Nickelodeon is once again on the hunt for new creative talent and is calling for global submissions for its annual Animated Shorts Program. This year marks the third installment of the program, which is designed to identify and develop new animation talent and provide new content for kids.

The network will choose a minimum of 10 pitches to be developed into shorts that will appear on air, on www.nick.com and on the Nick App. These shorts also have the potential of becoming long-form animated series on Nickelodeon.

The deadline for submissions is March 14, 2014.  Ideas will be accepted from a pool of creative talent including artists, designers, writers, directors and comedians.  Creators will be provided with the necessary artistic and production support teams to help them complete their fully animated short. Content must be original, humor-based and character-driven.  All animation styles are encouraged from 2D, digital 2D, stop motion, CG or mixed media.

Last year’s program, which was eventually expanded due to higher demand, resulted in 1,000 pitches worldwide. From the pitches received, 10 domestic and seven international pitches were chosen to be developed into animated shorts that will air throughout 2014.

Gary “Doodles” Di Raffaele (MAD, Metalocyalpse), discovered through Nickelodeon’s inaugural Animated Shorts Program back in 2012, is one of the creators and executive producers of Nickelodeon’s upcoming animated series Breadwinners.