10
January-February 2016
NEWS & VIEWS
Animation is a truly unifying medium
Curating content for young audiences presents challenges of its own , and to find out how to succeed in this field , APB ’ s Millette Manalo-Burgos prompts Mark Eyers , who is not only the chief content officer and senior vice-president of Kids Networks , Turner International Asia-Pacific , but also content head for Cartoon Network , Boomerang , Toonami and POGO .
Obviously , Cartoon Network ’ s main audience are kids , but can you tell us the challenges involved in curating or creating content for younger audiences ? Mark Eyers : To state the obvious , Asia is a huge continent with an unparalleled level of cultural diversity in many varied markets . For content creators and broadcasters , this can present huge challenges , but as a kids ’ network , what we ’ ve found is that animation can be a truly unifying medium . Children , no matter where they ’ re from or their background , simply love cartoons and they love to laugh at very similar things .
One issue that all genres of TV face is a declining attention span . Just like adults , kids have more choices than ever before — not only with the variety of content but also in terms of platforms where content can be accessed . Cartoon Network , as well as our other channels — Boomerang , Toonami and POGO , has made considerable strides to ensure that viewers can enjoy a fully branded , curated experience on whichever platform they choose .
How has Cartoon Network ’ s programming evolved from , say , its programming line-up five years ago ? What programming trends are you adopting now to keep your audiences engaged ? Eyers : Cartoon Network ’ s programming line-up constantly evolves , but original , creatordriven animation still remains at its core . In the past few years , we have moved away from action shows and have doubled-down on slapstick , non-dialogue comedies in particular . Productions have ramped up not only in our bricksand-mortar studio in the US , but also in Europe , Latin America and here in Asia-Pacific with our virtual studio model .
We now live in a world of “ total consumption ”. What that means is that more content is available across all platforms and devices — and that programming for nonlinear offerings goes hand-in-hand with scheduling for TV . In terms of production , we now have more and more short-form content to engage our audiences .
For example , Cartoon Network can experiment with new creations and ideas , and discover what works well before taking the plunge with a fully blown , untested series .
Recently the network launched an app exclusively for mobile and tablet devices . What is the strategy behind this initiative ? Does this mean that Cartoon Network feels that mobile platforms are becoming more viable options for capturing more audience share ? Eyers : The recent launch of the Cartoon Network Anything app is a chance for us to try our hand with content that is beyond the traditional pay-TV paywall . Turner research shows that subscriptionvideo-on-demand ( SVoD ) is not necessarily the answer for all consumers and this app provides a safe , searchable , curated and customisable experience . So , if you ’ re an Adventure Time fan , you can adjust the content within the app to match that preference .
Our apps , such as Cartoon Network Anything and Cartoon Net- work Watch and Play are designed to be entirely complementary , and are additive parts of the brand ’ s ecosystem . They are not intended to be replacements for linear TV , but are certainly expected by audiences young and old — and the impressive download figures so far reflect that .
Why is the content available in this app only 15 seconds in duration ? Did Cartoon Network develop this app in partnership with a technology provider ? Eyers : In the past , many animations were 22 minutes in length , then 11-minute episodes became popular and now we ’ re seeing more at the two-minute mark . Cartoon Network Anything hosts “ microshorts ” — basically content that is about 15 seconds of high-intensity engagement . They are not simply cut-down pieces of content . They are created solely with that length in mind , and have proved to be an interesting challenge for the show ’ s production team and creators .
Cartoon Network Anything is unique in this respect , and was conceived and designed purely in-house . Perhaps surprisingly , you can tell some great stories in just 15 seconds . It ’ s a great platform for snacking on content — not just video but activities , quizzes and games too .
According to Cartoon Network ’ s Mark Eyers , the new Cartoon Network Anything app opens a lot of doors for marketers to up their engagement levels with a hard-to-reach , digital-native audience .
❝ One issue that all genres of TV face is a declining attention span . Just like adults , kids have more choices than ever before — not only with the variety of content but also in terms of platforms where content can be accessed .❞
— Mark Eyers , Chief Content Officer and Senior VP , Kids Networks , Turner International Asia-Pacific , and
Content Head for Cartoon Network , Boomerang , Toonami and POGO
How will this new app generate revenue for the network ? Eyers : The app is free to download , but does offer considerable opportunities to brands and advertisers . Cartoon Network Anything opens a lot of doors for marketers to up their engagement levels with a hard-to-reach , digital-native audience . Cartoon Network Anything ’ s functionality allows customisable and fun content to be integrated perfectly so that users can swipe seamlessly between Cartoon Network-designed video and games , as well as bespoke-created content from third parties .
Above all , the app is designed to be an additive to the channel , and is not a standalone product . Therefore , its primary purpose is to provide an extension of the “ story ” so that fans of a show or a character can continue their experience in an interactive , always-on environment .
Finally , how do you see Cartoon Network five years from now ? Are there any plans in the pipeline to ensure its continued strong presence in the region ? Eyers : In such a constantly evolving industry that is accelerating so rapidly , I think it would be unwise to speculate . However , without any doubt , delivering great content and great consumer experiences , despite digital disruption , will continue to be paramount for Turner and Cartoon Network — no matter what platform that may be on .