I am finally seeing the light from attending a very busy KidScreen Summit. KidScreen Summit is building to be the next MIP Jr. or a mini MIPCOM just for kid’s entertainment.
KidScreen tries to embrace all of children’s entertainment and licensing, but it still is focused, like MIP Jr., on television.
Like past KidScreen Summit’s this year was an accurate indicator of the economy. At the 2009 event, I asked an almost rhetorical question for everyone, “We are a creative industry and in this room there is more creative power then in the whole world. We need to figure out a way to keep this industry going during this economic downturn.” When I would start getting a response, I said, “Please ask this question of the next person you meet.” I figured if we could all be thinking about a solution simultaneously we might just come up with one.
Two years later, the atmosphere in the Delegates Lounge, or what I lovingly refer to as the “mosh pit,” was a lot more positive. There were new ideas being presented and actual deals being done, or at least firm promises for a deal.
Now that sunlight is being cast on my KidScreen notebook I am assessing the results. I must say it was a more positive event then in the past. One major player asked me for production bids for a television series. Another company asked for a client to quote on a style of animation for a DVD feature. That same company asked if my tech client could come up with a solution for their social networking site.
On top of all of this, a content creator I was accompanying had a great deal of interest in two of his properties from Spanish television distributors, among others. And the meetings were also positive about this studio’s ability to create visual development for shows. The cherry on top was I brought back some new business for me. In four days with 45 + meetings I had more positive results than in 60 + meetings at MIPCOM in October.
Was this positive reaction the indicator that the economy is loosening up? It sure looks like it. But the question is still on the table, “Where is the money?”