Anam Caras

Animated Television Series

The Anam Caras characters and storylines are designed to present positive, enlightening and empowering themes to K2-5 audiences. In addition, they are suitable for merchandising franchises.

Merchandising successful animated characters is big business. The Pokemon franchise of characters has generated over $15 billion between 1998 and 2003. Pokemon generated $700 million in the US market the year after it was introduced (1999). Nickelodeon's Jimmy Neutron does over a $1 billion a year in merchandising. Using the numbers of non super-hero characters - Barney, Rugrats, Power Puff Girls ≠ as a business model, one can estimate that a moderately successful animated series will generate between $250 - $500 million US per year. The worst-case scenario: the first property of the venture would realize 12.5% of that amount as Net Revenues from Toy Sales.

The formula or rule-of-thumb is that revenues received from Global License Fees paid by television and cable networks will offset production costs and possibly yield 10%-20% above the same. Production costs for a 3D CGI series are estimated to be $250,000 per half-hour episode with animation and background art/models produced in India, Taiwan or China.

The strategy that offers the best chance for a given concept to break through and gain television distribution is to independently produce a pilot and use it as the selling tool. The cost to develop and produce a pilot with the Anam Caras characters is $300 - $320k. Of that amount, an estimated $100 - $120k could be in the form of sweat equity from a 3D CG animation production company in India or Taiwan, or possibly China.

The upside of a sweat equity co-production is that it offsets the upfront cash needs by $100 - $120k. The downside is that it dilutes the Empowering Kids Production Companyπs share of merchandising revenues by a significant percentage. Cash needed to put this project in motion would be $200k - $320k US depending on whether or not we wanted to bring in a production company as a sweat equity partner.

The Anam Caras characters are extremely marketable. Their mystical qualities are unique and we believe will be well received by conscientious parents and tuned-in kids around the world. ≥Your characters and stories put positive energy into the world and gives little ones a touchstone they might not have otherwise.≤ Diane Charles

Anam Caras has a solid production team: Colleen Stratton (creator), Ron Ambrose (ran a 3D CG animation company, won over 37 awards for creative excellence) and Margaret Dean (produced Starship Troopers 3D animated television series, Scooby Doo and many more). This team has excellent connections to US television and cable network outlets and strategic partners such as The Hatchery, Target, Kmart, Jim Henson Productions, Warner Bros Animation and more.