Zeroing In on Kids’ Live Action at 3zero2

Piero Crispino, co-founder of 3zero2, talks to TV Kids about the Italian production company’s activities in the kids’ live action space.

Italian producer 3zero2 was co-founded in the early 2000s by Piero Crispino, who is now the main supervisor of the production and content areas. “Since the beginning, we have worked with major Italian and international publishers and broadcasters,” says Crispino. He describes the Milan-based company as “a turnkey solution provider for media producers, advertisers and brands to create, enhance and distribute video content anywhere, on any platform.”

In 2010, 3zero2 became part of Euro Media Group, which Crispino calls a “leader in the European audiovisual technical services market.” Since then, “new lines of business have been added to the production,” he says. “Euro Media Group has a local presence in Italy, but also in the U.K., Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Germany. This supports us not only in sharing sources and benefits, [but it also allows us] to be part of an international environment, which gives us more visibility and the chance to be present in the European market.”

Among other genres, 3zero2 contributes to the production of live-action programming for children. One of the company’s kids’ highlights is Alex & Co., which first debuted on Disney Channel in Italy in 2015. The show follows a group of friends who share a passion for music. There are 55 episodes of Alex & Co. spanning three seasons, with the series having enjoyed success in Italy, France, Spain, Greece, the Nordics, Eastern Europe and Latin America, among other territories.

Also made by 3zero2 is Penny on M.A.R.S., another Disney Channel Italy collaboration, which serves as a spin-off of Alex & Co. The show centers on the titular character, who dreams of attending a prestigious school for performing arts. It premiered earlier this year in Italy and the U.K., with plans to begin broadcasting soon in all of EMEA and possibly also in parts of Latin America, according to Crispino.

“It’s not that easy to produce a good live-action series for kids,” he says. “Animation is still very much loved, and this obliges us to not only find very good scriptwriters but also to invest much more energy into finding the right approach to produce.”

Looking ahead, Crispino is confident that Penny on M.A.R.S.will secure a season three renewal, “considering the present success the series is having.” Also in the children’s space, the company is currently working on a 40-episode sketch comedy for early teens called School Hacks.