TV Kids MIPCOM 2010

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MIP JUNIOR & MIPCOM EDITION

Comedy Shows Preschool Trends Asian Animation Creator Michael Poryes Turner EMEA’s Michael Carrington www.tvkids.ws

THE MAGAZINE OF CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING

OCTOBER 2010

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TV KIDS

4Kids Entertainment www.4kidsentertainment.com

“ Yu-Gi-Oh! is celebrating its

• Yu-Gi-Oh!: Road to Destiny • Yu-Gi-Oh!: 3D: Bonds Beyond Time • Tai Chi Chasers • Rocket Monkeys

tenth anniversary this year, a huge milestone in the business of kids’ entertainment.

”

For ten years, the Japanese action-adventure series Yu-Gi-Oh! has been entertaining children around the world.“TheYu-GiOh! programs represent a franchise for most broadcasters—an enthusiastic and loyal fan base, consistent program production values and a large number of episodes that ensures scheduling flexibility,” says Brian Lacey, executive VP for international at 4Kids Entertainment, which is launching Yu-Gi-Oh!: Road to Destiny at MIPCOM. Also new for the franchise is a 70minute feature, Yu-Gi-Oh!: 3D: Bonds Beyond Time. “It represents a truly special event program opportunity,” Lacey says of the animated film. “The Yu-Gi-Oh! movie will work in multiple day parts, and will draw upon a huge fan base for the Yu-Gi-Oh! trilogy. For the first time, the heroes from Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and YuGi-Oh! 5Ds appear together to help save mankind from a post-apocalyptic world.” Other properties available from 4Kids are Tai Chi Chasers and Rocket Monkeys.

IN THIS ISSUE Make Them Laugh Trends in comedy

50

Preschool Swings Forward What’s new in preschool

60

Tooning in to Asia The rising prominence of Asian animation firms 70

Interviews

Michael Poryes 68 Turner’s Michael Carrington 80 Sesame Workshop’s Gary Knell 82 Moonscoop’s Christophe di Sabatino 84 Cyber Group’s Pierre Sissmann 86 YFE’s Stefan Piëch 88

Special Reports Brand Licensing Europe Rainbow at 15

—Brian Lacey

Yu-Gi-Oh!

9 Story Entertainment www.9story.com • Making Stuff • Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars • Survive This Season 2 • Wild Kratts • Almost Naked Animals

Buyers at MIP Junior will be able to screen five completed episodes of Making Stuff, a new factual series for kids commissioned by TVOntario, TFO and Knowledge Network in Canada. The show, represented by 9 Story Entertainment, is geared to 4- to 7-year-olds. Children will get a “real-life, inside and personal view of how some of their favorite things—teddy bears, chocolates, puzzles, are made,” says Natalie Osborne, executive VP of business development. “Making Stuff offers a bit of factual entertainment specifically produced for kids.” Also in the factual vein is Survive This, now consisting of two seasons, which takes a group of teens on an adventure to hone their survival skills.

Geared to a broader family audience is the feature-length live-action comedy Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars for Disney Channel. And firmly focused on the core 6-to-11 demo are Wild Kratts and Almost Naked Animals.

Almost Naked Animals

“ We are anxious to

showcase our new shows as well as introduce a lot of new episodes of programs that we are so proud of.

”

—Natalie Osborne

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TV KIDS

Al Jazeera Children’s Channel www.jcctv.net • • • •

Ricardo Seguin Guise

Publisher Anna Carugati

Editor Mansha Daswani

Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

Managing Editor Matthew Rippetoe

Production & Design Director Simon Weaver

Online Director

Saladin Discover Science Everything’s Rosie Seefood

The Qatar-based international network Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (JCC) has been stepping up its co-production activities for the last few years. Following its successful partnership with Malaysia’s Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) for Saladin, JCC has struck up a number of other alliances globally. It worked with NHK in Japan, for example, on Discover Science, an educational series that is expected to have broad appeal. “Discover Science is not only for children, but also adults,” says Malika Alouane, the director of JCC’s channels’ programming. “It is just unique in the way it deals with applied physics in the grand form of a TV production; it is enjoyable to watch.”

JCC is also on board as a co-producer of the preschool animation Everything’s Rosie with V&S Entertainment in the U.K. Everything’s Rosie has also sold to more than 140 territories, most recently RTVE in Spain. In the U.K., where it airs on CBeebies, it is outperforming other kids’ networks in its time slot.

Another new co-production for JCC is Seefood, a 3D animated feature.

Everything’s Rosie

“ [Our content] resonates

well with distributors as well as broadcasters who are keen to deliver children’s programming of quality and added education value.

”

—Malika Alouane

Phyllis Q. Busell

Art Director Kelly Quiroz

Sales & Marketing Manager Erica Antoine-Cole

Business Affairs Manager Cesar Suero

Sales & Marketing Coordinator Alyssa Menard

Sales & Marketing Assistant

Ricardo Seguin Guise

President Anna Carugati

Executive VP and Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani

VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2010 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website:

www.tvkids.ws

Amberwood Entertainment www.amberwoodent.com • Rob the Robot • RollBots • The Secret World of Benjamin Bear

“ Rob the Robot combines

Thanks to a co-production treaty between Canada and Singapore, alliances between producers in those two countries are becoming increasingly commonplace. One such pact is between Amberwood Entertainment and ONE Animation for Rob the Robot, a preschool series.

“It is a very entertaining series with a solid but gentle curriculum for kids,” says Jonathan Wiseman, Amberwood’s senior VP. “The production values are extremely high and we have got some great broadcast partners who have come onboard for the series.”

Also featured on Amberwood’s new slate is RollBots, a CGI show for kids 6 to 11 that has already clinched deals in some 65 markets, Wiseman says.

The company continues to clock up slots for the preschool hit The Secret World of Benjamin Bear, which is now in its fourth season for a total of 104 episodes.

In addition to securing sales, Amberwood will be presenting several new development projects, Wiseman adds.

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entertaining story lines with stunning visuals on a strong educational foundation.

”

—Jonathan Wiseman

Rob the Robot

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Aviatrix Entertainment www.aviatrix-ent.com • • • •

Oly&Pic Baobab Planet Lua and the World Scruff

Aviatrix Entertainment makes its market debut at MIPCOM. The Spain-based company has been set up by Laura Tapias, who previously handled the Latin American and Iberian business for BKN New Media. “Aviatrix is a producer and distributor that works mainly in the Mediterranean and Latin American countries, including Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. Hispanic,” says Tapias, the company’s CEO. “The company’s first production is Baobab Planet. Also in production is the animation Oly&Pic, telling stories from the Olympic Games in a comedic way. Aviatrix also has a number of completed properties in its catalogue, including the educational show Lua and the World as well as Scruff.

Oly&Pic

“ Aviatrix Entertain-

ment’s properties travel around the world, mainly to the Mediterranean and Latin American territories.

”

—Laura Tapias

BBC Worldwide www.bbcworldwidesales.com

“There’s everything

• ZingZillas • Wibbly Pig • Penelope K, By the Way • Buzz & Tell • Uki

BBC Worldwide continues to showcase its music-based preschool series ZingZillas. The show, says Neil Ross Russell, managing director of children’s global brands and licensed consumer products at BBC Worldwide, “is very relevant for everybody around the world. With 47 different songs, we’ve got 47 different styles of music.”

Conscious of the concerns that buyers may have about language reversioning, Ross Russell notes, “The only dubbing that is required is of the characters themselves, and the songs.”

Other kids’ series from BBC Worldwide include Wibbly Pig and the CBeebies international commission from Australia, Penelope K, By the Way.

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from bhangra to bluegrass, didgeridoo to bagpipes—you couldn’t get more diverse.

”

—Neil Ross Russell

ZingZillas

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Breakthrough Entertainment www.breakthroughentertainment.com

“ The new slate of

• My Big Big Friend • Fishtronaut • Dino Dan • The Mooh Brothers • The Droogles

Sparking the imagination of kids is a key theme running through Breakthrough Entertainment’s slate of new children’s properties this market. Nat Abraham, head of distribution, cites as examples My Big Big Friend and Dino Dan. Abraham also has high hopes for Fishtronaut. “Kids need to be encouraged to find solutions to environmental dilemmas to help preserve their world.” Environmentally conscious themes also appear in The Mooh Brothers, which Abraham refers to as a “visually captivating series that inspires outdoor activities, teaches family values and provides kids with valuable lessons on getting along with their friends.” Rounding out the slate is The Droogles.

series we’re bringing to MIPCOM truly take a fresh approach to storytelling with an underscoring of important life lessons.

”

—Nat Abraham

The Mooh Brothers

CAKE www.cakeentertainment.com • Poppy Cat • Oscar’s Oasis • Angelo Rules • Dead Gorgeous • Eliot Kid

The bestselling and award-winning Poppy Cat books by Lara Jones are being adapted into a new preschool series by Coolabi Productions and King Rollo for Nick Jr. in the U.K.The 52x11-minute series is being represented by CAKE Entertainment. “With a globally respected writing team and outstanding animation, the series follows the playful little cat with the big personality, along with her colorful companions, on inspiring adventures to amazing places,” says Ed Galton, chief creative officer and managing director of CAKE. Another key focus for MIP Junior will be shoring up slots for Oscar’s Oasis, a 78x7-minute show from Tuba Entertainment and TeamTO about an energetic lizard.

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Poppy Cat

“It’s an eclectic mix

of the best children’s and family content to be found from international independent producers.

”

—Ed Galton

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CCI Entertainment www.ccientertainment.com • Artzooka!

• Farzzle’s World • Arthur’s Missing Pal • Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy • Scary Godmother:The Revenge of Jimmy

CCI Entertainment is showcasing Artzooka! at MIPCOM. “We are currently producing local Spanish and Portuguese versions for Discovery Kids Latin America,” says Arnie Zipursky, CCI’s president. “This is in addition to the sale of the original English series to Nickelodeon Asia, Korea and India, the success of the version for Nickelodeon Germany, and the recent launch of the show on CBC. This is generating a lot of buzz and interest in this series, These are going to be major productions in each territory, as we work with each broadcaster to make our multimillion dollar, multimedia art series their own.” CCI is also bringing animated movies like Scary Godmother.

Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy

“ We are responding

to clients who ask for animated family movies by refreshing and replenishing our movie catalogue.

”

—Arnie Zipursky

Classic Media www.classicmedia.tv • Life with Boys • Voltron Force • Tinga Tinga Tales • Guess with Jess • Tracy Beaker Returns

Tracy Beaker Returns

Classic Media recently secured the global distribution and licensing and merchandising rights for the new liveaction tween series Life with Boys, from Michael Poryes, the co-creator and executive producer of Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven. While Life with Boys targets the 7-to-12 girl set, the new Voltron Force is firmly focused on the boy 6-to-11 demo. World Events Productions (WEP), which owns Voltron, and Classic Media are producing the new series—the first original television content in the franchise in ten years—along with Kickstart Productions. The 26x30minute show will consist of 2D and CGI animation.

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“We are proud to own

and manage a portfolio of some of the most successful and longest-running franchises of all time.

”

—Chloe van den Berg

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Comarex www.comarex.tv • Grachi • 13 Hours • BlogHouse • Conan:The Time Bombed Skyscraper • Conan: 14th Target

Mexico-based Comarex is complementing its portfolio of prime-time novelas with Grachi, a tween and teen-targeted series produced by Nickelodeon Latin America. Marcel Vinay, Jr., CEO of Comarex, notes,“We are certain that Grachi will offer many hours of spellbinding humor, romance and fun for all our viewers.We’re also very excited to announce that we’ll be producing our first 3D episode to illuminate the magic of Grachi. Our goal is to get buyers from Europe, Asia and Africa to experience the magic of Grachi, especially after it [was a] huge hit in Latin America and then sold to more than 14 countries.”

Comarex’s other kids’ shows include 13 Hours, BlogHouse and Conan:The Time Bombed Skyscraper and Conan: 14th Target.

“We are confident that

buyers will be blown away

by Grachi—it has all the ingredients that works well with the Nickelodeon brand.

”

—Marcel Vinay, Jr. Grachi

Cyber Group Studios www.cybergroupstudios.com • Tales of Tatonka • Ozie Boo! Save the Planet • Zou • Grenadine and Peppermint • Cloud Bread

Ozie Boo! has been a smash hit for Cyber Group Studios.The property, centered on a set of penguin pals, has reached more than 150 countries. Cyber Group has followed up with the new 78x5-minute Ozie Boo! Save the Planet, done in collaboration with WWF France. A further highlight for the 3-to-6 set is Zou.There’s more to Cyber Group’s catalogue than preschool, notes Pierre Sissmann, the company’s chairman and CEO. “The idea was to cater to the whole market, but do it in an organized way to make sure that we focus on what’s right at the right time for that category,” he says. Cyber Group has a number of projects for the 6-to-10 demographic.This includes Grenadine and Peppermint and Tales of Tatonka.

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Tales of Tatonka

“

We made a name for ourselves in preschool, but our intention was always to go target by target, from preschool to early teens.

”

—Pierre Sissmann

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D’Ocon www.docon.eu • Enertips • Delfy and His Friends • The Fruitties • Basket Fever

“ We hope to find

The Spanish animation producer D’Ocon is presenting more than 30 series at MIPCOM, including Delfy and His Friends, The Fruitties and Basket Fever. “We hope to find buyers who are looking for quality product,” says Mercè Pujol, sales agent for the company.

D’Ocon’s newest launch is Enertips, a series that entertains and raises awareness about saving energy, supporting renewable energy sources and protecting the environment. Enertips is an animated 3D series in HD that according to Pujol is very current and that “entertains and educates with the adventures of the Manitas family in Villamanazas, a city filled with denizens who look like fingers that waste energy, such as the Manirrota family, and the evil entrepreneur Manonegra, who tries to control the city’s energy supply.”

buyers who are looking for quality product.

”

—Mercè Pujol

Enertips

DHX Media www.dhxmedia.com Rastamouse

• Rastamouse • Pirates, Adventures in Art • How to Be Indie • That’s So Weird • Animal Mechanicals

MIPCOM marks the first market for DECODE Enterprises under its new name, DHX Media. Taking on the moniker of its parent company was a “natural next step,” for the firm, according to Josh Scherba, the senior VP of distribution.

“As the company continues to expand into new markets, this unified brand provides a solid platform for further growth.”

DHX has a mix of new properties for MIP Junior. Rastamouse is a new stop-motion preschool series commissioned by CBeebies in the U.K. “We’re anticipating a high-level of interest in this show, which charts the exploits of a crime-fighting reggae band.” For older preschoolers, meanwhile, is the CGIanimated Pirates, Adventures in Art.

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“Bringing all the departments and

brands together under the common DHX Media banner allows us to have an even stronger presence in the global market across these key areas.

”

—Josh Scherba

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DQ Entertainment International www.dqentertainment.com

“ DQE is one of the

• Peter Pan • The Jungle Book • Lassie & Friends • 5 & IT • Keymon Ache

DQ Entertainment International (DQE) continues to place an emphasis on properties based on well-known, established brands.There’s the 3D HD Peter Pan, a second season of The Jungle Book and the 2D and CGI hybrid Lassie & Friends, all being produced for the international market.

DQE is also continuing its work with local Indian broadcasters, recently striking up a deal with Nick India for the series Keymon Ache.Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman and CEO of DQE, says that as the company raises its profile in India and globally, tapping into the worldwide interest in 3D will be key.“There is expected to be a quantum increase in the demand for 3D stereoscopic content. DQE will be ready to meet this demand.”

few companies that has the expertise to make stereoscopic TV series, which is also going to see a huge upsurge in demand in the near future.

”

—Tapaas Chakravarti

Keymon Ache

Gaiam www.gaiam.com Chop Kick Panda

• Chop Kick Panda • Toe Tappin’ Penguin

Best known as a provider of lifestyle content, Gaiam is stepping up its efforts in the kids’ space with two brand-new animated productions: Chop Kick Panda and Toe Tappin’ Penguin, which join its library of animated classics. Chop Kick Panda will deliver in January 2011 and Toe Tappin’ Penguin in the spring of 2011.“These charming stories will be delightful drafting opportunities to the mega-theatrical franchises Kung Fu Panda and Happy Feet, both of which are scheduled to launch new theatrical installments in 2011,” says Bill Sondheim, Gaiam’s president of entertainment and worldwide distribution. “They are being produced in the U.S. using a unique 2D flash animation process and are both written by Robert Zappia, who penned episodes of the family TV series Home Improvement and the 2007 animated holiday feature Christmas is Here Again.”

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“We want to

continue building strong partnerships by bringing quality…programs to distributors throughout the world.

”

—Bill Sondheim

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Gaumont-Alphanim www.alphanim.com • The Green Squad • Teen Days • The Small Giant • The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog

The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog

Gaumont-Alphanim has joined up with Italy’s Cartoon One as co-producer for the second season of the animated series Teen Days. Gaumont-Alphanim will distribute the first season of the show in parts of Europe and Asia, as well as in South America, French-speaking Africa and the Middle East. The catalogue also includes Galactik Football, now in its third season. Further animated fare on offer includes The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog, The Small Giant and The Green Squad. The company also recently began its push into live action and is looking to launch production on two live-action shows next year. There are also feature films, which Gaumont-Alphanim sees as an area for further expansion.

Galactik Football

Gruppo Alcuni www.alcuni.it • • • • •

“ Our series aim to

Pet Pals Pet Pals: Marco Polo’s Code Slash:// Galileo Symo & Rose

Pet Pals, aimed at children between the ages of 4 and 8, has already been one of Gruppo Alcuni’s biggest hits.“The series keeps going from strength to strength,” says Francesco Manfio, general manager of the Italian animation outfit. In addition to the series, there’s a 3D feature film, Pet Pals: Marco Polo’s Code, which was released theatrically in Italy at the beginning of this year. Manfio also spotlights the 26episode Slash://, targeted to kids 8 to 12, which “combines adventure, mystery and technology;” and Galileo. Skewing younger meanwhile, is Symo & Rose, about two siblings and their magical adventures before school.“Many buyers have come to appreciate the clear editorial line which guides all of our productions,” Manfio says on the strengths of the slate.

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transmit positive values such as friendship, nonviolence, teamwork and solidarity in a fun way.

”

—Francesco Manfio

Symo & Rose

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Guru Studio www.gurustudio.com • Justin Time • Agency 13 • Spaceface • Little Movers • 1,2,3, Go

“At our heart we are

still a boutique animation studio committed to high-quality entertainment products.

”

Celebrating a decade of producing animated content for the likes of YTV, Teletoon and Family Channel, Canada’s Guru Studio has launched a distribution arm.The division’s first series for the international market is Justin Time, a preschool series that is now in production. “It is a huge milestone for us as we bring our first show to the market,” says Mary Bredin,VP of development and acquisitions. Bredin also has high expectations for Guru’s development properties, Agency 13, Spaceface, Little Movers and 1,2,3 Go. “Our shows are driven by great characters and unique stories and always have a big focus on energy, pacing and action, whether they be preschool, kids, teen or young-adult properties.”

—Mary Bredin Justin Time

I.M.P.S. www.smurfs.com • The Smurfs

The much-loved blue denizens of Smurfland are receiving a new 3D CGI look from Sony Pictures Entertainment. In the 2011 theatrical release The Smurfs Movie (also known as Smurfs 3D), the characters that originated more than 50 years ago in the comic books

by Peyo are headed to New York City.

The animated/live-action hybrid stars Neil Patrick Harris, whose life is turned upside down when the smurfs cross over from their magical home town into New York. It features the voice talent of Katy Perry as Smurfette, Jonathan Winters—who voiced roles in The Smurfs—as Papa Smurf, Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf, Fred Armisen as Brainy Smurf and George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf. Hank Azaria appears as evil wizard Gargamel.

The hype surrounding the feature is likely to drive further interest in the classic series, sold by I.M.P.S. 242

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Sony’s The Smurfs Movie

The Smurfs

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Inspidea www.inspidea.com • Boo & Mee • Mat Kacau • Pet Squad

Malaysia’s Inspidea is focused on raising its profile as an international co-production partner, and that effort has begun to bear fruit, reports the company’s managing director, Andrew Ooi. After partnering with KidsCo for Boo & Me, Inspidea clinched a deal with Malaysia’s Astro Ceria for Mat Kacau. “We’re on our third co-pro project now, with Darrall Macqueen and March Entertainment,” says Ooi. “It’s called Pet Squad and we’re very excited about it!” The animated series was recently picked up

by CBBC. “We are not just a production partner,” Ooi says on the strengths of the company. “We can express our creative input in each project we do.”

Boo & Me

“Inspidea needs to stand out not as a big fish but as a little fish that can do the job and still have fun.”

—Andrew Ooi

The Jim Henson Company www.henson.com • Dinosaur Train • Sid the Science Kid • Fraggle Rock • The Dark Crystal

“ Our company has been a preeminent supplier of children’s and family entertainment for over 50 years.”

—Peter Schube

The Jim Henson Company arrives at MIPCOM with a secondseason commission on Dinosaur Train for PBS Kids with 26 new episodes in production. There are also two seasons available of Sid the Science Kid. “Based on the tremendous performance overseas of season one of each of these properties, we anticipate the buyers to be particularly excited about new content from both of these series,” says the company’s president and COO, Peter Schube.

The company is also highlighting its library properties, such as Fraggle Rock and the feature films The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

Also on offer is Pajanimals.

Dinosaur Train

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Mediatoon Distribution mid.mediatoon.com • Contraptus • Yummy Toonies • The Magic Roundabout

The world’s favorite lazy feline has developed a whole new generation of fans with The Garfield Show, which now consists of 104 11-minute episodes following the second-season renewal.

“Season one has already sold all over the planet with amazing ratings,” says Jérôme Alby, deputy general manager at Mediatoon Distribution. The second season of the CGI comedy will be on offer at MIPCOM. Also produced in CGI are the kids’ comedy Contraptus and the preschool show The Magic Roundabout. Mediatoon is also offering to the market the interstitial series Yummy Toonies, focused on teaching preschoolers about healthy eating; and the kids’ action show Chumballs.

“These programs are innovative and all are shot in HD.”

— Jérôme Alby

The Garfield Show

Mondo TV S.p.A. www.mondotv.it • Puppy in My Pocket • Power Buggz • Playtime Buddies • Angel’s Friends—The Secret World Around You

In addition to its strong animation catalogue, Mondo TV S.p.A. is bringing a host of new properties to the market. Among them, the preschool series Playtime Buddies. Each episode of the show encourages the development of positive social interaction and cognitive skills.

“Parents of young children do not want to place any boundaries on the possibilities for their children as they grow and explore their options in this world,” says Matteo Corradi, Mondo’s senior VP of international sales. MEG has signed up as master toy partner on Playtime Buddies, with product due to hit shelves in 2012. Mondo is also working with MEG on the animated series Puppy in My Pocket.Targeting more of a boy demo is Power Buggz. Rounding out the slate are Angel’s Friends:The Secret World AroundYou and Monsters & Pirates.

Monsters & Pirates

“ Mondo TV [productions] have set themselves apart by their top-flight educational value and the fact that they do not have violent or immoral content.”

—Matteo Corradi

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TV KIDS

Motion Pictures www.motionpic.com • Glumpers • Hero Kids • LMN’s • Van Dogh • Boom & Reds

Glumpers

Motion Pictures has become one of Spain’s leading animation production companies by focusing on a range of styles, target demos and themes, all the while delivering shows that are “free of violence and have high-quality visuals and music,” says Tony Albert, the company’s head of sales. “With this starting point, we plan to reinforce this policy which has made us able to sell our contents all over the world in all continents. Furthermore, all productions are made in HD.” With a slate that includes the animated slapstick comedy Glumpers, the kids’ action adventure shows Hero Kids and LMN’s and the preschool properties Van Dogh and Boom & Reds, the focus is on “solidifying our already existing relations with our clients, as well as [developing new ones with] stations that have started up in several territories,” Albert says.

“Another solid point will be to identify and represent and/ or co-produce new content that can fit our policy and have a strong commercial potential and cross-media appeal.”

“ Our lineup always contains titles with a very wide range of targets and themes.”

—Tony Albert

Multimedia Development Corporation www.mscmalaysia.my/creativemalaysia • Balla Bowl • The Adventures of Flea-bag & Friends • 7 Satria • Net.Works • Eori Story

“ MDeC aims to increase the number of made-

in-Malaysia animated projects available for sale and acquisition globally and generate creative IP and creative/technical skills.

”

Some 24 companies from Malaysia will be participating in the country’s pavilion at MIPCOM this year, led by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). “This is the largest-ever Malaysian business contingent,” says Datuk Badlisham Ghazali, MDeC’s CEO. “These companies will be offering 100 new and existing television series for distribution, 70 percent of which are kids’ programming, as well as documentaries, feature films and TV dramas.” Ghazali adds, “Malaysia is also submitting an impressive 14 animations from Malaysian producers to MIP Junior this year.”

Ghazali stresses the gains made by Malaysian companies in the international co-production arena, listing properties such as Balla Bowl from Animasia Studio and Cartoon Network Asia; The Adventures of Flea-bag & Friends from Vision Animation and Australia’s Moody Street Kids; the Korean copro Eori Story; and 7 Satria, a collaboration between Funcel Animation Studio with FINAS and Gonzo in Japan.

—Datuk Badlisham Ghazali Net.Works

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Nerd Corps Entertainment www.nerdcorps.ca • • • •

League of Super Evil

League of Super Evil Storm Hawks Endangered Species Slugterrainea

Nerd Corps Entertainment now has 39 half-hours of League of Super Evil to offer the market, with production recently wrapped on season two. “We continue to support the rollout of that series worldwide with new sales still coming in and launches to support,” says Ken Faier, the company’s president. “We also have 52 episodes of Storm Hawks with availability left in a few territories.”

Nerd Corps is also presenting some of its projects in development, including Endangered Species and Slugterrainea.

“We’re looking to move our new projects forward, getting them into full-blown production,” Faier says. The Nerd Corps slate, he says, is a “good mixture of straight-up comedy that appeals to the core kid demo, and seamlessly blended comedy/action series that lean more toward the boy end of the spectrum, all done in a very character driven way.”

He adds, “We’re always on the lookout for new properties, whether it’s a co-production, distribution deal or the acquisition of a great idea for us to put into development.”

“ Broadcasters are looking for shows that deliver laughs and excitement for this age group, and Nerd Corps has consistently delivered proven performers in the past.

”

—Ken Faier

PGS Entertainment www.pgsentertainment.com • Le Petit Prince • The Gees • I.N.K.: The Invisible Network of Kids • Iron Man: Armored Adventures • Toobo

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic Le Petit Prince, which has sold more than 134 million copies worldwide, is being turned into an animated series by Method Animation in France. The first episode of the 52-episode series will be available for screening for the first time at MIP Junior.

The show leads off PGS Entertainment’s crop of new launches for this MIPCOM. “The series brings magical designs and strong story lines that will unite kids and their families,” says Philippe Soutter, PGS’s CEO. “For those looking for shorts we are introducing the first episodes of The Gees from Studio Hari, the producers behind such hits as Leon and The Owl,” Soutter continues. There are also returning seasons of Iron Man: Armored Adventures from Method, Marvel Animation and DQ Entertainment and Toobo. “We will also be seeking more partners on I.N.K. from Samka, which has already sold across all of Europe and Africa.”

“ We are bringing our

most exciting lineup ever to MIPCOM this year: new shows, premiere episodes, returning seasons and successful new launches from across the world.

”

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Shaftesbury Films www.shaftesbury.ca Connor Undercover

• Connor Undercover • Vacation with Derek • Overruled!

• Baxter

Shaftesbury Films has three series to offer broadcasters in need of comedic, live-action content for tween viewers: Connor Undercover, about a young spy buff, which recently launched on Nick Germany; Overruled!, focused on a school courtroom; and Baxter, set at a performing arts academy. The series, according to Shane Kinnear,VP of sales, marketing and digital media, are all funny, engaging and relatable to tween audiences.

The company will also continue to showcase the family TV movie Vacation with Derek, which catches up with the characters that kids around the world fell in love with in Life with Derek. “We look forward to securing further international deals for Vacation with Derek, which has done extremely well with audiences in Canada and Australia to date. Fans of the series love catching up with Derek and Casey in a new setting.”

The premiere of Vacation with Derek on Family Channel this summer delivered more than 900,000 viewers.

“ These programs all feature funny, universally

engaging characters in very real situations that audiences around the world can relate to.

”

—Shane Kinnear

Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group www.skywritermedia.com • Camp Lakebottom • Vivi • Elliott & Lucy • Planet Echo • Kidz Court

A year since its creation, Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group returns to MIPCOM with an expanded slate of animated and live-action properties for preschoolers, kids and tweens.The company, led by Kevin Gillis as CEO and executive producer, recently partnered with Mixer to develop the animated series Vivi for Canada’s TVO. The show, which features 2D and cut-out animation, follows a curious artistic girl, who keeps a scrapbook of the global adventures she takes with her grandmother.The show will be accompanied by a strong online component allowing young ones to create their own scrapbooks.

Skewing older is the 26x11-minute comedy Camp Lakebottom, about the world’s worst summer camp.Another highlight is Elliott & Lucy, a preschool property in development with Family Channel based on the best-selling book series E is For Ethics by Ian James Corlett. Also in development is Kidz Court, a live-action show for children 8 to 12.

“ Our long-time established

relationships have enabled us to attach A-List creators, writers, directors and talent to our development properties.

”

—Kevin Gillis

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Sprout www.sproutonline.com • Noodle and Doodle

The 24-hour preschool network Sprout is now available in more than 50 million American homes. Celebrating its fifth anniversary this fall, the network, programmed primarily with content from HIT Entertainment and Sesame Workshop (two of its joint-venture partners) and third-party acquisitions, debuted its first long-form original, Noodle and Doodle, which it is offering up to the international market via distributor JBMW Media.

“Noodle and Doodle is a totally unique show that combines arts, crafts and cookery for the first time,” explains Andrew Beecham, the senior VP of programming at Sprout. “On board our double-decker bus is driver and resident artist/cook, Sean, as well as his puppet sidekick Noodle and virtual friend, Doodle. Within each show is a two-minute animated interstitial, Doggity’s, which can be run stand-alone if required.”

Beecham adds, “We felt there would be an interest from the international marketplace for a show like this. If the show proves to be successful, then I believe we will look to offering more originals in years ahead.”

“ Noodle and Doodle gives us a chance to show art and cookery projects in a larger format than we could do with just interstitial links alone.

”

—Andrew Beecham

Noodle and Doodle

Studio100 Media www.studio100media.com • Florrie’s Dragons • Woodlies • Enyo • Maya the Bee • Vicky the Viking

Studio100 Group’s 2008 acquisition of EM.Entertainment brought to the company the rights to several classics of German kids’ television, including Maya the Bee and Vicky the Viking. The company is now refreshing the brands in 3D CGI for contemporary audiences, with the updated versions to be on offer at MIPCOM. “Maya the Bee and Vicky the Viking have enchanted three generations of viewers,” says Patrick Elmendorff, the company’s managing director.

Another well-known property from Studio100 is Florrie’s Dragons, based on the Dear Dragon books by Belgian author and illustrator An Vrombaut. “She has produced a wonderful story and did a great job in creating a style that will enchant both children and grown-ups. It is almost impossible not to be attracted by the unusual look of the series.”

Elmendorff and his team will also be talking to clients about Woodlies and the 3D animation Enyo.

“ Studio100 Media

has an extensive library of new and existing programming which we will be offering to buyers.

”

—Patrick Elmendorff 268

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Toonz Entertainment www.toonzentertainment.com Mostly Ghostly

• Speed Racer: The Next Generation • Wolverine and The X-Men • Freefonix • Speed Racer: Classic • Mostly Ghostly II and III

The well-established Indian outfit Toonz Animation recently set upToonz Entertainment in the U.S. to bolster its worldwide distribution business. For Matt Cooperstein, the company’s executiveVP,Toonz has carved out a niche in a crowded market by offering a slate of properties with built-in brand awareness.The shows being offered by Toonz, Cooperstein says,“are based on characters from popular comic books, major worldwide feature films, original TV series and teen book series.”

The slate includes Wolverine and The X-Men, Speed Racer:The Next Generation, Speed Racer: Classic and Mostly Ghostly II and III, adapted from the popular books by R.L. Stine.Toonz is also showcasing Freefonix, which Cooperstein describes as a “quality state-of-the-art animation productions.”

“Toonz Entertainment’s goals are to continue to establish itself as one of the top animation production and distribution companies providing content to top-class broadcasters around the globe,” Cooperstein says.

“ Buyers will find our series appealing due to the highly branded awareness of all the properties.”

—Matt Cooperstein

Toonzone Studios www.toonzonestudios.com • YooHoo & Friends • Tiny Warriors • Action Dad

New from Toonzone Studios is the eco-action comedy YooHoo & Friends. “There’s a YooHoo that every child can associate with and experience,” says Konnie Kwak, the president of Toonzone, about the show’s wide appeal. “It combines the cute and cuddly with a whacked-out way of saving the environment.” Also on the roster is Tiny Warriors, which is powered by the growing market for martial arts.The 3D stereoscopic tale tells of four small animal warriors who train tirelessly within a small dojo in the forest.

Toonzone’s further offerings include Action Dad, written by Henry Gilroy, the writer of Star Wars:The Clone Wars and directed by John Kafka from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. It follows two teenagers whose dad happens to be a super-secret action hero, while their mom is a super-secret villain.

“With our global presence and wealth of talent, Toonzone Studios brings together world-class animators, writers, web designers, marketers and producers, literally all under one roof,” says Kwak.

“ Action Dad is packed

full of gadgets and crazy spy tech that is easily translatable to some really fun product.

”

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BRINGING YOU THE BEST

IN KIDS LIVE ACTION

Visit V isit us at MIPCOM M 2010 booth R27.12

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twofour54 ibtikar.twofour54.com/en • Driver Dan’s Story Train

Abu Dhabi’s government-backed twofour54 initiative has made boosting the kids’ animation sector a key focus, announcing at MIPTV this year a partnership with Cartoon Network in the Middle East.The company has also been working with British outfit 3Line Media on the preschool series Driver Dan’s Story Train, which has already proven to be a hit for CBeebies. As twofour54 heads into MIPCOM, it will be sharing with clients the big news that the series has been sold into the U.S., with a slot secured on Sprout.

“Driver Dan’s Story Train was identified as the ideal brand for investment as it fulfills the criteria of being of the highest quality, the format can be adapted for regional audiences, it works across all platforms including consumer products, and it has a strong educational message regarding the importance of literacy as part of the development process for young children,” says Jane Smith, general manager of twofour54 iktibar commercial.

Production of the Arabic version of Driver Dan by partner company Blink Studios is due to wrap this year.

“ Distinctively combining CGI-animation with

live-action children, Driver Dan’s Story Train is a visually compelling series.

”

—Jane Smith

Driver Dan’s Story Train

ZDF Enterprises www.zdf-enterprises.de • The Elephant Princess • Ludovic • Tempo Express • Laura’s Star • H2O: Just Add Water

Laura’s Star

ZDF Enterprises has been building up its position as a leading provider of kids’ content in all genres and for all age groups.

“We believe in slowly and steadily building up a varied portfolio so that buyers know they will find something suited to them in our catalogue,” says Alexander Coridass, the president and CEO of ZDF Enterprises. “And not just anything, but the best of their kind, plucked from the workshops of the most talented animators, most intune writers, most demanding directors and most visionary producers.”

For MIPCOM, the company is highlighting the animated properties Ludovic, Laura’s Star and Tempo Express.

“Animation is always in demand, but buyers only want the highest quality,” Coridass points out. The live-action series The Elephant Princess, back for a second season, and a third run of H2O: Just Add Water round out the slate.

“ If buyers immediately associate

ZDF Enterprises with top kids’ fare, we’re on the right road.

”

—Alexander Coridass

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P A N O R A M A

By Anna Carugati

The Power of Television Not long ago, I was perusing the magazine section of a bookstore and the hit ’60s song “My Girl” by The Temptations was playing. Suddenly, something about the melody, the lyrics and the fact my eyes had just caught sight of the cover of Seventeen magazine, I felt like I was 12 again.

You know how a song can unexpectedly catapult you back in time and for an instant you feel the same sensations you did when you used to listen it? Out of nowhere, I had the taste of Hawaiian Punch Fruit Juicy Red and Twinkies in my mouth, I could smell the pages of Seventeen, I saw the posters on the walls of my bedroom and the dial of the radio that fueled my pre-pubescent dreams and assuaged my insecurities. A radio and Seventeen, what more could a girl ask for back in the late ’60s?

Back then, children’s programming was much more limited than it is today. So we pre-teens (the term tween hadn’t been coined yet) looked for groovy role models in prime time: Marlo Thomas on That Girl, Peggy Lipton on The Mod Squad and later Susan Dey on The Partridge Family and Mary Tyler Moore on her own show.

Today my daughter is 12 and she cannot even conceive of the media world I grew up in—no cable channels, DVDs, DVRs, iPod touches or iPads. In fact, she often looks at me with an expression of semi-disgust that says,“Oh my God, like, you know, you were so deprived you really aren’t a complete human being.” (I find solace in the fact that most mothers of 12-year-old girls, for one reason or another, get that look, often.)

As I gazed at all those magazines covers I realized something else. When I was growing up, the magazines my friends and I were interested in, Seventeen, Tiger Beat and Modern Screen, were filled with stars from feature films or prime-time shows. There were no actors from kids’ shows.

Today there are several tween-targeted magazines, J-14, BOP, Go!, M, 20 Under 20, just to name few, and they are all filled with young stars from TV shows. Other than the actors from the Twilight trilogy and Justin Bieber, page after page is dedicated to Selena Gomez, Miranda Cosgrove, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus,Victoria Justice, Emma Roberts, Hilary Duff, and on and on, all from kids’ shows.

That just illustrates the power of television and how it has become the primary—not the only, but certainly the primary—source of entertainment, trends and cool stuff for kids, no matter what their age is.

In fact, spend time with just about any preschooler. Better yet, walk through a toy store or even a bookstore with preschool

children and watch them gravitate first toward toys, games and books connected to favorite TV shows. It’s hard to get them to focus on anything they haven’t already seen on TV. According to research done at the University of Michigan, children between the ages of three and five recognize brands. In a study, brand names were shown to children accompanied by questions like, “Have you seen this before?” and “What types of things do they make?” The children’s recognition rates were as high as 92 percent for some of the 50 brands tested across 16 product categories.

Even at a very young age, children make an emotional connection to brands that are part of their everyday lives, whether it be McDonald’s, Lego, Barbie or TV brands whose characters come to life in fun and engaging ways and transport children to imaginary worlds and adventures.

Certainly, as children get older they continue to find points of reference and “cool-factor” beacons in the shows they watch. That was clearly displayed on the magazine covers I saw, and in the behavior of my daughter and her friends.

When High School Musical was all the rage, Halloween costumes of Sharpay and Gabriella were flying off store shelves.When iCarly launched, they all wanted to start websites of their own and make videos of their everyday lives.And when Selena Gomez cut her hair, well, you can figure out the rest.

No doubt, children today are media savvy and growing up much faster than we were. Those are two constant themes throughout this issue of TV Kids, in our features about the importance of comedy for kids, preschool programming and Asian animation, and in our interviews with Sesame Workshop’s Gary Knell, Turner Broadcasting’s Michael Carrington, Moonscoop’s Christophe di Sabatino, Cyber Group’s Pierre Sissman, YFE’s Stefan Piëch and Michael Poryes, the co-creator of Hannah Montana.

Poryes talked about getting into the mindset of tweens and writing material that is relevant to them. He rightly points out there are universal truths about being nine, or 12 or 14, no matter what the media landscape is—kids want to fit in, they have to deal with friends and parents, and they need role models, just like we did.

Television has become the primary source of entertainment, trends and cool stuff for kids—no matter what their age is.

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ACTF’S The Dukes of Broxstonia.

Make Them Nowadays, a good dose of humor is imperative in any successful children’s show.

Laugh

By David Wood There is no doubt children love any show that brings on a giggle, snicker or full-bellied guffaw. Whether it’s slapstick, goofy or irreverent, comedy is a must-have genre for any children’s channel. In fact, it’s hard to imagine a commissioner or buyer even considering a show that does not have a laughout-loud quality to it.

In the view of Suzanne French, the VP of children’s and family at Shaftesbury Films, comedy is simply a fundamental part of kids’ programming these days. “Everything needs to have a comedic element of some sort. Our kids lead busy, complicated little lives and it’s our job to provide some levity. The need to laugh and enjoy yourself is pretty primal so I wouldn’t pitch a show which didn’t have some element of comedy.”

Stephanie Betts, the VP of development at DHX Media, adds, “Comedy is a number one rated genre on television for 6- to 9-year-olds and even the 9- to 14-year-old age group.

Kids are able to get their fix of action and adventure on other platforms, but they’ve come to trust broadcasters to deliver comedy that consistently delivers.”

This wasn’t always the case.Ten years ago, kids’ commissioners were crying out for high-concept series and dramas, recalls Ed Galton, the chief creative officer and managing director at CAKE Entertainment. “But now everybody is asking for kidrelatable comedy based on real-life situations at school or home.”

It’s a point echoed by 9 Story Entertainment’s co-founder, president and CEO,Vince Commisso. “The message loud and 276

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clear from the broadcasters is that they are looking for kids’ comedy with characters which are relatable to what kids do today.”

One big plus factor that attracts broadcasters, beyond comedy’s obvious entertainment values, is the repeatability of the genre, insists Skywriter Media & Entertainment Group’s executive producer and CEO, Kevin Gillis. “Comedy has the ability to play over and over again. If broadcasters are investing a lot of money in programming—particularly in times when commissioning budgets have to go further—the long-tail aspect to comedy is becoming more and more significant.”

But the fact that there has never been more demand for successful kids’ comedies hasn’t made series any easier to produce.

“It’s the most elusive thing to create,” insists CAKE’s Galton.

The most difficult age group to please is the 9-to-14 set, according to 9 Story’s Commisso. While the viewing preferences of the preschool audience and, to some extent, of 6- to 9-year-olds, haven’t shifted much, 9- to 14-year-olds have moved on and are watching sitcoms targeted at adults, which has influenced the kind of comedy they want to watch. 9 Story’s latest series in development, Bash Boyz, a Terminator-style animation about a 16-year-old who is sent back in time to meet his 13-year-old father, explores the thorny world of teen/parent dynamics and is a clear attempt to target that increasingly hard-to-reach age group.

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Bros for life: 9 Story is targeting the elusive 9-to-14 set with its new animated comedy Bash Boyz, currently in development.

from quality writing.This usually means a single creative visionary who sets the tone and best understands the characters and how they interrelate. But top-notch children’s comedy writers are few and far between.

Traditional writers of children’s shows are not as sophisticated in comedy as the ones writing for adult shows are, admits Skywriter’s Gillis.

When looking for comedy writing talent CAKE goes to the U.S. American children’s writers are better respected, better paid and generally of a higher caliber than they are in the U.K., where it can be difficult to recruit top quality talent—particularly for shows aimed at 8- to 12-year-olds. One solution is to commission sitcom writers with a talent for children’s programming, but they can often be more expensive.

DHX Media’s Betts points out that the situation is similar in Canada.

Kids’ writers have to serve an apprenticeship in Los Angeles in order to be recognized as showrunners back home. “It’s important that we start taking more risks on home-grown talent,” she argues. “By creating more opportunities for mentorship we’ll allow junior writers to grow and showcase their abilities, thus fostering emerging talent. It’s time we start creating our own star system in Canada and recognizing the talent in our backyard before they all head south.”

In the interim, one alternative is to invest in really good script editors who have the ability to pull scripts into shape.

WRITERS’ ROOM

An increasingly useful technique, which evolved in the world of adult comedy writing, is the use of a writers’ room, where scripts are polished to perfection.

According to 9 Story’s Commisso, writers’ rooms are becoming more and more common in children’s comedy writing these days. “You still need an overall shepherd who understands the characters very well, but you make sure he or she has a lot of support in the form of a room of writers who can help critique the characters and hone the comedy.”

“Sitcom writers have done this for years,” adds Skywriter’s Gillis.

“Now we are utilizing writers’ rooms in which a live-action or ani-

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Wild ride: One of CAKE’s biggest hits on the animated comedy front is Eliot Kid.

mation head writer sits down with selected colleagues; they work up story lines and read them around the table. Then the other writers critique and ramp up the jokes. Writers’ rooms are as funny as hell— and are probably the best part of my job.”

Skywriter’s latest team-written shows include the 52-part Ren & Stimpy-style animation series called Chuckles ‘N’ Knuckles, co-produced with Jam Filled Entertainment, and the animated series, Elliott & Lucy, created by Ian James Corlett with a four-strong writers’ room.

VISUAL LANGUAGE

But the art of good comedy is about more than the discipline of writing, although that’s always the foundation, explains Gillis. “We are utilizing more and more adult comedy writers and joining them up with really good storyboard artists, who apply action and a sense of timing to the written creative starting point.This is in itself an important starting point for the actors and animators.”

Writing is only the beginning, agrees DHX Media’s Betts: “It’s absolutely crucial to assemble a great team on all fronts. In the 6-to-9 or 8-to-12 age groups, storyboard artists and directors are often overlooked, but they play an integral part in adding to the comedy. The most successful series often have a great deal of physical comedy and this tends to come from the director and board artists involved in the process. It’s important for everyone involved at each stage of the process to be asking themselves, ‘How can we make this funnier?’ as opposed to simply executing the script.”

Shaftesbury’s French adds that the best comedy is produced when everybody on the production team understands the tone and the ultimate goal of a series. “This way the director can communicate it to the actors—there will always be those jokes that get a great reaction on the floor that you didn’t see in the script. A lot of the comedy is found in editing and post-production, especially if you have the right editors who know how to cut [a scene] to maximize the comedy.”

“On Life with Derek we found every step of the way made things better,” continues French. “Well-written scripts were added to by the actors and the editors, while the composer and sound effects editor made things even funnier. It had that alchemy where the end result was so much more than the sum of the parts.”

Live-action comedy has the added complication of casting the right children, which is always a difficult process because few young actors are able to deliver comedy as effectively as older ones. “There are a lot of talented kids, but delivering a joke is not that easy at all,” notes CAKE’s Galton.“It’s a highly honed skill, which is one reason that kids’ comedy is so elusive.”

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s (ACTF) head of development and production, Bernadette O’Mahony, whose credits

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Laugh track: Shaftesbury has carved a niche in the provision of live-action tween comedies, such as the new show Connor Undercover.

include the live-action series Round the Twist, Crash Zone and Legacy of the Silver Shadow, recommends casting children whose own personalities match the part. “We go for the kids with a spark that stands out in acting workshops.”

Usually the talent gap is plugged by finding actors who are several years senior to the roles they are playing, because they will have had time to acquire that extra level of comic sophistication.

While Shaftesbury’s French aims to cast younger in live-action comedies, she admits it’s much harder to find the star quality required in younger kids. Although it’s difficult to come up with a formula for successful casting, the approach that worked for Shaftesbury on Life with Derek was to get the anchor character right—in this case Michael Seater—and to build the rest of the casting decisions around that one central character.

Another key to successful casting, according to 9 Story’s Commisso, is to use instantly recognizable characters. “In live action, headline talent is becoming more and more important, particularly for comedy,” says Commisso, who has recently cast Wizards of Waverley Place’s Jennifer Stone as Harriet in his latest Harriet the Spy feature, which could become a TV series.

For Skywriter’s Live from Earth, Gillis enlisted the support of some of the top production talent to get the most out of the script and the actors. This included writer Robin Stein (Hannah Montana) and Dawson’s Creek director Keith Samples, who has a track record for getting the best possible performances out of teenagers.

SHARED CREATIVITY

While a large amount of kids’ programming is co-produced, this can pose specific challenges with comedy—particularly if a show has to work across different territories and different cultures.

“Co-productions [in this genre] can be a bit tricky, as comedy is so subjective and at times very regional,” observes DHX Media’s Betts. “It’s important to choose a partner with similar sensibilities to ensure the show will work for both markets. It’s also helpful if your story editor is located in one country as opposed to having story editors in both countries: this ensures the show will always have a consistent voice.”

Betts insists, however, that some fundamental comedic elements are universally funny. “You just have to sit in a movie theater and listen to how a young audience reacts to a character tripping, burping and running into a door for it to be clear that physical humor is universal.”

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Guess who’s for dinner?: DHX Media has been rolling out the live-action sketch comedy show That’s So Weird.

Universal maybe, but if comedy is to work internationally it still has to be able to fit into a range of different cultural frameworks—without sacrificing the originality that will set it apart from other work.

There are, for example, clear differences in the amount of slapstick and vulgarity that different cultures will tolerate. One of the big differences is between Anglo-Saxon or North American comedy and southern European comedy. Anglo-Saxon comedy could be considered ruder, where things like vomiting are considered funny. In parts of Europe, that may not be funny at all.

Skywriter’s Gillis notes, “In the animated series Atomic Betty we had a food fight in a school, something that happens in North America, but the French were horrified. It’s clear that in certain countries there are some behaviors parents don’t want kids imitating, and you have to respect that.”

Besides being sensitive to cultural differences, Gillis recommends avoiding linguistic jokes that depend on the turn of a phrase, which definitely won’t travel to Spain, France, Latin America or Germany.

Creating jokes and gags from characters rather than situations goes a long way to solving inter-territorial disconnects, he adds. “The comedy should come more from the characters of your show than the circumstances they find themselves in.That way you avoid the problem of comedy emanating from situations that don’t exist in other cultures.”

Despite all the “do’s” and “don’ts,”kids’ comedy remains a mysterious art.

“If it was easy we’d all be Stephen Hillenburg!” declares DHX Media’s Betts.

Hillenburg’s animated creation SpongeBob SquarePants, is Nickelodeon’s most successful comedy, but as 9 Story’s Commisso points out, the Nickelodeon character had modest beginnings. “Little was expected of SpongeBob—an off-the-wall concept about the underwater adventures of a goofy sea sponge—but slowly it turned into a hit because kids really love the off-the-wall characters.”

Hillenburg himself told TV Kids in a previous interview, “You can’t start making a show about a sponge and think it will be a huge hit. I thought it would have a cult audience but no broad appeal.”

Commisso has high hopes for Almost Naked Animals, his latest SpongeBob-style high-concept animation, which is currently in development.

It’s about a group of animals in their underwear running a hotel in a seaside resort. “It’s the funniest thing I’ve ever worked on, with a dozen laugh-out-loud moments in every episode,” he promises.

Despite the breakout success of out-of-the-box series such as SpongeBob, buyers still err on the side of caution, insisting on the mantra of kid-relatable, family-inclusive series, reports CAKE’s Galton.

Commissioners and buyers would be well served to show less caution.

Experience has demonstrated that by taking a few risks they are more likely to find the next hit, explains Galton. “Put a high-concept idea in front of buyers and they say they don’t want it, but I’d like to see more of these kind of shows.”

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Classic Media’s Tinga Tinga Tales.

Preschool Swings Forward Over the last few years, multiplatform offerings and new technologies have been enhancing preschool content.

By David Wood Interactive games, mobile content, apps, computer-generated imagery, even 3D-style animation. You might think these are enhancements to teen or young-adult content. Think again. They are actually all used to boost the appeal of preschool programming.

“Advances in technology over the last five years have been breathtaking,” says Chloe van den Berg, the executive VP of international at Classic Media. “It’s not limited to Toy Story 3 in 3D in the cinema. Preschool shows now use a range of techniques from 3D CGI and 2D, to stop frame and a mixture of live action and animation.”

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It’s the variety of different styles that makes an effective preschool schedule these days, argues Patr ick Elmendorff, the managing director of Studio100 Media.

“3D animation is definitely most popular right now, but little ones love diversity, so there is room for classic animation techniques.

“Animated, live-action or mixed-media shows work very well for preschoolers because they enjoy stories and music and they like to observe other children,” continues Elmendorff. “A broadcaster should line up a rich schedule with a mix of animation and live action.”

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Nine lives: Portfolio and its partners have delivered a new take on Dr. Seuss’s iconic character in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

The other big technological innovation that is transforming the marketplace for preschool content is the development of multiplatform offerings on the web, game consoles and mobile smart phones. They all allow producers and broadcasters to extend the availability of today’s preschool offerings beyond the TV screen.

“If there’s a big trend in preschool, it’s toward interactivity more than anything, which means that a broad multimedia strategy for preschool brands is essential,” declares Classic Media’s van den Berg, who points to the success of Classic Media’s Where’s Waldo?, which rated as the most downloaded iPhone app earlier this year.

Colorful crew: BBC Worldwide has begun rolling out ZingZillas, a CBeebies commission that In an increasingly on-demand uses music as a tool for engaging preschoolers. world, 360-degree concepts with well thought out Internet and mobile brand extensions will be the CBeebies’ controller, Kay Benbow, explains: “CBeebies’ latshape of preschool in the future and content will become increas- est live-action music series ZingZillas has a really successful ingly geared to reflect that, observes Studio100’s Elmendorff. website which goes deeper into the show’s music content.

This means shorter-form programming that cuts to the chase.

Online games have been properly developed with the same “Content running for somewhere between 5 and 11 minutes musicians in consultation with a musical advisor specializing in young children’s development.” will travel better than 26-minute episodes,” he argues.

Benbow confirms that downloadable mobile apps will It’s a trend confirmed by Skywriter’s executive producer and CEO, Kevin Gillis, who points out that the animated probably not be too far away on more major CBeebies proseries Elliott & Lucy, which originally started life as a series gram brands. Besides offering parents a useful tool for disof 11-minute episodes, has now been shortened to tracting their kids with downloadable applications, platforms just 7-minute episodes. “If you can say it in less time such as online can also be a good way of offering parents and fewer scenes, do so because narrative time frames more information about programming, she adds.

“Some parents think that allowing their kids to watch TV is are being compressed,” observes Gillis. “But broadcasters still want conflict and conflict resolution, which not a good thing and feel guilty about it,” continues Benbow. can be a bit of a challenge for the writers, particularly if “Of course, we are not saying watch TV 24/7, but what we can do with the Internet is use it to explain to parents how a show they have to deliver comedy as well.” is meant to work, plus we can suggest active things for parents MOM-APPROVED CONTENT to do with their children prompted by the website or mobile The surge in multiplatform development is apps, such as printing out pictures and coloring them in. It driven, in part, by the positive responses of enables us to give parents the opportunity to take part in parents, who see iPhone apps, games and activities related to the show, and make them feel more condownloadable short-form episodes as par- fident and less guilty.” ticularly useful when their children need to be distracted at the supermarket or durCHARMING TALES ing a car journey.

But before we get too carried away by the heady possibilities This uptake is all good news for the pro- of technological innovation, it’s important to remember the gram brand, insists Studio100’s Elmendorff. basics of successful preschool content, which remain “In an increasingly fragmented media enviunchanged, warns Classic Media’s van den Berg. “Despite the ronment, it is even more important to create amazing range of techniques, it’s important to remember that a dedicated community around your brand kids don’t care so much about the look of a show or what platin order to foster strong emotional ties. Howform it’s on. Success in preschool programming still boils down ever, these interactive worlds shouldn’t get too to the fundamentals: do you have a great story and great charcomplicated for this young target age group.The acters. The foundation stone of any show is a fantastic story element of ‘fun’ should be the main focus, comthat engages and makes kids laugh. If the child doesn’t engage, bined with educational elements in a playful way.” it’s never going to work.”

It’s a point echoed by CBeebies’ Benbow, who has overThe secret of multiplatform development is to move seen a wide range of in-house and independently proyour audience between platforms, offering them a difduced shows for the BBC, including In the Night Garden, ferent experience on each while maintaining the same quality that audiences experience on linear TV. Numberjacks and ZingZillas.

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“In a crowded field, what preschool shows really need to cut through is a strong story with strong characters who really connect with the audience. I’m looking for warm, appealing characters who are not challenging in too many ways,” says Benbow.

THE POWER OF LAUGHTER

Wild things: One of Beyond’s newest preschool series is Wild Animal Baby Explorers.

Another essential part of the mix is to make kids laugh, Benbow adds. “If you can make them laugh you can engage them better. It builds their confidence in what they are viewing. In particular comedy works well for preschoolers because they love to anticipate what’s going to happen next. They feel empowered by that experience, and it’s an important part in their development.”

But appealing story lines and characters with a sense of fun might not be enough to get you a commission in today’s cutthroat children’s market. What might just push you over the finish line ahead of everybody else is a concept with a fresh, new original approach. In short, something that nobody has seen before.

“Everyone’s looking for something that’s a little bit different,” says Fiona Crago, the general manager at Beyond Distribution, who hopes her latest series Toybox and Iconicles tick that box for the MIP Junior audience. Created by Ron Saunders and Ian Munro, two of Australia’s most experienced preschool producers, Toybox is a “visually fresh” 75x30-minute animated series about toys coming to life, explains Crago.

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She also has high hopes for Iconicles, a fast-paced multiplatform entertainment property that utilizes a mix of 2D and 3D animation with stylized live action aimed at older preschoolers.

Beyond is also showcasing Wild Animal Baby Explorers, based on the award-winning magazine Wild Animal Baby.

CBeebies’ Benbow has her own distinctive autumn newcomer in the shape of The Octonauts, based on the successful books by design team Meomi. The 50x11-minute series promises a classic team adventure with dazzling CGI animation to transport preschoolers into a journey of discovery through the world’s oceans.

“We don’t have anything like it,” says Benbow. “It’s basically underwater Star Trek for preschoolers with a very distinctive look. It just stood out and offered something different involving teamwork and learning. We hope preschoolers will see something out of the ordinary.”

Classic Media’s van den Berg insists that it was the uniqueness of Tiger Aspect’s animated Tinga Tinga Tales, based on characters hand-drawn at an animation studio in Nairobi, that set it apart from other preschool animations.

For van den Berg, it underlined that producers need to have done their homework before they start pitching shows to broadcasters. “You really have to know your market and make sure you know what else is out there, then you can tell if it’s bringing something fresh and new to the audience,” she explains.

Despite the importance of originality, it’s worth bearing in mind that in recent years broadcasters have shown a reluctance

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Book of life: Skywriter has a Brazilian co-production partner on its series Vivi, which is accompanied by a strong online component.

to take too many risks—a probable consequence of the economic recession.“There is a lot of conservatism among broadcasters at the moment because there’s a lot of pressure for things to work and there’s not much room for failure,” reports Beyond’s Crago. “That’s why there’s a tension between not wanting to take too many risks by re-commissioning established brands and looking for things that are fresh and different.”

It’s a difficult balance to strike, insists Cookie Jar’s VP of development, Jilliane Reinseth. “There’s so much preschool programming that broadcasters don’t have many needs and that’s unusual in my ten-year experience. I’ve never found it so difficult.”

Studio100’s Elmendorff sums up the key elements that new shows are likely to need in an overloaded, competitive market. “The core values are kid-relatable, fresh, funny and amazing characters, entertaining stories with a great sense of humor, a unique way of storytelling, high production values and great music. But at the same time they all should have edutainment elements.”

Other trends in preschool include a demand for shows featuring more characters that are positive role models, says Portfolio’s Olfman. “More and more broadcasters are looking for aspirational protagonists.

We have come a long way from the Dick and Jane stories, where fathers went to work with a briefcase and mom did the vacuuming. Now preschool stories need to show kids that anything is possible and boys and girls can be the best they can be.”

CBeebies’ Benbow confirms that she’s on the lookout for more shows like Everything’s Rosie, her 3D animated preschool series which offers positive role models for girls. “Everything’s Rosie has established itself very quickly—maybe because we have not had an out-and-out girl’s show up until now. That might be filling a gap so I’m on the lookout for shows that offer strong role models for our female CBeebies viewers.”

One such show is Playtime Buddies, produced and distributed by Mondo TV. This 52x13-minute animated series, produced in HD, encourages the development of positive social interaction and cognitive skills. The property features both real-life role models, such as bakers, cowboys, policemen, firefighters, athletes and farmers, as well as the fantasy characters who inhabit the imaginations of children, like pirates, mermaids, princesses and superheroes.

“Parents of young children do not want to place any boundaries on the possibilities for their children as they grow and explore their options in this world,” says Matteo Corradi, Mondo TV’s head of sales and board member. “This sense of unlimited potential is a gift that Mondo TV and Playtime Buddies hope to deliver to all preschoolers.”

BOOK WORMS

One way to achieve balance is by offering commissioners unique concepts based on established preschool classics—typically, successful children’s books that can be re-versioned. Many, including Portfolio Entertainment co-president Lisa Olfman, argue it’s a strategy which is a lot less risky than launching an entirely new preschool property.

“We don’t do new properties for preschool, only pre-existing ones,” declares Olfman. “We only develop new concepts for the bigger tween marketplace where there are more opportunities.”

Portfolio’s animated preschool property The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, a 40x30-minute series based on the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat books, is a case in point. “I think broadcasters are looking for classic brands with iconic characters. It’s difficult for broadcasters with a fragmented market and no advertising attached to be as successful as they are with properties where kids or parents already have their own relationship with the characters.”

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Busy as a bee: Studio100 is revamping the German classic Maya the Bee in CGI.

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As co-creator and executive producer of the hit shows Hannah Montana and That’s So Raven, Michael Poryes definitely knows how to relate to the tween audience and, in particular, girl viewers. He talks about the new show he is working on, Life with Boys, about a 13-year-old girl who lives with her father and three brothers. Nelvana Studio and YTV in Canada have partnered to produce the series, which is set to premiere on YTV in September 2011. Classic Media will manage TV distribution in all territories worldwide—excluding Canada, Latin America and Asia (except Japan), which will be handled by Nelvana Enterprises, and Australia, France and the U.K., which will be covered by Helion Pictures.

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: You have worked on prime-time shows and on shows for tweens. How do you get inside the heads of tweens and write material that is relevant to them?

PORYES: My first job was on Facts of Life, where I wrote for four girls and then I wrote a show called Small Wonder, which was [about] a girl who [was] half robot, then I wrote Out of this World, and she was a girl, but she was half alien!

Are you seeing a trend here?

TV KIDS: I don’t know what you are trying to say about girls, but that’s for another conversation!

PORYES: Yes, they all are half alien anyway! Any parent will tell you! The jobs I’ve always gotten have been very female-

The King of Tweens

Michael Poryes

oriented. I wrote on Veronica’s Closet. I wrote on Cybil. My mindset in everything I wrote in prime time, from a girl to a woman, was always from a female perspective.

When you make the switch to writing for kids’ shows, a lot of writers fall into the trap of saying this is just a cute little kids’ show and I’m going to write it from the parent’s perspective and I’m going to dictate to the kids. I have never approached writing that way. I really do approach it from the character. When you write kids’ shows, you cannot lose sight of the fact that you were a kid once and there are universal truths that were true when I was a kid and that are true with kids now and will continue to always be true with kids: friendships, enemies, fitting in, insecurities, dealing with parents, being an outcast, trusting and being disappointed.

All these things, no matter what’s going on, if it was 30 or 10 years ago or if it’s today or 20 years from now, will always be true. You don’t want to get into the trap of trying, as an adult, to get into today’s trends of the hip things going on.

You don’t want to get into that; you want to stay at the universal truths and the universal emotions and then to fold in the trends.

When you are writing, the secret is just to wear your emotions right up on your sleeves, remember back to when you were that age and write in a very, very empathetic, sympathetic way, but not a preachy way. Then you truly get into the perspective of a teen girl and a teen boy. When I was a teen and wanted to ask the girl out, what was I feeling? Boys today at the same age go through the same thing. What was a girl going through waiting for me to ask her out?

TV KIDS: She was waiting for the phone to ring!

PORYES: Exactly! I put myself into it as a guy, I take away all

the macho stuff, and I’m left with a girl, and that is what I start to put down. I love it.With this kind of programming you feel as if you are doing something important.You feel as though you are able to offer little bits of advice without being preachy and share things you wish you would have known then. But [you’re] doing it in a way where everything doesn’t always work out and sometimes the lesson, per se, is that you are going to lose sometimes and, through losing, if you come away with a little bit more knowledge for next time, then you win.

Children today are so much smarter than we were. They get it, they truly get it, so the other thing is to never write down to them, don’t write to the lowest common denominator. Write with respect about real relationships and real friendships. And never approach stories from, Oh, that would be funny, but instead from, What’s this about? What’s the real situation? Because once I have that and I have real characters, I will always, always be able to find the funny.

TV KIDS: You mentioned passing on valuable lessons. As a

parent, I can certainly say that my daughter would rather hear them from a character on a TV show than hear them from me.

PORYES: Oh, my God, I have a 15-year-old boy—are you kidding me? He’d rather hear it from Burn Notice than hear it from me! I totally understand that. I can tell you about one of the episodes of Hannah Montana that I am most proud of.

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fed up and insulted. He doesn’t want a big party, he just wants to spend time with his kid, but Hannah is not finding value in that until she meets someone whose father is overseas in Afghanistan and through that she realizes what those kids go through not having their parents there.

When that kid tells Hannah, “I would give anything to spend five minutes with my dad, anything,” she puts on a concert in tribute of military families.We invited real military families and we had a song written especially for this. It resonated so much that kids after they watched the episode—I heard this from parents—were just a little bit nicer. Just a tad! And that’s all I needed to hear. The biggest compliment that I’ve gotten on Hannah Montana is from parents saying, “Finally, a show I can sit down and watch with my kids.”

And that is exactly what I am going for with Life with Boys.

TV KIDS: Tell us about Life with Boys.

PORYES: Life with Boys is a concept and a

show whose time has come. I think that kids are ready for not yet another gimmick show—a show about a singer or a dancer, or someone who knows karate or somebody that is magical. All fine premises and nice shows, but kids are now ready for a lower-concept character-driven show about the truth. And this show is about a 13-year-old girl who lives in a house of boys: three brothers, a single dad and a male dog! She can’t win! I think even the goldfish are all male! It’s about how her life is affected by having been raised in this house.

She is, therefore, a little bit tomboyish, she’s tough. She’s going to want to be on the boy’s wrestling team and she is going to be one of the best wrestlers on that team, but what does she do? Everyone is going to perceive her as some macho guy and not a girl. So it’s a show about, How do I live my life out there realizing that the boys on the outside are just as disgusting as the boys I live with? And I’m attracted to them, Oh, my! It’s about, What will I learn from dealing with boys on the outside that is going to inform how I deal with my brothers at home?

I also don’t want to make this show so girl-centric. This is going to be the first show where a boy can state his case.

Where boys can talk about why they do certain things, and be proud of it. She might be saying, “Why did you just take the milk carton out of the refrigerator and drink from the carton, what’s wrong with a glass?” Now we’ve never had that answered before, but in my pilot, the answer is simple: the boy is just going to say, “Well, I’d have to go to the cabinet, open it, there is a selection of glasses, I’ve got to choose which glass I want. Then I take that glass and I put in on the counter. I have to go to the refrigerator and get the car10/10

ton of milk, pour the milk into the glass. I don’t know how much milk I want. Do I want a sip? Not a sip, do I pour less or more? That is another decision. Then I pour the milk in the glass and I drink it. And now what am I left with? I’m left with a carton that I have to put back in the refrigerator and a glass that has to go into the dishwasher after I’m done with it. Now I have just spent 40 seconds of my extremely valuable life for a five-second sip out of a carton. Now, you tell me, who is right?”

You are going to have the guys watching going, “Yeah, that’s right!” And you’re going to have the girls say, “OK, I see your point, but it’s still disgusting!” And those little tidbits will be salted into real stories about how to deal with guys.

We are going to examine all of those things in a very real, warm and funny way. When I look at what’s out there in the kids’ TV landscape right now, I don’t see that.

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It’s Miley!: Michael Poryes co-created Hannah Montana, which turned Miley Cyrus into a star and became a huge global hit for Disney Channel.

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Tooning in to Singapore, Malaysia, India and Korea are home to a slew of animation producers making inroads in the global kids’ content market.

By Mansha Daswani Asia has always been a force in the global kids’ contentproduction business, but for many years it has been Japan, and its prolific anime market, that has made the most noise.

These days, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and India are all giving Japan a major run for its money as the region’s top animation producer.

Indeed, as a challenging economic climate has made international co-productions a necessity in the kids’ space, animation outfits across Asia are reaping the benefits thanks to highly skilled workforces, government incentives and lower cost bases.

Take, for instance, India, which historically has been home to work-for-hire outfits that could deliver top-notch anima-

tion for a fraction of what it would cost in North America or Europe.Today, Indian studios are being sought out for their technical skills—and for their ideas.

INDIAN SUMMER

DQ Entertainment (DQE) has rapidly emerged as a leading player. After building a strong reputation as an outsourcing studio for Western producers, DQE is now generating its own IP for both Indian and international channel brands, with properties like The Jungle Book and Peter Pan. For Tapaas Chakravarti, the founder, chairman and CEO of DQE, international expansion was always on the planner, even in the company’s early days. “We realized very early on Mr. Moon from Sparky Animation.

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“During our initial years we were more or less like a ‘sweatshop’ doing the labor-intensive production in the process of animation,” notes P. Jayakumar, Toonz’s CEO. Positioning itself as a leader in CGI animation, Toonz soon found partners in the likes of the BBC, Marvel, Cartoon Network and others. “Our business model slowly evolved and we became financial partners with these industry big wigs.”

PARTNER PARADE

Holding out for a hero: Malaysia’s MDeC partnered with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel on Saladin: The Animated Series.

that having a global footprint was the only survival strategy that would work in the animation industry,” he says. “Call it a gut feeling or pure horse sense; I did not start by focusing on the local industry at all—though it was quite nascent and waiting for take off.”

DQE took its first international steps about ten years ago, working with producers in Canada and France. Today, its list of co-production partners includes ZDF Enterprises in Germany, Moonscoop in France, Classic Media in the U.K. and Marvel Animation in the U.S., among others.

“We got our foot in the door with selective global coproductions and there’s been no looking back ever since,” Chakravarti says. “Aligning with global partners has helped us to derive maximum advantage through economies of scale, and while there are no short-cuts and nothing succeeds like hard work and sincerity, we have been very lucky to find like-minded client-partners who have contributed greatly to our success.”

Fellow Indian outfit Toonz Animation, which also has a base in Singapore, took a similar route, beginning as a work-for-hire studio before developing its own concepts for local broadcasters and then later aligning with international co-production partners.

Both Jayakumar and Chakravarti stress the importance of having a roster of top-notch partners outside of India when trying to boost your profile. It’s a view shared by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA), the regulatory office that has been working hard to boost interest in the Singaporean content sector. The MDA’s strategy has included sponsoring pavilions at MIPTV and MIPCOM, where Singaporean producers can network with potential partners.The authority has also negotiated treaties with its counterparts in markets like Canada and Australia to make Singapore a more attractive coproduction destination.

“Partnerships and co-productions have underpinned Singapore’s content strategy since we started growing our animation industry,” says Christopher Chia, the CEO of the MDA. Successful co-pros for the country include Rob the Robot, from One Animation and Amberwood Entertainment, Dinosaur Train, produced by Sparky Animation and The Jim Henson Company, and Zigby, from Big Animation and Zebra (I) Productions.

The MDA has also launched an International Animation Fund (IAF), in partnership with FremantleMedia Enterprises, which has several initiatives to train local talent, and co-invests in the production of original TV series by Singapore studios for export to international markets. Chia cites as examples Silly Bitty Bunny, from Scrawl Studios, Planet Nemo Animation in France and CarpeDiem Film & TV in Canada and Mr. Moon, from Title Entertainment in Canada, the U.K.’s Skaramoosh and Sparky Animation in Singapore.

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Red hot: India’s Toonz Animation has expanded beyond TV series production with animated feature titles like Dragonlance.

The investments, Chia says, have been worthwhile. “The fast pace of growth of Singapore’s animation industry—a 35percent increase in revenue, year on year, in 2008—is due to several key factors, [one] of which is the strong support given by the government.”

Chia adds, “From small outfits undertaking one-dimensional outsourced work, Singapore animation companies have scaled up the value chain, creating original IP content in 3D, HD and 3D stereoscopic, as well as winning new audiences through books, electronic games, merchandise, interactive websites and other media forms.”

The government of neighboring Malaysia has also made investing in content a priority, via the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC). While MDeC is putting its efforts in a variety of genres, animation has emerged as a key sector. “Approximately 20 percent to 30 percent of MSC Malaysia’s more than 200 entertainment and media companies are animation studios,” notes Datuk Mohd Badlisham Ghazali, the CEO of MDeC. Malaysian companies affiliated with MDeC receive financing, tax breaks and more, Ghazali says. This includes a fund of RM75 million ($23.7 million) to help local outfits co-

develop and co-own original properties for the global market. The goal, he notes, is to “increase the number of made-in-Malaysia animated projects available for sale and acquisition globally and generate creative IP and creative and technical skills.”

Like the MDA, MDeC brings a host of local companies to content markets across the globe. This MIPCOM, titles being showcased at the Malay pavilion will include Saladin: The Animated Series, a coproduction with Al Jazeera Children’s Channel; and, from Inspidea, Boo & Me, a co-pro with KidsCo. Initiated last year, the series, airing on KidsCo across Europe and Asia, has been followed up by two more Western co-productions for Inspidea, including Pet Squad with Darrall Macqueen and March Entertainment.

In Korea, it’s the government outfit Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) that has been driving awareness of the thriving local animation sector. One of the territory’s best-known companies is Daewon Media, which has been co-producing with international partners since the 1980s. “It was Cubix, which was a co-production between the U.S., Japan and Korea in the late ’90s, which allowed Daewon to really take off in the international co-production business,” says Bul Kyung Kim, director of the international content division.

EAST MEETS WEST

For Kim, Daewon’s ability to deliver properties that will fare well in Asia as well as in the West has been integral to its growth. “For the Eastern market, it will be something they can feel comfortable with, and for the Western market, it will be something new and fresh. Through Daewon’s creativity and international co-production strategy, [we are] able to provide children a new style of animation, yet something they can relate to.”

Kim also cites Daewon’s abilities in 3D animation, an area that is proving to be Asian studios’ calling card in the international market. Indeed, investments in technology across

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Making mischief: Inspidea’s latest productions include Mat Kacau, produced for Malaysian kids’ network Astro Ceria.

the board are giving companies from the region a leg up when working with partners in the U.S. and Europe.

“DQE has invested heavily in developing real-time communication infrastructure across all our facilities, which ensures a seamless workflow and data sharing—so critical to meet sacrosanct [deadlines],” says Chakravarti. “Apart from technical prowess and a robust production pipeline, we now have behind us the rich technical and creative experience of handling various high-end productions such as Iron Man, Little Nick, Little Prince, Penguins of Madagascar and several others. Our teams have honed their skills and constantly strive to upgrade skills and technology to make processes cost effective without compromising on production quality or creative values.”

COMMON LANGUAGE

Singaporean and Malaysian companies are also investing in advanced animation technology to gain a competitive edge.

But equally important, MDA’s Chia and MDeC’s Ghazali agree, is the ability of these companies to effectively communicate with international partners. “The talent is multilingual, speaking English and the common ethnic languages, with a growing proficiency in Japanese and Korean,” says

Ghazali of Malaysia. “The country also has a friendly environment and shares a similar culture with the West.”

MDA’s Chia, meanwhile, notes that Singapore was named the “World’s Easiest Place to Do Business” by the World Bank’s Doing Business 2010 Report. “Being a highly cosmopolitan Asian country, Singapore offers a blend of Eastern sensibilities and Western modes of business efficiency,” Chia adds. “Our media talent possesses cultural insights that enable them to turn Asian characters and folklore into winning content with global appeal.”

Nonetheless, co-productions are always a challenge, especially when companies are separated by cultures, sensibilities and time zones.

“To be successful one must carefully consider and cater to the requirements on a global level as well as a local level,” says Toonz’s Jayakumar.

“To work internationally is not an obligation, but a choice, and producing together with a common objective is akin to a marriage,” says DQE’s Chakravarti. “You need trust, a clear understanding of expectations on both sides, a clear understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses, a defined scope of work and a well laid out prenuptial, in case the relationship sours along the way!”

Andrew Ooi, the managing director of Inspidea, has gleaned two key lessons from his experience with international co-pros. “You must accept and utilize the differences in culture, project needs and work procedures between the partners. And you must be yourself and let the kid out! Once you do these two things, the co-pro becomes a fruitful and meaningful business relationship.”

Ooi, however, admits that expansion outside of his domestic market has been a challenge, given the tremendously competitive environment today. “Apart from having to crash through the local content quotas in some countries, our greatest challenge has always been getting recognized as a unique studio with good track record in

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a property that will travel. “Buyers request properties that contain distinctive characteristics for their own market,” he says. “Creating a property that fits everyone’s taste is incredibly difficult, let alone the considerable amount of time and resources [needed] to develop such a property.”

GLOBAL AMBITIONS

Iconic toons: DQE has partnered with Method Animation and MK2 on Charlie Chaplin.

producing animation. Inspidea needs to stand out not as a big fish, but as a little fish that can do the job and still have fun.”

Daewon’s Kim points to the difficulties of catering to your local broadcaster’s sensibilities while also developing

Whatever obstacles are in their path, animation studios in Asia are eager to continue growing their global businesses. India’s DQE recently went public and has expanded its production output. The company is equipped, Chakravarti says, to handle between 20 and 22 projects simultaneously, and it has gone beyond TV series production into feature films, with a slate that currently includes The Prodigies with Warner Bros., among other partners. The goal is to produce and release one feature film a year, Chakvarti says, increasing it to two annually in 2012.

Jayakumar has set his sights on Toonz’s new U.S.-based distribution business, Toonz Entertainment. The move, he says, “is our first step toward becoming a global one-stop media house. We are looking to acquire kids’ programming libraries to scale up our distribution business.”

Singaporean companies, says Chia, need to continue focusing on original IP creation, “thus ensuring long-term sustainability of the companies and the industry,” he says. “Singapore’s next goal is to enhance the merchandising potential of our animation properties, as well as optimize business partnerships, so as to help companies exploit revenue from our developed properties.”

For Chia, all signs point to the health of the region’s animation sector. “Over the next two years, the global animation industry is projected to grow at 8 percent a year, hitting $90 billion by 2012. Growing consumer appetite for animated TV content, films and interactive games in emerging markets in Asia (China, India) and the Middle East, is expected to drive this growth,” Chia says.

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Michael Carrington has gained a unique perspective on the children’s business, from the point of view of a public broadcaster as well as that of a commercial concern. His successful career has included highprofile positions at the BBC and currently he is chief content officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) at Turner Broadcasting.

Catering to Children

Turner’s Michael Carrington

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: You recently moved from the BBC, a public broadcaster, to a commercial group of channels. How did that change your view of programming?

CARRINGTON: I was the first controller of CBeebies and so I was very focused on one brand. I found myself solely in the world of the preschool audience for the last five years. Joining Turner Broadcasting is a fantastic opportunity to work across the entire kids’ demographic. Programming for children over 6 is more sophisticated, challenging and interesting because children at that age are able to understand story structure in greater detail. From that perspective it’s very liberating. I now look after all audiences up to the age of 12 or 13. That’s one thing. The other thing is that a public-service broadcaster is very focused on its domestic market. Even though I was the brand guardian of CBeebies worldwide, we were only just starting to launch CBeebies in various places around the world, so with my dayto-day hat on, I was very focused on British kids.

Now, I am responsible for all of Turner’s content across EMEA and that includes a huge variety of cultures and different references that children grow up with at different [developmental] stages, so it’s really fascinating.

TV KIDS: What does Cartoon Network want to offer chil-

slightly younger than in the U.S. and that’s where the comedy element really comes into force in our schedules.

TV KIDS: And what about Boomerang and Cartoonito?

CARRINGTON: Boomerang is, and will remain, our classic

animation channel. Our core audience on Boomerang is 3 to 6 and families, which includes siblings and mum and dad, and they love the classics—Scooby-Doo, Tom and Jerry. We’re working on a preschool strategy across the Boomerang channels in EMEA.We’re looking at really connecting with those 3- to 6year-olds in a much more focused way. We will provide wellcrafted programs that are designed to meet their needs, while remaining a broader channel of classic content.When I say classic content, I also include updated classics, whether The Pink Panther on Boomerang or CGI Garfield on Cartoonito, both of which really resonate with our audience. But at the same time it’s important to bring fresh new content to that younger audience and this is what we’re actively working on.

Cartoonito is only broadcast in the U.K. It is our nursery channel, so under-6 is the audience. It has some fantastic content. The number one show at the moment is Fireman Sam and the channel offers among the best of the world’s preschool programming.

dren that they can’t find elsewhere?

CARRINGTON: A definitive brand of Cartoon Network Bunny bonding: Turner is producing The Amazing World of Gumball in its London studios for global rollout on Cartoon Network.

comedy, which resonates with our audience of boys and girls, with a strong focus on boys aged between 6 and 12. They want from us the ability to laugh and we can bring to audiences real laugh-out-loud comedy alongside all of the great action-adventure that we do in our U.S. studio, like Ben 10 and our new Generator Rex. In Europe the audience is skewed

TV KIDS: Are you finding that the preschool market is

underserved outside of Europe?

CARRINGTON: Yes, there are certainly [fewer] channels outside

of Europe that target that audience. As part of my remit across EMEA, it’s definitely something I’ll be looking at in the coming months. In that vein, we’re actively fostering and seeking relationships with producers outside of Europe to create local content in the Middle East and North African markets in particular.

TV KIDS: In the U.S., Cartoon Network is introducing live action to its schedule.Will that be a part of your strategy as well?

CARRINGTON: Yes, we’ve had a lot of success with the Ben 10 live-action movies on the back of the really popular animated series. Those movies brought to our attention that the audience would like some live action from us. We just need to find the right genre, the right format, the right approach and tone to live action and that is what we are doing at the moment. Our comrades in the U.S. have recently brought a couple of things to life: Unnatural History, which has been very successful, launched first, and Tower Prep is next.They are slightly older skewing liveaction shows than we’d probably do here in Europe. Live action is an important component of what we offer, but it’s never going to take over the animation.

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The fun-loving Muppets from Sesame Street have taught several generations of children around the world their ABCs, 123s and valuable preschool life lessons. Gary Knell, Sesame Workshop’s president and CEO, is adapting Sesame Street’s 40year legacy to the needs of children in today’s media landscape.

TV KIDS: What new Sesame Street international productions are in the works?

KNELL: We’ll be announcing a big new Chinese co-production, whose name translates as Big Bird Looks at the World, with the Shanghai Media Group that’ll certainly be our biggest entry into China in 15 years. This builds off a major set of activities we’ve done at the Shanghai

Words from the Street

Sesame Workshop’s Gary Knell

By Anna Carugati Expo, including a live show called the Magic Map Show, which

Furry friends: One of Sesame Workshop’s newest international co-productions is Sesame Square in Nigeria.

is an environmental theme for kids to get clean water. That was a big project this past summer in Shanghai and the television show will be premiering in October. We’re very excited about that.We have a great partner in Shanghai Media and they’re going to be managing the licensing in China.

In Japan we are introducing an English-language training program that we’ll be doing in storefronts throughout the country with a company called Nagase, which runs the Toshin schools, and is the second-largest private education/tutoring company in Japan. Sesame Street English is an original animated version of the Muppets, who have been put into Japanese anime style by our amazing creative group here at the Workshop.

In Nigeria, which is the most-populated country in Africa, we’re doing our first big co-production. We’ve been in South Africa for ten years and we’ll have some bigger announcements later in the winter, but in Nigeria we’ll be launching Sesame Square and it will feature Kami, our HIV-positive Muppet, who we’re bringing up from South Africa, as well as a new Muppet, Zobi, who got named as part of a contest that was done through mobile phone voting. We’re excited about Zobi and the show and we’ve got a great set of co-production partners in Nigeria.

In Northern Ireland, we’ll be kicking off another season of Sesame Tree, which will be on the CBeebies network. That is really great, because not only will it be seen in Northern Ireland, but [it will] be seen throughout the entire United Kingdom.

And finally it’ll be the 35th anniversary of our Dutch program Sesamstraat and we’re having a live touring show this fall.

TV KIDS: Sesame Street has spun off other programming. Tell

us about some of those newer shows.

KNELL: In the U.S. we have been working pretty hard over

the last couple of years to think of our show as a block. In other words, it’s a one-hour broadcast every day on PBS, and because kids today are not really accustomed to watching anything for one hour—if you think about it there is really no other children’s show that is one hour long—we decided to think of the show as a block with interstitials and come up with compelling segments within that block that we could promote, such as Word of the Day or Elmo’s World or a Street story about nature. In that context, we introduced Abby’s Flying Fairy School, which is a CGI-animated product that runs about 12 minutes and it’s done really well. Abby is quickly becoming a very popular character, and I actually have to say she’s giving Elmo a run for the money in certain popularity categories, including product sales. She’s really become a star and the CGI version is very popular with kids. We have ratings data that tracks the show minute by minute, and when her segment comes on the ratings go way up. [We’re] marketing Abby’s Flying Fairy School at MIPCOM as a stand-alone segment for broadcasters. That is something that we are really proud [of].

Super Grover 2.0 is another show in development that will be introduced at MIPCOM. It features Grover as he questions, observes, investigates and reports, and literally stumbles across the solution to problems all across the planet.

We are also really focusing on our website and growing that.

I’m pretty clear that television is not going away, [but content is] going everywhere. So we are trying to be on as many platforms as we possibly can, including a big portion of mobile video, the iPod, the iPad as well as content on the web. We’re not stopping at all on broadcast television. Our view is we’ve got to be in as many touch points as we can with kids.

TV KIDS: Books, DVDs, games and toys are all ways that you

reach children and extend the experience that they first see on TV. KNELL: Yes, and we inked a new ten-year deal with Hasbro

earlier this year and that will be kicking off early in January.

That’s a big new partnership with Hasbro, who are really innovators in the merger of electronics and traditional toys. And Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is a partner of ours in home video as well as in interactive games.They have two new interactive games for preschoolers, which were introduced at E3, Sesame Street: Elmo’s A-to-Zoo Adventure and Sesame Street: Cookie’s Counting Carnival, for the Wii, Nintendo DS and PC. 316

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With offices in France, Los Angeles, Luxembourg and Wales, Moonscoop is able to tap into a diverse pool of talent that creates a wide variety of shows for children. The company has also chosen to focus on producing for a range of age groups, from preschoolers to tweens. As Christophe di Sabatino, Moonscoop’s executive chairman, explains, the goal is to branch out into family entertainment, in an effort to appeal to young viewers as they get older.

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: Do you aim for a certain number of projects every

year, or is your development and production driven by what you like and what you think will find a market?

DI SABATINO: First of all, our production is driven by the success of our shows. Code Lyoko, Casper, Geronimo Stilton and Titeuf are very successful and we produce new seasons when broadcasters are happy with the shows and ask us to make a new season. In addition to the returning shows, between our studios in the U.S. and France, we try to produce one or two new series per year. It depends on the project, the artist and the market. For example, this year we launched a new comedy-

action show called Tara Duncan, based on a series of books.

The show skews more toward girls than boys and launched on M6 in September. We are also going to make a musical, called Magical; it’s a stage production that mixes music and magic and it’s set around Tara Duncan. We have spoken with M6 and they will be part of it. If the series on TV and the stage show are successful in 2011, then we will produce a liveaction movie with M6. So we start with a property and we try to build around the brand.

TV KIDS: When you start working on a property, do you think of the various platforms from the very beginning, or do you first focus mainly on telling a good story?

DI SABATINO: First, there is always a good story and, in the case of animation, good design.We know that kids today have a lot of screens—iPads, Nintendo DS and the 3DS next winter—and we try to imagine every different kind of partnership that we can build around a property. For example, when we do an action-adventure animated series like Hero:108 or like Code Lyoko, we think very quickly of MMOGs [massively multiplayer online games] because we know that we can get partners for it. When we want to produce for all screens it doesn’t mean that the show will be released on all screens, it means that the show can be adapted to multiple platforms.

Content for All Ages

Moonscoop’s Christophe di Sabatino

TV KIDS: Tell us about Kabillion and Taffy Kids.

Do you have plans to launch more digital channels?

DI SABATINO: Kabillion is available on Comcast in the U.S. and we recently made a deal with Time Warner. This is great news for us, because we have worked hard on Kabillion and now it will be seen in more households in the U.S. In Europe, we have Taffy Kids, which is available on every telco operator in France and its distribution is growing in Europe and in Asia, too. In addition, we launched a new website for families in France, called Allofamille. It is a partnership with a French company called Allociné, which is the number one service for cinema schedules and for everything about movies. Allofamille was released in the summer and it’s a very important project for Moonscoop because we are trying to move into family entertainment and services.

TV KIDS: Where would you like the company to be two

years from now?

DI SABATINO: We think that growth will be mainly in the

new-media business, in the consumer-products business, in production and in live-action shows.

TV KIDS: Live action presents a different set of challenges

than animation, doesn’t it?

DI SABATINO: Yes, it does. Moonscoop has focused a lot

on children and now we are trying to appeal to teenagers and families. Live action is a good step toward reaching teenagers and our website is a good way to reach families.

Our company is 20 years old and we need to move into family entertainment because our audience is older now. Titeuf has been on TV for ten years. Some of its original viewers are now 15 years old and they always liked the property so we need to find new shows in order to reach them. And some of Code Lyoko’s fans are teenagers now. They continue to like Code Lyoko so we want to follow them.

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a good story. The second aspect is the image. It includes the moving visuals, characterization, technology, etc. The third part is the music. For instance, Bambala-yé! will include many famous hits from the Motown era. For us, the music is a key element for the production of any of our shows. In that respect, preschool and an older audiences are the same.

Where it changes is that preschoolers are more focused on the visual and the direct storytelling. They lack the notion of abstraction. A kid does not perceive abstraction until the age of four. So, at the ages of 6, 7 and 8, you begin to look for secondary plugs; you look for a sense of humor and underlying jokes. That’s a big difference in terms of writing.

Innovators at Play

Cyber Group Studios’ Pierre Sissmann After securing a foothold in the preschool market, Cyber Group Studios has begun to diversify its portfolio. It not only wants to target a slightly older audience, but also to expand into live action. Pierre Sissmann, the company’s chairman and CEO, talks about the expansion of Cyber Group’s catalogue and plans for continued innovation.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

TV KIDS: Why did you decide to expand the catalogue

beyond preschool programming?

SISSMANN: We have been very fortunate with preschool

shows like Ozie Boo!, Manon and Guess What, and hope to continue with Zou, which we are producing for Playhouse Disney in Europe for a 2011 release. We made a name for ourselves in preschool, but our intention was always to go target by target, from preschool to early teens. The idea was to cater to the whole market, but do it in an organized way to make sure that we focus on what’s right at the right time for that category.

For the 6-to-10 category, we are co-producing for Gulli Fish ’n Chips with Timoon Animation and SAMG.We’re co-producing Grenadine & Peppermint with Patoon Animation for TF1, Nina Patalo with Je Suis Bien Content for France Télévisions, and Academie Royale, which is in development for TELETOON as a co-production with Sieun Design. We are also embarking on Bambala-yé!, a 100-percent original Cyber Group Studios creation, like Tales of Tatonka, Zou or our new series Ozie Boo Save the Planet, done in association with the WWF [World Wildlife Fund].

In continuing to expand our catalogue even further, we will announce two major live-action series for tweens, as well, in association with Helion Pictures and world-class broadcasters.

TV KIDS: What is the difference between producing for

preschoolers versus an older audience?

SISSMANN: There are actually many similarities. The qual-

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TV KIDS: Are you going to continue to expand your presence in feature-length animation?

SISSMANN: We’re into developing brands. For us, going to the big screen is a continuation of the life of our brands.

We’re into producing brands and producing different seasons, and eventually extending the brands through feature films. I am not saying that in three or five years from now we won’t have a department that will only focus on feature films, but we’re not there yet.

We really cater to the television market first. For us, it’s more important to cover all the age groups, from preschool to early teens, then from animation to live action and other types of entertainment content, like video games and web series.

TV KIDS: You’ve been recognized for your use of technology.

SISSMANN: When we started with Ozie Boo! we had very lim-

ited financial means. For us, it was still really important to have a great picture quality, but we had no money. So we started developing our own software and we were successful in working with larger software companies to develop our own technology. Twice we’ve been awarded the OSEO Innovation Award, which is delivered by the French Ministry of Research and Technology.

In Tales of Tatonka, we’re creating even more. It’s so spectacular you’ll think it’s a feature film. In fact, we are focused on trying to get a visual quality on the small screen that is similar to feature films. We are constantly working a lot on image enhancement. We’re innovating with technology, first, because it’s fascinating. Second, because entertainment is moving this way and the public at large is extremely demanding. And, third, because the use of technology can improve the storytelling, which is critical, because storytelling is the basis of all of our series.

TV KIDS: What are your plans for 3D? SISSMANN: Our first 3D episodes will be released this

Christmas. They are from the series Tales of Tatonka. We are planning a series in full stereoscopic 3D as well.

On the distribution side, we have signed a deal with GIMC, a Korean-based company, for the distribution rights in Europe for the first-ever preschool 3D series, called Cloud Bread. The series was animated in Korea and the stories were developed in the U.S. by top talent. It’s a great edutainment show.

So, we’re doing quite a lot, but we’re still trying to develop further on two levels. On the production side, we want to always better master the technology. On the distribution side, we want to even better attract potential clients and answer their needs all over the world, hence the growth of our team. Only in this way will we be able to follow an ever-changing market.

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The German company Your Family Entertainment (YFE) focuses on high-quality programming for children and families. It also puts a premium on the creative force that can be harnessed from talented individuals working as a team. CEO Stefan Piëch talks about the company’s successful programming and its linear and mobile channels.

By Anna Carugati

TV KIDS: What does YFE want to offer broadcasters and young viewers that they can’t find elsewhere?

PIËCH: Viewers have many shows to choose from, but we see few that are of good, sustainable quality. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary this year. We have produced and co-produced more than 70 shows and we now operate our own TV channels. Sadly, in the past few years, all of our German independent competitors either had to sell or went out of business.

In Germany, the homeland of fairy tales, quality comes first, and as a motivated and creative team we have a clear vision: the continued exploitation of premium quality productions should generate enthusiasm and inspiration in children, teenagers and families throughout the world.

There are few distributors that offer 3,500 half hours of high-quality programs of European origin. Most of our clients have known us for many years and trust in what we do.We make children and their parents happy, and reach them through good, wholesome content. We all know the difference between short-lived pleasure and happiness: when kids

Quality Kids Love

YFE’s Stefan Piëch

can discover something new, laugh and see role models they can trust, then they are happy.

TV KIDS: What genres of programming are you having success with in your program-sales business?

PIËCH: Our classics like Country Mouse and City Mouse, Fix & Foxi, Urmel, Enid Blyton are evergreens that most stations with a focus on both quality and high ratings request. We believe that quality is the most important factor, especially when there is too much product available in the market.

The Fairly OddParents has been very well received in Germany and Austria, and we are starting the licensing and merchandising business for the show this year. Currently in production we have Oscar the Balloonist, a preschool show coproduced with ZDF in HD. Li’l Larikkins is a production with our Australian partner Ettamogah Entertainment, as is Wakkaville, which targets both girls and boys ages six to nine.

Two new shows, My Dad Is an Evil Genius and Ninjured, will be presented at MIP Junior.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your successful show Dragon Hunters.

How did the project come about?

PIËCH: We co-produced Malo Korrigan with Philippe

Delarue of Futurikon, one of the most talented European producers. We picked up Dragon Hunters at Cartoon Forum eight years ago, co-produced it with Super RTL and it became a great success. It follows the colorful adventures of Lian-Chu and Gwizdo, two inseparable dragon hunters.We are also offering a great new program produced by Futurikon called Shadow of the Elves. It features fairies and elves defending their meadowland and very good stories with animation of classic appeal.

TV KIDS: How has your pay-TV channel been performing and do you have plans to launch more channels?

PIËCH: In 2007, we launched our first very own pay-TV channel, yourfamily. Since then it has been successfully broadcast via various platforms in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and France. It is the fastest-growing family channel in German-speaking Europe and has been enjoying a large number of subscribers and positive feedback. As parents are increasingly concerned about what their children are watching on TV, they appreciate yourfamily, an educational, non-violent channel that they can trust.

Alongside the well-established channel yourfamily, we have successfully launched mobile channels. Our three mobile channels are distributed in Austria via Hutchinson 3.

Out of a total of 65 mobile channels, ours are ranked among the top ten. Based on this success we are planning to launch more channels in the international mobile and pay-TV markets abroad.

TV KIDS: Which titles would you like to highlight for MIPCOM? PIËCH: Adventurers: Masters of Time is an action-adventure series for kids, which features four kids traveling to historic places via the Internet. The show is unique, well received and has already garnered good ratings in Germany, Austria and Turkey. Shadow of the Elves is another action-adventure series for kids, and the preschool shows Oscar the Balloonist and Altair currently on KI.KA are further highlights. We are getting many requests for Wakkaville and especially Li’l Larrikins.

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