Blue Ant Media is expanding its Kids, Family & YA division, uniting its studios and leadership under a single, integrated model designed to accelerate growth, streamline operations and expand its global content pipeline.
The division – led by Jennifer Twiner McCarron, President, Kids, Family & YA – under hte purview of Blue Ant Studios Co-President Matt Hornburg – will now operate under three verticals:
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Content Development & Commercial Strategy, led by Diane Rankin, EVP, Content Development & Commercial Strategy. Rankin will drive the originals and coproduction pipeline of new content and partnerships across kids, family, YA for global buyers, working closely with the studio’s live action and animation production divisions, as well as the Kids & Family sales and acquisitions teams at Blue Ant Rights. Her leadership team includes Hillary Zwick Turner, SVP, Scripted, Live Action Content, and AJ Trauth, who has been promoted to SVP, Scripted, Animation & Live Action Content.
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Scripted & Live Action, led by Lindsay Macadam, EVP, Scripted & Live Action, Blue Ant Studios. Macadam oversees the full lifecycle of live action scripted production from development through delivery, driving creative execution, project pipeline, and managing key buyer and partner relationships and production services opportunities.
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Animation, led by Joel Bradley, EVP, Animation, Blue Ant Studios. Bradley will lead the combined animation division across 2D and 3D production services, coproductions and animated originals spanning preschool to adult, building on the foundations of Atomic Cartoons and Jam Filled Entertainment. His leadership team includes Tori Coulthart, SVP, Animation, who will lead Jam Filled Entertainment, and Steve Grover, SVP, Animation, who will lead Atomic Cartoons.
Lori McIndoe, formerly president of Jam Filled, will transition out of the company. The teams will work in close collaboration with Blue Ant Rights, including Richard Goldsmith EVP, Kids & Family Brands, who leads Blue Ant’s new consumer products division.
Blue Ant says the new structure streamlines its creative and commercial capabilities into a more integrated and scalable model, designed to unlock new opportunities across its Kids, Family & YA business.
“The expansion of our Kids, Family & YA division brings together the full strength of our creative and commercial capabilities in a more unified and focused way,” said Twiner McCarron, in a company announcement. “By aligning our development, production and animation teams, we are better positioned to scale efficiently, respond to global demand for premium content, and drive long-term growth, while expanding our creative ambition and building a stronger slate of globally relevant IP for partners and audiences around the world.”
