Fuji TV Shows to Stream on Amazon
Japanese network and Prime streaming announce deal for Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress anime, to be joined by other series from its late-night Noitamina toon block.
Sanrio to Launch New Lifestyle Apps
Developer Hyper Hippo will roll out new digital content for Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Badtz-Maru and other popular characters.
Through an extensive, multi-year agreement with NBCU Television Curious George. The deal encompasses past and future seasons of the double Emmy-winning animated series, as well as specials and feature-length adventures featuring the beloved little monkey, which will be available in the commercial-free Hulu Kids zone.
Starting March 31, Hulu will be the exclusive SVOD home of all nine seasons of Curious George — produced by Universal Pictures Home Ent.’s production arm, Universal 1440 Entertainment. Hulu will also host U.S. premieres for new seasons to come. Specials including Curious George: Swings into Spring, A Halloween Boo Fest and A Very Monkey Christmas as well as original movies Follow That Monkey, Back to the Jungle and future direct-to-TV productions will arrive on the service.
Italian indie developer Digital Video and Japanese publisher Dwango have inked an agreement for the latter to acquire Toonz, a digital animation software solution. The deal goes forward under the condition that Dwango will publish and develop an Open Source platform based on Toonz, OpenToonz. This will be made available for free download on March 26.
OpenToonz will include features developed by Studio Ghibli (Toonz Ghibli Edition). The acclaimed Japanese animation producer has been long-time user of Toonz software. Dwango will also create a platform aimed at welcoming research labs and the animation industry to actively cooperate with each other.
Digital Video will move into an open source business model, offering commissioning, installation & configuration, training, support and customization services. The developer will also continue to fine-tune and market a Toonz Premium version for companies willing to invest in customization for their projects (toonzpremium.com).
“During the production of Princess Mononoke in 1995, we needed a software enabling us to create a certain section of the animation digitally. We checked for what was available at that time and chose Toonz,” said Studio Ghibli’s executive imaging director Atsushi Okui. “Our requirement was that in order to continue producing theatre-quality animation without additional stress, the software must have the ability to combine the hand-drawn animation with the digitally painted ones seamlessly. From then onwards we continued to use the software while going through major updates to make it easier for us to use. We are happy to hear that this open source version contains the Ghibli Edition. We hope that many people inside and outside of the animation industry will utilize this software for their work. We would like to extend our gratitude to the staff of Digital Video.”
Lupus Films’ latest hand-drawn animated special We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is setting its sights overseas with the addition of four key broadcasting partners. Produced with Walker Productions and distributed by Union Media, the storybook adaptation has been picked up by ABC in Australia, SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway and YLE in Finland.
Based on the classic written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt follows the adventures of intrepid siblings Stan, Katie, Rosie, Max and the baby — and their pet dog, Rufus — who decide one day to set out through the countryside in search of bears. The charming film will air in the U.K. on Channel 4 later this year, followed by a theatrical release.
“We are delighted to announce these overseas sales for Bear Hunt,” says Lupus Films producer Camilla Deakin. “The animation combines good old-fashioned storytelling with beautiful hand drawn animation and we think it has the potential to become a classic family film, enjoyed by audiences around the world for many years to come.”
Deacon produced Bear Hunt with Ruth Fielding, while Helen McAleer and Julie Posen serve as executive producers for Walker Prod. The film is co-directed by Joanna Harrison and Robin Shaw.
Union Media will be attending MIPTV, at stand P4.B1.
A day before it was originally set for theatrical release in the U.S., Mark Osborne’s The Little Prince has been swiftly picked up and dusted off by Netflix after being dropped by Paramount Pictures last week. The feature animation adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic book will premiere on the streaming service later this year.
The Cesar Award-winning film premiered out of competition at Cannes last spring, and has won critical acclaim around the world while earning about $80 million at the box office (Paramount handled the distribution in France).
Osborne’s take combines CGI and stop-motion to retell the story from the point of view of a neighborly Aviator describing the world of the Little Prince to a curious young girl. The voice cast features Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco and Benicio del Toro.
Lucasfilm has promoted Rob Bredow to the position of Chief Technology Officer, the production company’s General Manager Lynwen Brennan announced today. Bredow joined Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic division in 2014 as a visual effects supervisor and was named Vice President of New Media and Head of Lucasfilm’s Advanced Development Group in December of that year.
ADG develops tools and techniques for real-time, high-fidelity immersive entertainment. As the Group’s head, Bredow was instrumental in launching the new ILMxLAB division, which combines the talents of Lucasfilm, ILM and Skywalker Sound to create interactive storytelling and immersive cinema experiences.
“Rob is truly the perfect fit for this role. His passion for technology and innovation and his experience in filmmaking make him the ideal candidate to lead our technology efforts for both Lucasfilm and ILM,” said Brennan. “Rob’s many years of experience as a visual effects supervisor combined with his expertise in technology and new media enable us to continue our longstanding tradition of innovation.”
Bredow previously served as CTO and VFX supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks. His credits include vfx-driven and animated films like Men in Black 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, Green Lantern, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf’s Up, Castaway and Godzilla. He is a member of the Academy’s VFX Branch and AMPAS Scientific and Technical Council, and a chair on the Visual Effects Society’s Technology committee.
Aardman Nathan Love has added Sean McClintock to its directorial roster. The Brooklyn-based artist brings nearly 20 years of experience in a variety of creative enterprises, including design, directing, illustration and animation.
McClintock has previously worked for high-profile production houses such as Psyop, Brand New School, The Mill, HUSH and Buck, delivering projects for major brands like Nike, Google, Twitter, Coke Zero and Viacom. Inspired by the works of animators Tex Avery and John Kricfalusi as well as designers Raoul Marks and Kyle Cooper, McClintock opted to join ANL after being courted by a number of studios over several months, citing the studio’s high creative caliber and sense of humor.
“Sean has an impressively skilled and diverse design background,” says ANL owner and ECD Joe Burrascano. “Our studio has always been known for high-end character work, but Sean brings a level of sophistication that expands our reach further into the world of design. His experience with the top studios in advertising, combined with his strong and refined sensibilities, are sure to bring new and exciting opportunities.
ANL’s client list includes Kellogg’s, Perdue, Movantik and UPS.
Roku customers in North America will now have access to a wealth of kids’ shows in a variety of tongues through the newly launched Oznoz Video Channel. The partnership introduces Oznoz to more than 10 million Roku-equipped households in the U.S. alone.
Oznoz offers educational and entertaining cartoons for children ages 0-14 in over 10 languages, including Chinese, Spanish, German, Arabic, Persian and Japanese. Titles include Sesame Street, Super Why!, 1001 Nights, Babar, Mixed Nutz and more. Oznoz is also available as an app for iOS and Android, on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick.
“It’s very important for us that families can enjoy our content wherever they are, on all their devices. Parents can download our shows on their phones and tablets and play them to kids in the car or at a doctor’s office, even offline,” says Oznoz co-founder and President Shabnam Rezaei. “That’s something many streaming services like Netflix or Hulu do not offer. Being present on Roku exposes our excellent content to a larger number of families.”
The National Film Board of Canada will be represented by three short films included in the official selection for the Annecy festival this summer. NFB’s selected titles include the return of celebrated animators Franck Dion, with The Head Vanishes, and Theodore Ushev with Blind Vaysha. Janice Nadeau makes her solo directorial debut with Mamie. All three films feature unusual female characters with unique destinies. The Annecy shorts competition comprises 54 films, out of which six are Canadian productions.
Franck Dion’s CG-animated The Head Vanishes will have its world premiere at Annecy. The director’s fourth film — and second co-produced by Papy 3D, NFB and ARTE France — centers on Jacqueline, who although she has lost her mind a bit, decides to take a special trip to the seaside by train, all by herself. Dion’s last film was Edmond Was a Donkey, winner of 30 awards including the 2012 Annecy Special Jury Prize.
Theodore Ushev’s Blind Vaysha had its world premiere at the 2016 Berlin Int’l Film Festival. With graphic animation reminiscent of woodblock prints, the short tells the story of a peculiar woman who can see into the familiar past with her left eye and into the threatening future with her right — the present remains a blind spot. Last year, Ushev’s previous award-winning animations include Blood Manifesto (2015, NFB), The Sleepwalker (2015, Unite Centrale) and Lipsett Diaries (2010, NFB).
Janice Nadeau’s first solo directing project Mamie is an illustrative piece created with hand-painted watercolor animation, co-produced by the NFB and Folimage. Mamie is a recluse living in Gaspesie, in a house that faces away from the sea — and her granddaughter often wonders why Mamie isn’t interested in her at all. Nadeau’s first animated project, No Fish Where to Go (2014, NFB), was co-directed with Nicole Lemay and won several awards, including the FIPRESCI Award at Annecy. Mamie was selected for the 2013 MIFA short film production program in Annecy.
The 2016 Annecy International Animation Film Festival (annecy.org), taking place June 13-18, has announced its official competition lineup and revealed this year’s poster designed by French-Canadian illustrator and animator Michèle Lemieux. The artist has won numerous awards for her children’s books, including the Bologna Ragazzi for her 1997 work Gewitternacht, which she adapted into a short animated film in 2003, Stormy Night, which also received numerous prizes including Berlin’s Crystal Bear. Lemieux also created the pinscreen-animated shot Here and the Great Elsewhere (2012, NFB).
Notable trends in this year’s Annecy selection include the record number of works in the short film, graduate film and TV & commissioned film categories. Curated from nearly 2,700 entries from 85 countries, the Official Selection will present 54 short films in competition — 34% made by women — including 11 in the “Off-Limits” lineup. France, Belgium, Canada and Germany have the most films in the mix. The 54 graduation films are majority woman-directed; and the TV and commission category has 77 projects (an 80% from last year). An additional 31 shorts will screen out of competition. All combined, 49 nations are represented by the selection.
The Official Selection is decided by the festival’s Artistic Director, Marcel Jean, and the members of the Films and Program Planning department: Laurent Million, Yves Nougarède and Sébastien Sperer. View the shorts, grad films, TV and commissioned films selections here. The feature film Official Selection and out-of-competition screenings will be announced at the end of April.
North American animation importer GKIDS has announced the English language voice cast for April and the Extraordinary World — the latest French-produced feature from Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci. The dub cast stars Angela Galuppo as April (played by Marion Cotillard in the original), Paul Giamatti, Tony Hale, Susan Sarandon, and J.K. Simmons, with Tod Fennell, Tony Robinow, Mark Camacho and Macha Grenon.
GKIDS will open both the English and French versions stateside in New York on March 25 (IFC Center) and Los Angeles on April 1 (Nuart Theater), followed by a nationwide expansion on April 8.
April and the Extraordinary World, which won Best Feature Film at the prestigious 2015 Annecy International Animation Festival, is a riveting sci-fi adventure which takes place in an alternate steampunk world. Set in Paris in 1941, the film follows a family of scientists on the brink of discovering a powerful longevity serum. All of a sudden a mysterious force abducts them, leaving their young daughter April behind. Ten years later, April lives alone with her cat, Darwin, and carries on her family’s research in secret. But she soon finds herself at the center of a shadowy and far-reaching conspiracy, and on the run from government agents, bicycle-powered dirigibles and cyborg rat spies.
On Wednesday during Epic Games’ “State of Unreal” opening session, Ninja Theory’s Tameem Antoniades took the stage to reveal a historic real-time facial animation demo based on the studio’s upcoming PS4 and PC game Hellblade, powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine 4. Partners Cubic Motion created computer vision technology that tracks more than 200 facial features at over 90 frames per second and automatically maps the data to digital characters in real-time. In Epic Games’ keynote, audiences saw Hellblade character Senua’s performance streamed live in real time to the Unreal Engine. The advanced facial rig was built by 3Lateral. Watch the “State of Unreal” session here.
Leading facial capture companies Technoprops and Dimensional Imaging have announced a new collaboration, with Technoprops unveiling a new stereo 2K helmet mounted camera system that is compatible with Dimensional’s high fidelity facial performance capture software. The collaborative solution will allow for even more true-to-life facial animation in feature film, video game and vfx projects. Booth #2342.
Wacom will be highlighting the role of its technology in the 3D design workflow, demonstrating how its products — particularly the Cintiq creative pen displays — allow artists to efficiently created 3D objects from sketch to finished product. Brian Allan from 3D printer manufacturer Formlabs will be giving live demonstrations on a Cintiq 27QHD with various software suites to create 3D models which will then be printed on a Formlabs 2. Attendees can also check out the Cintiq 22HD and Cintiq Companion 2 portable model. Booth #831.
Allegorithmic has released Substance Painter 2.0, a new update that turns the popular texturing tool into a mini-pipeline, allowing artists to paint, render and share their 3D assets without leaving their viewport. Newly integrated NVIDIA Iray renderer can produce photorealistic renders at the touch of a button. The application and update are available now for Mac OSX, Windows and Linux. More information can be found here.
Geomerics (an ARM company) announces that its Enlighten real-time global illumination technology is now able to deliver large-scale dynamic lighting to open-world games. The improved tech can halve the performance cost of dynamic global illumination effects, such as time of day, in games with vast maps and long draw distances. Geomerics is showcasing the tech in a new PC and PS4 demo titled Seastack Bay at GDC, developed in collaboration with Hellblade developer Ninja Theory. Booth #1624; Suite BMR2640.
Malaysian animated film BoBoiBoy the Movie, produced by Animonsta Studios, has become the highest grossing locally produced animated feature in the country, according to local outlet CinemaOnline. The CG feature took in RM 8 million (about $1.96 million USD) in its first 11 days of release.
Director Nizam Razak told the website that he was surprised at the results at first, considering BoBoiBoy was up against big studio offerings Zootopia (Disney) and Kung Fu Panda 3 (DreamWorks). Razak credits the film’s success to its appeal to both children and their parents. He also expressed thanks to Malaysian moviegoers for supporting their local industry.
BoBoiBoy the Movie is based on Animonsta’s popular action-comedy TV series and pits its hero, BoBoiBoy, and his super-powered friends against a group of alien treasure hunters known as the Tengkotak, who have arrived on Earth and kidnapped Ochobot in order to use him to locate a powerful ancient relic hidden on the planet. The production was supported by FINAS, MDeC and MAC3.
The producers are hoping that the film will maintain momentum and reach its box office goal of RM 13 million (just over $3 million USD). The film is also playing in Brunei and will arrive in neighboring Indonesia next month. The previous Malaysian animated feature record holder was Geng: The Adventure Begins, also directed by Razak and produced by Les’ Copaque.
Los Angeles-based CG house Brain Zoo Studios announces the production of a new project which aims to bring the action of video games and the comedy storytelling of animated features to the world of virtual reality.
Created by video game and animation producer-director Mo Davoudian, Console Marinez features a group of diabolical evildoers attempting to bring armies of video game villains into our world. Their mission: To convert Earth into a virtual game, and turn their game world into reality. The only obstacle in their way is a group of uber gamers called the Console Marinez.
“Console Marinez makes complete sense to create in VR,” says Davoudian. “It was conceived as a show that needed to immerse the audience in the world so they would feel a part of it. This puts the viewer right in the middle of the battle, drama and humor.”
Davoudian and the Brain Zoo team have extensive experience in telling virtual stories using game engines. Their projects list includes games like Disney Infinity 3, Warhammer 40,000, Game of Thrones, Borderlands, Skylanders, Tera Rising, Command and Conquer: Tiberium Wars, Gears of War and animated films like the Marvel Heroes United series.
Henson Independent Properties (HIP), the third party licensing and distribution label under The Jim Henson Company, has secured new broadcast and digital license deals for animated preschool series Lily’s Driftwood Bay and Elias: Rescue Team Adventures.
Vme TV, a nationwide U.S. Spanish-language TV network operating with public television stations to reach 70+ million households, has acquired exclusive basic cable rights to Elias: Rescue Team Adventures for the U.S. Hispanic market. The series has also been picked up by POD Worldwide (exclusive free TV, Thailand), Media Corp (exc. Free TV, Singapore) and Tring TV (free TV, basic cable, basic satellite; Albania). These join existing partners TG4 (Ireland), MTV Oy (Finland), SVT (Sweden) and United Home Entertainment (Thailand).
Discovery Education has snatched up global educational rights to Lily’s Driftwood Bay. Additionally, NCircle has acquired DVD rights for the U.S., DAAI TV has exclusive free TV rights for Indonesia and Multichoice Africa has non-exclusive SVOD and AVOD rights for Africa.
Elias: Rescue Team Adventures (52 x 11) is a CG animated preschool series produced by Norway’s Animando and Iceland’s Caoz Animation. The series follows Elias, a brave and playful little rescue boat based on the popular children’s picture books by Alf Knutsen and Sigurd Slattebrekk. Elias, his fellow harbor vessels and their friend Helinore the helicopter embark on child-sized adventures that inspire young viewers to explore their own worlds with confidence and courage while learning about safety, cooperation, community and bravery.
Lily’s Driftwood Bay (52 x 7) is a mixed-media animated series for kids 4-6 produced by Sixteen South in Northern Ireland. Five-year-old Lily uses her creativity and imagination to come up with wonderful adventures and colorful characters inspired by the extraordinary items she finds washed ashore on the island where she lives with her father. The series is created and directed by Colin Williams (producer of Pajanimals, EP of Big and Small) and script edited by Sam Barlow (Thomas and Friends, Bob the Builder) and features a voice cast including Stephen Fry, Peter Mullan and Richard Dormer.
The most majestic menagerie in all the land returns this week as season 2 of Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets premieres March 16 on the Disney Junior app, following a special Easter-themed episode that launched last Wednesday, March 9. Having first debuted in books from Disney Publishing, the Palace Pets’ animated series totted up over 204 million views across all platforms in 2015.
Season 2 will include 10 three-minute episodes and three seasonal specials (Easter, Halloween and Winter Holidays), all carrying on the show’s themes of adventure, friendship and humor and celebrating the “Royal heart of friendship” at the center of each story. The sophomore season will also introduce many more royal pets, including Aurora’s pet fox Nuzzles, Belle’s puppy Teacup and Jasmine’s elephant Taj among other “critterzens” — even a sloth.
In season 2 episode 1, “Pets on the Hunt,” viewers will join the pets on a scavenger hunt around the village of Whisker Haven as they work together to parse confusing clues. New episodes will premiere on the Disney Junior app every Wednesday through April 13, with more rolling out later in the year. The episodes will also air on Disney Channel and Disney Junior starting Wednesday, March 23 with the Easter special “Hearts, Hooves, Eggs!”
In addition to the books and series, the brand is supported by the Palace Pets in Whisker Haven app (downloaded over 1.1 million times) and a soon to be released LEGO royal castle playset, featuring Windflower and Dreamy, and Pumpkin’s Carriage with Cinderella’s puppy, Pumpkin. Additional figures and a season 2 episode-specific playsets are in the works.
Montreal-based Sardine Productions and Gamerizon Studio have struck a deal with Corus Entertainment’s Teletoon in Canada to produce Chop Chop Ninja (40 x 11) — an animated action/comedy series based on the popular Chop Chop games from Gamerizon. The production is supported by the Shaw Rocket Fund.
Chop Chop Ninja is a fast-paced series following the comic exploits of Iro, a clumsy and intense ninja, and his three best friends as they defend their Chop Chop Academy and pursue their ninja training. Iro applies ninja technique, attitude — and most of all, heart — to everything he does, every minute of the day.
In addition to the games, Chop Chop Ninja animated shorts have already found success, selling to more than 100 territories.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has appointed Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson to its Board of Governors as part of its initiative to increase diversity to its leadership. Yuh Nelson, a member of the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch, is joined on the 51-seat Board by two other new appointees: Reginald Hudlin (Directors Branch) and Gregory Nava (Writers Branch).
Current Board members confirmed the new governors for three-year terms, effective immediately. The Board also appointed Academy members to each of the six Board committees that provide oversight to specific Academy areas. Disney Legend Floyd Norman notably joins the Education and Outreach Committee.
These are: Actor Gael Garcia Bernal, who joins the Awards and Events Committee; cinematography Amy Vincent, Preservation and History Committee; producer Effie Brown, Museum Committee; executive Marcus Hu and animator Floyd Norman, Education and Outreach Committee; executive Vanessa Morrison, Finance Committee; and producer Stephanie Allain, Membership and Administration Committee.
Further, the Board reaffirmed its January 21 resolution to ensure Academy voters are active in the industry. Each branch executive committee will determine specific criteria for active voters, based on the guidelines laid out in January. Active voters are those who have worked in the motion picture industry in the last 10 years, those who have worked any time during three 10-year periods (consecutive or not), and members who have won or been nominated for an Oscar.
