limelightt

FLYING HIGH

Edinburgh-based animation company Red Kite has become a major player in international markets, with help from UK Trade & Investment. Established in 1997, Red Kite is a producer of children’s content, enjoying excellent relationships with partners throughout the world. Recent overseas successes

include Red Kite’sDennis and Gnasher cartoon, based on the much-loved Beano character Dennis the Menace, which has been successfully sold to markets such as the US and Australia. Managing director Ken Anderson

says: “Overseas sales provide the majority of our project fi nancing, with key markets including ASEAN, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the US. We are now looking to increase our activities in Australasia, develop our presence in the US and explore opportunities in Latin America. “UK Trade & Investment has

played a key role in supporting us on the global stage. We have received assistance to attend international market events and have participated in trade missions and major industry shows overseas. “Thanks to UK Trade &

Investment, we have also been invited to creative collaboration and networking events with producers from countries such as Canada, China and Korea. These are helping us to expand our network and improve our understanding of the international marketplace.” www.redkite-animation.com

development of broadcasting technology. UK writing, acting and technical talent is backed and nurtured by more than 1,500 successful and innovative independent television production companies, many of them specialising in different genres, which make programmes to be sold to the major broadcasters. In this, they are supported by the world-class expertise of UK television distributors, such as BBC Worldwide and ALL3MEDIA International, whose turnover now tops in excess of £1bn each year. John McVay, chief executive of

leading trade association PACT, says: “Even during the worst recession in living memory, the UK television content industry continues to grow, driven by the ownership and successful exploitation of intellectual property. UK independent producers are the vital

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entrepreneurial spark which has ignited and grown what has become a signifi cant world market in this area.” This was borne out earlier this year

by the UK’s success at leading industry event MIPTV 2011. PACT’s UK indies stand at the Cannes-based content market broke all previous records in terms of the amount of revenue generated (more than £21m, an increase of nearly £3m on 2010) and the number of business meetings held during the event (806, an increase of 158). Dawn McCarthy-Simpson, senior

policy executive at PACT, highlights this success: “It was records all round on the UK indies pavilion; we are overjoyed that we smashed the projected revenue. This is amazing and proves that UK [television] content is still at the height of global demand.”