Andy Frain
Encyclopedia
Andy Frain is an animation producer and the founder & managing director of Touchwood Animation Ltd.
and latterly as marketing director for Island Records
. In 1987 Island boss Chris Blackwell
asked Frain to become managing director of Island subsidiary, Island Visual Arts.
At Island Visual Arts, Frain produced and distributed numerous long-form music videos and concerts, including artists such as U2, Bob Marley, Free, Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood, Womack & Womack and Anthrax. He was the executive producer of the award winning natural history feature film LifePulse, which was directed by Keenan Smart and featured music by The Started Insects. The film has been broadcast several times by BBC in the UK, The Disney Channel in the USA and in over 30 countries worldwide.
In 1991 Frain co-founded Manga Entertainment Ltd
and within five years (1991 to 1995), the company had popularised Japanese animation in western markets and Frain’s relationships with Japanese animation directors, producers, studios, distributors and publishers led to the first ever animated feature co-production between Japanese and Western companies. The film Ghost in the Shell
(on which Frain also acted as executive producer) has become one of the most successful films of the “anime” genre. During Frain's tenure as the CEO of Manga Entertainment, he established a US distribution division (Manga Entertainment Inc), a comic book division (Manga Publishing), and a CGI animation studio (Manga Studios). During that time, the company also developed and produced other animated features and TV series including Dave Borthwick’s award winning film The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
, and Cobra
directed by Japanese comic book artist Buichi Terasawa
. At the end of 1995, Frain left Manga Entertainment to start his own animation production company Touchwood Animation. Some claim he was fired for the heavy investment in Ghost in the Shell, (which was nicknamed Frain's Folly at one point) but it turned out to be one of the most successful films in the company's history. Following his departure from Manga Entertainment, Frain retained a minority share in the company which he sold back to Blackwell prior to the sale to IDT.
Since 1996 Andy Frain has been involved in the development and production of several animation TV series including Backpackers, an adult animation series for Tinopolis
, Yazzoo Wazzoo, a pre-school series for Granada, Spheriks a 26 x ½ hour CGI TV series for FIFA and Tractor Tom a 52 x 11 minute pre-school series for Contender & CITV and Free Jimmy
a CGI Feature Film for Sarah Radclyffe Productions. His company also produced the animation for Brush Head a series of shorts made for The Disney Channel & Dandy Productions and which won The BAFTA Animation Award in 2004. The company has also produced a series of commercials and a short film for Nestle (via HRA and Ogilvy & Mather) and their Munch Bunch brand as well as a series of animated shorts based on BBC’s popular comedy series Little Britain
.
Biography
Frain’s career started in the music industry, working as a product manager for CBS RecordsCBS Records
CBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
and latterly as marketing director for Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
. In 1987 Island boss Chris Blackwell
Chris Blackwell
Christopher Percy Gordon "Chris" Blackwell is a British record producer and businessman, who was the founder of Island Records, acknowledged as the most successful and groundbreaking independent record company in history. Blackwell has been a music industry mogul for over fifty years...
asked Frain to become managing director of Island subsidiary, Island Visual Arts.
At Island Visual Arts, Frain produced and distributed numerous long-form music videos and concerts, including artists such as U2, Bob Marley, Free, Grace Jones, Robert Palmer, Steve Winwood, Womack & Womack and Anthrax. He was the executive producer of the award winning natural history feature film LifePulse, which was directed by Keenan Smart and featured music by The Started Insects. The film has been broadcast several times by BBC in the UK, The Disney Channel in the USA and in over 30 countries worldwide.
In 1991 Frain co-founded Manga Entertainment Ltd
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
and within five years (1991 to 1995), the company had popularised Japanese animation in western markets and Frain’s relationships with Japanese animation directors, producers, studios, distributors and publishers led to the first ever animated feature co-production between Japanese and Western companies. The film Ghost in the Shell
Ghost in the Shell
is a Japanese multimedia franchise composed of manga, animated films, anime series, video games and novels. It focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan ....
(on which Frain also acted as executive producer) has become one of the most successful films of the “anime” genre. During Frain's tenure as the CEO of Manga Entertainment, he established a US distribution division (Manga Entertainment Inc), a comic book division (Manga Publishing), and a CGI animation studio (Manga Studios). During that time, the company also developed and produced other animated features and TV series including Dave Borthwick’s award winning film The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is a 1993 stop-motion animated film made by bolexbrothers, and funded by the BBC, La Sept, producer Richard Hutchinson and Manga Entertainment, which also distributed the film on video...
, and Cobra
Cobra
Cobra is a venomous snake belonging to the family Elapidae. However, not all snakes commonly referred to as cobras are of the same genus, or even of the same family. The name is short for cobra capo or capa Snake, which is Portuguese for "snake with hood", or "hood-snake"...
directed by Japanese comic book artist Buichi Terasawa
Buichi Terasawa
is a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.In the early days of his career when he was still unknown, he contributed materials of comics to a magazine that won him a prize, an event that led him into the world of comics.In 1976, he came to Tokyo and began...
. At the end of 1995, Frain left Manga Entertainment to start his own animation production company Touchwood Animation. Some claim he was fired for the heavy investment in Ghost in the Shell, (which was nicknamed Frain's Folly at one point) but it turned out to be one of the most successful films in the company's history. Following his departure from Manga Entertainment, Frain retained a minority share in the company which he sold back to Blackwell prior to the sale to IDT.
Since 1996 Andy Frain has been involved in the development and production of several animation TV series including Backpackers, an adult animation series for Tinopolis
Tinopolis
Tinopolis plc is a Welsh independent television production company, owned by its senior management and private equity company Vitruvian Partners.Tinopolis produces over 2,500 hours of television annually for more than 200 UK and foreign broadcasters....
, Yazzoo Wazzoo, a pre-school series for Granada, Spheriks a 26 x ½ hour CGI TV series for FIFA and Tractor Tom a 52 x 11 minute pre-school series for Contender & CITV and Free Jimmy
Free Jimmy
Free Jimmy is a Norwegian/British computer animated feature film first released in Norwegian language in 2006, and later in English language in 2008. The film was written and directed by acclaimed Norwegian subculture comic book artist Christopher Nielsen...
a CGI Feature Film for Sarah Radclyffe Productions. His company also produced the animation for Brush Head a series of shorts made for The Disney Channel & Dandy Productions and which won The BAFTA Animation Award in 2004. The company has also produced a series of commercials and a short film for Nestle (via HRA and Ogilvy & Mather) and their Munch Bunch brand as well as a series of animated shorts based on BBC’s popular comedy series Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
.
External links
- Manga Entertainment: About Us Retrieved 5 September 2010
- Touchwood Animation Retrieved 5 September 2010