Mediawan Kids & Family plans to enter the micro-drama field and launch its first vertical animated short content next year, CEO Julien Borde revealed at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest.
Speaking during a panel discussion focused on cross-media IP adaptations, Borde said the animation industry is “really ready” for the burgeoning short form trend dominating the Asian market. “Writers know very well how to tell stories in a very short form,” he told the event’s audience.
The move marks a significant strategic move for the Paris-headquartered production and distribution company, which operates more than 80 production companies around the world, including Method Animation, the studio behind The Little Prince series. Bordet expressed enthusiasm about the format’s potential, although he acknowledged that “Asia, Europe and the Western world in general are less advanced than Asia” in both live-action and animated microcontent.
Microdrama discussions highlighted ongoing challenges around monetization and subsidies. Laurent Duveaux, vice president of business development and audiovisual rights at Media Participations-Mediatoon, pointed out that European subsidy systems have not yet caught up with the format. “People keep thinking they’re recycling content when in fact it’s brand new content,” Duveaux said, adding that finding “a sound business model and a sound subsidy model” remains a key challenge.
Bordet suggested that micropayment systems, which are already popular in Asia, could provide a solution when combined with a subscription model. “Some platforms in Europe are testing micropayments,” he said, noting that the company is monitoring how this approach develops.
Both French executives emphasized their commitment to Asian partnerships, with Media One focusing in particular on Taiwan. Chief Operating Officer Jean-Yves Patey has visited Taiwan many times, and the company is currently co-producing three films with Taiwanese studios (one TV series and two features).
“We are here for the long term and to build a very strong partnership between Taiwan and France,” Bordet said on his first visit to Taiwan.
Duveau, who heads France’s third-largest publishing group with more than 40 publishers publishing 3,500 new books a year, said his team currently has nearly 200 projects in development around the world. He pointed out that 20% of the projects are based outside France, including in the US, Germany, UK, Mexico and China, and that “one in 10 will end up on screen.”
He revealed “Bob & Marley” as a uniquely Taiwanese triumph. This is an animation project featuring Taiwanese bear characters that is currently in development with local producers. “When I found out it was (Taiwanese), it became my priority to find a producer here, and magic happens,” Duveau said.
The panel delved into strategies for identifying which literary and comic IP is worthy of adaptation. Media participation relies on what Duveaux calls “evergreen” characters, the quality of which survives for 30, 40 or 50 years, citing examples such as “The Little Prince” and “Astro Boy.”
The company is currently relaunching “The Marsupilamis” for Nickelodeon, a project that has been in the works for nearly a decade. “This is a perfect example of taking a 70-year-old character and making it feel fresh and new,” Duveau said.
But evergreens come with risks, he warned. “When a new version comes out, people may hate it because they don’t remember it,” he explains, noting that some recent evergreen film adaptations have disappointed by failing to live up to audience expectations formed in childhood.
Media One’s Method Animation has built a reputation for reinventing classic IP, producing three different iterations of “The Little Prince” (one feature and two series). But Borde said the company is increasingly focusing on properties with existing fan engagement. “It’s very difficult to establish a new brand in such a fragmented consumption world,” he explained. “Increasingly, we need to offer our partners something very powerful that already exists and has billions of views.”
Recent examples include “Ki and Hi,” an anime-adjacent series based on a French manga by YouTuber Kevin Tran, which has outsold Japanese manga in France, and “Mr. Crocodile,” based on the work of author Joan Sfar. The series started on French TV and Nick Jr.
Both executives acknowledged the evolving challenges of working with major streamers. “Pay TV isn’t as important as it used to be, and it’s more difficult than it used to be because there’s less slots available to any streaming company,” Borde said. Still, he praised partners including Disney (co-producer of Miraculous Ladybug), Warner, and Nickelodeon for adding value to the original concept.
Duveaux joked about being on the phone with Netflix at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. that morning, pointing out the differences in both platforms’ approaches to animation and live-action. “Animation is often centralized in Asia or in the West, primarily in America. But with live action, you act locally,” he says. “You have to be prepared for very tough legal arguments and very complex contracts.”
Economic conditions remain difficult, but necessary. “The compensation would be better than the salary,” Duveaux said.
When asked about the balance between evergreen IP and original ideas, Borde emphasized the importance of maintaining both. “If TF1 hadn’t taken the risk of launching ‘Miraculous Ladybug’ over 10 years ago, when it was really completely unknown, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to build that brand,” he said. “We want to be open to new and original ideas because the market tends to say that only evergreen IP is being done, and I don’t think that’s true.”
Duveau agreed, noting that success stories like Miraculous, which became evergreen “in less than 10 years,” justify continued investment in fresh voices. “Most of that cash will be invested in new talent to ensure new characters arrive tomorrow,” he said.
For both companies, success will depend on finding what Duveaux calls “authentic, authentic voices” with “authenticity, freshness and originality.” This is a quality that transcends whether an IP has a 50-year legacy or was released last year.
The panel was moderated by San Lin, CEO of Sense Creative Management Ltd.
