With a strong and accomplished graphic animation bias, Behind the Beats invites different generations to discover the history – or rather the stories – of pop music. Corinne Kouper, Executive Producer and Director of Development, and Patricia De Wilde, Director of Marketing & New Business at TeamTO, tell us about the genesis of the series, its development and broadcasting thanks to a collaboration between France tv and YouTube, and highlight its appealing aspects that captivate families around the world.
Unifrance: How did this project for an animated series about the history of pop music come about?
Corinne Kouper: We received this project from its creator, Baptiste Jaquemet, a motion designer and graphic artist who later became the writer and director of the series. The major difficulty in developing this anthology of pop music as animation was clearing the music rights, hence the partnership with 22D Music Group. Two years were necessary to clear the rights of all the hits that illustrate the series, three45'' extracts per episode. Then we had to find the right stories in this narrative structure introducing two musical styles that encounter each other and lead on to creating a new one. And finally, we had to find the right format, the right narration, that would respond to the image, with the right rhythm.
Two partners accompanied you, France tv and YouTube. It's a rather unusual combo. How did you manage to bring these partners together?
CK: We presented a pilot of the series at Cartoon Forum 2019 and generated a lot of interest, but everyone thought "it's not for me." France tv was very interested from the outset, but it wasn't enough. Then we met with YouTube and after a few meetings, we signed a deal with the YouTube Originals and Kids teams in Los Angeles, with the constraint of delivering the first episodes one year later, in 2022. So it was a very intense production pace, with two other directors co-directing. France tv holds the rights for France and YouTube for the rest of the world.
Patricia De Wilde: On November 18, 2022, the first four episodes were launched exclusively on YouTube Kids and YouTube Originals worldwide in English, and the next day on France.tv in French.
We were very well supported by the teams of these two partners, as well as by several consultants, in particular to validate the historical musical content from an English-speaking perspective, and the clearance of the rights.
Telling the story of pop music is a vast project... What angle did you adopt and for which target audience?
PDW: Our target audience is 12+ and family. An anthology of pop music in animated form is a very original subject, because it's a story rarely told, especially for rookies. It's a family program ("family coviewing") which allows generations to share their love of music, to exchange on a common subject. The idea was to also reach teenagers, a target audience that's very difficult to capture. The narrative angle chosen is through the story of encounters, of paths that cross and enrich each other (between musical genres and people who represent them). The objective was to be attractive to all countries, with a view that is not too Western and that is not gendered. We also wanted to emphasize the contribution of minorities and women to the history of music.
The series has 26, five minute episodes for the moment, but we still have a lot of stories to tell!
What are its particular strengths that make the program stand out?
CK: It's a program to watch with the whole family, about a subject that truly touches all generations, and which can rally and bring together people from all over the world, via the main vector of global culture that is pop music today. The series offers different levels of interpretation, depending on age, level of knowledge, and interest in music. The animation technique, with a strong graphic bias, makes the series very accessible with an appealing, original style that manages to animate in a fluid and harmonious way characters who play music and dance.
PDW: We also worked with an English-speaking Canadian writing director. The writing for this format, for global and local audiences via YouTube and France tv respectively, had to be both sufficiently informative while maintaining the humor and lightness of the conversations between the two narrators.
On January 11, Variety reported that the series had already attracted 12 million views since its release in November. How does this fit with expectations?
CK: It's still early in the series' career, but the feedback is already extremely positive. YouTube's launch goals have been far exceeded. Not everything has been released yet: the first 15 episodes will be online by January 29 and the last 11 will be released worldwide on April 21.
Parallel to the worldwide broadcast on YouTube, do you plan other avenues for the program, or broadcasting on other channels?
PDW: Starting next year, we will be able to sell the series to linear broadcasters. Originally, the series exists in French and English, and a Spanish dubbed version will also be launched by the end of January. Linear broadcasters will have the exclusive right to dub the program in their territory. We hope to launch this series over time, and have plenty of material for more seasons. There are still a lot of stories to be told about pop music around the world.
In connection with this news
Movies(1)
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Annecy International Animation Film Festival - 2024
Feature film and short film festival
France
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