Where do we come from? Is life just random and cruel? What’s the deal with boogers? These are some of the big questions humanity has been pondering since the early days. And in an exclusive clip you can check out below, you can see how Dawn of the Croods addresses them in the brand new fourth season.
In “The Great Foot in the Sky,” when Eep begins to question why bad things happen, she has a strange vision that lands her in front of the creator of Aaahh! Valley. Will she find the answers she’s looking for? It all becomes clear in the all-new season of Dawn of the Croods, coming to Netflix July 7!
You can also get a quite recap of where Eep and the Croods stand here.
Dawn of the CroodsDawn of the CroodsDawn of the CroodsDawn of the CroodsDawn of the Croods
Paris-based producer-distributor GO-N Productions has sewn up a new broadcast deal for its popular preschool series Simon in the UK, where the little rabbit’s growing-up adventures will air on Channel 5’s Milkshake! block as part of “All New Week,” starting July 24. Produced by GO-N with France Television, Simon (52 x 5 min.) is based on the best-selling books by Stephanie Blake, which are published in over 20 countries — including in the UK by Gecko Press.
“Simon joins Milkshake! as we enjoy our most successful year to date and embark on our first brand refresh in our twenty-year history,” said Sarah Muller, Head of Children’s at Channel 5. “Simon is the perfect addition to the block and I am sure that our audience will love the mix of emotion and comedy in the series.”
Marie Congé, Head of Sales and Business development at GO-N International, added: “The enthusiasm of Sarah Muller and the Milkshake’s team for Simon is very exciting. We are thrilled that our preschool hit is continuing to entertain children and their parents and to see it launched in the UK by such a renowned partner as Channel 5.”
The Channel 5 deal follows closely on a series of sales announced after MIPTV, which include pick-ups from Disney Junior Latin America, Disney Southeast Asia, Tele-Quebec (Canada), Cartoonito (Italy), VRT (Belgium), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), RUV (Iceland), RTS (Switzerland), Hop! (Israel), ERR (Estonia), Jetsen Huashi Wangju Kids (China) and TV5 Worldwide.
The series follows Simon, an adorable little rabbit, who exudes all the vitality of childhood. He’s at an age when little rabbits (and indeed little children!) are starting to come into their own — challenging relationships with parents, embarking upon school life, and learning about the world in general. Kids can use Simon as an example when standing their ground. They can learn from him, his mishaps and the way he has to get down off his high horse, but always with humor and good grace.
Okja, a new Netflix original feature about a young girl named Mija who risks everything to keep a strange creature safe from corporate interests, has been causing a stir with viewers and critics since launching this month. Developed and produced by Plan B, Lewis Pictures and Kate Street Picture Company, the feature centers on a pig-like creature that is roughly 12 feet long, eight feet tall and weighs 12,000 lbs. — a full CG creation by Deluxe’s Method Studios.
Method VFX supervisor and Academy Award winner Erik-Jan de Boer collaborated with director Bong Joon Ho from the early stages of productions, refining the look for Okja, developing a highly detailed asset that would seamlessly integrate with practical footage and overseeing shots on set in South Korea, New York and Vancouver. DP Darius Khondji shot the film using ALEXA 65 cameras at 6.5K, which was down-rezzed to 4K. Method delivered more than 35 minutes of footage, with an average shot length of nine seconds.
Okja’s creation began with a small maquette shipped from Korea, which the Method team scanned and optimized for its pipeline. Small adjustments — the number of toes, size of the ears, shape of the feet and jowls, bits of fuzz and hair — were made to the design, with the studio then focusing on R&D for a new solution for skin and muscle. This development allowed for faster simulation and more art-directable results.
“Realizing Bong’s vision for Okja was inherently challenging because of her size. She is enormous and features prominently in shots, and we didn’t want to restrict the actors so we had to prepare for there to be a lot of contact with her on set. Also, since this is a story about love and friendship, naturally Mija would need to interact closely with Okja. We aimed to make Okja a realistic presence on set and really focused on making the young actress playing Mija comfortable even though her primary costar is an inanimate foam shape. Bong was very generous in allowing us to rehearse and prepare with Mija and gave us a lot of autonomy in how we approached scenes,” said de Boer.
Animation supervisor Stephen Clee joined de Boer on set, using a wide range of foam pieces that were 3D printed from Method’s models, glued into accurate representations of the creature’s shape. Clee puppeteered the stuffy, giving the human actors an eye-line and realistic prop to interact with. The stuffy was also important for casting shadows to create an appropriate sense of presence. For a sequence where Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) rides Okja, de Boer put the young actress on a huge, custom-made Okja pogo stick, providing the correct physics and more realistic hang time and bounce.
“Being on set was hugely beneficial to the success of this project,” de Boer said. “Standing next to Bong, we could discuss our strategy and take risks we wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. Once we came back to Method and saw what had been captured, we hit the ground running. We had intricate shots with upwards of five people touching Okja at once that we had to legitimize, shots where Okja is in frame for a full minute, and many shots with Mija hugging Okja, allowing time to scrutinize every contact point and shadow. This required lots of roto, paint, rotomation and animation with an incredibly high fidelity. We definitely pushed our craft to a new level.”
Method’s workload for Okja also included scenes where the animal swims, bumps into cars, crashes into a storefront and falls into (full CG) vegetation; plus extensive crowd work for a feed yard scene with more than 16,000 pigs.
Summer is heating up for young Nickelodeon fans as second seasons of Gwen Stefani’s hit toon Kuu Kuu Harajuku and Teletubbies head to the Nick Jr. channel this month. New Harajuku episodes will begin Friday, July 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, with Teletubbies following Monday, July 17 at 2 p.m.
Co-created and executive produced by Stefani, Kuu Kuu Harajuku follows the adventures of the band HJ5 — Love, Angel, Music, Baby and G — through their super-cute world of music, fashion and style. Facing higher stakes and crazier falls in season 2, HJ5 are no longer a band struggling to make the scene. They are part of the scene and the competition is fierce. HJ5 will discover that maintaining success is more difficult than finding success, while their manager, Rudie, continues to mess up important situations.
In the season premiere “Training Day/Multi Tasking,” HJ5 is booked to perform a concert on the Trans Harajuku Express but they are missing one thing — tickets. They give the concert for the ages, playing and dancing in and on various modes of transportation, as they try to keep up with the speeding train. Then, Rudie accidentally double-books the band. Rather than cancel one of the gigs, G wants them to play both gigs at once. New episodes will rollout every Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Produced by DHX Media, the updated Teletubbies continues to reflect children’s real life experiences as the four iconic characters forge meaningful bonds with their tiny friends, the Tiddlytubbies. The series introduces all-new elements, including the honk-honk Tubby Car and an area of Teletubbyland called the Hidey Hup, a beautiful hidden glade containing equipment for physical Teletubby fun.
The season two Tubby premiere “Close the Gate/Trailer,” the Teletubbies accidentally leave the Tiddlytubbies’ gate open and search for missing Mi-Mi, RuRu and Baa. Then, they discover an extra special trailer on the Tubby Custard Ride. Teletubbies will air regularly weekdays at 2 p.m. through August.
KEPYR Campaign Extended
Kids Entertainment Professionals for Young Refugees — founded by industry vet Grant Moran — has raised over $19K for UNICEF, and decided to extend its CrowdRise campaign in order to meet its matching grant target of $25K (JPMorgan Chase). Learn more here.
Anime Expo 2017 Closing Video
Another long weekend of otaku magic and mania has come to a close — relive the highlights with this video and mark your calendars for July 5-8, 2018!
VIDEO: ‘Sgt. Stubby’ Official US Teaser
Fun Academy Motion Pictures is bringing the true story of America’s most decorated war dog to animated life. The CG flick stars Logan Lerman, Helena Bonham Carter and Gerard Depardieu, with animation by Mikros Image. Due out April 13, 2018.
INK Global has detailed a new collaboration between the animal-centric animated kids show Zafari — coming to NBCUniversal this fall — and the World Wildlife Fund, the globe’s biggest conservation organization. To further WWF’s work inspiring younger generations, Zafari will feature a series of educational videos complementing each episode, showcasing footage of animals in their natural habitats, with a child’s voice narrating a fun fact about the wildlife or wild place featured.
“Our work at INK is not just about entertaining children, it’s also about educating and enlightening them,” says INK Global Director Claus Tømming. “This new partnership will allow us to use the global reach of Zafari to further the conservation message and create future generations of WWF supporters.”
Zafari is a new CG-animated series created by David Dozoretz which centers on a group of friends who inhabit a land where all the animals have been magically born with an amalgamation of varying skins, patterns and characteristics, making each individual truly unique. NBCUniversal has picked up global distribution rights and the first series will be delivered soon, with a host of broadcasters on board at a pre-buy level. These include France TV, Lagardere TIJI, SRC Radio Canada and SpaceToon.
The 2017 Fest Anča international animation festival has wrapped up in Zilina, Slovakia, with the international jury bestowing the grand prize Anča Award — and its 800 euro purse — to Sore Eyes for Infinity by Finnish director Elli Vuorinen. The colorful hand-drawn film, produced with crowdfunding support, centers on an optician whose usual day is interrupted by several extraordinary clients, each of whom see the world in an unexpected way.
“Although [Sore Eyes] was one of the first films we saw, we did not lose it from our sight throughout the whole festival,” the jury noted. “Using expressive animation, it presents an absurd vision that is nevertheless rooted in reality. The main character observes a grotesque world, until she finds the courage to join it – with a helping hand.”
This year’s short film jury was comprised of Hungarian director Éva Katinka Bognár, Anifilm festival program director Pavel Horáček from the Czech Republic, and British director Robert Morgan who had a profile and masterclass at Fest Anča. The international music video competition was juried by Kostas Pataridis (a.k.a. Navis of ASD) from Greece, media artist Heidi Hörsturz from Germany, and Slovak new media artist Beáta Kolbašovská.
This year’s winning Fest Anča films will have an encore screening at the Pohoda festival in Trenčin this Saturday, July 8 at 9 p.m. in the Martinus Literary Tent. See www.festanca.sk for more on the festival.
2017 Fest Anča Winners: Anča Award (800 EUR) Sore Eyes for Infinity | Director: Elli Vuorinen (Finland, 2016)
Anča Award – Special Mention Dolls Don’t Cry | Director: Fréderick Tremblay (Canada, 2017)
Anča Student Award {400 EUR) Penelope | Director: Heta Jäälinoja (Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonia, 2016)
Jury notes: “We gave the student award to a playful film that races against time, bombarding us with a series of hilarious and inventive ideas about how to clean up your flat.“
Anča Student Award – Special Mention Roommates | Director: Jamie Wolfe (USA, 2016)
Anča Music Video Award (400 EUR) “The Unnatural” – Claire Cronin | Director: Marcos Sánchez (Chile, 2016)
Jury notes: “…A deep melancholic atmosphere. It tells a story that takes you on a journey. Minimalistic composition using a distinctive colour palette and strong use of shadows describes the background environment while keeping the action centre-framed. There is a clear progression in the story from characters’ introduction to the dramatic ending.“
Anča Music Video – Special Mention
“Sex Bruise” – DateNite | Director: Conor Grebel (USA, 2016)
Anča Kids’ Award (400 EUR; young audience vote) The Little Bird and the Caterpillar | Director: Lena Von Dohren (Switzerland, 2017)
Game Days Pitching Session Zoja| Directors: Ivan and Peter Galdík
Game Days Pitching Session – Special Mention Duschans Schulweg | Director: Peter Račko
Game Jam First Prize Diet Struggle | Team: Pixel Federation
Hari International has announced at a 78 x 7 minute second season of its flagship animated series Grizzy and the Lemmings will go into production, bringing the show’s total episode count to 156. The order has been confirmed by pubcaster France Televisions, as the show has achieved top rankings on France 3 just a few months after its launch.
“Grizzy and the Lemmings reinvents the codes of slapstick comedy and enchants our audience – young and older – since the beginning of the year. So it’s a real pleasure to cooperate with one of the most talented French animation studio to launch a second season,” said Tiphaine de Raguenel, Director of Youth Activities for France Televisions. “With its endearing heroes and its stunning graphic universe, Season 2 will raise the excess of gags and madness even further.
Season 2 of Grizzy has pre-sold to Turner, which will premiere the new episodes on Boomerang worldwide, Season 1 launched on the channel last fall.
“We got on board with Grizzy in the early stages of development and the result was a fantastic show, which matched perfectly with Boomerang’s DNA,” commented Cecilia Persson, VP of Programming & Content Strategy for Turner EMEA Kids, Acquisitions & Co-Productions International. “We’re happy to be partnering with Hari Studios on Season 2 and bringing Boomerang audiences across the globe more adventures and antics from these hilarious and loveable characters.”
The second season has also pre-sold to Tele-Quebec, which will continue to grow the brand’s popularity in French-speaking Canada, where season 1 has scored record viewing rates.
Meanwhile, Hari has secured sales of season 1 to Super RTL (Germany), VRT and RTBF (Belgium), NPO (The Netherlands), NRK (Norway), SVT (Sweden), YLE (Finland), RUV (Iceland), Puls TV (Poland), Modern Times Group (Latvia & Estonia), LRT (Lithuania), Pop (Slovenia), and Kids TV (Ukraine) — several deals are in discussion with broadcasters in Asia and Latin America.
“From a commercial point of view, it’s an excellent signal that we send to the market. The production of new episodes reassures the broadcasters and helps to build and secure the brand. We will rely on this positive dynamic to work on the development of the L&M program to give a new dimension to the property,” said Adeline Tormo, Head of Sales for Hari.
A quirky, colorful new preschool series called Olobob Top will soon launch on UK TV, with a premiere set to for CBeebies on Monday, July 17. Produced by UK animation shop Beakus in association with Cloth Cat Animation in Wales, the 52 x 5-minute show will air weekdays at 9:25 a.m. and 1:25 p.m. CAKE handles worldwide distribution.
CBeebies Executive Producer Sarah Legg-Barratt commented: “Learning through play has been a core aim of CBeebies and Olobob Top fits this ethos perfectly. We’re sure our audience will be surprised and delighted by the unique colours, quirky humour and ingenious characters in the show.”
Created by animation director/producer Steve Smith and author/illustrator Leigh Hodgkinson, Olobob Top features the vocal talents of Stephen Mangan (Episodes, Postman Pat, Green Wing). The series follows three child-voiced forest dwellers — Tib, Lalloo and Bobbie. Their world is made out of shapes, and each story sees them head to the Olobob Top where they use shapes to build new characters who come to life and join them on their creative, problem-solving adventures.
“We’re incredibly excited to launch Olobob Top on CBeebies this summer,” said Smith. “With a wonderful crew producing beautiful stories, design, animation and sound, we are hugely proud of Olobob Top and what it can do to empower children’s creative talents. CBeebies is the perfect home for our little characters, and we know families will embrace their world and love it like we do.”
Olobob Top has enjoyed strong pre-sales, with broadcast partners secured in Wales, Australia, Finland, Japan, Estonia and South Korea. A book program is set to launch in 2018, and a suite of online and digital games are on the way. Learn more at www.olobobtop.com and www.beakus.com.
Neo-Gothic mixed technique animated short Skin for Skin — directed by Calgary filmmakers Carol Beecher and Kevin D. A. Kurytnik, produced by the National Film Board of Canada — will celebrate its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal. The new 15-minute film is screening in competition, as is Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre’s animated docushort Oscar (MJSTP Films/NFB, in collaboration with Tele-Quebec). Fantasia (www.fantasiafestival.com) runs July 13 to August 2.
Skin for Skin’s world premiere screening will be part of the Outer Limits of Animation competition section on Sunday, July 16 at 2:45 p.m. in the J.A. DeSève Cinema at Concordia University. Oscar screens Friday, July 28 at 7 p.m. during the Cinémathèque québécoise block.
Synopsis: A dark allegory of greed and spiritual reckoning, Skin for Skin is set during the early days of the North American fur trade. In 1823, the governor of the largest fur-trading company in the world travels across his dominion, extracting ever-greater riches from the winter bounty of animal furs. In his brutal world of profit and loss, animals are slaughtered to the brink of extinction. But one day, the balance of power shifts, and the forces of nature exact their own terrible price. With nods to Melville and Coleridge, directors Carol Beecher and Kevin Kurytnik have created a visually stunning contemporary myth about the cost of arrogance and greed. Produced by Bonnie Thompson (NFB) and Carol Beecher (Fifteen Pound Pink Productions). Executive produced by David Christensen (NFB).
Filmmaker bio: Writers/directors/animators Carol Beecher and Kevin D. A. Kurytnik have been exploring the art and craft of animation for 30 years. Since they formed their production company, Fifteen Pound Pink Productions, in 1994, they’ve collaborated on 15 animated works and garnered more than 12 awards. Films such as Mr. Reaper’s Really Bad Morning (2004) and Business as Usual (2010), as well as their series Intergalactic Who’s Who (2009), have screened in 21 countries. Their approach encompasses almost every form and aspect of the animator’s craft, from cameraless animation to drawing directly on 16mm film to CGI. Partners in life as well as in art, they draw on their many influences as visual artists, storytellers, and voracious fans of every cinematic genre to create their work. Beecher is now developing several projects as producer for Fifteen Pound Pink Productions, and Kurytnik is permanent faculty for animation at the Alberta College of Art + Design in Calgary.
The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) has opened a cracking new exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the world’s most successful animation studios, Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman. Tickets are available now for this special exhibit, which runs through October 29, 2017. The show is part of the Victorian Government’s Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series.
“The magic of the Aardman studios lies not only in their exceptional skill, but in their ability to create so many characters that people of all ages love – funny, warm, playful, egotistical, generous and occasionally evil,” said ACMI CEO & Director Katrina Sedgwick.
“This exhibition showcases the incredible technical processes of this multi award-winning claymation studio, illuminating their inventiveness and astonishing eye for detail, and enabling us to see the evolution of the many characters that have become beloved by us all. In these crazy times, Wallace & Gromit and Friends: The Magic of Aardman will delight our audiences and remind us that there’s a little bit of the heroic dog or chicken or sheep in all of us!”
The Magic of Aardman reflects the quirky humor and charm of the Bristol, UK-based stop-motion specialists — taking visitors behind-the scenes with sketchbooks, concept and production art. The exhibition features more than 350 objects, including original artwork, 50-plus set pieces (including Wallace’s contraptions and Gromit’s beloved vegetable garden), Shaun the Sheep sets, the Chicken Run flying machine, and the spectacular 5-meter-tall ship from The Pirates! Band of Misfits. Exclusive to the ACMI run are additional pieces from Aardman’s next feature film, Early Man (2018).
Young visitors can also enjoy a kids’ activity space, The Studio, where they can build their own clay character and a make a short stop-motion animation, inspired by Aardman artistry!
Throughout the exhibition, ACMI Cinemas will screen Aardman’s feature films and other works. Australian talent will also be highlighted with a visit from Oscar-winning animator Adam Elliot (Mary & Max, Harvie Krumpet), who will take audiences on a journey through national achievement in “Adam Elliot presents Australian Indie Animations” on July 15.
The Magic of Aardman was curated by Art Ludique-Le Musée, Paris, in close collaboration with Aardman’s Bristol headquarter. Studio co-founders David Sproxton and Peter Lord came to Australia for the opening, to appear at a talk and retrospective “A Night Out with Aardman” and present a masterclass for emerging creatives. Lord also hosted a sold-out workshop demonstrating how to create iconic character Morph. And Sproxton was joined by Wallace & Gromit to meet visitors at Family Sundays: Stop! Motion Animation.
“As Aardman celebrates its first 40 years, we thought it only right that we should mark the occasion with an exhibition celebrating the work of the many artists and craftspeople that have contributed to the studio and its films over the decades,” said Sproxton, Aardman’s co-Founder and Executive Chairman. “It has been a wonderful exhibition to put together, enabling us to dig deep into our archives and pull out work that only a few people have ever seen. The exhibition demonstrates not only the amount of work it takes to get to a finished film, but also the imagination and skill of the large number of artists the studio depends on. We are very excited that the exhibition is opening in Australia, exclusively at ACMI, and we hope it is enjoyed by a great many people.”
A new superheroic collaboration between American comics legend Stan Lee and acclaimed Japanese anime director Hiroshi Nahamaha (Mushishi, Flowers of Evil, Detroit Metal City) will bow in Japan this month as NHK premieres The Reflection: Wave One on July 22. Produced by Lee’s POW! Entertainment and Studio DEEN, the 12-episode series will air Saturday late-night on the pubcaster.
The concept revolves around a global disaster known as “The Reflection” which results in people all over the world developing superhuman abilities, which they learn for good or evil depending on their dispositions. The main story follows the conflict between the hero Xon (voiced by Shinichiro Miki) and the villain I-Guy (Satoshi Mikami). The project was first announced at LA’s Comikaze Expo in 2015.
Key creatives on The Reflection include series director Koichiro Sohtome (Mushishi), writer Yasuyuki Suzuki (Naruto) and art director Hisaharu Iijima (Bakemonogatari). British songwriter Trevor Horn is producing the music, with Keiichi Nozaki as music director and Japanese group 9nine performing the ending theme song.
Organizers of the 2017 Cartoon Forum have responded to a general strike announcement by French trade unions by moving the dates of this year’s event up a day. To avoid the September 12 strike, attendees will now arrive in Toulouse on Sept. 11, with the TV animation co-production forum running Sept. 12-14.
The strike was called by the CGT (General Confederation of Labor), the largest union group in France in terms of votes and the second-largest in terms of membership at about 710,000. The strike is planned as a show of resistance to labor market reforms proposed by recently elected President Emmanuel Macron.
Cartoon Forum’s general director Mark Vandeweyer and his team have stated that while it is possible the trade unions may cancel the strike, they are cementing these new dates and the decision is final in order to avoid the potential impact of a general strike on air and rail travel. Participants are encouraged to update their hotel bookings and meeting schedules accordingly.
This year’s forum has selected 83 projects, representing a combined budget of about 285 million euros for 470 hours of programming. These will be pitched to 900 broadcasters, investors and producers seeking partnerships from 30 countries. Since the first edition in 1990, Cartoon Forum has facilitated the financing for 700 TV series, representing a total budget of 2.4 billion euros.
More information about Cartoon Forum 2017 available here.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has announced the new electees to its 2017-18 Board of Governors. Among these esteemed industry veterans, animator, historian and educator Thomas R. Sito has been elected to the Board of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch.
Tom Sito first studied animation at New York’s High School of Art & Design, then as a student at the School of Visual Arts and the Art Students League. He began his career as an animator in 1975, breaking in as an assistant on Richard Williams’ Raggedy Ann & Andy (1977). Sito later lent his talents to the Disney Animation Revival, working on classics The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Pocahontas, Dinosaurs and Fantasia 2000. He left Disney in 1995 to help set up DreamWorks Animation, where he worked on The Prince of Egypt, Antz, Spirit – Stallion of the Cimarron and as storyboard supervisor on Shrek. His credits also include TV classics like Fat Albert and He Man, storyboarding on The Looney Tunes Movie, and co-directing the animation for Osmosis Jones.
Sito is currently a Professor of Cinematic Practice at USC’s George Lucas School of Cinematic Arts — he has also taught at Woodbury College, CalArts, UCLA and Santa Monica College, and lectured at many prestigious universities and organizations across the US and abroad. He is the author of Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson, Timing for Animation and Moving Innovation: A History of Computer Animation. Sito has also written numerous articles for Animation Magazine and AWN. He has served three terms as President of the Hollywood Animation Guild and served as Vice President of ASIFA-Hollywood. Sito is a member of the Academy, the national Cartoonists Society and Hollywood Heritage.
Serving as Branch Governors alongside Sito are live-action short filmmaker Jon Bloom (founder, Bloomfilm), and animation director Bill Kroyer (Oscar-nominated short Technological Threat, FernGully: The Last Rainforest).
The Academy is also welcoming back to the Board Oscar-winning VFX veteran Richard Edlund, who returns after a hiatus. Born in North Dakota, Edlund developed a taste for filmmaking during his time in the US Navy, and attended the USC film school in the late 1960s. His short film work got Edlund notice by John Dykstra, who picked up the young filmmaker as a cameraman for the brand new Industrial Light & Magic to work on Star Wars — for which Edlund shared his first Academy Award. Edlund worked with Dykstra on Battlestar Galactica before returning to George Lucas’ operations for The Empire Strikes Back, earning a second Oscar. He continued to work with Lucas and earn acclaim for his work on Raiders of the Lost Ark, Poltergeist and Return of the Jedi. Edlund then formed his own company, Boss Films, whose credits include Die Hard, Ghostbusters, The Hunt for Red October, Outbreak and Air Force One.
Edlund rejoins the Visual Effects Branch as Governor alongside Craig Barron (Best Visual Effects winner for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button; nomination for Batman Returns) and John Knoll (Best Visual Effects, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest; six Oscar nominations).
The Academy’s 17 branches are each represented by three governors, who may serve up to three consecutive three-year terms. The Board of Governors sets the Academy’s strategic vision, preserves the organization’s financial health, and assures the fulfillment of its mission. The full list of Governors is available here.
VIDEO: ‘Rick and Morty’ Season 3 Trailer
Wubba lubba dub dub! The long wait is almost over, with all new completely insane episodes coming to Adult Swim starting July 30 at 11:30 p.m. ET. Trailer highlights include Pickle Rick, giant (and normal!) Summer, and a sick soundtrack courtesy of Dizzee Rascal’s “Bonkers.”
VIDEO: ’Star Wars: Forces of Destiny’ Sneak Peek
Enter a galaxy of fierce femmes when the new eight-part digital series launches on Disney’s YouTube channel July 3. Featuring Rey, Jyn Erso, Princess Leia, Sabine Wren, Padmè Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, and at least one wampa.
VIDEO: ‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ – Face of Caesar
“Not all heroes are human” in this hair-raising clip of Andy Serkis giving another stirring performance for the blockbuster franchise’s third chapter, in which the actor’s face melts seamlessly into the CG simian’s. In theaters through Fox on July 14.
Luc Besson Offers Moviegoers an Exclusive First Look at ‘Valerian’ Opener
The opening sequence of the hotly anticipated comic-book adaptation Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (EuropaCorp/STXfilms) will reveal the construction of Space Station Alpha to 3D and Large Format attendees in the US, in select theaters showing Spider-Man: Homecoming beginning July 21.
DreamWorks Animation Television and Netflix are bringing mecha mega-fun to San Diego Comic-Con with special plans around hit animated series revamp Voltron Legendary Defender. Fans can meet showrunners and voice stars, be the first to to see an upcoming season three episode, enjoy some cool cosplay, and even get their snack on at a themed food truck!
THURSDAY, JULY 20
10:30-11:30 a.m. Room 6BCF DreamWorks’ Voltron Legendary Defender, a Netflix Original Series — Zarkon has been defeated and Shiro is nowhere to be found. Without a pilot for the black lion or the ability to form Voltron, the team must quickly devise a plan as the ascension of Prince Lotor pulls them into a perilous game of cat-and-mouse. Join executive producer Joaquim Dos Santos, co-executive producer Lauren Montgomery, Bex Taylor-Klaus (voice of Pidge) and Tyler Labine (Hunk) as they debut the first episode of season three of the Netflix original series. All attendees will receive an SDCC-exclusive poster created by the Voltron crew and the new chapter book The Rise of Voltron from Simon & Schuster.
2-3 p.m. Petco Interactive Zone FANDOM Fest: Voltron Cosplay and Fan Meetup — Calling all Voltron cosplayers! Thursday is the day to break out your bayards and join Joaquim Dos Santos, Lauren Montgomery, Bex Taylor-Klaus and Tyler Labine at FANDOM Fest to celebrate Voltron with a cosplayer and fan meet up.
FRIDAY, JULY 21
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sails Pavilion Autograph Area Voltron Legendary Defender Signing (Ticketed) — With Joaquim Dos Santos, Lauren Montgomery, Bex Taylor-Klaus and Tyler Labine.
VOLTRON AROUND THE CON
Hunk’s Food Goo Replication Station (Food Truck) Thurs.-Sat. from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Petco Interactive Zone — As Coran would say, “Ahoy, young paladins! I’ve whipped up a big batch of focusing food. After this snack, you’ll be forming Voltron six times a movement and twice on the astral conflux!” Take a break from the crowds and have a cold and refreshing treat on us. DreamWorks Animation Television is bringing every paladin’s (least) favorite snack to San Diego: green food goo!
Lion Forge Comics Booth #1903 — Lion Forge Comics is giving away free Black Lion masks (while supplies last), massive 22″x34″ 4-Color posters (while supplies last), 4-color bookmarks and will be selling Voltron Legendary Defender Volume 1 which collects issues 1-5 of the miniseries.
Marie-Josée Saint-Pierre’s animated documentary short Oscar — a biographical piece on acclaimed jazz pianist Oscar Peterson — has been made available to stream for free on NFB.ca as of Friday, June 30. The film was screened the same day in honor of the afternoon’s presentation of the Oscar Peterson Award at the Montreal Jazz Festival, with the legend’s daughter Céline in attendance.
As part of the jazz fest’s lineup, Oscar will also screen at Montreal’s Cinéma du Parc theater, prior to the documentary features Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, by John Scheinfeld, and Bill Frisell, A Portrait, by Emma Franz. The French version of Oscar will be broadcast on the Télé-Québec television network and streamed in Télé-Québec’s “Zone vidéo.”
Synopsis: Oscar blends animated sequences and archival footage in its touching portrait of virtuoso pianist Oscar Peterson at the twilight of an exceptional career, as he wistfully meditates on the price of fame and the impact of the artist’s life on relationships with family members. From his beginnings as a young prodigy in Montreal’s Little Burgundy district to his triumphs on the international stage, this animated documentary explores the profound solitude of an artist constantly on tour. Set to the tunes of Peterson’s sometimes catchy, sometimes melancholic compositions, the film tells a heartfelt story about a life in jazz.
Produced by Saint-Pierre and Jocelyne Perrier for MJSTP Films and Marc Bertrand for the NFB, Oscar was made in collaboration with Télé-Québec. Julie Roy is the executive producer. The film premiered at LA Shorts Fest last year, and has since screened at a number of festivals across Canada, Europe, Asia and the US. Oscar won an Audience Choice Award at the New York City Short Film Festival, and the Animation Award at the Yorkton Film Festival in Saskatchewan. It was also nominated in the 2016 Gala Québec Cinéma.
Taipei-based Next Animation Studio announced the launch of nxTOONS, a new digital platform for original kids’ content. Simultaneously, Next has debuted new nxTOONS animated series Out of This World, available exclusively on YouTube. New original series and song clips will be added to the new digital channel throughout the year.
“Creating original kids IP has long been a mission for the company,” said CEO Indra Suharjono. “We are committed to producing 500 micro-episodes in the coming year. Establishing our own digital channel allows us to interact directly and respond quickly to audiences, both in terms of content development and community interaction. Our studio has been very successful with our news animations on YouTube and we hope nxTOONS will continue that success.”
Out of This World (26 x 1 min.) follows adopted siblings Max and Moon as they explore the meanings of common English language idioms such as “sleep tight” and “put a sock in it.” Max, a curious cat, often takes idioms literally, while smart and logical Moon the bunny happily explains to Max the history behind these phrases. Taipei American School students Nathan Sung and Sonia Fan provide the voices of Max and Moon.
Three episodes will be available at the launch of nxTOONS, with two more arriving each week. Next Animation is known for its news animations and speedy production pipeline, which allows the studio to produce 30 seconds of animation in under 2.5 hours. The nxTOONS series are being produced using this innovative process, which can result in a fresh episode every two days.
“We are currently in the process of creating three future series for nxTOONS,” said Chief Creative Officer Matthew Duntemann. “It’s been an eye-opener working with a studio that can develop content so quickly; Out of This Word was developed in three months. The speed is a huge advantage, as it allows us to create and experiment with many ideas simultaneously.”
Following the Electronic Theater selections announcement, SIGGRAPH has unveiled the winners of this year’s Computer Animation Festival — running throughout the LA event from July 30-Aug. 3. The 2017 Best in Show honor was bestowed on a student short, Song of a Toad, by Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg Animationinstitut graduates Kariem Saleh (director) and Alexandra Stautmeister (producer). This win qualifies the film for consideration in the Best Animated Short category for the 2018 Oscars.
The 3D CG diploma film Song of a Toad tells the story of an ugly, fat toad sitting on top of the main character Svobodan’s head, who tries to shake off the toad’s insufferable presence. The story addresses people’s struggle with their own oddities and their wish to adapt and fit into a group.
This technically innovative short benefited from the latest developments of Animationinstitut’s research department, created as part of the EU-funded Dreamspace. An experimental setup combined a Nuke real-time compositing prototype, developed by Foundry, with a device that resembles a hand puppet. This device allowed filmmakers to steer the movements of the toad and digitize them. Thus, the students were able to discuss and iterate various animation layouts within an established compositing workflow.
You can watch a behind-the-scenes video demonstrating this high-tech puppetry here.
jury also picked out John Lewis – “Buster the Boxer” directed by Dougal Wilson for Moving Picture Company (UK) as the Jury’s Choice winner, and Garden Party by Théophile Dufresne, Florian Babikian, Gabriel Grapperon, Lucas Navarro, Vincent Bayoux and Victor Caire (MOPA, France) as Best Student Project. SIGGRAPH will hold an awards ceremony on July 31 at the LA Convention Center.
Italy’s VIEW Conference on VFX, computer graphics, digital media, games and VR has further padded its speakers lineup for the 18th annual edition, taking place October 23-27 in Turin. Among those joining the previously announced guests are a quarter of Oscar-winning VFX luminaries.
Weta Digital Senior VFX Supervisor Joe Letteri will present the evolution of visual effects technology and artistry behind War for the Planet of the Apes. John Nelson will share the visual effects work on the highly anticipated film Blade Runner 2049 (out October 6). Bill Westenhofer brings insights on Wonder Woman, this summer’s critically acclaimed, superhero blockbuster. And Martin Hill, a Sci-Tech award winner, will discuss his supervision work on Weta Digital’s VFX for Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
Also added to the roster are: Randy Lake, President, Sony Pictures Imageworks; Larry Cutler, CTO, Baobab Studios; Leslie Iwerks, Director, Iwerks & Co.; Elaina Scott, Animation Supervisor for CW’s Supergirl; Bernard Yee, Executive Producer and Program Manager, Oculus Games; Megan Brain, artist and paper sculpture designer; LK Shelley, Managing Partner, Affiniti Ventures, AV(M) — an investor in early stage mobile-first startups; and Jason Bickerstaff, Character Artist, Pixar Animation Studios.
“VIEW is special not just because we bring so many amazing people to Torino, but because of the collaboration we see among our speakers and our attendees,” said conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “VIEW has become not only a place where ideas are presented, it’s a time and place where ideas are incubated.”
The VIEW Awards are open to animated shorts and videogames created between January 1, 2015 and September 15, 2017. Categories are Best Short (open to films, music videos or commercials up to 30 minutes long; First prize is 2,000 euros), Social Contest (video clip or commercial on a social issue; First prize 500 euros), Game Contest (recognizing gameplay, design and mechanics; First prize 500 euros), and ItalianMix (animated, experimental or documentary work by Italian artists up to 30 min. Long; First prize 500 euros).
VIEW has also issued a call for submissions for its second annual Games Development Boot Camp accelerator program, with a deadline of August 31. A panel of international judges will give six game startups a two-week mentorship, with winners getting a pitch shot at potential investors. (www.viewconference.it/games-bootcamp).
