Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Trailer: DreamWorks’ Backyard Squad Returns for More ‘The Mighty Ones’

    Trailer: DreamWorks’ Backyard Squad Returns for More ‘The Mighty Ones’

    Tiny heroes face major misadventures and huge hijinks with 10 all-new episodes of The Mighty Ones debuting on Peacock and Hulu on September 1. Created and and executive produced by ​Sunil Hall​ (Gravity Falls, Pickle and Peanut) and ​Lynne Naylor (Samurai Jack), the series hails from the creative team behind some of the most influential animated series of the last two decades — ​like The Ren & Stimpy Show, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Powerpuff Girls!

     

    In every backyard a secret world exists filled with tiny creatures. The Mighty Ones follows the hilarious adventures of the smallest of them: a twig, a pebble, a leaf and a strawberry who call themselves “the Mighty Ones.” These best friends live in an unkempt backyard belonging to a trio of equally unkempt humans who they mistake for gods. Despite their diminutive stature, the Mighty Ones are determined to live large and have fun in their wild world.

    The Mighty Ones
    The Mighty Ones

    After being stuck inside a snake, Season 3 sees the Mighty Ones escape to find the yard that was their home has changed forever. A trendy new couple has moved into the house and transformed the backyard into a hipster paradise. As these four best friends try to navigate this strange new land, they find themselves up against suburbia’s biggest threats; lawn mowers, garden gnomes, leaf blowers and worst of all … a baby!

    The Mighty Ones
    The Mighty Ones

    The Mighty Ones features the voices of Jessica McKenna as Rocksy, Alex Cazares as Very Berry, Jimmy Tatro as Leaf and Josh Brener as Twig, guest starring Johnny Pemberton as Gherkin.

  • Canadian Docu Short ‘Back Home Again’ Enjoys Oscar-Qualifying LA Run

    Canadian Docu Short ‘Back Home Again’ Enjoys Oscar-Qualifying LA Run

    The theatrical run of director Michael Mankowski’s Back Home Again: A Story of Hope, Love and Community following its Los Angeles premiere presented by the Consulate General of Canada to the United States. Inspired by community resiliency after one of the largest wildfire evacuations in Canadian history which impacted the lives of more than 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray and area in 2016, the story is told through the eyes of the woodland creatures that inhabit the land of Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.

    To date, Back Home Again has won top honors at Edmonton International Film Festival, winning the Jury Award for Best Short Film and the Audience Choice Award for Best Dramatic film. Most recently the film won two Leo Awards for Best Animated Program and Best Screenwriting in an animated program. The Leo Awards celebrate the best in TV and film in British Columbia.

    Back Home Again
    Back Home Again

    Written and directed by Mankowski and produced by Mankowski, John Schneider and Mark Dippé, Back Home Again features an all-star voice cast, many of them Canadians, who donated their time to the production, including Jeremy Renner, Martin Short, Kim Basinger, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Michael J. Fox, Howie Mandel, Ed Asner, Lorne Cardinal, Gordon Pinsent, Mena Suvari, Bill Burr, Tom Green, Norm Macdonald, Harland Williams, Sherri Shepherd, Marlon Wayans, Scott Thompson and Tantoo Cardinal — one of two honourees to receive the inaugural “Key to the Consulate” from the Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles.

    In 2018, Fort McMurray local Mankowski called Schneider, an L.A. film and TV producer, to ask a favor: He wanted to know if Schneider’s friend and client Tom Green would record a voice in support of his animated project, then called The Beast. Green proceeded to record a few lines of dialog at his house, and when it was done, Schneider asked Mankowski if he wanted help getting a few more of his friends to record voices.

    Back Home Again
    Back Home Again

    “The project struck a chord with me … about this community and overcoming adversity,” Schneider recalls. “So I then reached out to Norm Macdonald and we set a date to record.” Then it was Harland Williams and soon Schneider was reaching out to select people he knew from his years producing movies at Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions.

    “At that time I kept dreaming up people who would be great,” Mankowski adds. “Everyone is someone I looked up to and John kept asking and getting a yes… all these amazing actors donating their time to help tell the story of my community… one day I said I dreamed Michael J. Fox would do a voice and the next day he was in! … John and I were on the phone jumping with joy.”

    L-R: Charmaine Hammond, Michael Mankowski, Mark Dippé, John Schneider and Walter Afanasieff attend the film's L.A. premiere.
    L-R: Charmaine Hammond, Michael Mankowski, Mark Dippé, John Schneider and Walter Afanasieff attend the film’s L.A. premiere.

    For music and animation, they enlisted former ILM legend and VFX producer and director Dippé, and one of music’s great composers and song writers, Walter Afanasieff. These creatives brought in their teams and helped complete both the animation with companies and artists from Argentina and for the music, Walter wrote the film’s score and main song sung by Jeremy Renner which became the new name for the film: Back Home Again.

    “The story of the Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo wildfires is one of Canadians standing together to support friends and neighbours through difficult times,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “That’s why I am so touched by Back Home Again  and everything it represents for what we can achieve together.”

    Back Home Again
    Back Home Again

    Voice star Kim Basinger concluded, “Back Home Again reminds me that, even as we speak, fires continue to burn thousands and thousands of acres all over the world. As I, and many dear people close to me as well, lost their homes in the [Los Angeles] Woolsey fire, there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think of the millions of animals that also lost their homes and their lives in these fires. With homes and habitats destroyed and so much physical demise and mental disorientation involved, it is a devastating experience, but this film is one of hope, dedication, determination, and love; a film of belief that we can restore, rebuild and recover.”

    Following an L.A. premiere on August 11 attended by Mankoski, Dippé, Schneider, Afanasieff, executive producer Charmaine Hammond, Consul General of Canada for Los Angeles Zaib Shaikh and Disney’s Ellen Poon, the film is screening through August 20 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center in Santa Monica. Tickets availabl here.

  • KROK’s L.A. Showcase Celebrates Ukrainian Animation

    KROK’s L.A. Showcase Celebrates Ukrainian Animation

    The resilience of Ukraine’s animation community will be on display in Los Angeles this month, as the International Animated Film Festival KROK (“krok” meaning “step” in Ukrainian) brings a showcase of prize-winning and classic animated shorts to Los Angeles on Friday, August 26 and Sunday, August 28.

    The event is timed to Ukraine’s Independence Day on August 24, commemorating the 1991 Act that reestablished its state soveiregnity. The holiday takes on even greater import this year, as the country’s autonomy threatened by the invasion of the Russian Federation. Because KROK cannot be held this year in its traditional form, organizers are taking its assets around the world, using all available resources to tell international audiences a story of Ukraine, its heritage, its art and its people.

    The L.A. program includes screenings, Q&A with some of the artists, live music and food and drink sampling. All events are free to attend, but it is recommended that you reserve admission due to limited space through the Eventbrite links provided.

    Igor Kovalyov's award-winning short 'Before Love'
    Igor Kovalyov’s award-winning short ‘Before Love’

    Friday, August 26
    At MiMoDa Studio (mimodastudio.com)
    5774 W. Pico Blvd.; entrance thru Paper or Plastik Café

    • 8 p.m. Compilation of KROK Grand Prix-winning animated shorts from 1997-2016.
      • Filmmakers Q&A.
      • Refreshments available to purchase at venue cafe.
      • Reserve Tickets
    The KROK program includes classic toons like Vladimir Dakhno's 'How the Cossacks...' shorts (1967-1995)
    The KROK program includes classic toons like Vladimir Dakhno’s ‘How the Cossacks…’ shorts (1967-1995)

    Sunday, August 28
    Ukrainian Cultural Center (ukrainianculturecenterla.com)
    4315 Melrose Ave.

    • 4 p.m. Foreword by KROK’s Program Director, Ukrainian film critic Alik Shpilyuk and artist, animator, writer, director & producer Chuck Swenson.
      • Compilation of animated shorts made in Ukraine from 1972-2020.
      • Filmmakers Q&A
      • Reserve Tickets
    • 6 p.m. Wine and snack break.
    • 'Deep Water' by Anna Dudko
      ‘Deep Water’ by Anna Dudko

      7 p.m. Ukrainian animated shorts produced in the last two years, including animations made during the current war.

    • 8:30 p.m. Closing recetion with food and horilka (Ukrainian alcohol) sampling.
      • Ukrainian folk dance perforamnce by Chervona Kalina.
      • Music performe by local ethno-jazz artists, followed by a jame session — participation is encouraged, so bring your instrumetns!
      • Vendor with vyshivankas (Ukrainian embroidery).
    Animagrad's feature 'Mavka. The Forest Song' showcases Ukrainian culture and mustic.
    Animagrad’s feature ‘Mavka. The Forest Song’ showcases Ukrainian culture and mustic.

    KROK was founded in Kiev in 1989 and has quickly become an important part of the international festival scene with highly respected competition. This festival also gained a reputation as one of the most fun professional events of the year. Many distinguished artists attended the festival, among them: Michel Ocelot, Frédéric Back, Gerrit van Dijk, Normand Roger, Paul Driessen, Georges Schwizgebel, Raoul Servais, Ferenc Cakó, Piotr Dumała, Jerzy Kucia, Jan Švankmajer, Michaël Dudok de Wit, Paul Bush, Theodore Ushev and Bill Plympton.

  • Crunchyroll Brings Anime Awards to Japan in 2023

    Crunchyroll Brings Anime Awards to Japan in 2023

    Top global anime brand Crunchyroll announced today that the seventh edition of the the annual, leading global anime awards program, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards, will take place in Japan for the first time ever in 2023.

    The Anime Awards live ceremony will be held on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at the Grand Prince Hotel New Takanawa in Tokyo and will bring together the studios, creators, musicians and voice actors behind the anime community’s favorite series, film and music. The event will also be streamed on many of Crunchyroll’s social channels. Crunchyroll will work with Sony Music Solutions, part of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., to execute the event.

    Crunchyroll also announced that the 2023 edition will be a premier event full of fans, celebrities, creators, musicians, performances and more in a style that is as unique as the artform of anime. Crunchyroll’s intention is to create a spectacular event that is an international outpouring of affection for anime.

    “There is no better place to celebrate the Anime Awards than the birthplace of anime itself,” said Rahul Purini, President of Crunchyroll. “Anime is a rich storytelling medium, capturing the hearts and minds of fans all over the world. We can’t wait to showcase how much love the global anime fanbase has for the studios, creators and our trusted partners behind anime.”

    The Crunchyroll Anime Awards celebrate fan-favorite anime series, characters, and creators across streaming, film and music — voted for by fans and judges from across the globe. Last year, a record 16.9 million votes were cast for nominees representing nearly 40 anime studios across a record-high eight streaming platforms.

    Nominees and voting will open early next year. More information will be shared across the TheAnimeAwards.com and across Crunchyroll social channels.

    Crunchyroll connects anime and manga fans across 200+ countries and territories with the content and experiences they love. In addition to free ad-supported and subscription premium content in multiple languages, available via the Crunchyroll App on over 15 platforms (including all gaming consoles), Crunchyroll serves the anime community across events, theatrical, games, consumer products, collectibles and manga publishing.

  • PBS KIDS Preps for Back to School with ‘Daniel Tiger’, ‘Xavier Riddle’ & More

    PBS KIDS Preps for Back to School with ‘Daniel Tiger’, ‘Xavier Riddle’ & More

    Kids from coast-to-coast are heading back to school, and PBS KIDS is getting them ready for new friends and new adventures with content and resources designed to help students, teachers and families as they make the transition back to school: A range of tools for building confidence and social skills as well as award-winning series with important life lessons for school-bound young viewers — from making friends and managing feelings, to persevering through challenges and supporting new routines.

    “Every school year marks a new beginning filled with possibilities for making friends, having adventures, and developing new skills,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “Going back to school is a big transition for young children and their families, as well as the nation’s teachers, and PBS KIDS is committed to supporting them with the resources they need to ensure the best possible start.”

    PBS KIDS viewers will get a chance to stream their favorite series that entertain while imparting important life lessons and reinforcing key developmental skills. This includes:

    • Shorts from Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum(now available), which explore themes including perseverance, compassion, honesty, courage, responsibility, gratitude, curiosity and creativity.
    • New episodes from the Emmy Award-winning, PBS KIDS Talk About, the series featuring real parent-child conversations on a wide range of timely subjects. These will stream free on PBS KIDS starting on August 4 (Friendship), August 11 & 18 (Perseverance, in English and Spanish), August 25 (Scary Things), and September 1 (Celebrating Family).

    This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, one of PBS KIDS’ most beloved series from Fred Rogers Productions, and the celebration will begin September 3 with a special “Top Ten Tiger Tales” marathon of 10 episodes voted for by fans. The marathon will lead into the Season 6 premiere of the Emmy-winning series on September 5, with a week of new episodes that focus on trying new things and having new experiences. The episodes will stream free on PBS KIDS starting September 5.

    Parents and caregivers can visit the back-to-school hub on PBS KIDS for Parents for age-appropriate tips, activities, and printables that help children create routines, manage their emotions, and build new friendships. New resources like How to Prepare Your Child for a New School and Setting Goals for a New School Year support parents in preparing their kids for new experiences.

    Additional articles and activities — like building a family fort and making a back-to-school time capsule — will be available throughout August and September to offer conversation starters and opportunities for reflection in kicking off the new school year.

    For teachers, the back-to-school collection on PBS LearningMedia offers curriculum-aligned resources that can be customized to meet the unique learning needs of each student. New this school year are classroom posters, available in English and Spanish, along with the Teach Your Way calendar and Spark Learning with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, a self-paced learning course for PreK-2 teachers.

  • Evil Moves in on Toonami Oct. 1 with ‘Housing Complex C’

    Evil Moves in on Toonami Oct. 1 with ‘Housing Complex C’

    Adult Swim announced today that new anime horror series Housing Complex C will premiere on Toonami, its popular anime programming block, Saturday, October 1 at midnight ET/PT. The series joins a growing roster of original anime productions from Adult Swim, including Fena: Pirate Princess, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, Shenmue The Animation, new seasons of FLCL and the highly anticipated Uzumaki.

    Housing Complex C centers on Kimi, who lives in a small housing complex located in the sleepy seaside town of Kurosaki. But trouble seems to follow Kimi wherever she goes, and soon, horrific incidents begin to occur … is an ancient evil stalking the residents of Housing Complex C?

    The half-hour series is directed by Yuji Nara with script and original concept by amphibian. The animation studio is Akatsuki. Housing Complex C is executive produced by Jason DeMarco (Warner Bros. Discovery) and produced by Maki Terashima-Furuta (Production I.G USA).

    Toonami recently celebrated 25 years and continues to be a pioneer in the anime space by featuring both action programming and English language anime premieres, as well as co-producing original anime productions.

     

  • Disney Junior’s ‘Firebuds’ Rolls into Action with Exciting Guest Stars Next Month

    Disney Junior’s ‘Firebuds’ Rolls into Action with Exciting Guest Stars Next Month

    Disney Junior’s Firebuds, an animated comedy-adventure series from Disney Branded Television featuring a team of young first responders and their talking vehicle sidekicks, premieres Wednesday, September 21, with a simulcast on Disney Channel and Disney Junior (10:30 a.m. EDT). An initial batch of episodes will premiere the same day on on-demand platforms and Disney+.

    From Emmy Award-winning creator and executive producer Craig Gerber (Elena of Avalor, Sofia the First), the music-filled series follows a group of friends, all children of first responders, who embark on adventures to help their community and learn what it truly means to be a hero.

    Firebuds
    Bo (Declan Whaley) and Chief Bill (Lou Diamond Phillips) in ‘Firebuds’ (Disney)

    Recurring and guest stars joining the previously announced voice cast in  include:

    • Padma Lakshmi (Top Chef) as Chef Pavani
    • Melissa Rauch (The Big Bang Theory) as Beth Bayani
    • Oscar Nuñez (The Office) as Chef Fernando
    • José Andrés (We Feed People) as Chef Al
    • Pamela Adlon (Better Things) as Principal Kagan
    • “Weird Al” Yankovic (Milo Murphy’s Law) as Latch
    • Lisa Loeb (Jake and the Never Land Pirates) as Laura
    • Patton Oswalt (Ratatouille) as Duke the Duckbus
    • Nat Faxon (Loot) as Throttle
    • Ali Stroker (Broadway’s Oklahoma!) as Gliderbella
    • LaChanze (Broadway’s The Color Purple) as Jenna
    • Aimee Carrero (Elena of Avalor) as Marina Ramirez
    • Natalie Morales (Dead to Me) as Val Vega-Vaughn
    • Allison Case (Broadway’s Matilda the Musical) as Viv Vega-Vaughn
    • Rich Sommer (Mad Men) as Mr. Wexell
    • Atticus Shaffer (The Middle) as Wayne Riley
    • Tatiana Lee (Speechless) as Ayanna
    • Lauren “Lolo” Spencer (Give Me Liberty) as Jazzy

    Set in a fantastical world where talking vehicles live, work and play with the humans who drive them, Firebuds follows a boy named Bo (Declan Whaley) and his fire engine best friend Flash (Terrence Little Gardenhigh) as they team up with their first responder friends to help others in their community with problems big and small. Each episode is comprised of two 11-minute stories that showcase the importance of teamwork, helping fellow citizens and volunteerism. The creative team worked with consultants from RespectAbility to help populate the diverse communities of Gearbox Grove and Motopolis featured in the series.

    The lead voice cast also features Vivian Vencer as Violet, Lily Sanfelippo as Axl, JeCobi Swain as Jayden and Caleb Paddock as Piston. Lou Diamond Phillips and Yvette Nicole Brown also star as co-fire chiefs, Chief Bill Bayani and Chief Faye Fireson, respectively.

    Firebuds
    Firebuds (Disney)

    In addition to Gerber, the series’ creative team consists of Matt Hoverman as story editor, Francis Giglio as art director and Robb Pratt and Craig Simpson as supervising director and producer, respectively. Krystal Banzon, Leanna Dindal, Norma Sepulveda, Jeremy Shipp and Alyssa Stratton comprise the writing team, and the episodic directors are Kris Wimberly and Julius Aguimatang.

    Emmy Award-nominated Beau Black is the series songwriter, and Emmy Award winner Frederik Wiedmann is composer. Firebuds is produced by Disney Television Animation.

    Planned extensions for the series include Disney Junior Music: Firebuds digital soundtrack from Walt Disney Records, debuting Sept. 16, and storybooks from Disney Publishing releasing later next year. Spin Master is the North American toy licensee for the series and will debut an innovative toy line featuring vehicles, figures, playsets and more, launching in summer 2023. Additionally, Bo and Flash will be featured in the upcoming Disney Junior Live on Tour: Costume Palooza, launching Sept. 2, with stops at more than 80 North American cities throughout 2022.

    Read more about Firebuds in the upcoming Sept./Oct. ’22 issue of Animation Magazine. 

  • Aussie Animated Movie ‘Scarygirl’ Sets Top-Notch Cast

    Aussie Animated Movie ‘Scarygirl’ Sets Top-Notch Cast

    Highly Spirited in partnership with Like A Photon Creative (LAPC) and Screen Queensland has announced the lineup of Aussia screen royalty set to star in the adventure-packed animated feature film Scarygirl, which is currently in production in Queensland, Australia.

    Joining the likes of Jillian Nguyen (Barons, Clickbait, Hungry Ghosts, Loveland), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Peter Rabbit), Anna Torv (The Newsreader, Fringe, Mindhunter, Secret City), Rob Collins (Top End Wedding, Cleverman, Secret City), Tim Minchin (Back to the Outback, Matilda, Upright), Deb Mailman (The Sapphires, Total Control, The Secret Life of Us), Remy Hii (Spider Man: Far from Home, Arcane, Crazy Rich Asians), Mark Coles Smith (Mystery Road, Sweet As, Halifax: Retribution) and Liv Hewson (Yellowjackets, Let It Snow), 2022 Australian of the Year and tennis luminary Dylan Alcott will be making his big screen voice acting debut in the unique and colorful world of Scarygirl.

    Scarygirl follows Arkie (Nguyen), a young girl with a talent for technology and a tentacle-like arm, who was raised in secret by her kind but cautious father, Blister (Collins), a rare Giant Octopus with the ability to regenerate life. When her father is kidnapped for his prized abilities and their idyllic world is threatened by a sudden loss of sunlight, Arkie sets out on a journey to the City of Light: a dazzling, modern city controlled by the mysterious Dr. Maybee (Neill). As she tries to find Blister, Arkie discovers that all is not what it seems and this incredible new world is one of great danger, and full of answers to questions she never knew she had.

    While contemporary issues of climate crisis and genetic engineering are at the fore of the plot, the themes of Scarygirl are simple and timeless: identity, being ‘proud of your difference’, not judging people by how they look, friendship, love, and family. Through stunning, handcrafted 3D animation, the story of Arkie and her differing abilities will captivate audiences around the world. It is set for delivery in June 2023.

    Based on the bestselling vinyl toy range and acclaimed wordless graphic novel by Australian author-illustrator Nathan Jurevicius, Scarygirl tells a layered fantasy story, filled with light and dark adventures, eccentric characters and a deep secret. It has since been released as a Flash game that attracted 1.4 million players in the first eight months of release. Inspired by the original Flash game, the groundbreaking Scarygirl free roam global VR experience was picked up by Zero Latency and is currently playable in over 18 countries and 33 locations worldwide.

    Scarygirl – feature film first-look

    Setting out to build a rich CGI world full of vibrant, distinct characters who ‘look and feel’ like collectable vinyl toys, animated digitally to resemble stop-motion, Scarygirl’s production team is led by creator and production designer Nathan Jurevicius (Scarygirl graphic novel, Peleda), executive producer John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda, Shrek, Madagascar), producer Sophie Byrne (the Oscar-winning The Lost Thing) and LAPC producers Kristen Souvlis (Mako Mermaids, Vikings: Athelstan’s Journey, Tales from Sanctuary City franchise), Nadine Bates (Balloon Barnyard, Sesame Street, Tales from Sanctuary City franchise) and Ryan Greaves.

    “Scarygirl has been a collaborative project that’s carefully built a universe in numerous mediums. Nathan and I are more than excited that the feature film is in production with the dynamic and inspiring team at Like A Photon Creative in Queensland, who share our passion for this unique and visually stunning world,” said Byrne of Highly Spirited. “We are equally thrilled that the project has attracted a gifted and diverse ensemble cast, who have lent their exceptional voice talents to bring our distinctive array of characters to life.”

    Souvlis, Co-Founder of LAPC, said “Like A Photon Creative is thrilled to be partnering with powerhouse producer Sophie Byrne to bring the extraordinary work of Nathan Jurevicius to the big screen. When we first saw the meticulously crafted world of Scarygirl, we knew we wanted to be the production team to bring it to life. Sophie and Nathan’s labor of love is complemented by our experience in creating character driven 3D feature films, and we are honoured to be a part of this global, Australian created property.”

    The movie is directed by Ricard Cussó (Tales from Sanctuary City franchise) and co-director Tania Vincent (Tree Fu Tom, Combat Wombat), with animation production services from Brisbane-based Cosmic Dino Studio. Eclectik Vision’s Brett Thornquest and Steven Matusko are co-producers.

    Alceon Entertainment Partners are financing, CAA Media Finance is representing the North American domestic sale, and Scarygirl will be distributed in Australia & New Zealand by Madman Entertainment.

    “Screen Queensland is proud to support Scarygirl through our Post-Production, Digital & Visual Effects (PDV) Incentive, which is the most competitive of its kind on Australia’s east coast,” added Screen Queensland Chief Creative Officer Dr. Belinda Burns. “Like A Photon Creative is a prolific, Brisbane-based production company specializing in animated content such as Combat Wombat and Daisy Quokka: World’s Scariest Animal, which have been exported around the globe. We are thrilled to support the creative team at Like A Photon Creative and co-producers Highly Spirited to bring Scarygirl to life, and especially impressed by the quality of on-screen and off-screen talent.”

    Highly Spirited | Like A Photon Creative | Screen Queensland

  • Stop-Mo Horror Fairy Tale ‘Beltane’ Turns to Kickstarter for Final Funding Push

    Stop-Mo Horror Fairy Tale ‘Beltane’ Turns to Kickstarter for Final Funding Push

    There are plenty of animation and film lovers out there with a soft spot for eerie stop-motion tales, and now a group of U.K. filmmakers is hoping these fans are willing to invest in a new, folkloric project along these lines. Having secured an “offer of intent to fund” from a major national funding body, the team behind the short film Beltane have launched a Kickstarter to mee their conditional contribution of £5,000 (a little over $6K U.S.)

    Beltane is a five-minute horrror fairy tale described as an evocative exploration of the Summer King myth. A cautionary fable, it is a portrayal of the cyclical nature of our natural world, of life, death and rebirth, exploring themes of humanity’s careless attitude towards nature and feminine agency.

    The short’s newly formed indie prodco Mycellum Productions was brought together by a shared love of fairy tales and the capacity of these ancient stories to explore the human condition. By creating an original tale inspired by British folklore, the Beltane creative team will speak to our species’ relationship to nature and our loss of connection and perspective in the modern world.

    “I want to explore the way we used to use fairy tales and folklore, to warn and enlighten, and to do so with a focus on how we engage with the Environment,” said  Helena Houghton, the film’s director and creative lead. “I want to create a film, where the environment is as much of a character as the other protagonists, and stop motion is perfect for this.”

    The story follows two human protagonists, Josh and Sarah, as they stumble into and desecrate a liminal space one May Day eve. Steeped in local folklore, the protagonists are ‘Fae-led’ and separated, and Josh is offered a stark choice — to become king for a year, the consort of a Fae Queen, or wither and perish alone.

    Beltane‘s production will require the creation of a stylized world populated by fascinating creatures, wherein the filmmakers will exploit the unique artforms of stop-motion animation and shadow puppetry to manipulate performances beyond the ability of human actors, and bring the environment to life as a character all its own. Mycellum is based out of Bristol’s Puppet Place creative hub.

    Alongside director Houghton — an animator, puppet maker and founding member of House of Funny Noises — the production team includes WGGB Award-nominated writer Matt Gibbs; producer Yomi Ayeni, an award-winning transmedia creator; producer Katie Hood, also a fabricator who has worked across animation, theater and interactive installations; illustrator Joe Latham; puppet maker Izzy B. (House of Funny Noises co-founder); animator Sophie Marsh; puppeteer Cat Rock (Puppet Place trustee, House of Funny Noises co-founder); post-production pro Dan Butt; and award-winning CG animator Ben Mars (Little Dog Turpie).

    Beltane is now seeking crowdfunding contributions on Kickstarter; the campaign will be live until August 31. Perks include production blog access, exclusive merch, a personalized puppet and sponsorhips of paid student internship and re-greening initiatives around Bristol.

    Support Beltane by donating here. 

  • Imagen Awards Nominees: ‘Encanto’ Is an Animated Standout in Film Competition

    Imagen Awards Nominees: ‘Encanto’ Is an Animated Standout in Film Competition

    The nominations for the 37th annual Imagen Awards were announced earlier today by award-winning actor, writer & producer Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows) and actress, writer & producer Karrie Martin Lachney (Gentefied). Recognizing the powerful work driven by Latino film and television talent, the awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, October 2 in Los Angeles at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes.

    “After two years of streaming celebrations, we are ecstatic to be back in person and to honor those who made significant contributions to the television, film, and streaming spaces. With the caliber of talent and the diversity of the roles and projects, our expectations were wildly exceeded with 445 entries, up 125 from 2021! We are beyond proud of this year’s nominees and all those who submitted. Given the excellence of the entries, the judges had a difficult time selecting those to be nominated,” the presenters enthused. “Congratulations to all of this year’s nominees!”

    This year’s animation nominees are a real celebration of young Latina heroines: Disney’s Encanto scored six nominations (including Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress) and DreamWorks Animation’s Spirit Untamed is also nominated for Best Feature Film. Netflix’s widely acclaimed event series Maya and the Three and PBS KIDS’ contemporary cultural celebration Alma’s Way both snagged three nominations, and the fan-favorite Disney Channel toon The Owl House is up in two TV categories.

    See the awards categories with animation nominees below; you can find the full list of 2022 Imagen Awards nominees at imagen.org.

    Best Feature Film

    • Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • In The Heights (HBO Max; Warner Pictures)
    • Language Lessons (Shout! Studios / Duplass Brothers Productions)
    • Spirit Untamed (DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures)
    • West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)

    Best Director – Feature Film

    • Jared Bush, Bryon Howard and Charise Castro Smith – Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Reinaldo Marcus Green – King Richard (HBO Max; Warner Pictures)
    • Alonso Ruizpalacios – A Cop Movie (Netflix; Una documental de Netflix / Una producción de No Ficción)
    • Steven Spielberg – West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)

    Best Actor – Feature Film

    • David Alvarez – West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)
    • Gael García Bernal – Old (Universal Pictures, Perfect World Pictures, Blinding Edge Pictures, an Night Shyamalan Film)
    • Eugenio Derbez – CODA (Apple TV+; Vendome Pictures / Pathé in association with Apple)
    • John Leguizamo – Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Adrian Martinez – iGilbert (Paloma Pictures, Inc/Gravitas Ventures)
    • Anthony Ramos – In The Heights (HBO Max; Warner Pictures)

    Best Actress – Feature Film

    • Stephanie Beatriz – Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Ariana DeBose – West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)
    • Leslie Grace – In The Heights (HBO Max; Warner Pictures)
    • Natalie Morales – Language Lessons (Duplass Brothers Productions / Shout! Studios)
    • Rita Moreno – West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)
    • Rachel Zegler – West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios)

    Best Director – Television

    • Antonio Campo – The Staircase (HBO/HBO Max; A HBO Max and Annapurna Television co-production in association with EMI Pop and What’s Up Films)
    • Linda Yvette Chavez – Gentefied (Netflix; Netflix)
    • America Ferrera – Gentefied (Netflix; Netflix)
    • Zetna Fuentes – This Is Us (NBC Network; 20th Television)
    • Reinaldo Marcus Green, We Own This City (HBO/HBO Max; HBO in association with Blown Deadline Productions and Spartan Productions)
    • Jorge Gutierrez – Maya and the Three (Netflix; A Netflix Series)
    • Guillermo Navarro, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Apple TV+; Apple Studios)

    Best Voice-Over Actor (Television)

    • Summer Rose Castillo – Alma’s Way (PBS KIDS; Fred Rogers Productions, Pipeline Studios)
    • Eden Espinosa – Alice’s Wonderland Bakery (Disney Junior; Disney Branded Television)
    • Sarah-Nicole Robles, The Owl House (Disney Channel; Disney Branded Television)
    • Zoe Saldaña, Maya and the Three (Netflix)
    • Neo Vela, Alma’s Way (PBS KIDS; Fred Rogers Productions, Pipeline Studios)

    Best Youth Programming

    • Alma’s Way (PBS KIDS; Fred Rogers Productions, Pipeline Studios)
    • The Casagrandes (Nickelodeon)
    • The Owl House (Disney Channel; Disney Branded Television)
    • Victor and Valentino (Cartoon Network; Cartoon Network Studios)

    Best Music Composition for Film or Television

    • Carlos José Alvarez – Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Netflix; A Netflix Original Documentary Series / A Rakontur Production)
    • Tim Davies & Gustavo Santaoalla – Maya and the Three (Netflix; A Netflix Series)
    • Camilo Lara – Gentefied (Netflix)
    • Lin-Manuel Miranda & Germaine Franco – Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Cristobal Tapia de Veer – The White Lotus (HBO/HBO Max; HBO in association with Rip Cord, The District and Hallogram Inc.)

    Best Music Supervision for Film or Television

    • Lynn Fainchtein – Selena: The Series (Netflix; A Campanario Entertainment Production for Netflix)
    • Tom MacDougall – Encanto (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Javier Nuño & Joe Rodriguez – Acapulco (Apple TV+; Lionsgate Television / 3Pas Studios / The Tannenbaum Company for Apple)

    Best Short Film

    • American Masters and VOCES: Lights, Camera, Acción (PBS; NGL Studios, Latino Public Broadcasting, and American Masters Pictures)
    • Growing Fangs (Disney+; The Walt Disney Company)
    • Us Again (Disney+; Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
    • Worry Dolls (Crypt TV; 8A Entertainment)
  • Emerging Artists Picked for FLAMIN Fellowship Development Scheme

    Emerging Artists Picked for FLAMIN Fellowship Development Scheme

    Six early-career artist-filmmakers have been selected for the fifth edition of Film London’s FLAMIN Fellowship scheme, a development program offering mentoring and funding alongside access to audiences, curators and established artist advisors.

    The FLAMIN Fellowship aims to support the most exciting, innovative and challenging moving image practices from filmmakers at the early stages of their careers. Investing £15,000 in artists’ development bursaries, each artist will receive seed finance of £2,500 to develop new work.

    “Now in its fifth edition, The FLAMIN Fellowship is widely known for spotlighting new and exciting artists’ moving image talent with bold visions and diverse perspectives — attracting hundreds of applications. With our previous Fellows continuing to grow in recognition, it is vital that we support and nurture artistic exploration and discourse, providing opportunities to not only develop creative practice but to engage in critical professional and peer support,” said Adrian Wootton OBE, Chief Executive of Film London and the British Film Commission. “I am thrilled to welcome this group of six very talented practitioners to be our next cohort and look forward to seeing the work they produce. I would like to extend my thanks to Arts Council England for their invaluable support of The Fellowship.”

    The six selected artists employ a wide range of innovative and creative approaches to the moving image. This includes but is not limited to hand-drawn animation, inter-weaving personal footage with staged scenes, layering multimedia and combining dance and performance with poetry.

    Projects supported through this round of The Fellowship explore a variety of topical themes and viewpoints, such as the liberating and confining effects that technologies can have on society and individuals, the notion and construct of Blackness through time and space, and investigating queer histories through the creation of game-like environments and characters. Other projects will explore how folklore traditions and ancient rituals speak to the tensions of our contemporary world such as post-industrialism and migration, and how memory loss can be presented through physical decay.

    I express myself best in silence (2022, Ben Dawson)

    Selected from over 160 applications and assessed by a board comprising producers, artists and Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network, the selected artists are:

    Three of these U.K. filmmakers are active in animation:

    Chris Childs

    Christopher Childs is an animator and artist based in Bristol. His work has screened at events such as London Short Film Festival, Flatpack Festival and POFF Shorts. He has also curated animation screenings for The Barbican Centre and contributed articles for Talking Shorts Magazine and the Independent Cinema Office Blog. Commercially, he has worked for clients such as the BBC and the Arts and Humanities Research Centre, London.

    Ben Dawson

    Ben Dawson is a queer artist based in east London, working between digital and physical spaces using CGI animation, film making, printed matter and objects. Through his practice, he asks, “What does it mean to be human?” His work is a digital deep dive into mortality, asking the question of what it is to have a body, physically and digitally. He has an obsession for images that carry cultural narrative — cowboys, alchemists and queer bodies — which act as surrogates for world building-narrative questions. Since graduating from Kingston School of Art in 2020, Ben has shown at ArtSect Gallery, London and was featured with CIRCA at London’s Piccadilly Circus big screen.

    Ronan Mackenzie

    Ronan Mackenzie is a filmmaker from Blackburn and a graduate of the Manchester School of Art. His debut short film Infinity screened at multiple film festivals and institutes in the U.K., including Aesthetica Film Festival (BAFTA qualifying) where he was nominated for the North Filmmaker award by the BFI. In addition, it screened at Push Festival at HOME in Manchester which showcased the ‘very best’ of emerging northern filmmaking talent. Mackenzie’s work has been connected with contemplative and surrealist cinema, exploring themes of memory and its eventual decay, familial relationships, death, identity and existentialism, drawing comparisons to Terence Davis, Stan Brakhage, Jonas Mekas, Chris Marker, David Lynch, Laurie Anderson, Yuri Norstein and Jack Chambers.

    Learn more about the FLAMIN Fellowship artists here. 

    Established in 2017 by Film London Artists’ Moving Image Network (FLAMIN) and supported by Arts Council England and established with support from The Fenton Arts Trust, the Fellowship builds on FLAMIN’s successful work at the core of the U.K.’s moving image ecology. With a focus on early-career practitioners, The Fellowship complements FLAMIN’s wide-ranging program supporting early, mid and later-career artists through FLAMIN Animations, FLAMIN Productions, the Film London Jarman Award and a range of significant development opportunities.

    Alumni of the FLAMIN Fellowship include recent winner of awards at Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival and the Arts Foundation, Onyeka Igwe, as well as Ollie Dook, Jennifer Martin, Antonia Luxem and Max Colson, who have staged solo exhibitions at Humber Street Gallery, Hull; Turf Projects, Croydon; Well Projects, Margate and Vitrine, London, respectively.

    It’s Raining, It’s Pouring (2019, Ronan Mackenzie for BBC New Creatives)
  • Excusive Clip: ‘Big Nate’s Mobile Mortification on Paramount+!

    Excusive Clip: ‘Big Nate’s Mobile Mortification on Paramount+!

    The perils of the digital age catch up to the kids of P.S. 38 (along with plenty of other troubles) in nine new episodes of Big Nate launching this week. Set to premiere Friday, August 19 on Paramount+, the latest misadventures of author Lincoln Peirce’s beloved misfit will see Nate pursuing his singing dreams, saveing a pregnant lizard and taking spring break to the next level.

    Ahead of the batch release, check out the exclusive clip from Episode 9, “Best Laid Cell Plans”! When Francis gets an emergency cell phone, the gang makes major plans for it. But even the best laid cell plans can go wrong. What ensues is a viral video, an investigation, an unlikely duo and the strangest tea party ever…

    In addition to this week’s drop, Big Nate’s fans can also look forward to Season 2, launching in 2023 with a padded order of 20 episodes, recently announced.

    https://youtu.be/zcL8nHVW8n8

    Big Nate follows the riotous exploits of Nate Wright (voiced by Ben Giroux), a sixth-grade kid who has a never-ending need to prove his awesomeness to the world. Whether he’s dealing with disasters at home or detention at school, Nate is no stranger to a challenge. Luckily, he’s able to express himself through the world of cartoons that he creates. Charming, mischievous and a magnet for misadventure, Nate always finds a way to turn trouble into fun.

    Ben Giroux voices Nate Wright ‘Big Nate’
    [Nickelodeon/Paramount+ ©Paramount International 2022, All Rights Reserved.]
    The voice cast also features Dove Cameron as Ellen Wright, Rob Delaney as Martin Wright, Bryce Charles as Dee Dee Holloway, Daniel MK Cohen as Francis Pope, Arnie Pantoja as Teddy Ortiz, Charlie Schlatter as Chad Applewhite, Kevin Michael Richardson as Principal Nichols, Carolyn Hennesy as Mrs. Godfrey, Nik Dodani as Randy, Betsy Sodaro as Kim, Lisa Kay Jennings as Gina, Chandni Parekh as Jenny, Todd Haberkorn as Artur, Ryan Garcia as Mr. Rosa, Mike Rivkin as Mr. Galvin and Chester Rushing as Zeff.

    Produced by Nickelodeon Animation, Big Nate is executive produced by Mitch Watson (All Hail King Julien) and John Cohen (The Angry Birds Movie) and produced by Amy McKenna (Beware the Batman), with Peirce serving as consultant throughout development and production. Bridget McMeel is co-producer and Jim Mortensen is supervising producer.

     

  • ‘Paws of Fury’ Unleashes the Samurai Beasts with Early Access Digital Debut

    ‘Paws of Fury’ Unleashes the Samurai Beasts with Early Access Digital Debut

    Get ready for fun and adventure as the underdog becomes top dog in the hilarious family film Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank, arriving early to purchase or rent on Digital this Tuesday, August 16, with a host of entertaining bonus features from Paramount Home Entertainment.  The dog will have his day on Blu-ray & DVD October 18.

    Paws of Fury delivers loads of laughs and heartfelt fun with an inspiring and hilarious tale of a hound who dreams of being a hero.  The film features a sensational, all-star cast of voice talent, including Michael Cera, Ricky Gervais, Mel Brooks, George Takei, Aasif Mandvi, Gabriel Iglesias, Djimon Hounsou, Michelle Yeoh and Samuel L. Jackson.

    In this CG-animated family adventure, hard-on-his-luck hound named Hank (Cera) finds himself in a town full of cats who need a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain’s (Gervais) evil plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant teacher (Jackson) to train him, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day. The only problem … cats hate dogs!

    Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank

    The Digital* and Blu-ray releases of Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank feature fun-filled bonus content, including an introduction to the uproarious cast of characters, a character drawing tutorial with director Rob Minkoff, and a peek behind-the-scenes with voice cast members,

    Digital & Blu-ray Bonuses

    • Cool Cats and One Hot Dog— Meet Hank (Michael Cera), Jimbo (Samuel L. Jackson) and their nemesis Ika Chu (Ricky Gervais) plus more hilarious characters!
    • In the Drawing Room with Director Rob Minkoff—Learn to draw the characters with director Rob Minkoff.
    • Giving Voice to PAWS OF FURY: The Legend of Hank – Voice cast Michael Cera, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ricky Gervais share behind-the-scenes fun and a sneak peek at what happens during voiceover sessions.

    The DVD version will include the feature film in standard definition and the “In the Drawing Room with Director Rob Minkoff” featurette listed above.

    (Digital bonus features subject to retailer and available only with purchase.)

    Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is a presentation of Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Align and Aniventure, in association with HB Wink Animation and GFM Animation; a Flying Tigers Entertainment production in association with Aniventure in association with Cinesite.

  • Tubi Greenlights Original Adult Toon ‘Breaking Bear’

    Tubi Greenlights Original Adult Toon ‘Breaking Bear’

    Tubi today announced that it has greenlit the adult animated series, Breaking Bear.

    Created by Julien Nitzberg (The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia) and produced by Cartel Entertainment (Creepshow, Twelve Forever, Day of the Dead) and Tom DeLonge’s To The Stars Media (Monsters of California, Unidentified), Breaking Bear ‘parodies the tropes of mobster dramas, comically combining elements of Yogi Bear with The Sopranos.’

    Breaking Bear follows the escapades of three bear siblings who decide they have to start selling drugs in order to raise money and save their home after gas companies start fracking next to their cave. The bears soon enlist other forest animals in a scheme that will pit them against oil companies, The Russian Mafia, local Hell’s Angels and polar bears who hate anything that isn’t white.

    “When The Cartel pitched a series with cartoon animals as mobsters, I knew it was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” said Adam Lewinson, Chief Content Officer, Tubi. “This is the perfect project to expand our adult animation offering after the stellar success of The Freak Brothers, cementing Tubi as a destination for adult humor.”

    Tubi continues to expand its robust adult animation collection, with both library and original animated content for the platform. In May, three new made-for-Tubi movies from FOX’s Emmy Award-winning animation house, Bento Box Entertainment, were announced as Tubi Originals, including: Pastacolypse, from Aqua Teen Hunger Force co-creator Matthew Maiellaro; Millennial Hunter, from comedian and actor Sam Taggart; and Big Bruh, from writer, stand-up comic and DUNCANVILLE co-producer Jerron Horton.

    Tubi’s adult animation offering also includes library titles such as Mike Tyson Mysteries, The PJs, SuperMansion, Brickleberry, Kevin Smith: Smodimations, Alien News Desk, Nerdland and more, in addition to the original series The Freak Brothers, which stars Woody Harrelson, John Goodman, Pete Davidson and Tiffany Haddish.

    Breaking Bear is executive produced by Tom DeLonge (Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker), Stan Spry (Creepshow, Day of the Dead), Jeff Holland (Creepshow, Day of the Dead), Bradford Bricken (Twelve Forever) and Eric Woods (Creepshow, Harland Manor). Julien Nitzberg also serves as an executive producer and showrunner.

    Nitzberg is best known as the producer and director of the documentary feature The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia (produced by Johnny Knoxville and Jeff Tremaine). Nitzberg was a producer and writer on Cinemax’s animated series Mike Judge Presents Tales From the Tour Bus. He has also written scripts for HBO, Showtime, Amazon FIlms, TNT, USA, IFC, Paramount Studios, CBS Studios and NBC.

    In the world of theater, Nitzberg wrote and directed the controversial comic operetta The Beastly Bombing or A Terrible Tale of Terrorists Tamed by the Tangles of True Love, winner of the LA Weekly Theater Critics Musical of the Year Award, and most recently the acclaimed musical For the Love of a Glove: An Unauthorized Musical Fable about the Life of Michael Jackson as Told by His Glove, which will open in 2023 in Los Angeles with Stacey Sher attached to produce.

    DeLonge is an award-winning producer, director, author, researcher, multi-platinum recording artist and entrepreneur, originally known for his songwriting and vocals as Blink-182’s front man. Today, DeLonge dedicates his time to his entertainment and media company, To The Stars Media, as well as his band Angels & Airwaves.

    During his diverse career, DeLonge has written, directed and produced feature films, animated shorts, episodic series and music videos, including the animated short Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, which won best animation at the Toronto International Short Film Festival and the feature film Monsters of California, which will premiere later this year.

    DeLonge is represented by APA and Nitzberg is represented by APA, Authentic Talent & Literary Management and Jackoway, Tyerman et al.

    Tubi, a division of FOX Entertainment, is an ad-supported video-on-demand service with more than 40,000 movies and TV shows in the U.S., including a growing library of Tubi Originals. The serviec is available in the U.S. across a number of movile, connected and OTT devices.

    www.tubi.tv

  • Universal Dates DreamWorks’ ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ for March 2024

    Universal Dates DreamWorks’ ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ for March 2024

    Po and his martial arts menagerie are returning to the big screen for a fourth outing, Universal Pictures has announced. DreamWorks Animation is getting in fighting shape to deliver Kung Fu Panda 4 to theaters on Friday, March 8, 2024.

    Casting and filmmaker team information has yet to be revealed.

    Inspired by traditional martial arts and set in ancient China, Kung Fu Panda tells the epic tale of wide-eyed Po, whose love of kung fu is matched only by an insatiable appetite. Jack Black voice stars as Po in the first three movies and the most recent series, Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.

    The Academy Award-nominated 2008 inaugural chapter became DreamWorks’ highest-grossing original animated film, and it has launched a trilogy that has earned more than $1.8 billion at the global box-office.

    With its massive fan base, the franchise has expanded to a cross-category consumer products program, video games, an Emmy Award-winning television series and global theme-park attractions.

    The legend of Po has only just begun!

  • Baby Prodigy Slates New Precshool Toon ‘Sensational 5!’

    Baby Prodigy Slates New Precshool Toon ‘Sensational 5!’

    In celebration of the award-winning Baby Prodigy brand’s 20th anniversary, company founder Barbara Candiano-Marcus announces her next venture: an animated preschool series called Sensational 5!

    Baby Prodigy continues to be a favorite for children and is available on The Genius Brands/Kartoon YouTube channel with over 65 million views. Candiano-Marcus has decided to take this success to the next level by creating a television series that reinforces the premise of the Baby Prodigy DVDs: stimulating the senses to promote smarter, happier children.

    Sensational 5! encourages parents and children to navigate the world through engaging the senses. Starring a character first introduced in the Baby Prodigy series, the diverse and inclusive cast of Sensational 5! solve problems in their world by using their senses: seeing, hearing, touching, smelling and tasting.

    Emmy-nominated writer Andrew Viner is on board to write the series.  Viner has been writing children’s television for more than 20 years. He has written over 200 episodes of animation from Thomas the Tank Engine and Fireman Sam to PJ Masks and Noddy, as well as working on several shows for Aardman.

    “I’m thrilled to be part of the team developing Sensational 5! It’s been great fun helping to develop the show — it’s full of action, comedy, character and science, and I’m sure that children worldwide will love it,” says Viner.

    Launched in 2002, Baby Prodigy went on to win over 25 national awards including DVD of the Year and Best Pick from Parenting Magazine. The DVDs were distributed in the United States, Canada and internationally. Candiano-Marcus also partnered with Random House for a branded parenting book released in 2005, as well as secured dozens of licenses with toy and video distributors.

    Four months after its release, retail giant Wal-mart picked up the Baby Prodigy DVD and sold tens of thousands of units in just four weeks. Other big-name stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club, Barnes & Noble, Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, and many more followed suit. She negotiated several licensing deals including a partnership with Nestle Canada and Prestige Toy Company.

    Now an accomplished author, parenting expert and executive producer, Candiano-Marcus’s Baby Prodigy video was inspired by her newborn daughter, Samantha, who suffered from unbearable bouts of colic at just six weeks old. Not knowing what else to do, Candiano-Marcus took to the internet and discovered something very intriguing. She found that certain types of brain stimulation, like sensory engagement, affects a child’s happiness and intelligence.

    While Candiano-Marcus didn’t find a cure for colic, she did find that music and visuals helped soothe Samantha. With this newfound information, she wrote, produced and directed the Baby Prodigy videos to help other moms raise smarter and happier children.

    Prior to being a stay at home mom, Candiano-Marcus worked in television production as an assistant producer and liaison between line producers and all departments including executive producer, writers and post-production. Additionally, as a story and production coordinator, assistant writer and production assistant, she produced primetime hits through Bright Kauffman Crane Productions/Warner Bros. Television, Brad Lachman Productions, Nickelodeon, BSB Productions, Paramount and HBO, including Baywatch, Martin, The Maury Povich Show, Jesse and many others.

    Prior to working in television, Candiano-Marcus worked in marketing at BMG/RCA Music to help launch the careers of many talented Grammy-winning artists. She is a longtime member of the Producers Guild of America and has served on several committees.

    “This has been an incredible 20 year journey!  With all the new scientific research regarding stimulating the senses, it makes perfect ‘sense’ to launch the Sensational 5! at this time,” says Candiano-Marcus.

  • ‘The Liberator’ Studio Launches Proprietary Software Suite Trioscope Platform

    ‘The Liberator’ Studio Launches Proprietary Software Suite Trioscope Platform

    Trioscope, the cutting-edge company behind The Liberator (Netflix), Night of the Cooters (produced by George R.R. Martin) and Takeover (starring Quavo) announced the launch of its patented Trioscope Platform to license its proprietary technology to third-party content creators.

    The Platform offers a suite of practical production tools and software that marries human performance with CG environments, enabling filmmakers to forge compelling, stylized final pictures that boast a broad array of imaginative looks, including graphic novel, painterly imagery and more. Creators will be able to leverage more cost-effective and faster production operations relative to traditional high-end live-action productions with heavy CG. The tools help them tell complex character-driven stories, combining the nuanced actors’ performances with unlimited CG elements, including backgrounds, sets, props, costumes, effects and fully-animated characters.

    London-based production house Oiffy (The White King and the upcoming The Last Worker, the only game in competition at the 78th Venice Film Festival) and Poland-based BreakThru Films (Oscar-winning Peter & the Wolf and BAFTA-winning Loving Vincent) are the first to license the Trioscope Platform for specific sequences in director Alex Helfrecht’s 2024-slated epic love story A Winter’s Journey, based on Franz Schubert’s timeless song cycle. The film stars John Malkovich, Jason Isaacs, Martina Gedeck and Ólafur Darri Ólafsson and has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics for major territories with mk2 Films handling international sales. Trioscope Europe will provide CG and VFX services for the film.

    Greg Mandel
    Greg Mandel

    To maximize the Platform’s offerings and global reach, Trioscope is leveraging the expertise of Greg Mandel, a seasoned media and technology executive who will serve on the Board of Advisors to advise on the platform’s business strategy, operations and expansion. Mandel previously served as COO of Technicolor’s global animation division Mikros Animation, the creative force behind hit titles PAW Patrol: The Movie and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Star Trek: Prodigy and The Boss Baby: Back in Business.

    “Our revolutionary technology fuels the unbounded imagination that defines our brand and the vision behind The Liberator and our current projects Night of the Cooters and Takeover,” says L.C. Crowley, CEO of Trioscope. “Our new platform is designed to put our tools and process in the hands of content creators around the world, bringing their stories to stunning life.”

    Adds Greg Jonkajtys, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, “When some of the industry’s most talented filmmakers saw the early results of The Liberator, they recognized that Trioscope could make their ambitious projects possible. We have developed an advanced medium that transcends traditional storytelling and opened a whole new lane for entertainment.”

    Producer and Oiffy co-founder Jörg Tittel says, “Our highly complex continuous shots are designed to fully immerse audiences in living, breathing early 19th-century Romanticist paintings and Schubert’s timeless music. The technical challenge is immense, especially on an independent budget. Our collaboration with Trioscope and their tools will allow our artists to spend more time on giving each frame the care and attention it deserves.”

    Trioscope Platform’s proprietary suite of integrated tools includes:

    • Scrimshaw, a smart makeup and prop edge marking system
    • Ether, a practical on-set soundscape syncing system
    • Tincture, a cell shader and posterization plug-in
    • vPEN, a 2D/3D particle generation plug-in for textures, brush strokes, halftones and shading enhancements
    • Outline, a dynamic edge detection plug-in
    • TimePainter, a plug-in that allows for variable frame rate calibration
    • Currently developed for use with Nuke by Foundry

    In order to develop a global ecosystem that allows for Trioscope-driven productions, the Company will be accepting a limited number of visual effects and animation studios into its Certified Trioscope Platform Network. Filmmakers, producers, visual effects studios, and animation studios that are interested in learning more about Trioscope, licensing the Platform or qualifying for the Certified Trioscope Platform Network should direct all inquiries to licensing@trioscopestudios.com or at trioscopestudios.com/trioscope-platform.

    The news follows a highly successful year for Trioscope, which has seen rapid growth with a recent seed round investment from BITKRAFT, Sony and more to further pioneer their hybrid content genre for global audiences. Recently, the company expanded its management team, having tapped seasoned animation expert John Evershed as Chief Strategy Officer and appointed former Roblox executive Keith Lucas as an Advisory Board member. In addition to the premiere of The Liberator on Netflix, which reached #3 worldwide for the platform, the company finished production on the short film Night of the Cooters, produced by George R. R. Martin and starring Vincent D’Onofrio, who also directs. Trioscope also has a television development and production partnership with major music powerhouse Quality Control, which includes Takeover, starring Quavo.

    Trioscope develops original content, partners with top-tier studios and filmmakers and adapts third party IP using its proprietary technology. Reinventing the way content is made, Trioscope’s proprietary toolset marries human performance with computer-generated environments to produce a first of its kind viewing experience filled with powerful human emotion and breathtaking cinematic visuals. It is the only medium that brings a photo-real level to human faces, character movement and action while allowing filmmakers to tackle powerful dramatic stories with sweeping scale all on a cost-effective budget. (www.trioscopestudios.com)

  • Netflix Confirms 4th Volume of ‘Love, Death + Robots’

    Netflix Confirms 4th Volume of ‘Love, Death + Robots’

    Now here’s something to raise a glass to this weekend: Netflix confirmed via social media today that its acclaimed sci-fi/horror series Love, Death + Robots will return for Volume IV!

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Netflix Geeked (@netflixgeeked)

    The 12-time Emmy-winning animated anthology Love, Death + Robots returned to Netflix on May 20 with a critically acclaimed Volume III executive produced by Tim Miller (Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate) and David Fincher (MINDHUNTER, Mank).

    Terror, imagination and beauty combine in nine new episodes which stretch from uncovering an ancient evil to a comedic apocalypse, telling startling short stories of fantasy, horror and science-fiction with trademark wit and visual invention.

    Yesterday, Academy and Emmy Award-winning director Alberto Mielgo picked up an early Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation for breakout short, Jibaro.

    Love, Death + Robots is executive produced by Tim Miller, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller and Joshua Donen.Jennifer Yuh Nelson is series supervising director.

  • ‘Arcane,’ ‘Diabolical,’ ‘The House’ & ‘Love, Death + Robots’ Artists Win Creative Arts Emmys

    ‘Arcane,’ ‘Diabolical,’ ‘The House’ & ‘Love, Death + Robots’ Artists Win Creative Arts Emmys

    The Television Academy announced today the winners of the 74th Emmy Awards in juried categories from Animation, Costume, Hairstyling, Makeup and Motion Design. These juried awards will be presented at the 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards next month. Netflix series swept the Animaiton category, with three out of six awards going to artists on the acclaimed League of Legends series Arcane. 

    Juried category entrants are screened by a panel of professionals in the appropriate peer groups (Animation, Costume Design, Hairstyling, Makeup and Motion Design) with the possibility of one, more than one or no entry awarded an Emmy. As a result, there are no nominees but instead, a one-step evaluation and voting procedure. Deliberations include open discussions of each entrant’s work with a thorough review of the merits of awarding the Emmy.

    The following juried awards will be presented during the Creative Arts ceremonies on Saturday, Sept. 3:

    Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation

    Arcane “The Boy Savior” | Netflix • A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
    Anne-Laure To, Color Script Artist

    Arcane “Happy Progress Day!” | Netflix • A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
    Julien Georgel, Art Direction

    Arcane “When These Walls Come Tumbling Down” | Netflix • A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
    Bruno Couchinho, Background Designer

    The Boys Presents: Diabolical “Boyd In 3D” | Prime Video • Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Television Studios, Titmouse, Kripke Enterprises, Original Film and Point Grey Pictures
    Lexy Naut, Storyboard Artist

    The House | Netflix • Nexus Studios for Netflix
    Kecy Salangad, Animator

    Love, Death + Robots “Jibaro” | Netflix • Blur Studio for Netflix
    Alberto Mielgo, Character Designer

     

    You can find the rest of the Creative Arts Emmy Awards winners here.

    The 2022 Creative Arts Emmy Awards will take place at the Microsoft Theater on both Saturday, Sept. 3 and Sunday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. An edited presentation will be broadcast on Saturday, Sept. 10, (8 p.m. ET/PT) on FXX.

  • Guru Kicks Off New CG Series Based on ‘My Magic Pet Morphle’ for Moonbug

    Guru Kicks Off New CG Series Based on ‘My Magic Pet Morphle’ for Moonbug

    Kids’ entertainment leader Guru Studio is ramping up production on Moonbug Entertainment’s newest CG series, based on the widely popular YouTube hit, My Magic Pet Morphle.

    Slated to debut in 2024 exclusively on Disney+ and Disney Junior globally (excluding China), the new 52 x 7′ CG series follows Mila and her stepbrother, Jordie, as they leap into a world of adventure with the help of Morphle, Mila’s magical and loyal pet who has the power to change into whatever she needs.

    This is Guru Studio’s first creative collaboration with Moonbug Entertainment, whose properties also include the worldwide hit CoComelon.

    “We’re thrilled to be working with the talented team at Moonbug to help expand My Magic Pet Morphle into a premium CG series, to be enjoyed by a whole new audience on Disney platforms,” said Frank Falcone President and Executive Creative Director at Guru Studio.

    Andy Yeatman, Managing Director of the Americas, Moonbug Entertainment, added, “We’ve always admired Guru’s work and are excited to finally be working with them on such an exciting new show for Disney.”

    My Magic Pet Morphle is Guru Studio’s second production to kick off this summer. The Toronto-based animation powerhouse recently announced it is working on the beloved classic Charlotte’s Web, a family miniseries produced by Sesame Workshop for HBO Max.

    Hiring on the new CG series is already underway at Guru Studio, in addition to Charlotte’s Web and new seasons of the smash hit PAW Patrol.

    For a list of open positions, visit Guru Studio’s Careers Page.

    For over 20 years, Guru Studio (gurustudio.com) has brought to life some of the most recognizable and beloved children’s properties in the world including the smash hit PAW Patrol, True and the Rainbow Kingdom, Pikwik Pack, Big Blue, Justin Time, Ever After High and most recently Sesame Street Mecha Builders. Guru Studio was also a major contributor to the Academy Award nominated animated feature The Breadwinner.