Screen Time
Fall 2015
Growing up in Orlando, doodling her own cartoons and visiting the theme parks lit a creative fire that led Hart聽to a 激情快播 theater degree and a leap-of-faith relocation to Los Angeles. Thirteen years later she鈥檚 developing the TV shows kids watch while managing the screen time of her own two young daughters.
Where It All Started
鈥淚 always wanted to develop kids鈥� shows; that鈥檚 why I was a theater major. It kept me connected to storytelling because we were always putting on a show. After leaving 激情快播, I did everything I could to stay involved in kids鈥� entertainment, which meant being a jack-of-all-trades in Orlando. I decided to move聽to Los Angeles because for kids鈥� TV programming that was the place to be. So I packed my Saturn and drove out west.鈥�
How I Got My Big Break
鈥淚 applied for a hundred jobs, anything that could get my foot in the door. My first call was to work as a temp as the assistant to the head of media relations for Disney Channel. That was 13 years ago. Through various mentors, I was able to work my way into Disney Junior where I hit the ground running, bringing in projects and developing shows. My first long-form series was 鈥淛ake and the Never Land Pirates.鈥� That idea was triggered when I was at Disneyland and I looked around at all the girls dressed up like princesses. The boys didn鈥檛 have a character to identify with. 鈥淧irates of the Caribbean鈥� was out, but that wasn鈥檛 geared toward young kids. So I thought, 鈥榃hat if we could do a pirate show that was for Disney Junior?鈥� I found great writers who came in with solid pitches, and聽the series came together step by step over a period of three years. It became the flagship show that launched our rebrand from Playhouse Disney into Disney Junior. Now when you go to the Disney parks, you see boys dressed up as Jake. It鈥檚 really rewarding to see kids engage with these characters.鈥�
鈥淣ow when you go to the Disney parks, you see boys dressed up as Jake. It鈥檚 really rewarding to see kids engage with these characters.鈥�
How I Make it Work
鈥淚 have the ultimate creative multitasking job. I jump from a聽script read-over to a sound-mixing session and then into taking a pitch for something completely new. There are little creative fires [I鈥檓] constantly tending. I have quick turnarounds on everything that comes across my desk, so there鈥檚 also not a lot of time聽to overthink anything. [I] have to make quick decisions and really trust [my] creative instinct.鈥�
Where I鈥檝e Struck Gold
鈥淵ou have to love what you鈥檙e doing, and be passionate about it. It鈥檚 funny, when someone is pitching a [TV show] because they think it鈥檚 something I聽will buy, it generally doesn鈥檛 work.聽The things that work are about their personal experience, something emotional. It鈥檚 a story they have to tell,聽a character that needs to become alive. It needs a vision when it comes in, and it needs someone that is really passionate to drive it. We feel that.鈥�
How Much TV My Kids Watch
鈥淚 have two kids, and for me [the goal聽is] managing their screen time. They don鈥檛 always want to watch TV. They might want the iPad to play games. It鈥檚 maintaining a balance. Sometimes I just need them to watch a show so I can cook dinner. Of course, I paid attention to [the content of children鈥檚 TV programs] before I had kids, but now I realize聽how much they鈥檙e picking up from the shows. I think it鈥檚 fun for them to learn from these characters. But I also think it鈥檚 great for them to go outside and play 鈥攖urn the TV off and do a puzzle or play together.鈥�
Illustration by Sarah Tanat-Jones