Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • VIZ Marks ‘One-Punch Man’ Release with LA Scavenger Hunt

    VIZ Marks ‘One-Punch Man’ Release with LA Scavenger Hunt

    The anime sensation about an unlikely superhero’s adventures, One-Punch Man, has made its home entertainment debut through VIZ Media. All 12 episodes of the Madhouse-produced series are available to North American fans on Blu-ray Combo Pack ($59.99 US / $69.99 CAN), Blu-ray ($49.99 US / $57.99 CAN) and DVD ($39.99 US / $52.99 CAN).

    Based on the best-selling superhero parody manga (also published by VIZ Media) created by ONE and illustrated by Yusuke Murata, One-Punch Man centers on Saitama, a young man who only became a hero for fun. But after three years of “special” training, he finds that he can beat even the mightiest opponents with a single punch. Though he faces new enemies every day, it turns out being devastatingly powerful is actually kind of a bore.

    The home video release has both English subtitled and dubbed options — the English voice cast includes Max Mittelman (Saitama), Zach Aguilar (Genos), Robbie Daymond (Mumen Rider) and Erike Kimerer (Spood O’Sound Sonic).

    The Limited Edition Blu-ray Combo Pack includes six One-Punch Man OVA shorts, six collectible art cards, plus full-color episode guide booklet with summaries, character profiles and staff & cast interviews — all in premium packaging. Order thrugh Right Stuf to receive an exclusive silver-tone Hero Association pin (while supplies last). Standard edition Blu-ray set also includes the OVA shorts.

    Fans in the Los Angeles area can take part in the themed scavenger hunt, #OnePunchHunt, running through May 17. The VIZ animation team has scattered 15 character billboards across the city, and hunters can take selfies in front of the boards and post to Twitter or Instagram for a chance to win one of 30 knock-out One-Punch Man prizes. Details here.

    VIZ is the one-stop-shop for all things One-Punch Man in NorAm, and holds all digital & print publishing, broadcast, streaming, home video and master merchandising rights to the series.

    One-Punch Man
    One-Punch Man
    One-Punch Man
    One-Punch Man
  • Framestore Opens 3rd US Shop in Chicago

    Framestore Opens 3rd US Shop in Chicago

    Oscar-winning VFX and animation company Framestore is opening the doors of a new office in Chicago’s West Loop on May 1. The outfit will be run by current Framestore employees David Mellor, as Creative Director, and Raven Sia, as Head of Production. Newcomer Krystina Wilson is joining the company from The Mill in Chicago to lead the team as Executive Producer.

    “First and foremost, we want the production and the creative teams here in Chicago to view Framestore as a creative partner rather than a vendor. We have opened this office because we know the work coming out of the Midwest is some of the best in our business, and our goal is to house clients in a creative space where they feel like they can collaborate with our artists from inception to completion to create rich, iconic, and meaningful work,” said Wilson, who helped launch The Mill’s Chicago outpost in 2013.

    Having established offices in Los Angeles, New York, Montreal and London, Framestore’s Chicago expansion is driven by the growth of its Integrated Advertising division — which had its most successful year to date in 2016 and collected a flurry of accolades, including Clio and LIA Production Company of the Year, and Ciclope’s Visual Effects Company of the Year, along with over 70 awards for the group VR experience Field Trip to Mars, including 19 Cannes Lions.

    “The value of proximity is key,” said Jon Collins, President of Integrated Advertising. “We’ve always partnered with Chicago agencies, brands and production companies but now we’re developing the work within the community and operating as part of the culture.”

    Recent local team-ups have seen Framestore update Kellogg’s iconic brand mascot Tony The Tiger with Leo Burnett Chicago, and work with FCB Chicago to produce, direct and build seven CG characters for a new six-spot TV campaign for Cox Communications. The Chicago office will offer new and existing clients across brands, agencies and producers its services in post-production, VR, CG character development, digital installations and live-action.

    David Mellor is a 14-year Framestore veteran, having worked in nearly every department and at every level within the company, from Runner to Head of CG. In addition to his title of Creative Director he is an awarded Director with Framestore Pictures, with whom he recently co-directed Chick-Fil-A’s TV and VR campaign, Cowz VR. Mellor won a CLIO in Direction for Qualcomm Snapdragon’s “Coming Soon,” which also earned two Cannes Lions nominations.

    Raven Sia has been at Framestore for 12 years, during many of which she has executive produced GEICO’s acclaimed “Gecko” campaign and is proud of the recent work with Framestore directing and executing the popular CG character. Sia also produced content for Morgan Stanley’s Times Square digital signage with Framestore Labs, which won the first-ever D&AD Pencil in Data Visualization. The projects she has produced have won Webbys, VES Award nominations and Outstanding VFX accolades.

    Framestore Chicago's David Mellor (Creative Director), Raven Sia (Head of Production) and Krystina Wilson (Executive Producer)
    Framestore Chicago’s David Mellor (Creative Director), Raven Sia (Head of Production) and Krystina Wilson (Executive Producer)
  • Papercutz Releasing ‘The Loud House’ Title for Free Comic Book Day

    Papercutz Releasing ‘The Loud House’ Title for Free Comic Book Day

    Next Saturday, May 6 will be a big day for fans of Nickelodeon’s No. 1 comedy toon The Loud House, as publisher Papercutz offers a sneak peek at the first-ever graphic novel based on the show in honor of Free Comic Book Day. And, series creator & executive producer Chris Savino is scheduled to attend a special FCBD signing at House of Secrets in Burbank, California.

    The 2017 Papercutz Free Comic Book Day Issue contains choice cuts from the debut graphic novel, The Loud House: There Will Be Chaos, which hits shelves in comic shops on May 3 and bookstores on May 9. The graphic novel features stories and artwork by Savino and his talented team of animators and writers. Included in the FBCD issue are stories and art by Kevin Sullivan, David King, Jared Morgan, Miguel Puga, Ari Castleton, and Jordan Rosato.

    “Comics are a first love for many folks on our team,” said Savino. “And with eleven siblings in one series, there are lots of The Loud House stories to be told. I’m excited that we get to expand the Loud universe while also contributing to a medium that everyone on our staff is so passionate about. Comics and animation have always been closely related and it’s hard to pick which one I love more. Thanks to Papercutz I don’t have to choose! That’s even better than getting the last slice of pizza! Right, Lincoln?”

    Savino’s Free Comic Book Day signing at House of Secrets will take place May 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

    The Loud House, which received a third season greenlight last fall, relates 11-year-old Lincoln Loud’s struggles to survive the bedlam of his large family — especially being the only boy in a family with 10 sisters. With his best buddy Clyde, Lincoln always comes up with a plan to stay one step ahead of the chaos … whether that plan works is another story.

    The Loud House
    The Loud House
    The Loud House
    The Loud House
  • Mark Osborne, Adam Kline Join Two New Fox Animation Projects

    Mark Osborne, Adam Kline Join Two New Fox Animation Projects

    The Little Prince director Mark Osborne and his Bone adaptation writing partner Adam Kline have signed on two new feature projects in development at Fox Animation, Deadline reports. Which is only appropriate, since both films are adaptations of Kline’s books: Escape from Hat and With Kind Regards from Kindergarten.

    Escape from Hat, written by Kline and illustrated by Brian Taylor, was first published in 2012. The humorous fantasy-epic followed a lucky rabbit named Leek who finds himself dropped into a dangerous world ruled by black cats when a magic trick goes awry. As Leek sets out to find a way home, the human boy he has sworn to protect goes on his own search for the little white rabbit and the magician who made him disappear. Osborne will direct and produce the film for Fox and Blue Sky Studios, and is working on the screenplay with Kline.

    With Kind Regards from Kindergarten is a crowdfunded project initiated by Kline as a way to encourage parents to read to their children, but writing a book that was designed for young children but too challenging for them to read on their own. The story focuses on two friends who are driven apart when one loses his imagination. Osborne will direct and produce, with Kline writing the screenplay.

    Mark Osborne
    Mark Osborne
    With Kind Regards
    With Kind Regards from Kindergarden
    With Kind Regards, art by Brian Taylor
    Escape from Hat, art by Brian Taylor
  • Ankama’s ‘Mutafukaz’ World Premiere Set for Annecy

    Ankama’s ‘Mutafukaz’ World Premiere Set for Annecy

    Ankama Animation’s new feature-length comic adaptation Mutafukaz will celebrate its World Premiere as part of the 2017 Annecy Festival, where it will screen out of competition ahead of its theatrical debut in Japan later this year. The 2D film is adapted by comicker RUN from his print title of the same name (published by Ankama Editions’ Label 619) and produced by Japan’s prestigious Studio4°C under animation director Shojiro Nishimi (Batman: Gotham Knight, Tekkonkinkreet).

    RUN will be in attendance for the premiere on Tuesday, June 13 at 8:30 p.m. in the Bonlieu theater, and will discuss with the audience his experience working with the notable creative contributors to the film, including soundtrack composer The Toxic Avenger (winnier of the Ping Award for videogame FURI) and the high-profile French voice actors to be announced soon.

    RUN first began building the Mutafukaz universe when he was Artistic Director at web agency Teamchman, creating the 2003 Sundance Festival-nominated short Operation Blackhead. The first volume of the comic was released by Ankama Editions in 2006. In 2008, RUN established Label 619, which publishes comics and art books with a mature, urban bent.

    Synopsis: Following a scooter accident caused by the sight of a mysterious stranger, Angelino — just one of the thousands of good for nothings in the sordid West Coast metropolis of Dark Meat City — starts to have violent migraines accompanied by strange hallucinations. Along with his faithful friend Vinz, he tries to find out what’s happening to him, while menacing men in black seem determined to get their hands on him…

    Mutafukaz
    Mutafukaz
  • ‘Your Name.’ Plugin Tool PSOFT Pencil+ 4 Released

    ‘Your Name.’ Plugin Tool PSOFT Pencil+ 4 Released

    Japanese software developer P SOFTHOUSE has released the latest version of its non-photorealistic rendering plugin, PSOFT Pencil+4 for 3ds Max.

    Used in acclaimed feature films such as Makoto Shinkai’s multi-award-winning Your Name. and Hideaki Anno’s Rebuild of Evangelion movies — and recently adopted by Rooster Teeth in Texas for RWBY season 4 — the tool reproduces the look of pen-and-ink and color pencil drawings, cel animation and sketch-like pencil lines in 3D.

    Version 4 was developed with feedback from production houses, primarily those working in TV animation and feature film, with an emphasis on optimizing workflow and improving productivity. The updated Pencil+ introduces massive speed increases, Nitrous viewport display, material penetration, new edge detection settings and more. The new version is priced at 60,480 yen (a little over $540 USD).

    Check out the project gallery and see the full announcement for a comprehensive list of features and ordering information.

    PSOFT Pencil+4
    PSOFT Pencil+4
    PSOFT Pencil+4
    PSOFT Pencil+4
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2017: Interview with the Feature Animation Competition Preliminary Selector, Tomoyuki Saito
    The industry vet shares views on this year’s competition (read about the winners here), the future of anime, and globalization of the feature animation industry with IZANAU.

    VIDEO: ‘Tadeo Jones 2: El Secreto del Rey Midas’ Teaser Trailer
    The interpid adventurer’s encounter with the mystery of King Midas arrives in Spanish theaters August 25, or catch it at Annecy in June where it’s screening out of competition.

    Inside Netflix’s New Partnership with Baidu-Owned iQiYi
    The global SVOD player home to many acclaimed animated originals — including awards show favorites Trollhunters and BoJack Horseman — has cracked the Chinese market with the new deal.

    Indian Animation Studio 88 Pictures Spilll the Beans on What Went into the Making of Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Trollhunters’
    … And speaking of Trollhunters, Animation Xpress gets the scoop on how the less than-a-year-old Mumbai studio contributed three full episodes to the smash-hit fantasy adventure.

    Licensing Expo Japan Opens in Tokyo
    Alifish GM Hong Ying delivered the opening keynote for the inaugural trade show, conference and exhibition. A second keynote will be given by YouTube APAC’s Don Anderson, head of family & learning partnerships. Brands on the floor include familiar faces like Astro Boy and Popeye.

    Tadeo Jones 2: El Secreto del Rey Midas
    Tadeo Jones 2: El Secreto del Rey Midas
  • Clips & Pics: ‘Justice League Action’ Takes a Field Trip April 29

    Clips & Pics: ‘Justice League Action’ Takes a Field Trip April 29

    General Zod is at it again, and Earth’s only hope is a bunch of teen heroes — and one alien kitty cat? — in the all-new episode of Warner Bros. Animation’s Justice League Action. Scroll down for images and clips from “Field Trip,” premiering Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 a.m. on Catoon Network.

    Synopsis: When a group of teenage super heroes are being shown around the Fortress of Solitude, they inadvertently cause the Phantom Zone Projector to release three Kryptonian criminals and trap Superman!

    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
    Justice League Action
  • First Look at the Stars of ‘The Star’ from Sony Pictures Animation

    First Look at the Stars of ‘The Star’ from Sony Pictures Animation

    Sony Pictures Animation has revealed four of the key characters from its upcoming fath-and-family film The Star, and announced that triply Emmy winner Patricia Heaton has joined the voice cast in the role of “Edith” the cow. In theaters November 10, The Star relates the tale of the first Christmas as seen through the eyes of the animals who were there.

    The character designs released include Bo the donkey (voiced by Steven Yeun), Dave the dove (Keegan-Michael Key), Ruth the sheep (Aidy Bryant), Mary (Gina Rodriguez) and Joseph (Zachary Levi).

    The stellar cast also includes Kelly Clarkson (Leah the horse), Kristin Chenoweth (Mouse), Anthony Anderson (Zach the goat), Gabriel Iglesias (Rufus the dog), Ving Rhames (Thaddeus the dog), national radio personality Delilah Rene (Elizabeth), Kris Kristofferson (Old Donkey); Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry and Tracy Morgan as the camels Deborah, Cyrus and Felix; and Christopher Plummer (King Herod).

    Synopsis: A small but brave donkey named Bo yearns for a life beyond his daily grind at the village mill. One day he finds the courage to break free and finally goes on the adventure of his dreams. On his journey, he teams up with Ruth, a lovable sheep who has lost her flock and Dave, a dove with lofty aspirations. Along with three wisecracking camels and some eccentric stable animals, Bo and his new friends follow the Star and become accidental heroes in the greatest story ever told – the first Christmas.

    The Star is directed by Oscar nominee Timothy Reckart (Head Over Heels); executive produced by DeVon Franklin, Lisa Henson and Brian Henson, and Ben Waisbren; produced by Jennifer Magee-Cook; with story by Simon Moore and Carlos Kotkin and screenplay by Kotkin.

    Cinesite Studios provides the digital animation for this Sony Pictures Animation film, presented by Columbia Pictures and Affirm Films in association with Walden Films/LStar Capital and Franklin Ent./The Jim Henson Co.

    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star
    The Star

  • Joanna Priestley to Appear at Stuttgart, British Film Institute

    Acclaimed indie animator Joanna Priestley will step away from her Portland, OR home base for a series of international appearances over the first week of May. First, the Stuttgart International Animation Festival will present “In Persona: Joanna Priestley” on May 3 at 8 p.m. (Metropol 2) and “AniMovie Special Preview: North of Blue” on May 5 at 7 p.m. (Metropol 3) in Germany. Then, the British Film Institute will toast the award-winning filmmaker at “The Queen of Independent Animation: A Focus on Joanna Priestley” on May 11 at 8:40 p.m., at National Film Theatre 3 in London.

    The AniMovie Special Preview will give the audience a first-look at Priestley’s new abstract animated feature North of Blue. The project is inspired by the mysterious winter landscape the director encountered while a fellow at the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture in Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. The film grew into an exploration of the non-objective idiom that that plays with shifting focal points, suspension and tension of two dimensional patterning and trance.

    The film’s design hearkens to Delft ceramics, 19th century Northwest Coastal masks, the paintings of Hilma af Klint and Piet Mondrian, the abstract animations of Mary Ellen Bute and Antoni Gaudi’s La Pedrera. Fellow Portlander Jamie Haggerty did the sound design and score for North of Blue, Chris Barber did additional sound effects and Brian Kinkley did the title design and paint effects.

    The ITFS In Persona and BFI programs will be retrospective showcases of Priestley’s short films, selected from the 27 award winning works that she has directed, produced and animated. Attendees will be able to take in a dozen shorts including Voices (1985), Pro and Con (1993), Dew Line (2005), Split Ends (2013) and Bottle Neck (2015).

    Priestley has also had retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Center for Contemporary Art (Warsaw), American Cinematheque (Los Angeles), Hiroshima Animation Festival (Japan) and Jenju International Film Festival (Korea) and she has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Film Institute, MacDowell Colony, Fundación Valparaíso and Creative Capital. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

    North of Blue
    North of Blue
    Joanna Priestly
    Joanna Priestly
  • ‘Ben 10’ Universe Expands in Australia & New Zealand

    ‘Ben 10’ Universe Expands in Australia & New Zealand

    Cartoon Network’s biggest franchise Ben 10 is bringing intergalactic adventure to multiple platforms and into more Australian and New Zealand homes this month through new free-to-air partnerships. Agreements wiht 9Go! and TVNZ2 complement the show’s existing pay-TV and SVOD distribution, which includes Foxtel, Stan, Fetch and Sky New Zealand.

    The new Ben 10 animated series launched in the region with a feature on Kids’ WB on April 15, and now airs weekdays on 9Go! in Australia and no TVNZ2 in New Zealand. Ben 10 is also available through the Cartoon Network Watch and Play app.

    “Ben 10 has always been big, but these deals catapult the series to new heights. It returned to screens in this region in late 2016 and reminded us of the show’s fun and adventure,” said Robi Stanton, Turner’s GM for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. “With these distribution deals now in place, Ben Tennyson, along with his sister Gwen and Grandpa Max, is all set to entertain even more kids and families than ever before.”

    A full collection of Ben 10 toys is set to debut in June and expected to be a hit — the new “Rust Bucket” RV from Headstart International recently won the 2017 Action Toy of the Year award at the Australian Toy Association’s Toy Fair Gala Dinner in Melbourne.

    Ben 10
    Ben 10
  • Cyber Group, Supamonks & Chouette Make ‘Droners’ Soar on TF1

    Cyber Group, Supamonks & Chouette Make ‘Droners’ Soar on TF1

    Droners, a new animated series themed to current tech trends is getting ready to take off on French broadcaster TF1, which has partnered with compatriot producers Cyber Group Studios (Zorro the Chronicles, Mirette Investigates), Supamonks Studio (Frizouille et Scully) and Chouette Compagnie (Goal Force) for the 2D adventure-comedy.

    Set on a water-covered planet, Droners (26 x 26 min.; Kids 6-10) follows a drone-racing team known as the Tikis — Corto, Arthus, Enki and Mouse. In order to save their island home of Terraqua from being subsumed by the sea, the Tikis must win the world’s toughest drone racing competition: the Whale Cup.

    The series is based on an original concept by Pierre de Cabissole (Director of Production, Supamonks) and Sylvain dos Santos (Producer/Showrunner, Chouette). The series development is being headed by TF1’s Director of Youth Programming Yann Labasque, and Cyber Group Studios CEO Pierre Sissmann.

    “We are particularly proud to develop Droners with Yann and his team at TF1 and we thank them for their trust,” Sissmann commented in the announcement. “Our ambitions for this series, which takes us into the future of drones, are great and we are convinced that young viewers will be fascinated by our heroes and the challenges they are confronted with.”

    Droners
    Droners
  • SVA’s Dusty Awards Presenters Announced

    SVA’s Dusty Awards Presenters Announced

    Reeves Lehman, chair of the Film and Animation BFA programs at New York’s School of Visual Arts, and award-winning producer Annie Flocco — director of SVA’s 28th Dusty Film & Animation Festival — have revealed this year’s prestigious Dusty Awards presenters. The event will once again be hosted by media personality Valerie Smaldone, and is set for May 8 at 6:30 p.m. EST at the SVA Theatre, streaming online at dusty.sva.edu.

    The 2017 presenters from the animation sphere include: Academy Award-nominated producer/director, David Silverman (The Simpsons, Monsters, Inc., Maggie Simpson In: The Longest Daycare); VP of children’s programming at PBS, Linda Simensky (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Nature Cat, Odd Squad); animation director/producer, Biljana Labovic (Guard Dog, Idiots and Angels, TED-Ed).

    They will be joined onstage by producer and co-founder of Emmett/Furla Films, Randall Emmett (Silence, Lone Survivor, Everest); editor, Jim Helton (Blue Valentine, A Place Beyond the Pines, The Light Between Oceans); producer and New York Women in Film & Television president, Alexis Alexanian (Pieces of April, Personal Velocity, Chelsea Walls); IFP program manager and producer, Zach Mandinach; Academy Award-winning production sound mixer, Chris Newman (The Godfather, The Exorcist, Amadeus); writer/director, Gillian Robespierre (Landline, Obvious Child); Emmy award-nominated cinematographer, Fred Murphy (Hoosiers, The Dead, October Sky); Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, Sam Pollard (Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson, 4 Little Girls, When the Levees Broke); Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, Silence, The Age of Innocence); and director/cinematographer, Reed Morano (Meadowland, Frozen River, The Handmaid’s Tale).

    The Dusty Awards will be presented to over 15 film and animation thesis students (out of 100-plus graduates this semester) in recognition of achievement in directing, screenwriting, editing, cinematography, documentary, animated film, character animation, and animation production design. As previously announced, the 2017 Outstanding Alumni Awards will go to Titmouse animation studio co-founders Shannon and Chris Prynoski, and Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up).

    “The Dustys and the award ceremony have become one of the top student film festivals in the country,” said Lehmann. Flocco added, “Year after year, the event brings attention to remarkable work by SVA students, and proves to be a launch pad for many who go on to Hollywood and beyond.”

    The 2017 festival sponsors include AbelCine, ARC-Adorama Rental Co, Animation Magazine, B&H Photo, Bryan Singer-Bad Hat Harry, Carlos Saldanha-BottleCap Productions, Foto Care, Gotham Sound, IFP, KitSplit, New York Women in Film & Television, Nice Shoes, Nickelodeon, Radical Media, Randall Emmett-Emmet/Furla/Oasis Films, Rota6, SCS Agency, Inc., SVA Campus Store, Technicolor PostWorks New York and Toon Boom Animation. 100% of the sponsors’ donations directly benefit the film and animation thesis students through grants and in-kind awards.

    28th Dusty Film & Animation Festival
    28th Dusty Film & Animation Festival
  • Clip: ‘Steven Universe’ Returns for 5-Night Event on May 8

    Clip: ‘Steven Universe’ Returns for 5-Night Event on May 8

    Rebecca Sugar’s critically acclaimed fantasy-adventure Steven Universe is returning to Cartoon Network for a five-night run of new episodes, beginning Monday, May 8 at 7 p.m. ET/PT with “Lion 4: Alternate Ending.” In the episodes, Steven goes on a quest to find out what a magical key unlocks — scroll down to watch a preview clip and find out where he found that key in the first place.

    The week of debuts continues May 9 with “Doug Out” — Steven and Connie join Connie’s father on a stake out; May 10, “The Good Lars” — Steven, Lars and Sadie get invited to a party with the Cool Kids; May 11, “Are You My Dad?” — People are disappearing from Beach City, and Steven tries to solve the mystery; and also on May 11, “I Am My Mom” — Steven struggles to fix his mistakes.

    Ahead of the broadcast launch, fans can “See It First” as all five episodes launch on the Cartoon Network app May 5.

    The month of May will offer up even more quality time with Steven and the Crystal Gems premiering on Memorial Day, plus new installments of Ben 10 (premieres weekdays at 5 p.m.), The Powerpuff Girls (premieres Sundays at 5:30 p.m.), Teen Titans Go! (“The Avogodo” premieres May 5 at 6 p.m.), Ninjago (2 weeks of premieres start May 15 at 5:30 p.m.), Transformers: Robots in Disguise (Saturdays at 6:30 a.m.) and Justice League Action (Saturdays at 7:30 a.m.)

    Steven Universe
    Steven Universe
  • Exclusive: Adult-Targeted ‘Dogs in a Park’ Animatic

    Exclusive: Adult-Targeted ‘Dogs in a Park’ Animatic

    You’ll never be able to look at man’s best friend the same way again after encountering the foul-mouthed comedic canines of Dogs in a Park — a short-form animated series aimed at adult audiences produced by Cartuna and available on Comcast’s Watchable platform.

    The producers have offered us an exclusive behind-the-scenes sniff with an animatic by animation director Kamron Robinson. In it, the concept of cat-calling gets turned on its head as two foul-mouthed felines comment on the assets of passing dogs.

    The digital comedy series features the voices of Michael Ian Black (Wet Hot American Summer, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Another Period), Jillian Bell (Workaholics, 22 Jump Street, Idiotsitter), Academy Award winner Nat Faxon (The Way Way Back, Married, The Descendants) and Artemis Pebdani (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Scandal, Son of Zorn).

    Dogs in a Park is created, written and executive produced by Daniel Shepard and Keith Shepard; James Belfer and Adam Belfer serve as executive producers for Cartuna.

    Watch Dogs in a Park on its Watchable page and learn more about the studio at Cartuna.com.

    Dogs in a Park
    Dogs in a Park
    Dogs in a Park
    Dogs in a Park
    Dogs in a Park
    Dogs in a Park
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    Seth Rogen and Billy Eichner to Play Pumbaa and Timon in ‘Lion King’
    Jon Favreau’s live-action revamp of the iconic Disney animated feature also stars Donald Glover as “Simba” and James Earl Jones as his father, “Mufasa.” The roles were voiced in the 1994 movie by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella.

    HBO’s ‘Animals’ Is the Best TV Comedy You’re Not Watching
    Abraham Riesman for Vulture describes the adult-targeted talking animal toon as “Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist by way of Comedy Bang! Bang! — with the earnest heart and charm of early New Girl or late Parks and Recreation.” The Duplass Bros. show debuted in early 2016.

    Stan Lee’s ‘God Woke’ Wins Best Animated Film at the IFS Film Festival 2017
    The film will make its World Premiere during the Los Angeles fest on May 4 at The Grove. God Woke is written, narrated and directed by Lee with directors Gill Champion and Gary Laird — the story is Lee’s first to be adapted as a Cinematic Graphic Novel.

    Turner’s Gerhard Zeiler Bullish on International Content Creation
    At APOS in Bali today, the Turner Asia Pacific president discussed the company’s “three pillars,” channel branding and the importance of content ownership.

    Disney Animation Producers Say They Were Left Out of $100 Million Settlement
    The industry-shaking wage fixing suit seemed to be getting some closure in January — but two toon producers have filed a fresh action saying they were improperly excluded from the settlement.

    Animals
    Animals
  • Media IM Appoints Evolution as NorAm Partner for ‘Sunny Bunnies’

    Media IM Appoints Evolution as NorAm Partner for ‘Sunny Bunnies’

    London-based animation & family entertainment distributor Media I.M. has tapped Evolution to exclusively represent the North American licensing, merchandising and promotions rights for Belarus-produced animated series Sunny Bunnies (52 x 3’30”). The preschool-targeted show has been  licensed to key broadcasters across the globe, including Disney Junior and Disney Channel in the US.

    The show centers on five ball-shaped characters who can appear wherever there is light. The non-dialog, CGI series follows their mischievous adventures in all sorts of locales. Season 1 has already hopped to TV screens in the US and around the world, and has a significant following on YouTube with over 90 million views to date.

    Evolution’s aim will be to expand the available array of Sunny Bunnies producs for kids, including apparel, accessories, publishing, toys, plush, home, stationery, food, and health & beauty goods. The agency will also handle promotional and marketing alliances in the region. Evolution will debut the property at Licensing Expo in Las Vegas, May 23-25 at booth #C86.

    “We are very excited to be working with such an experienced group of executives at Media I.M. and the talented animation team at Digital Light Studios on this fun and engaging series,” said Travis Rutherford, President, Licensing & Retail, Evolution. “We expect a significant consumer products program to be deployed in the North American market beginning with core categories available at select retailers in Spring 2018. Our carefully constructed brand expansion strategy will build Sunny Bunnies into one of the premiere children’s TV franchises.”

    Sunny Bunnies
    Sunny Bunnies
  • Disney-Pixar Revs Up New ‘Cars 3’ Trailer

    Disney-Pixar Revs Up New ‘Cars 3’ Trailer

    A brand-new trailer for Disney-Pixar’s mile-a-minute sequel Cars 3 is burning rubber across the ‘net, giving fans a taste of Lightning McQueen’s latest adventure where the stakes are high and the dreams are big. Scroll down to check out the spot and new stills from the flick, which races into theaters June 16.

    Cars 3 is directed by Brian Fee (storyboard artist, Cars, Cars 2) and produced by Kevin Reher. The voice cast of newcomers and returning stars is lead by Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, Cristela Alonzo as Cruz Ramierz and Armie Hammer as Jackson Storm.

    Synopsis: Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez, with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

    Cars 3
    Cars 3
    Cars 3
    Cars 3
  • ‘Frozen 2,’ Marvel & Star Wars Flicks Get Dates from Disney

    ‘Frozen 2,’ Marvel & Star Wars Flicks Get Dates from Disney

    Walt Disney Studios’ feature release schedule for the next four years has been revealed. On top of 2017’s lineup of titles detailed in January (view here), we finally have debuts scheduled for hotly anticipated animation sequel Frozen 2 — dates were previously set for The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4 and more recently for Wreck-It Ralph 2. Plus, live-action spectacles that draw on the Disney catalog, Marvel titles and the Star Wars universe.

    Walt Disney Studios release schedule:

    ***Animation

    2018
    February 16 – Black Panther (3D)
    March 9 – A Wrinkle in Time (3D)
    April 6 – Magic Camp
    May 4 – Avengers: Infinity War (3D)
    May 25 – Untitled Han Solo Star Wars Anthology Film (3D)
    June 15 – The Incredibles 2 (3D)***
    July 6 – Ant-Man and The Wasp (3D)
    August 3 – Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (Live Action)
    November 2 – Mulan (Live Action) (3D)
    November 21 – Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (3D)***
    December 25 – Mary Poppins Returns

    2019
    March 8 – Captain Marvel (3D)
    March 29 – Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (Live Action)
    April 12 – Untitled Disneytoon Studios***
    May 3 – Untitled Avengers (3D)
    May 24 – Star Wars: Episode IX (3D)
    June 21 – Toy Story 4 (3D)***
    July 19 – The Lion King (Live Action) (3D)
    August 9 – Untitled Disney Live Action
    November 8 – Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (Live Action)
    November 27 – Frozen 2 (3D)***
    December 20 – Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (Live Action)

    2020
    March 13 – Untitled Pixar Animation (3D)***
    April 3 – Untitled Disney Live Action
    May 1 – Untitled Marvel (3D)
    June 19 – Untitled Pixar Animation (3D)***
    July 10 – Untitled Indiana Jones
    August 7 – Untitled Marvel (3D)
    November 6 – Untitled Marvel (3D)
    November 25 – Gigantic (3D)***

    2021
    March 12 – Untitled Disney Live Action
    June 18 – Untitled Pixar Animation (3D)***
    November 24 – Untitled Disney Animation (3D)***

    Frozen
    Frozen
  • NAB Show ‘17 Animation Highlights

    NAB Show ‘17 Animation Highlights

    The NAB confab (www.nabshow.com) is underway in Las Vegas this week. Amid all the crazy new broadcasting tech on display, there’s always a few animation & VFX gems to catch the savvy eye. Like…

    +      The Motion Picture Sound Editors gathered VFX and sound artists from Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on Wednesday for The Force Returns: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Super Session. John Knoll (VFX Supervisor, ILM), Hal Hickel (Animation Supervisor, ILM) and Matthew Wood (Supervising Sound Editor, Skywalker Sound) discussed just a few of the film’s 1,700 effects, including new starships, digital Gran Moff Tarkin and third-act battle with Hollywood Reporter’s Carolyn Giardina.

    +      Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) is showcasing its latest VFX and 3D animation software releases: Flame 2018 update 1, Maya 2017 update 3, Arnold 5.0, Shotgun, and 3ds Max 2018. A range of these new products can be seen in action at booths for partners Dell (SL6210), Google (SU218), Oracle (SU2202) and Quantum (SL5810).

    +      Cinema 4D by MAXON has been live-streaming its jam-packed presentation schedule. Professional presenters from Artifex, Brograph, Eyedesyn, Grayscalegorilla, Noseman, Perception and more detailed a range of topics, from character tools, motion-tracking and 3D design to workflow techniques and project management tips.

    +      Epic Games presented its first press conference at NAB, showcasing how its Unreal Engine is helping break new ground in episodic entertainment production and delivery. Epic will also be at FMX next week, where CTO Kim Librari will co-host a making-of session on real-time rendered short The Human Race (watch).

    +      Noitom is demoing its Perception Neuron (neuronmocap.com) live animation motion-capture tool — recently used for the blockbuster flick Logan. Attendees can check out the head-to-toe mo-cap system for live or recorded games, VFX, film and digital platform animation in use with Reallusion’s iClone and Kigurumi Live Animaton (KiLA) at booth #SU7012.

    +      BOXX (booth #SL10930) is showcasing its high-performance APEXX workstations, demonstrating how the machines smoothly handle professional 3D design and motion media workflow through Adobe Premiere Pro and Cinema 4D.

    +      Shark 3D is at the show to display the live VFX, CGI, VR & virtual production applications of its software — learn more here.

    +      The top creatives and technologists across the broadcasting sphere have been announce as the StudioDaily 50 honorees for 2017. Meet them here: www.studiodaily.com/studio-50.

    Star Wars: Rogue One
    Star Wars: Rogue One