Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • Cast Announced for ‘Pop Paper City’, Coming to Milkshake! in 2022

    Cast Announced for ‘Pop Paper City’, Coming to Milkshake! in 2022

    Channel 5’s Milkshake! and the series producers have announced the voice cast for upcoming CGI/live-action preschool series Pop Paper City (52 x 11′), set to air on the U.K. kids’ block in Autumn 2022. The show is being produced by LoveLove Films (U.K.) and distributed by Aardman.

    Pop Paper City is a vibrant 3D craft show that follows a group of unique paper characters as they get crafty and create adventures together in a captivating paper world. In each eleven-minute episode, the characters find new ways to have fun together by creating new parts of their already impressive world. The craft montages in the show — which mix live action with 3D animation — inspire children to make their own paper creations, encouraging ‘doing as well as viewing.’

    Established actor, comedian and writer Nick Mohammed (Ted Lasso, Intelligence, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Christopher Robin) is set to voice Helping Hand, the friend and guardian to the paper characters in Pop Paper City. The only live action human, Helping Hand is an expert when it comes to crafts and is always there to guide his paper friends.

    The show will also feature a diverse roster of young talent voicing the main characters, including playful Plom, voiced by Eden Gough (age 10), and his friends: clever Phoebe, performed by Sadie Sweet (10); her quirky younger brother Hooper, voiced by Rohan Boucher (6); feisty Mae-Mae, played by Hannah Silverman (8); and sweet Zip, played by Taran Beyer (6).

    Pop Paper City cast
    Pop Paper City cast

    Being able to truly reflect young, diverse audiences has been an integral part of the conception of Pop Paper City. It has been incredibly important to the studio, the broadcaster and the distributor to create a show that tells authentic stories, told with the help of diverse talent. Many studies and industry reports have found that children of diverse backgrounds as well as young female audiences benefit immensely from being represented, and with a diverse team of writers and voice acting talent, Pop Paper City aims to create authentic stories and characters that children from across the globe will be able to relate to.

    The writing team includes both children’s writing veterans and new talent, led by head writer Miranda Larson (Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends). Writers for the first series include Trish Cooke, Tim Bain, Emma Boucher, Mellie Buse, Adam Redfern, as well as new talent such as Zahara Andrews, George Caton-Coult and Oliver Selby.

    “It’s really exciting to be heading up a team of such talented writers from diverse backgrounds and giving opportunities to new talent. All the writers have brought amazing ideas and really contributed to the development of this fantastic show,” said Larson.

    The seasoned talent behind the mic includes voice director Dom Boucher from The Sound Company (Peppa Pig, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) and Tony nominee Alex Baranowski (True Things, A Christmas Carol), who will be composing the score and the theme tune.

    Set to be the largest original children’s TV series to be produced out of regional Dorset, Pop Paper City will be mixing 3D animation and live-action footage. To do this ambitious concept justice, the series is using many innovative techniques, including the production of Pop Paper City in Maxon’s Cinema 4D software, making it the first kids television series to be animated in this software.

    Pop Paper City has received support from the Young Audiences Content Fund, which is managed by the BFI and financed by the U.K. Government. The fund supports the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for audiences up to the age of 18. The fund offers production funding for projects which have secured a broadcast commitment from a U.K. Public Service Broadcaster to make the program available to a U.K. audience on a free-to-access, Ofcom-regulated service.

  • Netflix Japan Doubles Down on Anime Content

    Netflix Japan Doubles Down on Anime Content

    Betting big on Japanese content and storytelling, Netflix today celebrated an ambitious slate of projects and collaborations with top local creators and talent at the Netflix Japan Festival 2021, proudly expanding on the slate of 90 Japanese Netflix titles across anime and live action already available to date.

    Netflix sees a growing interest in Japanese content by viewers everywhere, with Japanese titles like The Seven Deadly Sins, Record of Ragnarok, Ruroni Kenshin: The Beginning and more all reaching the Top 10 in over 50 countries  in addition to over 120 million households that have chosen to watch at least one anime title — more than double the number of households in 2018.

    Entertaining both audiences in Japan (which continues to be one of the most important countries for the growth of Netflix) as well as fans of Japanese culture around the world, Netflix reaffirmed its commitment to bringing best in class stories and creators from Japan to audiences everywhere. This includes renowned animation studios, such as Studio Colorido (A Whisker Away, Drifting Home). In addition to the global success of Anime, Netflix is betting big on live-action and animated feature films originating from Japan with an increasingly diverse slate and roster of creators joining forces.

    “Our next big bet is expanding feature films,” noted Kaata Sakamoto, VP of Content for Netflix Japan. “Japan is home to extraordinary talent who shape the cinematic history of the world. With creators as diverse as the ones we work with today, we’re excited to play a role in the history of great local talent finding their voices and delivering them to audiences everywhere.”

    Netflix Festival Japan: Day 1 Family Photo [Photo: Maciej Kucia / AVGVST]
    Netflix Festival Japan: Day 1 Family Photo [Photo: Maciej Kucia / AVGVST]

    During Day 1 of the Netflix Festival Japan 2021 event, Netflix announced The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh (part 1 premiering 2022), a spin-off anime film project to the hugely successful manga and anime of the same name created by Nakaba Suzuki, who will also pen the upcoming sequel. Another hit series making a return will be Kakegurui Twin (August 2022), a prequel that tells the story of Mary Saotome’s gambling feats one year before Yumeko Jabami transferred to her school. Newly announced titles include TIGER & BUNNY 2 (April 2022), two new Detective Conan spin-offs (coming soon) and The Orbital Children (January 28).

    The upcoming anime will join previously announced projects like fan favorite JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN, which was introduced by a special music performance by Yugo Kanno as well as voice cast guests Fairouz Ai, Mutsumi Tamura & Mariya Ise, who proudly revealed the December 1 premiere date (Episodes 1-12), Super Crooks (premiering November 25), which was introduced during a special panel with voice talent superstar Kenjiro Tsuda, who was also announced to be the main cast for Thermae Romae Novae (premiering 2022). See below for new title info:

    Jojo's Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN
    Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN

    Netflix Anime

    JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure STONE OCEAN | Global Premiere Date: December 1

    • Florida, U.S.A, 2011 — After an accident while on a drive with her sweetheart, Jolyne Cujoh falls into a trap and is sentenced to fifteen years at the state-run maximum-security correctional facility Green Dolphin Street Prison — a.k.a. “the Aquarium.” On the verge of despair, she receives a pendant from her father that causes a mysterious power to awaken inside of her. “There are things in this world that are more terrifying than death, and what’s happening in this prison is definitely one of them.” A message from a mysterious boy who appears before Jolyne, inexplicable events that occur one after another, the horrifying truth told to her by her father when he comes to visit, and the name DIO… Will Jolyne ultimately be set free from this stone ocean they call a prison? The final battle to end the century-long, fateful confrontations between the Joestar family and DIO begins! (www.netflix.com/JoJo)
    • Staff: Original manga by Hirohiko Araki. Chief director: Kenichi Suzuki. Director: Toshiyuki Kato. Series composition: Yasuko Kobayashi. Character design: Masanori Shino. Designer of the Stand: Shunichi Ishimoto. Sound director: Yoshikazu Iwanami. Music: Yugo Kanno. Animation production: David production Inc.
    • Cast (Japanese): Jolyne Cujoh: Fairouz Ai. Ermes Costello: Mutsumi Tamura. F.F.: Mariya Ise. Emporio Alnino: Atsumi Tanezaki. Weather Forecast: Yuichiro Umehara. Narciso Anastasia: Daisuke Namikawa. Jotaro Kujo: Daisuke Ono.

    The Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh – Global Premiere Date: Part 1 Coming in 2022

    • With over 37 million copies sold and winning in the children’s category of the 39th Kodansha Manga Award, the mega-hit The Seven Deadly Sins (original work: Nakaba Suzuki) is receiving a spin-off anime film. This film will feature an original story by Suzuki. Split into two parts, the story will follow Tristan, the son of The Seven Deadly Sins protagonists Meliodas and Elizabeth. Tristan inherits the power of the Goddess Clan and can heal people’s wounds and injuries, but he often ends up hurting others due to his inability to control his Demon Clan power. To protect his family, Tristan heads to Edinburgh Castle and meets a host of new friends along the way. (www.netflix.com/SevenDeadlySinsGrudgeofEdinburgh-Part1)
    • Staff: Based on the manga The Seven Deadly Sins (published by Kodansha in Weekly Shonen Magazine) by Nakaba Suzuki. Supervising director: Noriyuki Abe. Director: Bob Shirahata. Screenplay: Rintaro Ikeda. Production company: Alfred Imageworks × Marvy Jack.

    Kakegurui Twin – Global Premiere Date: August 2022

    • This series tells the story of Mary Saotome’s gambling feats one year before Yumeko Jabami transferred to her school. The story begins with Mary Saotome, a normal girl, entering the academy. (netflix.com/kakegurui-twin)
    • Staff: Based on the manga Kakegurui Twin by Homura Kawamoto and Kei Saik (published in the monthly magazine Gan Gan JOKER by SQUARE ENIX). Animation production: MAPPA.
    • Cast (Japanese): Mary Saotome – Minami Tanaka
    Kakegurui Twin
    Kakegurui Twin

    The Orbital Children – Global Premiere Date: January 28, 2022

    • The story begins in the year 2045, when AI has advanced and anyone can travel into space. Children born on the moon and children from Earth who are on a trip to space meet at the Japanese-built Anshin space station. The series will consist of six episodes and will be distributed worldwide! (netflix.com/orbital-children)
    • Staff: Creator, writer & director: Mitsuo Iso (Coil a Circle of Children). Character design: Kenichi Yoshida (Eureka Seven, Gundam Reconguista in G). Lead animator: Toshiyuki Inoue (Coil a Circle of Children, Ghost in the Shell). Art director: Yasuke Ikeda. Color design: Miho Tanaka. Music: Rei Ishizuka. Sound director: Yoji Shimizu. Production: Production +h.
    The Orbital Children
    The Orbital Children

    TIGER & BUNNY 2 – Global Premiere Date: April 2022

    • In Sternbild City, people of all races and ethnicities live alongside humans with superhuman abilities called NEXT, who use their NEXT abilities to maintain peace. Heroes wear sponsor logos, help solve crimes and save people in order to improve the image of their companies and acquire hero points. Their activities are broadcast on the popular show “Hero TV,” where the heroes try to climb the annual rankings and aim to be the “King of Heroes.” Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr. continue their hero activities to boost the image of their company, Apollon Media, as well as maintain peace. The hero system that originated in Sternbild City has now been adopted in places around the world. As more and more heroes appear, a new hero enters Sternbild City. Now that they are more veteran heroes, will Kotetsu and Barnaby be able to live up to the expectations put on them?! (netflix.com/tiger&bunny)
    • Staff: Director: Mitsuko Kase. Series composition, writer & story director: Masafumi Nishida. Character design & Hero design: Masakazu Katsura. Developed, produced and based on the work of: BN Pictures.
    • Cast (Japanese): Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (WILD TIGER): Hiroaki Hirata. Barnaby Brooks Jr.: Masakazu Morita. Karina Lyle (BLUE ROSE): Minako Kotobuki. Antonio Lopez (ROCK BISON): Taiten Kusunoki. Huang Pao-Lin (DRAGON KID): Mariya Ise. Nathan Seymour (FIRE EMBLEM): Kenjiro Tsuda. Keith Goodman (SKY HIGH): Go Inoue. Ivan Karelin (ORIGAMI CYCLONE): Nobuhiko Okamoto.
    Tiger & Bunny 2
    Tiger & Bunny 2

    Detective Conan: The Culprit Hanazawa – Coming Soon

    • A town of crime, Beika Town. A mysterious Dark Shadow descends onto this town that ranks among the highest crime rates in the world. His (or her?) goal is to kill a “certain man.” That key player in Detective Conan is now a protagonist! Clad in tights and possessing a pure intellect, this person’s name is… the (pseudonymous) Culprit Hanazawa!
    • Spin-off of the original manga by Gosho Aoyama, written and illustrated by Mayuko Kanba.

    Detective Conan: Zero’s Tea Time – Coming Soon

    • Sometimes he is the famed detective Kogoro Mori’s younger brother, Toru Amuro. Other times he is Rei Furuya, a police officer protecting Japan. Still other times he is Bourbon, a man clad in black. No one knows the private life of the man who wears three faces…or so it was thought. The simple everyday life of Toru Amuro, a man cloaked in light and shadow, is revealed here.
    • Supervised by original author, Gosho Aoyama. Original manga by Takahiro Arai.

    AGGRETSUKO Season 4 – Global Premiere Date: December 16

    • Frustrated with her thankless office job, Retsuko the Red Panda copes with her daily struggles by belting out death metal karaoke after work. After becoming an underground idol to pay off her debts, Retsuko decides to quit OTMGirls and enjoy living a happy, normal life… but just as the company she works for is facing big changes, her relationship with Haida finally begins to move. (netflix.com/aggretsuko)
    • Staff: Original character by: Sanrio. Director / screenplay by: Rarecho. Animation Production: Fanworks.

    Kotaro lives alone – Global Premiere Date: 2022

    • Ding-dong! There is a little boy standing at the door. He hands over a nice box of tissues as a gift and says, “My name is Sato, and I have just moved in to number 203. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He is Kotaro Sato, and he has moved into Shimizu Apartments to live by himself. He is four years old. He makes his daily shopping trips alone with a toy sword strapped to his side. Both grown-up and childish at the same time, Kotaro starts to affect the people around him with his wise ways. This is the story of a four-year-old boy who is determined to live strong until the day he can live with his parents. (www.netflix.com/KotaroLivesAlone)
    • Staff: Based on the manga Kotaro Lives Alone (published by Shogakukan in Big Comic Superior) by Mami Tsumura. Director: Tomoe Makino. Character design: Tomomi Kimura. Composition: Hiroshi Satо.
    • Cast: Kotaro – Rie Kugimiya. Karino – Toshiki Masuda.

    Vampire in the Garden – Global Premiere Date: 2022

    • One cold winter, humanity lost its battle with the vampires, and with it, most of where they called home. A small population of survivors created a wall of light in a small town to protect them and give them a place to live in peace. The protagonist, Momo, lives a repressed life but still wishes to coexist with the enemy, the vampires. Fine, the vampire queen, once loved humans and disappeared from the battlefield. As war rages through the humans’ town, the two have a fateful encounter. Once upon a time, humans and vampires lived in harmony in a place called Paradise. This is the story of a young girl and a vampire on a journey to find Paradise. (netflix.com/Vampire_in_the_Garden)
    • Staff: Director: Ryoutarou Makihara (Hal, The Empire of Corpses). Assistant director: Hiroyuki Tanaka (Attack on Titan). Character design/supervising director: Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto, The Sky Crawlers). Art setting: Satoshi Takabatake, Kazushi Fujii. Music: Yoshihiro Ike. Animation production: WIT STUDIO.
    • Cast: Momo – Megumi Han. Fine – Yu Kobayashi

    ULTRAMAN Season 2 – Global Premiere Date: 2022

    • Several years have passed since the events of Ultraman, with the legendary “Giant of Light” (光の巨人 Hikari no Kyojin) now a memory, as it is believed he returned home after fighting the many giant aliens that invaded the Earth. Shin Hayata’s son Shinjiro seems to possess a strange ability, and it is this ability, along with his father’s revelation that he was Ultraman, that leads Shinjiro to battle the new aliens invading the Earth as the new Ultraman. (netflix.com/ultraman)
    • Staff: Based on a comic by: Tsuburaya Production, Eiichi Shimizu & Tomohiro Shimoguchi. Directors: Kenji Kamiyama & Shinji Aramaki. Music: Nobuko Toda & Kazuma Jinnouchi. Production: Production I.G. & SOLA DIGITAL ARTS.

    Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure – Global Premiere Date: 2022

    • Rilakkuma’s new animated series Rilakkuma’s Theme Park Adventure takes to the screen in 2022! This new stop-motion animation series is written by Makoto Ueda and Takashi Sumita of the theater troupe Europe Kikaku. This series is produced by Dwarf, directed by Masahito Kobayashi of the same studio, and produced by San-X. In addition to Kaoru (voiced by Mikako Tabe), who first appeared in Rilakkuma and Kaoru, Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma and Kiiroitori go to play at a theme park that is about to close. There, they encounter many events and meet different people in this eight-episode series of 15-minute episodes depicting their active daily lives.
    • Staff: Director: Masahito Kobayashi (Dwarf). Screenplay: Takashi Sumita, Makoto Ueda (Europe Kikaku). Production: dwarf studios, xpd Inc. Production: San-X Co., Ltd.

    Also on the slate:

    • BEASTARS Season 3
    • Drifting Home feature film (2022)
    • exception (2022)
    • Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 Season 2 (2022)
    • Spriggan (2022)
    • Thermae Romae Novae (2022)
  • Real-Time Animated Series ‘The Jolliest Elf’ Arrives in December

    Real-Time Animated Series ‘The Jolliest Elf’ Arrives in December

    Director Chad Eikhoff (The Elf on the Shelf: An Elf’s Story), founder of TRICK 3D, has collaborated with Noitom International, Inc. to produce a new 3D animated series, The Jolliest Elf. Premiering this December, the 12-episode production was completed in less than a year using an all-new, fast-track production pipeline applying real-time gaming engines and motion capture technologies.

    Based on the notion of a Christmas-y talent competition show, the series follows what happens as five contestants from across Santa’s Village in The North Pole compete on stage to win the title of ‘Jolliest Elf.’ They perform for charismatic host, Mr. Jingles, and three lovable judges: the glamorous and talented Glo; the hard-to-please critic Tiny; and the lovable and encouraging Frosty. Viewers will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite contestants as episodes release and votes will be tallied before the final episode to reveal the winner.

    Utilizing Noitom’s virtual production pipeline, NoitomVPS, TRICK 3D was able to significantly cut down production time. The application of virtual production to traditional animation not only resulted in a faster workflow, but also reduced cost. The motion-capture system, paired with Notiom’s Perception Neuron Studio suit and Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, delivered final render quality, providing instant results for the director and creative team, offering the flexibility to experiment with shots and environments at any point in the production.

    “You can have a real-life motion-capture session while also having facial capture being done and recording audio and you get to see the scene at render quality in real time while you’re doing it,” said Alberto Alvarez, Technical Director at Noitom International, Inc. “So you have an exact idea of what it’s going to look like the day you capture with talent.”

    While the use of virtual production tools has become more prevalent for production teams, the expensive equipment remains out of reach for many creators and small studios. The NoitomVPS system, available for less than $50,000, enabled the TRICK 3D team to blaze a new trail in the animation industry and set new standards for production time, quality and efficiency.

    “This is all very cool technology,” said Eikhoff. “That said, what’s this tech let me do exactly? Well, when these technologies are all combined and applied to animation, the main thing we get is creative freedom. And with that creative freedom come all sorts of savings in time and budget. As the director, I can be inside of the animated world thanks to VR. I can direct live performance and capture live cameras all at the same time. And, I can see it all in final quality. These new technologies give me the ability to create quickly and edit frequently, all while being in and seeing the final render quality imagery.”

    The successful completion of The Jolliest Elf serves as an example of how to use new technologies to create animated content in real-time. The state-of-the-art technology requires a smaller crew than traditional productions and is completely portable, making it an essential tool for remote collaboration and when social distancing protocols are in place.

    “To bring mocap into animation has been a little bit of a challenge,” said Roch Nakajima, President of Noitom International, Inc. “But once people see how liberating it is, especially from the animator’s side, then, we’re [Noitom and TRICK 3D] both in agreement that it has a huge potential for the future.”

    Both Nakajima and Eikhoff will share more about this production process at IBC 2021 in Amsterdam on December 4. Children and families around the world will be able to experience The Jolliest Elf this holiday season on their favorite streaming platforms, including Discovery Kids, Kidoodle.TV, Amazon Prime and others.

    thejolliestelf.com | trick3d.com | neuronmocap.com/noitomvps

  • Award-Winning VFX Studio Framestore Opens New Mumbai Studio

    Award-Winning VFX Studio Framestore Opens New Mumbai Studio

    Oscar, Emmy and BAFTA-winning creative studio Framestore recently opened the doors to its latest state-of-the-art facility — a 30,000 square-foot, purpose-built studio located at the heart of Mumbai’s creative and technological ecosystem.

    The new studio already houses 120 of India’s top VFX specialists working across titles such as The Matrix Resurrections, His Dark Materials, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The company is continuing to make significant hires in areas such as compositing, tracking and CFX, and aims to achieve its first phase of a 300-person team early in 2022. This will be followed by a phase two build-out, which will see the studio double in size the following year.

    “Stepping through the doors and feeling the studio crackle with life is a real joy after so much hard work,” said Akhauri P. Sinha, Managing Director, India. “While the pandemic delayed the physical opening we’ve already started to bond as a team, and the additional time has meant we’ve really been able to fine-tune and finesse what the studio can offer our artists. It represents a new high watermark for India’s burgeoning visual effects sector, and the fact that we have such ambitious plans to expand and grow demonstrates our incredibly strong commitment to the city and the country’s wider VFX industry.”

    Akhauri P. Sinha (Framestore)

    The Mumbai studio will work on Framestore’s impressive raft of film and high-end episodic clients, meeting the needs of the world’s biggest names in entertainment. “The growing demand for film and episodic means a parallel demand for the best possible VFX,” noted Fiona Walkinshaw, Framestore’s Global Managing Director, Film. “We have more projects on our slate than ever before, and Mumbai is a vital addition to our global offer given the wealth of formidable talent in the area. Our growing team there is highly skilled and incredibly ambitious, and in no time at all they’re becoming a fully integrated part of a global production offer that now spans four continents.”

    Conveniently located in the busy Goregaon area of Mumbai, the new studio is based in the Nesco IT Park in the heart of Filmi Nagari. The site’s close proximity to Mumbai’s tech, film and TV production companies makes it a perfect location for Framestore — a company that prides itself on its place at the intersection of technical innovation and masterful storytelling.

    The Matrix: Resurrection
    The Matrix: Resurrection

    “The new Mumbai space represents part of a strategy that has seen an increase in studio locations,” said Sir William Sargent, Framestore’s CEO. “These plans include the integration of Method Studios’ film and episodic teams, the growth of our pre-production services division and our R&D ambitions — plans that speak to scale and capacity, as well as the ability to predict and meet industry demands.

    “On a human level, the studio speaks to our ethos and how we want to help our colleagues develop and progress. This is a state-of-the-art creative space designed with artists in mind, and with many new technology solutions being installed first in Mumbai it will, in some regards, be our most advanced location. Beyond the space and the tech, everyone working there will have access to our global training offer and, of course, the combined skill and knowledge of a community of thinkers and creatives who have been spearheading visual effects innovation for the past 35 years.”

    The Mumbai team will work alongside Framestore’s established film and episodic teams to create a cohesive international team that delivers best-in-the-business work. New recruits can expect to work on some of the world’s biggest films and franchises, as evidenced by a slate of recent and upcoming titles that in addition to the titles mentioned above includes Red Notice, The Suicide Squad, No Time to Die, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, 1899, The King’s Man, Cowboy Bebop, Don’t Look Up and The Wheel of Time.

    The Wheel of Time
  • Exclusive Trailer: ‘Centaurworld’ S2 Hoofs It to Netflix December 7

    Exclusive Trailer: ‘Centaurworld’ S2 Hoofs It to Netflix December 7

    Fans of wildly colorful, crazy, hilarious and surprisingly soulful animated musicals are shining their spurs and preparing for the Season 2 debut of Centaurworld, continuing the rollicking adventures of heroic Horse and her variegated centaur crew in their magical land.

    “I’m so excited about where Centaurworld goes in Season 2 — we get to really know the rest of the herd and Rider better and see more of both of the worlds,” said series creator and executive producer, Megan Nicole Dong. “I feel like our team made everything even funnier, more emotional, and intense this season and I really hope people continue to be surprised by where the story goes.”

    In S2, Horse (voiced by Kimiko Glenn) embarks on a mission to build an army and defeat the Nowhere King (Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell). It won’t be easy, but she’s got the herd by her side — and Rider (Jessie Mueller) back home.

    Centaurworld follows a war horse who is transported from her embattled world to a strange land inhabited by silly, singing centaurs of all species, shapes and sizes. Desperate to return home, she befriends a group of these magical creatures and embarks on a journey that will test her more than any battle she’s ever faced before.

    The voice cast also features Megan Hilty as Wammawink the alpaca-centaur, Parvesh Cheena as Zulius the zebra-centaur, Chris Diamantopoulos as Ched the finch-centaur, Josh Radnor as Durpleton the giraffe-centaur and Dong as Glendale the gerenuk-centaur. In addition to running the show, storyboarding and producing, Dong also pens original songs for Centaurworld and wrote the theme music; Toby Chu (Pixar’s Bao) is series composer.

    Dong shared her experiences working on the show during Monday’s “Superstar Showrunners” panel at the World Animation & Visual Effects Summit 2021, which also featured Stoopid Buddy Stoodios co-founder John Harvatine IV (Robot Chicken, Marvel’s M.O.D.O.K.), Aliki Theofilopoulos (Doug Unplugs) and Teddy Riley (Fairfax), moderated by Brooke Keesling (Bento Box).

    The Summit runs through Wednesday, November 10 at The Garland hotel in North Hollywood. Learn more at www.animationmagazine.net/summit.

    Catch up on Season 1 of Centaurworld on Netflix, streaming now: netflix.com/centaurworld.

  • CAPE Announces Participants for Inaugural Animation Directors Accelerator

    CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment), the leading film and television industry organization for Asian and Pacific Islanders, has found their inaugural class for their new program, the CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator (CADA) powered by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The CADA aims to equip animators on-the-cusp of leadership positions with the skills, mentorship, and professional network needed to break the ceiling in feature film and episodic animation.

    For the inaugural year, the studio-agnostic program will take place virtually where the selected rising animation directors and leaders will hone both their artistic and leadership skills through a series of panels, workshops and master classes from high-level executives, producers and creatives in the animation industry. The Fellowship is co-chaired by Justinian Huang (VP, Creative, Sony Pictures Animation) and Michelle Wong (Producer, Vivo).

    “Before we launched CADA, we had no idea how many candidates would apply because there’s never been an initiative like this before. We were amazed to receive so many applicants, which proved the overdue need for this program,” said Huang. “That put us in a position to make some difficult decisions as we selected the six members of our inaugural class. As a group, they are wonderfully diverse in background and talent, but what they share in common is a worthiness and readiness to join the creative leadership community of our industry.”

    Paired with high-level mentors from the animation industry, the six participants, who span from the United States, Canada and India, are:

    • Alex Kwan (Episodic Director, Nickelodeon) | Mentored by Arthur Fong & Wira Winata (Wish Dragon)
    • Isha Mangalmurti (Freelance Storyboard Artist/2D Animation Director) | Mentored by Alyce Tzue (Steps)
    • Kenny Park (Head of Story, Netflix Animation) | Mentored by Yoriaki Mochizuki (The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part)
    • Mingjue “Helen” Chen (Visual Development Artist & Production Designer, Sony Pictures Animation) | Mentored by Galen Chu (Ice Age 5: Collision Course)
    • Vi-Dieu Nguyen (Head of Story, Netflix Animation) | Mentored by Henry Yu (Surf’s Up 2: Wavemania)
    • Yunhao Zhang (Storyboard & 3D Artist, Disney Television Animation) | Mentored by Maggie Kang (K-Pop: Demon Hunters)

    Speakers this year include Oscar winner Domee Shi (director-writer, Pixar short Bao and the upcoming feature Turning Red), Jaydeep Hasrajani (creator, Netflix’s Boons and Curses), Osnat Shurer (producer, Moana, Raya and the Last Dragon), Kurt Albrecht (producer, The Mitchells vs. The Machines), Daniel Chong (creator and executive producer, Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears), Matt Braly (creator and executive producer, Disney Channel’s Amphibia), Jude Weng (director, Netflix’s Finding ‘Ohana), Jason McConnell (Director of Animation Development, Nickelodeon), Tim Yoon (producer, Maya and the Three), John Aoshima (co-director, Netflix’s Ultraman), Janet Wu (Director of Original Animation and Family Features, Netflix) and more.

    “I am thrilled about the inaugural class as they represent what is missing in animation: Diverse and authentic stories that are fresh and inspiring,” said Wong. “They are all talented leaders, and I congratulate them for embarking on a journey to discover more about themselves.

    “According to a recent Grand View Research report, the global 3D animation market alone is estimated to reach $39.96 billion by 2028, increasing at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7% from 2021 to 2028,” noted Michelle K. Sugihara, CAPE’s Executive Director. “There is no better time to invest in API animation leaders than right now.”

    The CAPE Animation Directors Accelerator joins other industry-renowned CAPE initiatives such as the CAPE New Writers Fellowship (which recently opened up for submissions) and the CAPE Leaders Fellowship. CAPE is also incubating several other initiatives, including ones for assistants and stand-up comedians, as well as the CAPE Database, a public-facing database for Asian and Pacific Islander talent, executives, reps, and more.

    For more information, visit www.capeusa.org.

  • Global Collab CGI Short ‘Mila’ Under Oscar Consideration

    Global Collab CGI Short ‘Mila’ Under Oscar Consideration

    Ten years in the making and completed with the help of 350 volunteers across 35 countries, Mila, a powerful CG short about a young girl’s witness to the WWII bombings, is now in consideration for Best Animated Short Film for the 94th Academy Awards and streaming on the Academy Screening Room. This category is accessible to Academy members for voting purposes.

    Mila is a war story told from a child’s perspective. While the film is inspired by true events that occurred in Trento, Italy in 1943, Mila stands in for the children caught up in any war, of any time. The character represents the best of humanity: Although she has lost everything — her family, her house and her peace — she still clings to hope.

    While audiences do not often see animation explore serious, complex matters such as war, director and writer Cinzia Angelini believes it is the perfect medium to tell this story because while it is civilians who are the first to be hit, it is their children that are the last to be remembered.

    Mila
    Mila

    The Mila team comprised four core groups in the U.S.A, Italy, Canada and the United Kingdom. Professional artists in Italy, Australia, Mexico, India, France, Belgium, Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, Argentina, Nigeria, Egypt, Brazil, Spain and more contributed in a variety of ways voluntarily.

    “I am deeply honored and immensely grateful to be at the helm of such an incredible group of volunteers, who believed in me, in Mila and all that she represents. To see a project with such humble beginnings actually make it to being considered for the Academy Awards shows us what artists can do when they unite towards a meaningful goal. Nothing can stop them!” commented Angelini.

    “This has always been a team effort, supported by countless people who encouraged, contributed and became a part of our international, multicultural crew. Sharing this wonderful news with all of them has been the ultimate reward, and I thank each of them from the bottom of my heart.”

    Mila
    Mila

    Over the years, Mila gathered sponsors and partners including Pixel Cartoon, IbiscusMedia, Autodesk, Toon Boom Animation, SideFX, Aniventure, UNICEF Italia, Dog Head Animation & Skywalker Sound. In 2019, Cinesite announced their partnership with the project to complete the production of Mila.

    The CG short has not only rallied a global collective to illustrate the hearts, minds and everlasting hope of children in warzones, but has also spotlighted women in the animation industry. Thirty percent of the film’s crew was female, and many held leadership roles including writer/director, producer, executive producers, script supervisor, head of lighting, rigging supervisor, character effects leads and co-production managers.

    “I am so happy that I work in a studio that really cares about supporting women in the industry,” said Angelini. “And I’m also happy that I was able to give back… with advice or with recommendations or with networking to help people that were on the film for many years get something out of it. Many people that started as students with us are now professionals and were able to have portfolios thanks to Mila. We didn’t want to just take from the community, so we gave back as much as we could.”

    Cinzia Angelini
    Cinzia Angelini

    Originally from Italy, Angelini moved to Los Angeles in 1997 and has worked as a 2D/3D animator and story artist for studios like DreamWorks, Disney, Warner Bros., Sony Imageworks, Illumination and, most recently, Cinesite. Her credits include Balto, The Prince of Egypt, The Road to El Dorado, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, Spider-Man 2 (Best Visual Effects Oscar winner, 2005), Open Season, Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Minions, Despicable Me 3, The Grinch and Abominable. She presented her talk “Bridging cultural diversity through the magic of animation” to a world-wide audience for TEDx, in the U.S. and again in Italy.

    Angelini is currently co-directing the animated feature Hitpig (2022) with David Feiss, set in a futuristic cyberpunk world the story follows a grizzled porcine bounty hunter (Peter Dinklage) who accepts his next hit: Pickles (Lilly Singh), a naive, ebullient elephant who has escaped the clutches of an evil trillionaire. The film is produced by Aniventure and is currently in production at Cinesite.

    Preliminary voting for Best Animated Short Film begins December 10 and ends December 15, 2021. The Shortlist will be announced on December 21.

    Mila has received more than 40 awards and screened as an official selection in over 110 festivals around the world. Learn more at milafilm.com.

    Mila Trailer from Mila Film on Vimeo.

  • Russia’s SMF Animation Studio Slates Trio of Features

    Russia’s SMF Animation Studio Slates Trio of Features

    One of the oldest and biggest animation studios in Russia, SMF Animation Studio (Soyuzmultfilm) announced an upcoming three-picture slate of feature-length projects during last week’s American Film Market. These long format projects will join SMF’s slate of successful kids’ animated series titles in the next few years.

    The Formula for Water, set for release in 2023, is a post-apocalyptic romantic adventure for family audiences about a girl who sets out on a journey to save her kidnapped father — a scientist who created a machine that would restore the planet’s reserves of potable water. The film’s visual style was developed by a team of highly experienced professionals from around the world who have worked on blockbuster titles like Maleficent, The Lion King, Gravity, Prometheus, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, The Last Warrior, MIB: International, Coma and many others. This vision will be brought to life with cutting-edge virtual production technology.

    The Formula for Water
    The Formula for Water

    The Golden Beehive is a feature extension of SMF’s popular comedy series, The Secret of Honey Hills — produced with the Unreal Engine and distributed globally by Sola Media. The action begins when a unique artefact known as the Golden Beehive goes missing. It is up to detective Sophie the Owl and her assistant, Squirrel Chirp, to solve the mystery of the lost relic and return the lucky charm to the residents of Honey Hills.

    The Golden Beehive
    The Golden Beehive

    The Alpine Campaign (working title), set for release in 2022, combines elements of adventure, romance, military history and biography into a thrilling tale for the whole family. The film is based on the story of a 16-year-old boy named Grisha who comes into the service of General Suvarov’s regiment during the legendary Swiss campaign of the French Revolutionary Wars at the turn of the 19th century. Before his eyes, destiny is being decided, and Grisha becomes a witness to key events and dangerous intrigues. To achieve fame and win the favor of his beloved, Grisha must overcome self-doubt and accomply a small but truly heroic act.

    The Alpine Campaign
    The Alpine Campaign

    “It has been only a few years since the studio’s reboot during which we have managed to achieve spectacular results so far: bring on board a talented team, implement new technologies and develop our company in many fields. We have already produced thousands of minutes of animation that is beloved by kids and their families from all over the world. And we are moving forward with our ambitious plans and are happy to continue our route releasing feature films as well,” said Yuliana Slashcheva, Chairman of the Board of Directors, SMF Studio. “Our studio is very open to innovations and any sort of co-production that help us create the best entertaining content and it is especially grateful to have high-caliber international specialists with us.”

    www.smfanimation.com

  • Trailer: Misfit Critters Make Their Break in ‘Back to the Outback’ Next Month

    Trailer: Misfit Critters Make Their Break in ‘Back to the Outback’ Next Month

    Netflix has dropped the official trailer and key art for upcoming original animated feature Back to the Outback. Fresh from the security office fo the Australian Wildlife Reserve, the spot offers that last known footage of global cuteness icon Pretty Boy before he was brazenly koala-napped by a gang of fatal fauna! The re-wilding comedy-adventure for the whole family premieres December 10.

    Tired of being locked in a reptile house where humans gawk at them like they’re monsters, a ragtag group of Australia’s deadliest creatures plot a daring escape from their zoo to the Outback, a place where they’ll fit in without being judged for their scales and fangs. Leading the group is Maddie (Isla Fisher), a poisonous snake with a heart of gold, who bands together with a self-assured Thorny Devil lizard Zoe (Miranda Tapsell), lovelorn hairy spider Frank (Guy Pearce) and sensitive scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie).

    …But when their nemesis — Pretty Boy (Tim Minchin), a cute but obnoxious koala — unexpectedly joins their escape, Maddie and the gang have no choice but to take him with them. So begins a hair-raising and hilarious road trip across Australia, as they are pursued by a zookeeper Chaz (Eric Bana) and his adventure-seeking son, Chazzie (Diesel La Torraca).

    Back to the Outback also features the voices of Rachel House, Keith Urban, Celeste Barber, Wayne Knight, Lachlan Power and Jacki Weaver. The movie is directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, written by Cripps from a story created with Gregory Lessans. The Netflix Original feature is animated by Reel FX (Scoob!, The Book of Life).

    Back to the Outback
    Back to the Outback
  • WIA & AIS Publish New Gender Equity Report ‘Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects’

    WIA & AIS Publish New Gender Equity Report ‘Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects’

    Blockbuster films with stunning visual effects may be one way to draw audiences back to movie theaters. But how many women are responsible for the imagery on screen? According to a new report, the number is very low.

    The report, titled “Invisible in Visual Effects,” is the second in a partnership between Dr. Stacy L. Smith, the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and Women in Animation to explore women’s participation across industries. The quantitative study examined women working in visual effects across 400 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2019, focusing on overall prevalence and leadership credits. The study further explored women working in the executive ranks across 60 VFX companies. Finally, awards recognition for women was assessed. The report also includes a qualitative investigation, which consists of 82 in-depth interviews with women in VFX as well as industry decision-makers.

    Across 400 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2019, women received 21.6% of all VFX credits. This is a ratio of 3.6 men to every 1 woman working in VFX. Additionally, there was no change over time, with 20.8% of credits awarded to women in 2016 and 22.6% of credits in 2019.

    Turning to leadership roles, women held 16.2% of all senior positions across the four-year period. This varied by position, however, as women comprised only 2.9% of VFX supervisors but 46.7% of VFX producers. Less than one-quarter (23%) of VFX editors were women, while fewer than 10% of other leadership roles were held by women: Animation supervisors (3.7%), Lighting supervisors (2%), Compositing supervisors (7.4%) and CG/3D supervisors (3.5%).

    The study also asked how often women of color held these top positions. The answer? Infrequently. Women of color filled only 2.5% of all leadership roles, and less than 1% of VFX supervisor positions across the sample. This is a ratio of 208 men for every one woman of color working as a VFX supervisor. Women of color were most likely to be VFX producers (5.8% of all roles) or VFX editors (5.1% of all roles), but held only 1% of other leadership positions across 400 top films.

    Gender Gaps in VFX Leadership Role (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)
    Gender Gaps in VFX Leadership Role (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)

    “The lack of women in the visual effects industry is part of a larger pattern of exclusion across the film industry,” said Dr. Smith. “VFX companies and studios have to think critically about their hiring and promotion practices as well as the cultures they create internally if they want to see more women and in particular women of color ascending to leadership roles.”

    The study included an examination of the pipeline positions that lead to supervisory roles. The authors note that women fill between 13.9% and 21.5% of pipeline jobs, but these figures plummet to less than 10% of leadership positions. Even in producing roles, women fill nearly two-thirds of production coordinator roles, but their prevalence drops to less than half of producers. “There are clear leaks and cracks in the pipeline for women across the ecosystem of the VFX industry,” said Dr. Smith.

    The report also provides insight into the leadership profile of 60 top VFX companies. The companies were chosen based on their work across top movies. Overall, slightly more than one-quarter (26.9%) of executives at these companies were women, and 5.5% were women of color. Based on frequency of work across top films, the companies were sorted into three tiers. The highest tier of companies, representing 20 organizations, had the highest percentage of women and women of color executives—30% and 6.2%, respectively. Fewer than 25% of executives across the middle (24.8%) and lowest (21.4%) tiers were women, with women of color comprising 4.8% of roles at both tiers.

    “As the data from this landmark study shows, there are clearly obstacles in place for women in the realm of visual effects. We hope that this fact-based awareness will open more doors and repair broken rungs on the leadership ladder to create a more diverse and inclusive environment in this sector of the entertainment industry,” said WIA President Marge Dean.

    Another area explored were awards related to visual effects. Only one woman has been nominated for and won an Academy Award for Visual Effects. At the Visual Effects Society Awards, women fared better — 12.8% of nominees between 2016 and 2020 and 9.3% of winners. Women of color comprised 2.1% of nominees but none have won an award in the time frame examined.

    Women nominees and winners of top VES Awards (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)
    Women nominees and winners of top VES Awards (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)

    Results from the qualitative analysis demonstrate the major impediments facing women in the visual effects industry. Responses indicated that three factors contribute independently and interactively to prevent women in VFX from reaching positions of leadership. The report provides insight as to how these factors may impede women’s careers or encourage them to pursue VFX producer roles which often have less prestige or lower pay. These include:

    • Issues related to workforce composition and the prevalence of men in the industry
    • Workplace culture that does not meet women’s needs around work/family balance or encourage their participation
    • Leadership perceptions that link supervisory roles to masculine traits

    Solutions offered by the report to increase women’s prevalence in the visual effects industry include:

    • Raise the profile of VFX producers
    • Make VFX producers eligible for Academy Awards & membership
    • Bolster the pipeline to VFX supervisor
    • Create cultures that support women of color
    • Expand options for flexible work and job sharing
    • Create inclusion policies that span studios and VFX houses

    Read the full report “Invisible in Visual Effects: Understanding the Prevalence and Experiences of Women in the Field” (Nov. 2021) here.

    annenberg.usc.edu/aii | www.womeninanimation.org

    Pipeline to leadership for women in production (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)
    Pipeline to leadership for women in production (Women Are Invisible in Visual Effects, 2021)
  • Paramount+ Renews ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ for Second Season

    Paramount+ Renews ‘Star Trek: Prodigy’ for Second Season

    More adventures await the motley crew of the U.S.S. Protostar. Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, today announced that its new animated kids series Star Trek: Prodigy has been renewed for a second season. Produced by the Nickelodeon Animation Studio and CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Production, the show is already a hit amongst Paramount+ subscribers, and had the top-performing premiere day out of any original animated kids series on the service.

    Season one of Star Trek: Prodigy premiered on Thursday, October 28 with a one-hour episode, exclusively for Paramount+ subscribers in the U.S. New episodes of the first half of season one will continue to roll out weekly on Thursdays through Thursday, Nov. 18. Following a mid-season break, the remaining five episodes of season one’s first half will be available to stream weekly on Thursdays, starting on Thursday, Jan. 6. The 10-episode-long second half of season one will be available on Paramount+ at a later date next year, to be announced.

    Developed by Emmy Award winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (Trollhunters, Ninjago), the CG-animated show is the first Star Trek series aimed at younger audiences, and follows a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search of a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered — a first in the history of the Star Trek franchise — but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

    Star Trek: Prodigy
    Star Trek: Prodigy

    The voice cast includes Kate Mulgrew (Hologram Kathryn Janeway), Brett Gray (Dal), Ella Purnell (Gwyn), Rylee Alazraqui (Rok-Tahk), Angus Imrie (Zero), Jason Mantzoukas (Jankom Pog), Dee Bradley Baker (Murf), John Noble (The Diviner) and Jimmi Simpson (Drednok).

    Star Trek: Prodigy is from CBS Studios’ Eye Animation Productions; Nickelodeon Animation Studio, led by President of Animation Ramsey Naito; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Alex Kurtzman, Heather Kadin, Aaron Baiers, Katie Krentz, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth serve as executive producers, alongside co-showrunners Kevin and Dan Hageman and Ben Hibon, who also directs and serves as executive producer and the creative lead of the animated series.

    The series is distributed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group and is also available to stream on Paramount+ in international territories, including Latin America, the Nordics and Australia.

  • Trailer: Adam King Stars in Animated Christmas Special from RTÉjr and Kavaleer

    Trailer: Adam King Stars in Animated Christmas Special from RTÉjr and Kavaleer

    Ireland’s inspirational young star of The Late Late Toy Show, Adam King is set to star in an upcoming Christmas animation from RTÉjr and Irish animation studio Kavaleer Productions entitled Adam Saves Christmas. The short will premiere on RTÉjr on Christmas Eve. The project was announced on Friday night’s episode of The Late Late Show.

    “We are delighted to be lighting up our Christmas schedule on RTÉjr with Adam Saves Christmas. Adam is a real inspiration and his message of positivity and joy is something that we think is really important to get out there. It’s very hard not to be smiling from ear to ear by the end of this animation,” said Eimear O’Mahony, Executive Producer Children and Young People’s Programming, RTÉ.

    Adam voice stars as the titular character, alongside broadcaster Ryan Tubridy as the voice of Santa. The special will also feature Paul Tylak (Jessy and Nessy, Becca’s Bunch) as Bubby, Nina Wadia (The Queen’s Corgi, The Sandman) as Shelby, Bonnie O’Meara (star of Maddie + Triggs on RTÉjr Radio) as Speedy, Portia McLoughlin as Zuzu and Seána Kerslake (Smother, A Date for Mad Mary) as Frizzle.

    It’s Christmas Eve and Adam, Speedy, Bubby and Zuzu need to get back to planet Earth in time for Christmas to see what Santa will bring. But Christmas is in peril as Adam discovers when Santa calls to tell them the Northern Lights aren’t working and it’s so dark, he can’t find his reindeer. Unless Adam can figure out what’s happening to the Aurora, Christmas will be ruined! And so the adventure begins for Adam and his crew to save Christmas!

    “We are delighted to be working with Adam and RTÉjr on his very first adventure, Adam Saves Christmas. This special will introduce Irish audiences to Adam’s crew; Bubby, Speedy, Zuzu and Shelby — and also to a particularly nasty alien who is trying to spoil Christmas for Santa and all the children!” said Andrew Kavanagh, CEO of Kavaleer. “Young audiences will also learn a little bit about how our sun helps create the spectacular Northern Lights, with a little help from our brilliant space expert, Dr. Norah Patten. We always knew there was nothing Adam couldn’t do once he put his heart into it, so children all over Ireland can rest assured that the fate of Christmas is in safe hands!”

    Kavaleer previously announced the production of a new animated series inspired by and starring Adam King, entitled Adam ❤ Adventure, which will be the first animated Irish children’s program to feature a wheelchair-user as protagonist. With 150 million children living with additional needs worldwide, the show will introduce much-needed on-screen representation. Motivated by the magic of this production, the team at RTÉjr commissioned the special Christmas animation.

    David King, Adam’s father, shared, “We are so excited about this collaboration between  RTÉjr and Kavaleer. Adam just can’t believe he is going to have his own Christmas special! The journey over the last year in developing Adam ❤ Adventure has been incredible as it has celebrated Adam, a wheelchair user, as the hero. We are delighted the people of Ireland will get an early insight into the potential of this groundbreaking animation on Christmas Eve.”

    RTÉjr and Kavaleer team up with Adam King for magical Christmas special “Adam Saves Christmas!” from Kavaleer on Vimeo.

  • Big Bad Boo’s Aly Jetha Named KEPYR’s First Heroes Award Honoree

    Aly Jetha, Co-Founder of Big Bad Boo Studios and Oznoz.com, has been selected to receive the first ever KEPYR Heroes Award. KEPYR (Kids Entertainment Professionals for Young Refugees) has chosen the veteran producer to receive the inaugural award at the forthcoming Kids Media Stays Up Late! virtual comedy and music event taking place on November 12.  The award recognizes the many years of work and contributions Jetha has given to developing and implementing innovative educational programs for displaced children around the world.

    “We all need people to look up to those who ignite in us a greater appreciation of the good we’re capable of,” noted Grant Moran, KEPYR founder. “Aly’s years of dedicated work employing entertainment as a tool to counter distress and trauma for conflict-affected children from Syria and Afghanistan to the Philippines and El Salvador, is inspirational to us at KEPYR. This award is an expression of our gratitude to Aly for the example he sets for service, sacrifice, and profound humanity on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable children.”

    With Shabnam Rezaei, Jetha co-founded the multilingual children’s OTT platform Oznoz.com and Vancouver-based Big Bad Boo Studios, an animation studio that creates cartoons that promote diversity and inclusion. Their many award-winning shows include 1001 Nights, The Bravest Knight and 16 Hudson. Over the last decade, Jetha has spearheaded the company’s international development work that partners with UNICEF and NGOs, like Save the Children. Big Bad Boo programs have provided humor and relief to over 2 million vulnerable children in over 20 countries including Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia, the Philippines and El Salvador.

    In 2018, Jetha and Big Bad Boo won the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Award at the United Nations for creating one of the most innovative education programs in the world. They were also inducted into the 1 Million Lives Collective for the unique distinction of having improved the lives of over 1 million children living on less than $5 per day. Jetha is considered a leading expert on the use of entertainment to promote diversity, inclusion and life skills and regularly speaks at international venues like the United Nations and the World Bank, as well as government venues like the White House, the British Parliament and Foreign Ministries of various countries.

    “The work that I have had the opportunity to do with UNICEF has been some of the most rewarding work of my life,” said Jetha. “I’m humbled by this award, but thank you for it. More than anything though, thank you KEPYR for putting these issues at the top of our minds and for providing a venue for others to engage and make a difference.”

    Kids Media Stays Up Late will be hosted by multiple-award-winning actor and music artist Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob Squarepants). Produced by Guy Toubes (T.O.T.S., The Stinky and Dirty Show, Hello Jack! The Kindness Show), the virtual fund-raising event will feature sketches by Kenny and fellow voice acting luminaries Carlos Alazraqui, Gary Anthony Williams, Matt Danner and others, and music from Kenny and his band The Hi-Seas, Grammy winner Lisa Loeb and voice & recording artist Grey DeLisle. All proceeds from the event will go to support UNICEF’s vital relief efforts at the U.S. / Mexico border.

    Tickets for the virtual event are $35 and are available now at www.kepyr.org.

    KEPYR was recently presented with the 2021 President’s Volunteer Service Award for “dedicated service to children around the world.” The organization was founded by industry professionals in 2017 to spread awareness in the global children’s media community about the current child refugee crisis, the worst since WWII, and to rally support for UNICEF’s heroic work serving displaced children everywhere.

    KEPYR’s Board of Directors comprises a diverse group of leading kids’ industry executives, including Grant Moran, Yang Chang, Chara Campanella, Aurora Simcovich, Johnny Hartmann, Scott Gray and Monica Dollive. Serving on KEPYR’s Advisory Board are Christopher Keenan, Jean Thoren, Greg Payne, Jo Kavanagh-Payne, Maca Rotter, Danielle Gillis, Ryan Gagerman, Martin Baynton, Gushi Sethi, Sabrina Propper, Dave Palmer and Sebastian Rich.

    UNICEF works in more than 190 countries and territories and has helped save more children’s lives than any other humanitarian organization, by providing health care and immunizations, safe water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief and more.

  • ‘Wallace & Gromit’ Writer Bob Baker Dies Age 82

    Robert John “Bob” Baker, a film and television writer best known for his work with Aardman Animations on its Wallace & Gromit films and for creating the dog-like mobile computer K9 on Doctor Who, died November 3 at age 82. The news was announced by the @K9official1 Twitter account on Friday.

    Born in the St. George district of Bristol, England on July 26, 1939, Baker left secondary school at age 15 and became an apprentice monumental mason, carving inscriptions on gravestones — leading the wit to once quip, “I was always a writer.” After making a couple short films on 16mm, the budding creative decided to return to school in 1959, studying painting with animation & film as a subsidiary. Despite a couple of gigs in the industry, Baker’s break into entertainment did not begin to open up until he befriended a regular customer at a small shop he had opened: advertising copywriter Dave Martin.

    Dave Martin and Bob Baker [Photo: University of Reading Weblog]
    Dave Martin and Bob Baker [Photo: University of Reading Weblog]

    Baker and Martin went on to create a number of live-action projects in collaboration with HTV producer Patrick Dromgoogle through the 1970s, including the dramas Thick as Thieves and Machinegunner, children’s drama Sky and BAFTA nominated dark-fantasy King of the Castle. During this time, the writing partners had sent a script to the BBC which led to their first Doctor Who commission (“The Claws of Axos,” 1971). Baker and Martin would write seven adventures for the Time Lord, including K9’s introduction in “The Invisible Enemy” (1977). Baker penned the ambitious “Nightmare of Eden” (1979) on his own.

    Paul Tams and Bob Baker with K9
    Paul Tams and Bob Baker with K9

    K9 went on to enjoy its own spin-off pilot, K9 and Company (1981), in which the mutt-like machine teamed up with former Doctor companion Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen). The character reunited with Sarah Jane in a 2006 episode of the resurrected Doctor Who, and continued to appear in the spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures. Baker and producer Paul Tams at last got the character its own spin-off, K9, in 2009. The 26-episode series was made and broadcast in Australia and distributed all over the world. Further series, feature and book projects had been announced in the works from Baker and Tams over the last several years; Baker published his autobiography, K9 Stole My Trousers, in 2013.

    Doctor Who "The Invisible Enemy"
    Doctor Who “The Invisible Enemy”

    Baker first teamed up with Aardman co-founder Nick Park to co-write Wallace & Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (1993) — the second stop-motion short to feature the cheese-loving inventor (voiced by Peter Sallis) and his super intelligent, put-upon pup — which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short and the BAFTA for Best Animation. Baker and Park followed this with the Oscar-winning A Close Shave (1995), introducing another beloved character to the Aardman family: Shaun the Sheep, who would go on to star in his own TV series and two feature films.

    The Wrong Trousers
    The Wrong Trousers

    Baker also co-write the Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit feature The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) and, as pointed out by fellow scriptwriter Eddie Robson on Twitter (@EddieRobson), wrote his own death into Park’s BAFTA and Annie-winning short A Matter of Loaf and Death (2008) with the murder of “Baker Bob.”

    Baker’s further collaborations with lifelong friend Martin, who died in 2007, included 1970s projects Z-Cars, Hunter’s Walk and police serial Target. On his own, Baker also wrote episodes and script-edited for U.K. shows Shoestring, Call Me Mister and TV movie The Jazz Detective, and conceived and script-edited 1982’s Into the Labyrinth, which like Doctor Who incorporated time travel into its fantastical stories.  Most recently, he served as a writer and producer for the hybrid documentary series Wallace and Gromit’s World of Invention (2010), produced for the BBC.

    Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
    Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

    Baker is survived by his third wife, Marie (née Hume; married 1991) and her children Jo, Clare, Rachael and Sarah Jane; daughter Cathy and Son Martin from his first marriage, to Vicki Hollis; son Andy and stepdaughter Laura from his second marriage, to Angela Wynne; and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by Paul, a son from his first marriage, in 2020.

    [Source: The Guardian]

    A Close Shave
    A Close Shave
  • NOMINT Sculpts a Chilling Climate Message in Stop-Motion Ice for WWF

    NOMINT Sculpts a Chilling Climate Message in Stop-Motion Ice for WWF

    WWF’s Arctic Programme has launched a global campaign to remind world leaders that “once arctic ice melts, we can’t get it back.” Released to coincide with the UN’s COP26 climate change conference, the message is driven home in a ground-breaking stop-motion animated short conceived and produced by London-based NOMINT, which uses real ice to tell the story of the disappearing habitat.

    The campaign, “Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice,” follows the story of a young polar bear struggling to survive in the increasingly melting Arctic environment. NOMINT used the natural melting properties of ice to create a direct visual metaphor between the real-life Arctic and the animated environment. In the film, as in life, Arctic sea ice is melting quickly, “changing the Arctic ecosystems forever, causing destruction around the planet” — a stark reminder to world leaders of the need to act now.

    NOMINT used an innovative combination of 3D printing, moldmaking and ice sculpting to create 500 unique polar bear ice sculptures that were then used to create the stop-motion animation. More than 1,000 liters of ice were used to create the polar bear sculptures and environment. The film, which took a year to produce, was directed by NOMINT co-founder Yannis Konstantinidis in collaboration with motion designers Marcos Savignano and Jua Braga, with music by Ted Regklis.

    Can't Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice (WWF)
    Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice (WWF)

    “Animations are powerful tools to tell stories with emotion in a simple, effective way. So, when NOMINT told us about this new animation technique using melting ice, we were intrigued,” said Andrea Norgen, Senior Communication Manager for WWF’s Arctic Programme. “The climate crisis and the devastating effects it has on the Arctic and the rest of the world are not new but this way of communicating the urgency of world leaders to limit global warming within 1.5°C is.”

    Konstantinidis commented, “This was by far the most taxing project we have ever worked on, both emotionally and technically. Part of the appeal of the concept was that we were going to use the natural melting properties of ice to create a direct metaphor to the Arctic problem. We completely underestimated the fact that once ice starts melting you have no control over it, making it almost impossible to create a stop-motion film of this scale, which famously requires time between each shot. It was especially hard emotionally, as with every melted sculpture and ruined shot, we were being reminded of the devastating issue at hand and how easy it is to underestimate it.”

    Can't Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice (WWF)
    Can’t Negotiate the Melting Point of Ice (WWF)

    WWF has had a program focused on the Arctic since 1992. WWF’s Arctic Programme is the only circumpolar environmental NGO with Observer status at the Arctic Council. WWF’s work spans seven Arctic countries and beyond. arcticwwf.org

    NOMINT is an award-winning animation production company based in London, U.K. NOMINT represents some of the most unique animation directors and collectives from around the world. www.nomint.com

  • GIRAF Takes Calgary Toon Confab Online in November

    GIRAF Takes Calgary Toon Confab Online in November

    Western Canada’s longest-running animation festival, GIRAF is expanding beyond the borders of Alberta for its 2021 edition with a nation-wide online streaming event, presenting 90-plus shorts from around the globe, features and artist talks — including 27 Canadian premieres. The Quickdraw Animation Society presents the 17th Giant Incandescent Resonating Animation Festival (GIRAF)  from November 19-28.

    The featured artist for 2021 is Renee Zhan (O Black Hole, Reneepoptosis), whose inventive short films have won major awards at Sundance, SXSW and TIFF, along with showing at every major animation festival out there. Zhan will host a retrospective of her work, along with an online workshop.

    Renee Zhan
    Renee Zhan

    Anonymous Instagram account 24 Memes Per Second has curated an experimental shorts program, and will host a meme-making workshop for animation fans inspired by their unique take on (and encyclopaedic knowledge of) the medium.

    GIRAF will screen 86 short films (and counting) across 11 screening packages. Over a quarter of this year’s titles will be making their Canadian festival premiere, including films from Joanna Priestley, Grace Lee and Einar Baldvin. The lineup also features recent films from leading voices in independent animation like Yoriko Mizushiri, Felix Colgrave, Lia Bertels, Terril Calder, Emily Pelstring and Joaquín Cociña & Cristóbal León.

    In addition to the latest from globally recognized artists, a taste of animation history is on the menu with a 35th anniversary screening of Czech stop-motion legend Jiří Barta’s  acclaimed feature film Krysar, from a brand-new 35mm scan. This dark retelling of the Pied Piper fairy tale is heavily inspired by German Expressionism and medieval artwork.

    Krysar
    Krysar

    Another special screening will present Swedish director Sofie Edvardsson’s bittersweet romantic comedy Top 3, about perpetual list-maker Anton, whose burgeoning relationship with David starts to go awry when he realizes their life dreams may be in total opposition. The 45-minute piece won the audience choice award at Outfest L.A. 2019.

    Outside film, attendees can explore video game animation in a panel featuring a mix of major studio artists and indie developers: Asemta Bhattad (Ubisoft Toronto), Craig Adams (Superbrothers), Pedro Medeiros (Celeste, TowerFall) and Price Morgan (EA Vancouver).

    The festival artwork and trailer for GIRAF 17 was created by Calgary-based artist and animator Molly Little.

    Top 3
    Top 3

    As with last year’s Alberta-only edition, this year’s festival will feature scheduled watch parties taking place in GIRAF’s Discord channel, where audience members and filmmakers alike can chat about their favorite films for a more social viewing experience. Or, viewers can take advantage of the on-demand offerings whenever they like, bingeing all the films in one go or spacing them out over the 10-day festival.

    All films, interviews and artist talks will be closed-captioned, thanks to the support of Accessibility Sponsor: Calgary Economic Development, and the efforts of Calgary’s Binder Productions.

    Individual screening/talk tickets ($10 each) and full festival passes ($60, includes commemorative program, poster and stickers) for the online GIRAF 17 are available now at giraffest.ca.

    GIRAF 17 Festival Trailer by Molly Little from Quickdraw Animation on Vimeo.

  • Tunche’s ‘Ainbo’ Hits $10M at the Box Office, CMG Closes AFM Sales for ‘Kayara’

    Tunche’s ‘Ainbo’ Hits $10M at the Box Office, CMG Closes AFM Sales for ‘Kayara’

    Despite the COVID complications of attending cinemas, Peruvian-Dutch animated feature Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon has surpassed $10 million at the global box office, buoyed by strong performances in Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Poland, Mexico and across Latin America. The CGI feature by José Zelada and Richard Claus tells the story of a young indigenous woman who fights to protect her rainforest homeland from the threats of deforestation and illegal mining.

    Ainbo has grossed more than $2.25M in France through Le Pacte, around $1.75M in Australia and New Zealand through Rialto Distribution, over $1.5M in The Netherlands via WW Entertainment and more than $500,000 in Poland via Kino Swiat. The film launched with number four debuts in Vietnam (Blue Lantern), Ukraine (Monumental Pictures), Singapore (Shaw Entertainment), Switzerland (Praesens) and Iceland (Sena), and second place across Central America (CDC).

    The movie has upcoming releases slated for Italy on November 18 through Bim, in partnership with green orgs Fridays for Future Italy, Laga Ambiente and Green Me to mark National Arbor Day; Spain (Flins y Piniculas), Portugal (Cinemundo), South Korea (First Run), and in Peru in late 2021/early 2022 (New Century Warner Brothers).

    Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon
    Ainbo: Spirit of the Amazon

    While Ainbo continues to spread its ecological message in theaters around the world, Edward Noeltner of Ainbo sales agency CMG has reported a positive reception of producer Tunche Films’, Kayara. Another animated story of female empowerment, the studio will begin production on the follow-up feature in early 2022.

    Rights have gone to Le Pacte for French-speaking Europe, Muse for Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, WW Entertainment for Benelux, Praesens for Switzerland, Films4You in Portugal, Bir Films for Turkey, Bohemia for Czech and Slovak Republics, Five Star Pictures for Israel, Front Row for the Middle East, Falcon for Indonesia, Mongrel Film Distribution for Mongolia and CDC for Latin America.

    Kayara follows a pioneering Incan messenger or Chasqui captured by Conquistadors who must decide whether to protect her land or reveal the location of the secret Golden City.

  • Studio Syro Pops the Tab on Free 5th Chapter of ‘Soda Island’ VR Series

    Studio Syro Pops the Tab on Free 5th Chapter of ‘Soda Island’ VR Series

    As a surprise to fans of the dreamily fantastical animated VR anthology series, Studio Syro has launched the fifth episode of Tales from Soda Island for free on Oculus Quest today. Available via the Virtual Animation Player app, “The School Trip” takes viewers on an unforgettable voyage as they follow a single drop of glucose rain on a transformative journey through the highly immersive and colorful world of Soda Island.

    Tales from Soda Island is an innovative series made entirely with the VR painting app Quill. Throughout the series, viewers have been taken on an expedition into a vibrant untamed jungle, into the depths of a bleak underground metropolis, across multiple dimensions, and on a high-speed race across the quantum realm. Each episode also has three pieces of supplemental content accompanying them which expand the rich lore of Soda island.

    Launched in May 2020, the first-of-its-kind project comprises over an hour of VR runtime across all five episodes. Tales from Soda Island is available to watch through Oculus here.

    Based in Florida, Studio Syro is a small indie company of international creators and developers, brought together over the internet by a shared interest in virtual reality art and animation. Their first project was the music video “Dreaming of You/Far Away” for Slushii, commissioned by Monstercat and created using Quill and Unity. This year, Syro developed a web-based virtual platform to host five virtual exhibitions for Dawson College art students to showcase their work under lockdown.

    Learn more at studiosyro.com.

    Tales from Soda Island: The School Trip
    Tales from Soda Island: The School Trip
  • Blackstone-Backed Media Co. Acquiring Moonbug Entertainment

    Blackstone-Backed Media Co. Acquiring Moonbug Entertainment

    Moonbug Entertainment Ltd. — the digital-first, global children’s entertainment company behind CoComelon — has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by the recently formed media company run by entertainment executives Kevin Mayer and Tom Staggs, both formerly of  TheWalt Disney Company, and backed by investment capital from Blackstone.

    Moonbug’s founders, CEO René Rechtman and COO John Robson, and existing management team and shareholders, will retain equity stakes in the Mayer-Staggs-Blackstone-backed media company. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bloomberg values the transaction at $3 billion.

    “John and I have built a category-leading, digital-first kids entertainment business based on strong values and content that is focused on digital platforms,” said Rechtman. “Our vision is to build global family franchises, which is wholly aligned with Kevin and Tom’s vision and experience. I have had the pleasure of working with them both earlier in my career and am thrilled to be reunited to build the next global powerhouse of entertainment. You could not find stronger partners in our industry.”

    Founded in 2018, Moonbug has rapidly built an industry-leading, global family audience through its highly popular shows such as CoComelon, Blippi, Little Baby Bum and many others. Their content appears in 27 languages on more than 100 platforms around the world such as YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon and Sky. Moonbug shows promote healthy values like compassion, empathy and resilience to kids around the world. Moonbug’s CoComelon is currently the second-most subscribed YouTube channel with approximately 120 million subscribers globally and the most-watched kids show on Netflix.

    Mayer and Staggs said, “We have known René and his innovative team for years, including during our time together at Disney, and they have built a perfect example of the type of category-defining business we are looking to bring into our company. They know how to identify and support brands that are beloved by millions of families across the globe. We and our partners at Blackstone look forward to helping expand Moonbug’s portfolio of titles and further extend its franchises across digital platforms and key licensing and merchandising channels.”

    Joe Baratta, Global Head of Private Equity at Blackstone, and David Kestnbaum, a Senior Managing Director at Blackstone, commented, “We are thrilled to partner with René, John and the impressive Moonbug team. They deeply understand the fast-changing digital media environment and have rapidly established Moonbug as a digital-native powerhouse in children’s entertainment. We are excited to help fuel their continued expansion in the years ahead.”

    Blackstone’s investment is being made through funds affiliated with the firm’s flagship private equity business. The firm has made a range of entertainment, digital and content-focused investments across its businesses, including children-focused global theme park operator Merlin Entertainments; leading water park operator Great Wolf Resorts; leading music rights organization SESAC; a music rights investment partnership with Hipgnosis Song Management; Epidemic Sound, which delivers music to internet content creators across the globe; a significant Hollywood and London studio space real estate portfolio; leading global, online genealogy platform Ancestry.com; and online mobile ad platforms Vungle and Liftoff, among others.

    The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions. Moonbug was advised on the transaction by The Raine Group LLC and Latham & Watkins, LLP served as legal advisor. Mayer, Staggs, Blackstone, and their new media company were represented by Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC as financial advisor and Kirkland & Ellis LLP as legal advisor.

  • REALTIME Studio Celebrates 25 Years of CG Creativity

    REALTIME Studio Celebrates 25 Years of CG Creativity

    REALTIME is celebrating its 25th anniversary, a significant milestone for the independent CG business which has two U.K. studios — in Manchester and at a converted farm in rural Lancashire. After meeting at Blackpool College of Art, founders Tony Prosser, Steve Kerswell and Jon Clayton launched REALTIME in 1996 from a rented house in nearby Lytham. Tony Prosser and Jon Clayton are still in key positions at the company today, as CEO and Lead Artist, respectively.

    The studio started out in architectural visualization and CG imagery and animation for the automotive sector for clients including McLaren, Audi and Ford. A milestone for the studio came in 2000, when REALTIME created a stand-out CG presentation for Ford for the Millennium Dome in London.

    The studio soon carved out a niche for themselves in crafting award-winning video game trailers and in-game cinematics for clients across the globe, including Rare, Codemasters, Disney Interactive and Microsoft Game Studios. The studio’s speciality in story-telling and character animation can be seen in viral trailers including SMITE: To Hell and Back, Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming and, more recently, Subnautica: Below Zero.

    In the last few years, the studio has moved into the broadcast sector, crafting photorealistic VFX and animated characters for shows including BBC’s The War of the Worlds and Sky TV’s A Discovery of Witches. REALTIME established a TV VFX department to further support this effort, expanding the size of the studio by 60 percent in 2021.

    SMITE: To Hell & Back (Hi-Rez Studios)
    SMITE: To Hell & Back (Hi-Rez Studios)

    “It is an extremely exciting time to be in the CG space, as we are seeing a huge growth in the demand for high-quality content across the automotive, games and broadcast sectors. Being a local home-grown company from the North West, we are hugely proud of our history and legacy,” said CEO Tony Prosser.

    “The focus for the next few years will be nurturing fresh talent that can benefit from the well-seasoned experts that we already have at REALTIME. Remote working is key to growing our team; during the pandemic we’ve proven, to ourselves and to our clients, that we can produce world class productions when we’re not all in the same room.”

    In their 25th year, REALTIME is celebrating several award wins and nominations. Their work on the second season of A Discovery of Witches is a finalist for Best VFX at the Broadcast Tech Innovation Awards and the viral trailer for Unknown Entertainment’s Subnautica: Below Zero won the Vega Digital Award for Best Animation. Both projects were also awarded a ‘special merit’ at the AEAF awards earlier this year.

    www.realtimeuk.com