kidscreen 2008

wow!

kidscreen was a blast. NYC was awesome. my flight out there and back had its headaches but nothing i couldn't live through. The best part was flying into the city and there being a fresh coat of snow on the ground.

kidscreen is the most organized and "newbie friendly" conferences i've ever been to. usually, i go to a convention for the first time just expecting to learn the ropes enough to make my trip the next year a fruitful one. not the case with kidscreen.

i hit the ground running my first day with a "crash course" workshop they offered for folks like me.

the combination of workshops and clinics and networking events they offer is really useful. they also have their own take on speed dating for creators wanting to pitch their ideas to broadcasters.

the big thing this year is multi-platform properties. properties that have been built from the ground up with multiple media outlets in mind. for example, an animated tv series that is also created as a game in tandem. it is great to see how much the internet is now involved in everything broadcasters are doing.

i quickly came to find out that our idea is right on the crest of a big wave hitting the major channels in the upcoming years. this is very, very exciting for us. the pitches went very well and we have a few broadcasters that are seriously interested in the Hope Universe.

so stay tuned for more on that.

one other thing that i must comment on about my trip in general. it was soooo refreshing the amount of sharing that i witnessed during my trip to new york. at kidscreen, you have folks there that are pitching their ideas. for most people, this is their big chance,and in some cases their only chance, to have their ideas heard. for me, having served a brief stint in the ad business, i fully expected this fact to equal a very subdued...cut throat atmosphere.

it was just the opposite. everyone there was so stoked about their properties that they wanted to talk to anyone and everyone about them. the level of sharing and creativity in the air at the hilton in new york was inspiring. not only did folks share their ideas, but they gave open and honest help in most situations. it was great.

i would personally like to thank my friends jesse and zeenet for letting me stay at their apartment and for feeding me some of the most awesome lasagna and carrot cake i've had. thanks to jesse and zach for giving me a tour of KAOS studios. thanks to jason for giving me the tour of blue sky and a private screening of horton hears a who. thanks to everyone who shared their ideas and input with me during the days i was there.

finally, thanks to my buddy "wynnie" whom i ran into at a coffee bar in union square and talked mountaineer football with and bought me a couple pints.

i really feel that something is going to come out of this trip...and that i actually managed to come out of there with some new friends.

love, peace, and hair grease!