CANNES: Canal+\u2019s Laurence Blaevoet, Disney XD\u2019s Marc Buhaj, CBBC\u2019s Sarah Muller and Amazon Studios\u2019 Tara Sorensen weighed in on how to serve kids\u2019 audiences at MIPJunior this morning before each being presented with a World Screen Kids\u2019 Content Trendsetter Award.<\/p>\n
The four programming executives took part in the What Do Channels and Platforms Want? session moderated by Anna Carugati, the group editorial director at World Screen<\/em>. They are this year\u2019s honorees of the World Screen Kids\u2019 Content Trendsetter Awards, in association with Reed MIDEM, honoring their contributions to the children\u2019s media business.<\/p>\n The session began with each of the panelists discussing the positioning of their respective services.<\/p>\n Sorensen heads up kids\u2019 programming at Amazon Studios, which develops content for the Amazon Prime SVOD service. Sorensen says that as a newer platform, Amazon Prime knew that it needed to find a way to stand out in an already competitive content sector. When it came to kids\u2019 programming, that meant having a compelling preschool curriculum. \u201cWe started with preschool, knowing that for the most part parents would discover the service and hand it to their children. Our curriculum really focuses on right brain thinking, creativity, so we weren\u2019t necessarily competing with core curriculum or the social or emotional learning of other channels.\u201d<\/p>\n Sorensen said that the service always wanted to embrace \u201cthe streaming aspect\u2014because we\u2019re not a linear broadcaster, we could encourage kids to stop the programs, rewind the programs, repeat the programs and go outside of the programs to really engage.\u201d<\/p>\n Blaevoet, as the head of children\u2019s programs and channels at Canal+ in France, targets a wide demo, including the 3 to 6 set with Piwi+ and 6 to 10 on Teletoon+.<\/p>\n Buhaj is the senior VP and general manager of Disney XD, which sits under the Disney Channels Worldwide portfolio. \u201cDisney XD is a little bit like the laboratory; we want to push research, try things and at the end of the day come up with storytelling, content and narrative that kids absolutely need.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller is currently the creative director of scripted, animation and co-productions at CBBC (at the end of this month she joins Channel 5 to head up its children\u2019s programming). Speaking to CBBC\u2019s role within a public broadcaster, Muller noted: \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely a mandate that we\u00a0deliver a world view that includes all children and that we hold a mirror up to reflect society for all children. We do everything from quite hard-hitting documentary dealing with tough subjects through a daily news service, sports coverage, factual entertainment, entertainment comedy and a lot of original drama and animation.\u201d<\/p>\n Carugati moved the conversation onto the panelists’ programming wish lists. Amazon\u2019s Sorensen said, \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for great shows that have great stories and characters and innovation in design or storytelling. All of our shows have sweet spots\u20146 to 11 is more of an advertising demo and we\u2019re not an ad-driven service. We like to find stuff on the younger end and the older end. We are medium-agnostic\u2014we will do live action, animation, CG, hybrid, puppet. Right now we are definitely looking to fill the pipeline in animation because it takes longer for that to get through production. Otherwise we\u2019re totally open to something unique.”<\/p>\n Blaevoet noted the strong presence of the big American kids\u2019 channels in France. To differentiate itself from those services, Canal+ is looking to be \u201cinto the French cultural footprint,\u201d Blaevoet said. Also, she said, 8- to 10-year-olds are less interested in animation, so live action\u2014particularly \u201cspooky\u201d live action\u2014 is a major priority.<\/p>\n Disney XD\u2019s Buhaj said that it is really important to have a strong creative point of view. If you\u2019re going to do comedy, make sure you laugh. If you\u2019re doing action adventure, make the stakes high. In this viewing universe, those who do that will stand out. That\u2019s what we\u2019re after.\u201d<\/p>\n CBBC\u2019s Muller reminded delegates to make sure they stay up to date with that channel\u2019s needs, given her impending exit. \u201cGenerally, everything starts with good storytelling. The thing that has eluded those of us who are looking for gripping stories and great characters is how that really works as a digital-first property. What does truly digital storytelling look like? None of us have cracked that yet. How do we take all this clever technology and platforms and our audiences\u2019 ability to engage with content in different ways and turn that into something truly unique and special and revolutionary? That\u2019s the challenge I\u2019m going to throw down. I\u2019m certain if you could bring that to BBC Children\u2019s, there will be a lot of interest in it.\u201d<\/p>\n Buhaj mentioned that on the digital side, Disney worked with digital content creator Bad Lip Reading on a tribute to High School Musical<\/em>. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t for linear and we didn\u2019t judge it that way. We judged it on whether it brought us into the conversation. At the end of the day, we\u2019re going to have to show some ROI on all that as well.\u201d<\/p>\n On how to position content on linear versus digital, Buhaj added, \u201cWe produce the content and work out what platform it should lead from. At the end of the day, we put it up everywhere almost immediately. That\u2019s one of our mantras.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller said that as some content takes a long time to make, including CBBC\u2019s dramas and animated series, \u201cwe are now looking at iterations that will work 24\/7 throughout the year to keep our brands alive while we\u2019re making new content. So everything we do now has a program of additional content, across all our key titles. At any time of the year, you can go and find a really great game, a piece of short form, social-media content, YouTube content, stunts that we work on like a flash mob. We are planning right from the word go. That requires a very different mindset and a different approach to planning right from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n The panelists were then asked about acquisitions versus original productions. At Amazon Prime, there are kids\u2019 programs that are licensed. \u201cFrom an originals standpoint, there are also shows that we look at as pre-buys, so we have creative input but it\u2019s produced outside of our purview,\u201d Sorensen said. \u201cThey are branded as originals because we feel they fit the brand. That would include Thunderbirds Are Go<\/em>, Bookaboo<\/em>. It\u2019s 10 to 15 percent of our lineup that is licensed or a co-production.\u201d<\/p>\n At Canal+\u2019s kids\u2019 properties the breakdown is about 50\/50, Blaevoet said. \u201cWe tripled our budget last year. We\u2019re investing more and more in pre-buys. We play a very strong role in the development.\u201d<\/p>\n The situation is \u201cfluid\u201d at Disney XD, Buhaj said. Acquisitions and co-productions are important for the channel, he said. \u201cThe most important part on the co-production side is to make sure that anyone at the table is there for a good season. You don’t want so many people that the creative vision gets lost. The journey will never be smooth, but it\u2019s ultimately worthwhile because you get some really interesting productions.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller said CBBC approaches acquisitions in two ways\u2014straight acquisitions and pre-buys, which are the majority. In the case of the pure acquisitions The Next Step<\/em> and The Deep<\/em>, those are shows that the channel would not have made on its own that \u201cbring something really rich into the schedule. It offers us an opportunity to open the world up in a slightly different way.\u201d<\/p>\n Discussing managing co-productions, Sorensen noted, \u201cFor Amazon, [it\u2019s about] making sure it fits with the brand. We\u2019re always thinking about Amazon\u2019s customers. If we\u2019re going to get into a co-production situation, we need to first make sure that our customers will respond to it positively. If it can check that box, all the other stuff seems to fall in line.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller said that co-production is \u201cmassively important. There will always be a range of things that the BBC will make that is for the domestic U.K. market, that doesn\u2019t travel. We want to look at how we bring more ambitious stories to our audience. That\u2019s where we\u2019re looking for co-production partners.\u201d<\/p>\n The Worst Witch<\/em>, for example, is \u201cexpansive storytelling\u2026that we certainly couldn’t have funded on our own.\u201d The show is a co-pro with ZDF and Netflix.<\/p>\n Buhaj amusingly quipped that Sarah \u201cis looking for funding for Brexit: The Musical<\/i>. It\u2019s a musical, it\u2019s a telenovela, it\u2019s a tragedy!\u201d<\/p>\n Diversity was also a key part of the conversation. Muller said that diversity \u201cis at the front and center of everything the entire BBC does.\u201d Where the organization is failing, Muller said, is “what happens behind the camera and at different parts of the process. It\u2019s still fairly shocking that certain groups aren\u2019t as well represented in some sectors of the production process. We need to look for writers that have different sets of experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n Amazon\u2019s Sorensen added, \u201cOne of my goals has always been to hold up a mirror for our audience. That\u2019s been reflected on-screen. I think we\u2019ve done an exceptional job representing diversity behind the camera.\u201d She pointed to Amazon\u2019s American Girl specials, which are focusing on a diverse assortment of girls. \u201cWe wanted to make sure [that diversity] carried through every step of the way: director, writer, costume designer, hair and make up.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead to the next 12 to 24 months, Buhaj said that a key priority is gaining more insight into \u201cwhere the kids are. Measuring systems are running a bit behind.\u201d<\/p>\n Sorensen noted the importance of transmedia\u2014\u201cthinking outside of the screen in terms of storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller stressed \u201cit\u2019s about the content. It\u2019s about great storytelling and remembering it\u2019s not just about fantastic platforms, it\u2019s about the beautiful vase to put on the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n Blaevoet said that Canal+ is experimenting with a VR experience for a new escape game show it is launching this month.<\/p>\n Whatever the format, content must be \u201cauthentic and sincere,\u201d Buhaj said. \u201cThat\u2019s easy to say, it\u2019s hard to do.\u201d<\/p>\n The panelists were then asked what they have to say to all the producers and distributors at MIPJunior hoping to pitch them.<\/p>\n Sorensen revealed what she doesn\u2019t want to be pitched about: \u201cWe\u2019re not looking for short-form content. I am not looking for reality programming. I am looking for scripted series with evergreen characters and stories that can live on our service for years to come. Authenticity is important. It is about creators driving the vision. There has to be a unique perspective. There are ideas that are regenerated over and over again, but the execution differentiates them. And not only are we thinking about the child, we\u2019re also thinking about the family as whole. Our customer is the Prime customer, which is an adult who triggers that subscription service. So in certain instances we\u2019re thinking about co-viewing. On the younger side of the demographic we\u2019re really thinking about how parents can engage in that learning with the child.\u201d<\/p>\n Blaevoet said, \u201cWhen you present us a program, be creative, passionate and have fun while you\u2019re pitching.\u201d<\/p>\n Buhaj said it\u2019s important to \u201cask why we would be a good partner for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Muller reminded producers to \u201cunderstand the person you\u2019re pitching to. Research us. And try and communicate your passion\u2026just not in the toilet please!\u201d<\/p>\n Carugati then presented the panelists with World Screen Kids\u2019 Content Trendsetter Awards for their contributions to children\u2019s media. \u201cThey carry a serious responsibility in that the programming that they select and program helps shape tomorrow\u2019s citizens.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" CANNES: Canal+\u2019s Laurence Blaevoet, Disney XD\u2019s Marc Buhaj, CBBC\u2019s Sarah Muller and Amazon Studios\u2019 Tara Sorensen weighed in on how to serve kids\u2019 audiences at MIPJunior this morning before each being presented with a World Screen Kids\u2019 Content Trendsetter Award.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":11084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[1944],"class_list":["post-11083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-kids-content-trendsetters","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n