Black Women Animate has announced the honorees for the second annual Black in Animation Awards Show, recognizing Black artists and executives for their contributions to the industry. Themed “Lift While We Climb” — a message which reflects BWA’s intention to ensure an equitable and ongoing pipeline of Black creatives in animation — the ceremony on November 14 will once again be hosted by Steven Universe voice star and Grammy-winning musician, Estelle.
The 2021 Nomination Committee comprises Sidney Clifton (Exec Producer, Jim Henson and Deluxe / Supervising Producer, BWA Studios), Camille Eden (VP Recruiting & Talent Development, Nickelodeon / Chair of Talent Development, Women in Animation), Jinko Gotoh (Producer, Netflix / VP, Women in Animation), Carl Reed (President, Lion Forge Animation), Nicole Rivera (VP Original Series Development, Cartoon Network), Lynn Southerland (director, Mulan II) and Marlon West (Head of Effects, Walt Disney Animation Studios).
This year’s award recipients are:
Trailblazer Award – Jay Francis, VP Current Series, Diversity & Inclusion, Disney Television Animation
Cultural Innovator Award – Mounia Aram, Founder & President, Mounia Aram Company
Next Gen Award – Tiffany Ford, Storyboard Artist, Craig of the Creek
Lifetime Achievement Award – Dan Haskett, Animator & Character Designer for Disney, DreamWorks, Pixar, Warner Bros. et al
International Award – Thandiwe Mlauli, Founder & CEO, Studio Yezi (South Africa)
Social Impact Spotlight Award – Laurence Ralph, Independent Filmmaker / Professor of Anthropology, Princeton University
The recipient of the Rising Star Award will be determined by the Dolphin Tank short film competition and announced during the ceremony.
The Black in Animation Awards Show will be held virtually on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. PT, following the BWA Studios Boot Camp event. Attendees must register at www.bwabootcamp.com. Both events are produced by BWA Studios in partnership with A Wynn Wynn Productions and West Peek Productions.
Nickelodeon’s hit hybrid preschool series Blue’s Clues & You! is getting into the holiday spirit with the launch of festive content across multiple platforms this season. The celebration will kick off this month with a brand-new Chanukah-themed episode, “A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights,” premiering Friday, Nov. 26, at 12 p.m. (ET/PT), and Nick’s expanded partnership with international nonprofit Save the Children for the network’s second annual “Blue Friday” on Nov. 19, a day of giving and learning.
In Blue’s Clues & You! “A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights,” a special, surprise guest comes to Periwinkle’s house to celebrate Chanukah, the very joyful festival of lights. Josh and Blue play Blue’s Clues to figure out who the surprise guest is, and celebrate the holiday by spinning dreidels, frying latkes, and singing an original Chanukah song.
“A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights” joins Nickelodeon’s library of holiday episodes, which includes the iconic perennial Rugrats special “A Rugrats Chanukah,” SpongeBob SquarePants “It’s A SpongeBob Christmas!” and PAW Patrol “Pups Save Christmas.”
Blue’s Clues & You! “A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights”
In an expansion of Nickelodeon’s partnership with Save the Children, the national leader in helping children prepare for and succeed in school across rural America, the organization will be Nick’s prosocial partner for its second annual “Blue Friday,” a day of giving and learning on Friday, Nov. 19. Nickelodeon has made a donation to Save the Children to support early learning opportunities for kids in need and, through Blue’s Clues & You!, will continue to help the nonprofit provide learning opportunities and education materials to kids and families in the U.S. with its early childhood education programs.
The educational hub, cluedintolearning.com, has resources for parents including learning materials, math and science curriculum videos, Blue’s Clues & You! activity sheets and more. Across America and around the world, Save the Children gives children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. For over 100 years, the nonprofit has been committed to addressing children’s unique and unmet needs, working to ensure they thrive as learners and in life.
Later this month, the Blue’s Clues & You! float will return to this year’s 95th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Blue’s Clues & You! star Josh Dela Cruz and former Blue’s Clues hosts, Donovan Patton and Steve Burns, will perform “You Can’t Spell Blue without YOU” on the float alongside a 22-foot-tall Blue covered in 13 pounds of glitter, on Thursday, Nov. 25, in the TV presentation.
Following the linear premiere of “A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights,” the episode will be available to watch on Nick Jr. On Demand, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App. The episode is part of Nickelodeon’s “Nickmas” holiday-themed lineup which features joyous premieres and specials from the network’s animation, live-action and preschool series, including all-new episodes of hit series Danger Force, That Girl Lay Lay, Baby Shark’s Big Show! and more, plus classic fan-favorite holiday episodes of Rugrats, PAW Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House.
Blue Friday!
With critical praise from educators, parents and preschoolers, Blue’s Clues — which recently celebrated a milestone 25th anniversary this year — has generated an enormous global fanbase in over 160 countries and more than 20 languages. Blue’s Clues drew acclaim and high ratings for its unique interactivity that helped change the way kids watch television and has remained one of the most popular preschool shows of all time. The landmark series also raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions, and anatomy. The show is the recipient of numerous awards including Peabody Awards, Parents Choice Awards, Television Critics Association Awards and Prix Jeunesse.
The legacy and lasting impact of the series continues with the remake of Blue’s Clues & You!, which has a new generation of preschoolers searching for clues with beloved puppy Blue and new live-action host Josh (Josh Dela Cruz). The series features new CG-animation for Blue and Magenta, brand-new elements and refreshed iconic items from the original series including an updated Handy Dandy Notebook equipped with smartphone technology and the return of fan-favorite characters.
Blue’s Clues & You!, produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif., was recently picked up for a fourth season and nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards. Currently in its second season, the show airs weekdays at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the international nonprofit Save the Children has changed the lives of more than 1 billion children. In the United States and around the world, Save the Children gives children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. It does whatever it takes for children — every day and in times of crisis — transforming their lives and the future we share. For further information, visit SavetheChildren.org.
Studio 100 Media is going back through the mists of time into an era dominated by the juiciest and crunchiest creatures ever to rule the planet: the mighty “Vegesaurs.” The action-comedy CGI-animated TV series (20 x 5’) is produced by independent Australian producer Cheeky Little for the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) and France TV. Principal production funding is provided by Screen Australia, with Studio 100 as co-investor.
Based on a concept created by Gary Eck and Nick O’Sullivan, the series is targeted at preschoolers and planned for delivery in 2022. ABC will broadcast it in Australia under the title Ginger & the Vegesaurs. Studio 100 Media is responsible for the worldwide distribution of content and licensing & merchandising rights.
Vegesaurs are vegetable and fruit-shaped dinosaurs ready to address and teach relatable themes for upper preschoolers such as getting to sleep, sharing, friendship, nurturing mealtimes and play. The lead character Ginger, a young Tricarrotops (carrot), and her Vegesaur friends including P(ea)-Rex, Cornasaurus (corn), Bananaraptor, Coconutdon, Broccolisaurus, Bokchoydactyl, Tomatodon, Appleflyrus and Potatodon, are here to enrich and enhance the imagination.
“It’s been a wonderful journey developing and producing Vegesaurs. It’s a completely fresh take on the dinosaur genre, packed with action, comedy and heart and we can’t wait to introduce kids to the creatures, sights and sounds of Vegesaur valley,” said Patrick Egerton, Executive Producer, Cheeky Little.
Martin Krieger, CEO of Studio 100 Media, added, “We have already received great feedback from various partners to whom we presented Vegesaurs in advance. Everybody loved the creative way that vegetables have been transformed into dinosaur creatures and kids around the globe will do so as well. The series offers a variety of excellent opportunities with regards to content distribution and in licensing & merchandising!”
The next chapter in one of Illumination’s smash hit franchises is ready to step into the spotlight this holiday season, with Universal Pictures raising the curtain on a second, star-powered trailer for Sing 2. The sequel is written and directed by returning filmmaker Garth Jennings and features new characters played by music superstars Bono and Pharrell Williams, Black Panther’s Letitia Wright and comedians Eric André and Chelsea Peretti.
In Sing 2, Buster (Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey) has turned the New Moon Theater into a local hit, but Buster has his eyes on a bigger prize: Debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But with no connections, Buster and his cast — including harried mother Rosita (Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon), rocker Ash (Scarlett Johansson), earnest Johnny (Taron Egerton), shy Meena (Tori Kelly) and, of course, provocateur Gunter (Nick Kroll) — have to sneak their way into the world-famous Crystal Entertainment offices, run by ruthless mogul Jimmy Crystal (Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale).
In a desperate attempt to get Mr. Crystal’s attention, Gunter spontaneously pitches an outrageous idea that Buster quickly runs with, promising that their new show will star rock legend Clay Calloway (Bono). Problem is, Buster has never met Clay, an artist who shut himself away from the world more than a decade ago after the loss of his wife. Even worse, Buster has failed to realize that Mr. Crystal is an egocentric gangster who would rather drop somebody off the roof of a building than be lied to.
As Gunter helps Buster dream up an out-of-this-world theatrical masterpiece, and the pressure (and sinister threats) from Mr. Crystal mount, Rosita’s leading role in the show gets ripped away and handed to Mr. Crystal’s spoiled daughter, Porsha, played by Grammy-nominated artist Halsey. Desperate to save the show, and his life, Buster embarks on a quest to find Clay and persuade him to return to the stage. What begins as a dream of big-time success becomes an emotional reminder of the power of music to heal even the most broken heart.
The film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Janet Healy. Sing 2 combines dozens of hit songs from pop to rock, K-pop to Latin, and from artists including Billie Eilish, Drake, U2, The Weeknd, Prince, Taylor Swift, BTS, Cardi B, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.
Tickets are available now for early access Sing 2 screenings on November 27 at www.singmovie.com.
FOX has debuted the moody and grandiose trailer for upcoming The Simpsons tale “A Serious Flanders.” Harkening to some of television and streaming’s hottest crime dramas, the two-part “Simpflix” event airs this Sunday, November 7 and next Sunday, November 14 at 8/7c. Springfield is about to get a whole lot grittier — and not just because of all the donut crumbs.
The Simpsons “A Serious Flanders” Pt. 2
“A Serious Flanders” features guest voice appearances by Brian Cox (Succession), Cristin Milioti (Fargo), Chris O’Dowd (State of the Union), Timothy Olyphant (Justified), Jessica Paré (Mad Men) & Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds).
Synopsis: When Ned Flanders finds a bag of money and donates it to a local orphanage, he lands himself, and a very jealous Homer, in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal debt collector who will stop at nothing to get it back. Sex, violence, pretentious needle-drops and superfluous flashbacks abound in this awards-thirsty attempt at prestige TV, on the all-new two-part episode of The Simpsons, “A Serious Flanders.”
Canadian-U.S. multicultural children’s entertainment company, bulbKIDZ (Gopher It!, TuTiTi, NuNi) has partnered with St. Louis-based, Academy Award-winning studio Lion Forge Animation (Hair Love) to co-develop and produce the original animated comedy, Alien Baby Sitters (26 x 22’).
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the incredibly accomplished Lion Forge team on this comical, yet extremely relevant, premise,” says Nancy Koff, Co-Founder and EVP Content Strategy & Global Sales, bulbKIDZ. “The opportunity to play off today’s worldly news on UFOs, and play up related urban myths into the narrative, enhances our ability to think outside the toybox while recognizing that friends come in all shapes, sizes and species.”
“With news stories constantly surfacing regarding declassified government documents and how they spark everyone’s imagination, Alien Baby Sitters couldn’t come at a better time,” says Carl Reed, Chief Creative Officer of Lion Forge Animation. “After knowing Nancy and Kiersten for many years, together with our commitment to diverse content, we are thrilled to be developing this especially timely sitcom under their bulbKIDZ venture.”
Working with industry veterans, Kaaren Lee Brown (Super Monsters, S.M.A.S.H!, Tarzan and Jane, Roswell Conspiracies: Aliens, Myths & Legends) and Robert N. Skir (GoGoBus & Team S.T.E.A.M., Team S.T.E.A.M. Beyond!, X-Men), this series co-venture is currently in development, planned for Spring 2023.
Aimed at kids six to 11, the 2D animated series Alien Baby Sitters follows three tweenaged best friends who use their babysitting skills – and the mysterious abilities of four adorable and indestructible alien babies – to protect the small town of Plainview from a group of villainous (and hilarious!) mad scientists.
Alien Baby Sitters
“Alien Baby Sitters is a hilarious mashup of Rugrats meets Power Puff Girls, with a hint of Dexter’s Laboratory,” says Kiersten Halstead, Co-Founder and EVP Creative Development and Global Operations, bulbKIDZ. “We’re taking the global appeal of these classic successes that lacked representation during their heyday and making our original series relevant to today’s landscape. What better way to achieve this than to work with the trailblazing, award-winning Lion Forge.”
“At the heart of our multicultural cast of characters, Alien Baby Sitters proves that entertainment can be found amongst binkies, bottles, and things that go boom!” says Brown.
Skir adds, “Rock solid friendships and rocket-fueled adventures occur in this perfectly normal town where strangely abnormal things happen.”
Leading VFX and animation studio DNEG (dneg.com) announced Josh Jaggars as its new Group President, VFX and Stereo. Based out of the Los Angeles studio, Jaggars will lead the global VFX and Stereo Conversion teams for the DNEG Group (DNEG and ReDefine). He will report directly to DNEG Chairman and CEO Namit Malhotra. Jaggars brings more than 25 years of industry experience and expertise to the role. As part of DNEG’s senior executive team, he will oversee the company’s client relationships and its industry-leading team of VFX and Stereo supervisors, leveraging the company’s production and creative strengths to drive new business and further inspire dynamic new VFX approaches that elevate DNEG in the competitive marketplace.
The addition of Jaggars also bolsters DNEG’s leadership position as a modern-day content production powerhouse that is capitalizing on the surge in demand for high-quality VFX and content creation across streaming, feature film, and gaming content. As part of his remit, Jaggars will partner with filmmakers and content creators worldwide, forming and managing content creation partnerships and co-productions.
Jaggars joins DNEG from Legendary Entertainment, where he served as Senior Vice President, Visual Effects and Stereo Production since 2017. In this role, Jaggars’ credits include Dune, Godzilla vs. Kong, Enola Holmes, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Prior to that, he was a VFX Producer at Warner Bros. with acclaimed work on Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Justice League and Man of Steel. Additional VFX producer credits include Hancock, 2012 and Fast Five.
Josh Jaggars
Outpost VFX (outpost-vfx.com) has enhanced its Montreal leadership team with the appointment of VFX producer Jennifer Fairweather as Head of Production. The U.K.-based studio has enjoyed a significant growth period, expanding its crew to 300 people worldwide. The Montreal facility has recently provided VFX for Foundation, Project Power and Star Trek: Discovery, and is currently working on a variety of productions including Slumberland and Outer Range.
Alongside Managing Director Becca Scott, Fairweather will work closely with production leads across North America, the U.K. and Asia to harmonise global production workflows and will support Outpost’s artist teams in Montreal as they deliver across a large body of film and episodic projects throughout the rest of this year and into 2022. Her other areas of focus will include supporting the development of Outpost’s training infrastructure and proprietary production software.
Well-known in the visual effects sector, Fairweather joins from DNEG, where she most recently produced Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed remake of Dune and oversaw Apple TV+’s sci-fi epic Foundation as Executive Producer. She brings with her 15 years’ experience across various roles in the industry. “I was attracted to Outpost by the calibre of crew and the rare opportunity to join a newer studio beginning to firmly establish itself as a top-tier facility. The management team they’ve built in Montreal features some of the most extraordinary talent in the region,” said Fairweather. “By making a conscious effort to cultivate an inclusive environment where everyone feels heard, we can hold each other accountable to pursue a unique culture while making high quality, beautiful pictures.”
Jennifer Fairweather
After five years of creating her Emmy- and GLAAD-nominated original series Summer Camp Island (HBO Max), award-winning British director Julia Pott has rejoined Hornet‘s roster of talent (hellohornet.com). The animator is hoping to bring her “wonky” artistic touch to short form and beyond — from brand installations to textile collabs. “Ideally, I love working with socially-conscious companies or companies focused on sustainability. I would love to work in the fashion and textile space, and I’m deeply keen to have my work turned into a knitted pattern,” said Pott.
Pott’s films have screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, SXSW, Telluride, Ottawa and Annecy. In addition to being creator and executive producer of Summer Camp Island, she’s also an ADC Young Gun and was named one of the 25 new faces of film by Filmmaker Magazine. She has created commercial work for clients including Channel 4, Toyota, Oreo, J. Crew, Hermes, Madewell, Rachel Antonoff, MTV, Cartoon Network, Bat for Lashes and Glamour.
Julia Pott
Rascal Post (www.rascalpost.com) announced that acclaimed colorist James Bamford has joined the team as Creative Director. He comes on board following an exciting year for Rascal, who will be opening a third studio in Old Street — alongside offices in Kings Cross and Stockholm — to service their growing list of clients.
Bamford joins Rascal Post from an 18-year tenure at The Mill London, having been appointed Head of Color in 2020. The highly regarded artist blends this wealth of industry experience with exceptional technical skills and a drive to push the boundaries of the craft, and has worked with top directors including Matthew Vaughn, Oscar Hudson, Taika Waititi, and Nicolai Fuglsig. His portfolio includes Volvo’s ‘Epic Split’, John Lewis’ ‘The Man on the Moon’ and Coca Cola’s 2020 Christmas ad ‘The Letter’; collaborations with PlayStation, Amazon, Guinness and Sipsmith; and music videos for Little Mix, Metronomy, Khruangbin and Hozier. His work has been recognized at multiple award shows including the Creative Circle, Kinsale Sharks and British Arrows.
James Bamford
PBS (pbs.org) announced today that Lori Brittain has been promoted to serve as Vice President of Learning Media. In this role, Brittain will lead PBS’s education strategy and expand the reach of public media content through the PBS LearningMedia platform. The pubcaster further announced that media pro and journalist Adaora Udoji is joining the General Audience Programming team as Vice President of Programming & Operations, with a focus on business, operation, management and strategy around news, public affairs and indie films (effective Nov. 15). Both executives will report directly to PBS Chief Programming Executive Sylvia Bugg
Now in its 10th year, PBS Learning Media served as a critically important resource during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering tens of thousands of contextualized learning resources aligned to state and national standards; the free service currently receives 1.5 million unique visitors each month. As the VP, Brittain will manage the development of innovative content, products and services for educators and students that build on PBS’s reputation as a trusted educational brand. She will also lead efforts to extend the platform’s impact and reach by collaborating with educator communities, member stations and national partners to support students, teachers and parents across the country.
Brittain has served as the interim head of education since September and will take on the responsibility full-time beginning today. Prior, she served as Senior Director of Business Operations for PBS Children’s Media & Entertainment, where she directed operational aspects of PBS LearningMedia including strategic planning and implementation, management of revenue generating activities, process management, financials, analytics and special projects. She has also held previous titles including Director of Grants Management and Senior Grants Manager for PBS Interactive. Brittain began her career at the National Crime Prevention Council, where she directed programming for violence prevention and law-related education programs for school-age youth. She serves on the Advisory Council for Go, Grow, be and holds a Bachelor of Science from George Washington University.
Most recently, Udoji led a corporate innovation and venture program team at RLab, which focused on emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence and related emerging technologies. Previously, she ran the media-tech startup News Deeply and worked in venture capital. As a journalist, she has covered some of the most impactful moments in modern history — from the Iraq War to Hurricane Katrina — for outlets such as ABC News and CNN. She previously served as the co-host of New York Public Radio and PRI’s The Takeaway, and has produced several award-winning immersive experiences, short films and documentaries including Girl Talk and Yemi’s Wedding. Udoji is an adjunct professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Interactive Telecommunications Program, and serves on the board of Sundance Institute’s IDP, Artizen Board of Directors, the Broadway Accelerator and the New Museum Board of Advisors. She holds a Bachelor of Literature, Science and Art from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from UCLA School of Law.
Lori Brittain | Adaora Udoji
Creative and technology studio Preymaker (preymaker.com) has hired Rune Holst Månsson, Greg Cutler and Hassan Taimur to its growing creative team. One of the first 100% cloud native creative studios, Preymaker utilizes an advanced custom cloud-based platform that creates content entirely in the cloud. The three artists bring over three decades collective experience to Preymaker and are award-winning creative leaders in CGI and Compositing. The new hires were announced today by Preymaker Chief Creative Angus Kneale.
Born in Denmark, Rune Holst Månsson launched his career as a web and graphics designer and quickly pivoted to CG Generalist, eventually joining MPC London and later moving to the company’s offices in Los Angeles to become CG Supervisor. He then moved to The Mill New York as 3D Lead. Månsson has worked with top directors such as Doug Liman, Janusz Kaminski and Michel Gondry, to name a few, and for brands such as Disney, Apple, Samsung, HP, Riot, Coca-Cola, Audi, Honda, Nissan, Toyota and Ford.
Greg Cutler honed his compositing skills in New York, and has spent nearly two decades primarily as a freelance compositor and Lead/VFX Supervisor with studios including Framestore, Method, Psyop and MPC. He’s worked with a diverse list of brands, from Mercedes-Benz, Google and IBM to Calvin Klein, Stella Artois and Facebook, and was part of the VFX team who helped bring Björk’s “Lionsong” music video to life, which debuted as part of a 2015 retrospective exhibit at MoMA in New York. After freelancing with Preymaker for several months, Cutler joined the team full-time.
Hassan Taimur is one of the industry’s premier FX Artists, and brings expertise with Houdini and Massive that stems from working in A.I. as an undergraduate, learning Massive at SCAD and later becoming Lead Massive Artist at The Mill where he spent nearly five years. For the past seven years, he has freelanced with focus on FX work using Houdini as his primary tool. His credits include VES nominated PlayStation “Perfect Day” and Ciclope Gold winner “Hypervenom” for Nike. He’s helped craft commercials and branded content for Bud Light, Budweiser, ESPN Nascar, adidas, Star Wars: Battlefront, Spotify, Coca-Cola, Jim Beam, Puma and DirectTV. Other credits span films The Bronze, Zoolander 2 and Let Him Go, and music videos for Steven Wilson and Casualties of Cool. Taimur has freelanced at Method, R/GA, Ntropic, Carbon and Zoic. And after several freelance assignments with Preymaker, he joined the team full-time.
Rune Holst Månsson, Greg Cutler & Hassan Taimur
A diverse group of 32 talented creatives in 14 countries and regions have been named winners in the prestigious Young Guns 19 competition, celebrating creative professionals aged 30 or younger. A program of The One Club for Creativity (oneclub.org), the world’s foremost non-profit organization recognizing creative excellence in advertising and design, Young Guns is the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creatives. This year’s entries were received from 38 countries, and judged by a diverse jury of 88 top creatives, nearly half of whom are past YG winners. This edition’s Animation honorees are:
Magnus Atom, multidisciplinary animation director, Saratoga Springs, NY
Danaé Gosset, animation director, Paris
Kiyotaka Mizukoshi, artist, Mozu Studios, Tokyo
Catherine Prowse, animation director, Model Maker, London
DreamWorks Animation‘s new soaring adventure for young viewers is ready to take wing, with all six episodes of Peacock Original series Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky due to drop on Peacock November 24. Set in a faraway corner of the viking and dragon world, this next chapter continues the adventures of viking twins Dak and Leyla, who were rescued and raised by dragons, growing up learning to speak their language. Along with young dragons Winger, Summer, Cutter and Burple, they defend and protect other dragons on exciting adventures around their home of Huttsgalor.
Executive produced by Jack Thomas (Regular Show, Dragons: Race to the Edge) and co-executive produced by Brian Roberts (VeggieTales), Heroes of the Sky features the voices of Nicolas Cantu, Brennley Brown, Carlos Alazraqui, Moira Quirk, Roshon Fegan, Brad Grusnick, Sam Lavagnino, John C. McGinley, Tara Strong, Zach Callison, Skai Jackson, Noah Bentley, Andre Robinson and Marsai Martin.
Comic-book icon Todd McFarlane has launched a dedicated television development & production division at his prodco McFarlane Films. In an interview with Deadline, the Spawn creator revealed that the outfit’s launch slate includes McFarland, an animated series created by Reno 911! co-creator Thomas Lennon in partnership with ShadowMachine (BoJack Horseman, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio) and wiip, which has a first-look deal with McFarlane Films.
Described as “Night at the Museum meets Toy Story in Twin Peaks,” McFarland is a stop-motion event series featuring original McFarlane Toys. Todd McFarlane and Lennon executive produce the project alongside McFarlane Films President of Television, Sean Canino, and L.A./Portland-based ShadowMachine. “It is a good bet that when you combine the forces of Todd McFarlane and Tom Lennon, good things will happen … and that those things will most likely happen in stop-motion animation. We’re thrilled to be a part of the fun,” said Alex Bulkley, who co-founded the animation studio with Corey Campodonico.
The Portal – Wilt Champerlain
Leading sports media brand Bleacher Report has teamed up with DreamView, a globally scalable creative strategy and content solutions company creating disruptive technology for global social change, for an all-new animated comedy series called The Portal, which aims to answer the age-old basketball fan debate of ‘who is the greatest of all-time?’
The series will bring the greatest NBA stars of today and legends of the past to life through cutting edge 3D animation and innovative storytelling for a one-on-one competition in fully rendered arenas featuring cinematic camera angles and lighting for a TV broadcast look and feel. Current NBA stars featured in the series include Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kyrie Irving. The four-episode series tips off with KD versus Larry Bird on the Bleacher Report (B/R) app November 3.
“We’ve all had arguments with our friends and rivals over the greatest players of all-time. This is an ingenious way to try to settle that debate using these hypothetical scenarios. DreamView is committed to a long-term partnership, and we hope to extend our style of animated storytelling to other sports and stories.” — Jared Sandrew, Chief Production Officer, DreamView
Psychotown (FXX’s Cake)
FXX has served up its weekly sneak peek at the next slice of CakeSeason 5, premiering Thursday, November 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT and next day on #FXonHulu. The season’s sixth episode, “You Do You,” is all about false starts and true colors. Fans can catch updates on the marvelous toon misfits of Branson Reese’s Swan Boy and Reza Farazmand’s Poorly Drawn Lines.
This episode also includes Cockroach Calisthenics, directed by Sawako Kabuki; Robbie From Class, directed, animated and voiced by Lindsey Demars; Good Morning, Pickles!, written, directed and produced by Mike Anderson and Ryan Dickie, starring Jane Ubrien and Courtney Pauroso; Psychotown, written by Nikos Andronicos, directed by Dave Carter and Andronicos; The Monster Collection, written, directed and created by Maria Chiara Venturini; and Interstitials with visuals by Niamh O’Connor and music by Joselito.
Deals, Debuts & Celebrations:
Jellystone! from Warner Bros. Animation and showrunner/EP C.H. Greenblatt makes its debut on Cartoon Network Africa on Monday, November 15.
Paravoz Studio‘s hit kids series Leo & Tig (comm. by Digital TV Russia Group) has launched a dedicated YouTube channel featuring episodes in Italian. A video guest starring Masha will debut on Leo e Tig Italia on Nov. 4 to introduce the furry friends.
Pioneering Turkish cartoons Limon & Oli are celebrating their 30th anniversary, with Mart Agency CEO Ayhan Çakar announcing their 32nd book collection will launch at Bologna Book Fair.
Millimages‘ cuddly Molang won its first major accolade in Asia: Best Animated Series form the International Original Animation Contest in Xi’an, China. The character was created by Korean illustrator Hye Ji Yoon.
Studio Z‘s Zabezoo, Ears n’ Tail (dir. Zakhar Marmosetty, prod. Anna Lobacheva) was awarded Best Animated Series at the Epic ACG Fest, held in L.A. in tandem with Kids First and San Diego Int’l Kids Film Festival.
Popular interactive story app Weirdwood Manor has been adapted into an animated movie for the first time, titled Shadowrail Circus, now in production in Canada. With casting currently underway, world sales agent The Exchange is introducing the project to buyers at the virtual American Film Market this week.
The movie follows 14-year-old Lettie Donough, who unknowingly unlocks her dormant magical abilities and is thrust into the midst of the wondrous Shadowrail Circus — a troupe of amazing performers led by a magnificent Trackdragon. Pursued by a sorcerous Pirate Queen, Lettie must learn to survive the perilous Tracklands and discover her family’s dark legacy…
Shadowrail Circus is the first movie based on the multi-award-winning Weirdwood universe,where acts of creativity bring into being fantastical worlds, magnificent monsters, and captivating characters. Journey between the Real world and the wondrous realm of fantasy and imagination — where creativity is magic.
“Shadowrail Circus is an exciting and heart-warming adventure for the whole family that will delight fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and Artemis Fowl,” said Brian O’Shea, CEO, The Exchange. “We’re thrilled to be able to bring this unique animated feature to AFM.”
Luke Minaker directs Shadowrail Circus in his feature film debut. The movie is produced by Paul Pattison and executive produced by Luke Carroll (The Willoughbys). The project is produced by digital boutique Relish Studios, creators of Weirdwood Manor, in association with multiplatform storytelling studio Wasabi Entertainment.
Weirdwood Manor first launched in 2015 as an interactive story app with over 1 million downloads that Apple named iPad App of the Year Runner-Up. The property has since been expanded by Macmillan Publishing as a three-book middle-grade novel series, The Thieves of Weirdwood, written by Newbery Honor-winner Christian McKay Heidicker.
The Exchange’s animation catalog includes Jim Capobianco’s The Inventor (U.S. sales) and Shadowmachine’s Hell and Back. The agency’s AFM ’21 live-action line-up includes John Cena’s The Independent, Kaley Cucuo and Pete Davidson’s Meet Cute, Liev Schreiber’s Across the River and into the Trees, Zoe Saldaña’s Keyhole Garden, Trace Lysette’s Monica and Justine Bateman’s Violet.
Disney Branded Television has ordered Primos, an original animated comedy series created and executive produced by Natasha Kline (director on Big City Greens, South Park). The story, based on Kline’s childhood experiences with her extended multicultural Mexican-American family, introduces Tater, an eccentric 10-year-old girl with big dreams and, unbeknownst to her, a certain “it factor” that makes her exceptional. When her 12 cousins (“primos” in Spanish) move in for the summer, they help her discover just what it is.
“Primos is set in childhood summers spent with my cousins under one roof, and the comedy that’s borne from that wonderfully hectic setting,” shared Kline. “As a kid, I didn’t see myself or my culture represented onscreen, so I’m excited to share my family dynamic through these new Disney characters and stories.”
Meredith Roberts, SVP/General Manager, Television Animation, Disney Branded Television, said, “It’s been especially gratifying to see Natasha directing more than 30 episodes of our #1 series Big City Greens while also creating her own new show that bears her authentic comedic voice and her family’s culture and values. We’re looking forward to delivering it to kids and families worldwide.”
Produced by Disney Television Animation, each half-hour Primos episode consists of two 11-minute stories. Tater’s aspirations and larger-than-life imagination are seen via entries in her super-secret diary, which turn her deepest thoughts into grandiose animation sequences.
Confidential Creative has partnered with NC Labs to produce an animated NFT project called Blockchain Buddies, the first in a line of original intellectual properties under a soon to be announced decentralized entertainment studio. The project is billed as a first of its kind interactive animated project, with NFT holding community members empowered to shape the future of the creative universe.
The venture is led by Confidential Creative co-founders Andrew Seth Cohen and Ryan Kieffer, NC Labs co-founders/serial entrepreneurs Francisco Lopes, Harrison Shulman and Francisco Schmidberger, alongside lead developer João Abrantes, writer Brandon F. Johnson and A-list entertainment lawyer Jason Liberman. Advisors on the project also include NFT influencers and analysts, including iAmFuture, Preston Johnson (a.k.a. SportsCheetah, formerly of ESPN and co-creator of PUNKS Comic) and members of The Last Slice collective.
The Blockchain Buddies team has shared its first piece of concept art, showing the world of “Genesis City” where characters and other kinds of IP will live. Designed by YueTong Tsen, the piece will also be later auctioned off as a 1/1 NFT.
The project launches with a discord channel led by veteran moderator Peachy. Additional details on the project will be released on social media via Twitter @BCB_NFT and discord (https://discord.gg/A7QbDvUmtd) with an incentive structure for reveals. To start, the first Character Design illustration, done by Ashton Holmes, will be revealed as newcomers join the Blockchain Buddies Discord community. Additional reveals and updates will be forthcoming as the community grows — with giveaways, competitions, live events and more to come.
Lopes and Shulman previously created the first NFT marketplace with legal licensing and patent-pending smart contracts. Lopes is also the co-founder of LINK Agency, a TikTok-focused marketing firm that has generated over 3 billion organic impressions for its clients, while Shulman previously led go-to-market strategies for Sony PlayStation while a consultant at EY. Lopes graduated from Stanford’s MBA program and Masters in Physics Engineer from Tecnico, University of Lisbon, and Shulman has attended Columbia’s MBA program and graduated from Cornell University.
Cohen and Kieffer founded Confidential Creative in 2018 as a creative agency and production company specializing in animation. Positioned at the intersection of the music, television, video game, esports and film industries, the company develops, produces and promotes strategic animated content. Current and past clients include Journey, Maroon 5, NBCUniversal, Peacock Kids/DreamWorks TV, Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk series, Interscope Records, P. Diddy’s Revolt TV, A&E/History Channel, esports teams SK Gaming and Alliance, Kesha, Louis the Child, Brownies & Lemonade, lovelytheband and more. Their core team of artists come from across the world, which gives their content international flavor and maximizes its impact.
Abrantes was pursuing a PhD in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at EPFL before switching paths to found Optimal Labs, a company on a mission to grow safer, healthier food by deploying fully autonomous indoor farms outside every city on earth. Optimal is backed by leading tech VCs, including Founders Fund, who backed companies such as SpaceX, Palantir and Square from the start. He has a Masters in Physics from Tecnico, University of Lisbon.
Liberman is an attorney and partner at The Corporate Practice based in Los Angeles. Known for his work representing A-list musical artists, he specializes in corporate and business transaction law, estate planning and employment law. Johnson is a screenwriter, animation director and experiential story creative developing slates of projects alongside talent, executives and production groups for streaming, film and interactive mediums. Johnson also operates as a Team Lead for Fiverr’s Community Growth Program, hosting events and fostering relationships between sponsors, freelancers and supporters of the Gig Economy.
Cohen and Kieffer are also known for their work with BEAR NFT, a full service NFT agency and Metavere PR and event production company they co-founded with Blake Berlinger and Joseph Schwartz. BEAR NFT spearheaded the first ever multi-artist live performance music and arts festival in Decentraland, TO THE MOON, which drew over 700 attedees in early July 2021 and featured performances and curated NFTs by Ookay, Win and Woo, Autograf, SNBRN and Fred Thurst (as Dr. Fresch). They also recently organized the premiere Decentraland Halloween party and concert, NFTS ARE DEAD, which drew over 1,000 attendees and featured a custom Hell-themed venue build and horror maze designed in conjunction with The Last Slice. BEAR NFT also handled marketing and press promotion for Banquet Labs’ noted Apollo 11-themed virtual activation in Decetraland, produced in partnership with the Aldrin Family Foundation, which featured the launch of a new spaced themed-fashion brand, including virtual wearables, by noted fashion designer Nick Graham.
Karlstad, Sweden and Toronto, Canada-based animation studio The Nuttery Entertainment has signed an exclusive agreement with Storytel, one of the world’s largest audiobook publishers, for the animated and ancillary rights for the Swedish kids’ IP Håkan Bråkan. Under the deal, this legacy property with over 30 standalone books is making the jump into animation for the first time.
“It is humbling and an incredible privilege to work on such an amazing IP as Håkan Bråkan. This kid is the standout character in the highly successful Andersson Family universe, combining heart, curiosity, imagination and crazy antics,” said Magnus Jansson, co-founder & CEO of Nuttery Entertainment. “Can’t wait for kids all over the world to fall in love with the unique hero that Sören and Anders have created!”
The IP centers on Håkan, the younger brother of Sune Andersson of the Sune book series. While he is really a kind and caring little boy, his puckish ingenuity often causes trouble for himself and others — leading Sune to nickname him “Håkan Bråkan” (Håkan the Troublemaker). The impish character appeared in his first standalone book in 1998, starring in a live-action series produced by SVT in 2003 along with a follow-up live-action feature film in 2004.
Co-founder & producer Erik Öhrner added, “It is very inspiring and engaging to step into Håkan Bråkan’s fantastic world. There is so much heart and recognition in the stories. It is a wonderful opportunity to work with Storytel and Sören and Anders to create new stories for animation. The series have a lot of warmth and excitement, adventure and laughter.”,
The Nuttery is developing the brand into an animated series with its creators, the popular children’s/YA book authors Sören Olsson and Anders Jacobsson. The show will be based on completely new material but will take inspiration from the body of work created so far around the character, focusing on Håkan Bråkan and his fantastic, exaggerated world full of adventure, and aimed at an international audience.
Sören Olsson and Anders Jacobsson
“Animation is by far the best way to further develop our character Håkan Bråkan and his imaginative world,” commented Olsson and Jacobsson. “We are convinced that Håkan Bråkan will be a perfect fit for this medium. The collaboration with Nuttery Entertainment feels very inspiring! It is fun to be part of brainstorming ideas and developing completely new stories about Håkan Bråkan — who is transformed into Super Bråkan when you least expect it!”
The animated series development is taking place alongside Storytel’s major push for the authors, with several new books from Olsson and Jacobsson in the works. As recently announced, Nordic Film will release two new live-action movies based on Håkan Bråkan, the first one releasing next year.
“It’s super exciting that Anders and Sören’s stories about Håkan-Bråkan are becoming an animated series! One of our goals is to have our fantastic content reach out to audiences in new and creative ways and Nuttery Entertainment is the perfect partner to help us do this,” said Sara Hasselström at Storytel Agency.
Nuttery Entertainment will develop and executive produce the animated series alongside Storytel, with Olsson and Jacobsson on board to help craft the creative materials. The project will be approaching co-producers early next year.
Guru Studio announced today it has teamed up with Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland and his Beatclub team to produce the theme song for its newest animated property, Big Blue. The series was created by Guru Studio designer Gyimah Gariba, who has built a massive online following for his distinct illustrative style, and developed with CBC Kids. The series will make its world premiere on CBC Kids beginning Saturday, December 4
Gyimah was named one of Animation Magazine‘s 2020 Rising Stars of Animation and one of “15 Young African Creatives Rebranding Africa” by Forbes.
The imaginative series for kids 5-9 follows sibling underwater adventurers Lettie and Lemo who lead a quirky submarine crew with a magical ocean fairy stowaway named Bacon Berry. Together, they just might unravel the mysterious secrets of their underwater universe! The series drops young viewers deep into a wacky world of comic adventure, while helping to redefine what a family means and how caring for one another is the most important thing of all.
“Trying something different is what it’s all about and being a part of a kids show that’s so unique is as different as it gets for me,” said Timbaland. “I’m looking forward to speaking to the next generation and helping to make a difference.”
Big Blue is produced by Guru Studio, the powerhouse animation studio behind the global phenomenon PAW Patrol, the Netflix Original series True and the Rainbow Kingdom and new series Pikwik Pack on Disney Junior and Hulu. The series will premiere exclusively in Canada on CBC Kids and will be available to stream on CBC Gem, CBC’s streaming service. Additional international broadcasters on board include Nickelodeon in the U.K., ABC Me in Australia, CTC Kids in Russia and NRK in Norway.
Timbaland is currently developing a brand new creative enterprise called Beatclub, a music marketplace and creator club which is a place for A-list producers to sell beats, sound packs and loops online. The new company aims to be the creative hub of the music industry.
Following the global success of PAW Patrol: The Movie, Spin Master Corp. announced today that it is producing a second big screen feature for its powerhouse preschool franchise, PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie. The CGI animated film, a Spin Master Entertainment production in association with Nickelodeon Movies, will be distributed by Paramount Pictures and is set for an exclusive theatrical release on October 13, 2023.
Building off the franchise’s global success, Nickelodeon and Spin Master Entertainment also announced a new PAW Patrol television series spin-off for one of the main pups set to debut in the same year. The current series, now in its eighth season on Nickelodeon, airs in over 160 countries in 30 languages and consistently ranks among both top-rated preschool and kids’ 6-11.
“We loved telling a deeper PAW Patrol story on a bigger canvas and are pleased that the movie connected so strongly with kids and families around the world,” said Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s President. “Judging by the exit polls, audience scores and positive critical reception, everyone had as much fun watching it, and rewatching it, as we did making it. We’re looking forward to taking kids on a new adventure in the second film with our partners and can’t wait to further expand our storytelling with one of the fan-favorite pups in our spin-off.”
Brian Robbins, President & CEO, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon; and Chief Content Officer, Paramount+ Kids and Family, added, “Just as the first movie’s success in theaters and streaming confirmed PAW Patrol’s status and power as a top, globally loved franchise, this second theatrical release paired with the property’s very first television spin off will mark another major step in creating a universe of characters and stories to reach even more fans everywhere. We here at Paramount and Nickelodeon are focused on keeping the momentum going with our great partners at Spin Master to keep giving kids and families more PAW Patrol adventures across multiple mediums.”
The first feature film for the franchise, PAW Patrol: The Movie premiered in August 2021 grossing $40 million domestically and more than $135 million worldwide, making it the sixth highest grossing animated family film of the year to date. Tapping into a star-studded cast including Marsai Martin, Kim Kardashian West, Dax Shepard, Yara Shahidi, Jimmy Kimmel and Tyler Perry, as well as existing voice cast members from the preschool series, the film entertained kids and their parents reaching families with a simultaneous release in theaters and on Paramount+. PAW Patrol: The Movie landed the number one spot on the streaming service at launch with families watching it an average of three times.
Veteran animation director Cal Brunker (PAW Patrol: The Movie; Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature) will return to direct the second movie. Jennifer Dodge, Spin Master Entertainment’s President, with Laura Clunie, Spin Master’s Senior Vice President Development and Feature Film, and Toni Stevens, Spin Master’s Senior Vice President, Entertainment Production & Operations, will produce. Ronnen Harary, Spin Master’s Co-Founder, Adam Beder, Spin Master’s Executive Vice President, and Peter Schlessel will executive produce.
PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie synopsis: When a magical meteor crash lands in Adventure City, it gives the PAW Patrol pups superpowers, transforming them into The MIGHTY PUPS! For Skye, the smallest member of the team, her new powers are a dream come true. But things take a turn for the worse when the pups’ archrival Humdinger breaks out of jail and teams up with a mad scientist to steal the superpowers for the two villains. With the fate of Adventure City hanging in the balance, the Mighty Pups have to stop the supervillains before it’s too late, and Skye will need to learn that even the smallest pup can make the biggest difference.
DreamWorks Madagascar: A Little Wild is back with an exciting new season November 11 on Hulu and Peacock! In Season 5, the fearless Zoo Crew return with even bigger adventures in their concrete jungle of New York City. New guest stars include WNBA Champion Candace Parker as “Sadie Swish” and Megan Hilty as “Ziggy” & “Waffles.”
Alex (Tucker Chandler), Marty (Amir O’Neil), Melman (Luke Lowe) and Gloria (Shaylin Becton) are back in the New York City swing with adventures in and out of “A Little Wild” rescue habitat. Alex deals with some major jealousy issues when Ant’ney goes viral, Marty gets himself locked inside the public library, the gang helps Melman make it through his first-ever night away from the habitat, and Gloria struggles to cope with saying goodbye when Lala decides she’s ready for a bigger pond.
Additionally, get into the holiday spirit and catch a festive family special of Madagascar: A Little Wild Holiday Goose Chase premiering on Hulu and Peacock November 26! It’s holiday time in New York, and Melman is determined to add another sticker to his yearly “Nice” list! When he meets Hank, a goose who has been separated from his family, he, Alex, Marty and Gloria embark on a wild goose chase around the city to reunite Hank with his merry flock.
Real-time animation pioneers Digital Dimension Entertainment Group (Canada) has been awarded its second Epic MegaGrant to pursue the integration of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology into its pipeline. Based in Montreal, DDEG employs over 200 people across studios including Mezuarts Animation, Saturday Animation and KRAKN Animation.
“The promise of faster iterations using real-time rendering tools relies on adapting our workflow processes to take advantage of live updates during reviews and approvals. Ultimately, we wish to create production efficiencies so we can concentrate on higher quality deliverables within shorter timelines while using the full power of the Unreal Engine features,” said Martin Walker, DDEG CTO. “The objective is to implement a robust production pipeline centered on real-time rendering using advanced creative/production tools and methodologies based on proven animation workflows.”
CCO Fred Faubert added, “We were the first in the industry to render a series entirely using Epic Games Unreal Engine technology, beginning with the first two seasons of Zafari for NBCU, and it was a huge success! This latest Epic MegaGrant will allow us to enhance our production pipeline and help us create fantastical universes for our properties such as Chase and CATCH and Aiko and the Masters of Time. We are so thrilled to be given this opportunity by Epic Games.”
Chase and CATCH (DDEG’s Saturday Animation)
Following last month’s announcement that Hayley Atwell (Captain America, Mission Impossible 7) will be the voice of iconic adventurer Lara Croft in Legendary Television and Netflix’s upcoming Tomb Raider anime series, the companies revealed that Allen Maldonado (Heels, The Wonder Years) has joined the cast as the voice of tech expert and colleague Zip, and Earl Baylon will reprise his role from the video game as the voice of one of Lara’s most-trusted friends and voice of reason, Jonah Maiava.
Allen Maldonado [Photo: Cedric Terrell] | Earl Baylon [Photo: Rey Cabato]
The news of Maldonado and Baylon’s casting was made in a video featuring showrunner Tasha Huo, and was made as part of SQUARE ENIX, Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montreal’s 25th anniversary celebration for Tomb Raider last week. (Catch up here.)
Leading kids’ entertainment brand Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS Consumer Products announced a consumer products partnership with music icon Darryl McDaniels (a.k.a. DMC) for a cross-category consumer products program that includes apparel, a publishing deal with Random House Children’s Books and a collaboration with Noggin, Nickelodeon’s interactive learning service for preschoolers, for What’s the Word?, a brand-new short-form series available now exclusively on the platform.
McDaniels will lend his voice to episodes of the 15-episode series. Each short-form animated music video features a new word–such as cooperate, opposite and persevere–for kids, while utilizing songs and fan-favorite characters from hit series, including Blue’s Clues & You!, PAW Patrol, Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi, to help illustrate and teach the meaning of the word.
The partnership will also see a future collaboration with The Felix Organization, a nonprofit organization and long-standing partner of ViacomCBS that was founded by McDaniels and Emmy-winning casting director Sheila Jaffe, which aims to help enrich the lives of children in foster care. “Throughout my career, I’ve been very fortunate to have a diverse group of fans, including kids,” said McDaniels. “Working with Nickelodeon and ViacomCBS Consumer Products and having the opportunity to help make a positive impact on their lives and develop their self-esteem is so special to me.”
Obki “Gasmosphere”
Obki, Sky Kids’ loveable underwater alien cartoon, was recognized for its ground-breaking environmental episodes for kids and contribution to the global climate change discussion at an inspiring COP26 Cultural Showcase and Reception at 10 Downing Street, London. Obki scooped the highly contested One Step Greener Ambassadorship, voted for by the British public and awarded by Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the COP26 Summit in Glasgow this week.
Obki is created by award-winning artist Simone Giampaolo, who has spent the last 20 years in the animation industry and believes film can be a powerful storytelling tool to educate people on the importance of nature and protecting the environment. Obki episode “Switch It Up” will be showcased to 190 world leaders at COP26. Members of the public can also buy tickets to the screening on Nov. 7 with Giampaolo, plus Q&A with Steve Backshall, MBE, BAFTA-winning British explorer, naturalist, presenter and writer: https://greenzonetickets.ukcop26.org.
Samurai cryptos by Michinori Chiba: “Shogun” symbol | “Fudo” artwork
double jump.tokyo Inc., a blockchain-based NFT and NFT game sales and development company, announced that Michinori Chiba will be the second artist to participate in Gonzo .K.K’s “SAMURAI cryptos” project, which will be supported through double jump.tokyo’s NFT business support service, NFTPLUS. The second collection of symbol NFTs will go on sale Nov. 5, while the original art NFT auction kicks off Nov. 11 at 5 a.m. UTC (24 hours). The sales will be hosted on OpenSea with symbols priced from free to 4 ETH.
Chiba is an animation character designer who has worked at the forefront of various genres. He began his career at Nakamura Production and currently works for Studio Hercules. His credits include Basilisk, SK8 the Infinity and Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
Pinkfong Wonderstar
YouTube Originals announced the new episode pick-up of Pinkfong Wonderstar, SmartStudy‘s popular animated series. The 13 new episodes of the series will be sequentially released on Pinkfong’s Korean and English official YouTube channels and will be available on the YouTube Kids app starting November 9 at 9 a.m. (PST and KST). YouTube Originals has launched the first 13 episodes of the series in four different languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian and Russian in 2021.
Pinkfong Wonderstar follows two best friends, Pinkfong and Hogi, as they team up to solve their friends’ problems in Wonderville with Pinkfong’s magical powers and Hogi’s great ideas. Exclusive to YouTube Originals are special clips at the beginning of every episode featuring Pinkfong and Hogi’s fun explanation of key learning takeaways from each episode’s story. It was the first Korean animated series on YouTube Originals in 2020 and has remained one of the most beloved animated series for families around the globe. The first 13 episodes have been successfully streamed in English and Korean since December 2020 with 73 million views as of October 2021.
Cozy up to a Christmas carol treat with the warm ‘n fuzzy music video for “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” — a brand-new track for the deluxe re-release of Ingrid Michaelson’s 2018 album Songs for the Season, recorded as a duet with her friend, actress/singer Zooey Deschanel.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I start celebrating Christmas in September and I cherish this time of the year so very much,” said Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter Michaelson.
Merry Christmas, Happy New YearBunny and Rabbit character designs
Michaelson wanted to bring the song to life with a stop-motion video that would remind viewers of all things Christmas. Deschanel recommended the perfect artistic match in Hornet director Andrea Love, who specializes in animating with needle felted wool.
“For this video, I told Zooey I wanted an old-fashioned stop animation video like Rudolph,” Michaelson recalled. “She showed me Andrea Love’s work and I was smitten. We reached out to Andrea and she was on board instantly! It all just fell into place in such a lovely, natural way. I love all of it so much.”
Love recruited the help of her Tulip co-creator Phoebe Wahl, and they set out to create an ode to all things merry and bright: crackling fires, cozy sweaters and a charming duo of woodland creatures in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Love and Wahl came up with the concept for Bunny and Rabbit’s holiday quest, creating the character illustrations and set designs.
Bunny & Rabbit’s house illustrationDirector Andrea Love works on the exterior house set at her home studio
“My goal was to make it the cutest, coziest, warmest video ever,” said Love. “It’s supposed to be a little over the top, but almost in a ‘I can’t stop watching this and I need more’ kind of way.”
The film was completed over the course of three months in Love’s home studio. “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” combines Love’s touchably soft wool fiber aesthetic with illustrator Wahl’s whimsical, folksy designs to create seasonal magic. Of course, there were a few tricky bits to contend with.
Creating color variations in felt snow and constructing rigid objects like trees were creative challenges for the film
“I had never done felted-snow before. So figuring out how to make it different shades and colors rather than one blob of white, and figuring out the lighting so as not to overexpose it — that was a fun & challenging learning experience,” Love noted. The director also had to figure out how to make sturdy set pieces like furniture, ladders and clock-hands out of soft felt.
Learn more about the making of “Merry Christmas, Happy New Year” at hellohornet.com. You can also find more of Andrea Love’s work here and on Instagram @andreaanimates.
Cartoon comedy’s iconic cat and mouse duo is back in action in Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up, the all-new, full-length animated family film set for release on Digital and DVD ($14.99 SRP / $19.99 SRP Canada) on January 25, 2022 by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up finds the rip-roaring duo in the wild west where they help save a ranch from the hands of a greedy villain.
Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up
Synopsis: The Wild, Wild West just got wilder with Tom and Jerry on the ranch! This time, the rivals team up to help a cowgirl and her brother save their homestead from a greedy land-grabber, and they’re going to need some help! Jerry’s three precocious nephews are all ready for action, and Tom is rounding up a posse of prairie dogs. But can a ragtag band of varmints defeat a deceitful desperado determined to deceive a damsel in distress? No matter what happens with Tom and Jerry in the saddle, it’ll be a rootin’ tootin’ good time!
The new movie features the voice talents of George Ackles as The Marshal, Sean Burgos as Bumpy, Trevor Devall as Duke, Chris Edgerly as August Critchley, Georgie Kidder as Scruffy, Justin Michael as Bentley, Kaitlyn Robrock as Betty, Isaac Robinson Smith as Zeb, Kath Soucie as Tuffy, Stephen Stanton as Virgil, Fred Tatasciore as Clem and Kari Wahlgren as Duffy and Jane.
Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up
Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up was executive produced by Sam Register. The film was produced and directed by Darrell Van Citters (Tom and Jerry in New York, The Tom and Jerry Show, Tom and Jerry: Santa’s Little Helpers). Story by Will Finn and teleplay by William Waldner.
Animation Nights New York, in partnership with Alamo On Demand, will present its 5th ANNY Best of Fest online from Saturday, November 13 through Saturday, November 20. Films will be available to stream on the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s VOD platform, while filmmaker Q&As and Industry Presentations will be hosted on ANNY’s webXR and Zoom. Guests can also hop online for mixer events held in the ANNY Virtual Events Space.
Industry jurors selected 20 films as ANNY Best of Fest Winners from 174 in-competition films featured at the monthly screening events over its fifth and sixth seasons. The ANNY Best of Fest Grand Prize Film Winner, AFA Award, VR and Game Awards will be announced during festival week.
Jurors included Cat Gulácsy (Calling All Talent, LLC), Margaret Dean (Skybound / Women in Animation), Delphine Selles-Alvarez (FIAF), Elliot Cowan (Independent Animator), James Belfer (Cartuna), Pilar Newton (Independent Animator), Wayne Gilbert (VanArts), Aagje Van Damme (Independent Animator), Chris Perkins (Animation for Adults), Olga Polukhina (IGDA NYC) and Tom Sito (University of Southern California). The programming was organized by curator Chitra Roy.
In addition to 5th ANNY Best of Fest animation screenings, ANNY is hosting industry events in its web-based virtual reality space. (No headset is required. Platform is accessible on PC/Mac/mobile.) Industry roundtable discussions and networking events will be hosted by its talent connect initiative, ANNY Exchange.
ANNY Best of Fest: Film Program 1
Film Program 1
(Approx. 100 minutes, includes intermission.)
Egg. Martina Scarpelli. France, 12:07.
Panta Rhei. Wouter Bongaerts. Belgium, 10:14.
Almost There. Nelly Michenaud. United Kingdom, 08:44.
Mouse. Noah Mauchly. United States, 19:41.
Lines of Oblivion. Paola Cubillos. Belgium, 04:03..
Genius Loci. Adrien Mérigeau. France, 16:20.
Alef B’Tamuz. Yael Reisfeld. Israel, 05:58.
Ooze. Kilian Vilim. Switzerland, 05:29.
The Man in the Box. Ale Borges, Alvaro Furloni, Guilherme Gehr. Brazil, 19:17.
Film Program 2
(Approx. 91 minutes, includes intermission.)
Spermaceti. Jacky De Groen. Belgium, 11:35.
Gravedad. Matisse Gonzalez. Germany, 10:30.
Five Minutes to Sea. Natalia Mirzoyan. Russian Federation, 07:10.
So Far, So Close. Mikkel Odehnalu. Czech Republic, 10:17.
Homesick. Hila Einy, Yoav Aluf, Noy Bar. Israel, 07:15.
Cops & Robbers. Florian Maubach. Germany, 08:15.
Luge. Mickaël Dupré. France, 12:36.
Small Spark. Julie Rembauville. France, 03:07.
Mother’s Song. Signe Baumane. United States, 02:30.
WarnerMedia Kids & Family has greenlit Silly Sundays from Cartoon Saloon for its new Cartoonito preschool block on HBO Max and Cartoon Network. Created by Oscar-nominated producer Nuria González Blanco (Late Afternoon), the endearing animated series follows cousins Sonia, Hugo and Mel on fun, unexpected adventures at their family get-togethers.
Silly Sundays will debut in the U.S. in 2023 before making its international debut in LatAm and EMEA.
“I would like to thank WarnerMedia Kids & Family for choosing to partner with us on Silly Sundays! We are so delighted to be reunited with their talented team again for this new show that is going to be very funny and sunny, just like it’s creator Nuria Blanco,” said Paul Young, Cartoon Saloon Co-Founder & Producer. “I’d like to send our very special thanks to Amy Friedman, Adina Pitt and Zia Bales for all their support and for being such believers in our work.”
The world of Silly Sundays brings viewers back to family days together, when school and work are out for the week and there is nothing scheduled except spending time with family and friends. A feel-good comedy series, full of heart and deeply rooted in familial themes, everything centers around Sonia, Hugo, Mel, Mom, Dad and Granny as they create unforgettable memories together during their weekend gatherings. The stories focus on their ups, their downs and mostly their fun times as they embrace every little moment together.
“Cartoon Saloon is an esteemed studio that masterfully approaches storytelling with love and humanity, and Silly Sundays is another great example of how the beloved studio perfectly captures the essence of family bonding,” added Adina Pitt, VP Partnerships, Acquisitions & Co-Productions for the Americas, WarnerMedia Kids & Family.
Nuria will direct the series alongside Fabian Erlinghäuser (Dorg Van Dango, Wolfwalkers, The Breadwinner). The show is developed and produced with assistance from Fís Éirean/Screen Ireland and Creative Europe.
Cartoon Saloon Brand Development will handle ancillary and merchandising and once again Cartoon Saloon will partner with Superights (Puffin Rock) for sales outside the WarnerMedia regions.
The series is currently in production at Cartoon Saloon’s studio in Kilkenny, Ireland. In addition to airing on Cartoonito across U.S., LatAm and EMEA, RTE will also broadcast Silly Sundays in Ireland.
Cartoonito is the recently launched WarnerMedia Kids & Family preschool programming block on HBO Max and Cartoon Network. Inspired by Positive Psychology and 21 st Century Learning, Cartoonito is based on the proprietary preschool educational framework of Humancentric Learning, which aims to support every child’s humanness by celebrating their unique selves.
Cartoon Saloon is a five-time Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy-nominated animation studio founded by Paul Young, Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. Based in Kilkenny, Ireland the studio has a crew of over 200 artists and technicians in production and project development. Cartoon Saloons acclaimed projects include the Oscar-nominated features The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers; the Oscar-nominated short Late Afternoon; and series Puffin Rock, Skunk Fu and Dorg Van Dango. The studio is currently at work on a new series, Viking School, and Netflix Original animated movie My Father’s Dragon (2022).
The Disney+ Day celebration is headed to Springfield in The Simpsons in Plusaversary! In the new short, the Simpsons host a Disney+ Day party and everyone is on the list… except Homer. With friends from across the service and music fit for a Disney princess, Plusaversary is Springfield’s event of the year.
A Disney+ Day premiere, The Simpsons in Plusaversary will debut Friday, November 12 exclusively on the streaming service. The global celebration of Disney+ Day will come to life in 10 days with new content releases, fan experiences, exclusive offers and more across The Walt Disney Company on Nov. 12.
The Simpsons in Plusaversary is the third in a series of Disney+ shorts from The Simpsons that highlight the service’s marquee brands and titles. The previously released Star Wars and Marvel-themed shorts Maggie Simpson in The Force Awakens from Its Nap and The Good, The Bart, and The Loki are currently available on Disney+. All of these and more can be found in The Simpsons collection on the streaming service.
As previously announced, Disney+ Day animation highlights will also include the new classics retelling series Olaf Presents, the brand-new short Ciao Alberto, inspired by the summer feature film Luca, and fan-favorite shorts Feast, Frozen Fever, Get A Horse!, Paperman, Tangled Ever After, The Little Matchgirl, The Ballad of Nessie and Tick Tock Tale.
On Disney+ Day, viewers can also tune into the VFX-laden feature Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as well as documentary dives into the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the legacy of Star Wars bounty hunter Boba Fett.
![Allen Maldonado [Photo: Cedric Terrell] | Earl Baylon [Photo: Rey Cabato]](https://www.dev.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/AM_EB_760.jpg)
