MIPTV 2010 Animation Spotlight

Careening about Cannes, France this week are countless content producers and broadcast representatives with breathless expectation for what the 2010-year holds for the buying and selling of television content. The MIPTV 2010 (April 12-16, 2010) spring industry event is a point of convergence. A market where veterans of co-production and finance and business affairs meet to discuss the potential strength of emerging markets and the growing strength of cross-media programming. Following a stronger than anticipated autumn market the previous year, a few producers of children's or animated content are again ready to glad-hand assorted industry partners, looking to the future. This year, MIPTV puts the spotlight on formats, new media creative (e.g., the Content 260 Competition), and nation of Singapore, this year's country of focus.

Segments of this year's MIPTV event will naturally aim to place producers into workshops or think tanks and make the most out of discussions relevant to the times: social media advertising models, multi-platform branded entertainment, pitch sessions, 3D television, and other elements of digital media interaction, among others.

from Skywriter Media's Vivi

For animation production studios, the field of attending companies may not be as deep as it was previously; however, there yet still remain a number of notable studios planning to showcase their latest wares this week.

The talented Paris-based studio TeamTO is eager to spread the word about their inventive new CG series Angelo Rules (read on: page two). Also, Germany's JEP Animation is moving ahead with their hilarious short-form cartoon, Rudolf (read on: page three). Video is available for each.

MIPTV 2010 is also holding isolated Producer's Forums, opening up the doors for co-productions and acquisitions discussions for various territories. Skywriter Media (Canada), for example, is a recently-founded development and co-production financier of animated content. Skywriter is currently shopping a number of titles, but most promisingly includes an original 2D cutout animation called Vivi among its ranks. Vivi, currently in development, follows an imaginative little girl and her globe-trotting photo-journalist grandmother. Skywriter Media recently acquired the rights to distribute The Wumblers, a Giddy Gander production.

The MoonScoop Group (France) in the meantime, is looking for additional support for it's new animated series Tara Duncan, announced last spring season. The fantasy book-adapted cartoon, which follows a magic-wielding teen girl and her friends, currently has M6 (France) and Disney Channel (France) as broadcast partners. The 2D show is a co-production between MoonScoop and India's DQ Entertainment.

from Nerd Corps.' Subterrainea

The computer animation storytellers from Nerd Corps. Entertainment (Canada) have a few new shows in mind to exhibit as well. Currently in development are two animated comedies: Endangered Species and Subterrainea.

The former is about a band of misfit animals whose forested habitat is now a metropolis; and the latter finds an ambitious youth scraping his way through a combative underworld environment. Nerd Corps. is the creator of Storm Hawks and League of Super Evil, currently in production for its second season.

Also on the hunt for finance and production support for new programming is Alphanim Animation, of the Gaumont Group. Up next for the studio is a charming animation called The Small Giant, about a wishful girl who heads to summer camp but is transported to an enchanted land where her imagination runs wild. The animated series is scheduled to debut Q2 2010 on Gulli (France). Alphanim will also be rather busy pre-selling the third season of sports cartoon Galactik Football, and the whole of adventure animation The Mysteries of Alfred Hedgehog.

from Rob the Robot

One Animation (Singapore) may also have a presence this year, likely with hopes of promoting it's international co-production Rob the Robot. The visual effects and animation studio is working with Amberwood Entertainment (Canada) on the CG series for kids, which follows a robot and his friends who travel from planet to planet, solving assorted problems. The production is expected to appeal to young children with an attitude toward exploration. Amberwood, the animation studio at the head of action animation Rollbots, recently signed a first-look agreement with independent distributor E1 Entertainment.