The Energon Pub

We have news regarding the upcoming National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) event in Miami (Jan 17-19), which showcases the entertainment industry and provides a platform for upcoming and established franchises and companies to share their content and tips. Hasbro Studios, the media side of the toy company, will be attending with three of its current media franchises: two My Little Pony series and Transformers: Robots in Disguise! You can find out more information below.

MIAMI: Two My Little Pony titles lead the slate that Hasbro Studios brings to the market: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and My Little Pony: Equestria Girls.

The company is also promoting Transformers: Robots in Disguise. “All three series continue to achieve high ratings throughout the [LatAm] region and will premiere new content in 2017,” says Gustavo Gomez, Hasbro Studios’ sales director for Latin America and Iberia. “The My Little Pony and Transformers franchises continue to appeal to audiences thanks to their multi-generational fan bases, compelling stories and rich characters.”

“[This] will be a banner year for both brands thanks to major motion pictures that we feel will broaden their audiences even further,” he continues. The upcoming films are My Little Pony: The Movie and Transformers: The Last Knight.

Gomez adds: “Hasbro Studios’ mission is to use immersive, cross-platform storytelling to bring Hasbro’s most iconic brands to kids and families.”

Kidscreen Summit (February 13-16, Miami) is an event - by its own definition - "renowned as the kids entertainment industry’s most important annual event. In 2016, the conference welcomed nearly 1,800 attendees from more than 50 countries. Top executives attend Kidscreen Summit to take advantage of the year’s best business networking, and to engage in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry." With that in mind, we can report that Hasbro Studios will be attending in full force - after NATPE last January - showcasing their current projects, with a focus on Transformers: Robots In Disguise, Transformers: The Last Knight, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic and My Little Pony: The Movie - but also upcoming projects in those areas, and any further development.

Hasbro delegates attending:

Sue McPoland (Director, Global Consumer Insights – Hasbro Global Brand Licensing & Publishing)
Jackie Fradin (Sr. Director Global Consumer Insights – Hasbro Inc)
Gustavo Gomez (Sales Director LatAm & Iberia – Hasbro Latin America)
Nuno I( Director of Sales, Asia Pacific – Hasbro Studios)
Finn Arnesen (SVP, Global Distribution & Development – Hasbro Studios)
Nina Scales (Vice President, International Distribution – Hasbro Studios)
Sheetal Merchant (Sales Director EMEA – Hasbro Studios)
Natalie Verdugo (Sr Manager, Global Marketing – Hasbro Studios)
Andie Wheatley (Sr Marketing Coordinator – Hasbro Studios)

Are there any aspiring animators out there? Because if so, we just got word of Hasbro appearing at the CTN (The Creative Talent Network) Animation eXpo, an event held for aspiring animators and skilled professionals to meet and talk about their craft.

Hasbro will have their own booth there (booth B83) along with three panels. Judging from the talented creators attending, like Walter Gatus, the lead character designer for Transformers at Hasbro Studios, there will surely be a Transformers presence. This could be the place where fans get an early look at Transformers: Cyberverse or Rescue Bots Academy (or any other animation they may have, check the roadmap below), though no specifics aside from the panels mentioned below are confirmed.

The show takes place November 17-19, 2017, in Burbank, CA and you can get all the details on acquiring tickets and participating, along with a complete schedule, here.

Below is a list of all Hasbro staff attending the event followed by details for the three panels Hasbro will have. Keep an eye out for the Hamilton joke Hasbro slipped in.

Staff

Meghan McCarthy VP Head of Storytelling, Hasbro Studios
Kevin Burke Executive Producer/Head Writer, Stretch Armstrong
Patrick Archibald Supervising Producer, Hasbro Studios
Colleen McAllister -TV Executive, Co-Producer Hasbro Studios
Josh Feldman VP of Storytelling, Hasbro Studios
Coral Wright Creative Executive of Allspark Pictures & Hasbro Studios
Mikiel Houser Manager of Development, Hasbro Studios
Vic Cook Executive Producer/Supervising Director, Stretch Armstrong
Walter Gatus Lead Character Designer, Transformers
Joey Mason Art Director, Stretch Armstrong
Sondra Wiener Senior Product Design Manager, Action Brands Team
Kevin Evans Senior Design Manager, Hasbro Studios


Panels

Friday November 17

01:30 PM - 02:15 PM
Interview Hasbro & Chill: A Chat with Hasbro Studios
1) Meghan McCarthy VP Head of Storytelling, Hasbro Studios
2) Kevin Burke Executive Producer/Head Writer, Stretch Armstrong
3) Patrick Archibald Supervising Producer, Hasbro Studios
4) Colleen McAllister -TV Executive, Co-Producer Hasbro Studios
Workshop Room

Sunday Nov 19

09:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Panel Young, Scrappy & Hungry: A Look Inside Hasbro Studios
1) Meghan McCarthy VP of Storytelling, Hasbro Studios
2) Josh Feldman VP of Storytelling, Hasbro Studios
3) Colleen McAllister TV Executive, Co-Producer Hasbro Studios
4) Coral Wright Creative Executive of Allspark Pictures & Hasbro Studios
5) MOD: Mikiel Houser Manager of Development, Hasbro Studios
Theater 1A

AND

11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Panel Hasbro Studios: Designing Characters for Universal Needs
1) Vic Cook Executive Producer/Supervising Director, Stretch Armstrong
2) Walter Gatus Lead Character Designer, Transformers
3) Joey Mason Art Director, Stretch Armstrong
4) Sondra Wiener Senior Product Design Manager, Action Brands Team
5) Kevin Evans Senior Design Manager, Hasbro Studios
Theater 1A