NEWS
TOTAL LICENSING
IRON KID TO PREMIERE IN RUSSIAN ON C1RW
Just a month before the start of DISCOP, Eastern Europe’s principal commercial TV market fair, to be celebrated in Bu-
dapest June 20-22, the cartoon series Iron Kid stands out for its international milestones: Channel One Russia Worldwide
will premiere the action/adventure series this Autumn on TV Nanny KID’S channel – one
of its digital pay channels, with a target audience of children aged 3 - 8.
C1RW broadcasts in Russian to many former soviet republics as well as Israel, Germany,
the UK, Canada, Australia and several eastern European countries. This is a globally suc-
cessful series, currently aired in Spain, through Canal Clan and Jetix, in South Korea (KBS),
soon in Italy (Mediaset), Portugal (TVI), the Middle East (Space Toon TV), Ecuador (Ecu-
avisa), and in the USA - in English, on the popular Kids WB! Channel, an open broadcast
format of CW Network.
Iron Kid is the first animated series bringing together European, Asian and North Ameri-
can creators from the start. It is specifically designed to attract a global audience. Through
its twenty-six episodes, a plot created by Nicole Dubuc (Kim Possible) and Ben Townsend
(Ninja Turtles) winds around the life experiences of young Marty, a boy from the future
who discovers the Fist of Eon, a robotic arm that gives him unknown powers and places
him at the forefront of a centuries-old battle between good and evil. Likewise, the series
is backed by a complete licensing project currently including such companies, among oth-
ers, as Famosa (Spain and Portugal), Newboy (Middle East) and CRG Toys (Costa Rica).
Individual episodes will also be marketed on DVD. For example, Manga Entertainment
plans to put Iron Kid on the UK market next year. LNK has acquired rights for Spain.
QRC has signed for the United Arab Emirates.
BLUEPRINT ENTERTAINMENT HIRES FRANK SAPERSTEIN
TO HEAD UP NEWLY LAUNCHED KIDS LABEL, BLUEPRINT
KIDS
Blueprint Entertainment has an- cials. Prior to joining Blueprint, Mr. Saperstein was cre-
nounced the formation of Blue- ative director of PASI (Philippine Animation Studio Inc)
print Kids, a new business unit where he was responsible for overseeing co-productions,
dedicated to the development, marketing, creative and technical developments for the
production and rights manage- studio. Before joining PASI, Mr. Saperstein served as a
ment of family and children’s pro- producer/director and development consultant for VH1/
Frank Saperstein
gramming. For the new venture, MTV Networks. Previously, he was at Matinee Entertain-
the company has hired industry ment, where he served as producer/writer/director of
veteran Frank Saperstein to the the award winning production Kampung Boy (winner
title of Senior Vice President, Ani- for Best Television Series at the prestigious Annecy Film
mation and Children’s Program- Festival). Other credits include Bob and Margaret (Com-
ming, effective immediately. In this edy Central/Global TV), Kong: The Animated Series (Fox
newly created role, Mr. Saperstein Kids/Teletoon),Captain Flamingo (YTV/Jetix), and Ren &
will head up all of Blueprint’s Stimpy Show (Nickelodeon/MTV).
animation and children’s develop- “I am thrilled to be joining Blueprint Entertainment, one
ment and production, as well as of the most highly respected companies in the entertain-
all related ancillary businesses. ment industry,” said Frank Saperstein. “I look forward to
Mr. Saperstein has an eclectic and working closely with the existing team of world class ex-
varied background as an award ecutives, and to the opportunities and challenges that lie
winning writer, producer, direc- ahead as we establish Blueprint Kids as a leading, global
tor and development consultant brand for animation and children’s programming.”
John Morayniss
with over 20 years of experience Blueprint is not new to the kids genre having produced a
in all aspects of media creation, number of series, including Shoebox Zoo (a co-produc-
development, production and tion with the BBC) and the recently launched animated
distribution, and, has worked as a series Iggy Arbuckle, a co-production with National Geo-
producer, writer and/or executive graphic, which has been successfully sold to over 100 ter-
on over 350 episodes of televi- ritories.
sion, feature films, video, pilots, Mr. Saperstein will report to John Morayniss and be based
new media, shorts and commer- at Blueprint’s Los Angeles offices.
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