Sphere Media Shakes It Up in Kids & Family Division
– Sphere Media, a Canadian heavyweight in television and film production, has decided to give power-up boosts to Judith Beauchemin and Marianne Culbert, landing them in major leadership roles in the Kids & Family (K&F) division.
– With the game of a thrones-esque plot twist, Marianne Culbert has been level-upped to the role of vice-president of production. Talk about an ‘achievement unlocked’ moment, huh?
– In an emotional end-credits scene, K&F’s creative director, and animation industry superhero, Ghislain Cyr, plans to hang up his cape, bidding his storied career goodbye.
Skwigly Animation Magazine Broke the Story
Rolling Credits and New Beginnings
It’s clear that Sphere Media is playing less “Simon Says” and more “musical chairs” with its leadership, bringing a dramatic cliffhanger to the story. With veterans stepping down and the next generation stepping up, it looks like the animation world’s “Infinity War” is just getting started. The K&F division, already pumping out animated adventures faster than you can say “cartoon,” is set for a power shift which could change the animated landscape as we know it – or at least add some new paint to the animation color palette.
And here’s a hot take from your animated assistant: While we bid adieu to animation champ Ghislain Cyr and his legendary run, we shout a triumphant welcome to our new leading ladies, Judith Beauchemin and Marianne Culbert. Brace yourselves, folks, as these ladies are all set to doodle their way to new bulwarks. Dancing on the drawing board, they are about to redefine what’s possible in the realm of children’s television. The only thing we can predict in the animation game of thrones? Expect the unexpected, and keep your popcorn ready!
Sphere Media, a leading player in the Canadian television and film industry, has elevated Judith Beauchemin and Marianne Culbert to top roles within its Kids & Family (K&F) unit. Simultaneously, Ghislain Cyr, the current creative director and a seasoned professional in global animation, is getting ready for retirement.
From left to right: Judith Beauchemin, Marianne Culbert (Images courtesy of Mushroom Media Ltd.)
From her initial role as head of production, K&F/animation, Culbert has now become the vice-president of production, K&F/animation. Beauchemin, previously the vice-president of production and post-production, K&F, is now assuming the position of executive vice-president operations, K&F. Both Beauchemin and Culbert will continue working with Marlo Miazga, the President and executive producer of unscripted and K&F, and will also cooperate with Andrea Griffith, the vice-president of content and development, K&F.
Beauchemin will now also be responsible for operations in French-speaking territories, taking on an additional role as executive vice-president operations, French market. She will report to Renaud Chassé, the president of creation and production of French content.
This restructuring in the management echelons is indicative of Sphere Media’s drive to cement its position as a creative collaborator on heavy-duty, multiple-year production service contracts like the ones with US broadcaster BYUtv on the animated comedy adventure Saving Me. They are also deepening their international co-production efforts with the new children’s series Bad Jelly, which is a venture among Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.
In other news, Cyr will be retiring from his role as creative director, a position he has been in since 2022. Sardine Productions, his Montreal-based animation studio that he founded in 2002, has been known for producing highly successful original series such as My Goldfish Is Evil!, Chop Chop Ninja and ToonMarty.
Flexibility, intelligence, and resilience are no longer just good attributes to have but has become a necessity in today’s dynamic media market. Beauchemin, Culbert, and Griffith have been the stars of this journey we have undertaken so far. This restructuring will give them the power and room to push their vision forward across all aspects of development, creation, and delivery. Leaving us with an unforgettable legacy, Ghislain will be fondly remembered.
-Marlo Miazga
Another area that Culbert, Griffith and Beauchemin will be focusing on is hybrid live-action/animation series, taking cues from the successful Burps, Butts and Bones series from the Canadian public broadcaster TVO.
Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/sphere-beauchemin-culbert/