Splash, Ananey dig up Family Rocks

Family Rocks was created by Ananey’s Gili Dolev

US children’s prodco Splash Entertainment and ViacomCBS’s Ananey Studios in Israel have teamed up to produce a preschool series about the first modern family in history.

Family Rocks (52×7’) is a digital cut-out animated series that follows the family’s adventures in the Stone Age.

After centuries of unruly Neanderthals with a crude parenting style, called ‘pointing and grunting,’ the Quartzes communicate verbally, explore together, tell stories, create art and even talk about their feelings and emotions.

As the first modern family, the Quartzes have to figure out everything on their own, and they soon realise that sometimes people have to get things wrong before getting them right.

Family Rocks is created by Ananey’s head of animation development Gili Dolev, who came up with the idea during lockdown in Israel. To help his family stay positive during the pandemic, the Dolevs ventured out each day to collect rocks that they would take home to paint, giving each its own unique look and ‘personality.’

“While rocks have always given humans physical foundations, first caves and later houses, family has been the emotional bedrock we’re all built upon,” said Dolev, whose credits include Nickelodeon’s Zack & Quack, Nella the Princess Knight (Nick Jr, 9 Story) and Powerbirds (Universal Kids).

Ananey and Splash will debut Family Rocks at the virtual Mipcom event next week.