Programming Profile

After a bumper year for the animation industry in general, Muriel Thomas of Magic Light Pictures reveals the UK company’s slate for this year and discusses plans for international expansion, as part of its C21 Digital Screenings showcase.

While the events of last year sent many TV production houses into meltdown, the animation industry overall was less affected. Rather than shooting on location, CGI animators were able to keep working from their homes. Despite many challenges, productions could continue.

The UK’s Magic Light Pictures – best known for producing Oscar-nominated animated specials based on Julia Donaldson and Axel Schleffer’s books, such as The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom – benefitted from this along with other animation houses and was also able to keep ahead of the gradually flattening curve through its position as both a producer and distributor.

“The advantage of animation is that it can be done from anywhere,” explains Magic Light’s international distribution director Muriel Thomas. “We were also able to adapt quickly to any changes and our production schedules were mostly unaffected. Despite Covid-19 and various lockdowns, we have been able to maintain continuity and quality, and we were grateful to be able to get on with our plan.”

Overall, Thomas says the animation industry has received a boost during the pandemic. With kids crying out for entertainment and parents desperate for a break, the TV became an essential component of lockdown living for families. Thomas also says the increase in demand allowed Magic Light to open up to new markets and sell to new international licensees.

Magic Light plans to continue the Donaldson/Scheffler partnership this year. An adaptation of the book Superworm from the award-winning author and illustrator is set to air on BBC1 in the UK at Christmas, as has become commonplace for the production company’s adaptations of Donaldson/Scheffler’s work. Thomas says international buyers continue to ask for The Gruffalo, which has become a “classic’ over the years, as well as the other Donaldson/Scheffler half-hour specials, building up a “beautiful collection” of films year after year.

As well as Superworm, the company is working on Pip & Posy (52×7’), Magic Light’s first animated preschool series, based on a series of million-selling books illustrated by Scheffler featuring a rabbit and a mouse who are best friends. The show began on Milkshake on the UK’s Channel 5 in March before airing on Sky Kids in May. After a successful launch, the show is now selling internationally with major territories including France, Australia and Germany already secured.

“Our first objective was to secure a successful launch in the UK,” says Thomas. “We are now hoping to replicate the same success in many other countries. We’re also very conscious that the local language for the show has to be exactly right and we get heavily involved in the dubbing. We want to retain the charm and beauty of the original series.”

With Pip & Posy ready for the global market, what lessons has Thomas learned from the domestic release? “It’s fascinating to see the increasing variety in ways kids watch content and how their watching habits are evolving,” she says. “SVoD platforms and linear services can co-exist and offer different experiences to the audience. In terms of marketing a new show, SVoD requires a slightly different approach with an emphasis on discoverability.”

“Overall, it gives more opportunity for animation to reach a wider audience because there is a multitude of ways to reach viewers. It’s one of the biggest shifts in our industry ever. On-demand may require more promotion and that’s why distribution is increasingly working closely with marketing, a trend that has happened over the last few years. Marketing and presence on social media platforms are now crucial to support the discoverability of new shows and keep the audience aware of new content.”

One way kids’ TV producers have tried to achieve this is to build a brand around the show they’re selling in order to make it a hit. In the past, this took the form of toys and other merch; nowadays there is the opportunity to go further with sponsored content, social media challenges and even Snapchat filters. Is Magic Light looking at these tactics to make Pip & Posy popular internationally?

“When it comes to Pip & Posy,” says Thomas, “the intention is to build it as a brand over time. It’s about creating a world the kids are familiar with and want to engage in. Pip & Posy already has a notoriety from the collection of books and the series is taking the two loveable characters and their friends to the screen in a playful world focusing on friendship.”

Thomas says SVoD services often require a marketing injection from elsewhere, but what about AVoD platforms? Could their easy accessibility lead parents to choose them over paid subscriptions to keep their kids entertained?

“It’s interesting,” says Thomas. “As an industry, AVoD is growing rapidly but regarding Magic Light’s content for the moment, linear broadcasters and streamers are still core of our distribution business. However, we are constantly tracking how the industry is evolving and AVoD may become more and more relevant for us in the future not only as a marketing tool but also as a new revenue stream in specific countries.”

One medium that Thomas is sure won’t go away is linear broadcasting, as kids need the regularity of switching on the TV at certain times to give their day structure. There’s a lot to be said, she feels, for not having to constantly search for something to watch. Both linear and on-demand have become equally important in our daily life and coexist, expanding the offering.

As for the next few years at Magic Light, Thomas says, the company will keep on making high-quality specials and series that inspire children and work with partners in each territory to connect its shows with a wide audience. “Approximately 10 years ago, when we started, just a few companies were doing high-quality, high production value animated specials,” she says. “It was a niche market that grew and grew, and the quality is still one of our biggest drivers.”