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PROFILE An Interview with Ellen Cockrill
As Senior Vice President of Animation for Universal Studios Family Productions, Ellen Cockrill oversees the production of television and Universal DVD Originals™ animated fare for the studio. In this capacity, she has managed the development of television series such as Curious George, which is based on the classic books about everyone’s favorite inquisitive monkey, and The Land Before Time, which is based on characters from the beloved film franchise. The Land Before Time TV show debuted last year on Cartoon Network, while Curious George premiered on PBS in 2006. Prior to joining Universal, Cockrill spent nearly five years at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons and also worked at Samuel Goldwyn Company as a story editor in the feature film department. She began her development career at Walt Disney Television working on family television movies. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of Washington. MWLM: It seems that The Land Before Time has been around for a long time. Can you tell us a little bit of the history of this movie franchise, as well as how the television series of the same name came about? Do you use the same stories and characters in the TV series as those in the movies? EC: “The Land Before Time’s nearly 20-year history began in 1988 with the first theatrical film, produced by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Eleven films later, our successful children’s franchise remains a family favorite. The movies have featured the voice talents of award-winning actors such as Camryn Manheim, Bernadette Peters and James Garner, to name a few, as well as original songs performed by Donny Osmond and Olivia Newton-John. And last December, we released our latest film, Land Before Time XIII: The Wisdom of Friends, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Sandra Oh. In addition to the direct-to-video movies, we now have our new Land Before Time television series, which airs Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. on Cartoon Network. “While the TV series shares five main movie characters, each episode features original adventures. But the great part about the TV series is we can use pieces of storylines from the movies and explore them further. We can also draw from the many supporting characters in both the Great Valley and the Mysterious Beyond (locations in the films) to bring a lot of fun and variety to the stories. The series allows us to re-introduce these characters and take them and their relationships to places we haven’t yet gone in the movies. “There are really only two differences between the movies and the TV series. With the addition of two new main dinosaur characters to the television series, we now have seven main characters, all with distinctive and engaging personalities. The other difference is the TV shows are obviously shorter than the movies, so we really pack a lot of fun, adventure and comedy into a shorter amount of time, which makes our storylines move along at a little quicker pace than the movies. However, great writing and production efforts help translate the episodes into quality television and make each feel like a mini Land Before Time movie.” MWLM: Why do you think the characters and stories from The Land Before Time seem to be timeless for kids and, indeed, for their parents? EC: “The Land Before Time is centered on interesting, multi-faceted characters who young children can easily identify with. Although our dinosaur kids all have individual vulnerabilities, they also are resilient and good-natured, and their hearts always shine through. Adding to this, moms tell us that their children really enjoy The Land Before Time’s balance of humor, safe action-adventure and music.” MWLM: Do you have a hand in the writing for the two shows? How challenging is it to develop scripts that appeal to today’s kids while staying true to the time-honored themes and values of these classics? EC: “No, I’m not a writer for either The Land Before Time or the Curious George television series, but I am a writing supervisor on both series. “We’re very fortunate because we get to work with great, classic characters who live in a timeless world, which, in turn, allows the themes and values to be timeless. So in our stories, we stick to the basics. The writers start the script development with these loveable characters who have to deal with obstacles that are fun and challenging. Then they figure out ways for the characters to use their talents and resources to overcome these obstacles in a way that’s enjoyable and that teaches them something. Approaching the development in this way gives us great stories that are as relevant today as they were nearly 20 years ago when the franchise began.” MWLM: Are there Web sites and other materials based on the TV shows that are available for kids who are fans of the shows? EC: “We have two Land Before Time Web sites: Cartoon Network has a Land Before Time page on its site (www.cartoonnetwork.com/) that features series information and games. And Universal Studio has a site (www.landbeforetime.com/) with fun activities and event ideas, along with entertaining and educational dinosaur books and online research references for families. “Also, there are two DVDs – titled Amazing Adventure and Good Times and Good Friends – available in stores now. Both of these 90-minute DVDs feature four TV episodes and fun, game-orientated bonus content. “Finally, HarperCollins just released two The Land Before Time readers (Cera’s Shiny Stone and Saro Tells a Story) and two activity books (The Land Before Time Coloring and Activity Book and Crayons and The Land Before Time: The Reusable Sticker Book). In addition, merchandise from The Land Before Time television series, including apparel, accessories, collectibles, home furnishings, health and beauty aids, food and beverages, gifts, stationery products, toys and more, is now available.” EC: “If a person wants to write for children’s television, she needs to watch a lot of it to see what works and what doesn’t. Next, she needs to write a few spec scripts for kids’ TV shows and then get the scripts to an agent or manager to read. It’s the agent or manager’s job to get the writing samples into the hands of the appropriate TV series’ writing staff. “There’s one other piece of advice I’d add to this. Generally it’s not wise to write spec scripts for the show you want to write for. Writing staffs know their shows so well that it’s hard to impress them with a spec. It’s much easier to impress them with a script of another, similar type of show. “Yes, it is a challenge to break into writing for TV and movies because there’s competition with the best and brightest writers from all over the country. That being said, there is always room for more good people and so, if you’re very dedicated, it can be done.” MWLM: Have you done any writing – i.e., fiction/poetry/non-fiction – either for your television shows or for other venues? What else is on your plate, professionally, at the moment? EC: “I enjoy writing, but no, I don’t do any professional writing." Jackie Papandrew is an award-winning writer and editor. Her humor column – Airing My Dirty Laundry – appears in several newspapers in the United States and Canada. Visit www.jackiepapandrew.com to read more of her work.
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