{"id":15060,"date":"2018-11-03T14:27:40","date_gmt":"2018-11-03T18:27:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/tuning-in\/"},"modified":"2018-11-15T16:19:09","modified_gmt":"2018-11-15T21:19:09","slug":"tuning-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/tuning-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Tuning In"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Music-based children\u2019s series are resonating with young viewers around the globe.<\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something about a song that can have a strong influence on a person\u2019s mood. From an upbeat track evoking happy feelings to a slow tune that brings tears to the eyes, the power of music is undeniable. And for children who are still learning about their emotions, music can play a big role in the television they watch\u2014whether it is in the form of background melodies that express a character\u2019s attitude or songs that are central to a show\u2019s main storyline.<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic helps communicate emotion and meaning,\u201d says Christine Brendle, the CEO of FUN Union. \u201cAny story can be enhanced by musical scores where less is told and more is conveyed\u2014joy, melancholy, disappointment, anger, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music is key to the storytelling in BabyRiki<\/em>, a preschool show that follows the adventures of five young characters as they explore their environment. \u201cEach episode is 5 minutes long, comprising over 2 minutes of music for young children to dance and sing along to,\u201d says Brendle.<\/p>\n

Music is an integral aspect of the hit preschool series Peppa Pig<\/em>, even though the show is not specifically about music per se. \u201cFirst experiences for preschoolers are often the main thread of episodes, so catchy songs in the show often relate to moral messages,\u201d says Olivier Dumont, the president of Entertainment One (eOne) Family & Brands. Examples include tunes about fruits and vegetables as well as recycling\u2014\u201csongs that relate to everyday activities that turn into little adventures for preschoolers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also in the eOne Family & Brands catalog is the animated show PJ Masks<\/em>, which features a very popular theme song. \u201cIn terms of the music on that show, we wanted a nostalgic style,\u201d says Dumont. \u201cParents, as a result, really love the music in the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

FEEL THE RHYTHM<\/strong>
\nMusic plays a big role in the storyline for Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties<\/em>, a preschool program focused on a group of creatures that communicate by sound and rhythm. \u201cIt\u2019s very musical because it teaches kids the different notes and also the different instruments that exist,\u201d says J\u00e9r\u00f4me Alby, the managing director of Mediatoon Distribution. The company also represents Teen Crumpets<\/em> and MaXi<\/em>, both of which feature prominent musical themes.<\/p>\n

Jetpack Distribution\u2019s portfolio includes Kazoops!<\/em>, about a little boy who goes on musical journeys to explore the answers to his many questions about the world around him. \u201cEach episode has a unique song sung by a musician,\u201d says Dominic Gardiner, the company\u2019s CEO. \u201cThe narrative of the song reflects the narrative of the series.\u201d<\/p>\n

The preschool program Boj<\/em> follows the adventures of a rare Australian marsupial. \u201cMusic is a really strong backbone of that series,\u201d says Gardiner. There is also Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!<\/em>, based on the comic character Dennis the Menace, who, in the animated television show, plays guitar in a band with his friends.<\/p>\n

Then there is Kitty is Not a Cat<\/em>, an older-skewing animated comedy that Gardiner says \u201chas got music at its core.\u201d The show centers on a little girl who lives in a household of felines and thinks she is a cat. \u201cMusic in that show is more of a driver of style and attitude,\u201d says Gardiner. \u201cMusic is not just added on to fill the gaps between the dialogue; it\u2019s actually a really important thing that holds the whole series together and makes it feel different.\u201d<\/p>\n

CAT-CHY SONGS<\/strong>
\nSpeaking of felines, Portfolio Entertainment represents The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!<\/em> \u201cIt\u2019s got all of these very catchy, entertaining songs that seamlessly help with the storytelling,\u201d says Lisa Olfman, the company\u2019s co-founder and CEO. \u201cThey heighten an emotion or a mood or some activity they\u2019re doing in that moment in time. It allows the kids to get physical in front of their screen, where they can jump up, they can dance, they can sing along. The songs really help complement the storytelling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another feline-focused series that incorporates music is 44 Cats<\/em>. \u201cThe name of the show references a song from 1968 that won a children\u2019s music contest in Italy and since then has become a much-loved part of Italian culture,\u201d says Cristiana Buzzelli, the senior VP of sales and acquisitions at Rainbow. \u201cThe lovable cats in the show are part of a music band that breaks into song at every opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rainbow\u2019s catalog also includes the animated Winx Club<\/em> and live-action Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends<\/em>. \u201cMaggie & Bianca Fashion Friends<\/em> has a massive musical element and is proving to be hugely popular amongst teens and tweens, [while] Winx Club<\/em> addresses girls 6 to 9 years old,\u201d says Buzzelli. \u201cAt Rainbow, we firmly believe that music is a fundamental element of every IP for children and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

The animated series LoliRock<\/em> is part of the Zodiak Kids portfolio. The show follows the adventures of a teen girl who, after joining a band, discovers that she is an alien princess with magical powers. LoliRock<\/em> is geared toward young viewers between the ages of 6 and 11. \u201cKids relate to the magic and language of music,\u201d says Eryk Casemiro, the chief creative officer of Zodiak Kids Studios.<\/p>\n

Beat Bugs<\/em>, a Netflix commission that is sold by Beyond Distribution, incorporates songs made famous by The Beatles. \u201cWe wanted to bring the extraordinary music of\u00a0 The Beatles to life on screen with heart and imagination, so a new generation of viewers and listeners all over the world could learn to appreciate the music and all it has to offer,\u201d says Josh Wakely, who created the animated series. \u201cWe were able to dissect the vibrant imagery within the lyrics of each song and reimagine the world in a way we haven\u2019t seen on television before, in a way that both kids and parents can experience and enjoy together.\u201d<\/p>\n

LEARN TO THE BEAT<\/strong>
\nIn addition to its entertainment value, music in kids\u2019 TV programming can be an effective teaching tool. \u201cYoung children learn better when they move and dance while experimenting with a new concept,\u201d says FUN Union\u2019s Brendle. \u201cKinesthetic learning\u2014when a notion is acquired through movement or physical activities rather than listening to a lecture\u2014is particularly adapted to young children. Anyone who has tried to memorize a long piece of text by adding a tune or a dance to it will understand the appeal of musical shows for children.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFunny words and rhymes set to memorable melodies are a part of almost every child\u2019s development,\u201d says Portfolio\u2019s Olfman. \u201cChildren learn extremely well through songs…. The pure entertainment value of fun songs really helps cement the show in a child\u2019s mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music also helps keep a show fun and light while simultaneously giving youngsters an outlet for their seemingly endless amounts of energy. \u201cYounger audiences are attracted to music as they love to move about, and when they are listening to music they are swaying, bouncing, dancing, marching and clapping,\u201d says Rainbow\u2019s Buzzelli.<\/p>\n

Aside from the benefits for viewers, music-based kids\u2019 series are also appealing to distributors due to their universal nature. \u201cMusic is the most international language there is; that\u2019s something we have in common in all cultures,\u201d says Mediatoon\u2019s Alby.<\/p>\n

But these types of shows can also prove difficult when it comes to securing international sales. \u201cThere are several challenges linked to the initial costs for the original songs\/scores, followed by adapting and dubbing costs,\u201d says FUN Union\u2019s Brendle.<\/p>\n

\u201cJoy Rosen [also co-founder and CEO at Portfolio] oversees our global distribution division and every time we talk about [musical] shows\u2014either our shows or other people\u2019s shows that we\u2019ve acquired that have a number of songs in them\u2014she goes, OK, that\u2019s going to be tough,\u201d says Olfman. \u201cWhat makes that challenging is, first of all, it\u2019s very expensive. Translating and dubbing songs into a country\u2019s native language presents both a creative and a technical challenge. Song lyrics can rarely be directly translated and still fit with the existing music, so it means we\u2019re hiring creative writers to adapt the lyrics.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Zodiak Kids, \u201cWhen you say you\u2019re going to have music in a show to your sales team for distribution, their eyes roll to the back of their heads and they convulse because it\u2019s expensive to dub songs,\u201d quips Casemiro. \u201cWhen you\u2019re going into different languages, not all dubbing actors and actresses can sing. Then you have the complication of lyrics and language. There\u2019s a certain amount of syllables you can get away with when lip-synching speech [that] in song you can\u2019t because there\u2019s rhythm. So it becomes much more expensive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe tricky part about shows that are based on music is that it\u2019s always more expensive to exploit,\u201d agrees Mediatoon\u2019s Alby. \u201cThen you have to translate a show; it\u2019s easy to translate dialogue [but] you don\u2019t always find a good actor that can also be a good singer, especially when it\u2019s programmed for kids, which can be even more tricky. And of course, that significantly increases the dubbing costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dumont at eOne Family & Brands also mentions the difficulty of securing the international rights for songs. \u201cYou need to make sure your music is cleared for everywhere, which is not always easy,\u201d he says. \u201cBeyond this, it\u2019s the cost\u2014particularly the lyrics to the songs when dubbing\u2014that is very expensive. So when songs are [involved], you need to make sure that the show is really strong.\u201d<\/p>\n

TEST OF TIME<\/strong>
\nIn order to have a music-based kids\u2019 show that can be sold into territories around the globe, it\u2019s crucial to have a solid storyline to justify the high costs associated with translating and dubbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to have a good plot,\u201d emphasizes Mediatoon\u2019s Alby. \u201cThe character diamond has to be well-polished. Music is very good for a show, but if it lacks the other key components, it will be a failure.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also important that the music will remain relevant as time goes by. \u201cMusic can date a program,\u201d says Jetpack\u2019s Gardiner. \u201cIf you\u2019re watching stuff from the \u201980s, the first thing you always notice is the music. A lot of preschool stays quite timeless because of the types of music. You\u2019ve got to be careful with music; you want it to be cool, you want it to feel light and resonate now, but at the same time, you don\u2019t want to make it too tied to a particular style because in three or four years, [it may not] stand the test of time.\u201d<\/p>\n

In addition, producers should include the right music for the audience that\u2019s being targeted. \u201cOccasionally, you\u2019ll get somebody who\u2019s trying to use inappropriate, older-skewing music for preschoolers because they think that\u2019s really cool,\u201d notes Gardiner. Music should also be authentic and relevant to what is taking place in the show. \u201cSometimes in comedy, music\u2019s really just there for comedic effect,\u201d he adds. \u201cBut if your series is about a bunch of skaters on high-tech missions, you want to make sure the music reflects what kids might actually be doing today in the real world, and therefore you\u2019ve got to get artists or musicians who are able to emulate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe songs must be connected with the themes and values of the show so that they are an integral part of the content,\u201d concurs Rainbow\u2019s Buzzelli. \u201cOnly once this is properly done can music be a central part of what makes a brand successful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zodiak Kids\u2019 Casemiro also suggests that producers of preschool programming switch up the musical style every now and then. \u201cPreschool music should allow a live instrument or two,\u201d he says. \u201cWe don\u2019t always have to use synthesizers in our scores for kids\u2019 shows.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even for series where music is not central to the storyline, Gardiner feels that it\u2019s best to get a head start on mapping out the score. \u201cMusic often is one of the last things that people think about when they\u2019re making a show,\u201d he says. \u201cThey spend so long sitting in front of bibles and artwork and pitch materials, then they go into production and it\u2019s all drawings and computers. At the end, somebody is like, Oh right! It\u2019ll feel empty without music, what are we going to do? [Instead of] suddenly just adding music, you probably should have made sure that musical direction was woven in at an early stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

LICENSING POTENTIAL<\/strong>
\nL&M can be extremely complementary for this type of programming. \u201cLicensing and merchandising is always important and strengthens the brand across a number of mediums and platforms,\u201d says Portfolio\u2019s Olfman. \u201cKids feel like they need something to hug, they need something to hold, they need something to sing along to, something to play from the show, and all of it reinforces the relationship to the characters.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Zodiak Kids\u2019 Casemiro cautions against nonlinear extensions just for the sake of it. \u201cYou never want the tail to wag the dog,\u201d he says. \u201cYou want that business to follow organically and make the experience for the user better. That\u2019s easier said than done; we all know how hard the music business is and how different it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMusic is a huge part of all the experiential activities\u201d for Peppa Pig<\/em>, notes eOne Family\u2019s Dumont. \u201cWe have a theme park in the U.K. called Peppa Pig World, so music is a great way to make the show come alive in those parks.\u201d Another example is Move with Peppa, a series of classes and parties for kids that use music to encourage them to stay active. Then there are Peppa Pig<\/em> musical albums, with new releases in the works as the property gears up to celebrate its 15th anniversary next year.<\/p>\n

Dumont continues, \u201cMusic is also a big part of all the apps that we make on each of our shows. We created a subscription-based app called World of Peppa Pig, in which music is featured very prominently. The minute you download the initial app, you\u2019re greeted by the theme song for the show. It\u2019s a really key part of getting more recognizability of the brand and hooking fans into any of the extensions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our master toy partner for 44 Cats<\/em> (Toy Plus), we are developing a wide range of toys and every item features musical content that is linked to the TV show,\u201d says Rainbow\u2019s Buzzelli. \u201cMusic also gives a wonderful added value to digital media content to support the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jetpack\u2019s Gardiner adds, \u201cKids want to listen to stuff that they see on TV. It makes them happy; it makes them want to sing along. If you can use music from a series to connect, it\u2019s a very powerful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pictured:\u00a0Jetpack\u2019s<\/em> Kitty is Not a Cat.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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