CYNTHIA TURNER’S
Cynopsis: Kids!
03/14/06
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, March 14, 2006 and this is your first early morning Kids! briefing.
AOL’s AOL Games website has introduced a Family Gaming Guide (http://videogames.aol.com/gamingguides/family), designed to provide parents with information from Common Sense Media to help them make informed decisions in choosing video games for their kids. The guide will also keep parents current on gaming news and research (e.g. connection between video games and behavior). Last year AOL launched similar guides including Moviefone.com’s Family Film Guide and AOL CityGuide Family Activity Planner. Common Sense Media’s mission is to provide information to parents on a range of media related topics, the group is both non-profit and non-partisan
The Entertainment Software Association has launched Video Game Voters Network. Targeted to adults who play video and computer games, the grassroots network opposes regulation of entertainment media, including proposed laws that prohibiting the sale of certain games to minors. The site will offer regular updates on game-related issues and encourage members to contact their state and federal officials to let them know where they stand on various issues.
Discovery Communications launched Cosmeo, its new subscription-based homework help tool. Cosmeo is designed to assist kids in grades K-12 with their homework through interactive learning games, internet search tools, a digital library of 30,000+ video clips and WebMath equation solver (that includes step-by-step explanations whew!), as well as a range of other aides for the major school subjects. Discovery is currently offering a 30-day free trial and introductory fees, but after that a subscription to Cosmeo will run $12.95 per month or $129 per year.
MORE KIDS STUFF
The Silly Goose Company LLC has reassumed the proprietary rights to the animated preschool series The Wumblers from Peak Entertainment Holdings, tho Peak will continue to have a financial interest in the series. The series is produced by Cosgrove Hall and Silly Goose. 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. holds the North American TV broadcast, home video and merchandising rights to The Wumblers.
First National Pictures has acquired the North American video distribution rights for the animated series Corneil & Bernie from Earthworks Entertainment. Created and produced by Millimages, Corneil & Bernie airs nightly in the US on the Nicktoons Network.
Breakthrough Entertainment has inked a broadcast deal with TV Globo to air the first and second seasons of its animated Atomic Betty series in Brazil. The production house’s Latin America agent, HOLA Entertainment, brokered the agreement.
The misery continues for the terribly unlucky Baudelaire kids this fall with the release of The End, the thirteenth and final book in Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events series, slated for October 13, 2006. The powers that be at HarperCollins Children’s Books say the book will answer all of our questions including: will Count Olaf triumph? Will the Baudelaire’s survive? Will there ever be a happy ending? And what of Beatrice? In advance of the last book the publisher will also release The Beatrice Letters, a collection of correspondences between Snicket and Beatrice, to whom the writer dedicates all of his books, on September 5. In addition to hopefully explaining who Beatrice is, The Beatrice Letters will provide clues to the last book and answer other questions.
They’re back … as if they were ever really gone … Paramount Home Entertainment delivers the return of Alvin, Simon and Theodore in the DVD release of their 1987 animated feature film, The Chipmunk Adventure, May 23, 2006 from Bagdasarian Productions. Directed by Janice Karman, this is the first time the movie has been release on DVD. The cast features the voice of Nancy Cartwright (voice of Bart Simpson) as the Arabian Prince and of course Ross Bagdasarian Jr. as almost every other character.
NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT
Framestore CFC, the visual effects and computer animation studio, has established Framestore Feature Animation, which will be headed by David Lipman. Framestore Feature Animation in partnership with Universal Studios has already begun production on the movie adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s youth novel, the Tale of Despereaux, featuring a screenplay by the wondrous writing duo of Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi.
The BBC has begun production on Wannabes, a new teen-targeted drama set to launch in fall 2006. The series is comprised of 14 short episodes and will feature a combination of live-action, streaming video, interactive components, animation and games. The series revolves around Leila Ahmed, a 20-something who moves to Brighton to start life over with a clean slate. Leila is befriended by a group of “wannabe” writers, pop stars and celebrities and together they hang out at a club called, Wannabes. There will be a website where viewers can go and join up with the group; be asked to help out the characters by providing them advice on relationships, careers and the like. Produced by Illiumina Digital for BBC New Media, Wannabes is being written by Ariane Sherine and Will Jewell.
MARKETING/LICENSING
Cartoon Network has teamed with the National Parents Teacher Association to launch a joint-new effort called Rescuing Recess. The initiative aims to champion the importance of recess and keep it a regular part of kids’ daily activities. While obesity is an ongoing problem with kids in the US, it seems upwards of 40% of elementary schools in this country have eliminated recess or are considering it. Rescuing Recess was developed with direction from an advisory board including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Education Association, the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, New Leaders for New Schools and Health Mpowers. To kick off this multi-year campaign, kids across the country are being invited to write letters to their local and state school officials in support of recess. A letter template is available at www.rescuingrecess.com.
TagWorld, a social network website, has entered into a partnership with Universal Music Group. Under the deal TagWorld members will be able to watch and add music videos of Universal artists to their own TagWorld sites.
The Brown Shoe Company has inked new licensing deals with both Nickelodeon and Disney/Pixar.
- Under an agreement with Disney/Pixar, this April Brown Shoe will launch a line of shoes and slippers based on characters from the upcoming animated feature Cars, which opens June 9, 2006. The fall line will debut in conjunction with the film’s DVD release in November.
- Brown Shoe’s kid division, Buster Brown & Co. has established a multi-property license deal with Nickelodeon to work in tandem to create and launch several footwear lines (casual shoes, boots, slippers etc.) based on Nick Jr. characters from Go, Diego, Go! (boys) and Backyardigans (girls and boys), as well as a girls’ brands based on Nickelodeon’s live-action series Unfabulous and Zoe 101.
EXECUTIVE MOVES
Dale Knoop has been named Sr. Director/Business Development, MobiTV. Knoop will focus on strategic content acquisition specifically concentrating on content for Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Prior to this Knoop was GM/Multimedia, Sprint, where he helped to launch Sprint TV Live.
David Lipman joins Framestore CFC as Managing Partner. He will lead the newly founded Framestore Feature Animation the company as Managing Partner. Prior to this, Lipman spent the last eight years at DreamWorks Animation, where he served as Co-Executive Producer on Shrek and Producer on Shrek 2.
Jason Brown is upped to EVP/National and Regional Advertising Sales for Screenvision. Based in the New York office, Jason will develop sales strategies and manage six sales teams in the firm’s New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Kansas City, and Chicago offices. He is also responsible for revenue generated via national and regional cinema preshow ads, slides, promotional extensions, and in-theatre integrated marketing programs.
RATINGS
Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Friday, March 10, 2006, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON: K2-11 1316; K6-11 627; TWEENS 9-14 418
DISNEY CHANNEL: K2-11 1020; K6-11 684; TWEENS 9-14 550
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 685; K6-11 403; TWEENS 9-14 281
TOON DISNEY: K2-11 106; K6-11 49; TWEENS 9-14 36
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data
Answer to Yesterday’s trivia question: Where would you find a yellow friend named Binya Binya? GULLAH GULLAH ISLAND Kudos to: Carin Greenberg Baker/NY; Jim Salicrup-Papercutz/NY; Russell Miller-The Center for Intentional Media/NY; Denielle Webb-HIT Entertainment; Brown Johnson-Nick; Rosemary Cunningham-MMT/Chicago; Barb Throm-Creative Lab/St Louis; Kelly Syers-Program Partners/Venice CA
Today’s Trivia Question: This animated three year old girl with very cool hair, teaches family and friends about life. Her brother is Rondo and best friend and puppy is Lindi. What tv show was this? (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 Cynthia Turner’s Cynopsis Kids!
03.14.06 – 3:54a
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JOB OPENING: SR MKTG MGR/IGN ENT, BRISBANE CA. 5+ yrs ent or media mkt exp to create mktg & collateral materials, provide strat/research support. Resume to: [email protected] (3/21)
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