Friday, 10 July 2015

CMC 2015

Links to reports by Simon Bor from The Children's Media Conference 2015, held in Sheffield from July 1st -3rd.


Tom and Jerry try to upstage Dick and Dom at the "It Takes Two" session.


Opening Keynote: Michael Stevens- All Change?
YouTube video star Michael Stevens, creator of the hugely successful Vsauce educational channels entertained and challenged a 750 strong audience of children’s media makers with his views on engagement, authenticity and the YouTube “revolution”.

Masterclass: Industrial Light & Magic

  • “TV is not dead,” says top Vlogger.
  • The visual effects industry in Soho has grown from 1,000 people in 2003 to 6,000.
  • Is Xlab the future of interactive storytelling?
  • The verdict on that new Star Wars film.


  • It Takes Two
  • Dick and Dom. “A Double act is like a separate marriage.”
  • Tom and Jerry are enemies who can’t live without each other.
  • Danger Mouse retains his DNA for the new series.
  • There maybe more male double acts because girls are more prone to falling out.

  • Licensed to Thrill
  • It’s all about eye-balls.
  • License owners should think like a consumer thinks.
  • Disney have 80% of the US market, after companies like Nickelodeon, there’s not much left for the rest of us.
  • It is now more respectable for adults to buy licensed product.
  • The new Thunderbirds works for today’s kids because of the writing.

  • Changing Platforms

  • ITV needed to find a way to monetise their content after their SuBo moment.
  • Big music companies were turning away acts with ready-made fan bases.
  • PopShack appeals to 9 – 16 year–olds.
  • It has been death by a 1,000 cuts for traditional creative communities.
  • Creating content for YouTube brings new freedoms.

  • Changing Platforms: Conversations with Publishers
  • Reading agents’ Tweets is a good way of identifying the right agent for your book.
  • A ‘packager’ is the publishing equivalent of a TV production company.
  • Marketing departments matter. If publishers don’t make money, they close.
  • Late TV scheduling decisions get in the way of many deals.
  • TV/book tie-ins are usually part of a much larger licensing programme.

  • Tokenism to Truthful
  •  50% of the regular cast of ‘The Dumping Ground’ are diverse.
  • ‘Katie Morag’ has the kind of authenticity that is lacking from other minority portrayals.
  • A new passport is a great moment for a Trans person.
  • The world of fine art can be elitist and exclusive.
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