Animation World News - Television
The animated series, Babar is one
of the offerings
available in Nelvana's new Kids Klub international
syndication package. © Nelvana.
Nelvana Creates Kidz Klub. Toronto-based
Nelvana Limited is teaming up with Chicago-based distributor MediaVentures
International to package and distribute The Nelvana Kids Klub, a program
block of Nelvana's animated series. The block will be made available to
international broadcasters on the barter program distribution model which
has become an established way of doing business in the U.S. TV syndication
market. This barter system will offer Nelvana Kidz Klub to select international
territories in blocks of 1-2 hours for daily broadcast, or a 3-4 hour weekend
block, in exchange for advertising time rather than money. Nelvana co-CEO
Michael Hirsch says that this will be an important new distribution channel
for the company, which has 28 animated series to offer. "For many
territories who are actively seeking quality kids programming but cannot
make it work on a cash basis, MediaVentures' advertiser-supported approach
is the answer they've been looking for," said Hirsch.
Hola, Arthur! Cinar Films, the Montreal, Canada-based company which
produces the animated series Arthur with WGBH Boston, has signed
a deal with Mexican TV programmer Inglés Individual Network, to
air the Arthur series as an English teaching aide for Mexican children.
Also included in the deal is Cinar's educational puppet and live-action
series, Wimzie's House. Both shows will be broadcast in English
through MVS Multivision's pay TV service which includes Inglés Individual
Network, a channel dedicated to teaching English. MVS Multivision will
also air both series on their family cable network, ZAZ.
Wolfmill Pockets First WGA Deal. Wolfmill Entertainment, creators of the animated series
Pocket Dragon Adventures, has signed a deal with Bohbot Entertainment
for 52 episodes of the show. This is the first collective bargaining agreement
negotiated by the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) specifically for animation
writers, since the 1994 formation of The Animation Writer's Caucus, a division
of WGA West, which now boasts over 250 members. The agreement covers all
writing services on the series and provides for minimum compensation, reuse
fees, credits, grievance and arbitration, and pension and health fund contributions.
"Animation writers have been struggling for this for a long time,"
said Craig Miller, who is a partner in Wolfmill Entertainment with Marv
Wolfman. Pocket Dragon Adventures will debut in Fall 1998 through
the syndicated program block, Bohbot Kids Network. The property is based
on the artwork of Real Musgrave, and is being animated by DIC Entertainment
in Burbank, California. Wolfmill also recently acquired the rights to develop
ElfQuest, an independently published comic book, for animation projects.
Dope Sheet Premieres On Ch. 4. Channel 4 in the U.K. premiered
a new series in November, exploring the art of animation with interviews,
profiles, and animated films. Dope Sheet, named after the animation
timing device, is hosted by a digitally created character named Eric, described
as a cross between Franz Kafka and Dean Martin. Each episode of the five
part series will feature a different title sequence created by a young
student director. The first episode, which premiered on November 7, includes
interviews with Candy Guard, John Callahan and Alison De Vere, as well
as an exploration of animation on the Internet, including a look at Spumco's
new web cartoons, and yours truly, Animation World Network. The second
episode delves into "adult animation" with Corky Quackenbush
and Bill Plympton, as well as British animators Stuart Hilton, Sarah Cox
and Phil Mulloy. Each program is followed by a selection of films highlighted
in the show.
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