TOTAL LICENSING
COVER STORY:
Interview with Ksenia Gordienko, Director of the Animation Department at CTC Media Total Licensing talked to Ksenia Gordienko to find out more about leading Russian animation and broadcasting company CTC Media.
op it back in 2015 when we launched our first animated TV series - KID-ECATS. Kid-e-Cats is a key brand for you, and one that you are taking globally. Can you tell us a little about Kid-e-Cats? Kid-E-Cats is our first animation series and it quickly became a resounding success in Russia and is now gaining more and more popularity all over the world. I’m proud to say that I’m one of those people who have been part of the Kid-E-Cats journey from the very beginning and one of those who helped bring the project to life. It’s amazing to see how the seed that was planted six years ago has grown into a massive, strong tree that will hopefully stay evergreen. Our preschool show tells the story of three kittens: Cookie, Pudding, and their kid sister Candy who are always ready to jump into action with endless enthusiasm and energy. Their imagination knows no bounds; these kittens can come up with the most absurdly funny problem-solving ideas.The show has a strong emphasis on friendship, family, and learning through play, it is positive, fun, and safe – that is why it
Can you tell us about CTC Media, and give us some background and details of your activities? CTC media is a leading Russian entertainment media holding. Our company incorporates four national TV channels and one Pay TV channel in Russia. CTC media is part of National Media Group, one of the largest private media holdings in Russia merging assets of key segments of the Russian media market. Animation is a relatively new business for the company: we started to devel-
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has won the hearts of children and parents around the globe. What do you think makes this animated series ideal for overseas markets? International partners are looking for strong and interesting stories that are appealing to global audiences, for great animation and also for a largely supportive content owner who stands behind animation projects and who is easy to work with. If you want to see your animated series on a global scene as a content and as a consumer products franchise you need to develop your IP having international experts on board. Kid-E-Cats series is produced by Metrafilms Studio for CTC Media. The idea and the concept of the project were developed by Dmitry Vysotsky and Andrey Sikorsky, two professional animators and veterans of the Russian animation industry. The creators have put their heart and soul into this show and that care and attention is what makes it so special and beloved by millions of viewers. But we also have an international story editor working on the show based in London, and we also have input into the show from our
