PRODUCTION SERVICES 40050265 PRINTED40050265 in USPS CANADA Approved Polywrap AFSM 100 NUMBER AGREEMENT POST NUMBER CANADA Contents DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010 ’S FOCUS ON PRODUCTION SERVICES 40050265 PRINTED40050265 IN USPS CANADA Approved Polywrap AFSM 100 NUMBER NUMBER CANADA POST AGREEMENT POST CANADA Contents DECEMBER 2010 7Animation 14Talent 19Audio Innovative service providers are Tips on tracking down magic- When it comes to setting a series’ keeping costs down and moving making writing and acting talent to tone, music choice and sound tech forward in this global market elevate a concept from good to great design speak volumes 29Post 33 Interactive 37Distribution Budgets may be tighter, but A digital extension is no longer an The migration to digital delivery producers can’t afford to overlook add-on, but a necessity—and so is is pushing distributors into self- the fi nishing touches fi nding the right interactive partner service territory 2 DECEMBER 2010 ’S FOCUS ON PRODUCTION SERVICES KS.18339.Toonbox.indd 1 11/11/10 3:56 PM Editor’s note December 2010 • Volume 15, Issue 8 all know the whole is only as good as the We VP & PUBLISHER sum of its parts, and that adage certainly holds true Jocelyn Christie ([email protected]) when it comes to children’s entertainment. While EDITORIAL getting a series greenlit continues to be challenging, Lana Castleman Editor ([email protected]) arguably the real panic sets in when a producer sits Kate Calder Senior Writer ([email protected]) Gary Rusak Senior Writer ([email protected]) back with presales and a delivery schedule in-hand Wendy Goldman Getzler Senior Online Writer ([email protected]) and thinks, “Eek! Now What? Where do I start to pull BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND ADVERTISING SALES it all together?” (416) 408-2300, 1-800-KID-4512 Well, it certainly takes more than one talent- Myles Hobbs Associate Publisher ([email protected]) Kristina Ejem Account Manager ([email protected]) ed team to shepherd a production from scripting Ian Lambur Account Manager ([email protected]) through to the fi nal edit, and the project can go off Lauren Talledo Business Development Executive, the rails at any point in between if one’s service KidScreen Connect ([email protected]) providers aren’t a good fi t or don’t deliver on their CORPORATE promises. So with that in mind, KidScreen decided to President & CEO Russell Goldstein ([email protected]) VP of Finance & Administration Linda Lovegrove ([email protected]) shine the spotlight on the behind-the-scenes com- VP & Editorial Director Mary Maddever ([email protected]) panies that often play an integral part in bringing the VP & Chief Information Officer Omri Tintpulver ([email protected]) fi nal product to life. VP & Realscreen Publisher Claire Macdonald ([email protected]) Delving into some of the key services employed BRUNICO CREATIVE Creative Director Stephen Stanley ([email protected]) by kids TV producers, Now What? KidScreen’s Focus Art Director Andrew Glowala ([email protected]) on Production Services offers solid, forward-looking Production/Distribution Coordinator Robert Lines ([email protected]) overviews of the Animation, Talent, Audio, Post, In- BRUNICO AUDIENCE SERVICES teractive and Distribution sectors. For seasoned pro- Director of Audience Services Jennifer Colvin ([email protected]) Assistant Audience Services Manager Christine McNalley ducers, it’s a chance to do some comparison shop- ([email protected]) Customer care ping. And for those newer to fold, it should provide To order a subscription visit www.kidscreen.com/subscribe To make a change to an existing subscription, leads and a bit of direction. please contact us by e-mail: [email protected] We’re planning on making this special issue an Fax: 416.408.0249 Tel: 416.408.2448 Subscription rates annual feature of KidScreen’s editorial calendar. So KidScreen is published 8 times per year by Brunico Communications Ltd. In the US: One year US$59.00 Two years US$106.00 Single copy price in the US is US$7.95. read on and let me know what you think. I’m already Please allow four weeks for new subscriptions and address changes. starting to gather ideas for next year’s edition. Postmaster Notification U.S. Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: KidScreen PO BOX 1103 Niagara Falls NY 14304 Canadian Postmaster, send undeliverables and address changes to: Cheers and Happy New Year, KidScreen PO Box 369, Beeton ON L0G 1A0 Printed in Canada. Canada Post Agreement No. 40050265. ISSN number 1205-7746 Opinion columns appearing in KidScreen do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or Lana its parent company Brunico Communications Ltd. All letters sent to KidScreen or its editors are assumed intended for publication. KidScreen invites editorial comment, but accepts no responsibility for its loss, damage or destruction, howsoever arising, while in its offices, in transit or elsewhere. All material to be returned must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Nothing may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of the publisher. © Brunico Communications Ltd. 2010 ® KidScreen is a registered trademark of Brunico Communications Ltd. 4 DECEMBER 2010 ’S FOCUS ON PRODUCTION SERVICES KS.18415.GDC.indd 1 11/11/10 3:57 PM KS.18435.Pip.indd 1 15/11/10 3:36 PM The Octonauts is one of the latest series to come through Brown Bag Films’ CGI studio Pipeline progress BY WENDY GOLDMAN GETZLER Animation service work Animation service centers in Asia, India and emerging regions like Africa often eats up more than half and the Caribbean have developed a reputation over the past few years for offer- ing reliable, lower-cost work, but Western–based studios are now rising to the of a TV toon’s production challenge. And as both sides endeavor to keep on top of ever-evolving animation budget, but the good news is trends, we asked producers and service providers to sound off on what they’re currently seeing in the animation work-for-hire space and where the future of innovative service providers the trade is headed. are keeping costs down Weighing the options while moving tech forward With so many components involved in an animated project—from design and storyboarding through to animation and output—Toronto, Canada-based Sky- writer Media & Entertainment CEO Kevin Gillis says many producers look to keep the outsourced components under one roof to make the production pro- “This speeds things up in terms of production time cess as cohesive as possible. and keeps the momentum up for the animator.“ (Still, Technological enhancements that have transformed the industry over the Gillis says the internet can’t replace face-to-face col- past 10 years have gone a long way towards facilitating this cohesion and driv- laboration and recommends that studios send an ing a signifi cant drop in work-for-hire prices. For example, 2-D software like animation director to the service facility for the fi rst Toon Boom now permits the instant transmission of work via the web, tighten- few months of production.) ing up the feedback loop. Cookie Jar Entertainment’s president and COO “The ability for directors and producers to see the fi nal product and make Toper Taylor, who’s based in L.A., agrees that on changes is now on an overnight basis as compared to a weekly one,” says Gillis. top of cost and creative capacity, what really sets a ’S FOCUS ON PRODUCTION SERVICES DECEMBER 2010 7 service provider apart is the level of compatibility be- more animated content for TV than anywhere else in the world, with 2008 stats tween the animation studio and the producer. showing 382 hours were produced on a budget of roughly US$265 million. Accord- “Your confi dence needs to be in the hands of the ing to Cookie Jar’s Taylor, depending on the animation style chosen, it can cost animators, and in the price they are doing it for,” between US$80,000 and US$150,000 to animate a 22-minute episode in Canada. says Taylor. “The advent of computers and software Compared to Asian service centers, Canadian pricing seems pretty hefty, like Toon Boom actually made it less costly and unless the production in question originates in that country or qualifi es as a more creatively effi cient to make animation in the treaty co-pro. More than half of Corus-owned Nelvana Studio’s annual pro- Western world,” he adds. ductions warrant work-for-hire and the Canadian company is able to carry out a lot of that work domestically thanks to local funding and tax credits. It’s a smaller world, after all “Canada is such a huge place for funding opportunities, so not any one off- If the growing number of Toon Boom global licenses shore provider has an advantage over local ones,” says Luis Lopez, director of is any indication, the West hasn’t entirely won over Nelvana Studio operations. the animation production space. Toon Boom software, which enables animators to create 2-D and import 3-D objects and allows producers to utilize different types of styles and technologies through an open pipe- line, is currently utilized in 122 coun- tries. In bringing advanced anima- tion techniques to a global clientele, tech like Toon Boom is leveling the playing fi eld for emerging regions. In Africa and the Middle East, the software manufacturer has secured more than 5,000 professional licens- es, more than 10,000 in Asia, 8,000 and counting in Europe, and 20,000- plus in North America. “We’re enabling more work-for- hire to happen globally,” says Joan Vogelesang, Toon Boom president The growing ubiquity of standardized animation software like Toon Boom Harmony, which weaves various stages of production into one workfl ow, is leveling the playing fi eld for emerging animation hubs in Africa and the Middle East and CEO.