Alyssa Sappire’s top piece of advice to capture her attention: get personal. The SVP of original programming at Disney Junior is always on the hunt for content with a bit of “Disney Magic" for the two-to-five range, but to really stand out she wants creators to have a personal connection to the shows they pitch.
“Come to the table with personal stories—whether it’s a character or an area of expertise,” she told Kidscreen Summit audiences. “Maybe they’re an engineer or a painter, [but I want to know] where the inspiration is coming from.”
At the root, all Disney Junior shows need a bit of the company’s iconic magical flair, she adds. This means signature music, aspirational characters who are a diverse reflection of today's kids and an emotional core to the storytelling that resonates with kids.
Kim Berglund, the executive director of development for Disney Junior, doubles down on this point and says that the broadcaster is looking for diverse characters, from diverse creators who are putting their own experiences into stories. And there are a few communities in particular Berglund would like to hear more from.
“There’s a need to tell more stories from Latinx creators and from that view point, as well as Asian characters,” Berglund says.
Sappire would love to see more stories that inspire critical thinking, though the main focus remains on developing the socio-emotional core. “We’re looking at a few different ways of bringing in more of the sciences,” she says.
Primarily, she’s on the hunt for characters who embody creativity and innovation, pointing to the Imagineers group responsible for research and development at Disney Parks and Experiences as a source of inspiration. “It’s where creativity, science and engineering meet,” she says.
Engineering experts from the Imagineering team were most recently put to use consulting on inventions featured in Disney Junior’s latest music-driven animated series Eureka!. Set to premiere later this year, the series tells the story of a young inventor living in prehistoric times.
As for those looking to pitch princesses, they may want to save their series for other platforms, Sappire warns. “Princesses and royalty—we really do have that covered,” she says. “It’s so ingrained in our heritage that we typically look internally to find inspiration.”
Disney does all of the development on its own properties internally, but will occasionally decide to go out to external producers and ask for their take on an iconic IP.
The main white space Berglund is looking to fill on her slate right now, is for more non-human characters. The broadcaster’s slate is stacked with aspirational human characters, and lots of puppies but that leaves a lot of options to play with.
Overall, Berglund stresses that the most successful pitches and shows at Disney Junior will be ones that hit on their five pillars: Rich storytelling with heart, social-emotional learning, music that defines the world, fantasy and magic and aspirational characters that reflect the diverse world kids live in.
Team
Alyssa Sappire SVP, Original Programming
Joe D’Ambrosia GM, Disney Junior
Kim Berglund Executive Director, Development
Diane Ikemiyashiro Vice President, Current Series, Original Programming, Disney Junior
Demographic
Preschool
Format
2D Animation
3D Animation
CG Animation
How to Pitch
Disney does not accept unsolicited materials. Please submit through a franchised agent.
Contact
Please submit materials through a franchised agent or a recognized entertainment attorney to: Yolie Romano (yolie.m.romano@disney.com) Disney Channels Worldwide, 3800 West Alameda Avenue, Suite, 1632, Burbank, CA 91505.
