Animation Magazine

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  • APD Explores Future Animated Perspectives; FMX Adds ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ ‘WandaVision’ Sessions

    APD Explores Future Animated Perspectives; FMX Adds ‘Godzilla vs. Kong,’ ‘WandaVision’ Sessions

    The all-online Animation Productions Days conference / co-production & financing market is taking shape, with plans to look at how the animation industry has weathered the past year and explore the future perspectives and trends that are emerging for the post-crisis period. APD 2021 will be held virtually May 4-7, presented by the Int’l Festival of Animated Film in Stuttgart and FMX Conference (www.animationproductiondays.de).

    The first section of the conference, “Enable! Case Studies and Market Trends,” will be hosted by APD curator Prof. Lilian Klages and streamed from 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 6 from the FMX studio in Ludwigsburg. In the first case study, Ainbo – Spirit of the Amazon, Edward Noeltner from the Cinema Management Group will look at the very exciting and innovative animation market in Latin America and use the example of the Peruvian-Dutch coproduction of Ainbo to reveal possibilities for European-Latin American cooperation. The second case study will explore the future of transmedia storytelling as a team of students from the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg present NeoShin, their cyberpunk project which combines a narrative series with music and new media to deliver a coherent transmedia experience.

    Neoshin
    Neoshin

    The Content Briefing Session will be streamed from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 7 from the ITFS studio. APD curator Christophe Erbès will interview four representatives from major broadcasters and streaming platforms about their current animation programming needs: Janine Weigold, Manager of Kids & Family Original Content at Netflix; Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children’s & Education at the BBC; Orion Ross, Vice President of Content Animation & Digital at The Walt Disney Company – EMEA; and Jens Ripke, Head of Fiction for Children & Youth at ZDF. A subsequent joint panel discussion will look at which animation content is currently in demand and will also explore whether and in what way the pandemic has had an impact on programming strategies and what this means for the animation industry.

    APD participants can access the streams via the APD online platform. In addition, the conference will be included in the ONLINE PRO area of ​​ITFS and its first section will be part of the FMX online program.

    More than 160 participants from 25 countries have been accredited for the APD co-production and financing market. From May 4-7, they will be discussing 51 selected animation projects in pre-planned video meetings. Check out all of the selected projects online and see the list of accredited companies for APD here. Alongside the co-production and financing market and the APD conference, there will be additional digital networking opportunities to facilitate industry-specific exchanges and discussions.

    Godzilla vs. Kong
    Godzilla vs. Kong

    In further news from Stuttgart, FMX‘s (www.fmx.de) schedule for May 4-6 is almost complete — once again bringing together the who’s who of the digital arts industry for enlightening, not-to-be-missed programs. Among the many highlights are presentations on the visual effect spectacle Godzilla vs. Kong and insights into the VFX of WandaVision shown exclusively at FMX 2021. This year’s show also spotlights the power of collaboration in our current reality and future.

    FMX 2021 will present three sessions tackling the visual effects extravaganza that is Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong, which is proving a monster smash in cinemas around the world.

    • MPC Film‘s VFX team will pull back the curtain on the visual effects and animation work behind one of GvK‘s most monstrously epic scenes on May 4 at 4:30 p.m. CET. MPC VFX Supervisor Pier Lefebvre-Cleroux, Animation Supervisor Michael Langford and Lead Animator Lucas Nunes will reveal the creative and technical challenges behind the latest chapter in the monsterverse.
    • Scanline VFX presents “Creating a monster mash on the ocean for Godzilla vs. Kong“ on May 5 at 4:30 p.m. CET. VFX Supervisor Bryan Hirota will walk viewers through the design and creation process for Kong, highlighting developments in their creature pipeline that enabled Scanline to bring him to life and the range of emotional states he cycles through. He will also discuss how Scanline created the ocean battle between Godzilla and Kong and the sheer amount of effects and destruction simulation work that went into the sequence, all while taking the creatures’ scale in and on the water into account.
    • The third presentation on Godzilla vs. Kong will be made by Weta Digital. Details are yet to be announced.
    WandaVision
    WandaVision

    “A Vision Like You’ve Never Seen (and the VFX most people still don’t)” will look at the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe sensation, the television miniseries WandaVision. The presentation is exclusively made for FMX 2021 and will only be streamed once at the scheduled time: May 5 at 6 p.m. CET.

    • The best visual effects are the ones that go unnoticed. On WandaVision, the VFX studio Monsters Aliens Robots Zombies (MARZ) was responsible for creating the photoreal VFX behind one of Marvel’s most iconic characters – a cape-clad human-like red android with the power of flight and a yellow gem embedded in his forehead. The cape. The smooth face panels. The comedic expressions. The makeup, tracking markers and greenscreens. MARZ VFX Supervisor Ryan Freer will break down the challenges and techniques behind perfecting Vision as he passes from decade to decade on Marvel’s first Disney+ series.
    The Mitchells vs. The Machines
    The Mitchells vs. The Machines

    FMX 2021 will also shine a light on the vital importance of collaboration, teamwork and adapting to change in any audiovisual production — made all the clearer by the past year’s unexpected challenges. Imke Fehrmann, COO and Executive Producer of Akkord Film Produktion, curated a track that explores the power of collaboration now and in the future:

    • The panel “Virtual Production – Game Changer in Animation & VFX?” moderated by Jinko Gotoh (Producer, Netflix), will discuss the advantages, challenges and blue sky of the future of virtual production techniques. Speakers include Eve Roth (Lead Technical Artist, Parallux), Pepe Valencia (Visualization Supervisor, BARABOOM! Studios) and Lyndon Barrois (Animation Director and Video Artist).
    • A presentation looks at the long and successful history of Sony Pictures Animation (SPA) and Sony Pictures Imageworks (SPI), making movies together that are as varied as they are beautiful. Join SPA’s Head of Production Pam Marsden and SPI’s Executive Vice President Michelle Grady for a deep dive into this unique partnership, why it works and how they work together to create iconic films including the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and their latest production, the visually ground-breaking action comedy The Mitchells vs. The Machines.
    • Starting a new job, meeting the team, finding your feet in a new role – an exciting and often equally daunting experience for the new starter, regardless of experience level. In 2020, remote working and virtual teams made this even more difficult, both for the new employee as well as for the company and managers. The panel “Team Building, Onboarding & Culture – Not Only a Challenge in the Virtual Workplace” explores opportunities and ideas for our current situation and the future of teams. Panelists include Tara Kemes (Studio General Manager, Cinesite), Natasia Schumacher (Head of Operations, Method Studios) and Paulene Hamilton (Head of People and Talent, Blue Zoo Animation Studio).
  • Maxon Unveils New Look & Product Updates

    Maxon Unveils New Look & Product Updates

    In a big day for German-based software giant Maxon, the company announced updates to Cinema 4D, Redshift for macOS, Moves by Maxon and a first refresh of its corporate identity in 20 years. Tuesday saw the kickoff of the three-day virtual 3D Motion Show, featuring exclusive presentations from industry-leading artists. (3DMotionShow.com)

    Cinema 4D
    Cinema 4D

    In Cinema 4D S24, users can easily browse and obtain models, materials and other assets and intuitively place them within the scene with intuitive tools and a new asset browser. The presentation also spotlighted key character animation workflow enhancements and a sneak peek at ongoing progress on Scene Nodes and Scene Manager.

    “S24 showcases what Maxon always strives to offer our subscribers — exceptional and innovative workflow matched with leading-edge core technology,” said Dave McGavran, Maxon CEO. “The new Asset Browser in combination with the Placement Tools provides a playful workflow that empowers creativity. And the advancements to the node-based system offers glimpses into the powerful and promising future of Cinema 4D.”

    Redshift
    Redshift

    Available immediately, Redshift for macOS brings cutting-edge cinematic rendering to Mac artists, with support for M1-powered Macs as well as Apple’s Metal Graphics API. Native support for M1-powered Macs means substantial efficiency improvements to workflows, since the integrated graphics in M1 provide a huge increase in graphics performance combined with low power consumption

    “We’re seeing some crazy results when rendering with Redshift on Mac Pro,” noted James Rodgers, director at U.K.-based Lunar Animation. “A typical frame from the very effects-heavy game cinematic we created for Mythic Legends, an action-packed strategy mobile game by Outfit7, previously took 26 minutes to render per frame. Now it’s rendering in only 58 seconds!”

    Moves by Maxon
    Moves by Maxon

    Motion-capture solution Moves by Maxon got an update for iOS devices. The tool capitalizes on the Apple AR-Toolkit, enabling users to capture facial and whole body movement and bring the data into Cinema 4D with limited technical effort. Users no longer need to scan a QR code or manually configure the IP address of the machine running C4D, as connection has been streamlined through automatic network discovery. Updates also include optimizations for stability and ease of use.

    And, after more than two decades, Maxon unveiled a new corporate identity — putting a finishing touch on its growth and evolution over the last few years, following the completed unification of the company in 2018, the acquisition of Redshift in 2019 and the merger with Red Giant in 2020. Senior Brand Manager Leo Hageman designed the logo under the direction of Maxon’s executive team. “We wanted something modern, a stand-alone mark that suggested both dimensionality and unification,” Hageman explained.

    Toronto-based animation and design studio Tendril brought the new logo to life in a 15-second animation, as well as a shorter, 3-second version. Relying primarily on Cinema 4D and Redshift, Tendril created several different animations of the cube coming together in various ways. “It’s always hard to represent a 2D logo in a three-dimensional world, so we explored that a lot with Maxon to make sure we were representing the logo in the correct way,” said Tendril Art Director Rita Louro.

    Maxon – Unite from Maxon on Vimeo.

  • Spring Titles Bloom Across Platforms for Anime Day!

    Spring Titles Bloom Across Platforms for Anime Day!

    With Thursday marking Anime Day 2021 (April 15), leading streamers of the beloved animated genre are planting bountiful spring crops of new dubbed and subtitled titles for audiences around the world to enjoy.

    Crunchyroll (crunchyroll.com) has added to its international spring slate of dubs heading to the platform this season, including the highly-anticipated Tokyo Revengers, thought-provoking To Your Eternity and ongoing Crunchyroll Original series So I’m a Spider, So What? Fans won’t want to miss:

    • Tokyo Revengers will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. In this dramatic action series, the pathetic Takemichi is given a do-over from life, where he learns to stop apologizing, and start fighting to save the people he cares for most — no matter the odds.
    • To Your Eternity will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. In this anime from the author of A Silent Voice, a pair sets off on an adventure to learn what it truly means to be human.
    • Welcome to Demon School Iruma Kun Season 2 will follow Iruma and his devilish classmates as they continue their lessons in the dark arts. The dubbed series will be available in English.
    • I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years will be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German. The upcoming comedic series follows a witch that gains power after killing slimes for 300 years finds herself in various curious adventures.
    • So I’m a Spider, So What? will continue to be available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and German and will follow the journey of one high school girl who is reborn into an itsy bitsy spider and uses her positivity to survive as one of the lowest-ranked beasts!
    • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 1 and all five OVAs will be available in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Rimuru returns to protect his friends and the Jura Tempest Federation.
    • Re:ZERO − Starting Life in Another World Season 2 as well as OVAs Memory Snow and The Frozen Bond will be available in Spanish and Portuguese. Unbreakable bonds, tragedy, and love take center stage in the second season. The comedic Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Memory Snow brings some light-heartedness, while Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Frozen Bond is primarily focused on Emilia.
    • The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 1 will be available in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. The curtain rises on a fantasy adventure about the rise of a man who has lost it all.
    JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
    JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure

    Funimation (funimation.com) and VIZ Media announced a catalog of new series and ongoing fan favorites coming to the streaming platform — available in 49+ countries and in 10 languages. See the rest of the service’s spring lineup here. Available starting April 15:

    • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure parts one, two & three
    • BLEACH episodes 1-109 in the U.S. and 1-209 in Canada
    • Mazinger Z
    • Infini-T Force
    • Naruto Shippuden the Movie: The Lost Tower
    • Naruto Shippuden the Movie: Blood Prison
    • Naruto the Movie: Road to Ninja
    • The Last: Naruto the Movie
    • Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge
    • Accel World and Accel World: Infinite Burst
    • Vampire Knight and Vampire Knight: Guilty
    Tubi
    Tubi

    Tubi (www.tubi.tv), having just announced a deal to bring a number of critically acclaimed movies to its platform, is curating a splendid Anime Day Collection for fans to binge. The free FOX-owned streaming service, which offers over 30,000 movies and TV shows, is spotlighting:

    • Afro Samurai (2007)
    • Akira (1987)
    • Attack on Titan (2013)
    • Bananya (2016)
    • BLEACH (2012)
    • Cowboy Bebop (1999)
    • Death Note (2007)
    • Fairy Tail (2016)
    • Galaxy Express 999 (1978)
    • GeGeGe No Kitaro (2018)
    • Hunter X Hunter (2014)
    • JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (2019)
    • King’s Avatar: For the Glory (2019)
    • KenIchi: The Mightiest Disciple (2006)
    • Mononoke (2007)
    • Naruto (2006)
    • RWBY: Volume 1-6 (2011-2018)
    • Toriko (2011)
    • Onehei (2017) – launching on 4/15
    • One Piece (1999)
    • One Punch Man (2019)
    • Yu-Gi-Oh! (2006) and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (2008)
  • French Feature ‘Little Vampire’ Takes Flight in NorAm with Shout!

    French Feature ‘Little Vampire’ Takes Flight in NorAm with Shout!

    Shout! Studios, the multi-platform entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory, have entered into an exclusive deal with leading European producer-distributor-sales agency StudioCanal to distribute the new animated family feature Little Vampire in North America.

    Directed by Joann Sfar (Little Vampire TV series, The Rabbi’s Cat), the Annecy International Animated Film Festival winner is a production of On Animation (The Little Prince) and Sfar’s Magical Society. The distribution announcement was made today by Melissa Boag, Shout’s Senior Vice President of Family Entertainment, Jordan Fields, Vice President of Acquisitions at Shout! Studios, and Loubna Berrada, VP International Sales for StudioCanal.

    “We are beyond happy to have found the perfect home for The Little Vampire in North America with Shout! Studios,” said Chloé Marquet, Head of International Sales for StudioCanal. “We know our Little Vampire and his endearing friends will be in great hands with the Shout! team, and we can’t wait for U.S. and Canadian audiences to see the film which focuses on values which are particularly essential these days: tolerance, kindness, acceptance and the importance of friendship.”

    Shout! Studios’ North American distribution rights to Little Vampire include theatrical, digital, video-on-demand, broadcast and home entertainment. The studio is planning a strategic rollout of the film across all major entertainment platforms and packaged media.

    “Monsters abound, but ultimately Little Vampire is a smart, knowing and charming story of friendship and family. The characters are unique yet deeply relatable, no matter what age you are,” said Fields.

    Boag added, “We are always on the lookout for high quality films to add to Shout’s beloved library of animation, and Little Vampire is delightful family entertainment and a fun title to launch for Halloween.”

    Synopsis: Little Vampire has been 10 years old for the last 300 years. Despite living in a haunted house with a merry group of monsters, he is bored to death… His dream? Going to school to meet other kids. Unfortunately, his parents won’t let him leave the mansion, because the outside world is way too dangerous! So Little Vampire secretly sneaks out on a quest for new friends. He meets a human boy, Michael, but their friendship will catch the attention of the terrifying Gibbus, an old enemy that has been chasing Little Vampire and his family for centuries…

    Read more about Little Vampire in Ramin Zahed’s interview with Joann Sfar here.

  • Final Justice: How Weta Digital Supercharged ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    Final Justice: How Weta Digital Supercharged ‘Zack Snyder’s Justice League’

    ***This article originally appeared in the May ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 310)***

    With the release of Zack Snyder’s version of Justice League last month, the helmer got a second chance to complete his vision for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice after studio politics and the death of his 20-year-old daughter resulted in his replacement by Joss Whedon in 2017.

    Lackluster box-office results for the extensively reshot Justice League caused Warner Bros. to rethink its approach in bringing the DC Universe to the big screen. Rumors began to circulate online that a version existed which was overseen by Snyder, who through social media fuelled the frenzied fan desire for its release.

    With the arrival of HBO Max, Warner Bros. took the unusual step of providing extra funds for the additional shooting and visual effects needed to make the ‘Snyder Cut’ a reality. Retitled Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the four-hour event movie appears exclusively on HBO Max, with Weta Digital reuniting with production VFX supervisor John ‘D.J.’ Des Jardin to produce 1,000 visual effects shots that involved updating shots and creating entirely new ones.

    Director Zack Snyder on set during the original filming for Justice League.
    Director Zack Snyder on set during the original filming for Justice League.

    Second Chances

    Animation supervisor Simeon Duncombe was part of the original Weta Digital team that worked on the 2017 version of the movie. “It’s not often that you get a second chance at something, particularly like this,” he tells Animation Magazine. “All of the cool stuff was coming back that you wished wasn’t cut out in the first place.”

    Uploading assets from the original movie did not make the process any easier. “There is a scene where Steppenwolf is chasing all of the Amazons who are escaping with the Mother Box on horseback,” states Weta Digital VFX supervisor Anders Langlands. “In 2017, they built what was needed to get the shots done. But then, we’re coming in, designing new shots and pointing the camera in places that we never saw before. It was pitched to us as updating the characters, picking up a few shots, and finishing some shots; that completely undersells the amount of work that goes into something like this.”

    Justice League
    Justice League

    The hour’s worth of material produced by Weta Digital includes redesigns of Steppenwolf and Darkseid — with the latter making his onscreen debut — as well as the expansion of the Knightmare sequence. “If you look at the end credit scene in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice where Lex Luthor is talking to a version of Steppenwolf; that is a design we reverted to in the 2020 version of Justice League,” remarks Weta Digital VFX supervisor Kevin Smith. “For us, it was hitting the marks on executing the design as opposed to trying to develop anything new. Zack is a visual guy and he already had an idea of what he wanted all of his characters to look like.”

    A redesign request that proved challenging was increasing the iridescence of the armor worn by Steppenwolf. “What was interesting about that is Zack kept pushing for it to be more,” reveals Langlands. “There was a certain point at which we stopped fighting it and embraced the disco version of him, which is cool.”

    “My favorite moment with Darkseid occurs when he is at the end in the throne room,” remarks Smith. “Darkseid only has two lines but is such a compelling character. His lack of motion, stateliness and the way he looks at his subordinates and stares down Superman are what make his appearance in that sequence so great. For lighting, we tried to keep him bright enough to get enough light in his face so it reads, while letting him be dark and mysterious.”

    The final performance comes down to the skill and experience of the facial animators. “The technology has not changed a lot from 2017,” notes Duncombe. “There were a lot of new lines and the only reference that we received were the actors holding up their iPhones.” The ability to do the necessary motion-capture performances was complicated by the coronavirus pandemic protocols. “We had a potential second lockdown coming down the pipe, so you’re looking at potentially a month where you can’t get motion capture, which means you can’t build the shots. We had a particularly stressful few days where we were trying to capture as much performance as we could onstage.”

    Justice League
    Justice League

    Fans will also notice that Green Lanterns gets more screen time in this new edit. “He was killed early on [in 2017],” laughs Duncombe. “It was almost forgettable. There were maybe two shots. Originally, there were more shots of the Green Lantern, but they got omitted late in the game. That was another little moment which was cool to see come back. We decided to make that death more memorable this time around with the hand being cut off, the ring coming up and Darkseid potentially grabbing it. It was something that we came up with internally. That was good fun.”

    The VFX team exercised much restraint when displaying the power of the Green Lantern. “We intentionally kept it much simpler,” explains Langlands. “You only have a few shots to establish when you see a green beam that means Green Lantern is attacking Darkseid. You can set up the conflict quickly rather than hope that the audience understands the green beam coming through is part of that character, not another one.”

    Additional footage was shot for the sequence in which Bruce Wayne envisions an apocalyptic event occurring in the future. “Because of COVID-19, we couldn’t be there while they shot so we just got the plates,” explains Smith. “The nice thing about that is, from the way that Zack shot it was obvious where he wanted to go visually. It came down to us creating a believable environment and getting it behind all of the characters. Aside from the big establishers where you have spaceships and guys flying around, it is a character piece. This is about Batman’s interaction with the Joker, and we learn that some of the Justice League members are dead. The background becomes secondary to what’s actually happening with the dialogue.”

    VFX supervisor Anders Langlands | Animation supervisor Simeon Duncombe
    VFX supervisor Anders Langlands | Animation supervisor Simeon Duncombe

    Man of Steel’s Double

    Superman plays an important role in the new version as he turns against his fellow superheroes in the Justice League. “Superman is in two shots,” says Smith. “There is one that he’s far enough away that we used a digital double. However, the close-up of Henry Cavill is actually from Batman v Superman.”

    “The biggest challenge was trying to find your own voice while still fitting into what was done before,” says Langlands. “I like the two big sequences that we did at Themyscira and the History Lesson; we were able to expand on those by bringing back some of the cool moments and creating some new ones. The sequences are a lot more fun and better developed than they were in the original film because there was more room for them to breathe.”

    Smith says he enjoyed the idea of fulfilling the wishes of fans around the world. “It’s nice to work on a movie that so many people are looking forward to see: That’s the icing on the cake for this one. When the trailer dropped people were losing their minds. It’s nice to have a part in that.”

    Zack Snyder’s Justice League is currently streaming on HBO Max worldwide.

  • WB Brings Classic Toon Rivalry Home with ‘Tom & Jerry’

    WB Brings Classic Toon Rivalry Home with ‘Tom & Jerry’

    The cat and mouse game continues when Tom & Jerry arrives on PVOD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. The film is directed by Tim Story (Fantastic Four, Think Like a Man, Barbershop) and stars Chloë Grace Moretz (Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, The Addams Family), Michael Peña (Cesar Chavez, American Hustle, Ant-Man) and Colin Jost (How to Be Single, Saturday Night Live).

    Tom & Jerry will be available for 48-hour rental via PVOD for $19.99 SRP beginning on April 16, available on participating digital platforms. On May 18, the movie will be available to own in high definition and standard definition from select digital retailers including Amazon, FandangoNOW, Apple TV, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Also on May 18, Tom & Jerry will be available on Blu-ray — with over an hour of special features! — and DVD. Movies Anywhere users will also have access to the hybrid family comedy.

    Synopsis: One of the most beloved rivalries in history is reignited when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of “the wedding of the century,” forcing the event’s desperate planner to hire Tom to get rid of him. The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer conspiring against all three of them.

    Blu-ray special features:

    • Gag Reel (also on DVD)
    • Deleted Scenes
    • Bringing Tom & Jerry to Life
    • Tom & Jerry’s World
    • The Feud: #TeamTom vs. #TeamJerry
    • Jerry’s “A House For a Mouse”
    • The Tom & Jerry Guide to New York City Wildlife
    • Inside the Wedding of Ben and Preeta
    • A Scene Comes to Life: Scene #1 – Ben and Preeta’s Wedding
    • A Scene Comes to Life: Scene #2 – Animal Lock-Up
  • Lionsgate Boards ‘Freak Brothers,’ Andrea Savage & La La Anthony Join Cast

    Lionsgate Boards ‘Freak Brothers,’ Andrea Savage & La La Anthony Join Cast

    The Freak Brothers is groovin’ on down the pipeline, with the added weight of Lionsgate behind the ’60s counterculture comix adaptation. Based on Gilbert Shelton’s The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, the new adult animated series has added I’m Sorry creator and star Andrea Savage and La La Anthony (Power) to the impressive voice cast list.

    Hailing from creators/exec producers Courtney Solomon and Mark Canton, The Freak Brothers follows the misadventures of Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek (voiced by Woody Harrelson), Fat Freddy Freekowtski (John Goodman), Phineas T. Phreakers (Pete Davidson) and their mischievous, foul-mouthed cat, Kitty (Tiffany Haddish) as they are transported from 1969 to the 2020s by a mutated strain of marijuana. Together, they struggle to navigate a very different San Francisco — where, luckily for them, at least weed is legal.

    The voice cast also features Adam Devine and Blake Anderson as side-hustling weed savants Chuck and Charlie, rapper ScHoolboy Q as an animated version of himself, and award-winning V.O. star Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Young Justice, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Samurai Jack).

    Andrea Savage and La La Anthony
    Andrea Savage and La La Anthony

    Savage will voice a no-nonsense techie named Harper, while Anthony plays her younger, more idealistic and compassionate sister: Gretchen, a social-advocate lawyer.

    “I have been into cartoons and animation for as long as I can remember and have dreamed of having the opportunity to voice an animated series,” Anthony told Deadline. “And to share the screen with some of the greatest comedians of our time is amazing. I’m excited to be a part of this project and can’t wait for fans to see the show.”

    Solomon and Canton exec produce for IP holder WTG Enterprises, alongside writer-showrunners Alan Cohen and Alan Freedland (King of the Hill, American Dad!). Harrelson, Haddish, Davidson, Devine, Anderson, Shelton and Manfred Mroczkowski also exec produce. Animation on the eight-episode first season was done by Starburns Industries (Rick and Morty) and Pure Imagination (The Simpsons). The show, which has wrapped production on S1, does not yet have a broadcast partner. Lionsgate is handling global distribution.

    The Freak Brothers was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, and the first in a quartet of minisodes dropped online about a year ago as a prelude to the full series.

    [Source: Deadline]

  • ‘Yes-People’: Gísli Darra Halldórsson Speaks on His Near-Silent Oscar Nominated Film

    ‘Yes-People’: Gísli Darra Halldórsson Speaks on His Near-Silent Oscar Nominated Film

    A single word contains a universe of meaning in Icelandic director Gísli Darra Halldórsson‘s animated snapshot album, Yes-People (Já-fólkið)– one of five animated shorts nominated for an Academy Award this year. The cleverly crafted film unfolds as a typical day for the residents of an apartment block, whose routines and habits reveal their inner character — and test their relationships. All while using only one spoken word: “Já.”

    As well as the Oscar nomination, Yes-People has made a splash on the festival circuit throughout the past year, winning awards from Nordisk, Reykjavik Int’l Film Festival, Uppsala Short Film festival, Fredrikstad Animation Festival and Spain’s WEIRD animation festival, as well as screening at Annecy, Fantoche, ITFS Stuttgart and many more. Animation Magazine recently caught up with Gísli to learn more about the challenges and inspirations behind his taciturn tale:

    Gísli Darra Halldórsson
    Gísli Darra Halldórsson

    Animag: Can you tell us a bit about how the short project came to be?

    Gísli Darra Halldórsson: The first seed was probably when I was explaining to my Irish friends – much to their glee – the Icelandic word “já” (yes) and its capacity to contain a plethora of meanings depending on intonation. That led me to think about the idea of a semi-silent-film which got me very excited – to limit dialogue to the primal language I imagine was used by our ancestors.

    On the other hand, I was obsessed with routines and habits. I was having terrifying thoughts of running in circles all my life without any growth. Routines and habits can be such a recipe for great achievement and growth but also terrible regret. So, I started writing this mosaic story where the characters were all in their own way stuck in a loop (good or bad). They could only say one word and sing/play one song. To cement this trapping it seemed perfectly fitting that they were framed in the silent-film tradition where the camera doesn’t pan and there are long shots with hardly any cuts.

    Yes-People
    Yes-People

    What was your inspiration?

    There was a book … I can’t remember the name of it, but it was a collection of various routines of famous scientists, artists and politicians. They were all so very different but it was fascinating to see how the mundane-everyday was contributing to the big picture of their life and work. And also the film’s song that has no lyrics: “Sveitin Milli Sanda,” sung by Elly Vilhjálms. That was inspiring.

    Can you talk about why you chose the specific medium of stop-motion?

    We actually animated on a computer, but I’m glad you say stop-motion because I wanted to go for that feeling – animating on 2s – partly for budget reasons and also because I feel it can give the animation performance more presence and bite. It was also quite a low-budget film, so I wanted to try and “de-fi” the image (if that makes sense). I find it unauthentic when low budget films try to look high-budget, and CG doesn’t age very well. It also helped that I wanted the film to be more reminiscent of a silent film.

    Which tools did you use to make your short?

    Pencil, paper, Maya, After Effects and Adobe Premiere.

    Yes-People
    Yes-People

    How much was your budget and how long did it take you to make the film?

    We received about 49,500 USD from the Icelandic Film Centre, which was about a quarter of the proposed budget.

    Actual time is quite nebulous, as writing and pre-production went on for five years utilizing tiny pockets of time between freelance jobs. When the IFC grant kicked in, we went into production in 2018 and finished the film near the end of 2019.

    What do you love about working in this medium?

    The level of control in animation is quite seductive of course but I also feel the medium has a lot of unexplored potential.

    What are you working on next?

    I have four projects in various mediums (live action, animation and a book). I will know better which one’s next after I get out of this Oscar ride, but I am eager to start another project. There is also a 72-minute film where people can only say the word “Volvo.” (I am kidding.)

    Yes-People
    Yes-People

    What is the best response you have received so far to your short?

    Because of COVID, I’ve only seen the film once with an audience, but fortunately people do reach out to me with lovely messages. But one of my favorites is when someone told me that the film “felt like a hug.” That’s quite nice in COVID era.

    Any helpful tips for young animation fans who want to follow in your footsteps?

    I think it’s important to note that I never tried to make a film to get an Oscar nomination. I’m proud of the fact that the film was made from the inside-out – for myself and maybe people like me. Despite a lot of production difficulties, I had a sense of meaning making the film. This is a great gift because it gave me the creative fuel and patience to make a film over seven years. If I had made a film from the outside-in, then it would have been more of a chore to finish. And don’t get me wrong – it was still very hard to finish but I always had that sense of meaning to hang on to.

    If someone really wants to make a film I think the clue to their story could be found not only in their inspiration but also their obsession. If you have both of those on your side, I think your inner voice will tell you what film you really want to make.

    Yes-People is available to rent or buy on Vimeo through Magnetfilm.

    Interview conducted by Ramin Zahed for Animation Magazine.

    Yes-People (teaser) from Gísli Darri on Vimeo.

  • Matthew Luhn Keynotes KingstOOn; PM Holness to Open Event

    KingstOON 2021, taking place virtually April 21-25, will feature as its opening keynote speaker Matthew Luhn, Storyteller Extraordinaire. His story artist credits include the Toy Story films, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, Monsters University, Ratatouille, Up, and many more. The organizers also announced that Jamaica’s Prime Minister, the Most Honorable Andrew Holness, ON, MP, will deliver the Welcome Address for the show’s opening ceremony.

    “It is indeed an honor to have the likes of Matthew Luhn at our KingstOOn opening. This has been made all the more special, with a welcome by the Honourable Prime Minister himself, who has emphatically articulated the importance of the creative industries, and animation in particular, to the generation of employment opportunities for our nation’s youth,” said Margery Newland, Project Manager for the Youth Employment in the Digital and Animation Industries, the host agency for KingstOOn.

    Luhn is a writer, story and branding consultant, creative writing instructor and speaker with over 25 years’ experience. He has brought to life stories and characters for Pixar Animation Studios, The Simpsons and several others. Over the years, his clients have also included companies such as Target, Procter & Gamble, Adidas, Sony, Mattel, Facebook, Charles Schwab, Microsoft, Warner Brothers, Google, Salesforce and Disney.

    At 19, he was the youngest animator to work on The Simpsons TV series. Today, he trains CEOs, entrepreneurs, marketing teams and directors on how to use the secrets of great storytelling to captivate an audience, sell a product, idea, service, or strengthen a brand.

    Prime Minister Holness will be joined at the event’s opening by Tahseen Sayed, World Bank Country Director for Caribbean Countries, Latin America and Caribbean Region. The YEDAI Project is funded by a US$20 million World Bank loan to the Government of Jamaica for training young Jamaicans in the digital and animation industries.

    Speakers for the 2021 event include industry experts and “animation rock stars” from around the world, including legendary Disney animator Floyd Norman, Hair Love co-director Everett Downing, cartoonist Keith Knight (creator of Woke), director Olivier Lelardoux (Gigantosaurus), Lion Forge Animation’s David Stewart II and Carl Reed, Jay Francis (VP Current Series, Diversity & Inclusion, Disney), Melanie Goolsby (Original Animation Indie Series, Netflix), Camille Eden (VP Recruiting & Talent Development, Nickelodeon), Kimberley Wright (Producer, Sesame Workshop), Taylor K. Shaw (Founder & CEO, BWA Studios), Josh Selig (CEO, China Bridge Content) and Tatianna Kober (President, Bejuba! Ent.) — to name a few!

    This year’s KingstOOn will also present a much-anticipated Film Festival featuring an array of diversity-centric animated films from the Caribbean and the rest of the world, a business exchange forum and its signature Pitch Boot Camp and Competition for the five Caribbean-based front-runners in the Best Concept category.

    Register for free and learn more about KingstOOn at www.kingstoonfest.com.

  • CN Launches Final Crystal Gems Anti-Racism PSA: ‘Be An Ally’

    CN Launches Final Crystal Gems Anti-Racism PSA: ‘Be An Ally’

    “Be An Ally,” the fourth and final anti-racism PSA in a series that was developed by Emmy-nominated Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes creator Ian Jones-Quartey, launched today (Monday, April 12) on Cartoon Network’s YouTube channel and across the network’s social media platforms. The short features Greg Universe as he explains to the extraterrestrial Crystal Gems how important it is for all people (or Gems) to speak up and stand against racism. 

    “Be An Ally” was developed in partnership with Dr. Kira Banks, a clinical psychologist whose research examines the experience of discrimination, its impact on mental health, and intergroup relations. She is co-founder of the Institute for Healing Justice and Equity and served as a racial equity consultant for the Ferguson Commission. Her vodcast Raising Equity explores what it looks like to intentionally raise children with an equity mindset – the knowledge and understanding of systemic inequities and to equip them to create an equitable society rather than accept the status quo.

    “Allyship is about educating yourself, speaking up and working for change. It’s about being actively anti-racist,” said Dr. Banks.

    The Crystal Gems Say Be Anti-Racist animated PSAs have each featured a different Steven Universe character. In October 2020, the first PSA, “Don’t Deny It, Defy It,” featured Garnet (voiced by Estelle) and focused on the importance of understanding how racism affects individuals and encourages audiences to not be racist. The second, “Tell the Whole Story,” with Pearl (voiced by DeeDee Magno Hall) premiered in December and explored how Black inventors, heroes, and leaders are often left out of history and challenges the viewer to ask themselves as they’re learning – who is telling the story? And, the third, “See Color,” with Amethyst (voiced by Michaela Dietz) was released in February 2021 and encouraged viewers to appreciate others without erasing what makes each of us different.

    Viewers can find all the PSAs as well as links to social justice organizations, additional tools and information at www.crystalgemsspeakup.com. 

  • GBI Greenlights ‘Rainbow Rangers’ S3 amid Wave of New Deals

    GBI Greenlights ‘Rainbow Rangers’ S3 amid Wave of New Deals

    Genius Brands International announced the greenlight of season three of its flagship animated preschool series, ​Rainbow Rangers, and a deal with Netflix to stream season one starting in July 2021 in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. The company also announced additional deals for the series, including Amazon Prime Video, New Zealand’s TVNZ, and Israel’s Noga.

    The new media partners for Rainbow Rangers join an ever-expanding list of top outlets worldwide, including Genius Brands’ Kartoon Channel! in the U.S. and Canada, Corus Entertainment’s Treehouse (Canada), Televisa and BLIM TV (Mexico), Cartoonito (Italy), NineNetwork (Australia), CCTV and iQiyi (China), Nickelodeon and NOGGIN (Latin America), TV2 (Hungary), NOGA (Israel), Mini Mini (Poland), Canal Panda (Portugal), Discovery Kids (Middle East), Mediacorp (Singapore), Awesome TV (Malaysia) and Pikaboo (Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina).

    Season 1 of Rainbow Rangers premiered in October 2018, followed by a second season in November 2019. The rescue-based series follows the adventures of seven girls who are Earth’s first responders — protecting people, animals, resources and the natural beauty of our world. Hilary Cherniss and Sara Jane Sluke, who were key writers in Seasons 1 and 2, will become head writers of Season 3. Multiple Emmy Award-winning director Michael Maliani directs the series, and Genius Brands’ Chairman & CEO and multiple Emmy Award-winning producer, Andy Heyward, serves as executive producer.

    “In under three years, we successfully launched and have dramatically increased the presence of Rainbow Rangers around the world, beginning with Nickelodeon here in the U.S., and we are now launching the premiere of new episodes to Kartoon Channel! in the U.S. The fact that the series has been sought by top tier broadcasters around the world, now including Netflix, underscores its huge appeal,” noted Heyward, Chairman & CEO of Genius Brands. “As we rapidly grow our global audience and assign global licensing agents, we remain committed to accelerating the launch of related merchandise worldwide through big box retailers and online, which we believe will drive value for our shareholders. Season 3 stories will have a unique twist to it, which we believe will have a significant impact on consumer products worldwide, along with our new master toy licensee.”

    www.gnusbrands.com

  • WarnerMedia Sets Kids’ EMEA Leadership Team

    Vanessa Brookman, Head of Kids, EMEA for WarnerMedia, today announced her new leadership team for Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Boing, Cartoonito and associated digital properties on third-party platforms as well as the upcoming kids and family offering for HBO Max.

    She brings together a respected group of senior executives to serve the content, editorial and production needs for all kids content and channel brands across EMEA. Sarah Fell will lead original production, Marc Goodchild digital content, Sean Henry content strategy and acquisitions, and Angharad Llewelyn will lead compliance. Separately, Ana González and Sean Gorman take up local territory editorial roles.

    The new leadership team will work closely with the global Kids, Young Adults and Classics (KYAC) group led by President, KYAC, Tom Ascheim. They will also work with the teams reporting into Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International, and Christina Sulebakk, Head of HBO Max EMEA, developing HBO Max’s kids and family programming in advance of its launch in parts of Europe later this year.

    Sarah Fell retains her remit as Director of Original Series, EMEA, for the recently re-branded London-based studio, Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe. She will continue to oversee its first-class pipeline of local productions, including The Amazing World of Gumball, The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe and Elliott from Earth, as well as generating new original production opportunities. In this role she has dual reporting lines into Brookman and Sam Register, President of Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, who co-lead Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe, ensuring content collaboration at a worldwide level and promoting European content globally.

    Marc Goodchild remains Head of Digital Content Strategy & Product, EMEA, responsible for overseeing these aspects of the company’s ongoing multi-platform offering.

    Sean Henry takes on the newly created role of Head of Content Strategy & Acquisitions, EMEA, overseeing an expanded team, building WarnerMedia’s content pipeline.

    Angharad Llewelyn continues in her role as Director of Editorial Standards & Practices, EMEA.

    Ana González, currently Director of Kids Content, takes on the newly created role of Head of Kids Channels for Iberia & Italy.

    Sean Gorman, currently Programming Director of Kids, U.K. and Ireland & Nordic, adds the MENAT region to his role to become Head of Kids Channels, U.K. and Ireland, Nordic & MENAT.

    González and Gorman will oversee programming, presentation, marketing and digital curation as part of a newly integrated regional editorial structure.

    “This is a formidable group of leaders who will be critical in driving the ongoing success of our existing portfolio and in shaping a powerful HBO Max Kids and Family offering for the EMEA region,” said Head of Kids, EMEA, Vanessa Brookman. “Their passion for great kids content and their deep understanding of the fast-paced dynamics of our kids offering will help our EMEA business go from strength to strength at what is a hugely exciting time for WarnerMedia as a whole.”

    Brookman reports into Priya Dogra, President WarnerMedia EMEA & Asia (excl. China), and Tom Ascheim, President Kids, Young Adults & Classics.

  • BAFTA Winners: ‘Soul’ Scores a Double, ‘Owl and the Pussycat’ & ‘Tenet’ Awarded

    BAFTA Winners: ‘Soul’ Scores a Double, ‘Owl and the Pussycat’ & ‘Tenet’ Awarded

    The winners of the 2021 EE British Academy Film Awards were revealed across two ceremonies this weekend, celebrating the year’s top achievements in film. Saturday’s Opening Night was hosted by Clara Amfo from the Royal Albert Hall, featuring guests Rhianna Dhillon and Joanna Scanlon presenting eight awards, as well as an in-depth look at the filmmaking process. Sunday’s event at the Hall was hosted by Edith Bowman and Demort O’Leary, with nominees attending virtually as the remaining honors were bestowed.

    Disney-Pixar’s Soul added two more trophies to its awards season shelf, winning both the Animated Film and Original Score BAFTAs. Pete Docter and Kemp Power’s beautifully animated meditation on the meaning of life is striking a chord with voters this awards season, having picked up top honors at the Golden Globes, PGA, Critics Choice Super, VES and AFI Awards. Atticus Ross — and his least shy child — accepted the Original Score win on behalf of himself and collaborators Trent Reznor and Jon Batiste (watch here). The award for Animated Film was accepted virtually by producer Dana Murray, who began her speech noting, “Soul is a film about finding real priorities in our lives, and there’s nothing like a worldwide pandemic to help you realize what is truly important.”

    The British Short Animation prize went to Mole Hill’s The Owl and the Pussycat, an innovative “waximation” piece celebrating the 150th anniversary of Edward Lear’s beloved nonsense poem, in which the unlikely animal duo set sail with few precious possessions and lose everything — except each other. Cheshire’s Consortium of Gentlemen is the production and sales co. for the four-minute film. Watch the award presentation here.

    Christopher Nolan’s Tenet was awarded the Special Visual Effects Prize, accepted via video from a blustery beach by VFX supervisor Andrew Jackson, holding a stand-in BAFTA stone (which will surely be replaced in post). Watch it here.

    The Special Award for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema was given to filmmaker Noel Clarke, while the British Academy’s highest honor, the Fellowship, was introduced by Hugh Grant and presented to director Ang Lee.

    The Owl and the Pussycat
    The Owl and the Pussycat

    Select category winners and nominees below; find the full list here.

    Animated Film
    Onward | Dan Scanlon, Kori Rae
    Wolfwalkers | Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart, Paul Young
    WINNER: Soul | Pete Docter, Dana Murray

    British Short Animation
    The Fire Next Time | Renaldho Pelle, Yanling Wang, Kerry Jade Kolbe
    The Song of a Lost Boy | Daniel Quirke, Jamie MacDonald, Brid Arnstein
    WINNER: The Owl and the Pussycat | Mole Hill, Laura Duncalf

    Special Visual Effects
    Greyhound | Pete Bebb, Nathan McGuinness, Sebastian von Overheidt
    The Midnight Sky | Matt Kasmir, Chris Lawrence, David Watkins
    Mulan | Sean Faden, Steve Ingram, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury
    The One and Only Ivan | Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher
    WINNER: Tenet | Scott Fisher, Andrew Jackson, Andrew Lockley

    Original Score
    Mank | Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
    Minari | Emile Mosseri
    News of the World | James Newton Howard
    Promising Young Woman | Anthony Willis
    WINNER: Soul | Jon Batiste, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross

    Tenet
    Tenet
  • Fresh Market Fare: New Toons Ready to Make a Virtual Splash at MIPTV

    Fresh Market Fare: New Toons Ready to Make a Virtual Splash at MIPTV

    ***This article originally appeared in the May ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 310)***

    MIPTV may be online this year (April 12-16), but that hasn’t stopped content producers to present fantastic new animated content to distributors and buyers all over the world. Here are several promising new toons that caught our attention. For more info about the online content event, visit www.miptv.com.

    Tulipop
    Tulipop

    Tulipop
    Package: Series 1: 26 x 7; Series 2: 26 x 7′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created by: Signý Kolbeinsdóttir
    Produced by: Tulipop (Iceland)
    Distributed by: Serious Lunch (U.K.)
    Synopsis: Tulipop is a mystical island in the middle of two seas and home to five very different, but equally loveable friends: Gloomy, a brave and adventurous mushroom girl; Bubble, her cautious, loyal brother; Fred a huggable Monster; Miss Maddy, a sassy monster bear, and the wise Mr. Tree. Growing up on an island where every day brings a surreal new adventure and nothing is quite what it seems can be challenging … but life’s small (or big) surprises are always more fun when you face them together.
    Stand-Out Qualities: Magical modern day fairytales drawn from Icelandic folk stories but relatable to children everywhere.
    Target Audience: Kids 4-6
    Exec Quote: Helga Árnadóttir, CEO of Tulipop and the series producer, says, “Producing a high-quality TV series for global distribution has been our dream for years and we’re so happy to be bringing it to life now in partnership with such a talented team. We are also delighted to have teamed up with Serious Lunch who really share our vision for the series and for how we intend to grow the IP in the years to come.”
    Delivery Date: Nov. 21 (episodes 1-13), June 22 (episodes 14-26)
    Website: www.tulipop.com

    Vee and the Golden Apple
    Vee and the Golden Apple

    Vee and the Golden Apple
    Package: 13 x 2′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created & Directed by:     Dimitar Petro
    Produced by: Dandelooo (France) and Studio Zmei (Bulgaria)
    Target Audience: Kids 8-12
    Synopsis: An epic comedy-adventure series about a spirited teen (Vee) who uncovers her town’s folkloric past and brings it roaring back to the present. But with the magic of old comes a primordial evil that threatens to destroy her home and all she’s ever known.
    Stand-Out Qualities: The show is billed as the first animated series based on the rich and unknown universe of Balkan legends and folklore! The main characters, starting as modern teens in a seemingly modern town, discover their unknown heritage with the viewer, making this wild world easily accessible and understandable. Series offers a contemporary style and creative visual style heavy on VFX and epic creatures.
    Exec Quote: “We fell in love with Zmei’s project during Cartoon Forum because of the stunning design, beautiful animation and rich storyline potential. In fact, we first wanted to distribute the series worldwide, but it turned out that Vee and the Golden Apple was such a ‘must-have’ program that we decided to co-produce it as well. The team of talent we gathered into making this wonderful universe then become a reality,” notes Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, Dandelooo partner and producer.
    Delivery: Winter 2022 / Spring 2023
    Website: www.dandelooo.com

    Lloyd of the Flies
    Lloyd of the Flies

    Lloyd of the Flies
    Package: 52 x 11′
    Animation Type: CGI and 2D mix
    Created by: Matthew Walker
    Produced & Distributed by: Aardman
    Synopsis: The adventures of Lloyd B. Fly, a housefly and the middle child of 453. Lloyd lives with his parents, his little sister PB and their 225 maggot siblings inside a compost bin they call home. In the series, Lloyd and PB are often accompanied by Lloyd’s best friend, Abacus Woodlouse, and eccentric tag-along, Cornea Butterfly. Together they explore the strange world beyond the compost bin, where there is no shortage of lessons for Lloyd to very nearly learn.
    Stand-Out Qualities: The cross-generational appeal – it’s a quality, character-driven, animated sitcom that will be enjoyed by the whole family. Produced also with the BFI’s Diversity and Inclusion standards applied.
    Target Audience: Primarily kids, but with strong co-viewing family appeal.
    Exec Quote: “This is the first CGI series to be fully produced within the Aardman studio, and we’re delighted with the positive response we’ve had from the market to the unique design and the impressive storytelling. It’s exciting to be producing and distributing a series created by Mathew Walker, who is an exciting talent with a distinctive comedy outlook,” says Alison Taylor, director of distribution and business development.
    Delivery Date: Episodes 1-26: July 2022, Episodes 27-52: November 2022
    Website: www.aardman.com

    Abigail's Tales
    Abigail’s Tales

    Abigail’s Tales
    Package: 52 x 11′
    Animation Type: CG
    Created & Produced by: One Animation
    Synopsis: Abigail’s Tales playfully re-imagines fairytales, giving the stories a modern sensibility through the eyes of six-year-old Abigail. She isn’t afraid to ask questions to find out more. With the unwavering support of her best friends, Boomer and Bing (a polar bear and penguin), they travel to the faraway worlds of fairy tales where they discover a whole new side to every story. Bringing classic fairy tales into a modern era with more relevant takeaways, and greater diversity and gender representation.
    Stand-Out Qualities: Abigail’s Tales encourages viewers to ask questions, seek information and learn there may be more to the story than first meets the eye. The show reimagines classic fairytales and brings the familiarity of parents’ childhoods to today’s children, with new twists and outcomes that are more relevant for our modern world. It also offers the opportunity to change the gender and ethnic representation of characters as they are traditionally portrayed in the classic tales.
    Target Audience: Kids 4-6
    Exec Quote: Michele Schofield, One Animation’s senior VP of content distribution, notes, “Abigail’s Tales is great for kids and parents alike, bringing brand new storytelling and surprising twists to classic fairytales. Abigail is an inquisitive puzzle-solver, serving as a positive role-model for preschoolers, reminding them to not judge a book by its cover and to see both sides of the story before rushing to judgment on the ‘baddie’ and ‘goodie’ of any situation.”
    Delivery Date: Late 2022
    Website: www.oneanimation.com

    Best & Bester
    Best & Bester

    Best & Bester
    Package: 52 x 11′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created by: Joonas Utti and Anttu Harlin
    Produced by: Eye Present, Gigglebug Entertainment, Nelvana
    Distributed by: Nelvana (international), excluding the U.K. (Eye Present) and the Nordics (Gigglebug)
    Synopsis: Best and Bester are siblings and best friends obsessed with comparing the best things of all time while enjoying the power to transform themselves into anything they want, once a day – if only they can figure out what the best thing to be actually is!
    Stand-Out Qualities: Series was pre-bought by Nickelodeon International early last year.
    Target Audience: Kids 7-11
    Exec Quote: “The world of Best & Bester, where anyone can be anything, gives our animators and composers endless opportunities and the creative freedom to let our imaginations soar,” says Athena Georgaklis, Nelvana’s head of development. “This series is a welcome addition to our production slate and we know audiences around the world will resonate with this ragtag group of friends as their hilarious hijinks lead them to learn about self-discovery, empathy, and embracing each other’s differences.”
    Delivery Date: October 2022
    Website: www.nelvana.com

    Alva's World
    Alva’s World

    Alva’s World
    Package: 52 x 11′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created & Produced by: Kavaleer Productions
    Distributed by: WildBrain
    Synopsis: When Alva isn’t hanging out with her digitally connected family in real life, she loves to visit the magical land of Gizmo. Most of all, though, Alva loves visiting her friends, the Oolies – the cute elven race who live in Gizmo. Together, Alva and the Oolies have oodles of fun, but also solve problems and overcome obstacles, especially those created by mischievous Trolls.
    Stand-Out Qualities: Via whimsical storytelling and magical tales, Alva’s World explores themes that have been developed in conjunction with Cyber Safe Ireland and Crandall Consulting to teach kids about appropriate behavior online, including interaction, as well as preparing them for common childhood problems they may encounter through social media. The series tackles a number of key areas, from cyber-bullying and online gaming, to identity theft and current issues around COVID tracking and home learning.
    Target Audience: Upper preschool to early elementary
    Exec Quote: Caroline Tyre, VP of global sales and rights at WildBrain, notes, “Alva’s World is the first series which aims to give kids a set of digital water wings to help them navigate the online world. Devised in collaboration with experts in this field, it’s also packed full of captivating characters and whimsical storylines that inspire kids to prioritize kindness, fairness and creativity in all their interactions.”
    Delivery Date: Late 2021
    Website: www.wildbrain.com

    Galactic Agency
    Galactic Agency

    Galactic Agency
    Package: 52 x 13′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created by: Julie Chabrol
    Produced by: Studio 100 Animation, Cosmos-Maya and Bardaf! Productions
    Distributed by: APC Kids
    Synopsis: Galactic Agency follows the adventures of a team of extreme repair specialists, featuring Dany the boss, K the hyperactive intern and the twins Apple and Zed. Aboard the Toaster, their hypersensitive spaceship, they will be called on crazy missions across the WashMash Galaxy to come to the rescue and to fix anything. From a diva-whale’s washing machine to King Cheddar the Fifteenth’s robot teddy, there’s always something to do. But in this quirky universe filled with freaky creatures of all kinds, nothing ever goes as expected!
    Stand-Out Qualities: A rich, quirky and fun universe that will delight the fans of cartoon series.
    Target Audience: Kids 6-9
    Exec Quote: “Galactic Agency is a fun, quirky and unique project that we are really looking forward to presenting to buyers at MIPTV,” says Lionel Marty, managing director of APC Kids. “The hilarious characters and their wacky adventures are sure to capture the imaginations of young audiences around the world and provide a much-needed escape to outer space.”
    Delivery Date: 26 eps. by December 2021 / 26 eps. by June 2022
    Website: www.aboutpremiumcontent.com

    Paddles
    Paddles

    Paddles
    Package: 52 x 11′
    Animation Type: 3D CGI
    Created and Produced by: FuturumKids
    Distributed by: Neon (Korea), Monster Entertainment (global exc. Korea)
    Synopsis: The adventures of Paddles, a polar bear cub accidentally delivered by the Stork to a frozen River Shannon in Ireland – and brought up by a pack of Irish wolfhounds.
    Stand-Out Qualities: Through the adventures, mistakes and discoveries of its funny and huggable star and his friends, Paddles shows its young audience that being different is something to be celebrated and enjoyed.
    Target Audience: Kids 4-7
    Exec Quote: “The tale of a young child trying to fit in in an unusual environment is a universal one and we are confident this funny and charming show will quickly gain fans in many markets worldwide,” says Brendan Kelly, head of sales at FuturumKids.
    Delivery Date: 2021/2022
    Website: www.futurumkids.com

    Dragon Lizzardo
    Dragon Lizzardo

    Dragon Lizzardo
    Package: 26 x 11′
    Produced by: Omens Studio
    Created by: Ian Milne (Monster Beach, Disney’s Stitch & Ai)
    Exec produced by: Silas Hickey
    Synopsis: The show follows bumbling squire Dragon Lizzardo as he accidentally transports himself and his archenemy, queen-witch Helga, from their medieval dimension to the futuristic New Zap City. Now, Dragon must defend his new home from Helga, though his fun-loving fighting style is just as destructive.
    Stand-out Qualities: This is a bouncy, extreme slapstick action-comedy with an anime twist. Great anime-inspired designs, entertaining storylines and eccentric characters will keep the older kids and tweens entertained. The show is written by Adam Moriano (Big Mouth, SuperJail!)
    Target Audience: Kids 11-14
    Website: www.omens-studios.com

    Hero Elementary
    Hero Elementary

    Hero Elementary
    Package: 40 x 22′ or 80 x 11′
    Animation Type: 2D
    Created & Distributed by: Portfolio Entertainment
    Produced by: Portfolio and Twin Cities PBS
    Synopsis: Hero Elementary is no ordinary school. It’s where kids with superpowers learn how to use their unique gifts, and no aspiring superhero could dream of a more exciting place to train! The gym is a veritable obstacle course, festooned with a myriad of trapezes, hoops and boobytraps – and, of course, there is more high-tech gadgetry than any kid (superhero or not) could dream of.
    Stand-Out Qualities: Hero Elementary is one of the world’s first series for children to prominently feature a young autistic character in a lead role. The producers believe in the importance of representation in kids’ TV, as the Hero Elementary team uses their “Super Powers of Science” to show audiences around the world that with determination and teamwork, anyone from any walk of life can contribute, have some fun and help save the day.
    Target Audience: Kids 4-7
    Exec Quote: Donnie MacIntyre, VP of sales and business development at Portfolio, says, “From the earliest stages of development, we knew we had something special on our hands with Hero Elementary, and I can confidently say it has exceeded our own wildest expectations. The incredibly talented creative team has built a world not only full of high-flying action and outrageous comedy that kids can appreciate, but they filled it with relatable characters in which the show’s young global audiences can see themselves and their experiences reflected – albeit through a super powered lens! Hero Elementary has been a smash hit, selling into key territories around the world, and we can’t wait to announce our next round of partnerships.”
    Delivery Date: Production completed 2021. Began airing on PBS Kids in June 2020
    Website: www.portfolioentertainment.com

  • Mixed-Media Mayhem: Bringing ‘Tom Gates’ from Page to Screen

    Mixed-Media Mayhem: Bringing ‘Tom Gates’ from Page to Screen

    ***This article originally appeared in the May ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 310)***

    When British author and illustrator Liz Pichon’s first Tom Gates book was published 10 years ago, young readers couldn’t get enough of its charming humor and its cheerful illustrations and games. This year, the multi-million-copy bestselling book series enters a new medium as a 20 x 11-minute mixed-media show titled The Brilliant World of Tom Gates hits the market. (It premiered on Sky’s on-demand service Sky Kids in the U.K. and Ireland in January).

    Produced by TG Entertainment and Screen Scotland, with animation provided by Wild Child Animation, the instantly likable show centers on Tom’s crazy creative life at home and school as he runs rings around his parents and finds new and inventive ways to annoy his sisters. The voice cast includes actress Catherine Tate as Tom’s long-suffering mom Rita, Mark Bonnar as his “beady-eyed” teacher and 10-year-old newcomer Logan Matthews in the title role.

    Tom Gates
    Tom Gates

    As exec producer Ken Anderson explains, “Liz’s books are written and illustrated in a very particular way, with all kinds of fun games, songs and activities mixed in with stories and random fun and funny characters. The prospect of trying to wrangle this type of storytelling and visuals into a conventional TV series didn’t seem to be the way to go. So, we needed to do something different.”

    After bringing award-winning writer Ben Ward (Horrible Histories) on board, the producers opted for a modular, magazine program that could be shown separately or combined together to create essentially any length of programming. “The final element was to try to pull all these elements together into a coherent and watchable episode,” says Anderson, who is also the founder of Scotland’s Wild Child Animation studio. “An episode that had never had a conventional script to work from but had the storyboarding talents of Amanda Aiken and her team to help guide the way. Constantly revising and adapting as the various segments dictated their own length and rhythm.”

    Ken Anderson
    Ken Anderson

    Making It Modular!

    Anderson, an animation veteran whose credits include 64 Zoo Lane, The Imp, Wendy and Dennis and Gnasher, says the biggest challenge was trying to work out the right format for the show. “Once we had cracked that and found a partner in Sky, who understood what we wanted to do, then it was mainly down to the creative/production challenges of wrangling everything,” he notes. “That, of course, was then completely turned on its head by the pandemic — but by that stage we had all bought into the idea and it was then a question of how do we make this work?!

    The show officially started production in March of 2020. About 50 people worked on the show, and the animation was done using Toon Boom and After Effects (for the motion graphics).

    Tom Gates
    Tom Gates

    Anderson says one of the reasons the property has been so popular and timeless is that Pichon (who is also producing and appears on camera) constantly strives to make each book better than the last in some unique way. “She knows the world and the characters better than anyone else in the world and has to work hard to ensure that she keeps her top spot, as there are lots of kids who have immersed themselves in the world and are little experts,” he notes. “The character Tom Gates connects with children in a really wonderful way. He and his friends are all really lovely and funny — even the annoying ones! They enjoy being at school (mostly); they love their families — even if they can be challenging — and they have wonderful imaginations and the capacity to constantly make us smile and laugh.”

    Now that Tom Gates is beginning its small-screen adventures, Anderson says he’s proud of what he and his team have delivered. “I really love that we have created something which is totally complimentary to the spirit, values and character of the books — but at the same time, we have created something unique and original in its own right,” he admits. “We’ve created a whole new approach and had to problem solve, devise and work around all kinds of creative and production challenges, but we managed to deliver a series of episodes that kids seem to love and devour avidly. I love that we managed to bring together a disparate group of hugely talented people who’ve mostly never seen one another — except on a Zoom call — and make this amazing thing! In a pandemic, for Pete’s sake!”

    The Brilliant World of Tom Gates is currently available on Sky Kids.

  • Watch: Animag’s 2021 Rising Stars of Animation Spotlight!

    Watch: Animag’s 2021 Rising Stars of Animation Spotlight!

    Animation Magazine is delighted to present a one-four video spotlight on our 2021 Rising Stars of Animation! Visit Animag’s YouTube channel or scroll down to watch for free, and learn more about the careers, inspirations and aspirations of these talented creators — plus their choicest nuggets of advice on how to set your own star on the rise!

    The video spotlight features (in alphabetical order):

    • Carlos Baena, director, The Tiger’s Apprentice (Paramount)
    • Alfonso Blaas, production designer, Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans (DreamWorks)
    • Shabrayia Cleaver, production manager, Spirit Untamed (DreamWorks)
    • Wendell Dalit, art director, Vivo (Sony)
    • Megan Nicole Dong, creator/exec producer, Centaurworld (Netflix)
    • Megan Ferguson, assistant director, Hilda (Mercury Filmworks)
    • Valtteri Heinonen, art director, Moominvalley (Gutsy Animation)
    • Manny Hernandez, exec producer, We Baby Bears (Cartoon Network)
    • Dou Hong, model supervisor, Young Justice: Phantoms (Warner Bros.)
    • Grace Kum, visual development, Stillwater (Gaumont/Apple TV+)
    • Christina LaFerla, CG supervisor, Big Nate (Nickelodeon)
    • Katie Lyons, development designer Odo (Sixteen South)
    • Beatriz Martin, character animator, The Snoopy Show (WildBrain)
    • Eastwood Wong, art director, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney+)
    • Michael Yamada, production designer, Back to the Outback (Netflix)

  • Iervolino Invests €100M in New Studios Producing Johnny Depp Show ‘Puffins’

    Iervolino Invests €100M in New Studios Producing Johnny Depp Show ‘Puffins’

    Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s Iervolino Entertainment announced plans to invest €100 million (~$118.6 million USD) in animation production, plus an additional €8.5M ($10.1M) in its new Serbian production subsidiary. Dubbed Iervolino Studios, the venture will produce animated content for the global market from two facilities, in Belgrade and Novi Sad.

    One of the projects on the new studio’s slate is short-form Arctic Justice spinoff series Puffins, which voice stars Johnny Depp. The 250 x 5′ mobile-first CGI series (available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video) follows five puffins — led by Johnny Puff — who live in a high-tech world called Tana and go on important missions for walrus mastermind Otto. The show introduces important themes such as gender and racial equality and environmental stewardship in a kid-friendly way.

    Iervolino Studios currently employs 70+ creatives in Serbia, including directors, producers, writers, artists, animators, etc., working to create high-quality short-form content tailored to streaming. The company plans to build to about 600 staff. The new outfit has also struck a co-production agreement with local live-action prodc Archangel Digital Studios, and is supporting the growth of animation in Serbia through education, training and industry initiatives.

    Andrea Iervolino told Variety: “With demand for animated content reaching new heights globally, the need for experienced, high-level animators and animation facilities is also proliferating, and we now offer a tremendous solution in Iervolino Studios … Animation work has been a passion of mine for many years and I’m proud to have realized a new vision with our partners in Serbia, who are best-in-class collaborators in every way.”

    [Source: Variety]

  • GLAAD Honors ‘She-Ra’, ‘Out’ & ‘Elmo’ in 32nd Awards

    GLAAD Honors ‘She-Ra’, ‘Out’ & ‘Elmo’ in 32nd Awards

    The 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards premiered this week on GLAAD’s YouTube channel, recognizing and honoring media for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community and the issues that affect their lives. The event, hosted by Niecy Nash and featuring an array of sparkling performances and important calls to action, is also available to stream on Hulu through the end of June.

    Animation continued to show its growing place in LGBTQ representation this year, with several series nominated across children’s and family programming as well as in the Outstanding Comedy category. Live-action puppet talk show The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo won out in the Children’s race, while much-lauded She-Ra and the Princesses of Power scored a tie win for Kids & Family with First Day.

    Steven Hunter’s powerful Pixar SparkShorts film Out (Disney+) also received a Special Recognition.

    Out
    Out

    Select category winners and nominees below. Visit www.glaad.org/mediaawards/32 for more info.

    Outstanding Children’s Programming
    “Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!” DuckTales (Disney XD)
    “Dogbot” Clifford The Big Red Dog (Scholastic Entertainment/Amazon/PBS)
    “Nancy Plays Dress Up” Fancy Nancy (Disney Junior)
    Summer Camp Island (HBO Max)
    WINNER: The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (HBO Max)

    The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo
    The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo

    Outstanding Kids & Family Programming
    Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
    Diary of a Future President (Disney+)
    Kipo and The Age of Wonderbeasts (DreamWorks Animation/Netflix)
    The Loud House (Nickelodeon)
    “Mary Anne Saves the Day” The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix)
    “Obsidian” Adventure Time: Distant Lands (HBO Max)
    The Owl House (Disney Channel)
    Steven Universe (Cartoon Network)
    WINNER (TIE): She-Ra & The Princesses of Power (DreamWorks Animation/Netflix)
    WINNER (TIE): First Day (Hulu)

    Outstanding Comedy Series
    Big Mouth (Netflix)
    Dead to Me (Netflix)
    Everything’s Gonna Be Okay (Freeform)
    Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
    Love, Victor (Hulu)
    Saved by the Bell (Peacock)
    Sex Education (Netflix)
    Superstore (NBC)
    Twenties (BET)
    WINNER: Schitt’s Creek (Pop)

    Outstanding Video Game
    Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Ubisoft)
    Borderlands 3: Guns, Love, and Tentacles (2K Games)
    Bugsnax (Young Horses)
    Hades (Supergiant Games)
    If Found… (Annapurna Interactive)
    Ikenfell (Humble Games/Happy Ray Games)
    Immortals Fenyx Rising (Ubisoft)
    World of Warcraft: Shadowlands (Blizzard Entertainment)
    WINNER (TIE): The Last of Us Part II (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
    WINNER (TIE): Tell Me Why (Xbox Game Studios)

    Outstanding Comic Book
    Far Sector, by N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell, Deron Bennett (DC Comics)
    Guardians of the Galaxy, by Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Nina Vakueva, Chris Sprouse, Belén Ortega, Marcio Takara, Karl Story, Federico Blee, Guru-eFX, Cory Petit (Marvel Comics)
    Juliet Takes a Breath, by Gabby Rivera, Celia Moscote, James Fenner, DC Hopkins (Boom! Studios)
    Lois Lane, by Greg Rucka, Mike Perkins, Gabe Eltaeb, Andy Troy, Simon Bowland (DC Comics)
    The Magic Fish, by Trung Le Nguyen (Random House Graphic)
    Suicide Squad, by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, Adriano Lucas, Wes Abbott (DC Comics)
    Wynd, by James Tynion IV, Michael Dialynas, Aditya Bidikar (Boom! Studios)
    X-Factor, by Leah Williams, David Baldeon, Carlos Gomez, Israel Silva, Joe Caramagna (Marvel Comics)
    You Brought Me the Ocean, by Alex Sanchez, Julie Maroh, Deron Bennett (DC Comics)
    WINNER: Empyre, Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling, Empyre: Aftermath Avengers, by Al Ewing, Dan Slott, Chip Zdarsky, Anthony Oliveira, Valerio Schiti, Manuel Garcia, Cam Smith, Marte Gracia, Triona Farrell, Joe Caramagna, Ariana Maher, Travis Lanham (Marvel Comics)

  • Clip: Chelsea & Co. Need Some Gator Aid in ‘The Lost Birthday’

    Clip: Chelsea & Co. Need Some Gator Aid in ‘The Lost Birthday’

    Mattel Television’s brand-new animated adventure Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday is almost ready to launch on Netflix, and a newly released clip reveals the kind of tropical peril the popular characters have in store! The TV movie will debut on the streamer for U.S. audiences on Friday, April 16.

    In The Lost Birthday, the Roberts family sets sail on a cruise to celebrate Chelsea turning seven, but Barbie’s precocious little sister discovers too late that they crossed the International Date Line and her birthday was skipped. Searching for answers, she soon sets off on an extraordinary journey with a collection of new animal friends all to save her special day.

    In the new clip, Chelsea and her animal friends brainstorm how to get across an alligator infested river in order to reach the magical gem … but can the gang use teamwork to solve such a toothy problem?

    Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday
    Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday
  • Sony Launches ‘HT’ Short ‘Monster Pets’ for Pets Day!

    Sony Launches ‘HT’ Short ‘Monster Pets’ for Pets Day!

    Moviegoers are in for a scary good time as Sony Pictures Animation launches Monster Pets, a brand-new short film from the Hotel Transylvania universe showing on the big screen exclusively in Cinemark theaters. The hair-raising animated caper has also debuted online to get an early start on celebrating Pets Day this weekend.

    In Monster Pets, Drac’s lovable, monster-sized puppy, Tinkles, has more energy than ever and just wants to play ball! Unfortunately, Drac is too busy juggling his duties at the hotel, so he is determined to find a monster pet companion for his huge furry friend. After a series of mismatches, Drac’s plan goes awry when Tinkles chooses a very unlikely companion.

    The short is executive produced by Hotel Transylvania’s franchise creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, along with Michelle Murdocca; directed by Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon, written by Jennifer Kluska and produced by Christian Roedel.

    “What would it be like if the Drac Pack all owned pets? We couldn’t be more excited to jump back into the world of Hotel Transylvania, and explore all the fun and lovable frustrations of pets through a monster lens,” said directors Kluska and Drymon. “What happens when your golden retriever is five stories tall? Or your chihuahua breathes fire? Being able to introduce an all-new group of characters in Monster Pets who are just as funny and weird as the Drac Pack was an absolute blast. We hope audiences enjoy the short, and look forward to seeing the monster pets make an appearance in the upcoming Hotel Transylvania: Transformania!”

    “This short has been a labor of love from the teams at Sony Pictures Animation and Sony Pictures Imageworks, and we’re pleased that we can bring heartfelt laughter to families around the world in this time,” added Roedel. “The Hotel Transylvania franchise is all about family, and it has been an honor to work alongside our newest members Jennifer and Derek, the amazing directing duo who will take the reins for this exciting new chapter.”

    The final chapter of the franchise, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, is coming to theatres July 23.