Cheshire Smile Animation inks development deal with CBC Kids.

Cheshire Smile Animation Announces Development Deal with CBC Kids on the 13 x 3 minute live action animated series Toby’s Canada for CBC Television and SCN.

14 November 2007 - (Saskatoon, SK) Producer Cheshire Smile Animation announce the beginning of development on Toby’s Canada, a television series for 2 – 6 year old children starring Toby, a digi-savy seven year old who makes and stars in his own short docu-videocasts about his experiences discovering the magic and diversity of Canada.

Toby’s Canada is produced by Tim Tyler of Cheshire Smile Animation Inc. and Mike and Mark Birkland. It features the writing talents of Darwin C. Vickers (Ned’s Newt, Jimmy Neutron, Pelswick), and will be developed for production in the summer of 2008.

“We are excited to be working with CBC Kids and SCN in the development of Toby’s Canada” says producer Tim Tyler of Cheshire Smile Animation Inc., “We have been working for a long time on the development of this property, and it is great to see an appetite at the from CBC Kids for original Saskatchewan television content with a National Focus.”

Toby is an inspired, animated (literally and figuratively) child in a live-action world who is passionate about discovering the many facets to life in Canada. As a roving vid-caster, Toby travels the nation finding entertaining educational and cool stories about Canadian geography, locations and life for his friends watching on television and the internet at home. Children love Toby. They look up to him because he is versatile and talented with computers, cameras and technology and he uses those skills, along with his natural curiosity and good humor, to explore the Canadian places and stories that children want to learn more about.

Established in 2000, Cheshire Smile Animation Inc. combines broadcaster focused development and production of animated entertainment properties with service animation and interactive production.

Toby’s Canada is developed in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the Saskatchewan Communications Network, with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund.

 

Ottawa Television Animation Conference 07

I just bought my pass for the Ottawa Television Animation Conference in, you guessed it, Ottawa from the 19th to 20th of September.

I personally think that this event is probably one of the best events you can go to if you are interested in pitching shows to the major Canadian and US commissioning animation broadcasters. Last year Teletoon, CBC Kids, YTV, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and others were all in attendance and relatively accessible for meetings.

In addition to being significantly cheaper than Banff, Kids Screen, or markets like MIP, it is intimate setting with a very small group of animation focused broadcasters, producers and creators. There are many great panel discussions that allow you to see what trends are developing in the animation industry at a very high level. If, like myself, you are from somewhere out in woods like Saskatchewan, this information is absolutely invaluable.

I personally am on the lookout for new projects that I can get behind and help develop, so if you are going to be at the event, make sure to drop me a line.

 

Banff World Television Festival 2007 - Review

BWTVF - The best place to sex up your tv projects with a Canadian Broadcaster (and some internation ones too!)

Well, after a long dark deer dodging drive home with Anand Ramayya, a fellow Saskatoon Producer / Director, I am back at home, processing all that I saw and heard at the 2007 Banff World Television Festival.

Some of the highlights for the festival for me included having the whole shebang paid for through a CTV Western Canada Fellowship - (Thanks again CTV - you guys rock) - If you have some professional level producer / director experience and live somewhere to the west of Ontario, I highly recommend applying for this - just make sure that you have solid letters of recommendation from respected sources in the industry.

Also had the good fortune to room with Antonio (Tony) Hrynchuck and Anand Ramayya at the Fox’s Den on Beaver Street. This B&B was awesome. We were within staggering, perhaps even crawling distance of the St. James Gate and the Opening Night Party hosted by SaskFilm and SCN at the Rose and Crown. Plus it was a great place for us to hang together and de-stress from the rigors of the festival.

Personally my projects were very well received this year. In the past I have often left Banff feeling somewhat like I just got jilted at the High School dance. I am not quite ready to share my personal developments, however I am sure they will come out over the next couple of months as I get into formal agreements around them, however what I will do is share some insights to what the animation broadcasters in Canada are looking for.

Teletoon: I met with Michael Goldsmith, the new director of Original Content. He is great. They are really looking for original Canadian 1/2 hour dramady and 6-9 boys action / comedy that can play in their 4-6 pm after school block. They have expressed a willingness to look beyond pure animation and develop projects that are a hybrid of live action and animation.

Interestingly, Teletoon is also going to be starting a Pilot project for adult animation that targets those 18-25 year olds guys who watch the detour. They are looking for Satyrical, Edgy, Off The Wall shows. If you think you have the next Robot Chicken or Family Guy, they want to talk to you…….. but make sure to talk to me first so we can see if we can work on it together

CBC Kids: I met with Kim Wilson, Creative Head, Children’s Programming. It was nice, she remembered me from the Ottawa Television Animation Conference - going to these things really does pay off over time. The big change at the CBC these days is that Children’s has their own pot of money from which they can develop projects. Our children’s projects used to compete with other projects in the TV Arts & Entertainment area which resulted in not many projects moving forward last year.

CBC is primarily looking for quality Canadian Pre-school programming that can play weekday mornings. Example of the shows that are working and they would like more of are Poko, Lunar Jim, and Pinky Dinky Do (That wacky story spinning rodent), however they are also interested in a clever comedy that also targets older children for the 7-8 am block. Also of interest big batches of short interstitials 40* 3-5 minute.

YTV / Corus: I met with Jamie Piekarz from YTV and Corus, and also had the chance to go to a YTV broadcaster briefing session. YTV is primarily looking for animated sit-coms (ala Being Ian) that can play during the Zone. Also of interest Action / Comedy / Adventure that can play during Crunch on Saturday Morning. Additionally they are looking for children’s reality programs like Prank Patrol. YTV has also expressed a great deal of interest in 1 minute animated shorts that can play on their web site YTV.com.

Some things to keep in mind when you are developing your shows for YTV. They are really interested in programming where children are the protagonists and drive the episodes. YTV wants to work with writers and producers who are willing to mine their characters and really find out who they are, and how they drive the stories before you pitch to them. They want you to do your homework before you come to them,
From the experience I had with my pitch, I can tell you that they are very much interested in internal Character descriptions that are speak to who there kids really are. What drives them, what motivates them.

That’s all I have to say for now, if you have questions about these channels watch them and try to think about where your idea can fit in to their schedule.

Next up on my travel agenda for meeting with broadcasters is the Ottawa Television Animation Conference.