Mipjunior 2015 preview

SEPTEMBER 2015

mipjunior

www.mipjunior.com The official MIPJunior magazine

®

PREVIEW KEYNOTE

KEYNOTE

KEYNOTE

Hasbro’s Stephen Davis

Nickelodeon’s Russell Hicks & Dan Schneider

YouTube’s Malik Ducard

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SEE PAGE 12

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WORLD PREMIERE TV SCREENING

Zorro SEE PAGE 14

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HE’S BACK!

PREMIERING FROM SEPTEMBER ‘15

Joss Duffield VP, Distribution & Sales T: +44 (0)20 7691 6411 E: joss.duffield@fremantlemedia.com

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Bob Higgins EVP, Kids & Family Entertainment T: +1 212 541 2800 E: bob.higgins@fremantlemedia.com

Henry Or VP, ASIA T: +852 3972 2470 E: henry.or@fremantlemedia.com

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Preschool hit!

Mim-tastic second series on air Spring ‘16

Tree Fu Go!

Magical new series from Spring ‘16

MIPCOM Stand C11 fremantlemediakidsandfamily.com Kate & Mim Mim © 2013 KMM Productions Inc., a Nerd Corps company. Tree Fu Tom © BBC and FremantleMedia Limited MMX. Danger Mouse © FremantleMedia Limited MMXV

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Contents 8

News

Features 35

What’s happening at MIPJunior?

Buying for Junior

Zorro is MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening; keynotes from Hasbro. Nickelodeon and YouTube; the MIPJunior International Pitch; and more...

What kind of content are aquisitions executives looking for in Cannes this year?

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Where to next?

A look at the challenges and opportunities of a market in transition

44

‘Pre-school characters are a child’s first friends’ How to turn a kids show into an L&M international hit

Product News

18 The best stories keep on going

What’s for sale?

Highlighting some of the content showcased at MIPJunior, and onwards at MIPCOM

49

Classic kids brands are getting a makeover

Also inside : 27 Conferences

53 Tips & Services

mipjunior PREVIEW The official MIPJunior preview magazine September 2015. Director of Publications Paul Zilk Director of Communication Mike Williams ®

EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor in Chief Julian Newby Deputy Editor Debbie Lincoln Technical Editor in Chief Hervé Traisnel Deputy Technical Editor in Chief Frédéric Beauseigneur Graphic Designers Jordan Carel, Carole Peres Sub Editor Joanna Stephens Contributors Andy Fry, Bob Jenkins, Rachel Murrell Editorial Management Boutique Editions PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Publishing Director Martin Screpel Publishing Manager Amrane Lamiri Co-ordinator Emilie Lambert Production Assistant, Cannes Office Eric Laurent Printer Riccobono Imprimeurs, Le Muy (France) MANAGEMENT & SALES TEAM Director of the Entertainment Division Jérome Delhaye Director of the Television Division Laurine Garaude Entertainment Conference Director and MIPJunior Show Director Lucy Smith Director of Market Development Ted Baracos Programme Director Tania Dugaro Director of the Buyers’ Department Bénédicte Touchard Brand Director Lionel Lelouch Sales Director (UK / Australia / New Zealand) Matt Colgan Senior Vice President Americas Robert Marking Sales Director Latin America José-Luis Sanchez Sales Manager Panayiota Pagoulatos Regional Sales Director Sylvain Faureau Regional Sales Director Nathalie Gastone Regional Sales Director Fabienne Germond Sales Managers Paul Barbaro, Liliane Da Cruz, Nancy Denole, Samira Haddi Sales Executive Cyril Szczerbakow New Media Development Manager Bastien Gave Sales Managers, Buyers Cyriane Accolas, Yi-Ping Gerard, Deborah Carella Australia and New Zealand Representative Natalie Apostolou China Representatives Rowan Simons, Anke Redl, Tammy Zhao CIS Representative Alexandra Modestova English Speaking Africa Representative Arnaud de Nanteuil Germany Representative Mark Wessel India Representative Anil Wanvari Israel Representative Guy Martinovsky Japan Representative Lily Ono Middle-East Representative Bassil Hajjar Poland Representative Monika Bednarek Spain Representative Marie Jose Vadillo South Asia Representative Adam Ham South Korea Representative Sunny Kim Taiwan Representative Irene Liu Reed MIDEM, a joint stock company (SAS), with a capital of €310.000, 662 003 557 R.C.S. NANTERRE, having offices located at 27-33 Quai Alphonse Le Gallo - 92100 BOULOGNE-BILLANCOURT (FRANCE), VAT number FR91 662 003 557.

Contents © 2015, Reed MIDEM Market Publications. Publication registered 3rd quarter 2015. ISSN 2104-2187. Printed on 50% recycled paper

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News

Kids are looking everywhere but television ‘still reigns’ worldwide hits Transformers HASBRO executive vice-presand My Little Pony. “But there ident, chief content officer, are also challenger brands Stephen J Davis gives a keynote coming through,” he said. address at MIPJunior this year, “We’re really excited by propwhen he will discuss how the erties such as Micronauts, Rom world-famous toy company has The Space Knight, Jem And transformed itself into a 360º The Holograms and Ouija. entertainment provider, extendJem, for example, was a popuing its brands across a range of lar TV series in the 1980s and experiences including film, TV, is now being reinvented as a digital, music, licensing, theme movie and a global licensing parks and live events.

Hasbro’s Stephen J Davis programme.”

“Everything starts with our The vast majority of Hasbro’s brand blueprint and the powproperties are wholly-owned. But the comer of storytelling,” Davis told the MIPJunior pany does also form partnerships with thirdPreview. “It doesn’t matter what form of exparty entertainment brands like Star Wars and pression we use to engage with our consumJurassic Park, as well as developing new IP. ers, story sits at the heart of that experience.”

During his keynote, Davis will talk about The core of Hasbro’s business is a portfolio of Hasbro’s approach to “brand blueprints” and 1,500 classic entertainment brands including

also explore the relationship between traditional media consumption and new industry dynamics. “One point I’ll be making is that kids still consume 22 hours of TV a week. So even though we have to consider the new content ecosystem, it’s important to note that TV still reigns.”

Other themes will be content windowing and the role of retail. “We have to listen to retailers because they have a big influence on our business decisions,” Davis said. “We spend a lot of time in two-way conversations with both retail partners and licensing partners.”

Why does Hasbro go to so much effort to build 360-degree brands? The answer, is that consumers expect it. “Consumers want brands they can touch and feel, that are part of their lifestyle.”

Stephen J Davis’ MIPJunior Keynote is in the MIPJunior Conference Room on Saturday, October 3, at 16.45

Majid seeks partnerships at MIPJunior MAJID Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Media Company, is partner of the 2015 MIPJunior International Pitch. Open to creators and producers looking for financing their projects in development, the competition aims to find new kids TV properties with potential for TV and multiplatform brand extension.

Majid Entertainment is a multimedia brand that has grown out of the highly successful children’s magazine, Majid, first published in Abu Dhabi over 36 years ago. Today, Majid has expanded its media activities to include its own TV channel and online presence, including both its website and social media channels, its Facebook page attracting over 420,000 organic likes in under three months.

“There is a single tone of voice which has remained synonymous with Majid since its inception,” Majid CEO Mohamad Yehya said.

“Typically the adventures, which are all written in traditional Arabic, reflect the tenets of Arab culture.” He added: “In terms

He said that originality is the of expanding our global reach, key to a winning pitch. “One of we have already started lookthe driving forces behind Majid ing at options to resell some of is to find new and exciting ways our shows into English formats, to engage and educate children with a couple of distributors aland teenagers alike, while reready signed up. Currently we maining true to the values held are working on six animated seby our brand.” Compatibility ries (52 x 13 mins each) based on is another key attribute: “We the comic book series.” will be assessing which compaTeaming with the MIPJunior nies we feel most comfortable International Pitch is part of with in terms of forging strongthe company’s content develer partnerships,” Yehya said. opment strategy. “It is impor- Majid Entertainment CEO “MIPJunior offers a highly tant that we continue to source Mohamad Yehya unique environment in which the very best in terms of engagto understand which companies will be most ing content, while remaining current with suitable to work with, while also sharing valuthe latest standards and techniques of edable knowledge and experience from a pool of ucation,” Yehya said. “For us, partnering leading industry peers.” with the MIPJunior International Pitch gives Majid a unique opportunity for talented producers to pitch us new ideas and concepts, Deadline for entries was September 1 and finalists pitch their ideas at MIPJunior on which if successful can go on to become part Saturday, October 3, at 14.30. of the Majid brand.”

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News

The seven dwarfs start a new life in America AB INTERNATIONAL Distribution and Method Animation present hybrid animation series Seven And Me during the MIPJunior Drink & Screen on Saturday, October 3.

The 26 x 26 mins series tells the story of Snow, great-great granddaughter of Snow White, who lives in the US. One day seven trunks arrive at her home each containing one of the seven

The MIPJunior Drink & Screen is in the MIPJunior Conference Room in the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez, at 12.30 on Saturday, October 3.

Snow and the seven dwarfs

How to make the most of digital THE MIPJUNIOR conference programme includes a session titled Maximising Digital Opportunities: Make The Most Of Apps, SVOD & Online Platforms.

During the session a panel will consider what are the key elements impacting the development of a digital property; how to increase brand exposure and maximise revenues; and how to make the most of apps, SVOD and online platforms.

One of the panelists, The Jim Henson Company’s

The Jim Henson Company’s Richard Goldsmith

dwarfs — Deco, Cuddlio, Brainio, Ingenio, Culpo, Mysterio and Beefio. The Dwarfs have come into Snow’s life to ensure she is true to the legacy of her famous ancestor.

“It’s a new type of hybrid animation, mixing live-action and CGI in a new way,” Cedric Pilot, producer at Method Animation, said.

“We wanted to give our regular audience something a bit different to watch. There’s a lot of comedy in it, from the goofi ness of the dwarfs to the real emotions of the little girl.”

Method Animation CEO Aton Soumache said: “It throws fantasy into the real world.

Three or four years ago the Method Animation teams decided it would be really interesting to work on a new format — hybrid animation. I think we are really qualified to do this. Why? Because we wear several hats. We’ve been producing cartoons for children for more than 15 years. But we also produce live-action feature films.” He added: “Why the seven dwarfs? Because it’s a great idea. They happen to be seven amazing, funny characters. So we decided to make a modern version of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale.

The Seven Dwarfs 2.0.“ Seven And Me is produced by Method Animation, with co-production partners AB productions, Rai Fiction, France Televisions, ZDF, DQ Entertainment and Nexus Factory.

Richard Goldsmith, said that every series produced by the company is supported by apps and web content.

“We strive to make content that children can interact with in addition to being passive viewers,” he said. “Together with our video content on SVOD and other platforms we offer a fullcircle experience for children that they can generally access at any time and on any device.”

The company has two goals with the series that it produces for digital platforms. “The fi rst is to monetise the sale to the platform given the level of investment required to produce a series that has the high production value that our clients expect from The Jim Henson Company,” Goldsmith said. “And if it’s a platform like YouTube where we share in

revenues, we look to make a profit beyond the license fees.” He added: “The second goal is to have wide exposure of our series to establish brand awareness that allows for consumer products, DVD, transactional video, publishing and other tent poles to establish a successful global brand. Accordingly, we and our clients create windows that allow for our series to be on multiple platforms in a given market.”

Other speakers on the panel include Paul Nunn, managing director of the UK’s Outfit7 Brit, and Guilherme Coelho of Brazil’s O1 Digital. Moderator is Jesse Cleverly, creative director of the UK’s Wildseed Studios.

Maximising Digital Opportunities: Make The Most Of Apps, SVOD & Online Platforms is at 11.15 on Sunday, October 4, in the MIPJunior Conference Room in the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez.

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News Q YOUTUBE TARGETS KIDS AND FAMILIES MALIK Ducard, the newly appointed global head of family and learning at YouTube, gives a MIPJunior keynote on Sunday, October 4.

In February of this year, YouTube launched YouTube Kids, a new app designed to give the millions of children who already use the video-streaming service a more age-appropriate destination. At the time of the launch, Shimrit Ben-Yair, the project’s group product manager, said: “Parents were constantly asking us, ‘Can you make YouTube a better place for our kids?’.”

He added: “Year over year we’ve seen 50% growth in viewing time on YouTube, but for our family entertainment channels, it’s more like 200%.”

Some of YouTube’s most popular channels are already aimed at children.

In August 2014, the service’s second biggest channel was DisneyCollector, a Brazilian channel devoted to unboxing new toys, videos from which were watched 324.4 million times that month alone, according to analytics company OpenSlate. YouTube’s fourth biggest channel that month was Stampy, a child-friendly Minecraft channel created by British YouTuber Joseph Garrett, whose videos were watched 217.9 million times that month. Garrett is signed to Disneyowned MCN Maker Studios.

Ducard is now overseeing the development of YouTube’s family entertainment and educational content, and will give some insight into this new enterprise during his keynote presentation.”

Malik Ducard’s MIPJunior keynote is on Sunday, October 4, at 16.00

YouTube’s Malik Ducard

Hicks and Schneider reveal Nickelodeon’s latest plans

Nickelodeon Group’s Russell Hicks

Creator and executive producer Dan Schneider

WRITER-producer Dan Schneider and Russell Hicks, president, content development and production for Nickelodeon Group give a MIPJunior keynote on Sunday, October 4 at 11.45.

Schneider has established himself as a key player in the world of family entertainment with his company Schneider’s Bakery Productions. His creations include Game Shakers, as well the mega-hit series Sam & Cat, iCarly, Victorious and Zoey 101, all of which have received multiple Emmy nominations.

Based at Nickelodeon’s Burbank and Santa Monica offices, Russell Hicks oversees the company’s live-action, animation development and production teams for all of Nickelodeon’s content platforms and across all of the network’s channels — Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nicktoons. His

development and production slate includes a number of new live-action, animation and TVmovie projects as part of Nickelodeon’s commitment to “creating new content for the first generation of post-millennial kids”.

In animation, Hicks initiated a shorts programme in 2012 to attract new talent and projects. In its inaugural year, the programme took more than 600 pitches and made 12 shorts, five of which went forward for series development.

A 16-year Nickelodeon veteran, Hicks previously served as the network’s chief creative officer.

Dan Schneider and Russell Hicks’ keynote is on Sunday, October 4, at 16.00 in the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez.

On Saturday, October 3, the MIPJunior Networking Lunch at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez Beach is sponsored by Nickelodeon

MIPJunior is all about education TURKEY Country Of Honour events kick off ahead of MIPCOM, when at MIPJunior TRT Cocuk presents a 30-minute showcase featuring a special selection of pre-school edutainment content. TRT Cocuk is the children’s channel of TRT, the Turkish Radio And Television Corporation. The session is at 12.30 on Sunday, October 4, followed by a snack lunch.

At 10.30 on Saturday, October 3, The Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada present new educational content for children in a 30-minute showcase titled Science Edutainment For Little Geeks. The screening is followed by a

networking coffee break.

On Sunday October 4, All About Education! reveals some of the latest, innovative storytelling across multiple devices designed to help kids learn. The session will ask which media are best applied to turn science, technology, engineering and mathematics into amusement and fun.

Speakers at the session include Andrew Berman, senior vice-president of global content sales, Genius Brands International, US; and JJ Johnson, producer and partner at Sinking Ship, Canada.

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News WORLD PREMIERE TV SCREENING

‘The bad guys get punished.

This is Zorro’

Z

ORRO The Chronicles, a 26-part animation series from France’s Cyber Group Studios for France Televisions and Rai, is this year’s MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening. Based on the character created by Johnston McCulley — which first appeared in All Story Weekly magazine back in 1919 — the series introduces a teenage Don Diego de la Vega, whose mission is to seek justice in the face of evil.

Work on the series began with six months of research to get the right look and feel for

the show. Headed up by Cyber Group president Pierre Sissman, the team began by studying maps of the Los Angeles area in the late 18th century, to get a feel for their young hero’s surroundings. “We researched costumes, old paintings, the first photographs, all to put ourselves into the position of where we could create and design characters that would match the era,” Sissman said. “It’s animation but we wanted to be very true to the time when the young Don Diego would be having all these adventures.”

Working with designers Christophe Rendu and Georges Bouchelaghem, Sissman decided that he wanted each episode to have the look and the feel of a feature film. “Of course television budgets are not feature-film budgets, but if you look at the first episode for instance — the horses and soldiers and Zorro’s family — I think we have over 100 characters in that episode and you don’t usually see that in television animation,” Sissman said. “In most TV animation in one episode you’ll never see more than four or five characters and maybe

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“When people talk about superheroes, its like Zorro is their ancestor” Pierre Sissman

the occasional crowd. But we had to develop the technology to do this in order to stay within the budget. It’s a robotisation tool that enhances and speeds up modelisation so that you can distort and create different shapes at the rigging stage.”

The painstaking research extended to the voices that are used in the various versions that will be seen around the world. Past Zorros have been played by Antonio Banderas, Guy Williams, Alain Delon, Tyrone Power and Douglas Fairbanks, and Sissman was aware

that the voice of the newly-introduced teenage Don Diego must have all the gravitas, heroism and occasional humour that these leading men have given to the character over the decades.

“For his first Zorro movie Antonio Banderas was playing a 25- to 30-year-old, with an element of humour; Tyrone Power played a very manly version of the character; but we were doing something for six- to 12-year-olds and family audiences and this time Zorro is a teenager, so finding a different voice but the right voice was important.”

For the US version alone Sissman and his team listened to almost 300 voices before making their choice. “We weren’t necessarily looking for a big name, but in the end Johnny Yong Bosch was the right person for the job.” A martial artist, voice actor and musician, Johnny Yong Bosch’s first major role was as Adam Park, the Black Power Ranger in the phenomenally successful Power Rangers franchise.

Passionate about the project, Sissman speaks of a sense of responsibility he has — both for McCulley’s original creation, and for the young audience that will be introduced to Don Diego de la Vega for the first time.

“When people talk about superheroes, its like Zorro is their ancestor. It’s always your responsibility to do a great show, but this is different. What I mean is you can’t mess around; this is Zorro. You take extra care, there’s a sense of responsibility; you have to pay great attention to an icon known worldwide.”

So would he make many dramatic changes to the character? “The DNA of Zorro is justice — bringing justice, trying to help the poor, balancing the worlds and this is something that speaks to every generation. But at the same time there were other things I wanted to do. I wanted to introduce a bigger role for women, because when you look at the history of California since the 1900 women have had a very important role and I felt the original Zorro was all about Zorro and the role of women wasn’t there. So I created his twin sister, because television audiences are mixed and with this device you can see the world from two angles. I wanted him to speak to younger generations, so we created a young Zorro and introduced his twin sister Zola and also there’s his faithful friend Bernardo — and they are all 19. So now we have a trio, but it still has the same DNA,” Sissman said.

The first chance to see the new young Don Diego, his sister and his friend is in Cannes at the World Premiere TV Screening on Saturday, October 3, in the MIPJunior Conference room at 17.45.

“When we first heard it was going to be premiered in Cannes, people asked me what my hopes are for the event,” Sissman said. “I said I hope people will like what we’ve done — and that’s it. We put so much care and passion into this, like when a writer writes a book or a composer creates a piece of music. I can’t stress enough what a talented team we had working on this, focusing on every little detail. This is for kids, it’s about comedy and it’s about adventure; the bad guys get punished but nobody gets hurt. This is Zorro.”

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Product News MIPJunior Preview highlights some of the content for kids and young people, on sale from around the world at MIPJunior and onwards at MIPCOM SLAP HAPPY CARTOONS THE VANCOUVER studio of Slap Happy

Cartoons is in production on the second season of the animated series Nerds And Monsters (40 x 22 mins). The new season will debut in early 2016 on YTV Canada. It focuses on a group of nerdy kids on an island who are relentlessly attacked by a tribe of terrifying monsters.

NOTTINGHAM FOREST SPANISH outfit Nottingham Forest returns to MIPCOM with its fantasy animated

series Sendokai Champions. A recent deal with product company Rubie’s will see the launch of costumes from the series in Spain in late 2015.

Sendokai Champions (Nottingham Forest)

Nerds And Monsters (Slap Happy Cartoons)

TRICON KIDS & FAMILY

PICTURE BOX DISTRIBUTION

COUNTERFEIT Cat (26 x 30 mins/52 x 11 mins/11 x 2 mins) is a new animated series targeted to six- to 12-year-olds. It features Gark, a nine-year-old alien with superpowers, destined to save the universe, and Max, an anxious but vain cat who’d prefer to save himself. The Canadian company also brings Shutterbugs (52 x 11 mins), an animated pre-school series about a team of friends who investigate unusual activities in their home town.

Counterfeit Cat (Tricon Kids & Family)

PICTURE Box Distribution brings Mochie Kalala Detectives Club (6 x 30 mins) to Cannes. The live-action series, aimed at six- to nine-yearolds, sees two kids form a club to uncover the scientific truth behind their grandpa’s wild stories. Another priority for the Canadian company is The Dancing Pumpkin (1 x 45 mins), an animated Halloween special.

ZODIAK KIDS INTERACTIVE drama The Secret Life Of

Boys is brought to MIP Junior by Zodiak Kids. The series of 25 five-minute segments launches online on CBBC (UK) and ABC3 (Australia), and is available on mobile and as a 5 x 30 mins TV series. Rights for the formats are available worldwide. The stories centre on Ginger, an 11-year-old girl who has to spend the summer with her English cousins — four boys. They learn each other’s unpredictable behaviour and how to live in harmony. During the show there are opportunities to click around and uncover extra punchlines, character insights and hidden secrets.

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Product News DISTRIBUTION360 (D360) PRODUCED by ToonDraw Productions in association with Societe Radio-Canada and

YOOPA, and brought to MIPCOM by Canada’s D360, pre-school series Yaya And Zouk (78 x 5 mins) follows the adventures of a brother/sister duo. Big sister YaYa, who has a taste for mischief, and her quirky little brother Zouk, who only speaks when necessary, get into fun situations as they go on imaginative adventures.

AB INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTION FRANCE’s AB is highlighting its first

hybrid animated series at MIPCOM. Seven And Me (26 x 26 mins) is a 3D CGI story that brings the story of Snow White and the seven dwarfs right up to date.

POKEMON COMPANY INTERNATIONAL JAPAN’s Pokemon Company brings a

feature-length Pokemon film, Pokemon The Movie: Hoopa And The Clash Of Ages, to the international market in Cannes. Already picked up by Cartoon Network in the US and Latin America, and Teletoon in Canada, the 70-minute animated movie takes Ash, Pikachu and their friends to a desert city by the sea.

Yaya And Zouk (D360)

NELVANA CORUS Entertainment’s production and distribution arm Nelvana; The Topps

Company; master toy partner Playmates Toys; and broadcaster Nickelodeon have joined forces on an original action series aimed at girls. Mysticons, set to make its global debut in 2017, is being developed as a half-hour series targeting girls aged six and over, telling the tale of four girls who transform into legendary warriors and undertake a mythic quest to find a magic tome known as the Codex before Queen of the Undead, Necrafa, gets to it.

HG DISTRIBUTION BELLE And Sebastian (52 x 11 mins) follows the adventures of a Pyrenean

Mountain dog and a little boy named Sebastian in the spectacular playground of the mountains. The Quebecois company also brings The Adventures Of Cosmo The Dodo Bird (52 x 11 mins), based on a series of books and aimed at five- to seven-year-olds. Cosmo and his gang travel through space and protect the amazing aliens and environments they encounter from harm.

Pokemon The Movie: Hoopa And The Clash Of Ages (Pokemon Company International)

JAM MEDIA ZIG AND ZAG (26 x 11 mins) makes its

Belle And Sebastian (HG Distribution)

international debut at MIPJunior. The puppet brothers who originally starred in RTE’s children’s show The Den, make their animated launch in a partnership between CBBC, RTEjr, Double Z Enterprises, Flikerpix and Dublin-based Jam Media, which has global distribution rights. The series is set to air in the UK and Ireland in 2016.

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Product News SPLASH ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLIGHTS from the Splash

Entertainment catalogue at MIPCOM include: The Davincibles (26 x 26 mins), Dive Olly Dive Season 2 (52 x 11 mins); Cosmic Quantum Ray (26 x 26 mins); Hero: 108 Season 1 (26 x 26 mins); and ToddWorld Season 1 (52 x 11 mins). A recent deal with Olympusat, a specialist provider of Spanish-language programming to broadcasters, will see these shows on Spanish-language networks. In the case of The DaVincibles the deal will mark its US debut in Spanish.

BBC WORLDWIDE BBC WORLDWIDE presents Go Jetters (52 x 11 mins) at MIPCOM.

The animated series aimed at four- to six-yearolds weaves geography concepts into child-relatable subjects.

Packed with teamwork, fastpaced action, fun characters, disco music and facts about famous landmarks around the world.

Go Jetters (BBC Worldwide)

OCTAPIXX WORLDWIDE OCTAPIXX Worldwide is highlighting

The Davincibles (Splash Entertainment)

PLANETA JUNIOR THE FIRST episodes of animation Mutant

Busters (52 x 11 mins) are presented at MIPJunior and MIPCOM. A coproduction with pan-European outfit Planeta Junior, studio Kotoc and games manufacturer Famosa, the last three minutes of each episode can be broadcast independently on TV and other digital platforms as a webisode.

The company also highlights animation Bubble Bip and live-action series Oliver Rock.

Mutant Busters (Planeta Junior)

two series at MIPJunior. Beats In Bites (32 x 7 mins/HD) is a live-action/ CG animated series that celebrates the art of beatboxing. Julia and Ammar teach four hopeful beatboxers how to produce sounds using the mouth, lips, tongue and voice. Five (88 x 2 mins/HD) is a pre-school series, available in English and French and narrated by a child. Each episode highlights five facts about everything from families to forests, animals to arts, schools to sports, transportation to tribes and everything in between.

Beats In Bites (Octapixx Worldwide)

ZDF ENTERPRISES (ZDFE) SAM FOX: Extreme

Adventures (26 x 26 mins/HD) is a live-action comedy series that follows Sam on a series of adventures in the wilds.

Highlights from the ZDFE animation catalogue include: Captain Finn And The Pirate Dinosaurs (52 x 11 mins/HD), about four pirate kids who set sail to right the wrongs of the pirate dinosaurs; and Four And A Half Friends (26 x 26 mins/HD), about a group of junior detectives and their dog.

Sam Fox: Extreme Adventures (ZDFE)

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Product News NOVEL ENTERTAINMENT BRITISH independent producer Novel

Entertainment’s MIPCOM highlight is Cinemaniacs (8 x 30 mins), a CBBCcommissioned factual entertainment series hosted by YouTuber Oli White. A short-form version of the series, CineMinis (10 x 15 mins), is also available. Aimed at six- to 12-year-old film fans, Cinemaniacs is a child-led show that celebrates movie culture with a series of reports and inventive strands such as Michael Sheen; Super Actor, where each week the award-winning actor is challenged by a young audience, and DIY Blockbuster featuring, among others, director Ron Howard and British actor Sir Ian McKellen.

Blazing Team (Hasbro Studios)

HASBRO STUDIOS BLAZING Team (26 x 22 mins), targeted at six- to 12-year-old boys, sees master Lao

Shi, and his pet duck Taco, assemble a group of heroic teens to fight the darkness with the mystical power of Yo Kwon Do, a practice that blends the skill of yo-yo with martial arts. As they train, they learn that just as the two sides of a yo-yo must be in perfect balance to function, the same is true for the world.

BEIJING HUTOON ANIMATION DONGHUABANG is a network animation

platform built by Beijing Hutoon Animation. Hutoon highlights programming from the platform at MIPCOM, including: urban emotional animation Miss Puff; dark nostalgic animation Kuang Kuang Kuang; historic class-based animation 78 History; satirical series The Beast; gentle animation Huang Dou Bao; humorous animation Fantasy Male Diary; and dark fantasy Hunting Soul Note.

Miss Puff (Beijing Hutoon Animation)

BRAIN POWER STUDIO CANADA’s Brain Power Studio is launch-

ing family feature film Forest Fairies (1 x 90 mins) at this year’s MIPJunior. The film is a magical tale, packed with special effects, where Amanda’s horse Bailey helps her discover a hidden village of Forest Fairies who offer to help stop an evil land developer from tricking Amanda’s mother into selling the family’s country inn. Brain Power Studio holds a catalogue of family films.

Forest Fairies (Brain Power Studio)

Cinemaniacs (Novel Entertainment)

SONY CREATIVE SONY Creative returns to MIPCOM with the third season of pre-school series Mofy, a co-production from Japan’s Sony Creative Products with Misseri Studio, Rai Fiction and ZDF Enterprises. Mofy’s world is entirely made by hand with fluffy cotton, giving the animation a soft and tactile environment. Mofy has aired in more than 30 countries to date.

Mofy (Sony Creative)

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26

Product News SINKING SHIP ENTERTAINMENT BOOKABOO (55 x 11 mins) is a puppet, live-action and animation series about a

rock-star puppy who tours the world as a famous drummer alongside his band mates Paws and Growler. However, he has a big problem — he can’t perform until he has been read a story. So each episode sees a celebrity go backstage to the Bookabus to share a picture book with Bookaboo.

Bookaboo (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

LAGARDERE ENTERTAINMENT RIGHTS LAGARDERE Entertainment Rights is

GLOBAL SCREEN ARMAN’s Secret (13 x 25 mins) is

bringing the second seasons of MiniWolf (52 x 7 mins) and Come And Get It (30 x1.40 mins/18 x 1.15 mins) to MIPJunior. The new Mini-Wolf series brings the total number of episodes available to 130. In Come And Get It 30 new fruits and vegetables talk about themselves in comedy sketches — they even have their own ideas for how they can be cooked.

brought to Cannes by Germany’s Global Screen. The family serial drama follows 15-year-old Charlie and four other teens who make their home on a horse ranch.

In the fantasy series the youngsters try to solve Arman’s secret and vanquish the evil sorcerer Garwin. The second season is currently in production. The distributor is also offering The White Snake (1 x 90 mins), an adaptation of one of Grimm’s fairy tales.

Mini-Wolf (Lagardere Entertainment Rights)

Arman’s Secret (Global Screen)

TECHNICOLOR TECHNICOLOR returns to MIPJunior to

present newly produced episodes of CG animated series The Deep, which has been commissioned by Australia’s ABC Television and The Seven Network. The 26 half-hour episode series targeting six- to 12-year-olds is based on a graphic novel series and follows the adventures of the Nekton family, who in their stateof-the-art submarine, seek to unravel the mysteries of the deep sea connected to Atlantis. Technicolor holds international rights (excluding Canada, Australia and New Zealand) and will develop the brand extension licensing opportunities.

The Deep (Technicolor)

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MIPJunior 2015 Conference & Events Programme MIPJUNIOR KEYNOTES

MALIK DUCARD Global Head of Family & Learning YouTube

RUSSELL HICKS President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group

DAN SCHNEIDER, Creator & Executive Producer, ‘Game Shakers’, ‘Henry Danger’, ‘Sam & Cat’, ‘Victorious’, ‘iCarly’, ‘Drake & Josh’, ‘Zoey 101’, ‘The Amanda Show’

Saturday 3 October 8.45-9.30 Licensing Hub How to MIP it New Visitors Workshop

10.45-11.30 Licensing Hub How to Make it in the Global Market?

Key Stories of International Success

By Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada Followed by Coffee Break

11.15-12.00 Conference Room What Do Platforms Want?

Followed by Meet the Speakers

11.45-12.45 Licensing Hub Matchmaking with Licensing Experts One on one pre-registered meetings

13.00-14.30 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez Beach MIPJunior Networking Lunch Sponsored by Nickelodeon

Sponsored by Majid Entertainment, Subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company

15.55-16.35 Conference Room Iconics Reboots vs Original IPs Keeping Attraction Across All Generations

CALLING ALL PRODUCERS! MIPJUNIOR INTERNATIONAL PITCH Sponsored by Majid Entertainment, subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Media Company

‘Zorro the Chronicles’

By Cyber Group Studios

Sunday 4 October

14.15-15.15 Licensing Hub Matchmaking with Buyers & Commissioners One on one pre-registered meetings

15.45-16.15 Licensing Hub ‘Fumbles’! The Funniest Way of Teaching English to Kids!

Presented by JB Productions

In partnership with the London Book Fair Followed by Networking Breakfast

9.45-10.30 Conference Room View From The Top: What Do Buyers Want?

Presenting the World Screen Kids’ Content Trendsetter Award Followed by Meet the Speakers

10.45-11.30 Conference Room Maximising Digital Opportunities: Make the Most of Apps, SVOD & Online Platforms

11.15-11.45 Licensing Hub Licensing & Digital Extensions The 360 Approach of Licensing

11.45-12.15 Conference Room MIPJunior Keynotes: Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group & Dan Schneider, Creator & Executive Producer 12.30-14.00 Conference Room Discover The New Best Edutaining Pre-Schoolers Content From Turkey

12.15-13.15 Licensing Hub Matchmaking with Digital Platforms

Snack & Screen Presented by TRT Çocuk

One on one pre-registered meetings

14.30-15.00 Conference Room All About Education!

Innovative Storytelling to Learn Across Multiple Devices

14.45-15.15 Licensing Hub Working with India Crossing Borders for International Success

15.15-15.45 Conference Room Holding on to Kids!

How to Get their Attention?

16.45-17.15 Conference Room MIPJunior Keynote: Stephen J. Davis, Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer, Hasbro

16.00-16.30 Conference Room MIPJunior Keynote: Malik Ducard, Global Head of Family & Learning, YouTube

17.45-18.30 Conference Room MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening: ‘Zorro the Chronicles’

17.45-18.30 Conference Room MIPJunior Drink & Screen: ‘Seven and Me’

By Cyber Group Studios

From19.00 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez Beach MIPJunior Opening Party: ‘Zorro the Chronicles’ Sponsored by Cyber Group Studios

Programme as of 27 August 2015. Subject to change.

Presented by AB International Distribution & Method Animation By invitation

18.30-20.30 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez Beach Dreamworks Party - Access by invitation only

Programme as of 23 September 2014. Subject to change.

Followed by Meet the Speakers

14.30-15.45 Conference Room MIPJunior International Pitch

MIPJUNIOR INTERNATIONAL PITCH

8.30-9.00 Licensing Hub The Book as a Brand Platform: How Publishers Want to Work with Producers

9.45-10.15 Licensing Hub Licensing Workshop 10 Tips to Build Your Licensing Strategy

12.15-12.45 Conference Room Viewing Trends: What Do Kids Want?

GRAND HYATT CANNES HOTEL MARTINEZ, CANNES, FRANCE

MIPJUNIOR WORLD PREMIERE TV SCREENING

STEPHEN J. DAVIS Executive Vice President & Chief Content Officer, Hasbro

10.30-11.00 Conference Room Science Edutainment for Little Geeks

3-4 OCTOBER 2015

MIPJunior thanks its sponsors & partners:

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Product News CYBER GROUP STUDIOS NEW EPISODES of animation series

G-Fighters (26 x 22 mins) are brought to MIPCOM by France’s Cyber Group Studios. The new full-3D series is a superhero action comedy targeting kids aged six to 10. The company is also highlighting: Zorro The Chronicles, a CG-animated series produced by Cyber Group Studios for France Televisions and Rai, a new incarnation of the masked swordsman Zorro; Mirette Investigates (52 x 11 mins/2D HD), following a 10-year-old with a passion for investigation, assisted by her “catssistant”; and The Long Long Holiday (10 x 26 mins/5 x 50 mins), about a brother and sister who stay at their grandparents’ house near the Normandy coast at the beginning of World War II.

BAZELEVS DISTRIBUTION RUSSIA’s Bazelevs Distribution is in Cannes to present its animation series Alisa

Knows What To Do!, created in partnership with Riki Group and Studio Moskva. The series is based on Russian writer Kir Bulychov’s science-fiction book series about the adventures of a 12-year-old girl and her friends in the 21st century.

Alisa Knows What To Do! (Bazelevs Distribution)

COTTONWOOD MEDIA COTTONWOOD Media brings two new

Yoko (Wizart Animation)

Squish (Cottonwood Media)

Wizart TV Series (the TV department of Wizart Animation) and Somuga and Dibulitoon animation companies located in Spain’s San Sebastian. The 52-episode pre-school series is about three friends who play in City Park.

Magical Yoko, who lives in the park, appears in each episode and his unpredictable nature turns the kids’ everyday games into a real adventure.

G-Fighters (Cyber Group Studios)

DHX MEDIA THE NEW series of Teletubbies is

WIZART ANIMATION YOKO is a co-production by Russia’s

launched to the international market at MIPCOM by DHX Media. The new 60-episode series, starring Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po, returns with its usual rituals, sound play, and physical comedy while offering new developments too, including a new model landscape enhanced by CGI. The series is currently in production and set to debut on the UK’s CBeebies later this year.

book-based series to MIP Junior.

Squish, from books by Jennifer Holm and Matthew Holm, an animated comedy for six- to 11-year-olds, features an amoeba trying to survive life in the cut-throat world of single cell organisms — as well as school. The Ollie & Moon Show is a slapstick comedy based on books by Diane Kredensor, featuring two animated cats who travel around the live-action world.

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Ever-growing global mega hit series

Broadcast

Peppa Pig © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/Entertainment One UK Ltd 2003. All rights reserved.

1 30

in countries worldwide

104x11’ 209 x 5 minute episodes 1 x 10 minute christmas special 2 x 15 minute specials

COME AND VISIT US AT OUR STAND AT

MIPCOM : C15.A5 W W W.EONEFA MILY.COM

Ben & Holly’s Little Kingdom © Astley Baker Davies Ltd/ Entertainment One UK Ltd 2008. All rights reserved.

JOIN THE MAGIC NOW! the fast growing brand from the creators of

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COME AND VISIT US AT OUR STAND AT

MIPCOM : C15.A5 W W W.EONEFA MILY.COM

52 x 11’ CGI Animated Series for Pre-Schoolers ©Frog Box SAS/ Entertainment One UK Limited/Walt Disney EMEA Productions Limited 2015. All rights reserved.

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COME AND VISIT US AT OUR STAND AT

MIPCOM : C15.A5

W W W.EONEFA MILY.COM

©2014 Winston Productions (ON) Inc., Winston Productions (BC) Inc., and Sticky Pictures Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

52x11 2D Animated Series

'

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Product News 9 STORY MEDIA GROUP TORONTO -based 9 Story Media Group is highlighting its new

series in Cannes. Nature Cat (80 x 11 mins), a pre-school show featuring a domestic cat who has few natural instincts, but can’t wait to get outside for backyard adventures.

Fortunately, Nature Cat’s animal friends are at his side to share in his love for Mother Nature and his passion for exploring.

The company is also presenting the second series of Peg + Cat (80 x 12 mins) which is in production. The pre-school animation follows a spirited little girl, Peg, and her sidekick, Cat, as they encounter unexpected problems that require fun and creative solutions. In order to solve the problems, Peg and her cat must add, subtract and apply basic arithmetic.

THE JIM HENSON COMPANY THE JIM Henson Company debuts Word Party (26 x 11 mins) at MIPCOM. Word Party is a vocabulary-building show with four baby animals who sing, dance and play. Viewers are invited to help teach the animals new words as well as learning them themselves, and then they celebrate with a Word Party. The show premieres on Netflix internationally in 2016.

Word Party (The Jim Henson Company)

Nature Cat (9 Story Media Group)

BRB INTERNACIONAL

ABC COMMERCIAL HOOT Hoot! Go (26 x 5 mins/HD) is a new

spin-off series from ABCKids show Giggle And Hoot. Owl pals Hoot, Hootabelle and Hootly, work together to help their friends solve any problem. The series is available for pre-sales. The distributor also brings: The Wiggles Meet The Orchestra (1 x 45’ HD), a musical and educational show for pre-schoolers; Emma (30 x 4 min/HD), another musical spin-off from The Wiggles; Bobbie The Bear (10 x 3 mins), a live-action series set on a Tasmanian farm; The New Adventures Of Figaro Pho (13 x 22 mins/39 x 8 mins/HD); and Prisoner Zero (26 x 30 mins/HD), an animated sci-fi, adventure series for eight- to 12-year-olds.

Hoot Hoot! Go (ABC Commercial)

SPAIN’s BRB Internacional is showcasing its new YouTube portal animakids.com at MIPCOM. It premieres with various compilations from recent productions from BRB, including Bernard, Suckers, Angus&Cheryl and Iron Kid. BRB plans to refresh animakids.com content with new titles, including from other producers.

WINSING ANIMATION TOPPING the MIPCOM priorities for China’s WinSing Animation is the new season of Doby & Disy: Detective Kubi. When Doby and Disy help to solve problems they collect Kubi Badges. When they have collected 100 they become Kubi Detectives. The series aims to encourage children to think, ask questions and solve problems.

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Product News JETPACK DISTRIBUTION THE UK’s Jetpack Distribution presents Winnie & Wilbur (52 x 11 mins) at MIPCOM, a 2D animation series aimed at four- to sevenyear-olds. In preproduction, the series — based on books by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul — is about unpredictable Winnie The Witch and her cat who gets tangled up in Winnie’s bad spells with scary consequences.

Winnie & Wilbur (Jetpack Distribution)

HTC PRODUCTIONS HTC PRODUCTIONS is attending MIPJunior for the first time to debut 2D animated series Hank The Cowdog (26 x 11 mins/13 x 22 mins), produced by Hulu Studios, New Zealand, and based on a children’s book series by John Erickson. The company is currently in development on the series, which targets kids ages eight-to-12, about a lovable dog and self-appointed “head of ranch security” on a family-run Texas cattle ranch.

GO-N PRODUCTIONS ZIP ZIP (52 x 13 mins) is an original, character-driven story featuring an ensemble cast of wild animals who have disguised themselves as domestic pets. The show was aired by partner broadcaster France Televisions. The French company is also highlighting new shows in production at MIPCOM, including the fourth season of Tootuff (75 x 7 mins/1 x 22 mins special), about a troublesome 10-year-old. Shows in development include: Tib & Tumtum (52 x 11 mins), about the friendship between a boy and a dinosaur; and Simon (52 x 5 mins), a pre-school series about a young rabbit facing the challenges of growing up.

NANNING FENGZHI MEDIA COMPANY CHINA’s Nanning Fengzhi Media Company brings 2D/3D animation series RoboValor (52 x 23 mins) to MIPCOM. The story features Dark, an ambitious emperor from outer space who attempts to arouse Saga, a powerful evil icon to attack Wonderland.

A band of fighters must try to save Wonderland.

Zip Zip (Go-N Productions)

BOMANBRIDGE ODD SQUAD (40 x 22 mins/80 x 11

Hank The Cowdog (HTC Productions)

RoboValor (Nanning Fengzhi Media Company)

mins) is a live-action comedy about two kids, Agent Olive and Agent Otto, who work for a government agency run by kids in suits who are equipped with the world’s most advanced and unpredictable gadgetry.

Odd Squad has a fun, irreverent style that includes sight gags, one-liners, absurd situations and plenty of slapstick, and is brought to Cannes by Singapore-based Bomanbridge.

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Product News EONE FAMILY TWO TITLES head the line-up from Canada’s eOne Family. PJ Masks (52 x 11 mins), tar-

geted at pre-schoolers, is based on French author Romuald Racioppo’s picture book series Les Pyjamasques. When a group of youngsters don their pyjamas and activate their animal amulets they transform into super hero alter egos. Winston Steinburger And Sir Dudley Ding Dong (52 x 11 mins), aimed at six- to 12-year-olds, follows Winston Steinburger, his feline best friend Sir Dudley and an uptight alien, Hampton, as they explore the galaxy together in a homemade space cruiser.

PJ Masks (eOne Family)

GENIUS BRANDS INTERNATIONAL (GBI) GENIUS Brands International (GBI) introduces the new animated pre-school series, Llama Llama (52 x 11 mins) at MIPCOM, based on a children’s book franchise. Each episode is structured around a childhood milestone coupled with a life lesson learned by Llama and his friends.

Llama Llama (GBI)

PGS ENTERTAINMENT

TEAMTO FRENCH producer and 3D studio TeamTO brings Lazy Mike (78 x 7 mins) to MIPCOM. Mike the pug only wants one thing, to enjoy the quietness of the house once his masters are away, but a bunch of intruders have different ideas.

The photoreal slapstick comedy is aimed at a family audience. Also in development is Heroeek (78 x 7 mins), a CGI comedy series for six- to 10-year-olds about a group of superheroes who share an apartment in their downtime.

SMILEY Kids (52 x 11 mins) is a new series that is based on the spirit and philosophy of the Smiley brand, with the aim of helping kids understand emotions, while always emphasising the positive. Other animations brought to MIPCOM by Paris-based PGS include: ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks (104 x 11 mins), following a single father trying to raise six hyper-active Chipmunks; Miss Moon (52 x 13 mins), about a nanny with magical powers; Monchhichi (52 x 11 mins), a pre-school series about Monchhichi and the sleep custodians; The Jungle Bunch: To The Rescue! (104 x 11 mins + TV movie + shorts); Zak Storm (39 x 26 mins); Miraculous Ladybug (26 x 30 mins); Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood (104 x 11 mins); and Super 4 (104 x 11 mins).

Lazy Mike (TeamTO)

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Feature MIPJUNIOR: BUYERS

What shall we buy

for Junior?

What are acquisitions executives looking for at MIPJunior this year?

Rachel Murrell asks buyers what’s on their shopping lists

CLARA YANG General manager, international business, UYoung Culture & Media, China Buying for: Our pay channel, UBabyTV (0-6 years), and our new mobile/tablet VOD app UBaby, launching in October. Also for third-party clients such as CCTV14, local kids’ channels, and a selection of VOD platforms and OTT services.

Looking for: Animation, puppet shows and live-action variety shows, and content to help pre-schoolers with language development, emotional and social skills, activities and sports. We also need to acquire age-appropriate content to teach English.

Recent channel-defining acquisitions: We recently acquired Olly The Little White Van, and we already show In The Night Garden, Shaun The Sheep, Mouk, Gaspard And Lisa and Squiggling. We just signed a deal memo for a US puppet show targeting two-to-five year-olds. And we’re in the contract stage to acquire a Canadian animation targeting three-to-six year-old girls.

Good to know: UBaby TV launched in 2009, and is the first subscription-based family-oriented pay channel targeting pre-school children and parents in China. It now has 17 million subscribers in 243 cities. In China, all foreign kids’ content needs to be approved by the government authority, so competition is fierce and not many titles can be brought in. By law, foreign content cannot exceed 30% of airtime, or be shown in primetime (17.00 to 20.00 daily). A Mandarin dub is essential, and most broadcasters won’t accept Taiwan-dubbed versions because of its strong accent.

Additional rights I need: For about 10% of the animation titles that we acquire, we take all rights for five years, including all media and licensing and merchandising. If we’re just taking media rights, we are OK with two to three years. In China, the only proven business model for animation is through M&L: content distribution is not revenue-earning, but simply gets awareness for the brand.

The hardest thing to find this year is: programmes for Chinese pre-schoolers teaching English-as-a-second-language through songs, rhymes or activities.

© Photo: scyther5

I never come to MIPJunior without: My lavender eyemask!

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Feature IZABELA RIEBEN Head of children unit at RTS (Radio Television Suisse), Switzerland Buying for: RTS Kids, the children’s slots on RTS2, which is a French-speaking public channel. We target pre-schoolers, family, and kids who like action/adventure.

Looking for: Animation, from pre-school to 12-years-old, in almost all formats except fillers — that means five-, 10-, 26- and 50-minute episodes, as well as specials and features. I’m looking for big brands, blockbusters, entertaining, uplifting, joyful and relatable content to make the channels visible and to generate a strong programming events strategy throughout the year. And of course, as a public service broadcaster, I need to provide content that is safe.

Recent acquisitions: ALVINNN!!! And The Chipmunks, Dora & Friends, Violetta, Little Charmers.

Good to know: I need a French version with extended catch-up rights Additional rights I need: We offer a channel, a website and an app so our audience can watch RTS kids on all available platforms.

We’re extending the catch-up window up to six months (but limited to three episodes per week), and we simulcast to all available platforms.

The hardest thing to find this year is: Innovative season specials for the holiday period, and others that can generate events throughout the programming year, and big blockbuster series that will blow my competitors away!

I never go to MIPJunior without: My cell phone. I’m getting lazy. I’ve taken to using it to make memos by shooting the screen.

MALGORZATA MIERZEJEWSKAWAWRYKOW Head of TVP ABC Channel, Poland Buying for: TVP ABC channel, the leading public children’s channel in Poland, launched on February 15th 2014.

Looking for: Programmes that help children discover the world, gain knowledge and play. We want a range of educational programmes and magazines, animation, nature documentaries, sport and — of course — entertainment. The main target age group is three to seven but we are interested in programmes for eight- to 12-year-olds too.

Recent channel-defining acquisitions: Masha And The Bear, Maya The Bee, Chuggington, Ella The Elephant, Little Bear.

Good to know: We broadcast from 18.00 to 23.00, with children’s content on until 21.00 — including an hour-long segment called Wieczorynka (Bedtime Stories) that airs every evening between 19.00 and 20.00 — then two hours of informative, educational, nature and travel programmes for parents. For kids’ animation, we have a quota of 35% polish content.

Additional rights I need: We need free TV rights. Anything else, we discuss separately on a programme-by-programme basis.

The hardest thing to find this year is: Classic fairy tales for threeto-seven year olds — whether 2D or 3D — animated specials for Christmas and Easter, and something unique and special.

I never go to MIPJunior without: A set of highlighter pens and a supply of the world’s best apples — Polish ones, of course!

DESMOND NGAI Vice-president, strategy & partnerships, WebTVAsia Buying for: A new Asian-focused pre-school VOD channel launching in Q4 2015/Q1 2016.

Looking for: Pre-school, short-form VOD, edutainment, animated and live action programming in English and key Asian languages including Mandarin, Thai, Korean, Malay, Indonesia, Vietnamese and Japanese.

Recent channel-defining acquisitions: There aren’t any yet! It’s a new channel.

Good to know: WebTVAsia is Asia’s fastest growing multi channel network with over 300 digital VOD channels, four million subscribers and 150 million monthly views. Its parent company Prodigee Media Entertainment is an award-winning film producer and music studio. We own both creative-production studio and network-platform capabilities. We look to partner with

digitally-savvy producers and creators who share our vision of serving Asia’s diverse children’s content market. Check out HeHaa TV on YouTube, the biggest online kids’ channel in Thailand, that did an Antman viral video campaign with Marvel/ Disney. (That’s ours by the way.)

Additional rights I need: Digital all-platform, all-device, allscreen rights (syndication and format rights) The hardest thing to find this year is: A format, brand or talent to be a breakout hit in Asia where digital viewing is already the dominant consumption habit among kids. The trick is cultural hyper-localisation. HeHaa TV is a good example.

I never go to MIPJunior without: A pair of good running shoes.

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Feature JOY OLBY-TAN

JORAM MIGWI

Vice-president, acquisitions, MediaCorp, Singapore

Channel executive, Wananchi Programming, Kenya

Buying for: Okto, Singapore’s primary free-to-air English language kids’ channel; the kids’ slots on Channel 8, our Chinese news and entertainment service, and Toggle, our new OTT and VOD service. The kids content on our FTA (free-to-air) ethnic channels Suria (in Malay) and Vasantham (Tamil) is sourced from specialised suppliers.

Buying for: Animation, live action and movies. Our main target age group is the preteen, six- to 12-year-olds, but we also cater for a pre-school audience.

Looking for: Strong animated comedy series for Okto. These should target kids aged four to 12 years and have comprehensive 360 content plans, as well as family-friendly TV movies and specials. High-quality, branded pre-school programmes are also a core offering on Okto. For Channel 8’s Kids belt, I need Asiancentric shows which impart educational/infotainment values through entertaining formats.

Recent channel-defining acquisitions: On Okto, Transformers Robots In Disguise, Sonic Boom and the newest season of Hi-5.

On Channel 8, Chicken Stew: Tales From The Salted Egg Temple, Little Counsellor, as well as the long-running and much-loved Doraemon series.

Good to know: I need original soundtracks in English for Okto and Chinese for Channel 8. Toggle will offer dual soundtracks.

We still prefer 15/30 mins programme durations, but shorter durations can be explored if they are versatile and can be repackaged to fit slot needs.

Additional rights I need: In line with MediaCorp’s multiple viewer-touchpoint strategy, basic FTA rights should be platformagnostic to include FTA linear, OTT catch-up and non-linear simulstream rights.

The hardest thing to find this year is: Originality. While we love the recent wave of revived/refreshed classic brands — many of which are very well done — lately there does seem to be a dearth of wholly brand new, fresh and original content that can capture imaginations.

Recent channel-defining acquisitions: We have recently closed our first deal with Hasbro Studios including titles like G.I. Joe and Kaijudo. And we’ve renewed our deal with DHX Media for the third year running. DHX is great because it really understands and addresses our needs with shows like Looped and Yo Gabba Gabba. We also have Casper’s Scare School and Turbo F.A.S.T. from Classic Media and Ella Bella Bingo and Stoked from Cake Entertainment.

Good to know: Zuku Kids is the only children’s channel in Africa, it airs 24/7 and we are very proud of it — particularly The Krazy Kool Show, a one-hour magazine show we commissioned to create high-quality local content for the channel. We have 30 episodes now. Our footprint is Sub-Saharan Africa, and we’re currently in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania (including Zanzibar), Malawi and Zambia Additional rights I need: Right now we are keeping it focused on cable and satellite rights. If there are any changes you will be first to know!

Hardest thing to find this year: African shows. We would like more of these, and when we find them, and they’re of sufficient quality, we definitely acquire them. And finding movies at a price that doesn’t burst the budget can be difficult.

I never come to MIPJunior without: Music. I always put on some reggae in my apartment after work. And something by my two favourite Kenyan bands, Elani and Sauti Sol. That’s what keeps me sane.

I never go to MIPJunior without: Comfy shoes, comfy clothes, comfy personality and comfort food!

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Feature TRENDS IN KIDS TV

Where to next?

As new opportunities arise, old certainties break down — and never more so than in today’s rapidly evolving kids’ content business. Bob Jenkins investigates the challenges and opportunities of a market in transition

T

HE GREATEST challenge in today’s children’s market is financing new product.

This is the unequivocal opinion of Pierre Belaisch, managing director of

Gaumont Animation. The reason, Belaisch says, is that the cost of producing top-quality animation — the standard of animation, in other words, synonymous with Gaumont — is very high, while there are fewer and fewer

pre-buys available.

And he is just as clear as to the solution: “Focus on quality — quality in the concept, in the visuals and in the pitch.”

Belaisch also believes in the importance of securing as many local terrestrial channels as possible, as well as a few high-quality pan-regional broadcasters. However, he points out that “they will inevitably have different notes when it comes to voices, scripts etc. But that is part of modern life and everyone just has to get on with it…”

An example of this practice in operation is comedy-driven animation Furry Wheels (52 x 11 mins), which Belaisch says is about to get the green light from France 3 and Disney XD EMEA. “And we are also hoping to be able to add Disney XD US,” he adds. Of course, as Belaisch acknowledges “the importance of

The Secret Life Of Boys (Zodiak Kids Studio)

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Feature a French terrestrial broadcaster is that it allows us to access significant French government grants, which can be worth as much as 25%-30% of the total budget”.

Ben Butterworth, co-founder of Snapper Productions, maker of the hit CBeebies series Q Pootle 5, shares Belaisch’s view that the biggest challenge in the kids’ industry today is financing. “The industry is a bit topsy-turvey at the moment,” he adds. “Internationally, there are a lot more outlets wanting to commission and buy content, but the money they have on offer is not always proportionate to the cost of production.”

Butterworth is not alone in raising the challenges posed by a crowded international market for kids’ content. Michael Carrington, CEO of Zodiak Kids Studios, says: “We are always mindful that even young children have access to a huge range of content across multiple devices and platforms. The competition to engage them is fierce and this means that the big challenge facing us as producers is making our content accessible and easy to find.”

To meet this challenge, Carrington says that Zodiak Kids Studio “works very closely with other lines of business within Zodiak Kids HQ”. He adds: “Taking a co-ordinated approach to the promotion of our brands and finding new ways to help our audiences interact with them makes sense.”

Tickety Toc (Zodiak Kids Studios) Richard Goldsmith, executive vice-president of global distribution and international consumer products at The Jim Henson Company, is focused on the issue of windowing

— another direct consequence of a crowded marketplace. “It wasn’t so long ago that, when we came to plan the release of a new series, we would plan for TV followed by DVD, some digital, then SVOD and finally exposure on YouTube. Now, everybody wants as many rights as they can get — usually without paying for them — and if they can’t get the rights for themselves, then they seek to block you from licensing them to anyone else. This is big frustration, as many of our series have an important life in consumer products. This means that, in addition to the need to generate maximum revenue from media sales, we also have a strong imperative to maximise exposure.”

Goldsmith also echoes Carrington’s concern as to the effect that the crowded nature of the market is having on the ease with which

“There are a lot more outlets wanting to commission and buy content, but the money they have on offer is not always proportionate to the cost of production” Ben Butterworth

Disney XD original movie Pants On Fire preview magazine I September 2015 I www.mipjunior.com

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Feature

MarVista is distributing new Christmas movie Northpole: Open For Christmas content can be found. “Discoverability is another major challenge for producers,” he says.

“When we have a new programme in the market, whether that be on network TV, SVOD or YouTube, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to find it.” This, he adds, is also true of the company’s YouTube channel, Jim Henson Family TV. As a result, there is what Goldsmith describes as a “concerted company-wide effort to ensure that every time we touch a consumer, whether that be via a network show, consumer products or social media, we look to direct them to platforms to watch our shows.”

But while there is no doubt that the newly evolved, and evolving, landscape presents challenges, it is equally certain that it also presents opportunities.

Fernando Szew, CEO of MarVista, acknowledges that “change causes friction”. He adds:

“Now, everybody wants as many rights as they can get — usually without paying for them” Richard Goldsmith

“As old business models break down, it creates winners and losers. However, one thing that doesn’t change is that capital investment in kids’ programming remains risky and most, although not all, kids’ properties still rely heavily on licensing to be profitable.”

For Andy Berman, senior vice-president of global distribution sales at Genius Brands, there is currently a renaissance in kids’ animation — and he has no doubt that this is attributable to the proliferation of digital platforms.

Berman is something of an evangelist for the recently emerged platforms. “Digital platforms seem to have rejuvenated the business and the money they pay helps cover production budgets,” he says. “They definitely offer a lot more opportunities than traditional broadcasters. This is especially true of the ‘content with a purpose’ we produce, such as Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, which introduces kids to the basics of science, but in an extremely entertaining way.”

This is in stark contrast to the views of Henson’s Goldsmith, who is adamant that “network television remains the biggest single generator of both revenue and exposure” for kids’ content. “In fact, it has far greater reach now than it ever had, as audiences can watch what they want, where and when they want to watch, through multiple devices.”

However, Goldsmith lauds the ability of the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Hulu to generate

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Feature

Zodiak Kids Studios’ Michael Carrington

MarVista’s Fernando Szew

both library sales and new commissions. He also enthuses about the ability of OTT platforms and social media to allow companies such as Henson to “self-distribute, taking our content directly to the consumer as well as generating fan engagement through platforms such as Facebook, which is an important tool for driving them to our other activities”.

For Zodiak Kids Studio’s Carrington, the big opportunity is the emergence of the second screen, which he says is becoming a given in the world of children’s content. “We are exploring ways to develop second-screen experiences through our in-house development team and working with creative partners who, like us, are passionate about great storytelling,” he adds.

Gaumont Animation’s Pierre Belaisch

Genius Brands’ Andy Berman

that children and families have with specific brands such as Tickety Toc. When fans of our brands engage more frequently with their favourite characters, this generates opportunities for us to build long-term franchises, which should help grow our business.”

Snapper’s Butterworth, however, isn’t convinced by the case for the integration of apps and storytelling. “We use very different parts of our brain when we’re being led by a storyteller to when we’re in charge of a game or making discoveries with an app,” he says. “So we end up with a hybrid which, while technically impressive, doesn’t resonate with the audience.”

Gaumont’s Belaisch agrees with Goldsmith

as to the importance of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. But unlike Goldsmith, he sees this as potential yet to be realised, describing them as “important players of the future”. Belaisch sees that future as containing opportunities for “projects with big IP, with major recognition values”, as well as original content specifically tailored for one or two broadcasters or platforms.

MarVista’s Szew is reluctant to be drawn into specific predictions. However, he reports that, at the Licensing Expo in June, there was a huge amount of activity in the kids’ space.

“It was evident that this is a very, very exciting business and all the changes that are happening only contribute to making it more so.”

“Change causes friction. As old business models break down, it creates winners and losers” Fernando Szew

As an example of the fruits of these endeavours, Carrington cites The Secret Life Of Boys, which he describes as “a ground-breaking interactive drama”. The series will launch in 2016 on CBBC in the UK and ABC3 Online in Australia and will later transmit as a traditional TV series on both channels.

Carrington also sees potential in mobile apps: “We are developing a small portfolio of mobile apps to enhance and extend the experience

Q Pootle 5 (Snapper Productions)

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Feature

New

marketplace,

new opportunities

What new territories are you targeting for the future?

Our presence is growing in China, South East Asia and Latin America but with the new upcoming shows — Winx WOW, Regal Academy, My American Friend — we are also planning to consolidate mature markets such as the English-speaking countries and the EU.

Iginio Straffi, founder and CEO of Italian animation studio Rainbow, talks about the challenges in the international market for kids’ programming How has the market for kids content changed in recent years?

The scenario has changed radically. Alongside the traditional broadcasters, VOD platforms are emerging as relevant players, and Rainbow, as an independent producer, has already started to create cross-media content, which could fit the needs of the linear broadcasters as well as the non-linear distribution of content. This evolution brings more competition to the market, but also a wider choice for the audience.

Is it a tougher market? Or are there more opportunities?

Rainbow is a company which has always tried to anticipate and respond to the market and audience needs. So, more platforms and media means, for us, more opportunities to create content for different players. It’s challenging, but it gives us the chance to differentiate our business and to take advantage of new opportunities.

Do buyers pay less and want more?

This is a general assumption which is not true, as the scenario can be very different, depending on many factors.

In some mature markets there might be a tendency to value content less than in the past, but at the same time, the market now is more fragmented in terms of distribution and this brings more competition for windows and rights allocation… Traditional players

Iginio Straffi have to keep pace with new media, so — according to our experience: if you have valuable content, there will always be a rewarding demand for great shows, appealing to a wide audience and keeping kids watching and watching.

Where are your strongest markets around the world?

Our best markets are in the EU, particularly Italy, France, Germany, Poland, and Eastern Europe. Then Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and all the CIS countries. We are growing our presence in China and South East Asia, but also Brazil and South Africa.

Rainbow’s Regal Academy

What are the positives and what are the negatives in the market at the moment?

For an independent producer like Rainbow, a more competitive scenario brings more positive than negatives. From the consumer perspective, there are more media to distribute our content, so kids have the chance to watch our shows not only during linear scheduled programming, but also whenever they want and on any device. This is a revolution that boosts content exposure. At the same time, from the business perspective, the range of potential co-producers for a show is definitely bigger — and broadcasters and digital platforms are looking for valuable original content to win market share and drive subscriptions.

What are your plans for MIPCOM this year?

We will be pitching two completely new productions: the first is the animation Regal Academy, which is a slapstick comedy set between earth and the world of fairy tales, in a 26 x 22 mins format targeting five-to-10-year-olds. We are also looking forward to showcasing My American Friend (working title), which is Rainbow’s first full live-action production, targeting a tween audience and set in a Fashion Academy in Italy. We will also be presenting Winx Club WOW, the new Winx Club spin-off co-produced with Netflix, to be released during mid-2016.

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Feature LICENSING AND MERCHANDISING

‘Pre-school characters are a child’s first friends’

There’s no instruction manual that tells you how to turn a kids show into an international L&M hit. But the one thing all children’s studios agree on is that you can’t make a sustainable 360-degree brand out of a bad show. Andy Fry reports Studio 100’s Heidi, for which Famosa is developing an extensive range of toys preview magazine I September 2015 I www.mipjunior.com

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Feature

Y

OU MIGHT have some shortterm success if you throw enough marketing money at licensing and merchandising (L&M). “But the only way you’ll keep children and parents engaged over the long run is with great content,” says Andrew Carley, head of global licensing at Entertainment One. Carley knows this because his company owns Peppa Pig, one of the most successful preschool properties of the last decade. “When Astley Baker Davies made Peppa Pig 10 years ago, they only had one thing in mind — making a great show for kids. The fact that they weren’t influenced by other issues ultimately helped us succeed with our ancillary activity,” he adds.

If Astley Baker Davies had been influenced by overt commercial factors, then it might not have used 2D animation, Carley points out, or based the show around a funny shaped pig.

“But their approach created an authenticity that audiences relate to,” he adds. “Even now, we stay true to that by refusing to cross the line on marketing and making sure that any brand extensions are relevant.”

Carley also places great emphasis on attention to detail and patience, though he acknowledges that the latter can seem like a luxury in the cut-throat children’s industry: “Broadcast distribution revenues are not very big in kids TV, so there’s always pressure on properties to generate a quick return from licensing. But the fact that Peppa Pig has not burnt out is partly down to the careful way the L&M programme has been rolled out. We took our time getting the toy and publishing right and then, when we had a stable platform, we introduced live-event and theme-park activity because this resonates.”

Being patient may even mean forgoing or delaying opportunities in new markets. “With a property like Peppa, it’s inevitable we get approaches from people who want to develop new lines with us,” Carley says. “But we have to be realistic about what we can support, moving at a speed that is right for sustaining the property in the long term. For example, we are only just now going mass market with Peppa product in the US, despite the fact that the property is 10 years old.”

You hear a similar sentiment from Peter Schube, president and chief operating officer of The Jim Henson Company. “We’re a production company in our heart, so we always put story and character and content first. A

Genius Brands’ Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab

“The only way you’ll keep children and parents engaged over the long run is with great content” Andrew Carley

property has to work as a TV show before you can even entertain the notion of extensions.”

Henson’s biggest property at present is Dinosaur Train, which has sold round the world as a TV show and is now building up a head of steam in categories including toys, apparel and live shows. For Schube, these spinoffs are important parts of the child experience — not just ways to make money: “We have a lot of experience in licensing. It’s in our DNA as a company. The reason we pay it a lot of attention is that pre-school characters are a child’s first friends. Pre-school brand extensions done well can be enriching and empowering, so the way you approach them requires a lot of responsibility.” eOne and Henson are unusual in that they have managed to create successful new properties from the position of being indie studios. Typically, new L&M brands tend to be

born within the vertically integrated US studios, which have a number of key market advantages. Firstly, the fact that they are commissioning shows for channels means they have a bigger slate of potential L&M properties than indies, which often have to pin their hopes on one or two brands. Secondly, the studios’ deep pockets mean they are comfortable working with relatively long timeframes. And finally, studios can offer the kind of channel and marketing exposure that retailers and licensing partners like to see before investing in a property.

This explains why, over the years, a lot of indie studios have identified brands with pre-existing brand awareness (eg, book-based properties or classic TV shows) as their most realistic chance of taking a kids property from TV into L&M. Most valuable classic brands have now also ended up in the studios or toy companies as a result of aggressive acquisitions. But there are interesting exceptions.

Canadian kids studio DHX Media, for example, is in the process of rolling out Teletubbies, the pre-school property that was a global licensing phenomenon at the start of the last decade. Due to launch on TV this autumn, the new-look Teletubbies will then see a phased

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Feature licensing rollout during 2016.

Peter Byrne, executive vice-president of DHX Brands, says classic properties bring builtin recognition and a proven track record.

However, this in itself is not enough to ensure success. “There are a lot of revived brands that don’t work, so it’s not a guarantee,” he says. “We have kept the essence of what made Teletubbies a unique show, but the world has changed. So we have updated the look and feel, refreshing it for a modern digital audience. The Teletubbies’ famous TV tummies are now touchscreen, for example. And the episode lengths are shorter, because that’s more in keeping with the expectation of audiences these days.”

Other changes that classic brand revivals need to factor in include the emergence of digital platforms, Byrne says. While free-to-air and pay-TV channels are still regarded as vital to the prospects of an L&M property, “digital is a great way of getting the message out there”, he adds. “Short-form content is an integral part of the mix now.”

Dinosaur Train (The Jim Henson Company)

Studio 100’s most successful animation, Maya The Bee viewers for generations, these classics are well While Byrne advocates the pre-transmisknown worldwide and appeal to kids, parents sion use of digital media to drive brand enand grandparents.” gagement, he shares Carley’s view that you Studio 100’s most successful animation is need to be patient when building a sustainMaya The Bee, which is a revival of the classic able brand. It would, for example, have been 1970s series. “We have more than 300 licenpossible to get Teletubbies product into retailsees covering categories such as publishing, ers by Christmas 2015, but it was decided to toys and games, plush, home take a more measured run entertainment, food, cosmetat the market in 2016, reics and apparel,” Elmendorff leasing product categories “A property has to says. in two separate waves.

Other rejuvenated clasTeletubbies came to work as a TV show sics include Heidi, for which DHX as part of the before you can even Famosa is developing an excompany’s acquisi- entertain the notion tensive range of toys; and Vic tion of Ragdoll. Also of extensions” The Viking, which has Simba included in that deal Dick ie Group, Hemma, was In The Night Peter Schube Panini, Planeta, De Agostini Garden, which is curand Vemag on board. “Our rently being refreshed for goal is to offer our IP in as many fields as posthe L&M market, and Twirlywoos, a new sible, including PC and console games and pre-school show that launched on the BBC’s apps,” Elmendorff adds.

Cbeebies earlier this year. There are already Like its peers, Studio 100 puts quality content signs that Twirlywoos will do well at L&M, first. But making a 360-degree strategy a realovercoming the usual barriers to entry assoity entails constant dialogue between the prociated with new properties. In Byrne’s opinduction and the consumer-product divisions, ion, this is an example of retailers and lisays Christophe Drevet, Studio 100’s internacensing partners responding to a winning tional consumer products director. “Our goal formula: “The combination of the BBC is to turn target groups into fans and we start and Ragdoll’s Anne Wood has worked bethis from the very first stages of development fore, and that has enabled us to move fastright through to production,” he says. “Our lier than we might have expected.” censing teams review ideas in development for potential across all categories and key territoStudio 100’s children’s business has similarries. Feedback is then taken into account for ly strong foundations, according to Patrick a better target and market fit. Comprehensive Elmendorff, CEO of Studio 100 Media. co-ordination of content exposure, product “Investing in and re-launching renowned releases and retail presence garners a wider childhood classics has been a successful strataudience, awareness and brand loyalty.” egy for Studio 100,” he says. “Having inspired

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Feature Although Elmendorff has observed “increased demand for well-established properties”, he says Studio 100 is also still interested in bringing new children’s titles to the L&M market. “We produced the fun-packed animation series K3 and the live-action series Ghost Rockers,” he says.

But he acknowledges this is a tough market: “The challenge in developing licensing and merchandising for a new property is that the series has to air successfully and engage with the audience to achieve the necessary brand awareness. The focus should always be on involving the target group as fans. With children having access to many forms of digital media and spending more time using devices, we have added products like apps and online games to our portfolio.”

To stand any chance of breaking into the market with a new property you need a clear USP, adds Amy Moynihan Heyward, president of Genius Brands International. Having worked with industry leaders including Disney, Hasbro and McDonald’s, she believes that the key for an independent company like Genius is to find a way to differentiate yourself in a crowded market. “The way we did it was to focus on content with a purpose,” she adds.

“All of our shows, such as Secret Millionaires Club, Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab and Baby Genius, are about enrichment. With the first two, we have created hugely successful resources that can be found in schools across the US. We’ve also developed interactive content for online and mobile platforms.”

The idea of content with a purpose has also been carried through to the company’s L&M activities. “Our view was that the pre-school segment had become very commoditised,” Moynihan Heyward says. “So we redesigned and relaunched the Baby Genius brand in a way that was much more in keeping with the key rhythms of a young child’s day, paying more attention to each of the six-month segments that make up the first three years of a child’s life. The result was a portfolio of 60-70 new products that we feel are much more reflective of a child’s experience.”

Interestingly, the educational edge provided

by Genius also provides another kind of opportunity: “Schools are crying out for quality resources and there are plenty of responsible brands that want to talk to families. At Genius, we are able to bring them together in a way that benefits both sides.”

Viacom (VIMN), like Disney, Time Warner,

“There is no guaranteed magic formula for kids L&M success. But it goes without saying that the key is in the character itself” Mark Kingston Hasbro and Mattel, has a wide array of brands — some 360, to be exact — covering every age range. Picking out highlights, Mark Kingston, general manager and senior vice-president of Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP), EMEA and Australia, says: “Exciting properties for us currently are Turtles, SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol, Dora and Blaze And The Monster Machines.

Turtles, for example, continues to do incredibly well for us in toys, retaining its position as the number-one action figure and number-three toy license globally. With the recent launch of Half Shell Heroes and infant offerings using the 1980s TV show, we have Turtles spanning all demos from infant to adult.”

SpongeBob — “the ultimate evergreen property” — has been making inroads into fashion, Kingston says, while Paw Patrol “is a preschool smash both on air and in product”. He adds: “This year will see launches across the EMEA region in almost all categories from home, back-to-school, food and apparel.”

Dora is also interesting, with the original preschool show only now beginning to hit markets such as Russia and Poland. At the same time, an older version of the show, Dora & Friends, started rolling out internationally at the end of 2014. Kingston says: “The new iteration builds on the qualities of Dora The Explorer that kids love, but offers a new way to engage

with Dora in a new setting, with new friends, new music and different kinds of stories. This presents opportunities for new product, especially toys and fashion-forward apparel.”

Asked to explain the success of the Viacom portfolio, Kingston admits: “There is no guaranteed magic formula for kids L&M success.

But it goes without saying that the key is in the character itself. It’s essential that kids can relate to them and want to know more about them. In addition, a property that lends itself well to toys always has an advantage, as the link to product is so naturally established.

Furthermore, any property that can appeal to more than one demo [such as SpongeBob or South Park] also has increased potential for L&M success.”

In terms of market trends, Kingston says: “Properties like Angry Birds and Minecraft can come from nowhere and make us all think about different ways of launching and maintaining L&M properties. Turtles shows that retailers can generate significant business from a classic re-imagined franchise.

However, new properties like Paw Patrol can quickly establish themselves across markets.”

When it comes to breaking properties on to the market, Kingston says that brands like Hello Kitty and Angry Birds show that free TV is no longer the “must have” that it used to be. “That said, free-to-air is still the quickest and easiest way to engage with large kids’ audiences — and their parents,” he adds.

“Across EMEA, we have incredibly strong partnerships with the likes of TF1, Clan and in the UK Channel 5 [which Viacom now owns]. However, that doesn’t stop us finding new ways to engage our target audiences through our websites, apps, recreational partners and, of course, product.”

DHX Media is in the process of rolling out Teletubbies

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49 MIPJUNIOR CONFERENCE Iconic Reboots Vs Original IPs: Saturday, October 3, MIPJunior conference room, 14.30. Speakers include FMKFE’s Bob Higgins, HIT’s Christopher Keenan and 41 Entertainment’s Allen Bohbot

© Photo: Xxxx credit

Feature

Thomas & Friends, currently being refreshed by HIT Entertainment

REBOOTING CLASSIC BRANDS

The best stories keep on going A lot of famous faces from the world of kids’ entertainment have been getting a makeover recently — so much so that MIPJunior has dedicated a session to the trend. But why are we revisiting so many old childhood friends? Bob Jenkins investigates

V

IACOM International Media Networks (VIMN) has rebooted two of its iconic shows. In 2012, a new series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles aired and, in 2014, Dora The Explorer reappeared as Dora And Friends: Into The City!

Caroline Beaton, VIMN’s senior vice-president of international programme sales, is clear as to the reason behind these moves. “Keeping our IP refreshed is central to the thinking at VIMN,” she says. “It’s key to keeping the appeal of our iconic properties across all generations. It’s also important to us that we never

become blase about even our most well loved properties such as Dora and Turtles. I think this is a key reason why VIMN shows last so well and often run successfully for decades.”

This view is supported by Ignacio Segura de Lassaletta, general manager of Spanish kids’ platform Planeta Junior: “In the last 20 years,

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (VIMN) children have changed a lot — and very quickly — so now the aim is no longer to adapt content, but rather to format series for this new audience.”

Planeta Junior has recently partnered with Studio 100, ZDF and TF1 to remake the German classics Heidi and Maya The Bee. “Good stories live on, even if the way in which they are told changes,” de Lassaletta says. “So we are adapting these stories to a changing audience, not only from a technical point of view, but also pacing up the rhythm, and adding more action and humour.”

De Lassaletta’s reference to changing technology is echoed by Christopher Keenan, vice-president of global content and executive producer at HIT Entertainment, who is currently engaged in refreshing both Bob The Builder and Thomas & Friends. Keenan says that, driven by the speed of change in both animation and consumption patterns, “we find there are now three-year-olds watching content on iPads”. He adds: “Our audience now has accelerated comprehension and we need

to ensure we are providing engaging content that they want to watch.”

Steven DeNure, president and chief operating officer of DHX Media, makes the point that DHX is always in production, often working on properties that have been on the air for a long time. “These shows will be constantly evolving and we wouldn’t necessarily see that as reworking them,” he adds. “But when we come to look at some of the older content we have, some of which has not been on the air for a while — shows such as Inspector Gadget, Teletubbies and Yo Gabba Gabba! — then a rethink is required. But it’s very important for us that what we produce is in keeping with the original.”

Also getting the makeover treatment is UK Eighties classic Danger Mouse. The question of the evolution of the brand is very much at the forefront of the thinking of Rick Glankler, executive vice-president and general manager of FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment (FMKFE), the current owners of the property. Glankler makes the point

“Good stories live on, even if the way in which they are told changes” Ignacio Segura de Lassaletta

that Danger Mouse was originally created as a Bond spoof. “If you look at the Roger Moore Bonds of the Seventies, you can see how they have evolved into the Daniel Craig Bond movies of today without losing any of the essential DNA of the property — and that’s what we’re doing with Danger Mouse,” he says.

Bob Higgins, FMKFE’s executive vice-president of creative and production, reveals that the new series of Danger Mouse has evolved to include two central female characters — characters that were absent from the original. Shauna MacDonald plays Squawkencluck, a character similar to Q in the Bond movies, while Lena Headey (Game Of Thrones) will voice the newly created character of Jeopardy Mouse.

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Feature FMKFE’s Rick Glankler

DHX Media’s Steven DeNure

Also keen to adhere to the spirit of a classic being given a remake is Hasbro, which will be releasing a movie version of its hit Eighties series Jem And The Holograms. Simon Walters, Hasbro’s general manager and senior vice-president of entertainment and licensing, says: “The notion of being true to yourself has always been at the heart of Jem And The Holograms, and that’s just as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.”

It is undoubtedly true that there are many compelling reasons for rebooting classic brands. As FMKFE’s Glankler says: “A number of broadcasters and content groups have had significant success with such projects.”

However, it is equally true that not all properties lend themselves to such treatment.

“A key element that makes a property potentially suitable for this process is recognition,” DHX’s

FMKFE’s Bob Higgins

Planeta Junior’s Ignacio Segura de Lassaletta

HIT Entertainment’s Christopher Keenan

DeNure says. “The market is now so crowded that discoverability is increasingly becoming an issue and, if a property has the recognition of Inspector Gadget, Teletubbies and Yo Gabba Gabba!, that’s a big attraction for broadcasters.”

He adds: “For us, this is a process that starts with a conversation with broadcasters because, before embarking on such a project, we have to believe there is an audience for the end result — and that means believing there is a broadcaster for the new version.”

Confidence in market demand was also central to FMKFE’s decision to go ahead with the new version of Danger Mouse. Glankler reveals that this belief was strengthened in January 2013, when CITV ran an Old Skool weekend to mark its 30th anniversary. The celebration included airing an episode of Danger Mouse, which attracted some 523,000 viewers

VIMN’s Caroline Beaton

— CITV’s highest ever audience. “In addition, when we looked at the market, we saw a real gap for a comedy-action series,” Higgins adds. “There was a lot of great comedy and a lot of great action, but there was an obvious gap for a ‘buddy’ comedy-action series.”

Planeta Junior’s de Lassaletta is another who taps brand recognition as a key factor in a property’s suitability for a reboot. “When a brand has been previously tested in the market with great success, as is the case with Heidi and Maya The Bee, then you are on much safer ground,” he says. But he also stresses the importance of “a good strong story” when choosing a property for a makeover.

For VIMN’s Beaton, it is important that a property has “good strong characters that form an emotional bond with their audience”. Another key point is that the property can work across

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Feature platforms, from linear through digital to toys and publishing. She adds: “Turtles is a great example of this. We have consumer products from high-end adult clothing all the way down to our Half-Shell Heroes toy range for pre-schoolers.”

If there is a lack of agreement as to what IP responds best to the reboot treatment, there is total unanimity as to the challenges implicit in the process itself. Chief among these is the legacy issue.

DHX’s DeNure says: “There will inevitably be the naysayers who will always remember the original as having been better. And it is indeed important to remember that these shows were massively successful first time around and that needs to be respected.” An interesting aspect of this flagged up by DeNure is that many of the animators working on the new Inspector Gadget grew up watching the original. “So they really want to give it their all — and, of course, they know the characters inside out,” he adds.

DeNure also makes the point that children have no nostalgia: “So while we like to think parents will guide their kids’ choice of viewing, remembering how much they enjoyed Gadget, the new show has to resonate with today’s audience [on its own merits]. If it doesn’t, it will fail.”

HIT’s Keenan agrees: “The biggest single challenge offered by this process is the affection and affinity for the series felt by the original, or older, audience.” He describes this as “a double-edged sword”, adding: “While the affection inclines them to want to pay attention, it also makes them very protective towards the original.”

Keenan points to another challenge inherent in the process of rebooting. “There’s an old showbiz adage: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’

For me, in this context, this means there really must be a sound reason for embarking on the process in the first place. At HIT, we would certainly want to be convinced that the process would meaningfully expand on the original product integrity.”

Bob The Builder (HIT Entertainment)

“There’s an old showbiz adage: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. This means there really must be a sound reason for embarking on the process” Christopher Keenan

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Tips & Services

Welcome to MIPJunior!

Thank you for attending the show this year. There is much to think about to be fully prepared, so we’ve designed this section to help you make the most out of MIPJunior

Inside

1• USEFUL TIPS GETTING TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA

To ensure you start off with a bang, please refer to our Quick Checklist Things to do before the Show n Have you prepared your transportation?

Have you arranged your transfer to Cannes? n Have you booked your accommodation? If not, book now at www.miptv.b-network.com and choose from a wide selection of hotels and apartments at special rates

Remember to print out your e-ticket before the show to save time on your badge collection at Registration n

1• USEFUL TIPS

n Have you connected the Online Database on Mymip to find out in advance who else is attending the show, to set up meetings and discover projects? n Have you checked the full show programme of MIPJunior conferences, screenings and events not to be missed?

BY AIR The nearest airport is Nice Côte d’Azur International (NCE), which provides direct flights to many cities around the world.

Promotion code (Air France and KLM): 23910AF www.airfranceklm-globalmeetings.com

BY TRAIN The Cannes train station is a short walk away from the Palais des Festivals.

T: +33 (0)8 92 35 35 35 www.tgv-europe.com

GETTING TO MIPJUNIOR TAXI T: +33 (0)4 93 99 27 27 or book online: www.taxi-cannes.net/en/reservation BUS FROM AIRPORT You have several options for bus travel. Tickets must be bought beforehand.

4 Where to get tickets: Desk at Terminal 1: outside arrivals, Gate A0.

Opening hours: 8.00 - 23.00

UPON YOUR ARRIVAL

2• SERVICES DIGITAL LIBRARY CLUBS & CONFERENCE ROOMS

Find answers to all these questions on the following tips & services section. For more details please refer to my-mip.com

Desk at Terminal 2: outside arrivals, between gates A1 and A2. Opening hours: 8.00 - 24.00

GETTING TO THE FRENCH RIVIERA

GETTING TO MIPJUNIOR

• The Nice AirportXpress line to Cannes (bus N°210) goes to and from Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport and the Cannes bus station via Le Cannet everyday from 8.00 to 20.00 every 30 minutes.

Journey takes 50 minutes.

A one-way ticket costs €20 and a return ticket costs €30.

4Where to catch it:

Terminal 1: gate A0, platform 3 Terminal 2: between gates A1 and A2, platform 3 • Bus N°200 also goes to Cannes from Monday to Saturday at 20.45 and 21.55.

4Where to catch it: Terminal 1: platform 3

• Noctam’Bus N°200 will get you to Cannes in the evenings. It is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and travels from 23.30 to 04.10 every hour and a half.

4Where to catch it: Terminal 1: platform 3

TRAIN FROM THE AIRPORT To get to the Nice train station from the airport, go to Terminal 1, gate 6, take bus 23, direction Vallon des Fleurs (€1). Buses depart every 5 to 12 minutes.

Disembark at Gare SNCF Saint Augustin (second stop).

FACILITIES The station is just a few meters walk. Trains for Cannes depart every 5 minutes.

A one-way train ticket costs from €5,80.

Book your train tickets at www.tgv-europe.com or by calling +33 (0)8 92 35 35 35 CAR RENTAL If you wish to rent a car, our official partner Sixt Rent a Car can provide you with preferential rates.

Promotion Code (up to 10% discount): 9963828* T: +33 (0)1 44 38 55 55 www.sixt.com *Please note that this reduction is subject to availability

HELICOPTER Azur Helicoptère operates regular 7-min flights between Nice Côte d’Azur International Airport and Cannes. A shuttle takes you from the Cannes heliport to your destination. Show participants benefit from a negotiated rate of €135 per person (+€15 heliport tax).

T: +33 (0)4 93 90 40 70 www.azurhelico.com / info@azurhelico.com PRIVATE TRANSFERS Chabé Limousines For short or long trips, from 1 to 7 people, rent a private car with driver and save over 20% with our official partner Chabé.

Airport shuttles from Nice to Cannes: €115 (Sedan) or €145 (Van-7 pax)

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Tips & Services Evening offer* (4 hours): €333

PLAN YOUR SHOW

SELLERS

*For quotes and bookings, visit: www.chabe-limousines.com/en/events/miptv

Make appointments and contacts before arrival.

Connect to the Online Database, the best way to schedule meetings in advance!

Visit my-mip.com to: • I dentify and contact the right people to meet among all attendees • I ncrease your own visibility by completing your company and personal profiles • Showcase and identify projects of interest • Schedule and plan meetings • Select the conferences and events you want to attend

To view a list of the buyers who have screened your programmes and/or projects, please log in to the dedicated stations in the Delegates Lounge with the login & password indicated on your badge: Login: use the 6 digits displayed on the top left corner after @

For more information: riviera@chabe-grandsud.com T: +33 (0)4 93 43 90 91 SHUTTLES TO OUR PARTNER HOTELS MIPJunior offers you free shuttle service to and from our partner hotels if you are staying outside Cannes during the market.

UPON YOUR ARRIVAL USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT CANNES

EVENTS FOR ALL DELEGATES

Address: Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez 73 La Croisette – 06400 Cannes T: +33 (0)4 93 90 12 34 or visit cannesmartinez.grand.hyatt.com Country dialling code: +33 Time zone: GMT +1 Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Round two-pin plugs are standard.

Measurement system: Metric Currency: Euro

New Visitors Workshop Saturday 3 October, 8.45-9.30 Licensing Hub

YOUR BADGE

Saturday 3 October, 17.45-18.30 Conference Room

MIPJunior Networking Lunch Sponsored by

Saturday 3 October, 13.00-14.30 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez Beach MIPJunior World Premiere Screening - Zorro The Chronicles Sponsored by

Your Badge is your primary means of identification during the market. It provides access to the conference sessions, networking events and the digital library (buyers only) during opening hours.

Please carry it at all times, and be ready to show it at entry points and security checks around the area.

Do not exchange your badge with anyone. Even if your photo does not appear on the badge, it will appear on security guards’ monitors when they scan it. Shared badges will be confiscated and not returned.

REGISTRATION OPENING HOURS

Sponsored by

All participants & press representatives can pick up their badges at the Registration area.

Save time, Pick up your MIPCOM badge at the MIPJunior’s Registration area.

Important E-ticket holders: E-tickets will be sent to you via email a few days before the show. They include a barcode for ID recognition.

Print it out to collect your badge at a self-service delivery point or scan the QR Code on your smartphone and save time at the Registration area.

REGISTRATION OPENING HOURS • Friday 2 October: 16.00-19.30 • Saturday 3 October: 8.00-19.00 • Sunday 4 October: 8.30-19.00 MARKET OPENING HOURS • Saturday 3 October: 8.30-19.00 • Sunday 4 October: 8.30-19.00

Opening Cocktail Party - Zorro The Chronicles Sponsored by

Password: use the badge number on the bottom right corner under the barcode. This list will also be sent to your mail box (if you have filled it in the contract) at the end of each day.

Important: At MIPCOM, final lists of buyers who have screened your programmes and/ or projects during MIPJunior and Programme/ project lists for buyers will be available by request at the Palais des Festivals (Help Desk – Palais 0).

CLUBS & CONFERENCE ROOMS DELEGATES LOUNGE Open to all participants. Features include a meeting area and email stations.

REGISTRATION LOUNGE Open to all participants.

Features include a meeting area.

Saturday 3 October, 19.00 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez Beach

CONFERENCE ROOM See schedule p. 27

MIPJunior Snack & Screen Sponsored by Sunday 4 October, 12.30-14.00 Conference Room

LICENSING HUB See schedule p. 27

2• SERVICES DIGITAL LIBRARY Access the unique Digital Library of international kids’ programming via individual screening booths.

NEW! All “Co-production projects seeking funding” are now included in the MIPJunior digital library.

SCREENING HOURS • Saturday 3 October: 8.30-19.00 • Sunday 4 October: 8.30-19.00 BUYERS Log in to the digital library with the login & password indicated on your badge: Login: use the 6 digits displayed on the top left corner after @ Password: use the badge number on the bottom right corner under the barcode.

You can review a list of the programmes & projects you have screened during the event. This list is available at the dedicated stations in the Delegates Lounge. It will be sent to your mail box (if you have filled it in in the contract) at the end of each day.

Sponsored by

FACILITIES CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is available inside the Registration Lounge, Delegates Lounge, Licensing Hub, Conference Room and Screening Booths.

Connect to: “Palais des Festivals Wi-Fi” network.

You can connect one device at a time.

Email stations: Located in the Delegates Lounge. To check and send email free of charge.

MOBILE RENTAL If you wish to rent a smartphone, SIM card or 3G data card during MIPJunior, please contact Cellhire at www.cellhire.fr/reedmidem BUSINESS CENTRE Provides a complete range of secretarial & administrative services (fax, printing services) located on the ground floor facing the reception.

FREE COFFEE BREAK Located in the Screening Booths and the Delegates Lounge, from 8.30 to 11.30 and 14.00 to 17.30.

CLOAKROOM Free of charge, located in the lobby.

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