Movies Inc

Hello, my name’s Pip (she/her) and this is my first visit to the London Toy Fair as an exhibitor and so this is very exciting. Although I now wish I’d had time to commission a proper logo sooner!?

I will be bringing a few, costed, prototypes to the event where I hope to meet toy companies and those in retail, distribution, the media etc.

My toy-story goes like this: about 12 years ago, whilst watching my young daughter’s hamster running in its wheel, I had an idea. What about if the wheel was a ‘zoetrope’? (an early device for producing animation)

I set about prototyping at home and applied for a UK patent, which I got about 7 years later (UKPO are slow).

The patent was for a couple of different designs and I started contacting pet-product companies to gauge interest. However, it occurred to me that perhaps there was a way to adapt the zoetrope for a child which might have better prospects – the idea of a push-along zoetrope was born.

That idea spawned more ideas and further prototyping. And the more people I spoke to, the more ideas and uses came to mind.

All these ideas have led to a lot of (enjoyable though.. 🙂 ) work!

So “movies inc” was established and this is the brand name for pre-school toys, all of which include a means for providing short animations ie. movies.

Broadly/loosely this is a technology (albeit low-tech! ) to exploit and by combining the optical-illusion curiosities of yesteryear (zoetropes, mutoscopes, thaumatropes, flicker books and so on) with modern playthings, the toys have a fresh novelty which can be deployed in numerous ways.

I can demonstrate the scope of opportunity which ranges from highchair / pram / cot etc toys for babies to role-play items for older pre-schoolers.

All bar one of the models shown in the files use manual power so encourage activity and movement from the child and a number could (should) be formed out of natural materials.

Here’s a bit of industry recognition so far:

“One of the best new toy concepts I have seen in the last few years. This concept has significant commercial potential in the toy market”

Steve Reece, Kids Brand Insight (Steve sees approximately 2000 concepts a year)

The concepts were awarded the Seedling Accreditation by The Good Play Guide (although I understand GPG are now running a different scheme called Seedling Concept).

I hope to meet you in January!