As part of our current series diving into the world of YouTube content creation, we’re dusting off an old episode from the Kids Media Club Podcast archives! In this episode we chat with Christian Hughes, the creative mind behind Gecko's Garage, to uncover what it takes to build a successful kids’ YouTube show. This conversation explores Christian’s YouTube journey, the strategies and challenges that shaped Gecko's Garage, and the breakthroughs that led to its success.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Christian kickstarted his YouTube channel
• What he’d do differently if starting from scratch
• Why data is a game-changer in content creation
• His experience partnering with Moonbug

In this exciting episode, recorded live in partnership with Precise TV, we sit down with Jasmine Dawson from BBC Studios to dive into the digital phenomenon of the kids IP, Bluey. We explore the early days of fandom growth post-launch and how it snowballed into the massive wave of viewers for Season 3! Jasmine shares her team’s innovative approach to Bluey’s YouTube presence, embracing a native creator mindset from day one - a brilliant strategy that’s paid off in spades. Listen in for an insightful chat about building a juggernaut in kids’ media!

From rhymes to riches?

Nursery rhymes have become one of the biggest genres on YouTube, captivating young children and their parents while spawning major entertainment franchises. In this episode, we sit down with Liz Gonzalez, an expert in children's digital content, to explore how nursery rhyme videos became such a massive phenomenon. We'll discuss the unique challenges of creating production pipelines for this type of content, and address the frequent criticism about whether this type of content represents quality output. Whether you're a producer, content creator, or just curious about the business of kids' media, this conversation offers fascinating insights into one of YouTube's most successful - and sometimes controversial - genres.

In this week’s episode of the Kids Media Club Podcast, Jo, Emily, and Andy are joined by Tom Box, Co-Founder of Blue Zoo animation studio. Tom discusses Blue Zoo’s AI policy, which aims to ethically integrate AI into their workflow.

AI in animation is a contentious topic, sparking heated and polarising debate. The hosts even imagined hordes of angry animators, pitch forks in hands, marching up to their podcast studio at the merest mention of the word.

Incorporating AI successfully into a company’s production pipeline while finding common ground among artists takes a delicate and careful touch, akin to a bomb-disposal expert deciding which wire to cut to stop everything blowing up. Tom has thought long and hard about the best way to approach this topic and it was a wonderful opportunity to discuss the issues and concerns swirling around AI in animation.

What do you think about AI in animation? Have Blue Zoo struck the right balance? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think.

In this special episode of the Kids Media Club Podcast, sponsored by Precise TV, we’re joined by Denis Crushell, Chief Commercial Officer of Precise TV to dive into their PARK report on YouTube viewing habits among UK kids and families. Hosts Andy, Emily, and Jo unpack key insights, including YouTube’s dominance as the #1 platform for kids and the influence children have on household purchasing decisions. Plus, don’t miss an exciting announcement about an upcoming live event you won’t want to miss!

https://www.precise.tv/kidsmediaclub

https://www.precise.tv/

The arrival of a new baby takes a lot of planning and that's as true for the Peppa Pig family as any other! In this week's Kids Media Club podcast, Jo, Emily, and Andy are joined by Esra Cafer, SVP Global Brand Strategy at Hasbro, to discuss the new addition to the Peppa Pig family and just what's involved from a brand management and strategy perspective.

In this week's episode, special guest Emily Brundige joins the podcast to talk about what goes into creating an animated show. She draws on her extensive experience that covers from her first break producing a YouTube original series through to developing and producing her own show GOLDIE for Apple TV+. This is a must-listen to any aspiring or experienced animators and show producers.

https://www.emilybrundige.com/

We dip into the archives to revisit an old episode. Roblox has recently broken its own record of concurrent players on the platform, so we thought we'd look back at this episode about kids media IP owners increasingly playing in the Roblox sandbox:

Dreamworks is extending its Roblox integration with the launch of the new Shrek game. It's a sign that Roblox is becoming a key part of a big brand's flywheel and IP eco-system. Is it a trend or is Roblox here to stay? In this episode, Jo, Andy, and Emily chatted to Bill Kispert, SVP & GM, Games & Digital Platforms at Universal Products & Experiences, and Marcus Holstrom, CEO The Gang, to unpick how to build successful Roblox games that grow huge brands.