It’s open season for pitches at Canal+, which put out a formal request for animation proposals in June at Annecy. The broadcaster is looking to stock up for 2009/2010, and the plan is to commission 10 pilots from the concepts that come through the door, eventually co-producing the best ones as series. And if you’re thinking this is a French content drive, think again. The initiative is open to submissions from producers/creators headquartered in any country.

Canal+ couldn’t be any clearer about what it’s looking for. All animation styles are welcome, but HD is a must. Extremely visual slapstick humor for a family audience is the editorial mandate, relying on a limited number of strong characters. In terms of format, projects should have 39 to 50 episodes planned in their first seasons, each between three and seven minutes long.

The process has an equally unambiguous schedule. Pitches need to be in to Canal+ by October 20, 2008. The 10 pilots will be chosen by December 19, 2008 and produced between January and May 2009. And the final list of projects destined for series development is set to come down in June 2009.

Sophie Boé is the point-person for applications, and interested parties should send her a package marked ‘Appel à Projets Les Nouveaux Cartoons’ that includes all of the following elements:

• a style guide showcasing the main

characters and settings

• a concept and story bible outlining character relationships, writing and

directing choices

• a storyboard and script for one episode

• synopses for five additional episodes

• a budget estimate (for the series and

the pilot)

Boé’s email address for digital submissions is sophie.boe@canal-plus.com. Bonne chance, tout le monde!