For their latest ghoulish outing, the fierce fashionistas of Monster High have been powered up for the second time by Glasgow-based character development and animation studio Flaunt Productions (part of Axis Studios). The studio’s second feature-length project, Monster High: Electrified, debuted in March and required Flaunt to apply the “monsterfied,” “wonkified” and bold new touch it applied in last year’s Welcome to Monster High.
Directed by Avgousta Zoureldi, Mattel’s Monster High: Electrified is a neon-hued new adventure that carries the toy and entertainment brand’s “Second Generation” look and feel even further. In the special, Clawdeen dreams of opening a salon for monsters and “normies,” and Frankie knows the perfect location: an abandoned power station. But the idea sparks conflict when Moanica decides to ruin their plans … and replace them with something more shocking.
“Taking the reigns of Mattel’s treasured brand was a great responsibility, but it also gave us a fantastic opportunity to spread our creative wings,” said Andrew Pearce, Executive Producer at Flaunt. “With Monster High: Electrified, we had a second chance to further explore new ideas, pushing our artists and animators beyond what is expected from an animation studio. We’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved at Flaunt.”
Read more about Flaunt’s monstrous makeovers on the studio’s blog.
As part of Axis Studios — alongside Axis Animation and axisVFX — Flaunt was founded 17 years ago by four artists who continue to lead the studio in creating stylized character animation for games, commercials, broadcast and digital.
Kicking off next week in Germany, the 24th International Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart (ITFS) has already announced many of the exciting program highlights that its expected 80,000 attendees can expect this year. Over 200 events and 1,000 films are slated for the May 2-7 event, themed this year “Animation Without Borders.” Organizers have now revealed details of what visitors can find outside the screenings and enlarged GameZone.
“Based on the close cooperation between ITFS, Animation Production Day and our partner events FMX – International Conference on Animation, Effects, VR, Games and Transmedia as well as — new this year, with spotlight — Festival für Bewegtbildkommunikation (Festival for Moving Image Communications), we create a platform which is globally unique,” said Dittmar Lumpp, ITFS Director of Organization & Finances. “With our partnerships and by continuous development, we transform Stuttgart into the worldwide center for animation, visual effects and moving image communication at the beginning of May.”
Wall of Animation 2 opens April 25, once again tranfsorming the facade of the Breuninger flagship store on Stuttgart Markplatz. One significant innovation in 2017: the Wall now incorporates smartphone and tablet-compatible augmented reality enhancement app which brings a massive print from ITFS’s Pirate Smooch trailer to life. Visitors can explore the pirate world through the AR app and search for Trixi, the festival mascot, to win Breuninger vouchers to use in the store.
The Pirate Smooch AR experience is a cooperation of ITFS, Breuninger, LAVALabs (Dusseldorf/Stuttgart) and Lightshape (Stuttgart) — the two studios will make a presentation on this project and their shops during ITFS.
More pleasure can be found at the Open Air screenings, running throughout the festival from 2 to 10 p.m. in the Festival Garden at Stuttgart Schlossplatz. The new LED screen for 2017 offers updated viewing technology and is 25% larger — perfect for making the most of presentations of recent animated features.
On the Open Air slate: Disney’s Oscar winner Zootopia, Pixar’s Finding Dory, DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda 3, Fox-Blue Sky’s Ice Age: Collision Course, Sony Pictures Animation’s Storks, Studio Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There; plus German productions Rabbit School – Guardians of the Golden Egg (Akkord Film), Knight Rusty 2 – Full Metal Racket (Caligari Film), Mullewapp – A Pretty Mess or eine schoene Schweinerei (MotionWorks, Melusine), and The Little Polar Bear in tribute to animator Thilo Graf Rothkirch.
On May 4 at 8 p.m. in the Renitenztheater, ITFS will present the German Voice Actor Award or Trickstar to the best original voice or dub artist in a feature-length film. The 2017 nominees are Alexandra Maria Lara for “Roswitha” in Sing, Friedrich von Thun for “Eitelfritz” in Rabbit School – Guardians of the Golden Egg, and Anja Kling for “Mathilda” in The Angry Birds Movie. Stuttgart’s oldest cabaret theater will also play host to the Animation Comedy award ceremony, complete lots of celebrities, animation and humor. The show is being MCed by cabaret artist Bernd Kohlhepp, who will be joined onstage by comedian Dodokay for a live Swabian dialect dubbing of Italian cartoon Signor Rossi — in front of its creator, Bruno Bozzetto. (Tickets at www.renitenztheater.de)
As previously announced, a joint industry awards ceremony will be held on May 5 at 6 p.m. at the L-Bank Rotunda, covering the new Trickstar Business award, Tricks for Kids Series Award (sponsored by REED MIDEM/ MIP Junior) and German Animation Screenplay Award (sponsored by Telepool). This year’s screenplay nominees are The Journey of the Elephant Soliman by Juliette Alfonsi and co-author Matthias Drescher, and elf adventure Die Heinzels – Rückkehr der Heinzelmännchen by Jan Strathmann — German actor and voice artist Katharina Spiering will read excerpts from the winner.
The 2017 ITFS will also celebrate the intersection of music and animation with a series of special events, joining the already revealed theater/animation/live-music production of Paul Barritt’s Cat and Mouse (1927 Theatre Company/Village Underground) and Opera & Animation presentation of Vincenzo Bellini’s The Sleepwalker (Stuttgart Opera). These include the Animated Music Videos program in collaboration with jazzopen stuttgart, and evening jams at Café Le Théâtre.
Students of Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and young tenor Daniel Kluge have collaborated on Tod der Fruchtfliege (Death of a Fruit Fly), which will also screen in the matinee Opera & Animation program. And, on May 6 at 7:45 p.m., musicians from the Ziryab-Akademie für Weltmusik (World Music Academy) will join Syrian-Armenian performance artist and animator Kevork Mourad for a live piece in which he creates drawings which are then projected onto a screen and turn into animation.
One of the glittering highlights of the animation events calendar is drawing near, with the 2017 Annecy Festival & Market kicking off in the French Alps from June 12-17. Having previously announced the short film and graduation film selections, the organizers have now revealed the complete program.
This year’s 10-title feature film competition includes much-buzzed about movies including Ethel and Ernest (UK/Luxembourg), Big Fish & Begonia (China), and the world’s first oil-painting animaiton, Loving Vincent (Poland). The contest includes three entries from Japan: acclaimed anime dramas In This Corner of the World and A Silent Voice, and Masaaki Yuasa’s wild mermaid tale Lu Over the Wall. The competition is completed by 3D CG entry Animal Crackers (US), crime thriller Have a Nice Day (China), Tehran Taboo (Germany) and Zombillenium (Belgium/France).
An additional 13 features from across Europe, Asia and Latin America are slated to run out of competition. Event screening highlights include major studio premieres Despicable Me 3, Cars 3 (with a sneak peek at Coco and short film Lou) and Captain Underpants; adult-targeted The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales, Mutafukaz, and cyberpunk anime Blame!; rounded out by family-friendly Zombillenium, The Jungle Bunch and Tall Tales.
The 31 selections in the TV category span target audiences, genres and animation techniques. A clear majority of 13 titles are French productions or co-productions, including Ernest & Celestine, Simon and The Man-Woman Case. The US & Canada are represented by 7 projects, including Guillermo del Toro’s Trollhunters, BoJack Horseman and ToonMarty. Lily’s Driftwood Bay, Puffin Rock and Maya the Bee also made the cut, as did three Russian projects and Mexico’s Sesenta y ocho voces, senesta y ocho corazones (68 Voices, 68 Hearts), which brings indigenous stories to life in their original languages.
Annecy is also the place to glean knowledge from the top creative forces in the industry. This year’s MIFA keynotes will be given by legendary animator Glen Keane (“Thinking Like a Child: Embracing Change in an Ever-Evolving Art Form”), Disney TV Animation SVP of Original Series Eric Coleman, and SPA President Kristine Belson (“Reshaping Sony Pictures Animation”). In a masterclass, Lewis Trondheim, Guy Delisle and Arthur de Pins will discuss the storytelling challenges of comics and animation. Clyde Henry Productions’ Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski will also present a masterclass on “Elementa: The Language of Stop-Motion.” And the Studio Focus sessions will cover Pixar’s RenderMan, 3D animation shop Original Force, and Adventures in VR with the Google Spotlight Stories team.
Check out the full Annecy Festival & Market program online now.
International animation lab Bridging the Gap has extended its application deadline to May 1. Feature film and series projects in pre-production, development or production are eligible to participate, and short films with series or feature development potential will also be considered.
BTG’s animation lab will select 12 projects to take part in the the 3rd edition, taking place July 16-22 in Tenerife, Spain. With a goal of encouraging the internationalization of animation projects and facilitating international partnerships and networks, the lab will include conferences and personalized consulting meetings with prestigious industry professionals.
Visit the BTG website for complete rules and application information.
As previously announced, scholarships covering course registration, accommodation and meals during the lab are available to selected projects. Four scholarships have been set aside for projects from countries in Latin America & the Caribbean, North Africa & the Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Philippines. BTG is also offering one full scholarship for a project originating outside these countries, 3D Wire festival is sponsoring a scholarship for a Spanish participant, and two scholarships will be granted to participants from Tenerife.
Colombian applicants can also seek financial assistance from the Colombian Film Development Fund through its estímulos automáticos program. The regular cost of participation is 1,500€ (includes courses, accommodation and meals).
The Animation Lab is organized by BTG, with the support of the Spanish Cooperation, through the ACERCA Training Program for the Development in the Cultural Sector, the collaboration of the International Latin American Foundation for Public Administrations and Public Policies (FIIAPP) and sponsored by Cabildo de Tenerife through Turismo de Tenerife and the Science and Technology Park INtech Tenerife and with the collaboration of TLP Tenerif.
Genius Brands International has licensed exclusive US and Caribbean Basin broadcast rights for season one of its CG-animated series Rainbow Rangers (52 x 11 min.) to top-rated kids’ network Nickelodeon. Currently in development, that adventure series is expected to bow on preschool channel Nick Jr. Genius recently appointed Mattel’s Fisher-Price Toys as Global Master Toy Partner for the brand.
“Combining Genius Brands’ unique business model and expertise in creating highly engaging cross-platform content with Nickelodeon and Mattel’s pedigree and industry-leading position in the global market gives Rainbow Rangers the fuel it needs to lead in the preschool space,” said Stone Newman, President of Global Consumer Products, Worldwide Content Sales & Marketing for Genius Brands. “Our partnerships can be seen as indicators of the growth potential for this property and its ability to generate significant revenue streams across multiple categories.”
Rainbow Rangers is a behind-the-curtain peek at the real lives of superheroes: Earth’s First Responders. Blending fantasy and action-adventure elements with stories about friendship and saving the environment, the show follows the seven Rainbow Rangers — an all-girl hero group, each a different color of the rainbow, with a unique personality and powers. Together, they set out to save the day whenever the people, animals or natural wonders of Earth are in trouble.
The project features a high-profile creative team of animation veterans, including Rob Minkoff (director, The Lion King), Shane Morris (co-writer, Frozen), Tim Mansfield and New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-nominated writer Elise Allen (Dinosaur Train, Lion Guard, Barbie specials) who is serving as head writer and co-creator. Genius Brands’ Chairman & CEO and multiple Emmy-winning producer of more than 5,000 episodes of children’s programming, Andy Heyward, serves as executive producer, with legendary Disney character artist Ruben Aquino (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Frozen) creating key designs.
With just a week to go until FMX takes place in Stuttgart (May 2-5), organizers continue to confirm must-see additions across the schedule, including a keynote from Cheryl Boone Isaacs and special focuses on Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Ghost in the Shell and Pearl.
See our previous coverage for more highlights and visit www.fmx.de for more on this crucial industry event.
Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will join FMX for a keynote interview with Eric Roth, the Executive Director of the Visual Effects Society. The interview is part of the “Studio Insights” track that provides a safe forum for executives to share their perspective on digital entertainment, focusing on production, changing business models and new forms of content creation. Isaacs — whose marketing & PR executive career has spanned campaigns for Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Artist, The King’s Speech, and Precious — will spotlight the Academy’s role in the digital and societal transformation of the film industry.
Alessandro Cioffi (Trixter), Guy Williams (Weta Digital), Paul Butterworth (Animal Logic) and Arslan Elver (Framestore) will share some fascinating insights into the making of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, taking audiences through their VFX journey — capped by special showing of the movie.
VFX
David Morin, Chairman, Joint Technology Subcommittee on Virtual Production, presents outstanding examples of virtual production: Kevin Baillie spotlights Atomic Fiction’s use of virtual production and cloud computing for blockbusters such as Ghost in the Shell, Allied and Deadpool. Brett Ineson (Animatrik) provides a behind-the-scenes-look at Warcraft, while Clint Reagan (HALON) will showcase the use of tools including game engines and VR for the critically-acclaimed international box office hit Logan. Duncan Burbidge and Michelle Blok (The Third Floor) demonstrate several puzzle pieces from previs to on-set virtual production for projects such as Doctor Strange, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Game of Thrones. Insights into “Fan-based Projects” come from Andreas Feix (Industrial Light & Magic), who will provide a vivid glimpse into fan culture including legal consequences, and Sasha Scribner (Disney Research Zurich) will give an overview of the work Disney is doing in order to develop new platforms that work with user-generated content.
VR
Michael Huber and Alex Lemke (east side effects, Inc.) will elaborate on the innovation of cinema, demonstrated by Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Theo Jones recounts how Framestore joined the production of the first-ever headset-free group virtual reality vehicle experience Field Trip to Mars. Steve Sullivan (Microsoft Studios) will talk about the technology and applications of Microsoft’s Holographic Video. Ken Perlin (New York University) and Philippe Quéau (Metaxu) will introduce a paper on the “Future Visual and Cognitive Challenges for VR.” Frank Vitz (AMD) will talk about the role of game engines in movies and VR. During the “Exploring Storytelling”-track Jan Pinkava tells the tale of how Pearl, the first VR film to ever receive an Oscar nomination, was realized at Google Spotlight Stories. Also on board are Theodore Ushev and Chris O’Reilly (Nexus Studios), who specifies the skill set needed to hook an audience in AR and VR.
“Beyond the Screen” also acknowledges the broader picture of societal change with the third edition of “Women in Visual Arts.” Hosted by Dr. Diana Arellano and Marie Ketzscher (Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg), the panel assembles Clémence Bragard (Les Femmes s’Animent), Gerfried Stocker (Ars Electronica Festival) and Lindsay Watson (Animated Women UK) to discuss their initiatives for equitable working conditions for women in the industry. In addition, “Games for Change” spotlights social impact games. Jean-Colas Prunier will talk about Scratchapixel, a non-profit initiative, Francesco Cavallari expounds on the non-profit organization Video Games Without Borders and Emmanuel Guardiola (Cologne Games Lab) dedicates his presentation to Antura and the Letters. Maximilian Krauss (Stuttgart Media University) explains how the “serious” in “serious games” can enrich rather than impoverish the overall gaming experience.
Jeff Kleiser will explain about his dome projection work, presenting test imagery and excerpts from final production for projects such as Randal Kleiser’s VR project Defrost and R&S Productions’ Kahramaa Awareness Center. VR NOW is a talent initiative that gives alumni from the Baden-Wuerttemberg region the opportunity to realize a VR project as part of a team for one year. In 2016, the teams behind Wheelhouse and Koshu VR have had the chance to take their VR ideas from concept to prototype, which they will now present at FMX.
ANIMATION
The Directors’ Panel features prominent panelists this year: Peter Lord, who has built his career in claymation as Aardman Animations studio’s co-founder, director, producer and writer; Kelly Asbury, the director of Smurfs: The Lost Village, Gnomeo & Juliet and Shrek 2; Claude Barras, who landed an award-winning indie hit with My Life as a Zucchini; as well as Hugh Welchman, whose upcoming Loving Vincent, which is hailed the first fully painted feature film, chronicles the life and death of Vincent van Gogh.
BUSINESS
Dave Gouge (Head of Marketing & Communications, Weta Digital) will host a studio insight event featuring the following experienced experts: Berenice Robinson (Post-Production VP, Walt Disney Animation Studios) and Pam Marsden (Executive Vice President of Physical Production, Sony Pictures Animation). The session begins with a 1:1 chat followed by all three panelists on the stage for a panel discussion and Q&A. Shawn Walsh (Image Engine), Kevin Baillie (Atomic Fiction), Jordan Soles (RodeoFX), Christoph Malessa (PIXOMONDO) and Will Cohen (MilkFX) will debate how mid-sized VFX vendors tackle some of the world’s biggest films. Prof. Carl Bergengruen (MFG), Gilles Gaillard (Mikros Image & Post-production Services Technicolor France), Neil Hatton (UK Screen Alliance), Michael Coldewey (Trixter) and Raphaël Keller (CNC) will exchange their opinions on the opportunities and challenges for VFX companies in Europe. In addition, “VES and FMX CEO Summit” and “FMXCommercials Summit” will return to offer CEOs a platform to share their thoughts.
TECH
Stéphan Faudaux (Generation Numérique) curates the “Real-time 3D and Broadcasting” track, where Olivier Emery (TRIMARAN) dedicates his talk to GeoRacing as a live VR tool for sports broadcast. Christophe Héry (Pixar) puts together a “Camera & Lighting” track at FMX, which is helmed by Oscar winner Piper. Moreover, Terrance Tornberg (LAIKA) will speak about the cinematography of Kubo and the Two Strings, emphasizing how lighting was used as a literal character, and Mark Osborne (Industrial Light & Magic), who will dissect Doctor Strange where light is key to the movie’s believability.
CTN Road Trip Burbank – April 29 & 30
The US capital of animation plays host to the annual free-to-the-public event, held in conjunction with the Downtown Burbank Arts Festival. The event is a chance to meet 100 amazing artists selling books and artwork out in the fresh air.
Matthew Rankin’s ‘The Tesla World Light’ (NFB)
Experimental animated short has been selected to premiere at Cannes’ International Critics’ Week. Rankin previously directed The Radical Expeditions of Walter Boudreau for NFB, and won an Off-Limits Award from Annecy for Mynarski Death Plummet in 2015.
CPLG Seas Up Felix the Cat Collab
The original feline phenom will appear in a 42-piece collection covering men’s, women’s and children’s from Dutch fashion brand Scotch & Soda’s “Amsterdams Blauw” denim label.
LEVEL-5 Announces Global Release Date and New Name for the Professor Layton Series
The next installment of the hit mystery solving puzzle game property, Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy, will debut on mobile for the first time on June 20. Featuring animation by A-1 Pictures, the game is produced by Akihiro Hino with character design by Nagano Takuzo.
Now that the ultimate teen comedy/disaster movie My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea has arrived in select theaters, GKIDS has release some lovely concept storyboard art pieces, created by Andrew Lorenzi and cartoonist/director Dash Shaw. Scroll down to check out the gallery!
Shaw’s feature animation debut mixes drawings, paintings and collage to relate an outrageous story of disaster survival and teen angst. Dash (voiced by Jason Schwartzman) and his best friend Assaf (Reggie Watts) are preparing for a new year at Tides High School, muckraking on behalf of their school paper, edited by Verti (Maya Rudolph). Just as a blossoming romance begins between Assaf and Verti (threatening the boys’ friendship), Dash learns of the administration’s cover-up that puts the whole school in danger. As chaos descends, the three friends race to escape the doomed school through the roof, joined by a popular know-it-all (Lena Dunham) and a grizzled lunch lady (Susan Sarandon).
You can read more about the film in the May 2017 (#270) issue of Animation Magazine.
My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea is currently playing at cinemas in Irvine, San Francisco, Berkeley, Santa Monica, and Pasadena, CA; Seattle, WA; Yonkers, NY; and Nashville, TN. The film is expanding its distribution now through June 2, so check the website for dates and venues.
Mobile-based early childhood education company MarcoPolo Learning has raised $8.5 million in Series A funding to expand its award-winning suite of apps, and produce premium animated long-form content in partnership with Boat Rocker Media. The latter’s family of companies includes toon houses Radical Sheep (The Bagel & Becky Show, Fangbone!) and Jam Filled (The Loud House, Camp Lakebottom).
The financing round was led by Boat Rocker Ventures. Other investors include leading technology investors such as Horizons Ventures (Asia), Seedcamp (Europe), and managing partners of DST Global, as well as influential individuals from the kids and media industries such as founders / senior executives from Diapers.com (acquired by Amazon), Maker Studios (acquired by Disney), NewsCorp, and YY.
The funding round caps a breakout year for MarcoPolo Learning, which reaches over 5 million children in more than 150 countries including the US, China, Russia, UK and Japan. New original, premium animated content for linear and digital platforms will boost the company’s profile in the early education market and broaden brand exposure across distribution channels.
“The children’s media space is evolving rapidly, and Boat Rocker is excited to partner with a category innovator like MarcoPolo,” commented Michel Pratte, Chief Revenue Officer at Boat Rocker and new MarcoPolo board member. “We believe that their educational focus and integrated app-plus-video strategy provides them with an opportunity to become a leading, globally trusted pre-school brand for the mobile generation.”
The two companies’ production and distribution partnership will involve a deep collaboration on fresh animated TV and digital series, leveraging Boat Rocker’s global video distribution expertise and team of over 400 in-house animators and producers. Details are to be announced, but every property will feature MarcoPolo’s cast of characters from its award-winning apps, who share an innate desire to explore the wonders of the natural world.
MarcoPolo Learning was founded by technology and investment veterans Nazar Yasin and Justin Hsu with the goal of building a global, mobile-based “preschool in your pocket.” Executive chairman Yasin is a former Goldman Sachs and Tiger Global executive who has led or invested in a number of “unicorn” Internet companies including YY in China, Forticom in Russia, and iconic businesses in Latin America, Africa, and other markets. CEO Hsu was the founder of PMG Financial, a specialist in retirement planning services for K-12 teachers, which he sold to Zurich Financial; and founder of 10 Music, an artist management company based in London. Hsu was also a board member of The Institute of Play, a Gates-based non-profit with a mission to transform educational using a unique game-based approach.
VIZ Media has slated some noteworthy animation-related additions to its upcoming publishing slate. During its official panel at pop culture and comics convention C2E2, held over the weekend in Chicago, VIZ announce two new Studio Ghibli titles. And, the company has partnered with Hasbro to print the official My Little Pony: The Movie art book, coming ahead of the film’s October 6 release.
Joining VIZ’s Studio Ghibli Library this December will be the Castle in the Sky and Princess Mononoke picture books, capturing the magic of Hayao Miyazaki’s iconic films with easy-to-read text and full-color stills from the film in family-friendly, oversized hardcover format, designed for readers of all ages.
Castle in the Sky Picture Book
Castle in the Sky Picture Book: The legends were true! Somewhere high in the clouds, human beings have again set foot on the floating island of Laputa, for centuries a peaceful, parklike ruin, tended only by its silent, faithful robots. But just behind Pazu and Sheeta are soldiers from the aerial dreadnought Goliath – who have captured Dola and her pirate crew, and are now looting the gold and jewels of the Castle in the Sky for themselves! But the man who guided them there, Muska, has his eyes on power, not money – and he alone knows how to activate the castle’s ancient superweapons that could make him master of the world! Can Pazu and Sheeta stop his sinister plan? Includes scene-by- scene illustrations and character dialogue from the film.
Princess Mononoke Picture Book
Princess Mononoke Picture Book: Marked with the curse of a rampaging boar god, young Ashitaka sets off on a journey to cure his mysterious affliction. From behind the walls of an iron-mining town, Lady Eboshi arises to smash all obstacles to technological development. And from out of the forest comes Princess Mononoke, driven by a hatred of all humans. Can she and Ashitaka ally in time to stop the wild lands from being destroyed?
The Art of My Little Pony: The Movie
The Art of My Little Pony: The Movie will debut at retail and online on August 19. The physical edition is a deluxe hardcover filled with concept artwork, production stills, sketches and more, accompanied by insightful commentary from the artists, designers and animators who helped bring the Mane 6 to the big screen, MSRP $39.99 US / $53.99 CAN. The digital version will be available for $19.99 through VIZ.com and the VIZ Manga App, as well as on the Nook, Kindle, iBooks, comiXology and Google Play stores.
Check out the first-look clip and read more about the film here.
“An immeasurable amount of time, passion, and heart has gone into the creation of My Little Pony: The Movie, Allspark Pictures’ first full-length animated film,” said Michael Kelly, Head of Global Publishing, Hasbro. “The team at VIZ Media did a tremendous job bringing the movie making process to life in an exquisite book that is sure to be a collectors’ item.”
Toronto-based Radical Sheep Productions, a division of Boat Rocker Studios, has appointed award-winning filmmaker Shaleen Sangha to the newly created position of Senior Director, Development & Production. Reporting to President Michelle Melanson Cuperus, Sangha will have creative oversight for the studio’s live-action and animation slates.
“We are very excited to have Shaleen on board,” says Melanson Cuperus. “She is well respected by her peers and beloved by creators. We look forward to her having a bright future with us creating great Family content at Radical Sheep.”
Sangha joins Radical Sheep after working since 2007 at DHX Media, most recently in the role of Director of Development, with credits including Looped, Supernoobs, Doozers, Inspector Gadget, Chuck’s Choice and Make It Pop.
On top of her studio work, Sangha is also a writer, director and producer of independent short films. Her live-action piece Nayan and the Evil Eye won 14 awards and traveled to Oscar accredited festivals including Foyle Film Festival and LA Shorts Fest. Sangha is also a recipient of the WIFT-T Female Director Award from the Toronto International Reel Asian Film Festival.
Sentai Filmworks is preparing a smorgasbord of flavorful anime goodness with a premium box set release of anime phenomenon Food Wars. Based on the original manga written by Yuuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki, Food Wars is the story of a young man’s culinary journey that blends the kitchen intensity of Gordon Ramsay, the hero’s journey of Naruto, and the occassional erotic touch with “foodgasms” that would make E.L. James squirm.
Since he was a little kid, Soma Yukihira’s aim in life was to beat his father in a cooking contest and take over the family diner. All of a sudden, his dad announces he’s closing the restaurant and sending Soma to cooking school. But Tohtsuki Academy is no ordinary institute — it’s brimming with the elite of epicurean education, like Erina “God Tongue” Nakiri who does her best to keep lowly Soma out. When he learns that only 1% of students graduate, Soma makes it his new ambition to come out on top in the food wars.
Food Wars is produced by J.C.Staff studio in Tokyo under director Yoshitomo Yonetani (GaoGaiGar, Betterman).
The premium box set comes in a specialty chipboard “bento box” and includes complete first season DVD/Blu-ray combo pack (24 episodes, English dub included) with double-sided case covers in the interior. Plus, a hardback, full-color collector’s booklet featuring characters, setting and story descriptions; double-sided art cards of the characters in various stages of foodgasm; distinctive “Yukihira’s” restaurant chopsticks; and a three-piece metal pin set with Soma, Erina and the Tohtsuki Academy logo.
For a limited time (April 25 to May 2, 2017), Sentai Filmworks is offering the premium box set for a discounted price of $124.99, with free shipping on pre-orders.
American Greetings Entertainment, the IP and outbound licensing division of American Greetings, has teamed up with Sky UK-owned social content producer Diagonal View to manage the official Buddy Thunderstruck YouTube channel. The stop-motion series animated by Emmy-winning Stoopid Buddy Stoodios premiered in March as a Netflix Original Series.
Launched on the heels of the premiere, the Buddy Thunderstruck YouTube channel features highlights from the 12-episode first season, starring semi-truck racing dog Buddy Thunderstruck and his albino ferret BFF (and trusted mechanic), Darnell Fetzervalve. The channel will also showcase compilations of quotable clips like fan-favorites “Fart Nugget!” and “Blame it on the Thunder!” and original music videos including “So Pumped!” and “Super Cute Boy.”
Content will be produced by Diagonal View in partnership with CAKE through their joint venture, Popcorn Digital, with the aim of extending the show’s digital brand presence, giving audiences access to exclusive content, and building the social buzz with fans.
“We are very excited to have launched the Buddy Thunderstruck YouTube channel. It is great to partner with American Greetings Entertainment in bringing new original content to more fans of the Netflix show,” said Matt Himan, Director of Popcorn Digital and MD of Diagonal View. “Audiences today are increasingly integrated across different platforms and it’s vital that quality content is available to audiences wherever they look.”
“We are thrilled to work with Diagonal View and Popcorn Digital to expand the content offering of Buddy Thunderstruck to develop a deeper level of engagement with fans of the show,” said Karen Vermeulen, Head of Global Sales and Co-Production, AGE. “Diagonal View is a very smart and strategic partner to help us grow our YouTube audience and social presence for what we believe is a truly unique and incredibly funny show!”
Deluxe’s Method Studios has delivered a new short animated piece that is as technologically innovative as it is visually enchanting, putting a painterly spin on 3D CG. The project, an adaptation of Dorothea Lasky’s “Monsters,” was created for Motion Poems and premiered at Young People’s Poetry Day, held by the Poetry Foundation at the start of April.
In tackling the poem, the Method Studios team visualized a simple story told by an imaginative young girl as her dreamworld and reality start to blend together. The artists created a slightly gothic aesthetic full of fluid, restive brushstrokes, reminiscent of a moving Van Gogh painting in a red, purple and dark blue palette.
“We wanted every frame to appear as if it was an illustration. The animation style is very organic and the color composes the scenes in an otherwise flat image devoid of depth of field. We took a multi-tiered approach and basically turned traditional 3D animation on its head,” said director Ivan Girard.
The 2D animation effect was achieved by applying the type of effects typically used for explosions to 3D animation in a highly technical workflow. After creating the initial 3D animation pass, artists projected renders onto that geometry and a proprietary stroke system scattered points to define stroke length, flow direction, and lifespan, allowing the colors of the strokes to evolve over time, and the strokes to grow wider or narrower as the camera moved closer or further away.
The system allowed artists to customize each shot and art direct how the images moved, ensuring that they appeared to be drawn by the same individual and could withstand complex camera moves. For the final render, every other frame was dropped, providing the stop-motion-like feel and flickering of 2D animation to the final piece.
The film was directed by Ivan Girard, with Angela Lupo executive producing for Method, and produced by Emily Schaeberle, Adrienne Mitchell and Heather Saunders. Jon Noorlander was the creative director.
Leading European pet supplies company Trixie and WDR mediagroup have further expanded their cooperation, with new additions to the line of Shaun the Sheep-inspired pet products flocking to shelves this year. Trixie launched 17 items for dogs and cats last year featuring motifs from the hit Aardman series, and now they will be joined by new plush squeak toys of Timmy, Timmy’s mother and Pidsley the cat, as well as a cozy dog comforter.
Products that debuted at Interzoo 2016 (the continent’s largest pet trade fair) include plush squeak toys of Shaun, Bitzer, a Naughty Pig, and Pidsley; as well as rubber Shaun and Bitzer squeak toys. A variety of pet beds, cushions, sofas and dens in assorted sizes have also been established in the market. The range also includes bowls and bowl underlays.
“Shaun the Sheep is a strong license brand that appeals to children and adults alike. The rural setting on a farm with lots of other animals offers ideal identification potential for pet owners,” said Julia Wurzer, Head of Brands at WDRmg. “With the Trixie products, Shaun is appearing in the pet market throughout Europe. The expansion of our cooperation shows that the licensed brand and the product are a perfect match, and demand for Shaun products for pets remains very high.”
Trixie is the first pet-supplies licensee to take on Shaun the Sheep, thanks to the brand’s GAS region licensing agency WDRmg. Created in consultation with Aardman, the products are available across many countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the UK, France, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Shaun the Sheep is produced by Aardman Animations in cooperation with BBC, WDR and WDRmg. The series (150 x 7 min.) airs in Germany on KiKA. A sequel to 2015’s Shaun the Sheep Movie is entering production this fall, and due in theaters in 2019.
Shaun the Sheep pet productsShaun the Sheep pet products
CROWDFUND: Animated Political Satire ‘A Foul American’
The animated series is co-created by voice actor Greg Cipes (Teen Titans Go!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and comicker Kevin Coulston (Dylan McVillain), with an all-star cast lead by Eric Bauza, Tara Strong, Brittany Furlan, Riley Keough, and musician Ben Keough. Kickstarter runs through May 20.
Oculus Teases Unreleased “Quill” Animation Tools
The internally developed VR tool used for Dear Angelica can be seen in action in new videos from Oculus Story Studio Art Director Goro Fujita, who’s working on a new piece called A Moment in Time.
Digital Hollywood Spring – Schedule Updates
Taking place May 23-25, the event has set nominations for its Comedy Festival, and teamed up with Women in Film, HollyShorts and NALIP to host DigiFest. They’re also planning abut a million can’t-miss sessions, so look over the agenda and register soon.
Adult Animation Brings More Approachable Culture to Traditional TV
Tim Murdoch for The Pitt News opines: “When we don’t take cartoons for what they are — legitimate forms of art — we devalue the intelligence behind the creation and disregard the validity of what they bring to today’s media.” Amen.
Animation Film Studio Will Look for a New Site
A proposed multistory complex in Bunbury, Western Australia, which was to include a Chinese joint venture studio for film and animation, has floundered following a decision by the city council.
The shortlisted projects for the 2017 AICP Show and AICP Next Awards have been announced by Matt Miller, President & CEO of the Association of Independent Commercial Producers. The winners will be announced during AICP Week, a celebration of advertising and the moving image set for New York City from June 5 to 7 (www.aicp.com).
This year’s AICP Show added three new categories: Concept, Cause, and the reinstated Music Video race. These join Direction, Visual Style, Performance, Humor, Cinematography, Animation, Editorial, Design, Visual Effects, Original Music, Sound Design, Licensed Soundtrack or Arrangment, Production, Production Design, PSA, Low Budget, Student, and Advertising Excellence in Single Commercial, Campaign and International award categories. (Scroll down for select category shortlists.)
AICP Next honors the frontiers of brand messaging innovation, with categories including Experiential, Viral/Web Film, Website, Branded Content, Mobile, Cause Marketing, Social, Experiential-Live, Innovation, Integrated Campaign (nominees include UNICEF’s animated “Unfairy Tales”), and Virtual Reality (including Mr. Robot and Fantastic Beasts experiences by Here Be Dragons and Framestore, respectively). The LEGO Batman toon feature’s integration with Chevrolet from Pacific Rim Films is nominated in both the Website and Integrated Campaign categories.
The 2017 AICP Show Chairperson is Lisa Mehling, Owner/Executive Producer of Lisa Mehling; the 2017 AICP Next Awards Judging Chair is Nick Law, Vice Chairman and Global Chief Creative Officer of R/GA. Both serve as Chairs of their hand-picked Curatorial Committees.
“The Shortlists are the results of the work of 500-plus judges including many of the top names in all facets of marketing communications,” said Miller. “The pieces they have recognized reflect this dynamic year and the constant evolution and ingenuity of media content. We look forward to unveiling the final results on June 6th and 7th and celebrating our industry during AICP Week.”
All shortlisted pieces along with their corresponding credits may be viewed at www.awardcore.com/aicp/shortlist.
2017 AICP Show Awards Shortlists:
ANIMATION
Chevrolet “LEGO Batman”
Production & Animation: Reel FX | Agency: Commonwealth / MCCA
Lead Animator: Bill Haller
Chipotle Mexican Grill “A Love Story”
Prod. & Animation: Passion Pictures | Agency: CAA Marketing
Lead Animator: Saschka Unseld
Clif Bar Family Foundation “Seed Matters”
Prod. & Animation: Buck | Agency: The Butler Bros.
David Blaine “Spectacle of the Real”
Prod. & Animation: Buck
Estée Lauder “La Mer: Part II”
Prod. & Animation: Psyop
Lead Animator: David Alonso
Honda “Power of Ridgeline”
Prod.: Reset Content | Animation: A52 | Agency: RPA
Lead Animator: Andy Barrios
Interface “The Unlikely Hero”
Prod. & Animation: Lobo | Agency: 22Squared
Lead Animator: Olavo Chagas
Lyft “June: Life Is Better When You Share the Ride” (Read more.)
Prod. & Animation: Chromospher
Lead Animator: Nelson Boles
McDonalds “Always Working”
Prod. & Animation: Hornet | Agency: Leo Burnett UK
Lead Animator: Pete List
London-based CAKE announces a deal with DHX Television that will see medieval comedy series My Knight and Me riding forth to conquer Canadian viewers. Created by French studio TeamTO and Belgian producer Thuristar, the series has made its national premiere and airs new episodes on Family Channel every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT.
“We are thrilled to have My Knight and Me join Family Channel’s line-up as we continue to expand our offering of top quality kids shows,” said Joe Tedesco, SVP & GM, DHX Television. “The series is a great fit with the type of programming currently airing on our network and we think viewers will be drawn to its charming characters and comedic storylines.”
The Canadian launch follows a successful global premiere on Cartoon Network channels. The show is also celebrating a Gold Plaque win for Best Animated Series at the 2017 Chicago International Television Awards.
“We are delighted to be teaming up with Family on My Knight and Me and thrilled that the series has found a home in Canada,” said Ed Galton, COO & MD of CAKE. “After enjoying a strong international debut last year, it’s terrific to see a show of this calibre now airing throughout North America and in all English-speaking territories around the world.”
My Knight and Me (52 x 11 min.; kids 6-11) follows loyal, street-smart Jimmy the Squire, his fun and daring best friend, Cat the Princess; and his father, Henri of Orange — a charmingly inept, but passionately chivalrous knight who might not be the most efficient protector of the realm, but sure is the funniest. Together, this knightly trio set out to make the Dark Ages a little brighter.
The series is created and directed by Joeri Christiaen and co-produced with Canal+ Family and TéléTOON+ (France), SuperRTL (Germany) and VRT-Ketnet and RTBF-Ouftivi (Belgium). CAKE handles all international distribution.
A third season of Adult Swim’s quarter-hour animated comedy series Mike Tyson Mysteries is set to debut Sunday, May 14 at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT — and it’s looking like a direct one-two hit to the funny bone. The show stars Mike Tyson and his Mystery Team — adopted Korean daughter (and all-around buzzkill) Yung Hee; Pigeon, a filthy man trapped in a filthy bird’s body; and Marquess, a well-groomed ghost whose favorite time of day is “wine-thiry.”
The season premiere finds the team looking for a place to crash after that whole burning-down-the-house thing, and introduces viewers to Mike’s estranged total nerd of a brother. In other season 3 highlights: The gang goes to Washington in a retelling of their Very First Mystery, a Mystery gets too dang spooky for Mike, there’s a trip to the car wash and even … dinner at a neighbor’s house!
Mike Tyson Mysteries stars Mike Tyson, Norm Macdonald (Saturday Night Live), Rachel Ramras (MAD) and Oscar winner Jim Rash (The Way Way Back, Community), and is produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!, MAD, The Looney Tunes Show) serves as executive producer with Hugh Davidson (MAD, The Looney Tunes Show, Robot Chicken) and Jeff Siergey (Tom & Jerry: Back to Oz) as producers.
Turner and Warner Bros. have named Sundance Feniger as Vice President and General Manager of their new Boomerang premium SVOD service in the US. Feniger is charged with heading the overall streaming functions, in partnership with DramaFever on technology, and will report to both companies.
Feniger was Senior Director of Premium Product Strategy & Development at Nickelodeon before joining Boomerang, in which role he developed the strategy and managed product for Viacom’s first mobile SVOD, Noggin. He was previously with Nick’s Games Group, where he held multiple key posts, including Director of Premium Product Strategy & Development, and lead monetization, product management and partnerships for all virtual world and MMO games.
Announced in March, Boomerang recently launched with a stock of over 1,000 episodes pulled from the Hanna-Barbera, Looney Tunes and MGM animation libraries (over 5,000 titles) available to subscribers. In addition to classic titles — which will be padded with content additions regularly — the service will also offer brand new shows, such as Warner Bros. Animation’s Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz and the Wacky Races revamp.
A joint statement from Turner and Warner Bros. notes:
“Sundance has a passion for kids content and animation. He also has the technical and data background to understand the underlying business. His knowledge and experience in developing great product will help Boomerang win in this competitive space.”
