C21Kids | Fall 2016 Feature: Music usic is ubiquitous in children’s television. And the catchier it is, the better. Think Mback to your favourite series as a child and almost certainly the theme song will enter your head. And stay there for the rest of the day, maybe even the rest of your adult life. Hitting the Title music helps children to identify a show and draw them to the TV, Pied Piper-style. Anne Miller, joint MD of music publishing company Accorder Music, recalls a decades-old experiment into the phenomenon. Researchers counted how many children would come running in from a dif erent room to the television set when a particular title tune was played. “It’s the music that engages the right note child. If the child is bored, they will just walk away,” Miller says. Music also helps to represent emotion, especially Music has always been key to children’s TV, but Netflix’s Beat Bugs, featuring hit in animation, a medium in which expressions can tunes from The Beatles, has raised the game. Toni Sekinah reports. be harder to read. “There aren’t many monologues, so a lot of the emotion you have to portray to kids comes with the music,” says Lina Tebbs, head of Josh Wakely, principal partner at US-based television in Europe for UK-based music fi lm and television production company Grace, distributor Audio Network. made headlines around the world earlier this But as well as helping to convey year when he sold Beat Bugs to Netfl ix. emotion, music also assists young Inspired by the music of The Beatles, the viewers in understanding what is happening on big-budget CGI animation features pop artists screen by underscoring the personalities of the such as Pink, Sia and Rod Stewart covering characters. songs from the Lennon/McCartney Northern “If an animation has got a cheeky panda Songs catalogue. and a cute dog the music can defi ne the A second season is due to begin streaming characters and each one will have its own worldwide on Netfl ix in November after template of music and sound, the fi rst 13 episodes dropped at the beginning of like an audio mood board,” says August. Miller. The inter-generational brand Simon Forrest, Miller’s business recognition of The Beatles’ music partner at Accorder Music, adds is what prompted Wakely to that theme music is essential to a create a show the whole family children’s brand. For this reason, could enjoy. The logic went the overwhelming majority of that children would be able to relate children’s television producers to the fi ve bug protagonists, parents have original music composed for would recognise the recording artists their show. and, for grandparents, the original Miller very rarely sees pre-existing songs would ring a familiar bell. commercial music being used for this purpose “It’s about sitting down with your child and and says there’s little point in doing so. “In them being entertained, but with the parent or 99% of cases, children’s TV would use specially grandparent or whoever being able to enjoy it as composed music. Using licensed music means you well,” says Wakely. are going to have to fi nd a shedload of money to try Beat Bugs features music by The Beatles Developing the show was a labour of love for to clear that music for international use.” and has the backing of Netfl ix Wakely as it took three years to secure the rights However, there is always an exception to the rule. to the catalogue. “It was a constant process of News from C21Media.net Go-N poaches Cyber Group sales boss International. Congé previously worked at the now defunct French animation fi rm Go-N Productions has appointed French animation company Moonscoop between 2009 Cyber Group Studios sales boss Marie Congé as its fi rst and 2014 as senior VP, international distribution and head of sales and business development. Congé arrived consumer products. at Zip Zip producer Go-N last month after just under a year Meanwhile, Zorro: The Chronicles producer Cyber Group with Cyber Group, which she joined in October 2015 to has recruited veteran animation executive Raphaelle replace its previous sales boss Carole Brin. Mathieu to replace Congé in the role of VP of sales, November 29 Up until now, Go-N Productions co-founders Anne de acquisitions and new media. Galard and Eric Garnet have been handling international Mathieu was previously a general delegate of the French Picturehouse Central sales of their own productions, which also include distributors union Sedpa, where she negotiated deals To find out more and register Simon (52x5’), through the fi rm’s commercial arm Go-N between the French government and the industry. call +44 (0)20 7729 7460 27 Feature: Music C21Kids | Fall 2016 having to convince the gatekeepers that it should be given over to me. They have put me through a very rigorous process,” he says. Then there was the recording process itself, which saw 53 classic Beatles songs re-recorded with orchestras, children’s choirs and big-name artists. Wakely claims these stars, who also include James Corden and Robbie Williams, didn’t come with “extraordinary fees attached.” Instead, they chose to take part in the show “because they became equally passionate about bringing this music to a younger generation,” he says. Meanwhile, devising original music for a children’s programme and forming the right relationship with a composer can also be a challenge with many factors to consider. “It’s about fi nding the perfect fi t for the specifi c project, so it’s important that producers audition composers and go into it having an open mind,” says Steven Wendland, VP and creative head of The Deep producer Technicolor’s animation department. It’s also crucial for composers and producers to The music for The Deep is described as a fusion of different styles to refl ect the theme of the show respect their audience. “Don’t dumb it down for children,” says Steve Berman, managing agent of composer as early as possible. The composers “It’s critical to bring in The Composerworks agency, which is responsible are human. They need time to get to know the the composer, as early as for the music on CBeebies series such as The characters, the story, the themes of the show,” says Furchester Hotel and Go Jetters. Wendland. possible. The composers “My composers give the show the best score they For Miller, a good piece of children’s television are human. They need can and they don’t play it down to children because music is simple and memorable – she cites the time to get to know the if they do, children will switch of ,” says Berman. Teletubbies theme tune as one that has gone on to Wendland agrees: “Humans are innately become iconic. characters, the story, the sophisticated and they connect very deeply with Music also needs to refl ect what is themes of the show.” music at a very young age. You should assume that happening on screen. The Deep, which Steven Wendland, Technicolour you have a musically intelligent audience.” Wendland describes as Star Trek So what is the key to writing a great score for underwater, is about the friction a children’s TV series? Time is paramount, so between ancient and cutting-edge that, in general, younger kids like repetition and you can improve your chances by considering technology. The score, he says, simplicity, while older kids prefer more complicated the music very early on in the development is a “fusion between traditional, songs and a story as well. process. orchestral, cinematic music Tween girls are the target audience for SpacePOP, “It’s critical to bring in the and electronica elements.” a Genius Brands animated series in which the fi ve Mark Young, VP of central characters are the members of a pop band. “It’s about sitting down with production and animation The melodies are lively and upbeat while Young your child and them being at LA-based children’s describes the lyrics as uplifting, positive and about producer and distributor the power of friendship. entertained, but with the Genius Brands, says there A profi table perk of using original composed parent or grandparent or are no hard and fast music is the revenue it can generate. If the music whoever being able to rules when it comes to is used subsequently in commercials, toys or composing music for compilation albums, such as CBeebies: The enjoy it as well.” children’s television. Album, it can be very lucrative for the producers of Josh Wakely, Grace However, he has noticed the show. News from C21Media.net Int’l nets blast off with PBS toon began production in August on a second season of 24 A host of broadcasters have acquired Ready Jet Go!, the 3D episodes, with Cake Entertainment onboard as distributor. animated series from PBS Kids in the US that aims to get In related news, Cake has come onboard as coproducer children interested in astronomy. ABC in Australia; BBC Kids and the international distributor of CBeebies and RTÉ and Knowledge Network in Canada; YLE in Finland; NRK in cartoon Pablo (52x11’), which is designed to give young Norway;SIC Television in Portugal; Thailand’s PBS; and MBC children a better understanding of the autism spectrum. November 29 in the Middle East will air the show. The series comes from Northern Irish producer Paper Owl The series was created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!, Films (fka Indee Productions) and follows a young boy who Picturehouse Central Dinosaur Train) and follows two children with a passion for loves to draw and uses crayons to turn his life challenges To find out more and register science who befriend the new kid on their street – whose into adventures.