Mary Bredin

Emmanuèle

Pétry

Mary Bredin and Emmanuèle Pétry, two well-known and respected TV animation development executives, co-presented the Keynote address at this year’s Television Animation Conference (TAC) held this past October 20-21 in conjunction with the Ottawa International Animation Festival.  Mary is VP, Development + Acquisitions for Guru Studio in Toronto, Canada. Prior to Guru, she spent a decade in London with Viasat and Disney.  Emmanuèle is an independent development and production consultant who spent 17 years with Nelvana and 2 with Millimages in France prior to setting up her own consulting practice, Libellule Animation.

Their keynote focused on some of the realities of cross-cultural and cross-time zone co-production collaboration. Mary and Emmanuèle have allowed AWN to republish part of the presentation, a humorous and insightful “tongue-in-cheek” glimpse into the challenges co-production partners face in producing an animated series.

A Personal Co-Production Dialogue

 RING

Emmanuèl: Allo Mary? Allo???

Mary: Hello, for English please press 1, for French please press 2. If you know the extension of the person you are trying to reach please dial it now, if you need the directory, please type 3....

E: Geees!

CLICK

RING

M: Hello. Hello. Emmanuèle. No answer? They must all be at lunch still. How can an ENTIRE office go for lunch at the same time....Geez...

CLICK

RING

E: Allo Mary?

M: (sleepy voice) Hi, who is this?

E: (cheerful) Emmanuèle.

M: (upset) ... you know what time it is? It’s 5 am. Too early! ..... I’ll call you back.

CLICK

RING

M: Hello, Emma?  Such a BEAUTIFUL DAY here!!

E: Mary, its pouring rain in Paris... hum... Sorry I can’t talk it’s Friday 4pm .. It’s RTT time, but I really want to tell you about this really great show I am developing – I think it’d be the perfect project for us.

M: What’s RTT time?

E: You know we can only work a 35 hour work week now, by law..

M: You’re kidding.

E: Yes, by law!

M: Ok. Well OK – let’s talk next week. I really missed catching up with you at MIP TV - it was too bad I could not go this year. Anyway, I can fit a call in on Thursday. Does that work for you?

E: Oh dear. I can’t do Thursday because it’s a “Pont” but you really will love this pitch!

M: A “pont”? Like a “bridge”? What does it have to do with work - something to do with ‘bridge’ financing or ...?

E: No. It’s what we call it when we have a holiday on the Wednesday so we take off the Thursday and Friday to make it a 5 day weekend. Get it - it bridges the days off.

M: Five day weekend. 5 day weekend. Anyway, I would love to hear your pitch. Definitely. I have a great show idea too. Can we talk over the weekend? We’re friends after all - we can talk on the weekend?

E: Well, my husband hates it when I have to take calls on the weekend. You know he gets sooo jealous. Don’t take it personally – it’s not just Canadians.

M: Well, my blackberry doesn’t get jealous. I can do weekends.

E: Get a life. Anyway, can you fit me in on Monday?