(Danielle Vallely) Today I had the opportunity to visit Collingwood and Co. and engage in conversation with Tony Collingwood, the creator, writer and director for the company. Each member of the company provides an incredibly valuable tool in order for each television series to be produced. The creativity and work ethic present throughout this company is a true reflection toward their outward success in the children’s media world.
An interesting factor about Collingwood and Co.is that they do not have a prominent involvement within the social media world, including YouTube. After attending the Children’s Media Conference in Sheffield, I assumed that YouTube was utilized across the board with children’s media companies. However, while talking with Collingwood he explained that he is not involved with that aspect, due to that responsibility being up to the distributors who buy his television series. Collingwood explained that if the content he creates for television is widely popular and proves itself to be strong, then it provides him with the opportunity to enhance the show itself. This is where the idea of “Second Screening” comes into play. “Second Screening” provides an immediate interactive experience, through the use of an iPad or cellular device, with children while watching a television show.
Collingwood’s business grew to be so successful primarily due to a strong emphasis on teamwork and creativity. The atmosphere in the building provides an open space where everyone’s input is important and overall helps the company expand upon new ideas. Collingwood explained that people neglect to let their mind truly just run free. Meaning, anyone can write rubbish, but not everyone utilizes this idea in an appropriate manner. It is important to take the time to let thoughts become creative ideas, rather than over-thinking and growing overly critical of oneself.
I believe Collingwood’s success came about from a combination of imagination and collaboration. Collingwood and Co. employees never rush on an idea; rather each individual analyzes every episode inside and out in order to create an outstanding show. The format, characters and stories all play a role in the design of successful show. Collingwood’s team understands these factors and are able to combine them in order to consistently produce strong content. Collingwood’s team optimizes the notion that great things take time, and each member puts in the hours to make sure each episode reaches perfection.
