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Early Learning Potential

Federal Department of Education

The Department of Education wanted to spark a love of numeracy in young Australians by showing parents and guardians how to make learning fun and accessible. They needed content that could inspire and engage adults while providing practical teaching strategies. Enter RUCKUS.

Our Role

Our job was to bring this initiative to life through an animated series that appealed to parents, guardians, and educators across Australia. We needed to show how everyday activities could double as fun learning opportunities for early numeracy skills.

Creative Solution

We rolled up our sleeves and designed animations that used relatable, everyday scenarios to weave numeracy into daily life. The vibrant, engaging style was carefully chosen to connect with a wide audience. By reflecting Australia’s cultural diversity, we ensured the content felt inclusive and welcoming. And because we’re all about practicality, we packed the animations with easy-to-implement strategies that parents and educators could use right away.

Outcome

The series became a go-to resource for parents and educators. It was shared on Early Learning websites, portals, and even incorporated into childcare centres’ curriculums. Families also used the materials at home, spreading the joy of numeracy far and wide.

Credits

Client – Department of Education
Agency – BCM
Account Producer – James Fewtrell
Agency Art Director/s – Shaun Egan
Agency Copy Writer/s – Sam Boyd
Creative Direction – Ruckus Studio
Animation Director/s – Ricky Marks, Matt Dye
Character Development – Ralee Winks
Illustration – Tom Ward
Animation – Tom Ward, Cameron Pyke, Ricky Marks
Sound – Rosco Audio

Ricky Marks

Co-founder & Creative Director

Ricky Marks is an award-winning creative with a talent for bold design, clever storytelling, and turning complex ideas into clear, engaging messages. With over a decade of experience in Motion Graphics and Animation, he’s collaborated with global brands, agencies, startups, and local businesses across Australia, delivering work that’s as impactful as it is innovative.

Away from the desk, Ricky is a proud husband and father who treasures time with his family. He’s a keen runner, an amateur golfer working on his swing, and a passionate Brisbane Lions supporter. When he’s not cheering on his team, you’ll find him rewatching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia or diving into his next creative personal project.

Zara Finlay 

Senior Producer

Zara is a Senior Producer with 15+ years of experience managing and launching large-scale, innovative projects within production and agency environments. Diverse background managing the creative and operational aspects of production and post-production for commercials, feature films, location-based experiences and events. Strong organisational and leadership capability with excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Trina Grant 

Office Manager

With 25+ years of experience in post-production as a post-producer, Trina supports the smooth running of the studio. On the client side, Trina will reach out for invoicing and administration documentation. Trina wrangles suppliers’ invoices and payments, including those of suppliers’ creative artists. As well as maintaining our project management system to ensure we’re staying in check on a business front.

Sarah Collier 

Senior 3D Artist

Sarah brings 15+ years of passion for storytelling to 3D animation and Visual Effects to RUCKUS. A long career working in TVC’s as well as top-tier films such as The Jungle Book and Aquaman, as well as a plethora of award-winning TV Series both locally and internationally. Sarah has also taught and inspired the next generation of Animation talent as a Lecturer and coordinated Animation courses at the Queensland University of Technology.

Grace Francis

Head of Production

Grace is a solutions-oriented production lead with 10+ years of experience – spanning Australia and the Netherlands – producing campaigns for brands such as Asahi SuperDry, Uber and Adidas. She brings a well-rounded skillset to the table, having worked both ad agency and brand side, driving the production of everything from short-form film to photography to digital. Her strengths lie in bringing order to chaos & coordinating creatives and clients in pursuit of awesome work.

Katherine Garcia

Motion Designer

Katherine is a highly talented motion designer who brings considered craft and efficiency to each project. With a keen design eye and a background working in-house in Colombia’s largest advertising agencies, she has the perfect understanding of what it takes to make great content quickly and creatively for various digital platforms.

Outside the office, Katherine enjoys playing futsal and is a big fan of Barcelona Femenino. She also loves listening to flamenco music and running by the river in the mornings. She’s always looking for activities that spark her creativity, such as hiking, camping, and long walks, with the hope of stumbling upon a waterfall along the way.

Matt Dye

Co-founder & Creative Director

With over 20 years of experience making bold ideas and craft come to life. Renowned for his ability to direct creative solutions for any message. His 3D VFX and Animation background enables his hands-on supervision to constantly refine the craft and workflows to deliver standout results. With a keen eye for work that captures attention and stands the test of time, he’s always looking for the next big idea to pair with a creative concept.

Outside the office, Matt’s short attention span has him interested in many things, but mostly working out ways to relive his teenage years via his young son, and reminding himself the ground hurts a lot more than it used to.