The Snowman and the Snowdog#Video game

Some years after the events of The Snowman, a young boy named Billy, his mother and their dog move into a new house (which previously housed the first film's protagonist James and his parents). Near Christmas, Billy writes to Father Christmas in the form of a hand-drawn picture; the only thing he asks for is another dog to replace his recently deceased one. He then stumbles over a loose floorboard in his bedroom, where he discovers some toys and a small box tied with tinsel beneath it. In the box, he finds a photograph of James and the Snowman, as well as the original scarf, hat, coal lumps and an old dried-up tangerine (once the Snowman's nose). When it begins to snow, this inspires him to build the same snowman and also a snowdog.

That night, both the snowman and the snowdog come to life, much to Billy's surprise. They play in and around Billy's house for a while, only for the snowdog to begin melting a few seconds later. They rush outside, find a sled, and go to the top of the hill where they find snowmen flying. This inspires them to fly alongside other snowmen. However, the snowman loses his nose, which leads to Billy, the snowman, and the snowdog restarting their flight via a plane after the snowman finds his nose. They head out on a flight over London to visit the annual snowman party in the frozen north. At the party, they enter a downhill race against numerous snowmen competitors and a skiing penguin, which Billy and the snowdog win via a sled. Father Christmas gives Billy a small present: a magical dog collar. Billy, the snowman, and the snowdog then fly back to Billy's house while the pilot snowman follows them via his plane. Back home, Billy puts the dog collar on the snowdog, which turns the snowdog into a real live dog that matches the one that Billy asked for.

The next morning, Billy and his new dog "Socks" wake up and head outside so they can go play with the snowman, but they end up finding that he has melted. They both kneel down by the snowman's remains, mourning the loss of their friend.

The 24-minute film, which took nearly two years to complete, cost £2 million to produce and, like the original movie, was created from over 200,000 hand drawn images.{{cite web

| url = http://www.thesnowman.co.uk/the-films/the-making-of-the-film.html

| title = Behind the scenes – The Snowman Films – The Official Snowman Website

| website = Thesnowman.co.uk

| accessdate = 27 December 2017

| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121218235456/http://www.thesnowman.com/the-films/the-making-of-the-film.html

| archivedate = 18 December 2012

}} While the film was primarily hand drawn, CGI was used to add digital falling snow and lighting effects.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/12/10/snowman-raymond-briggs_n_2270460.html|title=Snowman Creator Moans About CGI And Says 'I Don't Like Christmas'|date=10 December 2012|website=Huffingtonpost.co.uk|accessdate=27 December 2017}} The film was tentatively called The Snowman 2 before the final name was revealed.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/aardman-warms-up-snowman-2/|title=Aardman warms up Snowman 2}}

The composer Howard Blake, who composed the soundtrack to the original 1982 film, was one of the few crew members not asked to return and after expressing an interest in returning was asked to "send a demo", which he refused, citing the success of the original orchestral production score.{{cite news |last1=Bueno |first1=Emily |title=Snowman composer told to submit demo tape for sequel |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9752667/Snowman-composer-told-to-submit-demo-tape-for-sequel.html |access-date=19 March 2025 |agency=Telegraph |date=18 December 2012}} The film instead features the songs "Light the Night" (flying to the North Pole scenes) and "Hometown (Flying Home)" (returning home scenes) by Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows, plus incidental music by Ilan Eshkeri.{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/press/andy-burrows-announces-music-soundtrack-to-channel-4-s-the-snowman-and-the-snowdog|title=Andy Burrows Announces Music Soundtrack To Channel 4'S The Snowman And The Snowdog|date=29 November 2012|website=Contactmusic.com|accessdate=27 December 2017}}

Reluctant to have the original The Snowman produced into a short film, Raymond Briggs was quoted to have said that "it took a lot of persuasion to allow the sequel to be made." Although Briggs was not himself responsible for the story of the new animation, the sequel could not have taken place without his permission as he owns the rights to the original characters and premise.

On 29 March 2012, Aardman Animations' distribution arm acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the short film, alongside North American and Japanese home media rights.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/aardman-warms-up-snowman-2/|title=Aardman warms up Snowman 2}}

The Snowman and the Snowdog was heavily promoted in the weeks leading to its original broadcast, mostly by Channel 4, but also by other companies such as Nationwide.{{cite web|url=http://your.nationwide.co.uk/your-news/articles/Pages/the-snowman-competition.aspx|title=The Snowman Competition – Your Nationwide|website=Your.nationwide.co.uk|accessdate=27 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thedrum.com/news/2012/12/03/nationwide-support-film-sequel-snowman|title=Nationwide to support film sequel to The Snowman|website=Thedrum.com|accessdate=27 December 2017}}

When the film was broadcast on Channel 4, on 24 December 2012, writing in The Guardian, Sam Wollaston praised the animation, but criticised the numerous similarities to the original plot.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2012/dec/25/tv-review-snowman-and-snowdog|title=TV review: The Snowman and The Snowdog; Doctor Who: The Snowmen; Call The Midwife|first=Sam|last=Wollaston|date=25 December 2012|accessdate=27 December 2017|website=Theguardian.com}}

A smartphone game was released by Channel 4 on 9 December 2012 for iOS and Android.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Snowman and The Snowdog game – Channel 4 – Info – Press|url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/snowman-and-snowdog-game|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224002932/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/snowman-and-snowdog-game|archive-date=2020-12-24|access-date=|website=|publisher=Channel 4}} The game was developed by Crash Lab. It reached number 1 in the iPhone and iPad game charts and was downloaded over 1 million times in the UK and Ireland.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Snowman and The Snowdog hits over 1m downloads|url=https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4s-snowman-and-snowdog-game-hits-over-1m-downloads|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224002800/https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4s-snowman-and-snowdog-game-hits-over-1m-downloads|archive-date=2020-12-24|accessdate=14 October 2013|website=|publisher=Channel 4}}

In November 2016, a Christmas advert for British clothing company Barbour featured an older Billy and his dog reuniting with the Snowman and reminiscing about meeting Father Christmas.{{cite web|url=http://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/barbour-the-snowman-snowdog-barbour/1414560|title="The Snowman and The Snowdog" by Barbour|website=Campaignlive.co.uk|accessdate=27 December 2017}}

In November 2017, Barbour released another Christmas advert, following on from the previous one in 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/11/02/barbour-reawakens-the-the-snowman-snowdog-christmas-with-grown-up-billy-and-family|title=Barbour reawakens the The [sic] Snowman & Snowdog for Christmas with grown-up Billy and family|website=Thedrum.com|accessdate=27 December 2017}}

A series of public art trails have been created, featuring outsize versions of the Snowdog, along with smaller Snowpups. To date, they've appeared in Newcastle and Tyne and Wear, Brighton and Hove, Cardiff and Ashford. After each exhibition the Snowdogs are sold at auction, with the proceeds going to local hospices.{{cite web|url=https://www.snowdogarttrails.co.uk/snowdog-art-trails/|accessdate=November 25, 2018|title=The Snowdog Art Trails - Find a Snowdog Art Trail near you : Snowdog Art Trails}}

• The Snowman – the original story.
• Father Christmas

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.thesnowman.co.uk/ Official Snowman website]
• {{IMDb title|2560206}}
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cix9XNBVU34 Video at Channel 4OD]
• [https://www.pcscufflinksgifts.com/collections/the-snowman-and-the-snowdog Website]

{{The Snowman}}

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Category:2012 television films

Category:2010s Christmas films

Category:2012 animated short films

Category:Animated Christmas films

Category:British animated television films

Category:British animated short films

Category:British Christmas films

Category:British sequel films

Category:Channel 4 television films

Category:Christmas television films

Category:Films scored by Ilan Eshkeri

Category:Television sequel films

Category:2010s British films

Category:Films about snowmen