Activity Report Children, Youth & Media Conference
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ACTIVITY REPORT CHILDREN, YOUTH & MEDIA CONFERENCE Written on December 2015 Children, Youth & Media Conference November 18-20, 2015 St. Andrew's Club & Conference Centre and CBC Table of Contents 1. Objectives 2. Conference agenda and content 3. Funding and visibility (including the promotional materials) Appendices 1. List of attendees 2. Media coverage (partial) 3. Web traffic statistics 4. Comments from participants 1. Objectives 2015 Children, Youth & Media conference had the following main objectives: • To provide a forum for professional exchange among specialists in the field. • To provide updated information on target audiences. • To explore issues arising from new technologies. • To spur the creativity of professionals ever on the lookout for new ideas. • To pique curiosity about youth production from abroad. • To encourage innovation and quality in homegrown production. • To find out where the Canadian youth programming industry is headed. Participants • Delegates: youth screen-based media enthusiasts – those who think it up, produce it and deliver it (writers, researchers, directors, assistants, hosts, actors, target audience analysts, producers, distributors, technicians, artistic directors). • Speakers: local and international guests selected for their talent and expertise came to share their experiences and show us their programs and multimedia products. • Workshop leaders: recognized professionals in Canadian youth production. 2. Conference agenda and content From November 18 to 20, 2015, Youth Media Alliance brought together about 200 youth production professionals from Canada and abroad for its Children, Youth & Media Conference in Toronto. The Conference is a prime networking opportunity for creators, producers and broadcasters of children’s and youth media industry. The event drew speakers and facilitators from all over Canada and the United States, as well as the Netherlands and United Kingdom. Day 1 was devoted to panels and discussions. During discussions and presentations, participants explored ways to create better content that meets young people’s needs and expectations. The day ended with a cocktail party that fostered dialogue between participants from the TV and digital media industries. Days 2 was given over to workshops from Sheena Macrae and Linda Schuyler. Day 3 offered Prix Jeunesse Screening, animated by Jan-Willem Bult. An advisory committee was struck to put together a rich, relevant conference lineup. It had the following members: Natalie Dumoulin, 9 Story Media Group Rachel Marcus, Guru Michelle Melanson Cuperus, Radical Sheep Productions Lynn Oldershaw Mik Perlus, marblemedia Jamie Piekarz, Corus Entertainment Martha Sepulveda, Breakthrough Entertainment Claudia Sicondolfo Julie Stall, Portfolio Entertainment Travis Williams, Mercury Filmworks Suzanne Wilson, TVO Kids Day 1: Wednesday, November 18, General Conference at the St. Andrew's Club & Conference Centre The panels covered the following: A CONVERSATION WITH DAN SIGNER Prolific Canadian television producer and writer Dan Signer is the creator and executive producer of three hit live- action series for kids: A.N.T. Farm (Disney Channel), Mr. Young (YTV/DisneyXD), and most recently YTV's top-rated sitcom, Some Assembly Required (YTV/Netflix), which he co- created with Howard Nemetz. He shared his extensive experience in the multi- cam sitcom format. Dan and the show’s producer Alexandra Raffé also addressed the challenges and successes of working in that genre in Canada. Panellists: - Alexandra Raffé, Vice President Production, Thunderbird Films - Dan Signer, Co-creator, Executive Producer and Showrunner of Some Assembly Required Moderator: - Jamie Piekarz, Director of Content YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon Canada l Corus Entertainment SHOWRUNNERS IN ANIMATION Presented by: The Shaw Rocket Fund What exactly is a showrunner? How does a showrunner ensure the creative integrity of a project from start to finish? Dave Beatty engaged a conversation with Scott Fellows (Big Time Rush, Johnny Test) Lienne Sawatsky & Dan Williams (ToonMarty, Franklin, Wishfart) and Simon Racioppa & Richard Elliott (Fangbone, George of the Jungle).They explored what it means to be a showrunner and discussed how they keep their shows creatively on the rails against all odds! They answered questions like: How does the process differ in an animated production from a live action show? Are Canadian shows run differently than American shows? Our team of showrunners unpacked some of the challenges they face and exchanged ideas on how to best overcome them as they strive to maintain a solid creative vision from script to screen. Panellists: Scott Fellows (Big Time Rush, Johnny Test) Simon Racioppa & Richard Elliot (Fangbone, George of the Jungle) Lienne Sawatsky & Dan Williams (ToonMarty, Franklin, Wishfart) Moderator: Dave Beatty, Producer and Writer, Portfolio Entertainment INITIATIVES FOR SOCIAL CHANGE This panel featured three unique initiatives designed to promote social change. Ollie The Boy Who Became What He Ate, a television, digital and educational project, based on a book by Sheena Macrae, aims to instill good nutritional habits in children. Andrew Kavanagh’s Dougie Noir animation series is a detective show with a difference. Dougie Noir presents a tangible role model for children with ADD/ADHD and treats ADHD as a “difference” rather than a “disorder”. Maritza Basaran and Dr. Elaine Bidiss’ Botley’s Bootle Blast is an interactive video game for use in home-based therapies for children with Cerebral Palsy. The purpose is to make an often difficult and frustrating therapy more fun by connecting it to a gaming system using the Microsoft Kinect (a motion tracking camera) to capture the movements of players. Television shows, online projects, and outreach initiatives with an agenda for social change carry with them unique considerations, challenges, and rewards. The panelists discussed each of these, and shared their experiences in creating properties that can actually make a difference in the lives of children. Panellists: - Maritza Basaran, Kids Media Specialist and Research Assistant, PEARL Lab, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital - Dr. Elaine Biddiss, Scientist and Director, PEARL Lab, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital - Andrew Kavanagh, CEO, Kavaleer Productions - Sheena Macrae, Director, Storycake Moderator: Jan-Willem Bult, Head of Children, Youth & Media, Free Press Unlimited ONE-ON-ONE WITH HOWY PARKINS, SUPERVISING DIRECTOR OF DISNEY’S NEW SERIES, THE LION GUARD Twenty years after the release of the Academy Award-winning animated feature, The Lion King, Disney was launching a new TV movie and subsequent series called The Lion Guard. Delegates had a behind-the-scenes look at this iconic franchise as Supervising Director, Howy Parkins (Jake and the Never Land Pirates), shared his experiences from early development to show launch and beyond! Moderator: - Clint Eland, President and Executive Producer, Mercury Filmworks INNOVATION IN VIRTUAL REALITY INITIATIVES Presented by: 9 Story Media Group Virtual reality may be a nascent trend, but studios are starting to take advantage of opportunities to engage young people in digital environments that feel similar to real world objects and events. Mattel is embracing the VR world by re- launching its good old View-Master, but as a virtual reality and augmented-reality phone toy. The new View-Master is a collaboration between Mattel and Google, and one of the modules is being developed by Frima. Jonathan Bélisle’s multimedia book Wuxia the Fox illustrates another compelling future of storytelling. When the story is read out loud, words, pauses, rhythm and tone of voice are captured by the iPad app and activate sounds, music, videos and compelling interactive scenes. The book also becomes a game board. When game pieces are arranged on the pages and filmed by the iPad, readers can discover new scenes and activate a mysterious intergalactic instrument that plays music. Sinking Ship is developing a VR project for its renowned brand Dino Dan. James Milward, from Secret Location, spoke about what it takes to bring content from concept to the very devices it’s viewed on — and the technological challenges with which studios still struggle. Altogether they discussed questions like: Is there a tremendous potential to use virtual reality for kids content? Will VR soon be more accessible for creators and producers of kids content? How is VR reaching the narrative community and becoming a platform for telling stories, beyond gaming? What are the opportunities? Panellists: - Luc Beaulieu, Chief Technology Officer, Frima - Jonathan Bélisle, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer, SAGA - Laurent Guérin, Chief Content Officer, Groupe Média TFO - James Milward, President and Executive Producer, Secret Location - Blair Powers, Partner and Producer, Sinking Ship Entertainment Moderator: - Caitlin Fisher, Ph.D., Director, Augmented Reality Lab/Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Arts, York University NETWORKING COCKTAIL RECEPTION Presented by: Guru Delegates had the chance to mingle and celebrate the quality of content created for kids on all screens. NEW THIS YEAR: State of the Union with Broadcasters Presented by: Canada Media Fund This year, we organized a lunch-hour session for attendees. Broadcasters took turns coming up on stage to present their network's objectives, then the audience could ask questions. Participants included: Athena Georgaklis, Director of Content, TELETOON Michael Goldsmith, VP, Original