Showcomotion is partnering with Crossover UK to create Crossover Kids, a week-long residential workshop for experienced practitioners in kids’ media and entertainment. Crossover Kids will be held between December 1st and 5th 2008 in the UK. Greg Childs, Executive Producer of Showcomotion said:

‘We want TV and film producers, game developers, web designers, animators, theatre practitioners and toy creators to join us for five days in exploring and developing original ideas for cross-platform projects. Crossover Kids is an extraordinary ‘creative lab’ for experienced and talented creative professionals from a varied range of backgrounds.’

‘Practical and dynamic, Crossover Kids will be a source of innovative ideas for: cross-platform content and services; a framework for establishing new interdisciplinary collaborations; a journey to the heart of the new media ecology; and a new unique opportunity to invent future media for children.’


DELEGATES IN UPBEAT MOOD AT 5th SHOWCOMOTION CHILDREN’S MEDIA CONFERENCE

The annual Showcomotion Children’s Media Conference returned for the fifth time from 2nd – 4th July 2008.
With a record 384 registered delegates and over 80 speakers from practically every sector, the conference represented a cross-section of the kids’ media scene. Organisers report that delegates were in a buoyant mood this year. They say that conditions in the sector are still demanding and investment in original production is still at a low ebb, yet delegates eschewed the doom and gloom of recent years by preferring to look at positive and practical solutions to commissioning and producing kids’ content.

Ed Vaizey MP, Shadow Minister for Culture and Broadcasting gave the Opening Keynote at the Showcomotion Conference this year. Anna Home, Chair of the Showcomotion Advisory Committee said:

’Vaizey was the first major political figure to attend Showcomotion, and it couldn’t have been more timely given the support the children’s media industry needs because conditions are still challenging in kids’ content and distribution. The perspective of how political thinking will impact on the industry was an invaluable addition to this year’s conference line-up.’

Participants included Claire Armitstead, Literary Editor, The Guardian; Michael Cairns, MD Disney Channel UK; Charles Cecil, MD Revolution Software; Andrew Chitty MD Illumina Digital; Richard Deverell, Controller BBC Children’s; Boel Ferguson, MD UK and Nordic, Jetix Europe; Richard Hollis, Head of UK Licensing, BBC Worldwide; Sophie Patrikios, Director of Lego Consumer Services; Emma Tennant, Controller ITV3 and CITV.

There were contributions to sessions from the advertising, games, film and online sectors and there were 26 sessions in all, exploring a variety of new partnerships and new ideas.