads are similar to The Mitchell Brothers in EastEnders but unlike Phil & Grant, Den & Doug Bruv (yes, that's their surname) are not as logical in their methods.
The recipe to create a Doug or Den would be; Mix Phil & Grant Mitchell with Mr. Bean then add a hint of Homer Simpson or Peter Griffin and you should get A Bruv out of it.
The animated comedy series, co-created by Ian Brown & Eion Clarke, which debut on YouTube.com in 2015 has been discovered by UKTV and the creators have recently signed with one of their channels, Dave.
It is so good in the way it's written. Each conversation the brothers have are to-the-point. If you watch the video when Den is at the dentist they put the common joke into action. We've all said to someone going to the dentist jokingly "if you give me a bat, I'll knock the tooth out for you" or words of that manner, well The Bruvs actually go through with it. The best part is, it's animated - it's pen to paper drawings - it's computerised - so no-one gets hurt. The only people getting proverbially hurt are the ones not watching The Bruvs on YouTube or Dave.
The animations are simply drawn as well, there's no annoying overly produced 3D effects which does my rare eye condition a world of favours as I can't see in 3D.
Earlier this week, I had a brew with The Bruvs co-creator, Ian Brown, and here's what Ian had to say.
Andy:
What is The Bruvs for people who may not be aware of your work?
Ian:
The Bruvs is an animation comedy series that started online at TheBruvs.com and on our YouTube channel and social media sites - @TheBruvsTV - and has now come to the UKTV channel Dave late nights - and also to their VoD / catch-up service UKTVplay. The short cartoons feature TheBruvs family - a dodgy East London clan trying to go straight in their new home in Essex. Trouble is, they keep failing big time. Each episode usually ends in some sort of violence - generally between the main characters Doug and Den : because they like to keep it in the family!
Andy:
What or who inspired you to create The Bruvs?
Ian:
Having worked in TV, films, DVD and commercials for more than 20 years as a writer and producer, I always wanted to work in animation. I am a great fan of the US juggernauts like The Simpsons, American Dad, South Park and Family Guy. While working on a This Is Your Life tribute to Simon Cowell, I was lucky enough to write a special piece for Homer Simpson to deliver a comedy message to Simon. That inspired me even more. TheBruvs came out of various encounters. But when I teamed with award-winning animation director, Eoin Clarke, to create the look of the brothers, Eoin got them straight away and they were born. Eoin and I have great ambitions for TheBruvs but sadly not much in the way of resources. We would love to develop all the characters and watch them grow - and the episodes grow too.
Andy:
You've recently been signed by Dave, part of UKTV, does this mean the videos on YouTube are a thing of the past?
Ian:
Absolutely not - all our films remain on our YouTube channel and at our website TheBruvs.com and all new films will be exclusive to our channel and the website. Dave have taken 11 of our 15 episodes so far. The other 4 remain exclusive to our sites.
Andy:
What can we expect from the televised series?
Ian:
The same antics but tarted up for TV. We had to create opening titles which meant recording a theme song from our music gurus Stig Winslet and Pete Harbour. For someone like me, who has been told he is tone deaf and cannot sing a note all his life, this was another dream come true. Mind you, it is amazing what technology can do these days. We also had to polish up the episodes a bit for TV. But it is all the same fun and mayhem.
Andy:
How long does each episode take to produce?
Ian:
Frustratingly for us a long time. As I said, we have very limited resources. One of the main issues with all animation is that it is very expensive to produce and very time consuming. Because currently Eoin animates each episode solo - and both of us have to take other work to pay the bills - a 3 minute episode can take 2 or more months to finish from first idea, writing, recording voices with our sound wizard Paul Richmond, music, storyboard to finished item. The time it all takes means I am just as excited to see each new episode as our followers.
Andy:
Do you have any advice for people who are considering starting in animation?
Ian:
Get stuck in. It is a tough world to get into - like all TV and media now. There is a glut of people out there. However, start posting your stuff online to act as a showreel and the sooner you can start showing material to potential employers the better. The great thing now is that the demand for animation is growing - as platforms grow. People want it on their personal websites, for business facebook pages and so on. So, it might not quite be a major Disney movie but there are chances out there to make a living. But the competition is massive. And not many people truly understand what is involved, in time and man hours. So explaining your methods can be tricky to justify charges. But IF it is the thing you want to do, stick at it, keep at it and be thick-skinned to take potential rejection. It is tough, but doing a job you love is worth so much.
Andy:
In the first series, we see Dad in a convalescent home after a freak parachuting accident. In the flashback Dad was parachuting while he was in a wheelchair - what is wrong with Dad's mobility, can you shed some light on that?
Ian:
Just old age really. We are not mocking disability in any way. There is just a madness in the concept of TheBruvs - his sons - thinking they can treat him to a parachute jump, cut corners on how it is done to save cash and shove him out of a plane while still in his wheelchair.
Andy:
Doug & Den's plans never go accordingly, will they ever succeed in what they set out to achieve?
Ian:
Unlikely. Part of the joy of doing these films is often thinking up the ending first, to see how they can get angry with each other in a new way. It is hard to know what they are trying to achieve actually. They say they are trying to go straight and behave... but it is proving very difficult for TheBruvs.
What is The Bruvs for people who may not be aware of your work?
Ian:
The Bruvs is an animation comedy series that started online at TheBruvs.com and on our YouTube channel and social media sites - @TheBruvsTV - and has now come to the UKTV channel Dave late nights - and also to their VoD / catch-up service UKTVplay. The short cartoons feature TheBruvs family - a dodgy East London clan trying to go straight in their new home in Essex. Trouble is, they keep failing big time. Each episode usually ends in some sort of violence - generally between the main characters Doug and Den : because they like to keep it in the family!
Andy:
What or who inspired you to create The Bruvs?
Ian:
Having worked in TV, films, DVD and commercials for more than 20 years as a writer and producer, I always wanted to work in animation. I am a great fan of the US juggernauts like The Simpsons, American Dad, South Park and Family Guy. While working on a This Is Your Life tribute to Simon Cowell, I was lucky enough to write a special piece for Homer Simpson to deliver a comedy message to Simon. That inspired me even more. TheBruvs came out of various encounters. But when I teamed with award-winning animation director, Eoin Clarke, to create the look of the brothers, Eoin got them straight away and they were born. Eoin and I have great ambitions for TheBruvs but sadly not much in the way of resources. We would love to develop all the characters and watch them grow - and the episodes grow too.
Andy:
You've recently been signed by Dave, part of UKTV, does this mean the videos on YouTube are a thing of the past?
Ian:
Absolutely not - all our films remain on our YouTube channel and at our website TheBruvs.com and all new films will be exclusive to our channel and the website. Dave have taken 11 of our 15 episodes so far. The other 4 remain exclusive to our sites.
Andy:
What can we expect from the televised series?
Ian:
The same antics but tarted up for TV. We had to create opening titles which meant recording a theme song from our music gurus Stig Winslet and Pete Harbour. For someone like me, who has been told he is tone deaf and cannot sing a note all his life, this was another dream come true. Mind you, it is amazing what technology can do these days. We also had to polish up the episodes a bit for TV. But it is all the same fun and mayhem.
Andy:
How long does each episode take to produce?
Ian:
Frustratingly for us a long time. As I said, we have very limited resources. One of the main issues with all animation is that it is very expensive to produce and very time consuming. Because currently Eoin animates each episode solo - and both of us have to take other work to pay the bills - a 3 minute episode can take 2 or more months to finish from first idea, writing, recording voices with our sound wizard Paul Richmond, music, storyboard to finished item. The time it all takes means I am just as excited to see each new episode as our followers.
Andy:
Do you have any advice for people who are considering starting in animation?
Ian:
Get stuck in. It is a tough world to get into - like all TV and media now. There is a glut of people out there. However, start posting your stuff online to act as a showreel and the sooner you can start showing material to potential employers the better. The great thing now is that the demand for animation is growing - as platforms grow. People want it on their personal websites, for business facebook pages and so on. So, it might not quite be a major Disney movie but there are chances out there to make a living. But the competition is massive. And not many people truly understand what is involved, in time and man hours. So explaining your methods can be tricky to justify charges. But IF it is the thing you want to do, stick at it, keep at it and be thick-skinned to take potential rejection. It is tough, but doing a job you love is worth so much.
Andy:
In the first series, we see Dad in a convalescent home after a freak parachuting accident. In the flashback Dad was parachuting while he was in a wheelchair - what is wrong with Dad's mobility, can you shed some light on that?
Ian:
Just old age really. We are not mocking disability in any way. There is just a madness in the concept of TheBruvs - his sons - thinking they can treat him to a parachute jump, cut corners on how it is done to save cash and shove him out of a plane while still in his wheelchair.
Andy:
Doug & Den's plans never go accordingly, will they ever succeed in what they set out to achieve?
Ian:
Unlikely. Part of the joy of doing these films is often thinking up the ending first, to see how they can get angry with each other in a new way. It is hard to know what they are trying to achieve actually. They say they are trying to go straight and behave... but it is proving very difficult for TheBruvs.
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