Keith Chapman
Encyclopedia
For organist Keith Chapman (1945-1989), see Keith Chapman (organist)
Keith V. Chapman is a television writer and producer based in the United Kingdom
who most notably created Bob the Builder
.
International, designing characters related to the Muppets, before leaving to pursue a career in advertising
.
While freelancing as an agency art director in the early 1990s, Chapman worked on his own creations, eventually showing them to Peter Orton
, executive chairman of HIT Entertainment
. One of the properties Chapman had produced was Bob the Builder
, and Orton, sensing potential in the character, acquired the intellectual property
rights
and created a television show based on the property. The deal saw Chapman retain a share of the copyright
and also a contractual clause which sees his name appear on all merchandise related to the character.
Bob the Builder was produced at Manchester
's HOT Animation Studio, with Curtis Jobling
's unmistakable character and world designs helping propel the character, and the show, onto a global audience. The show became a huge success, generating around £1 billion in international retail sales. Chapman decided to invest his share of the profits in setting up his own television production and rights ownership company, Chapman Entertainment
, stating his belief that "the closer involvement of creative talent can get more out of a property over the longer term".
In 2005 Chapman launched Fifi and the Flowertots. The development of this series was initially to be financed by Universal Studios
, but the company pulled out of its deal with Chapman Enterprises following restructuring. This saw Chapman seek private equity
investors, in the shape of wealthy individuals, and sold a minority stake in the company to raise the necessary funds.
.
.
They both originate from Norfolk
, East Anglia
.
Keith Attended Art College in Great Yarmouth
.
Keith V. Chapman is a television writer and producer based in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
who most notably created Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
.
Biography
Keith Chapman worked for Jim HensonJim Henson
James Maury "Jim" Henson was an American puppeteer best known as the creator of The Muppets. As a puppeteer, Henson performed in various television programs, such as Sesame Street and The Muppet Show, films such as The Muppet Movie and The Great Muppet Caper, and created advanced puppets for...
International, designing characters related to the Muppets, before leaving to pursue a career in advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
.
While freelancing as an agency art director in the early 1990s, Chapman worked on his own creations, eventually showing them to Peter Orton
Peter Orton
Peter Charles Orton was a British media entrepreneur and television producer noted for his work in children's television. He founded HiT Entertainment in 1989.Orton lead the company from 1989 to 2005 when he sold it to Apax...
, executive chairman of HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
. One of the properties Chapman had produced was Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specialising in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of...
, and Orton, sensing potential in the character, acquired the intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
rights
Rights
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
and created a television show based on the property. The deal saw Chapman retain a share of the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
and also a contractual clause which sees his name appear on all merchandise related to the character.
Bob the Builder was produced at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's HOT Animation Studio, with Curtis Jobling
Curtis Jobling
Curtis Jobling is a British illustrator and animator, born in Blackpool, England but lives in Warrington.He is best known for his role as production designer of children's TV hit, Bob The Builder, where he visualised all of that programme's inimitable characters and sets...
's unmistakable character and world designs helping propel the character, and the show, onto a global audience. The show became a huge success, generating around £1 billion in international retail sales. Chapman decided to invest his share of the profits in setting up his own television production and rights ownership company, Chapman Entertainment
Chapman Entertainment
Chapman Entertainment is a United Kingdom television production company founded by Keith Chapman and the producer of the Fifi and the Flowertots television show for Five....
, stating his belief that "the closer involvement of creative talent can get more out of a property over the longer term".
In 2005 Chapman launched Fifi and the Flowertots. The development of this series was initially to be financed by Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
, but the company pulled out of its deal with Chapman Enterprises following restructuring. This saw Chapman seek private equity
Private equity
Private equity, in finance, is an asset class consisting of equity securities in operating companies that are not publicly traded on a stock exchange....
investors, in the shape of wealthy individuals, and sold a minority stake in the company to raise the necessary funds.
.
Personal life
Keith Chapman, His wife Kirsty, and his three sons live in Wimbledon, LondonWimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
.
They both originate from Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
.
Keith Attended Art College in Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
.
External links
- http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2007/08/28/kim-cattrall-elvis-costello-100252-19693321/
- http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/peter-orton-media-entrepreneur-who-made-a-global-success-of-bob-the-builder-764554.html