Wanted: A list of commercial game companys that either have licensing
offices or are receptive to proposals for new products. I have an 8
minute DVD prototype of a dance/game designed for children 7 to 13.
It's all about Tap, and I'm looking for producers.
My time on the internet has thus far been frustrating. 
I.e. PBS Kids has a list of games including Mr. Roger's Neighborhood
Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is a TV show, but a DVD is available also,
and produced by Family Communications. The PBS site is funded in part
by Ready to Learn, and in co-operation with US Dept. of Education.
Sesame Street has the same multiple strata. MGM Kids is connected w/
Disney, and so it goes. There is a contact e-mail address, but I'm not
at all sure this will be read by the right person. Or how to address
my inquiry.
Can you help? I'm not great at doing Net searches, but better than I
was two years ago, and I've been warned that this is going to be a
difficult process. If someone there has the time and patience to work
with me on this, I will gladly increase the fee SUBSTANTIALLY.
However, I need names, and definitive answers!

Dear Anne Marie Garvin, 

Before I start with my list, I would like to "warn" you that it could
be very difficult to market your idea to production companies, even if
you have a great idea and the correct contact details (about the
latter, I must apologise if sometimes that addersses given are for
those holding more public positions - like marketing - and not for
those involved in production. However, in these cases you could at
least try the company's address in addition to the ones I've given
you).

To know more about the labour involved, I recommend that you'd read
these (slightly) related Google Answers:

An Idea for a TV Show
<http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=245877> 

Biography on A&E
<http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=259935>

If you're really serious about it, and want one of the bigger
production companies (Jim Henson, MGM, PBS, etc.) to do it, think of
hiring an agent that would promote your idea. Most large companies do
not respond to unsolicited offers. See, for example, Henson's answer
on the question:
Does The Jim Henson Company accept ideas or suggestions for new productions?
<http://www.henson.com/company/fanmail.html#question4> 

If I understood correctly, what you're looking for is not a computer
game per-se, but an interactive DVD-ROM (played on the computer,
demanding interactive participation, but not exactly a game).

Here are several possibilities: 

4Kids Entertainment
Daniel Barnathan
EVP Sales,Marketing & Promotion
1414 Ave.of the Americas,3rd Fl.
New York,NY 10019 
Phone: 212-758-7666 x333
Fax: 212-754-5480
Email: dbarnathan@4kidsent.com
Web: www.4kidsent.com 

4Kids Entertainment
Camay Lin
Director,Marketing & Promotions
1414 Ave.of the Americas,6th Fl.
New York,NY 10019 
Phone: 212-758-7666
Fax: 212-754-5480
Email: clin@4kidsent.com
4kidsentertainment produces and markets children's TV, videos, games
and interactive DVDs.

DIC Entertainment
4100 W.Alameda Ave.,4th Fl.
Burbank,CA 91505
(818) 955-5400 
(818) 955-5466 fax
Home Entertainment - homeentertainment@dicentertainment.com 
DIC produces children's TV and videos/DVDs. 

Jim Henson's Company
1416 North LaBrea Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: 323.802.1500
Fax: 323.802.1825
licensing@henson.com
http://www.henson.com

ThinkFilm Company 
Jennifer Forrest 
(416) 488-0037, ext. 229 
jforrest@thinkfilmcompany.com
Velocity Home Entertainment, a division of ThinkFilm, is a North
American leader in direct-to-video distribution, releasing 18-24 genre
titles annually.
Velocity can be found online at www.VelocityHomeEntertainment.com. 
ThinkFilm recently (February 2005) entered the interactive educational DVD market. 

Jumby Bay Studios
11783 Borman Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63146
 314.569.1771 or 866.699.5247
http://www.jumbybaystudios.com/ 
Producing interactive DVDs for children and teens (marketing them
through VAT19, where you can see some examples:
http://www.vat19.com/).

Digital Leisure
http://www.digitalleisure.com/ 
(905) 888-9550
Elizabeth Foster
elizabeth@digitalleisure.com
produces interactive DVD-ROMs, including instructional ones. 

Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc.
266 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5V 1H8
Lesley Taylor - Production 
ltaylor@thecookiejarcompany.com 
http://www.hyperbole.ca/staging/CookieJar/EN/ 

Logotron
124 Cambridge Science Park
Milton Road
Cambridge
CB4 0ZS
United Kingdom
Telephone
+44 (0) 1223 425558	
Fax
+44 (0) 1223 425349	
Email
info@logo.com
sales@logo.com
Production of educational software. 

Morphonix
hello@morphonix.com
Fax: 415.331.5014
Phone: 415.331.5010
Morphonix LLC 
767 Bridgeway Suite 3B
Sausalito, CA 94965
USA
http://www.morphonix.com 
Production of interactive, educational, multimedia. 

The b EQUAL Company
526 Bryant St.
Palo Alto, CA 94301 
Tel: 650-329-0663
Fax: 650-329-0664
http://www.bequal.com 
Produces interactive DVD games

Decode Interactive
Part of Decode Entertainment
512 King Street East
Suite 104
Toronto 
Ontario
Canada
M5A 1M1 
416-363-8034
General email: decode@decode-ent.com 
Address your offer to Dan Fill (VP for Interactive). 
http://www.decode-ent.com 

Lean Forward Media
leanforwardmedia LLC
9255 Sunset Blvd Suite 727
Los Angeles, CA 90069
tel. 310.288.8102
info@leanforwardmedia.com
http://www.leanforwardmedia.com 
Specialises in children's educational interactive media. 

Zoo Digital
Kate Lee or Steve McKevitt 
20 Furnival Street 
Sheffield 
S1 4QT 
UK 
General enquiries: 
T: +44 (0) 114 241 3700 
F: +44 (0) 114 241 3701 
E: info@zoodigitalgroup.com 
E: info@zoodigitalpublishing.com
Producing educational (and not-so-educational) computer games and
interactive DVds.

KidWare
By Phone:   (206) 721-2556
By FAX:    (206) 260-9187
KIDware
PO Box 28234
Seattle, WA 98118-8234
http://www.kidwaresoftware.com
KidWare produces educational computer games for children. However, I
am not sure that they could fit your profile, since their games are
not DVD based. Worth a try, though.

Lancing Community College 
produces interactive videos for its own purposes, might be able to help you: 
 LCC video, contact Martin Pennoni at 517-483-1696. 

Nursery Tap might be your big competitor (or, maybe you could hook up
with them and produce this interactive DVD with them):
http://www.nurserytap.com/default.htm 

A guide on how to do it yourself is available on DVD-Replica.com
Scenarist Survival Guide - Advanced interactive DVD game 
<http://www.dvd-replica.com/scenarist308/part8-01.php> 

I hope this answers your question. Please contact me if you need any
clarification on this answer before you rate it. Search strategy:
- using key terms such as "interactive dvd" with terms such as
"children", "educational"
- using directories (such as Yahoo! and Google's directories) instead
of search engine, looking for relevant production firms.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by annmariegarvin-ga on 10 May 2005 15:37 PDT

Dear Politicalguru-ga,
First off, thanks for the detailed list of prospects. I have two areas
of concern. First, what is the appropriate (personal) name, contact
info. for Disney, Universal, Pixar and Luccas? Second, I'm beginning
to feel like a first time author looking for a publisher. If, as you
say, I need to be represented by an agent,or attorney, a list of those
who represent in my area would be extremely helpful.
Thank you so much again -
Ann Marie

---

Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 11 May 2005 03:02 PDT

Dear Anne Marie, 

Going for the top production companies is not going to be like being a
first-time author looking for a publisher, but worse: like a
first-time script writer looking for a production company...

Here are the details of the companies you've asked for. Please note,
again, that I cannot vouch for names.

Disney

Buena Vista Games
500 South Buena Vista Street 
Burbank CA 
91521 
(818) 560-1000, FAX (818) 846-7319

Jan E. Smith
President
Phone: (818) 543-4300

"It is the policy of the Walt Disney Company not to accept the
submission of creative materials such as scripts, design concepts,
etc., without prior authorized invitation."


====

Universal

Carl Chapman, Senior Director of Product Development 
Vivendi Universal Games
6060 Center Drive, 5th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 431-4000
(866) 341-0879

====

Pixar ? games are produced through Disney Interactive. Have a policy
against unsolicited ideas for games or animations.

====

Lucas

PETER HIRSCHMANN 
Vice President of Product Development
LucasArts, A Lucasfilm Ltd. Company
PO Box 10307
San Rafael, CA 94912

Lucas film has a policy against unsolicited game ideas: 
<http://www.lucasarts.com/contact/> 

* * * * 

As for finding an agent, here is a list of agents representing artists: 

Writers' & Artists Yearbook 2005
US Agents' Index 
<http://www.writersservices.com/agent/us/agent_us.htm> 

Done Deal (Hollywood Agents)
<http://www.scriptsales.com/Donedealagency.htm> 

MovieBytes
<http://moviebytes.com/agencies.cfm> 

Here are some tips from and for authors (because I couldn't find any
for game writers, and in any case, the situation is pretty similar):

Nicholas Sparks
Advice for Finding an Agent 
<http://www.nicholassparks.com/WritersCorner/Agent.html> 

The E-script Virtual Q&A - Single Lane
<http://www.singlelane.com/escript/jtqa.htm> 

The following are game-specific agents, but not necessarily for
computer games (more for toys):
Cactus Marketing
<http://www.cactusmarketing.com/submit.html> 

Excel Development
<http://www.exceld.com/Welcome%20to%20Excel/Welcome%20to%20Excel.htm> 

Mara Design
<http://www.marradesign.com/> 

Seven Towns
<http://www.seventowns.com/> 

Thank you again and I hope you'll succeed. Don't be concerned with
this whole list of "we don't accept unsolicited ideas" I just gave
you. You have an advantage over some other applicants - and use it: if
you don't mind, I googled your name, and found out that you're the
founder and leader of a prestigious dance studio in SF. You already
have the name, and it might help.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by annmariegarvin-ga on 17 May 2005 12:21 PDT

Dear Politicalguru-ga
Again, I appreciate the references, and, no ? I don?t mind at all that
you did a Google search. I have two last (promise) questions.
1)If I need in the future to ask for more information, can I request you? 
2)I am not asking anyone to open doors for me, only trying to find out
where to knock. There is a ?pitch? committee at Disney that hears new
ideas, but you have to be invited. Could you possibly get me a name,
someone to write to in that department?
Many thanks,
Ann Marie Garvin

---

Clarification of Answer by politicalguru-ga on 18 May 2005 01:04 PDT

Dear Anne Marie, 

First, I am not sure that this is the same committee (I couldn't find
anything official with that name :-). but Disney and ABC have this
programme:

Scholarship Grant Program
500 South Buena Vista Street 
Burbank, CA 91521-4016 

Telephone: (818) 560-6894 
E-mail: abc.fellowships@abc.com 

Read more here: 
ABC Talent Development
<http://www.abctalentdevelopment.com/> 

Yes, you can address me any further questions, by writing that the
question is addressed first and foremost to me on the title of the
question or in its body. I really thank you for your trust, and hope
you'll succeed!

Dear Politicalguru-ga,
I had a meeting with a Disney 'techie', but he could only talk in very
general terms because of the non-disclosure contract he signed. He was
the one who mentioned the 'pitch commitee' but had no idea how to
connect me with the right people. I'm ready to pull my hair out! The
company is so big that the proverbial RH doesn't know what the L is
doing. Thanks for the "best wishes" and if you come accross what I'm
looking for in any of your other searches, please E-mail me. We can
handle it through Google, or if it isn't against protocol, privately.
Ann Marie
Ann Marie

http://www.creativeimaginations.net 
http://thebloomreport.com/home.html
I hope these are of some help.

Here's a company with a very informative website
http://www.toysngames.com

So wait, you need help getting something published by a VG company?

Try these

The Edugaming Company
The bEQUAL Company
Southpeak Interactive 

Note: what you ask isn't a videogame it is an interactive DVD

oh, and comchoice

http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:Gbl9myWwec8J:www.stanford.edu/class/msande271/finalprojects_spring05/Comchoice%2520GEM%2520Project%2520Outline%2520FINAL.doc+%22DVD+game+publishers%22&hl=en

By the way I heard somewhere that DIC doesn't take ideas from other
people other than those that work in the company.

bEQUAL I believe does, 4Kids (I know) does (unless they changed their
policy), also try the learning company as a last resort.


As I can you are new to this sort of enterprise so just to let you
know you have about a 20-30% chance of getting your DVD published.

Now I know this one company not listed that sells other people's ideas
and you get about 50-60% of the revenue. but I can't remember the
name.

I post again when I remember

I think it is Seseme street

Thank you for the rating and the tip. If I'll find anything new, I'll let you know.

Hello Ann Marie.
I was wondering if you hav any luck with Cruuise Ship Entertainment
and still intrested in this subject. If so, maybe we can exchange some
ideas. I work for this industry for 7 years, and have some "insider"
experience. Please, contact me at dimakgb@mail.ru
Best regards.