Cinesite announced that VFX Supervisor Artemis Oikonomopoulou has joined its London studio. She brings with her more than 20 years of experience in film and comes to Cinesite, having just delivered sci-fi thriller Infinite. Prior to that she was the visual effects supervisor for Mermaid 2, sequel to the all-time highest grossing film at the Chinese box office.
Throughout her career Oikonomopoulou has held various supervisor roles across an impressive list of feature film credits, which include Venom, Thor: Ragnarok, Annihilation and Ant-Man among other tentpole film franchises.
“I am excited to re-join Cinesite where I initially started my career,” said Oikonomopoulou. “I’m looking forward to sharing in its wonderful team culture and contributing to the exceptional work that is being produced here.”
Oikonomopoulou has a proven track record for delivering industry-leading visual effects for 1,000-plus shot feature film projects. The achievements of her 20+ year career was acknowledged in June when she was announced as a newly elected member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
“Artemis’s depth of experience across disciplines and collaborative nature make her a perfect fit. Her talent and expertise will further inspire and empower our talented crew and support our growing roster of work,” said Melissa Taylor, General Manager of Cinesite London. “I am excited for what her Cinesite future holds in advance of a widely predicted surge in VFX demand this year.”
On-set supervision is one of Oikonomopoulou’s many strengths. Her talents were called upon to supervise a unit in the U.S. for Venom in 2018 and more recently she was on location at the pyramids in Egypt, shooting with drones and capturing background plates for Death on the Nile.
Having studied Computer Animation and Visualisation to Master’s degree level at Bournemouth University, Oikonomopoulou began her visual effects career at Cinesite. Over the following 12 years she honed her skills on technically challenging sequences for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and John Carter.
She now joins fellow VFX supervisors Aleksander Pejic (The Witcher, Inception, The Legend of Tarzan), Ben White (Black Widow, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Salvador Zalvidea (The Bourne Stuntacular, Adrift, Mute) and Simon Stanley-Clamp (Avengers: Endgame, Robin Hood, Ant-Man) at the London studio.
Cinesite is headquartered in London with studios in Montreal and Vancouver alongside group VFX brands Image Engine and TRIXTER. The studio collective has recently delivered Black Widow (Marvel Studios), No Time To Die (MGM), Mulan (Disney), The Mandalorian S2 (Disney+) and The Witcher (Netflix).
VFX projects currently in production across the group include Respect (MGM), The Witcher S2 (Netflix), Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Marvel Studios). Feature Animation projects include The Addams Family 2 (MGM), Blazing Samurai (GFM Animation/Aniventure) and Hitpig (Aniventure).
Nickelodeon will premiere CG-animated series Deer Squad in the U.S. following a successful run overseas. The result of a partnership between iQIYI, an innovative market-leading online entertainment service in China, Nickelodeon International and VIS KIDS, a division of ViacomCBS International Studios, Deer Squad will premiere on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on Jan. 25, at 9 a.m. (ET/PT) in the preschool block. The series will continue to air regularly weekdays at 9 a.m. (ET/PT).
The adventure-rescue show follows four, lovable, enthusiastic and heroic deer friends — Kai, Lola, Bobbi and Rammy — who protect the animals of Central Forest and the humans who inhabit Platinum City, a futuristic metropolis surrounding their woodland home. When there’s trouble, the Deer summon their special Planet Powers of Water (Kai), Wood (Lola), Earth (Bobbi) and Sun (Rammy) to solve problems.
“We first partnered with iQIYI on the series with a worldwide audience in mind. We’re incredibly proud to see this original preschool series become the first Nickelodeon International global Chinese-originated collaborative project, as we further our commitment to developing kids-first content from around the world,” said Nina Hahn, Head of VIS KIDS and Senior Vice President of International Production & Development for Nickelodeon International.
“Deer Squad is a major breakthrough for iQIYI’s development of original children’s animation, creatively supervised by Nickelodeon International. We appreciate Nickelodeon’s international broadcasting strategy on the show, and it is great news that we have achieved No.1 in viewership in many regions. We hope that there will be more Chinese original animations to go international,” said Yang Xiaoxuan, Vice President of iQIYI and Head of Original Animation and Investment.
Nickelodeon International aired Deer Squad across Asia in August 2020, including iQIYI’s platform in China, and premiered in Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. later in the year. It was the #1 show in the Philippines amongst kids 2-14, ranked Nick Jr. as the #1 STV channel in Australia among kids 0-4 during Deer Squad premieres and averaged +148% in the U.K. compared to the timeslot benchmark. The series is scheduled to air in Europe and Africa in March 2021.
Deer Squad is currently in production for a second season. The show marks the first time for Nickelodeon Asia to partner on a Chinese original from its conception phase.
Disney Channel has ordered a third season of its hit Emmy Award-nominated animated comedy Big City Greens. Series creators and executive producers, brothers Chris and Shane Houghton (Harvey Beaks), have also expanded their roles and entered into an overall deal at Disney Television Animation. Under the agreement, the duo will continue their work on Big City Greens and develop new animated series, shorts and movies for Disney Channel and Disney+.
“Chris and Shane have a wonderfully unique vision for characters and stories with both humor and heart, and we’re especially pleased to continue working with them on more Big City Greens and other creative ventures,” said Meredith Roberts, SVP/General Manager, Television Animation, Disney Channels.
In a joint statement, the Houghton brothers said, “We are excited to be deepening our relationship with Disney. They have been very supportive of us and our crazy ideas, and we are looking forward to continuing to grow Big City Greens as well as develop new and exciting projects together.”
Best known for creating, writing and illustrating their comic-book series Reed Gunther, about a bear-riding cowboy, the duo has written and illustrated comics for The Simpsons, Adventure Time and Peanuts, among others. For television, Chris worked as a storyboard artist on Disney’s hit series Gravity Falls, and Shane as an editor for the reality series Tattoo School. The two worked together on Harvey Beaks, Chris as storyboard director and Shane as staff writer.
Big City Greens follows mischievous and optimistic 10-year-old Cricket Green, who moves from the country to the big city with his wildly out of place family — older sister Tilly, father Bill and Gramma Alice. The series is influenced by the Houghton brothers’ childhood growing up in the small rural town of St. Johns, Michigan, with many of the locations and characters inspired by their real-life family members and townsfolk.
Currently in its second season, new episodes will roll out Saturdays beginning Jan. 16 (9:00 a.m. EST/PST) on Disney Channel and in DisneyNOW and will include a special music-filled episode featuring five original songs. Season one of Big City Greens is available to stream on Disney+.
Since its premiere in June 2018, Big City Greens has garnered nearly 300 million views across all social media and digital viewing platforms and currently ranks among the top five animated series across all Cable with Kids and Girls 6-11 for two quarters straight. The series’ “Broken Karaoke” short titled “Stuck at Home” has over 16 million views and has become the most-watched video on Disney Channel YouTube Summer to date.
Big City Greens stars Chris Houghton as Cricket Green, Artemis Pebdani (Scandal) as sweet-and-sour Gramma Alice, Marieve Herington (How I Met Your Mother) as quirky older sister Tilly Green and Bob Joles (Puss in Boots) as hard-working father Bill Green. The series is a production of Disney Television Animation and carries a TV- Y7 parental guideline.
The Houghtons are represented by Julie Kane-Ritsch of The Gotham Group and attorney Matthew Saver.
VlogBox, a content monetization platform, and animation house Sprout Studios have announced a strategic partnership through which they aim to distribute and monetize Sprout Studios animations on connected TV markets, starting with Roku.
Seen as the successor of linear TV, connected TV has experienced exponential annual growth in recent years. Currently, there are over 70 million active over-the-top (OTT) video users in the U.S. alone. Along with universal internet-based platforms like YouTube, CTV services a large portion of the younger, tech-savvy audience. Roku is one of the largest and most secure CTV platforms, which makes it an ideal option for CTV beginners.
Through their partnership, VlogBox and Sprout aim to create a children’s entertainment portal on Roku, dubbed Nunu TV, tackle content distribution, optimization for seamless streaming and channel monetization.
“Our mission is to help good content creators promote their works, so more people can benefit from it. And we’re also big fans of animation! Partnering with Sprout Studios made us confident Vlogbox is moving in the right direction,” commented Nick Platonenko, CEO of VlogBox.
The Nunu TV portal/app will feature animated videos with a focus on music and entertaining exercise inspiration. The library is curated with an eye to offering families a daily routine for fitness, and encouraging physical wellness, good lifestyle habits and healthy screen use.
“We’re proud to create and distribute animation for a good purpose. With our daily workouts and singing, kids can develop healthy habits in a fun and playful way. By using new geographic and platform diversity, we’ll be able to stream these values to a wider range of people. Thanks to Vlogbox, Sprout will be able to reach new audiences on CTV/OTT with maximum efficiency,” said Rachit Khandelwal, Head of Sprout Studios.
Sprout Studios specializes in animated content for kids. The team conducts full-service work from pre-production, scripting, sketching, character design, to complex CGI animation production.
Xsens, the leading innovator in inertial motion tracking technology for 3D character animation, sports, health and ergonomics, will launch MotionCloud service for MVN users during All-Digital CES 2021. This landmark upgrade to Xsens MVN adds cloud-based storage, processing power, and reporting tools, taking team collaboration and motion data processing to new heights. Alongside this expansion, Xsens is opening up a Beta Program, kickstarting a host of new cloud-based developments for all Xsens markets.
With MotionCloud, Xsens users can access and process data from anywhere. MVN Analyze and Animate users will be able to upload data directly to the cloud, and share it with colleagues for easy review and analysis. For studios with remote setups, or for facilities with off-site research projects, tracking precise motion data from the world’s greatest athletes and actors has never been easier. Receive automatic generated reports for sports, health and ergonomic applications using the uploaded motion data. Mocap sessions can be completed by performers, while the data is instantly accessible to animators or data analysts in entirely different locations.
The high level of data processing possible with MotionCloud means users are no longer limited by the power of their on-premises hardware, instead, MotionCloud produces detailed data analysis at a much faster rate than any desktop or laptop. MotionCloud offers users a state-of-the-art motion tracking and cloud stack, providing in-built performance analysis and reporting tailored to users’ requirements. MotionCloud is built for the modern-day studio and lab.
“We are moving up and into the cloud. Xsens’ MotionCloud is a highly innovative motion data specialist platform created for the most accurate data collection and sophisticated analytics possible, and all with incredible useability. MotionCloud is designed for the storage, analysis, and reporting of motion data, for any industry, sector, and purpose. We think Motioncloud significantly increases the productivity and efficiency of any team – we want to empower our customers in health, sports, ergonomics, and entertainment with this powerful tool,” said Rob Löring, Business Director 3D Body Motion at Xsens.
The combination of precise Xsens inertial motion tracking sensors with an advanced fusion algorithm for processing produces world-class full-body motion data, which can all be stored and accessed safely in MotionCloud. Users can organize motion data collaboratively and reprocess multiple recordings as batches, saving time and expenditure.
MotionCloud will be officially launched at All-Digital CES 2021, taking place online January 11-14. Find out more about MotionCloud in this week’s webinar series discussing all of the new features. Xsens has also announced the commencement of a free MotionCloud Beta program to try and test the all new cloud-based developments.
Mailchimp Presents has debuted a new short-form series about the ups and downs (and sometimes-painful truths) of life as an entrepreneur or small business owner, All in a Day’s Work. The 12 episodes were created by Oscar- and Annie-nominated director Siqi Song (Sister), production company MAJORITY and animation studio BUCK in collaboration with London-based multiplatform publisher It’s Nice That.
All episodes are available to watch online free of charge and without ads now through Mailchimp Presents.
“The All in a Day’s Work series is a project I’m really excited about,” said Song. “As a startup filmmaker myself, every story in the series can resonate with me in some way. It was a pleasure to collaborate with It’s Nice That and Mailchimp to bring those stories to life.”
Song is an Oscar-nominated director and animator from China, currently based in California. Her films have been screened internationally at many film festivals, including Sundance, SXSW, Annecy, Ottawa and more. She was named a Film Independent Directing Fellow in 2018 and a BAFTA Los Angeles Newcomer in 2019. Song studied at California Institute of the Arts and China Central Academy of Fine Arts.
[siqi-song-all-In-a-days-work-animation-itsnicethat-#] cap: Siqi Song on set filming All in a Day’s Work
“We’re so proud to launch our new animated series All in a Day’s Work. These short and humorous vignettes speak to the day-to-day struggles and triumphs of small business ownership and the common experiences of entrepreneurs around the globe,” commented Sarita Alami, Head of Programming at Mailchimp Presents. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the teams at Buck Studios, Siqi Song and It’s Nice That who brought these shorts to life – adding a levity and playfulness that, hopefully, sparks some joy, creativity, and inspiration to keep going even when things get tough.”
MAJORITY is a hybrid commercial and indie studio representing a diverse, all-women roster of independent filmmakers. BUCK is a global creative company with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Sydney, founded in 2004.
A division of the Mailchimp marketing platform, Mailchimp Presents is a global streaming platform featuring series, films and podcasts built with small businesses and entrepreneurs in mind. Content can be streamed on mobile or desktop free of charge, without ads with no login or subscription required at mailchimp.com/presents.
[AIADW_Episode Imagery_16_95] cap: All in a Day’s Work episode by BUCK
Autodesk’s acquisition of Discreet Logic in 1999 established its leading role as a software provider to the media and entertainment industry. It also brought in exceptional talent, including Diana Colella, whose two-decade rise at Autodesk has now reached a new peak.
Collela has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) vertical solutions group, which oversees collections of tools used in both film and television production and videogame development. In her new role, Collela is responsible for increasing the visibility and strategic focus of Autodesk’s M&E efforts, and ultimately, leading growth in the industry
“It’s truly an exciting time in the M&E industry, which has always had to innovate and respond to changing market dynamics. Now more than ever,” Collela told the Autodesk news blog. “The pandemic has disrupted the industry. The cloud is accelerating faster than any of us would have imagined. I am eager to see Autodesk seize on new opportunities and play a bigger part in the industry.”
Collela began her career at Autodesk as a finance business partner but rapidly deepened her organizational experience through a broad range of roles including in product management, product design, worldwide support and services, sales, and operations. In addition to her deep knowledge of the M&E industry, Collela has led several high-profile cross-industry initiatives, including the launch of the One AutoCAD vertical toolset and the Genuine program to increase licensing compliance.
The newly promoted SVP is based out of Montreal, Quebec. Prior to Autodesk, she worked as an auditor at KPMG and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting from Concordia University and an MBA from McGill/HEC University.
La Distributrice de films (Canada) and Embuscade Films announced that Archipelago (Fr: Archipel), Quebecois director Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s new feature film, will bow as a World Premiere at the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam (iffr.com), which is holding its 50th edition from February 1 to 7.
The presenters describe the 72-minute, multi-technique piece as: A true animated film about invented islands. About an imaginary, linguistic, political territory. About a real or dreamed country, or something in between. Archipelago is a film made of drawings and speeches, that tells and dreams a place and its inhabitants, to tell and dream a little of our world and times.
Archipelago will screen in the IFFR’s Big Screen section — a diverse competition bridging the gap between popular, classic and art house cinema. In tandem with the premiere announcement, the film’s trailer has launched.
Archipelago features the voices of Florence Blain Mbaye, Joséphine Bacon and Mattis Savard-Verhoeven.
The film is directed and written by Félix Dufour-Laperrière, who also produced with Nicolas Dufour-Laperrière. Production was done at Embuscade Films. Miyu Distribution handles international sales.
Born in 1981 in Quebec, Félix Dufour-Laperrière is a director, screenwriter and producer. His work, which shows a constant tension between narrative and formal exploration, maintains a close connection with the visual and contemporary arts. His films, including documentary Transatlantique (IFFR 2014), have been presented in numerous festivals, museums and events of importance, where they have won several awards. Ville Neuve (2018), his first animated feature, drawn and painted entirely on paper, had its world premiere at the Mostra (Venice Days) and has since been released in theaters in Quebec, France and Japan. He is now working on his third animated feature film, Death Does Not Exist. Archipelago
Fans can embark on an intergalactic binge watching journey through the multiverse when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases the Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 box set on March 2.
From creators Justin Roiland (Solar Opposites) and Dan Harmon (Community), the set will let the many fans of one of cable’s most-watched comedies follow the misadventures of America’s favorite crazy scientist / least favorite grandpa through all 41 episodes from the first four seasons of the award-winning series, along with copious special features, including audio commentary, deleted scenes, “Inside the Episode” segments, numerous featurettes, past animatic sketches, and more.
For a limited time, fans who purchase the set will receive an exclusive poster from the series. Rick and Morty: Seasons 1-4 is priced to own at $79.99 SRP for the DVD ($89.99 in Canada) and $89.99 SRP for the Blu-ray ($99.99 in Canada), which includes a Digital Copy (U.S. only), and available to own on Digital.
Synopsis: After having been missing for nearly 20 years, Rick Sanchez (Justin Roiland) suddenly arrives at daughter Beth’s (Sarah Chalke) doorstep to move in with her and her family. Although Beth welcomes Rick into her home, her husband, Jerry (Chris Parnell), isn’t as happy about the family reunion. Jerry is concerned about Rick, a sociopathic scientist, using the garage as his personal laboratory. In the lab, Rick works on a number of sci-fi gadgets, some of which could be considered dangerous. But that’s not all Rick does that concerns Jerry. He also goes on adventures across the universe that often involve his children, Morty (Roiland) and Summer (Spencer Grammer).
Bonus Features:
Season 1
Commentaries for Every Episode
Animatics for Every Episode
Behind the Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Season 2
Commentaries for Every Episode
Animatics for Every Episode
Deleted Animatic Sketches
Rick and Morty Season 2 Premiere Party Featuring Chaos Chaos
Global streaming giant Netflix ramps up its animated feature engines this year, building on the successful 2020 debuts of originals like Over the Moon and The Willoughbys. Upcoming titles will see the return of favorite characters and introduce brand new ones to audiences, with movies, specials and event series from production partners like Aardman, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon and Sony.
You can watch a video preview for Netflix’s general 2021 movie slate here.
Arlo the Alligator Boy Director / Executive Producer: Ryan Crego | Supervising Producer: Blake Lemons | Composer: Alex Geringas Voice Actors: Michael J. Woodard (Arlo), Mary Lambert (Bertie), Michael “Flea” Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (Ruff), Annie Potts (Edmee) , Tony Hale (Teeny Tiney Toney), Brett Gelman (Marcellus), Jonathan Van Ness (Furlecia), Haley Tju (Alia), Jennifer Coolidge (Stucky) and Vincent Rodriguez III (Ansel Beauregard)
Upon learning that he is from New York City, a wide-eyed boy, who is half human and half alligator, decides to leave his sheltered life in the swamp and search for his long lost father. The animated musical movie, Arlo the Alligator Boy, will launch Arlo’s journey as he meets a group of misfits who quickly become his new family. Once Arlo’s adventure lands him in New York City, the series, I<3 Arlo, will kick off as he and his newfound crew set up shop in an abandoned seaside neighborhood and help bring it back to life.
A Winter’s Tale from Shaun the Sheep
A Winter’s Tale from Shaun the Sheep (Short) Director: Steve Cox | Writer: Giles Pilbrow, based on a story by Giles Pilbrow, Mark Burton | Producer: Richard Beek
In this 30-minute special from Aardman, the world’s favorite sheep stars in his very own winter’s tale. Shaun’s seasonal excitement turns to dismay when a farmhouse raid to get bigger stockings for the Flock inadvertently leads to Timmy going missing. Can Shaun get Timmy back before he becomes someone else’s present? Prepare for a ‘Santastic’ adventure as everyone learns the true value of Christmas! Netflix will stream A Winter’s Tale from Shaun the Sheep in the U.S., Latin America, Spain, CIS & Greece late next year. BBC will premiere the film in the U.K.
Back to the Outback
Back to the Outback Directors: Clare Knight, Harry Cripps | Writer: Harry Cripps | Producer: Daniela Mazzucato
Tired of being locked in a reptile house where humans gawk at them like they’re monsters, a ragtag group of Australia’s deadliest creatures plot a daring escape from their zoo to the Outback, a place where they’ll fit in without being judged for their scales and fangs. Leading the group is Maddie (Isla Fisher), a poisonous snake with a heart of gold, who bands together with a self-assured Thorny Devil lizard Zoe (Miranda Tapsell), a lovelorn hairy spider Frank (Guy Pearce) and a sensitive scorpion Nigel (Angus Imrie). But when their nemesis — Pretty Boy (Tim Minchin), a cute but obnoxious koala — unexpectedly joins their escape, Maddie and the gang have no choice but to take him with them. So begins a hair-raising and hilarious road trip across Australia, as they are pursued by a zookeeper Chaz (Eric Bana) and his adventure-seeking mini-me (Diesel Cash La Torraca). Also featuring the voices of Rachel House, Keith Urban, Celeste Barber, Wayne Knight, Lachlan Power and Jacki Weaver, Back to the Outback is an animated adventure that proves just because something’s different, doesn’t mean it isn’t beautiful.
Maya and the Three
Maya and the Three(Limited Event Series) Director / Creator / Showrunner: Jorge Gutiérrez | Co-Executive Producer: Silvia Olivas | Head of Story: Jeff Ranjo | Production Designer: Paul Sullivan
Maya and the Three is an animated limited series created, written, and directed by Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life, El Tigre). Set in a mythical Mesoamerican inspired world, a warrior princess embarks on a quest to recruit three legendary fighters to help save the world of men and gods. Silvia Olivas (Elena of Avalor) is co-writer and co-executive producer, Jeff Ranjo (Moana) is head of story, and Paul Sullivan (Book of Life) is production designer.
The Loud House Movie
The Loud House Movie Director: Dave Needham | Writers: Kevin Sullivan, Chris Viscardi | Produced By: Nickelodeon Voice Cast: Asher Bishop, Michelle Gomez, David Tennant, Grey Griffin, Jill Talley, Brian Stepanek, Jessica DiCicco, Liliana Mumy, Cristina Pucelli, Nika Futterman, Lara Jill Miller, Andre Robinson, Cat Taber, Katy Townsend, Carlos PenaVega, Izabella Alvarez
In Nickelodeon’s The Loud House Movie, the biggest family on television goes on the biggest Loud family vacation ever! The adventure follows the Loud family to Scotland where they discover that they are descendants of Scottish royalty. The family quickly indulges in the most wish-fulfilling high-life ever when they discover their ancestral home is a castle.
Wish Dragon
Wish Dragon
Director / Writer: Chris Appelhans | Producers: Aron Warner, Chris Bremble, Jackie Chan Voice Cast: John Cho, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Jimmy Wong, Constance Wu, Will Yun Lee, Jimmy O’Yang, Aaron Yoo, Bobby Lee, Ronnie Chieng
In Sony Pictures Animation’s Wish Dragon, Din, a working-class college student with big dreams but small means, and Long, a cynical but all-powerful dragon capable of granting wishes, set off on a hilarious adventure through modern day Shanghai in pursuit of Din’s long-lost childhood friend, Lina. Their journey forces them to answer some of life’s biggest questions – because when you can wish for anything, you have to decide what really matters.
Robin Robin
Robin Robin(Short) Directors: Dan Ojari, Mikey Please | Writers: Dan Ojari, Mikey Please, Sam Morrison | Producer: Helen Argo Voice Cast: Gillian Anderson, Richard E. Grant, Bronte Carmichael, Adeel Akhtar
A stop-motion holiday musical special from Aardman. When her egg fortuitously rolls into a rubbish dump, Robin is raised by a loving family of mice. As she grows up, her differences become more apparent. Robin sets off on the heist to end all heists to prove to her family that she can be a really good mouse – but ends up discovering who she really is.
Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie Directors: Ant Ward, Andy Suriano | Writers: Tony Gama-Lobo, Rebecca May | Produced By: Nickelodeon Voice Cast: Ben Schwartz, Omar Benson Miller, Brandon Mychal Smith, Josh Brener, Kat Graham, Eric Bauza, Haley Joel Osment
In Nickelodeon’s Rise of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie, the Ninja Turtles are faced with their greatest challenge yet when a mysterious stranger arrives from the future with a dire warning. Leo is forced to rise and lead his brothers, Raph, Donnie, and Mikey in a fight to save the world from a terrifying alien species … the Krang!
Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans Directors: Johane Matte, Francisco Ruiz Velasco, Andrew L. Schmidt | Writers: Marc Guggenheim, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman | Producers: Guillermo del Toro, Marc Guggenheim, Chad Hammes, Dan Hageman, Kevin Hageman Voice Cast: Emile Hirsch, Lexi Medrano, Charlie Saxton, Kelsey Grammer, Alfred Molina, Steven Yeun, Nick Frost, Colin O’Donoghue, Diego Luna, Tatiana Maslany, Cole Sand, Nick Offerman, Fred Tatasciore, Brian Blessed, Kay Bess, Piotr Michael, James Hong, Tom Kenny, Angel Lin, Amy Landecker, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Wood, Laraine Newman, Grey Griffin, Cheryl Hines
In DreamWorks’ Trollhhunters: Rise of the Titans, Arcadia may look like an ordinary town but it lies at the center of magical and mystical lines that makes it a nexus for many battles among otherworldly creatures including trolls, aliens and wizards. Now the heroes from the hit series Trollhunters, 3Below and Wizards, team-up in their most epic adventure yet where they must fight the Arcane Order for control over the magic that binds them all.
Cyber Group Studios (USA), the U.S. division of Paris-based multi-awarded international family entertainment company Cyber Group Studios, is expanding its senior executive team, announcing the appointment of two prominent key hires. Kids entertainment executive Karen K. Miller has been appointed as President and CEO, and Merritt D. Farren has been appointed as General Counsel and COO. The two will work together to grow North American development and distribution in support of Cyber Group Studios international expansion.
Miller will be responsible for all operations for the company’s L.A.-based office. In his new role as COO, Farren will work, jointly, with Miller to boost the company’s growth strategies while supporting Cyber Group Studios global acquisition and distribution initiatives.
“Karen is a talented, innovative, multi-faceted and forward-looking leader, she has an amazing track record in the development and commercialization of successful kids and family global franchises worldwide,” said Pierre Sissmann, Chairman and CEO, Cyber Group Studios. “Merritt is a best-in-class top executive with a wealth of business affairs and acquisitions experience in all segments of our business. He will be a great partner to Karen in the development of Cyber Group Studios USA. Both Karen and Merritt bring a remarkable and highly impressive background and maintain an esteemed skill set that has concentrated on creating highly successful children’s media and entertainment properties. We are thrilled to have both of them join our Cyber Group family and look forward to their leadership and support as we head into the next phase of our North American strategic growth efforts.”
Cyber Group Studios established its U.S. offices in 2017 to connect the deep pool of creative talent of U.S. writers and designers with its French and European counterparts to create stand-out global IPs. The new appointments fall on the heels of Cyber Group Studios USA’s recently announced deal with Scholastic to adapt the popular book brand Press Start! into an animated series of the same name. The company, in partnership with its France-based team, is also co-developing the CGI series James & the Everafters, an original IP in co-production with CCI in Canada; as well as Monster in My Pocket, based on a famous property, in co-production with MEG Entertainment in Los Angeles.
Karen K. Miller will join Cyber Group Studios commencing Spring 2021, spearheading the L.A. office for the Paris-based company. She was most recently the SVP of content for NBC Universal’s U.S. net Universal Kids, where she oversaw strategy, development, co-productions, productions and acquisitions across all Universal Kids content. She was responsible for growing audiences and building global franchises. Prior to NBC Universal, Miller had an eight-year tenure as VP of worldwide programming strategy, acquisitions and co-productions for Disney Channels Worldwide, where she spearheaded global content acquisitions and oversaw co-productions for the channels. Prior to The Walt Disney Company, she spent 17 years at Warner Bros. as a producer prior to her last position as VP of property acquisitions for Warner’s Consumer Products division.
“I see a tremendous amount of potential to further enhance our slate of original best in class content for kids and families to enjoy and I look forward to partnering with our team in Paris to globalize our development while leveraging Cyber’s unique strength and proven track record in global distribution, financing and high quality production,” noted Miller.
Merritt D. Farren joined Cyber Group Studios USA December 2020 as General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer. Farren was most recently General Counsel at SoundCloud, Berlin, Germany. He had an 11-year tenure at Amazon as Chief Legal Officer at Audible.com and Associate General Counsel, Digital Media and New Technologies at Amazon.com, overseeing legal affairs for Amazon Studios, Amazon’s Kindle, Kindle Digital Publishing, Amazon’s Prime Instant Video, Amazon Music, Amazon Cloud Drive and the acquisition and integration of Lovefilm U.K. and Audible.com. Prior to Amazon, Farren spent 11 years at The Walt Disney Company where he handled corporate law matters and business affairs in several divisions: Disney Studio, Disney Consumer Products (Disney Interactive, Disney Online) and Theme Parks and Resorts, where he served as General Counsel, Disneyland.
“I had the privilege of working alongside the two principals of Cyber Group Studios, Pierre Sissmann and Dominique Bourse previously, when we were all at Disney,” said Farren. “I am excited to be working with them again and eager to embark on developing the new roster of great family entertainment.”
CEO Prem Akkaraju continues to invest in Weta Digital’s executive ranks by hiring Ann Le Cam as the premiere visual effects company’s SVP, Global Talent and Animation Production. She will be based in the company’s Los Angeles offices and report to Akkaraju.
Le Cam brings with her three decades of senior leadership experience at the Walt Disney Company, where she last served as the Senior Vice President for Studio Planning and Talent at Walt Disney Animation Studios. While at Disney, she held executive positions heading up Production, Studio Planning, Data Analytics and Human Resources.
At Disney Animation, Le Cam led the production resource structure for all projects, developed integrated partnerships within production and technology, redesigned the studio’s people and talent structures, strategies and organization, and created an engaged inclusive community in support of all films, shorts and special projects. During her tenure, the studio released a string of critically and financially acclaimed successes, including Tangled, Wreck-It-Ralph, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Big Hero 6, Zootopia, Moana and Frozen 1 & 2.
Le Cam joined Harvard Business School as an Executive Fellow doing research, under the guidance of Professor Linda A. Hill, on leadership in the digital era and recently co-facilitated a course on Leading and Building a Culture of Innovation for the Executive Education Program at HBS.
“Throughout her career, Ann has built a reputation for innovative thinking, transformational leadership and production excellence,” said Akkaraju. “As we expand Weta globally and into original content and animation, it was important to bring in someone of Ann’s caliber in this leadership role.”
“Weta is a company where quality, risk-taking and innovation are key and it is such an exciting time in its evolution,” said Le Cam. “The growth plan is ambitious and remains true to the investment in top talent that has been the bedrock of Weta’s success so far. The challenges ahead will bring new opportunities for talent around the globe to continue the good work in new ways. I look forward to working with Prem and the team at Weta in the exciting chapter ahead.”
Based in Wellington, New Zealand, Weta Digital is the largest single-site VFX studio in the world drawing artists from over 40 countries. Their work has set benchmarks in creativity and innovation across VFX and animation in blockbuster such as Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Planet of the Apes and Avatar, earning six visual effects Academy Awards, 10 Academy Sci-Tech Awards and six visual effects BAFTA Awards in addition to the 34 Visual Effects Society Awards.
Enter a dark, mysterious forest world on a magical quest in Baba Yaga — the brand-new immersive experience from six-time Emmy-winning Baobab Studios (Crow: The Legend, Bonfire), making its exclusive premiere on Oculus Quest this Thursday, January 14. To mark the release, Baobab has revealed more enchanting peeks into the animated VR adventure.
Baba Yaga
Directed and written by Baobab co-founder Eric Darnell (Madagascar franchise, Antz) and co-directed by Mathias Chelebourg, Baba Yaga stars an all-female cast: Oscar winner Kate Winslet (The Reader, Ammonite), Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Ophelia), Oscar and three-time Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls, upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect), and three-time Golden Globe winner and seven-time Oscar nominee Glenn Close (The Wife, Albert Nobbs).
Concept artwork from Baobab Studios
A Venice Film Festival 2020 world premiere, this contemporary portrayal of the Eastern European legend comes to life with illustrative 2D pop-up animation, as well as hand-drawn and stop-motion styles, creating a modern visual language for VR inspired by classic animation. Leveraging Baobab’s award-winning animation pioneers and interactive gaming veterans, Baba Yaga blends theater, cinema, interactivity, AI and animation into a unique experience that explores themes of empowerment and environmentalism. The VR is executive produced by Jennifer Hudson, Maureen Fan, Larry Cutler and Kane Lee.
In Baba Yaga, you the viewer are invited into a haunting fairytale world completely reimagined, where your choices determine the ending of this story of love, fortitude and magic. Sometimes a force for evil, sometimes a force for good, the enigmatic witch Baba Yaga (Winslet) uses her powers to stop the villagers whose settlement encroaches upon her enchanted Forest (Hudson). You are Sacha, the eldest and heir to the village throne, and sister to the young and willful Magda (Ridley). When your mother, the Village Chief (Close), falls deathly ill, it is up to you and Magda to do the unthinkable — enter the forbidden rainforest, uncover its hidden mysteries and get the cure from Baba Yaga. Ultimately, every decision Sacha makes matters … perhaps even whether humanity and nature can live in balance.
With multiple endings, each play-through of Baba Yaga is different from the last. The VR experience is designed to play either with hand-held Touch controllers or by utilizing Hand Tracking on the Oculus Quest. This versatility provides a new level of immersive, personalized interaction throughout the story.
Baba Yaga
Additionally, due to the strong environmental themes inherent in the VR experience, Baobab Studios partnered with the United Nations on its climate change and sustainability initiative, creating a Baba Yaga campaign for the UN ActNow app to engage and educate users on ways to take action in safeguarding Earth’s natural resources. To further emphasize reforestation awareness, Baobab and Conservation International are co-sponsoring a final community challenge to be featured in the app this month, reinforced by a donation for the nonprofit’s Protect an Acre initiative.
Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc., a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, today announced the creation of a new Global Distribution and Consumer Products Division. Industry veteran Richard Goldsmith joins Thunderbird and Atomic Cartoons, the Company’s Kids and Family Division, to lead the new venture as President of Global Distribution and Consumer Products.
In this newly created role, Goldsmith will oversee worldwide content distribution and the development of innovative consumer products and experiences that expand and enrich audience engagement across all Thunderbird properties.
“We are beyond thrilled to be welcoming Richard to the team, and his presence will be key as we continue to take Thunderbird to the next level,” said Jennifer Twiner McCarron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thunderbird.
Goldsmith will be based in Los Angeles, and report to Thunderbird and Atomic Cartoons’ Chief Creative Officer, Matthew Berkowitz.
“It is a privilege to welcome Richard to the team as we launch our new Global Distribution and Consumer Products Division,” said Berkowitz. “This expansion is a significant part of Thunderbird and Atomic’s IP growth strategy. Richard’s wealth of experience, exceptional business acumen and proven track record of phenomenal productions make him the perfect person to lead this venture. Alongside our creative teams, we hope to make some truly special shows together.”
Goldsmith’s background spans the television and animation industries, including key leadership roles in media distribution, licensing, merchandising and business development for major entertainment brands at companies that include The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros. Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company. Prior to joining Thunderbird and Atomic Cartoons, Goldsmith was a part of the senior management team at Cyber Group Studios, where he helped guide the global day-to-day and long-term business plans of the company. He also oversaw all operations in North America, China and Australia, including distribution and consumer products for hit series like Gigantosaurus, in addition to content development.
“Through my work with Atomic Cartoons over the last two years on The Last Kids on Earth franchise, I was able to experience firsthand the Company’s energy, expertise and creative thinking. Within the industry, the word ‘love’ is often used to describe Thunderbird’s content and people. This is a powerful statement. I am thrilled and honored to join Thunderbird and Atomic as the Company enters a new era. I cannot wait to share our incredible new series with global media and consumer products partners,” said Goldsmith.
Thunderbird collaborates with many of the world’s most well-respected media and entertainment companies. The new division is part of the Company’s strategic push to acquire and develop its growing stable of owned IP, and to continue providing award- winning service to external partners such as Netflix, Disney and PBS/GBH.
In addition to supporting the Company’s owned IP, the new division will also source and manage third party media distribution and consumer products opportunities.
Atomic Cartoons most recently won a 2020 Daytime Emmy for its Netflix series The Last Kids on Earth, as well as a Peabody for Molly of Denali on PBS/GBH and CBC. Great Pacific Media, which is the factual and scripted production unit of Thunderbird, produces hit television series such as Highway Thru Hell for Discovery and The Weather Channel, Heavy Rescue: 401 for Discovery and Kim’s Convenience for CBC and Netflix.
Thunderbird’s Board of Directors has authorized the grant of an aggregate of 525,000 incentive stock options in accordance with the terms of the Company’s stock option plan to employees at the management level. The options are exercisable at a price of $3.07 per share and have a seven-year term, subject to vesting provisions.
The suspect in the deadly arson attack on Kyoto Animation in 2019, Shinji Aoba, has revealed the specific scene in the high school archery club anime Tsurune that he believes was stolen from his story submission to the studio’s amateur writing competition. During the investigation into the tragic fire which claimed 36 lives, Aoba has stated that he wanted to kill as many people as he could. The 42-year-old was arrested in March of 2020 following a lengthy hospitalization for burns he sustained in the attack.
According to Kyoto Shimbun, Aoba pinpointed the source of his murderous grievance, telling investigators: “The thing Kyoto Animation copied from me was the scene in Tsurune where the main characters buy discounted meat.”
The errand running scene takes place in episode 5, which aired eight months before the attack in November of 2018. It shows teammates Minato and Nanao going to buy food for the archery club’s training retreat. Minato suggests buying meat that’s near its expiration date to save money, Nanao is impressed by this savings hack, Minato tells him he’s used to working with a small family grocery budget … The scene lasts under two and a half minutes.
The studio had previously confirmed that it had received a submission to its writing competition from Aoba but that his piece had been set aside after the first round of judging and had “no similarity to any Kyoto Animation works.”
It was not reported whether the bargain meat scene was included in the submission, but as SoraNews24 and other well versed anime outlets have pointed out, both the everyday action of the scene and the revealing-a-character’s-unexpected-qualities trope are quite common within the genre.
Psychologists completed evaluation of Aoba in December, declaring him mentally fit to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law — which in Japan includes the possibility of the death penalty.
KyoAni announced it was working on a Tsurune feature film in October.
[Sources: Kyoto Shimbun, Kyodo News via SoraNews24]
The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the winners of the inaugural Critics Choice Super Awards on Sunday night during a special presentation broadcast on The CW. Produced remotely following COVID safety protocols, the ceremony was hosted by writer/director/podcaster Kevin Smith and actress/writer Dani Fernandez, and honored the most popular, fan-obsessed genres across both television and movies.
Hulu and NEON’s Palm Springs and Disney+’s Soul led the film winners, each earning three trophies — Soul earned Best Animated Movie, as well as Best Voice Actor in an Animated Movie (Jamie Foxx) and Best Voice Actress in an Animated Movie (Tina Fey). In the series categories, Amazon’s The Boys took home the most awards with four. Best Animated Series went to Netflix’s BoJack Horseman, and star Will Arnett earned the Voice Actor honors while Kaley Cuoco won Best Voice Actress for HBO Max’s Harley Quinn. With wins in both the film and series categories, Netflix led the studio/network count with a total of five.
BoJack Horseman
Winners in select categories below; see the nominees here. The full list of awardees is available at CriticsChoice.com.
BEST ANIMATED MOVIE Soul (Disney+)
BEST VOICE ACTOR IN AN ANIMATED MOVIE Jamie Foxx – Soul (Disney+)
BEST VOICE ACTRESS IN AN ANIMATED MOVIE Tina Fey – Soul (Disney+)
BEST SUPERHERO MOVIEThe Old Guard (Netflix)
BEST HORROR MOVIE The Invisible Man (Universal)
BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY MOVIEPalm Springs (Hulu and NEON)
Harley Quinn
BEST ANIMATED SERIESBoJack Horseman (Netflix)
BEST VOICE ACTOR IN AN ANIMATED SERIES Will Arnett – BoJack Horseman (Netflix)
BEST VOICE ACTRESS IN AN ANIMATED SERIES Kaley Cuoco – Harley Quinn (HBO Max)
BEST SUPERHERO SERIES*The Boys (Amazon)
BEST HORROR SERIESLovecraft Country (HBO)
BEST SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY SERIESThe Mandalorian (Disney+)
*Superhero Series category also includes comic-book and videogame-based titles.
The full Super Awards show is now available to stream for free on The CW App and cwtv.com.
After captivating global audiences with the evergreen Winx Club and the award-winning 44 Cats, Italy’s animation pioneer Iginio Straffi and his entertainment company Rainbow Group are ready to bring a classic children’s tale to screens, partnering with global animation major Toonz Media Group for Pinocchio and Friends.
The two studios have teamed up to produce a contemporary, amusing children’s series based on legendary Italian author Carlo Collodi’s masterpiece The Adventures of Pinocchio, the fairy tale which has inspired multiple generations of kids around the world. The 26 x 12’ CGI show is expected to hit the small screen by the end of 2021 and will be targeted at 4- to 7-year olds.
“The new Pinocchio I imagined speaks to children in a light-hearted, educational way and empowers their dreams. Families will love this compelling series and kids will find their new TV hero in Pinocchio,” commented Straffi, Founder & CEO of Rainbow Group. “We are glad to partner with Toonz, combining the great expertise of both our solid and international teams, which will be indeed an asset of this great production for a worldwide audience”
“Giving life to a world classic is always a challenge, but at the same time very exciting as well. We are happy that Toonz has got a great partner in Rainbow to take up this challenge and deliver Pinocchio as a top-notch series with very high-quality content. I am sure kids across the world will love and enjoy this show,” said P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group.
Paying tribute to Collodi’s avant garde work, Straffi reimagined a story that many studios have tried to adapt – but with fresh eyes and a modern twist. Pinocchio and Friends transports the classic character into today’s world of bustle and smartphones, filling his world with adventure, comedy, fun and educational elements while bringing out the essence of what makes the original character of Pinocchio so inspirational and timeless.
Synopsis: Pinocchio is an enchanted puppet living in today’s world, one where anything is possible. He grows alongside his best friends – Grandpa Geppetto, the pirate doll Freeda and the Talking Cricket – as he dreams of one day becoming a real boy by following the advice of the Fairy with Turquoise hair. Characters from the original story are joined by new ones in a fantabulous setting that promises to bring fresh air to televisions around the world, and to the licensing market.
While the pre-production, post-production and supervision operations will be carried out at Rainbow studios in Italy, the animation – from 3D asset creation to final lighting, rendering and compositing – will be done at Toonz’s studios. Toonz will handle distribution rights of the show in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Spain and Portugal. Toonz will also hold the licensing and merchandising rights of the show in the Indian subcontinent. Distribution and L&M rights in the rest of the world will be handled by Rainbow.
Pinocchio and Friends is slated to debut in Q4 2021.
Grab your pudding cups and hold on to something, because the sheriff is back in town and he’s ready to get to work. Momma Named Me Sheriff returns for season two Sunday, February 14 at Midnight ET/PT on Adult Swim.
Synopsis: When havoc breaks loose in Old Town, Sheriff, Deputy Goodman and Dispatch must work together to solve cases and uncover unthinkable mysteries. Aside from the usual charmingly disturbing hijinks, this season you’ll finally learn the meaning behind “roostering.” Plus, Goodman gets lost in the desert, Dispatch uncovers a secret conspiracy in Old Town, and some dragons take over.
That last part isn’t true. Just kidding, it is. Just kidding, it’s not. Just kidding, it’s partially true. No, it’s not. Maybe? Just watch it.
Momma Named Me Sheriff is a HotHouse production created by Will Carsola and Dave Stewart (Mr. Pickles). It is executive produced by Carsola, Stewart and Michael J. Rizzo.
***This article originally appeared in the February ’21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 307)***
French cartoonist Aurel’s animated feature Josep is a powerful account of a pivotal chapter in the life of Spanish artist Josep Bartoli (1910-1995), who fought Franco’s regime, was interned in a French concentration camp and eventually made it to Mexico, where he became Frida Kahlo’s lover. The highly artistic movie was one of the Cannes Festival’s official selections last year and went on to win the European Film Award for Best Animated Feature Film (beating out heavyweights such as Klaus, The Nose and Calamity). The director was kind enough to answer a few of our questions via email.
“About 10 years ago, I came across the book La Retirada, which is written by George Bartoli, Josep’s nephew,” recalls Aurel. “This book is about the Spanish exiles in France at the end of the Spanish war in 1939. It’s illustrated by several of Josep’s drawings — including the cover, which is the first drawing I’d ever seen from him. Ever since I discovered his work, I knew that I wanted to work on his art and life story. I was actually making my first animated short project Octobre Noir (Black October) at the time and knew that I wanted to continue to explore animation through Josep Bartoli’s work and life.”
Aurel
Aurel says he was passionate about Spain and the history of the Spanish Civil War, especially after seeing Ken Loach’s movie Land and Freedom, which came out when he was a teenager. “So, I think I saw the opportunity to join my two passions with this story,” he says. “However, the first few versions of the script (before the arrival of the screenwriter Jean-Louis Milesi) were really more biographical. I was totally obsessed by his fascinating life. Thanks to Jean-Louis, we brought the script to something more fictional and also stronger. Our biggest challenge was financing the movie. It took us two years even before the production began, and then about 14 months to make it.”
According to the director, most of the film, which was produced under the Les Films d’Ici Méditerranée banner, was produced in France: The backgrounds were produced by Lille-based Tchack, and animation and editing was handled by Angoulême’s Les Films du Poisson Rouge. Montepellier’s Les Fées Spéciales handled the compositing, while sound was done by Piste Rouge in Paris. Part of the animation was also produced by Belgium’s Lunanime and voices were recorded in Barcelona. (Noted Spanish actor Sergi López of Pan’s Labyrinth fame voices the film’s lead character.) In total, around 70 people worked on the project.
Josep
Through the Mists of Memory
Since the film is told through flashbacks, it needed two distinct visual styles: one devoted to the contemporary era, and the other representing 1939-era France. The director selected 2D animation created with TVPaint (produced by Lunanime) for the modern sequences of the movie, and for the historic sections he went with Poisson Rouge’s Hoodoo-produced animation. “I think it’s an amazing animation software, although I’m not an expert in animation,” he says. “It’s a vector-based drawing software which you can use with your own drawing tools (i.e. my own pencils and ink brushes, etc., from my pencil case). Every line an animator drew in the software is mine thanks to a library filled with lines I had drawn before and scanned. Plus, Hoodoo helps animation by offering intervals to the animator … directly picked-up from my lines library. Obviously, the animators can modify every image. It brings a real handmade quality to the animation.”
Aurel says the reason he decided to opt for a different kind of animation for the period sections of the film was two-fold. “The story is told by an older man to his grandson, so it’s based on a dying man’s memory,” says the artist. “We can imagine that it’s not very fluent and more impressionistic. We also need to feel that it’s the first time he is telling this old story.”
Josep
The second reason is quite personal and heartfelt. Aurel explains, “This was very important to me because this movie is an homage to both my art and Josep’s art— and that means drawing, and more precisely, cartooning. It means we use this art to express movement without any motion. We express acting without any action. We only draw. And our drawings need to be read very fast and to carry all the action and the meaning in a few lines. I wanted to bring this to cinema. So I decided to realize this historical part through this method of drawing, which involved taking out every ‘interval,’ every action that could be resumed in only one drawing. That is what you see on the screen. That matches quite well with the idea of a fading memory. Of course, the response from production was, ‘OK, but we don’t know how to do that, so help yourself …!’ So, that’s why I had to draw the characters featured in the entire 800 shots!”
The director praises his producer Serge Lalou for supporting all his artistic choices and sticking up for his special vision. “I’m really glad to have been totally free to stick to my artistic choices, even when it was about taking out most of the movement from the movie! Thanks to Serge, I could think and make a film entirely as I wanted to. The most exciting part of the experience was to bring life to my drawings, keeping their essence, but also adding voices, music, special effects, etc. to the project.”
Josep character development
A Fan of Looney Tunes
When we ask him about his artistic influences and favorite animated projects, Aurel says, “Darn, that’s a trap! I don’t know! As every French (and European, I guess) person from my generation, cheap Japanese manga animation was a huge part of my culture because of TV shows I used to watch! As a child, I also loved a French production called Il était une fois la vie… (Once Upon a Time… Life) [Procidis’ children’s show about the human body]. But I am definitively a huge fan of classic Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera shows. For me, Tweety and Sylvester and The Road Runner are at the top of my pantheon. More recent favorites include The Simpsons, obviously, and American Dad!”
The veteran artist says he hopes audiences will learn more about a lesser-known period in French and Spanish history thanks to the movie. “I think what viewers will take away from the movie will be different, depending on where they are from,” he points out. “In France, I hope it will help to educate people more about this part of our history, which is totally erased from the books. In general, I hope Josep is a kind of manifesto and tribute to the art of drawing. I mean I want the movie to show how drawings can be powerful and evocative — even without any or a lot of movement. Even in cinema.”
When it comes to the world of animation, Aurel says he is pleased to see a lot of interesting and daring works being produced all around the world. “I’m glad to see that because of animation, drawing is playing a huge role as an art form, and that the medium can be used to tackle serious subjects for adult audiences today.”
VIEW Conference accelerates into 2021 with a trio of exclusive PreVIEW events. Free to attend, each session features online conversation with a team of animation professionals as they discuss their latest projects.
“Our team is already working hard to make VIEW 2021 bigger and better than ever before,” says Conference Director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez. “The PreVIEW season of free online events is a wonderful way to stay in touch with our VIEW family around the world, and the perfect platform to showcase some of the exciting projects reaching fruition during the run-up to the conference in October.”
Friday, January 15 at 10 a.m. PST / 6 p.m. GMT / 19:00 CET, Go Behind the Scenes of Netflix’s First Three Animated Shorts. Launched in the fall of 2020, these three films assert Netflix’s belief that a great story can come in any size, shape or length, with each using diverse animation techniques to tell a powerful and emotionally-charged story about challenging social issues.
During the session, director Frank Abney and producer Paige Johnstone present Canvas, a passion project exploring the healing power of love in the face of overwhelming grief. Directors Will McCormack and Michael Govier talk about If Anything Happens I Love You, which tackles the devastating aftermath of a shooting incident at a school. Directors Arnon Manor and Timothy Ware-Hill discuss Cops and Robbers, an animated interpretation of Ware-Hill’s powerful poem about racial injustice and the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Ramin Zahed, editor-in-chief of Animation Magazine, moderates. (Register here.)
On Saturday, January 30 at 10 a.m. PST / 6 p.m. GMT / 19:00 CET, VIEW opens the doors on a six-time Emmy Award-winning animation studio with Baobab Studios at 5: Innovations in Animated Storytelling. Join Baobab’s CEO and co-founder Maureen Fan, CCO and co-founder Eric Darnell, CTO and co-founder Larry Cutler and head of content Kane Lee as they share their insights on the studio’s first five years creating a new generation of real-time animated stories.
The team also discusses their latest animated experience, Baba Yaga, a VR exploration of the classic Eastern European legend, rendered using a range of visual styles including illustrative 2D pop-up, hand-drawn and stop-motion animation, and enhancing interactivity through a dynamic AI that places participants at the heart of the story. (Register here.)
On Friday, February 12 at 9 a.m. PST / 5 p.m. GMT / 18:00 CET, director Gitanjali Rao speaks about her debut animated feature Bombay Rose. An award-winning festival favorite, the film took two years to complete at PaperBoat Animation Studios, and tells the story of a young dancer living on the streets of Bombay.
The 2021 PreVIEW season will deliver a range of inspiring events every month through to the official launch of VIEW Conference in Torino, Italy (October 17-22). All sessions from the virtual 2020 conference are available to watch on-demand now through February 28 here.
