It’s that magical time of year when Cannes, France’s Palais des Festivals (and any bars within walking distance) are jam-packed with content creators and buyers from across the globe, hoping to make the deal of a lifetime or snap up the next big thing. With all the great animated content on offer, picking a few shows to highlight for our readers feels kind of like throwing a dart at the wall. Blindfolded. In the dark. But we try, anyway! And be sure to visit us online for the latest news from the show October 13-16 at www.animationmagazine.net.
Cupcake & Dinosaur: General Services
Package: 52 x 11
Type of animation: Digital 2D
Produced by: Entertainment One, Birdo Studio; distributed by eOne Family
Created by: Pedro Eboli
Target audience: Kids 7-12
Synopsis: A Cupcake. A Dinosaur. Somehow, they are brothers, and they do stuff — like rock out on keytars like a boss!
Selling points: Eboli and eOne have been pretty hush-hush when it comes to details about the project, but if the super fun trailer (featuring Skrillex) and random-cute characters are any hint, it looks like the next cult show for tweens to 20-somethings.
Delivery: Early 2016
Stand: C15.A10
H20 Mermaid Adventures
Package: 52 x 26
Type of animation: 2D
Produced by: Les Cartooneurs Associes, Fantasia Animation; distributed by ZDF Enterprises
Created by: Inspired by the live-action series created by Jonathan Shiff
Target audience: Girls
Synopsis: When exploring the mysterious Island of Mako, three ordinary teenage girls fall under a spell that changes their lives: whenever they are splashed by water, they are transformed into mermaids. The trio are often called to help out situations in the underwater world with their sea creature friends and have enchanting adventures.
Selling points: The animated H2O Mermaid Adventures takes the original concept of the international live-action hit H2O Just Add Water to a whole new level by combining bubbly humor, excitement and emotional turbulence with colorful animation and magical design.
Stand: P1.L2, P1.M1
Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small
Package: 52 x 7
Type of animation: CG
Produced by: Blue-Zoo Animation Studio; distributed by Mercis BV and Telescreen BV
Created by: Based on the work of Dick Bruna
Target audience: Preschool
Synopsis: Featuring new children’s voices, characters and locations, the first-ever CG Miffy series uses simple narratives and cheerful songs to illustrate the little bunny’s explorations of the world around her.
Selling points: “We are is delighted with this new series in which Miffy is thoroughly modern and more adorable than ever,” says Mercis producer Frank Padberg. “Blue-Zoo has been able to recreate the same warmth and beautiful atmosphere of the previous stop motion series. The images look incredibly crisp, whilst the stories are full of action and genuinely fun! With Miffy celebrating her 60th birthday next year, this series will introduce the character to a whole new generation.”
Delivery: Fall 2015
Stand: R7.H3
Pikkuli
Package: 26 x 5
Type of animation: 2D
Produced by: Sun In Eye Productions; distributed by Monster Entertainment
Created by: Based on the book by Metsämarja Aittokoski
Target audience: Preschool
Synopsis: Pikkuli is a young bird who hasn’t yet learned to fly. Instead, he hops around like a chicken and swims like a penguin, and loves to play and sing with his young friends and his loving parents.
Selling points: With cheerful, non-dialog adventures and charmingly simple, Scandinavian style, it’s no wonder the li’l birdie has already found homes in Finland (YLE), Norway (TV2), Estonia (ERR), Croatia (HRT), Slovakia (RTVS) and Latvia (Public Latvian Television) in pre-sales. Pikkuli is just one of the 18 titles, many new, that Monster will bring to Cannes.
Stand: P-1.J64
The Crumpets
Package: 52 x 13
Type of animation: Digital 2D
Produced by: 4.21 Productions; distributed by Mediatoon
Created by: Based on the Lil’One books by Didier Levy and Frédéric Benaglia
Target audience: Kids & Tweens 5-12
Synopsis: The Crumpets are an extra-large family living in an odd house, where Pa spends his time gardening while Ma invents revolutionary machines. There’s also Granny, goth teen Caprice and regressive Pfff, who we meet through the eyes of Lil’One who just wants to get rid of his 141 brothers and sisters and have his mom to himself.
Selling points: “We have been seduced by the originality and the modernity of the project and we had a very special crush on the explosive duo formed by Lil’One and his Gran Ma,” says Mediatoon’s general manager Jerome Alby.
Delivery: Airs on Canal+ Family (commissioning broadcaster)
Stand: P1.D58, P1.E61
The Flying Bear & the Gang
Package: 13 episodes
Type of animation: CG
Produced by: Badi Badi
Created by: Tom Nedved, Tomasz Paziewski
Target audience: Kids
Synopsis: Siblings Polly and Jack team up with a Bear and his flying Book of Legends on a quest to save the magic creatures from myths and legends from around the world before the pixelated villain Cyber can turn them into a digitized army and use them to conquer the world.
Selling points: The Polish studio is developing the series for the international market, reaching out to expert screenwriters and music composers to create diverse adventures for the Bear and his gang, working ethnic motifs into the globe trotting stories. The concept has been well received by European broadcasters at Cartoon Forum.
Delivery: 2015
Hey Duggee
Package: 52 x 7
Type of animation: 2D
Produced by: Studio AKA; distributed by BBC Worldwide
Created by: Grant Orchard
Target audience: Preschool
Synopsis: Duggee is a big dog who is big on physical activity. He leads an after school club called the Squirrel, which consists of Tag the rhino, Betty the octopus, Roly the hippo, Happy the crocodile and Norrie the wombat. Their adventures are always rewarded with a Squirrel Activity Badge to show their proud parents.
Selling points: With vibrant, shape-conscious designs, the show is primed to get kids moving as Duggee and co’s adventures encourage young viewers to use activity to solve a problem by moving, jumping, running and skipping. Take that, childhood obesity epidemic!
Stand: P3.B38
P. King Duckling
Package: 52 x 11
Type of animation: 2D
Produced by: Little Airplane Productions, UYoung
Created by: Josh Selig
Target audience: Preschool
Synopsis: P. King Duckling is an adventurous bird with big dreams and not a lot of common sense. He lives in suburban Hilly Hole with his friends Wombat and Chumpkins the pig and is always looking for adventure — but his travel plans don’t always work out.
Selling points: The show is bolstered by an educational curriculum created by Dr. Christine Ricci (Dora the Explorer) and music from Emmy winner Jeffrey Lesser (Wonder Pets). “P.King Duckling is a very funny character that we believe will appeal equally to children in Asia, Europe and North America,” says Little Airplane’s founder Josh Selig.
Shutterbugs
Package: 52 x 11
Type of animation: 2D
Produced by: Amberwood Entertainment, Big Jump Productions; distributed by Tricon Films & Television
Created by: Cory Morrison (Big Jump), Craig Young and Michael Milligan (Amberwood)
Target audience: Preschool
Synopsis: Take in the big adventures of some very small heroes: a reporter firefly and his pals, a horsefly and a spider. As they encounter a variety of first-time experiences, their problem-solving skills show viewers how better to relate to their world.
Selling points: Already picked up by TVOKids, Knowledge Kids and Radio-Canada, the series weaves digital literacy, science, math, technology and comedy into its narrative to give preschoolers a leg up on the 21st century
Stand: R7.J7
Zafari
Type of animation: CG
Produced by: Ink Global
Created by: David Dozoretz
Target audience: Kids
Synopsis: The land of Zafari is populated by unique animals who have all been magically born in another species’ skin. Join Zoomba, a little elephant with zebra stripes, as he explores and makes sense of the world and learns to celebrate inclusivity and friendship.
Selling points: The multi-million euro budgeted project promises lush visuals in addition to its positive mission. “Zafari, with its strong message of embracing our differences, is a story that needs to be told to the world,” says director Claus Tomming. “We believe this enhances the brand and makes it really stand out in a crowded market.”
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