Sep 22, 2016

Finnish Studio Gigglebug Presents Seven Insights for Turning an App into a TV Series

Europe's future of animated programming was showcased through 80 pitching sessions at last week's Cartoon Forum in France. Among the past Cartoon Forum success stories is Gigglebug, a smile-inducing cross-media brand from Finland.

When the creators of Gigglebug made their pitch at the Forum, they found a co-production broadcaster, SRF, and made two presales. Like Finland's other famous Angry Birds, Gigglebug went from unconventional app to broadcast: the first Gigglebug iPad game, released in 2013, has been downloaded over a million times, and several more in the Gigglebug world apps have been released.

Currently, the studio is distributing a brand new Gigglebug series consisting of 52 x 5' The Gigglebug series premiered in Switzerland and Austria this month and will be broadcast in more countries in 2017, but the producers are still looking for a broadcast partner in the US They are still looking for a U.S. broadcast partner.

Cartoon Brew recently spoke with studio owners Joonas Utti (director) and Anttu Harlin (producer) via Skype to get their advice on succeeding in the intimidating world of the television market, developing authentic cross-media concepts, and learning how to accept criticism. shared their experiences and advice on learning how to embrace criticism.

The creators always approach Gigglebug and their upcoming projects the same way: by identifying a core idea, an idea they can be passionate about for the next "like forever," says Harlin. For Gigglebug, "the core idea is to share a laugh. For our next project, it's the idea of comparing, and for another project it's unpacking. We build whole worlds, characters, and stories on top of that core idea. Then we consider which new and old techniques are available and fit our core idea. As long as we can always go back to our core idea of sharing laughter, we have the foundation for a successful cross-media brand."

"You should identify what the core idea is fairly early in the process," Uti stresses. Otherwise, you run the risk of fitting your brand or character into an existing model and ending up with something old-fashioned or uninspired."

The studio attributes Gigglebug's success to its positivity and simplicity. Says Harlin, "There's a need for happy entertainment." 'I think a lot of series have a similar agenda, but it can get lost in a certain edgy coolness, like action scenes, witty dialogue, or loud music. But sometimes that intent is lost by a certain edginess or coolness, like action scenes, witty dialogue, or loud music." Parents often tell me that Gigglebug is the happy show they've been missing out on. It's that candor and sweetness that makes Gigglebug stand out."

"Besides, Gigglebug is more than just entertainment, it has educational value," says Uti. Not being discouraged by failure, thinking positively, getting back up again - these are all themes of the Finnish curriculum, which has recently attracted interest from around the world. When Gigglebug was launched, it certainly helped brand Finland as the number one country in education.

To sell the series, Harlin traveled from market to market. With a background in theater, not business, he remembers feeling very apprehensive at first. After a while, though, you realize that everyone in the business is just a human being with different needs. When you talk to someone, you have to somehow adopt a confident, happy attitude and, hopefully, not feel pressured to sell. The best thing you can do in a business meeting is bring your passion to the table.

Despite his primarily creative role, Uti believes it's important to understand what it means to sell a brand. She says, "Gigglebug's first readers aren't 3- to 5-year-olds; they're business people. You have to reach and understand the broadcasters and distributors before you reach the core audience, the kids.

No perfect brand is created. During the markets and workshops, creators received a lot of feedback. Uti says, "I was once told by a mentor at a workshop to go with a brighter color." That was a pretty difficult moment for me as a director. But Antu [Harlin] told me many times. But Antu [Harlin] told me many times that the comments were always worth listening to. Even if the comment itself is wrong, the reason it was made in the first place shows that something can be improved. Harlin added, "The best comment someone can make is actually a question, not a solution."

Receiving feedback is extremely valuable, but in the end you should always ask, "Is this good for me?" should be asked internally. says Harlin. You have to continue to trust your judgment and the core ideas that you have developed."

If you lose confidence in an area, the creators advise, be sure to regain it. Says Harlin, "Sales meetings are already intimidating as it is." While pitching the series, one buyer once said that "Gigglebug" was for children younger than the target age range of 3 to 6 years old. The studio then hired a research firm to gather data on children's reactions to the series, which proved it was perfect for the target group.

Another thing the creators realized along the way is that buyers not acquiring a show does not mean that the show is bad. It usually means that the buyer didn't have the right slots available," Harlin said. 'Or that they already have an animal show and now they're looking for a vehicle show. You shouldn't take no too personally."

The brand's hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation will immediately strike a chord with animation fans, a funny paradox given Gigglebug's nostalgic design, but the cut-outs, tweens, and 3D animation, it makes sense. Utty said, "Parents enjoy it because there's something about it that they can recognize. "Because kids can see how it's made, that this is drawn, so they're more familiar with it, and this is especially important because the iPad is so shiny, so it's not just a picture book, it's a storybook. If something reminds the user of a picture book, they are more likely to relate to it." Harlin added that their pipeline is still competitive thanks to the possibilities offered by TVPaint.

There is one guiding principle that the creators have had from the beginning: say "yes" to new partnerships. "We consider any new partnership an adventure. 'If it sounds interesting, let's do it. Let's work with these people on the project. Often when you stop, second-guess, or put your project on the defensive, you lose momentum and get nothing done, and I didn't want that to happen to Gigglebug.

The process of letting go is key to the studio's growth, Harlin says. Following the first 13 homebrew presales, now that they have a distributor, Harlin and Uti can focus on new parts of the brand, such as licensing, toys, music, and books. 'We know the brand very well. So for every part of the Gigglebug brand, we first take it to a certain level and do a field study to ensure the right tone and quality of voice. Then we entrust it to our partners."