Animating for the Public - Securing great content for a Danish audience

13sep10:0012:00Animating for the Public - Securing great content for a Danish audience10:00 - 12:00(GMT+02:00) Paletten, Tingvej 20, 8800 ViborgTrackIndustrySecuring great content for a Danish audience

Time

13/09/2024 10:00 - 12:00(GMT+01:00)

Event Details

Animating for the Public – Securing great content for a Danish audience

In recent years, Danmarks Radio (DR) has bet big on Danish and Nordic animation on its channels. For example with Friday entertainment such as Fredags Tam-Tam, which replaced Disney Sjov, a staple on Danish screens every Friday for over 20 years.

What makes Danish and Nordic animation so special? Why not just buy and dub foreign animation? And how does DR view this strategy? Morten Skov, DR’s Head of Children’s Programming, provides the answers.

Morten Skov is joined by the creators of three new and upcoming Danish-produced series from DR. Irene Sparre offers insights into the production of the award-winning Karla’s Fantastiske Klasse. Mikkel Mainz presents his current series Høj, and Esben Toft reveals Hullet i Hækken, which premieres on DR in November.

We will take a closer look at the Danish animation landscape, both for creators and the audience, and explore how we can ensure a sustainable future for these productions.

Case 1: Esben Toft – Hullet i Hækken
Case 2: Irene Sparre – Karlas Fantalasiske klasse
Case 3: Mikkel Mainz – Høj

This event is a part of the VAF PRO program (Read more here)

Paletten

Speakers for this event

  • Esben Toft

    Esben Toft

    Director 'Hullet i Hækken'

    Esben Toft JacobsenAnimation director and creator. Graduated from The National Film School of Denmark in 2006. Created the feature films “The Great Bear” and “Beyond Beyond”. Esben is also behind the tv series “Kiwi & Strit”, “The Rain” and is now presenting his latest series “Flora & Lars”.

    Director 'Hullet i Hækken'

  • Irene Sparre

    Irene Sparre

    CEO and Head of Development at Sparre Production ApS

    Irene Sparre is CEO and Head of Development at Sparre Production ApS. Irene oversees projects, ensuring stable, creative processes via streamlined communication and cooperative workflows. Connecting clients, partners, and vendors throughout US, Europe, and Far East Asia. Building up long-term relationships, encouraging transparency, continued learning among creatives, production personnel as well as technical teams are where Irene’s core vision lies when producing.In January 2023 Sparre Production completed the animated TV series Team Nuggets (Karla’s Fantalastiske Klasse). A European co-production between Sparre Production, Godo films, DR and Canal Plus. The series consists of 52 x 7min. and is based on the core values mentioned above.For more details, please see https://www.dr.dk/drtv/serie/fredagstamtam_3571462006 Irene engaged with Finnish based Anima Vitae and co-founded Nordic Technical Directors Forum (NTDF) – an association strengthening professional sparring, exchange of know-how, and networking between Nordic technical teams. The association hosted it’s 7th Nordic conference in November 2018. For more details, please see www.tdforum.eu

    CEO and Head of Development at Sparre Production ApS

  • Mikkel Mainz

    Mikkel Mainz

    CEO and director at Skjaldborn

    Mikkel Mainz grew up in Hedehusene with 3 siblings. Through his childhood he always made fantasy and comics the cool thing in school – inspiring and gathering groups who would enjoy animations, comics, games and roleplaying. He would draw as part of his storytelling and teachers would tell him to stop making everything about dinosaurs, time machines, magic, and ancient relics.After finishing his high school in Texas and Gymnasium in Roskilde, he did his bachelor at The Animation Workshop, in Viborg, in 2009. During this time he started directing and making 2D films, having his breakthrough with the bachelor short film “The Reward” that was released in 2013. He later made this into a series and founded the 2D studios Skjaldborn (2023-), Skjald ApS (2018-) and Sun Creature (2013-2018).Mikkel makes most of his films with the same team, since he enjoys growing and creating together – something that is crucial in animation. He also worked as a creative or animator on Cartoon Network shows (Ivandoe), Oscar nominated films (Flee & Song of the Sea), anime (“Emara”), and a long list of other animated film projects. He created and directed the webseries and universe “Tales of Alethrion” (YouTube channel with 220 videos, 2013-2024) and is the director of the TV-series “Høj” (26 episodesx11′, DR, 2024). He has an online community of more than 220K followers and is mostly known for making fantasy films and universes.Now he is CEO and director at Skjaldborn and he has also become a father, and he is loving both positions!

    CEO and director at Skjaldborn

  • Morten Skov Hansen

    Morten Skov Hansen

    Programme Editor

    DR Ramasjang og DR Ultra

    “Morten har siden 2015 været Chef for DR’s børnetilbud. Morten har bl.a. været ansvarlig for lanceringen af Minisjang og FredagsTamTam. Morten er tidl. Nordisk programdirektør for Cartoon Network og Boomerang” Morten has since 2025 been head of content for children at DR. Morten has among other things been in charge of the launch of Minisjang and FredagTamTam. Morten has previously been the Nordic Head of Programming at Cartoon Network and Boomerang.

    Programme Editor

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