Starting off discussions for 2008 is a panel that deals with responsible television animation for children, exploring topics in child development, gender representation and violence. The goal of this panel is to give the TAC audience access to information that will give them the tools and knowledge to better the landscape of media for children now and for future generations.







Japan is a market that has been self-sufficient for years, but many Japanese producers there are seeing the need to enter the global market.  This panel will examine ways that Japanese producers can work with their North American counterparts.  What business models already exist? How have North American producers been working and getting around the system?  What is a road map for the small to mid level companies working together?  Is it even possible?  Since this market may be new to many of our delegates, there would be a briefing on Japanese work models.








Tween consumers chasing older-skewing media experiences have created some challenges for content producers and broadcasters.  Eight to twelve year olds are more sophisticated in their tastes and are increasingly socially adept, however they are still children - goofy and naive.  A panel of broadcasters and producers discuss the responsibilities and challenges of creating content that engages and entertains this audience, while protecting them from material they are not yet ready for.








Featuring some of the biggest producers of animated programs for adults in Canada, this panel will explore various aspects of a genre Canadians are gaining strength in.  It will focus on new properties, export capabilities, audience expectations, broadcast platforms, limitations and what the future holds.

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Expert producers reveal all there is to know about producing Webisodes.  From budgets, timelines, pipelines and creative expression, this panel is designed to shed light on web series business and production models.







Tremble puny conference-goers! Prepare for the coming of the League of Super Evil (a.k.a. LOSE)! Get first hand insight into the minds of the evil geniuses at Nerd Corps as they developed a master plan for world domination (loosely disguised as a comedy show about super villains for 8 to 12 year olds launching next year). Panellists will explore the challenges of taking an adult-targeted, satirical original concept and transforming it into a kid-relatable comedy with an edge, all while making sure it works for broadcasters on both sides of the pond. Find out how creating comedy in 3-D provides unique opportunities for creative input across production, while techniques such as squash and stretch can bring additional dynamism to a series. Delve into the development of LOSE’s off-screen iterations, including a publishing program launching in tandem with the series, and an online world featuring a massively multi-player collectible trading card game and social networking site. Discuss how to leverage the show’s creative and stand out in an increasingly crowded interactive kids space, without needing a World of Warcraft-style budget. Mu ha ha ha ha ha ha!

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This panel will explore new strategies in finding the next big thing.  What are broadcasters doing to ensure that their programming remains competitive? How are they fishing for new talent and worthy properties? What impact will these new approaches have on future programming?