Former Lion Forge Animation CEO Carl Reed has launched a new studio called Composition Media in St. Louis, Missouri, and he already has a kids show and a family-friendly movie in the works.

CG-animated series Catapult Feud, based on a board game from Vesuvius Media in Halifax, revolves around a group of kids who want to stop their warring families from doing battle with catapults. The concept is in early development now, and Reed sees it plans to produce either a mini-series or short film as a proof of concept before moving ahead with a full series.

The IP already has audience testing built in to a certain degree: Vesuvius launched a Kickstarter campaign for it in 2020 that has garnered almost 6,000 backers and US$500,000 in funding.

The game’s kinetic play pattern, which Reed describes as “real-life Angry Birds,” sees players shoot catapults at each other’s bases, leading to chaotic family fun. The zany concept makes it a fun project to adapt, and Reed sees a lot of potential to expand the brand’s lore and story.

Reed, who produced the Oscar-winning short Hair Love (2019) and built Lion Forge’s initial slate of animated series, quietly started Composition in early 2022. He only unveiled it as his new homebase, and shared details of its first projects, yesterday. Focusing purely on creating kids and family content, the studio has a dozen full-time staff and is contracting more now to produce the two films it has in production.

As part of an eight-picture deal with California’s People of Culture Studios, Composition is producing a family-friendly feature film called Sky & Luna (90 minutes). The sci-fi adventure is about an 11-year-old girl who makes friends with a shapeshifting alien on the run from a government org run by her mom. PoC Studios, Creation Station and Man of Action (Ben 10, Big Hero 6) are also on board the production.

Reed says he started an indie to have the freedom to take chances on new IPs and play a key role in the production process. “I’m excited about taking chances on things that not everyone would try,” he says. “When new [projects] come up at bigger studios, it can be hard to move quick enough. But in my little canoe, all I have to do is move my arm to steer us into new opportunities.”

He has also inked a deal with actor Steve Harvey’s East 112 shingle to produce an adult-skewing 2D-animated feature called Bad Grandmas, which is currently in production as well. The film is about a group of old ladies who want to prove you’re never too old to have fun.