Flying Bark Productions has launched a new production arm, After Bark, which will focus on content for older audiences, including mature animation projects and both scripted and unscripted live action.
The company has also announced two senior appointments in Amy Noble as chief operating officer and Kate Andrew as head of legal and business affairs.
After Bark has been established to attract creator-driven projects with a diverse representation of showrunners and will have an emphasis on locally focussed, global reaching stories. After Bark will draw on the company’s international network – Flying Bark is owned by Belgian media company Studio 100 – to attract global support for its new slate of projects, while also taking advantage of Australian incentives.
Flying Bark Productions CEO Barbara Stephen said: “After Bark provides us with an opportunity to evolve our local storytelling and production slate beyond the company’s traditional kids and family animation. Despite the local disruptions to the domestic industry, we are determined to invest in local talent and produce quality Australian entertainment with broad appeal”.
The animation and production company is on a significant growth trajectory of late, having recently been supported by the NSW government to expand its full-time staff numbers by 150 over the next three years. Under the government’s Jobs Plus Program, it has also received payroll tax relief, training and infrastructure rebate support. This has included a multi-million dollar expansion of its Alexandria facility, adding new floor to increase capacity.
Flying Bark’s current slate includes series 100% Wolf: The Book of Hath for the ABC, the latest instalment in its original franchise, and it has also recently completed animation services for Marvel, Nickelodeon, Lego and Disney +.
The bolstering of senior management positions is aims to help the company reach its goals for expanding production capacity.
Noble joins Flying Bark from Fremantle Australia where she was director of business affairs and legal since 2017 overseeing the commercial, operational, and legal functions of the business. She is also formerly a lawyer for Screen Australia and Clayton Utz with 20 years of experience.
Andrew returns to Flying Bark after spending eight years working as a senior lawyer for the Seven Network and Seven Studios working across its in-house development and production slate for both scripted and unscripted content. She will lead a team responsible for negotiating and contracting deals for the production and financing of all television and feature films across the international and domestic markets.
On both appointments Stephen said: “Amy is a well-respected senior leader in the industry, and I’m delighted to have someone of her calibre join our C-suite. Together with Kate, their collective commercial and legal experience across a diverse range of high-budget local and international production will help facilitate a smooth expansion for both the Los Angeles and Sydney operations and the successful transition into new genres for production.”