Author: Mercedes Milligan

Woodstock Film Fest Lineup Announced

The complete lineup for the 2016 Woodstock Film Festival has been published, including this year’s 82-minute short animation program (plus Q&A). This is the first Woodstock toon section curated by newcomers Joy Buran and Noelle Melody, who have taken over for indie animation legends Signe Baumane and Bill Plympton.

The former curators still leave a mark on this year’s festival, however. Baumane’s 2-minute short The ABC of Travel makes its debut, and is about several families of letter-people who meet in an airport. And the sixth, latest installment of Plympton’s series of “Dog” shorts follows the travel theme: Cop Dog, clocking in at 7 minutes, follows the canine hero making the rounds as a drug-sniffing airport guard dog — leading to drug-fueled mayhem involving passengers and pilots.

Further highlights and a link to the schedule PDF are available here.

Animation with Joy & Noelle

Fri., Oct. 14, 4:30 p.m. (Community Center) and Sun., Oct. 16, 11:30 a.m. (Bearsville Theater)

The ABC of Travel by Signe Baumane (USA)
Adam by Evelyn Jane Ross (USA, Rhode Island School of Design)
Behind the Schoolbag by Nic Ho Chun Yu (Hong Kong)
Bone Guitar by Payton Curtis (Canada)
Borrowed Time by Lou Hamou-Lhadj and Andrew Coats (USA)
Cacophony by Melody Aihsuan Shih (USA)
Cookies by Leah Shore (USA/Canada)
Cop Dog by Bill Plympton (USA)
ed by Taha Neyestani (Canada, Sheridan College)
Filthy but Fine by Arthur Metcalf (USA)
Look-See by Daniel Savage (USA)
Makeshift Satellite by Cody Walzel (USA)
Patti Smith – Blank on Blank by Patrick Smith (USA)
Perched by Liam Harris (UK)
Perfect Houseguest by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter (USA)
Potatoes for Pado by Joy Buran and Noelle Melody (USA)
The Sea Is Blue by Vincent Peone (USA)
Sisters by David Chontos (USA)
Slow Wave by Andy Kennedy (USA)
There’s Too Many of These Crows (USA)

2016 Woodstock Film Festival

September 12, 2016
‘Masha and the Bear’ Debuts on Teletoon Canada

Award-winning animated family series Masha and the Bear has made its Canadian broadcast debut, launching on Corus Entertainment’s Teletoon network on September 10. The 26 x 7 CG series has proven a hit with European TV audiences, and is also available on Netflix in North America.

Masha and the Bear aims to entertain both children and adults by following precocious Masha, her best friend and retired circus star, Bear, and a rag-tag group of friendly animals on their adventures through the forest. The show highlights values of creativity, loyalty, and friendship.

Masha and the Bear is created by Oleg Kuzovkov and produced by Animaccord Animation Studio, with a new 26-episode season set for delivery in mid-2018. Named one of Animag‘s “TV Shows Destined to be Classics” in 2015, the series airs worldwide and has generated over 19 billion views on YouTube for its two available seasons — with the episode “Recipe for Disaster” earning over 1 billion views alone, making it one of the platform’s Top 10 most-viewed videos.

Masha and the Bear

September 12, 2016
Daily News Bytes

Video: Rodeo FX Wins Third Consecutive Award for Game of Thrones
Following its Creative Arts Emmy win, the studio invites fans to check out its GoT Season 6 breakdown reel for a glimpse at the blood, sweat, tears, and more blood behind the “Battle of the Bastards,” the attack on Meereen, Dany’s coup at Vaes Dothrak, and more.

As Sing and Its Battery of Stars Hit Toronto, Chris Meledandri’s Decision to Stick with It Suddenly Makes Sense
Illumination’s driving creative force has something to crow about with the debut of the studio’s ambitious, music-driven animal medley movie at TIFF.

How One L.A. Animation Studio Is Experimenting with Virtual Reality Cartoons
KCET’s Liz Ohanesian talks the brave new VR frontier and what it means for animators with Titmouse founder Chris Prynoski, Ben Jones (Problem Solverz) and artist Jim Mahfood.

Ireland Moves into European Spotlight at Animation Forum
As Cartoon Forum gets ready to gear up in Toulouse, the Irish animation industry hits a new record for local employment in the sector.

Longest-Running Japanese Manga to Conclude
Osamu Akimoto will bring Kochikame to a close after 40 years and exactly 200 volumes on September 17, followed the next day by a brand-new hour-long anime special.

Game of Thrones

September 12, 2016
‘Archer,’ ‘Robot Chicken’ & ‘Charlie Brown’ Nab Creative Emmys

The 68th annual Creative Emmys were celebrated this weekend over two evening ceremonies Saturday and Sunday. Game of Thrones managed to dominate in nine categories, helping HBO to its impressive 16 award total — its honors spanning visual effects, production design, casting, makeup and costumes, editing, et al.

In the animation and VFX categories, FX’s Archer beat out Bob’s Burgers (Fox), Phineas and Ferb: Last Day of Summer (Disney XD), South Park (Comedy Central) and The Simpsons (Fox) to win Outstanding Animated Program. Robot Chicken (Adult Swim) took the Short Form Animated Program prize with its “X-Mas United” special, over nominees Adventure Time (Cartoon Network), SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon), Steven Universe (Cartoon Network) and The Powerpuff Girls (Cartoon Network).

Seth MacFarlane scored a Character Voice-Over Performance award for Family Guy (Fox), beating the odds as South Park (Comedy Central) and SuperMansion (Crackle) each had two nominees in the category — for Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and Keegan-Michael Key and Chris Pine.

Among its many accolades this year, HBO’s Game of Thrones claimed the Outstanding Special Visual Effects statuette, emerging victorious over Black Sails (Starz), Penny Dreadful (Showtime), The Man in the High Castle (Amazon) and Vikings (History). On the subtler side, Visual Effects in a Supporting Role props went to Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (PBS), which won over 11.22.63 (Hulu), Better Call Saul (AMC), Hannibal (NBC) and The Walking Dead (AMC).

Outstanding Animated Program
Archer “The Figgis Agency”
FX Networks | FX Studios
Adam Reed, Executive Producer/Writer; Matt Thompson, Executive Producer; Casey Willis, Co-Executive Producer; Jeff Fastner, Producer; Neal Holman, Producer; Chad Hurd, Producer; Eric Sims, Producer; Bryan Fordney, Producer/Animation Director

Outstanding Short Form Animated Program
Robot Chicken “Robot Chicken Christmas Special: The X-Mas United”
Adult Swim | Stoopid Buddy Stoodios
Seth Green, Executive Producer/Written by; Matthew Senreich, Executive Producer/Written by; John Harvatine IV, Executive Producer; Eric Towner, Executive Producer; Tom Root, Executive Producer/Head Writer; Doug Goldstein, Executive Producer/Head Writer; Keith Crofford, Executive Producer; Mike Lazzo, Executive Producer; Janet Dimon, Supervising Producer; Ollie Green, Producer; Mike Fasolo, Written by; Shelby Fero, Written by; Joel Hurwitz, Written by; Tom Sheppard, Written by/Directed by; Alex Kamer, Animation Director

Outstanding Character Voice-Over in an Animated Series
Family Guy, Seth MacFarlane
Fox
“Pilling Them Softly”
Peter Griffin, Stewie Griffin, Brian Griffin, Glenn Quagmire, Dr. Hartman, Tom Tucker, Mr. Spacely

Outstanding Special Visual Effects
Game of Thrones “Battle of the Bastards”
HBO
Steve Kullback, Lead Visual Effects Producer; Joe Bauer, Lead Visual Effects Supervisor; Adam Chazen, Visual Effects Associate Producer; Derek Spears, Lead CG Supervisor; Eric Carney, Visual Effects Plate Supervisor; Sam Conway, Special Effects Supervisor; Matthew Rouleau, CG Supervisor; Michelle Blok, Previs Supervisor; Glenn Melenhorst, VFX Supervisor

Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role
Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
PBS | Hartswood Films for BBC One in co-production with MASTERPIECE
Danny Hargreaves, SFX Supervisor; Henry Brook, SFX Senior Technician; Dewi Foulkes, SFX Technician; JC Deguara, VFX Supervisor; Natalie Reid, VFX Producer; Sara Bennett, 2D Supervisor; Matias Derkacz, 2D Lead; Neil Alford, 2D Lead; Amy Felce, Matchmove Supervisor

As previously announced, Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media honors went to Archer Scavenger Hunt, Oculus Story Studio’s Henry, the Cartoon Network App and @midnight with Chris Hardwick for interactive experience.

Archer

September 11, 2016
Daily News Bytes

Alan Moore Is Retiring from the Comics World
At a press conference for his upcoming novel Jerusalem, the legendary penman behind Watchmen and V for Vendetta announced he has “about 250 pages of comics left” in him. (Psst, don’t miss Nat Segnit’s Persons of Interest profile on Moore from The New Yorker.)

Preview: Time Travel Portal Opens Up Back to Victorian London
GamestormVR releases a free demo for SteamHammerVR — a steampunk adventure that pits players against a mad doctor and his army of clockwork automatons bent on enslaving the inhabitants of 1892 London. Luckily, players have state-of-the-art 19th century gadgets on their side.

Shin Godzilla Stomps Across North America This October
Funimation is bringing Toho’s classic monster reboot — directed by Hideaki Anno (Neon Genesis Evangelion) — to over 400 theaters across the continent, on the heels of its box-office success in Japan.

Inside the YouTube Animation Boom
USA Today and its #TalkingTech podcast gets the inside scoop on gaining internet fame through share-worthy toons, with Adande Thorne (a.k.a. sWoozie), Caldwell Tanner (Drawfee) and Sam Graham (Hey Sam Graham).

MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head Teams with Dr. Martens for Footwear, Apparel and More
Soon you too can have your very own Beavis and Butt-head inspired boots (£125), shirt (£40) and leather backpack (£150) — which you can use to transport all that T.P. for your bunghole.

Alan Moore

September 11, 2016
Daily News Bytes

Aww, A Game about Lonely Robots Evokes the Best Children’s Animation
Grant&Bert Studios’ Abi is a story-driven puzzle game centered on a caretaker bot and industrial unit that evokes WALL-E’s emotional pull and Song of the Sea’s stylish animation.

Indie Animated Oscar Contenders: Sneak Peek
Indiewire’s Bill Desowitz, a regular Animag contributor examines the top indie toons vying for a nomination in the Academy Award race: The Red Turtle, My Life as a Zucchini and Miss Hokusai.

Ketan Mehta to Make an Animated Film on Kipling’s Novel ‘Kim’
Award-winning filmmaker and documentarian will tackle Rudyard Kipling’s less-adapted work with some contemporary updates.

CAPE Students to Do Animation, Game Design
Two new units of study join the offerings at Jamaica’s Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination this academic year.

Video: Interview with Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO of m4e
A teutonic take on what licensors are looking for and how the company is pursuing original live-action and animated productions.

Abi

September 10, 2016
Stuttgart Animation Fest Calls for Entries

The renowned Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film has issued a call for entries for its 24th edition, taking place in the German metropolis May 2-7, 2017. As ever, the festival aims to represent the broad spectrum of the modern art and industry — including the intersections between visual effects, games, architecture, art and design.

Animated films produced after October 1, 2015 can be submitted by the deadline of December 1, 2016 for consideration in the competitive categories: International Competition (short films), Young Animation (student films), Tricks for Kids (short films and TV series for children) and AniMovie (feature films). More information available at www.itfs.de/en and on the competition page.

A follow-up call for entries will be issued in mid-October for the Spotlight Animated Com Award for advertising, presented with Spotlight Festival for Moving Image Communication.

Over the last two decades (and counting), the Stuttgart festival has developed into a leading animated film event in Germany and one of the key points in the animation events calendar worldwide. The city itself serves as a backdrop for open-air screenings, which allows visitors to take in shorts and popular features day and night during the event.

The 2016 festival attracted more than 80,000 people to Stuttgart, to take in more than 1,000 films. In addition to the large audience, participating filmmakers have the chance to win a share of cash prizes totaling over 70,000 euros. By running concurrently with Animation Production Day and the FMX industry conference, Stuttgart has also become an important platform for financing and developing new projects.

Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film

September 10, 2016
‘Gnomes & Goblins’ VR from Jon Favreau Debuts

Leading virtual reality studio and content distributor Wevr (creators of theBlu) has launched a preview for a new, immersive VR experience titled Gnomes & Goblins – conceived by director Jon Favreau (The Jungle Book, Iron Man).

The preview is available for free for the HTC Vive through Wevr Transport, Steam and Viveport.

Gnomes & Goblins takes advantage of room-scale technology to transport viewers to an enchanted fantasy world, ripe for exploration. The project is a Wevr original production, in partnership with Reality one. In the preview, the user meets and develops relationships with the enigmatic characters inhabiting the world, taking a first step into the dreamscape of Gnomes & Goblins and its many realms and citizens.

“I had been been playing around with this basic world and the characters of Gnomes & Goblins but I wasn’t sure how I would apply them. Wherever I thought it might go, the medium just didn’t seem right. And then I went over to Wevr and tried out theBlu on the Vive,” says Favreau in his creator’s statement.

“The appeal is to have somebody who is not a gamer and never had a VR experience be able to enjoy this without feeling that they need to have a certain skill set, but we also don’t want it to be passive cinematic experience where people just sit and enjoy it like a ride. It needs to be something where you engage in the way that you would in life. It should feel like you’re developing a relationship with these characters. … We put a lot of effort in creating a mood and a feel to the world, having enough interesting details to where you would feel like you could explore endlessly. Even in this limited preview experience, I wanted to to be very rich. Where you felt like every time you went back in, you could find more”

In addition to Favreau, the key Gnomes & Goblins creative team include creative director Jake Rowell, animation director Andrew R. Jones, executive producer Neville Spiteri (Wevr co-Founder/CEO), executive producer Clint Kisker (co-Founder, Reality One) and producer Gigi Pritzker (co-Founder, Reality One).

Gnomes & Goblins

September 10, 2016
‘Bozzetto non Troppo’ Doc Plays Venice

A new documentary about legendary Italian animator Bruno Bozzetto screens Friday, September 9 at the Venice Film Festival. Having an encore screening Saturday, Marco Bonfanti’s Bozzetto non Troppo presents a first-ever look at “what’s inside, behind, before, under and in the pockets of” the acclaimed filmmaker behind Mister Rossi, Grasshoppers, Rapsodeus, Europe & Italy and Allegro non Troppo.

In the course of his career, the 79-year-old Bozzetto has made more than 300 features, short films and animations for TV and the web — earning a Golden Bear, an Oscar nomination and awards and tributes around the world. In the film, the subject himself takes audiences into his home and workspace, introducing his family, friends, co-workers and animal companions. Bozzetto discusses for the camera his memorable films and characters — those mentioned above as well as West and Soda, SuperVip and MiniVip, Mr. Tao and Mister Otto.

Bonfanti’s cinematic tribute mixes the digital present — in which Bozzetto still works and thrives — and the animator’s archive of work to create a magical journey for both longtime fans and those as yet unfamiliar with Bozzetto’s unique cartoon creations.

Bozzetto non Troppo is produced by Zagora and Istituto Luce-Cinecittà, with Sky Arte HD and the support of Studio Bozzetto & Co. and Bruno Bozzetto Distribution. The film is distributed by Istituto Luce-Cinecittà.

Bozzetto non Troppo

September 9, 2016
IBC: Boris FX Acquiring GenArts

Boris FX, a leader in integrated VFX and workflow solutions for film and video, is acquiring special effects plug-in developer GenArts, Inc. Announced at IBC, the deal is part of Boris FX founder Boris Yamnitsky’s aggressive growth strategy. Boris FX most recently acquired Imagineer Systems, the UK-based developer of mocha: Academy Award-winning planar tracking tools.

“We are excited to announce this strategic merger and welcome the Sapphire team to the Boris FX/Imagineer group,” says Yamnitsky. “This acquisition makes Boris FX uniquely positioned to serve editors and effects artists with the industry’s leading tools for motion graphics, broadcast design, visual effects, image restoration, motion tracking and finishing — all under one roof. Sapphire’s exceptional suite of creative plug-ins has been used to design many of the last decades’ most memorable film images. Sapphire perfectly complements BCC and mocha as essential tools for professional VFX and we look forward to serving Sapphire’s extremely accomplished users.”

GenArts’ is best known for its flagship product, Sapphire — the “gold standard” for high-end visual effects at leading studios and broadcast facilities worldwide. Since 1996, Sapphire effects have been used in at least one of each year’s VFX Oscar-nominated films, and numerous award-winning television shows. Sapphire will continue to be developed and sold in its current form alongside flagship products Boris Continuum Complete (BCC) and mocha Pro, creating a powerful complement to applications from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Autodesk, Blackmagic Design and others.

Both GenArts and Borix FX are previewing new products and post-production technologies at IBC, and can be found at booths 7.K29 and 7.J05, respectively.

Boris FX

September 9, 2016
‘Secret Path’ Graphic Novel & CBC Special Announced

A haunting story from a shameful era of North America’s history is being brought to life in a variety of mediums thanks to musician and poet Gord Downie. Coming soon as a new album, graphic novel and an animated movie produced for CBC, Secret Path relates the tragedy of indigenous Canadian boy Chanie Wenjack, with proceeds going to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

In a statement issued with the announcement, Gord Downie explains that his brother Mike first showed him Ian Adams’ story in a 1967 issue of Maclean’s magazine, “The Lonely Death of Charlie Wenjack.”

“Chanie, misnamed Charlie by his teachers, was a young boy who died on October 22, 1966, walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from the Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School to walk home. Chanie’s home was 400 miles away. He didn’t know that. He didn’t know where it was, nor how to find it, but, like so many kids – more than anyone will be able to imagine – he tried. I never knew Chanie, but I will always love him,” Downie relates.

“All of those Governments, and all of those Churches, for all of those years, misused themselves. They hurt many children. They broke up many families. They erased entire communities. … I am trying in this small way to help spread what Murray Sinclair said, ‘This is not an aboriginal problem. This is a Canadian problem.’”

Chanie’s story inspired Downie, whose poems were fleshed out into the 10 songs that appear on the Secret Path album. In the winter of 2014, Gord and Mike Downie brought the finished music to award-winning cartoonist Jeff Lemire (Essex County, Lost Dogs). The album will be released by Arts & Crafts, accompanied by Lemire’s 88-page graphic novel, published by Simon & Schuster Canada, on October 18 as a deluxe vinyl and book edition and as a book with album download. (Pre-order from SecretPath.ca)

The music and illustrations have in turn inspired The Secret Path animated film, which will be broadcast on CBC in an hour-long television special on Sunday, October 23 at 9 p.m. ET — marking the 50th anniversary of the morning Chanie’s body was found, frozen.

The Secret Path is produced by eOne and Antica Productions Ltd. in association with CBC. The film is created, written, directed and composed by Gord Downie, with illustrations by Jeff Lemire. It is executive produced by Mike Downie, Patrick Downie, Gord Downie, and Sarah Polley. Jocelyn Hamilton is executive producer for eOne Television and Stuart Coxe is executive producer for Antica Productions. Justin Stephenson is director of animation.

Secret Path

September 9, 2016
Emilie Pasquet Joins Bejuba! as Head of Sales

Toronto-based children’s entertainment distribution and executive production company Bejuba! Entertainment has signed on industry veteran Emilie Pasquet as its new Director of Sales. Pasquet will be heading international sales and growing the catalog through acquisitions and co-productions.

Pasquet joins Bejuba! from BRB Internacional, where she was International Sales Manager for multiple global territories, handling content and some licensing and merchandising. Prior to BRB, she worked for Mondo TV Spain (now Mondo TV Ibero-America) as territory manager for Latin America.

Tatiana Kober continues to lead the company and oversee business development. Kober will work with Pasquet on the co-productions and acquisitions side. Pasquet takes up her new post immediately, and will be attending Cartoon Forum as well as MIPCOM on behalf of Bejuba! Ent.

Bejuba! Entertainment

September 9, 2016
Daily News Bytes

Video: ‘Digimon Adventure tri-Chapter 1:Reunion’ Coming to US Theaters
Anime fans across the country can check out the latest Digimon flick in 400+ theaters on September 15 — tickets available through www.fathomevents.com.

In Fall Season’s Weirdest Show, Animated Warrior Takes Up Residence in California
Chris Miller and Phil Lord’s hybrid Fox series premieres this Sunday, September 11, following the oddball adventures of an ‘80s cartoon hero navigating a live-action 21st century Orange County.

Viacom18 to Bring ‘Motu Patlu King of Kings’ Animation Film
After 10 successful TV movies, the popular Indian animation property will make its theatrical bow October 14, thanks to Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Nickelodeon and Maya Digital Studios.

’Boy from War’ Filmmakers Describe Power of Animation to Present Trauma of War
Documentarian Usama Alshaibi turns to animation to create a film inspired by his own experiences growing up between the US and Middle East.

Toys “R” Us Reveals Its Holiday Hot List
YUP — it’s already time to start thinking about what will placate the demanding small-humans in your life come winter. Pokemon, Star Wars and PJ Masks are all in the top 15 toys list.

Digimon Adventure tri-Chapter 1:Reunion

September 9, 2016
Komixx Sells ‘Dog Loves Books’ to YLE Finland

UK- and US-based family entertainment producer Komixx Media Group has fetched a new broadcast partner for its animated series Dog Loves Books, with Finnish broadcaster YLE coming on board for the series based on Louise Yates’ award-winning books. The 52 x 7 series is aimed at kids ages 4-6.

Dog Loves Books tells the story of bookshop owner Dog and his best friend Pug. Whenever Dog or Pug have a problem to solve or a question to answer, they look in one of their beloved books. The fun really begins when Dog opens a book and he and Pug are swept away into an imaginative world of adventure, where anything is possible.

The cartoon has been developed from the books by Melanie Halsall, Head of Development at Komixx; and award-winning screenwriter Alan Gilbey. CBeebies has already been confirmed as the primary UK broadcaster for Dog Loves Books, which is currently in pre-production and due to enter production this fall at Komixx’s animation studio, Mackinnon & Saunders Digital Studios in Manchester.

Dog Loves Books

September 9, 2016
MAXON Teams with NVIDIA for Tech Collaboration

Leading 3D software solutions developer MAXON has inked a comprehensive, multi-year agreement with NVIDIA that gives MAXON access to NVIDIA rendering technology, including its Quasi-Monte Carlo sampling patent family, Iray and Material Definition Language.

Of immediate interest to users: Artists and designers using Cinema 4D can now access the Iray for Cinema 4D plugin, providing scalable, intuitive, physically based rendering for accurate previews when lighting and designing a scene, or adjusting its geometry and materials. NVIDIA will present the tool at IBC 2016 at MAXON’s booth in Hall 7, K30 — details and live streaming of the presentation available online. Those interested can register for a free trial of Iray for C4D here.

“MAXON has enjoyed a successful and supportive collaboration with our development partner NVIDIA to leverage its GPU-based technology for Cinema 4D users,” said Oliver Meiseberg, Director Product and Partnership Management at MAXON. “We look forward to working more closely together to provide 3D solutions for customers across industries and disciplines.”

Iray for cinema 4d

September 9, 2016
Peter Loehr to Keynote 2016 VES Summit

The Visual Effects Society announced that Peter Loehr, acclaimed producer and CEO of Legendary Pictures’ China joint venture, Legendary East, will be the Keynote Speaker at the 8th annual VES Summit. Under the header “What Is Real?” the interactive forum on Sunday, October 29 will bring together top creatives, executives and visionaries to explore the evolution of visual imagery and the VFX industry.

Legendary East focuses on big budget Sino-U.S. co-productions with subjects based on Chinese history, mythology or culture. CEO Loehr is one of the producers of The Great Wall – directed by Zhang Yimou, starring Matt Damon – the largest ever U.S.-China co-production and the largest production ever shot in China, slated for release in China on December 16 and worldwide release through Universal Studios in 2017.

Loehr has deep expertise and experience working with and within the diverse Asian film market. In 1995, he established Imar Film Co., Ltd., China’s first independent film company, producing, distributing and marketing all of their films entirely in-house. Loehr was selected as one of Variety’s “10 Producers to Watch” in 1999. Before The Great Wall, Loehr has produced nine feature films in Asia, including: Spicy Love Soup, which swept the 1998 domestic Chinese awards; Shower (1999), which won 11 awards at nine different film festivals; and Quitting (2001), which also won awards at multiple film festivals. All five Imar-produced films were among the top domestic releases in China the year they were released.

In early 2002, Loehr began a new venture, Ming Productions, focusing on larger scale Asian-themed pictures for a world audience. In 2005, Loehr became Managing Director of the Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in China. During Loehr’s seven-year tenure, the agency grew from the ground up to represent more than 70 artists in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. In six short years, CAA was involved with four of the largest co-productions in Asian history, John Woo’s The Battle of Red Cliff, Rob Minkoff’s Forbidden Kingdom, Mission Impossible 3 and the Will Smith-produced The Karate Kid. He joined Legendary Pictures in 2012.

The 2016 VES Summit will also feature as a speaker award-winning psychologist/neuropsychologist Albert “Skip” Rizzo, Director of Medical Virtual Reality at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and Senior Editor of the MIT Press Journal Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments. Key panel discussions will cover “Cinematography and VFX: What Constitutes ‘Real?’” and “Visual Effects in the Wild.”

The Summit will also include Business Roundtables with representatives from leading companies including All These Worlds, Animatrik Film Design, Chaos Group Labs, Deluxe Creative Services, Jaunt Studios, Limitless, Mikros Image, Radeon Technologies Group, The Mill and VFX Legion. These interactive sessions will cover topics ranging from the latest animation technology through virtual production, mo-cap and AR/VR.

Visit the VES Summit page for more information.

VES Summit

September 9, 2016
‘Henry,’ ‘Archer’ & Cartoon Network Score Interactive Emmys

The Television Academy has announced four awardees for the juried interactive media honors this year, opting for Oculus Story Studio’s adorable CG porcupine Henry, an Archer-inspired game from FX, Cartoon Network’s popular kid-friendly app, and a tie-in to Comedy Central’s @midnight.

The winners were named at the Interactive Media Peer Group nominee reception on Wednesday night, where the Lucy Hood Digerati Award was bestowed on NBC Entertainment EVP Rob Hayers, in recognition of his contributions to the interactive and digital media communities.

“This year’s juried winners reflect the groundbreaking work being performed by our members, in areas ranging from virtual reality to multi-screen experiences,” said Seth Shapiro and Marc Johnson, co-governors of the IMPG. “We are thrilled at the quality of this year’s submissions, which have set a new bar for excellence at the frontiers of television.”

Juried interactive awards will be presented during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards this weekend at Saturday’s ceremony.

2016 Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media Winners

Multiplatform Storytelling: Archer Scavenger Hunt
(FX Productions)
Tim Farrell, Transmedia Lead; Mark Paterson, Transmedia Director; Bryan Fordney, Technical Director
view walkthrough

Original Interactive Program: Henry
(Oculus Story Studio)
view trailer

User Experience and Visual Design: Cartoon Network App Experience
(Cartoon Network)
more info

Social TV Experience: @midnight with Chris Hardwick
(Comedy Central, Funny or Die, Nerdist Industries, Serious Business, Aloha Prod., Garant Lennon Prod., Brillstein Entertainment Partners)
Chris Hardwick, Executive Producer/Host; Jack Martin, Executive Producer; Joe Farrell, Executive Producer; Christopher D’Elia, Producer; Serious Business

Archer

September 9, 2016
VIEW Confirms ‘Trolls,’ ‘Captain America’ Talks and More

Following last week’s programming announcement, Italy’s VIEW Conference has locked in its 2016 event schedule, confirming talks on upcoming animated musical-comedy Trolls and the VFX of Captain America: Civil War. The 17th annual VIEW Conference will take place in Turin October 24-28.

Directors Mike Mitchell and Walt Dohrn will be on the scene to discuss the creation of DreamWorks Animation’s highly anticipated Trolls, out in theaters November 4. And ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Russell Earl will go into detail of how the acclaimed studio forged a No. 1 box-office blockbuster with Captain America: Civil War. Also joining the lineup is Kevin Lin, COO of Twitch, who will speculate on the future of internet TV and what it means for creators.

Previously announced speakers include Marvel’s EVP of Physical Production Victoria Alonso, who will talk about her work on hit films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Civil War and the upcoming Doctor Strange; Lucasfilm CTO Rob Bredow, covering experiments in VR, AR and interactive cinema at ILMxLAB; and ILM VFX Supervisor and Second Unit Director Roger Guyett, showcasing Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In addition to informative talks, leading international experts will lead can’t-miss workshops and sessions. These include a Portfolio Review with J.C. Cornwell (Director of Training and Artist Development, Sony Pictures Imageworks); “The Power of Ambition” and “Pitch Perfect” with Josh Holmes (Creative Director, 343 Industries); and “Scrutinizing the Writing Process & Lifestyle: 7 Hacks to Avoid Becoming a Hack” with Kubo & the Two Strings screenplay writer Marc Haimes.

Experts will also assemble to share their view on broader subjects, notably in the panel discussion “Storytelling in the Digital Age: Film vs. TV Series.” Panelists include Byron Howard (co-director, Zootopia), Conrad Vernon (co-director, Sausage Party), Chris Perry (Prof. of Media & Arts, Hampshire College), Simone Giampaolo (Director, Blue Zoo Studios), Francesco Tests (CEO, Lastergo & Testa) and Paolo Manera (Director, Piedmont Film Commission).

VIEW Conference 2016 is made possible with the support of Compagnia Di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT, Piedmont Region, Turin’s Chamber of Commerce and the City of Turin. See www.viewconference.it for more information.

VIEW Conference

September 9, 2016
New Trailer & Pics for ‘Right Now Kapow’ Unveiled

All-new, animated sketch comedy Right Now Kapow — the first original series from Warner Bros. Animation produced with Disney XD — will make its TV premiere on Disney XD on Monday, September 19 at 9 p.m. ET. In the meantime, a titillating trailer and new artwork have been released to introduce the colorful characters: Dog, Moon, Ice Cream, Candy, Diamond and Plant.

Each half-hour episode of Right Now Kapow is packed to the gills with comedy sketches and quirky songs, taking audiences on a journey of endless comedic possibilities. The voice cast, plucked from the improv and stand-up comedy world, features Michael Bliaklock (Don’t Trust the B—in Apartment 23) as “Dog,” Alana Johnston (This Hour Has 22 Minutes) as “Candy,” Kyle Kinane (Those Who Can’t) as “Ice Cream,” Emily Maya Mills (Key & Peele) as “Diamond,” Betsy Sodaro (Superstore) as “Plant” and Baron Vaughn (Grace and Frankie) as “Moon.”

Viewers will get three consecutive nights of new episodes Sept. 19-21. The rollout order is:

Sept. 19, “Victory Speech / Magic Chair” – A series of monsters fall down. A woman drops her pizza. A pharaoh puts friendship to the test. A reporter meets a giraffe. A teacher is rewarded for her years of service. A wizard throws a dinner party.

Sept. 19, “Victory Speech / Magic Chair” – A series of monsters fall down. A woman drops her pizza. A pharaoh puts friendship to the test. A reporter meets a giraffe. A teacher is rewarded for her years of service. A wizard throws a dinner party.

Sept. 19, “Victory Speech / Magic Chair” – A series of monsters fall down. A woman drops her pizza. A pharaoh puts friendship to the test. A reporter meets a giraffe. A teacher is rewarded for her years of service. A wizard throws a dinner party.

Sept. 20, “Bash Master / All’s Well” – A wrestler makes a career change. A chin is large. A woman claps her hooks. A bowler doesn’t know what she’s “pin” for. An elf and a princess weigh their options. A tricky wishing well ruins a laptop.

Sept. 20, “Bash Master / All’s Well” – A wrestler makes a career change. A chin is large. A woman claps her hooks. A bowler doesn’t know what she’s “pin” for. An elf and a princess weigh their options. A tricky wishing well ruins a laptop.

Sept. 20, “Bash Master / All’s Well” – A wrestler makes a career change. A chin is large. A woman claps her hooks. A bowler doesn’t know what she’s “pin” for. An elf and a princess weigh their options. A tricky wishing well ruins a laptop.

Sept. 21: “R&B / The Sphinx” – A singer has brown eyes. A werewolf is not a mind reader. A little girl is the worst one of all. A garbage truck puts on a show. A party is much cooler than anticipated. A sphinx is such a drama queen.

Right Now Kapow is created by MAD alums Justin Becker and Marly Halpern-Graser, who both serve as executive producers with Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!). Mark Marek (MAD) serves as producer with Devin Flynn (Y’all So Stupid) as supervising director.

September 9, 2016
Cinekid Selects 30 Junior Co-Pro Projects

Cinekid has chosen 30 children’s media projects in development to participate in its Junior Co-production Market, taking place October 20-21 in Amsterdam. Selections include both animation and live-action titles in three categories: cross-media, film and TV. Over 300 international kids’ media pros are expected to attend this year’s market.

Two awards will be handed out at JCM: the CfP Best Project Award (2,500 euros) for the best overall project, and the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award of 20,000 euros to be put toward a European production. Winners will be announced Oct. 21.

Previous JCM editions have resulted in productions now taking part in the 2016 Cinekid festival, such as Get Santa directed by Jacob Ley (Copenhagen Bombay / CB Sverige AB), featuring in the Best Children’s Film Competition this year.

JCM 2016 Selections; Animated Projects

Cross-media:

Het Muizenhuis (The Mouse Mansion), written by Camiel Schouwenaar, Fiona Van Heemstra, Steve Middleton, directed by Camiel Schouwenaar, produced by Rubinstein Pictures (The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany)

The Piracy of Princess Priceless, written by Balázs Turai and Flora Anna Buda, directed by Balázs Turai, produced by Adriatic Animation (Croatia, Hungary)

Rosa & Dara and Their Great Adventures, written by Tomáš Končinský, Štefan Titka, Kateřina Karhánková, Kristýna Nedvědová, Hynek Trojánek, directed by Martin Duda, produced by Bionaut (Czech Republic)

Super Special (Best Friends), written and directed by Felix Massie, produced by Nexus Productions (United Kingdom)

Feature films:

FRITZI – A Miraculous Revolutionary Tale, written by Beate Völker, directed by Ralf Kukula, Matthias Bruhn, produced by Balance Film GmbH, TrickStudio Lutterbeck GmbH (Germany, Czech Republic)

Jacob, Mimmi and the Talking Dogs, written by Līga Gaisa, directed by Edmunds Jansons, produced by Atom Art (Latvia)

Next Door Spy, written and directed by Karla Bengtson, produced by Copenhagen Bombay Rights (Denmark)

TV projects:

16 Hudson, created by Aly Jetha & Shabnam Rezaei, directed by Shabnam Rezaei, produced by Big Bad Boo Studios (Canada)

Coppelia, written by Tamara Bos, directed by Jeff Tudor and Thierry Marchand, produced by Submarine and 3 Minutes West (the Netherlands, Belgium, France)

Hungry Bear Tales, written and directed by Katerina Karhankova, Alexandra Hetmerova, produced by Bionaut (Czech Republic)

The Scribblers’ Club, written by Jacopo Armani, Fred Neuen, directed by Jacopo Armani, produced by Doghouse Films (Luxembourg)

Peek Zoo, written by Kealan O’ Rourke, Kevin Waldron, directed by Kealan O’ Rourke, produced by Dream Logic Studios (Ireland)

Urikito 3024, written, directed and produced by Mélanie Duval (France)

Cinekid

September 9, 2016