KidspOFC AprMay14 26/3/14 19:00 Page 1 Kids Television Business International TBIvision.com April/May 2014 KidspIFC-01 Saban AprMay14.indd 2 26/03/2014 17:24 KidspIFC-01 Saban AprMay14.indd 3 26/03/2014 17:24 PREVIEW © Studio 100 Animation - Heidi productions Pty. Ltd. AT MIPTV 2014 R7.C1 Studio 100 Media GmbH Sapporobogen 6-8 80637 Munich – Germany T: +49 (0)89 96 08 55-0 [email protected] www.studio100media.com Kidsp02 Studio 100 AprMay14.indd 1 26/03/2014 17:14 Kidsp03 Contents AprMay14jwSCFINAL.qxp 27/3/14 16:47 Page 7 TBI KIDS INSIDE THIS ISSUE 22 12 6 VIEWPOINT Experienced kids TV executive Paul Robinson outlines best practice for producers seeking to hang on to those all-important IP rights 8 KIDS DATA Exclusive data shows why the value of live-action programming cannot be ignored 12 FRENCH KIDS TV Though envied globally for its creativity, France’s animation sector is changing in the face of new pressures at home and abroad, reports Pascale Paoli-Lebailly 18 BIG THREE GO FORTH TBI reports on the latest programming coming from Disney, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon 20 KIDS HEALTH Is too much TVdamaging children’s health?If so, what does that mean for those making it?Medical writer Joanna Lyford gets the low-down 22 OTT The fight for kids’ hearts and minds – and entertainment medium of choice – has never been fiercer. Andy Fry hears from the key players 30 HOT PICKS Want to know the best shows launching at MIPTV?TBI has them for you here 36 LAST WORD Sales veteran Christophe Goldberger explains why he braved the economic condi- tions in Spain and launched his own international distributor 30 CONTENTS APRIL/MAY 2014 For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM TBI Kids April/May 2014 3 Kidsp04 People Monitor AprMay14scHAFjwSC.qxp 27/3/14 15:37 Page 34 M ONITOR PEOPLE ON THE MOVE TBI takes a look at the latest comings and goings in the international television business and reports on whos moving where Cartoon Network president STU SNYDER is exiting the Turner Broadcasting System-owned kids channel after six years in his current role. Snyder, who is president and COO of Turners animation division, is exiting after John Martin became CEO of Turner Broadcasting and David Levy became president in January Frances Gaumont Animation has restructured following the departure of the long-serving Jean-Pierre Quenet at the end of 2013.Marc Dhrami will replace Quenet as head of production, and will also oversee studio operations and coproduction. Additionally, Heath Kenny has been named VP,creative Spanish animation producer and distributor Imira Entertainment has hired former Nickelodeon exec GILES BONESto become its international sales and marketing manager. Bones will in part fill the duties of former head of distribution Christophe Goldberger, who left to launch his own firm, Gold Bee, last year (see page 36) David Michel has followed Vincent Chalvin-Demersay out of the door at Zodiak-owned Marathon Media, the company they co-founded 13 years ago. Zodiak Media Media presi- dent and CEO Marc-Antoine dHalluin becomes Marathon Media chief exec and Ambroise Delorme and Eryk Casemiro have day-to-day control Technicolor has upped to TIM SARNOFF to president of a new production services group. This unit will integrate creative services and digital productions and will include Technicolors original animation efforts. Previously he was president, digital production Barbara Uecker has left Australian public broadcaster the ABC. The exec,who was head of programming and acquisitions for ABC TV Childrens,exited on March 28.Her former boss at ABC, Tim Brooke-Hunt, was set to hook up with Flying Bark Productions as board president but opted against the move Canadian kids and family content producer Shaftesbury Film has handed former Galakids and Teletoon animation exec NATALIE DUMOULIN a consultancy role. She will oversee creative development of shows such as Totally Amp’d, Life with Derek, Overruled and Connor Undercover HIT Entertainment has replaced VP,global brand management Shari Donnenfeld, who exit- ed last year, with ex-Nickelodeon and FremantleMedia exec Kate Schlomann.At HIT, Schlomann will oversee brands including Thomas & Friends, Mike the Knightand Bob the Builder Marvista Entertainment has appointed Martin Chase Productions exec GAYLYN FRAICHE to become its VP,development and production. At Martin Chase, Fraiche coproduced Lemonade Mouth for Disney Channel. Marvista also has hired Michael McGahey as VP, scripted development and production 4 TBI Kids April/May 2014 For the latest in TV programming news visit TBIVISION.COM Kidsp05 Cake AprMay14.indd 1 26/03/2014 17:19 Kidsp06 Viewpoint AprMay14scHAFCBjw.qxp 27/3/14 15:45 Page 160 VIEWPOINT PAUL ROBINSON, DIRECTOR, CREATIVE MEDIA PARTNERS VIEWPOINT PAUL ROBINSON, CREATIVE MEDIA PARTNERS Investor relations f you work in kids TV, you can’t help but If you are pitching for coproducers, my advice The first document that the VC will look over the fence and wonder whether the is try not to give away more than 15%. You may scrutinise is the budget. This needs to be competition’s grass is greener. One of my well have more than one coproducer, so you realistic and detailed. One tip is build some favourite animated shows, which I had risk surrendering a big slice of your IP. Be as margin in yourself for the production, but also nothing to do with, is Disney’s Phineas and mean as you can to get the deal. accept that the VC will want to earn some of FerbI. It’s a brilliant concept, totally kid-connective The coproducer(s) will provide you with your reward as sweat equity – or effort, as it is and has run for four seasons and 113 episodes; partial funding, but probably not enough to go better known. Provide letters of intent from Perry the Platypus is my hero. But whilst taking into production. It’s tempting to start prospective clients and talk up the creative. A nothing away from Disney’s creative brilliance, animating straight away, but don’t. Never strong independent and passionate creative what didn’t happen, as a major Hollywood Studio greenlight production unless you have at least voice is a key ingredient of the convincing production, was a struggle to finance the show. 80% of the funding committed. process for a VC. Once the decision is made to go to a first So how do you fill the gap? A distributor will And be clear what the deal is. How much of season, Disney will create a Ten Year Ultimate normally pay you an advance when they see your the profit distribution is the VC going to get and (a sales forecast), consisting of the sum of demo tape or first full ep, but the most you can what percentage of the IP are you providing licence fees from all their Disney Channels expect to get is perhaps US$400,000, so you will them with? The bigger the investment, the (or Disney XD or Disney Junior) worldwide, likely still be below that 80% bar. Crowdfunding more that you will have to surrender. Have a plus the third-party distribution sales to free is becoming increasingly popular but carries a rationale, and be fair but tough. Accept, though, TV broadcasters, VOD, streaming and other risk, particularly one of time. that if you decide on half the production budget customers. They’ll add some overhead and Is a better route is to pitch to a VC? A in cash, you are going to need to surrender then create an investment case to calculate the financial investor will assess your project perhaps 30% of the property to get it made. And internal rate of return (IRR) based on a against a number of criteria, but critically will finally, keep the VC updated. Provide regular prescribed discount rate, to take account of need to believe that your project has a market – written status reports, meet regularly and keep the time value of money. And that’s it. The namely broadcasters that want it – and that you them committed. For the VC, a dialogue with a show is greenlit, and then it’s all the fun of the are willing to give a good rate of return on their kids animator is probably one of their most creative bit. investment. By that I mean a rate that beats the enjoyable conversations of the day. It’s not quite so simple if you are an market, perhaps 12% to 15%. A prospective VC Remember that profit share must be after independent content creator. What are the will want to drill down into your project and the distributor’s fee, so be clear what steps to finance your show? The first issue is know that you are taking some risk yourself. In percentage you are talking about. Typically a intellectual property. This is the gold dust, and other words, you need to demonstrate that “you distributor will want 30% or 35% (including you should hang onto as much of it as you can. have skin in the game. expenses) of the gross revenue, excluding tax, for selling the show to a broadcaster or another customer. That means the profit Coproducers will provide you with partial funding, share to the VC is a percentage of the 65% or but probably not enough to go into production. Its 70% that is left. Ultimately, your creative idea has to be tempting to start animating straight away,but dont. stunning. Getting the money is something that Never greenlight production unless you have at requires huge effort, but don’t get discouraged.