Paris-based producer-distributor GO-N Productions announces the premiere of its newest animated series, Simon (52 x 5). Adapted from the popular picture books by Stephanie Blake, Simon will launch on France Télévisions on Saturday, December 17, with episodes airing each morning at 8:45 a.m. during the Zouzous preschool block.
In addition, GO-N Productions has tapped France Télévisions Distribution to oversee licensing opportunities for the series in France, French-speaking Belgium and Switzerland. The Distribution division is focusing on building a strong licensing program around key categories including toys and back-to-school.
Synopsis:
Simon is an adorable little rabbit who exudes all the vitality of childhood. He’s at an age when little rabbits (and indeed little children!) are starting to come into their own – challenging relationships with parents, embarking upon school life, learning about the world in general, dealing with authority and of course, language. Kids can use Simon as an example when standing their ground, they can learn from him, his mishaps and the way he has to get down off his high horse, but always with humor and good grace.
The creators of PowToon, software that allows anyone to create animation, has endeavored to answer the question of whether a love and understanding of cartoons is something innately human, or something learned over many Saturday mornings parked in front of the TV. The challenge: bring their latest animation platform to a technologically isolated community and see whether animation is really a “Universal Language.”
CEO Ilya Spitalnik, COO Daniel Zaturansky and Marketing Manager Talia Finn-Jakar set out for Tanzania, where with the help of a guide and translator they were introduced to a band of Hadzabe, an indigenous ethnic group of the central Rift Valley, who had never seen animation before. Welcoming the visitors warmly, the Hadzabe shared their art and aspects of their culture before being introduced to their first cartoon. In the accompanying video, you can watch a young man named Akko using PowToon to create his own, as well.
“It’s safe to say that when we started this journey it was a crazy idea and we truly didn’t know what to expect,” said Ilya Spitalnik, founder and CEO of PowToon. “However, we accomplished what we set out to do—we proved that cartoons are a fundamental form of communication, instinctively understood by everyone across boundaries, borders, and cultures, regardless of whether you grew up watching Mickey Mouse or not. But beyond that, we learned that no matter how far apart we might be from one another geographically, people are all connected, and the power of laughter and a little open-mindedness can bring us all together.”
In preparing for the trip, PowToon learned about ongoing health issues facing the Hadzabe. Part of the visit was given over to connecting the people with local doctors — the company is committed to continuing to help with the Hadza’s medical needs.
See more material from the trip on the PowToon blog.
PowToon Speaks “Universal Language” of CartoonsPowToon Speaks “Universal Language” of Cartoons
Ohhhh, poop-doody — things are getting real in the Templeton household in the new official trailer for DreamWorks Animation’s The Boss Baby (out March 31, 2017). Complete with an intro from voice star Alec Baldwin, the spot reveals the Boss Baby’s real intentions: to restore the balance of love and affection and take back BabyCorp’s market share from their most dangerous competitors … puppies.
We also get to know some of Boss Baby’s toddling underlings in the trailer, and check out some of the pint-size gags being played for big laughs as older brother Timothy joins forces with the infants in order to get the enfant terrible out of his life, for good. (Plus, there’s a pretty good fart joke in there.)
The Boss Baby is directed by Tom McGrath of Megamind and Madagascar franchise fame, and written by Michael McCullers — based on Marla Frazee’s award-winning picture. Ramsey Ann Naito is the producer. In addition to Baldwin, the voice cast features Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow and Miles Bakshi as Timothy.
Synopsis:
DreamWorks Animation and the director of Madagascar invite you to meet a most unusual baby. He wears a suit, speaks with the voice and wit of Alec Baldwin, and stars in the animated comedy, DreamWorks’ The Boss Baby. The Boss Baby is a hilariously universal story about how a new baby’s arrival impacts a family, told from the point of view of a delightfully unreliable narrator, a wildly imaginative 7 year old named Tim. With a sly, heart-filled message about the importance of family, DreamWorks’ The Boss Baby is an authentic and broadly appealing original comedy for all ages.
Diamond Comic Distributors has exciting news for animation fans, revealing the design whipped up by acclaimed animation artist Butch Hartman, which will grace the official Free Comic Book Day 2017 T-shirts. Next year’s FCBD falls on May 6, the first Saturday in May (www.freecomicbookday.com).
The shirt, as well as the FCBD 2017 commemorative poster, is featured in Diamond’s January Previews catalog (along with the complete FCBD 2017 titles list) and available for pre-order at comic shops next month. The 2017 bookmark was featured in the December Previews and will soon be available in shops.
The original artwork created by Hartman captures the spirit of diversity that thrives in today’s comics scene — both on the page and in the fan community, centered on the local comic book store. The T-shirt design shows a weird and wonderful array of characters (human and other) gathered outside a comic book shop enjoying their FCBD selections.
“I’m super thrilled to have been asked to do this year’s Free Comic Book Day T-Shirt! I love classic comic characters of all types and this year’s piece is a loving homage to all the awesome superheroes I grew up with,” said Hartman. “It’s my hope that in this day and age where things are moving digital that people never stop actually holding physical comic books in their hands. Happy reading, everyone!”
Hartman is a multiple Emmy- and Annie Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning animator, writer, director, producer, illustrator and actor. Best known for creating Nickelodeon’s long-running hit series The Fairly OddParents, which debuted 15 years ago, Hartman is also the creative whiz behind popular Nick shows Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.
In addition to the T-shirt, Diamond Comic Distributors is proud to present a commemorative poster and bookmark for FCBD 2017. The poster is designed by acclaimed Marvel cover artist Afua Richardson (Black Panther: World of Wakanda) and the bookmark is designed by BOOM! Studios artist Rian Sygh (The Backstagers, Fionna and Cake).
The T-shirt will be available in black or red for adults (small to XXL, SRP $14.99-$17.99), youths (S to L, $11.99) and in women’s V-neck (S to XL, $14.99-$17.99). The poster is also available for pre-order at comic shops in January, while the bookmark will be available as promotional material. All proceeds go to support Free Comic Book Day’s marketing and promotional efforts.
Free Comic Book DayFree Comic Book DayFree Comic Book Day
Kodansha Comics Launches the ‘Attack on Titan’ Manga App
The mega-hit manga gets a shiny new digital package for iOS through Madefire. Includes updated chapters, graphic novels and Motion Books in English, plus interviews and videos leading up to the anime’s season 2.
Award-winning children’s entertainment company The Fred Rogers Company (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad) is promoting Paul Siefken to President and CEO, effective January 1. Currently VP of Broadcast & Digital Media, Siefken steps in for longtime head Bill Isler. Isler, who worked with founder and children’s media icon Fred Rogers, is retiring from the company.
“Paul is the perfect leader to take The Fred Rogers Company to the next important phase in its exciting evolution,” said Isler. “I’ve been fortunate to have had the chance to work closely with Paul for a number of years now, and I know that the company and its mission benefits greatly from his creativity, integrity, and vision. I am confident The Fred Rogers Company will continue to thrive under his capable leadership in the years ahead.”
As President and CEO, Siefken will look to further develop the company’s existing and new partnerships to ensure it continues to present the best in educational kids’ content for broadcast, digital platforms and whatever awaits the entertainment industry.
Siefken joined The Fred Rogers Co. in 2013, steering the company’s broadcast content, managing digital production pipelines for its three key series and working with their respective production partners over the interceding years. He has also spearheaded initiatives that have taken all three shows into communities nationwide, working with public TV stations, museum, science centers, libraries, volunteer organizations and early childhood groups.
Before to joining the company, Siefken spent nearly 10 years at PBS, most recently as Director of Children’s Programming. Prior to that, he managed sponsored promotions and media relations as well as produced interactive content for Cartoon Network. Siefken graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a Teaching Certificate from the Program in Education.
The all-new animated adventures of DC’s greatest superheroes take flight on Cartoon Network on Friday, December 16 at 6 p.m. ET/PT with the premiere of Justice League Action. The Warner Bros. Animation series kicks off with a four-part special, “Shazam Slam,” with new episodes premiering Saturday mornings on CN starting Dec. 24.
Justice League Action boasts plenty of awesome baddy-battling as well as character-driven humor — not to mention the animated series return of fan-favorite voice actor Kevin Conroy as Batman (plus an all-star lineup of regular and guest cast voices, including Mark Hamill as Joker, James Woods as Lex Luthor and Diedrich Bader as Booster Gold).
In “Shazam Slam,” the villainous Black Adam battles Batman on the Rock of Eternity and unleashes a horde of Djinn determined to turn the Earth back to its pre-human, volcanic state. Affected by the otherworldly powers of these primordial monsters, Batman becomes possessed and is turned into a giant flying Batmonster laying waste to the Hall of Justice, with only Superman capable of taking the fight to the Dark Knight. One by one, the Justice League – with the help of Shazam (voiced by Sean Astin) and The Wizard (voiced by Carl Reiner) – must hunt down and defeat each Djinn in order to yet again save the world from destruction.
Universal Pictures has revealed the official trailer for Illumination Entertainment’s summer 2017 sequel, Despicable Me 3 … and oh, how revealing it is! Slated for release June 30, this latest franchise entry gets like, totally ‘80s with new a new bad guy voiced by South Park’s Trey Parker. Weaponized Rubik’s cubes, high-tech bubble gum and shoulder pads?
“There’s only one super villain whose fashion sense is quite that dated … Balthazar Bratt!”
In his third big screen adventure, Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) face off with former child star turned super villain Balthazar Bratt (Parker) on behalf of the Anti-Villain League, and Gru is in for some serious sibling rivalry with the reappearance of his long-lost twin brother, Dru (also Carell). Miranda Cosgrove, Dana Gaier and Nev Scharrel voice Gru’s adopted girls, with Pierre Coffin reprising his acclaimed Minions act.
Despicable Me 3 is directed by Kyle Balda and Pierre Coffin and produced by Illumination’s Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, from a screenplay by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul.
Genius Brands International has licensed the content distribution, licensing and merchandising rights to its digitally-launched, music-driven property SpacePOP in Southern Europe — including Spain, Portugal and Italy. Regional partner Luk Internacional S.A. is preparing for a 2017 launch.
“SpacePOP has become a tween sensation in the U.S., and we intend to replicate its success across Southern Europe by bringing on board best in class media, licensing, retail and promotional partners to drive the growth of the brand,” said Paco Gratacos, President of Luk Internacional. “We anticipate SpacePOP to be the ‘Galactic Star’ of 2017.”
Genius Brands took the novel approach of utilizing YouTube as the initial exclusive distribution platform for SpacePOP’s intergalactic animated adventures, where it has amassed approximately 11.5 million views since its June 2016 debut. The show is now available in the US on multiple digital platforms, including Toon Goggles, PopJam, BatteryPOP and the Kids Genius Cartoon Channel on Comcast, and will launch across OTT this month, bringing its combined audience reach to nearly 50 million. The first merchandise debuted Dec. 1 at Toys ‘R’ Us, Kohl’s, Claire’s and more.
“The strategy we developed to launch SpacePOP, from utilizing YouTube as our launch media partner to the creation of a fashion-forward marketing and retail strategy and harnessing the power of today’s top media influencers, has engaged millions of young girls,” said Stone Newman, President of Global Consumer Products, Worldwide Content Sales & Marketing for Genius Brands.
“The key elements of SpacePOP – music, friendship, fashion and adventure – cross cultural boundaries, and we have no doubt that Luk Internacional will create a program that equally resonates with tweens throughout Spain, Italy and Portugal.”
GKIDS is offering a chance for animation fans to take in a rare treat in theaters with a limited run of Studio Ghibli’s Ocean Waves — never released in the US. An all new 4K restoration of the 1993 TV movie will play starting December 28 at IFC Center in New York, and for one night only at the Egyptian Theatre in LA. A home video release will follow in Spring 2017.
A full list of participating theaters nationwide is available here.
Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki (Ranma ½, Maison Ikkoku) and written by Kaori Nakamura, Ocean Waves is an animated adaptation of Saeko Himuro’s novel of the same name. Produced for Nippon TV, it was the first Studio Ghibli film directed by someone other than founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, with Mochizuki leading a team of younger employees to create a TV movie with a level of artistry and rich detail comparable to a cinematic feature.
Synopsis:
Rarely seen outside of Japan, Ocean Waves is a subtle, poignant and wonderfully detailed story of adolescence and teenage isolation. Taku and his best friend Yutaka are headed back to school for what looks like another uneventful year. But they soon find their friendship tested by the arrival of Rikako, a beautiful new transfer student from Tokyo whose attitude vacillates wildly from flirty and flippant to melancholic. When Taku joins Rikako on a trip to Tokyo, the school erupts with rumors, and the three friends are forced to come to terms with their changing relationships.
The Fox Innovation Lab at 20th Century Fox has joined forces with Emmy-winning cinematic virtual reality producer Felix & Paul Studios to develop, direct and produce VR experiences for Fox properties. The partnership will also involve multi-picture production deals with acclaimed directors, with the first project to be announced early next year.
The deal was brokered by Verve’s Bryan Besser on behalf of Felix & Paul.
“The Fox Innovation Lab has long understood that virtual reality requires an entirely new language of storytelling, enabling audiences to engage with characters and stories in ways never before possible,” said Ryan Horrigan, Chief Content Officer of Felix & Paul Studios and head of its LA office. “Fox continues to take a major leadership role in this new medium and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to co-produce premium cinematic VR experiences and series that will captivate audiences worldwide.”
A kind of “proof of concept” project was undertaken in 2015 between Fox Innovation Lab and Felix & Paul, based on the feature film Wild (from Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling autobiographical account). Directed by Paul Raphaël and Félix Lajeunesse, Wild – The Experience is an immersive three-minute VR experience set in a private moment on the Pacific Crest Trail with Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and Academy Award nominee Laura Dern’s characters.
“Felix & Paul Studios is a visionary studio that represents the highest caliber of immersive and engaging experiences, and their vision for bringing virtual reality to mainstream audiences makes them a perfect partner to help realize the possibilities for the future of consumer entertainment, from both a creative and technical perspective,” said Mike Dunn, President of 20th Century Fox Home Ent. and Fox Innovation Lab.
The Fox Innovation Lab is an R&D center established to drive the entertainment company’s advancement of groundbreaking technology and new consumer experiences across all formats and distribution models. The Lab’s first commercial project, The Martian VR Experience, launched in November for PlayStation VR and HTC Vive on Steam, and just arrived on Oculus.
Virtual reality studio and content distributor Wevr is launching today a premium subscription tier within its Transport content platform (transportvr.com), spearheaded by the release of independent creator Tyler Hurd’s multiple award-winning Old Friend.
Through this new pay tier, Wevr’s aim is to help establish a sustainable business model for the VR creative community — allowing it to evolve and flourish in the years to come.
Old Friend, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, invites viewers to lose themselves in a vibrant, psychedelic dance party brimming with joyful insanity. The innovative music video experience from Hurd and Wevr is a celebration of hip-shaking absurdity build around the single “Old Friend” by Baltimore synthpop band Future Islands. The experience was executive produced by Wevr co-founder Anthony Batt.
The Transport premium tier carries a $20 annual subscription cost. Experiences available at launch alongside Old Friend include Finding Your True Self by Deepak Chopra, theBlu: Season 1 (“Whale Encounter,” “Reef Migration,” “Luminous Abyss”) and Waves, which premiered at Sundance this year.
Old Friend will have a broader launch across Steam, Viveport and Oculus Rift priced at $2.99 on December 22.
Turner’s young-adult targeted network Adult Swim announces the promotion of Chris Hartley to Vice President, On-Air Production and Ollie Green to Vice President of Animated Production. Both newly upped executives are based out of Adult Swim’s Atlanta, Georgia headquarters.
As VP of On-Air Production, Hartley is responsible for show launches, overseeing the on-air operating budget, planning, and supervising production staff. She is also tasked with managing the production of Adult Swim’s 100-plus yearly custom sponsorship promotions, the Toonami anime block and weekly Pre-Flight streaming show. Hartley reports to Jason DeMarco, SVP and Creative Director, On-Air for Adult Swim.
Hartley joined Cartoon Network’s on-air division in 2007 as a freelance producer, managing various on-air stunts and sales presentations. She became a full time producer in May 2008, managing show launches including Star Wars: The Clone Wars, as well as program production.
Green, in the role of VP of Animated Production, is responsible for leading all facets of animated production, including working with the network development team, series creators and partner studios. Green reports to Keith Crofford, SVP of Production.
Green started at Adult Swim in 2005 as a line producer, supervising production on both animated and live-action series, specials and pilots. She has earned multiple awards for her TV animation work, including two Primetime Emmys and an Annie Award for Robot Chicken, and a Daytime Emmy and Humanitas Prize for Little Bill while at Nick Jr.
King of the Hill and Silicon Valley co-creator Mike Judge has been recognized for his contribution to the craft and help in organizing fellow wordsmiths in the animation industry by the Writers Guild of America, West, which has named him the recipient of its Animation Writers Caucus 2016 Animation Writing Award for lifetime achievement.
“We’re very excited for Mike Judge to receive this long-overdue honor. His contributions to the field of animation, among them the groundbreaking Beavis and Butt-Head, and the long-running hit King of the Hill, have advanced the form of animation storytelling and continue to be a benchmark for creators everywhere,” said WGAW Vice President David A. Goodman. “We applaud the risk he took to guarantee making King of the Hill a WGA-covered show, which to this day helps the Guild chip away at the precedents that keep writers who work in animation from receiving the guarantees and benefits of our union.”
WGAW Animation Writers Caucus Chair Charlotte (Fullerton) McDuffie also offered her congratulations to Judge “on behalf of all animation writers.”
A member of the WGAW since 1998, Judge was born in Ecuador in 1962, grew up in Albuquerque and attended UC San Diego, earning a degree in Physics. After an eclectic series of stints in engineering and professional baseball, Judge’s animation career took off when his short Frog Baseball (1992) was picked up by MTV.
The network then made the decision to offer Judge a series inspired by his recurring short film characters, Beavis and Butt-head, which brought the continued misadventures of the metalhead teens to small screens nationwide in its original run from 1993-1997. Beavis and Butt-head earned a CableACE Award nomination for Comedy Series in 1994, and reached a high point with the theatrical release of Beavis and Butt-head Do America (directed by Judge and co-written by him with Joe Stillman). Judge resurrected the series in 2012 with 12 new episodes for MTV.
Next came the Southern slice-of-life comedy series King of the Hill for FOX TV — co-created by Judge and Greg Daniels. The show ran from 1997 to 2010 and centered on no-nonsense propane (and propane accessories) salesman Hank Hill and the utter nonsense of his family and neighbors. King of the Hill won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 1999 as well as five further Emmy nominations.
Judge received two Annie Award nominations for his voice work as Hank Hill, and won the event’s Winsor McCay Award “for career contributions to the art of animation” in 2009, as well as a Certificate of Merit (shared with Don Hertzfeldt) in 2004.
In 2009, Judge co-created with John Altschuler & Dave Krinsky the satirical animated comedy The Goode Family. On top of series helming experiences, Judge has contributed voice performances to other animated TV series like South Park, Family Guy and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He also portrayed “Donnagon” in the Spy Kids movie trilogy.
In the course of his career, Judge also wrote and directed live-action films, notably 1999 cult comedy Office Space, based on his Milton animated shorts; 2006’s Idiocracy; and 2009’s Extract.
Currently, Judge is co-creator, executive producer, writer and director for HBO’s Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated comedy series Silicon Valley (created by Judge, Altschuler & Krinsky), currently in production on its fourth season. The series has earned Judge three Primetime Emmy nominations for directing and three more shared for Outstanding Comedy Series; two Writers Guild Awards nominations for Comedy Series and one for New Series; and further nods from DGA and PGA. The show also won the SXSW Film Festival’s Audience Award for Episodic in 2014 in Judge’s current hometown of Austin, Texas.
The Google Spotlight Stories crew has revealed that work has begun on the initiative’s next immersive animated short, Son of Jaguar from director and artist Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life). Produced in collaboration with animation studio Reel FX, the 360-degree virtual reality tale will be released next summer.
Son of Jaguar is inspired by Mexican wrestling and Day of the Dead traditions, utilizing the latest in VR storytelling tech to put viewers right in the shoes of the characters they’re meeting in the digital realm — Gutierrez tells Variety: “It’s gonna be really funny and really emotional.”
Gutierrez is the latest animation luminary to helm a project for Google Spotlight Stories, joining the ranks of Patrick Osborne (Pearl), Aardman Animation’s Tim Ruffle (Special Delivery), Glen Keane (Duet) and Jan Pinkava (Windy Day).
Mamoru Oshii’s groundbreaking anime feature Ghost in the Shell is coming home March 14, 2017 as a Blu-ray + Digital HD collectible Steelbook pack with limited edition Mondo key art (SRP $34.99), thanks to Anchor Bay Entertainment. The award-winning adaptation of adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s original 1989 manga is getting this special release just ahead of the theatrical debut of the new live-action film from Rupert Sanders on March 31.
Originally released in 1995 and produced by Production I.G, Ghost in the Shell centers on Major Motoko Kusanagi — a cybernetic government agent on the trail of a mysterious computer virus threat known as “The Puppet Master,” capable of infiltrating human hosts. With her fellow agents from Section 9, the Major embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the entity.
The film took the world by storm in the mid-’90s, thanks in part to unprecedented, seamless blending of traditional hand-drawn animation with the latest in computer graphic imagery. It has been widely regarded by critics as one of the finest and most influential films in both anime and sci-fi cinematic history. Ghost in the Shell won both Best Theatrical Feature Film and Best Director for a Theatrical Feature Film at the World Animation Celebration on top of honors from the Yokohama, Gerardmer and Fantasporto festivals in 1996 and 1997.
Anchor Bay will also be releasing Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Season 1 and Season 2 on Blu-ray for the first time on February 21, 2017. These episodic collections have previously been released on DVD.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has released the tracklist for its 91-title Best Original Song contenders list for the 89th Academy Awards. Animated films account for 14 entries on the list, with the inclusion of songs from The Angry Birds Movie, Ice Age: Collision Course, The Little Prince, Moana, Sausage Party, Sing, Snowtime!, Storks, Trolls and Zootopia. The documentary Floyd Norman: An Animated Life is in contention with “One Frame at a Time”
The Academy also revealed the 145 original film scores under consideration for the Oscars. Animated titles that made the cut: The Angry Birds Movie (composer Heitor Pereira), Bilal (Atli Ӧrvarsson), Finding Dory (Thomas Newman), Ice Age: Collision Course (John Debney), Kubo and the Two Strings (Dario Marianelli),The Little Prince (Hans Zimmer & Richard Harvey), Moana (Mark Mancina), The Red Turtle (Laurent Perez Del Mar), Sausage Party (Alan Menken & Christopher Lennertz), The Secret Life of Pets (Alexandre Desplat), Sing (Joby Talbot), Snowtime! (Eloi Painchaud & Jorane), Storks (Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna), Trolls (Christophe Beck) and Zootopia (Michael Giacchino).
Docus Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (Ryan Shore) and Life, Animated (Dylan Stark & T. Griffin) are also a Best Score contenders.
Music Branch members will watch clips and vote in order of preference for their top five (or fewer) picks. Five songs will receive nominations in the category, with a maximum of two songs from any one film. Nominations will be announced January 24, 2017. The 2017 Oscars will be held February 26, broadcast live on ABC.
Best Original Song contenders:
“Just Like Fire” from Alice through the Looking Glass
“Rise” from American Wrestler: The Wizard “Friends” from The Angry Birds Movie
“Flicker” from Audrie & Daisy
“Seconds” from Autumn Lights
“A Minute to Breathe” from Before the Flood
“Glory (Let There Be Peace)” from Believe
“Mother’s Theme” from Believe
“Somewhere” from Believe
“The Only Way Out” from Ben-Hur
“Still Falling for You” from Bridget Jones’s Baby
“F That” from The Bronze
“Torch Pt. 2” from Citizen Soldier
“Drift and Fall Again” from Criminal
“Take Me Down” from Deepwater Horizon
“Land of All” from Desierto
“Sad but True (Dreamland Theme)” from Dreamland
“Angel by the Wings” from The Eagle Huntress
“Blind Pig” from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
“One Frame at a Time” from Floyd Norman: An Animated Life
“I’m Crying” from Free State of Jones
“Gold” from Gold
“Champion” from Hands of Stone
“Dance Rascal, Dance” from Hello, My Name Is Doris
“I See a Victory” from Hidden Figures
“Runnin” from Hidden Figures
“Sixty Charisma Scented Blackbirds” from How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change “My Superstar” from Ice Age: Collision Course
“Seeing You Around” from Ithaca
“The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story
“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land
“City of Stars” from La La Land
“Start a Fire” from La La Land
“Cateura Vamos A Soñar (We Will Dream)” from Landfill Harmonic
“Better Love” from The Legend of Tarzan
“Never Give Up” from Lion “Equation” from The Little Prince “Turnaround” from The Little Prince
“Moonshine” from Live by Night
“Loving” from Loving
“Hurry Home” from Max Rose
“Gone 2015” from Miles Ahead
“Wish That You Were Here” from Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children
“I’m Still Here” from Miss Sharon Jones! “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana “We Know the Way” fromMoana
“Even More Mine” from My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
“Waving Goodbye” from The Neon Demon
“I’m Back” from Never Surrender
“Find My Victory” from Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
“On Ghost Ridge” from 100 Years: One Woman’s Fight for Justice
“Ordinary World” from Ordinary World
“Devil’s Girl” from Outlaws and Angels
“Levitate” from Passengers
“Ginga” from Pelé: Birth of a Legend
“Nobody Knows” from Pete’s Dragon
“Something Wild” from Pete’s Dragon
“Dancing with Your Shadow” from Po
“I’m So Humble” from Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
“Stay Here” from Presenting Princess Shaw
“Celebrate Life” from Queen Mimi
“Back to Life” from Queen of Katwe
“Let the Games Begin” from Race
“Think About It” from The Red Pill
“The Rules Don’t Apply” from Rules Don’t Apply “The Great Beyond” from Sausage Party “Faith” from Sing “Set It All Free” from Sing
“Drive It Like You Stole It” from Sing Street
“Go Now” from Sing Street
“The Veil” from Snowden “Hymn” from Snowtime!
“Kiss Me Goodnight” from Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four “Holdin’ Out” from Storks
“Heathens” from Suicide Squad
“Flying Home” from Sully
“Montage” from Swiss Army Man
“Petit Metier” from They Will Have to Kill Us First – Malian Music in Exile
“Letter to the Free” from 13th
“Down with Mary” from Too Late “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from Trolls “Get Back Up Again” from Trolls
“Smile” from The Uncondemned
“We Will Rise” from Veeram (Macbeth)
“LA Venus” from We Are X
“New Dogs, Old Tricks” from What Happened Last Night
“Runnin’ Runnin’” from What Happened Last Night
“What’s Happening Today” from What Happened Last Night
“Who I Am” from What Happened Last Night
“The Ballad Of Wiener-Dog” from Wiener-Dog “Try Everything” from Zootopia
The 2016 editions of Asia TV Forum & Market (the 17th ATF) and ScreenSingapore (6th edition) culminated last Friday, having attracted a record-breaking 5,383 attendees. Organizers report that the exhibitor feedback collated to date shows an estimated $244 million-plus worth of deals and partnerships were facilitated during the three-day market.
“With today’s dynamic content market, ATF and ScreenSingapore constantly evolves to help the industry better navigate this disruptive landscape. We are very encouraged by the increased attendance despite current challenging global sentiments. This is a testament of ATF and ScreenSingapore’s strong standing in the calendar of international TV and film trade events. We also received positive feedback about the new elements introduced, having presented a program that was truly about content on every screen. We are already receiving early interest from content companies to participate in the next event and we look to grow together with Asia’s rising content industry,” said Yeow Hui Leng, Senior Project Director, Reed Exhibitions.
The doubled event enjoyed its largest market floor since its 2012 integration, with 738 exhibitors offering fresh content to buyers. Exhibiting studios included major studios like Disney, FOX TV, MGM Worldwide, NBCUniversal Television, Paramount, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. International Television. The 2016 market also had a record number of country delegations at 21, including representatives from Australia, Canada, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
“We’ve been attending ATF for several years. It’s always great to be back. We get to catch up with the rest of the content providers and follow up on leads that we’ve secured previously. Turner is constantly on the lookout for kids’ comedy animations, and will definitely return for next year’s installation,” commented Edward Barnieh, Associate Director, Programming and Acquisitions of Turner International Asia Pacific.
Among the showfloor deals announced so far are the first partnership for Fuji TV’s upcoming documentary How Pokemon Go Changed the World, with London-based JSTV planning to air the piece across 60 European countries by January. Singapore’s Mediacorp secured a deal for more than 20 locally produced series to stream on Netflix worldwide beginning early in 2017. And Aurora Media Holdings inked a multi-picture development and production financing agreement with LA-based global sales and marketing agency Kathy Morgan International.
The event also featured insightful speaker sessions, with 93 industry leaders sharing their views on pertinent topics during ATF and Southeast Asian Film Financing conferences. The second SAFF Project Market — a partnership between ScreenSingapore, the Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association and Ties That Bind: Asia/Europe Producers Workshop, supported by the Asia-Europe Foundation — granted top awards to Terbalik (42nd Pictures) and Mamafia (Skyline Media), while HIT IT (all3media) won the first ever ATF Formats Pitch competition for unscripted concepts.
ATF and ScreenSingapore will return under the Singapore Media Festival umbrella November 28 to December 1, 2017.
Viacom Cements CEO Role for Bob Bakish
Viacom makes acting chief executive permanent head on the same date Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements nixes potential CBS merger.
VIDEO: HIVE – A Film by Adam Ciolfi
Stop-motion filmmaker Ciolfi (BROKEN) releases a new sci-fi piece that asks what kind of world have we made, saying “…In light of the recent U.S. election results it may be more topical than I ever could have anticipated.”
Gap Readies First Disney Capsule
Classic characters from the Mouse House now grace adult, kids, toddler and baby apparel — the initial limited edition Mickey and Minnie range will be followed by a Dumbo line on Dec. 26.
Fox Animation is developing a live-action/animation hybrid feature inspired by the Peter, Paul and Mary song “Puff the Magic Dragon,” Deadline reports. The project will be directed by Mike Mitchell (Trolls, Shrek Forever After) and produced by Safehouse partners Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold, and Weed Road’s Akiva Goldsman. Vanessa Morrison and Nat Hopper will oversee for Fox.
Mitchell has directing experience in live-action and hybrid features in addition to his animation achievements, having helmed Rob Schneider comedy Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, Sky High, Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked and the live-action segments of SpongeBob SquarePants: Sponge out of Water.
Released in 1963, “Puff the Magic Dragon” was written by band member Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton, who wrote the original poem as a teenage university student. The song about a dragon who takes a child along on a journey to the land of Honalee became a folk standard and remains popular to this day — in spite of (or because of) speculation about drug references.
A half-hour animated TV special Puff the Magic Dragon directed by Charles Swenson and Fred Wolf and animated by Murakami Wolf Swenson premiered on CBS in 1978 and was followed by two sequels: Puff the Magic Dragon in the Land of the Living Lies (1979) and Puff and the Incredible Mr. Nobody (1982).
