Q & A with Scott Tornek of So Smart!

February 28, 2011

Last month, MeeGenius announced its partnership with So Smart! We currently have six So Smart! titles available at the MeeGenius Store and are thrilled to have had the chance to chat with Co-President and CEO of So Smart! Scott Tornek.

Can you tell us how So Smart got started?

While [my wife] Alex was in graduate school as a researcher, she worked with moms and babies on a regular basis. Mothers often told her that their babies were interested in the television, but really there was nothing age-appropriate for them to watch. We developed a way to create specialized video programs for them.

What were some of your first products?
Our first video title was So Smart! Sights & Sounds. It won a number of parenting awards, including Parenting Magazine’s Video of the Year. We quickly realized that a demand existed for quality programming for this age group, so we began creating more of them. Today, we have 16 DVD titles, ranging from 6 months to 6 years, with more on the way!

Why did you decide to go digital right now?

Actually, we have been digital for years: we were one of the first children’s programs to go “on-demand.” Today, a number of our programs are distributed nationally on cable television. E-books, of course, are entirely different, because we have created a series of So Smart! products specifically for new mobile platforms. And it was the perfect time to do it, since our customers began asking for them!

What do you think is different between your the digital book collection and your DVDs and CDs?

Well, in many ways they share the same educational philosophy. In other words, we have always created products that hold an inherently interactive component: our goal with So Smart! is to facilitate and encourage parent/child interaction. Our e-books are a natural extension of this approach. And judging by our young test marketers, it really works!

Can you tell us a little bit about your team? (I think it is hilarious that your kids are on the site!)

Well, we wear many hats at So Smart! Productions. Alex develops the vision and concepts for each production, and illustrates most or sometimes all of the artwork in our products and programs. She also narrates each So Smart! story. I executive-produce and direct each production, and lead the marketing and distribution efforts. We each share in the writing of our animated stories, although Alex is the sole author of our e-books!

Our kids, Matthew and Kaely, have always been involved in our productions. We ask for their opinions, and use them as test marketers. Kaely is also an “aspiring” voiceover artist: she is the voice you hear over our So Smart! logo. Henry, our Malti-Poo, remains our head of security. In fact, he’s sleeping next to me right now!