U.K. Effects House Cinesite Sells Debut TV Series to Discovery Networks

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LONDON -- British digital visual effects company Cinesite has sold Rod and Rucksack, its debut TV series that it co-produced, to Discovery Networks across its markets in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

The five x 60-minute travel and adventure show charts the journey of seasoned fisherman Guy Elson as he travels to some of the world’s remotest and most beautiful places in the name of extreme fishing.

Elson’s travels take him to Australia, Bolivia, Canada, Mongolia and Panama for the show.

The co-production with gassProductions was shot in HD at the end of 2011.

"Our venture into TV production is a natural development of the Cinesite brand as we look at increasing the services and content we offer in addition to visual effects," said Antony Hunt, managing director of Cinesite and executive producer of the show.

"Rod and Rucksack is our first television production and people may be surprised to learn that there are no visual effects in it; it’s simply a stunning travel and adventure series."

Andy Smith, managing director of gassProductions, said he is delighted with the initial deal with the Discovery Networks.

"We look forward to co-producing more exciting and original television content with Cinesite," Smith said.

Cinesite is currently doing effects work on World War Z (Paramount Pictures) and Jack Ryan (Paramount Pictures) and recently completed work on Skyfall (Sony Pictures), John Carter (Disney), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Disney/Bruckheimer), X-Men: First Class (Twentieth Century Fox) and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (Warner Bros).