Former Nickelodeon Movies exec Michael Sammaciccia has set up a new LA-based creative talent collective called The Kids’ Table to help brands pull up a chair and connect with families. 

Not a consultancy, the company has all the functionality of a production studio. And the plan is to make original kids content plus work with IP owners interested in expanding their reach and revenue through series, films and digital shorts for younger audiences. The Kids’ Table has enough pedigree to do that, says Sammaciccia. 

With experience spanning all forms of content, the company’s leadership team includes Chris Viscardi, former head of Nickelodeon Animation (The Plankton Movie); Nikki Reed, an executive producer who worked on the Descendants films; former Nick/Apple TV+ creative exec Angela Silak Vargas (Slumberkins); and Brent Coble, a digital content specialist who has worked with brands including the NFL and Hulu on their digital strategies. 

As for Sammaciccia, he served as SVP of original movies and live-action series at Nickelodeon for 12 years and has EP credits on films such as Legends of the Hidden Temple and Bixler High Private Eye. And before that, he created, wrote, produced and directed several indie kids films in a series called Always Will, a project that fast-tracked his development of hands-on movie-making expertise. 

It’s no secret that broadcasters, streamers and other major media companies are cutting back on financing kids content, says Sammaciccia. The point of The Kids’ Table is to address the consequences of this—creatives not having a place to tell stories, and brands needing to be sure their spend on kids content leads to strong ROI. 

“We are experts in our fields who know the space, how to build trust with audiences, and how to create great characters that lead to brand loyalty,” he adds. “The headline is, let’s get back to work.” 

Pictured from left to right: Michael Sammaciccia, Nikki Reed, Brent Coble, Angela Silak Vargas and Chris Viscardi. Image courtesy of Michael Gauthier.