Friendship Reins.
UNICORN ACADEMY
Development of Unicorn Academy began at Spin Master in early 2019. Licensed and adapted from the YA novel series, Spin Master Entertainment aimed to create its most ambitious property to date. With a focus on exploring all potential storylines and toy opportunities, my passion for magic and dark fantasy films became the foundation for my concept explorations.
WORLD BUILDING
Adapting a novel into both a TV series and a toy property presents a unique challenge. My goal is to weave elements of physical play into a world grounded in emotion, without it feeling like a toy commercial. To do this, I need to dig deep, ensuring the narrative is firmly rooted. If done right, with time and attention, the story will grow into something organic—like a tree bearing real fruit, rather than just a bag of artificial, fruit shaped gummies.
ISLAND MAP |Marker On Whiteboard 4’x 5‘
STORY INFUSED PLAY
This is where my background in both story and toy design comes into play. I approach world-building from two perspectives simultaneously—balancing metaphor with physical spectacle. You can always tell when an idea feels forced, which is why it's crucial for a toy to emerge naturally from the narrative. The best way to think about it is like a bridge connecting two worlds that don’t speak the same language. My job is to fluently speak both languages and guide the flow between these worlds, ensuring a seamless and satisfying experience for everyone involved.
UCA EARLY LOGO | Animatic Concept
TOY PROTOTYPING
Once the concept art and story development are in place, the next step is to produce a pitch deck and early toy prototypes, with the ultimate goal of presenting to Netflix. To meet deadlines, I collaborate closely with a team of 3D artists, model fabricators, doll hair rooters, and miniature painters, ensuring all the elements come together seamlessly for the final presentation.
NETFLIX PITCH |Prototype Figures 4.25”
