Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Nickelodeon Executives To Speak At MIPJunior 2015

MIPCOM has announced the exciting news that Nickelodeon Executives Jules Borkent, Russell Hicks and Dan Schneider will be speaking at MIPJunior 2015!


Taking place in Cannes in France between Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th October 2015, ahead of the MIPCOM global entertainment content market, MIPJunior is the leading showcase for kids programming, uniting the world's most influential buyers, sellers and producers the weekend before MIPCOM. Over two days, these influential players, along with publishers and licensing executives, present, discover and screen the very latest content, giving them the edge on concluding deals at MIPCOM.

Below is Nickelodeon's MIPJunior 2015 programme:

MIPJUNIOR NETWORKING LUNCH

EVENT THEME: MIPJunior; EVENT TYPE: Lunch

03 Oct 2015, 13:00 - 14:30 Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez Beach

Sponsored by Nickelodeon

VIEW FROM THE TOP: WHAT DO BUYERS WANT?

EVENT THEME: MIPJunior; EVENT TYPE: Panel Discussion

04 Oct 2015, 09:45 - 10:30 Conference Room

In association with World Screen.

Followed by Meet the Speakers.

This special conference will feature five programming executives from around the world engaging in a lively discussion of acquisition trends and unveiling their unique perspectives on how to spot hit shows and offer content to young viewers on multiple platforms.

Speakers:

Jules Borkent, SVP Global Programming & International Acquisitions, Nickelodeon

Caroline Cochaux, Programs and Broadcast Director Executive, France & International, Lagardere Active TV Channels

Sebastian Debertin, Head of Fiction, Acquisition & Co-Production, KiKA Kinderkanal of ARD and ZDF

Karen K. Miller, Vice President, Worldwide Programming Strategy, Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Disney Channels Worldwide

Adina Pitt, VP Content Acquisitions and Co-Productions, Cartoon Network and Boomerang

Moderator: Anna Carugati, Group Editorial Director, World Screen

MIPJUNIOR KEYNOTES: NICKELODEON'S RUSSELL HICKS, PRESIDENT, CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION, & DAN SCHNEIDER, CREATOR & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

EVENT THEME: MIP Screenings; EVENT TYPE: Screening

04 Oct 2015, 11:45 - 12:15 Conference Room

Nickelodeon's Content President Russell Hicks and renowned hit-maker Dan Schneider ("Game Shakers", "Sam &Cat", "iCarly", "Victorious", "Henry Danger", "Drake & Josh", "Zoey 101", "The Amanda Show") will discuss how to attract and retain kids' attention amid more choices than ever, what gives a program the potential to be a global phenomenon and how Nickelodeon and Schneider have effectively tapped into the youth culture zeitgeist for more than 20 years. The pair will also consider how new platforms are impacting storytelling and traditional formats and how Nickelodeon is responding with content being development for every platform, and from an increasingly global stable of creators.

Key Note Speakers:

Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group

Dan Schneider, Creator & Executive Producer, Nickelodeon's "Game Shakers", "Henry Danger", "Sam & Cat", "Victorious", "iCarly", "Drake & Josh", "Zoey 101", "The Amanda Show", Nickelodeon Group

TERRITORIAL EXPANSION SHOW & TELL PART 1

EVENT THEME: Carriage Deal Forum; EVENT TYPE: Showcase

06 Oct 2015, 09:30 - 10:00 Esterel, Palais 5

Success stories from networks sharing their experiences on evolving from local markets to international expansion.

Discover what's beyond a successful distribution strategy in today's competitive market.

FOLLOWED BY MEET THE SPEAKERS

Speakers:

Mo Abudu, Executive Chairman & CEO, Ebonylife TV

Russell Hicks, President, Content Development and Production, Nickelodeon Group

Ed Palluth, EVP, Global Distribution, AMC Networks

Moderator: Nick Snow, Founder and Publisher, Advanced Television

Additionally, Katie Keenan, Head of Acquisitions, Channel 5 and VIMN UK, Viacom International Media Networks, will also be a speaker on the "Acquisition Superpanel: What Do Buyers Want?" panel on Wednesday 7th October 2015 being held at the Grand Auditorium, Palais 1 between 12:15 - 13:00, and Anu Sikka, Senior VP & Head - Programming, Kids Cluster, Viacom18 will be speaking at the "WORKING WITH INDIA: Crossing Borders for International Success" conference on Sunday 4th October 2015 between 14:45 and 15:15.

MIPJunior 2015 will also feature the first-ever World Screen Kids' Content Trendsetter Awards, presented in association with Reed MIDEM. The inaugural recipients, who will receive their awards on Sunday morning following the "Acquisition Superpanel: What Do Buyers Want?", are Nickelodeon's Jules Borkent, Lagardere's Caroline Cochaux, Turner Broadcasting's Adina Pitt, Disney's Karen K. Miller and KiKA's Sebastian Debertin.

About Jules Borkent:


Jules Borkent is Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and International Programming, Nickelodeon, Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN). In his role, which he assumed in 2008, Borkent is responsible for leading global acquisitions for Nickelodeon around the world, as well as programming strategies for Nickelodeon International. Borkent works in close partnership with Nickelodeon in the US, and worldwide channels, across development, production and program financing. Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) is comprised of many of the world's most popular premier multimedia entertainment brands, including MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount Channel, Channel 5 in the UK, VH1, VIVA, COLORS, Spike, Game One and Tr3s: MTV, Música y Más. Viacom brands are seen globally by more than 3.4 billion cumulative subscribers in approximately 180 territories and 40 languages via more than 200 locally programmed TV channels and more than 550 digital media and mobile TV properties.

Prior to his role at VIMN, Borkent was the Vice President, Programming, Nickelodeon International, based in London. He was responsible for Nickelodeon's global programming and acquisitions strategy, with a particular emphasis on working with local programming heads to coordinate and develop pan-regional deals for Nickelodeon's localized channels across Europe. In addition to acquisitions, Borkent also managed programming activities for Nickelodeon's international channels.

Borkent joined Nickelodeon in 1998 as the Senior Director of Programming, Acquisitions and Development for Nickelodeon Europe and Africa where he was responsible for local acquisitions as well as various pan-regional programming initiatives and productions.

About Russell Hicks:


Russell Hicks is President, Content Development and Production for Nickelodeon Group. Based at Nickelodeon's Burbank and Santa Monica, Calif. offices, he oversees the company's live-action, animation development and production teams for all of Nickelodeon's content platforms and across all of the network's channels—Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nicktoons.

Hicks oversees a development and production slate that includes more than a dozen new live-action, animation and TV movie projects as part of Nickelodeon's deep commitment to new content for the first generation of post-millennial kids. Additionally, Hicks has quickly re-energized and realigned the development team to organize Nick's animation, live-action, digital, movies, talent and short form into a single cohesive group.

In animation, he initiated a new shorts program to attract new talent and projects. In 2012 the program took over 600 pitches and made 12 shorts, greenlighting five for series development. A 2013 program has already commenced. In live-action, Hicks has created multiple sources for new projects through sketch comedy, including opening a sketch lab in Los Angeles, creating comedy workshops to cultivate new talent, and creating an environment to incubate new projects and allow new talent, writers and producers to develop ideas for Nickelodeon.

A 14-year Nickelodeon veteran, Hicks previously served as the network's Chief Creative Officer. In this position he oversaw all of Nickelodeon Creative, On-Air Promotions, Consumer Products, Brand and Advertising divisions, and led the product development and creative positioning of Nickelodeon's brands and properties, ensuring it represented Nickelodeon's "Kids' First" philosophy and supporting the company mission to provide surprising and playful experiences for its audiences. In 2009, he led an unprecedented creative review of the Nickelodeon brand and re-imagined its logo to represent the growth the company had attained after 30 years, while also maintaining and reflecting the company's core attributes.

Prior to working at Nickelodeon, Hicks was Vice President of Marketing, Cartoon Network/Turner brands for Warner Brothers, where he was responsible for the marketing and creative that turned Scooby Doo and the Power Puff Girls into cultural icons. Hicks started his career as an animator that led him to work on Teddy Ruxpin, the first talking teddy bear for Worlds of Wonder toys. It is this combination of both animation and consumer products that has given Hicks his extensive knowledge of the children's entertainment world.

Hicks attended California State University Fullerton where he studied illustration and design.

About Dan Schneider:


Writer-producer Dan Schneider has established himself as a dominant force in the world of family entertainment by creatively drawing on his affinity for youth culture at Nickelodeon. Under his Schneider's Bakery Productions, he has carved a unique, progressive niche in the world of kid and family entertainment, most recently as creator and executive producer of "Game Shakers", which stars Nickelodeon Alum Kel Mitchell ("Kenan & Kel"), Benjamin "Lil P-Nut" Flores, Jr. (The Haunted Hathaways), Cree Cicchino, Madisyn Shipman and Thomas Kuc. In addition to creating the mega-hit series "Sam & Cat", "iCarly", "Victorious" and "Zoey 101", which have received multiple Emmy nominations, Schneider also created/executive produced "The Amanda Show", "Drake & Josh" and "Henry Danger". His series all also had the distinction of having won numerous Kids' Choice Awards.

Schneider began with Nickelodeon as executive producer and show runner on the network's groundbreaking sketch comedy series "All That" from 1994 to 1998, and then returned to run the show in its seventh season. After which, he went on to produce "Kenan & Kel", starring Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.

Schneider also created the hit WB series "What I Like About You". His comedic success has also translated on the big screen, writing and producing the popular films, "Good Burger" and "Big Fat Liar".
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