Global streamer Netflix has released the official main trailer and key art for the highly anticipated anime original Yasuke, premiering this Thursday, April 29. The studio also confirmed additional voice stars who will be heard alongside LaKeith Stanfield (playing Yasuke) on the project:
Takehiro Hira as Nobunaga Maya Tanida as Saki Ming-Na Wen as Natsumaru Paul Nakauchi as Morisuke Darren Criss as Haruto Julie Marcus as Nikita William Christopher Stephens as Achoja Dia Frampton as Ishikawa Don Donahue as Abraham Amy Hill as Daimyo Noshi Dalal as Kurosaka (Dark General)
In a war-torn feudal Japan filled with mechs and magic, the greatest ronin never known, Yasuke, struggles to maintain a peaceful existence after a past life of violence. But when a local village becomes the center of social upheaval between warring daimyo, Yasuke must take up his sword and transport a mysterious child who is the target of dark forces and bloodthirsty warlords.
Yasuke is created by LeSean Thomas (Cannon Busters) who also serves as executive producer and director, revered Japanese animation studio MAPPA (Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen), with director and animator Takeshi Koike (Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine) responsible for character designs, music by Grammy Award-nominated artist Flying Lotus and award-winning actor LaKeith Stanfield serving as executive producer and the voice of Yasuke.
The organizers of the KingstOOn Animation Conference and Film Festival have announced the winners of the Jamaican event’s fourth, fully virtual edition, which came to a close earlier today. The five-day toon celebration boasted a record number of registrations this year, with over 4,000 animation lovers and professionals from 100 different countries.
For the festival competition, animators from 108 countries submitted almost 1,500 entries in the Best International Short Film category, followed by over 750 in the Best International Student Film category and approximately 300 in the Best International Special Effects Film category.
The prizes for this year’s event included licenses for Toon Boom Harmony, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro, TVPaint Animation 11.5 Professional Edition, Wacom graphic tablets and scholarship opportunities to attend the Capilano University’s summer animation program online.
Shaquille Cross and Chevardi Gray pitch Jellyman Adventure (winner, Best Concept)
Finalists of the Concept Category participated in the Pitch Bootcamp and pitched their animated concepts to Sesame Workshop and Nickelodeon in B2B networking meetings. Best Concept winners will get the opportunity to negotiate a development, representation and co-production deal with Africa Animation Network and Baboon Animation Studios.
Winners in the Best Caribbean Short Film category were also given the opportunity to have their project broadcasted on Television Jamaica and the chance to negotiate Broadcasting rights with Moviestar, a major telecommunications brand operating in Spain and in many Latin American countries.
KingstOOn Awards
The 2021 winners are:
Kingstoon Emerging Animated Content Competition
Best Storyboard:Mango Manby Andre Rankine – Jamaica (1st Place) Mental by Chevon Irving – Jamaica (2nd Place – Tie) Colours in the Wind by Gabrielle Watts – Jamaica (2nd Place – Tie)
Best Character Design: Doc the National Birdby Gary Plummer– Jamaica (1st Place) Row-Row the Throw Pro by Melisa Kerr – Jamaica (1st Place) Taegan, The Prosthesis Hero by Renee Ross – Jamaica (2nd Place)
Best Caribbean Short Film: TOL by Dylan Attelly, Jérémy Gravinay, Joëllia Rose, Stephen Martingoulet, Matthieu Templet-Nadeau, Anne-Isabelle Zamant and Tiffani Browne – Martinique (1st Place) The Big Catch by Arminda Bailey – Trinidad and Tobago (2nd Place)
Best Concept: Jellyman Adventuresby Shaquille Crosse, Kyle-Andrew Lee, Chevardi Gray and Dwayne Pottinger – Jamaica (1st Place) HOWZATT by Rene Holder and Tracy Hutchings – Trinidad and Tobago (2nd Place)
TOL (Best Caribbean Short Film)
KingstOOn International Animated Film Competition
Best International Special Effects Film: The Quietby Radheya Jegatheva – Australia (1st Place) The Last Mother by Megan de Jong and Garai Vorm – The Netherlands (2nd Place)
Best International Student Film: The Sugarcane Man by Tina Obo, Leroy Le Roux – South Africa (1st Place) Feeling Blues by Astrid Massad, Nicolas Lipari, Marion Morgante, Maria-Louiza Bitsou, Guillaume Clamart-Mezeray – France (2nd Place)
Best International Short Film: Biji by Kin Lek Chew – Malaysia (1st Place) C Is for Cars by Warren Brown – Canada (2nd Place)
Best International Feature Film: The Fixies vs. Crabots by Vasili Bedoshvili, Ivan Pshonkin and Oleg Uzhinov – Russian Federation (1st Place) The Heritage of Sri Sutturu Math by Abdul Kareem – India (2nd Place)
The Quiet (Best Int’l Special Effects Film)
KingstOOn was organized by the Government of Jamaica in the Youth Employment in Digital and Animation Industries (YEDAI) project, in collaboration with the World Bank. The objectives of the event are to provide Jamaican and Caribbean animators with ways to continue learning about the global industry, create opportunities for producers to generate profits from their projects and to showcase diverse content, including film and animation products from around the world.
This year’s event included a range of international speakers from companies such as Disney, Netflix, Sony Animation, Nickelodeon, Hit Entertainment, Pixar, Sesame Street, HiT Entertainment and Lion Forge. It also pinpointed ‘Diversity in Animation’ as the central theme, with three sessions structured to specifically focus on the issues of diversity and cultural inclusion within the media.
Roy Naisbitt, a celebrated layout and background designer known for his work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Space Jam, Balto and 2001: A Space Odyssey, died Saturday, April 25, having nearly reached his 91st birthday on May 6. Animation Magazine learned the news through animator Fraser MacLean’s Facebook post in memory of the talented designer — he had word from animator Claire Williams, daughter of the late Oscar-winning director (and longtime collaborator of Naisbitt’s) Richard Williams.
“I cannot think of Roy and be sad at the same time. It’s just not possible,” MacLean wrote. “He was such a joy, such an inspiration and such a kind friend from the moment we met back in 2008 … Rest in peace, dear Roy – with a good drink always in your hand and with loved ones always close by.”
Roy Naisbitt
Naisbitt’s special talent for intricate, technical animation led to his first collaboration with Williams: The director hired Naisbitt on to illustrate a paddle-wheel ship engine in the animated title sequence for 1968’s The Charge of the Light Brigade. The designer joined the Richard Williams Animation studio, tackling a variety of projects over the years — including Williams’ unfinished fantasy feature masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler. Naisbitt created most of the ‘War Machine’ sequence and the intricate architecture of the film, drawing up a master plan of the whole Golden City in his spare time.
Naisbitt’s technical drawing of the Golden City for The Thief and the Cobbler
In the ’80s, Naisbitt created the tot-level POV backgrounds for the ‘Maroon Cartoon’ featured in Who Framed Roger Rabbit while at RWA. In the following decade, he contributed his finely honed talents to Amblimation’s Balto and Warner Bros. hybrid hit Space Jam. Neil Boyle, who served as supervising animator on Space Jam and is currently directing Kensuke’s Kingdom with Kirk Hendry, brought Naisbitt out of retirement to create the hypnotically complex and ever unfurling backgrounds of his 2011 short The Last Belle.
Read more about Naisbitt’s fascinating career on the Pulling a Rabbit out of a Hat blog here.
You can also learn more about the making of The Thief of the Cobbler in Kevin Schreck’s documentary Persistence of Vision, available to rent or buy on Vimeo.
Background design for the ‘Maroon Cartoon’ in Who Framed Roger Rabbit by Naisbitt.The Last Belle
The Tattooed Torah, now available for screening on the USC Shoah Foundation’s IWitness website, is an animated short based on the children’s book by Marvell Ginsburg. Like the book, the film is meant to educate children about the Holocaust through the true story of a small Torah that was confiscated by the Nazis during World War II yet miraculously survived.
Narrated by Ed Asner, the film has screened to broad acclaim at more than three dozen film festivals across the globe and qualified for Academy Award consideration. A Spanish-language version has just been released, while versions captioned in more than 10 other languages, including Hebrew, are on the way.
The effort to adapt the book for the screen was spearheaded by Ginsburg’s daughter, Beth Kopin, who served as executive producer. The film was co-written and directed by Marc Bennett, an artist, photographer and film director; and produced by Lisa Effress, managing partner of 11 Dollar Bill. The design and post-production studio, with facilities in Boulder and Chicago, provided editorial and post-production services, including transforming artist Martin Lemelman’s original book illustrations into luminous, dimensional animation. 11 Dollar Bill CEO John Polk was the film’s editor.
Effress describes the project as a labor of love, noting that when Bennett approached her, she immediately came on board. “All he had to say was it involved a children’s book about the Holocaust,” she recalls. “At the time, my daughter was four and I hadn’t thought about how to approach the subject with her. The Holocaust can be very scary for children, so the idea of having an animated film as a tool was incredibly appealing.”
The Tattooed Torah
Still, considerable effort was needed to bring the film to fruition. One challenge involved turning the book’s evocative, hand-drawn illustrations into multi-dimensional landscapes — accomplished by 11 Dollar Bill CCO Christian Robins and animator Jeffrey Pittle.
Robins and a team of nine others separated the illustrations into foreground, midground and background layers, and added camera movement, sunlight, rain and other environmental effects. In addition, Bennett and Effress sought out Lemelman, who was living in semi-retirement in Florida, and got him to create over one hundred additional drawings to fill in gaps and give the film needed scope.
Transforming Ginsburg’s nuanced narrative into a lively visual story also proved daunting. An early version of the film ran 45 minutes. The team felt that was too long for the attention spans of small children, so they enlisted Polk to edit. He trimmed the cut to just over 20 minutes and homed in on the story’s emotional core and powerful message of redemption.
“John is a skilled storyteller who made the film more succinct and compelling,” Effress recalls. “The pacing now feels a lot like the book,” remarked Polk. “It’s true to the spirit of Marvell Ginsburg’s original story.”
The film took on a life of its own. The Goldrich Family Foundation and USC Shoah Foundation joined the project, providing funding and servicing as co-producers. The film was accepted into numerous, high-profile film festivals and won awards for animation, adaptation and humanitarianism. It earned praise from publications as diverse as The Jewish Journal and The Wrap. Earlier this year, The Tattooed Torah was downloaded by teachers across Canada who screened it for 450,000+ school children (grades 4-8) as part of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan. 27).
As a feature of the Shoah Foundation’s educational IWitness platform, the film has the potential to reach many more people, young and old alike. “11 Dollar Bill works on animation projects all the time, but this was our first children’s film,” says Effress. “It’s theme and message made it very special. I look forward to doing more projects like this.”
Organizers of the Annecy Festival are still polishing plans for a hybrid edition — depending on pandemic conditions — from June 14-19. Following the recent shorts, student films and TV/commissioned works selection announcement, the French animation confab has unveiled its VR Works lineup.
The selection committee received 75 projects for consideration (28 of which are directed by women) and narrowed the field to nine projects diverse in form and message.
Biolum (Abel Kohen; Germany/France)
The selecting features daring films that force us to confront the real world, with Dislocation, Replacements(Penggantian) and 4 Feet High; works that bring a breath of fresh air, like with the passionate little investigator in Madrid Noir, or a child’s fantastical journey searching for his sister in Paper Birds. The VR section also highlights new approaches that push narrative limits even further, such as Recoding Entropia, the aquatic adventure Biolum, as well as the intertwining stories in The Hangman at Home, that examine our darker sides and our humanity. Also, for the very first time in this selection, there is a Graduation Film:Strands of Mind.
The VR Works section will only be available to view online. Visit annecy.org for more information.
After slaying box office records in the Asia-Pacific region, Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train continues its record-breaking streak at the North America box office with a $21,144,800 opening — the #1 foreign language film debut in U.S. box office history, and anime specialist Funimation’s largest opening three-day weekend theatrical release ever
Aniplex of America and Funimation theatrically released the cinematically praised, emotionally charged, and action-packed anime film in both the U.S. and Canada last Friday on 1,600+ screens, which includes in 4DX and on IMAX cinema, and is available in both English dub and subtitled.
“With every milestone reached and every achievement the film has gained, we know that it is all thanks to the fans who have supported the series and the tireless work by the staff and cast,” said Atsuhiro Iwakami, president of Aniplex. “We are truly humbled and honored by how much the film has resonated with people from all over the world and to be able to play a part in nurturing this deep bond we all share as fans of anime.”
“This remarkable film with emotional depth and breath-taking animation has clearly delighted both die-hard anime fans and wider audiences who are hungry for a great movie experience,” said Colin Decker, CEO of Funimation Global Group. “We believe this to be an important mainstreaming moment, not just for the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba franchise, but for the US anime brand overall. Thank you to our partners at Aniplex of America, Shueisha, ufotable and, of course, our community of fans.”
Mugen Train opened in Japan on October 16, 2020 and is now the highest grossing anime and Japanese film (animated or live action) of all time. The film opened on 403 screens (including 38 IMAX theaters), has grossed over $368M at the box offices in Japan and is the most successful IMAX release of all time in the market. The film opened at #1 in Australia and New Zealand last month.
Directed by Haruo Sotozaki featuring the original story by Koyoharu Gotoge with screenplay and animation production by studio ufotable,the movie follows Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu and Inosuke on a new mission: Together with one of the most powerful swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku, they investigate the mysterious disappearance of over 40 people aboard the Mugen Train.
Fans can also enjoy Mugen Train on EST beginning June 22; pre-orders are open on the movie’s official website and the Funimation Shop.
The anime feature came in second at the domestic box-office only to the highly anticipated video-game actioner Mortal Kombat from Warner Bros., which KOed the competition with a $22.5M debut (the second-highest opening of the year after Godzilla vs. Kong‘s $31M). The live-action pic took in an average of $7,326 per-screen across 3,073 theaters — despite simultaneously streaming for no additional fee on HBO Max — and another $27.6M overseas (worldwide: $50.1M).
WB’s Godzilla vs. Kong was knocked down to No. 3, taking in another $4.2M domestically in its fourth frame with a healthy $1,470 per-screen average even though it is likewise available over HBO Max. The kaiju battling tentpole’s Stateside total now stand at $86.6M, and another $320M in overseas tickets this weekend pushed GvK past the $400M worldwide total.
Bob Odenkirk vigilante shoot-em-up Nobody (Universal) came in fourth with $1.9M in its fifth week. Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon hung on in the Top Five with nearly $1.7M in its eighth week. The fantasy adventure pulled a $923 per-screen average from 1,819 theaters while being available for a $30 fee on Disney+ Premier Access. The warrior princess stands on a domestic total of $39.8M and a $72.1M offshore take, bringing its worldwide total to approximately $111.9M.
Mercury Filmworks and Goodbye Productions have teamed up to co-produce the animated feature Once Our Land, a fantasy/sci-fi period piece for family audiences based on the graphic novel by Peter Ricq. The announcement was made today by Chantal Ling, VP Original Series & Co-Productions and Amber Ripley, Founder, Goodbye Productions.
Set in 1830s Europe, Once Our Land tells the story of 11-year-old Ingrid; a young girl forced to fend for herself in a ravaged city overrun by fearsome beasts from another world. It’s in this cruel “past-apocalyptic” world where trust is in short supply that Ingrid forges an unlikely friendship with Fritz, a grizzled, old, eye-patched warrior with an unexpectedly eccentric personality. Together, Fritz and Ingrid embark on a dangerous journey to rid the city they love of the cruel beasts, and to learn to trust again.
Part light survival horror, part action, with strong heart and a healthy dose of levity-bringing humor, Once Our Land is a touching tale of trust and friendship set against the backdrop of eldritch horror.
The film adaptation reunites artist/director Ricq with screenwriter Phil Ivanusic Vallée. The duo were the creative force behind multiple animated series including The League of Super Evil as well as the live-action feature film Dead Shack.
Once Our Land marks Ricq and Ivanusic-Vallée’s second collaboration with prolific producer Amber Ripley (Entanglement, Dead Shack, Dreamland) and their first collaboration with Mercury Filmworks. The team recently received Telefilm and Harold Greenberg development funds for the feature adaptation.
“Once Our Land is an endearing tale of trust and friendship, family and community. It follows the old adage that it takes a village and at its core is about being united in the face of adversity. I think that’s a very powerful message to share with kids,” commented Ling. “We very much look forward to working with Peter Ricq, Phil Ivanusic Vallee and Goodbye Productions to bring this family animated feature to audiences around the globe.”
“It’s on the strength of this dynamic creative team that we believe in the commercial appeal of the film,” said Ripley. “We are excited to push the boundaries of the Canadian family entertainment into the exciting new frontier that is currently blossoming in our industry.”
The Academy of Motion Pictures presented the 93rd Oscars Sunday evening, broadcast on ABC and live streamed to multiple platforms from L.A.’s Union Station and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Pre-awards bets paid off for Disney-Pixar’s Soul, which won the Animated Feature Film prize for director Pete Docter and producer Dana Murray. Co-directed by Kemp Powers, the film has scored an 11th category victory for Pixar Animation Studios — 14th for the combined Disney-Pixar studios. It also marks Docter’s third Oscar win out of nine nominations in this and other categories.
“This film started as a love letter to jazz. But we had no idea how much jazz would teach us about life,” Docter said in accepting the award.
Soul adds the Oscar to its collection of animated feature honors from the Golden Globes, PGAs, BAFTAs, Critics Choice Super Awards, the Annie Awards (with six additional wins) and many others. As predicted, Soul also won the Academy Award for Best Score (Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste).
The Animated Short Film award went to If Anything Happens I Love You, Will McCormack and Michael Govier’s touching 2D short about a couple’s struggle after losing a child in a school shooting. The short, which has previously been awarded at the Bucheon and Los Angeles animation festivals and WorldFest Houston, is available to stream on Netflix.
Christopher Nolan’s Tenet won the Visual Effects Oscar, with the accolade going to Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher. The thriller had already picked up the VFX BAFTA, among many more wins and nominations from festivals, guilds and critics groups.
Animated Features
Onward – Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae
Over the Moon – Glen Keane, Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou
A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon – Richard Phelan, Will Becher and Paul Kewley
Wolfwalkers – Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young and Stéphan Roelants
WINNER: Soul – Pete Docter and Dana Murray
Animated Shorts
Burrow – Madeline Sharafian and Michael Capbarat
Genius Loci – Adrien Mérigeau and Amaury Ovise
Opera – Erick Oh
Yes-People – Gísli Darri Halldórsson and Arnar Gunnarsson
WINNER: If Anything Happens I Love You – Will McCormack and Michael Govier
Visual Effects
Love and Monsters – Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox
The Midnight Sky – Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins
Mulan – Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram
The One and Only Ivan – Nick Davis, Greg Fisher, Ben Jones and Santiago Colomo Martinez
WINNER: Tenet – Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher
You can see all the category nominees and find more info at oscars.org.
Genius Brands International officially launched its newest animated children’s series Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten on Friday. Starring action screen hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and conceived by the legendary Stan Lee, the 26 x half-hour series about a superhero teacher and his uniquely gifted, super-powered pupils streams exclusively on Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! GBI reported Monday that the double-episode premiere had totted up more than 2 million views in the show’s opening weekend.
Animation Magazine caught up with David A. Neuman, Chief Creative Officer for Kartoon Channel!, to get an elementary introduction to the world of Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten:
David Neuman
Can you tell us when you got involved with the animated show?
David Neuman: I have been a friend and informal advisor to Andy Heyward, Genius Brands’ CEO, for over a decade. Early in 2020, Andy asked me to read the pilot script for SLSK, without telling me what he thought about it. I read it and told him the script was brilliant, so fresh and funny and well written, and I have read thousands of pilot scripts in my career. It stood out as something quite special. Some time later, Andy asked me to join the company’s Kartoon Channel! as Chief Creative Officer, and asked me to oversee SLSK for the company. I started when the script came in for episode 2 in August of last year.
What do you love about the series?
I think the writing by Steven Banks is really exceptional. It operates on two levels, much like The Simpsons or SpongeBob … there are really two concurrent experiences happening, one that is delightfully sweet and accessible and funny for kids, and another that is quite witty and full of sophisticated comedic references for adults. The series breaks the fourth wall quite often, which is especially fun. It reminds me, in the best sense, of the sort of wit found in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons.
I also love Arnold Schwarzenegger, and how Steven Banks has written his character(s), Mr. Armstrong and his former superhero alter ego, Captain Fantastic. It is just impossible not to love Arnold’s character, and how he relates — often with exasperation — to the kids. You have this iconic, powerful persona whom we associate with the Terminator and Conan, and he has finally met his match: five-year olds. Anyone who has spent much time with five-year olds can relate. It’s a perfect comedic premise.
Can you talk about the visual style of the show?
Mike Maliani, who oversees all animation at Genius, chose to do the project in Flash, because of the number of locations, props, incidental characters and quick scene cuts. Flash works very well creatively for all of that. Aesthetically, to me it is reminiscent (in the best sense) of classic Hanna-Barbera. I was a big Harvey Comics fan as a kid, and there are echoes of that style in the series, too, especially with the kid characters.
Where is the animation produced and how many people work on it overall?
The animation is being done in China, and there are about 150 people there at work on it. The project is creatively overseen here in the U.S. by Genius Brand’s animation visionary and Chief Creative Officer, Mike Maliani, from his office in Washington State, and our crackerjack production manager, Heather Knott, who is in Florida.
Tell us a bit about the process of working with two icons — Arnold Schwarzenegger and Stan Lee — on this show.
Although I had the pleasure and honor of meeting Stan Lee on many occasions since 1998 (I first met him at a party with the X-Men cast and crew), I was not involved with Stan when he developed SLSK. But Andy has shared details publicly about how it came about it, as has Arnold.
This was Stan’s last idea before he passed away, Stan loved Arnold, and Stan and Arnold met to discuss and develop the idea. As a company, we now are the custodians of the Stan Lee brand, so it is a pleasure and an honor for us to see this last, wonderful idea through to fruition.
With regard to Arnold, it has been a special pleasure for me to be present (via Zoom, for COVID protocols) at every single voice recording for his character in the series. Arnold is an impeccably gracious professional. He’s friendly but also very focused. He applies total concentration and has high standards for himself.
There was a telling moment once where Arnold recorded a few takes of a line of copy that the team was struggling to get right. Finally, the director, the legendary John Landis, said after a take that that was good enough, and suggested they move on. Arnold shook his head and said, “‘Good enough’ is not what got me to where I am … let’s do it again.” He said it very politely but very firmly. And then Arnold went on to do it better, much to Landis’ delight. That taught me so much about Arnold. Like a lot of extremely successful people, he’s always pursuing excellence.
Another thing I love about Arnold is that he has a sense of humor about himself, and a sense of self-awareness. The scripts are filled with self-effacing and very funny references to his film career and his iconic celebrity status. He is perfectly happy to send up himself for a good laugh.
Lastly, Steven Banks has a lot of running humor about Arnold’s Austrian heritage. There are so many references to humorous things about Austrian culture: the foods, the clothes, the holiday traditions, the cultural legends, etc. It’s fresh territory and it’s quite funny, and there is the additional advantage that if Steven wants to write a reference to, say, vanillekipferl cookies, Arnold can say it in perfect German!
Why do you think family audiences will love this show?
There are some shows out there that kids love, but that are nails on a blackboard to parents. And then there are some these days that are really written for adults and are in fact inappropriate for kids. I think SLSK is delightful to both audiences. It plays beautifully as a very fun, funny, adventurous show for young kids, and there is a level of wit and sophisticated humor and brilliant comedy for parents. Steven Banks wrote every episode, and his writing is superb. There are big laughs in this show. Really hip and terribly funny pop culture references, very Simpsons-esque in that sense. It might be the most fun I’ve ever had covering a series, because reading every script draft was pure pleasure. (Andy Heyward, our CEO, told me the same thing.) The only problem was I tend to read scripts on my desktop Mac and more than once I did spit-takes with the coffee or tea I was drinking. Steven’s writing can catch you off guard, and then it’s a big mess of spit up liquid on my desk and electronics! As a result, I once told Steven that his scripts are actually dangerously funny.
What are some of the other exciting animated highlights we can look forward to on Kartoon Channel!?
Well, Joel Cohen — one of the writers of the original Toy Story — has written the bible and is at work on the pilot script for Shaq’s Garage. The material we’ve already received surpassed our highest hopes. Joe has such a sense of character, and what he calls the “Freuds” underneath them, that drive animated characters and give them their humanity. Joel is obviously a major talent and it’s been so much fun to read his work. He’s a writer with a special kind of vision, and heart. It was immediately apparent to me, reading his first pages, that the sensibility of Toy Story is deep inside of him. We have a couple of other exciting projects which we have not yet announced. Stay tuned!
Catch Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten and more powerfully positive kids’ shows at www.kartoonchannel.com.
Japanese animator Osamu Kobayashi, best known for his work as a director, writer and animator on international sensation Naruto Shippuden, died April 17 after a two-year battle with kidney cancer. He was 57 years old.
News of his passing was shared via his Twitter account in a first-person message that noted (in Japanese), “It is regrettable, because there are still things I wanted to do and projects I wanted to make. When I am reborn again, I will surely create some great works! Adios. The eternal 23-year old.”
Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
Kobayashi was born January 10, 1964, and began his artistic career straight after high school primarily as a designer and manga artist. He worked as a world designer on the RPG Grandia, then took a similar role on the anime OVA Blue Submarine No. 6. Operating between the videogames and animation spheres for a few years, Kobayashi soon transitioned fully into the world of anime and took on more creative responsibilities. He directed his first short, table&fishman, for Studio 4°C’s avant-garde shorts collection Digital Juice (2002). He went on to notably direct the Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad TV series and Paradise Kiss, as well as contributing to popular series Gurren Lagann, Panty & Stocking with Garteberlt, Lupin the 3rd Part IV and Dororo.
The departed will be remembered by fans for his ability to create emotional connection with characters through subtlety and easy pacing, for his contributions to Naruto Shippuden such as the “Boyhood Arc” and artistic style, while loved ones and colleagues will recall his passion for rock music and endearing personality.
An online memorial site in English has been set up for Kobayashi’s overseas fans to remember the artist. Visit it here.
Intellectual disability charity L’Arche has partnered with award-winning animation studio Tonic DNA for a new film that challenges the misconceptions surrounding Down Syndrome. Written and directed by Joe Bluhm and Michael McDonald, Freebird is the coming-of-age story of a boy with Down Syndrome who learns to navigate the world with a loving mother, an absent father, a classroom bully, and a life-long crush.
A teaser for the film debuted on March 21, World Down Syndrome Day, ahead of the full four-minute short debut this week (watch it below).
Tonic DNA was approached directly by L’Arche Canada with a script for the film. Originally intended to be a live-action short, the risk of coronavirus required the team to instead pivot the focus and ‘translate’ the script to animation. Part of L’Arche’s ‘Free to Be’ campaign, the film’s narrative was built on years of oral histories from those with Down Syndrome, highlighting moments familiar to those with the disability that are so rarely depicted on screen.
Working with actor and LGBTQ activist Nicholas Herd, who also has Down Syndrome, the team moved away from problematic notions of pity and fear that often shape public discussions, and instead recognised how the story of Down Syndrome sounds very different when actually told by someone with the disability.
With L’Arche providing animation references and real-life stories, Tonic DNA worked to find a style that would preserve the emotional and character-driven aspects of the story whilst ensuring there was no distraction from the narrative — finding strength in simplicity.
“In an industry so captivated by CG and 3D, what if we were to ‘disable’ the aesthetic to the bare minimum?” said Michael McDonald, National Communications Director at L’Arche Canada. “In our initial search for style references, we were really drawn to the minimalistic tradition of abbozzi; the preliminary sketches for great works of art. People with Down Syndrome are often treated as such, as under-developed, rough sketches of what should have been a ‘full-fledged’ human being. Could we explore that through the tradition of the rough sketch and come out on the other side with something whose beauty would be deepened by its simplicity, by the fact that it refuses the flashiness of artistic sophistication?”
McDonald added, “From our first meeting, Joe [Bluhm] has taken the animation in such incredible directions. Bodies with Down Syndrome have different proportions than those without Down Syndrome, and Joe and Tonic took the time to get these dimensions right — the gestures, the expressions, the non-normative proportions — and it was all done with such integrity. It’s one thing to dream about the perfect aesthetic to tell this story, it’s another to make a flat world feel round or to match the 42 muscles in the human face with the expressive power of a well-placed line, and yet, once Joe said ‘yes’ and Tonic sharpened their pencils, that’s exactly what they did.”
With a short timeline, the team ensured the storytelling remained evocative whilst interweaving the narrative with the film’s soundtrack, Jordan Hart’s track “Freedom,” which had been part of the process from the beginning. L’Arche too was looking for a style that reflected the core message of its activism: Why does the world assume that a disabled life is not profoundly beautiful?
“Although the timeline was challenging, the concept and narrative was amazing. I was completely moved by the script and the cause, instantly envisioning something free and loose,” noted Tonic DNA director Joe Bluhm. “Knowing that this was a robust story, with half a lifetime of narrative, we couldn’t cut out any of it, yet couldn’t build every detail of the world. Fortunately, my gut feeling was to do something that felt light, familiar, and loose enough to evoke an idea that the story is still yet to be written for many of the people that the narrative speaks to. Tightening up and constraining things is not the answer — letting things be loose and open is. So a light, slightly vintage style felt right. And letting colors flow, letting textures flow, and getting glimpses of these memories being told to the viewer through an ephemeral form seems fitting.”
Frederator Studios, a company of WOW! Unlimited Media Inc. announces Season 4 of its popular animated show, Castlevania. The highly anticipated 10-episode finale series premieres May 13 on Netflix.
Castlevania was the first original anime series to debut on Netflix in July 2017. Based on a beloved Konami video game, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, the show quickly garnered a huge fan base. Its second season scored a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an IGN award in 2018 for Best Animated Series, calling it the ‘gold standard’ for video game adaptations.
“As the first hit franchise under the WOW! umbrella, we are proud to have brought Castlevania to Netflix audiences worldwide,” says Frederator and WOW! CEO Michael Hirsh. “Season 4 is the perfect culmination of a storyline that has captured the loyalty and imagination of such a huge fanbase; we look forward to continuing to bring our portfolio of popular franchises to audiences around the globe.”
Frederator Studios’ portfolio of well-known properties include the TikTok phenomenon Catbug, a new original show based on Gail Carriger’s New York Times best-selling book series Parasol Protectorate, a new children’s series based on the award-winning hit show Maggie and the Ferocious Beast, and the smash hit Bee and Puppycat, appearing on Netflix in early 2022.
Watch Castlevania on Netflix. Learn more about the studio at frederator.com.
Beginning this May, fans of both comic books and animation will experience all-new stories set in the world of the iconic DC Animated series Justice League Unlimited as DC presents an all-new DC Digital First comics series, Justice League Infinity.
This seven-issue limited series is co-written by Justice League Unlimited producer James Tucker and series writer J.M. DeMatteis, with art by Ethen Beavers.
Justice League Infinity stars all of the fan-favorite characters from the revered series — Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern John Stewart, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter — banding together to face new dangers that not only threaten Earth, but the multiverse itself. These new stories will also give Tucker, DeMatteis and Beavers the chance to incorporate a host of new characters from across the DC Multiverse when bringing these animated heroes and villains to comics.
Justice League Infinity
In the debut issue, there is a being wandering the universe searching for its true purpose, but what it finds out on the farthest edges of the cosmos will change not just our universe, but many! Meanwhile, the war for the throne of Apokolips arrives on Earth, and the true ruler will only be decided one way: Who can destroy the Justice League?
The first digital chapter of this series arrives on participating digital platforms on Thursday, May 13, priced at $1.99. The 20-page print issue hits comic-book stores on Tuesday, July 7.
The issue #1 main cover is provided by Francis Manapul with a card stock variant cover created by Scott Hepburn (check local comic-book stores for availability). Each 20-page issue sells for $3.99, with the card stock variant cover selling for $4.99 (variant covers for issue #1 only, check with your local comic-book store for availability).
The RealTime Conference (RTC) announced the lineup of its Spring event, featuring three 16-hour days packed full of live presentations, discussions, interviews and real-time live demos. Running April 26-28, the virtual event brings together some of the leading voices from a diverse set of industries, all united with a common goal: finding ways to take advantage of real-time technology.
The three-day event contains 100 sessions spread across 19 separate tracks, with each track focusing on a different industry or topic. The event includes more than 150 speakers from some of the world’s most innovative companies, such as Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Accenture, Chaos Group, Digital Domain, disguise, NantStudios, DNEG, Facebook Reality Labs, Foundry, Framestore, HP, HTC, Intel Sports, Khronos Group, Lucid Motors, Lux Machina, Meow Wolf, NVIDIA, Pixomondo, Renault-Mitsubishi-Nissan, Soul Machines, The Third Floor, Varjo, Visual Effects Society (VES), Volvo Cars, Volkswagen, Weta Digital and many others who are creating the Metaverse in real-time.
Featured tracks include:
How Real-Time Is Transforming Animation
Virtual Production
XR & Live Broadcast Shows
Cloud/Pixel Streaming in Real-Time
Collaborative Design in the Metaverse
Digital Humans/Virtual Agents
Education/Recruiting & Training Challenges
The Impact of Real-Time on Health
Inspiring Architects
Real-Time Technology in Sports
Retail & 3D Commerce
In keeping with the event’s theme, “The Rise of the Metaverse – Merging Physical and Digital Worlds,” sessions will touch on the growth of collective shared spaces, including a look at the tools that are making it possible for people to collaborate on projects virtually, in real-time, from anywhere in the world. Experts will also offer practical advice on how to take advantage of real-time tools, discuss how companies and individuals have adapted to the pandemic and offer a look at the future of multiple industries through live presentations and demos, from the people that are helping to shape it.
Live demos include:
“Remote Collaboration with NVIDIA Omniverse and HP ZCentral” – Jeff Kember, global developer relations director for Omniverse platform, Nvidia; Joshua St. John, head of creators, global product planning & industry strategy, HP
“The Impact of MetaHuman Creator on Virtual Production, Storytelling & Prototyping” – Mike Seymour, lecturer, researcher digital humans & writer, MOTUS Lab | co-founder, fxguide; Panelists: Kim Libreri, CTO, Epic Games; Vladimir Mastilović, Founder, 3Lateral | VP of digital humans technology, Epic Games; Matt Workman, game developer, Cine Tracer
“Reimagine Storytelling” – Ed Plowman, CTO, disguise; Tom Rockhill, chief commercial officer, disguise
“Talking to Douglas – The Challenges in Creating an Autonomous Digital Human” – Matthias Wittmann, VFX supervisor, Digital Domain
“The New Dimension – Real-Time Volumetric Video” – Hayes Mackaman, CEO, 8i
“Creating a Custom Retail Virtual Showroom in Under 10 Minutes with Metaverse Engine” – Alan Smithson, co-founder, MetaVRse
“Urban Projects Experiences from the Cloud” –Teïlo François, director of innovation, partner, Vectuel; Christophe Robert, co-founder, Furioos
“Value of Values, Transactional Art on the Blockchain Giving Shape to Human Values. Real-Time Short Cut from the Brain to the Blockchain” – Prof. Maurice Benayoun, Founder, Neuro design lab, School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong
The Rise of the Metaverse
While all speakers will appear virtually from locations around the world, the event will be hosted live from Los Angeles at NantStudios‘ Innovation Campus. Leveraging NantStudios’ virtual production workflow, including LED walls and Unreal Engine, RTC’s founder Jean-Michel Blottière will introduce sessions, deliver daily addresses and conduct panels and discussions all from a virtual stage.
“Real-time technology has the ability to change the world for the better, but there are still walls dividing many of the industries that could be sharing their experience and techniques to benefit everyone,” said Blottière. “RTC was created to break down those walls and bring people together, and give attendees an advantage. And with thousands of people registered from around the world, the community forming around the event will continue to share and interact long after the last session has ended.”
Featured speakers include:
Jeff Burke – Professor and associate dean, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
David Conley – Executive VFX producer, Weta Digital
Alex Coulombe – Creative director, Agile Lens
Bill Desowitz – Crafts & animation editor, IndieWire
Paul Franklin – Co-founder of Double Negative and creative director, DNEG
Evan Goldberg – Manager, technology innovation research, The Walt Disney Studios
Vince Kadlubek – Founder & director, Meow Wolf
Connie Kennedy – Head of LA Lab, Epic Games
Rob Legato – President, KTM Productions
Kim Libreri – CTO, Epic Games
Matt Madden – Director of virtual production, Epic Games
Gary Marshall – Director of virtual production, NantStudios
Alex McDowell – Co-Founder/creative director, Experimental Design
Chris Nichols – Director, Chaos Group Labs | Host, CG Garage Podcast
Patrick Osborne – Animator & director, Nexus Studios
Frank Patterson – President & CEO – Trilith Studios
Marc Petit – VP and general manager of Unreal Engine, Epic Games
David Prescott – Senior vice president of creative production, DNEG Animation
“While many of our sessions focus on how people take advantage of real-time technologies, the RealTime Conference is an event where people can get a glimpse of the future,” said Manny Francisco, CTO of RTC. “Our roster brings together respected industry speakers and rising innovators in our community.”
Following its Spring event, RTC will return November 15-17 with a second virtual event featuring an all-new lineup. The fall event will be followed by the first “RealTime Innovation Awards,” held on Thursday, November 18. Winners will be selected by the RTC community.
Registration is open for the virtual spring conference (April 26-28). More information at realtimeconference.com.
As Wolfwalkers leads director Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea, The Secret of Kells) into his third Best Animated Feature Oscar race, the gears keep turning on his next intriguing indie project: The Inventor. As previously revealed, Moore will be directing hand-drawn 2D animated sequences for the Leonardo da Vinci pic, which will mesh with stop-motion puppetry sequences by Disney/Pixar veteran Jim Capobianco, the film’s overall writer/director/producer.
“Tomm and I have been looking to work together ever since The Secret of Kells and my short film Leonardo played together at film festivals,” Capobianco told Deadline. “It is only fitting to collaborate on The Inventor, a film that combines both puppet animation and 2D drawn animation, and will require an exceptional talent like Tomm. The grand vision being to make an animated film as if it were helmed by Leonardo da Vinci himself.”
The Inventor is in preproduction, aiming for a 2023 release. The project has already signed on a stellar voice cast, including Stephen Fry as da Vinci, Daisy Ridley as Princess Marguerite, Marion Cotillard and Matt Berry.
Synopsis: In 1516, rather than paint “pretty” pictures for the Pope, the insatiably curious Leonardo da Vinci is instead searching for the meaning of life itself. This deadly heresy forces Leo to flee Italy with his apprentices and arrive at the court of Francis I, where he proposes to create the “Ideal City”. A city designed to benefit people not control them. However, Leonardo finds his new radical ideas do not please the King’s Mother nor do his endeavors serve the king’s ambitions for power. It is only in the enterprising princess, Marguerite, that Leonardo sees hope for the future. It is with her help that he finds the answer to the ultimate question: “What is the meaning of it all?”
Capobianco’s credits include The Lion King, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Inside Out, Finding Dory and Mary Poppins Returns. He received an Oscar nomination for writing Ratatouille. With Capobianco and Moore, The Inventor‘s creative time includes director of photography Peter Sorg (Frankenweenie, Coraline) and composer Alex Mandel (Brave).
Robert Rippberger is producing alongside Capobianco. Executive producers are Oscar-winning Disney veteran Don Hahn, Ilan Urroz, Ellen Byrne, Vince McCarthy, Kat Alioshin, StéphanRoelants, Carmella Casinelli,Jeremy Walton, David Lyons, Ryan Clarkson, Eric Vonfeldt, Lorenz Evans, Steve Muench and Sita Saviolo. The Inventor is a co-production of French studio Folioscope (The Tower), Luxembourg’s Melusine Productions, Ireland’s Curiosity Studio and Leo & King in the U.S.
The Inventor‘s initial Kickstarter campaign doubled its $50,000 goal in just 30 days; the full production budget is pegged at $10 million. Mk2 Films in France is handling international sales. The Exchange, which previously handled ShadowMachine stop-motion feature Hell and Back, is on board for U.S. rights.
Follow the film’s progress at www.theinventorfilm.com.
In the new episode of Disney Channel’s hit animated comedy this weekend, Anne (voiced by Brenda Song), Marcy (Haley Tju) and Sasha (Anna Akana) get down and rock out for a Battle of the Bands — Amphibiastyle! Two-parter “The Dinner/Battle of the Bands” premieres Saturday, April 24 at 9:30 a.m. EDT.
“After being split up for months, Anne, Sasha and Marcy are finally back together again! We wanted an episode that would allow them to have some fun as a group while also emphasizing how much their adventures have changed them as individuals,” said series creator Matt Braly. “To make things even more interesting, they are entering a ‘battle of the bands’ competition together. Performing onstage requires a lot of teamwork so this will be a big test for all three girls.”
In the exclusive clip below, the challenge of working together comes to the surface as Anne works up the courage to share a song she’s written with the band, only for Sasha to insist on “fixing” it.
Asked about having the three friends sing together for the first time in this episode, Braly noted, “It was very sweet and a good encapsulation of where the characters are emotionally at this point in the season. The episode ‘Battle of the Bands’ is ultimately a story about support, and I think you can feel that emanating from the final performance. Both songs featured in the episode (‘Heartstomper’ and ‘No Big Deal’) are total earworms and I hope people enjoy listening to them on repeat like I do.”
In fact, fans can angle for these earworms ahead of the episode premiere as the digital EP Battle of the Bands (Amphibia) debuts today (Friday, April 23) on Walt Disney Records!
Amphibia is a frog-out-of-water animated comedy series that chronicles the adventures of 13-year-old Anne Boonchuy, who is magically transported to the fantastical world of Amphibia, a rural marshland full of frog-people. There she meets an excitable young frog named Sprig Plantar (Justin Felbinger), his unpredictable sister Polly (Amanda Leighton) and overprotective grandpa Hop Pop (Bill Farmer).
In season 2, Anne and the Plantars are on a quest to unlock the mysteries of the music box as they leave the cozy confines of Wartwood for the distant city of Newtopia. On their journey, they will visit exotic new locations, uncover hidden secrets and experience unexpected reunions as they continue to search for a way to get Anne home. Read more about Braly’s approach to the second season in Animag‘s interview here.
The series was renewed for a third season last June, ahead of the S2 premiere.
Created and executive-produced by Annie Award-winner Matt Braly (Gravity Falls, Big City Greens), Amphibia is inspired by his heritage, family and childhood trips to Bangkok, Thailand. The series is a production of Disney Television Animation.
In a move to solidify its leadership in adult animation, WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group announced today it has united the Adult Swim and HBO Max adult animation development teams under the leadership of Suzanna Makkos in her newly expanded role as Executive Vice President of Original Comedy & Adult Animation for both brands.
Makkos will continue to report to Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max Head of Original Content, and also now report into Michael Ouweleen, President of Adult Swim, on all content developed for Adult Swim on all platforms. Adult Swim’s development team, led by Walter Newman, will now report into Makkos, creating more synergy, expertise and influence as a combined adult animation team.
“The adult animation boom is just starting, and by aligning our strengths and organizing as one, unified, best in class development team we are creating an unmatched, multiplatform destination for both creators and fans,” said Aubrey. “Adult Swim has created an iconoclastic adult animation brand, and that identity will not only be preserved, it will now be further fueled by HBO Max and Suzanna’s talented development leadership.”
“Adult Swim has been the #1 destination for young adult audiences for more than 15 years and now merging the two best development teams in this business puts Adult Swim at the heart of our company’s future and further strengthens WarnerMedia as the global leader in adult animation,” said Ouweleen. “Walter and the Adult Swim team’s genre defining work, now under Suzanna’s seasoned expertise, will propel Adult Swim’s development process as we continue to push new boundaries and reach new audiences.”
Launched in 2001, Adult Swim is the leader in adult animation with Emmy Award-winning series such as global phenomenon Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal, as well as fan favorites Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Venture Bros., Metalocalypse, Final Space, YOLO: Crystal Fantasy and more. Toonami, Adult Swim’s popular weekly anime programming block, features the best of the genre and produces originals such as FLCL, Uzumaki, Shenmue, Fena: Pirate Princess and the highly anticipated upcoming Blade Runner: Black Lotus.
“It is a true honor to become a steward of this cherished brand. I have long admired Adult Swim’s dedication to animation’s potential for storytelling and to creating truly original content that puts the fans first,” said Makkos. “I am excited to work with Walter and his talented team as we enter the next chapter!”
In February, HBO Max announced orders for three new adult animated series including the Scooby-Doo spin-off Velma, a reboot of the vintage MTV show Clone High and Fired On Mars, a new workplace comedy. They have also recently renewed Close Enough by J.G. Quintel for two additional seasons, which will join previously announced series Harley Quinn, The Prince, Santa Inc., 10-Year-Old-Tom and the reboot of the Peabody Award-winning series The Boondocks, which originally premiered on Adult Swim.
Prior to joining WarnerMedia in 2019, Makkos spent 20 years at Fox Broadcasting, where she was most recently EVP of Comedy Programming & Development, running the network’s comedy department. She oversaw such series as Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, The Last Man on Earth and The Mindy Project, as well as animated hits Bob’s Burgers, Great North, Son of Zorn, Duncanville and Bordertown.
The Tribeca Film Festival has unveiled its 2021 shorts lineup, featuring 46 films from 20 countries screening alongside live performances by Blondie and Third Eye Blind’s Stephen Jenkins, plus curated Juneteenth programming. Running June 9-20, this year’s program will present short films that broaden perspectives and spark conversations, while highlighting the tenacity and creativity of storytellers from around the world.
“As we curated these in-person programs, we thought a great deal about the challenges of the past year and what our audience has been missing; travel, music, dance, and fun,” said Sharon Badal, Vice President of Filmmaker Relations and Shorts Programming. “Our programs are lighter, brighter and inspiring. They introduce unique new voices to our audience.”
Ashes
Some highlights of the 2021 animation program curated by Whoopi Goldberg will be the world premiere of several intriguing new projects: Polish student film Ashes; Blush, the first short from the partnership of Apple Original Films and Skydance Animation; Dirty Little Secret, the song-story of the Tulsa Massacre; Death and the Lady by Geoff Bailey and Lucy Struever; and pandemic tale There Are Bunnies on Fire in the Forest. The full presentation of “imaginative storytelling and captivating craft” includes:
Try to Fly, directed and produced by The Affolter Brothers, written by Simone Swan, The Affolter Brothers. (Canada) – New York Premiere. When a baby owl is pushed from her nest, her anxiety and self-doubt triggers an existential crisis as her hypothetical future life flashes before her eyes. With Simone Swan.
Navozande, the musician (Navozande, le musicien), directed and written by Reza Riahi. Produced by Eleanor Coleman, Stéphanie Carreras, Philippe Pujo. (France) – New York Premiere. At the time of the attack of the Mongols, a young musician and the love of his life are separated from each other. In French with English subtitles.
Navozande, the musician (Navozande, le musicien)
Ashes (Popioły), directed and written by Joanna Dudek. Produced by Agata Golańska (The Polish National Film School in Lodz, Poland) – World Premiere. Letters from her husband are bringing Danuta (voiced by Helena Norowicz) back to the feelings she once had for him, and she finds herself reliving her youth. In Polish with English subtitles.
Dirty Little Secret, directed by Jeff Scher, written by Graham Nash. Produced by Bonnie Siegler. (United States) – World Premiere. The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 is retold in song and animation.
Death and the Lady, directed, written and produced by Geoff Bailey, Lucy Struever. (United States) – World Premiere. On a dark and stormy night, Death pays a visit to a very old lady and her dog. In French with English subtitles.
Leaf Boat
Leaf Boat (Cwch Deilen), directed and written by Efa Blosse-Mason. Produced by Amy Morris. (Wales) – New York Premiere. Love can be scary, but it can also be life’s greatest adventure. With 2D animation, Leaf Boat explores what it’s like to let go and fall in love. With Sara Gregory, Catrin Stewart. In Welsh with English subtitles.
There Are Bunnies on Fire in the Forest, directed and written by JLee MacKenzie. Produced by Mireia Vilanova. (United States) – World Premiere. A young girl (Revyn Lowe) gets in big trouble for kissing her friend (C. Craig Patterson) on the cheek at school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blush, directed and written by Joe Mateo. Produced by Heather Schmidt Feng Yanu. (United States) – World Premiere. Blush follows an astronaut’s journey after he crashes on a desolate planet. When a visitor arrives, the traveler discovers a new life and realizes the universe has delivered astonishing salvation.
There Are Bunnies on Fire in the Forest
Outside the dedicated animation track, Procter & Gamble once again comes together with Tribeca Studios and its partners to give a platform to Black creators in “Widen the Screen.” This year, the festival will debut eight original films from Black creatives and filmmakers, including four documentaries from the Queen Collective (returning for the third year) and four 8:46 Films, a program that is new to the festival for 2021.
One of the 8:46 Films, named for the length of time it took for George Floyd to lose his life and aiming to reclaim the story to build a legacy of hope, is She Dreams at Sunrise by U.S. filmmaker Camrus Johnson (Grab My Hand: A Letter to My Dad). Making its World Premiere, the heartwarming animated film is centered on a 70-year-old woman with meningitis who lives between her dream world and reality, while her great nephew and caretaker helps mend the past. The film is produced by Moon Jelly Pictures and Double Plus Productions.
The 93rd Oscars will be held this Sunday, April 25 at 5 p.m. PT / 8 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC from L.A.’s Union Station and the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is partnering with Facebook for an interactive, real-time virtual experience across multiple platforms, giving viewers an opportunity to engage with creators and fellow fans, watch live interviews with Oscar winners, and get an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes of this year’s show.
Performers will include Celeste, H.E.R., Leslie Odom, Jr., Laura Pausini, Daniel Pemberton, Molly Sandén and Diane Warren — who will tackle the five nominated original songs in their entirety for the lead-in event “Oscars: Into the Spotlight,” hosted by Ariana DeBose and Lil Rel Howery, with a special appearance by DJ Tara. The ceremony show’s ensemble cast features Riz Ahmed, Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Bong Joon Ho, Don Cheadle, Bryan Cranston, Laura Dern, Harrison Ford, Regina King, Marlee Matlin, Rita Moreno, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Renée Zellweger and Zendaya.
Animag readers (and staff!) will be waiting for the crowning of this year’s animated feature, animated short and visual effects Oscar winners…
While many film biz pundits are predicting that Pete Docter and Kemp Powers’ Soul will score an 11th category victory out of 15 nominations for Pixar Animation Studios (which will make 14 victories out of 26 nominations for the combined Disney-Pixar dynasty in the category’s 20 years of existence). However, the critically acclaimed pack of Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s gorgeous, hand-drawn Wolfwalkers could give the jazzy CGI awards season favorite a run for its money. Wolfwalkers hails from Cartoon Saloon, which has scored Best Animated Feature nominations from the Academy for all four of its movies to date, but has yet to take home the statuette.
Soul, which is also the sole animated nominee in the Original Score and Best Sound categories, has already captured the animated feature honors at the Golden Globes, PGAs, BAFTAs, Critics Choice Super Awards, last weekend’s Annie Awards (with six additional wins) and many others.
Wolfwalkers has been on the Pixar hit’s tail throughout awards season as another of the year’s almost guaranteed animated feature nominees. The Irish folklore-inspired adventure was a contender at all the major ceremonies mentioned above and has picked up numerous accolades from critics associations across the country and abroad. The film won five Annie Awards, including Best Indie Feature, and has been honored by AFI Fest, the National Board of Review and more since its premiere at the Toronto Int’l Film Festival last year.
Despite COVID theater closures, 2020 was still a strong year for creative, finely crafted and thoroughly enjoyable animated features. The category’s worthy list of contenders is filled out by Dan Scanlon’s personal and heartfelt Onward (Disney-Pixar), Oscar winner Glen Keane’s eye-catching feature directorial debut Over the Moon (Netflix, Pearl Studio) and Aardman’s close encounter comedy A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, from Will Becher and Richard Phelan.
If you’ve missed any of our previous coverage on the making of this year’s animation and visual effects nominees, or if you just want a refresher before you fill out your 2021 Oscar ballots (find one in the May ’21 issue of Animation Magazine, No. 310, available now), click through. The nominees are:
Greyscalegorilla, the leader in providing professional training and tools to help motion designers and 3D artists, announces the launch of Greyscalegorilla Plus. The new cloud-based subscription service leverages Greyscalegorilla’s long-standing reputation for technical and creative innovation by giving subscribers streamlined access to its entire online library of award-winning plugins, hand-crafted materials and textures, HDRIs and professional training from top industry artists.
Compatible with leading 3D software applications such as Maxon Cinema 4D and popular render engines including Redshift by Maxon, OTOY Octane and Autodesk Arnold, the extensive collection of Greyscalegorilla Plus assets are relied upon by the world’s top artists and studios to meet real-world production needs and expand career skill sets.
The introduction of Greyscalegorilla Plus reflects a strategic refocus allowing Greyscalegorilla to quickly develop new 3D production-ready tools that will be added regularly into the platform’s ever-expanding library of time-saving resources. Plus subscribers have unlimited access to frequent product updates that are automatically downloaded into their account HUB.
According to Greyscalegorilla Founder and CEO Nick Campbell, the demand for reliable, high-quality 3D content and resources that engage audiences continues to expand exponentially, whether for use in commercial or personal projects, cryptoart NFTs, social media videos, high-end VFX, broadcast motion graphics, commercials, game cinematics, live events, architectural and product visualization and more.
“Our mission at Greyscalegorilla is to help 3D artists achieve their best work,” Campbell says. “As technology and innovation continue to define the direction of 3D motion graphics and design, Greyscalegorilla Plus is the next-generation platform that builds on our collective years of experience as professional 3D artists, educators and developers to bring ongoing value to our customers. The Plus subscription membership supports artists at any level to create realistic renders faster, focus on craftsmanship, and obtain training from industry pros to future-proof their creative experiences.”
Chad Ashley, Creative Director at Greyscalegorilla, adds, “We designed Greyscalegorilla Plus with the professional in mind. Whether artists are searching for materials, HDRIs, textures in our library, or looking for a plugin to tackle a challenging brief, Plus has them covered. And it’s all right at their fingertips. Add in Plus’ vast amount of training and you have the ultimate creative subscription.”
Paul Babb, Global Head of Marketing at Maxon, notes that for more than a decade, the Greyscalegorilla team has been the first stop for essential resources and training for new and seasoned Cinema 4D users: “Their new Greyscalegorilla Plus subscription product delivers incredible value – must-have plugins, exceptional materials and assets, and pro training – to help 3D artists get the most out of C4D.”
Wanda Meloni, President and Senior Analyst, at M2 Insights, adds, “For the past 10 years the Greyscalegorilla team has trailblazed accessible online learning experiences. The market for content creation, digital storytelling and 3D graphics has never been more in demand. The Greyscalegorilla Plus platform will serve professionals and beginners alike with the latest tools and design techniques to further their artistic and technical skills.”
Greyscalegorilla Plus was originally introduced in 2019 as an all-in-one training platform that steadily evolved to offer Greyscalegorilla’s acclaimed collection of 3D software textures and materials. In August 2020, in response to shifting customer preferences, the Greyscalegorilla team began providing its members with award-winning Cinema 4D plug-ins. With today’s announcement, Greyscalegorilla Plus is now a subscription-only model that includes all the products the company develops and sells.
The Greyscalegorilla Plus platform delivers Cinema 4D artists a wide variety of up-to-date tools and resources. Membership includes access to:
Materials and texture libraries: more than 1,400 handcrafted, hi-res Cinema 4D assets, and access to 500+ HDRIs for 3D.
Cinema 4D Plugins: Trusted by professional artists, studios and major corporations, Greyscalegorilla plug-ins provide comprehensive lighting, animation and photo realistic rendering capabilities.
Gorilla U: 500+ hours of expert training on leading 3D toolsets and renderers including Cinema 4D, Redshift, Octane, Arnold and Houdini. Courses and tutorials cater to common themes: topography, car rendering, product visualization, lighting, etc., and are available online 24/7.
New, exclusive tutorials and materials added regularly to the Greyscalegorilla Plus library.
A complete list of Greyscalegorilla Plus offerings is available here.
Greyscalegorilla Plus membership is available directly from Greyscalegorilla. Subscription pricing is offered at $49 a month or $399 for annual. The subscription includes over $8,000 of 3D training, the largest and highest quality Cinema 4D materials and tools and immediate access to new resources from Greyscalegorilla released directly into member accounts. Greyscalegorilla Plus Educational Licenses are available for students and teachers, and Greyscalegorilla for Teams volume licenses are offered to studio teams of three or more, on a “floating” license basis. Pricing information available here.
