By the acquisition, production and marketing of film, animation and music publishing catalogues Spargo Productions Plc is creating a new and unique multi media rights owning company.
Company Profile
The Company is an all encompassing film, animation and music publishing rights owning, management and distribution company.
The Company has four objectives:
- To be a leading producer of classic animated television series.
The Company owns substantial rights in this field. - To be a major producer of theatrical films
The Company commences production with its first film in July 06. - To be a major music publisher and administrator.
The first phase creating Copyright Administration Services Limited is complete. - To be a leading sales and distribution company for TV and Films.
Company Details
The Company holds:
- The rights to produce and distribute worldwide a new 26 part series of the classic animation program Willo The Wisp. The Company has secured agreement for the exclusive broadcast for the series with The Disney Channel and began screening the show on 31st October 2005;
- The rights to 52 episodes of five minutes each in length of the cartoon series Little Monsters, including the music publishing, books and to produce further new series.
- The rights to 26 episodes of five minutes each in length of the cartoon series Microscopic Milton including the music publishing, books and to produce further series.
The Company has commenced production on one other project, is about to commence production pre-production on two others and is developing two further productions in cooperation with Toonz of India.
- The ownership of 9 overseas and two UK music publishing administration companies, each of which holds rights to administer local catalogue as well as administrating catalogue sourced from Spargo Productions Plc.
- The Company has significant experience in raising substantial funds for medium and large music publishing catalogues. It is envisaged that a fund of up to £100 million will be created with Doric Asset Finance in Early 2007.
It is the intention that the Company will be broad based and will own and control its merchandising, distribution and ancillary rights including sound recordings and music publishing.
The directors of the Company have extensive experience of the media and entertainment industries with successful track records in music, publishing,film and animation, combining artistic creativity and commercial acumen.
Back to MenuProductions
Animation
The first major project is a 26 episode series of the cult children's animation classic, 'Willo The Wisp', which has already been produced. The series is based on the original series created by Nick Spargo in 1979 which had peak viewing figures of 8.2m in the 1980's in the UK and was licensed by many broadcasters worldwide. The new series has been developed by Nick Spargo's daughter, Bobbie Spargo, a director of the Company, under an exclusive licence from the estate of her late father. It is written by Jamie Rix and narrated by James Dreyfuss, with music by Guy Dagul. The license agreement with The Disney Channel does not grant Disney the rights to any merchandising opportunities relating to the new series, including sales of DVDs, videos, toys and computer games. The Company will be looking to exploit all such rights with the consent of the the owners of the copyright to Willo The Wisp (being Bobbie Spargo and her sisters).. The Company is also entitled to release the original series of Willo the Wisp for broadcast and has contracted with Silver Screen to release the old series on DVD so as to gain maximum exposure from the current screening of the new series.
The Willo the Wisp arrangements with The Disney Channel are being operated through, Willo TV Limited, a subsidiary of the Company. The budget for the 26 part series is £857,000 and the revenues above that figure are to be split 12.5% to the the owners of the copyright to Willo The Wisp (being Bobbie Spargo and her sisters and the Company.
The Company has acquired 52 episodes of thye cartoon series Microscopic Milton that has been sold worldwide to broadcasters including the BBC in the United Kingdom and The Disney Channel in the United States. The Company has acquired the complete series of the Little Monsters, a rival to the cartoon series Mr Men. Though Little Monsters will continue to be sold worldwide and continues to be broadcast, management is confident that a new series, which will be produced in 2006 will gain similar extensive sales.
It is the Companies declared objective to retain control of the merchandising of all the cartoon series and already has a specific division in house controlling these activities.
Films
The Company's film division is producing its first film, The Tourist and is shortly commencing pre production on a major historical film My Lovely Sergeant:
- My Lovely Sergeant is the remarkable true story of a British nurse, Flora Sandes who enlisted as a female soldier and became the highest decorated lady soldier and heroine in Serbia in the First World War. VANS Production of Serbia has agreed to contribute $4 million of estimated total below the line costs of $8 million for this film, which is scheduled for production in September 2006;
- The Tourist, a film written and to be directed by top advertising director Tom Petch, has also received a major offer of funding from VANS as again this film is set during the Serbo -Croat disputes in the early 1990's.
Amongst other productions under development are a musical based on the Beatle Music Festival in Liverpool, entitled 'All My Loving' and film musical of the classic French film, 'Les Enfants du Paradis' (which is expected to feature four of the world's major singers in the lead roles).
The Company is developing non-animated film and TV projects, packaging these, selecting casts and creating development budgets, and obtaining finance for the projects, with or without joint venture partners. It is likely the Company will retain control over pre-production, filming, post-production and possibly distribution. It is also envisaged that the Company will produce musical scores for film and TV, and thereby generate film music copyrights, either wholly-owned or held with joint venture partners.
The Company will generate income through producers fees for its own and third party projects, the recovery of development cost from productions, selling and distribution commissions and share of producer's net profits. The film and television industry is expanding worldwide, accompanied by substantial investment in multi-screen cinemas and the proliferation of viewing platforms, including pay TV, cable and satellite channels, terrestrial television and DVD.
Back to MenuMusic Publishing
Copyright Administration Services Limited
Without doubt Music Publishing is now seen as one of the safest and long term of any media investment. The Worldwide copyright income has out paced most indicators and contra to industry commentary some years ago, the digital platforms are now regulated sufficiently as to be contributing to significant increases in earnings, far out weighing the loss in earnings from CD sales.
Spargo has a world wide network of offices committed to the efficient and timely delivery of music royalties through its subsidiary company Copyright Adminsitration Services Limited. With offices in Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Stockholm, Sydney, New York, Amsterdam and Johannesbourg, and affiliates in most of the other major territories, CAS is a truly international music publishing operation.
The management of Spargo have a proven track record, having previously raised over £200 million for the acquisition of some of the worlds most famous catalogues including:
Columbia Pictures
Belwin Mills
Abba
Fleetwood Mac
All American Television
Management
Nick Constable, Executive Chairman
Nick Constable obtained an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering whilst working with Rolls-Royce and worked for a number of years in the engineering industry. In 1995 he formed Needle Incinerator Company (NIC) to develop rapid on-site disposal systems for health care providers. Mr Constable was involved with taking the business from start-up, through to a successful IPO onto AIM in 1998.
Mr Constable left NIC in 2001 and since then has been working in the entertainment industry, he was seeking new development opportunities and was introduced to the Company by Composer, Barry Mason, who he had been working with on various music projects. He has considerable business experience in the running of early stage companies and has been through both IPO and LSE listing procedures.
Tim Hollier - CEO and Creative Director
Tim Hollier has over 35 years of experience in music publishing, specifically in film, television and animation. He founded Filmtrax Plc which in 1988 purchased all the Music assets of Columbia Pictures and became under Holliers' leadership the largest independent music publisher of its time. When acquired in 1990 by EMI its contribution made EMI Music Publishing the largest music publisher in the world, a position it still retains. In 1999 he founded Screen Music Services, a music publishing company specialising in film music and this company eventually became Music Copyright Solutions Plc, another highly successful music publishing group, which was admitted to AIM in October 2004.
In 2004 Mr Hollier brought together some of the most senior executives in music and advertising industry and founded Kingstreet Media Group Limited. As Creative Director in charge of acquisitions. Hollier stepped down from Kingstreet Media Group Limited in 2005 to concentrate on the development of the Company. He is also founding director of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
Bobbie Spargo - Director
Bobbie Spargo is the daughter of Nick Spargo, the creator and producer of the original Willo The Wisp series. She worked as a character designer and animator with Nick Spargo in the 1970's and was then a successful illustrator of children's books, producing over 30 books with major publishing houses such as Andre Deutsch, Ladybird, Hodder & Stoughton, Penguin, Puffin, Corgi and Transworld Books.
Since 1992 Ms Spargo has worked as an animator and designer on productions for TVC, Melendez Films, Animus Entertainment, John Cary Studios, Telemagination, Music Copyright Solutions Plc and Elephant Productions Limited. He production credits include 'The Willows in Winter', Charlie Brown commercials, 'Jesus The Healer', 'The Bear and Captain Pugwash', 'Little Ghosts', 'Pongwiffy, the Haunted Fame Academy' and most recently directing and producing 'Willo The Wisp.' She has won various industry awards.
Reynold D'Silva - Executive Director
Reynold D'Silva is the founder of Silva Screen Records Ltd., one of the world's leading film and television specialist soundtrack record companies, with releases such as "Crocodile Dundee" and "Sideways". The Company's critically acclaimed recordings of film and television music have been used in TV commercials such as Nike, Nissan and Coca-Cola; are available at retail and via the major digital music stores; are licensed into feature films and television; and are marketed worldwide through various media, including mobile entertainment. Silva Screen owns and, or controls, recordings and DVDs of Lesley Garrett, Iggy Pop and Willo The Wisp.
Mr D'Silva will be coordinating Spargo's music publishing and recorded music interests, together with exploiting commercial opportunities for the group's various entertainment units.
David Bickers - General Manager
For 30 years David has been in the forefront of marketing film and TV derived products including The Wombles and Miffi. David is Chairman of the Douglas Bader Foundation. David is responsible for the day to day operation of Spargo and all enquiries should be addressed to him.
David Kennaway - Head of Film Production
Son of the novelist James Kennaway, David Kennaway has 25 years experience of working in film production in a variety of production roles. His first feature film "The Rocket Post" won the Grand Prize at the Stony Brook Film Festival in 2004. It is due to be released in the UK in 2006.
Since producing "The Rocket Post" David has gone on to develop "Monkeyface" with US partners Laura Bickford Productions and Jon Jashni/Ashok Armitraj of Hyde Park Entertainment. As a result of these experiences David has built up excellent business relationships on both sides of the Atlantic which are being put to excellent use in producing Spargo Productions PLC new slate of films.
Rupert Hollier - Audio Visual Manager
Rupert is the eyes and ears of the office sourcing new music and film opportunities to develop. He is producing programmes for BBC Radio and is a specialist in Eastern and Oriental Music.
All audio tapes for consideration should be addressed to him.
| Back to Menu