ZDF Studios\u2019 Jan-Frederik Maul on the value of early involvement and localization.<\/p>\n
Germany-based ZDF Studios has been distributing series for preschoolers, kids aged 6 to 10 and tweens under its own name, for the ZDF channel or for third parties since its inception in 1993. Distinguishing itself in the kids\u2019 content space, the company prioritizes early involvement in the titles that join its catalog. \u201cGetting involved in top-quality kids\u2019 programs, to us, comes first and is something that we just don\u2019t compromise on,\u201d says Maul, director in ZDF Studios\u2019 junior department. <\/span>\u201cWe invest in captivating stories with international appeal, which often are brand- or book-based.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Key to ZDF Studios\u2019 strategy as a distributor is offering different language versions of the titles on its slate. \u201cWe have a campaign slogan: \u2018We speak your language,\u2019 and we take that quite literally!\u201d says Maul. \u201cAs of today, we have 20,000 episodes of live action and animation available in 25 languages ready to broadcast.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Brands such as \u201c<\/span>H2O\u2014Just Add Water<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>The Bureau of Magical Things<\/span><\/i> are deliverable in more than 20 languages,\u201d he adds. Furthermore, ZDF Studios holds several hundreds of hours in specific languages for its key markets.<\/span><\/p>\n As part of its localization strategy, ZDF Studios\u2019 junior department reinvests in dubs for its brands, supporting their marketability and extending their shelf life. \u201cWe leverage the overall number of distributable content and are able to generate sustainable revenue streams,\u201d says Maul.<\/span><\/p>\n Taking a proactive approach, ZDF Studios\u2019 junior department often handles producing language assets first to unlock potential. <\/span>In this context, Maul points to the high school musical drama<\/span> #LikeMe<\/span><\/i>, which has found success in Belgium on VRT. For the Flemish-language series, ZDF Studios invested in the production of English-language songs and dialogue first. \u201cWe are pleased to see that these efforts paid off and we could make this series travel to a lot of places internationally,\u201d says Maul.<\/span><\/p>\n ZDF Studios\u2019 junior department can credit for its success the thousands of ready-to-air hours of kids’ programs it boasts in its catalog. <\/span>\u201cWhen it comes to TV and VOD sales, we are able to make our clients benefit directly from relevant cost savings in their dubbing budgets,\u201d says Maul. \u201cWe have established ourselves as a reliable one-stop-shop for localized, high-profile kids\u2019 and family content.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n On the horizon for ZDF Studios\u2019s junior department is more investments in new shows as it prepares to launch the CGI animation <\/span>Gris\u00f9<\/span><\/i>, co-produced with Toon2Tango, Mondo TV and ZDF. The company is also set to spend a seven-figure amount on different language versions of its series, focusing on such live-action productions as<\/span> The Bureau of Magical Things<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Hoodie<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Heirs of the Night<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe will also invest in stocking up our regional portfolios, with a particular focus on the Italian, Spanish, French and Central and Eastern European markets,\u201d says Maul. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ZDF Studios\u2019 Jan-Frederik Maul on the value of early involvement and localization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1033,"featured_media":23181,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[6530,6434],"class_list":["post-23180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-jan-frederik-maul","tag-zdf-studios","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n