Website Boosts Literacy for Deaf Canadian Children
Online video and whimsical animation is being used to empower deaf children on a new website created by Toronto-based marblemedia and The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf.
marblemedia and the CCSD, the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf, have partnered on the launch of an online animated American Sign Language (ASL) dictionary for children, www.aslphabet.com.
Described as a collaboration of three countries and many organizations, the prototype project lets deaf children look up vocabulary according to their own, primary language, ASL, along with the English vocabulary counterpart – without having to rely on adults for definitions.
CCSD is the only national cultural organization for Deaf Canadians. A non-profit organization supported by private donations, the CCSD represents over 450,000 Canadians and serves many more through its educational programs, cultural activities and Deaf heritage resources. The CCSD strives to preserve, encourage and advance the cultural interests of Canada's Deaf population, promotes better understanding between Deaf and hearing adults and children and promotes literacy for Deaf children.
With funding for the prototype from the Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan Fund, an equally owned partnership between Bell Canada and Rogers Communications, the project is already drawing accolades from educators around the world.
Working with Jordaan and Dr. Sam Supalla, Deaf linguist at the University of Arizona, marblemedia and CCSD have produced a product that is both inviting and educational. Video components of a signing magician and graphics add a sense of fun to the application, making a complex concept friendly to young children.
Plans for the future include enhanced functionality of this animated dictionary and an increase to the search potential from 100 to 1500 words. To do so, the partners will embark on an extensive fundraising initiative designed to raise the required funds for completion of the project.
Donations can be made via the Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf’s website (http://www.deafculturecentre.ca/Public/DonationHome.aspx).
Established in 2001 by Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg, marblemedia is a content creation company on the forefront of television and new media production, devoted to telling stories that entertain and engage audiences across all platforms.
Johnny Kalangis Creative Director, Interactive Division
marblemedia is pleased to announce Johnny Kalangis as the newly appointed Creative Director for the Interactive Division.
Kalangis will be responsible for creatively spearheading all aspects of marblemedia’s online projects, focusing on storytelling across all platforms and collaborating with the sales team to integrate new business opportunities. Johnny brings a wealth of experience to marblemedia’s creative team, where he will lead the interactive design process. He looks forward to building and maintaining existing relationships with broadcasters, portals, publishers, distributors and partners and acting as an ambassador at conference and industry events.
“This is a great opportunity to work with an award-winning new media production company and the team behind it,” said Kalangis. “I can’t wait to jump in with the creative department to explore fresh new ways of telling stories.”
Kalangis is a feature filmmaker and interactive producer whose works have been presented internationally. His most acclaimed film, Love is Work, received numerous awards including the American Express People’s Choice Awards for Best Feature Film, and the special jury prize at the Canadian Film Festival. It was also featured as the inaugural film for the National Film Board and Canadian Academy of Cinema and Television’s Critic’s Choice screening series.
Projects under Kalangis’ direction at marblemedia currently include: Skatoony, an innovative animated/live action children’s quiz show; The Dating Guy, an animated television series centered around the sometimes strange, always funny, and definitely amusing dating life of a 20-something male lead; Stoked, developed by Toronto-based Fresh TV Inc., is a character-driven animated sitcom about six teenagers who come together one summer to work (and surf) at the world renowned Surfer’s Paradise Resort and Just Like Mom … and Dad, a fun family game show that teams up parents and their kids in two rounds of family-related trivia plus a frenetic bake-off challenge.
Prior to joining marblemedia, Kalangis worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as Executive in Charge of Online Original Programming, and producer for high-profile projects including Barney’s Version, The Mercer Report, Opening Night, Doctor Who and Being Erica.
marblemedia and Corus Announce Winner of 2009 Innovative Storytellers Award
Toronto-based Corus Entertainment and marblemedia has announced the winner of the 2009 Innovative Storytellers Award: Ryerson graduate student Jason Thompson.
Thompson will receive a grant and industry mentorship for his thesis, Enviromation, which envisions providing children with an international forum, through an innovative online platform, to exchange ideas and solutions about the environment.
The $20,000, five-year educational initiative was launched in 2008 in conjunction with Ryerson University’s Master of Arts in Media Production program. The award celebrates an outstanding Ryerson graduate student whose thesis explores the connection between content, new technologies and audiences.
Jason Thompson is an award-winning animator, storyboard artist and illustrator. He has more than 15 years of experience in children’s television, commercials and advertising working for companies including Cuppa Coffee, Cookie Jar, CORE DP, Key Gordon Communications and Ogilvy & Mather.
“Jason has a passionate vision of the possibilities that exist for children and the impact new media and animation has on them,” said Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg, Executive Producers and founders of marblemedia and Ryerson alumni. “We are proud to honour him with this award and to provide guidance for his career.”
The winner of the Innovative Storytellers Award receives a grant plus a series of one-on-one sessions with industry executives from Corus Entertainment and marblemedia that offers the winner greater insight into the business as well as guidance for their thesis. Mentors are selected from the areas of creative production, broadcasting, technology, legal and sales and marketing.
“Congratulations to Jason Thompson on this award,” said Susan Makela, Director Program Funds and Policy, Television, Corus Entertainment. “The media and entertainment landscape is changing at a rapid pace and Corus is committed to supporting educational initiatives like the Innovative Storytellers Award that foster emerging talent and encourage new ideas that can contribute to the success of the industry.”
“I am honoured to receive this award,” said Jason Thompson. “I am looking forward to speaking one-on-one with the executives. This experience will undoubtedly give me great insight into the industry and provide direction for both my thesis and career.”
“Jason Thompson is a firm believer in empowering younger generations to share their opinions on environmental issues through new media and animated storytelling,” said Dana Lee, Graduate Program Director at Ryerson. “Enviromation is an online platform for children to express ideas and opinions about issues that are important to them. The study outlines a model setting where young people can upload their short animated films for viewing, share ideas and work with peers on an international platform. Jason Thompson’s work is innovative and creative and we are pleased to present him with the 2009 Innovative Storytellers Award.”
Next Gen Int'l TV: First class Meet the 20 under-35s who are redefining the world of international television
Bishop recalls catching the Canadian industry completely off-guard with early content to bridge the TV, online and mobile platforms.
It was 2001 and he and marblemedia co-founder Matt Hornburg showed domestic broadcasters an HDTV short film on a mobile screen. "People laughed (and said) 'No one will watch a film on a cell phone,' " he recalls. Still, some broadcasters became early adopters and in 2002, TV Ontario acquired marblemedia's "Deafplanet.com," a kids TV series and Web site in American Sign Language. Today, marblemedia spearheads Canadian cross-platform content with projects like the tween reality series "The Adrenaline Project," and a Web-only show dubbed "The Morning After Show." So, what does the future hold for Bishop and marblemedia? "We will redefine what being a broadcaster really means," he says. And that's no laughing matter.
At forefront of cross-platform media production
Mark Bishop jokes that his lifelong dream was to be a potato farmer. When that fell through, he launched a cutting-edge interactive media company.
Along with Matt Hornburg, who lived in residence with Bishop at Ryerson University in Toronto, the Rothesay-native co-founded Marblemedia.
From its humble beginnings around a dining room table nearly 10 years ago, the company is now at the forefront of cross-platform media production, bridging television, Internet, mobile media and the gaming world.
"Our goal is to tell great stories that entertain and engage an audience," says the 33 year-old, honoured last week in Cannes, France, as one of 20 people under 35 years old from across the globe helping shape the next generation of broadcasting.
"We're extending story telling outside what you see on television," he adds. "It's more than just downloading clips from the shows. It's about developing the story and creating interactive features that dig deeper into the characters and the story."
From an old carpet factory in Liberty Village, a hip media hub in downtown Toronto, Marblemedia produces animated television shows: The Dating Guy, a prime-time comedy for adults with writers from the Simpsons; Skatoony, a live-action quiz show for teenagers; and Taste Buds, a cooking and food adventure series for kids.
"Our success is about having a unique business model and not taking no for an answer," says the New Brunswick-native, recently named an ambassador for the province. "We have a different way of raising money, telling stories, and getting people to believe in our ideas."
Marblemedia also has a 50-acre ranch an hour north of Torono. The sprawling production facility, which includes an art barn to build sets, offices and storage areas, is where the company developed the Adrenaline Project, an extreme teen reality series where contestants compete against one another in a tournament-style format. As with most Marblemedia productions, the show features online games and confessional videos that add context and background to the storyline.
"A lot of mobile content failed in the past because it was seen as a promotional tool and not part of the storytelling process," Bishop says. "The cross-platform content needs to create a more appealing experience."
Despite the company's downtown office and large ranch outside the city, Bishop is careful not to overextend the company.
"Our office is modular so that when we do large scale live-action series we can ramp up and bring in more people," Bishop says. "We have a core team of very talented people but for each project we hire more people with different skill sets for a limited time.
"We avoid bulking up on staff," he adds. "I've seen companies take on too much overhead and then have to fight to find contracts to fuel that pipeline."
Bishop's earliest memory of being inspired to work in television came after attending a Mr. Dressup concert at Saint John High School. The five-year old met the star of the CBC children's television series later that day at the local Woolco store.
"I have a signed record from Mr. Dressup that still hangs in my office here at Marblemedia in Toronto," he says. "I realized then how amazing TV could be, especially for kids."
As a student at Kennebecasis Valley High School, Bishop excelled in drama and media studies and helped create a summer camp to teach kids the basics of movie making.
"The week-long camp was a huge success and became an annual event," he says. "There is nothing more rewarding then getting notes on Facebook from past campers about how much they loved their time at the camp."
At 17, Bishop became a freshman at Ryerson University in television studies and "the rest is history."
Although marblemedia is headquartered in Toronto, Bishop said he would consider launching a company or co-venturing with a company in New Brunswick.
"There are many opportunities in New Brunswick and heaps of talent in all sections of the media industry," he says. "I feel the provincial government has an opportunity to nurture the media industry through a number of different mechanisms, many of which I have shared with both NB Film and other provincial agencies."
But Bishop said the film and television tax credits in the province need to be expanded to include interactive digital media.
"Other provinces like Nova Scotia have made significant strides to increase tax credits to producers. These credits are the biggest catalyst for the Canadian industry and a real opportunity to attract producers to New Brunswick."
'Just like mom' brings back memories
As a TV-loving child, I thought my mother and I could kick butt if we ever had a shot on Just Like Mom.
Rothesay native Mark Bishop is the co-founder of marblemedia, the Toronto television and interactive media company that is revamping the classic kids’ game show ‘Just Like Mom.’
I clearly remember sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet at lunchtime watching the Canadian game show featuring three mother-child teams competing against each other. I couldn't believe how the kids and moms messed up their answers. Didn't they rehearse possible questions beforehand? And what about the bake-off? I mean, come on, every fan of the show had an I'm-going-to-go-heavy-on-the-mustard plan.
I don't know what it was about Just Like Mom that I loved so much: the cheesy peach and gold set, the relentless product placement, the way the moms grimaced as they sampled the bake-off challenge delights, the lovable hosts Fergie Oliver and his wife, Catherine Swing (not that I knew their names when I was five.)
When I heard that Canadian production company marblemedia was cooking up a plan to resurrect the series, changing its title to Just like Mom"¦ and Dad, it really took me back.
Mark Bishop, a Rothesay native and fellow child of the '80s, is the executive producer at marblemedia, which is behind several successful shows, such as The Adrenaline Project, This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung.
Bishop loved Just Like Mom. He remembers it vividly.
"You'd come home at lunch and watch it on ATV. When you happened to have a sick day or a storm day, you'd watch it," he said by phone from Toronto. "I remember talking to friends about it afterwards. I remember scheming what the plan would be when you were on the show."
The series, which originally aired from 1980-85, still has a huge following.
In their research, marblemedia found clips on YouTube, comments on websites and Facebook groups dedicated to the show. Reruns air daily on GameTV and Bishop said it is one of the most popular shows on that network. He said when YTV aired reruns in the '90s, unknowing youngsters would call in and ask how they could become contestants. CTV, which originally aired the show, still gets requests for copies of episodes, he said.
"If you think about it, there were 595 episodes produced, and multiply that by three kids. So there are actually 1,800 kids out there who are now at the age of having kids who have such a connection to that show."
And that doesn't count their relatives, friends and average viewers of the show, who could potentially be a ready-made audience for a rebooted version.
Bishop said his company had been negotiating with CTV for a year for the rights to Just Like Mom. They see the show as a real opportunity. He even met with original show creator and co-host Swing, who signed on to be a consultant.
The hope is that Just Like Mom... and Dad will air in a prime-time slot so families can watch it together. The original Just Like Mom aired just before lunch and the contestants were between the ages of seven and 10, he said. The new version will likely feature kids aged nine to 12. It will also include fathers, reflecting the change in the role of parents since the original show aired.
The revamped show will also have an online interactive game component for viewers at home.
"Kids across Canada will be able to play many of the same games online at the exact same time to win prizes," Bishop said. "There will be a grand finalist online with each episode and then that person will get to spin a virtual wheel and actually win something."
At the heart of it all is nostalgia.
"There's a comfort factor," Bishop said. "That idea of being able to share something with your kids that was so meaningful to you in your childhood."
Marblemedia is launching a Facebook fan page for the show with a casting sign-up area. They are asking Canadians why they want to be on the show. Potential contestants can send an email to info@justlikemomanddad.com
Plans are to start filming next summer in Toronto and launch by September 2010.
But clever kids of the '80s who have spent years honing their bake-off skills take heed: Bishop is onto you.
"If you search online, there are actually pages where people talk about their cheat strategies if they were ever on Just Like Mom," he said.
His company worked with game show producer Steve Sloan, who helped redevelop the show with new hooks for the bake-off round. Recipes may be tied to a theme.
A contestants may have to make her father's favourite sandwich, for example. Parents will also score each child's creation from the bake-off round, giving teams the chance to grab more points.
Bishop assured me there will still be some messy ingredients.
I'll be watching for the mustard.
Andrea McAuliffe mcauliffe.andrea@telegraphjournal.com is an editor at the Telegraph-Journal and mother of two. Parental Guidance appears every other Saturday.
marblemedia to reboot 'Just like Mom'
Indie producer marblemedia has secured all remake and development rights for the 1980s classic Canadian TV game show "Just Like Mom" from the CTV network.The series reboot will include an interactive game component and the new title "Just Like Mom...and Dad."
The original Canadian series, which ran on the CTV network for five years to 1985, pitted three mother-child teams against one another to identify which pair knew each other best via a question and answer session and "The Bakeoff Challenge."
Remaking "Just Like Mom" comes as an increasing number of domestic lifestyle and game shows exploit Canadians hunkering down in their homes during the recession.
Toronto-based marblemedia will shop "Just Like Mom...and Dad" at MIPCOM as it seeks a domestic broadcast slot.
An urgent call for a national digital media strategy
To Mark Bishop interactive is never an afterthought.
Bishop and Matt Hornburg are the creative minds behind marblemedia, the producers of such cross-platform projects as the popular kids’ cooking show Taste Buds, now in production for a second season on TVOntario.
Taste Buds ismore than a TV show; it is also a website extraordinaire. tastebudstv.com offers colourful recipes, videos, blogs from behind-the-scenes and an online build-it-yourself cookbook. The site also features games that teach children everything from counting money at a cash register and how to shop for groceries to how to be a “green” chef.
Over the past 10 years, Toronto-based marblemedia has become an award-winning Canadian company because it knows how to create original content that works on television, online, and on mobile devices. Other projects such as This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung are now airing in over 85 countries and a dozen languages.
ln a globally-connected world, other independent Canadian producers who have relied on over-the-air (OTA) television to broadcast their Canadian stories must do likewise or be left behind in the digital dust.
However, while Canada has the talent to lead the world in interactive media it lacks a national digital strategy to support this market.
Except for a few progressive companies like marblemedia, Canada lags other countries in creating and promoting new media content. As a result, the world’s largest (mostly U.S.)media brands, as well as aggressive new media start-ups, are quickly populating the field. Canadian voices in new media broadcasting are in short supply and domestic viewers are spending more time visiting U.S. destinations.
To help the independent production sector reach a new level of excellence, Canada needs a comprehensive national digital strategy. Elements of this strategy should include:
• Infrastructure funds to build a competitive broadband system for Canada;
• A regulatory regime that ensures that the Internet remains an open access content distribution platform;
• A funding mechanism to support and nurture Canadian media content;and
• A sustainable and predictable business environment for new media producers by mandating the conclusion of Terms of Trade agreements between broadcasters and producers.
Last April, the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA) called on the federal government to launch national consultations in the form of a Royal Commission or a policy review panel to put Canada at the forefront of innovation. Our association, which represents more than 400 small-and medium-sized businesses, believes that independent producers, broadcasters and other industry stakeholders must unite to map a legislative and regulatory framework for the new digital generation. Other countries such as Britain, France and Australia have already launched initiatives towards such a goal. Canada needs to follow their lead.
Ironically, only a few years ago Canada had a reputation for being a global broadband leader. But today it is a broadband laggard, falling further and further behind other countries in such key metrics as broadband penetration, speed and pricing.
Internet capacity and access are also key issues at the CRTC hearings on Net Neutrality this month. (July). We will express to the CRTC our strong belief that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must make significant investments in building bigger broadband “pipes” and that Canadians—rather than ISPs—should be the ones who determine which content and applications will flourish on the Internet and which won’t.
To ensure that the Internet continues to remain an open-access platform, it’s critical that there be rules that prevent ISPs from being able to arbitrarily target and throttle (i.e. to slow down or block) Internet traffic. Currently, ISPs claim they need to throttle Bit Torrent and other Peer-to-Peer (P2P) applications in order to manage congestion on their networks.
We are of the view that upgrading network capacity is a farmore effectivemeans of addressing network congestion. And while P2P file-sharing has been the main vehicle for the unauthorized copying and distribution of copyrighted content, it has also become a versatile, cost-effective and efficient mechanism for independent producers to distribute their content to Canadians and audiences around the world. So when ISPs throttle P2P they are also impeding access to the Internet for both independent producers and their audiences.
The CFTPA is particularly concerned about the potential for ISPs to use traffic throttling as a tool for discriminating against competing content and service providers. What happens, for example, when an ISP is under common ownership with a broadcasting or cable company? There are clear incentives for it to manage Internet traffic in a way that favours its own content and services over those provided by competitors. That’s why the CRTC has to be proactive in ensuring that effective rules are in place to ensure that ISPs treat traffic in a neutral manner, and to incentivize them to invest in upgrading network capacity to address congestion issues.
New and stable funding is also needed to create more Canadian new media broadcasting content.
“The current Canadian funding streams are important but far too small to develop a critical mass of Canadian new media content,” says Bishop. “The CRTC, for one, must take a holistic view of the current landscape and build on the value the independent production sector can bring by creating quality new media content.”
The CFTPA believes that ISPs and wireless service providers should be required to contribute a portion of their gross revenues to a fund to support new Canadian media content, just as elements of the traditional broadcasting system do today.
Independent producers are creators and copyright holders of high-quality content that can and should be leveraged across all platforms. However, the CFTPA is concerned that broadcasters, after acquiring these rights from producers without appropriate compensation, often fail to exploit the content. The timely conclusion of Terms of Trade agreements is fundamental to establishing pride of place for Canadian content on digital platforms.
Just as important, there needs to be a change of attitude by all industry players when it comes to seizing the opportunities of the digital age. Consumers around the world are devoting more of their disposable income to consuming content on alternate platforms. But rather than collectively focusing on developing a strategy to obtain a bigger slice of that growing global pie, we squander valuable time and energy fighting over crumbs in the domestic market. This is a sure fire recipe for marginalization and decline in any industry, and makes no sense when we have such a high-quality product to sell to the rest of the world.
With the right tools and the right attitude, the independent production sector can follow the lead of companies such as marblemedia to become international leaders in the creative economy.
Norm Bolen is President/CEO of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA). He may be contacted by e-mail at norm.bolen@cftpa.ca.
Interactive Content for Kids Gets Big Boost
The creation and commercialization of Ontario-made interactive media content and services for kids ages 4 to 15 is supported by a new program announced by Interactive Ontario.
IO says the new project, ONKidz, is aimed at promoting Ontario’s Kids sector on a global scale. The ONKidz project will culminate with a business event focused on the interactive kids space in the spring of 2010 in Toronto.
The project will be spearheaded by several leading media industry companies, including: The Alliance for Children & Television, Astral Media Inc, Bitcasters, Blue Print Entertainment, Breakthrough New Media, Capybara Games, CBC, Corus Entertainment, Decode Entertainment, Earth Rangers, Kids Can Press, marblemedia, Meridian Artists, Portfolio Entertainment, Spin Master LTD and Zinc Roe Inc.
“It goes without saying that kids prioritize their interactions with and through digital media very differently than their parents,” Ian Kelso, President and CEO of Interactive Ontario, explained in a release. “Interactive Ontario is thrilled to present a unique event pulling together the leading creators of interactive experiences and the producers, broadcasters, and publishers who are leading the charge on building integrated cross-platform markets.”
The project is made possible through the Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnership Fund, administered by the Ontario Media Development Corporation, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture.
IO is a not-for-profit industry trade organization committed to the growth of the Ontario interactive digital content industry. To this end IO is an industry advocate within Ontario and nationally as a founding member of the Canadian Interactive Alliance /Alliance interactive canadienne (CIAIC).
Interactive Sector Bullish on CMF - So Far
To producers of pure interactive media, the most worrisome aspect of bringing together the Canada New Media Fund and the Canadian Television Fund into one financing body was the belief that, going forward, all digital projects eligible for support would have to be tied to a TV program.
In clarifying the ambiguous wording of its March CMF announcement, Canadian Heritage says that is not so. The CMF “will also fund, on a project basis, experimental, interactive content and applications created exclusively for the Internet, wireless and emerging platforms and devices,” a Heritage spokesperson tells Playback.
Back in January, the Tories renewed the CNMF (administered by Telefilm Canada) to the tune of $14.3 million per year over the next two years. Now that the merged mega-fund will see broadcasters and interactive producers vying for the same pot of cash, it is impossible to tell whether companies that relied on the CNMF will see less, more of the same amount of cash when the new system takes effect April 1, 2010.
Digital producers hope there will be a guaranteed minimum amount set aside for the kinds of non-TV projects currently funded by the CNMF, but there will be no movement toward drafting the new CMF rules until after the selection of its board, which is expected to be announced at the Banff World Television Festival. Nonetheless, the simple fact that the government remains in the business of supporting standalone digital media should be reassuring to companies such as MindHabits.
The Montreal startup was the big winner of Telefilm’s Great Canadian Video Game competition two years ago for the MindHabits Trainer, a stress-relief game that has the player select smiling faces from amid a sea of frowning ones. The competition was funded through he CNMF along with Telefilm and Heritage, and with matching private financing thrown in, MindHabits received around $1.3 million to help it get off the ground.
“It would have been very difficult in any other way,” MindHabits CEO Matthew Mather tells Playback. “We probably could have gotten a publisher to put some money in, but then it would have been a very different situation - we probably would have just licensed off the IP and not owned anything, whereas now we own all the IP and we are the owners of all the different versions and games.”
The PC version of the Trainer game was launched in various international territories in Q4 2008, in which time Mather says it sold about 50,000 units, and MindHabits is now eyeing mobile releases for the Nintendo DS and the Apple iPhone. He says the company has no plans to get involved in the broadcast world, and will likely apply for CNMF/CMF cash for future projects.
Although being involved with broadcast will not be a prerequisite for digital producers seeking CMF cash, merging the two funds marks a clear step toward increased integration between TV and other screens. Broadcasters will not have to ensure projects are available on at least one platform other than TV to qualify.
To get a sense of what Heritage envisions the prodco of the new millennium to be, look no further than Toronto’s marblemedia.
marblemedia partners Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg were among the guests of Heritage Minister James Moore when the CMF was unveiled on the set of Flashpoint. Bishop is quick to point out, however, that his presence there does not signify a blanket endorsement of the new fund. He and Hornburg received their invitation just two days beforehand and only found out the details – such as they were – one day prior to the press conference. Tellingly, though, they were the only producers invited.
marblemedia straddles the traditional and online spaces perhaps as well as any other indie prodco in Canada. Half of the company’s staff of 28 works on the interactive side, on both its own properties and other companies’ websites.
You can find its kids cooking show Taste Buds at TVOKids.com, where you can stream episodes and find out more information by clicking a drop-down window with recipe details. marblemedia is also in the process of enhancing its website for the adult animation The Dating Guy (co-produced with E1 Television), which Bishop says will be its biggest interactive offering to date. It will feature microsites and mobile offerings as well as the saucy web-only The Morning After Show.
From its inception, marble has been a company that always thinks multiplatform. If there was any doubt, Hornburg and Bishop scooped the producer-of-the-year prizes at the Canadian New Media Awards in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
At an interactive Ontario panel last fall, Bishop called for the CTF to rebrand as the Canadian Content Fund and support digital media. Heritage may have ultimately opted for a slightly different name, but it would appear the feds were listening.
“We should be looking at content regardless of what platform it’s on – it should be about telling stories,” Bishop says. “It shouldn’t be about having to create a television stream and a separate stream for interactive, because that’s not the way audiences are interacting with content.”
So while Bishop heartily endorses the one-fund approach, he says that it is now crucial that Heritage, which has already held some technical briefings with industry representatives, “actually engage in an open dialogue and have industry stakeholders buy into it and help to shape the program.”
It is a sentiment shared by lobby group Interactive Ontario, which is similarly optimistic. “So far, the noises have been good and the contact that we’ve had with [Heritage] has been informative,” says IO president and CEO Ian Kelso.
Of course, mandating that broadcasters become more involved in interactive media can only be a positive for the digital sector. It comes with the added good news that the CTF’s young Digital Media program is receiving an $8 million boost to $10 million for the 2009/10 cycle.
“Certainly we hope that it means that film and TV companies will either be able to start to focus on developing more in-house expertise, which will go a long ways in terms of rounding out their companies to be able to compete on all the multiple platforms the consumers are using, or to find new partnerships in terms of people who are already there creating content,” says Kelso.
He hopes his organization will play a significant role in mapping out the CMF’s daunting details. “We’d like nothing better than to get our hands dirty and get in there and try to make something that’s ultimately on the one side extremely pragmatic, on the other side something that’s very forward-looking and can as best as possible work for all the stakeholders involved,” he says.
Heritage says the CMF board will put in place a “consultation mechanism” by the summer. “Consultations will be formal, ongoing, meaningful, and inclusive, and will form the basis of the guidelines for and implementation of the Canada Media Fund,” the department tells Playback. “The consultations will also be very important in ensuring we get the best ideas and a smooth transition to the Canada Media Fund, with minimum disruption for the [digital] sector.”
In development: Truce or Dare
marblemedia and Challenge Producer Alan Bishop are joining forces again to develop a new prime-time adult show, TRUCE OR DARE.
Bishop, a seasoned Facilitator, Challenge Producer and Corporate Strategist, has designed challenges and programs for Fortune 500 clients and major network reality shows such as Survivor and The Amazing Race.
“It is very exciting for the marblemedia team to have Alan on board again,” said Matt Hornburg, Partner and Executive Producer, marblemedia. “Having worked on some of the most popular television series around and alongside some of the most accomplished people in the television industry, Alan brings exceptional expertise and creativity to the marblemedia team.”
TRUCE OR DARE is a docu-reality series that reunites feuding neighbours, former best friends, estranged sisters, troubled co-workers etc., and pits them together in a series of challenges as they work towards finding a resolution to their dissolved relationship.
“TRUCE OR DARE combines all the exciting and adventurous elements of a number of popular reality series with a different and interesting twist,” said Alan Bishop. “Viewers will enjoy watching the contestants attempt to resolve their conflicts and will even learn some of their own lessons for conflict resolution.”
TRUCE OR DARE contestants will square off in a series of high-stakes physical challenges to win back the relationships that were once so important. Each challenge will be designed to exploit the contestants’ strengths and weaknesses, call to mind their conflict and help them reach a peaceful resolution. The conflict resolution does not stop after the end credits; it continues online with bonus video footage, conflict resolution advice from the experts, fan forums and an application to be on the show.
The first time Alan joined the marblemedia team, he was part of the incredibly popular tween competition series, The Adrenaline Project. Alan will be accompanying the marblemedia team to the Banff World Television Festival that takes place June 7-10 at the Fairmont Banff Spring Hotels.
On the Set: Making Skatoony Canuck-Style
Immersed as I am in the world of kids television production, it’s rare that I actually get a chance to sit in on a live taping. So I was as surprised as anyone when I got a good shushing from the audio technician working the Toronto set of the North American version of Skatoony.
I was laughing louder than the kids, but I don’t think it was my fault, really. I mean who expects a show director to launch into a ridiculous, yet inexplicably spot-on impersonation of a drunken dinosaur, stumbling and crawling around the studio, when they go to a taping? Needless to say, the performance – intended to loosen up the pre-teen contestants of the hybrid game/toon series – had more than the kids in stitches that day.
Teletoon Canada recently commissioned the series from Toronto-based prodco marblemedia, which picked up North American format rights for Skatoony, with an eye to launching the localized version in March 2010. The concept – a Hollywood Stars-style game show starring real kids who are inserted into a cartoon world and interact with animated hosts and contestants – was imported from Cartoon Network UK, where it debuted three years ago and has since become one of the channel’s top-rated shows. marblemedia is recasting the Canadian format with a nod to the country’s unique culture. So you’ll find Canada-centric quiz questions, and one of the characters is a retired hockey star, which should also help to satisfy the local funding requirements. The biggest difference, however, is that Teletoon has decided to employ characters from Fresh TV’s Teletoon hit Total Drama Island as the panel of cartoon contestants on the game show.
But the true secret to making the format work is getting the right reactions from kid contestants. Hilarity best describes the mood the marblemedia production team creates on-set each day to put the kids into as zany a state as their toon co-stars, which are drawn and edited in long after the live-action portion of the show has been taped.
And to get funny and real responses from the kids, marblemedia has hired actors to serve as stand-ins for the animated TDI characters on the green-screen set. They never break character and it’s their mission to keep the kids engaged in the pre-decided “script” of each episode. The prodco’s partner Mark Bishop explains the kids never hear the words “action” or “cut” because the cameras are kept rolling continuously between takes to capture candid expressions and comments, which are later inserted into the finished episodes.
Needing a director with a special combination of acting ability, to be a stand-in for the show’s animated host, and a knack for drawing out high-energy performances from kids, marblemedia hired Second City improve coach Dave Pearce, a.k.a. the drunk dinosaur.
Turner Broadcasting SVP and GM of original series & international development Finn Arnesen came up with original show concept and had a hand in setting up the Toronto set.
“We’ve got a production bible and a team of people who can put themselves in whatever country has bought the format and explain how the show gets made,” says Arnesen.
To that end last year, this caravan of CN consultants went to India to help establish the Hindi-language format, which is now top-rated in that region. One of the biggest challenges was translating the content for the local culture. Arnesen says, for example, the UK’s animated boxer character whose gloves make it impossible to hit the buzzer, didn’t work in India, where boxing is virtually non-existent. So the Indian production company created a Southern Indian dancer who is equally reluctant to hit the buzzer, but it’s for fear of smudging her elaborately hennaed hands. It made more sense culturally and saved one of the show’s running gags.
Arnesen notes one of the biggest advantages in re-creating the format in another territory now is that new kid participants get to see clips of the UK version beforehand, giving them a much better appreciation of what they’ll be expected to do. (The first crop of UK contestants had to play completely blind.)
Another plus that’s exclusive to the Canadian version is the extensive Skatoony online community marblemedia is developing and then licensing back to Cartoon UK, which could only launch a basic honeycomb site when the show started three years ago due to timing and resource limitations. marblemedia’s Bishop believes the rich online platform, coupled with the popularity of the TDI characters on Teletoon, and now Cartoon Network US, bodes well for the Canadian version being picked up as is by the American channel, even given the subtle Canuck slant.
In the meantime, Arnesen says, the format is gearing up to begin production in Germany later this year. France, Spain, and Italy show solid potential for future regional formats, and Turner/Cartoon UK is also in talks with local prodcos in Dubai that are very interested in kids game shows at the moment.
marblemedia Welcomes Ted Brunt as VP, Interactive Production
marblemedia is pleased to welcome Ted Brunt, Vice President Interactive Production, to its award-winning team. In this new role, Brunt will be responsible for developing and leading all interactive productions at marblemedia.
Brunt has worked in all aspects of production as well as technical and content creation. He brings over 15 years of pioneering experience dedicated to the future of content creation, combining technology, audiences and storytellers in award-winning and cost-effective productions.
"We are absolutely delighted to add Ted's leadership to our interactive team," said Mark Bishop, Executive Producer and Partner at marblemedia. "The combination of Ted's experience and skills continue our mission to move forward in innovative new ways."
Prior to joining marblemedia, Brunt worked at CBC for six years. As Senior Director, Digital Entertainment Content, he created cbc.ca's entertainment portal strategy, combining television, radio and online programming into a single offering. He also created and managed the CBC Original Online Content Development Fund which fostered next-generation online content. As Chief Online Producer, Children's Content, Brunt created a new strategic direction for children's online content and production teams. Under Brunt's leadership, traffic increased by 1,600 per cent in year one.
Brunt spent 14 years at TVONTARIO in various positions. His responsibilities included: traditional television production; producing online content; creating and managing tvokids.com; handling all technical aspects of production and delivering content for TVO.org and TVOntario.org. He was also part of a pioneering team that developed TVOntario's online social media platform in the early 90's.
Brunt won numerous awards for his outstanding achievements, both national and international, including two Gemini Awards for tvokids.com.
Tasked with creating and developing interactive projects that are in production, Brunt will immediately oversee the web and mobile production for marble's SKATOONY, TASTE BUDS Season Two and THE DATING GUY.
Will Canada miss the next wireless revolution?
In the world of “mobile ubiquity,” Canada lags behind.
Mobile and wireless devices have changed our world, and as they lead the next revolution – beyond 3G and into the super-speeds of 4G networks – network access will be everywhere.
But with the exception of Research In Motion, the Vigo IP Platform, Quickplay, marblemedia, and host of bright young micro companies, we don’t get it. Our internal market has been too small to propel and profitable local industry, data rates have been too expensive, appetite for risk and access to Canadian carriers too limited.
Canadian companies need to move fast to be prepared to embrace the next generation of networked enterprise, educational and entertainment activity. Data rates, though they are getting more affordable, are still high compared with global standards. Mobile penetration lags, and access to capital, distribution and markets are the largest inhibitors to local growth.
Application marketplaces provided by Apple, Nokia, Google, Mozilla’s Fennec and RIM are providing some opportunities for developers of content, they are not yet the drivers of economic and innovative growth. The recent expansion of carriers, and the demands of subscribers will force increased levels of competition among all carriers, which will almost certainly put downward pressure on mobile voice and data plans.
HOW DO WE CATCH UP?
Canadian companies need to partner with global mobile industry players outside of Canada to foster trade relationships that make it easy for those firms to tap into local markets as a source of innovation.
We can consolidate venture and other fast-tracked investment funds and aim them at emerging entrepreneurs to help them to sketch ideas, pitch these, and get them prototyped and out to market very fast. Government funding initiatives can be best realized with the help of established players such as the banks, the VC community and initiatives such as the BlackBerry Partners Fund, which was recently established by Research in Motion, with JLA Ventures and RBC Venture Partners.
Canada needs (and is developing through initiatives such as the Mobile Experience Innovation Centre) a virtual and physical development network that can undertake prototyping and research in mobile applications design and business model development. It can provide intensive research into consumer, business and market behaviours in this space – with near and far future market analysis. This includes developing strategies for scaling local products into global marketplaces. We need a Canadian superbrand platform that can push Canadian developments to the international market.
We can flow the excellent research in mobile content, design and technologies in the university sector out to industry and in response to industry though such a mobile convergence network.
WHAT ABOUT EDUCATION?
We need to train talent. Postsecondary educational institutions and government funding agencies need to be aligned with the direction of funders and multinationals if we are going to properly equip the country to capitalize on this opportunity. By education entrepreneurs, designers and developers to understand international business models, technology standards and user behaviours, our local businesses will be in a position to compete much more profitably, and on a much larger playing field. Industry forums, skills development workshops, training and retraining and the development of local recruitment and talent pools in order to develop and sustain skills are needed as well.
WHAT KIND OF INVESTMENT CYCLE IS NEEDED?
Innovation in this sector is fuelled by convergence across content, services and platforms, through the continuous upgrading of the devices connecting us to the digital world, and by entrepreneurs who identify consumer needs and develop products and services to meet those needs. It requires rapid-fire market intelligence, strategic foresight, fast prototyping (agile development) and usability as well as an entity able to take risks in order to propel the consortium of companies forward. We need to act very fast in all of these stages. If the web development “year” was estimated as six months several years ago, the mobile development “year” is two. Development is no longer staged – testing of new products needs to happen in the marketplace as others come on stream.
WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS MODELS?
There are many – but these require risk and investment. As Canada’s mobile penetration rate surpasses the 80-per-cent mark, new mobile business models are beginning to emerge within many emerging categories: content (including subscriptions), pay-as-you-go services, and paid application advertising. A service called AdMob aggregates advertising space among multiple applications across multiple mobile platforms in order to leverage the power of aggregated audiences and provide metrics on usage growth.
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
This is an international phenomenon, with mobile access arrayed across smart phones throughout the world and widespread mobile network and device presence even in the most remote locations of the developing world. There are potential dramatic shifts in this economy, where the price of usage will decrease because of structural competition – incumbent carriers versus wireless platforms, media publishers versus social networks, proprietary operating systems versus open-source operating systems and proprietary software publishers against developer communities.
The big winners will be companies that understand the move from technology innovation to interface design, content, services, and above all, usability. Clarity on the differences and links in consumer and business applications and ways of sliding the aesthetics of consumer experience into business platforms are de rigueur. These will be applications that integrate location awareness, create effective interface designs, platforms, software, services, distribution capacity, or develop new forms of content. The iPhone has traversed these multiple capabilities, but other devices are fast to catch up. It’s a mobile market, let’s move with it, Canada!
Sara Diamond is president of the Ontario College of Art and Design.
Banff to the future
The Banff Television Festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary in the midst of a media renaissance that sees many conventional approaches considered somewhat primitive.
It would appear to be a bad time to be investing in traditional television programming or even holding conferences to discuss it. Many media companies are in serious trouble. The list includes Canada’s two major media monopolies. CanWest Global is looking to sell off its seven specialty channels and CTVglobemdia recently cancelled news broadcasts in three major markets.
While the Festival has always been good at bringing industry leaders together to create greater opportunities for producers and broadcasters, its new executive director, former Playback Editor Peter Vamos, says that it needs to stay focused on the business aspects of the industry.
“It’s definitely refocused itself which is part of the reason that I pursued this job. It has become more and more about facilitating the industry’s needs in terms of getting business done which is very similar to what we saw our mandate being at Playback. I felt it was a natural extension from what I had been doing. I have been impressed with the changes that they have made in the past. It has had many incarnations and I am very pleased with the current version in terms of what they have been trying to accomplish. I imagine that the industry is as well. The feedback I had been getting as a member of the industry and someone outside of Banff is that the business element had become key to what it does.”
The fact that the Festival has made it to its 30th birthday would have been considered an unlikely event as recently as 2004. Five years ago, the Banff Television Foundation, which operated the Festival, declared bankruptcy, offering creditors ten cents on the dollar. A few weeks later the Foundation announced that Toronto-based Achilles Media had purchased all of the Foundation’s assets and rights.
Achilles senior executives polled industry leaders to ask them what would bring them back to the festival. They were told that they felt the Festival was moving away from the business aspects and had become too involved in creating social functions. They felt that the Festival would work better if it put more emphasis on business and keeping up with advances in the industry.
Vamos’s job is to keep that approach on track and to assure potential delegates that the individual sessions will feature speakers and panellists who address their needs. He says that while the panels will include several senior executives from television networks, he wants the discussion to focus on a collective vision for the future of the medium.
“We are definitely making an attempt, in every one of our sessions, to discuss where the industry is heading and how it is going to impact things. I think that if you are doing the job, you are not just putting together the show you are putting together a multi-platform concept as well. So with every panel we will be trying to address the future of television on some level and to give some direction. We are trying to not just bring executives. We are trying to bring in visionaries; people who can talk about how things are going to evolve. The panels and the master classes should not be about ‘how I am doing my job today,’ they should be about ‘how I will be doing my job tomorrow.’
“I think we are fortunate that the Banff Television festival goes back to back with (Achilles’ new media conference) Next Media so we can integrate a lot of the discussion about the future of media platforms. Through the two events we can discuss how shows are produced and disseminated online and through mobile platforms. We work hand in hand with Next Media in terms of developing content. We have an entire stream of Next Media conference sessions called Digital 360 which follows producers as they take an established ‘old media’ show and reformat that to the web and stream it on line. So we definitely are addressing these things. There is something that we have planned for next year that is really going to dive into that space but this year the evolution continues.”
Norm Bolen knows a little about the need of television executives to be aware of the evolution of media. When he was first asked to sit on the board of the Banff Television Festival Foundation, he was running Alliance Atlantis’s specialty channels. Soon after he agreed to be a board member, the festival collapsed. When Achilles took over he became chairman. After CanWest Global bought up the channels Bolen moved on to work as a consultant and is a director of a web-based video distribution company called mDialog. He says that the festival would be negligent if it neglected to keep up with the options available.
“I think that there are few people working in television who don’t think about how they can make the transition (to the new media). I think the board and staff of the Festival has made a concerted effort to turn their attention to what is going on in the media marketplace and that it is not just about television any more. The CFTPA (Canadian Film and Television Producers Association) has been getting involved in new media, for instance. Most companies who have been involved in television want to transition their businesses as a hedge against change and to do more in the online world. I have been sharing ideas with TV people and I think you see them increasingly focusing their energy on online and digital media.”
Bolen says that despite the evolution of new technologies and the introduction of multi-media platforms, it’s unlikely that traditional television will disappear any time soon. He says that while the federal government Is encouraging applicants for funding to include new media platforms, they are also encouraging a blending of traditional programming with online platforms. However, he says that while television still wins out in terms of its ability to attract advertising, advertisers eventually find their audience.
“I think that digital media people will be turning towards television as a platform in order to find a balance. The guidelines of the Canada New Media Fund say that one of the requirements is that applicants need more than one platform for their production. That will motivate TV people to include digital media platforms and for digital people to include television in their plans, which will be good for both sectors. For instance, television producers are discovering that mobile phones are incredible platforms for distribution. They are using the iPhone and the Blackberry for video content and creating opportunities to monetize video content. The ad and broadcast industries are conservative but change is happening and they are trying to see where the future is going. I think we are all aware that the history of advertising is that they eventually follow consumer behaviour.”
Mark Bishop, the co-founder of Toronto-based marblemedia, first started talking about platform options eight years ago at Banff at one of four 2001 Future Watch plenaries. He says that at the time most of the emphasis was on High Definition for television but that his company had already made a prototype of HD for mobiles. The reaction to the prototype was surprising.
“We were trying to show the future of content but several people mocked us,” he says. “We said that in the future people would be watching television on cell phones but the general reaction was that even if it could be done no one would want to watch a TV show on a cell phone. Eight years later it is happening because it is about content and not necessarily the device that you watch it on. Anyone who produces content has to look at reaching people and there are more options now than ever. It’s not just about the TV in the living room anymore. I think that Banff was ahead of the game eight years ago and hopefully it can keep a step ahead because these discussions and debates have to take place. We don’t have these big picture discussions in random situations. There has to be a place where content producers can get together and plan for the future and Banff is the perfect place for that.”
Bishop’s company is doing its best to keep ahead of the curve. Its animated shows are available on several platforms including in interactive form. He says that getting support form advertisers for the work is becoming easier. “Advertisers are still interested in television but they are interested in content that is engaging and I think you can do that with interactive. The bulk of the iceberg is finding a targeted audience for your content, which then allows advertisers to reach that audience, one that you assume is already interested in their products. But it is an educational process. Ad agency media buyers have to get their heads around the metrics of it. I think that some are still looking at the Nielsen numbers but the smart advertisers are saying ‘lets take some of it (money) out of television and find innovative ways to reach our audience.’”
Judith Brosseau, the senior vice president of programming for Montreal-based Canal D, and a member of the Festival’s board of directors, recalls that when she went to Banff ten years ago she made a deal with France’s Canal Plus for a wildlife series that was produced for High Definition. She says that while it was a simpler time, it might not have happened had there not been a place for people to talk about both traditional television and the potential of new media.
“A lot of people thought we were spending too much on HD at the time but we eventually sold the show all over the world. We had a vision and brought it to Banff and Canal Plus was there and we made the deal and made money. Banff plays that role and I think it will continue to do that even though broadcasters are facing new business models. No one has a crystal ball but we still have to go there and talk about trends and discuss what does and doesn’t work. A lot of people thought we were nuts when we were first working with HD and now it is no big deal. So we need to see each other at a regular time to share amongst ourselves the success and failures and in order to stay attuned.”
Jon Plowman won last year’s award for Lifetime Achievement for his works as the Head of Comedy at the BBC. Plowman was responsible for getting shows like Absolutely Fabulous and The Office on air before deciding to produce his own projects. He needed to make contacts and headed for Banff in 2003. He says he keeps coming back because the Festival is the best place to share ideas with producers on how to make money from the platforms that are evolving from traditional television.
“I think everyone who produces television shows is looking for ways to make money from new media applications,” he says. “I have a friend who has an American talk show that he took to the web. It is five minutes in length but he does it from his garage. It is a wonderful on-line show and he can do it for a few dollars but the question keeps coming: how do you monetize that when so much of what is available on the web, in terms of the competition for audiences, is free? A producer has to know he will get money back. The other problem, in terms of traditional television and its future, is that there is so much of it, and I am using the example of the BBC because that is what I know, that is on YouTube.
“The fact is, producers and media companies are entrepreneurs and they don’t feel they can get rich on the internet. One of the great things about Banff is that these people who are looking for ways to monetize these platforms are all there in one place. It’s always been a place where you could see what things were being done in other territories and to talk about what you have available. It’s good to keep up and now there is this new element in terms of sharing approaches to new technologies and how we can make it work as an industry. That makes Banff more relevant than ever I think.”
Peter Vamos agrees. He says that while the delegates have traditionally been interested in pitching to executives face to face, the content of the pitches and the professions of the executives have changed.
“I think that there has been an evolution in terms of the pitching,” he says. “More and more we are bringing in people from the digital media who will take pitches and this year we are bringing in agents because in this multiplatform world agents play a central role in terms of putting deals together. So while the focus is still about getting the deals done, people want to know where the business is going and how they are going to evolve. That also has to become part of the conference aspect. I think it’s entirely possible that as we become more focused on the evolution of the industry there may be people who don’t find that it is relevant to them. However, if you are not attracting new people you have no future.
“It is a fine balance but we try to address the concerns of all of our delegates. We survey them at the end of every festival to see what resonated and what didn’t resonate. I think there will be something for everyone as long as we are bringing top broadcasters from around the world and give the delegates the opportunity to meet them and to pitch them. A lot of the people who have been coming for many years have already established relationships with broadcasters because Banff created that opportunity for them at one time or another. But while most of our delegates make their living off old media we still have to keep showing the way in terms of where television is heading. I think that is absolutely essential to the future of the Festival.”
Taste Buds is Back for a Sizzling Second Season
Matt, Lily and Avery are back and cooking up a storm as marblemedia announced today that principle photography has begun on a scrumptious second season of Taste Buds. Created by marblemedia partners Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg and produced in association with TVO, Season Two debuts this fall in the TVO after-school block in addition to Knowledge Network, Access Alberta and SCN.
Season Two mixes heaps of laughs and spoonfuls of fun with more special guest chefs, yummy recipes and the return of the three flavourful hosts, Matt, Lily and Avery. New for this season are the dynamic Taste Buddies – socialite Jasmine, sports-crazed Tyler and science enthusiast Penny. This trio connects with the hosts and exchanges fun food facts and ideas through video chats and status updates.
“We want to send a positive message to kids about healthy eating and kitchen safety while inspiring them to discover new foods and help in the cooking process. Ultimately we want to encourage kids to become food explorers and show them that creating meals can be a fun adventure,” said Mark Bishop, Executive Producer and Partner of marblemedia.
“Taste Buds is the perfect blend of fun mixed with a cup full of learning,” said Patricia Ellingson, Creative Head of Children’s Media, Content & Programming for TVO. “It’s about teaching kids how to make meals that don’t just come out of the freezer. But what I really love about Taste Buds is that it encourages kids and parents to get together in the kitchen, explore their curiosity and have some fun. Now there’s a recipe for a healthy meal.”
Taste Buds will inspire kids aged 7 to 10 by focusing on a specific theme in each half hour. Episode titles include, Foods that Ooze, Foods that Make You Pucker and Foods for Your Brain. The 13 episodes will be shot in high definition (16 x 9) at various locations around Ontario and will continue production through June.
For fans who want to savour the show anytime, TasteBudsTV.com continues the food adventures online with complete “how to” cooking methods, delectable recipes and gripping games. The Cookbooker feature allows parents and kids to personalize their very own recipe book with recipes from the show and family favourites. Full episodes will also launch online the same day as they air. These webisodes will contain enhanced features not seen on the TV show, such as interactive pop ups, special cooking tips and fun food facts.
Ontario budget clicks with Interactive Media industry
Yesterday the Ontario government released its 2009 budget which included significant improvements to the province's competitive edge in the interactive media marketplace. Through a series of improvements to the Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit (OIDMTC) and a boost to the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), Ontario now offers some of the most competitive production and development environments for the creation of interactive media products and services anywhere in the world.
The Interactive media industry is comprised of companies working on emerging and developing platforms such as video game consoles, the web and mobile phones. There are currently about 700 companies working in the interactive media industry in Ontario.
"This budget can leave no doubt that Ontario is very serious about its digital future" said Ian Kelso, President & CEO, Interactive Ontario. "It is a tremendous boost to our competitive edge, and I have no doubt the world will take notice."
"This new support from the Ontario Government will foster new growth in the interactive media industry. Not only will it be easier to market interactive projects, but the development support will give companies the freedom to incubate innovative, forward-thinking ideas and allow us to stay competitive in the global market," said Mark Bishop, Chair, Interactive Ontario Board of Directors & Partner/Executive Producer, marblemedia.
This budget proposes, effective for qualifying expenditures incurred after March 26, 2009 to increase the OIDMTC rates to:
• 40 % (from 30%) for qualifying corporations, regardless of size, that develop and market their own eligible products; and
• 35 % (from 25%) for qualifying corporations that develop eligible products under a fee-for-service arrangement.
For qualifying expenditures incurred after March 26, 2009:
• to expand the OIDMTC, to allow corporations to claim 100 % of the amount paid to eligible arm's-length contractors that is attributable to the salaries and wages of the contractor's employees; and
• to extend the OIDMTC to digital media game developers that incur a minimum$1 million of eligible labour expenditures over a 36-month period for fee-for-service work done in Ontario in respect of an eligible product. Corporations that meet the minimum expenditure test would not be required to be at arm's length with the purchaser corporation, or to develop all, or substantially all, of the eligible product.
This budget is proposing about $100 million annually in additional tax relief and investments of about $30 million to support the entertainment and creative cluster. These measures include proposals to:
• enhance tax support for the creation of interactive digital media products in Ontario;
• enhance the refundable book publishing tax credit;
• make the enhanced tax credit rates under the refundable film and television tax credits permanent, to create predictability and stability for the industry;
• provide $20 million to the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), an agency of the Ministry of Culture, which supports a number of Ontario's creative industries as they compete domestically and globally; and
• invest $10 million in a pilot program, administered through OMDC, that would refund a portion of the costs associated with intellectual property development to Ontario-based companies in the screen-based industries.
Skatoony Gets North American Remake
marblemedia Begins North American Production of Popular U.K. Animated Series, Skatoony.
Executive Producers of Taste Buds and This is Emily Yeung, marblemedia, announced today that production has begun on the North American version of the U.K.’s smash-hit, animated/live-action series, Skatoony.
This new version of Skatoony will build on the success of the Cartoon Network U.K. series by adding a distinctly North American twist including all new voices, older contestants, an interactive website and new animated characters borrowed from the TELETOON hit series Total Drama Island, produced by Fresh TV Inc. Pitting real kids against quirky animated characters for prizes in a Hollywood Squares-type trivia game, cameras started rolling yesterday, in Toronto for this 26-part series (13 half-hour English and 13 half-hour French episodes). This first-of-its-kind show in North America and its new format will be targeted towards a tween audience.
“The new Skatoony delivers all the fun and imagination of the original series to a whole new audience. We are very excited to bring this huge European hit to a North American market,” said Mark Bishop, Executive Producer and Partner of marblemedia.
The show’s hilarious host Chudd Chudders and his sidekick announcer The Earl will play intermediary between the tweenaged contestants and the animated world while deflecting many interruptions from a cast of animated characters, including intimidating pirates and attacking aliens. New to the North American edition of the show is the character of Charles La Puck — a former hockey coach and menacing owner of the Skatoony studio. The challenge for the contestants is to survive three rapid-fire trivia rounds and the antics of their cartoon competitors in order to win great prizes.
The live-action portion of Skatoony will be shot in both English and French. The contestants, already selected through open casting, will compete in front of a green screen; animation post-production will take place at Toronto’s Smiley Guy Studios.
Skatoony began as an internet microsite and has since gone on to become the most popular show on Cartoon Network in the U.K. and is in its fourth year of production. The North American rights to the show were secured by marblemedia earlier this year and the 26 episodes will debut on TELETOON in spring 2010.
Rich Media Website Brings ASL to Life for Deaf Kids
The Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf (CCSD) and Toronto-based digital media company marblemedia have teamed up to create the first children’s animated American Sign Language (ASL) dictionary.
The dictionary will allow Deaf children to look up vocabulary according to their own, primary language - ASL along with the English vocabulary counterpart - without having to rely on adults for definitions.
Thanks to funding from the Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan Fund, this rich media website will enable young children, parents, siblings and friends to interact with and learn through the use of live-action video and animation. The Inukshuk Wireless Learning Plan Fund supports the development of new online learning content and has committed to funding the first portion of the project.
The interactive site aims to be a shared learning environment for Deaf and hearing children, 5 to 7 years of age, along with the adults in their lives. Another key feature of the site is its ability to simultaneously enable hearing children to learn ASL by finding words according to the English alphabet in a creative way with full live-action ASL in motion rather than through photographs.
“We have a long-standing history with the CCSD that started with our TV show and website for Deaf children – deafplanet.com. It is a pleasure to be able to collaborate with them again on such an inspiring and important project,” said Mark Bishop, Partner and Executive Producer of marblemedia.
“CCSD is delighted to produce this groundbreaking learning resource with marblemedia!,” said Joanne Cripps, CYW, Co-Director, DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf. “We are also engaging award-winning South African Deaf animator, Braam Jordaan and renowned ASL linguist, Dr. Sam Supalla to create what promises to be a revolutionary product!” said Dr. Anita Small, Co-Director of the DEAF CULTURE CENTRE, Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf.
TELETOON Commissions Double Shoot for Animation Series
Toronto’s marblemedia has acquired North American format rights to produce a version of the popular Cartoon Network U.K. series Skatoony.
Currently in its third season, the successful television program pits real kids against cartoon characters in an animated quiz game show format. The first season enters production this spring and will shoot 13 half-hour English and 13 half-hour French episodes. The series, aimed at kids aged 8 to 12, has been commissioned for TELETOON Canada and is set to premiere in Spring 2010.
“Skatoony is more than just a television show. It has grown into a phenomenon,” Mark Bishop, Partner and Executive Producer, marblemedia, described in a release. “Its popularity in the U.K. is astounding, which we know will transfer very well into this market. Our goal is to build on the success of this top-rated franchise and develop this brand for new audiences.”
Finn Arnesen SVP & GM Original Series and International Development at Turner Entertainment Networks International said, “We are really pleased to continue the rollout of Skatoony in other markets and bring the format to Canada. Having great partners in TELETOON and marblemedia will make for a strong and entertaining version of the show for Canadian kids to enjoy.”
“The double-shoot in French and English as well as the unique format means Skatoony and marblemedia will offer tween fans across Canada a special opportunity to trade barbs and match wits with a wide variety of entertaining animated characters,” added Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Content, TELETOON.
Skatoony is hosted by popular animated characters Chudd Chudders and The Earl. Each week, real life kids compete against cartoon contestants in four rounds of wild game show challenges, with the final contestant taking everything in an against-the-clock-challenge.
marblemedia is also developing an accompanying interactive website for Skatoony and its characters, allowing kids to get involved in the fast-paced quizzing anytime.