Studio plans to film 'Duggy' episodes

“Duggy” and his Dream Team could fly into the Redding area as soon as April, said Chris Foxworthy, president of Clarity Entertainment.

While Clarity waits for the south access bridge at Stillwater Business Park to be completed and its offer to purchase lots 12, 13, 14 and 15 at the business park to be accepted Jan. 17 by the Redding City Council, the company is moving forward with plans for its first production “Duggy, The Smile in the Sky.”

According to Rod Dinger, Redding’s Director of Airports, Clarity is looking at building a 200-foot by 270-foot hangar at the airport, large enough to house two DC-3s and Clarity’s Gulfstream corporate jet.

Foxworthy holds pilot licenses for private, charter and commercial flying. He previously operated a commercial airline.

He recently starred in “Thunder Over Reno,” a film that partially takes place at the Reno Air Races. The movie was directed by Mitch Farley, creator of “Duggy.”

“He (Foxworthy) did share his excitement for the project and he appears to have quite a bit of aviation experience,” Dinger said. “It’s all quite exciting and we hope it all becomes a reality. All of this could be very advantageous to the area, including enhancing transportation opportunities to the area.”

Foxworthy said the hangar would be used to shoot the live-action scenes for “Duggy” and, if Clarity is able to lease the Sharah Dunlap Sawyer building on Airport Road, then animation for “Duggy” episodes would be done there using RenderMan technology.

RenderMan has become the industry standard for animation.

Pixar, the creator of RenderMan, uses it for all of its animation, he explained.

Foxworthy said “Duggy” episodes will feature a group of children selected from throughout the country and brought to Redding. Clarity would also provide shuttle services to various celebrities who would help the children discover a dream, form Dream Teams and then travel in “Duggy” to “anywhere in the world that the selected dream might take place.”

He added that Clarity is pitching “Duggy” to various networks as a weekly TV show.

“Duggy” is a yellow DC-3 airplane that teaches children how to follow their dreams.

According to the “Duggy” website, there are three steps to following your dreams:

• Discover your dream, “that means let your mind run wild and listen to your heart.”

• Encourage children to “find and make your own ‘Dream Team’ to help you out.”

•Work on your dream. “Like anything worthwhile,it will take some work. We say, ‘Don’t give up.’”

For more information, go online to www.duggy.com