04/07/14: Theyyyyyy’re back: Warner Bros. Animation’s Jay Bastian on bringing back a classic to Cartoon Net



CYNOPSISKIDS!
04.07.14

Good morning. It’s Monday, April 7, 2014, and this is your first early morning briefing.

TODAY’S TOP NEWS

Bring on the slapstick. Again. Cartoon Network is gearing up to debut The Tom and Jerry Show on Wednesday, and I got the inside scoop from Warner Bros. Animation’s Jay Bastian, the creative exec in charge of the series.
        
Will you be revisiting any classic episodes?
Most of the shorts are perfect as they are. If we tried to recreate them, it wouldn’t seem as good. So we stay close to their classic dynamic so the show will be as evergreen as the shorts have always been. We’ve been tapping into recurring scenarios. We always point out Tom doesn’t actually want to eat Jerry. He may knock him over the head a few times, but they aren’t trying to kill each other. They’re to one-up each other. It’s more about sibling rivalry.

Do Tom and Jerry still look the same?
The look and feel is a very Hanna Barbera-MGM 1950s, but at the same time the way we’re approaching them does look a little flatter and more modern.

Toughest thing about bringing back a classic?
The biggest challenge we have is we are telling 11-minute stories, whereas the classic shorts are only 7 minutes. So the stories now are a little more involved. And there’s been a learning curve to figure out the best way to tell 11-minute stories with two main characters that don’t talk. That gets fleshed out into scripts; we have to write scripts for them even though Tom and Jerry don’t talk. We have one character in every short that does talk. Someone needs to talk to move the story along.

What’s your favorite T and J episode?
One of my favorites is when Spike has a birthday party for Tike, and Tom and Jerry come along and mess everything up…. Cartoon Network always says, Complex characters in simple situations. That’s where Tom and Jerry really shine. On the surface it feels like they are just doing ridiculous things, but they really are smart, developed, interesting characters. Put them into a simple situation, and see them thrive. I’m always impressed that writers and directors can still make Tom and Jerry running around a house feel new and fresh. Sometimes it’s just lightening in a bottle.


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Tomorrow…

Creating the Perfect Media Pitch: The New Secrets of Selling Content to Advertisers Webinar
April 8, 2014 | 1:30-3 p.m. ET | Register Now

Speakers Include:
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Jon SteinlaufEVP, Ad Sales and Marketing  (Scripps)
Linda OngPresident and Brand Strategist (TruthCo.)
Tom TalbertGroup Director, Media Services (Lowe Campbell Ewald)


PRODUCTION NOTES

HIT Entertainment is at work on a new season of Bob the Builder that will include "a new contemporary, dynamic look and feel, with new characters and locations," according to a company rep. The series, due to be delivered in late 2015, is being produced out of HIT’s U.K. headquarters with animation services provided by Canadian-based digital animation company Mainframe, a division of Rainmaker Entertainment.

Glee’s star Lea Michele and child actor Rohan Chand (Bad Words) will voice lead characters in DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming musical movie Bollywood Superstar Monkey. According to The Wrap, Enchanted filmmaker Kevin Lima signed on in July 2011 to direct from a script by Gurinder Chadha and Paul Berges. The film is loosely based on an Indian tale about a man whose wife is kidnapped by a demon king.

PROGRAMMING PICKS

China Anne McClain of Disney Channel’s A.N.T. Farm is one of five celebs who will compete on ABC’s new summer series Sing Your Face Off. The show debuts with back-to-back episodes Saturday, May 31, from 9-11p. The talent competition features celebrities who are transformed and trained to perform as a legendary musical icon. Joining McClain are rocker Sebastian Bach, from the band Skid Row, Landry Fields of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, and actors Jon Lovitz and Lisa Rinna. The celebs could find themselves transformed into someone far older, younger or even someone of the opposite sex. Each show will feature the complete transformation to musical performers including Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and Pavarotti. John Barrowman (Arrow, Torchwood) host. Debbie Gibson and Darrell Hammond are the primary judges.

MORE KIDS NEWS

There’s a Mau5 in the house. Disney is investigating the trademark registration that DJ Deadmau5, aka Joel Zimmerman, filed recently with the U.S. Trademark office to secure claim on his oversized mouse head. According to Billboard, Disney asked for and was granted 90 days to investigate Deadmau5’s claim. If the company chooses to, it can file a notice of opposition for infringement over its own trademarked oversized smile and ears belonging to Mickey.

Don’t Miss Out… The Cynopsis Kids !magination + People Awards returns June 11, 8-10a at the Yale Club in NY. Hosted by Inside Edition’s Megan Alexander, the Awards honor the best children’s and family multiplatform programming and marketing, plus the outstanding execs in kids entertainment. This year, we will also be honoring an elite group of Animation Innovators, who will share insights on a special panel. Join us!

INTERNATIONAL

Saban Brands signed a new broadcast distribution agreement for its preschool series Julius Jr. to air on Disney Junior in Italy. The series, inspired by the creative spirit and characters of Paul Frank, will premiere this spring.The deal will also expand to additional countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the near future. MarVista Entertainment, the series’ exclusive international television distributor, negotiated the agreement in partnership.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Beyond Distribution appointed Sam Partner as VP Sales, German-speaking Europe, Scandinavia & Benelux. He previously was Head of Sales of Indigo Film & Television, overseeing the global sales of all finished programs.

BY THE NUMBERS

Weekend box office estimates for the 10 top-grossing kids/tween/teen movies rated G, PG or PG-13, provided by Rentrak for April 4-6, 2014:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
(Disney) PG-13 $96.20 million (weekend) $96.20 million (1-week cume)
Noah (Paramount) PG-13 $17 million (weekend) $72.34 million (2-week cume)
Divergent (Lionsgate) PG-13 $13 million (weekend) $114.02 million (3-week cume)
God’s Not Dead  (Pure Flix) PG-13 $7.73 million (weekend) $32.52 (3-week cume)
Muppets (Disney) PG $6.29 million (weekend) $42.14 million (3-week cume)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (20th Century Fox) PG $5.0 million (weekend) $102.20 million (5-week cume)
Need For Speed (Disney) PG-13 $1.84 million (weekend) $40.84 million (4-week cume)
LEGO Movie (Warner Bros.) PG-13 $1.40 million (weekend) $250.60 million (9-week cume)
Cesar Chavez (Lionsgate) PG-13 $975,000 (weekend) $4.61 million (2-week cume)
Frozen (Disney) PG $373,000 million (weekend)  $398.92 million (20-week cume)


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TRIVIA

Answer to yesterday’s Trivia Question: What is the name of The Chief’s assistant in Get Smart? LARRABEE Kudos to: Bob Eisenstaedt, Granite Springs Productions, NY; John May, Cartoon Network, Atlanta; Michael Ritz, BucStar Consulting, NY; Barry Solomon, Retailability Inc., NY; Brad Stern, Bellavia Blatt, Mineola, NY; William "Chip" Beaman, Formosa Interactive, West Hollywood, CA; Richard Quan, BSSP, SF.

Today’s Trivia Question: What’s the name of the town where the Ingalls family lived in Little House on the Prairie? (Email cathy@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone.)


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Cynopsis Kids!
04.07.14

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