[Moonlit Musings] Sundance Producers Lab Semi-Finalist, Kidscreen Newbies, Urban Ed Academy & More!
March 2025
Hello, March!
Spring is a season of growth, and at Moonbeam, we’re embracing that energy—expanding ideas, building new stories, and connecting with the wider kids' media landscape. Read on for more details!
Exciting News & A Big Step Forward!
Together with a producing partner, we’re thrilled to share that our first feature film project is a SEMI-FINALIST for the Sundance Institute’s Producers Lab! The Sundance Producers Lab provides independent producers with industry mentorship, insights, and the opportunity to collaborate with fellow filmmakers. We applied to the Lab with a compelling coming-of-age drama, set in the aftermath of a post-climate event.
The film explores grief, survival and societal marginalization in a near-future world grappling with the consequences of climate change. The concept began as a proof-of-concept short film by a rising writer-director with a distinct auteur voice. That short film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and left a lasting impact on us—it was haunting, intimate, yet thematically expansive, exploring an unexpected connection between two individuals bound by loss. We knew it had to be developed into a feature film!
We’re keeping details under wraps for now, but we can’t wait to share more as things unfold.
As producers, we’re committed to championing underrepresented voices and bringing bold, emotionally resonant stories to the screen. Independent filmmaking is never easy, but programs like the Sundance Lab offer an invaluable space to refine our craft, build community, and push our project forward.
Wish us luck for the next round 🤞
Moonbeam’s First Time at Kidscreen!
KIDSCREEN is the ultimate gathering for the global kids’ media industry—a place where creators, producers, writers, and execs come together to shape the future of children’s entertainment. With 1,800+ industry pros from over 50 countries, we attended sessions tackling themes on sustainability, production innovation (including AI!), and success in digital markets. Beyond the panels and sessions, Kidscreen was about connecting, meeting incredible creative minds, engaging in critical dialogue on issues that affect the industry, and being inspired by fresh ideas and bold new strategies. We’re coming away energized, full of exciting possibilities, and ready to bring even more meaningful, engaging stories to young audiences.
The Lifecycle of IP Development
Understanding the developmental lifecycle of intellectual property (IP) is essential for creators and brand builders looking to grow their IP beyond books and screens. The brand lifecycle typically moves through three key stages:
New IP (1-3 years): Emerging concepts and stories just starting to build an audience.
Established IP (4-10 years): Brands that have gained traction and a loyal following.
Multi-generational IP (10+ years): Properties with sustained success, often passed down through generations.
Nostalgia Cycles (20+ years): IP that re-emerges as beloved classics, feeding off generational sentiment and cultural memory.
Licensing opportunities exist at every stage of this lifecycle, but each comes with its own risk factors and strategic considerations. For Moonbeam, our clients' and our own IP largely fall under New IP, and we are focused on nurturing these properties—building strong foundations that can eventually expand into merchandise, toys, gaming, and more.
For any brand aiming to scale their IP, it’s important to keep in mind the broader industry challenges and opportunities:
Structural Challenges: There’s a diffusion of discovery, making it harder to aggregate an audience. Simply put, it's a high bar to get new properties to scale.
Market Mechanics: Growing IP means carefully navigating a landscape where nostalgia often dominates and established franchises take up much of the cultural airspace.
Emerging Pathways: Fortunately, evolving content and media markets offer new avenues. Incubators, digital-first strategies, and innovative partnerships can help IP break through.
As we continue to build and grow our IP, we're excited about the journey ahead—transforming stories into brands that resonate across platforms and generations.
(Source: Circana, Kidscreen presentation on February 11, 2025)
Making a Comic Book with Urban Ed Academy
We took 20 young artists between ages 8-12 through the process of creating a comic book. Professional children’s book artists, Malik Sickstein and Monique Wray, popped in as guest instructors to shed light on their creative processes to help the kids along their creative journey.
It’s Women’s History Month! Meet Moonbeam Artist, Gloria Day
Gloria Day is a writer and illustrator who lives in St. Louis, MO. She taught at the early childhood and elementary school levels for nearly a decade before deciding to take on the role of full-time caregiver for her mother in 2020. She holds a B.A. in English, but the only formal training she has had as an artist came through a few design courses she took because of her love for drawing.
She has self-published two children’s books: Phoebe the Photographer and a children’s poetry book titled Eighteen People Changed the World. It Will Change You for the Better is her most recent publication. Gloria has also provided illustrations for self-published authors. Her most recent illustration credit is Dreaming of Atlanta with Arcadia Publishing.
Check Out The Last Breath
The single story the 20 Urban Ed Academy kids landed on was about parents who hid their kid, Elias, into a high-tech bunker to save him during an alien invasion. Problem is, he’s stuck down there with a mutant spider who may be a nemesis. With oxygen running low, Elias and the Spider will have to decide if they’ll keep fighting or help each other escape into a world they can’t be sure is safe. Professional author Britt Gondolfi and illustrator Grace Kegel leveraged the story the kids created and developed it into the comic you see here.
Click the cover image below to scroll through!
Catch you in the next issue!
Cheers,
Jesse & Rebecca