Animation Magazine is thrilled to announce the first batch of distinguished industry professionals to sign on as judges for this year’s Pitch Party! Our seventh annual talent competition will spotlight a host of potential projects, providing rising talent with the unique opportunity to get their ideas in front of a diverse group of TV power players.
For the seventh consecutive year, we’re opening up an entire section of our publication to 1/6th-page advertisements that pitch new ideas for animated programs. For less than the cost of a workshop on “breaking into the biz,” you can get your pitch seen by tens of thousands of readers, including top decision makers in the animation industry. All you have to do is send us an eye-grabbing design/image and a few lines to support your pitch.
You have until June 8 to reserve space for your Pitch Party ad and take advantage of this rare opportunity to get your concepts in front of influential people with the power to greenlight projects! To have your cartoon creations reviewed by the following industry luminaries and the animation community at large, submit your pitches today. Submission information can be found at www.animationmagazine.net/pitch_party_08.html
2008 Pitch Party Judges
Daniel Wineman
Director of original series and co-productions, Jetix Europe
Daniel Wineman was appointed to the position of director of original series and co-productions in April of 2008. He is responsible for all creative aspects of Jetix Europe’s original series and co-productions, ensuring that the Jetix vision and brand consistency are carried throughout the development and production process. He reports to Marc Buhaj, senior VP of programming for Jetix Europe.
Wineman joined Jetix Europe from Cartoon Network and Boomerang in the U.S., where he spent ten years working across programming, scheduling and acquisitions. He has a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan and started his career working for The New York Times.
Julie Kane-Ritsch
Exec VP, The Gotham Group
Since joining Gotham in 1999, Julie Kane-Ritsch has been instrumental in developing animated and family entertainment projects for television, feature films and publishing, as well as creating strategic and business plans for the company. She was a co-producer on The Spiderwick Chronicles, the feature film based on The New York Times best-selling book series written by Gotham clients Tony Di Terlizzi and Holly Black.
Kane-Ritsch’s diverse list of clients include Jim Benton, author of the Franny K. Stein book series and The New York Times best-selling series Dear Dumb Diary; Annie Award-nominee Bob Boyle, creator of Nickelodeon’s current hit Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and Disney/Jetix’s Ying! Yang! Yo!; Caldecott Medalist Peter McCarty; Sue Rose, creator of Nickelodeon’s live-action series Unfabulous; Kirk Wise, co-director on Beauty and the Beast; and Family Guy director Pete Michels.
Previously, Kane-Ritsch was director of business and legal affairs for Hanna-Barbera, Inc., VP of business and legal affairs for Turner Feature Animation, and head of business affairs for DreamWorks Television Animation. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Denver and received her J.D. with honors from DePaul University. She is a voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Roland Poindexter
VP of current series animation for Nickelodeon
Roland Poindexter has more than 15 years of experience in television programming and creative direction, and has developed several Emmy Award-winning kids’ series. In his current position as VP of current series animation for Nickelodeon, he supervises more than 100 hours of original production for the kids cable network, including such favorites as SpongeBob SquarePants and The Fairly OddParents.
Poindexter previously served as senior VP of action-adventure properties for Warner Bros. Animation, where he spearheaded the studio’s creative development in all-genres of programming for broadcast, cable and made-for-video outlets. He was also responsible for supervising creative direction on Warner Bros. Animation’s award-winning series The Batman, which debuted to high ratings on Kids’ WB! in the fall of 2004. In addition, Poindexter served as creative exec for the top-rated series Justice League Unlimited, Teen Titans and the Emmy-winning Static Shock, as well as the feature-length direct-to-video productions The Batman vs. Dracula and Superman: Brainiac Attacks!.
In 1998, Poindexter was named VP/head of programming for Fox Kids. During his tenure, he served as principal creative executive for Godzilla: The Series, NASCAR Racers and Spiderman: Unlimited, and principal development and production exec for Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?, C-Bear & Jamal and The Adventures of Batman and Robin. Before joining Fox Kids, he worked as manager of development for Nelvana Ent., having started his career in creative development with ABC. Poindexter holds a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and sciences from University of Southern California.
Rob Renzetti
Supervising producer of The Cartoonstitute at Cartoon Network
Rob Renzetti is supervising producer of The Cartoonstitute, Cartoon Network’s new artist-led pilots initiative. He originally joined the development team at Cartoon Network in 2006 to co-produce the Emmy Award-winning animated series Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.
Prior to joining Cartoon Network, Renzetti created a number of original shorts for both Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, including Mina and the Count and A Cop and his Donut. In 2002, the last of these shorts became the Nickelodeon animated series My Life As a Teenage Robot.
Renzetti moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1990 to attend the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He worked briefly in Madrid as an animator on Batman before returning to L.A. to join Hanna-Barbera and then Cartoon Network Studios as a director, storyboard artist and writer on such hit shows as Dexter’s Laboratory and the Emmy Award-winning series The Powerpuff Girls and Samurai Jack.
Matt Harrigan
Head of program development for Adult Swim
In addition to developing new series, Harrigan also writes and produces for a variety of Adult Swim series including Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Fat Guy Stuck in Internet, The Drinky Crow Show, Perfect Hair Forever, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, 12 oz. Mouse, Squidbillies, Space Ghost Coast to Coast and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Harrigan grew up in Rye, New York and graduated Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. He began his career in television working in comedy development for HBO in New York. He then went on to write for CBS’ Late Night with David Letterman on, MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch and The Michael Moore Show.
‘I Search for new talent, new ideas,’ He says. ‘Did you see There Will Be Blood? I’m like that guy, only instead of oil I search for comedy gold, and my boy can hear pretty well.’
