|
 A member profile by Chris Davison, davison@intellcap.com
Tracy Katsky is Senior Vice President, Development & Original Programming, for Nickelodeon and Nick At Nite. I recently had a chance to interview Tracy to discuss Gail Berman, SpongeBob and the cool kids.
Q: Can you tell us about your background? what made you want to work in entertainment?
-all the cool kids in my high school had parents that worked in entertainment, so it seemed like it would satisfy my never ending quest to be cool.
Q: What sorts of things did you learn from Gail Berman?
-I could probably write page after page about what I learned from Gail, but I think the most important thing she taught me was to put blinders on and focus on the work. Everyone can tell you why something won’t work or why what you think is wrong, the challenge is to stay focused on your gut because at the end of the day, nobody really knows anything.
Q: What makes SpongeBob so hugely popular with kids?
-it’s hilarious – a fun world full of great characters. I also think people respond to how good- natured it is. Parents can watch it with their kids and enjoy it on their own level – that’s a giant bonus.
Q: How do you balance risk versus reward in developing a new concept or show?
-I try not to think about it too much. I can’t think of anything I’ve ever been successful with that wasn’t risky on some level.
Q: When developing a new show, how do you factor in virtual world extensions like Nicktropolis or interactive platforms like TurboNick?
-a good show is a good show – and while multiplatform is incredibly important to Nickelodeon and the kids business in general, it’s all about having a solid creative property to base a virtual experience on. We love shows that come in with inherent multiplatform components such as iCarly, and seek that element out in an organic way, but it’s not essential.
Q: Anything you would like to add?
-back off buddy I’m married.
|
