Our Story and Our Thesis
"The Ratta and Coco Show" began as idea in 2008. "Unnamed Animation project with Caribbean Comedians. I chose the name because of the lumps you face in life. A Ratta is lump you get when you hit your arm as a kid. A Coco is the lump you get when you hit your head.
Ratta & Coco were always meant to be best friends. I have been an avid fan of Caribbean Comedy following Oliver, Ity and Fancy Cat, Miss Lou and Ranny Williams. (Yes I am that old.) I felt that Ratta was definitely a mongoose and coco would be a mangy dog or monkey.
The idea morphed to its current form three years ago, as I watched the development of motion capture using the iPhone X to capture facial expressions (from watching Solomon Jagwe, on YouTube). I spent a lot of time with Adobe Character Creator but found it cumbersome and slow. Unable to capture the magic of live performance. One can take a 2D drawing, transform it for $500 using Polywink to a 3D Model and then use an iPhone and a Motion Capture suit to create real time animation. Then Cory Strassburger of Kite and Lighting blew my mind with his journey of Babelyon.
Watch his video here I dove into researching all the characters we could animate and discovered there were enough indigenous animals in the Caribbean to create a whole cartoon ecosystem like the Simpsons.
I decided that creating a large cast and multiple characters, using the music, song dance and comedy of the Caribbean was the way to go. The only problem was how to get there.
On March 11, 2021 I found a way. Watch this -Beeple sells his digital art for $69.3 M. Beeple sold all his art as an NFT paving the way for artists to get legimately compensated.
We entered the Ratta & Coco Show in Sound Ventures recent NFT competition on April 12, 2021.
Once we select the lineup of digital characters we intend to follow Bleeple's lead.
Our thesis is that a live performance in front of a studio audience of caribbean actors, musicans and dancers - ALL IN MOTION CAPTURE - will ensure a runaway animation hit.
Show Runner - Hans LinkedIn
A self described Polymath, Hans Marshalleck is a pre-seed startup Founder whose travel startup got derailed by COVID-19. He attended Wolmers Boys School and spent a semester at Edna Manley School of Arts. He interned at the Jamaica Gleaner and drew editorial cartoons in 1991 next to Clovis. While at Andrews University he got the Columbia Press Association Award for Illustration in 1989. For the last year during COVID he used an iPhone X to introduce a weekly Bible Stories to Kids as animoji Uncle Hans for Kids Corner. He secretly screenwrites at night and has attended classes at School of the Visual Arts, Hal Croasmun and Jacob Kruger. He is quietly working on a feature - "Score 1 for Jesus" based on a true story. Eric and Hans have been friends for 10 years supporting each others creative pursuits.
Show Runner - Eric LinkedIn
Eric Richardson Hagans aka the Storyteller. Everything you need to know is on his website his is Eric's Website - . LOL. Eric has written and produced plays and short films. He has picked up indie award features and is excited to direct the inital season of the Ratta & Coco Show. Hans and Eric can often be found at the same curry chicken food spot plotting the next film.
Partnership
The Ratta & Coco Show is looking to partner with anyone who believes in this dream and wants to see it take life. We are looking to form international alliances with the Caribbean flim, music and animation diaspora - especially the strong communities in Canada and the US. We would love to partner with Caribbean Tales TV, Kweli TV, JAMPRO, Film TT, Animae Caribe, Jamaican Film and Television Association, BANFF, Animation Magazine, Diverse Representation, School of the Visual Arts, Full Sail, Jacob Kruger Studio and the Write Your Screen Play Family, Hal Croasmun and the Screenplay University family and more