Now in its 31st year, Nickelodeon is the number-one entertainment brand for kids that has built a diverse global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Pioneering a new generation of children’s television with a smart and irreverent line up of live-action and animation series, the network is still providing pop culture milestones that resonate with both kids and adults, including original programming like SpongeBob SquarePants, iCarly, and Dora the Explorer.
That creative spirit also carries over to the network’s online businesses, including Nick.com and TeenNick.com, which are produced with the help of Digital Media graduate David Fleming. David is a senior developer at Nick’s Manhattan studio, and has been part of their web team for the past three years. In that time, he’s helped oversee a massive overhaul of their online presence, which now offers a constant stream of games, videos, music, movie trailers, and cast member blogs.
“Knowing we have millions of fans logging on and interacting with our content is really cool,” he says. “My job is to create new ways for fans to interact with the websites. It’s ironic because I did case studies on Nick.com’s usability when I was a student at Full Sail, and when I started working here I was able to apply that research to my position.”
Prior to joining Nickelodeon, David began his career as a multimedia developer at various web content studios, including iPort Media and GlaxoSmithKline, where he worked on e-learning applications. Making the transition to entertainment has allowed him to take a creative approach to his work. His most memorable moments at Nickelodeon have also been some of the biggest for the network, like the annual broadcast of the Kids Choice Awards.
“Kids Choice Awards has been my favorite experience so far because it’s the biggest night on television for kids,” he says. “During the 2009 broadcast, show host Dwayne Johnson pointed to the screen and said ‘Go to Nick.com,’ and we saw a massive surge in site traffic.”
Nickelodeon continues to connect with viewers of all ages, and David is currently working as lead developer on the relaunch of TeenNick’s website. TeenNick recently announced the launch of a new programming block called “The ‘90s Are All That!,” featuring a rotating selection of iconic live-action and animated shows from Nickelodeon’s 1990s library including All That, Clarissa Explains it All, The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Rugrats, Rocket Power, Salute Your Shorts, The Amanda Show, and Kenan & Kel.
Taking a moment to look back on his experiences at the company, he feels fortunate to be able to inject his own ideas into a brand that is shaping the language and culture of so many young people.
“Full Sail encourages students to push themselves and helps you make your mark. It teaches you how to adapt quickly and how important it is to diversify your skill sets – all skills I’m able to apply to my work every day.
“As a multimedia developer I always wanted to work for Nickelodeon; now I’m here and it’s been an amazing experience,” he says. “I sit in my office and look down at Times Square and I’m extremely proud of myself and how far I’ve come. It’s exciting to look back and think about the personal and professional obstacles I’ve overcome – you kind of forget about it every now and then, and then I’ll stop and look down at the city, and I’m like, ‘wow, this is where I work.’ It’s kind of crazy.”
