DreamWorks Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts will return next month for its third and final season of whimsical, action-packed adventures. The final 10 episodes will be available to stream on October 12, exclusively on Netflix.
After spending her entire life living in an underground burrow, a young girl named Kipo is thrust into an adventure on the surface of a fantastical post-apocalyptic Earth. She joins a ragtag group of survivors as they embark on a journey through a vibrant wonderland where everything trying to kill them is downright adorable.
After dethroning Scarlemagne, Kipo and the Brunch Bunch face a more daunting foe: Dr. Emilia, who plots to eliminate mutekind to make the surface “safe” for humans. But Kipo has an optimistic vision of a world where mutes and humans get along with each other. To achieve that dream, she must lean on her friends and rise to a role she may not be ready for.
The series is created and executive produced by Radford Sechrist (How to Train Your Dragon 2) and executive produced and developed for television by Bill Wolkoff (The Man Who Fell to Earth). Kipo is produced by DreamWorks Animation.
The cast features Karen Fukuhara (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) as the enthusiastic and curious “Kipo;” Sydney Mikayla (School of Rock) as “Wolf,” a weapon-wielding survivor who knows the ins and outs of the surface; Coy Stewart (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as the happy-go-lucky “Benson;” Deon Cole (black-ish) as “Dave,” a talking insect who has the jarring ability to suddenly age a full life cycle without warning; and Dee Bradley Baker (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as the adorable mutant pig “Mandu”.
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) returns as Kipo’s father “Lio Oak;” Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) as the power-hungry “Scarlemagne;” Jake Green (The Boss Baby: Back in Business) as mod frog “Jamack;” and Amy Landecker (Transparent) returns as the vengeful “Dr. Emilia.”
Cartoon Network EMEA has today shared an exclusive first look at its brand-new original series, Elliott from Earth, with a teaser trailer introducing the outer space world and characters. Announced in 2018, this fish-out-of-galaxy comedy from the talented team behind CN EMEA’s multi-award-winning global hit The Amazing World of Gumball will roll out globally, starting with premieres in the U.K. and Africa later this year.
Elliott from Earth is a 20 x 11-minute animated sci-fi comedy about a boy and his mum who find themselves suddenly transported somewhere across the universe surrounded by an amazing array of aliens from new and unknown corners of the galaxy. While trying to work out who brought them there and why, they make a new home for themselves and encounter new friends, including Mo, the only other being from Earth – a dinosaur.
Event organizers Reed MIDEM have announced that the annual MIPCOM & MIPJunior content mega-markets will no longer kick off in Cannes this year due to the continued impact of COVID-19, instead transitioning to fully virtual events. The company had announced a trimmed down, three-day, safety-first version of the confabs for 2020 at the end of July: MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes, which is now being reimagined along the lines of its 2020 MIPTV treatment in MIPCOM Online+.
Virtual access to the 36th annual event will be anchored in digital “MIPCOM Week” and will include extended features before and after the main event.
“Our motivation has always been to bring together the global entertainment community around the flagship week of MIPCOM in order to support content discovery and new business deals, whether online or in person,” explained Laurine Garaude, Director of Reed MIDEM’s Television Division. “We made clear when we announced MIPCOM Rendezvous Cannes that we would only hold the physical market if conditions permitted. Due to the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 and recently increased travel restrictions, we believe that MIPCOM Online+ is the most effective way to move forward and to gather the global television community around MIPCOM Week.”
MIPCOM Warm Up begins October 5 and offers early access for participating delegates and exhibitors to make the most out of the MIPCOM digital marketplace by accessing Market Intelligence sessions, Content & Finance briefings and the MIPJunior Screenings platform, as well as use of the MIPCOM Digital Hub to plan meetings for the MIPCOM Week.
MIPCOM Week will be open October 12-16 as a global online interactive business market including a fully digital “Main Stage Cannes” conference and screenings program including Global Upfronts, Keynotes, market screenings, MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards and much more. In addition, the Virtual Exhibit Hub and enhanced database will allow users to set up highly targeted, video business meetings between distributors, producers, buyers and all international delegates.
MIPCOM Follow Up+ runs from October 17 to November 17 and will offer replays of screenings, keynotes and conference sessions, from MIPCOM and MIPJunior. Delegates and exhibitors can continue to conduct business through the MIPCOM Online+ interactive database tools and Virtual Exhibit Hub as well as using the MIPJunior digital library.
The third season of CanneSeries (www.canneseries.com), the International TV Series Festival, will take place in Cannes from October 9-14 and virtually on its new platform CanneSeries Live from October 7-21.
The Academy of Museum of Motion Pictures has revealed details of Hayao Miyazaki, its inaugural temporary exhibition celebrating the Oscar-winning Japanese animation master. The show is curated by Academy Museum Exhibitions Curator Jessica NIebel and Assistant Curator Raul Guzman, and organized in collaboration with Studio Ghibli, which Miyazaki co-founded in 1985. On view in the Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery at the museum’s public opening on April 30, Hayao Miyazaki marks the first North American museum retrospective dedicated to the acclaimed artist and his work.
With more than 300 objects, the exhibition will explore each of Miyazaki’s animated feature films, including My Neighbor Totoro (1988) and the Academy Award-winning Spirited Away (2001). Visitors will travel through the filmmaker’s six-decade career through a dynamic presentation of original imageboards, character designs, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds, posters and cels, including pieces never before displayed to the public outside Japan, as well as large-scale projections of film clips and immersive environments.
“It is an immense honor that Hayao Miyazaki is the inaugural temporary exhibition at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures,” said producer & Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki. “Miyazaki’s genius is his power of remembering what he sees. He opens the drawers in his head to pull out these visual memories to create characters, landscapes and structures that are bursting with originality. It is our hope that visitors will be able to experience the entire scope of Hayao Miyazaki’s creative process through this exhibition. I am deeply grateful to all those who have been instrumental in presenting this exhibition.”
Academy Museum Director Bill Kramer commented, “We could not be more excited to launch our new institution with the most comprehensive presentation of Hayao Miyazaki’s work to date. Honoring the masterful career of this international artist is a fitting way to open our doors, signifying the global scope of the Academy Museum.”
“Hayao Miyazaki has a singular ability to capture how we perceive life, with all its ambiguities and complexities,” said curator Niebel. “It has been a privilege to collaborate with Studio Ghibli in creating an exhibition that will appeal to the most avid Miyazaki fans and those not yet familiar with his work.”
My Neighbor Totoro
Thematically organized in seven sections, the exhibition is designed as a journey: To enter,visitors follow four-year-old Mei (My Neighbor Totoro) into the Tree Tunnel gallery; a transitional space that leads into Miyazaki’s enchanted worlds.
Emerging from the tunnel, visitors will find themselves in the Creating Characters gallery, which features a multi-screen installation of short clips of Miyazaki’s main protagonists. This section highlights how his characters are developed from concept to creation and features original character designs from Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) and Princess Mononoke (1997) — some of these artworks have never been seen outside Japan.
In the following Making Of gallery, visitors will learn about Miyazaki’s long-term collaboration with the late Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata and his early works as an animator, including groundbreaking TV series Heidi, Girl of the Alps and his first feature film Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro (1979). A special tribute to Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) emphasizes its importance to Miyazaki’s career and the founding of Studio Ghibli.
From there, visitors move into the Creating Worlds gallery, a space evoking Miyazaki’s fantastical worlds. The gallery will capture the contrast between beautiful, natural and peaceful environments and the industrial settings dominated by labor and technology that both often feature in Miyazaki’s movies. Visitors can view concept sketches and backgrounds that offer insight into Miyazaki’s imagination, including an original imageboard from his first Ghibli film, Castle in the Sky (1986) and artwork from subsequent movies. Other areas explore Miyazaki’s fascination with complex vertical structures, such as the famous bathhouse in Spirited Away and the underwater world of Ponyo (2008), as well as Miyazaki’s interest in flight as seen in Porco Rosso (1992) and The Wind Rises (2013). As a highlight of the exhibition, visitors can enjoy a moment of quiet contemplation in the Sky View installation, addressing another frequent Miyazaki motif: the desire to slow down, reflect and dream.
Next, the Transformations gallery affords visitors the opportunity to explore the astonishing metamorphoses often experienced by both characters and settings in Miyazaki’s films. In Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), for example, the protagonists go through physical transformations that reflect their emotional states, while in other films, such as Nausicaä, Miyazaki creates mysterious and imaginative ways to visual the changes that humans impose on the natural world.
Visitors then enter the exhibition’s final gallery, Magical Forest, through its Mother Tree installation. Standing at the threshold between dream and reality, colossal, mystical trees in many of Miyazaki’s films represent a connection or gateway to another world. After passing through the installation, visitors encounter the spirits of the forest — such as the playful Kodama from Princess Mononoke — through an array of storyboards and mixed media. Visitors exit through another transitional corridor, which guides them from the imaginative worlds of Miyazaki back into the museum.
Hayao Miyazaki will be accompanied by a 256-page catalog that takes the reader on a richly illustrated journey through the filmmaker’s extraordinary cinematic worlds. Production materials from his early television work through all of his 11 feature films offer insight into Miyazaki’s creative process and masterful animation techniques. Published by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and DelMonico Books, the catalog includes a foreword by Toshio Suzuki, essays by Pete Docter, Daniel Kothenschulte and Jessica Niebel, and an illustrated filmography.
The exhibition will also be complemented with film screenings in both English and Japanese in the museum’s state-of-the-art theaters, public programs and unique merchandise created with Studio Ghibli available exclusively at the museum store.
Nominations for the International Emmy Kids Awards were announced today by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, with 12 nominees across three categories. This is the second time this year that the Academy has presented Kids Emmys; the accelerated schedule is due to various factors related to the COVID-19 virus. This presentation will be made during the virtualized MIPCOM Online + instead of the usual spring MIPTV ceremony.
Nominations span 10 countries: Australia, Brazil, Finland, Japan, Mexico, The Netherlands, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
“The geographic spread and variety of themes addressed in these nominated programs demonstrate the buoyancy and quality of children’s television throughout the world,” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. “We congratulate the Nominees for their outstanding talent and for setting the standard of excellence we expect for young viewers worldwide.”
The Kids Animation nominees are:
Ico Bit Zip | National Geographic / Copa Studio [Brazil] In Ico Bit Zip, Ico and her friends are beings living in the Cloud and working in an internet search tool, the Bit Zip. They have to find out answers for the most complex questions — after all, “no results found” is something inadmissible!
Ico Bit Zip
Oddbods – Season 3 | One Animation Pte Ltd [Singapore] The Oddbods are back… again! Watch seven friends survive the perils of everyday life, where ordinary situations spiral into extraordinary events.
Oddbods
Moominvalley | Gutsy Animations [Finland] The star of the show, curious and idealistic Moomintroll with his extraordinary family and whimsical friends take us to an adventure into the magical world of Moominvalley. Most of the episodes will center on the Moominhouse and valley, an idyllic place entirely untouched by the modern world. Sometimes they will venture beyond the valley into the vast wilderness, huge dark forests, mysterious distant islands and lonely perilous mountains.
Moominvalley
The Tiger Who Came to Tea | Lupus Films [United Kingdom] A mysterious tiger turns up unannounced and invites himself in for afternoon tea. Young Sophie and her mommy watch in fascination as the tiger proceeds to eat not only their tea, but the entire contents of the fridge and everything else in the house!
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
Winners will receive their award during an online ceremony on Wednesday, October 14. All these programs were broadcast between January 1 and December 31, 2019; in accordance with the competition’s eligibility period.
International Emmy Kids Awards presenting partners are: Ernst & Young, MIPJunior and TV Kids.
Award-winning visual effects studio Digital Domain introduces Masquerade 2.0, the next iteration of its in-house facial capture system, rebuilt from the ground up to bring feature film-quality characters to next-gen games, episodics and commercials. The same tech used to create Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War can now be applied to smaller projects, bringing the full depth and emotion of an actor’s performance to any screen.
Avengers Endgame
Unlike methods that take over a year to complete, Masquerade 2.0 can deliver a photorealistic 3D character and dozens of hours of performance in a few months. Using machine learning, Masquerade has been trained to accurately capture expressive details down to the wrinkles on an actor’s face, without limiting their on-set movement. This freedom has helped Digital Domain bring emotive characters to high-end projects for years, from Hollywood blockbusters and real-time TED talks to Time’s recent recreation of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Masquerade 2.0 now drives the highest-quality facial capture system in the world. Developed over two years, Masquerade 2.0 can now target the most minute facial motions, including more accurate lip shapes and subtle movements around the eyes. With this new data, Digital Domain can deliver more emotive performances to game projects, bringing the intricacies of human facial dynamics to in-game characters.
“Digital Domain innovations are responsible for some of the most memorable visuals of the past 27 years,” said Daniel Seah, Executive Director & CEO of Digital Domain. “With Masquerade 2.0, digital humans will not only grow more accessible to our clients, but more realistic and appealing to audiences, raising the prestige and credibility of our industry around the world.”
Until now, a Masquerade-level character would have required thousands of hours of animation time, only to be too data-intensive for gameplay. Now, complex facial motions can be added to every moment, allowing studios to trigger a wide range of emotions/reactions in a character throughout a campaign. Digital Domain has already begun applying this process to next-gen games, turning out over 50 hours of game footage 10x faster than previous methods.
“Masquerade 2.0 is powerful enough for a feature film, but accessible enough for games and other digital character applications, blasting past the constraints that used to hold us back,” said Darren Hendler, director of Digital Humans Group at Digital Domain. “Through new optimizations, Masquerade can deliver a one-to-one version of an actor’s performance almost out of the gate, allowing us to keep many details we used to have to throw away. This has completely revolutionized our delivery process, allowing us to turn around assets faster than anybody else. In the past, 50 hours of footage meant 600,000 hours of artist time. Today, Masquerade cuts that by 95%.”
Digidoug
“Our innovation strategy at Digital Domain is all about improving our internal pipelines and serving our clients. Delivering believable human-driven performance is not just vital for our features clients, but for our game, episodic and streaming, experiential and advertising clients as well,” said John Fragomeni, Global VFX President. “As audiences become more and more expectant of near-flawless imagery for all their content, we are constantly pushing to create solutions that are superior in quality, faster and adaptable to any form of entertainment.”
Masquerade 2.0 is fully scalable and available now for all Digital Domain clients, as part of a full asset creation process that includes consultation, motion capture, animation and design. To request a demo or discuss your project, please contact dhginfo@d2.com.
To see Masquerade in action, click here. And stay tuned for new Masquerade characters coming to major film, episodic and game projects in 2020/2021.
Digidoug
Digital Domain creates transportive experiences that entertain, inform and inspire. Throughout the last quarter of a century, the studio has grown to lead the visual effects industry, expanding globally into digital humans, virtual production, previsualization and virtual reality, and adding commercials, game cinematics and episodics to the robust film roster. Digital Domain’s rich legacy consists of hundreds of blockbuster feature films for every major studio and thousands of commercials, music videos, game cinematics and digital content by world-renowned directors and brands. Credits include Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Ready Player One, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Staff artists have won more than 100 major awards, including Academy Awards, Clios, BAFTA awards and Cannes Lions.
Digital Domain has successfully become the first independent visual effects studio to enter Greater China. In 2018, Digital Domain acquired one of China’s VR hardware equipment pioneers and leaders — VR Technology Holdings Ltd, Shenzhen (“3Glasses”). The studio has locations in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Taipei and Hyderabad.
For the most prestigious competition section of the 30th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2020, the selection committee of Daniel Šuljić, Iva Kraljević and Božidar Trkulja have selected 40 works from 27 countries out of 861 entries. Next to the animation titans Canada, France, U.S.A., Japan, South Korea, Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic, the programmers were thrilled by works from countries appearing less frequently on the global map of animation, such as Colombia or Greece.
The selected filmmakers competing for the Grand Prix and an Oscar qualification include many stellar names of different generations, like Andreas Hykade (Altötting), Piotr Dumała (The Last Supper), Theodore Ushev (The Physics of Sorrow) and Atsushi Wada (My Exercise). The films display genre, theme and motif diversity which encompasses familial and romantic relationships, ecology, video games, physicality, humor, addiction, dystopias, media in experimental film and documentary focuses on migration, psychopathology and personal history.
Genius Loci
Another quality of this year’s Grand Competition is definitely a pluralism of techniques, with different varieties of stop motion (such as the impressive claymation of Shoko Hara’s Just a Guy and Izabela Plucinska’s Portrait of Suzanne, as well as black wire in Dina Velikovskaya’s Ties), black and white drawings (The Six by Xu An and Xi Chen, or Lucija Mrzljak’s The Closing Door) and the lavish images reminiscent of visual traditions ranging from encaustic painting (The Physics of Sorrow), to avant-garde geometrics, graphics and Kandinsky’s playful colors (Adrien Mérigeau’s Genius Loci), to sculpture, woodcut and renaissance (The Last Supper).
Naturally, computer generated visuals are no less impressive, such as in Erick Oh’s Opera, Antonis Doussias’s Violent Equation, Charby Ibrahim’s Bright Lightsand How to Disappear by a group of Austrian filmmakers. Animafest’s visitors will have a chance to check out the art and craft of these pieces at the exhibition Behind the Scenes 2 at the ULUPUH premises (Ilica 13), as well.
The Physics of Sorrow
Visually spectacular films, which regardless of personal inclinations to certain animation techniques, should not be missed are definitely The Physics of Sorrow, Genius Loci, Leaking Life by Shunsaku Hayashi,Opera and Bright Lights, as well as the somewhat more reserved but powerful and relevant films by Hykade and Dumała.
In his latest film, Annecy Cristal winner The Physics of Sorrow, Ushev returns to the prose of Bulgarian writer Georgi Gospodinov for screenwriting inspiration, yet achieves his most intimate film yet, in which he broods upon his memories through playful encaustic painting — an ancient wax technique Ushev used to create 15,000 paintings in eight years. In this both epic and intimate film, Ushev juxtaposes personal histories and vastness in a polyphony of memories imbued with many poetic motifs. One of the film’s voice artists is Donald Sutherland, although most of the narration was done by Ushev’s son, Rossif.
Altotting
Named after the Marian pilgrimage and his native town in Bavaria, Hykade’s Altötting tells an intimate tale of faith and losing it, passion and death, coming of age and disillusionment, and in the technical sense he combines the finest qualities of the both ends of his previous work, simple smoothly moving characters often reduced to a single line and visually more lavish pieces into a synthesis worthy of a great artist. Altötting is a timeless film about innocence lost, contributed to, during the five years of painstaking engraving by the great Portuguese animator Regina Pessoa.
The Last Supper
Dumała’s The Last Supper is a contemporary view of the famous Biblical story and the iconic painting from the point of view of a classic inspiration among Animafest’s winners — Franz Kafka. Dumała is considered by many to be a “sculptor” among animators because of his technique mixing plaster slab engraving, old-school precision and clear inspiration stemming from highbrow culture, although his films often address very human conditions. The Last Supper, with its black and white appearance and central motif, is somewhat reminiscent of Gustave Doré (apart from, understandably, Da Vinci), but seats Christ and his disciples in a speeding train.
Arka
Particularly thrilling to the selection committee is the fact that four Croatian films entered this animation “world championship.” Kreativni sindikat produced Arka by Natko Stipaničev – a wondrous and contemporised version of the Biblical tale set on a transatlantic cruiser told as a relevant dystopian allegory of late capitalist society, in which civilisation embarks on its last journey to the night “while the band plays on.” Funny and somewhat surrealist motifs punctuate the exceptionally precise dramaturgy and skilful directing of this meditative film of absurd atmosphere, original characters and subtle dark humor. Jurica Pavičić compares Stipaničev with Ruben Östlund. In addition to the Grand Competition Short Film, Arka was also selected for the prestigious Annecy animation festival competition this year. Stipaničev worked on Arka, his first professional film, for three years, brushing up on his 3D animation skills.
Murder in the Cathedral
The Croatian and Serbian co-production Murder in the Cathedral by Matija Pisačić and Tvrtko Rašpolić leans on Mima Simić’s queer detective collection (with a screenwriting contribution by Jasna Žmak), including a riff on The Adventures of Gloria Scott from the Sherlock Holmes serias. The collection and the film turn the protagonist into a quirky female Sherlock, having an affair with “Watson” by the name of Mary. Although the plot is set in London at the turn of the century, the film, produced by Kinematograf, resorts to parody, humor and bubbly references to address many crucial issues of today – gender issues, identity (de)constructions, control mechanisms (politics, religion, media), the role of popular culture in the (re)production of stereotypes, etc. Exceptionally atmospheric (thanks mostly to backgrounds by Belgrade-based illustrator Boban Savić-Geto), with many high and pop cultural hints taking it in rapid turns, Murder in the Cathedral also earned a place in Annecy’s official selection with its humorous social critique dressed in stereotypical crime genre, and it could soon evolve into an animated serial. Pisačić is an established animation filmmaker and comic-book artist who made a name for himself in the new wave of Croatian animation with his acclaimed film Choban, while Rašpolić is a writer, TV director and author of documentary and experimental films.
The Closing Door
The creator of Animafest 2019’s Best Croatian Film, Lucija Mrzljak, this year moves to the prestigious “competition rank” with the music video The Closing Door, for the eponymous song by Irish singer-songwriter, Oscar and Grammy winner Glen Hansard. After her A Demonstration of Brilliance in Four Acts proved her as an outstanding disciple of the Pärn couple and the rest of the Estonian animation tradition to which she is professionally related, Mrzljak in The Closing Door partly returns to her earlier skill of mastering geometric and figural minimalism with an amazing sense of the line, as seen in her 2016 graduation film Angle. The Closing Door takes us on a journey filled with associations in 2D computer animation reminding of ink. The exceptionally fluid animation is a result of Mrzljak’s free interpretation of the song’s lyrics in which she found an ecological subtext together with the composer.
Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves
Animafest 2020 Grand Competition Short Film will also continue to follow the queer series from Estonian-Croatian filmmaker Chintis Lundgren, this time with a focus on the adventures of the sexy wolf Toomas, who previously had an affair with the award-winning Manivald. However, Toomas Beneath the Valley of the Wild Wolves has also seen the world – it was screened in Annecy in 2019, won awards at many festivals and has been acknowledged by the audience who respect this humorous metaphorical modern tale of sexual liberation and family relations begun in 2015.
The 30th World Festival of Animated Film – Animafest Zagreb 2020 takes place from September 28 to October 3 at SC Cinema, &TD Theatre, Kinoteka and many other venues around the city. Learn more at www.animafest.hr/en.
WildBrain Spark, the premium kids & family AVOD network and studio, has secured a deal with U.S.-Korean production company Park Star Media to co-produce and launch the new digital-first kids’ superhero series, Super Binks.
Originally created as a toy figurine range in Asia, WildBrain Spark is co-producing the new short-form 2D animated series with Park Star Media, and will also handle YouTube channel management across the new Super Binks global channel, where a new episode will post weekly. Additionally, WildBrain Spark will release the series on Amazon Video Direct from September.
The Super Binks characters began life on lollipops when Park Star Media’s toy company in Seoul partnered with Perfetti Van Melle’s Chupa Chups brands across Asia to launch blind box figurines featuring the superheroes between 2017-2019. The toy products were sold online, at toy exhibitions across Asia and at boutique stores in Korea.
“The outstanding success Park Star Media had with its Super Binks figurines made the property ripe for being transformed into a digital-first series. This is also a perfect example of how we can use our production capabilities to support brands as they make the jump from the toy shelf to the small screen, through the creation of engaging digital-first content,” said Jon Gisby, EVP & Managing Director at WildBrain Spark. “With its wacky humor and dynamic stories, we know the Super Binks series will be a huge hit with kids all around the world.”
“We’re excited to partner with WildBrain Spark to transform our existing toy figurines into a digital animated series. To meet the surge in demand for animated content aimed at kids and families, our collaboration with a premier partner like WildBrain Spark feels natural because of their expertise in building premium digital brands and connecting them to viewers worldwide,” said Young Park, Co-Founder & Executive Producer at Park Star Media. “We look forward to our partnership as we leverage the strength and resources of both companies to build Super Binks into a quality IP for a global audience.”
The Super Binks are seven cute superhero babies, whose enchanted pacifiers (or binkies) hold the key to their superpowers. Each baby comes from a different part of the world and possesses unique qualities and superpowers. Together they form a strong, diverse and dynamic super-team!
In each episode, the Super Binks battle against mischief and mayhem in order to protect their beloved Park – a vast and magical world that spans limitless terrains. On their wacky adventures, the Super Binks confront giant monsters, save creatures in need or simply have fun playing pranks on one another. When they’re not out on missions, they hang out at the “Super Binks HQ.” Cleverly disguised as a (pretty epic) jungle gym, the Super Binks HQ is the perfect location for top-secret world-saving meetings and even more top-secret playdates.
WildBrain Spark is part of WildBrain Ltd., one of the world’s largest independent kids and family entertainment companies.
We had the chance to catch up with award-winning animator and producer Rosa Tran, who is best known for her work as co-exec producer of the animated series Final Space and producer of the stop-motion feature Anomalisa and her work on numerous shows such as Before Orel, Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole, Robot Chicken and Titan Maximum. She answered a few questions about her latest collaboration with Charlie Kaufman on his new, disturbing and mysterious featureI Am Thinking of Ending Things, which premiered on Netflix last week.
Rosa Tran
Animag: Can you tell us a bit about how you got involved with your latest project, I Am Thinking of Ending Things, which is a haunting adaptation of the acclaimed book by Iain Reid.
Rosa Tran: Charlie texted [she laughs]. Charlie texted Duke Johnson and myself, and said that he needed some animation help. We love working with Charlie, so it was a fun surprise.
When did you start working on it and how long did it take to finish the animated sections of the movie?
We started in April of 2019 and delivered final shots by Dec 2019. All of it was 2D and hand painted frames.
How many minutes of animation did you produce over all?
I’m actually not sure. We had the Tulsey jingle spot and then the pig shots, so I would like to say about three minutes overall.
I Am Thinking of Ending Things
What kind of material did you use to produce the animation?
For the Pig: We had a few different interested artists submit pig sketches, but once Charlie started talking about the painterly style, Mollie Ong knocked it out of the park. We had the usual look dev via thumbnails and animation test to see if we were on the right track, and everything fell into place fairly quickly. Mollie created the pig by hand painting each layer on paper! They really wanted to embrace the paper and watercolors to give the pig a sense of depth and texture. So, the pig pink base layer, the pig bluish layer, the spots layer, the face layer, the blood drips. I think at one point the pig had eight layers.
After each layer was scanned into the computer, our VFX artist Derek Smith worked with Charlie’s input to come up with a treatment that gave the pig a ghostlike appearance. Voila … our pig!
For the Tulsey Spot: Simon Wilches-Castro joined the team and really brought that sequence to life. He wanted to stay true to the era of animation by using live-action dancer reference for the clown, blending live-action movements with very cartoony exaggerated.
We had a small, but mighty team! Simon Wilches Castro led the Tulsey Spot with one assistant, Lily Chao. Mollie Ong worked on the pig animation with one assistant, Rafeal Mejia, plus VFX with Derek Smith, and then Duke and myself.
I Am Thinking of Ending Things
What do you love about working with Charlie Kaufman?
It’s the surprise element – you can’t anticipate what he’s asking for and then when he does, you’re like, Yes. Yes. Yes. I see. And references! Charlie gives great references. Working in animation and having to create every little detail, it makes the job so much harder when you get someone who has to see it before they can make a decision. But Charlie has an idea of what he is thinking, then the conversation blooms from there.
How was this experience different from Anomalisa?
We did this all remote and this was 2D. The team met once and then everything was done remotely.
What was the biggest challenge for this production?
The usual time and money, and we produced this all remotely before WFH was in place and that was a tough workflow to get through. New people, new style, with a project that was already filming. There was one point where it looked like the pig animation was so far behind schedule, so we went all hands on deck to help Mollie. Mollie brought on Rafael Mejia and I started scanning the pig layers. Since we are doing all of this remotely, it was one more layer of difficulty. I’m sure we all feel this now since we have been working from home. But you lose the synergy from and team troubleshooting when you’re all separated.
I Am Thinking of Ending Things
What pleased you most about this assignment?
The final look. Placing an animated element within a live-action shot or movie, I’m always worried that it won’t fit. But what these artists created is stunning. I’m always blown away with the final product from these talented artists.
Can you tell us about your next project?
Actually, Charlie encouraged me to write my next project, called Bardo. It’s an animated story about the Vietnam War through the eyes of a civilian. This is my first time writing and directing. It is an extremely personal project for I’ve spent about three years developing it and I was lucky to be a part of the Sundance Intensive this past March and have been working with Nina Yang Bongiovi from Significant Productions on further development.
What is your take on the state of animation in 2020?
2020 has proven how resilient animation is! Animation productions have been able to continue while live action has shut down. It’s very exciting to see artists be extremely busy. I think or my hope is that this will reshape the way animation production is viewed. Animation is extremely creative and extremely technical and the talented individuals in this field have proven their incredible skills.
I Am Thinking of Ending Things is currently streaming on Netflix.
BBC Studios announced Wednesday the final, missing piece in Doctor Who Time Lord Victorious with Daleks! — a five-part CGI animated story launching in November this year. The episodes will be available for fans to watch for free, weekly on the Doctor Who YouTube channel.
The 5 x 10 min. animated series and will feature a star-studded voiceover cast, with Nicholas Briggs (voice of the Daleks in Doctor Who), Joe Sugg (YouTube’s ThatcherJoe, Strictly Come Dancing), Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard, The Sarah Jane Adventure) and Ayesha Antoine (Holby City).
Nicholas Briggs, Joe Sugg, Anjli Mohindra, and Ayesha Antoine
“This latest, fantastic, thrill-packed venture into the world of animation, with the Daleks as the stars of the show, is something so many of us have been craving for years,” said Briggs, who has been part of the Whoniverse in multiple facets since the 1980s. “And for me it’s been a marvellous challenge, as usual playing every single Dalek in action, but with the added excitement of portraying some beautifully written, leading Dalek characters. It’s been a blast, and I can’t wait to see the finished production.”
Sugg said, “I’m super excited and thankful to have been invited to play a role in this new animation. I’ve been a fan of Doctor Who from a young age so to be a part of it is a dream come true.”
“When I saw that this series was about those iconic villains, I knew it was going to be one hell of a ride and I couldn’t wait to sign up!” Mohindra enthused. “I had so much fun being thrown into the wonderfully weird world of remote recording and so thrilled that I was able to be part of something that feels so special!”
Antoine added, “I have never been more fascinated to see the final product of a show. To be a part of the animated story of these iconic baddies is really special. The recording session was a whole new adventure — another surreal moment to add to the growing list from 2020.”
Daleks!
Written by Doctor Who animation veteran James Goss (The Invasion, The Infinite Quest) and created by Salford, U.K.-based animation shop Studio Liddell, Daleks! is a BBC Studios Digital production.
Time Lord Victorious officially launched earlier this month, with products and experiences dropping every week until early 2021. The multi-platform story brings together eleven partners across ten platforms for the first time ever to tell a brand new Doctor Who adventure for fans across the world. Fans can enjoy as much or as little of the adventure as they choose, exploring the animation as well as novels, magazines, comics, escape rooms, audios, games, immersive theatre, vinyl, figurines and t-shirts.
Irish indie animation studio Pink Kong (Aurora, Urban Tails) is ready to blast off with a new friendship-focused show set in an eco-conscious universe: Planet Park, which takes preschoolers on the ultimate outdoor adventure … in space!
Planet Park (52 x 11′) is an animated comedy-adventure set in the universe’s first National Park: an entire planet in another galaxy far from our own. A unique setting for adventure and high jinks. The series stars four young, fearless, female rangers of multi-planetary origin who join forces to tackle the greatest job in the galaxy, caring for Planet Park’s delicate ecosystem and its unusual animal and plant life.
Planet Park
The lead characters are eco-conscious and driven by their love of the great outdoors and a desire to protect it. The Planet Park rangers have very diverse physical attributes, abilities and wide-ranging skill sets. The cast is a celebration of individuality and inclusivity, with a place for everyone on the team!
Pink Kong Studios strives to create characters that challenge traditional gender roles and Park rangers Zeek, Eeta, Zizz and Kuku do just that. These technicians, pilots, survivalists and action heroines come from different planets around the galaxy, and together as a team are always ready to rush fearlessly to the rescue of their beloved Planet Park. This series features a strong female ensemble cast, provides a comedic action-packed thrill ride and cleverly weaves in an awareness of the environment that is so important to kids today.
Young environmental activists led by Greta Thunberg remind us that caring for the environment is at the forefront of children’s minds. Planet Park responds in a timely way, giving young viewers a show that reflects themselves and those issues that are important to them, and underlining the fact that no child is too small to make a difference.
The concept is an original idea from Pink Kong co-founder Aoífe Doyle and stems from a love of nature and the outdoors. The garden of her childhood home, nestling amidst the surrounding concrete housing estates, was a green oasis full of interesting bugs, plants and animals. Family excursions to the local mountains to walk woods, trails and lakesides led to the inspiration of Planet Park.
Planet Park
While Planet Park is a show about park rangers in space, the heart of the series is about the joy of being in nature and the need to look after it, encouraging kids to explore the great outdoors and be mindful of their surroundings.
Planet Park was funded with the help of Screen Ireland, is in advanced development and is actively seeking partners.
Two French powerhouses — premium kids content distributor Federation Kids & Family (part of Federation Entertainment) and leading European kids entertainment company TeamTO — have joined forces on the new animated comedy series Presto! School of Magic, based on StudioCanal’S highly acclaimed theatrical hit, The House of Magic.
“We’re thrilled to begin this partnership with our good friends at Federation, a company that — like TeamTO — has established itself as a leading player in the global kids market,” said Guillaume Hellouin, President & Co-Founder of TeamTO. “Our creative visions for Presto! School of Magic are perfectly aligned, making them an ideal choice to distribute to all our friends around the world.”
Marking a first-time collaboration between the two renowned companies (forthcoming from years of friendship and mutual respect), Federation Kids & Family has teamed-up on this original new animated series as the worldwide distributor, managing all television rights outside of China. Federation Kids & Family, working hand in hand with TeamTO, have conjured up a creative marketing plan with a touch of magic and mystery for the series launch to be unveiled this fall.
“TeamTO has a solid reputation as one of the most creative studios in the industry today, and their unique productions share the same high-end values that complement our existing premium titles,” said Monica Levy, Head of Sales, Federation Kids & Family. “Presto! School of Magic is an amazing series that has all the exceptional ingredients to inspire magic-loving kids the world over, and the timing for such an uplifting exceptionally crafted production is perfect. We know that it will definitely have our buyers spellbound!”
The series has been gathering momentum since it was announced earlier this year, and the partnerships consolidated to date are presenting quite a tour de force: Produced by TeamTO in co-production with Belgian partners Panache Productions and La Compagnie Cinématographique, the series has also secured partnerships with French broadcasters M6 and Canal+.
Presto! School of Magic (52 x 11’) features a band of talented and curious kids who dream of becoming magicians. Star students Dylan and Lisa cannot believe how lucky they are to be part of this new school. Lorenzo, a retired magician of international renown, and his nephew have turned their old mansion into Presto! School of Magic, where Lisa, Dylan and fellow aspiring magicians Nica, Violet and Vincent, learn the tricks of the trade. They all have a different reason for attending the school – but they have one thing in common: a passion for illusion, conjuring and the art of magic!
The series was an Official Selection at Cartoon Forum 2017 where producer Corinne Kouper was twice honored as Producer of the Year in 2010 and 2015. Kouper is also the recipient of two Emmy Awards and one Pulcinella Award in her long career of creating hits such as Mighty Mike, Angelo Rules, feature film Yellowbird, Zoe Kezako and Rolie Polie Olie.
What happened to Olaf within the moments after Elsa created him as she was “letting it go” and building her ice palace, and when Anna and Kristoff first met him in the forest? And how did Olaf learn to love Summer? The previously untold origins of Olaf, the innocent and insightful, summer-loving snowman who melted hearts in the Academy Award-winning 2013 Disney animated feature Frozen and its acclaimed 2019 sequel, are revealed in the all-new Walt Disney Animation Studios animated short, Once Upon a Snowman.
The film follows Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle. Once Upon a Snowman is directed by Trent Correy (animation supervisor, “Olaf” in Frozen 2) and Dan Abraham (veteran story artist who boarded Olaf’s “When I Am Older” musical sequence in Frozen 2) and produced by Nicole Hearon (associate producer, Frozen 2 and Moana) with Peter Del Vecho (producer, Frozen 2, Frozen and the upcoming Raya and the Last Dragon). Olaf is voiced by award-winning actor Josh Gad.
“This is an idea that started to form when I was an animator on the first Frozen,” said Correy. “Dan Abraham and I are so grateful and excited to have had the opportunity to direct this short, working with our incredible colleagues at Walt Disney Animation Studios.”
“Josh Gad gives one of the great animated voice performances as Olaf through the Frozen films,” said Abraham. “To have the opportunity to work with him in the recording booth was such a privilege and career highlight.”
Once Upon A Snowman debuts exclusively on Disney+ October 23.
Animation fans and professionals can get unique insights behind the scenes of Netflix’s global hits and highly anticipated new projects from the perspective of Latinx creatives in a special virtual event next week. Celebrating the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month, Latino Creatives in Animation is sure to be an engaging, authentic conversation about creating community and fostering diversity in the industry, featuring seven talented animation professionals.
The panel, taking place Friday, September 18 from 10:30 a.m. to noon PDT, includes:
Andrea Fernández | Art Director, Creator | Latinx artist and creator with experience in animation and publishing, currently working as the Art Director on Netflix’s upcoming animated series, The Cuphead Show!
Dan Hernandez | Writer, Producer, Author | Cuban-American author, producer and screenwriter currently writing on an unannounced feature film at Netflix.
Felipe Salazar | Animation Editor | Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Felipe has been working in Post Production since 2002. He’s currently editing the hit series Big Mouth on Netflix.
Jorge Gutierrez | Creator, Writer, Director | Creator (with muse Sandra Equihua) of El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera, director and co-writer of The Book of Life, currently writing & directing the Netflix limited series Maya and the Three.
Maya and the Three
Sherley Ibarra | Netflix Manager of Animation Outreach & Engagement | In her newly created role, Sherley oversees the talent incubation initiatives designed to engage, cultivate and create opportunities for up and coming writing talent for animation across all verticals (Original Animation Series, Preschool, Features and Adult Animation).
Shiondre Austin | Netflix Casting Manager | Shiondre started her career in Casting & Talent Relations at Nickelodeon in 2009, falling in love with animated storytelling. After 10 years with Nick, she moved over to Netflix as Casting Manager and is now overseeing Casting for Original Animation Series and Preschool.
Moderator: Ingrid Tous Tover | A proud Costa Rican and lover of animation, Ingrid started her career at DreamWorks before joining the Original Animated Series Team at Netflix, working as a Creative Assistant in Development and Current Series.
The moderated conversation will be followed by a 20 minute Q&A session; register to attend the virtual event and submit a question for the panelists here.
Nickelodeon has greenlit a 26-episode sixth season of its hit animated series The Loud House, which currently ranks as the number-one animated show across all television and Nickelodeon with Kids 6-11 year-to-date. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, season six finds the Loud family embarking on even more wild adventures packed with heart and humor, including musicals, birthday celebrations, gatherings with the Casagrandes, and hijinks featuring all of the loveable characters who inhabit Royal Woods.
“The continued success of The Loud House is due to the relatable and entertaining stories our outstanding creative team led by Dana Cluverius and Michael Rubiner tells through Lincoln, his family and all of the unique characters in the series,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait for them to bring plenty more fresh and diverse ideas to our audiences in season six.”
The Loud House escapades continue with the season five debut on Friday, Sept. 11, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon in the. U.S., followed by the international rollout later this year.
The Loud House
In the series’ first one-hour special, “Schooled!” Lincoln and his friends are now in middle school, facing new challenges and adventures as they acclimate to the new school’s hierarchy. Each sister has also moved up a grade, making Leni the oldest in the house, while Lori starts her freshman year of college. The special also features two original songs written by Michelle Lewis and Doug Rockwell: “We Got This,” and “Welcome to Canada.” Throughout season five, big adventures and big changes are in store for the Loud siblings as they continue to grow and evolve.
The voice cast includes Asher Bishop as Lincoln Loud; Andre Robinson as Clyde McBride; Catherine Taber as Lori; Liliana Mumy as Leni; Nika Futterman as Luna; Cristina Pucelli as Luan; Jessica DiCicco as Lynn and Lucy; Grey Griffin as Lola, Lana and Lily; and Lara Jill Miller as Lisa.
The Loud House debuted on Nickelodeon in May 2016 and centers on 11-year-old Lincoln Loud and his ten sisters as he gives an inside look at what it takes to survive the chaos of a huge family. As one of the longest-running animated series on Nickelodeon with 156 episodes, the property also has been translated into a comic book series, which continues to roll out new stories, chapter books, a digital album and a podcast, Listen Out Loud. The series is executive produced by Michael Rubiner. Kyle Marshall serves as co-executive producer and Ashley Kliment-Baker is art director.
Mamoru Oshii’s widely acclaimed, unquestionably influential anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell has arrived on a beautiful new 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack. To celebrate the movie’s remastered return, Lionsgate has released a flurry of clips from the set’s special features, with insights from animation creatives, performers, anime experts and others.
Interviewees include animation producer/writer Eric Calderon, voice actor Richard Epcar (“Batou” in GitS), Tokyo Pop founder Stu Levy, Anime News Network founder Justin Sevakis, GitS English ADR scriptwriter Mary Claypool, author/historian/critic Charles Solomong and professor Northrop Davis (author, Manga and Anime Go to Hollywood).
Ghost in the Shell 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack is available now for the suggested retail price of $22.99.
The Care Bears are celebrating another year of giving on the brand’s nationally recognized “Share Your Care Day”— a Care Bears-inspired, nationally recognized holiday that encourages all Care Bears fans to proactively reach out to others and engage in messages of love, friendship and acceptance.
“At Cloudco, ‘Share Your Care Day’ is one of our favorite days of the year! Each year, we invite our partners to join us in our mission to spread caring and sharing around the world,” said Kristeen Tibbits, Cloudco Entertainment Head of Marketing. “This year, we’re introducing ‘Acts of Caring’ and have lined up a full-day of fun-filled activities that will encourage fans to display acts of friendship, acceptance, fun and happiness to those they love every day. We hope you’ll join us!”
Kicking off at 10 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT on Wednesday, September 9 with a Welcome Message from Share Bear, fans will be invited to participate in “Acts of Caring” by following the Share Your Care Day festivities on social media throughout the day, with tons of fun activities, giveaways and special announcements.
At 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT, get ready to #CareOutLoud with the latest music video premiere — featuring the newest Care Bears medium plush. Fans can show off their moves and challenge a friend for the chance to win a mega prize pack!
Midday, Be Fearless Summit founder Alexa Curtis shares three simple moves to get your blood flowing and reduce your anxiety (repeat as often as necessary).
A special guest will appear at 12:30 p.m. ET to introduce “Acts of Caring” with Care Bears and Friends. You can show how you care by using one of two special Care Bears filters available on Instagram @carebears.
Basic Fun! will share a special #PassTheCareBear video featuring friends of Care Bears and the newest Care Bears medium plush at 1 p.m. ET. This will be followed by a Surprise Announcement at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Share Bear returns with a special message for the students of Jose de Diego Middle School at 3 p.m., followed by a video recap of the Care Bears creative program with them last year.
Finally, Unlock the Music with Care Bears and DanceBody with a Charity Dance Class, benefitting The Jed Foundations’ “Love is Louder” project for emotional health. The event will take place via DanceBody LIVE. Donate and register for the class here.
Gutsy Animations, the studio behind the internationally celebrated Moominvalley series based on the work of Tove Jansson, has added new investment partners following a recent financing round. Both the Jansson family-run firm Moomin Characters Ltd. Oy, and Bulls Holding AB, parent company of Bulls Press and Rights and Brands, are taking minority stakes in the company with other private investors.
The investment comes at a time of growth for the company as it broadens its slate into non-kids scripted live action and brand new 2D animated kids’ series – both with a strong emphasis on nature and bold female characters.
“We are thrilled at the opportunity to come onboard to develop Gutsy Animations as investors. Gutsy Animations is a great fit to our cultural ecosystem which has been developed around Moomin Characters over the years,” said Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters Ltd. Oy. “The award-winning Moominvalley is naturally one of our greatest interests but we are also looking to develop a co-operational model which would be able to scale to the authors, illustrators and other IP owners that we represent in the competitive market. Gutsy Animations’ top team complement our skills and knowledge beautifully.”
Marika Makaroff, CEO and Creative Director at Gutsy Animations, commented, “We are very grateful to have the support of our fantastic partners and visionary investors especially at a very exciting moment of growth, creativity and ambition for the company. Our slate has broadened to include both high quality drama and charming original animation. This exemplifies Gutsy approach and focus on bold, female-led work which draws on the magic and mythology of the natural world to challenge and inspire viewers across generations.”
Bobble the Little Witch
One of the new series in the works at Gutsy, which will be introducing itself to buyers at the MIP Rendezvous Cannes / MIP Junior market this fall, is Bobble the Little Witch (26 x 11′). The 2D-animated series aimed at kids ages 6-9 follows the countryside adventures of a little girl named Bobble who moves with her parents from the big city to her Great Aunt Pearl’s rural land. Here, she learns how to communicate with nature and uncovers the magical powers and secrets of the natural world under Pearl’s mentorship — and carries the stories of her adventures in the strands of her bright purple hair.
WEIRD Market, the International Animation, Video Games and New Media Market, will be celebrating its 12th edition in a “hybrid” format, director José Luis Farias confirmed. Scheduled for Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 in Segovia, Spain, WEIRD Market 2020 will combine face-to-face screenings with virtual activities for industry professionals; while short film sessions will limit their capacity to respect public health regulations.
“From the working team we maintain our commitment to the sector, our public and the city, for this reason we consider the celebration of the market by adapting ourselves, with a safe proposal that preserves its essence intact,” said Farias.
The virtual market will have a large program consisting of lectures, presentations, showroom and recruitment. For its part, the international short film festival will begin on September 28 and will retain its physical headquarters at La Cárcel Espacio de Creación; these screenings will strictly follow the plan of measures and control of the Junta de Castilla y León to face the crisis generated by COVID-19.
The organization, which will release more details of the programming in the coming weeks, is thus preparing an edition that ensures the safety of the attendees at the same time that it opens to new audiences through the internet. WEIRD Market has established itself throughout its history as an international benchmark event, which positions Segovia as a focus center for multiple professionals, companies, students and amateurs. In 2020, the event shows its ability to adapt without losing its essence, in a profound act of commitment to the animation sector and the cultural industry.
Both, the screenings in Segovia and the online conferences and presentations will be free and open access.
L-R: Edwina Liard, Jorge Sanz, Melissa Vega and Paula Taborda
WEIRD also revealed the four member of the short film festival jury:
Edwina Liard is co-founder of the French production company Ikki Films (together with Nidia Santiago). In 2011, both partners started this company that until now has been responsible for such outstanding animation short films as Chulyen, a Crow’s Tale by Agnès Patron and Cerise Lopez, Negative Space by Ru Kuwahata and Max Porter (Oscar nominated in 2018) and Sheep, Wolf and a Cup of Tea… by Marion Lacourt (premiered at Locarno in 2019). Last year they co-produced their first live-action feature film, Sick, Sick, Sick by Alice Furtado, selected at La Semaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes.
Melissa Vega is a partner of the French distribution and production company Dandelooo, in addition to being its head of international sales for Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. In her decade-plus career, she’s worked at Planet Nemo Animation and Televideo (Bogotá), managing audiovisual content for its online children’s platform. She joined Dandelooo in 2013, where she represents programs honored by the International Emmy Kids Awards and the Annecy Film Festival, among others. Currently, she also runs the company’s offices in Barcelona.
Paula Taborda is the Brazilian-born Content Director of Planeta Junior (Spain). In this position, she leads the creation of content through co-productions, original productions and acquisitions. Prior to her work for Grupo Planeta, Taborda was responsible for the creative and business part of Globo Group’s children’s channels; her work placed Brazil on the children’s entertainment map with co-production agreement for projects such as Paper Port, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Trulli Tales, Denver, Power Players, Alice & Lewis, Dronix and many others.
Jorge Sanz, Cultural Technician of the Aguilar de Campoo City Council and, for more than 30 years, director of FICA (Aguilar de Campoo International Short Film Festival). This Valladolid native also coordinates the International Festival of Performing Arts (Aescena) and the International Meeting of Street Artists (ARCA). Chosen last year as the best cultural manager in Castilla y León, Sanz has been President and founding member of the Coordinator of Spanish Short Film. Similarly, in 2011 he was Artistic Director of ANIMAR, the first animation film festival in Reinosa (Cantabria).
WEIRD seeks to continue developing the interaction with its audience and in this sense one of its novelties will go: “The audience talk.” The audience itself will choose two of the edition’s presentations, for which a call for conference proposals has been opened. Attendees can propose topics or presentations that they would like to see (until September 10) through a form that will be accompanied by a brief description, an image and the biography of the interested candidate.
Once the deadline is closed, the organization will select five finalist proposals that will be communicated through WEIRD’s Facebook page and submitted to the public’s vote. Those two proposals that receive the most popular support will be declared the winners, including both in the official program of this edition.
This edition, which already has an official poster produced by the Spanish animation studio Mr. Klaus (www.mrklausstudio.com), thus continues the rhythm of work to be able to announce news and content that meet the expectations and history of the event itself.
In conjunction with their own live, virtual 3D Motion and Design Show and the IBC 2020 conference, Maxon today announced the availability of Cinema 4D Release 23 (R23). Announcements also covered Maxon’s $200,000 award from Epic Games’ Epic MegaGrant program — which will go to strengthening the workflow between Epic’s Unreal Engine and C4D — and a new annual & monthly subscription bundle combining C4D, the full Red Giant toolset for editing, VFX and motion design, and GPU renderer Redshift: Maxon One.
The next generation of C4D delivers powerful enhancements to its animation and UV workflows, character animation toolset, and the inclusion of Magic Bullet Looks technology. The introduction of the new Scene Nodes system provides a preview of the performance customers can expect in future developments of Cinema 4D. Plugin developers will appreciate the update to Python 3, and creative pipelines will benefit from the inclusion of USD import/export and updates to FBX and OBJ handling. R23 will be available on September 9 for subscription holders and will be available as an upgrade for perpetual license holders.
Maxon will debut the feature performance in Cinema 4D R23 at this year’s virtual IBC Showcase. Tune in online at 3DMotionShow.com from September 8 – 11, for exclusive presentations from world-leading 3D and animation artists.
“Cinema 4D R23 delivers robust advancements to the animation workflows and core technologies that empower 3D artists to create content intuitively and to the highest production standards,” said Dave McGavran, Maxon CEO. “We look forward to debuting all that is creatively possible with R23 alongside innovations from our sister companies Red Giant, Redshift and partners.”
Cinema 4D R23
R23 Feature Highlights
New Character Animation Tools: Includes new Character Solver and Delta Mush workflows as well as a new Pose Manager and Toon/Face Rigs.
Animation Workflow: Better Keyframing, Filters for the Timeline and Attributes Manager, and more.
UV Workflows: All the powerful UV editing capabilities introduced in Cinema 4D S22 (the subscription-only upgrade) plus new tools geared toward UV workflows for hard- surface models.
Magic Bullet Looks Integration: Easily apply one of over 200 preset film looks, import LUTs, or work with individual tools for color correction, film grain, chromatic aberration and much more.
Scene Nodes: Scene Nodes allows users to explore massive Distributions and Procedural Modeling in advance of the further Cinema 4D core engine development for optimal creativity and experimentation.
