Presto director Doug Sweetland talked about the genesis of the Pixar short, which arrives on DVD in November. © Disney/Pixar.

Presto was released in conjunction with Wall•E on June 27, 2008, and will be out on DVD on November 18. "The Pixar legacy is built on short film," Sweetland says. "This project definitely built up my confidence. I now know what trouble I'm getting into."

Doug Sweetland pitching tip: Go where your interest leads you. When you pitch, hope that you pitch to people who will be hard on you. Focus on character and behavior, and observe as much from life as possible.

Tween is the New Teen
Other TAC panels and workshops dealt with determining target audiences for TV series. In "Tween is the New Teen," speakers Georgaklis, Leah Hoyer (Walt Disney Animation), Frank Saperstein (Blueprint Ent.), Jillianne Reinseth (Studio B Prods.) and moderator Tom McGillis (Fresh TV Inc.) explored how 8- to 12-year-olds are viewing older-skewing media, which can cause challenges for animators because tweens are still children at heart.

"Tweens don't just have more access to technology," observed McGillis. "They're cooler than we were. They're Youtubing, Facebooking, IMing... and yet they still freak out over the Jonas Brothers."

"As a parent, I know how they're constantly trying to push boundaries," added Saperstein. "There's pressure from peers to act older. But they still need the safety of home and parents."

The panel noted that while tweens may watch live-action shows like Gossip Girl (an older-skewing drama), Hannah Montana and Camp Rock, and read books like Twilight, they have different expectations when they are watching animation. "They expect to laugh and be entertained," Saperstein says. "Animation allows [them to kick back and be] a kid again."

Tween target tips: Do your research. Talk to tweens, informally and in focus groups. Get kids involved as part of an online advisory panel. Keep track of the trends... what are they talking about in the playgrounds?

Fox's Family Guy, which was "cancelled and then uncancelled," was one of the series discussed at the panel on animation for adults.™ © 2001 FOX Broadcasting.

State of Canadian Animation: Adults Only
Another seminar focused on animation geared toward the adult market. Speakers Stephanie Betts (Breakthrough Film and Television), Patricia Burns (Leap2ns Inc.), Jonas Diamond (Smiley Guy Studios), Matt Hornburg (marblemedia), Rachel Nelson (director, drama content, CanWest Global), Adam Shaheen (Cuppa Coffee Animation) and moderator Alan Gregg (Brown Bag Films) looked at new properties, broadcast platforms, audience expectations and more.

"There was The Simpsons, then there were South Park and Family Guy," comments Hornburg. "With the advent of Adult Swim, it was established that there is a platform and an audience for adult animation."

All speakers were working on projects with adult market appeal. Gregg of Brown Bag screened a segment of Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty, an animated scary tale. Diamond noted that Smiley Guy has been offering Odd Job Jack, which started as an Internet show and follows the misadventures of a weird temp worker, since 1997. Cuppa Coffee has brewed up Life's A Zoo, a new stop-motion series that features rude animals in the world of indie rock videos, airing on Teletoon Detour. The Dating Guy, a half-hour, 13-episode series from marblemedia and Blueprint Ent., is scheduled to air in March 2009 on Teletoon. Breakthrough Animation received an order from CanWest Media to create 13 half-hour episodes of Producing Parker, a show about an overworked and underpaid TV producer that stars Kim Cattrall, for Tvtropolis, set to debut in fall 2009. Burns, of Leap2ns Inc., notes that her company has been working with producer Dave Thomas on The Animated Adventures of Bob and Doug McKenzie, based on the famed SCTV hoser duo. That launch is planned for January 2009.

The panel discussed series like Family Guy, which was "cancelled and then uncancelled" due to successful DVD sales. "The good thing about DVDs is that they generate buzz, reaching people even if they haven't seen the show," said Betts. "But it's usually really just icing on the cake. The general rule of thumb is that the broadcaster wants two seasons, and if the audience is growing by season three, it works." Adult target tip: Look at an overall strategy for the show. Consider support using an aggressive Web portal with original content to create viral marketing opportunities. However, maintain the TV show as the bread and butter.

Launching Into Online Space
The World Wide Web was discussed on many panels and on many levels -- from young artists getting their work out, to established broadcasters finding new delivery opportunities. One TAC panel featured speakers Mark Bishop (marblemedia), Jason Chaney (Corus Television Interactive), J.J. Sedelmaier (JJ Sedelmaier Prods. Inc.), Dan Meth (writer/director/animator, Frederator) and moderator Dan Sarto (AWN), who discussed how to harness its potential as a revenue-generating and artistic broadcast tool.