DHX Media has licensed more than three dozen kids’ series to Amazon Prime Video’s recently launched SVOD service in India. The massive package deal includes evergreen cartoons like Caillou, Inspector Gadget and Strawberry Shortcake, as well as contemporary hits like Johnny Test and Kid vs. Kat.
“This volume deal highlights the scale of our library, and our ability to deliver a wide-ranging slate of great kids’ shows to leading streaming platforms as they expand globally,” said DHX Territory Manager Thom Chapman. “With Amazon Prime Video taking up our programming for the emerging SVOD market in India, we are boosting our international presence and underscoring our reputation as a trusted ‘go-to’ distributor of quality kids’ content.”
A vast variety of DHX Media offerings is already available through Amazon Prime Video in other key territories around the globe. Last year, Amazon licensed the company’s original series Looped exclusively for its members in the US, as well as adding library content to the national Prime Video catalog. Prime members in the UK and Germany have access to more than three dozen DHX kids’ series, including Teletubbies, Messy Goes to Okido and Hank Zipzer.
Award-winning artist and animation director Ben Hibon has been hired on as Head Creative Director of visual effects house Luma Pictures as the studio prepares to dive into original content creation.
Hibon’s career has spanned TV commercials, branded content and videogame creation for clients like Disney, Microsoft, Sony and Riot Games, among others. He has also lent his design skills to feature films including Snow White and the Huntsman and The Last Witch Hunter. Hibon notably helmed the Oscar-nominated “The Tale of Three Brothers” animated sequence from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.
Luma is embarking on an exciting new phase for the studio, by harnessing its industry-leading technology and artistry to create its own work. The company’s Los Angeles and Melbourne studios will continue service work while developing partnerships that enable Luma to be at the forefront of creative as well.
As Head Creative Director, Hibon will work with the Heads of Luma’s Animated & Live Action Content and New Content & Media divisions to guide these branches in creative a distinct and consistent storytelling ideology.
“Very often we see that the technology comes before the concept, idea and themes – it can be beautiful but dry,” says Hibon. “My goal at Luma is to deliver meaningful work – work that engages people in different ways of thinking as we harness tremendous talent and skill and apply it to exciting new mediums. There are so many animation and VFX companies, but Luma has always stood out as a pioneering force. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be with them on this exciting new journey.”
Luma arrived on the scene in 2002, delivering VFX for Charlie’s Angels. Since then, the studio founded in Santa Monica by Payam Shohadai has contributed to blockbuster films including Deadpool, Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange. Learn more at lumapictures.com.
Correction note: Ben Hibon’s title was changed from Executive to Head Creative Director following initial publication.
Bristol-based studio Aardman Animations has hired on industry veteran Sarah Cox as Executive Creative Director, co-founders Peter Lord and David Sproxton announced. In her new role, Cox will oversee the development of a new slate of entertainment IPs for kids and families across all platforms, and spearhead efforts to foster new talent and keep Aardman at the forefront of innovative content development.
Cox’s appointment went into effect Feb. 9.
“I’m simply delighted that Sarah is joining Aardman at this very exciting time,” said Lord, Aardman founder and creative director. “With her flair for developing and mentoring creative people, she’s the perfect person to drive some terrific new projects. At Aardman, we love creating characters, telling stories, and delivering them with wit and irreverent humor, and I’m thrilled to have Sarah along for the adventure.”
“I am delighted to be offered this unique opportunity to help develop the creative concepts that will ultimately shape the future content of such an inspirational studio as Aardman,” added Cox. “We have been given a bold and exciting remit to find new characters, innovative concepts and creative talent that will continue to produce the top quality humour filled content that the studio is known and loved for. I am a long-time admirer of the collaborative spirit and ethos of Aardman and I am really looking forward to becoming part of that team.”
Cox joins Aardman from award-winning film and animation production company ArthurCox, which she founded with Sally Arthur in 2002 and headed as Owner & Creative Director. There she established a relationship with Aardman as a commercial and short film director.
Cox was nominated for a BAFTA for her animated short Heavy Pockets in 2004. She also directed the award-winning Tate Movie Project film The Itch of the Golden Nit (2011), and co-directed the British Animation Award winning road safety series The Peculiar Adventures of Hector and multi-award-winning environmental short Don’t Let It All Unravel. Most recently, she created and directed BAFTA-nominated preschool animation Nina Needs to Go! (Disney Junior) and educational online series Search It Up – Azoomee.
ArthurCox produced a number of notable shorts, including Emma Lazenby’s BAFTA-winning Mother of Many and Matthew Walker’s acclaimed John and Karen. Cox produced her first live-action feature 8 Minutes Idle in 2014, which was directed by Mark Simon Hewis and was part of the iFeatures scheme. Before starting ArthurCox, she directed commercials at Picasso Pictures from 1994-2002, working with brands including Virgin Megastores, Sanatogen and Boots No7.
Cox’s CV also includes stints as a lecturer for Humberside University, The National Film and Television School and Head of Animation at Savannah College of Art and Design. She holds an MA in Animation from the Royal College of Art.
YouTube is investing in its first raft of original children’s programming, setting four series from top platform creators to launch over spring and summer for YouTube Red subscribers online and through the YouTube Kids app. The lineup includes animated projects The Kings of Atlantis and Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force, and hybrid series DanTDM Creates a Big Scene.
“Our investment in these YouTube Red originals is an exciting step that allows us to continue to provide the most robust roster of programming that is fun for the whole family, especially for kids using the YouTube Kids app,” said Nadine Zylstra, Head of Family Entertainment & Learning for YouTube Originals. “We put a lot of thought into which shows to launch first and we are excited that with this lineup there is something for everyone whether you love gaming or pop songs.”
The Kings of Atlantis follows two young monarchs (voiced by Cody and Joe from TheAtlanticCraft) as they seek to overthrow the brutal usurper of their underwater kingdom. Inspired by the popular mobile game, Fruit Ninja: Frenzy Force is the animated adventures of four Fruit Ninjas who operate a fruit stand as a front for the world’s messiest secret service.
Incorporating live action and animation, DanTDM Creates a Big Scene takes viewers behind-the-scenes with YouTube personality and professional gamer DanTDM as he and his animated friends put together a live show. And live-action series Hyperlinked stars and is inspired by the true story of tween music sensation L2M.
Mattel Creations announces a brand-new animated series inspired by its fang tastic fashionista property, Monster High: The Adventures of the Ghoul Squad, exclusively for YouTube and YouTube Kids. This is Mattel’s first series to debut directly on the platform.
“At Mattel Creations we have a clear understanding of where our audience are most likely to engage with our content and by creating content specifically for YouTube and YouTube Kids, we are recognizing that series content is not just for linear or SVOD,” said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Chief Content Officer for Mattel. “YouTube Kids is a leader in reaching children aged 6-11 so, it’s the right platform for the Monster High content and fans. We are delighted to be furthering our partnership with YouTube Kids and welcome more families into the world of Monster High”.
Monster High: The Adventures of the Ghoul Squad (10 x 11 min.) is an action-adventure series featuring fan-favorite characters from Monster High. Draculaura, Frankie, Clawdeen and their ghoulfriends combine their wits and abilities as they travel to exotic locations, solve spine-tingling mysteries and rescue lost monsters all over the world. This elite squad of crafty creatures are always there for each other and their fellow monsters, no matter the odds.
Available in English, French, German, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese and Russian, Ghoul Squad will premiere one episode per week through YouTube and YouTube Kids — currently available in 26 countries and downloaded tens of millions of times. Producer Mattel Creations is also planning a 44-minute special to complement the series, now in development, which will be available to broadcasters and SVOD partners.
Nelvana announced from the Kidscreen Summit on Wednesday, and in association with Kids Can Press, that it is ready to begin production on a 22-minute animated special inspired by Ashley Spies’ bestselling picture book, The Most Magnificent Thing. The film is currently in preproduction, developing story outline and pre-visuals, and will be directed by Arna Selznick (Back to School with Franklin, The Care Bears Movie).
“I am incredibly excited that the plucky little girl from my book will be making the magnificent leap from page to screen,” said Spires, who both wrote and illustrated the title. “There can never be enough opportunities to present young female characters as empowered, inventive problem-solvers to inspire children. I’m honoured that Nelvana saw the potential in my illustrations to translate into film and I can’t wait to see the final product.”
Animated using high-quality CGI and produced in 4k resolution, The Most Magnificent Thing follows an unnamed little girl and her furry best friend on their quest to make “the most magnificent thing.” The girl knows just how it will look and how it will work, she only has to make it. After several trials and errors, she realizes that making the most magnificent thing might not be as easy as she thought, but with the help of her furry best friend, and a whole lot of dedication and imagination, she manages to get it just right.
Nelvana and Kids Can Press — both owned and operated by Corus Entertainment — have previously brought popular children’s book stories to the screen, such as the evergreen Franklin the Turtle series.
“We are delighted to be working with our colleagues at Kids Can Press to bring another one of their prolific tales to life on screen,” said Scott Dyer, President, Nelvana. “We were inspired by Spires’ story of a young girl and her vision and have infused the same passion and perseverance to this film, ensuring that we make The Most Magnificent Thing the most magnificent thing we can.”
Spires’ book was originally published in April 2014, making several Best Books of the Year lists. It has since been translated into nine languages and sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide.
Illustration from The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Disney Channel has taken the initiative to order a second season of animated spinoff show Tangled: The Series ahead of the season one premiere, with Chris Sonnenburg as executive producer and supervising director. The Disney Television Animation production inspired by the hit feature film will launch with the music-filled Disney Channel Original Movie Tangled Before Ever After on March 10 (8 p.m. ET/PT), followed by the series premiere March 24 (7:30 p.m. ET/PT).
The season two order was announced Wednesday by Gary Marsh, President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney Channels Worldwide.
An initial line of role-play products, dolls and playsets inspired by Tangled: The Series will debut at New York Toy Fair this Saturday, and will be available at retail in fall of 2017, along with new apparel and accessories. Disney Publishing will debut print and e-book titles including an original middle grade series by Leila Howland. Walt Disney Records recently released the single “Wind in My Hair” performed by Mandy Moore and will debut “Life After Happily Ever After,” performed by Moore, Zachary Levi and Clancy Brown, on March 10. A DVD of the TV movie Tangled Before Ever After and four animated shorts will be released by Walt Disney Studios on April 11.
Tangled: The Series was developed for TV by Chris Sonnenburg and Shane Prigmore, with Sonnenburg serving as executive producer and supervising director. Benjamin Balistreri is supervising producer. Kevin Kliesch serves as score composer.
The Kidscreen Summit has presented some very special Valentine’s to deserving kids’ entertainment titles, as the annual Kidscreen Awards ceremony was celebrated Tuesday night.
Hosted by comedian Darrin Rose and sponsored by the Canada Media Fund, this year’s honorees were determined by two panels of industry judges. In the Best Animated Series categories, the winners were Doc McStuffins and Sarah & Duck (Preschool), We Bare Bears (Kids) and Bob’s Burgers (Tweens/Teens, also Best in Class).
Animated projects were also well represented in Best in Class, Best New Series and Best One-Off categories, including Nina’s World, Dot., Peg + Cat, Shaun the Sheep and The Deep. In the Creative Talent category, Clangers won Best Animation, We Bare Bears took Best Writing, Bob’s Burgers won Best Voice Talent and Stick Man scored a triple with Best Directing, Music and Design. Netflix was declared Channel of the Year.
2017 Kidscreen Awards Winners
PROGRAMMING—PRESCHOOL
Best in Class: Nina’s World (Sprout)
Best New Series: Dot. (The Jim Henson Company/CBC/Industrial Brothers)
Best Animated Series: Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior/Brown Bag Films) AND Sarah & Duck (Karrot Entertainment/CBeebies/BBC Worldwide)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series: Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie: Peg + Cat (The Fred Rogers Company/9 Story Media Group)
PROGRAMMING—KIDS
Best in Class: Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas (Aardman Animations)
Best New Series: The Deep (DHX Media/A Stark Production)
Best Animated Series: We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network Studios)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series: Odd Squad (The Fred Rogers Company/Sinking Ship Entertainment)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie: Stick Man (Magic Light Pictures)
PROGRAMMING—TWEENS/TEENS
Best in Class: Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment/20th Century FOX Television)
Best New Series: Raising Expectations (An Aircraft Pictures Production in association with Dolphin Entertainment)
Best Animated Series: Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment/20th Century FOX Television)
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series: Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street (Amazon Studios)
Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie: L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables (Breakthrough Entertainment)
CREATIVE TALENT
Best Acting: Sol Soon Six (NRK Super)
Best Writing: We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network Studios)
Best Directing: Stick Man (Magic Light Pictures)
Best Animation: Clangers (Coolabi Productions/CBeebies/Smallfilms)
Best Voice Talent: Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment/20th Century FOX Television)
Best Music: Stick Man (Magic Light Pictures)
Best Design: Stick Man (Magic Light Pictures)
BROADCASTING
Channel of the Year: Netflix
Best Channel Design: Sprout
Best Programming Block: Sprout Sunny Side Up
Best Channel Website: PBS KIDS pbskids.org
Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team: Sprout Sunny Side Up — Carly Ciarrocchi, Tim Kubart, Kaitlin Becker, Emily Borromeo
DIGITAL—PRESCHOOL
Best Website: Dinosaur Train (The Jim Henson Company/Sparky Entertainment)
Best Web/App Series: Sesame Street Happy Birthday Songs (Sesame Workshop)
Best Learning App (Smartphone):Curious World (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Best Learning App (Tablet): Pocoyo Playset: Let’s Move (Early Learning Collaborative/HITN/Zinkia Entertainment)
Best Game App (Smartphone): Curious World (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Best Game App (Tablet): PBS Kids Games (PBS Kids)
Best eBook: Little Lunch: A Teacher’s Guide (Australian Children’s Television Foundation)
Best Streaming Video Platform: Toca TV (Toca Boca)
Best Tablet: LeapFrog Epic (LeapFrog)
For the first time in nearly 30 years, Max Fleischer’s iconic cartoon starlet Betty Boop has appeared in a new animated project with the debut of A Betty Boop Cartoon: “Betty Goes A-Posen” featuring renowned fashion designer Zac Posen. This first in a trilogy of shorts supports a new dress collection from Posen inspired by the famous toon flapper.
Betty Goes A-Posen follows the adventures of Betty and a cartoon version of Posen (voiced by the designer) through New York City, and culminates with an animated unveiling of Betty’s new signature “Betty Boop Red” look. The short was conceived by Frank Caruso, VP of Creative for brand owner King Features, with input from Posen.
King Features turned to NYC’s Titmouse Inc. Animation Studios to produce the animation, which harkens to the original Fleischer Studios cartoons while implementing a contemporary soundtrack from Nylon Studios.
To make both the products and shorts come alive with authenticity, the teams at Pantone Color Institute, King Features and Fleischer Studios undertook months of research and testing to determine the right shade for Betty, developing the dramatic, vibrant “Betty Boop Red.”
The two frocks were revealed in Marie Claire Tuesday in a spread featuring supermodel Crystal Renn. The collection is available now through ZacPosen.com as part of the ZAC Zac Posen line and retail for $250 (dress) and $550 (gown). “Betty Boop Red” is also being used in the simultaneously launched new lipstick from MAC Cosmetics.
“As a cartoonist, I consider Betty Boop the 8th Wonder of the World,” said King Features’ Caruso. “When Max Fleischer dipped his pen into the inkwell, out came a masterpiece that would influence generations of artists, animators, musicians and fashion designers. The marathon that is Betty Boop has outrun her legend as animation icon and taken the lead in the world of fashion, style and our hearts.”
The two additional animated shorts will be available through BettyBoop.com. Betty Boop’s last high profile appearance was in the hybrid comedy classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988); a new TV series being developed with Normaal Animation (Peanuts) was announced last year.
TakToon’s Central Animation Studios in South Korea has partnered with French kids’ entertainment producer Millimages to create a new stop-motion preschool series, Big Five. Now in pre-production, the show is set to debut in the first half of 2018 and will utilize the same animation techniques used in Central’s Galaxy Kids.
The agreement was signed by TakToon Enterprise’s Managing Director, Sophia Lee, and Millimages’ CEO, Roch Lener, during Kidscreen Summit.
Comprising two seasons of 26 x 11, Big Five will bring toys to life (literally!) for character-driven stories featuring the heroic Big Five Rescue Team — a group of transforming vehicles, robots and a plush doll. The Big Five crew are always ready to help their fellow toys in need at the children’s play cafe where they live, which is full of colorful locations like ball pits, sand boxes, slides and libraries.
Millimages has appointed UK-based freelance writer and editor Victoria Wilson to the project to ensure Big Five has international appeal for young audiences. Wilson’s credits include preschool series Noddy Toyland Detective, Mouk, Gaspard and Lisa and Roary the Racing Car.
TakToon Enterprise and Central Animation Studios’ current production slate includes Galaxy Quest and 2D digital animation series The Forks with Spiky Hands, currently airing on Disney Channel Korea and YouTube worldwide.
Millimages is an internationally recognized leader in European children’s entertainment, boasting a catalog of over 500 hours of animated TV series and feature films. The company also has its own distribution, merchandising and new media divisions, and will be handling worldwide distribution of Big Five (excluding Korea and China).
Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana has secured a development deal with Grey Matter and United Talent Agency for a vibrant new preschool series inspired by the work of world-renowned, Miami-based pop artist Romero Britto. The project, currently titled Happy Art Happy Life, was announced at Kidscreen.
“We are thrilled to work with Grey Matter and UTA to share Romero Britto’s signature and dazzling visions with young audiences,” said Athena Georgaklis, Head of Development, Nelvana Studios. “His inspirational art serves as a profound reminder of the limitless world of creativity, and we’re proud to show children that art lives and breathes everywhere – especially from within.”
Happy Art Happy Life follows Romero, a cool and sharp-dressed bulldog (Britto’s alter ego) who lives, paints and sculpts in an exotic art studio. Alongside Romero is an animated ensemble of friends, all of whom are budding artists in various disciplines, such as finger painting, paper maché sculpture, found object design, and street murals.
Each 11-minute episode presents an array of inspiring and visually stunning standalone segments created to empower kids through art, utilizing a blend of live action, animation and remote videos. The series also celebrates diversity and promotes inclusiveness.
“I hope my story and my colors can inspire kids and families to make the world a better place,” said Britto. “I’m excited to bring my art to life on screen and share it with children around the world.”
Happy Art Happy Life is executive produced by Grey Matter’s Lawrence Grey and Ben Everard, and written by Emmy Award-winner Judy Rothman Rofé (Madeline).
Radical Sheep Productions’ award-winning animated kids’ series Fangbone! will return to Disney XD in the US with new episode premieres starting Wednesday, February 22 at 3 p.m. ET. The show is produced by Radical Sheep (a division of Boat Rocker Studios), with animation provided by Pipeline Animation Studios.
Based on New York Times Best Selling author Michael Rex’s graphic novel series Fangbone: Third Grade Barbarian, Fangbone! follows a young barbarian warrior from Skullbania who travels to our world with the mission of protecting the toe of Venomous Drool from being reunited with its master. With the help of his new friend Bill, Fangbone embarks on a quest to outwit Drool’s minions.
The series as picked up several awards since debuting on air in March 2016, with recent honors including four nominations for the Canadian Screen Awards for Best Animated Series, Writing (two) and Best Interactive.
Fangbone! is executive produced by Michelle Melanson Cuperus of Radical Sheep, Michael Rex, Simon Racioppa, Richard Elliott and John Leitch. It was developed for television by Racioppa and Elliot, who also serve as series showrunners. Susie Grondin serves as Supervising Producer and the series is directed by Dave Barton Thomas and Joey So.
DHX Media is the series distributor for Fangbone!, and has sold it to Disney XD channels in the US, Latin America, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. The show airs in Canada on Family CHRGD.
Producer-distributor Portfolio Entertainment announces the production of a third season of the Dr. Seuss-inspired PBS KIDS animated preschool series The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!
“PBS KIDS is excited to build on the success of The Cat in The Hat Knows A Lot About That!, which supports our mission to use the power of media to spark children’s curiosity and excitement about learning,” said Linda Simensky, VP, Children’s Programming at PBS. “We look forward to continuing to work with Portfolio Entertainment on another outstanding season of this iconic series, bringing new natural science adventures to families.”
Produced in-house at Portfolio’s animation studio, the new 20 x half-hour season will continue the extraordinary adventures of The Cat and his friends on PBS in the US and Treehouse in Canada, joining the two existing seasons (60 x 30) and four specials.
“The new season of The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! features a brand new theme where the adventures take us out of the natural world to imaginary Seussian places where The Cat and his friends explore physical sciences and how things work,” said Susan Brandt, President, Dr. Seuss Enterprises. “Dr. Seuss was so passionate about nature and science; there is no doubt he would have loved seeing his characters fostering a love of learning and discovery in the next generation of children.”
The show recently received two Canadian Screen Award nominations for the hour-long Camping! special: Best Direction in an Animated Program for Paul Hunt, and Best Performance in an Animated Program for actor Martin Short, who voices The Cat.
The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! is produced in association with Random House Children’s Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and funded in part by the US Department of Education through a Ready To Learn grant.
Women in Animation (WIA) announces new developments for the new year, with 2017 bringing the organization a fresh Executive Committee and board, as well as a new record for membership numbers — which have just topped 1,500, a more than tenfold increase from its 120 members just three years ago.
Returning as Co-Presidents to the Committee are Marge Dean (General Manager, Stoopid Buddy Stoodios) and Kristy Scanlan (VP Animation & Games, Technicolor), whose terms will run through 2019. New to the leadership are producer Jinko Gotoh (The LEGO Movie Sequel) serving as Secretary, and Brendan Burch (President, Six Point Harness & COO, Mondo Media) as Treasurer. Gotoh has previously served as WIA Chair of International Chapters.
The WIA board has three new roles filled: a Chair of Industry Relations, Julie Ann Crommett — Walt Disney Studios newly appointed VP, Multicultural Strategies and one of Hollywood Reporters recent “Next Gen: 35 Under 35”; a Chair of Interactive, Molly Mason-Boulé — a Vancouver-based CG/digital entertainment veteran and current VP of Content Production for Electronic Arts Worldwide Studios; and Chair of the Shorts Program, Chris Waters — an experienced commercial, digital and TV producer, co-founder of Oktobor Animation (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Penguins of Madagascar) and current business development and digital initiatives for clients including Stoopid Buddy.
WIA also continues to see growing involvement from the larger animation community in its “50/50 by 2025” campaign for gender equity in creative leadership. Over the course 2016, WIA furthered this goal with varied approaches to supporting its membership and its mission.
WIA expanded its mentorship program to include both Los Angeles and San Francisco locations. Programming has covered a diverse range of topics, from panels on “What is a Showrunner?” to “The Psychology of Storytelling.” WIA hosted events at last year’s Annecy festival, and WIA members appeared on panels at SDCC, the Bentonville Film Festival, SIGGRAPH, and at the Spark CG Society Conference. Professional development seminars covered subjects ranging from contracts to copyrights to confidence, and special screenings were hosted for film releases such as Disney’s Zootopia and DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda 3. A new WIA website was launched, with new phases of rollout currently in development to add to member services in 2017.
The new year promises even more exciting progress for the organization, with plans coalescing for expanded research efforts, more specialized professional growth and networking opportunities, and production in the shorts program, to name a few.
Jinko Gotoh / Brendan Burch / Julie Anne Crommett / Molly Mason-Boule / Chris Waters
The sixth annual Asian Animation Summit will once again take place in Brisbane, Australia this year from November 29 to December 1. The animation project market is an initiative of KOCCA (Korea), MDeC (Malaysia) and SIPA/DITP (Thailand), owned and produced by Kidscreen, hosted by Screen Queensland and Brisbane Marketing, and supported by AINAKI (Indonesia).
“Following last year’s successful event, Screen Queensland looks forward to the AAS returning in 2017,” said the organization’s CEO, Tracey Vieira. “Screen Queensland is perfectly positioned to play a role in partnering with Asian-region animation projects for television, subscription video-on- demand (SVOD) and the internet.”
AAS 2017 organizers anticipate 200 to 250 attendees for this year’s three-day event designed to attract partners for co-productions with companies in Asia-Pacific, as well as broadcasters, distributors and investors from the region and beyond. More than 20 new-to-market projects from the region will be presented over the three-day event, which will feature informative morning panels or presentations.
Visit asiananimationsummit.com to keep abreast of plans for AAS 2017.
CALL FOR ENTRIES: LatAm Animation Projects for Ideatoon 2017
Pixelatl has opened its call for new projects from Latin American creators for this year’s Ideatoon. 30 top concepts will win a trip to Mexico in May for a development boot camp, with the 10 best pitches going to the Summit in September. Submissions open until April 24, 2017.
VIDEO: The Making of ‘Welcome to Monster High’
Go behind the scenes of the Mattel movie with Flaunt Productions and see how they “monsterfied” and “wonkified” the CG world, including interviews with directors Stephen Donnelly and Olly Reed, executive producer Andrew Pearce and art director Jon Beeston.
The 89th Annual Academy Awards are so close, we can taste it. With the big ceremony set for Sunday, February 26, final voting is now open for Academy members to determine the fate of the nominees. Voting will close Feb. 21, giving you just enough time to review the contenders in the Best Animated Feature, Animated Short and Visual Effects categories.
Below is a list of these nominees with links to featured stories originally printed in Animation Magazine to refresh your memory of the greatest moments in animation and VFX magic from 2016.
Best Animated Feature
Kubo and the Two Strings | Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner
+ Puppet Masters (Issue #262, Aug./Sept. ’16)
Moana | John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer
+ A Voyage of the Heart (Issue #266, Jan. ’17)
Up in the Air: With Oscar’s picks for VFX in recent years running a wide gamut, the race for this year’s trophy is wide open. (Jan. ’17)
Gold Grabbers: A deep range of features contend for honors, kudos and statuettes in one of the most competitive years for animation in Oscars history. (Dec. ’16)
View from the Top: Directors of some of the top films of 2016 weigh in on the process and the state of animation. (Dec. ’16)
Blind Vaysha Jury Award – Short Film (8:14, Theodore Ushev, Canada)
Who Made It? Theodore Ushev was born in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, and first made a name for himself as a poster artist in his native country before settling in Montreal in 1999 and beginning to make films for the National Film Board of Canada. His acclaimed films include the 16-time award winner Lipsett Diaries (2010).
What are the origins of this short? Adapted from a short story by Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov, Ushev says he and a group of filmmaker friends decided to create an omnibus project based on Gospodinov’s short stories. “By pure chance I came across his philosophical tale BlindVaysha and was deeply moved by it,” he says. “I immediately started visualizing it and began working on the illustrations. I decided to submit the project for a one-month immersive writing residence at Fontevraud Abbey, in Pays de la Loire in France. The film therefore came about under these unique circumstances, while I was completely isolated from the outside world.”
How was it made? Ushev recreated the century-old technique of linocuts with a Wacom Cintiq graphics tablet. Following the same principles used in linocuts, each color was animated separately on different layers and then superimposed to create a composition similar to that of an engraving. The result is the aesthetic meeting point between the past and technological future.
Everyone has a story about a friend who lived life a little closer to the edge, but watching exercises in self destruction are rarely as enjoyable as in Pear Cider & Cigarettes. Directed by Robert Valley, this film is long enough to stretch our definition of a short in telling the story of Techno, who liked nothing more than to drink, smoke fight — and did so with style all over the world. Told with a graphic novel style of artwork, this film was picked up by Vimeo as original programming and is available on demand from the site.
Where did the idea for the short come from and why did you decide to tell the story in animation?: The idea of the short film came about from a conversation I had in the pub with my friend Hugo. I told him the entire story of Pear Cider (which was a true story) over a couple of pints, when it was all said and done he urged me to make a book or film of the story. I ended up doing both.
How did you fund the short?: The film was largely funded by me doing freelance work no the side, at a certain point when it came time to pay for such things as music licensing, visual clearances and post production I was forced to do a Kickstarter campaign, which was successfully funded back in March 2016.
How many people worked on the project with you?: I worked on the film pretty much by myself up until the animation was done, then I sought the help of Cara Speller and Passion Pictures to help me with all the things mentioned above (music licensing, visual clearances, post production, etc.).
How long did it take to finish the movie?: It took about three years to complete the film, plus another six months to complete all the obligations for the Kickstarter. I am sending out the last books and DVDs right now in fact.
What tools did you use?: I animated the film in Photoshop, and did some compositing in After Effects, edited together on Premiere, basically all the tools I had available here at home. If I had access to better animation software, I would have used it but such is life.
What was the most challenging aspect of making your film?: Staying focused every day for the better part of three years and not letting myself get overwhelmed. It was definitely an exercise in self-restraint as I quit drinking during the production of this film.
Has your film won any awards?: My films never win awards.
What are your future animation plans?: Work like hell.
The UK’s most prestigious film honors took place Sunday as the 2017 BAFTA Awards were held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, hosted once again by comedian and actor Stephen Fry.
While the live-action awardees contained no major surprises (yes, another sweep for La La Land, which won in four of the 11 categories it was nominated in, including Best Film and Leading Actress for Emma Stone), Kubo and the Two Strings overcame the odds by winning the Animated Film prize for LAIKA and director Travis Knight over Pixar (Finding Dory) and Disney (Moana and Zootopia).
This marks LAIKA’s first BAFTA win, though every one of its features has been nominated (Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls). Combined, Disney and Pixar have won seven of the Animated Film BAFTAs since the category’s inception in 2006. This was the first year the category had four nominees rather than three, highlighting a very competitive year for quality feature animation.
The Animated Film BAFTA is a very strong predictor for Oscar success. Since 2006, the winner in this BAFTA category has gone on to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar every year except once, in 2014, when the winner across the pond — The LEGO Movie — was not even nominated by the Academy. Kubo is vying for both the animated feature and VFX Oscars this year.
The Special Visual Effects prize went to Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones and Adam Valdez for the technically live-action The Jungle Book, which won out over Arrival, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. And the prize for British Short Animation went to Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara and Elena Ruscombe-King for A Love Story, a graduation film produced at the National Film and Television School.
Winners and nominees in key categories for the 2017 BAFTAs:
Animated Film
Kubo and the Two Strings | Travis Knight
Finding Dory | Andrew Stanton
Moana | Ron Clements, John Musker
Zootopia | Byron Howard, Rich Moore
Special Visual Effects
The Jungle Book| Robert Legato, Dan Lemmon, Andrew R. Jones, Adam Valdez
Arrival | Louis Morin
Doctor Strange | Richard Bluff, Stephane Ceretti, Paul Corbould, Jonathan Fawkner
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | Tim Burke, Pablo Grillo, Christian Manz, David Watkins
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | Neil Corbould, Hal Hickel, Mohen Leo, John Knoll, Nigel Sumner
British Short Animation
A Love Story | Khaled Gad, Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, Elena Ruscombe-King
The Alan Dimension | Jac Clinch, Jonathan Harbottle, Millie Marsh
