Australian kids’ prodco Flying Bark hires Karen Vermeulen to lead development efforts

Australian children’s and family producer Flying Bark Productions has appointed Karen Vermeulen to the newly created role of head of development and executive producer.

Karen Vermeulen

In her new position, Vermeulen will oversee creative development, manage talent and partner relationships in addition to securing financing and getting productions greenlit.

Vermeulen most recently worked with not-for-profit media and conservation organisation On The Edge as a consultant and brings 20 years’ experience in animation and media to the role.

She has served in senior global roles, including head of global content and coproduction at Cloudco Entertainment and MD of its UK office, and served in positions with Gaumont, RDF/Zodiak Kids (now Banijay), Walt Disney Company, Entertainment Rights and National Geographic Kids.

With studio locations in Sydney, LA and – since last year – Madrid, Flying Bark operates as a full-service production facility for independent feature films and series as well as providing animation services for global clients. It is currently looking to recruit for several positions across its studios.

Flying Bark is in production on an animated series for Australia’s ABC based on Shaun Tan’s illustrated novel Tales from Outer Suburbia and recently secured the rights to turn the novel Funny Ethnics by Shirley Le into a series as part of the After Bark slate, its young adult production arm.

Flying Bark Productions president and CEO Barbara Stephen said Vermeulen is “the perfect choice to lead the studio’s development efforts as we continue to grow our slate of original programming. Karen will continue to work with talent across the globe to develop, partner and produce projects with our studios and lead creative teams in Los Angeles, Spain and Australia.”