Manon Massacci

Manon Massacci
Creative development manager
Mr Loyal
France
Pitching: Biguden, Dr Bob

What is the biggest issue facing the animation industry right now?
There are many challenges the animation industry is facing, but I think one of the biggest might be the talent shortage. Due to the rise in demand for high-quality animation and new shows, producers have more difficulties in recruiting talented people. It is actually good news because it reflects the dynamism of a flourishing industry, as long as it doesn’t turn into a long-term crunch.

What is your company doing in response to this?
We try to create a great work environment and to always improve our working conditions. We always had a culture of internal training and we are reinforcing to help our talent to develop more skills in many areas. Last but not least, the best way to keep your team engaged is to allow them to work on enticing projects and take on new challenges every time. Then we always try to take part in the best high-quality animated shows.

How do you see the rise of the metaverse impacting animation?
The metaverse is a big revolution for all entertainment companies. However, I feel that its application in the animation industry is still at the beginning. The traditional broadcasting format is still dominating the market, so we’ll see in the coming years if we can add a metaverse side to our in-development shows. That could be the opportunity to explore new territories for our brands and improve their digital presence. On the other hand, we could find inspiring metaverse ideas that can be adapted into animated content, so there are a lot of exciting opportunities to explore.

How do you work with YouTube Kids, and is it a platform that supports high-quality animation producers?
YouTube has introduced new formats for preschool content and also provides a showcase for international brands. For small producers like us, I think YouTube might not be the first priority. Monetisation of content is more efficient when you already have a wide portfolio of series and a large number of episodes.

Tell us about the project you are pitching at Cartoon Forum.
It’s our very first time pitching at Cartoon Forum and we have the great opportunity to present two projects this year. The first one is a coproduction with Cosmic Productions and Apaches. It’s called Biguden (52×11’) and tells the story of two kids who have to confront and understand magical creatures to preserve the balance between the human world and the magical realm of forgotten legends. The second one is Dr Bob (52×11’), an animated sitcom for adults that tells the story of a shrink who goes too far to help his patients. For both projects we are looking for broadcasters, potential foreign coproducers and presales.