For topics and session ideas for this summer’s CMC.

Send your ideas to greg@thechildrensmediaconference.com

The CMC Advisory Committee is currently hard at work looking at theme and content.  They come up with the ideas for sessions, workshops and masterclasses, but so do you.  What makes the Conference unique is the fact that the content comes directly from the interests of people “on the ground” in all parts of the kids media industries.  If you have a topic you feel should be covered, describe it in a paragraph or two and send it to Greg.

And for volunteer session-producers for this summer’s CMC.

If you feel you’d like to be involved send along a CV to:greg@thechildrensmediaconference.com.

Session producers are the people who pull together the ideas, formats, speakers and editorial focus for each session at the CMC, and they drive the hour or 90 minutes through to completion at the event.  

You can offer a session idea, or you can simply volunteer your expertise and time to produce a session from the range of ideas on offer.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, last year’s session producers came together to let us know how the CMC went from their point of view.  They were unanimous on two points: session producing takes time and dedication; but it’s enormously satisfying to produce something which informs and enlightens the industry – and the networking is good too!

There are still a few places left on the UK@Kidscreen Delegation to the Kidscreen Summit in New York (Feb 7-10, 2012).

But you need to hurry - by registering with us by this Friday 9 December you will get the additional benefit of being listed in the delegation advertisement in Kidscreen Magazine.  

Register at: http://kidscreen2012fullfee.eventbrite.co.uk/ to join the official UK delegation for £975+VAT.  

Kidscreen ticket price alone is now £1020 and rising.  As a member of the delegation you get the Kidscreen ticket plus a set of added benefits - so with all the extras this is a great deal!

If you’re a first-timer this is the best way to navigate Kidscreen - with personal support all the way.  If you’re a regular, the general delegation benefits provide huge advantages.  You get access to meeting tables in the busy delegate lounge, a Breakfast Briefing with market specialists from the USA, and an Evening Reception, with invitees including commissioners, buyers, interactive commissioners and key producers from North America and other territories.  

The Reception gives you easy access to key players, in the exclusive setting of the Consul’s Residence, overlooking the Manhattan skyline.  (It’s where the Queen stays….)

All this and personal advice and support during the event from representatives of UKTI New York, the CMC and our organisational partner, The Creative Garden.

It’s got to be the best bargain on Broadway this winter!

PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL 2012

1 – 6 June in Munich, Germany

Enter Your Best Children’s and Youth TV Programmes!

Deadline coming up soon: 12 December 2011

The world’s leading festival for children’s and youth television invites you to enter your best productions! Broadcasters as well as production companies are eligible to enter programmes into the competition.

2012 Festival Theme:  Watch Learn and Grow with Children’s TV

Children are learning all the time – and constantly when watching TV! What does that mean for quality in children’s TV, and how can we support children in their curiousity on life? Learn more on this topic at the upcoming PRIX JEUNESSE INTERNATIONAL, via info sessions and guessing games.

Entries do not have to be connected to the festival theme!

Please check our website for contest rules and registration forms:

www.prixjeunesse.de 

See you in Munich!

The Peabodys are prestigious US-based awards for news, documentary etc. They recognise distinguished achievement and public service by television and radio stations, broadcast and cable networks, producing organisations, individuals and the Internet. They have children’s (2 - 11) and youth (12 - 17) categories.  TV, radio and interactive are eligible, and broadcasters or producers can submit entries.  Deadline for entries for programmes/projects in the last calendar year, is13th January.  

For more inf and the entry form: http://www.peabody.uga.edu/entries/important_dates.php

CMC has negotiated a discount for London Screenwriters’ Festival http://bit.ly/d4R5S7 Oct 28-30.  It’s £66 off the £300 price.  Disney and Pixar writer David Reynolds, whose credits include Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3 and The Emperor’s New Groove is going to be running a session or two.  To secure the discount contact Janice at groupsales@londonswf.com and quote CMC11 as your discount code.  

blogged by Delyth Thomas.

Friday morning and there are some fairy bleary eyed delegates hitting the caffeine in the Showroom café, but by 9.30am the cinema is filling up and there’s a gentle buzz about this session, and a very strict, highly entertaining floor manager ensuring the panel stick to their allotted time slots…

There’s a significant expansion of children’s channels across the Arab world, and therefore a need  for a huge amount of content. Some of this is home grown, some co-pros and others from international companies making material in Arabic. The first speaker Dr Naif Al-Mutawa (speaking on video) and creator of “The 99” – an animated series about superheroes drawn from Islamic culture.

He articulated his belief that with no licensing laws and little funding, to create  a viable marketable Arabic product, it’s better ‘go into the Arab world and pull out global issues - i.e. to be international.’

However Firdaus Kharas, exec producer on Al Jazeera’s first ever home-grown pre-school animation - versioned in 90 languages , sold to150 countries, with 1 billion viewers - disproves Dr Al-Mutawa’s theory somewhat. Likewise the Jordanian Dana Production company is making hugely successful content for Arabic channels.

The two British exports, both preschool animations, approach their co-pros slightly differently. Nia Ceidiog, creator of Baas (a family of animated sheep), the second series of which was commissioned by Al Jazeera and S4C , made the series in Wales, whereas Theresa Reed of 3 Line Media, did the re-versioning of Driver Dan Story Train In Abu Dhabi – using local talent, and local kids for the live action element of the programme. Some of the animation needed re-versioning  to account both for physical cultural differences, right to left page turns for example, and general cultural differences – probably adding another 10% to the budget. 

When working in Arabic there’s also the linguistic issue to consider given it’s a hugely diverse market. Al Jazeera uses a classical Arabic that’s not always understood by pre-schoolers who mainly speak in their own dialect. Imagine Shakespeare reading Jackanory to a 3 year old….!

Howard Myers uses linguistic differences to great advantage in his adventure reality show ‘Power Struggle’ – made and shot entirely in Arabic for the Arabic market. Kids come  from all over the Arab world to be on the show, speaking in their own dialects and having to learn to understand each other - the presenter speaks in classical Arabic.

Whichever way you look at this though, universally kids are kids no matter what language or culture.

Can you imagine the future of learning?  http://innov8.pearson.com.

Innov8 is an open innovation competition, sponsored by Pearson, for learners, educators, games and app developers, innovators and anyone with a vision for how technology can open up new opportunities for learning.  if you have a great idea for a learning application and want to win up to £6,000 to see your idea come alive then innov8 is for you.

Register to receive the info pack at http://innov8.pearson.com

Production company, Pulse Films are running a talent search competition for student film-makers http://bit.ly/pBsfnw 

If you’re a student in Film Making or Animation and either coming up to the final year of a B.A. or diploma, or a postgraduate student, they want to hear from you. They’re particularly keen to hear from film makers with a great sense of how to use music with moving images.

Deadline is 12th August - so get moving!  All the info is at: http://bit.ly/pBsfnw 

Sanjay d’Humières chokes back a tear in the final moments of CMC 2011.

The Conference wrap was the time where all good things had to come to an end. Anna Home, Chair of the Conference, took the opportunity to say a few words and extend her thanks to all those who made this year’s Children’s Media Conference possible.

There was however, one final piece of good news with the announcement by Anna that the lobby group Save Kids’ TV (created at the Showcomotion children’s media conference 5 years ago) had been given a new lease of life by merging with the Children’s Film and Television Foundation to create a new entity to be called The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF). Not only will CMF carry on its lobbying work in the field of television but will now have a view on all media used by children, and all the issues surrounding that media.

The new organisation will act as a focus for advocacy around children;s media issues, will monitor the quality of content, help to stimulate, and disseminate academic research, and offer the press, public and politicians a measured view of children’s media rather than the sensationalist view so often reported now.  It will also act as Secretariat to the recently formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Children’s Media and the Arts, bringing information and insight on kids and media into the heart of the legislature.  And finally Anna said that the Foundation is now looking for supporters and patrons.

The founding members of the new Children’s Media Foundation board will be Anne Home who will be the Chair, Greg Childs, CMC Editorial Director, Linda James outgoing CFTF Chair, and Nigel Pickard a member of the SKTV Executive.

Finally, the CMC’s volunteering team presented their short film capturing some of the key moments of the last three days and “thinking differently” from several delegates.

Anna closed the Conference with the hope that everyone would return next year for more insights, debate and collaborative learning.

3rd Aug. Evening event.  Interactive aspirants should get over to Bridge House at Media City Salford to meet CBBC and CBeebies Interactive managers and discover the opportunities of working there.

BBC hiring managers are holding an Open Evening for interested and experienced interactive people at ALL levels.

1830 - 2030 3rd August, BBC Bridge House, Media City Salford. 

For more information download the BBC PDF