Simon Ashdown
Making Integrated Magic
NEWSMemo to the gaming industry: Hollywood no longer sees you as a bunch of pasty, bespectacled nerds clicking away in obscurity. And the driving force behind this newfound respect – transforming video games from a mere ancillary prospect into an ‘it’ category in the eyes of the studios – has everything to do with the ka-ching of the cash register.
Making integrated magic
NEWSMemo to the gaming industry: Hollywood no longer sees you as a bunch of pasty, bespectacled nerds clicking away in obscurity. And the driving force behind this newfound respect – transforming video games from a mere ancillary prospect into an ‘it’ category in the eyes of the studios – has everything to do with the ka-ching of the cash register.
LIMA reports small gains for Euro licensing biz
NEWSWhile it’s premature to say that Europe’s licensing industry has fully bounced back from the crash it experienced in 2000 and 2001, there are encouraging signs that a recovery may be on the horizon.
Classic gets religion with Big Idea pick-up
NEWSNew York-based animation studio Classic Media has reached an agreement to purchase beleaguered Christian kidvid producer Big Idea Productions. Under the terms of the deal, which was contingent upon Big Idea filing for bankruptcy protection in late August, Classic will assume ownership of BIP assets including its animation studio in Lombard and its portfolio of intellectual properties.
up Next: What’s developing in kids production
NEWSCinar and WGBH Boston prep Arthur spin-off
Ex-Egmont exec hangs shingle to help producers find funding
NEWSBejuba! may be a made-up word that Tatiana Kober’s nine-year-old niece yells when she’s cheering on her favorite NHL hockey team, but as the name of her new company, Kober also hopes it’s one that producers and broadcasters will quickly come to associate with high-quality children’s TV.
Got it, Need it: Disney UK grows new local roots
NEWSFor Disney UK these days, home is where the ratings are – or so it hopes. In a bid to grow the audience base for its three U.K. nets (Toon Disney, Disney Channel and Playhouse Disney), the company is boosting its commitment to local content. ‘We’ve got some fantastic U.S. shows, but to appeal to the U.K. market, we’ve found that you have to complement them with indigenous programming,’ says Disney UK director of programming and commissions James Neal.
Toy developers get set to strut their stuff at Toy & Game Inventors Forum
NEWSWhat do Furby, Trivial Pursuit and Cabbage Patch Kids have in common? Well, besides being some of the last century’s biggest toy hits, they were all conceived by independent inventors, who are still responsible for many of today’s toy innovations. And that’s why R&D execs from bigwig toycos including Hasbro, Fisher-Price, Spin Master, Ravensburger and MGA Entertainment are making the trek to Las Vegas this month for the seventh annual Toy & Game Inventors Forum.
The definitive kids ent resource.Photos
Kidscreen Summit 2010 -