{"id":10946,"date":"2016-10-06T14:17:42","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T18:17:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/get-real\/"},"modified":"2016-10-06T14:19:15","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T18:19:15","slug":"get-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/get-real\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Real!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5-Live-Action\"There\u2019s a wealth of live-action kids\u2019 programming making its way across the globe, from educational fare for preschoolers to angst-filled dramas for tweens.<\/em><\/p>\n

Miley Cyrus. Nick Jonas. Margot Robbie. Britney Spears. Ant & Dec. The list of big-name celebrities who started their careers in kids\u2019 television goes on and on. But live-action children\u2019s programming is much more than just a launching pad for talented youngsters. It\u2019s big business as kids\u2019 and youth platforms look to deliver content that is relatable and aspirational to their audiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids want to see themselves represented on screen, so series with authentic experiences that are representative of real things kids can do are strong performers,\u201d says Diane Rankin, the senior VP of international sales and acquisitions at Distribution360 (D360), which boasts a slate that includes Splatalot!<\/em> and the factual-entertainment franchise This Is<\/em>. \u201cIt\u2019s important to give kids that visual; it builds confidence and shows them what is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cristiana Buzzelli, the senior VP of licensing and acquisitions at Rainbow, has seen a boom in the demand for live-action shows recently. That trend prompted the Italian animation powerhouse to deliver its first entirely live-action series, Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends<\/em>, which combines comedy and drama with a focus on such themes as music, fashion and friendship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe demand for live action is higher than in the past due to many factors: the shorter production and lead time [compared with animation], the wider span of the target audience and probably also the great success of some live-action shows aired in the last couple of years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Genevieve Dexter, the founder and CEO of Serious Lunch\u2014home to Operation Ouch!<\/em>, Horrible Science <\/em>and Art Ninja<\/em>\u2014observes, \u201cEverybody seems to be saying that there\u2019s overproduction of animation and not enough good live action.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the reasons for that shortage could be the fact that the genre is generally harder to sell around the world when compared with animation. The previously mentioned relatability aspect is both a blessing and a curse\u2014kids can identify more with live action because they see children who look like them doing the kinds of things they do in the types of places that they do them. However, kids living thousands of miles away in different locations may not feel the same connections.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnimation seems to travel more easily internationally,\u201d says Patrick Elmendorff, the CEO of Studio 100 Media. \u201cLive-action shows are often subject to trends like fashion, music and stars; they always answer strongly to the zeitgeist, which might not be a global one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Studio 100, however, has had success globally with its live-action kids\u2019 series, including Ghost Rockers<\/em>, Night Watch<\/em> and House of Anubis<\/em>, the latter of which has sold to 60 countries. Newer live-action highlights from the company are The Adventures of Lolly Laffalot<\/em> and Kosmoo<\/em>, which Elmendorff notes \u201care receiving huge interest in multiple European territories.\u201d<\/p>\n

A good way to ensure that live-action kids\u2019 content will have international appeal is by incorporating themes that resonate with young viewers around the globe, including family and friendship. Friendship is an underlying theme in several of DHX Media\u2019s live-action kids\u2019 highlights, which include Degrassi: Next Class<\/em>, Make It Pop<\/em>, The Other Kingdom<\/em>, Hank Zipzer<\/em>, Airmageddon<\/em> and Teletubbies<\/em>. (Side note: although the new Teletubbies<\/em> episodes are enhanced with CGI, the show\u2019s characters are live action.)<\/p>\n

\u201cThose shows are DHX-produced and owned,\u201d says Ken Faier, the senior VP and general manager of DHX Studios. \u201cThere are also shows that we distribute and commission for our channel,\u201d he adds, mentioning the teen drama Backstage<\/em>, which airs on DHX Television\u2019s Family Channel.<\/p>\n

MarVista Entertainment boasts a number of live-action TV movies that are ideal for kids to watch with their families, including Jessica Darling\u2019s It List<\/em>, Raising the Bar<\/em>, Annabelle Hooper<\/em> and the Ghosts of Nantucket<\/em> and All Hallows\u2019 Eve<\/em>. \u201cAs co-viewing has been increasing, those live-action movies are becoming more important for us,\u201d says Vanessa Shapiro, the company\u2019s executive VP of distribution. \u201cThere is an increased demand, so we\u2019re making more.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Serious Lunch\u2019s Dexter, today\u2019s live-action kids\u2019 programming is mostly geared toward older children, although there is a demand for younger-skewing content. \u201cEverybody\u2019s crying out for good live action for younger kids because wherever that is [aired], it seems to be very popular,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

SCREEN IDOLS<\/strong>
\nWhatever demo a project is targeted to, a big part of what can determine its success is the on-screen talent, whether it\u2019s young actors or adult presenters.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always looking for genuine talent,\u201d says Dexter. \u201cFor Operation Ouch!<\/em>, Maverick [the show\u2019s producer] identified Doctors Chris and Xand [van Tulleken], who are twin doctors for real. They\u2019re charismatic and they\u2019re funny and they can also carry out detailed lab experiments on camera. With Art Ninja<\/em>, [host] Ricky has a massive wealth of knowledge about art. So it\u2019s not just about casting somebody who looks right; you\u2019re trying to tap real talent.\u201d<\/p>\n

MarVista\u2019s Shapiro notes that it\u2019s also helpful to secure young personalities who are already recognizable to today\u2019s youth. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking at who\u2019s the next up-and-coming star that we could cast,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s very important because kids are so into social media and they know who\u2019s who, so we have to be aware of who\u2019s who and who\u2019s up and coming\u2014and that\u2019s who we\u2019re trying to cast.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Rainbow, Buzzelli says that with Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends<\/em>, the studio needed to look for more than just on-screen charisma.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our case, singing talent has been very crucial as Maggie and Bianca are going to sing in the show and also for live concerts that we are already planning around Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n

GROWING PAINS<\/strong>
\nFinding a good script and the right talent for a live-action kids\u2019 program is only half the battle. Once filming begins, there are several other production and distribution obstacles to overcome.<\/p>\n

DHX\u2019s Faier lists budgetary concerns as one of the biggest issues. \u201cIt can be quite costly\u2014you spend a lot of money in a very short period,\u201d he says. \u201cAnimation might take 18 months to produce a show, and from a creative point of view you can continuously improve throughout the process; with live action, you\u2019ve got a lot of risk in a short period of time.\u201d Faier also mentions such logistical filming hurdles as weather and the availability of cast and crew.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can also have limitations on the number of seasons you can make as kid casts grow up,\u201d says D360\u2019s Rankin. \u201cWith buyers looking for long-running and returning series, this can be a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Serious Lunch\u2019s Dexter mentions the challenges of managing talent, including their residuals and on-set insurance. \u201cIn a way it\u2019s just all much more complex than animation,\u201d she says. \u201cOne of the challenges we have with Operation Ouch!<\/em> and Art Ninja<\/em> is that the BBC always insists on having an original music track, which we then can\u2019t clear internationally. So before we start to distribute, we have to replace all of the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another issue that live-action distributors have to contend with is shelf life. Young ones latch on to, and abandon, trends quickly. \u201cLive-action shows might [become] out of date when the look of a series doesn\u2019t \u2018fit\u2019 anymore,\u201d says Studio 100\u2019s Elmendorff. \u201cBut there are also live-action classics that are evergreens and therefore timeless. As with animated series, the good ones with universal appeal can and often do have a very long shelf life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnything featuring fashion and trends will always have a certain shelf life, but they seem to come around again and have a renaissance,\u201d says D360\u2019s Rankin. \u201cLive action can certainly be timeless; more often than not the core themes that resonated with kids ten years ago are still important to kids of that age today, particularly on the younger side. Do it well and it will sell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live-action kids\u2019 programming is benefiting from the rise in digital platforms, which can give series a second life. For example, an older show that has stopped airing on linear TV might become available on a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon, thus extending its presence in a way that was only previously possible through DVD release.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s probably a longer shelf life than there might have been historically, just because of the platforms that are available out there,\u201d says DHX\u2019s Faier. \u201cIt can be dated, but for kids, it\u2019s almost like it\u2019s a window to a fantasy world 15 years ago, but the issues are still primarily the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

It also helps if a series is a remake, which may spark young viewers\u2019 curiosity to go back and watch the original version on-demand.<\/p>\n

FORMAT FRIENDLY<\/strong>
\nOne area of opportunity for distributors of live-action kids\u2019 fare is formats. Studio 100\u2019s House of Anubis<\/em>, for example, originated in Belgium and then an English-language version was made in the U.K. for Nickelodeon in the U.S. and around the world. Nickelodeon\u2019s Every Witch Way<\/em>, meanwhile, was adapted from the Latin American hit Grachi<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have a successful format, you need a subject matter that is internationally recognizable or relatable,\u201d says MarVista\u2019s Shapiro. \u201cAs long as the story line is relatable and can apply to anywhere in the world, then you should have a successful show. It\u2019s when you get too localized in the [subject] matter that it becomes more difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n

But internationally relatable subject matter is not the only ingredient in the recipe for a successful format. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to produce a very detailed production format bible, and that will encompass everything from set designs to lighting direction to budgets, equipment, shooting schedules, etc.,\u201d says Serious Lunch\u2019s Dexter. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be able to take all of your production notes and put them into a format that makes sense to somebody else. So there\u2019s quite a lot of hard work that goes into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

WORKING TOGETHER<\/strong>
\nThere are also opportunities in live-action shows for producers from multiple countries to collaborate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that we do,\u201d says DHX\u2019s Faier. \u201cWe are working with producers in the U.K., Canada, the U.S., etc. We look at where the idea comes from and if there\u2019s a good creative reason to co-produce. It starts there. [But] it adds challenges and costs, so there has got to be a really good reason to do it as a co-production. Animation\u2019s almost easier to do just from a practical point of view, so for live action, it\u2019s got to work for the story.\u201d<\/p>\n

Live-action co-pros are common for Studio 100. \u201cA large portion of our hit shows are born out of co-productions with local and international channel partners,\u201d says Elmendorff. \u201cOur channel partners have a direct link with their audience and provide us with valuable input to tune every production to the audience\u2019s tastes and needs. We regularly reach out\u2014even at a very early stage of production\u2014to potentially interested international-distribution partners to get their feedback and input to ensure that we can also cater to the specifics of their market if we are able to, even though they are not co-producing as such. This kind of openness is beneficial for both parties.\u201d<\/p>\n

KEEPING UP<\/strong>
\nStudio 100 is among the companies to have found slots for its live-action fare with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, which are prolific producers of the genre.<\/p>\n

\u201cDisney and Nickelodeon are the big players, but for independent producers, there is a very nice sweet spot to work on as long as you compete with the \u2018big guys\u2019 in terms of original themes and concepts,\u201d says Rainbow\u2019s Buzzelli. \u201cIf you are able to position yourself in a specific market space and deliver something fresh, original and new, then there is room for independent producers as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile they do produce a lot of live-action content in-house, we have sold live-action shows to both Disney and Nickelodeon, so there is an opportunity there [for independents],\u201d says D360\u2019s Rankin. \u201cPublic broadcasters, regional, educational, and national commercial channels like YTV in Canada and POP in the U.K., among others, are strong buyers, and the VOD business is also creating more and more opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter who makes it, how it\u2019s made or where it comes from, it seems clear that there will always be a demand for live-action kids\u2019 programming.<\/p>\n

Pictured: Rainbow\u2019s<\/em> Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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