Mind Your Business: What to Bring on a Pitch for an Animated Show
In this month's column, Mark Simon reveals some essential tips for pitching that you may have overlooked or may not be aware of if you're new to the industry.
Tagged With: Show
Fox Orders Full Season of Cleveland Show, Moves Debut To Fall 2009
FOX has ordered an additional nine episodes of THE CLEVELAND SHOW, the FAMILY GUY spin-off, bringing the series to a full season order. Additionally, Arianna Huffington has been tapped for a recurring role and joins previously announced series regulars Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Kevin Michael Richardson, Mike Henry and Seth MacFarlane.
"FOX picking up nine more episodes of our show is proof that an African-American can make it in this country," said Cleveland Brown. "This is a milestone for the United States of America."
CW Drops Graysons Idea
The CW and Warner Bros. TV have dropped the idea to do THE GRAYSONS, an origins story on Batman sidekick Robin, per VARIETY.
News came out in early October that the DC Comics character was to be given a SMALLVILLE-like treatment, but Warner Bros. Pictures Group President Jeff Robinov changed his mind and pulled the plug on the project.
THE GRAYSONS was to have followed a teenage Dick "DJ" Grayson before he took up the Robin crime fighting identity. "Warner Bros. TV never had 100 percent clearance," said one exec familiar with the situation to VARIETY.
Slangman's World Teaches The World To Speak in Tongues
Animated TV series SLANGMAN'S WORLD, from Veritas Studios, is set to air on American Forces Network (AFN) this winter in 175 countries. This will be one of AFN's first original children's programs in its 66-year history.
Royale Brands Comedy Central's Indecision '08
Royale, the year-old creative design/production studio led by Creative Directors Jayson Whitmore and Brien Holman, and Exec Producer Jennifer Lucero, got in on the joke with Comedy Central -- creating the entire branding for the network's "Indecision 2008" political coverage, as well as a hilarious segment of THE DAILY SHOW in which host Jon Stewart introduces the Royale created look. ''This year you won't have settle for their over-promising graphics and underperforming anchors,'' Stewart says before counting down the launch, ''This year you can settle for ours."
Fox Cancels King Of the Hill, Inks New Deal With American Dad Creators
FOX's veteran animated comedy KING OF THE HILL will not continue beyond this, its 13th season, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The 20th Century Fox TV-produced show is wrapping production on 13 episodes that Fox picked up in April. Creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge have long since moved on to other projects: Daniels developed and is the show runner on NBC comedy THE OFFICE and Judge's new animated series THE GOODE FAMILY, will premiere on ABC this winter.
Your Father's Batman
Producer James Tucker talks about the new animated series Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which features a Caped Crusader from the Silver Age of comics.
Novel's Horrid Henry Secures New Sales
U.K.-based independent producer Novel Ent. and distribution partner Little Bird Rights have secured more international sales deals for animated property HORRID HENRY in the run up to MIPCOM 2008.
Little Bird has worldwide television rights to the show outside the U.K. and Germany and has recently secured broadcast deals for the first season of 52x11 with MNet in South Africa, RTP Portugal, Digiturk in Turkey and SVT Sweden. A deal has also been secured with Polish production company Op Art.
CITV And ITV1 UK Pick Up TV-Loonland's animated show Pat&Stan
TV-Loonland has licensed its multi-formatted animated property PAT&STAN to British children's channel CITV.
Selected shorts have also been licensed to ITV1. CITV, owned by U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV, has acquired UK broadcast and online rights for the whole available set of formats; 350 shorts, a half-hour "Treasure Hunt" special as well the brand new 39x7 season set for delivery in spring 2009. The short formats will be premiering on CITV's website very soon as a lead up to the TV launch scheduled for this Christmas.
ELEVATE Film Festival
Begins: October 5, 2008
Sunday October 5th 2pm Doors open 3pm Showtime
Nokia Theatre LA Live 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Located across the street from STAPLES Center
ELEVATE FILM FESTIVAL 5 ALL TRIBES UNITE! AT NOKIA THEATRE LA LIVE “The World's Most Transformational Cinematic Experience” A show so priceless it's FREE!
ELEVATE Film Festival
Begins: October 5, 2008
Sunday October 5th 2pm Doors open 3pm Showtime
Nokia Theatre LA Live 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Located across the street from STAPLES Center
ELEVATE FILM FESTIVAL 5 ALL TRIBES UNITE! AT NOKIA THEATRE LA LIVE “The World's Most Transformational Cinematic Experience” A show so priceless it's FREE!
Robin Gets Smallville Treatment With The Graysons
The CW network has greenlit a pilot based on Batman sidekick Robin's early days, called THE GREYSONS, per VARIETY. Clark Kent's pre-Superman days have been explored for the past eight years on SMALLVILLE, and the Robin-centered project could replace it eventually.
SMALLVILLE exec producers Kelly Souders and Brian Peterson and SUPERNATURAL exec producer McG, under his Wonderland Sound and Vision label are behind THE GRAYSONS. It is also the latest DC Comics franchise turned into a TV show by sibling Warner Bros. TV.
Ottawa: The Long and the Short of It
Janet Hetherington and Jon Hofferman report on the animated workshops, panels and screenings at the 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Television Animation Conference.
Mr. Men Show Gets Second Season
Following the successful premieres earlier this year of THE MR. MEN SHOW on Cartoon Network in the U.S. and Five in the U.K., Chorion's broadcast partners have committed to a second season of the animated sketch show. A further 52x11 minutes are in production for broadcast in 2009, bringing the total number of episodes available to 104.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America
Entertainment Rights Gets Home Video Rights To Frankenstein's Cat In U.K.
Entertainment Rights has secured the U.K. home entertainment rights to FRANKENSTEIN'S CAT. Produced by Mackinnon & Saunders, this (30x11) animated comedy series targets 6-9 year old children.
The show is currently one of the top rated shows on CBBC and follows a unique friendship between a girl, Lottie, who doesn't fit in, and a cat called Nine, whose body parts don't fit together properly. As part of the deal, ER has the option to distribute further series and spinoffs as the show develops.
Mr. Men Go Back To Reading Books
Chorion, Penguin Group (USA) Inc. and Egmont U.K. Ltd have created a comprehensive TV tie-in publishing program to support the new hit television series THE MR. MEN SHOW.
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for Sept. 15, 2008
This week in AWN's Forums, a member wants to discuss Photoshop tutorials and a new animator is getting some help in getting started in Minnesota.
In Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Women In Film Chicago Build-A-Skill Workshop: Using Humor to Your Advantage
Begins: September 10, 2008
Representatives from Second City, 24/7 Chicago, the Nude Hippo Show and the "Corporate Jester" will all be on hand to show how comedy and improv can become invaluable tools in your arsenal -- in the workplace and on the stage. Speakers include Anne Libera, Executive Artistic Director of Second City Training Centers & Education Programs, Jeff Rogers, owner of ZAP Creative Inc., Catie Keogh, host and executive producer of 24/7 Chicago, and Mariana Perin, Producer of The Nude Hippo Show.
DATE: Wednesday, September 10TIME: 6:30 p.m.
IFA 2008
Begins: August 29, 2008
IFA is one of the largest consumer electronics trade shows in the world. It combines innovation and the technology of tomorrow with business sales and entertainment. According to published statistics, more than 1,200 companies from 32 countries exhibited at IFA 2007, covering a net space of more than 103,000 square meters. More than 6,600 press attended IFA 2007, including 1,371 international journalists from 62 countries. Sales at the 2007 show totaled 2.75 billion Euros. The number of trade visitors attending the show in 2007 jumped 7.5% to 101,358.
Sell Your Show From Anywhere - FREE Teleseminar/Webinar
Begins: August 21, 2008
Join Sell Your TV Concept Now for a FREE telephone seminar/webinar. Thursday, August 21st at 9:00pm Eastern
You can sell your show no matter where you live!
We will interview Claudia Reynolds who lives in Nashville and sold her reality show which premieres this September.
* How to land pitch meetings * What to expect in a pitch meeting * How quickly can you move into production
Presenters:
Mark Simon
Cuppa Coffee Studios Launches Life's A Zoo.tv
Cuppa Coffee's highly touted stop motion comedy, LIFE'S A ZOO.TV is set to launch on TELETOON Canada's Detour Zone on September 1, 2008. Later in the year the SBS Australia premiere of the show is set to air. The show, which features a group of animals fighting for glory in a mansion in Saskatchewan, is aimed at the teens and up crowd and promises to deliver a hilarious new spin on the reality television genre.
Mind Your Business: What's Hot at Comic-Con '08
From the record-breaking lines to the ubiquitous eye candy, Mark Simon offers his take on the Con of Cons.
'Doctor Who' Season Four: More VFX Razzle-Dazzle
Tara Bennett speaks with Dave Houghton about raising the CG bar in the fourth season of Doctor Who.
Massive Software To Host Events During SIGGRAPH
Massive Software, developer of the artificial intelligence-driven animation system Massive, will be in Los Angeles during the SIGGRAPH 2008 conference, showcasing their latest product updates and unique customer projects at special events to be held throughout the show.
In Event, Visual Effects, Event, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
The Animation Show Is Back
The Animation Show is back with an all-new collection of incredible independent animation. This year Mike Judge has gathered together over two dozen of his favorite funny short films from around the world. It's a ground breaking program of eye-popping adult animation from tomorrow's next great animators. This isn’t a dirty “adults only” animation show but the program does skew toward a mature audience with some explicit language and adult subject matter.
