New York’s Empire State Development (ESD) released a report yesterday highlighting the economic benefits resulting from the postproduction animation of Dora and Friends: Into the City in New York State. The new children’s television series spent approximately $1 million in the State on postproduction costs, hired 80 New Yorkers and generated over $5 million in non-postproduction spending for local New York vendors. The series is New York’s first fully-animated television show since Governor Andrew Cuomo extended and enhanced the film and television tax credit in 2013 to include postproduction work for animation.
“New York State has the talent and resources for postproduction and animation companies to grow and thrive,” said ESD president, CEO and commissioner Kenneth Adams. “The enhanced postproduction tax credit is attracting animated shows like Dora and Friends to the state, which creates jobs and injects millions of dollars into local economies.”
The first season of the show, which premiered yesterday on Nickelodeon, will include 20 half-hour episodes and is a spinoff series from Dora the Explorer, which, according to Nickelodeon, is the most watched pre-school age show of all time. The new series follows Dora and her friends’ adventures in the fictional city of Playa Verde.
“The new postproduction incentive for animation was a key factor in our decision to keep post production in New York,” said Teri Weiss, executive vice president of original programming, Nickelodeon Preschool Television. “We’re thrilled to be able to take advantage of all the talent and facilities here in the city, and very proud that Dora and Friends supports the New York postproduction community.”
