Animation Magazine

Author: Mercedes Milligan

  • People on the Move: Stoopid Buddy, Bardel, Luma, Deluxe

    People on the Move: Stoopid Buddy, Bardel, Luma, Deluxe

    Bardel Entertainment, the acclaimed Vancouver-based animation company, has hired Lenny Brown as Manager, Business Development. Brown recently departed Toonz Ent. and brings more than a decade of industry experience to his new post, having held corporate development and management roles at film and TV studios such as THQ, HBO, Sony and Universal. Brown has a proven track record of identifying new business/market expansion opportunities in the entertainment industry and a keen understanding of the role content plays within a digital ecosystem.

    Deluxe Entertainment Services Group has brought on former Tag Worldwide CEO John Paulson as President and General Manager, Features and Advertising Post Services. Reporting to CEO John Wallace, Paulson will integrate Deluxe’s operations spanning picture editorial, color, post and production services for feature film and advertising to streamline processes for clients worldwide. His leadership encompasses Deluxe’s Beast, Company 3, EFILM, Editpool, Rushes, the post-production group in Culver City, and the Creative New Media team. Prior to Tag, Paulson was with global ad agency G2, stating as President of G2 Interactive North America and rising to CEO of G2 Worldwide, leading the unification of its Interactive, Direct, Promotional Marketing and Branding & Design units. In his new role, Paulson will work out of both New York and L.A.

    Luma creative studio, based in Santa Monica and Melbourne, has hired industry vet Jill Gilbert as Executive Producer of Animated Content. Based in Santa Monica, Gilbert is charged with overseeing, developing and managing Luma Toons original animated content (like The New Adventures of Figaro Pho) and animation service work, as well as contributing to acquisition and development of branded content. She will work closely with Animation Director Raphael Pimental and CG Supe Andrew Zink as Luma builds a diverse animation slate including films, series, digital content and VR. Gilbert holds over two decades of experience, specializing in animation production, with credits on dozens of films for major brands and studios. She joins Luma from Psyop, where she was EP and MD. Prior, Gilber was VP of Production at Paramount’s feature animation division, launching SpongeBob SquarePants in 3D. Her CV also includes VP posts at DisneyToon and Technicolor Digital.

    Stoopid Buddy Stoodios welcomes long-time collaborator Zeb Wells as an exclusive in-house producer; and long-time Comedy Central exec Elizabeth Porter has been hired as Head of Development. Wells is an Emmy and Annie Award-winning writer and actor known for his work at Marvel Comics and on Robot Chicken. He is the co-creator of SuperMansion and is currently penning Sony/Ubisoft’s CG-hybrid Rabbids film. Porter brings over 15 years of experience in creative development and production with her, having overseen scripted, animated and unscripted projects and multiplatform materials. She most recently serves as EVP of Development at Reality Television — prior, Porter was SVP of Development and Special Productions at Comedy Central. Porter has worked at a variety of production and broadcast companies, tackling many different TV formats.

    Lenny Brown
    Lenny Brown
    John Paulson
    John Paulson
    Elizabeth Porter
    Elizabeth Porter
    Zeb Wells
    Zeb Wells
  • Pluralsight Acquires Adobe-Centric Train Simple

    Pluralsight Acquires Adobe-Centric Train Simple

    Global online technology learning company Pluralsight announces the acquisition of Adobe-centric video training company Train Simple. With this move, Pluralsight’s technology learning platform becomes a leading provider of Adobe training online, offering more than 1,200 courses covering the entire Creative Cloud suite as well as other Adobe flagship technologies. This is the company’s second expansion into the creative training market, following its 2014 purchase of Digital-Tutors.

    For 15 years, Train Simple has helped creative professionals and teams at top companies like Disney, GE and DreamWorks to learn industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, InDesign, Illustrator, Premier Pro, et al. The acquisitions brings over 150 new courses to Pluralsight’s Adobe library, giving users access to new, in-depth courses.

    Train Simple courses will be incorporated into Pluralsight’s subscription-based platform and made available immediately. Train Simple’s users can continue to access their courses through trainsimple.com or via a link on pluralsight.com. Train Simple’s founder, Matthew Pizzi, has been named Pluralsight’s curriculum director for the creative, graphic arts and illustration team, charged with creating dynamic coursework for individuals and businesses.

    The deal marks Pluralsight’s eighth acquisition in three years, and comes shortly after the debut of a new technology platform that offers a 360-degree approach to learning. The on-demand platform allows users to assess their skill level, follow directed learning paths, learn through expert-authored courses, test drive new technologies via an interactive lab environment, and access one-on-one mentoring.

    The Train Simple brand will be retired at the end of 2016. More information about the newly incorporated courses available here.

    Pluralsight
    Pluralsight
  • ‘Coraline to Kubo’ LAIKA Experience Heads to Hollywood

    ‘Coraline to Kubo’ LAIKA Experience Heads to Hollywood

    Acclaimed stop-motion animation studio LAIKA — which is unleashing its latest fantasy masterpiece Kubo and the Two Strings in U.S. theaters on August 19 through Focus Features — announces a special interactive event, “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience.” The exhibition will be held August 5-14 at Universal Studios Hollywood, in the Globe Theatre. Admission is included with entry to the theme park.

    A first for the studio, “A Magical LAIKA Experience” will feature an up-close look at the artistic detail and imagination behind the studio’s 10-year history of delivering groundbreaking films, including the Academy Award-nominated features Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014). The event will showcase the evolution of LAIKA’s unique blend of handcrafted stop-motion and visual effects through four themed rooms, populated with an extensive display of original sets, puppets and props.

    “LAIKA’s films are an imaginative fusion of old-school movie magic and cutting-edge technological innovation,” says Travis Knight, LAIKA’s President & CEO who makes his directorial debut with Kubo and the Two Strings. “For the first time ever, we’re peeling back the curtain and inviting audiences into our worlds, to see where our dreams are born. This experience offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable creative process of the brilliant artists and mad geniuses of LAIKA. I’m thrilled that their cinematic wizardry will be beautifully on display at Universal Studios Hollywood.”

    Read more about Kubo and the Two Strings in Tom McLean’s feature story from the August issue of Animation Magazine.

    LAIKA
    LAIKA
  • FremantleMedia Kids Strikes Co-Pro Deal with Thailand’s Shellhut

    FremantleMedia Kids Strikes Co-Pro Deal with Thailand’s Shellhut

    FremantleMedia Kids & Family has entered a significant co-production agreement with leading Thai production company Shellhut Entertainment, marking the next stage in the Kids division’s plans to create a larger footprint in Asia. The deal was secured by FMK’s VP for Asia, Henry Or.

    Under the agreement, FMK and Shellhut will co-produce two animated series — to be announced in the near future — with FMK’s EVP Creative and Production, Bob Higgins, acting as the executive producer. FMK will hold television distribution and licensing rights for the two series in all territories, excluding Thailand.

    “We are delighted to be partnering with Shellhut Entertainment to create some outstanding content for the Asian market and beyond,” says FMK President and General Manager, Rick Glankler. “This new deal sees FremantleMedia Kids & Family expand its global production capability and moves the division towards becoming one of the most active and successful western kids and family entertainment companies working in the territory.”

    “We are thrilled to have FremantleMedia as our partner, and also to manage the worldwide distribution and licensing for our new TV series. This will create a new chapter for our company, and with FremantleMedia’s expertise, we are more confident that the TV series and the characters will have international appeal for millions of global viewers,” added Shellhut’s CEO and Founder, Dr. Jwanwat Ahriyavraromp.

    FremantleMedia Kids & Family
    FremantleMedia Kids & Family
  • ‘Another Day of Life’ Docu-Animation Tackles Angolan Civil War

    ‘Another Day of Life’ Docu-Animation Tackles Angolan Civil War

    A visually ambitious and emotionally charged animated documentary is set to debut by the second quarter of 2017. A European co-production, Another Day of Life (Jeszcze Dzień Życia) is based on the book by the same name written by acclaimed Polish war correspondent Ryszard Kapuściński. With artwork reminiscent of cutting-edge graphic novels, the film tells the story of a journalist covering the civil war in Angola on the advent of its reclamation of independence in 1975.

    Set during the three months Kapuściński spent in the country in 1975, Another Day of Life follows a reporter seeking the truth about the war, who during a dangerous journey through Angola encounters situations and events that force him to change his attitude towards his work and his life. On his expedition, the reporter realizes that he must become more than an observer to understand the real meaning of the things he witnesses.

    Animation comprises 60 minutes of the film, playing a double function: firstly, to recount historical events while conveying the surreal realities of the war in Angola. Additionally, the broad creative potential of animation allows the filmmakers to shift between the real world and an imaginary one, keeping viewers in suspense and unsure what they’re seeing is real or inside the journalist’s mind.

    The film is supplemented with live documentary footage, filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle. These elements will add in the memories of survivors of the war through footage taken in Angola, Cuba and Portugal where the filmmakers meet with Commandant Farrusco, a white man who joined the rebels; Queiroz, a fighter-journalist who traveled with Kapuściński; and others. Live-action elements account for 20 minutes of the film.

    Another Day of Life is directed by Spanish documentarian Raul de la Fuente and multi-award-winning Polish animator Damian Nenow (Paths of Hate), with a screenplay by de la Fuente, Amaia Remirez, David Weber and Niall Johnson. Budgeted at 6.1 million EU and now entering its third year of production, the project is produced by Arek Sawko and Ole Wendorff-Ostergaard for Platige Films (Poland), and de la Fuente and Remirez for Kanaki Films (Spain). The co-producing studios are Walking the Dog (Belgium), Wuste Film (Germany), Animations Fabrik (Germany) and Puppetworks (Hungary).

    Another Day of Life
    Another Day of Life
  • Baby Moana Bows in Japanese Trailer

    Baby Moana Bows in Japanese Trailer

    Disney has released the official Japanese trailer for its upcoming CG feature, Moana. In contrast to the most recent high-energy English-language teaser, the Japanese spot takes a softer tone. Moana opens in Japan on March 10, 2017, and in the states on November 23 of this year.

    Set to a lilting, lullaby-like tune (please comment if you know the song or artist!), the trailer for Japan follows an adorable toddler-aged Moana as she has her first magical encounter with the ocean, which gently makes way for her and behaves almost like a living character in the spot. The closing shot is Moana as we will see her on the big screen: a teen islander girl standing confidently on the same beach, looking out towards her future.

    Synopsis:
    From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes Moana, a sweeping, CG-animated feature film about an adventurous teenager who sails out on a daring mission to save her people. During her journey, Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) meets the once-mighty demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson), who guides her in her quest to become a master wayfinder. Together, they sail across the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills the ancient quest of her ancestors and discovers the one thing she’s always sought: her own identity.

    Moana
    Moana
  • Disney XD Reveals ‘DuckTales’ Creative Team, Teaser Art

    Disney XD Reveals ‘DuckTales’ Creative Team, Teaser Art

    The crack creative team behind the highly anticipated new DuckTales series has been revealed — along with fresh teaser artwork — leading into this week’s Comic-Con International. The 2D animated show will launch on Disney XD in 2017 and follow the all-new adventures of Scrooge McDuck, his grandnephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Donald Duck.

    DuckTales will be executive produced by Annie Award nominee Matt Youngberg (Ben 10: Omniverse). The story editor and co-producer is Francisco Angones (Wander Over Yonder) and the art director is Sean Jimenez (Gravity Falls). The show is being produced by Disney Television Animation.

    The newly revealed artwork — created by the series art team lead by Youngberg and Jimenez — will grace the back of the DuckTales Cinestory Vol. 1 comic that will debut on the show floor at CCI on July 20. The comic is a collectible edition featuring a retelling of the first five original DuckTales episodes, and will be available nationwide September 27.

    DuckTales
    DuckTales
  • Cartoon Network Greenlights ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Season 2

    Cartoon Network Greenlights ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Season 2

    Just ahead of their official re-introduction to San Diego Comic-Con, Cartoon Network announces that the all-new Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup are confirmed to return in a second season of the revamped The Powerpuff Girls.

    The show premiered in April, dominating in all key demos and garnering over 81 million worldwide viewers across multiple platforms, making it the network’s biggest international event ever. Fans have also gotten a kick out of the “Powerpuff Yourself” avatar maker, which has given over 12 million fans a big-eyed Townsvillian makeover. The Powerpuff Girls also picked up its first Emmy nomination this year for “Outstanding Short Form Animated Program.”

    PPG has also proved the characters’ enduring licensing appeal, partnering with Moschino and Hot Topic on fashion collaborations in the United States and C&A Department Store and BIZUU globally; with Spin Master for a full international range of toys and products; and as a McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion with six different toy offerings. The girls have also joined CN’s commitment to STEAM education, inspiring children to learn to code with special episodes and programs including Google’s Made With Code GIF: The Powerpuff Girls and Scratch from the MIT Media Lab.

    The Powerpuff Girls is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, with Nick Jennings (Adventure Time, SpongeBob SquarePants) as EP and Bob Boyle (Clarence) as co-EP. The voice cast is lead by Amanda Leighton (Blossom), Kristen Li (Bubbles) and Natalie Palamides (Buttercup).

    The initial run of The Powerpuff Girls, created by Craig McCracken, premiered in 1998 and netted two Emmy Awards (plus five nominations) and many, many animation-centric honors through its 78-episode run, also inspiring a feature film released by Warner Bros. in 2002.

    The Powerpuff Girls
    The Powerpuff Girls
  • Joint Venture to Fund ‘Household Pests,’ ‘Mean Margaret’

    Joint Venture to Fund ‘Household Pests,’ ‘Mean Margaret’

    United Media Capital announced that it has formed a joint venture fund with Pigmental Studios and United Independents Group to co-finance a slate of upcoming animated and live-action films. The first film to be financed will be Household Pests, an original animated feature written and conceived by Sergio Pablos (Despicable Me).

    Pablos, of SPA Studios, will produce the film with Pigmental’s Marina Martins, along with Dennis Lorrig, Robert Rodriguez, George Malasek and John Cole. The fund’s project slate will be executive produced by United Media Capital’s managing partners, Co-CEO George Malasek and COO John Cole. The deal was brokered by Marina Martins for Pigmental and United Independents, and Unite Media.

    Household Pests follows an imaginative boy named Cole, who battles monsters under his bed every night while his mother refuses to believe they exist. Cole must turn to an undercover monster exterminator named Jeb Dee when the entire town is put in peril. IM Global will handle international sales for both Household Pests and Mean Margaret.

    Concurrently, the fund will also help finance a second animated feature: Mean Margaret, based on the popular kids’ book of the same name which won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. The story centers on Fred, a meticulous bachelor woodchuck whose seemingly perfect life is turned upside-down when a terrible two-year-old human named Margaret is left behind by her preoccupied family.

    Mean Margaret is being produced by Jay Ahn (The Nut Job, The Nut Job 2) and Chris Henderson (Return to Neverland). Ahn and Henderson’s Astro-Nomical Entertainment studio is handling creative services lead by Chuck Williams (Brother Bear). Original development for the project was directed by Barry Cook (Mulan), with character designs by Carter Gooderich (Finding Nemo).

    Pre-production for Household Pets and Mean Margaret will be handled by Pigmental’s Washington, D.C. and L.A. facilities, in collaboration with Astro-Nomical in L.A.

    “With the recent acquisitions and mergers going on the industry today, there exists a space in the animation world for features which apply the tenant of ‘story, story, story,’” said Pigmental CEO and Co-Founder Marina Martins. “Pigmental’s focus is that relentless pursuit of getting the story right, without compromise and without sacrifice, for the establishment of branded content. This goal would be unachievable without the extraordinary talent that has gathered here to form and finance the Pigmental team.”

    Household Pests
    Household Pests
    Mean Margaret
    Mean Margaret
  • ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ Is China Box-Office Triumph

    ‘Big Fish & Begonia’ Is China Box-Office Triumph

    B&T Studio’s Big Fish & Begonia — an inventive, indie hybrid of Studio Ghibli-inspired 2D and CG animation — has marked a second triumphant week at the local box-office in China. The film has held onto the No. 2 spot with $69 million after 10 days of release, making it the second-highest-grossing locally produced animated feature of all time.

    Big Fish & Begonia is outranked only by last year’s smash-hit CG epic, Monkey King: Hero Is Back, which itself did not reach such a high slot in the weekly box-office rankings during its release and took didn’t reach the $50M mark for three weeks, but ended up with a domestic box-office total over $150M.

    Directed by Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun, Big Fish & Begonia is an artistic labor of love 12 years in the making, which was finally completed when its record-breaking crowdfunding campaign attracted the attention of Enlight Media, which funded the film’s completion. Studio Mir (The Legend of Korra) came on board in 2014 to help wrap up animation production. The film’s budget was approximately $4.5M.

    Big Fish & Begonia draws on the magic of Chinese folklore to tell an original, fantastic tale. The story is set in another world, invisible to human eyes, and inhabited by other beings who can control time, weather and the seasons. This world’s sky connects to the bottom of our world’s ocean, and human souls appear like whales swimming across the other sky. The otherworldly girl Chun is the “begonia” of the tale, and a human boy named Kun is the “big fish.” Amidst the immortal characters and mythic events, the ultimate Romeo & Juliet story plays out between opposite realms of existence.

    The Chinese box-office is also favoring China-U.S. co-production Rock Dog, which opened the same weekend as Begonia. Despite playing less frequently than the all-local film, Rock Dog has managed to stay in the top 10. The CG-film is directed by Ash Brannon (Toy Story 2, Surf’s Up) and produced by Reel FX, funded by Huayi Brothers. The film’s release has been complicated by local business rivalries, allowing the unusual indie Begonia to easily steal the spotlight from Rock Dog, which boasts the largest budget of a Chinese-funded animated film ever.

    Big Fish & Begonia has picked up a number of awards around Asia and was presented at the 50th Annecy festival’s Work in Progress program, but as yet no North American distributor is on board. On the other hand, Rock Dog is targeting a late 2016 U.S. release, with an English voice cast featuring J.K. Simmons, Luke Wilson, Eddie Izzard and Lewis Black. The film follows a young pup growing up on a rural mountain who dreams of moving to the big city to pursue his dreams of music stardom.

    Big Fish & Begonia
    Big Fish & Begonia
  • Comic-Con News: ‘Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders’, WB Booth, Sanrio & More

    Comic-Con News: ‘Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders’, WB Booth, Sanrio & More

    + Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders — the new adult-targeted action/comedy animation series from POW! Ent. and Genius Brands — has launched July 19 on The Hollywood Reporter‘s website. The first four episodes will premiere exclusively on THR during CCI, and will be available in Virtual Reality from Legend VR with smartphone “VR Boxes” available at the Con.

    + Warner Bros. will be packing its CCI booth (#4545) with an array of cool stuff in addition to the jam-packed WBTV panel schedule. Don’t miss the 7-foot LEGO Batman (constructed from 53,998 bricks that took 45 hours to design and 340 hours to build) and take and share a pic in the custom brick-built “Batman Selfie Booth.” Pick up collectible Wish You Were Here postcards featuring Teen Titans Go!, Animaniacs, Justice League Action and more. Conjure magic at the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Wand Master Training Station and cast signings — plus check out the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter expansion packs for LEGO Dimensions. And see how you measure up to the real Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl TV costumes.

    + The FOX Fanfare booth (#4229) will once again host star-studded signings, booth giveaway and more. Autograph session tickets will be awarded by lottery each morning in the Sails Pavilion for shows including Archer, Bob’s Burgers (Fri.); American Dad!, Family Guy, The Simpsons (Sat.) and live-action hits. Giveaways include collectible posters for many shows (notably Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy and Simpsons), DVDs, and a Fox Animation #dadbods cell phone case.

    + Funko continues to detail its CCI exclusives. Today’s latest announcements are Pop! Space Ghost Brak and Zorak, joining Strawberry Shortcake Purple Pieman & Berry Bird (scented), Peanuts Patriotic Snoopy, Pete’s Dragon Invisible Elliott & Pete, Nightmare Before Christmas Pajama Jack Skellington, Hanna-Barbera Huckleberry Hound, Up Dug with Cone, Disney Haunted Mansion Ghosts, Powerpuff Girls Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup — and so much more! (Booth #5341)

    + Sanrio will be launching a new brand, hello sanrio, at their CCI booth (#4737). The innovative new lifestyle brand incorporates classic Sanrio characters and newer icons a into a suite of apps, digital content and kawaii products. Sanrio and Hyper Hippo Games will debut the say hello! app at their booth and seek fan input for future apps. A limited edition series of five mini plushies (Hello Kitty, Chococat, My Melody, Keroppi, Pompompurin) in a clear vinyl tote will be available at the booth, where a designer from Sanrio’s Tokyo HQ will be on hand to draw characters for a select number of fans. Fans can also enjoy sweets from the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck at the Interactive Zone in Petco Park.

    + The Peanuts gang will have an off-site presence as Bubbles Boutique on Fifth Ave. turns into the Snoopy for President pop-up shop. Visitors to the Gaslamp district campaign HQ can vote for the Peanuts candidate of their choice, register to vote in the November U.S. election, customize buttons, collect stickers and learn more about the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Sonoma Co., California.

    + Bluefin announces a slew of exclusive products and collectibles from Bandai and Tamashii Nations retailing at the show. Some highlights include S.H. Figuarts of Ninja Turtles Leonardo and Donatello, Sailor Moon‘s Black Lady, Naruto Sage Mode and Dragon Ball Broly Premium Color Edition; Star Wars Meisho Movie Sandtrooper Special Edition; and Gundam Build Fighters HGBF Beargguy Double Happiness Version. Plus, collectors can get a first glimpse at Bandai’s Soul of Chogokin Voltron on display at the booth (#3545).

    Stan Lee's Cosmic Crusaders
    Stan Lee’s Cosmic Crusaders
  • SIGGRAPH: Emerging Tech

    SIGGRAPH: Emerging Tech

    + SIGGRAPH continues to reveal programming highlights for the July 24-28 event in Anaheim, CA. On Wednesday, check out the Emerging Technologies “Best of Show” presentation, featuring HALUX projection-based interactive skin for digital sports (the next thing for real-time mo-cap?), Perceptually Based Foveated VR and ZoeMatrope — a display that can present and animate realistic material by compositing real objects.

    + Chaos Group has planned a blockbuster lineup for V-Ray Days, offering behind-the-scenes looks at projects from FuseFX (American Horror Story, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Encore VFX (The Flash), Digital Domain (Golden Age of Pirates), Atomic Fiction (Deadpool), Scanline VFX (San Andreas, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children), game studios Square Enix (Kingsglaive Final Fantasy XV) and Blur Studio (Halo Wars 2) and more — plus a special presentation on new Live VR Rendering technology. More details online.

    + The Foundry will be out in force, showcasing how its tech and R&D have helped high-profile film and TV projects including Finding Dory (Pixar), The Jungle Book (MPC), Kubo and the Two Strings (LAIKA), The Angry Birds Movie (Sony Pictures Imageworks), Deadpool (Blur Studio) and The Flash (Deluxe’s Encore VFX). Plus, Framestore LA will showcase its 360 video for BMW, “Eyes on Gigi Hadid,” while Magnopus discusses its latest 360 experience, The Argos File. The Foundry’s research team will also give a sneak peek at two new cloud technologies at its annual Tech Preview. More details online.

    + Epic Games and Ninja Theory will present on July 26 at 5:30 p.m. a new demo that expands on its lauded GDC presentation: Hellblade at Real-Time Live. Cubic Motion and 3Lateral will join Epic and Ninja onstage for “From Previs to Final in Five Minutes: A Breakthrough in Live Performance Capture” — body, face and voice performance will all be captured in live real time to create a photoreal scene, with never-before-seen results driven by the new Unreal Engine 4 Sequencer tool.

    + GPL Technologies and NVIDIA will conduct a joint demonstration of its powerful new virtualization solution, the VDI workstation — designed by GPL and using NVIDIA’s GRID tech, featuring a remote workstation running Mechdyne’s TGX desktop software. A separate demo will show how a workstation remotely logged into an NVIDIA Quadro VCA can run an Iray GPU rendering plugin to facilitate creation of photorealistic imagery, delivering immediate visual feedback. The companies will also introduce NVIDIA’s DGX-1, the world’s first deep learning super-computer in a box. GPL will also be promoting its VFXnow service and raffling off a slew of prizes at Booth #275.

    + Pixar has released RenderMan 21 ahead of the show. This major release of the Academy Award-winning software features shares and lights used by Pixar, as seen in Finding Dory and its companion short, Piper. Also new this version is the Pixar Surface Collection, an expansive catalog of physically based materials and lights. Check out the RenderMan 21 features overview here.

    + Also pinging on the production tech radar this week: ftrack has launched a brand new integration with MAXON Cinema 4D‘s digital content creation package. The new integration allows C4D users to access projects, publish and import files, and manage activities via an ftrack panel implemented in the C4D user interface. Check it out in person at Booth #768.

    SIGGRAPH 2016
    SIGGRAPH 2016
  • Enabling Genius Strikes China Deal for ‘Phonics School’

    Enabling Genius Strikes China Deal for ‘Phonics School’

    London-based edutainment producer Enabling Genius has entered an agreement with digital publishing partner Wisdom Edition AS for Phonics School (16 x 5) in mainland China. The deal will see new interactive books based on the original preschool literacy series created for Wisdom’s “Pickatale” reading platform and distributed directly to 20,000 schools.

    Under the agreement, Wisdom will develop 16 original digital books based on the Phonics School animated series. A variety of touch features and integrated video from the series will be specially designed to encouraged discovery and learning. Wisdom — which has offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Skopje — is teaming with local sister company Qudu Education Culture Co. to distribute the Pickatale app directly to 20,000-plus schools and kindergartens throughout the country.

    Phonics School stars the Phonikers — living letters of the alphabet — as they learn to master their natural powers to “transformagix” into anything beginning with their sounds, and change back by tracing their shapes. Aimed at preschoolers, the series teaches letter recognition, letter-sound association and shape tracing for pre-readers and builds fundamental phonics skills. The series has been licensed by BBC Worldwide Learning with further broadcasting and platform deals in negotiation.

    Phonics School
    Phonics School
  • Daily News Bytes

    Daily News Bytes

    First Look: Neil DeGrasse Tyson As a Cartoon on Disney’s Future-Worm
    The ever-animated astrophysicist gets into character as a tooned up version of himself in the upcoming 2D series created by Ryan Quincy, premiering on Disney XD August 1.

    Disney and Pixar Fight to Rule the Mouse House
    Fast Company’s Nicole LaPorte looks at the sister studios’ trends, the state of their creative environments, and what the future holds.

    Introducing Tvori, an Incredible VR Creation Platform Coming Next Month
    A powerful new creativity and planning tool from Russia-based developers Dmitry Kurilchenko and Viktor Komarovskih seeks to bridge physical and cultural distances between creators with a 3D language.

    Fixi&Foxi Channel Launching in Nigeria
    Suburban Fiber Company adds YFE’s children’s 24-hour network to its Legend portfolio, arriving this month with titles like Eena Meena Deeka and Gloria’s House.

    Giving the World a Taste of Caribbean Animation
    Animae Caribe, the first animation fest in the English-speaking Caribbean, will present a selection of films screened over its 15-year life at a special exhibition in Washington, DC this October 24-30.

    Future-Worm
    Future-Worm
  • Netflix to Be ‘Star Trek’ Streaming Central

    Netflix to Be ‘Star Trek’ Streaming Central

    Netflix and CBS Studios International have inked a landmark global licensing agreement for the upcoming, all-new Star Trek series. Netflix will be the exclusive premiere home of the sci-fi adventure in 188 countries (excluding U.S. and Canada), with each episode available globally for streaming within 24 hours of its U.S. premiere.

    On top of the forthcoming series, all 727 existing episodes of the Star Trek TV library — including Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise — will be available around the world by the end of 2016.

    The all-new Star Trek begins production in Toronto in September, with a TV premiere set for January 2017, marking the franchise’s first return to the small screen since 2005. Star Trek will introduce fans to a new ship, new characters and new missions, while embracing the same ideology of the beloved universe. The show will launch in the U.S. with a special premiere episode on CBS, which, along with all subsequent episodes, will then be available in the U.S. exclusively on the CBS All Access SVOD service.

    Star Trek is co-created and executive produced by Alex Kurtzman and Bryan Fuller, based on Gene Roddenberry’s original series. Fuller launched his career writing for Deep Space Nine and Voyager; Kurzman is co-writer and producer on the films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. The series is produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Kurtzman’s Secret Hideout, Fuller’s Living Dead Guy Prod., and Roddenberry Entertainment. Also exec producing are Heather Kadin, Gretchen Berg & Aaron Herbert, Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth.

    Star Trek: The Next Generation
    Star Trek: The Next Generation
  • Star Wars Celebration: Future Filmmaker Panel Highlights

    Star Wars Celebration: Future Filmmaker Panel Highlights

    On Sunday at the Star Wars Celebration Europe event in London, the Future Filmmaker Panel gave attendees a bit of a clue about what to expect from the titles coming up from Disney-owned Lucasfilm, including the untitled “Episode VIII” and the “Han Solo” spin-off (now confirmed to be starring Alden Ehrenreich as the scruffy-looking nerf-herder).

    The panel featured Producer Kathleen Kennedy and SVP of Development Kiri Hart, who were joined by “Episode VIII” director Rian Johnson and “Han Solo” helmers Chris Miller & Phil Lord. Hosted by Lucasfilm Story Group’s Pablo Hidalgo, the panelists were also joined by surprise guests John Boyega, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher from The Force Awakens — and of course, Alden Ehrenreich.

    Some of the tidbits dropped on the upcoming films:

    + Rian Johnson says “This movie [Episode VIII] is going to start right where the last one left off.” The director also listed his cinematic influences for the film, including Bridge on the River Kwai, 12 o’clock High, Gunga Din and Sahara.

    + The production code name for Episode VIII was “Space Bear.” Not likely to be the official title, sadly.

    + Phil Lord and Chris Miller have just relocated to London and are fine-tuning the Han Solo script, along with screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan (Force Awakens, Empire Strikes Back) and his son Jon Kasdan. The directors said they love the character because “he’s a grouchy, cynical guy with the biggest heart in the galaxy.”

    + Johnson has a cameo as a Death Star gunner in Rogue One (Dec. 16) — Lord & Miller got all dressed up on set, but didn’t make it into the final cut.

    + Over 3,000 aspiring space smugglers tried out for the role of Han Solo — which according to the directors was a big waste of money, since their man Ehrenreich was the first person who auditioned.

    You can watch the full livestream coverage of Star Wars Celebration Europe on the official Star Wars YouTube channel, along with extra interviews from the event and much more Star Wars goodness.

    Star Wars Celebration: Future Filmmaker Panel
    Star Wars Celebration: Future Filmmaker Panel
  • CN Details Comic-Con Exclusives and Signings

    CN Details Comic-Con Exclusives and Signings

    Cartoon Network and Adult Swim will be courting the attention of fans at the San Diego Comic-Con mega event this week, offering exclusive products, giveaways and signings. Cartoon Network Enterprises — the L&M arm of the networks — has unveiled a roster of items created with top licensees including comic-books, clothing and toys available as show exclusives and limited first-runs.

    Once they’ve stocked up on collectibles, visitors are invited to attend some engaging panels hosted by CNE’s licensing partners. On Thursday, July 21 at 1 p.m. in room 28DE, Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale will join BOOM! Studios’ panel “From Concept to Comics: A Conversation about Editing in the Comics Industry.” And on Sunday, July 24 at 10 a.m. in room 4, The Powerpuff Girls writers Haley Mancini and Jake Goldman will participate in IDW Publishing’s “Kids Rule!” panel.

    Cartoon Network previously announced in-booth plans and series panels — read all about it here.

    Cartoon Network Enterprises CCI Products:

    Adventure Time
    + BOOM! Studios (Booth #2229): Variant cover of the latest comic book issue.
    + Insight Editions (Booth #1703): Early copies of Adventure Time: Hero Time with Finn & Jake and Fionna & Cake: How to Warrior; exclusive Finn/Fionna Hero Time/How to Warrior reversible bookmarks and Adventure Time: The Official Cookbook recipe card for “Jake’s Bacon Pancakes”
    + Kidrobot (Booth #5645): “The Lich” eight-inch resin form — 200 piece limited exclusive item
    + Titan Merchandise (Booth #5537): Exclusive 4.5″ vinyl Finn figure
    + WeLoveFine (Booth #1320): T-shirts

    Over the Garden Wall
    + BOOM! Studios (Booth #2229): Variant cover of the latest comic book issue; Patrick McHale signings at various times throughout Comic-Con
    + Mondo Tees (Booth #835): Music album with a variant clear vinyl disc, limited to 1,000 copies from a one-time pressing
    + PhatMojo (UCC Booth #700): Exclusive Gregory and Wirt plushies

    Powerpuff Girls
    + Funko (Booth #5341): Limited edition first-to-market POP! Figures of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup
    + IDW (Booth #2743): Comic book issue #1 with variant Princess Morbucks cover. Haley Mancini and Jake Goldman signing copies at booth July 23 at 2 p.m.
    + Spin Master: Limited first-run two-inch action dolls (Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, with accessories) — redemption tickets given away exclusively at PPG panel July 23 at 11 a.m. in Hilton Bayfront Indigo Ballroom

    Rick and Morty
    + J!NX: Limited run plushes for giveaways at Adult Swim booth (#3721) and Adult Swim on the Green ahead of fall launch — win a Mr. Poopybutthole or One-Eyed Meseeks
    + Oni Press (Booth #1833): Exclusive covers for comic book line

    Steven Universe
    + BOOM! Studios (Booth #2229): Three exclusive zines with a cover for each of the main Crystal Gems.
    + Penguin (Booth #1514): Raffle of advance copies of Rebecca Sugar’s book The Answer, with free temporary tattoos at purchase. 40 copies to be raffled July 23 at 9 a.m. in autograph area followed by 10:30 signing. Limited quantities of the book available for purchase at Penguin booth later in the day.
    + PhatMojo (UCC Booth #700): Exclusive “Tiger Millionaire” character plush
    + WeLoveFine (Booth #1320): T-shirts
    + Zag Toys (UCC Booth #700): “Steven Chrome Rockerz” two-piece set with exclusive metallic finish; and eight-piece set of mini figures in Donut Shop packaging

    Steven Universe
    Steven Universe
  • Experience X-Men: Tomb of Apocalypse at Comic-Con

    Experience X-Men: Tomb of Apocalypse at Comic-Con

    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will debut the first ever “challenge room” fan experience in Comic-Con International history this week in San Diego. Located at Booth #3529, “X-Men: The Tomb of Apocalypse X-Perience” will incorporate a series of challenges fans must solve to defeat the world’s most powerful mutant. The booth will be open daily — including Preview Night — July 20-24, with RSVPs open each morning until the day’s schedule is full.

    “The Tomb of Apocalypse X-Perience” invites fans to work through a series of challenges on their quest to defeat Apocalypse. Those who complete their quest will receive a custom SDCC 2016 X-Men: Apocalypse t-shirt (while supplies last) and a souvenir photo. The booth will also feature original costumes from the film on display for fan photo ops, including Oscar Isaac’s “Apocalypse” get up, Evan Peters’ “Quicksilver” and Alexandra Shipp’s “Storm.”

    In addition to the X-Perience, X-Men fans should hit up the booth to pre-order X-Men Apocalypse from 20th Century Fox Home Ent. — out on Digital HD September 9 and on Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD & DVD October 4. Only at SDCC, pre-order customers will receive a limited edition Dazzler vinyl cover while supplies last.

    X-Men: Apocalypse Blu-ray special features included deleted/extended scenes with optional introductions by director Bryan Singer; gag reel; wrap party video; hour-long X-Men: Apocalypse Unearthed documentary; audio commentary by Singer and producer Simon Kinberg; concept art and photo gallery.

    Synopsis:

    Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy lead a powerhouse cast in director Bryan Singer’s extraordinary follow-up to X-Men: Days of Future Past. After thousands of years, Apocalypse – the world’s first and most powerful mutant – has awakened to find a world led by humans. Intent on cleansing the Earth of mankind, he recruits a group of mutants to create a new world order. In a desperate race to save humanity, Professor X (McAvoy) leads the young X-Men in an epic showdown – against an unstoppable enemy – that will determine the fate of the world.

    X-Men: Apocalypse
    X-Men: Apocalypse
  • FilmBuff to Release ‘Floyd Norman: An Animated Life’

    FilmBuff to Release ‘Floyd Norman: An Animated Life’

    Digital entertainment curator FilmBuff has licensed the rights to distribute Floyd Norman: An Animated Life on Digital HD and On Demand platforms on August 26 — the same day it opens in select theaters and arrives on Blu-ray with special features. The film had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in February, and will screen at the Comic-Con Int’l Independent Film Festival in San diego on July 22.

    From filmmakers Michael Fiore and Erik Sharkey, Floyd Norman: An Animated Life is an intimate journey through the celebrated life and career of the “Forrest Gump” of the animation industry. Hired as the first African-American at Disney in 1956, Floyd Norman worked on such classics as Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians before being handpicked by Walt Disney to join the story team on The Jungle Book.

    After Walt Disney’s death in 1966, Norman left Disney to found Vignette Films, where he developed the original Fat Albert TV special and produced segments for Sesame Street. He would later work at Hanna-Barbera on many classic cartoons, including Scooby-Doo. After Hanna-Barbera, Norman moved to Pixar to work on Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc. On his 65th birthday in 2000, Disney HR forced Floyd to retire. Refusing to leave his “home,” Norman has “hijacked” a cubicle at Disney Publishing, unpaid, for the past 16 years, picking up freelance work when he can. At 81, he continues to have an impact as both an artist and a mentor. Mr. Norman plans to “die at the drawing board.”

    Floyd Norman: An Animated Life will be available on all major On Demand platforms, including iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Xbox and the PlayStation Store. You can watch the trailer here.

    Image Courtesy of ANIMATED LIFE, LLC, Floyd Norman sits at the board as an inbetweener on Sleeping Beauty, 1956
    Image Courtesy of ANIMATED LIFE, LLC, Floyd Norman sits at the board as an inbetweener on Sleeping Beauty, 1956
  • ‘Fat Rabbit Farm’ Pilot Debuts on YouTube

    ‘Fat Rabbit Farm’ Pilot Debuts on YouTube

    Fat Rabbit Farm LLC has released their official animated short pilot for their eponymous IP Fat Rabbit Farm, in partnership with FremantleMedia Kids & Family. The companies are actively pursuing a series greenlight for the project by sharing the animation publicly in order to build a solid audience base.

    Launched on YouTube, the pilot is animated by Studio Moshi (The Day My Butt Went Psycho, Rocket Dog) and written by Josh Weinstein (The Simpsons, Futurama), and serves as a test animation for a full series inspired by the characters and world created by Jason Ponggasam and Patty Variboa, made popular through Facebook Messenger Stickers with over 100 million downloads worldwide.

    The series takes place on Fat Rabbit Farm, a once peaceful place located on a floating island in the Kingdom of Skytopia. Life is turned upside down for the fat rabbit Babee and the other residents of the farm when Blanket, a “frabbit” with a past, shows up and the adventures begin.

    Fat Rabbit Farm
    Fat Rabbit Farm