Introducing Topher Mcgrillis, Director of Codebreakers, a fun interactive series designed to make BSL both accessible and exciting. The series follows two spies as they go undercover as teachers to uncover the truth behind the school’s headteacher, Mr Green. Codebreakers blends the thrill of spy adventures with the fundamentals of British Sign Language. Through interactive episodes, pupils will not only learn the basics of BSL but also gain confidence in their social skills.
1. Hi Topher, could you tell is a bit more about what drew you to this project?
I had worked with Signpost for many years on shows like Daremaster, Mission Employable, The One Show and B cam Robson Green’s Weekend Adventures. So when Kenny, the producer, came to be about this job, I was really interested. Most of my work is in commercials and corporate, with some broadcast too, but the idea of actually creating a story really appealed to me. It felt like the closest I would get to making my own TV show. Even though it was going to be a small crew and not shot in a traditional drama way, I thought it would be a brilliant challenge and I wanted to get involved.
2. How have you implemented your previous experience in children’s TV to your role as Director for Codebreakers?
A lot of the work I had done with Signpost before has been with deaf presenters and very much for a deaf audience. This was a bit different as it was about helping hearing kids learn and understand BSL in a fun, light hearted and silly way. Even though this was not made for broadcast, I wanted it to feel like a proper kids TV show with high production values. The cast really got stuck into it and had a lot of fun, and I think we have ended up with something that would not look out of place alongside the shows you see on CBBC.
3. How do you hope primary aged children will react to Codebreakers?
I have got kids myself, and my youngest is 12, so during the edit I used him as a bit of a guide. I do not think you should underestimate children. They are smart and they have a huge knowledge of film and TV already. I did not want to dumb anything down. My motto really was to educate by entertaining. If kids enjoy the characters and the silliness, they will learn BSL more easily. Watching my son’s reactions was really helpful. I could see which jokes landed and which did not, and so far it has gone pretty much to plan which is great.
4. How do you approach making films aimed at children, ensuring shows are educational yet exciting?
I do not try to make it something just for children. I want it to be enjoyable for anyone, but obviously still appropriate. Kids today are watching Marvel films and everything else, so you have to respect that. I always think of The Goonies. It was one of my favourite films as a kid, but I can still enjoy it now. That is the kind of thing I had in mind with Codebreakers. Structurally, the episodes were designed to work in any order, so you do not need big story arcs each time. It means the education side can be flexible, with themes and training modules that can be swapped and developed as needed.
5. How has the filming and editing process been for The Codebreakers, what has been the most fun and the most challenging?
It has probably been one of the most challenging projects I have ever done. My wife and I produced it, did all the props and the costumes, filmed it and edited it. We basically created almost a feature film’s worth of content over ten days. Because episodes were filmed across the whole shoot, not just one per day, it was hard to keep everything in order and make sure nothing was missed. It was nerve wracking at times, but I had a great team and we managed to get it done. We are now in the last week of post production, and I am proud of what we have made and of everyone who worked on it.
6. If you could describe Codebreakers in three words, what would they be?
Big, Brash and Fun.
If you are a parent or a teacher who would like to sign your school up to The School of Signs programme of study, you can do so by following this link: https://theschoolofsigns.org.uk/