The Rapido series showcases a rat, who performs impossible stunts on his supersonic ratboard, and lives aboard an impounded ship containing smuggled cheese. © 2001 Xilam.

Closer to home, changes are expected (and eagerly) in the French domestic market. A law is about to change in favour of the producers and du Pontavice couldn't be happier. Although the precise details of the law have yet to be made known, the basis of it is a fairer deal for producers. It will mean the broadcaster has no share in a show, but rather will pay a license fee to independent producers. It will strengthen the position of producers by ending the unlimited runs and unlimited license periods that some French broadcasters have enjoyed at the producer's expense.

Asked about toy driven properties, du Pontavice says the days of the completely toy-driven programs are over. Merchandising is a law unto itself though. "I've learnt to understand that you can't predict merchandising. You should be ready for it when it happens. People should get organized to take advantage, but should not write it into the business plan."

Stupid Invaders is Xilam's flagship game based on the wacky TV series Home To Rent or Space Goofs. © 2001 Xilam.

The Other Promising Avenues
He's going large on games, the second part of his strategy for the company. Stupid Invaders is Xilam's flagship game based on the wacky TV series Home To Rent or Space Goofs, depending on which side of the pond you live. The experience of transferring a successful TV show into a game format has been a learning curve for the Xilam team. It's a rich man's game. "The economic model for games is very different. You have to bear the burden of the development costs," he says. Investors won't commit to something on paper, so the producer has to bear those costs, which could be as much as $500,000. Once the development is in place, the next stage is to find a distributor. It's an economic model that's much closer to the cinema business, explains du Pontavice. "A strong upside but also a chance of falling back." But he's bullish about Xilam's chances in the sector. Stupid Invaders has just had a U.S. release for PC. A Dreamcast version will be out in May and the Play Station 2 in October/November this year. The game has 75 minutes of full 3D cinematic footage and some new characters.

Oggymotchi is a game similar to Tamagotchi, but based on the character Oggy from Oggy and the Cockroaches. © 2001 Xilam.

Since you can't talk about animation these days without mentioning the "W" word, what are Xilam's plans for the Web? Xilam now has 8 people working full out on Web activities. He hopes to have 25-30 different programs out by the end of the year. "They're not expensive to make, between $10,000 - $50,000 each, but they add up." Super RTL has already bought four Xilam Web games. du Pontavice is most proud of Oggymotchi -- it's like a Tamagotchi but based on the character Oggy from Oggy and the Cockroaches.

Cartouche, Prince of the Streets, another Xilam series distributed by IGEL Media. © 2001 Xilam.

Having got the TV business and the interactive business ticking along nicely, du Pontavice now has the third part of his strategy in his sights -- the film industry. The time is right, he says. "There's definitely a growing demand for looking to non-American animated movies but few studios are able to deliver, and that's what's holding things back. Very few animation studios are ready to make that move." He continues: "It requires a very significant and complex move towards talent. Producing a feature film is a very different model than TV. We need to meet the demand. Otherwise the audience will be disappointed." So Xilam is forging ahead with its movie plans then? "Of course, yeah, big time," says du Pontavice.

Marie Beardmore is a U.K.-based freelance writer who specializes in writing and consulting in the animation industry. She has just written a report on the global animation business for Channel 21 magazine.