Animation Magazine

Tag: featured

  • Carrie Miller Named COO of Augenblick Studios

    Augenblick Studios, the leading independent animation studio known for The Jellies, Ugly Americans, and most recently Netflix’s Headspace Guide to Meditation, has hired Carrie Miller to serve as Chief Operating Officer.

    Miller comes to Augenblick Studios after serving as Vice President of Frederator Digital where she managed all digital production of their original cartoon series such as Slug Riot, (not)Hero, Chris P. Duck and Shadowstone Park, as well as the production and programming of their YouTube properties including The Leaderboard, Get in the Robot, and Channel Frederator.

    In her new role, Miller will oversee all production, development and partnerships at Augenblick Studios and its subsidiaries. She will be working closely with founder Aaron Augenblick to advance the studios’ vision and distinctive approach to animation.

    The appointment comes at a significant time of growth for Augenblick Studios. This year sees them embarking on multiple series productions, including Adult Swim’s upcoming Teenage Euthanasia, new ventures and original IP development. They currently have shows in development at HBO Max, FX, Adult Swim and PBS.

    Augenblick Studios is a leading independent animation studio located in Brooklyn, NY. In 2019, the studio celebrated their 20th anniversary with screenings across New York City. In recent years, they have become increasingly focused on developing their own original properties.

    Learn more at www.augenblickstudios.com.

  • ‘Soul’ Disney+ Debut Sets New Nielsen Streaming Record

    ‘Soul’ Disney+ Debut Sets New Nielsen Streaming Record

    Pixar’s latest animated feature Soul received a heavenly reaction from critics and fans when it premiered on Disney+ on December 25, and has set a new record for Nielsen’s weekly U.S. streaming rankings. The Pete Docter and Kemp Powers-directed pic about finding your life’s purpose finished at No. 1 for the week of Dec. 21-27 with 1.669 billion minutes streamed — beating The Office (1.435B min.) in its final week at Netflix (now on Peacock).

    Disney+ also marked its first week with two offerings in the Top 10 with The Mandalorian at No. 5 (~1B min.); the hit Star Wars show wrapped its second season last month.

    Soul had originally been slated for a theatrical release but moved onto the streamer due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The highly anticipated title was included in the lineup available to subscribers, taking a different tack to the launch of Disney’s live-action Mulan, which was offered over Disney+ for an additional rental fee.

    Nielsen’s Top 10 for the week also included new Shondaland series Bridgerton (Netflix, 1.2B min., #3), George Clooney sci-fi adaptation The Midnight Sky (Netflix, 1.1B min., #4) and The Christmas Chronicles 2 (Netflix, 660M min., #9), as well as returning/rewatchable series The Crown (Netflix, 700M min., #7), Grey’s Anatomy (Netflix, 691M min., #8) and Criminal Minds (Netflix, 648M min., #10) and Jim Carrey’s live-action take on How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Netflix, 705M min., #6).

    So far, Nielsen only covers Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Disney+ in its rankings, but is expected to start tracking Peacock and HBO Max soon.

    [Source: Deadline]

  • New Clips Break Out as More ‘Camp Cretaceous’ Hits Netflix

    New Clips Break Out as More ‘Camp Cretaceous’ Hits Netflix

    Fans of animated dino-action will have something to sink their teeth into this weekend, as Netflix launches season 2 of Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous today (Friday, Jan. 21). The 8 x 22′ season finds the campers stranded on the abandoned Isla Nubar, struggling to survive amid the wreckage of Jurassic World. As the T.Rex takes over Main Street, forcing the kids deeper into the jungle, the discovery that they may not be alone not only threatens their rescue but may uncover something more sinister.

    The mark the launch, Netflix is offering a few appetizers — new clips, that is!

    Bonfire Signal: Things start to heat up when the campers notice a bonfire on the horizon of Isla Nublar! But will following the smoke signal lead them to safety? Or lure them deeper into the dangerous, dinosaur-filled darkness?

    Sneaking Inside the T-Rex Nest: While searching for an emergency distress beacon, Darius and Kenji find themselves in the heart of the T-Rex nest.

    Setting the Dinosaurs Free: As Darius, Brooklyn, and Sammy search for supplies at a vet station, they encounter a group of dangerous Baryonyxes. As they flee, Darius must face a tough dinosaur dilemma: should he release the still-caged predators into the wild?

    Stegosaurus Smash: Darius and Kenji enlist the help of some seriously strong stegosauruses!

    Inspired by the Jurassic World franchise, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous follows six teenagers chosen for a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Camp Cretaceous, a new adventure camp on the opposite side of Isla Nublar, must work together to survive when dinosaurs wreak havoc across the island.

    Produced by DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, Camp Cretaceous stars Paul-Mike’l Williams as Darius, Jenna Ortega as Brooklynn, Ryan Potter as Kenji, Raini Rodriguez as Sammy, Sean Giambrone as Ben and Kausar Mohammed as Yaz. Scott Kreamer and Aaron Hammersley are exec producers and showrunners.

  • Clip: Amy Hill & Keone Young Come to Town in ‘Big City Greens’

    Clip: Amy Hill & Keone Young Come to Town in ‘Big City Greens’

    In a brand new episode of Disney Channel’s Big City Greens premiering Saturday, Amy Hill (Magnum P.I.) and Keone Young (Star Wars Rebels) guest star as Gloria’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sato. Ahead of the episode debut, Animation Magazine got to pluck and exclusive clip, in which Gloria (voiced by Anna Akana) tries to pass off the Greens’ urban farm as her swanky city pad.

    “Rent Control” – When Gloria’s parents visit, she ropes the Greens into escalating lies about her success. Premieres Saturday, January 23 at 9 a.m. EST on Disney Channel, followed by new episode “Pool’s Gold.”

    Big City Greens was recently renewed for a third season, alongside an overall Disney TV animation deal for creators Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton.

    Big City Greens
    Big City Greens

  • Enderby Ent. Taps Kirk Wise to Direct Debut Animated Feature ‘Sunny’

    Kirk Wise, the director of Disney animation classics Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (both with Gary Trousdale), has been signed as the helmer of Enderby Entertainment’s first animated feature, Sunny. The picture centers on a boy named Sunny who must learn to control his emotions, which affect the Sun.

    “Sometimes a single sentence is enough to win me over when it comes to ideas that I think are uniquely suited to the animation medium, and Sunny passed that test with flying colors!” Wise told Deadline. “I couldn’t be more excited to help the Enderby team bring this story to audiences all over the world.”

    Sunny will be produced by Enderby’s CEO, Rick Dugdale (Intrigo trilogy), with Darrell Brown of Creative Anarchy. Todd Ireland (ReBoot: The Guardian Code) is writing the screenplay, based on a story by Dugdale and Brown. Executive producers are Dan Petrie, Jr., Cam Cannon and Zac Reeder.

    Wise’s directing credits also include Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Bobbleheads (Universal 1440/Threshold). Over his career, he has also worked as a storyboard artist/animator on beloved films The Great Mouse Detective, The Brave Little Toaster, Oliver & Company (also story team), The Rescuers Down Under and The Prince and the Pauper. He also contributed story material to The Lion King (1994).

  • VES Elects Lisa Cooke as First Woman Board Chair, Announces 2021 Officers

    The Visual Effects Society (VES), the industry’s global professional honorary society, announced its 2021 Board of Directors officers on Thursday. The officers, who comprise the VES Board Executive Committee, were elected at the January 2021 Board meeting. The officers include Lisa Cooke, who was elected Board Chair, and is the first woman to hold this role in the Society’s history. The five officers embody the global makeup up the Society, coming from Sections in the United States, New Zealand and London.

    “The Society is proud to have exceptional leadership represented on our Executive Committee,” said Eric Roth, VES Executive Director. “This is a group of impassioned and venerated professionals with a vision for the Society’s future, especially amidst this time of dynamic change. We appreciate their commitment to serve our organization and our members worldwide.”

    “It is my great honor and privilege to Chair this society of exceptional artists and innovators,” said Cooke. “I’m proud to be the first woman in this role, and I’m committed to lifting up our future leaders, so that I’m not the last. I look forward to working with the Executive Committee and Board of Directors to support our members during these challenging times and advance the work to propel the Society and the industry forward.”

    The 2021 Officers of the VES Board of Directors are:

    • Chair: Lisa Cooke
    • 1st Vice Chair: Emma Clifton Perry
    • 2nd Vice Chair: David H. Tanaka
    • Treasurer: Jeffrey A. Okun, VES
    • Secretary: Gavin Graham

    Lisa Cooke (Chair) has spent several decades in the entertainment industry as an animation/FX industry producer, story consultant, screenwriter and actor. Firmly believing that effective science communication is vital to our world, she founded Green Ray Media, and for the last 10-plus years, has been producing animation and VFX to create scientific, medical and environmental media for a broad audience.

    Cooke has worked for entertainment clients including Lucasfilm, Fox, Nickelodeon Films, ABC, CBS, Paramount and Universal and in the VFX and animation industry for companies including Pixar, Glasgow-based Digital Animations Group and Tippett Studio. As Senior Producer at Reardon Studios, she helped bring MOVA Contour Reality Capture to the film industry.

    Cooke has also taught story structure at the SF Academy of Art, JFK University and Ex’pression College, and is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. She served six years on the VES Bay Area Board of Managers Executive Committee and as Chair, before joining the VES Board of Directors, where she serves as Chair of the Archive Committee. In 2019 she held the position of 2nd Vice Chair and served as 1st Vice Chair in 2020. She is honored to Chair the Visual Effects Society in 2021.

    Emma Clifton Perry (1st Vice Chair) has more than 15 years experience across feature films, longform/TV series, commercials and advertising.

    Clifton Perry offers a truly global perspective, having lived everywhere from Saudi Arabia to Canada. She has worked both in-house with FOX and at VFX facilities worldwide including WETA Digital, Framestore, MPC, Rising Sun Pictures, DrD, Method Studios and The Mill, amongst others, working both as an artist and in leadership roles. She is currently based in Wellington, New Zealand, providing remote compositing and VFX consulting/lecturing services worldwide. She studied at the NCCA, Bournemouth University, U.K.

    This is Clifton Perry’s second consecutive term on the Executive Committee, serving as 2nd Vice Chair in 2020. Clifton Perry has served for four consecutive years on the Board of Directors and eight cumulative years on the New Zealand Board of Managers. She was the 2nd ever New Zealand Section Chair, serving as Chair for three years and a year as secretary/treasurer.

    David H. Tanaka (2nd Vice Chair) has worked in visual effects and animation for over 25 years. For 15 years he served at Industrial Light & Magic in VFX Editorial on such films as Jurassic Park, Forrest Gump and Star Wars. He went on to work on Cars, Ratatouille, WALL•E, UP and Toy Story 3 as a Special Projects Editor at Pixar Animation Studios over the next 10 years.

    In 2015, in addition to his freelance editing for studios, corporations and private clientele, Tanaka served as Editor, VFX Supervisor, Post-Production Supervisor and Co-Executive Producer on the independent feature film Guitar Man (currently in festival run and garnering awards for Best Editing and Best Picture). Tanaka is also an Adjunct Professor for the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, specializing in Editing, Producing and Cinema History.

    Tanaka has been a proud member of the Visual Effects Society for close to two decades. He served three terms as the VES Bay Area Section Chair, and one term as Co-Chair. Now in his third term on the VES Board of Directors, he has collaborated on projects ranging from educational outreach and VFX workplace code of conduct standards, to special VFX artist tributes and establishing best editorial practices for the VES Archives Committee.

    Jeffrey A. Okun, VES (Treasurer), is known for creating ‘organic’ and invisible effects, as well as spectacular ‘tent-pole’ visual effects that blend seamlessly into the storytelling aspect of the project, and has won the VES Award for Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects for his work on The Last Samurai. Okun has also delivered wide-ranging effects in award winning films such as Alpha, Blood Diamond, Stargate, Sphere, Red Planet, Deep Blue Sea, Lolita and The Last Starfighter and acclaimed television programs such as Cosmos: Possible Worlds for National Geographic and Fox TV.

    Okun is a VES Fellow and recipient of the Founder’s Award. He created and co-edited the VES Handbook of Visual Effects, an award-winning reference book covering all aspects of creating visual effects, techniques and practices. As VES Board Chair for seven years, Okun fostered a global community, focused attention on bringing business and creative education to artists, facilities and studios and guided the Society to help create a worldwide software anti-pirating alliance with the U.S. Government to ensure that all facilities have a fair and level playing field from which to bid. He created visual effects tracking and bidding software in wide use within the industry as well as the revolutionary visual effects techniques dubbed the “PeriWinkle Effect” and the “Pencil Effect.”

    Okun is a member of the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), the Academy of Television Arts and Science, and an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).

    Gavin Graham (Secretary) is the General Manager of DNEG Montréal. He has spent almost 20 years of his 21-year career with DNEG, having also worked for MPC and Cinesite. Originally an FX artist, with a background in Computer Science, he has also created tools and worked in development in the area of simulation and rendering. He has FX and CG Supervisor credits on projects such as Stardust, 2012, multiple films in the Harry Potter franchise and Captain America: The First Avenger.

    In 2011 he moved into a management position with DNEG, initially as the London Head of 3D, and then as Global Head of CG, before moving to Montréal to his current role in 2019.

    Graham joined the VES Board of Directors in 2019, and previously served as Secretary during his six-year tenure on the London Section Board.

    Learn more about the VES at www.visualeffectssociety.com

  • Mondo TV Forecasts Second Season of ‘MeteoHeroes’

    Mondo TV Forecasts Second Season of ‘MeteoHeroes’

    Mondo TV, one of the largest European producers and distributors of animated content, has announced plans for the second season of its enormously popular environmentally themed animated kids’ show MeteoHeroes. The first season has sold into more than 120 countries and was among the top shows airing on Cartoonito in Italy last autumn.

    Mondo TV is reteaming with Meteo Operations Italia (MOPI), which originated the concept, to produce the 52 x 11′ season 2. Production will start in the first quarter of 2021, and is expected to be completed by 2022.

    MeteoHeroes is billed as the only cartoon in the world dedicated entirely to climate and environmental issues. Each episode focuses on issues related to ecology and respect for nature through the adventures of six superpowered kids who can control weather phenomena. Working alongside scientists and meteorologists at their futuristic HQ based in Gran Sasso Mountain National Park in Italy, the MeteoHeroes are trained to control their powers and fulfill their mission: to save the Earth.

    The announcement follows a continuing growth in linear and streaming broadcast sales of season one in numerous countries and the appointment of agents in a number of territories, as well as a very successful first run on Cartoonito Italia and the well-received launch of a MeteoHeroes podcast, which teaches kids sustainable behaviors.

    “We’re enormously proud of MeteoHeroes; it’s the only cartoon in the world that combines fun, adventure and science – a show that gets kids thinking as well as giving them laughs and thrills,” said Matteo Corradi, Mondo TV President & CEO. “It’s not easy to balance entertainment and education, but this show does so perfectly – and the confirmed arrival in 2022 of the second series is a tribute to everyone involved in making MeteoHeroes such a big success.”

    MeteoHeroes has won its success with its stylish animation design, delivering action, comedy and real scientific information in thrilling storylines that discuss complex contemporary issues like climate change and weather patterns in an accessible and appealing way. Each episode is based on a real event with each story on screen linked to images and footage of the news stories that inspired it and the science behind each mission, which opens doors to discussion about important issues between co-viewing parents and children.

    “We believe it’s important to give the very young a grounding in notions like respect for the environment, nature and the fight against climate change – but to do so in an accessible and entertaining way. MeteoHeroes does just that: it’s fun and exciting but it also helps kids to understand why and how we need to make our planet a better place to live,” said Luigi Latini, CEO of MOPI.

    The producers also collaborated with well-known Italian child psychoanalyst and author Luigi Bellerini to create young characters with well-defined personalities, adapting to their super powers, dealing with their responsibilities and interacting with their teammates. The show was developed with diversity in mind: gender equality is a focus, and the six main characters hail from six different continents.

    MeteoHeroes
    MeteoHeroes
  • ‘Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House’ Premieres on NHK WORLD Feb. 25

    ‘Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House’ Premieres on NHK WORLD Feb. 25

    New animated series steeped in Japanese cultural tradition, Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House, will make its debut on NHK WORLD on February 25. The 12-episode anime is based on the original manga Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san by Koyama Aiko.

    Synopsis: Teenager Kiyo and her childhood friend Sumire have come to Kyoto from their distant hometown with dreams of becoming maiko (professional female entertainers especially skilled in traditional performing arts, such as dance and music). However, after an unexpected turn of events, Kiyo starts working as a live-in cook at the Maiko House, where maiko live together like a family. Sumire, on the other hand, continues on her path to a promising future as the “one-in-a-century maik.” Their story unfolds in Kyoto’s traditional entertainment district, Kagai.

    The show promises a beautiful atmosphere and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the particular world of the maiko as Kiyo serves up wonderful meals in her kitchen, wrapped up in a touching story of two childhood friends growing up together and encouraging one another.

    The voice cast features Hanazawa Kana (Monogatari, Durarara!!) as Kiyo, M・A・O (Beastars, Fruits Basket) as Sumire, Takayama Minami as Kenta, Matsuda Satsumi as Tsurukoma, Katakai Kaoru as Mother and Koyama Rikiya as Big Brother.

    The series is produced by NHK in association with NHK Enterprises, Inc., with animation by J.C. STAFF. Kiyo in Kyoto: The Maiko House is directed by Suzuki Yohei, with Yamakawa Susumu as story editor and music by Sakabe Go.

    NHK WORLD is the international service of Japanese public media organization NHK, sharing the latest TV, radio and online content with a global audience.

    Learn more and access watch options for Kiyo in Kyoto: The Maiko House at www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/maikosan.

    Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
    Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
    Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
    Kiyo in Kyoto: From the Maiko House
  • Russian Court Bans ‘Death Note,’ ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ & ‘Inuyashiki’ for Violence

    Russian Court Bans ‘Death Note,’ ‘Tokyo Ghoul’ & ‘Inuyashiki’ for Violence

    State prosecutors successfully petitioned the court in St. Petersburg, Russia to stop distribution of several popular anime in the country, claiming that teenagers will reenact violent scenes depicted in the series. The court announced Wednesday it had decided to ban titles including Death Note (produced by Madhouse), Tokyo Ghoul (Pierrot) and Inuyashiki (MAPPA).

    “Every episode contains cruelty, murder, violence,” the court said in a December 18 announcement that it had registered five law suits against 49 websites offering the series. Kolpinsky district court ordered Death Note and Inuyashiki be banned from distribution on two websites, and Tokyo Ghoul be banned on one site. The bans only affect the listed web addresses, according to state news agency RIA Novosti, but censorship agency Roskomnadzor may interpret the order more broadly.

    Prosecutors had also asked for bans on Naruto, Elfen Lied and Interspecies Reviewers last month. The court continued to hear arguments Wednesday over these titles, as well as popular Russian rapper Morgenstern’s meme-based song “I Ate Grandpa.”

    Death Note specifically has been a focus of controversy for several years. Parents in the country began campaigning to ban the global hit property created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata in 2013 when several volumes of the manga were found in the bedroom of a 15-year-old girl who died by suicide. The title made headlines again in January when a teenage boy who was known as a fan reportedly fell out of a window wearing a white shirt and red tie, similar to main character Light Yagami.

    [Sources: Moscow Times, Meduza via Kotaku]

  • A Real Wind-Up! Daffy & Porky Hit the Diamond in Exclusive ‘Looney Tunes Cartoons’ Clip

    A Real Wind-Up! Daffy & Porky Hit the Diamond in Exclusive ‘Looney Tunes Cartoons’ Clip

    It’s a beautiful day for classic characters, as a new batch of Looney Tunes Cartoons episodes premiere on HBO Max. To celebrate the launch of more Warner Bros. Animation adventures, we’ve got a special sneak-peek at the new episode “Pitcher Porky” for you!

    In the exclusive clip shared with Animation Magazine, we find an injured Porky Pig on the pitcher’s mound at a baseball game, trying to save his bacon with help from Daffy Duck’s clean-plucked pitching arm and dirty tricks!

    “Pitcher Porky”: Benchwarmer Porky finally gets his chance to shine on the pitching mound. With the game on the line, he’s going to need all the help he can get, even if it’s from Daffy.

  • A New Season of Brawling Begins in ‘Bakugan: Geogan Rising’

    A New Season of Brawling Begins in ‘Bakugan: Geogan Rising’

    Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, Spin Master Ltd. and TMS Entertainment welcome back the Awesome Brawlers as hit series Bakugan returns with a third season of high-flying action and adventure with Bakugan: Geogan Rising (52 x 11′). The new season of the hugely popular show premieres Sunday, January 24 at 12 p.m. ET on Corus Entertainment’s TELETOON in Canada, with new episodes weekly. The series is available to stream live and on demand on STACKTV through Prime Video Channels, where viewers can also catch up on Seasons 1 and 2.

    Following the launch of the new season, Spin Master is rolling out a new and exciting Bakugan: Geogan Rising toy line featuring incredible transforming creatures inspiring action-packed adventuresin North America in February 2021, with an additional set of toys rolling out in international markets in Fall 2021.

    “We’re incredibly proud to bring Bakugan: Geogan Rising into the esteemed Bakugan franchise as the brand continues to captivate audiences globally,” said Mellany Masterson, Head of Nelvana Enterprises. “Together with Spin Master we’ve grown a loyal fan base who love all things Bakugan and the international success is a testament to the dynamic content and new storylines delivered each season.”

    “We’re excited to unleash more brawling action and bring new characters to life as Bakugan captivates fans around the world,” said Thom Chapman, VP, Sales & Distribution, Spin Master. “Partnering with Nelvana opens the door to endless possibilities for adventure as we introduce a new story and reveal epic new collectible toys allowing brawlers to watch, collect and battle.”

    Bakugan: Geogan Rising sees hero Dragonoid return as the Awesome Brawlers remain in a deep slumber, healing from the last time they had to save the world. This time, the gang will face adventures with a new set of Bakugan characters including Geogan, a Bakugan-like creature fused with elements of crystals and forming a new geometric form. Not only do Geogans look different than their Bakugan counterparts, but they are exceptionally strong and built to brawl. It’s not long before the Awesome Brawlers turn this group of misfit Bakugan into loyal partners, and Geogan have arrived on the scene, ready to prove their worth and dominate in the Bakugan battle arena.

  • Netflix Boots Up Sony’s ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ for Global Release

    Netflix Boots Up Sony’s ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines’ for Global Release

    Netflix has acquired worldwide rights (excluding China) to The Mitchells vs. The Machines (formerly Connected) from Sony Pictures Animation. The road trip comedy-adventure about an ordinary family that must band together to unplug a technological apocalypse will roll out later this year.

    “This is a very personal movie about my very weird family. I’m so grateful to all the incredible artists that poured their love and passion into this project to make it a reality, and to everyone at Sony who believed in us and were on board to make a different kind of animated movie,” said director Mike Rianda. “I’m so thrilled that everyone at Netflix has been totally in sync with us creatively and are just as excited about the movie as we are! Not only because it’s an original story with a creative visual style that we’re extremely proud of, but also so I can prove to my friends that this five-year journey wasn’t an elaborate delusion on my part.”

    The Mitchells vs. The Machines is directed by Rianda and co-directed by Jeff Rowe. The screenplay is written by Rianda and Rowe. Oscar winners Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) and Kurt Albrecht produced the film; Will Allegra, Louis Koo Tin Lok executive produced.

    “We are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm Netflix has expressed for this movie with this acquisition and grateful to everyone at Sony for making a great picture with us and finding a big way to bring it to audiences” said Lord and Miller. “We’re really proud of the film we all made together, plus we understand our subscription fees are waived in perpetuity as part of the deal? We’re not lawyers but it does sound right to us.”

    “We want Netflix to be the place where families can come and enjoy stories together. And while we know no two families are the same, we think The Mitchells will immediately endear themselves to yours,” said Melissa Cobb, VP of Original Animation at Netflix. “It’s an honor to work with Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Mike Rianda to bring this incredibly special film to members around the world.”

    The Mitchells vs. The Machines is an original animated comedy about an everyday family’s struggle to relate while technology rises up around the world! When Katie Mitchell (voiced by Abbi Jacobson), a creative outsider, is accepted into the film school of her dreams, her plans to meet “her people” at college are upended when her nature-loving dad Rick (Danny McBride) determines the whole family should drive Katie to school together and bond as a family one last time. The film also stars Maya Rudolph, Mike Rianda, Eric Andre, Olivia Colman, Blake Griffin and Doug The Pug.

    Originally slated for release at the end of 2020, Sony releases a trailer for the film (under the retitle Connected) in March of last year.

    The film joins acquisitions like the recently released Spongebob: Sponge on the Run (exc. North America), as well as this year’s Wish Dragon. They complement Netflix’s fast growing original slate of animated features which includes Academy Award Nominated Klaus, Kris Pearn’s The Willoughbys, Glen Keane’s Over the Moon; as well as the upcoming comedy Back to the Outback directed by Clare Knight and Harry Cripps, Richard Linklater’s Apollo 10 ½: A Space Age Adventure, Chris Williams’ The Sea Beast, Henry Selick’s Wendell & Wild, Nora Twomey’s My Father’s Dragon, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Wendy Rogers’ The Magician’s Elephant, and an Aardman sequel to Chicken Run.

  • Playing the Monster Game: VFX Supe Dennis Berardi Talks ‘Monster Hunter’

    Playing the Monster Game: VFX Supe Dennis Berardi Talks ‘Monster Hunter’

    ***This article originally appeared in the February ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 307)***

    Filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson extends his relationship with Japanese video game publisher Capcom beyond the Resident Evil franchise with the new action-packed sci-fi movie Monster Hunter. Partnering with Anderson on this year-end thrill ride are producers Jeremy Bolt and Dennis Berardi, who also serves as the visual effects supervisor on the cinematic adaptation. The storyline centers on an American military unit led by Lt. Natalie Artemis (Milla Jovovich), who is swept away to a parallel world by a mysterious storm. They find themselves teaming up with a band of warriors to prevent massive predatory creatures from travelling to Earth.

    “Because Monster Hunter was so visual effects-driven and that informed how we were going to shoot the movie, it made sense for me to be involved more than a visual effects supervisor,” explains Berardi, whose many credits include Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-winning feature The Shape of Water, Crimson Peak and Ad Astra. “One of the reasons that I’ve stuck with Paul for a lot of years is because his process is fun. It is a real partnership. He is open to ideas right down the line — not just with me but with the artists.”

    Dennis Berardi
    Dennis Berardi

    Mr. X, which was founded by Berardi, was the main vendor for the film’s 1,300 VFX shots, with additional support provided by South Africa-based BlackGinger. “We storyboarded every key sequence and did 2D animatics to get a sense of timing that included action music and dialogue; that went back and forth with Paul. In some cases the animatic was enough, but when we had some technical shooting we did full 3D previs and even some tech-vis.”

    Calling on Capcom’s Dragons

    Capcom was heavily involved with the design process, especially for the creatures. “We wanted to be faithful to the designs so that the fans could buy into this as well,” remarks Berardi. “Capcom gave us models and they needed to be modified to make them more film ready and cinematic. We shot this on an ARRI ALEXA LF and wanted the CG to be rendered as if it was photographed with the large-format sensor camera.”

    The 3D creature models could be rendered from any angle. “The creatures are in full daylight so you get a good look at them,” says the VFX supervisor. “Capcom would make notes right down to toenail details, which was great. We actually have shots where we see that kind of detail. It took a few months to go back and forth to get a design that Capcom approved which was essentially based on their design. Once the design process was approved, it was done. I have done a lot of creature movies where the design process continues to evolve almost to the end, which can be tough.”

    Monster Hunter
    Monster Hunter

    A winged, dark-horned monster known as the Black Diablos was one of the most challenging creatures produced for the movie. “The Black Diablos was a challenge because he has these huge horns, and it was difficult to come up with a sense of how he would move and the weighting of the head,” notes Berardi. “The horns are so heavy that our sense was he would be front heavy but is balanced by a big heavy tail. We created a motion rig head because there is a scene when Artemis and Hunter (Tony Jaa) are on top of him.”

    Another one of the film’s big monsters is Rathalos, an apex monster of the Ancient Forest which descends upon invaders and attacks them with its venomous claws and fiery breath. “The creature’s wingspan and how it flies were difficult for us to track because we had to keep the scale but also make it believable that he wouldn’t fall out of the sky if his wings didn’t move faster. We wanted it to be not derivative of a Game of Thrones dragon. We shot some lighting reference but most of the flame work was digital. It’s not a sustained flamethrower type of look. It’s more of a firebomb that explodes out of his mouth and lands with some force. We were always trying to put in scale references for these creatures and respected what a cinematographer would do to photograph them.”

    Monster Hunter
    Monster Hunter

    Berardi notes that the 400-person-plus effects team played with everything on Rathalos, from the proportions of the snout to the distance between the eyes to the size of its eyes and brow. “We wanted to be able to perform intricate emotive expressions on the creatures as well, so we added all kinds of rigging controls,” he notes.

    The creative team took some liberties with the Palicoes (cat-like combat companions) especially the Meowscular Chef. “In the game lore, the Palico cats act as guides to the players,” explains Berardi. “We pitched an idea back to Capcom that was loosely based on their design. Paul wanted him to be muscular, have an expressive photoreal face, a pirate look and be more grizzled. We played with hanging dreadlocks. It’s an upright cat character. This was the only time that we shot a stand-in; I did put an actor in a target suit. It gave Milla someone to play off of, gave us great lighting reference, and was good for composition. We ended up doing mostly keyframe animation.”

    Monster Hunter
    Monster Hunter

    World Building in South Africa

    Shooting in real settings in South Africa such as the Valley of the Red Gods and the Atlantis dunes helped ground the overall action. “We did shoot a lot of this stuff in some cool locations, so in a lot of cases we have real photography — that was a big mandate from Paul,” remarks Berardi. “There was a significant amount of world building. The oasis and Sky Tower are essentially digital, while the Ships Graveyard was mostly built by the art department.”

    All the locations and sets were LiDAR-scanned and photo surveyed. (LiDAR is a method for measuring distances by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor.) “We were able to recreate the environment geometry in 3D and correctly put the creature on that ground plate,” explains Berardi. “We match-moved that camera so we could create a track of the camera in the environment. Once we had that, we could start animating. Then, we added elements like dust, debris and kick-up from the creature interacting with the environment. We did an environment survey of the lighting, and took the real-world lighting and applied them to our creatures.”

    Monster Hunter
    Monster Hunter

    The weapons used in the movie’s fantastic world are just as enormous as the creatures. “One of the things that we had to figure out was the size of some of these swords,” notes Berardi. “In the video games they’re huge. We made them big and got some positive feedback from the fans. We made them really big. Some of the swords have a hot iron look. You can level those up in the video game and when it’s charged there is a magical component to it. We scaled Hunter’s sword to be a real-world size so our actor Tony Jaa could run around and perform with it.”

    Berardi says the biggest challenge for him and his effects team was representing the monsters faithfully while being cinematic. “The environment work, set extensions and effects simulations are things that we’ve done before,” he points out. “But we haven’t run this many creatures into one movie with fans who are religious about them. I want to stress that it was a great collaboration with Paul and Capcom. We worked very hard to bring cinematic versions of these monsters to the big screen. I’m proud of it.”

    Sony/Columbia’s Monster Hunter debuted in select U.S. theaters in December and continues its international theatrical rollout. More info at www.monsterhunter.movie.

  • Anima Shifts to Fully Online 40th Edition

    Anima Shifts to Fully Online 40th Edition

    Anima, the Brussels Animation Film Festival, has announced its 40th edition will take place as a totally digital program on its new platform Anima Online from February 12-21. Previously planned for a hybrid in-person and online event, the full program will be unveiled next Tuesday, January 26 at Anima’s official press conference.

    “You probably already guessed it, but we wanted to believe it to the end. It’s with a heavy heart that the Festival has had to give up the idea of an onsite 40th edition, due to the developments in the health crisis. But we are also very pleased to announce that the exceptional and very rich program will be available throughout Belgium on the new Anima Online platform,” the Anima Team said in a shared statement.

    The festival has already announced some of its plans. Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s critically acclaimed feature Wolfwalkers will be the opening film of the 2021 event. A spotlight on Korean animation, marking the 120th anniversary of Belgian-Korean diplomatic relations, will feature a program of indie shorts and three feature films (The Shaman Sorceress, Motel Rose and Beauty Water). And of course, a 169-title buffet of artistic, thought-provoking and entertaining short films will screen in the Oscar-qualifying competition.

    www.animafestival.be

  • Sparky Animation Taps Kids Ent. Vet Kerry Novick as SVP of Co-Productions

    Singapore-based Sparky Animation, a leading Asian producer of globally recognized animation for preschoolers and tweens, has appointed kids entertainment industry veteran Kerry Novick as the new SVP of Global Sales & Co-Productions to spearhead the company’s international expansion and bring new, exciting family-friendly programming to young viewers worldwide.

    Based in Los Angeles, Novick is tasked with selling the company’s content library while cultivating relationships with new and existing distribution partners, including global broadcast networks and today’s popular streaming platforms. Novick will also identify and secure co-production partners for Sparky’s growing slate, and discover new projects that resonate with the changing requirements of top platforms and audience expectations.

    “It is an exciting time for new, inspiring animation in the kids field, where core curriculums, social development and mutual respect and understanding themes take on a whole new meaning,” said Novick. “There are now an endless number of touchpoints for kids to access quality programming, and Sparky Animation is poised to meet this new demand. They have demonstrated over the years their ability to resonate with children around the world, through co-productions like Dinosaur Train or work-for-hire projects such as Doc McStuffins, Miraculous Ladybug, and many more.”

    Established in 2006, Sparky Animation is best known for its animation production and original content development, as well as its co-productions, work-for-hire and licensing of IP. The company produces, distributes and develops content for many of the most popular brands and video services worldwide, including Netflix, Disney and Cartoon Network. Its recent growth has been fueled largely by its premium content, having produced several notable series including Emmy-nominated Dinosaur Train, U.K.-U.S. co-production Ruff-Ruff Tweet and Dave, U.K.-Canada co-production Mr. Moon, science series Jack and Japanese co-production One Stormy Night.

    Prior to Sparky, Novick was SVP of Global Sales & Business Development at Kidtagious Entertainment, where she also spearheaded their co-productions. Prior to that, Novick spent 10 years in international sales at Canada’s Nelvana, five years at Sesame Workshop, and held numerous sales agency agreements with noted children’s program producers, including The Jim Henson Company, FremantleMedia Kids, Guru Studio and more.

    Sparky’s past co-production projects have come largely from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. The founder of Sparky, KC Wong has closely collaborated with strategic partners namely Hahn Film in Germany, Presto Music of the U.K. and Pop Rhythms in Singapore. Singapore has co-production treaties with several countries, with Canada and Australia of note.

    sparkyanim.com

  • ViacomCBS to Launch Paramount+ on March 4

    ViacomCBS to Launch Paramount+ on March 4

    ViacomCBS will begin rolling out the rebrand of its CBS All Access streaming platform as Paramount+ on March 4. The service will be a hub for content from entertainment brands including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, CBS and Paramount Pictures, offering on-demand films and series as well as live news and sports. The news was announced via Twitter on Tuesday.

    Announced last year, the new streamer will debut in the U.S. and Latin America on March 4, expanding to Nordic territories on March 25 and on to Australia in mid-2021. Canadian subscribers to CBS All Access will see the rebrand launch on March 4, but the expanded offerings and “mountain of entertainment” promised by Paramount+ won’t be available until later in the year.

    ViacomCBS plans to host a livestream for investors on February 24 when it will detail its strategy for Paramount+ as well as Pluto TV and Showtime’s OTT. CBS All Access — home to animated original Star Trek: Lower Decks, Critics Choice TV Award nominee Tooning Out the News and upcoming Brad Neely toon The Harper House — currently offers monthly subscriptions for $5.99 (with ads) or $9.99 (no ads).

  • Award-Winning CG Artist Thomas Connors Joins ArsenalCreative

    Seasoned 3D artist Thomas Connors has been named VFX Supervisor/CG Generalist at ArsenalCreative. Founder Mark Leiss announced Connors’ appointment, which is effective immediately.

    Building on his 20 years of experience on CG for high-end visual effects, Connors has carved an impressive niche in specializing in modeling and texture elements for CG environments for television and the automotive industry.

    “Tom is one of those special 3D artists every company wants on their roster,” Leiss said. “His ability to not only solve complex shots but add that unique signature to his craft is unparalleled. We’re excited to have him on board.”

    Most recently, Connors was the CG Supervisor at Picture Shop/Ghost FX in Burbank where for three and a half years he worked on notable projects such as Walking Dead, Fear of the Walking Dead, McGuyver, Hawaii 5-0 and Shameless. He coordinated and managed a team of 20 to 30 artists to execute simultaneous deliveries on multiple projects.

    He has also been a CG supervisor and/or CG lead artists at Mind Over Eye, Sway Studio, Mirada and Big Block.

    “ArsenalCreative fosters creativity through an environment that promotes collaboration and innovation. I am eager to work with this dynamic team to further expand the 3D/CG capabilities,” Connors said. “I am excited to be stepping into a new role as the VFX Supervisor and look forward to working in new creative partnerships and on unique projects.”

    During the past two decades, Connors has worked to develop creative strategies through innovative production process improvements that elevate the viewers experience and bring the client’s vision to life. Especially during the past year, the halting of production and the inability to shoot live scenes due to the COVID-19 pandemic have presented the need to creatively adapt. For Shameless, he was able to develop digital environments to replicate real life sets to create continuity for the viewer.

    “Streamlining processes for the production of creative content, reduces time spent on the technical aspect and enables me to spend more time on the development of creative concepts,” Connors said. “Challenging projects allow me to utilize creative problem solving and position me for not only professional growth but personal growth as well.”

    Connors received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Main Title Design for Cosmos, and HPA Award nominations for Best Visual Effects for TV series for The Flash and Hawaii 5-0. He won back-to-back Leo Awards for his visual effects work on The Flash.

    Connors studied media arts and animation at the Art Institute of California. Responding to what he saw as a deficiency in online instructional content, he also teaches FX skills courses in using industry-based teaching concepts and real-life techniques.

    Founded in 2008 by Mark Leiss, ArsenalCreative is a multidisciplinary post-production studio based in Santa Monica, CA. Specializing in visual effects, color and creative ideation, ArsenalCreative tailors custom one-of-a-kind solutions for the commercial and entertainment industries.

    Learn more at afx.tv.

  • Wallace & Gromit Make AR Debut in ‘The Big Fix Up’, Out Now

    Wallace & Gromit Make AR Debut in ‘The Big Fix Up’, Out Now

    Iconic animation studio Aardman and Fictioneers have launched The Big Fix Up — the first-ever AR outing for beloved characters Wallace and Gromit. The app follows the famous British duo on their first new adventure in a decade: fixing up the city of Bristol through their company, Spick & Spanners, with the help of the player as their new employee.

    “We are incredibly proud of The Big Fix Up, which will be the first immersive adventure from our new venture Fictioneers,” said Richard Saggers, COO, Fictioneers. “It’s been an amazing collaboration among the three partners Potato, Tiny Rebel Games and Sugar Creative, and of course the wonderful team at Aardman. It’s truly groundbreaking work which demonstrates the huge opportunity to evolve the ways stories are told. Above all it’s a great example of what a diverse, multi-disciplinary team of creative talents can achieve together.”

    The Big Fix Up
    The Big Fix Up

    Available on iOS and Android devices in the U.K., U.S. and Canada, The Big Fix Up creates a narrative-driven experience, taking the user through AR gameplay, CG animations, in-character phone calls, extended reality (XR) portals and comic strips. In the new storyline, inventor Wallace and his dog Gromit’s latest business venture takes on a contract to “Fix-Up” Bristol, the city where Aardman is based.

    The Big Fix Up is voiced by award-winning British actors Miriam Margolyes and Jim Carter, along with Isy Suttie, Grace Ahmed, Joe Sugg and Ben Whitehead as Wallace.

    Using the latest technology, fans will be able to interact in a host of new ways and get closer than ever to Wallace & Gromit. The experience is rich and multi-layered, realized through innovation and technology.

    Creating further fan connections with this latest project, Aardman and Fictioneers held a competition in partnership with the U.K.’s Intellectual Property Office inviting kids to take inspiration from the characters and come up with their own ‘Cracking Ideas’ for helpful inventions. Out of more than 1,500 entrants, nine-year-old Dominic Marday’s winning design for the ‘Litteration’ litter-clearing robot was chosen to feature in the app.

    Litteration
    Litteration

    “Wallace & Gromit have innovation, gadgets and technology at the comedic heart of their world,” noted Merlin Crossingham, Creative Director of Wallace & Gromit at Aardman. “Working with Fictioneers to create The Big Fix Up has been a perfect fit, allowing us to bring the duo’s fantastic fictional contraptions right into our audiences homes using the latest real technology.”

    Using 3D mapping platform Fantasmo, Fictioneers created a city-scale augmented reality experience to bring the Bristol city center to life at home. Fictioneers worked with Unity Technologies, using its new Mixed and Augmented Reality Studio product and AR Foundation toolkit to build mixed reality and AR applications. Fictioneers is a collaboration of partners including Potato (part of the AKQA network), Sugar Creative and Tiny Rebel Games, with research support from the University of South Wales. The Big Fix Up also is backed by funding from the government’s UK Research & Innovation.

    The free app is available to download now for iOS or Android.

    www.thebigfixup.co.uk

  • Toei Marks ‘World Trigger’ S2 Premiere with First Global Fan Event

    Toei Marks ‘World Trigger’ S2 Premiere with First Global Fan Event

    On the heels of last week’s worldwide premiere of Season 2, Toei Animation Inc. has unveiled details for its special World Trigger livestream event teased to fans just before Christmas. To celebrate the new season’s launch, Toei Animation will host its first-ever virtual global fan event – the World Trigger Season 2 Global Livestream Watch Party – on Saturday, January 30, when anime fans across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe can come together for a special simulcast event on Toei Animation’s U.S. Facebook and YouTube channels.

    Hosted by social media personalities Justin Rojas (HomeCon / Envy Gaming) and Lisa Wallen (Kawaii Five-O Podcast), the World Trigger Season 2 Global Livestream Watch Party will include a series introduction and special video message to fans from Japanese cast members Tomo Muranaka (Yūma Kuga), Kenta Tanaka (Sumiharu Inukai), Toshiyuki Toyonaga (Ratarykov) and Ayumu Murase (Reghindetz) followed a screening of World Trigger Season 2 Eps 1 & 2 (in Japanese with English subtitles) along with post-episode discussions and promotional giveaways.

    This two-hour fan event starts at 5 p.m. Pacific / 8 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. International local times include: 7 p.m. Mexico City, 10 p.m. São Paulo, 2 a.m. Paris (Sunday) and 12 p.m. Sydney (Sunday). Each episode will be followed by host commentary along with fan giveaways.

    Based on the sci-fi action manga serialized by Shueisha, World Trigger was originally released by Toei Animation as a 73-episode series in 2014-2016. For the production of Seasons 2 & 3, Toei Animation has brought together a new series director, Morio Hatano (Dragon Ball Super – Future Trunks saga), with the original voice cast and key members of the original staff including Hiroyuki Yoshino (series composition writer for Eps 1-48), Kenji Kawai (music composer) and Toshihisa Kaiya (character designer).

    Season 2 Synopsis: Border Defence Agency was established to counter the attacks from the “Neighbors,” beings from the other world possessing unknown forces. A low rank Border agent, Osamu Mikumo, teams up with a Neighbor, Yuma Kuga, and a childhood friend, Chika Amatori. They strive to win through the Rank Wars within the Border to be selected for the away squads to the “Neighborhood,” the other world. Meanwhile, another attack from the Neighborhood was detected. Mikado City is still damaged from the second large-scale invasion by the largest military nation, Aftokrator. To prevent panic among the city and citizens, Border arranges a confidential interception based on the foresight of Yuichi Jin by mainly deploying selected A-Rank elite squads. But when a Gate appears, and Attacker rank #1 Kei Tachikawa set to take action, Jin sees an ominous future.

  • First Dedicated Spanish-Language Nick Jr. Channel Launches on YouTube

    First Dedicated Spanish-Language Nick Jr. Channel Launches on YouTube

    Nickelodeon International announced today the launch of a new YouTube Channel, Nick Jr. en Español. The channel, which is now live, features content tailored to global Spanish speaking audiences and includes both Latin American Spanish and Castilian Spanish content.

    Nick Jr. en Español features short-form IP-based content from the most loved Nick Jr. properties and characters, such as PAW Patrol, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Top Wing, Dora and Friends, Rusty Rivets, and more.

    “We are so thrilled to bring our iconic Nickelodeon content to global Spanish speaking audiences around the world with the launch of our new YouTube channel, Nick Jr. en Español,” said Kate Sils, Vice President, Digital and Multiplatform, ViacomCBS Networks International. “Nickelodeon is invested in being everywhere that kids are, and the launch of this channel is an extension of our commitment to finding new ways to connect audiences with our brand and characters.”

    The launch of Nick Jr. en Español follows the success of Nick Jr. em Português, the brand’s dedicated Portuguese language YouTube Channel, which launched in October 2020 and has received 60.5 million video views and 360.5 million minutes watched to-date (range: Oct. 14, 2020-Jan. 12, 2021).