Like every other area of the media business, the kids\u2019 content sector heads into 2023 with a fair bit of trepidation about what\u2019s to come. Amid strategy shifts, economic concerns, the ongoing conflict in Europe and course corrections at the platforms as they prepare for the next era in the streaming wars, everything is in flux. But as heard across the 18 amazing sessions at the TV Kids Festival last week, the people making, financing and selling children\u2019s content are infinitely adept at navigating the sector\u2019s challenges.<\/p>\n
Missed any of the sessions live? You can access the entire festival on-demand here: <\/strong>TVKidsFestival.com<\/strong><\/a>. Short on time and want to listen to these sessions instead? Download our brand-new TV Kids Festival podcast <\/strong>here<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n Our signature panel featuring leading content buyers opened the event on Tuesday, with Sky Kids\u2019 Lucy Murphy, Paramount UK & Ireland\u2019s Louise Bucknole, TFO\u2019s Marianne Lambert and Future Today\u2019s David Di Lorenzo articulating their acquisition strategies<\/a> in a lively discussion. All stressed the importance of diversity and inclusion, comedy and titles that encourage co-viewing, as well as flexibility when it comes to rights negotiations.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking for killer, not filler,\u201d said Bucknole, the general manager of kids and family at Paramount Global UK & Ireland. \u201cFor Milkshake!, we\u2019re very interested in game shows and slapstick and comedy silliness. We\u2019re also looking for content that has a lot of STEM. Sustainability is also very important to us. We know kids love animals, so we\u2019re looking at various animal and pet care [shows]. We obviously would look at any shows that have a great story or are book-based IP, or have the potential to be a franchise. Fact-ent formats are quite interesting for Milkshake! because we\u2019re a public-service broadcaster. Those formats where they\u2019re representing kids and showing their world. Preschool animation is very important to us. What will make the kids draw the picture, hum the theme tune and play based on that show? They\u2019re always going to be the winners for us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe want innovation and different ways of telling stories,\u201d said Lambert, the director of acquisitions and co-productions at TFO. \u201cWe have a hard time finding content for 6- to 9-year-olds. Live action also is difficult for us because it has to be dubbed. Since we are educational and our content is used to teach, there are certain things like STEM and examples of girls in science, those kinds of role models. It\u2019s really hard to get a show about math, so we\u2019re always on the lookout for that.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy, director of kids\u2019 content at Sky in the U.K. and Ireland, added: \u201cWe\u2019re particularly looking for half-hour specials with evergreen longevity. We\u2019re keen to find something for younger viewers that gets them moving around. We\u2019re also looking for shows that spark a bit of curiosity in a child. It\u2019s not necessarily a didactic educational show but something that will make them wonder about the world around them. We\u2019re looking for shows with follow-through and a lasting value to them.\u201d<\/p>\n HappyKids is fairly well served on the preschool front, said Di Lorenzo, senior VP of kids and family for Future Today, the streaming service\u2019s parent company. \u201cOur focus right now is on our 6-plus audience. We\u2019ve been focusing on live-action series, trying to find more movies for our audience, looking at science exploration and things that will bring the family together.\u201d<\/p>\n Next, in one of our many creative keynotes, Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey offered delegates an inside look at the process behind making the hit DreamWorks Animation series <\/a>Gabby\u2019s Dollhouse<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Inspiration for the series was drawn from \u201call the things that we loved as kids,\u201d Twomey explained. \u201cWe loved dollhouses, miniatures, cats. We tuned in to this unboxing phenomenon and how much preschoolers were into it. We thought there was something there, but we wanted to take it to the next level. So instead of unboxing a toy or a product, what if we unbox a story? We put it all into the mix and came up with the idea for Gabby\u2019s Dollhouse<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n On the mixed-media style used in the show, Paige Johnson noted, \u201cIn today\u2019s kids\u2019 landscape, there\u2019s so much out there. You need to find something that feels different. We know that kids, through Blue\u2019s Clues<\/em> and watching YouTube videos, respond to that live-action person or kid looking into the camera and asking questions. We knew we wanted to bring that in. When we did the unboxing\u2014unboxing is the catalyst to the story\u2014we knew that the animated part would be more fun if she shrunk into the dollhouse and became animated in those worlds and all that wish fulfillment.\u201d<\/p>\n Our first senior-level keynote of the day was delivered by Richard Dickson, the president and COO of Mattel, who highlighted the crucial role IP plays in the company\u2019s overall brand-building strategies<\/a>. \u201cFollowing the completion of our turnaround in 2021, we evolved our strategy last year from transforming Mattel into an IP-driven, high-performing toy company to growing our IP-driven toy business and expanding our entertainment offering,\u201d Dickson explained. \u201cFilm and television, consumer products, digital experiences like games and NFTs\u2014these are directly adjacent businesses to the toy industry. We\u2019re making a lot of progress on capturing the full value of our IP in what we believe are highly accretive business verticals.\u201d<\/p>\n Understanding how to harness the power of YouTube<\/a> was the focus of our afternoon session featuring Entertainment One\u2019s Yannick Ferrero, pocket.watch\u2019s David B. Williams, Cloudco Entertainment\u2019s Sean Gorman and Kartoon Channel! Worldwide\u2019s Paul Robinson.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things that is so exciting about YouTube is it\u2019s the most data-rich environment we\u2019ve ever had and the richest with engagement as well,\u201d said Williams, senior VP and general manager of channels for pocket.watch. \u201cSometimes I call it the Galapagos Islands of media because it\u2019s like this fiercely competitive environment where you see all these new forms of life evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n We closed the day with Chris Nee, creator of the breakthrough show <\/a>Doc McStuffins<\/em><\/a> and a slew of other titles via an overall deal with Netflix<\/a>, talking about innovation in preschool narrative techniques, the keys to encouraging co-viewing and her work in driving forward diversity and inclusion in children\u2019s media.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important that you\u2019re seeing it on-screen,\u201d said Nee. \u201cBut also, you\u2019re not going to see it on-screen or see it on-screen properly if we\u2019re not starting to see real change in the halls where we work. In that respect, I still get frustrated because, of course, we\u2019re not there. We tend to do three steps forward and two steps back. I wish we could just do a ten-step leap forward and maybe one back. But I get excited when I look around a space like Netflix or Disney\u2026and see a lot more diversity in the ranks. We have to keep pushing the same process. My big thing is that we have to stop having so many programs and just hire people for the jobs. That\u2019s what I try to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Day two opened with an engaging spotlight on British and Irish animation<\/a> with Jetpack Distribution\u2019s Dominic Gardiner, Serious Kids\u2019 Genevieve Dexter, Monster Entertainment\u2019s Andrew Fitzpatrick, Sixteen South\u2019s Colin Williams and Magic Light Pictures\u2019 Muriel Thomas. The panelists all agreed that financing is the biggest challenge they are facing today.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the biggest challenge, but also what makes us more creative in how we approach productions,\u201d Gardiner, CEO of Jetpack, said. \u201cHow we collaborate and partner and have all these inventive government-sponsored schemes that enable series to be made. What doesn\u2019t destroy us\u2014our lack of financing\u2014in a way, makes us resilient and robust. That\u2019s why the industry is growing, even though we\u2019re always struggling to find money.\u201d<\/p>\n Next, Vince Commisso, 9 Story Media Group\u2019s president and CEO, discussed the state of the kids\u2019 media market today and articulated how his company is navigating the challenges and opportunities in the landscape<\/a>. \u201cWhat we\u2019re seeing is a belief\u2014an accurate one\u2014that the current business model as a result of streaming content is not as lucrative as the one that preceded it,\u201d Commisso said. \u201cThat\u2019s caused a bit of a pause in the marketplace, manifesting itself in two ways. One is a reduction in the commissions of shows and then the reduction of budgets. That\u2019s going to be the case for the foreseeable future. I think it\u2019s time for companies like us to look at how we do everything and adjust for the way the world is moving forward, especially in the area of content.\u201d<\/p>\n Content innovation was the focus of our keynote conversation with Halle Stanford, the president of television at The Jim Henson Company<\/a>, who talked about how the outfit places \u201chumor, heart and hope\u201d at the center of every show it is involved with.<\/p>\n Kevin and Dan Hageman discussed making the first animated series for kids set in the beloved <\/a>Star Trek <\/em><\/a>universe<\/a>. Star Trek: Prodigy <\/em>has rolled out on Paramount+ and Nickelodeon, with a second season in the works.<\/p>\n Day two of the festival wrapped with a panel about how companies approach crafting development strategies<\/a> with Sesame Workshop\u2019s Kay Wilson Stallings, Nelvana\u2019s Athena Georgaklis, Cyber Group Studios\u2019 Ira Singerman and Boat Rocker Studio\u2019s Shaleen Sangha.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re looking for characters that are relatable to our audience,\u201d said Wilson Stallings, Sesame Workshop\u2019s executive VP of creative and production. \u201cCharacters that our audience will want to be friends with. We look for stories that are meaningful to our audience. Stories that are on topics that our audience can relate to. And then, as an educational media company, we look for the pressing and most critical needs of kids at any time.\u201d<\/p>\n Beno\u00eet Di Sabatino, the CEO of Banijay Kids & Family, laid out his growth strategy for the company<\/a> as day three of the festival opened. He highlighted the company\u2019s scale in the kids\u2019 sector with its slate of production labels and dedicated distribution and commercial arm. \u201cWith six production companies, we have six times more opportunities to develop amazing shows and potentially global brands. All those companies are based in important financial territories with key commissioning broadcasters and tax incentive policies. Thanks to this organization, we can cater to a wide range of audiences from preschool to kids, young adults and family in live action and animation.\u201d<\/p>\n The conundrum of pulling together the financing of shows<\/a> was debated at our Money Matters panel featuring CAKE\u2019s Ed Galton, Guru Studio\u2019s Frank Falcone, DeAPlaneta Entertainment\u2019s Carlos Biern and Big Bad Boo Studios\u2019 Shabnam Rezaei.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was an abundance of content created with overexuberance and enthusiasm for the people trapped at home that were suddenly a captive audience,\u201d said Falcone, president and executive creative director at Guru Studio. \u201cA lot of that content isn\u2019t attracting the eyeballs. It\u2019s a time to regroup and look closer at what we\u2019re commissioning. It\u2019s healthy for the business to make things that people watch and not burn money on shows that never find an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n The influx of money into the ecosystem over the last few years also set unreasonable long-term expectations, Galton noted. \u201cWhen you have people like Netflix giving you 100 percent finance to make a show; they\u2019re giving you $15 million to $18 million to produce a series, and then suddenly that starts to go away, that\u2019s becoming a problem for a lot of people. We\u2019re relying on a small number of platforms that were doling out a lot of money to get shows off the ground. We\u2019re almost going back to the model that some of us were very successful at for many years, which is putting multiple partners together to get to 100 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n In his keynote session, Eric Ellenbogen, CEO and vice chair of WildBrain, also weighed in on how the market is evolving<\/a>. \u201cThe headlines have been exaggerating the rationalization happening in the business,\u201d he noted. \u201cThere has been enormous, unprecedented investment in content. A lot of it was about audience acquisition and retention. We\u2019re seeing more careful choices and development by the streamers. The level of investment is still extremely high. Kids\u2019 content has always been a cornerstone of these services. Some services are de-emphasizing kids\u2019 content, but we are seeing growth in FAST channels. There\u2019ll be continuing shifts in the marketplace. But our business has always endured those things. Again, it\u2019s just about great creative.\u201d<\/p>\n We closed the day with a spotlight on the Australian live-action series First Day<\/em>, with Julie Kalceff, creator, and Kirsty Stark, producer, showcasing how the show is breaking barriers in its representation of transgender kids<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cChildren\u2019s television has such an impact on kids,\u201d Kalceff said. \u201cIt\u2019s how they view the world. And if they don\u2019t see themselves on screen, it impacts how they feel about themselves. I think children\u2019s television has a great, important role in not only diverse representation, but also representation in a way that creates an environment where people can start conversations and see what best behavior is and how they should be acting.\u201d<\/p>\n Day four of the TV Kids Festival opened with us honoring Francesca Newington, director of the POP Channels, with the TV Kids Pioneer Award. Newington discussed her programming choices<\/a>, which have kept the Narrative Entertainment-owned portfolio in pole position in the competitive U.K. market. \u201cWe\u2019re using our knowledge of what kids are attracted to and providing them with the funny stuff, the franchises, the variety and the quality they would expect. We\u2019re doing that as best we can, and we\u2019re trying to remain current and emulate the trends that kids are tapping into in the digital world so we can stay in touch with them and be a part of their conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n Next up, in the Smarter Kids session, Dandelooo\u2019s Emmanu\u00e8le P\u00e9try-Sirvin, Toonz Media Group\u2019s Bruno Zarka and The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company\u2019s Kenn Viselman delivered lessons on successfully incorporating curricula and important social themes in kids\u2019 content<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018Educational\u2019 is very broad now because it\u2019s almost in every show,\u201d said P\u00e9try-Sirvin, partner and producer at Dandelooo. \u201cEven in shows that are \u2018commercial,\u2019 so to speak, there is a social-emotional, educational part in it; I think we are over this era when people just wanted to entertain kids.\u201d<\/p>\n Brenda Bisner, the chief content officer at Kidoodle.TV, talked about the platform\u2019s commitment to keeping kids safe as it provides them with engaging content online<\/a>. \u201cParents are looking for alternatives that are not just safe but also something free, with no barrier to entry. With a recession and the cost-of-living squeeze, it\u2019s another great thing we can do to ensure that families can afford it and that their kids can be safe while doing it.\u201d<\/p>\n The festival wrapped with a final creative keynote, delivered by Emma Watkins, a former member of The Wiggles who is now merging her interest in music, sign language and dance to educate and entertain<\/a> in Emma Memma: Sing. Dance. Sign. <\/em>\u201cEverything that we give to children visually, they\u2019re absorbing. Everything in the frame should support that goal.\u201d<\/p>\n