With the aim of cementing its North American operations and becoming more of a global property powerhouse, BBC Worldwide is taking a new approach to the high stakes business of property acquisition. “We are looking for properties that can be developed at the onset with cross-media elements, explains Susanna Pollock, the group’s SVP of TV sales, co-productions and children’s, who stepped into her new post on April 1.

Right about now, you might be thinking, “Sure, sure, you and everyone else.” But it’s not just empty rhetoric, in this case. BBCW has already put its money where its mouth is, signing a deal with Pollock’s old company Star Farm Productions to co-develop an animated series, website, MMOG and possibly a feature film based on a story arc called Kaimira.

The boy-skewing property’s website is already live on http://kaimiracode.com, and the next phase of rollout will take place this summer when Walker Books and Candlewick Press launch Book One: The Sky Village in the UK, the US, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Kaimira is set on Earth in the distant future, and the central narrative thrust is that humans, animals and machines are locked in a battle for supremacy; only teenager Kaimira can restore harmony. Pollock was drawn to the property’s rich and deep mythology and environments because they have natural potential for exploitation on a number of platforms. “It’s a robust world,” she says.

Pollock will be keeping a close eye on the market for additional animation and live-action concepts for the pre-tween set, and her goal is to strike up new North American production partnerships to bring them to life. She will also be building up the Beeb’s New York-based office with a team that can handle a bigger property portfolio. “Once we get to the point [with the new properties] of L&M, marketing and home entertainment releases, we want to be able to run all of that activity out of the US office,” she says.

Read the rest..

Two corrections:

First, I’m hoping the property won’t be too “boy-skewing.” I can see how people would think that, but I’m trying pretty hard to keep it as gender neutral as I can, knowing that it might skew one way or the other depending on the medium.

Second, the line “only teenager Kaimira can restore harmony” makes it sound like there is a teenager named Kaimira. In fact, there are a few teenagers, none of them named Kaimira, but each has the potential of becoming a kaimira (a sort of biotech chimera).

BBC WORLDWIDE ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
DEAL WITH STAR FARM PRODUCTIONS

INVESTMENT IN NEW EPIC FANTASY KAIMIRA CONFIRMED

BBC Worldwide today confirmed a development deal with Star Farm Productions in an innovative new fantasy property set to capture the imaginations of children across the globe. The deal sees BBC Worldwide embark on an emerging strategy working with rights-owners to input in to 360 degree properties in the earliest stages of development.

BBC Worldwide’s development deal with Star Farm Productions’ Kaimira Multimedia encompasses investment in TV, MMOG and other media in a global media agreement.

Gill Pritchard, BBC Worldwide’s Director of Children’s said: “Kaimira represents everything we want to be part of in our growth strategy in the Children’s business here at Worldwide. The development deal we have agreed with Star Farm allows us to collaborate in a 360 degree approach to the creative and business strategy of Kaimira including the development of TV, web, gaming and feature film. Working with leading partners in this way gives us the opportunity to input on the commercial success from the outset and this 360 degree approach is key to tap in to the changing needs of our audience.”

THE KAIMIRA STORY
In a future in which humans, animals, and machines are locked in battle, a group of teens with strange “Kaimira” powers are the only ones who can restore harmony. Spanning generations and continents, from the dangerous Demon Caves to the breathtaking Sky Village, Kaimira is an epic adventure on a uniquely human scale

KAIMIRA GLOBAL ROLL-OUT
Kaimira’s launch in to the stratosphere will commence in summer ’08 with Walker Books and Candlewick Press releasing Book One – The Sky Village – in the UK, USA, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Star Farm Productions has plans to develop a fully integrated website where fans will be able to decode mysteries highlighted in the book. There will also be an advanced capability for fans to become part of the Kaimira world by creating characters, building tribes, developing stories and working together to face challenges. The emerging Kaimira world can be seen at http://kaimiracode.com.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact Anna Kingsley on 02084333022 or at anna.kingsley@bbc.com

BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company exists to maximise the value of the BBC’s assets for the benefit of the licence payer and invest in public service programming in return for rights. The company has seven core businesses: Global Channels, Global TV Sales, Magazines, Content & Production, Home Entertainment, Global Brands and Digital Media. In 2006/07 BBC Worldwide generated profits of £111 million on sales of £810 million.

Star Farm Productions
Star Farm Productions® creates entertainment the way today’s digital generation consumes it. Star Farm merges user-generated content with multiple media. Partners include Nickelodeon International, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Lions Gate Films® and other global leaders in the family market.