DeAplaneta Entertainment attended the 40th edition of the International Co-Production & Entertainment Content Market with an array of content and products targeting a wider spectrum of audience and what caters to the Asian and/or western audiences. The leading entertainment company, whose iconic characters like Milo and Miraculous Ladybug has won several hearts across the globe, made the best use of the market to find new partners.
During MIPCOM 2024, AnimationXpress spoke to Deaplaneta Entertainment content & distribution director Carlos Biern to understand their content lineup, partnerships and the latest trends in the content market. The company brought to the market all its IPs that are in production, specifically the ones that are ready to be aired in the year 2025, which will incidentally also mark its 25th anniversary.
Below is an excerpt from the interview:
What are the key differences in producing and distributing animated vs. live-action content?
The people who are deciding the consumption of kids, teens or adults look for different factors. It is true that producing live-action could be faster and more expensive, but the check outs needed for casting, tone in the scripts and targeting global audiences are different and challenging if we are to cover needs for the audience in Asia. Local shows often drive audiences in live action, but what is also exciting is to see that more global hits could come from animated shows not being developed by the experienced US kids channels or SVOD platforms, who have all daily audience data.
Apart from a gripping storyline, what have been DeAPlaneta’s other strategies in shaping unforgettable characters like like Heidi, Milo, etc?
Out of storytelling, design, quality of production and overall feelings attached to our characters are our KEY to succeed with our audiences. Our goal is that our audience could spend more time with our characters linked not only to watching their shows but also enjoying them with products or interactives.
How do you ensure that the content resonates with global audiences? Does localisation of content enjoy wider appeal?
Building up local communities who know that our content needs analysis, time and investment coming from our teams and partners. It is not only a question of building a great show, book or an App but driving content linked to that specific IP. Every IP needs a different plan and target linked to its roots.
What makes DeAPlaneta Entertainment’s IPs stand out?
We were one of companies linked to kids and family that understood many years ago that a character is a brand and we incorporated that into the roots of any IP. We are happy to be known now as a company that “upscales” the kids and family content globally.
DeAPlaneta has offices in Spain, Italy, France, Germany and Eastern Europe. Do you plan to open one in Asia?
We are extending all our links and investment in the projects that in the works, along with China, Korea and India. We see us as a bridge that could make that content coming from Asia resonate globally and the other way around. The key is to work things out from the very first design and pitch and not forcing that to a later stage.
Your experience includes award-winning co-productions in Europe, North America and Asia. This year, which were the specific markets that you planned to explore?
Our social media audience goals are starting to grow high in North America through our first IP Milo the Cat that worked out with PBS, but our plan was to drive much bigger all over Latin America, Africa, CIS, Middle East and Asia.
What did you bring to the market this year?
One of our first preschool babies Milo (co produced with our UK partners Fourth Wall and Milkshake) has been successful globally and our plan was to push a strong digital plan to extend much more content for it every year. We were covering gaps in the market for boy action targets with a show that everybody was talking about called Hero Inside (in co-production with Million Vault, CJ, Warner Discovery and Tencent). We had also announced several partnerships in Asia with successful partners like Powerkids (Akira and Mowgli and Jungle Book), Fantawild (Adventurer Carly) or Alpha (Bernard).
Our upcoming projects for preschool Karters (With Mediawan and Warner Discovery) and Mia and Codie (linked to making kids learn about programming with Moody Studios and Epic) are incorporating main partners in all areas, including Toy and Interactive globally. As shows for more adult audiences, we tested the appetite for this market with Ghosts of Ruin, an amazing brand linked to games, social media that captures your attention. Our next IP franchise in terms of adventure and comedy Magic Lilly (in co production with Super RTL, TVE, Televisio de Catalunya) linked to one of the most successful books (Hexe Lilly) in Europe already has main TV partners in who are pre buying the show after watching our teaser and stories.
What do you think are the latest trends in the global animation industry?
Creating “global” content but working it locally. We love the co-watching concept with younger audiences as it makes our audiences watch every show or short again and again. It is also amazing how anime and manga is finding a global place. If our audience is spending more time than ever on apps, games, social media or live action we need to bring that experience onto any IP we produce or represent. This applies to the content that has even to be created or shared by our audience.
How are digital platforms impacting your distribution strategy?
Clicks and recommendations are the key to succeed now to reach our audiences. Our strategy is working hard to find all new ways to reach them through Tik Tok, Instagram, Wechat, Youtube or main partners coming from merchandising or interactive. We are in a time when traditional partners coming from public and private kids TV networks or platforms are collaborating with producers and between themselves more than ever to make that reach be wider and bigger.
What are the biggest challenges in content distribution today, and how do you address them?
On production basically to be “faster” and cost effective enough to be able to reach our audience on time. Over this we are advancing technologically more than ever learning how to use IT and AI in an effective way for the content our artists start on and with what they create. The problems studios are currently facing in North America, China, France or the UK are not only linked to covering and reducing costs for features or shows but over all over not having a strategy to make those IP shine in the places our audiences spend more time.
How do you see AI and machine learning impacting content creation and distribution?
The current tests and advances we are driving with the studios we work globally are going to change much of the current IT line up of every animation production. That includes storyboard, directing, lightning, modeling, sound and voice production and many more areas soon to come. All studios need to invest now into AI to bring their businesses forward. We need to make our artists enjoy creating new characters and stories more than ever using these tools.
What types of deals was DeAPlaneta focused on securing at MIPCOM?
Out of strengthening our roots in America, Middle East and Asia we feel very excited to find and announce new partners in the Interactive (Roblox and Gaming), FAST and Web3 areas. One of our gaps has been on producing live-action for kids and teens and we are spending more time looking for the right IPs and partners. At the current state of the Market we are also analysing buying out more existing libraries that distributors are offering us.
This year DeAPlaneta attended the market with their upcoming projects for preschool Karters, Mia and Codie and other IPs to market their presence in all segments like toys and interactive. The distributors aim to be present everywhere, their audiece is moving.