Mike DeVitto and “Ribert and Robert”
Monday, November 17th, 2008
“Ribert & Robert” is taking off! Since our interview with actor James Bondy, the duo has continued to capture children’s hearts with its simple stories with gentle morals and appealing graphics. Mike DeVitto, President and CEO of Deos Animation Studios, tells us what inspired the series and also shares the secret behind the cost-effective production process behind it.CP: Please tell me a bit about your background including what inspired you to start Deos Animation Studios.MD: I have a technology background in system design and software development. When my daughter Jennifer was growing up I was disappointed in what the media offered her. I was determined to take the technology and knowledge I had to build entertainment and educational programs that would be beneficial to children.CP: What are your goals with the productions you work with?MD: Our main goal and driving force is to teach children everywhere to love to learn and learn to love and follow their heart in everything thing they do.CP: Please tell me about your SAM methods and how you think this is revolutionizing/will revolutionize the industry.MD: I had a dream to do children’s entertainment and when I found out how much it would cost I knew we would have to come up with an alternative method. That’s when my team and I dug deep into our system development background and we found SAM. SAM allows us to do high quality at a lower cost and faster speed. I think that’s what helped us win our awards with “Ribert & Robert.”CP: Please tell me a bit about your journey with “Ribert & Robert,” including where you think this is all going.MD: I’ve always thought that the media platform for TV was not being used well for children. There was never enough value being provided to parents and children. My idea for “Ribert & Robert” actually came the night of 9/11. On that day, I saw my daughter Jennifer cry and I hadn’t seen her cry in a very long time. I couldn’t help but ask myself that day what how world events are impacting our children. That night I went to bed and I had a dream about R&R.I envisioned Robert as a human and was a nice person but constantly made mistakes. Ribert I imaged to have a heart of gold and innocent like a child. The overall message behind “Ribert & Robert” is for children to listen to their heart and to follow it. That’s what “Ribert & Robert” is trying to convey.The next day I wrote a script and took it to public television but quickly realized that I didn’t have the money to make my dream a reality and that’s when I developed SAM and put together my assembly line.Anyone who’s watched the show knows that we’ve always called the children “Power Pals.” That’s really my dream – to build a worldwide organization of “Power Pals” on the Internet. The idea is to use our technology to develop the first fully immerse virtual world for children on the World Wide Web and use our TV program to get kids to go there.CP: What is the most important message you would like to get out to/could offer independent producers?
MD: Start with something you believe in and stay focused.
Guess who has your passport to adventure this fall? Buster Baxter, and he’s back in new special episodes of the hit PBS KIDS GO! series POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER. Buster is globe trotting overseas in international specials that chronicle his adventures in China and Egypt. The half-hour episodes will air Fridays during the regular Arthur timeslot starting on PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings for times).”At a time when it’s more important than ever for kids to develop an understanding of the world around them, we’re thrilled to present our POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER international specials,” said Executive Producer Pierre Valette. “Through his lens, Buster has the invaluable ability to introduce kids to new faces, rich cultures, and the exciting ways that ancient traditions are interwoven into the modern lives of kids around the globe.”On the heels of the 2008 summer Olympics, Buster travels to China in “Buster in Beijing” (premiering November 14, 2008) where he sees that a rapidly modernizing China is merging the new and the old. Buster learns that in the midst of the towering skyscrapers of modern Beijing, the age-old traditions of tai chi, ribbon-dancing, pigeon-racing, and noodle-making continue to thrive. On his adventures, Buster meets Chen Xi, a 9-year old who heads her neighborhood’s recycling initiative – and Yiyi, an 11-year old skating champion who runs a foundation for kids with cancer. From them, Buster learns that being a global citizen means caring for the earth and the people in your community.Lastly, in “Buster’s Egyptian Adventure” (November 21, 2008), Buster discovers (much to his surprise!) that there are more minarets and mosques than mummies and mythology in Egypt today. In addition to exploring the bustling markets of Cairo, discovering the Great Pyramids, and taking a camel ride to the Sphinx, Buster also learns what it’s like to be a Muslim kid in modern Egypt. His adventures continue up the Nile River where Nubian children take him on a Felucca ride to Isis’ temple, invite him to a wedding, and introduce him to their pet crocodile. From the fertile valleys to the desert expanses Egypt is an eye-opening discovery at every turn.POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER pioneers a format that seamlessly blends animation with live-action documentary footage to tell Buster’s stories from around the world. The series also crosses media platforms, taking Buster’s television travels to the Internet. Kids can check out Buster’s personal blog, interactive games, video clips, maps, and original songs at pbskidsgo.org/buster. Additionally, companion books by Marc Brown (published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), and educational materials support and extend the series into classrooms and libraries nationwide.
Qubo Channel
SAMMY’S STORY SHOP – Airs daily at 5:30 AM (ET) Combining imaginative play with the magic of storytelling, SAMMY’S STORY SHOP brings best-selling and award-winning children’s books to life with animated video adaptations of classic children’s books, including such titles as Snowy Day, Make Way For Ducklings, Harold and the Purple Crayon, Tikki Tikki Tembo and The Napping House, among many others. Each episode opens with an animated introduction by Sammy, the Story-Chef extraordinaire. Using an imaginary magic pan and spoon, Sammy cooks up stories – two to three animated shorts – for his best friends Wiggly and Sharlene, to enjoy. The anthology series is produced by Scholastic Media, a division of Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.MAISY – Airs daily at 6:30 AM and 10:00 AM (ET)Based on the award-winning books by the British author Lucy Cousins, this colorful and endearing animated series features Maisy, a lovable mouse with a nose for adventure. Joined by a colorful cast of friends, “Tallulah” the chicken, “Charlie” the crocodile, “Eddie” the elephant and “Cyril” the squirrel, Maisy is always up for trying new things and making discoveries that turn every day into something special. The series is distributed by NBC Universal.GOFRETTE – airs daily at 7 AM and 10:30 AM (ET)This animated preschool series makes its U.S. television premiere and chronicles the capers of an eccentric and inquisitive cat, Gofrette, and his friends who live in the colorful world of Zanimo. Gofrette’s serendipity and out-of-the-box spirit teach children wonderful lessons about optimism and resilience. The series is jointly produced by Canadian-based Zoe Mae Productions and Subsequence Entertainment and is based on the best selling books from Doris Brasset and Fabienne Michot. PorchLight Entertainment is the international distributor of GOFRETTE, excluding Asia and Canada.ADVENTURES FROM THE BOOK OF VIRTUES – airs daily at 3:30 PM and 9 PM (ET) The classic animated stories in this series are adapted from the best-selling book The Book of Virtues by former Secretary of Education William J. Bennett. Drawn from Greek mythology, American folktales, European fairy tales, African folklore, and more, the time-honored stories are designed to enlighten, inspire and spark the imagination, with each episode illustrating a central theme such as honesty, courage, responsibility, friendship and compassion. The series is produced by PorchLight Entertainment in association with KCET/Hollywood.DRAGON _- airs daily at 9 AM and 12:30 PM (ET)Based on the books by best-selling Scholastic children’s author Dav Pilkey (author of the popular Captain Underpants series), DRAGON stars a kindhearted blue dragon who is friendly and helpful, but tends to see things from a much different perspective than most of us–and that’s when the fun begins. Set in a colorful world populated by a menagerie of animal pals, the series playfully explores themes that are universally identifiable to children: wanting a friend, being afraid of the dark, and trying new things. This season, Dragon’s adventures include concocting an unusual lemonade recipe for his lemonade stand, resisting the urge to open a package that arrives two days before his birthday and what to do on a picnic when you forgot to assign someone to bring food or games! DRAGON is provided by Scholastic.
Teach your children what election day is all about by watching the upcoming Election Day episode of the Emmy Award-winning animated series “WordGirl.” The episode airs Nov. 4th on PBS and the PBS Kids GO! cable network, and features lead character Becky Botsford running for fifth-grade class president. This is the perfect show for children on Election Day, giving them a taste of what elections are all about, and introducing the words “elect” and “candidate.” (Parents will love it too, as it includes some slyly funny references to the current Presidential campaign.) Check out a two-minute teaser on YouTube: 
This fall, Arthur and his friends are back for a 12th season premiering Monday, October 6, 2008 on PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings). In all-new episodes, Arthur, D.W., Buster, and the whole gang learn the importance of getting out, getting active, and getting involved in their community. New episodes will air Mondays throughout the fall, with five additional episodes premiering in spring 2009.In “Room to Ride” (October 13), Lance Armstrong makes a special trip to Elwood City during an episode about the importance of bike safety and good citizenship. Worried that there aren’t enough safe roads to ride their bikes, Binky and his friends take to the streets to convince residents to vote for new bike lanes. When all hope seems lost, Lance gives Binky support and encouragement to never give up his cause. Boston’s Bike Czar, former Olympic Cyclist Nicole Freedman, lent her expertise developing this episode. Freedman was hired by Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino in 2007 to help make the city more hospitable to bikes.
“This fall is an especially crucial time for kids to learn the importance of voting and community involvement,” said Executive Producer Pierre Valette. “We’re so happy that Arthur and his friends–with the help of familiar faces like Lance Armstrong–continue to help bring awareness and understanding to kids about what’s going on in their world.”Additional episodes premiering this fall include “The Chronicles of Buster,” where Buster’s obsession with an epic film series on DVD starts to take a toll on his friendship with Arthur; “D.W.’s Stray Netikin,” where D.W. panics after a scary clown virus ruins the Read family computer; and “On this Spot,” where Arthur is thrilled to learn that the legendary Sitting Bull once passed through Elwood City–but wonders how he can get his friends to care more about local history than celebrity sightings.ARTHUR, based on Marc Brown’s best-selling books, is the highest rated weekday children’s series on PBS among children 6-11 (Source: For PBS, NTI Pocketpiece, October 2007-June 2008). ARTHUR has won numerous awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, a BAFTA and six Daytime Emmys–four for Outstanding Children’s Animated Program. ARTHUR is produced by WGBH Boston and Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. Executive producers are Pierre Valette (WGBH) and Toper Taylor (Cookie Jar), and Marc Brown (Marc Brown Studios). Directed by Greg Bailey.
