Boots the Monkey. Designed by Helena Giersz.

This is the true story of Boots the Monkey (1999).

I started with designing all original characters that appeared in the pilot. After completing the pilot (right before Christmas 1998), we had to wait for a pretty long time to know if the show was going to go into production. After 5 month we found out that it had been green-lighted. Brown Johnson (the head of Nick Jr at the time) came to my studio (at 636 Broadway, NYC) and told me that I need to redo Boots.  I asked her what needs to be redone? …She said: It needs to be very cute but just a different design and as we sat down that day at my studio, after maybe like an hour of me drawing different sketches – finally she said: “Oh I love this one”! And that’s how the new Boots was born. I still wanted to make him yellow, but after going to research with different color Boots’,  (I provided a lot of options for School research). The gray Boots was a winner (with yellow belly). Also, she did say let’s give him boots – boots were red from the beginning. 

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Funline Animation was started by Helena Giersz in 1997 at the corner of Bleecker and Broadway in New York City. First clients were: Nickelodeon, Disney, Scholastic A&E and others.

In 1999, based on one of my Nick ID, I was asked to design a new show for Nick Jr. at that time called “Nina’s Pop-up Puzzle”,
a show that later became known worldwide as “Dora the Explorer”.

PARAMOUNT+ expands kids and family programming with new slate of films and series from NICKELODEON STUDIOS

New Series Include “Dora The Explorer” as well as the First Live-Action
“Dora The Explorer” Series Geared Towards Older Kids.
Read more at [ Link from NickAlive! ]

In memory of all the kids killed in the war…. Can’t believe that the most powerful people don’t care at all… Very sad times… sad day for my county… This movie was based on a Ukrainian school of dance… no longer there… 

In production: ”Home?”

created by: Helena Giersz

TRAILER

“Home?” is a film about a woman living in New York City who goes back to her homeland and takes another look at her past. Upon meeting her old friend at her Grandmother’s funeral, she realizes he is not the same person she once knew and loved. He forgets their history together as if he never even met her to begin with.
     This story is based off of real life experiences of the screenwriter. It was inspired by the realization that fond memories kept alive in scrapbooks are left in the past, and yet we hold onto these memories like a luggage that follows us no matter where we go. “Home?” is about how our history shapes us and our future, and learning to let go and move on.