2ble Click GEN Z LOVES YOUTUBE FOR LEARNING
60%
OF GEN Z RESPONDENTS PREFER YOUTUBE FOR LEARNING COMPARED TO 47% WHO PREFER PRINTED BOOKS.
57% 3+
• GEN Z PREFERS IN-PERSON GROUP ACTIVITIES (57%) FOR LEARNING, MORE THAN THEIR OLDER COUNTERPARTS (47%). • AS FOR TIME SPENT ON YOUTUBE, 47% OF GEN Z SPENDS THREE-PLUS HOURS PER DAY ON YOUTUBE
DEVICE-AGNOSTIC • NEARLY 80% SAY TEACHERS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO LEARNING, 55% PREFER TO TAKE NOTES ON PAPER RATHER THAN DIGITALLY, AND ONLY 22% PREFER SELFDIRECTED LEARNING.
JUST PLAY APPOINTS WILDBRAIN VIACOM SIGNS BRIAN ROBBINS AS NICKELODEON’S NEW PRESIDENT TO PRODUCE NEW CONTENT Just Play, a leading toy manufacturer, has appointed digital kids’ network & studio, WildBrain, to create new original content and exclusively manage the global YouTube channel to support the launch of Just Play’s new doll brand, Hairdorables. WildBrain will help to build and grow the international audience for Hairdorables through the launch of the brand’s official YouTube channel and through production and distribution of original animated and live-action content. Hairdorables’ firstever YouTube series, designed to inspire young fans and celebrate the collectible dolls, is now live on the Hairdorables channel on WildBrain’s network and the YouTube Kids’ App.
Brian Robbins, who most recently served as President of Paramount Pictures’ Paramount Players division, has been appointed President of Viacom’s Nickelodeon. Robbins will work under Bob Bakish, the President and CEO of Viacom, overseeing the creative and business operations at Nickelodeon. He is charged with evolving the brand for a new generation of younger audiences, including expanding its content pipeline through a combination of new and legacy franchises, and accelerating the push into next-generation platforms and feature film. As head of Paramount Players, Robbins collaborated with Nickelodeon and Viacom’s other brands to identify talent and properties to be developed into co-branded feature films.
CAKE’S “ANGELO RULES” SEALS NEW EXTENSIONS The first branded magazine and home entertainment deals have been secured for TeamTO and CAKE’s “Angelo Rules” in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. German publisher Blue Ocean will launch the magazine, while S.A.D. Home Entertainment will release the DVDs. S.A.D. will roll out four single DVD and one box set following the debut of season four on Super RTL this fall. The first 36-page “Angelo Rules” magazine will be available on October 30th and will feature comics and short stories written in Angelo’s language and style, as well as activity elements such as quizzes and games. 2 · SEÑAL INTERNACIONAL
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XILAM ANIMATION SCORES TRIPLE SALE TO SUPER RTL Award-winning French studio has signed a trio of deals with free TV German broadcast Super RTL. The channel has picked up rights to new upcoming animated series “Mr. Magoo” (78x7’) and “Moka” (78x7’), as well as the third season of slapstick comedy “Zig & Sharko” (78x7’). “The entire team is looking forward to this raft of new content from our long-term partner Xilam. We can’t wait to introduce the new shows to our young audiences across our various platforms!,” Claude Schmit, CEO of Super RTL, stated. “We’re delighted to be strengthening our long-standing relationship with Super RTL and building upon the fantastic success we’ve experienced together so far. The Super RTL team’s enthusiasm and expertise, coupled with their impressive reach, makes them an ideal broadcast partner,” Morgann Favennec, EVP Global Sales Development at Xilam Animation, said.
ZODIAK KIDS TO DISTRIBUTE AMAZON ORIGINAL SHOWS Banijay Group’s Zodiak Kids has acquired the rights to distribute 17 children’s series and specials from Amazon Studios at this year’s MipJunior and Mipcom. Zodiak Kids will hold the linear broadcasting rights for Amazon Studios content globally while all series continue to stream worldwide on Amazon Prime Video. The deal includes “Tumble Leaf,” “Creative Galaxy,” “The Stinky and Dirty Show!,” “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” “Little Big Awesome,” “Wishenpoof,” “Niko and the Sword of Light,” “Lost in Oz,” “Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street,” “The Kicks,” and four “American Girl” specials. The agreement also includes the Prime Video holiday specials “The Snowy Day,” “Click,” “Clack Moo: Christmas at the Farm,” and “If You Give a Mouse a Christmas Cookie”.
GLOOB AND GLOOBINHO LAUNCHES “ANITTINHA’S CLUB”
ZDF CLOSES DEAL WITH NICK FOR “THE BUREAU OF MAGICAL THINGS”
Brazilian popstar Anitta, who has become an international success and is one of the judges in “The Voice Mexico,” has just turned into an animated character. The Children’s Unit of the Globo Group, which is formed by the channels Gloob and Gloobinho, will launch in October “Anittinha’s Club,” an animated series for preschoolers that addresses important topics in a fun way, while highlighting values such as friendship, affection and respect for differences. The show’s first season will feature ten episodes of five-minutes. New episodes are already confirmed for 2019, and Gloob will distribute the series internationally during the upcoming markets, beginning at MipCancun next November.
Nickelodeon has acquired the new live-action series “The Bureau of Magical Things”, created by Australian television producer Jonathan M. Shiff, from ZDF Enterprises. The 20 x 30’ episode order premiered on October 8th in the US and will air on Nickelodeon’s channels and branded blocks across 170+ countries and territories. Filmed in Brisbane and the Gold Coast of Australia, The Bureau of Magical Things combines magic, mystery, and a unique mythology to tell the story of Kyra, an ordinary teenage girl who is caught in a clash between an elf and a fairy then becomes magically transformed. SEÑAL INTERNACIONAL 2018
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DISTRIBUTION
Different Genres and Bussines Models for a Competitive Target
m María Bonaria Fois
Maria Bonaria Fois, General Manager at Mondo TV Iberoamerica, anticipates the new launches of the company and labels the goal of growing its business in Mexico, Brazil and South America.
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he current focus of Mondo TV Iberoamerica is its live-action teen series “Heidi Bienvenida”. The show is already a hit in Latin America, where is airing on the main free TV channels from Mexico, Dominican Republic, and, most recently, Ecuador. Furthremore, the show has also been making its way to Europe. “The launch in Italy, through RAI Gulp, has been particularly noteworthy. The series has had a powerful
nida al Show”, is on production and there’s also going to be a film version. “At Mipcom we will also focus on the distribution of the vast Mondo TV portfolio of animation, featuring ‘Invention Story,’ the third season of ‘Sissi the Young Empress,’ (3D) ‘Robot Trains,’ and ‘The Treasure Island’, Fois stated. “We have several new productions to introduce to the market and we will announce a new project during Mipcom. It’s something new, for a different target than usual, in coproduction with ex-
m “Robot Trains”
impact on the Italian market and a major broadcasting deal is on the way for the series, which should be formally announced at Mipcom,” Maria Bonaria Fois, General Manager of Mondo TV Iberoamerica, said to Señal Internacional. A second series, “Heidi, Bienve4 · SEÑAL INTERNACIONAL
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cellent partners like Vip 2000 TV and Casablanca, plus a very talented international cast”, Fois added. Moreover, Mondo TV will promote a new animated production at Mipcom: “Meteo Heroes”. “We are constantly expanding our offering in order
to explore new genres and be more competitive in the market”, she assured. GLOBAL HITS “Robot Trains” is one of the most successful international shows for Mondo TV Iberoamerica. The show just entered into the Portuguese market via Canal Panda, and into Spain, where it has been
original series. “The Treasure Island”, a high-level co-production between Mondo TV and RAI Fiction is another title that is attracting a great interest among Latin American public television broadcasters. The company has a well-stablished position as a content distributor, but it is planning to increase its focus with some special projects. “We are also focusing on our role as a major producer and distributor. One of Mondo TV Iberoamerica’s major
“One of Mondo TV Iberoamerica’s major objectives is to strengthen its presence in Mexico, Brazil, and the southern cone of Latin America”. broadcasted by Clan TV since August. The first season of the animated action-adventure series, already released throughout Europe, has 32 episodes of 11 minutes, and it is expected that the 52-episode second season will arrive at the beginning of 2019. “Another big highlight for Mipcom will be ‘YooHoo to the Rescue’, a funny, exciting, and beautifully designed animated series for children, with a strong environmental background,” Fois said. The show is a co-production between Mondo TV and Aurora World of Korea, and Netflix will launch it next year as an
objectives is to strengthen its presence in Mexico, Brazil, and the southern cone of Latin America. This region represents a fundamental area for us to continue developing commercial relationships. We’re also always looking into the possibility of finding partners for licensing and merchandising activities linked to the broadcasting rights of our series. Since we are a European company, reinforcing our presence in the region’s countries is a core ongoing part of our strategy,” Fois said. By Romina Rodríguez /senalint
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BUYERS Michele Henessy and Mitchell Foster from Amazon Studios; Josie Grierson Channel from 5 Milkshake! UK; Luca Milano from Rai Ragazzi Italy; and Paula Taborda dos Guaranys from Gloob and Gloobinho Brazil, explain their content needs and strategy for a very challenging target.
What Kid’s Content Buyers are Looking for? GLOOB
AMAZON STUDIOS
Also known as Prime Video Originals, Amazon Studios brings bold and innovative series and films from top tier and up-and-coming creators to customers in over 200 countries and territories. Amazon has been producing content for only six years and it has a huge focus on the kid’s business. Recently, the company announced that Zodiak Kids has picked up 17 children’s series and specials from Amazon Studios, which will be rolled out at MipJunior and Mipcom. The Banijay Group-owned distributor will represent linear and broadcasting rights for Amazon Studios content globally while all series continue to air on Prime across the globe. “For the preschool side we have ‘Tumble Leaf’, a series that had won a lot of different awards. It’s a beautiful show with a social emotional story,” Michele Henessy, Development Executive at Amazon Studios said. Amazon considers that the most important entity for a preschool series is the connection of the characters with the audience. An example for that strategy is “The Stinky a Dirty Show”. The show highlights that it is OK to fail, both for kids and parents. “The failures are a big part of m Mitchell Foster life and we actually learn from them. We can also learn from persistence, practice, and new ideas. That is our big push in the preschool shows,” Henessy defined. The streaming platform also focus on shows for 6 to 11 years-old target. “It’s a very complicated space. The six years old children are very different from eleven years old children. Everything has to be generic and the characters and the spaces must be intrinsic,” Mitchell Foster, Development Executive at Amazon m Michele Henessy Studios stated. Amazon is now looking for preschool shows with highly emotional characters that generates a strong connection with the audiences. Furthermore, the company is open to the holyday specials shows. “We have a specific need for specials. It is an opportunity for those shows, because they can turn up to be a long run series,” Foster said.
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Gloob is a kid’s channel that the Globo Group launched six years ago in Brazil. Its original contents, such us “S.O.S Fairy Manu,” “Valentins,” “Gaby Star,” and “Brainiacs” have been licensed in different international territories like Asia, Europe, and Africa. Gloob main target is preschool kids, from two to five years-old. The channel produces a lot of local content and coproduces shows with United States and Europe. “We have been producing and investing a lot of money in order to create a different position and a better understanding of what we do,” Paula Taborda dos Guaranys, Head of Content and Programming at Gloob and Gloobinho, explained. In terms of coproduction, the main current partners of Gloob are in France but the company is now developing projects in Latin America, Spain, and Italy. “The most important thing is the content. If a show is good it doesn’t matter where it comes from,” Paula Taborda dos Guaranys said. “Gloob is looking for content that engages children, not just m Paula Taborda dos Guaranys a cartoon but a brand. We need shows with enough layers and complexity, where we can be able to develop the story through several seasons,” Taborda dos Guaranys described.
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RAI RAGAZZI
RAI Ragazzi is a RAI’s brand born on 2010 and its target is kids and young children. It also offers two free digital channels: RAI Gulp and RAI Yoyo. RAI Gulp is focused on telefilms, cartoons, and original productions, aimed to 7+, born-digital children. “The channel needs animation shows, live-action drama, and m Luca Milano docs. We are ready to start with new short-format stories. Since we launched our Instagram profile we are working on stories with our channel’s talent,” Luca Milano, Director at Rai Ragazzi, stated. RAI Yoyo is a very successful kid’s channel in Italy, and the main kids brand from RAI. “We will keep our strategy of producing preschool series. We have a great deal of good proposals, so in this case is easier to select. It won’t be the same for RAI Gulp, since the 7+ target is more difficult for animation projects. It’s not so easy to find the same number of strong properties and that’s what we are looking for,” Ragazzi said.
CHANNEL 5 MILKSHAKE!
Milkshake! is a British preschool television programming block on Channel 5, aimed to children from two to seven years old. It is the home of huge shows like “Ben and Holly,” “Paw Patrol,” and “Thomas and Friends”. Milkshake! airs from 6 AM to 9.15 AM every weekday, and 6 AM to 10 AM on weekends. “We don’t have just animation. We program wildlife documentaries and dance musical shows that we usually create in-house,” Josie Grierson, Production & Programme Manager at Channel 5 Milkshake!, said. Milkshake! is not just a linear TV block. “We are big on digital, with full episodes of our programs on our website, and full shows on Channel 5 catch-up service, My5”, Grierson said. Today, Milkshake! commissions, co-produces and acquires pre-school programming with a wide range of different deals and business models. The first commission was “Shane the Chef”. “It’s a great show about the chef Shane and his young daughter, Izzy. They run a restaurant in the town of Munchington. We hope this series could make kids think different about food,” Grierm Josie Grierson son described. Other company’s commissions are “Noddy Toyland Detective,” “Pets,” “Milkshake Money,” “Winnie and Wilbur,” and “Dave’s Dinosaurs”. Although Milkshake! has acquired series like “Luo Bai Bei” and “Pirata and Capitano,” the brand won’t involve with presenter-led formats or low-cost and high-volume studio-based half hour shows. Instead, Milkshake! is looking for strong storytelling pre-school animation, if possible, in 3D.
Streaming vs. Linear TV Teens and youngs are watching online much of their television, incluiding via gaming consoles
% of streaming out of all TV usage MARCH 2018
Other usage
Streaming Video
100
80 60
40
23% 20
18%
11%
5%
0
12-17
18-34
35-49
50+
Source: Nielsen Total Audience Report
By Romina Rodríguez SEÑAL INTERNACIONAL 2018
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PRODUCTION
Studio 100 Plays Big with its New Munich’s Studios
m Ulli Stoef
Ulli Stoef, CEO of Studio 100 Media, explains why the company decided to set up new facilities in its hometown and analyses the main challenges when it comes to creating content for children.
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couple of months ago, the production company Studio 100 Media announced the foundation of its own animation studio in Munich, Germany, where the group is based. With workstations for up to 40 artists, Studio Isar Animation will be responsible for CGI work such as modelling, texturing, shading, lighting, FX, compositing, and rendering for the company’s own film productions. In addition, it will offer its services for commissioned works by third parties and co-productions. “We already have three studios: Flying Bark Productions in Australia, Studio 100 Animation in Paris, and Little Airplane Productions in New York City. We decided that it would make sense to set up our own facility in Germany, because we have solid funding possibilities and we did not want to hire any third part studios in the country. We wanted to get involved more directly,” explained Ulli Stoef, CEO of Studio 100 Media AG. The company
m “Heidi”
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will now provide all segments of upcoming film productions completely in-house. The new animation studio is set up in Neumarkter Straße in Munich, the headquarters of Studio 100 Media, opening during October. As a first project, Studio Isar Animation will take over the CGI works for the feature film “Maya the Bee – The Golden Orb” (WT, completion planned for 2020). Studio 100 Media will produce the third theatrical film about the famous bee with Flying Bark Productions. The film has already been presold internationally, including to the United States, France and Poland. Stoef assured that the company is “mainly looking for good quality of animations” and explained that the decision to set up new studios in Munich does not necessarily means that Studio 100 Media is planning to invest more on original production. “I would not say that because we already are investing a lot on this area, but we surely will be investing more on our own facilities,” the executive said. NEW OPPORTUNITES? Analysing the current landscape of the animation industry, the CEO of Studio 100 Media admitted that there are a lot of main challenges when creating content for children nowadays. “The offer is really big but there is still a lot of mediocre content in the pipelines of some broadcasters and that’s a problem. The budgets are separated between all the traditional outlets as well as the new digital ones,” he mentioned.
“It is becoming more and more difficult to really reach kids, so you need to have a solid strategy for all of your brands to get their attention” Talking specifically about new digital players, Stoef admitted that there are more screens, but that is not necessarily an opportunity. “Digital players are coming in with big pockets. Players like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon are now part of a growing market, but the reality is that is just more offering but there is not a lot of more content getting sold to the broadcasters,” he expressed. Furthermore, Stoef stared that another huge challenge is to create children’s content. “It is becoming more and more difficult to really reach kids, so you need to have a solid strategy for all of your brands to get their attention,” he said. With attractive titles such as “Maya the Bee,” “Arthur and the Minimoys,” “Heidi,” “Nils Holgersson,” and “The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill,” Studio 100 Media is now heading to Mipcom with clear goals. “We would like to strengthen our existing relationships, to meet new partners, to introduce our new on-development works, and to look for new possibilities on all our existing brands”, Stoef concluded. By Federico Marzullo /senalint
DISTRIBUTION
Animated Series With Universal Appeal Morgann Favennec, EVP Global Sales Development at Xilam Animation, highlights the new shows of the company’s catalog and describes the recent global deals, with a particular growth in Asia.
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he producer and distribution company Xilam Animation offers a very attractive kids’ catalog to the international market, that currently features the brandnew original comedy series “Coach Me if You Can”. Señal Internacional talked to Morgann Favennec, EVP Global Sales Development at Xilam Animation, who highlighted that the show targets 6 to 10 kids and explores the unlikely friendship between Daniel Sissou and the world’s greatest football player, Erico Platana. “A mad wizard has turned Erico into a ball and to get back to his human form, he needs to deflate his ego and help clumsy Daniel become a football champ. It’s profoundly touching, light-hearted and refreshing,” she stated. Xilam Animation offer also includes the third season of its hit animated slapstick comedy “Zig & Sharko,” which currently is on-air over 190 territories and continues to improve its rating all over the world. The executive assured that animated comedies have universal appeal and the slapstick humor from Xilam’s shows, such as “Oggy and the Cockroaches,” resonates with all international audience.
m “Mr Magoo”
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“Both parents and kids really enjoy watching our shows and we see a lot of co-viewing,” Favennec said. Regarding the latest sales sealed by Xilam, the EVP Global Sales Development told that the company signed a trio of deals with the free TV German broadcaster Super RTL, that picked up the rights from “Moka,” the third season of “Zig & Sharko,” and the new animation “Mr Magoo”. “Alongside this deal, there’s been a huge level of interest on the show from broadcasters all around the world. We have over a dozen partners secured ahead for it, which will be fully delivered in 2019 spring. The extensive presales line-up includes France Télévisions in France, Cartoon Network in Asia, ITV and CITV in the UK, and K2 in Italy. We will be announcing another raft of deals very soon,” Favennec projected. EXPANSION GOAL Xilam’s executive also explained the company’s sales strategy in order to reach new clients. “We have a well-established network of partners all around the world thanks to the popularity of our shows and our reputation for delivering high-quality programming with broad appeal. That combination also helps us to attract the attention from potential new partners, across both linear and SVOD platforms,” Favennec said. Over the last year, Xilam Animation has been performing particularly well in Asia,
m Morgann Favennec
“We’ve strengthened our presence in Asia with new broadcast deals. Cartoon Network picked up ‘Mr Magoo’, and seasons six and seven from ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’”. and particularly in India. “We’ve strengthened the presence of our portfolio in the region through new broadcast deals, including Cartoon Network picking up ‘Mr Magoo’ and seasons six and seven from ‘Oggy and the Cockroaches’. China has also become a key market for us, since the local distributor Jetsen Huashi Wangju Kids has picked up ‘Zig & Sharko’ for its VOD platform. They have also acquired the shows based on the designs by the illustrator Arthur de Pins, ‘A Kind of Magic’ and ‘A New Kind of Magic’,” Xilam’s executive said. Latin America market remains a region that Xilam would like to explore in the short-term. “We see great potential for our properties there. The distribution landscape is tough but there is quick proliferation of partners to work with. New platforms and channels had opened more screens for content and there is room for all top-quality programming,” Favennec analyzed. Por Romina Rodríguez /senalint
QUICKIES
9 Story to premiere new animated children’s series at MipJunior
9
m “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum”
Story Media Group is in production of the new animated series “Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum” for PBS Kids. Based on the children’s book series “Ordinary People Change the World” by New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer and illustrator Christopher Eliopoulos, the show is produced by 9 Story Media Group’s award-winning animation studio Brown Bag Films. 9 Story Distribution International holds worldwide distribution rights (excluding Canada), with global licensing and merchandising rights managed by 9 Story Brands. The series will debut in the U.S. on PBS stations, the new 24/7 PBS Kids channel and its digital platforms in fall 2019. Produced at Brown Bag Films’ Toronto studio, executive producers on
the series are Vince Commisso, Brad Meltzer, Christopher Eliopoulos, Fonda Snyder and Rob Weisbach. The series is directed by Cory Bobiak (“Peg + Cat”), with Meghan Read (“Dot, Dino Dan”) in the role of executive story editor. The look of the show, that will premier at MipJunior, is based on Christopher Eliopoulos’ illustrations featured in the Ordinary People Change the World series.
Cottonwood Media’s
“Squish”
Expands Slapstick Comedy
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id’s content distributor Federation Kids & Family and its production studio Cottonwood Media closed more pre-sales for their hilarious animated comedy “Squish” to RTBF (Belgium), VRT (Belgium), and Hop TV (Israel). Co-produced with Planeta Junior and Gulli (France, Russia, North Africa), the show will premier its first full-on cartoon comedy episodes at MipJunior. With a planned launch date on early 2019, “Squish” is produced by Cottonwood Media and Planeta Junior, in partnership with Gulli
(France, Russia, Africa), distributed by Federation Kids & Family and Planeta Junior. The new launch is a fast-paced, slapstick series based on the New York Times best-selling graphic novels by Jennifer Holm and Eisner Award-winning creator Matthew Holm, brought to life by Head Writer John Derevlany and EP David Michel. Published by Random House Children’s Books, the hugely successful “Squish” franchise has sold more than one million copies of the existing six books to date, with a new book to be published yearly.
o ”Squish”
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DISTRIBUCIÓN
“Content Should Have Some Purpose Beyond Entertainment” Paul Robinson, CEO at Imira Entertainment, describes the company’s international strategy and explains the plans to reach new markets with different business models.
m Paul Robinson
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reated in 2003, Imira Entertainment had become one of the world’s leading kids & family content distribution companies. It represents some of the most prestigious producers and brand owners, handling television and digital distribution of their catalogues around the globe. The company has created, produced, and distributed global TV hit series such as “Lucky Fred,” “Sandra,” “The Fairytale Detective,” “Lola & Virginia,” “Vitaminix” and “Bat Pat”. “Imira is a very solid company, with good shows and reputation. It is very strong in the Americas, Iberia, and also other regions of the world, but I think that there is more than can be done to strengthen our company, which is doing nicely, but it can grow. We are small to medium size, and we would like to be large,” Paul Robinson, CEO at Imira Entertainment, described in conversation with Señal Internacional. In that way, Imira has plans, especially some involving Spanish broadcasters and producers. “We are reaching out Spanish creators all over the world searching for stories that do not just work with Spanish markets, but globally. I say that because there are shows made in Latin America or Spain which do not travel. The reason for that is the approach, they are made for the Spanish culture, but not for the global one. I think that is possible to take Spanish tradition and refocuse it to make global stories. There are certain characteristic of kids that are the same 12 · SEÑAL INTERNACIONAL
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all over the world, but the flavour can still be Spanish,” Robinson analyzed. The CEO of Imira admitted that they are already developing a lot of projects with Spanish creators. “We are asking them if they can develop something, if they have an idea or if they need some kind of investment,” he assured. However, Imira is obviously working with nonSpanish creators as well, because one of the main goals of the company is to be as global as possible, with more originals, more co-productions, and more rights. “We are investing in creativity, but with limited rights you only got these shows in certain markets, which does not make any sense, because you still are investing in marketing and promotion. More than ever, we need global rights, and we also have to find the way to maximize the rights that we got,” he said. MIXED STRATEGY Robinson evaluated all business models and considered that “acquisitions are good, but they are a part of the story, not the whole”. He stated that Imira is totally open to be a distribution partner, although it will not delimitate its role just to distribution. “We want to start thinking how we can get involved beyond just being a distribution partner. Can we start working on platforms? Can we develop our own platform? The world is changing. There is a consolidation of platforms and we need to adapt to that,” he added. In the continuous search for the best business model, Robinson thinks that
m “Smighties”
the kids and family genre is great to find new enterprises. “Kids are always going to be here, and they want their own entertainment. We have a responsibility as adults to give them things that hopefully will help them to enjoy what they are watching and become better adults in the future. I do believe that the content should have some purpose beyond the mere entertainment,” he expressed. To finalize, Robinson talked about animation and described it as “a brilliant storytelling medium because you can go anywhere”. To intensify that concept, he explained that “with animation you are not limited by gender or locations, only by your imagination. If you can draw it, then you can go to it. There are more animations feature films now than ever because they can take you to fantastic places”. By Federico Marzullo /senalint
OVERVIEW
The Reloaded Power of the Spanish Animation A White Paper presented by Diboos Federation featured the figures of the local industry. Animation and VFX industry turnover in 2017 a total of €654 million and generated direct employment to 7,450 professionals.
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nimation and visual effects companies in Spain generate 20% of employment and 9% of total turnover in the audiovisual sector. This was revealed by the data of the White Paper presented by the Spanish Federation of Animation Producers and Visual Effects, Diboos, at the Film Academy in Madrid, with updated data of more than 250 Spanish companies. Among the conclusions released in the presentation, Carlos Biern, President of Diboos, stated that “Animation and VFX industry turnover in 2017 was €654 million and gave direct employment to 7,450 professionals. It is expected that by 2020, the Spanish industry exceeds €1,000 million, with an annual growth rate of 24% reaching 10,000 direct jobs and another 40,000 professionals linked to the animation industry”. Local companies are concentrated in Madrid and Catalonia, although 60%
were willing to relocate to other regions with favorable tax conditions. Animation still is relatively young industry, because half of the companies did not exist ten years ago, and it looks quite fragmented: mainly financed by private Spanish capital, where more than half of the companies have a turnover of less than €500,000. Regarding the employment, indefinite contracts represent 44% of the total, and around 3,471 professional staff (freelances) are directly involved in the company’s activities. The White Paper highlights that 35% are women, exceeding the average of other technology sectors. For each direct industry employment in animation, 2.34 indirect jobs linked to animation are generated. This represents a total of nearly 26,000 professionals involved with animation in Spain. The animator is the most wanted profile in the short-term: 40% of companies plan to hire animators in the next 12 mon-
Animation Content in Spain
Animation Companies in Spain
ths. However, 42% of companies report having difficulty finding adequately trained professionals, having to adapt to professional training within the workplace. EUROPEAN GROWTH With the development of Animation from Spain/ICEX, Spain is already the fifth largest producer and the second European animated feature films, with 28 productions between 2010 and 2014. Over the next four years, the country expects to launch more than 90 feature films, 140 TV series, and about 400 short films. Based on the new digital market in Europe, Diboos highlights the potential of animation industry growth in the Hispanic community, supported by the launch of channels like Clan Internacional or the new initiatives for the development of animated co-productions announced by Ibermedia. The production schedule
for an animated feature film can reach three years. For average budget for a movie, the estimated is around €12 million for movies, €3 million for TV series (13 hours), and about €60,000 for short films. The figures developed by Diboos noted that among the challenges to confirm the growth of the industry, it highlights the revision to the new model of private investment proposed by the previous government, and strengthen control of TV and OTT platforms under national and international investment over children’s channels to animation. Diboos also stated that the industry needs greater support for development projects, in order to attract investment in international markets and strengthen the system of tax incentives for foreign productions to compete on equal terms with the main European countries. By Diego Alfagemez
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PRODUCTION
m “Noobees”
Nickelodeon Joins the Esports
World With “Noobees” Tatiana Rodriguez, SVP, Brand Head, Kids & Family at Nickelodeon Latin America, talks about the new gaming series, a co-production between Viacom International Studios and Mediapro Group.
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ast month, are also growing Nickelodeon in Latin America,” Latin America Tatiana Rodriguez, premiered SVP, Brand Head, the highly Kids & Family at anticipated teen gaming Nickelodeon Latin series “Noobees,” the America, explained latest co-production in conversation between Viacom with Señal International Studios Internacional. and Mediapro Group. Nickelodeon is The show, which was always on the produced in Spanish search for new m Tatiana Rodriguez and will be adapted ways to reach to Portuguese for its audience. In audiences in Brazil, was recorded in that constant exploration for fresh Bogotá, Colombia, at the facilities of content, the eSports represent a great Televideo, a Mediapro company, which has already worked with Nickelodeon on productions such as “Chica Vampiro” and “Yo Soy Franky”. Additionally, the series features images from the Liga de Videojuegos Profesional (LVP). The organization, which also belongs to Mediapro Group, is the largest eSports league in Spain as well as the host of important online and offline tournaments for videogames such as “League of Legends” and “Call of Duty”. “Those types of videogame leagues are getting huge in Europe, but they
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and different opportunity. In words of Rodriguez, “they are something that is just beginning and is already giant” and that is why the Viacom’s company decided to bet on them. “We thought it would be fun to use that universe as the one in which we were going to fit our wonderful story full of love, rivalries, fights, and friendship. Part of the beauty of all Nickelodeon’s stories is that they are always about the whole process to achieve something, all the preparation, trainings and teamwork. It’s very nice because it sends a message that explains that you cannot achieve everything by yourself and you really need to be surrounded by people,” Rodriguez stated.
“While kids enjoy seeing the same chapter over and over again, they always want more things around the show they love”. DIGITAL FOOTPRINT Rodriguez considers that a product like “Noobees” can have unlimited possibilities for digital extensions. “Nowadays, children discover the shows on television and, once they watch an episode, they want to consume more. It is never enough. While kids enjoy seeing the same chapter over and over again, they always want more things around the show the love. The digital extensions that we have been taking out have worked very well for us,” Rodriguez said. Thinking about the future, Nickelodeon Latin America will continue to explore new and innovative scenarios for its shows, just like the company did with the gaming world of ‘Noobees’. “It is difficult to explore and find new worlds, but we are always looking for how to display a story in a different, attractive, and relevant way. Finding that path is crucial because that is what will give the story a distinctive twist,” Rodriguez concluded. By Federico Marzullo /senalint