Nickelodeon Opens Intergalactic Shorts Program 2.0

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Nickelodeon has opened its search for new and diverse creators through its second Intergalactic Shorts Program, with a focus on original comedy-driven content with an eye toward representation.

The inaugural program took place in 2019, and Rock, Paper, Scissors marks the first finalized short to be ordered to series from the program. Through the 2022 edition, Nickelodeon will accept ideas from a global pool of creatives, including artists, writers and directors.

The Rock, Paper, Scissors short and series are created, written and executive produced by Kyle Stegina (Robot Chicken) and Josh Lehrman (Robot Chicken), with Conrad Vernon (Sausage Party) and Bob Boyle (The Fairly OddParents) serving as executive producers for the series. The series will debut during a special Nickelodeon Animation presentation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 16. Nickelodeon is also developing an additional six programs from 2019.

The creator-driven shorts submitted for the 2022 program should feature character-driven comedy that combines humor with action-adventure, mystery, sci-fi and more. They should also offer content that is appealing to all members of the family, featuring a co-viewing lens of preschool (2-5) and big kids (6-11).

The inaugural program was overseen by Kari Kim, VP of animation development at Nickelodeon Animation, with Conrad Vernon serving as the program’s executive producer and Paul Watling (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) as co-executive producer. The Intergalactic Shorts Program 2.0 is being overseen by Daniel Wineman, VP of animation development at Nickelodeon Animation and Chris Rose, VP of production and development for kids and family, global.

“We knew we were onto something special with creators Kyle Stegina and Josh Lehrman and their hilarious characters in Rock, Paper, Scissors, which we are so proud to bring to series,” said Ramsey Naito, president of Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Animation. “Finding and growing talent through the process of pitch to hit is what powers our Intergalactic Shorts Program, and we can’t wait to get started finding the next great creator in animation through our program’s just-launched second phase.”