ANNECY: Audience migration away from traditional TV and the threats and opportunities posed by AI are the big issues facing delegates at MIFA this week, says Cake CEO Ed Galton.
Ed Galton
What are your main objectives at Annecy this year?
First and foremost, we are committed to continuing to strengthen our relationships with our existing production partners, while also actively seeking new potential collaborators and projects. At the same time, we continue to further bolster our relationships with platforms and broadcast partners.
In addition, we’re planning to introduce a couple of new projects to the marketplace, including our new preschool series, which we are co-creating with Daniel Wang and Chris Waters and producing alongside Kickstart Entertainment. Kaiju Kids invites young viewers into a world brimming with wonder and wild imagination where a family of 50-foot cuddly kaiju monsters and their tiny human brother make the everyday experiences of family life and learning about the world into super-sized adventures told through a fuzzy and endearingly monstery lens.
We’re also following up conversations on a number of projects currently in development, with the goal of moving them forward and into production. Finally, we’re in the process of wrapping up a number of sales involving our catalogue of content.
CGI/live-action series Armorsaurs, produced by MGA Entertainment and Daewon Media
What is the biggest issue facing the animation industry?
There is a multitude of challenges currently facing our industry. One of the most significant is the rapid decline in audience viewership of traditional linear platforms globally, and the ongoing shift away from those platforms towards gaming, YouTube and non-specific kids’ content.
That shift represents one of the biggest disruptions to our industry and coupled with the rapid acceleration of AI will hugely impact the animation space. We know AI will fundamentally change how animation is produced, and we’re taking that seriously. We’re actively exploring how AI can be used to improve production workflows. If it allows us to create content more efficiently and reduce time to market, that’s a clear advantage. Speed to market is becoming increasingly important, especially as we compete with YouTube influencers who are able to attract young audiences and push out content at a much faster pace than traditional animation pipelines allow.
The economics of the industry have also shifted dramatically. The old model of selling to a broadcast partner, receiving a large licence fee and financing a project that way, is disappearing. So, we need to adapt. AI may offer one way to help us to do that by making production more efficient and cost-effective, which in turn could help us stay competitive in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Where do you see the biggest opportunity in the animation sector at the moment?
That’s a tough question. I think the real opportunity lies in figuring out how to get to market faster. If you can crack that and create shows that are more economically efficient and quicker to produce, then you’ve got a real advantage. Additionally, if you can figure out alternative ways to fund your projects putting a financing model together that is not dependent on traditional broadcast partners, that’s a big win. Ultimately, there’s still a market for strong content. It’s just about adapting to the new realities of how that content gets made and distributed.
Campfire Aniworks and China’s Live Fun produced Bubblegem
What new shows are coming down the line that you’re particularly focused on?
Our CGI/live-action series Armorsaurs, produced by MGA Entertainment with Korea’s Daewon Media, is about a group of armoured dinosaurs protecting earth from extraterrestrial invaders. Also from Korea, Bubblegem is our new girl-focused series, produced by Campfire Aniworks and China’s Live Fun. It’s about the magical adventures of seven mermaid princesses and has already achieved multi-platform success in Asia. We’re also focused on animated comedy The Sisters, now in its third season and produced by Samka; and we’re working to move forward on Rockie-nominated Nikhil & Jay, produced by King Banana TV and Paper Owl Films for CBeebies. It’s about the everyday comic adventures of dual heritage brothers and is based on the award-winning book series by Chitra Soundar.
What have been your most successful shows of the past six months and why?
Armorsaurs has achieved significant success since we introduced it to the marketplace this year. Currently, we are in negotiations on several deals with key partners that represent strong opportunities for the brand and which will be announced in due course. Additionally, Talking Tom Heroes: Suddenly Super is the latest Talking Tom series from Outfit7 and it has been very well received. We have already announced deals for the show with Warner Bros Discovery in Italy and Southeast Asia and with CBeebies in the UK, with more to follow.
