Ricardo Seguin Guise
Publisher
Mansha Daswani
Editor-in-Chief
Anna Carugati
Editor-at-Large
Kristin Brzoznowski
Executive Editor
Jamie Stalcup
Senior Associate Editor
Alexa Alfano
Associate Editor
David Diehl
Production & Design Director
Simon Weaver
Online Director
Dana Mattison
Sales & Marketing Director
Genovick Acevedo
Sales & Marketing Manager
Ute Schwemmer Bookkeeper
Find opportunities within the chaos. That was the overarching theme at the TV Kids Summer Festival in June, where we explored the major challenges in the business today, including risk-aversion, reduced content spend and the struggle to get kids to discover new shows.
TEAM SPIRIT
Amid a great reset in the children’s content business, leading producers and distributors discuss the resurgent need for co-productions.
Ricardo Seguin Guise
President
Anna Carugati
Executive VP
Mansha Daswani
Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development
TV Kids
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The tips for coming out the other end of an unprecedented reset in the children’s content business include dusting off your co-production skills, having a well-thought-through monetization plan and being strategic about how you seed and build a brand. And in this landscape, having a brand that has some awareness already is paramount. According to Dubit’s David W. Kleeman, the shows resonating with the key 6-to-11 set are largely based on known IP, including the perennial SpongeBob SquarePants. M6 Group is also keen on big brands for its array of assets, as we heard from Coralie BoitrelleLaigle, director of youth channels in France. And speaking of IP with built-in brand awareness, this edition includes an interview with the family behind the massive YouTube brand Ryan’s World.
Whether you’re financing a show based on an existing property or a brandnew idea, innovative solutions are crucial, but many producers are returning to the tried-and-true co-pro model. We explore the ins and outs of financing partnerships ahead of Cartoon Forum, where Europe’s heritage of pulling together projects will be on full display. Mansha Daswani
TOULOUSE TOONS IN Cartoon Forum convenes for its annual event in Toulouse from September 16 to 19.
M6 GROUP’S CORALIE BOITRELLE-LAIGLE
The company’s director of youth channels in France discusses her programming strategy.
INSIDE RYAN ’S WORLD THE MOVIE: TITAN UNIVERSE ADVENTURE
Watch a video interview with the team behind the latest extension in the YouTube-originated franchise.
DUBIT’S DAVID W. KLEEMAN
The senior VP of global trends at the insights company and gaming studio on understanding viewership trends among the 6-to-11 set.
Lí Ban / Mojo Swoptops / Big Lizard
Aardman Animations’ highlights heading into MIPCOM include Lí Ban , an animated series that features fantastical heroes, legendary villains and a heroine as a central character. The adventurous stories are “told in a thrilling and fast-paced way for kids 7 to 9 to enjoy worldwide,” says Alison Taylor, director of licensing and distribution. Mojo Swoptops is about a little truck that swaps its top. Big Lizard follows an astronaut girl who crash-lands on planet Proxima B with her dad and becomes best friends with a lizard.
Nelly Jelly
NJ World is highlighting the animated series Nelly Jelly, which follows a girl with a rich imagination and her monster friends Jim and Jam. Along with presenting solutions to children’s real-world problems, the series aims to challenge gender stereotypes, as Jim, a pink male monster, loves books and analysis, while the green female monster Jam protects Nelly Jelly with her strength and spreads positivity. “Generation Alpha encourages us to leave common stereotypes behind and have different representations of how girls and boys can look and behave,” says Simona Krasauskienė, CEO.
“All of the new animated series we are presenting stand out from one another and in the marketplace.”
—Alison Taylor
“In her native Lithuania, Nelly Jelly is a l oved children’s boo k cha racter wi th a loyal fandom.”
—Simona Krasauskienė
Amid a great reset in the children’s content business, Mansha Daswani checks in with leading producers and distributors about the resurgent need for co-productions.
As one of the world’s leading makers and distributors of children’s content, France serves as a good barometer for assessing the state of the market. Recent data from the CNC and Unifrance is a stark illustration of the challenges the sector is facing and the opportunities still ahead.
It was a difficult year for French animation exports, with revenues falling 11.2 percent in 2023 to €51.2 million ($56.9 million), led by a 70 percent plunge in the U.S. and a 6.6 percent drop in worldwide rights. Presales fared slightly better, falling 5.4 percent. The bright spot, however, was co-pro investment, which rose by 54 percent to €36.3 million ($40.3 million). Indeed, while the SVOD streamers have scaled back their kids’ commitments, the public and commercial channels that have long been the backbone of the industry are still collaborating to get projects off the ground.
“As we are primarily a distributor, there has never been any interest in producing programs for the major streamers because there are essentially no rights left at the end of the process,” says Genevieve Dexter, founder and CEO of Serious Kids. “We have always continued to co-produce despite the convenience of producing fully funded content because it affords us more rights. Now that streamer funding for kids is much reduced, our co-production skills are fully honed, up to date and back in demand.”
Ulli Stoef, CEO of Toon2Tango, agrees: “Co-production has always been the way we do business, and we do feel that companies that did not consider co-production in the past are now open to such models. Unfortunately, the current market climate means that the number of co-productions has not increased, often because many studios or companies find financing their part of a project challenging.”
Cobbling together funding has become more challenging, and there are several projects on the market today that would not have come to fruition if it weren’t for co-productions. Dandelooo’s eight-episode The Upside Down River, made with a budget of €5.2 million ($5.8 million), needed partners, according to Emmanuèle Pétry, producer and head of international at the French producer-distributor. Aligning with Sparkle Ani mation in Portugal and Vivi Film in Belgium “helped us trigger subsidies from each country, along with the European help from Creative Europe.”
“We could not produce our shows without the existing tax incentives and local, regional, national and European money,” Pétry says. “They are fully part of our financing models, and we are extremely thankful to be able to access these incentives, which help create a strong creative industry in France.”
“A big part of the financing comes from these sources,” Stoef agrees. “One major market, Germany, is about to increase, expand and modify its funding systems. This will give us more opportunities to keep some of the work split within Germany.”
The U.K. has also introduced new animation tax credits, which Serious Kids’ Dexter refers to as a game-changer for “bringing production into the country where previously it always went
overseas with pre- and post-. Coupled with our multiple commissioning broadcasters, we have much to offer, plus the Global Screen Fund subsidies for co-production. However, much higher tax credits available elsewhere coupled with overheated rates for creatives means many U.K. companies have again been opening overseas branches to compete.”
“Now that streamer funding for kids is much reduced, our coproduction skills are back in demand.” —Genevieve Dexter
Third-party-country tax credits are critical to the financing jigsaw, “but you have to look at your co-producer’s national tax rates, too,” Dexter observes. “A 40 percent tax credit does not compensate for a 50 percent tax on wages payable by the producer or the absence of local commissioning broadcasters. In those cases, you need to look for additional local subsidies to make it worthwhile, especially to compete with the combination of tax credits, broadcast platforms and low employer tax rates in the U.K. In addition, the U.K. budgets are coming down in the wake of inflation rises and the drop in streamer commissioning in the kids’ sector—a painful leveling process is well underway.”
Of course, you need to assess more than national tax rules when choosing a co-pro partner and determining if you want to board a project.
Toon2Tango worked with partners from the U.S., Ireland and Belgium on Hey Fuzzy Yellow .
It all starts with a brilliant idea, Toon2Tango’s Stoef notes. “Will the story hold up across international markets? Is it unique? Does it have an outstanding design? After this, we consider the partners, their ability to guarantee their part of financing and whether they will be able to deliver the quality we expect.”
Dexter adds, “ We are always looking for projects that offer something new or respond to a market demand. We also look to see where we can add value. For example, A Mouse Called Julian is a response to a demand for high-end specials based on literary properties and our strategy to grow IP so that it has a chance of longevity. Mercury Filmworks is based in Ottawa, while we are in London. They have an incredible creative development and studio setup, and we have extensive co-production experience and distribution infrastructure. Cats React to Facts is also bookbased, but in this case, the project is a response to kids’ changing viewing habits and a constant demand for laugh-out-loud come dy. Again, Keyframe Studios has the funny bones in a studio structure, while Serious Kids can bring the international business expertise to the party.”
Finding complementary skill sets is one of many best practices co-pro veterans highlight when discussing how to make these relationships work for all parties involved.
“To me, the most important quality is honesty and communication in order to establish a fair work share between the studios and efficient workflow that works best for both parties, in the
most financially viable way,” Dandelooo’s Pétry says. “Inevitably, many problems will appear along the way, and the parties need to talk openly about how to find solutions. Things can go wrong when the costs are artificially increased to make higher margins. For example, in this one particular co-pro, we had many original issues: the two business owners sued each other, the company
“Things happen, and you cannot plan it all out in advance, but open discussions are key to finding solutions.” —Emmanuèle Pétry
went into bankruptcy, the studio head was condemned for sexual harassment, the son of the owner grew cannabis with the studio’s electrical power—all of this we discovered along the way! Things happen, and you cannot plan it all out in advance, but open discussions are key to finding solutions.”
Dexter adds: “There are always more urgent things to attend to than a development project, so scheduling regular meetings between co-production partners is key to keeping the project moving with energy behind it. Division of responsibility is also important to recognize who makes the creative decisions and who is responsible for pulling in the commissioning broadcasters. Most of the time, there is no specific reason why a project is not progressing—it is a mix of many factors, but the key is to recognize when something is not working and move on.”
Whil e the French TV market for children’s and family content is crowded and competitive, the M6 Group channels have garnered loyal audiences for years. Its off erings for young ones inclu de Gulli on DTT, the pay-TV services Canal J and TiJi, the M6 Kid morning block, Gulli.fr and M6+. Coralie B oitrelle-Laigle, director of youth channels in France, walks TV Kids through what’s guiding some of the channels’ progra mming decisions.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
TV KIDS: What is the role of acquired content on M6 Group’s kids’ channels and platforms?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: We do acquisitions and prebuys. It’s essential to propose new, high-quality content to keep our leading position among kids and families. We operate different channels and platforms. We have a free channel called Gulli, targeting children and families, and we operate two pay-TV channels in France. We’ve launched a new platform called M6+, so we are looking for AVOD rights.
TV KIDS: How has your acquisition strategy shifted in the last year or two?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: In France, the market is crowded, and the media industry has had to go through an intensive shift. We have to keep communicating with the digital-native generation to get closer to their new consumer habits. We have to be agile to keep proposing new content and maintain a financial balance.
“Comedy must be grounded in the daily lives of children so they can recognize themselves.”
TV KIDS: What is on your wish list in terms of genres, age demographics and formats?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: Gulli targets children and families, and it’s always a good start to propose comedy shows that include positive values. Comedy must be grounded in the daily lives of children so they can recognize themselves. SpongeBob SquarePants and Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks are the kinds of comedies that are a priority for us. TiJi is a preschool channel that [leans] slightly toward girls’ shows. Our main successes are [Barbie-themed content] and Zoom the White Dolphin. For Canal J, we are looking for action-adventure for children from 8 to 12. We are looking for volume because we program big blocks on the grid.
TV KIDS: Are you eyeing content that taps into the creator economy?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: Gulli is devoted to a young audience. We have to know what this audience likes [beyond] our TV programs. We keep an eye on YouTube and social media. We sometimes collaborate with YouTubers, but more to promote shows. YouTubers and influencers are local celebrities, and we need an international celebrity to build an IP. It’s hard for us to have special content based on a YouTuber. In our shows, we make the characters use the codes of YouTube and social media to create a close link with our audience.
TV KIDS: What would you like to see more of in the marketplace?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: In France, we have a lot of producers who are incredibly creative. We get lots of surprises every day and every week. I would like to see more episodic shows. It’s relevant for
children to find the same beginning, middle and end, and in the middle of all three points, so many things can happen.
“We are taking exclusive rights where possible.”
TV KIDS: What is your stance on exclusivity?
BOITRELLE-LAIGLE: We have different approaches depending on the franchise. We need exclusivity. We need to offer this content and this experience only on our platforms and channels. We are taking exclusive rights where possible and wherever we can, but it always depends on the IP. We’re open to discussing case by case.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
Cartoon Forum is marking the 35th edition of the pitching and co-production forum for animated TV projects. The lineup of projects to be pitched features 75 animated series and specials, selected from 107 submissions. The selection is led by France (36 projects), followed by Ireland (eight), Italy (five), CEE countries (five projects from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Serbia and Slovakia) and Germany (five). Denmark and Spain each contribute with three projects, while Portugal has two. Armenia, Georgia and Moldova each present a project for the first time at Cartoon Forum, joining Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which also have one project each.
“Lately, the projects selected present more heroines and stories from a female perspective,” says Annick Maes, general director of Cartoon. “This can be explained by a growing number of projects directed and produced by women.”
“T he projects selected present more heroines and stories from a female perspective.”
—Annick Maes
Maes adds that again this year there are a significant number of projects promoting the subject of the environment. Also this year, many of the selected projects promote diversity and inclusion.
“Series targeting children from preschool to 11 years old and families remain the main focus of European animation production,” Maes says. “This year at Cartoon Forum, 68 percent of the series selected target these audiences. This year, projects targeting children seek to teach them fundamental values such as inclusion, diversity, empathy, solidarity and the importance of friendship and family ties, but there are also stories that, with humor and endearing characters, deal with more complex and sensitive subjects such as gender and environmental issues.”
Cartoon Forum will offer networking opportunities after its pitching sessions. One-to-one meetings will be organized on Sep tember 19. “Come and engage with animation professionals and get the chance to meet the Italian delegation, new buyers, financial partners and publishers,” says Maes.
By Jamie Stalcup
Over just a few years, the Ryan’s World franchise has exploded from YouTube, where the channel has over 37 million subscribers, to include numerous TV series such as Ryan’s Mystery Playdate and Super Spy Ryan and several video games. The brand has now added a featurelength film to its repertoire, with Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure debuting in theaters across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland in August.
Fronted by child star Ryan Kaji, the face of the franchise, the film combines live action and animation to tell an imaginative superhero story in which Ryan transforms into the Red Titan to rescue his younger twin sisters Emma and Kate from the Titan Universe comic-book world before their parents notice. Though he is no stranger to filming, the experience on a movie set was completely new for Ryan. “In the
[YouTube] videos, usually there was just one phone or one camera, and then we usually improvise,” he explains. “In the movie, there were a bunch of different cameras everywhere, and there were lines to memorize. It was just a whole different experience.”
“My favorite part was that I got to do it with my whole family. ”
—Ryan Kaji
The movie was a family endeavor that involved not just Ryan and his sisters but also his parents, Shion and Loann Kaji. Shion and Loann not only appeared on-screen alongside their children but co-produced it with pocket.watch through their production company, Sunlight Entertainment.
“My favorite part was [that] I got to do it with my whole family,” Ryan says. “It was fun to see my sisters act.”
“It was a fun collaboration with our family,” agrees Shion, adding, “Another big component of the movie was collaboration among influencers.” Magician Dan Rhodes makes an appearance in the film, as do Evangeline Lomelino of GEM Sisters and Stella Wallace of The Stella Show, all of whom are fellow YouTubers and digital creators within the pocket.watch network.
“We hope it opens the door for other influencers after this project,” Shion says. “And hopefully, we’ve created a new genre of movie.”
Unde rstanding the 6-to-9 set is paramount for tracking where kids’ media consumption is headed, as is cracking the discoverability problem. That was the key takeaway from an insightful TV Kids Summer Festival conversation between Dubit’s David W. Kleeman and independent media consultant Emily Horgan. Kleeman serves as senior VP of global trends for Dubit, which is both a research and consultancy firm and a gaming studio, providing him with a crucial vantage point for understanding what kids are watching—and where. Horgan is an independent consultant who covers developments in kids’ media via her newsletter, The Kids StreamerSphere, and podcast, Kids Media Club.
TV KIDS: What about the 6-to-9 set makes it so crucial for understanding kids’ media habits?
KLEEMAN: It’s the age when they’re starting school and splitting off into peer groups. They’re developing their own interests. It’s when the parents cede control over the remote or the mobile device. It’s where the audience fragments for the first time. In preschool, it’s much easier to figure out what will work for a broad audience. When you get to 6 to 9, you’ve got your gamers, your TV kids, your YouTube kids, and they have different hob bies. It can be hard to gain traction at that age. We talk
about 6 to 9, and then a little bit of 9 to 12, as the “middle kingdom.” A lot of times, if they are an older sibling, they’ve got control of the remote for the first time. If they’re a younger sibling, they have to struggle to watch what they want to watch. You’ll see that things not for the 6-to-9 age group often come up as things that they like best.
“Long-running franchises have done a good job of diversifying out into different platforms and recreating themselves every couple of years.”
TV KIDS: What shows and franchises resonate with this audience?
KLEEMAN: Many of the top programs for kids have been around for quite a long time. If the show itself hasn’t been around for a long time, then at least the IP has. SpongeBob SquarePants still tops the charts. Long-running franchises have done a good job of diversifying out into different platforms and recreating themselves every couple of years, whether going out to a platform like Roblox, Fortnite or Minecraft or coming out with new takes on the series. So many kids between 6 and 9 pick Roblox as maybe even their first game beyond, say, Candy Crush Saga. It’s such a “do anything that you want” platform. You’re likely to find your favorite content from television there. As a means of new IP discovery, it is still one of the great outlets.
TV KIDS: How should IP owners be using gaming extensions to help build their brands?
KLEEMAN: Television is, by and large, still stuck in the 3- to 5-year development cycle. It’s hard to be immediate, relevant and timely for kids if it takes that long to bring something new to air. Not to mention that if you are a hit and have a second season, there’s another wait. How do you keep kids engaged with the content in between those seasons? That is where games and YouTube come in. It’s in the producer’s interest to keep attention on the stories even when you’re not bringing out new content. It’s also in the interest of the distributor to make sure that when you drop something new, people haven’t forgotten you. With Roblox in particular, you don’t have to build a big world and keep adding to it to keep attention. We’ve been putting brands into existing games. In the gaming world, there are many lower-cost, lower-timeinvest ment ways of bringing an audience in. Having a strategy to start with is important. We often advise people: don’t distribute yourself too thinly. Don’t immediately say, I’ve got to be on every platform at once. We used to have the term 360 commissioning, which was the commissioners’ 360. It was their anxiety about not reaching every kid on every platform on every device. It was not the kids’ 360. It’s so important, if you want to preserve your franchise, to spend wisely at the beginning and figure out the most likely platform for discovery, engagement and fandom.
