Scooter Braun’s SB Projects is all set to embrace animation with a new children’s series, Rock Angels co-produced with Cyber Group Studios and featuring original music. The announcement was made at MIPCOM, the annual global entertainment conference in Cannes, France. by SB Projects COO Scott Manson.
Manson who is also Rock Angels‘ co-executive producer said that they are in talks about the idea being weaved into storylines that shall teach the kids important lessons, values and inspire them and are happy with the positive approach.Scooter Braun’s top-shelf management list includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cody Simpson and Tori Kelly, none of whom have signed on to the animated series, but there’s a strong possibility several will, stated Manson.
Towards achieving that goal, SB Projects has been in talks with Adam Anders, the Swedish hitmaker and executive music producer behind Glee who also worked on High School Musical 3, Hannah Montana and songs for Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and the Jonas Brothers. Manson further said that they hope that they can convince Adam Anders to become a part of the team, since he plays brilliantly in terms of timeline and matching the music to the creative.
When asked if the show might draw upon more classic animated music fare such as The Archies, The Jackson 5 or Josie & the Pussycats for inspiration, the 34-year-old Manson acknowledges these animated antecedents but references shows from his own generation, including Bobby’s World, Rugrats and Alvin & the Chipmunks.
The new series represents SB Projects’ continued expansion into film and TV, which includes the successful CBS drama – Scorpion, now in its second season, the new MTV series – Todrick and the upcoming live action movie Jem and the Holograms (out 23 October) as well as upcoming projects with skateboarder Tony Hawk, documentary filmmaker RJ Cutler and its current collaboration with Cyber Group Studios on Rock Angels.
The animated Rock Angels, according to the storyline, is a super group comprised of two contest-winning bands with members between the ages of 12 and 15. They are the Sky Angels (a sweet pop duo of sisters from Louisiana) and the Rock Ons (three cousins from Detroit). In addition to potential star turns, Rock Angels also offers opportunities for multiple revenue streams. Much like recent music-based television shows Glee, Nashville and Smash, the animated series is planning to offer song download videos, merchandising and other “360 degree digital explorations.”
Cyber Studios is one of France’s top independent animation studios and has done several co-productions with Disney. Its CEO Pierre Sissmann was a top executive with Disney in Europe and previously worked for Sony Music working closely with Gloria Estefan and Sade.As for future TV enterprises, Manson is excited about a popular international music reality show called Sing My Song, for which SB Projects has secured the rights partnered with Zodiak USA. The fascinating concept behind the program features five to seven established artists from different genres on location for a week paying musical tributes to each other’s music catalogs, which are then recorded and released outside of the show.