U.K.’s Moviehouse Entertainment is shopping the upcoming animated feature The Hero of Color City at the Cannes market this week. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film will be directed by industry veteran and ASIFA-Hollywood president Frank Gladstone and produced by Max Howard (Igor) and John D. Eraklis, founder and CEO of Exodus. The project is being produced by India’s Toonz Entertainment and Exodus (Igor).
Aiming at the preschool set, the CG-animated pic follows the adventures of a group of crayons who try to protect their multi-colored world against a terrible monster. Christina Ricci (Mermaids), Rosie Perez (Do The Right Thing) and Craig Ferguson (How To Train Your Dragon) are providing their voices to the film.
The deal was drawn up by by Toonz Entertainment’s COO, P. Jayakumar and Mark Vennis, co-managing director of Moviehouse Entertainment. Magnolia Pictures will release the film in North America in the summer of 2014. The pic is being co-financed by Toonz Entertainment.
Paramount’s Star Trek Into Darkness landed on top of the domestic box office this weekend, with an estimated $84 million. The J.J. Abrams-directed sequel to the rebooted franchise made over $35.5 on Thursday and Friday. Industry watchers were predicting a possible $100 million opener, but the actual numbers were actually lower for the four-day opening. Outside the U.S. the beloved sci-fi epic has also collected about $80.5 million to date, bringing its worldwide total to a healthy $164.9 million.
Here are how the other three vfx-driven and animated titles fared in the top 10 list:
2. Iron Man 3 (Disney/Marvel) $20 million, cume: $337.1 million
6. The Croods, (Fox/DreamWorks) $2.8 million, cume: $176.8 million
8. Oblivion, 5/2,077, Universal, $2.16 million, cume: $85.5 million
Next week, family audiences will have one more hot animated title to pick from. Directed by Chris Wedge, Blue Sky’s much-anticipated 3-D, CG-animated adventure Epic finally hits the big screens on Friday, May 24. Meanwhile, the more adult-skewed Fast & Furious 6 and The Hangover Part III duke it out for the older audiences’ pocketbooks. You can read all about the making of Epic in the next issue of Animag!
Universal has released the first clip from Illumination’s eagerly anticipated summer movie, Despicable Me the Chris Meledandri and his acclaimed filmmaking team create an all-new comedy animated adventure featuring the return of Gru, the girls, the hilarious minions and a host of new characters.
In the sequel, Gru (Steve Carell) is kidnapped by the “Anti-Villain League”, and recruited in order to defeat a new super villain (voiced by Benjamin Bratt). The cast includes Kristen Wiig, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan, Dana Gaier, Elsie Kate Fisher, Miranda Cosgrove and Russell Brand. Despicable Me 2 opens in 3D on July 3rd. The film is also getting a sneak peek at next month’s edition of the Annecy Animation Festival in France.
Despicable Me 2 is directed by Illumination veterans Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud, penned by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul and produced by Christopher Meledandri and Janet Healy. The film’s loveable, yellow sidekicks will also star in their own movie in 2014 in Minions, directed by Coffin and Kyle Balda and voiced by Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm.
The original 2010 pic Despicable Me grossed more than $540 million and becoming the 10th-biggest animated motion picture in U.S. history. Here’s the clip and the latest trailer:
Fox has announced the latest release dates for two of upcoming DreamWorks movies and two Blue Sky titles. According to Collider, the studio will release B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations on June 5, 2015 (instead of the previously reported September). Anthony Leondis (Igor, Lilo & Stitch 2) is directing the pic, from a script by Tom Wheeler (Puss in Boots) and featuring the voice of Seth Rogen. The film is set against a scare school for ghosts.
DreamWorks Trolls movie is also now pushed back from June 2015 to November 4, 2016. Chloe Moretz and Jason Schwartzman leads the voice cast for the popular toy-inspired adventure, which is being directed by Anand Tucker (Hilary and Jackie, Leap Year)
Meanwhile, Blue Sky’s Anubis will be released on July 15, 2016 and Ferdinand (directed by Carlos Saldanha of Ice Age and Rio fame) is expected to be on screens on April 7, 2017. Of course, as we all know, all these dates will be subject to more changes in the future.
The parade of stars stopping by The Simpsons office to do guest voice stints on the long-running show doesn’t show any signs of stopping. This past week, ew.com revealed that former SNL comic and Bridesmaids star Kirstin Wiig will portray an FBI agent who helps Lisa investigate Homer’s strangely polite behavior after visiting a nuclear power plant convention. The episode is called “Homerland” and will air this fall. Wiig has done another guest stunt for a Season 22 episode of the show in which she played a substitute music teacher.
Meanwhile, CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper also recorded a cameo voice for the new season of the show last week. According to TVLine.com, Cooper will play himself in an episode set in the year 2043. He will moderate a presidential debate between Lisa and a conservative Republican rival, who also used to be her friend in second grade.
According to the website, Aaron Sorkin and Stan Lee will also guest voice in the upcoming season of The Simpsons.
German software producer Boinx has unveiled some special upgrades the 3.1 version of its popular iStopMotion tool. The new release now includes a Screen Capture feature, which had been requested by many users, and has been retooled for better functionality. Artists can easily capture frames from the screen to create stop motion animations or time-lapse movies by pairing the software with illustration programs such as Photoshop or InDesign, or any other app, for example, to document the creation of a drawing. They can then export movies in Apple ProRes format (if the codec is installed), and import directly into Final Cut Pro X for further editing, without the need to transcode.
“Investing in new features for iStopMotion always yields great returns in the form of incredible, new, creative stop motion movies or timelapse videos created by the users,” says Oliver Breidenbach, CEO, Boinx Software. “I remember when I went to school, we were shown a time-lapse of Picasso drawing, which was mesmerizing to watch. I am looking forward to seeing many other clever ways to use this new feature of iStopMotion for Mac.”
Boinx iStopMotion is the leading solution for stop motion animation and timelapse capture, used by many parents, kids, teachers, brickfilmers, pro animators and anyone with an interest in this fascinating movie making technique. From tilt shift and color correction to creating high quality HD movies, iStopMotion is a comprehensive application for the Mac that makes it possible for users of all skill levels to create stop motion animations. In 2011, Boinx Software added iStopMotion for iPad to its family of stop-motion animation products.
iStopMotion 3.1 is now available both from the Mac App Store and the Boinx website for $49.99 or as a free update for existing v3 customers. iStopMotion 3.1 requires OS X 10.7.4 Lion or newer.
Trying to put the Merida redesign fiasco behind it, Disney told NBCNews.com that the redesign of the Brave heroine was only a one-time effort to commemorate her coronation as a Princess. The studio also noted that the design was never posted on the company’s official websites.
“The artwork used on Merida’s official social media sites has always been the imagery from the movie – there have been no changes,” Disney said in a statement to NBCNews.com. “We routinely use different art styles with our characters and this rendition of Merida in her party dress was a special one-time effort to commemorate her coronation. Merida exemplifies what it means to be a Disney Princess through being brave, passionate and confident and she remains the same strong and determined Merida from the movie whose inner qualities have inspired moms and daughters around the world.”
The new slimmer, glamorous look for the character was revealed last weekend at Disney World as the company officially added Merida as the eleventh official princess in the company’s line. The new design, which featured the heroine in a glitzy gown, sans her trademark bow and arrow was criticized on social media and a Change.org petition was started by Carolyn Danckaert, co-founder of the website A Mighty Girl. The petition and letter were addressed to Disney chairman Robert Iger and generated over 210,000 signatures.
The film’s original Oscar-winning writer and director Brenda Chapman also criticized Disney publicly for this marketing misstep.
“They’ve gone through the whole Disney princess line and I think they’re just doing standard procedure which in this case was I think a bad choice because Merida is not standard procedure,” Chapman explained on CNN. “She’s not one of the regular princesses and — and she was created to be not one of those princesses.”
You can read more about Chapman’s response to the redesign here:
Aardman Digital is creating a new kids fansite for the international animated series The 99. Created by Kuwaiti psychologist, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, The 99 is a comic book brand and animated TV show created with the intention of providing new role models for young people all over the world. The superheroes are based on Middle Eastern principles and Islamic archetypes that possess values that are shared worldwide.
Aardman Digital, the digital arm of Aardman, has been commissioned to devise and develop a multinational, inclusive digital home for the property. The new website will eventually be a bilingual destination that includes sophisticated and cleverly designed mechanics which allow children from across the world to work together, no matter what language they speak, to play and socialize within the world of The 99.
“The animation successes and unique understanding of a child’s imagination made Aardman the standout creative choice to help shape the digital future of The 99 Kids. And boy, did we make the right choice!” says Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, CEO, Teshkeel Media Group.
Jemma Kamara, Aardman’s digital producer adds, “I met Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa at a conference last year after hearing about The 99 comic books. I was immediately intrigued by the brand because of its values and objectives, and the engaging way it has created new role models for youngsters all over the world. For us, the challenge was how to create a truly multinational experience where language and cultural differences didn’t get in the way of playing together. We came up with an idea that allows kids from all over the world to play collaboratively together by working towards common goals, all of which is underpinned by the values of the brand.”
The 99 has also recently launched on Cartoon Network’s Toonami, the broadcaster’s premier satellite channel for kids, in 24 countries around the world. CN’s broadcast territories include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Box office analysts are noting that Disney/Marvel’s early summer blockbuster Iron Man 3 is set to cross the $1 billion mark on Thursday (May 16). According to Box Office Mojo, the film had hit the $294.7 million mark and $685.6 million. It’s also estimated that the pic will finish as the 5th highest grossing film of all time. A big contributor to the film’s success is that it’s performing extremely well in international territories such as China, Korea, and Ukraine, as well as in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia (three countries where it has become the biggest film ever released).
The Robert Downey-starrer also had the biggest opening days of all time in China, Russia, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Ukraine, Singapore, South Africa, and Vietnam and the all-time biggest opening weekends in China, Ukraine, Thailand, South Africa, Argentina, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines, Malaysia, and UAE.
Stateside, Iron Man 3 became the the second highest opening movie of all-time with $174.1M and is set to cross the $300 million mark on Thursday (its 14th day at the box office). With Iron Man 3, Disney has now six films that have reached $1 billion globally—that’s better than all the other studios. The other five are The Avengers ($1.5 billion), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ($1.066 billion), Toy Story 3 ($1.063 billion), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($1.0493 billion), Alice in Wonderland (2010) ($1.0423).
Oscar-nominated director Ari Folman’s new pic The Congress opens the 45th Director’s Fortnight sidebar during the Cannes Film Festival on May 16.
The sci-fi movie mixes live-action with animation and stars Robin Wright, Paul Giamatti, Jon Hamm, Harvey Keitel, Danny Huston and Frances Fisher. The much-anticipated feature by the gifted Israeli director is based on The Futurological Congress by Polish writer Stanislaw Lem, who also wrote the famous sci-fi book Solaris. The plot follows the story of an aging actress (Robin Wright), who agrees to having herself scanned and turned into a digital actress for the sake of a single last, large payment to support her disabled son. The studio (which is cleverly called Miramount) can use her digital image in any way they see fit, and she is forever banned from acting again. Of course, she doesn’t quite realize how extensive the ramifications of her actions are.
Here are some of the early reviews of the film, which doesn’t have a U.S. distributor yet.
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter writes:
“Ambition markedly outstrips achievement in The Congress, a visionary piece of speculative fiction that drops the ball after a fine set-up. Director Ari Folman follows his breakthrough 2008 feature Waltz With Bashir with a different style of animation applied not to a historical war story but to a look at an alternative future based on transfigured real people. Initial viewer curiosity gives way to impatience and finally ennui in the film’s second half, spelling lukewarm commercial prospects for this commendable but shortfalling…”
“Abandoning the ‘cut-out’ style that was so striking in Waltz With Bashir, Folman here harks back to earlier, more traditional animation forms that perhaps aspire to the 1930s Fleischer model but, in the event, more closely resemble the psychedelic aspects of Yellow Submarine and the work of Richard Williams. Plants and flowers grow out of buildings, shapes flow and morph from one configuration to another, none of it particularly attractive or enchanting. The themes and concerns that set the film’s agenda early on are still present but recede, just as Robin’s kids take a back seat to the undynamic character of the animator (Jon Hamm) who has been assigned to Robin for two decades and has, of course, fallen in love with her.”
Pete Debruge of Variety opines:
“Conceptually speaking, such a satire could only work as animation, but even then, it doesn’t quite come together Admirers of director Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir should seriously adjust their expectations. For this [animated] portion, Folman ditches the cutout style of Bashir (or the obvious-fit approach of Asian anime) for a loonier toon look, resembling a cross between Fleischer Studios’ Betty Boop shorts and the drug-addled aesthetic of Ralph Bakshi (Cool World).”
“The style of this environment is lively enough, opening with a delightful bit of Yellow Submarine-worthy surrealism, though the rules are virtually impossible to follow. Beyond the recurring symbol of her son’s red kite, there’s little to connect Wright to this hallucinogenic animated space where disgruntled citizens are free to pass as the persona of their choice, be it Marilyn or Magritte, Grace Jones or Jesus.”
Dan Fainaru of World Screen puts it this way:
“Wright, in a role that must have been almost too close for comfort, being so similar to her own life, comes through with flying colors, confidently carrying all the live action sequences on her shoulders. No longer committed to reality, as it was in Bashir, the animation takes flight on its own, with Folman’s old conspirators, production designer David Polonsky and animation director Yoni Goodman, creating a rich imaginary world of their own, once again working with the help of sound designer Aviv Aldema and composer Max Richter…. Lacking Bashir’s political angle, which helped it enormously, Folman’s wild journey through hallucinogenic space is more a reflection on human conditions than a dramatic tale.”
Licensing and brand management company Evolution will be the the global licensing agent for Metro Trains Melbourne’s (Metro) intellectual property Dumb Ways to Die, which originated as a popular public service campaign for Melbourne, Australia’s public train service.
Originally developed as part of a public service announcement campaign to encourage rail safety by Metro in Melbourne, Australia, the animated Dumb Ways to Die campaign went viral through YouTube and sharing across social media platforms, including Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and SoundCloud. The campaign’s unique characters, catchy song and culturally relevant safety education messages quickly became a viral sensation, amassing over 45 million views worldwide in five months.
Evolution will unveil its licensing program for Dumb Ways to Die at this year’s Licensing Expo. Among the core licensed product categories Evolution plans to develop for Dumb Ways to Die are: Apparel, Accessories, Headwear; Home, Housewares, Room Décor; Tech Accessories; Stationery; Paper and Party Goods & Social Expression; Gift and Novelties; Plush, Toys (Figures, PVC’s, Playsets); Publishing and Health & Beauty. Supported by additional online short form content, apps and promotions, Dumb Ways to Die will initially be distributed to specialty, department store and mid-tier retailers beginning in early 2014.
Sony Pictures Entertainment has nabbed the worldwide distribution rights for Rovio’s upcoming CG-animate feature based on its Angry Birds franchise. The 3D film is being developed, produced, and financed by Rovio Entertainment and will be released worldwide by Sony on July 1, 2016.
Michael Lynton, Chairman & CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Mikael Hed, CEO of Rovio Entertainment jointly announced their partnership today. John Cohen and David Maisel – producer of Despicable Me and executive producer of Iron Man, respectively – are both on board for the new Angry Birds feature film. Cohen will serve as producer and Maisel is executive producer.
Lynton and Pascal said, “Every studio in town would love to add Angry Birds to their slate. There are few titles out there that bring this kind of excitement, brand awareness and built-in audience to the table. We’re thrilled to be distributing this film and we hope this is just the beginning of what will be a long relationship with Rovio as we look for ways to work on future projects together.”
The original Angry Birds game, which was first introduced in 2009, remains the number one paid app of all time. To date, the Angry Birds and Bad Piggies games have been downloaded more than 1.7 billion times across platforms and versions.
The movie marks Rovio’s first foray into feature films, although fans have already been introduced to the Angry Birds world with the weekly Angry Birds Toons animated series. Rovio launched the series in March through its Angry Birds apps as well as on select video-on-demand channel providers, Smart TVs, connected devices, and on select TV networks around the world. Angry Birds Toons has been a big success for Rovio bringing in over 150 million views from the Angry Birds apps within the first six weeks.
Chaos Group has revealed a massive upgrade to its V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp solution in open beta. Users will now be able to enjoy an enhanced visualization workflow and render quality via V-Ray RT, V-Ray Dome Light and streamline scene complexity thanks to V-Ray Proxy.
“With 16 new features designed and accounted for, V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp has become the most robust, and artist-friendly render application SketchUp users have ever seen,” said Corey Rubadue, Chaos Group product manager, V-Ray for SketchUp.
As part of this update, V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp will offer architects and designers access to proven V-Ray technologies that accelerate the creative process. V-Ray Proxies users can now achieve exceptionally high levels of detail and modeling complexity while efficiently rendering massive amounts of geometry in the blink of an eye. Proxies can also be shared between V-Ray versions giving architects the ability to share models between 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage and Rhino.
Rendering Engine Upgrades:
V-Ray RT – This CPU-supported rendering engine streamlines scene setup and provides instant visual feedback directly in SketchUp for quicker design, material, and lighting decisions.
Lights:
Dome Light – Creates simple, artifact-free image-based lighting using importance sampling of HDR images. This technique greatly optimizes light tracing and GI precision.
Lights as Components – V-Ray lights can now be part of a SketchUp component, making the process of changing the design and settings of multiple lights at once much easier.
Sphere Light – Creates spherically shaped area lights.
Geometry:
V-Ray Proxy – Manages scene memory and efficiently renders large amounts of geometry to increase detail and complexity in scenes. V-Ray Proxy objects are dynamically loaded and unloaded at render time, which saves vital RAM resources.
Chaos Group is also releasing a set of materials that will help their users experience the benefits of V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp even faster. Those materials include: help documentation, a dedicated beta forum, tutorials, and videos explaining the new features.
The free open beta of V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp is available for SketchUp 8 on both the Windows and OS X platforms – 32bit only. It can be downloaded right now by applying for the public beta program on Chaos Group’s website. Pricing for V-Ray 1.6 for SketchUp will remain unchanged ($800). The upgrade price from V-Ray 1.49 for SketchUp or lower is $320. Users who purchased V-Ray for SketchUp between April 15, 2013 and the official release date will be eligible for a free upgrade.
The latest entry in the popular Ghost in The Shell series arrives in Japanese theaters on June 22nd. Titled Ghost in the Shell Arise: Ghost Pain, the pic is directed by Kise Kazuchika. The prequel explores the career of series protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi before her involvement with Public Security Section 9 (where she worked during nearly all Ghost in the Shell stories to date). Arise will be written by Tow Ubukata (Mardock Scramble) and animated by Production I.G.
Ghost Pain is first in a series of four limited–run movies, which will then arrive on Blu-ray release on July 26th. Nexon will also release a first-person shooter videogame based on the property in 2014. The PC game will offer customizable cyborg characters and features the “Tachikoma” spider-tanks as AI partners. The game will be titled Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Online, which means it will also have some connections to the 2002 series. Previous Ghost in the Shell titles are available on DVD and Blu-ray via Palm and Manga Video. Here is the trailer:
The FBI in Los Angeles is conducting an investigation involving investments made with Gigapix Studios and OZ3D LLC between 2002 and the present for a scam to remake The Wizard Of Oz as a CG-animated feature. Deadline.com reports that feds are seeking victims of financial fraud in the private offerings and is trying to find the “large number of investors” who were taken by the studio. Here’s the announcement on the FBI website:
Gigapix Studios, Inc. claims to be using investor capital to purchase rights to intellectual property in the entertainment studio, with a focus on family-friendly films, arête films, and reality television. According to its private placement memorandum dated May 17, 2010, Gigapix Studios, Inc. is focusing on high yield industry identifiable segments, such as targeted production of modest budgeted theatrical films and controlling theatrical distribution foremost, in addition to other ventures. They claim that they are in the process of developing, acquiring, and producing several films and other creative concepts.
OZ3D, LLC claims to be using investor capital to finance and produce the proposed computer generated animation motion picture The Wizard of Oz, and the manager of the entity is Gigapix Studios, Inc. The private placement memorandum for OZ3D, LLC, dated May 5, 2008, stated that the company was trying to raise $20 million for the project.
In the process of raising money for their offerings, Gigapix Studios, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Chris Blauvelt and others have received cease and desist orders from numerous state regulatory agencies, including in Oregon, Alabama, Washington, Colorado, and California.
According to Deadline, Gigapix raised more than $8 million for the film, but it never got made. Canadian studio Arc Productions was going to produce the animation and has filed a claim against Gigapix as well. Other investors such as Daniel Zucker have also sued Gigapix Releasing, OZ3D, Gigapix Studios, and its president David Pritchard, in Los Angeles Superior Court. In his complaint, Zucker claims the defendants talked him out of $700,000 by offering him 1.5% of the profits. He claims that Pritchard told him he would earn 10 to 20 times the amount of his loan to Gigapix which promised to repay him no later than June 29, 2012. To date, Zucker says he hasn’t seen any payment.
Hasbro’s new full-length animated movie Equestria Girls will have its world premiere at the L.A. Film Festival in June, followed by a 200-theater rollout nationwide.
Directed by Jayson Thiessen and produced by Sarah Wall, the new movie follows the adventures of the popular My Little Pony characters, reconceived as teenagers in high schools. The plot finds Twilight Sparkle entering an alternate world in pursuit of her stolen crown. Transformed into a teenage girl, she must survive her biggest challenge — pony high school!
Hasbro has retained the Hub series’ creative talent, animation style and message of friendship to stay faithful to the original property.
“We are responding to the desire by our fans to experience the brand in more ways,” said John A. Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer, in a recent New York Times article. “They imagined themselves as which pony they would be or which pony they identified with the most.”
“Our goal is to stay true to who those characters are,” said Meghan McCarthy, the head writer for the project, adding that the high school setting allowed for new storytelling possibilities. “It’s new but still an extension of our mythology.”
The movie — titled My Little Pony: Equestria Girls — will be released on DVD on August 6 by Shout! Factory, followed by a television debut on the Hub network in the fall.
D3Publisher and Cartoon Network Enterprises announced the development of three new video games based on popular Cartoon Network animated shows.
This fall, fans will be able to enjoy new games Adventure Time and Ben 10 Omniverse, as well as the first video game for one of Cartoon Network’s top series, Regular Show.
Adventure TimeAdventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!
Pendleton Ward again teams up with developer WayForward to create Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON’T KNOW!. The all-new action game will be available for the first time ever on the Wii U system from Nintendo, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC, as well as a return to the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system this fall. In a new storyline and adventure, fans will have to save the Candy Kingdom by exploring the mysteries surrounding a massive Secret Royal Dungeon deep below the Land of Ooo. Players can select from an assortment of fan-favorite characters from the show, including Finn, Jake, Marceline, Cinnamon Bun, and more, and team up with your friends in four-player co-operative multiplayer as the Emmy-nominated Adventure Time world comes to life.
Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land
Making its first foray into the video game world, Regular Show: Mordecai and Rigby In 8-Bit Land brings the characters and humor from the Emm-winning animated comedy to Nintendo 3DS this fall. When best friends Mordecai and Rigby get transported into some of their favorite video games they’ll have to use their best skills and unique abilities to traverse the various challenges to escape and get back home in this ‘eggscellent’ journey. Developed by WayForward, in close collaboration with show creator J.G. Quintel, Mordecai and Rigby prove that a day in the life of Regular Show is anything but.
Ben 10 Omniverse 2
In Ben 10 Omniverse 2, the latest installment in a top-selling global interactive franchise, players will be able to control Ben Tennyson in an all new adventure set in the Ben 10 universe as Ben battles a new foe, the Incurseans, and infiltrates this new enemy’s intergalactic warship as he finds his way home. Though he’s still armed with his trusty Omnitrix, Ben will face brand new challenges including chase and escape sequences as well as constant battles against the forces of evil. Players will have to make every action count as you race Ben against the clock, creating the most kinetic Ben 10 game to date. Developed by High Voltage Software for consoles, and by 1st Playable Productions for the handheld version, Ben 10 Omniverse 2 is based on the long-running, popular Cartoon Network animated series, and follows the adventures of Ben Tennyson, a teenager who wields the Omnitrix, a device that allows him to transform into various alien forms such as Gravattack, Four Arms, and many more alien forms. The new game will be available this fall for the Wii U system, the Wii system, the Nintendo 3DS hand-held system, Xbox 360, and the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system.
“For Cartoon Network fans, this fall will feature the release of three fantastic games from D3Publisher that tap in to the unique tone, fun and adventure of each of these great original series,” said Pete Yoder, vice president of consumer products, Cartoon Network Enterprises. “With strong creator involvement and a sense of what games our fans want to play, we’re excited to build on the tremendous success of last year’s Adventure Time game and extend it across all consoles, as well as introduce our first-ever Regular Show game and continue the global excitement around an all-new Ben 10 game.”
These video games are currently rated “RP” (Rating Pending) by the ESRB. For more information about these titles, www.d3publisher.us.
The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announced today its key dates for the upcoming awards season. The 41st Annual Annie Awards ceremony is set for Saturday, February 1, 2014. Location will be announced shortly.
Call for entries will begin on Monday, September 2, 2013, with complete Rules and Category information to be posted on the official Annies website (www.annieawards.org) this summer.
“We are going to try a few new things this year, as far as the ceremony goes,” says Frank Gladstone, president of ASIFA-Hollywood. “Our goal is to make sure that the audience, either in the theatre or watching the streaming broadcast, has a more elegant, streamlined and fun experience.”
Entries submitted for consideration will be from productions that were released in the U.S. between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. The deadline to join ASIFA-Hollywood or to renew membership in order to participate in the Annie Award voting is Monday, November 4, 2013.
Created in 1972 by veteran voice talent June Foray, the Annie Awards have grown in stature over the years. ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s first and foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the art of animation and celebrating the people who create it. ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, animated film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.
The upcoming Annecy Festival of Animation has announced this year’s lineup of professional animation panels. The pro conferences have been organized by Christian Jacquemart and Rene Broca. Here is the 2013 rundown:
Development, Pipeline Choices, Post-Animation
Tuesday, June 11th, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Speakers: Alexandre Bretheau and Pierrot Jacquet (Cube Creative Computer Company, France); Armelle Glorennec and Eric Jacquot (Blue Spirit Animation, France); Serge Umé (Digital Graphics, Belgium). Moderator: René Broca (consultant, France).
Previsualisation and Pre-Production
Tuesday, June 11th, 2:30-4:00 pm
Speakers: Duncan Burbidge (The Third Floor, UK); Daniel Gregoire (Halon Entertainment, USA). Moderator: Baptiste Heynemann (CNC, France).
From Character Design to Animation: an Animator’s Experience
Tuesday, June 11th, 4:30-6:00 pm
Speaker: Kristof Serrand (DreamWorks Animation, USA). Moderator: René Broca (consultant, France)
Feature Films: Four Case Studies
Wednesday June 12th, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Speakers: Jan Bultheel and Arielle Sleutel (Tondo Films, Belgium) for Cafard; Mike Buckland, Raffaella Delle Donne and Anthony Silverston (Triggerfish Animation Studios, South Africa) for Khumba; Yoni Goodman (Bridget Folman Film Gang, Israel) and Eric Goossens (Walking The Dog, Belgium) for The Congress; Olivier Jean-Marie and Marc du Pontavice (Xilam Animation, France) for Oggy and the Cockroaches. Moderator: Patrick Caradec (Le Film français, France).
Anatomy of a European Feature Studio: the Danish Example
Wednesday, June 12th, 2:30-4:30 pm
Speakers: Sarita Christensen, Malene Iversen and Petter Lindblad (Copenhagen Bombay Productions, Denmark/Sweden). Moderator: Stéphane Malagnac (Prop’ose, France).
VFX: The State of Technical and Artistic Art
Thursday, June 13, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Speakers: Jordi Bares Dominguez (Realise Studio, UK); Yann de Cadoudal and Isabelle Perin-Leduc (Buf Compagnie, France); Ferran Domenech Gutierrez (MPC, Canada/UK); Alexis Wajsbrot (Framestore, UK). Moderator: Thierry Barbier (AmaK Studio, France).
Anatomy of an International VFX Studio: ILM
Thursday, June 13th, 2:30-4:30 pm
Speaker: Hal Hickel (ILM, USA). Moderator: Simon Vanesse (Isart Digital, France).
8. Emerging Tools: Looking Ahead and the Effect on the Technical-Artistic Approach
Friday June 14th, 9:30 am-12:30 pm
Speakers: Andreas Carlen (GameFusion, France); Benjamin Legros (Mercenaries Engineering, France); Marc Miance (Alkymia, France); Vincent Percevault (Game Audio Factory, France) and Jean-François Szlapka (SolidAnim, France). Moderator: Baptiste Heynemann (CNC, France).
All the scheduled panels will take place at the festival’s Chambre de métiers.
The folks at Russia’s busy animation studio Wizart have let us know that they have unveiled posters and new trailers for their two big productions online today. The studio will be bringing the two movies to the Cannes festival and market this week for worldwide sales. The upcoming features are titled The Snow King and Sheep & Wolves and are both family comedies.
Wizart had great success with its 2012 title The Snow Queen, which was a loosely adapted version of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, directed by Vladlen Barbe and Maxim Sveshnikov, with a screenplay by Barbe, and Vadim and Maxim Sveshnikov. The 80-minute CG-animated feature was released in Russia last December, distributed by Timur Bekmambetov’s company Bazelevs.
