The Behind the Beats series, selected in Competition at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2024, features a strong and accomplished animation style, inviting different generations to discover the history – or rather the histories – 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 its special features that will 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 the project from its creator, Baptiste Jaquemet, a motion designer and graphic artist who went on to write and direct the series. The major difficulty in developing this animated anthology of pop music was clearing the music rights, hence the collaboration with 22D Music Group. It took two years to clear the rights to all the hits that illustrate the series, three extracts of 45 seconds each per six-minute episode. Then we had to find the right stories within this narrative structure, introducing two musical styles that meet to create a new one. And finally, we had to find the right format and narration to match the image, with the right rhythm.
A partner has been with you from the start, France tv.
CK: We presented a pilot of the series at Cartoon Forum 2019 and met with a lot of interest, but everyone thought "it's not for me." It was thanks to France tv, which was very interested from the start, and YTO, that we managed to raise the necessary funding to produce a first season.
Patricia De Wilde: We were very well supported by the teams of these two partners, as well as by numerous consultants. In particular, they helped us to validate the historical musical content from an anglophone perspective, and to clear the music rights.
Telling the story of pop music is a vast undertaking... What angle did you adopt, and for what target audience?
PDW: Our target audience is 12+ and families. A animated anthology of pop music is a highly original subject, because it's a story that's rarely told, especially for the neophytes that we all ultimately are. It's a family coviewing program to enable different generations to share their love of music, and exchange views on a common subject. The idea is also to reach out to teens, a very difficult target audience to capture. The narrative angle chosen was the story of encounters, of paths that cross and enrich each other (between musical genres and the people who represent them). The aim was to appeal internationally, with a viewpoint that was neither too Western nor too gendered. We also wanted to emphasize the contribution of minorities and women to the history of music.
What particular features make this program stand out from the crowd?
CK: It's a program to watch with the whole family, on a subject that truly touches all generations, that can rally and bring together audiences across the globe, about one of the world's major cultural vectors that pop music is today. The series offers different levels of interpretation, depending on age, level of knowledge, and interest in music. Beautifully animated with a strong graphic bias, the animation technique makes the series very accessible, with an original style that succeeds in animating characters who play music and dance fluidly and harmoniously.
PDW: We also worked with an English-speaking Canadian writing director. The writing, for this short format, had to be both sufficiently informative and engaging, while retaining the humor and lightness of the conversations between the two young narrators.
Launched at the end of 2023 on France tv, it's also coming to RAI in Italy and KiKA in Germany. What's your assessment of its trajectory so far?
PDW: Created for a digital-native audience, this series has what it takes to enable broadcasters to capture an audience they are currently struggling to win over. Ages 12 and up, as well as their parents (and even their grandparents, who lived through the birth of punk!, make up a large core target audience. The series also has the advantage of offering entry points for all ages, which should motivate broadcasters' marketing teams! We recently sold the rights to Behind the Beats for Italy (RAI) and Germany (KiKA), and we're sure that broadcasters looking for "groovy" programming will be interested!
What are your ambitions for the rest of the series' life after the selection at the Annecy Festival? Are you planning any further seasons?
PDW: The selection at the Annecy Festival is fantastic news, and will enable the series to travel the world! We've already got dozens of new stories in mind, as the paths that forge pop music are countless! The concept of portraits against a pop music backdrop can also be applied to pop instruments or geographical areas... Above all, we hope to have triggered a desire to find out more among a broad family audience. We are ready to continue the adventure with partner broadcasters who would like to finance new seasons.
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Annecy International Animation Film Festival - 2024
Feature film and short film festival
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