Nickelodeon Opens New Opportunities For Underrepresented Talent

Nickelodeon’s Content Accelerator Program joins an industry-wide trend towards leveling the playing field for underrepresented and marginalized early-career content creators. Open for pitch submissions until September 30, 2022, the online initiative is an opportunity for selected BIPOC, LGBTQIA2+, and disabled pitchers 21 years-old and up to share their voices directly with Nickelodeon development executives.

Program details:

• From August 8 to September 30, pitches are accepted under three categories: “Live Action,” aimed at audiences 6-11 years-old; “Big Kids Animation,” which is open to any genre or style for audiences 6-11 years-old; and “Preschool/Upper Preschool,” also open to any genre for audiences two to five years old (preschool) or four to seven years old (upper preschool). Pitches should be between two and seven pages long.
• Selected pitches will be invited to participate in a final Pitch Day (date TBD), with the top pitch in each category moving on to a preliminary phase of development and mentorship at Nickelodeon. Studio-specific information such as “essential pillars” each show should meet and a 17-page PDF guide to pitching is available on the program’s webpage.
• Partnering with Rise Up Animation and the Ghetto Film School, Nickelodeon will tap into communication channels and talent pools at well-established creator development and support organizations to help solicit pitches for the program. Rise Up is a group of animation industry professionals which provides advice and feedback to members of the BIPOC community looking to work at a studio in a variety of roles. Ghetto provides access to knowledge and equipment on the live-action side, taking down barriers to production and development experience in New York, LA, and London.
• Executive vp of global series content at Nickelodeon Animation Eryk Casemiro commented: “The launch of Nickelodeon’s Content Accelerator Program is a way to reach aspiring, underrepresented creatives to tell stories reflective of today’s kids. By working with Rise Up Animation and Ghetto Film School, we are eager to hear from storytellers and spotlight content that is inclusive for everyone.”
• Monica Lago-Kaytis, Rise Up Animation co-founder, CFO and mentor, said: “Rise Up Animation is thrilled to partner with Nickelodeon on their Content Accelerator Program. We believe that creating these opportunities for young artists and professionals aligns with our mission to bring more inclusion and diversity to an ever-evolving animation community.”
• Yuby Hernandez, global roster director at Ghetto Film School, added: “Our partnership with Nickelodeon on the Content Accelerator Program will provide professional development for our Roster members and a crucial opportunity for emerging storytellers to get their foot in the door and pitch their stories to industry leaders. Programs like these are truly representative of our mission to educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of great storytellers, and we look forward to building out this relationship for years to come.”