Look Kool - the TV show I work on - nominated for an Emmy

2016 INTERNATIONAL EMMY^® KIDS AWARDS NOMINEES
ANNOUNCED 

      

  

Cannes/Mipcom, October 17, 2016 - Nominations for the International Emmy^®Kids Awards were announced today by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at a press conference at Mipcom. There are 28 nominees in 7 categories. The full list of Nominees follows this release.

Nominations span 13 countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

"Nothing in television is more important than what children watch everyday and the Academy is proud to be the preeminent platform for remarkable and notable kids programming," said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "We congratulate the 2016 Nominees."

The International Emmy^® Kids Awards at Miptv presenting partners are: Ernst & Young, Miptv, Shaw Rocket Fund, TV Kids and WDR.

Winners will receive their award in Cannes, France on Tuesday April 4, 2017.

Kids: Non-Scripted Entertainment

Cinemaniacs
Novel Entertainment
United Kingdom

Look Kool
Apartment 11 Productions Inc.  / TVOKids
Canada

Tem Crianca na Cozinha (Guess Who's Cooking?)
Gloob / Samba Filmes
Brazil

Ultras Sorte Kageshow (Baking in the Dark)
Danish Broadcasting Corporation
Denmark

The Sweet Fail of Success

Success is measured in many ways and in the creative fields there are perhaps more ways to think of it than in other endeavours. 

In my case, for example, I can point to many signs of success. I wanted to work in special effects/animation as a child and make movies. For the personal documentaries I  made I wanted to:

1. Win some awards
2. Get a project shown in a real cinema
3. Get something shown on TV

I've done all of these things and even sell my films on Amazon.com, something I wouldn't have imagined starting out. So I can't complain that I haven't achieved my basic goals. 

Now the fail part. I also expected with these achievements I hoped I would be able to squeak out a small living, nothing ridiculous, but this has not happened. I've worked on some nice professional projects for PBS and well know documentary film makers, and even though some won Emmys and Peabody Awards, I am cleaning streets part time to make ends meet with almost zero graphic design and truly zero video work is coming in for a couple of years now. 

There are lots of "reasons" for this. No one has the budgets anymore with the economic crisis ( or so they say) to hire people and I did not grow up in Montréal or New York City or get the chance to go to college… all of which would have helped make stronger networks to draw work from. So while my work is considered excellent and not even expensive, I have to remind as many people in hiring positions possible that I still exist as often as I can. Knowing the right people is everything in business and no amount of talent, hard work or dedication can overcome the basic fact of "it's who you know" and "getting there at the right moment". 

Then there is the artistic part. I am very happy with my drawings for one thing and while I could certainly use more money (read: any money) for my film projects, in the end I'm happy to keep making them and progressing slowly into more complicated things. So… success again. 

So in the end, I'm a success in how I think of my work and how it's received when I get jobs... but a failure in the "making a living" area which is, truth be told, the only measure of success everyone, including artists can agree on. 

Peabody Award

"American Experience" won the prestigious Peabody Award this past April. 2 of the three episodes singled out were ones I worked on "Triangle Fire" and "Freedom Riders". While my work certainly isn't the sole reason for the award, it is part of it in the end so I'm very content to be associated with such fine productions!