Writing for children’s animated television may seem like child’s play but in reality demands an extraordinary level of skill from a writer.

Children’s television producer, development executive and writer Martin Baynton (Jane and the Dragon, The WotWots) talks about the high points and pitfalls of writing children’s TV for the international market.

He spoke with MC Stephen Campbell (Amazing Extraordinary Friends) at the July Writer’s Room.

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Now working with Richard Taylor (of Weta Workshop), Martin said it was a case of arrogance, opportunity and carpel tunnel that moved him into the international realm of animated TV and film.

‘I was unable to illustrate my own books any more due to carpel tunnel syndrome so decided to move into animation. I was watching the stuff my kids see on TV and I thought, ‘I can do better than that – how hard can it be?’ I had an almost megalomaniac arrogance. I discovered it’s a tough living and the market place is very hard. It can be hand to mouth at times but I have a passion for children’s television. Call it arrogance and an opportunity to change careers.’

Once he had made the decision, Martin began scaling a steep learning curve. ‘I was 45 when I started. We mortgaged the house – my wife is very forgiving and supportive – and I went to Cannes to learn what other people were doing and how the industry worked. Making a return for investors in your TV show is vital so do your homework thoroughly.’

The combination of craft, great story writing and ‘beautiful’ ideas set within a clearly defined set of disciplines was challenging at first. ‘Knowing what these disciplines are will allow you the freedom to write beautifully. If a writer can understand the discipline of what they’re writing for – really get it – then they will make everyone’s life much easier. The writers I see enjoying their work most are those who really understand the medium they are writing for. They don’t take stories to a place that is unachievable.’
 
Having a thorough knowledge of the types of shows children watch in different age groups is a prerequisite to pitching story ideas successfully to producers.

‘For example, pre-schoolers in Europe and USA all love the same stuff but it can be hard to write a show for kids under 12. In the USA, boys in this age group control the remote and girls put up with it so there is more TV for boys. But over 12 years, girls tend to have televisions in their bedrooms so shows for that age group become very ‘girl-focussed’ and there is a clear sexual differentiation. So age groups are very clearly defined and you have to be sure your writing for one does not cross over into another.’

Martin emphasised the importance of knowing your audience. ‘If you’re writing for pre-schoolers then watch TV with them – see what they laugh at and when their attention leaves the screen. The danger is you might think you know what they like so be sure. Do your homework with kids around you.’

Children are more old fashioned than we think they are. ‘They want to be entertained,’ said Martin, ‘they want to care and laugh and become part of the show – and of course, once they fall in love with a character they don’t want to wait – they want the book or the DVD too.’

Markets vary internationally and Stephen felt the USA seems to make shows with a clinical, targeted accuracy. ‘We follow Europe,’ said Martin, ‘where children are, on average, 1.5 years more sophisticated than those in the USA. The US market is brutal. You must create a show that generates all the add-ons like toys and DVDs so they can make money. The major networks are merchandise-driven, money-making machines! As an exception, we recently sold The WotWots to Discovery Kids. They care about growing an audience and looking after the show whereas with the networks, it’s often a producer-driven process. They define exactly what they want, analyse and beat things to death. I got into the business to set up my own production company with Richard and Weta to make the shows I wanted.’

Pitching ideas within such a competitive market requires energy, passion and commitment.

‘Try to get your stuff out there, capture what it is you hope the story will be, make it come to life even if you only have ten seconds. By doing that, you’re lifting your idea above hundreds of others that may be wonderful but lack the drive, the passion. Producers look for a show runner who will deliver the vision from start to finish, someone who will bleed from the eyes for that show and won’t let anyone else mess with it. Fight for the things that matter and discard the rest.’

Adults generally prefer stories that follow a protagonist’s journey – what he or she learns along the way, how life has been changed by the experience. Children prefer story arcs where something is made to happen or is prevented from happening and yet when the next episode of the story begins, everything is exactly the same as before.

Martin knew exactly what he wanted with his animated series Jane and the Dragon. ‘When you build a whole world you need to know how this social structure will deliver 100 stories without exhaustion. Jane’s turret is the centre of her world. All the things she needs to interact with are there but it takes good scriptwriting to bring the stories to Jane and then get her to them. The stories really are social dramas with a dragon; the sorts of things that happen to girls aged 6-12 every day but placed in an exotic setting.’

Supporting those 100 stories requires an extensive toolkit of characters, each with their own stories to tell. Building the world as a first step allows scriptwriters to deliver that complexity.

‘How big do you make her world? How many sets? You don’t want to limit your writers but then the technicalities of the medium can define these things. Talking to producers can help find solutions to problems without limiting the vision.’

As an illustrator, Martin knew how to tell a story visually but admits this is a part of TV craft he struggles with.

‘The best writers know what they are weak at but don’t allow it to cripple them. The most successful are those who really understand what they are writing for and can produce shooting scripts on day one. Every draft is a shooting script, bringing the story alive on the page as quickly and concisely as possible. With The WotWots there is no dialogue – we are writing the intentions of the characters with very detailed notes for the animators so they can convey these intentions.’

Martin feels The WotWots is the perfect preschool show, written with an absolute understanding of the production craft.

‘The show is very simple, built around two characters and a space ship – but can we make it completely real and can we deliver 52 stories? We are now writing our second series of 52 stories – proof that you can contain your world, make it very intimate and yet write incredible stories. It enables you to do some fantastic writing but with no shortcuts! The stories are about the private challenges that kids face every day, turning them into almost Shakespearian comedy and beautiful representations of those moments in their daily lives.’

The stories may be short and intimate but take a high level of skill to write. ‘There is incredible detail in each line. A writer needs to deliver to the animator what that one line really means for that character.  The first draft of a ten minute script for The WotWots is about 30 pages long. It takes that much to describe the details.’  

Stephen asked how well a ‘writer for hire’ needs to know the show they are writing for?

Martin said the best writers are those who are passionate about the show. ‘They share the enthusiasm, know the characters and have story ideas. Skill without passion is a disaster and I won’t touch it. Long term, we want to nurture new writers and create opportunities so if passion is there and most of the skills are too then we’re OK.’

Richard and Martin’s independent production company owns the shows they create and Weta is hired as a production facility. ‘We don’t accept cold calls at this time but we’re maybe 18 months away from doing so.  We want to have the ability to develop ideas from others but need greater human resource capacity before we can look at more than the two or three shows we have now.’

Series three of The WotWots is in the planning stage and another 52 episodes will follow. ‘That’s an awful lot of writing.’

Martin would like to run workshops in the major centres next year to showcase the writing process and make contact with those who are keen to write for children’s television.  

‘Ultimately we want to make over 100 episodes a year and employ 30/40 writers but don’t want to run workshops until there is a green-lit project for people to get excited about. You need to build up that energy, capture it, pull the team together and go right then. Making a TV show is a bit like surfing a runaway train, one that never stops for breath or slows down on corners. You have to stay upright for 18 months because that’s what it takes to make a TV show.’

Martin believes writing for children is much harder than writing for adults but encourages those interested to give it a go. ‘It’s all about remembering what it’s like to be their age, to be in their space. My advice – be intimate with your story because children’s stories are intimate. They deal with things in a place that adults don’t normally go so, as a writer, don’t be afraid to go there.’

Courtesy of Script to Screen. Writer’s Room notes written by Jane Bissell.

About Script to Screen

Script to Screen is an independent industry and community-wide initiative, established to develop the craft and culture of storytelling for the screen (film, television, and new media) in Aotearoa, New Zealand.  Script to Screen's programme of talks and workshops provide opportunities for both established and emerging screenwriters to meet, share knowledge, and develop their craft.  See the new Script to Screen website.

The Auckland Writers Room series for 2009 is proudly supported by the ASB Community Trust and Stella Artois. Script to Screen is supported by funding from the New Zealand Film Commission.