Behind the Scenes: The Making of Our Christmas Film

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and our charming Christmas film, starring the kind-hearted bear from Peru, Paddington, is jam-packed (or should we say marmalade-packed) with festive fun and the usual mishaps, as Paddington comes up with a thoughtful gift idea for his misunderstood neighbour Mr Curry. 

Heart-warming and humorous, our special film brings everyone’s favourite bear to life once again – old hat, duffel coat and all - in a tale of kindness and good intentions, celebrating the joy of giving. 

Showing how a Barbour Re-loved jacket is the perfect unique gift for a unique someone, Paddington helps us understand how important acts of kindness are at this very special time of year.  

Take a look behind the scenes with us, to discover more about how our film was made. 

Written by Michael Bond and illustrated by Peggy Fortnum, the book, ‘A Bear Called Paddington’ was released in 1958 – and we’re proudly bringing the original drawing style to life.

Our film lifts the beautiful hand-drawn illustrations off the page in a burst of life and colour, for a second time, and has only ever been animated by Barbour. 

Story written and contract signed (over a plentiful supply of marmalade sandwiches), the charming 2D animation was created by the acclaimed trio of directors againstallodds and produced by Triple Academy Award-winning production company PASSION Pictures.  

To faithfully bring Peggy Fortnum’s signature style to life, each frame in the film is hand drawn and painted. 

For the second film, Paddington’s world has expanded, meeting more characters, and venturing outside of the Brown’s home, all the while staying true to the iconic ‘Paddington’ look.  

Work began on the new characters and scenery, and once the frames were created, colour was added – complete with a royal blue duffel coat and red hat. 

After 3000 hours of work, the final film was ready. 

Watch the film and explore more about Barbour Christmas including our Wax For Life programme, competitions and more, here. 

© P&Co. Ltd 2022