Two brothers from Cardiff with an incredible talent for drawing cartoons have landed their own show on Netflix. Matthew and Paul Layzell, known as Layzell Bros, have created a new interactive 3D animation series titled battle cat which was available to stream worldwide from April 19.
The couple, who have been drawing together since they were children, moved to Los Angeles to work on the project and have been professional animation partners for the past decade. They have previously produced content for an array of networks and brands, including Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, Nike, and Google.
“As kids, we were creating characters and worlds together all the time,” recalls younger brother Paul, 33. “We spent a summer making hundreds of homemade Pokemon cards. We also created a spreadsheet that cataloged and scheduled the fictional TV shows we had. It’s funny that we’re still doing what we’ve always done, but haven’t really gotten out of it.
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Matthew added: “It was a big moment for us when we got access to Cartoon Network as teenagers. Shows like The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack and Gundam Wing really stuck with us.”
Cardiff High School alumni have admitted that forging a career in animation was scary at first as the chances of real success are slim. However, they learned a lot during their time at university and the invaluable contacts they made.
Matthew, 36, who took a foundation course at Cardiff Metropolitan University, then known as UWIC, before heading to Kingston University in London, added: “I went to study animation in college so it was a conscious decision I wanted to give it to her But being able to do a show was a lifelong dream that took a lot of time, a lot of hard work and good fortune to come true.
“Becoming a professional takes time and patience to really learn the craft, and from there it’s all about showing off your skills. When we started, we tried to make as many movies as possible. and tried to work on every project we could to make a name for ourselves.”
Paul added: “I kind of fell into animation helping Matt in the evenings and weekends on various projects that he and his friends were working on. Through that, I learned the ropes and I I went from there. I love that as a director you can influence a little bit everything in the process of making the film.”
The brothers said it was only natural to work on a project together and they rarely argued. Matthew added: “We’re a well-balanced team. I often go off on a tangent with crazy, outlandish ideas, while Paul stays grounded and shapes the overall body of an idea. By working together, we balance each other out to get something done. both exciting and accessible.”
Paul said: “Although the stakes are higher than when we were kids, we’re still working to create something we enjoy – and hope others will too. We’re pretty open and honest with each other, and if there are disagreements, we know it’s just coming from a place of creative ambition, and ultimately we’re striving for the same goal.”
Although they’ve won individual awards for their work, they admit that delivering Battle Kitty to the world has been their greatest professional achievement so far. “Battle Kitty is about a super-powered kitten, named Kitty, who travels to a battle island to fight monsters and become the greatest warrior of all time,” Matthew explained. “It’s based on short animations I made in my spare time and posted on Instagram. The Kitty and Orc characters proved popular, so I worked with Paul and we developed the idea in a show.”
Paul added: “Much of the show’s DNA comes from Matt’s raw animated shorts. The main characters Kitty and Orc – who Matts continues to voice – were well understood, but the rest of the show is very inspired by video games. we loved to play when we were kids and we still play today. The Super Mario 3D, Legend of Zelda and Animal Crossing series, in particular, inspired the look of the series.”
Intended mainly for 7 to 12 year olds, tThe show uses a unique interactive format based on video game-style world maps. The format will allow viewers to navigate their own adventures in the vast Kitty universe, unlocking new story chapters and discovering surprise content along the way.
When asked if interactive animated shows are going to become more popular, Matthew added: “I hope so. It’s definitely a space that’s evolving and feels like there’s new ground With Battle Kitty we wanted to use interactivity to leave the viewer immersed in the world during the time between episodes, but the possibilities are endless and child audiences in particular are used to seeing new and unconventional ways to experience content.”