A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM THE CYNOPSIS FOUNDATION, INC.

Cynopsis: Kids!

10/04/07

Good morning. It’s Thursday, October 4, 2007, and this is your first early morning briefing. 

Wallace and Gromit, I could stop right there I know, but I won’t.  Wallace and Gromit will make their way back to TV, with the help of creator Nick Park and Aardman International, in a special titled, Trouble At’ Mill (30 min).  Aardman International will be showcase Trouble At’ Mill at MIPCOM, where they’ll be looking to ink pre-sales for the special.  This time around the stop-motion placsticine duo has opened a bakery in their home, 62 West Wallaby street, and … well … the gadgets and mystery abound.  Park re-teams with writer Bob Baker (co-writer The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave) for Trouble At’ Mill, which is slated to begin shooting this January at Aardman Studios, and will debut on BBC One in fall/holiday 2008.  A short film about the TV special is currently being featured at www.wallaceandgromit.com .

Transformers 2 may have found its screenwriters.  Talks are currently under way with screenwriter Ehren Kruger and the writing duo Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci to pen the screenplay for DreamWorks and Paramount’s sequel Transformers 2, per The Hollywood Reporter.  Those returning for the second movie include, of course, Director Michael Bay and actor Shia LaBeouf, as well as producers Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Don Murphy, oh and that Steven Spielberg guy.

CCI Entertainment, the Canadian animation studio, and Blink Studios, a Dubai-based digital animation studio, are partnering to develop, produce and sell international entertainment content.  First up for CCI and Blink is Tooterville (working title), a preschool CG animated series that will be previewed this weekend at MIPCOM Junior.  The CCI and Blink deal was orchestrated by noted US animation and kid’s TV executives, Terry Kalagian and Christopher Keenan, who have been independently consulting for Blink Studios, and will serve as executive produce Tooterville for the company.

MORE KIDS STUFF

The new trailer for New Line Cinema’s upcoming movie The Golden Compass will debut on October 9, in New York City at the official annual opening of Rockefeller Center’s skating rink.  There will be big screens and actor Sam Elliott will host the evening and a countdown to the premiere of the trailer at 8:30p.  The trailer will simultaneously debut on Yahoo.com

Canada’s YTV has ordered 26×22 of Studio B Productions‘ Kid vs. Kat for a fall 2008 debut. The comedy series, targeted to K6-11, is about the exaggerated conflict between a bad cat and the 10-year old boy he dislikes.

AOL RED, the youth lifestyle service has brought back the online reality series Project: Freshman for a thirteen-week second season. The streamed show, which partners with the University of Hawaii, airs each Wednesday and features three current freshmen as they use video cameras to chronicle their personal experiences on campus. The students also post comments on their own RED blogs. The series is sponsored by AT&T.

MARKETING/LICENSING

HarperCollins Children’s Books and Fisher-Price have inked a new five-year partnership under which they will publish a new line of books for infants and toddlers.  Launching January 2008, the deal will include 50 books based on the popular Laugh, Smile & Learn and Animals of the Rainforest Fisher-Price brands in a range of formats (e.g. board books, lift the flap books, wheel reveal books, touch and feel books etc).

Educational Adventures, the multi-media edutainment company, has completed a licensing deal with The Music Department, a music production company. Under the deal The Music Department will have exclusive rights to market and digitally distribute music from Educational Adventures’ kid safety TV series, Danger Rangers.  The series currently airs on public television, the American Forces Network and leading VOD systems.

Decode Entertainment has inked new licensing deals for the preschool property Franny’s Feet, including home entertainment deals with Allumination Filmworks for the US and Mediaway in Poland.  Internationally, Decode has signed on new licensing sub-agents through its representative The Sharpe Company: Rocket Licensing (UK); Copyright Promotions (CPLG) (France and Italy); Alicom Licensing (Scandinavia); International Merchandising Consultants (IMC) (Argentina); and Asiana Licensing (Korea).  New specific category deals: in the US include Disguise Inc. (Halloween costumes) and Cadaco (crayon/paper arts/cling moulds); and for Argentina and Uruguay IMC has signed deals with Ediciones B (publisher-storybooks/soft cover titles).

Beginning this week American Classic Toys (ACT) will feature a testing sticker on all of its current and future toys in its product line, verifying that their products do not contain lead based paint.  The sticker is bright orange with bold black type that reads “Safety First! No lead-based paint. No paint used. Certified for Child Safety. Independent Laboratory Certificates available on our website.” The products received this classification after undergoing a thorough screening process with SGS, the noted global inspection, verification, testing, and certification laboratory.

STONE SOUP

The mention of math class can still make me break out in hives, don’t test it out on me – it won’t be pretty.  But I do wonder if things would have been different for me had math been presented as something cool to know and use, or maybe if there had just been TV shows like Cyberchase, Number3s, Mythbusters and The Magic School Bus and Square One Television, or a TV star/math genius/author like Danica McKeller (Wonder Years) and her new book Math Doesn’t Suck, or Mathcounts.  Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Mathcounts Foundation is identifying middle school “Mathletes” with the launch of its new Mathcounts Club Program, which aims to encourage and cultivate enthusiasm for math in students, and is free to schools nationwide.  The difference between the regular Mathcounts curriculum and the new Club Program is that the latter is designed to further students’ math interests and abilities for those kids and schools that don’t want to formally participate in the Mathcounts competition. ( www.mathcounts.org)

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Jennifer Davidson is upped to SVP/Programming and Scheduling, Cartoon Network.  Davidson will oversee scheduling and strategic positioning for on-air content for Cartoon Network and boomerang, as well as on-air promotion for Adult Swim.  Additionally, she will manage scheduling of long-range on-air promotional calendar for the three networks.  Most recently, Davidson was VP/Marketing, ad trade, consumer products trade and strategic operations for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.  She has been with Cartoon Network since its launch in 1993, and since then has served in several positions including VP and Executive Producer/On-air Promotion and Operation, and she executive produced the launch of Boomerang.

Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group has tapped Doug Cohn as SVP/Music Marketing and Talent.  Cohn will lead the division’s music business, including promoting new and existing Nick music franchises, and integrating music content into all lines of business.  He will report to CMO, Pam Kaufman, and EVP/Talent and West Coast GM, Paula Kaplan.  Cohn will focus first on the release of The Naked Brothers Band original music soundtrack, on which he is Executive in Charge of Music.  The album is the result of Nickelodeon’s new four-year partnership with Sony Music Label Group.  Moving forward Cohn will oversee product management for releases under the partnership and will take part in developing new music-themed TV series.  Prior to this Cohn spent 13 years with Atlantic Records, most recently as SVP/Video Promotion and Production.  Previously, he was Director/Music and Talent Relations, VH1 (2000-2).

Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising promotes Lora Cohn and Virginia King to VP/US Licensing.  Both are based in LA and report to Michael Peikoff, SVP/Licensing & Merchandising.

• Cohn will now be responsible for building Fox L&M’s hard lines business, including the toys, games, gift/novelty, electronics/sporting goods, and animation art categories across all of Fox’s intellectual properties.  Cohn joined Fox L&M in 1995 as Manager/Toys and Games.  Previously, she toiled in various licensing roles at Mattel and DIC Entertainment.
• King will manage and grow the division’s apparel, accessories social expressions and worldwide publishing across the Fox portfolio.  King joined Fox L&M in 1998 as Director/Worldwide Publishing.  King’s was previously with Disney Licensing Publishing Group, and was Editorial Director for the kid’s book imprint at Turner Publishing.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Friday, September 28, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 953; K6-11 603; TWEENS 9-14 487
NICKELODEON:          K2-11 942; K6-11 402; TWEENS 9-14 298
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 575; K6-11 340; TWEENS 9-14 201
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11 133; K6-11   73; TWEENS 9-14   46
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Saturday, September 29, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1640; K6-11 1214; TWEENS 9-14 1029
NICKELODEON:         K2-11   924; K6-11   525; TWEENS 9-14 370
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   579; K6-11   401; TWEENS 9-14 323
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   252; K6-11   138; TWEENS 9-14   65
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Sunday, September 30, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1522; K6-11 1177; TWEENS 9-14 1072
NICKELODEON:          K2-11 1088; K6-11   659; TWEENS 9-14 540
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   536; K6-11   351; TWEENS 9-14 270
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   211; K6-11   100; TWEENS 9-14   44
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: On the cartoon series The Koala Brothers, what is the name of the mailman and what kind of animal is he?  GEORGE/TURTLE   Kudos to: Kathy May-Fisher-Price, Inc./E. Aurora, NY; Chris O’Reilly-ITN Networks/NY; Rich Ross-Disney Channel/Spain

Today’s Trivia Question: What was the name of the long-running children’s TV series featuring a weekly segment where a singing globe invited viewers to write letters to the show?  ( Click here with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)
 
Later — Gwen
Gwen Billings for Cynopsis: Kids!
10.04.07

Cynopsis Ad Sales: Jennifer Franko – 203-583-9796 / [email protected]
Classifieds – Trish Pihonak- 203-926-9878 / [email protected]

Cynopsis website – Video Resumes, Extended Classified Ads, Archives, and the Cynopsis Daily Video

To Subscribe to any Cynopsis editions, go to www.cynopsis.com and click on the Subscribe tab
To Unsubscribe, click on the link at the bottom of this email

CableU – Know Networks Better. Pitch Smarter. Click here

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free.
Copyright Cynopsis 2007

Cyn opsis CLASSIFIEDS – For More classifieds, visit the Cynopsis.com classifieds page here

JOB OPENING:  EDITOR /Portland OR: Great opportunity to prove you’re a motivated, brilliant spot and music video editor to a national TV audience. Write us: [email protected]  (10/12)

JOB OPENING: OFFICE MGR-ADMIN ASST/GSN/NY: Office mgmt & facilities duties. Report to SVP, Ad Sales. Outstanding comp. skills, problem solving, comm skills. 2 yrs. exp in ent/media. BS deg pref’d. Res/cvr letter:  [email protected]  (10/12)

JOB OPENING: VP MEDIA RELATIONS/ABC DAYTIME/LA: Seasoned publicity and corporate communications executive to oversee bi-coastal PR department for ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. www.disneycareers.com/no.110245 (10/12)

JOB OPENING: MARKETING /PorchLight Entertainment/LA: seeks mktg exec. to lead campaign for major new PBS series aimed at kids. Experience in all mrktng phases. Resume/salary history to Jeff Ircink: [email protected] (10/11)

JOB OPENING: MKTG & PROMO MGR/VIZ Media: For magazine division. Pref exp: Consumer Mktg (teen focused), creative copy writing, online promo exp & orig effective ideas. Res/sal req: [email protected] with Mktg Promo Mgr in subject line (10/11)

JOB OPENING:  ADV & PROMO MGR/ AMC/NYC:  Manage all mktg plans, cons adv campaigns & promos from start to finish. 2+ yrs creat mktg exp, pref TV/Cable. Budget Planning & PM exp a +. rez to www.cablevision.jobs ref #4460BR (10/11)

JOB OPENING: ACCT EXEC, BRANDING & ADVERTISING:  Assist in mngng media plan’g, trafficking & reporting; mng orgnztn & dist of brand identities; BA pref’d; min 3 yrs exp in mktg/advertising; media exp pref’d www.employment.nascar.com (10/11)

JOB OPENING: DIR KIDS PROGRAMMING/KidZui/San Diego: New online service seeks kids web content guru. Ensure freshest coolest content presented in ways sure to engage kids. Know Kid trends/interests/products? Apply [email protected] (10/11)

JOB OPENING:  SALES ASSISTANT/The Hotel Networks/NY: Work w/ AE’s & Planners to service agencies and clients on daily basis. PowerPoint & Excel a must. 1+ yrs media experience a plus. Send resume to [email protected]  (10/11)

JOB OPENING:  RESEARCH MGR/Music Choice: Support sales, mrktng& prgrmng initiatives across multiple platforms w/accurate & actionable research. BA/BS 4-6 yrs media rsrch exp. req./1 yr VOD rsrch strongly pref. [email protected] (10/11)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASST SPRVSR/UNIVISION/NY: Provide support for a team of 2 VPs & 10 AE’s. Highly orgzd, detailed oriented, proactive, exc comm skills a must. 2 yrs sprvs’g exp pref’d. MS skills. Res: [email protected] EOE (10/11)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS/TURNER BROADCASTING/NYC: PR efforts for TNT/TBS/TCM. Premieres/junkets/screenings/spec events/talent appearances. Media contacts/8 yrs exp/4 yr degree. Apply: [email protected] (10/11)

JOB OPENING: OTX/NY: Leading market research firm seeks paid (or schl crdt) interns for media ent group. Mkt rsrch and/or media exp and intrst pref’d.Accepting resumes thru Oct 30. Send: [email protected] (10/10)

JOB OPENING: VP, HR/RETIREMENT LIVING/Columbia MD: Design, develop and implement effective strategies and tactics to improve the business and employee performance. Please visit www.rl.tv for full description (10/10)

JOB OPENING:  DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE SALES/Columbia MD: Manage distribution sales and affiliate relations efforts for RLTV within a multi-state or national region. Visit www.rl.tv for full description (10/10)

JOB OPENING: GROUP SALES & MKTG DIRS/ Tribune Broadcasting/E & W Coast seek self-starter to develop new business across brdcst/cable stations/web sites; See ad @ www.TribJobs.com keywords16666/16664; Apply by 10/12 EOE  (10/10)

JOB OPENING: ASST. SALES PLANNER/ Oxygen Media/ NY: Candidate must be detail oriented and possess excellent communication skills. Will report to two AE’s. Resume & cover letter to [email protected], ref job title in subject line (10/10)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/ Oxygen Media/ NY: Support two AE’s, 2-3 yrs exp. buying or planning. Must be detail oriented and possess excellent comm and math skills. Resume/cover letter to [email protected], ref job title in subject (10/10)

JOB OPENING:  ONLINE ACCT EXEC/Discovery Networks/NY: Sell National online advertising on IMedia Ad Sales Team, strong sales skills, 5 yrs sales exp, min 2 yrs internet sales. Apply: www.discovery.com (#5868)   (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  SALES ASSISTANT/Hallmark Channel/NY: -Work w/ AE’s & Planners to service and maintain agencies and clients on daily basis. See full posting and apply at www.hallmarkchannel.com (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  TRAFFIC COORDINATOR/Hallmark Channel/NY:  Edits daily broadcast logs; executes agency traffic instructions; maintains commercial inventory. See full posting and apply at www.hallmarkchannel.com (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  MGR WRITTEN COMM/WB WW TV PUBL/CA: Create, write, edit and/or proofread all consumer publicity, bus comm, mktg, advertising/sales materials of WB TV Group. 5 yrs exp. Email: [email protected]    re: 88523BR_UCTC (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  FINANCE/BUS INTELLIGENCE SR ANALYST/MAXIM DIGITAL/NY: Support Maxim Digital Ops: fin modeling, web analytics; Strong system skills desired; Online exp pref’d; 2+ yrs exp fin / analytics; email res: [email protected]  (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  MANAGER AD SALES MKTG/TV Land/MTVN NY: BA; 5 yrs marketing exp. Creative thinker w/ strong proj mgmnt sk; highly organized. Understands brand mgmnt, advtg, promos, resrch. EOE/M/F/D/AAP. Apply www.mtvncareers.com (10/6)

JOB OPENING:  NEW MEDIA EXEC PROD/Atlanta:   Exp in online Product Mngmt & Product delivery.Resp for content strategy, funding launch, ad sales strategy, writing business plans. Strategic role.  [email protected] (860) 632 3707 (10/6)

JOB OPENING: DIR INTG MKTG/Lifeskool/Sportskool/NYC: develop &sell integrated VOD programming& standard advert direct to brands & agencies. 5+ yrs sales in media w/direct to client exp. rez to www.cablevision.jobs ref #2475BR (10/5)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/Cablevision/Rockland NY: Seeks Acct Exec for local ad sales.2+ yrs ad sales exp. pref cable tv, classified, internet adv.  Valid NY Drivers Lic.  Apply to www.cablevision.jobs req 4147BR (10/5)

JOB OPENING: SALES/MKTG COORDINATOR/Entertainment research company/Encino: Provide administrative support to client development.Degree & 2 yrs exp. pref. Attention to detail & excellent org skills a must. Email [email protected]. (10/5)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/Entertainment research co/Encino: Aggressively sell syndicated research products. Min 2 yrs sales exp. Ability to demonstrate sales success required. Email resume/salary hist to [email protected] (10/5)

JOB OPENING: ACCOUNT EXEC/Norwalk, CT Cablevision:  Seeks Account Exec for Local Ad Sales. 2 + yrs ad sales exp. pref. Cable tv, classified, internet adv. Valid CT DL. Please visit www.cablevision.jobs and apply to 3744BR (10/5)

JOB OPENING: INTERACTIVE A/E/WPIX/CW11 NYC: 3+yrs online sales exp. well networked in online community, high interest in media, proven track record in online sales, pro-actively drive revenue, rush resume to www.cw11.com EOE (10/5)

JOB OPENING: RESEARCH MGR/ Rainbow Ad Sales/NY:  5 years Research. exp in Agency, Station, & Rep Firm and/or in Cable or Web Environment and New Technology incld. VOD.  Please visit www.cablevision.jobs and apply to req id 1786BR (10/5)

SUMMER or FALL INTERNSHIPS – These positions are for credit only – nobody gets paid here. They are posted for free, and students work for school credit only. For more information on the specs for posting an Internship ad, email Trish at  [email protected] .

FALL INTERNSHIP CREDITS ONLY: Production Company/Baltimore: Looking for fall and Spring interns for documentary. Will get experience in research, logging and all aspects of production and post production. Apply [email protected]  (10/6)

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED …

SITUATION WANTED: EVENT/MEETING PLANNER/NYC: 3 + years exp. in corp./special events and PR. Excellent references. email: [email protected] (10/12)

SITUATION WANTED: Creative Emmy Winner/L.A. Experience in competition, docu-soap and soft-scripted, looking for senior producer position. Strong credits, strong references, great attitude. Contact [email protected] (10/12)

SITUATION WANTED: PRODUCTION/FINANCE MANAGER/NYC: 4+ yrs exp. in non-fiction prod.; budgets, cost reports, overages, contracts, staffing and staff/crew management. Bilingual, resourceful, and w/excellent references. [email protected] (10/11)

SITUATION WANTED: PROD. COORD./ASSOC. PROD/L.A. area:  4+ yrs exp. in TV/Ent: Mobile/Digital Content producer/talent coordinator/ PA. Diligent, teamplayer, great comm./org. skills. Email [email protected]  (10/6)

SITUATION WANTED: Looking for “at home” assignments in marketing/promotion/translation/typing/calls etc. W/15 +yrs of International & Marketing experience. Spanish, Portuguese & English languages. Contact [email protected]  (10/5)

E-mail Trish Pihonak for rates and specs for Job Openings.  

Interested in posting your Video Resume?  Contact [email protected] for more information ….

Are you looking for a job? Post your Situation Wanted Ad here — Email Trish Pihonak for specs.