MIPCOM Viewpoints: Typically Topical
To some, October conjures up memories of Halloween and Octoberfest celebrations. But if you work in the international TV industry, you know that the month can only mean it’s time for the MIPCOM market which takes place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France (Oct. 9-13). We talked to many of the executives, producers and buyers attending the mart to find out about some of the key forces affecting the industry this year. Here are some highlights.

Andrea Bannert
Director of TV and Merchandising, Kiddinx Media AG
Next Wave: “Especially in Germany, TV channels are now looking for edutainment formats moderated by popular children’s characters for their preschool target audience. Due to global changes parents put great emphasis on a second language for their kids–preferably English–at the earliest stage possible. High quality educational show will soon enrich the often fast paced children’s entertainment market.”
This Year’s Slate: “We have been successfully sticking to our philosophy to entertain children with high quality classic animation series for many years now. Caring parents prefer– particularly for preschool children-gentle animation, reliable characters that small children can easily identify with and meaningful contents. That is one of the reasons why long-time established characters last.”

Justine Bannister
Head of Intl. Distribution & Acquisitions, TV Loonland
What’s Next? “Made-for-mobile content is becoming more and more prevalent, and many producers are getting on the band wagon, despite the uncertainty around revenue returns for content providers and the fact that there's only room in every market for very few properties. Advanced animation software for everyone mean that animation now has many different formats, many facets and people are creating animation at home and putting it out there on the web ... via Google video, blogging and the like. It's an exciting time but many content providers are feeling threatened by this low cost and popular animation and simply cannot afford to put this out on the web for free.”
Survival tips: “Diversification! Finding creative ways of creating new content from classic and successful shows. In case of TV-Loonland, Cramp Twins shorts & gags for mobile and online content have been derived and edited from the Cramp Twins original series.”

Carlos Biern
Head of Creative Affairs, BRB Internacional SA
Next Wave: “Look and create brands for teenage targets who are not just TV series. Shorter formats with comedy. TV series are a good start but not the only one.”
On This Year’s Slate: “The Imp and Angus & Cheryl are probably conceptually and graphically the strongest brands we have ever created. We are moving into family programming. The target groups that have money linked to their wireless applications.”
Indie Survival Tips: “Work hard on graphic design and production designs. Create brands around the property. The majors look for that!”
On Whether CG Will Outlast 2D: “I think videogames will.”

Malcolm Bird
Senior Vice President, AOL Kids and Teens
Next Wave: ”I think the new trend is a growth of cross platform products … the Internet opens so many opportunities for products to broaden and become more appealing.”
On This Year’s Slate: “Princess Natasha is different from anything the market has ever seen before. Each month AOL's kid’s site KOL gets more than three million kids watching and interacting with the property on an on-demand basis. This makes this property very different than other traditional TV properties.”
Survival Tips: “In this current environment, it is important to reach multi platforms. If an indie cartoon wants to stay competitive, we'd recommend looking across the entire medium landscape for distribution opportunities beyond traditional television.”
CG v. 2D: “As animation techniques become more sophisticated, CG animated cartoons will surely advance. It won’t be long until we are watching a computer animated movie and won’t be able to tell the difference between it and a regular movie. However, CG animation is a great complement to the traditional cartoon, not a replacement.”

Bob Boyle
Yin Yang Yo! executive producer/creator/co-director, Disney/Jetix Europe
Next Wave: “People seem to be focusing on new technologies rather than the actual content of the shows. But, it really doesn't matter whether it's done in CGI or Flash or even drawn with mud and sticks. The important part of a successful show are the characters and how the stories are told. It's not the tool that is important, it's the execution.”
Differences in this Year’s Slate: “The market is more crowded than ever so I think that it is important that your shows have a distinct visual style to help set them apart from the thousands of other shows competing for air space.”
Indie Survival Tactics: “As an artist, I'd say that doing quality work will always speaks for itself. If you are doing work that you are passionate about it will show. If you are doing work that is just taking advantage of a trend to make a buck that will show as well.”
The Future of CG: “CG, Flash, stop-motion, hand¬-drawn. They are all just tools to tell a story and you have to choose the right tool for the right story.”

Regis Brown
Exec VP, Entara Ltd
Today’s Biggest Trend: “It’s the belief that emerging platforms are going to save us. In the late ’90s, it was all about getting your own broadcast platform, which was really smart back then (i.e. Saban/ FOX, Disney/ABC). Today, there are so many new entertainment platforms available for kids, and so much average crap on the market, that anybody with a truly good show will for certain win the day.”
A Different World: “CGI television animation is making more and more in-roads everyday. On top of that, you can't make it in this market with average programming. Now, more than ever, it's all about quality in the trade.“
Survival Tips: “Stay focused on your Show! Don't ruin your hard-earned broadcast support by delivering average programming material. If you do, you will not see additional seasons. And, if at all possible, don't water down your creative vision with comment-heavy co-production money.”

Miles Bullough
Head of Broadcast and Development, Aardman
Next Wave: “I think the next big trend will be towards CGI series that have some of the visual flair of CGI movies. To date, the look of CG series has not been especially notable.”
On This Year’s Slate: “Shaun the Sheep is a classic Aardman series; great characters, great animation and great visual storytelling. ChopSocky Chooks, our co-pro for Cartoon Network and Teletoon is unlike anything we have done before—it’s a CGI action comedy series for six- to 11-year-olds that we hope will set a new standard for CGI series.”
Survival Tactics: “I believe the only way indies can survive in the longer run is by creating hit shows. It’s not possible to make money from production, and so ancillary revenues from break-out shows are the key to success and survival today.”

Brooke Burgess
Executive Producer/ Budget Monks Productions INC., Telefilm
Survival of the Fittest: “The only way for independent producers and teams to stay alive is to continue to innovate with modern tools, progressive art/presentation styles, and–most importantly¬–incredible stories that resonate with an audience hungry for enduring emotional experiences in their entertainment.”

Vince Commisso
Partner/Executive Producer, 9 Story Entertainment
Next Wave: “The biggest trend today is towards production for multi-platform broadcast. Historically, animation has been the content that leads the way in helping the viewing public make the transition from watching entertainment on new mediums and, in today’s case, on new devices.”
On Indie Survival: “As competitive as it is, and with the pressure coming from the need to generate ancillary revenues and to deliver content to multi-platform broadcast outlets, the emphasis on quality content is greater than ever. So, as complex as the world of broadcast is today, the mandate for producers is as clear as it’s ever been: Produce quality content and you’ll succeed.”
Will CG Take over? “There are still many concepts, be they original ideas or adaptations of literary properties, that simply work better in traditional animation. Also, I believe that history supports the idea that there will always be the desire in people to see pencil drawn art from the human hand, whether it be still or moving art.”

Camilla Deakin
Producer, Lupus Films
Hottest Trend: “Mobile and online viewing.”
This Year’s Slate: “We are doing more CG and thinking more about cross-platform. Yet we have always believed that good quality storytelling is the most important component of a successful show.”
How to Stay in the Game: “Embrace new media.”
The Future of 2D: “There will always be a market for 2D but CG will dominate the mainstream.”

Winfried Debertin
Creator of Little Amadeus, Gateway 4M
Indie Survival Tips: “In a growing market with less 2D and more 3D (CG animated) films and tv serials, only outstanding characters, stories and “stand alone” qualities of such films and serials will help, to compete with majors and big marketing money, that pushes even unknown characters. According to this, Little Amadeus, for example, is a pre-promoted character because of this great composer, that makes the world listening to his music for centuries.”

Scott Dyer
Executive VP, Production and Development, Nelvana
Hot Trends: “Multi-platform media. There is an unprecedented number of outlets for kids content today and the number is growing through the addition of new channels, blocks and widespread digital distribution technology, i.e. downloads and streaming.”
This Year’s Slate: “Nelvana has always focused on producing a diverse slate of quality animated show. We are particularly proud of this year’s slate and believe that we are showcasing the strongest brands in the Company’s history. Nelvana has historically focused on providing a diverse slate at the market, and we feel this year’s shows are particularly strong. We’ll have full episodes of both Grossology and Ruby Gloom to share as well as promo material for Pearlie and a trailer for the exiting new action series Bakugan. Bakugan is a co-venture between Sega Toys Ltd. (Japan) and Spin Master Ltd. (Canada) with distribution and production handled by Nelvana, TMS Entertainment, and Japan’s Vistec.”
Survival Tip: “Continue to create great shows.”
Will CG Outlast 2D? “Not at all.There is room for all kinds of different genres.”

Kevin Gillis
Exec Producer and Managing Partner, Breakthrough Animation
On the Future of 2D: “The historical traditions of 2D animation have left such a content imprint on the minds of television viewers and filmgoers that its extinction is as remote as eight-track tape. This doesn’t even take into account that the most successful animated shows around the world today are delivered in traditional toon format. By the time The Simpsons, Family Guy, SpongeBob SquarePants and even Atomic Betty hit the retro channels, the future will be here and gone … A good idea never becomes extinct … gotta go—my record is skipping!”

Christophe Goldberger
Head of Distribution and Marketing, Icon Animation
Future Trends: “Mobile content is still the hot topic. If you want to reach kids, it’s an area you can’t afford to ignore. As well as being the first to new technology, kids are extremely brand-savvy so producers need to think about promoting their property in a variety of ways across a number of platforms … There will always be the conventional broadcast format but emerging media, very much suited to animation, means that it is an exciting time for the business with the potential to transform traditional business models.”
Applying the Trends: “At Icon Animation, signing mobile partnerships has been a key focus for us and we’ve recently signed a mobile deal for our new series Lola & Virginia for which we now have content available for licensing worldwide, and hence reach our core audience in a different way [from] the TV screen but one that we believe enhances the brand experience significantly.“

Alan Gregg
VP of Intl. Production & Distribution Children’s TV,
Alliance Atlantis
Next Wave: “The buzz around mobile or portable content is keeping people up at night, but we’re still dipping our toes in the water and a coherent business plan is still some way away. Certainly, one of the key issues for distributors of kids’ content is identifying a credible revenue system and there are all kinds of ethical questions at play as well. Regardless, we do know that TV is just one of many platforms and no longer enjoys the dominance it once did.”
The Future of 2D: “I think what we are seeing now is the death of cel animation in feature films but it lives on in television where budgets are lower and where CG ironically falls flat. However, as the technology advances, the subtle shadings and expressions that cel animation exploits so well will be more readily achievable in CG. Craftspeople will always be drawn to whatever medium is best suited for their story, as the likes of Brad Bird have demonstrated.

Dan Hawes
President, Executive Producer, March Entertainment
Next Wave: “With media consolidation and audience
fragmentation producers are struggling more than ever to survive. Broadcasters are paying less for more and the supply/demand balance is seriously skewed in the broadcaster's favor. The digital universe is the opposite. Lots of demand for content and plenty of outlets. Most importantly, that is where the audiences are and that is where the ad dollars will go eventually. This will create a myriad of opportunities for innovative producers who understand how to build brands online.”
Think Multi-platform: “Traditional broadcasting will continue to fragment and increasingly aggregation will happen at a brand level. Broadcasters who fail to think "multi-platform" will die….[this] means investing aggressively in the creation of content for new media and being willing to cannibalize current revenue in the short run in favor of longer term opportunities. Sadly, the ruthless nature of our public markets would rarely permit a larger media entity to pursue such a long-term visionary strategy at the expense of the short term.
Regardless, there is an evolutionary process happening here and that is all good. This will likely mean a whole new breed of "Prodcaster" will emerge combining the creative resources of a Producer and audience savvy of a broadcaster.”

Terry Kalagian
VP of Acquisitions and Co-productions, Cartoon Network
The Next Step: “How to use/produce content for multi-platforms especially when no one is making any money at it. It’s still uncharted territory.”
On This Year’s Slate: “Since we had focused almost solely on being a B’Caster, we had not really distributed our own shows in the past but now that we have a licensing and merchandising arm, we are spending considerable resources to licensing our shows in non-competitive to cartoon network markets.”
Indie Survival Tips: “That’s a tough one. I would say that they need to find ways to be flexible and creative in all aspects of their business, in creative as well as in the partnerships and deals.”
CG v. 2D: “I think there’s a place for all kinds of animation, it depends on the story you want to tell and the platform on which you want to exhibit and the demo you are trying to reach.”

Patrick Keller
Managing Director, Peppermint Asia SDN BHD
Next Wave: “Apart from the fact that in more and more SEA-countries the local programs have become more and more important, we cannot see any specific new programming trend, ... still high quality animation as well as international movies are of interest. If there is a trend to be seen, may be a close collaboration between traditional TV-broadcasting and new media-broadcasting platforms (mobile TV, etc.) are to be mentioned.”
Changes in Current Slate: “Five or ten years ago we did not yet have formats in the catalogue. Other than this is its basically the same.”
Indie Toon Survival: “I cannot see that they won’t stay in the business. They have high quality standards and nice scripting already.”
Will CG Outlast 2D? “No, its just a new style and technique. Classic cartoons and CGI cartoons will stand next to another.”

Linda Khan
SVP Programming and Distribution, Scholastic Media
New Trend: “Premiering series in various formats online prior to broadcast.”
This Year’s Slate: “We are always looking for new ways to reach kids in fun, entertaining and educational ways. That has not changed since the days we produced The Magic School Bus– still popular ten years since it premiered! WordGirl is a completely fresh approach to superheroes–our star is a 10-year old girl and, while she has exceptional physical powers, her point of difference is her word power! Bugables is a life science show that will mix animation and live action. Bugables encourages kids to get up and be a bug–dancing, buzzing, singing and interacting with their world. Today's shows must exist in all media–online, mobile as well as TV, video, publishing and merchandising.”
Survival Tactics: “Creating inventive content and partnering with major broadcasters who believe in and are dedicated to the programs.” Will CG Outshine 2D? “Not necessarily, however, there is a great appetite for a wide range of animation. What's wonderful about new and different technology is that now kids are offered a wide range of animation styles.”

Carmen Llanos
COO, Comet Entertainment
Future Trends: “The biggest new trend, of course, is mobile content production and broadcasting. The ability of streaming high-quality video content in mobile devices is changing the way people are watching programs.”
On This Year’s Slate: “We had more traditional content before. Now we have completely different concepts, formats, audiences—from pre-school to adults—and we are producing TV series, short format series, features etc. for traditional media and also for broadband and wireless, focusing in mobile content production.”
Indie Survival Tips: “Be creative, explore new things and try to be up-to-date in latest developments as much as you can. There are alternatives that may reach a lot of public before entering the traditional media and if you have an audience before even you have a show on air that will help to boost your sales. We are distributing a show (Sex Police) based on a character (Forrito/Wrappy) that started to appear on the web as a two-minute show. It was so successful that we decided to help the creators to make a whole 13 episodes of 26–minutes show.”
CG or 2D: “In TV terms and especially as far as pre-school is concerned a beautiful and simple idea like Peppa Pig or Charlie and Lola will always succeed without all the bells and whistles that CG offers. Viewers will always respond to clear, good, warm story telling with loveable characters regardless of the medium.”

Mr. Arne Lohmann
Director Co-production Children and Youth, ZDF Enterprises
New Era: “Digital Downloading and On Demand Viewing is moving media consumption more and more from a pull to a push service. This got a new dynamic, especially with kids using their mobiles and computers.”
The New Slate: “Today the shows have to have a cross platform proposition. All successful shows need to be exploited also in alternative media as downloads, the web, live events, mobiles, comic books etc. TV does no longer play the dominant role as the launch pad for all new properties.”
Survival Tips for Indie Toons: “To have a unique concept and not to follow the momentarily trend. You have to be different.”
CG or 2D: “There is still room for traditional toons, by the end of the day a good show still depends on a good story and concept.”

Greg Lynn
Founder and Managing Director, Chapman Entertainment
This Year’s Slate: “We are relatively new to the children’s market … our first MIPCOM Jr. was in October of 2003 where Chapman Entertainment launched Fifi and the Flowertots followed by Roary the Race Car last year. Chapman has what we consider to be a unique approach to launching shows at MIP and other markets, both launches were very successful and differ radically from the norm. We’ll be looking for more sales for our shows and seeking potential co-production partners for future projects.”

Daniel Marks
Sr. Vice President, International-VIZ Media
Next Wave: “The hot topic of the moment is the movement towards digital delivery systems. Everyday one reads about new ventures, alliances and business offerings that involve online delivery of materials. Starting with our venture with Cartoon Network–Toonami Jetstream, we are trying to exploit these new delivery systems, so that we can offer the fans of our programs more choice and easier access to our programs.”
Current Slate: “We are bringing a much more diverse array of programming to the market. Anime was always considered a niche market, but what we are seeing is that Japanese animation is much more than boys action and fantasy series. There are pre-school offerings such as Deko Boko Friends, Mirmo-animation for young girls and drama series such as Honey & CLover. We have exciting Action series– for teens there’s Bleach and for 6-14 year olds series such as Zoids and M.A.R. The market is much more developed and thus willing to look at a wider variety of animation from Japan.”
How Indie Toons Stay in the Game: “Quite simply, to have a hit.”
CG or 2D: “Though the look and feel of a show is obviously important, we try to bring the best stories to our audience and believe that a good story, no matter whether in 2D or CGI, will find an audience.”

Yasmin McConville
Producer of Master Raindrop, Yoram Gross EM.TV
The Future of 2D:
“Over the years many people have voiced the opinion that CGI will one day replace traditional animation. In fact it has been a hotly debated subject for some time now! Certainly, as the price of producing many varieties of CGI animation has fallen into line with that of traditional 2D productions for example, more and more people have been prepared to take up the opportunity to use it. However we shouldn't view either medium as "one size fits all". Not every type of show will necessarily work as CGI and vice versa. Traditional animation still has a unique aesthetic that will endure and testament to that is the fact that it is still abundant on our screens today.”

Donna Friedman Meir
President, National Geographic Kids’ Entertainment
CG v. 2D: “I think traditional animation has a long life ahead of itself as so far, CG for television still hasn't been able to capture the warmth and charm and real personality of traditional animation. I think we will see more and more experiments in mixing media, in using various animation styles within one series to bring new levels of character and content to the screen but good, old fashioned squash and stretch isn't going anywhere soon... can you imagine SpongeBob in CG?”

Rick Mischel
C.E.O., Mainframe Entertainment
Next Big Trend: “ Definitely the new distribution platforms- broadband, mobile etc. Even though the economic model is still uncertain, everyone is keeping an eye on these rights.”
This Year’s Slate: “Less action, more comedy. More originality in story and character.”
Indie Survival Tip: “Think partnerships. Partner with other studios, broadcasters, funding sources. You may lose some of the ownership of a property, but it’s the only way to get things made today.”
CG or 2D: “There will always be stories to tell in both mediums. What you will see is more and more blending of the two forms of animation. We’re doing that a lot–using 2D backgrounds with 3D characters.”

Mike D. Moore
CEO, Educational Adventures; Creator, Danger Rangers
Trends: “The biggest trend I see is secondary messages being attached to programs in an effort to make them ‘educational.’ What differentiates the Danger Rangers is that our programs are born from the cause and built from the ground up with integrated content.”
Survival Tips: “The best way for independents to stay competitive is to keep their eye on the ball. Staying true to the principle reasons why a product was created cannot be replaced. Passion Rules!”
CG or 2D: CG-animated shows are certainly becoming trendy and popular with studios. However, I do not think there are any indications that consumers prefer it, particularly children. In addition to being quite costly on a per episode basis, CGI lacks the synergistic relationship between storyboard artists and the animators. Relying on the artistic vision of computer programmers effects the storytelling of creativity of the final product. When a budget is $100 million, you can accomplish both. However, for television, 2D will always yield a better story, in my opinion.”

Emmanuelle Namiech
Director of Acquisitions & Co-productions, Granada International
This Year’s Slate: “Fundamentally the qualities that make good children’s programming remain the same–strong characters, high production values and a unique design or feel. What has changed is the emphasis from a buyer’s point of view on how well a program can work off air as well as on. It is vital that the programming we have to sell has strong multi-platform appeal– which was not the case ten years ago.”

Leslie Nelson
SVP Intl Sales & Managing Director,
European Operations, DIC
Future Trends: “Either girl-targeted properties that will also engage boys (Sabrina, Totally Spies), or action-comedy series that appeal to both demographics. In the pre-school area, CGI continues to fuel the industry. We have great ambitions for our CGI movie Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Dreams that will be available to screen at MIPCOM JR.”
Changes In This Year’s Slate: “The storylines, character development and technology are much more enriched. We usually develop 5-6 animation styles before making a creative decision. Additionally, our 360-degree approach to marketing and promoting our series is much more sophisticated.”
Indie Survival Tips: “By producing quality not quantity and by creating new and innovative ways to tell a story to a much more advanced young audience. To have the ability to expand your property beyond the TV screen, to reach kids on multiple platforms. Lastly, to have the flexibility to exploit new trends and opportunities where the major studios are held to five-year plans.”
CG or 2D: “Both art forms will continue to exist and evolve. Traditional 2D animation continues to be a cost effective way to create engaging programming and works across many genres.”

Gregory Payne
Chairman, Foothill Entertainment
Changing Times: “The biggest trend in the business has to be the influence of new media applications. It is giving life to older programs and providing an incubator for new ones. It is permitting broadcasters to envision upfront, additional revenue streams for programs that they want to buy or commission. Just as the home video market revolutionized the film and television financing markets 20 years ago, the plethora of new media outlets is having the same effect today.”
Staying Au Courant: “The slate we’re bringing to the market his year is definitely different because nowadays it not enough to have an interesting show or a cute idea. We have to commit and plan for on-line exploitation, interactivity and high definition broadcast; we all have to be much more technologically savvy about distribution means and methods than we ever were. Ten years ago we would offload these issues to the tech guys. Now, the buyers can be more up to date on these things than we are. We have had to educate ourselves mightily just to stay in the conversation because it has become part of the distribution sales discussion.”
Survival Strategies: “The best way for indies to stay in business is to find a production partner they can trust and rely on. While all indies have always been willing to invest in their own projects to a greater or lesser extent, the stakes have grown very high. It pays to find a partner that is able to share that burden. Yes, there is less reward but there is also less risk and these days that is the name of the game. As they say, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing.”

Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos
VP, Program Distribution, Classic Media
Next Wave: “It isn’t about action series anymore, but about action and comedy united together. George of the Jungle, our new animated series co-produced with Teletoon and Studio B is the perfect example.”
This Year’s Slate: “Pokemon was the big winner a decade ago…currently its recognized that classic characters can work very well as they are now stronger than ever. We are launching our new movie Casper’s Scare School. Casper has been updated yet it is still a much-loved classic and a favorite with both kids and their families.”
Indie Survival Tips: “To survive in this very saturated market you have to offer broadcasters original programming with a twist. In addition financing has to be on multiple platforms with different partners.”
The Future of 2D: “There will always be traditional toons; audiences love them. Some characters look better in 2D whilst others are better suited to CGI. Our new Casper looks fantastic in CGI. It’s a fresher approach with an updated look. On the other hand, George of the Jungle–which we are producing in 2D–respects the character’s retro side, which I believe will be a big draw for audiences.”

Bill Plympton
Plymptoons
Trend of the Moment: “Adult animation geared for grown-ups.”
Tips for Indie Toons: “To create a strong style or brand characters and try to retain rights to those characters.”
Will CG Dominate? “That's tough to say. My hope is that the different techniques will flourish, such as stop motion, claymation, traditional 2D, cut-outs, etc.”

Gerry Renert
Exec Producer, SupperTime Entertainment
Secret of Success: "Keep your focus on developing original, likable characters and stories, and not on what the competition is doing."

Frank Saperstein
CEO, Exec Producer, Surprise Bag Inc.
A New Era: “Alternative media has finally come of age and is readily accepted as conventional by a new generation of viewers who have never lived without instant media gratification. This requires content to be approached from multiple points of view and to be easily reshaped to fit into many different delivery methods.”
This Year’s Slate: “The cycle of what genre is in demand is ever shifting, if it's pre-school one market, it's boys action adventure or something else the next. The need to be able to cross platform for different delivery systems and appeal to an International audience is more important than five or ten years ago.”
Future of 2D: “ There has already been a glut of unmemorable CG-animated films this past year once again proving that content is still more important to the audience than form. As digital animation systems continue to become more versatile and efficient the technical and creative process of creating traditional toons will change but the look and the feel will still resonate with audiences (especially for TV) and have a place in animated story telling.”

Susanne Schosser
Managing Director, EM Entertainment
Hot Trends: “The biggest trends influencing the market for children’s and youth programs continue to emerge from new media such as IPTV or Mobile. The demand for content fitting these interactive platforms, alongside the conventional distribution lines of TV and Home Entertainment, has continued to grow in the past.”
This Year’s Slate: “EM.Entertainment is focused on programs with content possessing the potential to be broadcast across traditional channels as well as new media.”
“This approach is particularly suitable for content with an added educational value…EM.Entertainment GmbH has already positioned itself with innovative and high quality edutainment series … Croco Loco … a 3D animation and live action immersive learning program which promotes children to learn English and other foreign languages in a funny and playful manner.”
Survival Tactics: ”… there is a clear tendency to offer an appealing variety of genres and programs to a broader range of target groups. Buyers are looking for topics that appeal to both genders, as well as to an array of age groups … it is vital to offer appropriate content for all media channels. New media platforms pose an extremely attractive business segment as the new distribution opportunities are enabling interactive communication with individual programming.”
Style v. Substance: “Although CGI animated content has experienced substantial growth, there will always be both, CGI and 2D. The suitable technique depends on the content of the program and the related target group.”

Adam Shaheen
President, Cuppa Coffee Studios
Next Wave: “I don’t necessarily see a specific trend in the business, but we do find that every year we see more and more programming flooding the market. Fortunately we strive to produce bigger and better shows that stand out amongst the rest, and that approach has worked for us.”
This Year’s Slate: “Over the last five years, we’ve worked hard to establish our reputation as a provider of great original programming. Of course the ideas and concepts change, but the central philosophy of our studio has always been that commitment to quality. We aim to entertain and enlighten in everything we do.”
Indie Survival Tips: “It always comes down to the big idea. If you have a strong concept and execute it well, you will almost always find a buyer. Quality always stands out no matter how crowded the marketplace.”
On CG Dominance: “The idea that CG animation will somehow push other forms of animation aside is as irrelevant today as it was five years ago. It’s important to distinguish the project from the tools used.”

Dave Skwarczek
Creator of Derby Girls, Eat Your Lunch
Next Big Trend: “It's not quite a trend just yet, but the most clever creators, producers and broadcasters are thinking multi-platform right from the get-go.”
This Year’s Slate: ”We develop each of our properties with an eye toward the personalization and portability afforded by always-on connectivity and the latest new media devices and technologies. It allows us to enrich our storytelling and build deeper relationships with our audience.”
Indie Survival Strategies: ”By developing concepts that will be hot three to five years from the day they start pitching, and by developing with a multi-platform mindset.”
CG or 2D: “To me, the question of CG versus 2D is more about appropriateness to the characters, stories and media platforms.
Certain stories and character designs work better in 2D, others in CG, but moreover, each has its merits depending upon the platforms on which the property will live. In the current landscape, creators and producers need to consider how rich and complex CG visuals will translate to low-bandwidth media like mobile and certain online, iTV and plug-and-play videogame platforms. 2D properties may have fewer visual compromises to make in lower-bandwidth media. I think we'll see both 2D and CG living happily together at least until TVs are replaced by holographic projectors.”

Arthur Smith
President, International, GDH K.K.
Survival Strategies: “Think about what the market wants but always keep true to your creative ideas.”
CG or 2D: “The two techniques will co-exist for many years ... there are still many parts of the story which can be better told in 2D and certainly at TV level budgets I would expect this to still be the case for many years to come.”

Hans Spielthenner
Managing Director, OHM:TV GmbH
Right Now: “There is a new trend toward cross media productions where characters get exploited in different media right from the beginning. Since mobile and Internet sales figures are growing constantly, these two distribution lines are influencing the nature of the series. New series tend to be shorter and edgier targeting older audiences.”
This Year’s Slate: “We set up our company just over four years ago and have been focusing on cross media series, with emphasis on TV and mobile right from the outset. Since then we have been built up an extensive catalogue of innovative fillers.”
Indie Survival Strategies: “Our focus is on strong characters that first become brands on mobile phones and then find their way onto bigger screens. These days alternative animation styles like FLASH means less production costs and risk.”
Does the Medium Matter? “There is a market for all types of animation and when we take a closer look at the different animation/kids channels, the direction is pretty clear as to who favors traditional toons.”

Lin Tam
Creator of The Adventures of Andy Applebutter,
Spazmania
Indie Toon Strategies: “Great story telling and great characters will always be the winning point for indie companies to stand out. Our independent company Spazzmania Entertainment has been able to stand out by our innovative stories and how we educate kids. Our show The Adventures of Andy Applebutter was selected as a 2005 Mipcom Jr. Finalist for our creative stories. Our budget was very small to create the series but our winning story and loveable characters set us apart from this competitive market. As a result, we’ve garnered many distinguished awards and we’re set to win more!”

Rick Ungar
Executive Producer, BKN
Next Wave: “Fragmentation and changeover in delivery methods. We are now entering an era where broadcasters and narrowcasters must face up to the reality that kids are spending more time on–line then they spend in front of their television sets. This is guaranteed to change the very nature of the programming in the near and distant future.”
On this Year’s Slate: “Not vastly different. However, I believe we are at the end of an era with respect to the very nature of programming and are embarking on a brand new era.”
Indie Survival Tips: “A fairly sophisticated approach to financial modeling. Given the prices paid today for animated programming, neither indies nor majors can hope to stay in the business, let alone profit, unless they have a very solid understanding of how to produce shows within the constraints of the current television market.”
CG v. 2D: “When it comes to audience enjoyment, it has never been about the tools used to create the film–it is about what’s on the film. I don’t think that will ever change. It is great to have the tools to do more and more things. But when the tools become more important than the creative and artistic expression, somebody is missing the point.”

Mike Watts
MD, Novel Entertainment
Differences in This Year’s Slate: “Not significantly–at their heart we still have strong narrative and memorable characters.”
Indie Survival Tips: “Strong programming, competitive pricing, and a lot of patience!”
CG or 2D: “There should be plenty of room for both.”

Sheldon Wiseman
President & CEO, Amberwood Animation
Next Wave: “Multi Platforming”
On this Year’s Slate: “The shows are more comedic and action oriented.”
Survival Tactics for Indie Companies: “Develop innovative concepts.”
On Whether CG will make 2D Extinct: ”No.”

Melissa Wohl
Vice President Sales, Harmony Gold
On This Year’s Slate: “The company has taken a more hands-on approach in the production of many of our recent titles.”
Survival Tip: “As always, good content.”
The Future of 2D: “Traditional animation is not likely to disappear completely, though production methods are already changing to coexist with advancing technology, both from practical and financial standpoints.”


Updated: October 12, 2006

Mobile TV Awards Given at MIPCOM
Six programs emerged victorious as the Mobile Screenings and Awards concluded at MIPCOM in Cannes, France. Chosen by an international grand jury from a total of 23 nominated projects, the winning entries were recognized Wednesday evening in a packed auditorium at the 22nd edition of the major television, film and new media market.
Animation ruled the roost this year as Jokes from Green Paddy Animation Studio took the award for Best Original Made-for-Mobile Film or Video Content. Meanwhile, Best Repurposed Content From Existing Film or TV Property went to On This Day in History (OTDIH) from ITN ON in the U.K. and Best Made-for-Mobile TV Channel was awarded to NHK Mobile-G Channel, a division of NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation). Best Format for Interactive Mobile TV went to Forget the Rules by Global Dilemma Pty Ltd. of Australia and the award for Best Mobile Format for User-Generated Content was snatched up by U.K. company 3 Mobile for its See Me TV service. Finally, the Orange Grand Prize for Innovation
Soccer Addicts, a sports talk show from Buongiorno of Italy.

"Mobile TV represents a growing opportunity for the audiovisual content industry,” comments Paul Johnson, director of the television division of Reed MIDEM, the company that organizes MIPCOM. “By creating and hosting the Mobile TV Awards at MIPCOM we aim to play an active role in promoting the development of made-for-mobile content and facilitating commercial transactions on a global level for both TV and film."

Sponsored by Orange, Ericsson and the Korean Broadcasting Commission, the 2006 Mobile Screenings & Awards saw a record 290 entries from 34 countries, a 30% increase in submissions from 2005. The grand jury included Ericsson Mobility World VP Kurt Sillén (Sweden), filmmaker Jean-Charles Fitouss (France), EBU/UER head of Interactive TV Nicoletta Iacobacci (Switzerland), International Program Consultants Inc. managing director Russell Kagan (U.S) and Joongang Broadcasting Co. CEO Mun Yeon Kim (Korea).


Updated: October 11, 2006

ToddWorld Expands with Elastic Deals
Elastic Rights in Spain has inked TV, DVD and publishing deals for the animated preschool series ToddWorld at MIPCOM in Cannes, France. Produced by Los Angeles-based Mike Young Prods and distributed by Taffy Ent., the award-winning show will air on TVE in Spain in the fall of 2007 and has been renewed by pay-TV outlet Boomerang in Spain, which debuted the initial 26 episodes in December of 2005 has picked up an additional 13 episodes for air next spring of 2007.
Elastic Rights, which also handles all ToddWorld rights in Portugal, has signed a publishing deal with Gailivro, which will launch a series of books passed on the show by year’s end. In addition, Elastic has closed a DVD distribution deal with Lusomundo in Portugal, where ToddWorld debuted on broadcast network RTP in March of this year.

Inspired by the best-selling books by Todd Parr, ToddWorld follows the adventures of charismatic six-year-old and his band of friends. The series was nominated for Emmy and Humanitas Awards, and won a Parent’s Choice Award and a Hugo Award.

Based in Madrid, Elastic Rights works closely with TV, home entertainment, publishing, toys, merchandising and internet companies in Iberia. Other popular cartoon series represented by the company in Spain and Portugal include Cookie Jar’s Caillou, Alliance Atlantis´ Lunar Jim and CCI’s Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.


Updated: October 10, 2006

Yoram Gross-EM.TV Becomes Flying Bark Prods.
Yoram Gross-EM.TV, a leading Australian producer of children's animated programming and family entertainment, unveiled its new corporate identity at MIPCOM in Cannes, France. Now known as Flying Bark Prods., the company was re-branded after EM.Entertainment GmbH acquired the remaining 50 percent of Yoram Gross-EM.TV. The new name is intended to reflect the original, bold and contemporary vision of the Sydney-based corporation, which houses four primary divisions including Greenpatch Prods., Forest Interactive and Trackdown.

“The name change symbolizes the innovative approach of the company,” comments Susanne Schosser, managing director of EM.Entertainment GmbH and Junior.TV GmbH & Co. KG. “With Flying Bark Prods., we intimately connect the strengthening of production skills in high-quality entertainment as well as the intensification of activities within the interactive segment.”

Geoff Watson, managing director of Flying Bark Prods. adds, “The new name reflects the new direction the company is heading in. Flying Bark Prods. will continue its strategic relationships with its many international and Australian co-production partners as well as pursuing new production opportunities.”

The divisions housed within Flying Bark Prods. will focus on diversifying the company’s offerings to include children’s and adult live-action programs and films as well as animation and puppetry productions. Flying Bark Prods. will handle production and distribution while Greenpatch Prods. will develop Australian programming as the creative heart of the company. Meanwhile, multimedia division Forest Interactive will continue to develop new content delivery platforms and interactive games, and Trackdown will provide full audio production services for film, TV, music and multimedia projects.

EM.TV purchased its initial 50% stake in Yoram Gross in 1999. In January of 2006, EM.Entertainment GmbH, a subsidiary of EM.TV AG, acquired the remaining 50 percent from Yoram and Sandra Gross, who founded the company in 1968.

The unveiling of Flying Bark Prods. at MIPCOM coincides with the debut of the company’s first new production, Zigby. The 3D-animated project for pre-schoolers is developed by Greenpatch and will be co-produced with ABC Australia.


Updated: October 9, 2006

Classic Media Stretches with Gumby
Classic Media is adding Gumby and Pokey to its extensive roster of the iconic animated characters through a deal with property owner Premavision Inc. The long-term joint venture will see Classic Media handle U.S. and international television, feature film, home video, digital media and promotional rights to the Gumby library, which includes of 223 clay-animated TV episodes and a 1995 movie. New Gumby adventures are being produced by Clokey Prods., which originated the show 50 years ago.

Created by legendary animator/producer Art Clokey, the flexible, green Gumby made his first appearance on the Howdy Doody Show in 1956 before getting his own animated Saturday morning TV series. Classic episodes of The Gumby Show have continued to air on various outlets around the world ever since.

“Gumby has had a huge impact on popular culture as well as influencing a generation of animators,” says Classic Media CEO Eric Ellenbogen. “We are very enthusiastic about the addition of Gumby to our portfolio of classic brands and look forward to working with the Clokey family on many new productions.”

Classic and Clokey are developing a new direct-to-video movie that is slated for release in 2008, as well as an all-new TV series. Heat Licensing has been the licensing and merchandising agent for Gumby for the past seven years and will continue to work with Classic Media to co-license the brand. Several new licensing, marketing and promotional partnerships will be announced throughout the end of the year and into the first-quarter of 2007.

Joe Clokey, president of Clokey Prods., comments, “My dad and I are thrilled to be working with Classic Media on this exciting co-venture. Classic Media’s expertise across all facets of entertainment and classic brand management, makes them the perfect partner to ensure Gumby’s success for the next 50 years.”

Other time-honored cartoon franchises managed by Classic Media include Casper the Friendly Ghost, Mr. Magoo, Richie Rich, Peter Cottontail, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald McBoing Boing and Underdog. The company’s latest release, a live-action remake of Lassie, was distributed theatrically around the world to critical acclaim. Currently in production is a live-action/CG Underdog feature film with Spyglass Ent. and Disney, as well as the CG-animated feature The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie for Universal Pictures. Classic Media is also developing an animated Mr. Peabody & Sherman feature with DreamWorks. On the TV side, the company’s pre-school series Gerald McBoing Boing airs daily on Cartoon Network, which will soon premier Classic’s all-new George of the Jungle, an animated series now in production with Studio B in Vancouver.

Moonscoop, Classic Media Scare Up New Casper Series
An old, familiar ghost has got a new lease on life thanks to the folks at Moonscoop, Classic Media and India’s DQ Ent. First created by Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo in 1945, Casper the Friendly Ghost will be the star of a new 52 X 11-minute series, which is set to commence production in February 2007.

“Casper is such a popular and much-loved character and we are very much looking forward to working with Classic Media and DQ Ent. on the show,” says Nicolas Atlan, exec VP of production and I.P. Management at the Moonscoop group. “My generation has also grown up with Casper stories and Casper movies. The character is one of the best recognized and loved characters in this part of the world too,” adds DQ Ent. CMD and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti.

Paramount released the first animated Casper short in 1945. The friendly ghost then went on to win millions of fans on the pages of Harvey comic books and on television. He was also the star of a live-action/CG-animated movie directed by Brad Silberling in 1995 and several direct to DVD titles. The deal to produce the new Casper TV show follows the completion of the CG-animated feature Casper’s Scare School, which premieres on the Cartoon Network on Friday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. Casper’s Scare School features the voices of Bob Saget, Jim Belushi, Phyllis Diller and Dan Castellaneta, and follows the little guy as he enrolls in school to learn how to be more frightening, but of course his plans backfire as they always do.INTERNET

MoMedia Churns Out AOL’s Chubby Butter
Teen-centric web destination AOL RED has teamed with MoMedia International for mobile distribution of its Chubby Butter series of animated shorts. The deal will make approximately 30 cartoons running between one and three minutes long available to more than 100 mobile operators for distribution in more than 35 countries.

AOL RED offers Chubby Butter at www.chubbybutter.com. Popular animated shorts featured on the site include Berzerkari, Huxtable and Boner, Paper Fighter Squadron, Gene the Boy Genie, Salt & Peppa and Penned. The cartoons will be available for download through a number of providers, including Vodafone U.K. and MTS Russia.

"This deal represents a new distribution platform for AOL RED as we look to expand to the international market by tapping into the huge success of cell phone downloads," says Malcolm Bird, senior VP of AOL Teens & Kids. "We are confident that, through our partnership with MoMedia International, we will build interest in the Chubby Butter series of cartoons while capturing the large teen market in territories beyond the U.S. marketplace."

London-based MoMedia is an independent offshoot of World Wide Entertainment (WWE), one of Australia's largest independent TV production/distribution businesses. The company represents more than 35 production companies through 112 live contracts with mobile operators, ISPs and the new media divisions of major broadcasters.

MIPCOM Jr. Buyers Not Sheepish About Shaun
The MIPCOM Jr. market wrapped up over the weekend in Cannes, France, and when the dust settled Aardman Animation’s Shaun The Sheep emerged as the most looked-at property. Fans of the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit short A Close Shave will recognize the title character in the 40x7 series, which has been commissioned by CBBC for broadcast in 2007 and has was picked up by a number of broadcasters heading into this year’s MIPCOM.

Aardman holds worldwide rights to Shaun the Sheep, a stop-motion series about a young member of the flock who doesn’t follow the fold and has to use his resourcefulness to get himself out of trouble when his maverick personality and playful curiosity land him in compromising positions. The show is exec produced by Aardman’s head of broadcast, Miles Bullough, and CBBC’s head of animation & acquisitions, Michael Carrington.

Of the 937 programs presented at this yer’s MIPCOM, the property with the second highest number of requests was Amy’s Gang from Australia’s Ettamogah Ent. Groups. Third was Angus And Cheryl from Spain’s BRB Internactional, followed by Chaotic fro m 4Kids Ent. in the U.S. and Skunk Fu! From Cake Ent. in the U.K.

Other shows making the top-ten this year include Monster Buster Club from France’s Marathon, Grossology from Nelvana in Canada, the Finish series Anna And The Moods from Caoz Ltd. and Monster Distributes, Bugged from Sparkling in France and Best Ed from 9 Story Ent. of Canada.

Ruby Gloom Goes to Japan
She’s not exactly Little Miss Sunshine, but the animated Ruby Gloom is headed to the Land of the Rising Sun via a licensing and home entertainment deal between Corus Ent.'s Nelvana Enterprises and Japan’s OLC/Rights Entertainment Inc. (ORE). This first-ever partnership between Nelvana and ORE grants ORE a master territory license for a range of products for the tween/teen property.
The Ruby Gloom brand was created by Los Angeles-based design firm Mighty Fine. The product line, set to roll out in 2007, will include fashion apparel, accessories, stationery, health and beauty products, novelty items and home entertainment productions. The products will be introduced this month to the Japanese market at the Individual Fashion Expo 2 in Tokyo. The character will also make the japans music scene when Ruby Gloom knee-high socks, postcards and a novelty alarm clock are packaged with the release of pop star Nana Kitade’s upcoming CD from Sony Music Ent.

Nelvana is producing a series 40 half-hour CG-animated Ruby Gloom episodes aimed at girls and boys 6-12. The comedy show follows the adventures of Ruby Gloom and her off-beat circle of friends living on the outskirts of Gloomsville. This world is home to an eclectic group of characters lincluding one-eyed Iris, Doom Kitty, Skull Boy, Misery, Boo-Boo, Mr. Buns and the two-headed boy band, Frank and Len. Forever the optimist, Ruby always sees the bright side of the dark side in life, emphasizing the importance of friendship and celebrating the differences in people. The series makes its world premiere on YTV in Canada this month and has recently secured broadcast deals with Super RTL in Germany and Cartoon Network in Latin America.


Updated: October 6, 2006

RTE Sails With Lifeboat Luke
Ireland’s RTE is the first broadcaster to sign on for Lifeboat Luke, a new CG-animated kids’ show from Belfast-based Banjax Studios. The 52-episode, Hi-Def search-and-rescue series is currently being shopped by Banjax at MIPCOM Jr and MIPCOM in Cannes, France, and will be ready for broadcast in October of 2007.
For kids aged 4-7 featuring Lifeboat Luke is created and directed by Alastair McIlwain, who previously directed the award winning 2001 series Tiny Planets for Pepper’s Ghost Prods. and Sesame Workshop. “Our aim has been to create a show with universal appeal, lots of comedy, and a great graphic look that reflects the culture and place in which it was made,” he comments. “I believe there has been a loss of local cultural voices in children’s TV, particularly in the U.K., and I think Luke is a show that is genuinely local but with true global appeal.”

In the show, Luke the lifeboat and his friends have fun and help people in need in the magical Irish seaside town of Donghadoo, not to be confused with the real-life Northern Irish seaside town of Donaghadee, which Mcllwain calls home. The first 13 episodes are in production at Banjax with support from the Northern Ireland Film & TV Commission’s Lottery Production Fund and private investors. The remaining 39 installments will be co-produced with Dublin’s Kavaleer Prods. with additional aid from the Irish Film Board and the Broadcast Commission of Ireland.

Lion Toon Debuts Two at MIPCOM
Barcelona-based animation house Lion Toons is presenting two new short-format properties at MIPCOM in Cannes this week. Planet Oleum is an irreverent series of 39 three-minute cartoons aimed a teenagers, and Dr. Stretch-Oh! is being sold as a series of 52 two-and-a-half-minute instalments for kids 8-12.
Lion Toons developed Planet Oleum with fellow Spanish company Nikodemo Animation, which is best known for its successful web series, Calico Electronico. The series takes place in “precisely the furthest corner of the galaxy,” where five un-sentient beings inhabit a floating fuel deposit and wait patiently for a customer, though they haven’t had one on years. Planet Oleum is the business dream of Papi, a small-time entrepreneur who retired from the Space Invaders Wars. However, he hasn’t seen his last battle considering his daughter, Cleo, is going through puberty and has caught the eye of all the employees.

Developed by Lion Toons and British scriptwriter Jon Groves (Pucca, Horrid Henry, Rupert and Friends) Dr. Stretch-Oh! is described as a dark, weird and funny 3D series starring an unusual physician who will solve any problem for any patient—any way he can.
Both projects are being presented for the first time at MIPCOM and are geared to broadcasters looking for fillers and companies seeking content for mobile, VOD, IPTV and other platforms.


Updated: October 5, 2006

Decode Toons Sell in Latin America
 Heading into this years MIPCOM in Cannes, France, DECODE Ent. has sold several of its animated programs to broadcasters in Latin America. Mexican network Canal Once has picked up Planet Sketch and Naughty Naughty Pets, while Venezuelan distributor Amazonia acquired rights to Franny’s Feet, The Save-Ums! and GirlStuff BoyStuff.
Planet Sketch, a DECODE co-production with Aardman Animations, is an animated sketch comedy series starring a cast of recurring characters that reflect the lives of kids today. DECODE has sold the series to major broadcasters worldwide, including France 3 and Nickelodeon France, ABC Australia, Jetix Europe, Cartoon Network Asia Pacific, Cartoon Network Latin America, WDR ARD in Germany, TV 12 Singapore, VRT in Belgium, TV2 in Denmark and South Africa’s M-Net.

Based on the books by Wendy Ann Gardner, Naughty Naughty Pets is a series of 26 three-minute CG/Flash-animated shorts featuring a host of colorful, mischievous animal who share their amusing and quirky escapades with Windy Woo, a girl who lives in their apartment block and tries to keep them out of trouble.

Franny’s Feet is a preschool series that follows the adventures of a little girl with magical shoes that allow her to travel around the world and lern about different cultures. The illustrative 2D show is commissioned by Five in the U.K. and Canada’s Family Channel, and has recently been snapped up by PBS Kids in the U.S.

The 3D-animated action series The Save-Ums! centers on a group of pint-sized heroes who help prepare preschoolers for their role in the 21st century. The gang uses whimsical helicopters, space ships and other cool machines to solve problems and nurture an interest in technology and critical thinking. Created by the Dan Clark Co. and produced by Decode, the show is commissioned by Discovery’s The Learning Channel and Discovery Kids in the U.S. and by the CBC in Canada. It can also be seen around the world on ABC Australia, Five UK, Canal J France and Super RTL Germany.

With these latest sales, DECODE is building on a strong presence in Latin America, where it has eight shows airing on Cartoon Network and Boomerang, including Planet Sketch, Delilah & Julius, Franny’s Feet and Bromwell High. The company’s live-action tween drama series Radio Free Roscoe has also been sold to Boomerang, which is branching out from classic cartoons to feature more non-animated programs.


Updated: October 4, 2006

Bejuba Brings Likeaballs to MIPCOM Jr.
Having made a splash on BBC in the U.K. this summer, the sports-themed cartoon series The Likeaballs will be introduced to buyers around the world at this weekend’s MIPCOM Jr. market in Cannes, France. The property is being handled by Bejuba! Ent. and is supported by an exclusive long-term partnership deal with The FA Premier League, the biggest football (soccer) brand in the world. This is the first time the FAPL has agreed to any association with a children’s TV property.
Aimed at kids 6-11, the 26x10 series follows the adventures of Team Likeaball, a group of ball-shaped Aliens who bravely take on challenges because of their love of the game. Together, they face off against such threats as an aggressive virus, a band of plundering pirates, a bounty-hunting robot and a man with a magic hat. They even have to stop playing football and take-up tiddlywinks in order to end a war. The show is designed to entertain while delivering positive messages about the value of teamwork and fair play.

The Likeaballs is created by Jim Quick and produced for U.K. toon maker Animated Adventures and Pictures (AAP) by animation studio Cosgrove House Films. Based on its ratings success over the summer, BBC is now running the show on both CBBC and BBC2 and has scheduled it to head up the brand new Saturday morning block, TMi. More information on the series is available at www.likeaballs.co.uk.

Led by president Tatiana Kober, Bejuba! Ent. has broadcasting rights for The Likeaballs in all territories outside of the U.K. The show joins the company’s growing catalogue, which includes The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers from Pesky Animation and Studio B, the award-winning shorts of Tandem Films and Bonny Banana and Mo from Cut-Out Animation.

Worldwide merchandising and licensing rights for The Likeaballs are handled by 4Kids Entertainment International, which recently debuted the property at the New York Licensing Show.

Saban Launches Virtual Studio
Saban Entertainment Group (SEG), a division of Saban Capital Group Inc., is building a virtual studio dedicated to incubating, developing, and marketing family entertainment. Led by Haim Saban and Saban Capital Group chief creative officer Joel Andryc, the venture will assemble freelance teams to identify and create both animated and live-action properties with multi-platform appeal. The first product of the new venture is a live-action/CG show titled Hollywood Star Dogs, which will be presented at MIPCOM next week in Cannes, France.

As part of its virtual studio initiative, SEG has also entered into a development deal with Singapore-based Tiny Island Animation, led by Singapore animation industry veteran David Kwok. SEG will provide development resources as the two entities develop an unnamed comedic CG-animated series that is scheduled to make its debut in 2007.

"I am thrilled to return to my roots and focus on developing media properties for children and families,” says Saban. “The SEG team's extensive background in children's entertainment gives us unique expertise in recognizing breakthrough creative content. We will bring together specialized freelance talent to help develop, brand and promote each project. This strategy will enable us to create a best-in-class studio that is custom tailored for the needs of each individual project."

For Hollywood Star Dogs, SEG has partnered with writer-producer-director Holly Goldberg Sloan, who has written screenplays for such family-friendly flicks as Angels in the Outfield, Made in America and The Big Green. Consisting of 26 half-hour episodes, the show features a troupe of live-action talking dogs portraying classic fairy tales. “With its unique use of live animals and advanced CG animation to tell timeless tales and other stories, it is a high-quality, distinctive property that lends itself to number of distribution outlets,” comments Andryc.

Other properties being acquired and developed by SEG's virtual studio and will be announced soon, according to the company.


Updated: September 29, 2006

Foothill Brings Snappy Slate to MIPCOM
Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Foothill Ent. is traveling to Cannes next month with a bunch of new animated kids shows for the MIPCOM Jr. and MIPCOM markets. The company’s expanded catalogue includes Snapper, Milton the Monster, Rarg, Bubble Town, DigiSquid, Microbe Patrol and Solar Ice.

An animal adventure set in the Amazon, Snapper is created by U.K.’s Phew!! and produced by Malaysia’s POV Studio. Milton the Monster is an animated cult classic from legendary producer Hal Seeger and Rarg is a new show from award-winning U.K. studio Collingwood-O’Hare, whose Animal Stories is also distributed by Foothill.

Through a strategic alliance with Malaysian producer Vision Animation, Foothill will act as the exclusive worldwide (exept Asia) distributor for Vision’s Space Clowns (26 x 30’), and animated comedy a zany group of intergalactic circus clowns who find themselves battling The Villainously Evil Ringmaster. Foothill will also be distributing four additional Vision series. Bubble Town Club is an underwater adventure series portraying the everyday life of adorable sea creatures living in the South China Sea’s Coral Reef. DigiSquad follows Net, a computer whiz kid who unknowingly unleashes the most devastating computer virus ever and must band with his anti-virus friends to keep our networks free of threats. In the CG series Microbe Patrol, four brave surgical soldiers who allow themselves to be shrunken in order to use quantum science to cure the world’s most deadly diseases. Finally, Foothill will be seeking pre-sale partners for the Vision series Solar Ice, a fantasy comedy-adventure about a pair of superhero twins, a wise guru and a motley group of monstrous villains who clash in a surreal, medieval setting.

Foothill was founded in September of 2000 by former DIC Ent. exec VP of business and legal affairs Gregory Payne and former Link Television Ent. senior VP of U.S. operations Jo Kavanagh-Payne. In addition to pushing its new shows at MIPCOM, the company will continue to generate interest in the comedic adventure movie Toy Warrior. Produced by Seoul Movie, the property has already sold to Jetix in the U.S. and Cartoon Network in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, India and Eastern Europe. It has also been licensed to Germany, Turkey and the Middle East.

9 Story Adds Distrib. Division
Natalie Osborne, former VP of acquisitions for Universal Pictures Visual Programming, has been tapped as exec VP of business development for a new distribution unit formed by animation studio 9 Story Ent. Osborne will head to MIPCOM Jr. in Cannes, France next month to lead distribution efforts for the animated properties Futz!, Best Ed and If The World Were A Village.
9 Story plans to wrap production on all 26 3-minue episodes of Futz! By September of 2007. The multiplatform, action-comedy series is aimed at kids 9-14, and follows the adventures of a comic anti-hero who is ready for anything and prepared for nothing.

Best Ed is a 52x11 comedy series for kids 8-12 that focuses on the unlikely friendship between a dog named Ed and a squirrel named Buddy. The show will be ready for broadcast in January of 2008.

Based on the 2002 book by the same name by author David J. Smith, If the World Were a Village is a completed half-hour special that delivers a message of tolerance and understanding by offering children a view of the world as if it were a village of just 100 people, where one person equals 64 million. In this village, 20 people earn almost nothing, 17 will never learn to read or write and 60 are always hungry.

Founded in 2001, 9 Story Ent. has delivered more than 60 half hours of animated television content. Producer of such popular shows as Peep and the Big Wide World and Skyland, the company is led by exec producers Vince Commisso and Steven Jarosz, who oversee a staff of more than 70 employees.


Updated: September 20, 2006

Happy Tree Friends Travels with MTV
Mondo Media’s accident-prone forest pals are headed to MTV in Latin America, Germany and Brazil through broadcast license deals secured by Cinema Management Group (CMG). Consisting of 13 half-hour episodes, the Happy Tree Friends seies will debut in North America on Oct. 2 on G4 Network, the first TV broadcaster to pick up the series. CMG has since pre-sold the show in more than 40 territories.

Created by Kenn Navarro and Rhode Montijo of Mondo Media, Happy Tree Friends began life as a series of animated shorts that built a following on the Internet and on the film festival circuit. The property features such cute animal characters as Cuddles, Giggles, Lumpy and Toothy, who always manage to get mangled in creative calamities. G4 began airing the shorts last year as part of its Late Night Peep Show block, and the Happy Tree Friends podcast logs approximately 1.5 million downloads per month, making it one of the highest-ranking podcasts on iTunes.

CMG previously closed deals for the Happy Tree Friends series with such broadcasters as the recently launched Mad-TV network in Greece, Yes-TV in Israel and Music Plus and Chum TV in Canada. In addition, NSTV in Russia has acquired the Pay TV broadcast rights and up-start 20 TV in Moscow has purchased the Free TV rights. TV rights in New Zealand were picked up by Can West.

“The international reaction to this show proves the innovation and market knowledge of John Evershed and his team at Mondo Media,” says CMG president Edward Noeltner. “They were geniuses at creating a show that has worldwide appeal with teenagers and young adults that needs no dubbing or subtitling in order for the series to translate overseas.”

CMG has also pre-sold the North American DVD distribution rights to the series to BCI Eclipse. Internationally, DVD rights have been snapped up by Bac Films in France and French speaking Switzerland, Polyband in Germany and Austria, RCV Entertainment in the Benelux, Movie One in Italy, Baditri in Spain, Nobel Entertainment in Scandinavia, LNK in Portugal, Akella in the CIS territories, Budapest Films in Hungry, Hollywood Ent. in the Czech and Slovak Republics, Monolith Films in Poland, Village Roadshow in Australia and New Zealand and Focus Films in Brazil. Quality Films in Mexico recently came onboard for DVD distribution during the Toronto Film Festival.

Animania HD Serves Up More Erky Perky
VOOM HD Networks’ Animania HD will debut new episodes of the CG-animated series Erky Perky on Saturday, Sept. 23, at 12 p.m. (EST). The new season consists of 26 12-minute episodes that will air in half-hour blocks on Saturdays and Sundays this October at 12:30 p.m. during Animania HD’s Big Wide Action Show programming block. Repeats will air at 5 p.m.

Developed by CCI and Ambience Ent., Erky Perky follows the zany antics of two bickering, lazy and dim-witted bugs who are obsessed with finding food while trying to survive in the sterile suburban kitchen they accidentally end up in. After eating, their main goal in life is to find their way back to the hot dog stand they call home. The show also airs on Canada's YTV.

Featuring new series and specials, along with classic toons remastered to HD quality, Animania HD most recently picked up Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet , FUNimation Ent.’s anime series Akira Kurosawa's Samurai 7 and Monster Distributes' CG cartoons PicMe from Jammedia and Jungle Beat from Sunrise Media. Other offerings include 2020, Horrible Histories, The Gravediggers Squad, Ratz, Dan Dare–Pilot of the Future and Voltron: The Third Dimension, as well as vintage cartoons The Pink Panther, Dick Tracy, Mr. Magoo and Felix the Cat.

Animania HD is one of more than 10 high-definition core channels available through VOOM HD Networks, a subsidiary of Rainbow Media. Other VOOM channels available on Dish Network offer programming revolving around sports, movies, fashion, music and art. In March of this year, the network added GamePlay HD, a high-definition channel dedicated solely to video game-related content.


Updated: September 19, 2006

Mainframe Taps Echo Bridge as Int’l Distrib.
Canadian computer animation production company Mainframe Ent. has signed Echo Bridge Ent. to co-manage the international distribution of Mainframe’s CG animated and live action TV series, features and specials. Echo will present Mainframe properties at the MIPCOM market taking place next month in Cannes, France.

New animated Mainframe properties debuting at MIPCOM will include the feature-length CG-animated film Tony Hawk in Boom Boom Sabotage, which has a ragtag gang of skateboarders coming to the rescue of the world famous champion skateboarding legend when he is kidnapped by an inept group of carnies. Also up for sale are Arthur’s Missing Pal, a 70-minute CG feature based on the beloved character created by author Marc Brown, and Scary Godmother 2: The Revenge of Jimmy. The sequel to the award-winning, CG-animated special Scary Godmother’s Halloween Spooktakular is based on the children’s books by artist and writer Jill Thompson.

Mainframe will also be bringing a development slate of new series, which includes the animated show Ghost Hunter Dax, which chronicles the adventures of a kid who’s normal teenage life is disrupted when he discovers that he has inherited the job of Ghost Hunter from legendary Chinese warrior Zhong Kui.

Moonsurfers is a new CG children’s series about an eclectic group of friends who live on Moonport and enjoy Moonsurfing and having far-out space adventures. In addition, Mainframe will be promoting Zixx, a series that has aired on YTV Canada, Cartoon Network U.S. and Cartoon Network U.K. A second season is in the works for the show, which blends CG animation and live action to follow an unlikely team of heroes who join forces to save the universe from evil.


Updated: September 18, 2006

Cheeky, Monster Meld
 U.K. kids production and distribution company Cheeky and Dublin-based Monster Distributes have formed a development and distribution venture dubbed Cheeky Monster. Under the new shingle, the entities will jointly develop and exploit kids entertainment projects across all media.
The first project for Cheeky Monster is a slate of 26 new episodes of the preschool series Slim Pig, which has aired in the U.K. on CITV and Cartoon Network, as well as 35 other territories worldwide. The new season will debut at MIPCOM Junior in October and will begin airing on CBC this fall.

Slim Pig revolves around an intelligent, two-dimensional pig whose curiosity leads to all sorts of adventures in a three-dimensional world. Slim lives on a farm with his mother, his siblings and a variety of unconventional barnyard animals. Joining him on his excursions beyond the pigsty are his best friends Mouse, Dog and Little Chick. Other characters include Duck, the local font of information and wisdom, Horse the storyteller and Rooster, who wakes everyone up in the most unexpected ways at the beginning of each show.

Other animated projects coming from the venture are Tipo, a preschool show about a globe-trotting dog, and Pluto 5, a wacky action series for kids 6-11 that centers on wild bunch of intergalactic robotics. According to Cheeky Monster, complete pilots for each series have been chosen for funding by MEDIA and the Irish Film Board.


Updated: September 15, 2006

Bejuba! Reps Klasky-Csupo Shows at MIP
Bejuba! Ent. has been tapped to represent two new shows from Klasky-Csupo (Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power) at this year’s MIPCOM market in October. The company will be presenting Twinkle and Sugarless to international buyers, while Tracy Kramer of Toltec Artists continues his long-term relationship in representing the studio.

The animated pre-school series Twinkle centers on a four year-old girl who doesn’t accept adults’ explanations of how the world works and always has to find out for herself. Then, whenever she learns something new, she twinkles.

Sugarless is an animated show about a quirky teenager with attitude who rebels against convention and philosophizes with a unique point of view. As she navigates through life, she deals with universal teen issues including peer cliques, parental un-coolness and dating. The offbeat comedy is animated with Cell Action.

Established in 2003 by Tatiana Kober, Bejuba! Ent. focuses on bringing production partners together, on closing gap financing and on distribution. The company’s client base includes Studio B Prods, Coneybeare Stories, Tandem Films, Cut-Out Films, National Geographic Kids Programming and Production, Snowden Fine, Pork & Beans and ZDFE.

 Breakthrough Takes Betty, Miss BG, Flamingo Multi-Platform
Canadian production company Breakthrough Animation Inc. is headed to MIPCOM 2006 with multi-platform vignettes for its popular series, Atomic Betty, Miss BG and Captain Flamingo. Rather than re-purposing existing animation from the show, Breakthrough will generate new content for the internet, mobile phones and other hand-held devices.

The vignettes developed for Atomic Betty will be a combination of space-based science facts, blooper reels, animated interviews and music videos, while the Miss BG bits will highlight the title character’s unconventional perspective on the world, her family and friends. Fans of Captain Flamingo will be able to learn what it takes to be a caped crusader as their hero disseminates 101 ways to attain superhero savvy.

As audiences move toward accessing their content beyond the traditional television broadcast platform we want to provide unique programming for these new mediums,” says Breakthrough exec producer and managing partner Kevin Gillis. “Produced for the mobile screen, we have designed our multi-platform programming to provide distinctive content for these mediums because we believe global audiences will be looking for an original viewing experience that differentiates it from re-purposed fare.”

A co-production of Atomic Cartoons, Breakthrough Animation and TeleImages Kids, Atomic Betty consists of 78 half-hour episodes and an hour-long Christmas Special. The series has already been licensed worldwide to major broadcasters in more than 120 territories.

Miss BG is adapted from the acclaimed Gudule & les Bébés book series published in France by Hachette-Jeunesse and authored by Fanny Joly and illustrated by Roser Capdevilla. The 52x30 series is a co-production between Ellipsanime, Breakthrough Animation, TVO, TFO (Canada) and France 5. Aimed at kids 5-8, the 3-D animated show revolves around a precocious eight year-old girl who sees it as her mission to teach her young brother George the ways of the world.

A co-production between Breakthrough Animation, Heroic Film Company, Atomic Cartoons and PASI Animation, Captain Flamingo (52x30) is an original production for YTV Canada. The series follows the adventures of Milo Powell who, tired of being overlooked by big kids, dons his terrycloth cape and saves the day for kids everywhere.

At MIPCOM, Breakthrough Ent. will distribute the shows to broadcasters and Breakthrough New Media will present the mobile content to telecommunication companies and content aggregators for the mobile market in the Canadian Pavilion at booth #00.01.