Six Point Harness

Six Point Harness (6PH) is a Los Angeles based animation studio that develops and produces animated television programming, feature films, commercial, music videos and web based content. In business for ten years, some of their most notable productions have included Tom Hank’s Electric City,^[1] Fox’s Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, MTV’s Good Vibes, Nick Jr.’s Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Nickelodeon’s El Tigre, the animated feature The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!, and the web series Dick Figures for the YouTube channel Mondo Media.^[2][3] 6PH also released Dick Figures: The Movie, an in-house production developed from the company's web series.^[4]

Six Point Harness utilizes talented employees and collaborators nation wide..^[5] 6PH’s founder, Brendan Burch, has noted in an online interview that “Six Point's focus is top quality cartoons... We take pride in the bar of quality we set on every project.”^[6] As a vital animation production resource to most of the major studios and networks in LA, Six Point Harness studio’s team animates pilots, promos, TV and webisodes, along with many other animation projects. Most recently, 6PH has teamed up with Titmouse, Inc.^[7] to develop and distribute original animated content on the YouTube channel Rug Burn.^[8]

History

Founder Brendan Burch formed the studio in August, 2003 based out of Hollywood, CA. 6PH describes how they got started in their own words, noting that “we were producing an early Flash animated feature and realized that the production pipeline we were developing was more efficient than many larger studios had at the time. We took the crew we were using, put together a reel, started a corporation, and got into as many meetings as possible to get the ball rolling.^[9]

In 2011, John Andrews came on board with the company to form Six Point Media, the commercial branch of the studio.^[10][11]

In 2013 the studio had two nominations for "Best Animated Web Series" for Dick Figures and Electric City at the Streamy Awards, with Electric City bringing the studio its first Streamy Award.^[12] That same year Dick Figures received an Annie Award nomination for 'Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Television or other Broadcast Venue Production.'^[13]

Through Kickstarter, Six Point Harness and Ed Skudder/Zack Keller raised $313,411 to produce a feature length episode of the web series, Dick Figures.^[14][15]

Most recently Six Point Harness has teamed up with Titmouse, Inc. to develop and distribute original animated content on the YouTube channel Rug Burn.^[16]

Productions

Two popular projects currently in production for 6PH are Fresh Beat Band of Spies^[17] and Cosmos: A Space Time Odyssey.^[18]

Fresh Beat Band of Spies is derived from a live action show called the Fresh Beat Band that had a run of several seasons on Nick Jr.^[19] This show features the day-to-day adventures and hi-jinks of a band of four musicians, two guys and two girls, who play instruments, sing, dance and personify fun. The new animated take continues these themes but adds the twist that the foursome are working fun jobs AND…are secretly a band of spies, working at the direction of their old friend and music store owner Reed who is in reality the leader of their spy organization. The goal of the whole team is to stop bad guys and protect the world from injustice and keep niceness alive.

Production started in March 2014 so the first episode will likely be delivered in September, 2014 for an early 2015 air date on Nickelodeon and/or Nick Jr.^{[20] [21]} Six Point Harness is responsible for full bore production of the show. Housing/hiring writers, negotiating talent deals, recording, designs, all pre-production, (overseas animation production), animation retakes and overseeing all final Post Audio and Music.

TV shows

• Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey^[22] (2014)
• Holliston (TV series) Animated Sequence (2013)
• The Looney Tunes Show Animated Sequence (2012)
• Good Vibes (2011)
• The Benson Interruption Title Sequence (2011)
• Bumble Braynes (seen on website in 2008-2010)
• Kirstie Alley's Big Life Title Sequence (2010)
• Random! Cartoons Episode "Ratzafratz!" (2009)
• El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera (2008)
• Slacker Cats (2007)
• Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (2006)
• Where My Dogs At? (2006)
• Medium Animated Sequence (2006)
• Drew Carey's Green Screen Show (2004)

Films

• The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Rap Battle Sequence (2015)
• Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 End Titles (2013)
• Dick Figures: The Movie (2013)
• The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! (2010)
• Scooby-Doo! Camp Scare Opening Titles (2010)
• Black Dynamite Animated Sequence (2009)
• EuroTrip Animated Sequence (2004)

Web

• We The Economy: The Unbelievably Sweet Alpacas! (2014)
• Ninja Sex Party: Rhinoceratops vs. Superpuma (2014)
• Dick Figures (2010–present)
• Electric City (2012)
• CollegeHumor: Pizza Quest! (2011)
• It's Fred (2011)
• Read A Book (2008)

Six Point Harness Companies

Rugburn

As described by the show's developers, "launched in 2012, Rug Burn Channel is a joint venture between Six Point Harness and Titmouse Studios. The two studios deliver weekly programming to a growing list of subscribers. Breakout original properties include the highly popular Axe Cop and Dogsnack, from Dick Figures Co-Creator Ed Skudder. New properties are added to the Rugburn channel regularly."^{[23] [24]}

6 Point Media

"6 Point Media, the commercial branch of 6PH, is run by executive producer John Andrews. Recent commercial projects include an ongoing campaign for MetLife Term Life Insurance as well as recent promotions for McDonald’s Dollar Meals, Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos, Kool-Aid’s partnership with Hasbro’s THE HUB and toy projects for Bandai. The 6 Point Media’s roster includes Six Point Harness’ strongest in-house directors as well as an array of directing talent from the world of independent animation."^[25]

"6 POINT MEDIA has expertise across the production spectrum in all styles of animation as well as in design and live action production. Their signature is unique individual directing talent combined with a high level of technical skill and lots of humor and entertainment value."^[26]

John Andrews is executive producer/creative director of 6 Point Media. As a Senior VP at his former company Klasky Cuspo, John headed up its "ka-chew!" division and produced web content, pilots and hundreds of commercials.

Prior to joining Klasky Csupo, John was Vice President of Animation at MTV Networks where his producing credits included the Beavis & Butt-Head series and feature as well as Daria, Aeon Flux and MTV's Oddities. During his 5 year tenure he oversaw MTV's in-house animation studio, headed up series development and supervised current programming. He also helped shape the on-air looks of MTV and MTV2 through his involvement in the commissioning of network ID's. Andrews is a 3-time Emmy winner in Graphic Design.

6 Point 2

Six Point 2 is the separate corporation created by Six Point Harness as its IATSE union signatory entity. It was formed to provide high-end production for networks that require union production.

References