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PRIME 4KIDS&FAMILY - CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CHILDREN AND FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT SECTOR

It was great that we could set our own goal specially tailored to the needs of our project state: we had incredible improvement because of that. The sessions with the actors were unique and very helpful, excellent stuff.
Andrea Block, Participant 2011, LUXX Studio, Germany


Children are enthusiastic users of media and their needs for new, exciting and stimulating content and formats is endless. Especially in this age of globalisation, children need media products that reflect the reality of their own daily lives and their own cultures, just as they need European media products that can foster intercultural understanding and a sense of European diversity. After all, today’s children are the adult public of tomorrow. The natural tendency for children to grow up with films, TV series and games that are European and nationality-based is indispensable if they are to develop viewing tastes based on European traditions, and is also a pre-condition for them to become consumers of European productions as adults.


For many years the media industry paid little attention to children and families as a target viewing public. Change only came about - in Germany as well as other European countries – following the success of large-scale cinematic productions. As a rule, these were adaptations of well-known literary models, which flagged up this market’s rich potential. Not least, recent technical developments have opened up new dimensions in the market. Children and the youth are enthused by technologies such as on- and offline games, mobile entertainment and other interactive fare, and are using these in increasing numbers. In addition, cross-media developments are becoming more and more important for the media industry as a whole but, in particular, in the realm of children’s and family entertainment. Children are acclimatised to the media and have become used to the idea that their heroes and their heroes’ stories cross the traditional format boundaries – from book to TV series, to film, to game! But they enjoy and increasingly expect to re-encounter their heroes in other formats too.


PRIME4Kids&Family offers further education to writers or teams of writers and producers. We believe writers in the classical tradition of linear storytelling can profit enormously from working in an interdisciplinary surrounding like P4K&F. Here they can broaden their understanding of the requirements of writing in various formats, as well as receive stimulus and support for exploring the cross-media potential of their own projects, not to mention the further development of their own professional skills.


Since producers working in the realm of children’s and family entertainment see themselves as being faced by tough competition and falling budgets, European co-production as well as cross-media production will take on an increasing significance in the future. As a European platform, PRIME 4Kids&Family offers its participants insights into market and development conditions in other European countries. It also supports the development process in a European context and contributes to the building up of productive networks, which in many instances have already led to the development of fruitful working relationships that transcend traditional boundaries.

The Workshop

PRIME 4Kids&Family (formerly Pygmalion Plus) is specifically designed for the development of projects for child and family audiences across all audiovisual media. It was founded in 2000 with the support of the EU’s MEDIA Programme, and ranks as one of the most successful training initiatives in Europe. We have the strong conviction that it is essential to create specialised professional development programmes for those who want to make original work in media for children.
At PRIME 4Kids&Family, authors develop their projects and their craft through collaboration with experienced mentors, distinguished hands-on professionals, creative experts and tutors from allied fields, and with an international group of fellow participants.

Essentials

  • Creative community designed to provide substantial professional support for development of original ideas and exceptional talent;
  • Supportive environment for experimentation and for exploring ideas and processes that are not usually possible within the structure and pressures of commercial development;
  • Practicing mentors with a range and depth of experience in the field of film, TV, animation and interactive media together with a distinguished team of tutors;
  • Reinforcing cross disciplinary and trans-media approach by the involvement of writers, directors, producers, actors and game-developers;
  • The experience of a rich mix of European cultures and a platform where everyone involved can build a productive network with colleagues from other European countries.

 

P4K&F COLLABORATION WITH CINEKID PROFESSIONAL AND P4K&F AWARD

  • Case Study: One project from the ongoing P4K&F workshop will be presented in the framework of Cinekid Professional. The work in progress presentation will give a rare and instructive insight into how to explore and implement cross- and transmedia opportunities while taking a treatment to the next level. The presentation will be done in collaboration with the author/creative team and the experts Robert Alberdingk Thijm (Script Develoment) and Jan Willem Huisman (Transmedia and Interactive). It will be open to the public, with an expected audience of 50 people, and will provide a valuable opportunity for professionals to learn how to develop traditional scripts into interactive media.
  • Award: One of the participants will receive the P4K&F Award which will be presented by Cinekid International Children Film Festival 2013 in Amsterdam. The Award includes an invitation to present the project at the Cinekid Professional market. (The Award will be given for an alumni project, while the case study is focused on a project from the current workshop).

 

CREATIVE LABS

Prime4Kids&Family roughly lasts six month and comprises two residential labs, plus internet-based support (skype sessions) between the labs.

The labs are not prescriptive. Each project needs its own approach. In addition to substantial analyses and feedback by mentors and fellow writers, PRIME 4Kids&Family puts special emphasis on supporting the creative process in different ways:

FIRST LAB, 7 DAYS: POSITIONING OF THE PROJECTS

  • Depending on the stage and the specific format (live action feature film, TV, TV-Series, animation or interactive media), each project will be scheduled according to its specific needs. The development work will be done by single and group sessions with the mentors, other members of the lab team and in private writing time.
  • A resident ensemble of five actors and a director supports the development of projects through improvisations of work-in-progress. This creative team offers a very impressive and unique tool to the participants in order to open a substantial view into the emotional core of the project. Comparable to the technique of family positioning in the psychological area the actors are jumping into the several character roles. By acting out the different positions of the characters, the main emotional impact and architecture of the respective story becomes visible.
  • Also in this first lab, and according to the particular needs of each project, creative professionals from associated fields may also be invited, e.g. designers, illustrators, possibly a composer or puppeteer, or others who can be a creative resource to the writers. In addition we will provide training in project pitching skills.
  • Between the first and second lab, participants stay in contact via the Internet with their assigned mentor, sending draft ideas, treatments, bibles or scripts as appropriate for feedback comments.

SECOND LAB, 5 DAYS: FOLLOW-UP AND FIRST PITCH

The second workshop will be a 5-day event. On the first three days participants will review the work they developed since the first workshop with their mentors, in face-to-face meetings and with their particular groups from the respective segments. On the final day we will summarize and present each project to the whole group, and a small number of selected representatives from the various market segments such as film, television and interactive media.

 

WHO CAN APPLY?

The workshop is open to experienced professional writers or creative teams with a project targeted at children´s and family audiences. Professionals working in the field of content development may also take part as Team Support participants. Participants must be citizens of a member country of the EU MEDIA Program.


There are four places for team support participants who are usually producers, script editors or readers. Each will be attached to a specific group (feature film, TV movie, animated TV series, interactive media, cross platform projects, games) and work with the writers and the mentor offering support and assistance. This is an excellent opportunity to gain experience of the development process and a greater understanding of the creators’ task.


For authors, P4K&F is an invaluable opportunity for professional development. For production companies and broadcasters the workshop is a productive and cost-effective resource for project development.

 

SCHEDULE

  • Application Deadline August 2nd 2012
  • Selection of participants: The jury is composed of representatives of the industry and of the partnering, as well as the mentors covering the corresponding formats of the projects
  • First Lab, 7 days, end of September (Location tba)
  • Second Lab, 5 days , early December in Ludwigsburg, Germany

 

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Read more about the mentors

 

 

Media

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