Impartial animation studio Aardman has appointed Laura Taylor-Williams to the newly created position of Head of Digital and Strategic Growth. Taylor-Williams will lead the strategic route of digital monetization at Aardman throughout AVOD, FAST and EST, and can oversee a crew that covers each business and inventive technique within the digital publishing area. Moreover, Taylor-Williams will report in to Aardman’s Director of Distribution, Alison Taylor, and work carefully with the studio’s Head of Acquisitions, Robin Gladman, to see that each one companions profit from this new digital technique. Gladman will purchase content material that helps the technique, whereas Taylor-Williams will be certain that all third-party acquisitions revenue from the studio’s fixed diversification and adaptation to an ever-evolving digital panorama.
Taylor-Williams joins Aardman with over 15 years’ distribution expertise, having led profitable relationships with digital platform companions for NBCUniversal and Warner Bros. Previous to the creation of this new position, she was Senior Gross sales Supervisor at Aardman, the place she oversaw broadcast, streaming, and VOD offers throughout Northern Europe and Canada.
“Laura brings a wealth of information to this position and an actual drive to ship Aardman’s globally-loved, playful content material to a spread of recent platform audiences,” mentioned Taylor. “It’s massively thrilling to be rising our crew on this approach, particularly following such a interval of success and recognition from throughout the business. Working in partnership with our brilliantly linked Head of Acquisitions, Robin Gladman, I’m certain Laura will do large issues at Aardman – to the good thing about all our manufacturers and third-party companions.”
Taylor-Williams commented, “I’m delighted to be heading up this new division. Aardman is completely positioned to ship a wealthy expertise for audiences by AVOD and FAST companions, with our entry to value-added and behind-the-scenes content material alongside our much-loved, award-winning slate. Working with our third-party unbiased producers to accumulate and produce much more content material proper for digital can be a cornerstone of our technique – guaranteeing that our pipeline of content material is constant, unique and aligns with Aardman’s emphasis on high quality, curiosity and playfulness. We’re primed to take Aardman into this subsequent part of formidable progress.”
The appointment follows a massively profitable interval for Aardman’s gross sales crew, as six out of the 15 most-screened productions at MIP Junior have been properties both owned or distributed by the corporate: Interstellar Ella; Monster Physician; Completely satisfied the Hoglet; Pop Paper Metropolis; and Colourblocks; with Aardman’s personal Lloyd of the Flies taking the highest spot. The corporate additionally made the highest 10 in 4 out of 5 classes of Kidscreen’s Sizzling 50, rating second in Manufacturing and fourth in Distribution in addition to making the record for Licensing and Digital – a hit spurred by the expansion of basic manufacturers alongside new Aardman IP together with The Very Small Creatures along with the thrilling roster of third-party exhibits distributed by the studio.
Supply: Aardman
Whitney is a contract author specializing in VFX-driven fantasy movie & TV in addition to preschool animation.
