Tag: featured

Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo Embarks on New Adventure with Netflix Series ‘Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles’

Netflix and Gaumont announce their new comedy-action CGI animated series Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, based on the globally successful 35-year-old comic book Usagi Yojimbo, from award-winning creator Stan Sakai. Gaumont optioned the big-eared hero’s adventures in 2018.

“It is a pleasure working with Gaumont and Netflix. I am involved in each step of the production and am enthusiastic with the direction we are going into,” said Sakai. “It is wonderful to expand the Usagi universe by collaborating with so many talented people. I am working with an awesome team and I’m looking forward to finally seeing an Usagi series on the screen! I thank my wonderful fans, friends and family for their support and encouragement over the last 35+ years.”

Samurai Rabbit takes place in the far future, set in a world that mixes modern high-tech images with classic Japanese references. It follows the teenage Rabbit Samurai Yuichi, descendent of the great warrior Miyamoto Usagi, on his epic quest to become a true samurai. But he isn’t alone! He leads a ragtag team of misfit heroes – including a roguish bounty hunter, a cunning ninja, an acrobatic pickpocket and a faithful pet lizard – as he battles depth-charging moles, metal-tipped winged bats, and monsters from another dimension, all in the pursuit to become the best samurai Usagi!

The series is produced in partnership with Stan Sakai, the legendary creator, writer and illustrator of the comic-book series who will serve as executive producer, along with Gaumont (executive producers Nicolas Atlan, Terry Kalagian, Sidonie Dumas and Christophe Riandee), Dark Horse Entertainment (executive producers Mike Richardson, Keith Goldberg and Chris Tongue) and Atomic Monster (executive producers James Wan, Michael Clear and Rob Hackett).

Candie and Doug Langdale (Maya and the Three, The Book of Life, Puss in Boots, Niko and the Sword of Life, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness) are attached as executive producers and showrunners. Ben Jones (Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teen Titans, Iron Giant) is supervising producer, while Khang Le (Big Hero 6, Little Big Awesome) will serve as art director on the series.

Mumbai-based 88 Pictures (Trollhunters, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Fast & Furious Spy Racers) has been appointed as the CGI animation studio.

“All of us at Gaumont were honored when Stan trusted us to develop his iconic property into an animated series,” commented Nicolas Atlan, President, Gaumont U.S. “This is a first for Usagi Yojimbo. We are thrilled to have Netflix on board as our creative partner so we can together, with the combined artistic talent of Stan Sakai, Dark Horse Entertainment and Atomic Monster take this iconic brand to the next level.”

The acclaimed comic series has received a number of awards over the last three decades, including Parents’ Choice Award, an American Library Association Award and the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Award. Usagi Yojimbo has also been named on Empire Magazine’s Top 50 comic-book characters of all time, IGN’s Top 100 comic-book characters of all time and Rolling Stone’s Top 50 non-superhero graphic novels.

Sakai is a six-time Eisner Award winner, the recipient of multiple Haxter Awards, and won the Best Cartoonist Harvey Award in 2016.

Stan Sakai

Usagi Yojimbo

July 15, 2020
Gigantic Growth Spurts: Cyber Group’s ‘Gigantosaurus’ Is Ready for Phase II

The runaway success of Cyber Group Studios’ Gigantosaurus came as no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with the children’s animation landscape. The Paris-based outfit behind such well-received shows as Taffy, Zorro the Chronicles and Sadie Sparks had a sure-fire hit on its hands after it introduced the world of the dinosaur friends on Disney Channel in early 2019. Based on the book by Jonny Duddle, the show found a devoted audience among young kids and delivered strong ratings worldwide.

“Children have always been fascinated by dinosaurs, and Gigantosaurus does a wonderful job of exploring their world with these four charming main characters,” says Pierre Sissmann, studio co-founder, CEO and producer of the series. “I think kids really related to these dinosaur characters because they’re also just beginning to assert their independence and learn about the importance of friendship. We’re very excited to dive into season two and three with Disney Channel and France 5. The show debuts on Netflix and Disney+ this summer as well.”

Gigantosaurus Dino Friends Set

Cyber Group has launched new Gigantosaurus licensing plans with American Marketing Enterprises, Centric Socks, Children’s Apparel Network and Jay Franco, in addition to playthings from JAKKS Pacific, which arrived last year, and a new deal with Panini for Europe. In March, the studio also introduced Gigantosaurus: The Game, in partnership with Outright Games and Bandai Namco Ent. Europe. Cyber Group is also planning a live, worldwide musical tour for early 2022 and is in the process of completing the first album (with 12 music videos) to be released this summer via Disney.

The licensing deals are only part of the property’s big-picture plans. Sissmann, a well-respected music business and animation veteran, says he and his team are also working on a big-screen musical Gigantosaurus project for late 2022 or early 2023. “Michael J. Wilson, the creator of the Ice Age franchise, is working on the script with me and our longtime Cyber Group senior executive Olivier Lelardoux will be directing the movie. We’re very excited about this family movie, which will be a fresh prequel to the show.”

Gigantosaurus The Game

Also in the mix is a series of high-quality digital shorts, which help kids learn more about the dinosaurs that once roamed the planet. “We’re in the process of producing about 78 two-minute shorts exploring more educational info about dinosaurs,” says Sissmann. “They are called Know Your Dino and Dino News, and they offer a fresh take and more real information about these creatures, which is what kids and parents wanted us to do.”

Giganto Club

Another huge development is the launch of a new real-time spinoff titled The Giganto Club, which puts the dinosaurs in a TV talk show setting. “We’re looking at a new 40 x 11′ show, which is hosted by new dinosaur characters and features guests, news, geographical segments, etc.,” explains Sissmann. “Kids will visit places that dinosaurs have been discovered all over the world and it will have all the various elements of a prime-time talk show — like The Tonight Show, but for kids!”

Sissmann and his team will produce the show in a new state-of-the-art studio they’re building in the north of France. “We’re really excited to be exploring the new possibilities afforded by the latest real-time Unreal technologies, mo-cap and VR,” he says. “We were very pleased to see how great the visuals look in terms of emotions and movements, and it allows us to produce more affordable and great-looking animated content for a fraction of the cost. The plan is to launch the show in the first quarter of 2022. It’s quite amazing to think that we pitched the concept for Gigantosaurus only a few years ago at Cartoon Forum, and here we have such a huge hit with so many different exponents and exciting new directions to grow.”

To learn more, visit www.cybergoupstudios.com

Pierre Sissmann

July 14, 2020
‘The Fabric of You’: How Josephine Lohoar Self Tailored an Award-Winning Stop-Motion Tale

When animation writer/director Josephine Lohoar Self read Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel Maus in 2017, she was quite moved by its portrayal of the experiences of the artist’s father during the Holocaust. “In the novel Spiegelman portrays Jewish people as mice and Germans as cats in a highly stylized postmodern style,” explains the Glasgow-based artist. “I found Spiegelman’s approach incredibly effective in portraying the horrors his father was subjected to. The choice of depicting characters as animals morphed the lines between fiction and non-fiction, fantasy and reality.”

Self wanted to explore this idea further and to have a mouse character be the focus of her stop-motion short about grief, the beautiful The Fabric of You, which picked up the Best Animated Short prize at the Palm Springs ShortsFest in June. In the film, a young gay mouse named Michael hides his true identity while he works as a tailor in ’50s-era The Bronx.

The Fabric of You extract from Josephine Lohoar Self on Vimeo.

“For the setting of the film, I took inspiration from Will Eisner’s epic graphic novel A Contract with God, which revolves around a poor New York City tenement,” she points out. “Eisner masterfully creates atmospheric drawings of the confined tenement spaces in which his characters live. I based the set on Eisner’s drawings, as well as Hitchcock’s Rear Window. I wanted the confined environment to reflect Michael’s (the main protagonist) grieving mental state.”

Helpful Friends

The Scottish writer-director, who works both in live action and animation, graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 2017, began writing the script for her short in 2018 and worked on it full time until it premiered last June at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. She says altogether about 40 people helped her with the project. “Because of the number of sets and limited budget, many of my friends kindly volunteered their time to help us. The post-production elements in our film were also supported by a number of incredible VFX artists at Axis Animation in Glasgow. During animation I used the software Dragonframe.”

Josephine Lohoar

The director tells us that when she was younger, she made quite a few live-action shorts. However, it wasn’t until she chose to do the animation module during her second year in college that she really began to see the possibilities of the medium. “I’ve always been drawn to films that tell stories from unusual perspectives,” she adds. “Whether it’s told from the viewpoint of a massive talking frog, an unborn foetus or a dead dog — the only limit in animation is your imagination ( … and your budget).

Self applied for a painting and printmaking degree at college, but slowly transitioned to filmmaking. “I used to spend weeks on large-scale, figurative paintings, some of which will never see the light of day again,” says the artist. “I think painting and stop motion animation are very similar in some respects. Like animation, both mediums require a high level of patience and commitment while you painstakingly create something which reflects a type of reality.”

Not surprisingly, the director is a big fan of highly original and detail-oriented filmmakers like Wes Anderson, Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman. “I also love European filmmakers such as Gaspar Noé, Michael Haneke and Lynne Ramsay,” she adds. “I really enjoy films which are provocative and challenge the complicity of the viewer.”

The Fabric of You

Looking back at the making of The Fabric of You, Self says it was quite a baptism by fire. “Having come from a fine art background there was a huge amount of things I didn’t know about animation or the film industry,” she admits. “Luckily, my film was supported through a Scottish film funding scheme which provided me with fantastic mentors throughout the process. I also relied on a number of wonderful friends and Scottish animators to teach me about the different elements needed to make the film.”

Self hopes audiences will be surprised by what they find when they watch The Fabric of You. But not as surprised as some of the parents in a very memorable screening of the short. “I attended a screening in Spain of the film where there were quite a few children in the audience,” she recalls with a smile. “My short deals with mature themes which I don’t think their families quite anticipated!”

You can find out more at josephinelohoarself.com/the-fabric-of-you

July 14, 2020
Fredrikstad Fest Selections: Nordic-Baltic Animators on the Rise!
The official selection for Norway’s Fredrikstad Animation Festival 2020 have been announced, revealing a vibrant industry in the Nordic-Baltic reason that continues to grow and foster visionary talent. This year, 141 films were submitted to the festival, of which 67 films have been selected for the competition program screening October 22- 25.

For the first time, all Nordic-Baltic countries are represented in the competition program, and more than 50% of the films in the categories for short and student films are directed or co-directed by women.

”The Nordic-Baltic animation community is a vibrant industry characterized by both high artistic quality and professionalism. This year’s program is strong and shows the diversity and quality of the Nordic-Baltic animation industry,” said festival director Anders Nerverud Moen. “With so many talented young filmmakers, we have a lot to look forward to in the years to come.”

Fredrikstad is the leading animation festival in the region, and celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. One of the cornerstones of the festival is the Nordic-Baltic animated short film competition, with the awarding of the “Golden Gunnar” prize. Each year, top animation industry professionals hold seminars and lectures, and the festival has previously hosted guests from famous studios such as Pixar, Disney and Aardman. The festival is a professional arena for the animation industry, as well as an important event for students and educational institutions within animation, graphic design and digital media production.

The following films have been selected for this year’s festival:

Cosmonaut

Nordic-Baltic Short Film
- Cats vs. Progress (Jacob Stålhammar), Sweden
- Cosmonaut (Kaspar Jancis), Estonia
- Däncing düplös (Kristian Pedersen), Norway
- Elsa and the Night (Jöns Mellgren), Sweden
- Freeze Frame (Soetkin Verstegen), Finland
- Grandma’s Pancakes (Dominyka Adomaitytė, Vykintas Labanauskas), Lithuania
- Let Go (Star Bazancir), Sweden
- Mermaid in a Jar (Tomi Malkki aka Malakias), Finland
- Mother Didn’t Know (Anita Killi), Norway
- Something to Remember (Niki Lindroth von Bahr), Sweden
- Tales from the Multiverse (Magnus Igland Møller, Mette Tange, Peter Smith), Denmark
- The assembly – interviews from the middle of everything. Part 2: “Shame, Violence & a Medium-Sized Dick” (Malin Erixon), Sweden
- The Man and the Head (Nilas Røpke Driessen), Denmark
- The Tomten and the Fox (Yaprak Morali, Are Austnes), Norway
- The Wings (Riho Unt), Estonia
- Transformation-Pro Ali on an Adventure (Sofie Edvardsson), Sweden
- What Time Is? (Niina Suominen), Finland
- Winter in the Rainforest (Anu-Laura Tuttelberg), Estonia, Lithuania
- Yes-People (Gísli Darri Halldórsson), Iceland
- Zara and the Others – Miss Miss (Bjørn Sortland, Nils Johan Lund), Norway
Room With Sea View

Nordic-Baltic Student Film
- 100,000 Acres of Pine (Jennifer Alice Wright), Denmark
- Amends (Mikkel Battefeld), Denmark
- eh (Konrad Hjemli), Norway
- Hijack 139 (Joachim Berg, Sondre Johre), Norway
- Night Shift (Linda Stūre), Latvia
- Oh Say Can You See? (Noam Sussman), Estonia
- Pandiculation (Jakob Eiring, Konrad Hjemli), Norway
- Pearl Diver (Margrethe Danielsen), Norway
- Room with a Sea View (Leonid Shmelkov), Estonia
- Shergar (Cora Mckenna), Denmark
- Something Witchy (Arielle Demilecamps), Norway
- Sommerregen (Oscar Jacobson, Julia Skala), Germany
- Swarming Symphony (Elle Frankenberg, August Florén), Sweden
- Touché (Sofja Gorelova), Estonia
Mimi Tempestt – “Homecoming Queen”

Nordic-Baltic Commissioned Film
- Anis Don Demina – “Naken” (feat. Timbuktu) official music video (William Eklöf Naderi), Sweden
- Avhengighet (Bjarne Anmarkrud), Norway
- Boy Pablo – “Feeling Lonely” music video (Julian Vargas), Norway
- Chocolate EU (Sverre Fredriksen), Netherlands
- DOA 2019 – (Departementets Omreisende Animasjonsfestival) (Ole Magnus Saxegård, John Christian Ferner Apalnes), Norway
- Ernæring og diabetes (Stian Sollid Sydsæter), Norway
- Extra – “Døgnåen” (Ole Magnus Saxegård), Norway
- FOR – Supporting Audiovisual Authors (Kim Holm), Norway
- Forbrukerland (Bjarne Anmarkrud), Norway
- Frames for Future (Bjarne Drageset Anmarkrud), Norway
- Freia “Oppfinner-kontoret” (Martin Engh), Norway
- Gardener & Bumblebee (Ignas Meilunas), Lithuania
- Gnist: en musikalsk anastrofe (Linda Fagerli Sæthren, Arne Berggren), Norway
- Grandiosa “Frossen Kjærlighet” (Martin Engh), Norway
- Henther (Morten Marius Apenes), Norway
- Mimi Tempestt – “Homecoming Queen” music video (Jenny Jokela), United Kingdom
- Julen er magisk (Stian Johansen), Norway
- Mannen som falt (Kristian Pedersen), Norway
- Death By Unga Bunga – “Not Like the Others” music video (Andreas Emil Lund), Norway
- OsloMet “Teams” (Magne Hage), Norway
- Peili – “Rauhanpiippu” music video (Erkki Rämet), Finland
- Plask (Netron AS), Norway
- PWC “Se helheten i detaljene” (Ole Magnus Saxegård), Norway
- Regnskogfondet “Soyaproduksjon” (Ole Magnus Saxegård), Norway
- Selvforstyrrelser (Julian Nazario Vargas), Norway
- Sparks – “One for the Ages” music video (Chintis Lundgren), Estonia
- Sterkere sammen (Endre Skandfer), Norway
- Stortinget “DEMO” (Ronald Kabíček, Magne Hage), Norway
- TIFF 2020 (Torgeir Holm), Norway
- Tittei og 3d animasjon i Minibarna (Rune Røsting), Norway
- TONO (Morten Marius Apenes), Norway
- Ugly history: Japanese American incarceration camps (Lizete Upīte), Latvia
- Utøyastudien (Steph Hope,Trist og Traurig), Norway
More information at https://animationfestival.no
July 14, 2020
TAAFI Announces Virtual Conference for 2020, New Board & Leadership

The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) has announced the addition of animation industry leaders Janice Walker, Karen Jackson and Claudia Barrios to its board. In addition, studio veteran John Rooney has been appointed to Executive Director and will assume the role effective immediately. With these changes, TAAFI revealed their 2020 programming strategy in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic: The festival will continue to host its annual industry conference and animation festival with the inclusion of new monthly events.

The TAAFI Animation Industry Conference will take place virtually on November 6-8, 2020. The TAAFI Festival is confirmed for February 2021.

In addition to the two annual programs that TAAFI regularly hosts, the animation organization will be running monthly events which will include panels, presentations, workshops, discussions with studios and artists/creators. To kick off their 2020 program, TAAFI will be organizing a special live-streaming of a new animated Netflix Original followed by a panel discussion with key creatives behind the feature film. Details will be announced this month.

More info on TAAFI’s 2020 program will be available at taafi.com

Janice Walker is an industry veteran with over 25 years of experience in the animation film and television industry. Currently, she is the Studio Producer at Yowza! Animation where she is working on several animated series including Green Eggs and Ham and Angry Birds. Prior to Yowza! Animation, Walker was the Head of Animation & Producer for Brain Power Studios, where she worked on overlapping productions. She was the acting Producer for the Netflix Original animated series Julius Jr. and Luna Petunia. Prior to Brain Power Studios, she worked at DHX Media in Toronto.

Karen Jackson is a veteran of the TAAFI core team: she oversaw the ambassador program for five years, working behind the scenes to bring TAAFI events to life. She currently works for Tangent Animation as a Production Coordinator after eight years of being an artist at various companies such as Nelvana, Guru Studio and Jam Filled Entertainment. She brings with her an immense knowledge of the 3D studio pipeline experience and an understanding of both production and artist needs that help cater to all sides of the industry.

Claudia Barrios is currently the Marketing Manager for Secret Location, where she oversees the marketing strategy for the studio’s VR games and immersive experiences. With over six years in the entertainment industry, she has deep experience in developing marketing strategies for film, television and games. Prior to Secret Location, she worked on the global launch of various shows including the Netflix Original animated series True and the Rainbow Kingdom for Guru Studio. Before joining Guru Studio, she held various roles at 9 Story Media Group across acquisitions, distribution and digital media. Barrios graduated from the Kids Media program at Centennial College.

John Rooney is an industry veteran with a vast history within Canadian animation and kids television. He served as Director of Programming at YTV and was instrumental in shaping the Corus Kids & Family brands. He successfully created strategies for such brands as Bionix, Nickelodeon Canada and ABC Spark Canada. Additionally, he served as Director of Programming for TELETOON, where he was responsible for content strategy for TELETOON, TELETOON Retro, and for launching Cartoon Network and Adult Swim in Canada. Currently, he serves as a consultant advising various clients on content strategy, programming, development, curation, research, and trending. His client list includes Mattel, Epic Story Media, WildBrain, Zodiak Media, Shaftesbury, Apartment 11 and marblemedia.

Additionally, the board announced departures this year: Co-Founder and Executive Director, Ben McEvoy; Kathleen Bartlett and Barry Sanders.

Learn more about the board members at taafi.com/#/board

In a statement, Barnabas Wornoff, Chair of TAAFI said:

“Despite the COVID-19 global pandemic, we remain dedicated to celebrating and showcasing some of the best animation content. In a rapidly changing industry with increasing demand for high-quality content, we would like to announce the following changes:

I would like to welcome Janice, Karen and Claudia to the board of directors. We are looking forward to working with these industry leaders, benefiting from their deep experience within the animation industry.

John Rooney has been appointed to Executive Director. He has been an instrumental part of the organization’s success the past few years. John is an extraordinary leader with strong industry-wide relationships. Please join me in congratulating him.

With this change, I would like to thank Ben McEvoy, one of TAAFI’s co-founders, for his leadership and passion for the industry as TAAFI’s Executive Director over the years. Lastly, I am extending many thanks to Kathleen Bartlett and Barry Sanders for their commitment to the board — leading our marketing and programming teams.

As we move through 2020, I am thrilled to share TAAFI’s program and strategy in the weeks to come.”

In a memo, McEvoy wrote to the TAAFI team:

“I am incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with TAAFI within these first 10 years. And we did it all thanks to our generous community who wanted to see everyone lift up and grow together here in Toronto as well as across Canada.

We’ve been fortunate to be partners with such a passionate audience, along with the support of so many engaged studios, businesses and the government, including the ability for all of us to work together to grow the industry, and more importantly, create fantastic animation.

There’s so much that I’ve wanted to keep doing with the festival as we journey down that path together, but the time has come to make way for a new group of enthusiastic leaders and volunteers that can carry the TAAFI torch forward—and continue to help grow this organization, and our industry, into a dynamic, world-class animation hub.”

July 14, 2020
Maxon Sets All-Star Lineup for SIGGRAPH Virtual Showcase
Maxon, the developers of professional 3D modeling, animation, rendering and motion design software solutions, today announced the speaker lineup and schedule for its upcoming 3D and Motion Design Show for SIGGRAPH 2020. Running from Tuesday, July 21 through Thursday, July 23, the free, fully virtual event will be hosted on www.3DMotionShow.com (formerly C4DLive.com) and will feature presentations covering VR and AR, character animation, photoreal visual effects, motion design and more, presented by the world’s top motion graphics and VFX artists.

Speaker highlights for the 3D and Motion Design Show for Siggraph include:
- Creating Star Wars: The Last Stand using Cinema 4D with Sekani Solomon. Sekani (www.sekanimotiondesign.com) will demonstrate how he used Cinema 4D to create the dynamic, engaging short film, Star Wars: The Last Stand. In his presentation, he will take viewers through the conceptualization of the project and how he organized shots and created the film’s stunning animation, lighting and effects — all executed mainly by one person.
- The Secret to Photo-Real Visual Effects with Clinton Jones, Show Runner at Corridor Digital (www.youtube.com/c/Corridor). Clinton will explain how to integrate photo-real objects into live-action footage. Custom HD RIs, camera tracking, scene optimization, texturing, surface imperfections, lighting and compositing tricks in After Effects — Clinton will give the full rundown on how to step up your VFX game!
- Using VR and C4D to Make Gestural 3D Assets with Collin Leix, animator at Gunner. In her presentation, Collin (collinleix.com) will demystify how to use Cinema 4D and VR tools Oculus Medium and Oculus Quill to easily create gestural and organic 3D models. She’ll show viewers how she uses C4D to align her VR work with a styleframe, how to refine them with C4D’s sculpting tools and Volume Mesher, how to use Vertex maps and deformers to add subtle animation, as well as experiment in 3D stop motion.
- Tips for Character Animation in C4D (and Anywhere Else!) with Alex Parker. Alex (alexparkerdesign.com) will walk through some of her go-to methods for designing and animating compelling characters in Cinema 4D. From quirky character design to technical animation to final compositing, this presentation details a generalist’s approach to crafting characters from start to finish, showcasing C4D toolsets and sprinkling in some generalist advice along the way.
- Plus, Maxon, Red Giant and Redshift fan favorites — including Noseman, Rick Barrett, Simon Walker and Adrian Cruceru — will show off some tips and techniques as well as answer audience questions from the chat!
Visit www.3DMotionShow.com to check out the three-day presentation schedule and watch the rewinds from the June 18 show; on YouTube for a taste of what to expect.

The 3D and Motion Design Show series of 2020 includes multi-day events designed to coincide with the timing of SIGGRAPH, IBC, NAB Show NY, HOW and Adobe Max. The presentations will showcase professional 3D techniques and real-world production workflows using Cinema 4D, Redshift and the Red Giant suite of products. Presentations from each event will be streamed live and available on demand shortly after airing on 3DMotionShow.com as well as the Maxon YouTube channel.

Maxon is a developer of professional 3D modeling, painting, animation and rendering solutions. In January, Maxon and Red Giant closed a merger of the two companies. The combined company’s award-winning Cinema 4D, Redshift 3D and Red Giant products have been used extensively to help create and render everything from stunning visual effects in top feature films, TV shows and commercials, cutting-edge game cinematics for AAA games, as well as for medical illustration, architectural and industrial design applications.

Maxon products are available directly from the website and its worldwide distribution network. Maxon is part of the Nemetschek Group.

www.maxon.net/en-us
July 14, 2020
Trailer: Celeb Secrets Revealed in ‘The Andy Cohen Diaries’ on Quibi July 20

Mobile short-form streamer Quibi and series creator/voice star Andy Cohen have pulled back the curtain on The Andy Cohen Diaries with a colorful, celebrity-packed official trailer. Premiering Monday, July 20, this dishy 2D animated peek into Cohen’s world reveals some of his most wild stories and embarrassing encounters with stars like Celine Dion, George R. R. Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker and more.

Synopsis: From the mind of Andy Cohen comes an animated series chronicling the iconic and untold moments from the pop culture kingpin’s daily life. In this dishy, inside peek into his world, Cohen details his most recent adventures, including irreverent celebrity encounters, behind the scenes of his shows, nights out on the town, and the trials and tribulations of first-time fatherhood.

The six episode animated series is the next installment of the New York Times bestsellers The Andy Cohen Diaries and Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries, which documented three years in the whirlwind life of the producer, TV host and best-selling author in his own cheeky, candid words.

Cohen produces The Andy Cohen Diaries through his company, Most Talkative Productions, along with animation studio ShadowMachine co-founders Corey Campodonico and Alex Bulkley (BoJack Horseman, Final Space).

www.quibi.com

July 14, 2020
Clip: ‘Cleopatra in Space’ Blasts Off on Peacock July 15

A space-faring heroine out of history is ready to make an animated impact on NBC’s new streaming service Peacock when it launches this Wednesday, July 15. Produced by DreamWorks Animation, Cleopatra in Space will blaze a trail as one of the platform’s first original series. Ahead of the debut, we’re royally delighted to present the show’s time-traveling opening sequence.

Based on the award-winning graphic novel series by Mike Maihack and executive produced by Doug Langdale (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) and story editor Scott Kreamer (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness), Cleopatra in Space is a comedic adventure focusing on the untold story of Cleopatra’s teenage years. Viewers can follow Cleo as she is transported 30,000 years into the future, to an Egyptian-themed planet that is ruled by talking cats and where she discovers she is the prophesied saviour of the future world.

In order to prepare for her role and mission, Cleo is sent to an elite academy where she has to train to take on the bad guys, figure out how to eventually get herself back home to Egypt, as well as tackling the highs and lows of being a teenager in high school.

The voice cast features Lilimar Hernandez (Bella and the Bulldogs, Knight Squad) as Cleopatra, Katie Crown (Storks) as Akila, Jorge Diaz (Paranormal Activity, Days of Our Lives) as Brian, Sendhil Ramamurthy (Heroes, Covert Affairs) as Khensu, Sumalee Montano (10 Cloverfield Lane, This Is Us) as Khepra, Jonathan Kite (Two Broke Girls) as Octavian / Gozi, and Kari Wahlgren (Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Rick and Morty) as Yosira.

Additional cast included Dee Bradley Baker as Dennis, Lucas Gabeel as Zedge, and Rhys Darby (Voltron: Legendary Defender) as Simon / Mega Simon.

Learn more and subscribe to Peacock at www.peacocktv.com

July 14, 2020
Nickelodeon Sets Sail with ‘Santiago of the Seas’ This Fall

Preschoolers will set sail for swashbuckling adventures in Nickelodeon’s brand-new animated series Santiago of the Seas, premiering Friday, Oct. 9, at 12:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Infused with a Spanish-language and Latino-Caribbean culture curriculum, the action-adventure series (20 episodes) follows eight-year-old Santiago “Santi” Montes, a brave and kind-hearted pirate, as he embarks on daring rescues, searches for treasures and keeps the high seas safe in a fantastical Caribbean world.

Following the U.S. launch, Santiago of the Seas will roll out on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally.

In the series, Santiago’s (Kevin Chacon) steadfast and loyal crew consists of: Tomás (Justice Quiroz), his clumsy energetic cousin whose magical guitar can be used to harness the wind; and Lorelai (Alyssa Cheatham), a knowledgeable mermaid who can speak to sea creatures and transform into a young human girl. Together, Santi and his best mates sail the seas on the majestic ship El Bravo, using their smarts, pirate skills and moral compasses to guard their home of Isla Encanto from villains like the nefarious pirate Bonnie Bones (Kyndra Sanchez) and her Palm Crow sidekick Sir Butterscotch (John Leguizamo).

In the Santiago of the Seas series premiere, “The Legend of Capitán Calavera,” Santiago and his friends become the new pirate protectors of Isla Encanto after discovering the lost treasure of the legendary Capitán Calavera. Following the premiere, NickJr.com and the Nick Jr. App will feature original short-form content and full-length episodes. Episodes will also be available on Nick Jr. On Demand and Download-To-Own services.

Santiago of the Seas is created by Niki López, Leslie Valdes and Valerie Walsh Valdes. Valdes and Walsh Valdes (Dora the Explorer) serve as executive producers with López co-executive producing. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif., with production overseen by Eryk Casemiro, Senior Vice President, Nickelodeon Preschool.

Santiago of the Seas

July 14, 2020
POGO India Sets Premiere for Homegrown Toon ‘Titoo’ July 27

WarnerMedia’s POGO, India’s leading homegrown kids’ entertainment channel, is set to launch Titoo – Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu a brand-new animated comedy series produced by Cosmos Maya. The latest original in POGO’s rich portfolio of locally-made content will air weekdays at 12:30 p.m. from July 27.

“Homegrown content is currently the cornerstone of kids’ entertainment in India, and POGO has long been a pioneer in recognizing the potential of localized stories,” said Abhishek Dutta, South Asia Network Head for Cartoon Network and POGO. “It gives us great pleasure to debut Titoo, created with a distinctive Indian environment. With a mix of relatable situations, endearing characters, slapstick humour and world-class animation, Titoo will win the hearts of our young fans.”

POGO’s nationwide promotional launch for Titoo includes brand integrations and branded content production bolstered with digital promotions and on-air activations. The channel has also collaborated with iconic kids’ magazine, Tinkle, and a leading digital parent platform, Momspresso, to amp up the buzz. The new show will be available in Hindi and Tamil.

Synopsis: Titoo is a rip-roaring comedy that follows the daily escapades of eight-year-old Titoo. He is a good-hearted, intelligent kid who loves to help everyone, but inadvertently manages to brew even more trouble. Titoo’s quintessentially Indian yet wildly eccentric world includes his parents, his loving and protective brother and a faithful gang of friends, all with uniquely quirky personalities.

Constant hilarity ensues when the spirited boy who has dubbed himself “Titoo the Great” gets into trouble for his trickeries along with his friends. But, no matter how tricky the situation that Titoo finds himself in, the clever and enterprising boy always comes up with a solution!

Titoo – Har Jawaab Ka Sawaal Hu

July 13, 2020
ROI VISUAL’s New Nursery Rhyme Series Tunes Up for Global Market

ROI VISUAL announced that it will target the global nursery rhymes market in earnest through its brand-new CGI animated series, Robocar POLI SongSong Museum, which recently premiered on EBS 1TV in South Korea.

The spinoff of the popular Robocar POLI series reimagines 25 classical nursery rhymes — including “The Wheels on the Bus,” which is one of the most popular songs in the world, “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” “Rain, Rain, Go Away” and “Five Little Ducks” into a music video format to be delivered in 26 episodes of musical animated shorts featuring charming and colorful vehicle characters.

Nursery rhymes form the key content of some of the most popular channels on YouTube. Since these songs have been loved by many generations, they are less likely to undergo change in response to trends or preferences. But competition is still fierce as many IP characters are foraying into the field.

“Robocar POLI SongSong Museum features a high quality of music that is incomparable to other musical animated films,” pointed out director JunYoung Eom of ROI VISUAL. “A significant amount of effort was poured into the creation to make it into a new classic in the category.”

ROI VISUAL plans to form various partnerships to strengthen its distribution of its music in Korea, but also plans to promote the brand more globally, through global music platforms, such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

Robocar POLI premiered in 2011 on EBS, and has since been broadcast in 35 languages in 144 countries around the world, becoming a beloved favorite with children over the past decade. The main series and related content are offered at the moment on Netflix and 14 channels on YouTube.

Robocar POLI SongSong Museum

Robocar POLI SongSong Museum

Robocar POLI SongSong Museum

July 13, 2020
Tyler Childers Gets Animated with Bomper Studio for “Country Squire” Video

Welsh CGI and animation shop Bomper Studio has partnered with Colonel Tony Moore for his directorial debut: an ambitious, animated music video for Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tyler Childer’s “Country Squire.”

Childers’ highly anticipated Country Squire album was released on August 2, 2019 via Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records. Moore — an American comic-book artist on titles including Fear Agent, Deadpool, Venom, Punisher and The Walking Dead — helped create cover art with a visual punch for the album. The cover spawned the development of an exclusive comic book, and later evolved into the original concept for the music video.

With Moore growing up on a heavy diet of classic cartoons, the story combines a fantastic, over-the-top artistic sensibility with an authentic Kentucky flavor. The concept called for simple construction, but with the realistic textures of a stop-motion aesthetic, landing somewhere between the tangibility of Mad Monster Party and the refined flexibility and motion in Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Bomper teamed up with Genero and RCA to execute Moore’s vision, sticking as closely as possible to his designs, storyboard and direction while adding some flairs and flourishes of their own. Taking cues from the way MAD cartoonist Jack Davis’ designs were channelled for Rankin-Bass’ Mad Monster Party, Bomper worked to give everything in the “Country Squire” video the perfect blend of Moore’s, contoured line drawing and the tactile, rich features of traditional stop-motion animation.

The production took place over six months from January to June 2020, which saw the team having to quickly move from the studio to a variety of working-from-home setups due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Luckily, the team were able to implement a robust remote- working system that allowed them to continue production, and keep on top of all the disparate strands of development to bring the film together as one, cohesive whole.

Almost all of the “Country Squire” characters are based on real people, including Tyler, his wife and fellow artist Senora May, and the full band — so achieving likeness while sticking to a stylized aesthetic was a constant balance. The details don’t stop there: the film is loaded with in-jokes callbacks to Childers’ past work, Moore’s heroes and influences, and the current West Virginia indie country music scene.

The music video is available online from across Childers’ website, YouTube and social media platforms.

More details on the production are available on www.bomperstudio.com.

July 13, 2020
Kids’ Ent. Vets Launch Epic Storyworlds with Radio Canada Commission

Seasoned children’s entertainment executives Steve Couture and Ken Faier have joined forces to launch Epic Storyworlds, an independent kids content creation company headquartered in Québec, which is a sister company to Faier’s Epic Story Media. As co-founders, Couture and Faier bring decades of cumulative experience in children’s media spanning animation, video game development and innovation in kids’ entertainment franchises.

Epic Storyworlds will serve both Québécois and global audiences with IP across television, digital, gaming and consumer products, focusing on 360˚ franchise creation. The company has secured its first commission from Radio Canada for its original animated comedy-action series Dex and the Humanimals (6 x 11’), which will air on its on-demand platform TOU.TV. The series is co-financed with assistance from the Shaw Rocket Fund, CMF and Québec City.

“Coming from a gaming and digital background where innovation was the driving force of our work, my goal with Epic Storyworlds is to create original, dynamic properties which can resonate across media from TV to connected toys,” said Couture. “I am delighted to be forming a sister company to Ken’s Epic Story Media and to benefit from his wealth of expertise in this space. We are off to a strong start with a commission from Radio Canada and are grateful to them and our financing partners for their support on Dex and the Humanimals – a colorful, futuristic property with heaps of potential.”

Faier added, “I have known Steve for many years and have always had a great respect for how his mind works. He envisions how franchises fill a place in kids’ hearts through great story, play and experiences. Our goal at Epic Story Media is to work with the best creators in the world and align ourselves with partners who can help develop and flesh out wonderous creative franchises. We are thrilled to be launching Epic Storyworlds with Steve — the combination of our experience will further our reputation as the go-to for passionate creatives.”

Created by Raymond Boisvert and Paul Stoica, Dex and the Humanimals is a 2D animated series aimed at 6- to 11-year-olds which lets audiences join Dex as he saves the world from destruction by battling Kaz and her cybernetic henchmen:

Trouble is brewing in Greenlandis, a timeless high-tech world where human-animal hybrids called “Humanimals” have been living in harmony for centuries. Driven by an unquenchable thirst for power, a cold and calculating Cyborg named Kaz is now building an unstoppable army of Cybornimals to extend the tentacles of her evil organization over the entire Humanimal world, threatening its very existence. In her quest to subjugate the untameable Sector 11 of Greenlandis and dominate the world, Kaz created the perfect weapon; a Cyborg with optimized strands of Humanimal DNA who presents as a human boy. Invested with extraordinary mutation powers and an independent wild streak, this infinitely powerful creation has become her own worst enemy. Meet Dex!

Dex and the Humanimals follows Dex as he transforms and evolves into the unexpected hero of Sector 11. With Petra and Skung, Dex creates The Wilds, a group of rebels resolved to protect the world from Kaz’s destructive plans.

Steve Couture is the founder and former CEO of Frima, a successful entrepreneur in the entertainment business who grew his company to reach an audience of over 100 million kids through various gaming experiences in Frima’s offering. Frima’s electronic lab contributed to creating connected toys and innovating game experiences for major toy companies like LEGO, Mattel and Hasbro, and its animation and special effects branch Frima FX worked across blockbusters like Warcraft: The Beginning, which became the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time.

Ken Faier, El Presidente of Epic Story Media, has a renowned track record in children’s media. Faier previously served as SVP and GM and then SVP and executive producer for DHX Media following DHX Media’s acquisition of Nerd Corps Entertainment, where he served as President for over 10 years. Faier also purchased DHX Media’s interactive division which operates as a subsidiary under the name Epic Story Interactive.

Dex and the Humanimals

Steve Couture

July 13, 2020
WIA Launches Class of 2020 Showcase Platform for Animation Grads
Women in Animation (WIA) is pleased to announce the launch of the Women in Animation Class of 2020 Showcase, a special online program celebrating the thesis/final films created by students who have graduated in 2020 at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

The Class of 2020 has been heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic: traditional year-end festivities, from in-person commencement ceremonies to screening celebrations and career fairs, were all canceled. WIA aims to virtually recreate the opportunities that have been missing for the upcoming talent and for the industry during this time.

The Women in Animation Class of 2020 Showcase provides a platform for graduate films to be seen by animation powerhouses and recruiters, hiring managers, agents and studio executives, making important connections for promising new talent.

WIA welcomes the entire class of 2020 to join this special program, no matter where they are in the world. The submission period will begin on July 13 and end on July 24, 2020.

In addition to showcasing the films for key decision makers in the industry, all film submissions will be reviewed by the following list of jury members for WIA’s “Class of 2020 Best Film” consideration:
- Craig Bartlett, Animator, Writer and Director
- Erika Dapkewicz, Film Editor at Sony Pictures Animation
- Magdiela Hermida Duhamel, Founder of Latinx In Animation & Production Manager of The Casagrandes at Nickelodeon Animation
- Jay Francis, Vice President, Current Series and Diversity, Disney Television Animation
- Trisha Gum, Filmmaker at Netflix
- John Kambites, Producer at Cinesite
- Sarah Landy, SVP of Production and Development at Nickelodeon Preschool
- Ramsey Naito, EVP of Production and Development at Nickelodeon
- Mark Osborne, Filmmaker at Netflix
- Joanna Quinn, Director and Animator
- Wendy Rogers, Filmmaker at Netflix
- Karen Toliver, Executive Vice President, Creative at Sony Pictures Animation
- James Tucker, Executive Producer of the DC Animated Series and DTV Movies
- Ronald Wimberly, Author, Writer and Designer
The jury will determine three Class of 2020 Best Film winners, to be announced at the end of the program. Those filmmakers will receive special opportunities to meet with the jurors online and to participate in a live WIA Q&A sessions to showcase their work as part of WIA’s virtual event series.

Full rules and eligibility for the WIA Class of 2020 Showcase, along with submission instructions can be found on the WIA website.

“The Class of 2020 graduates have worked against all odds to accomplish what they set out to do. Some had to finish their graduate films in a shared bedroom with siblings, some had to drop everything and take care of their families, and others traveled home thousands of miles away far from their schools and classmates. The Class of 2020 graduated with a great sense of resilience along with the power to show the world how to truly move forward amidst trying circumstances,” said Hsiang Chin Moe, WIA’s Chair of Education, who has been spearheading the program. “WIA is proud to support and promote the work of these talented recent grads by presenting their amazing work to key animation decisionmakers with this program.”

Women in Animation Class of 2020 Showcase
July 13, 2020
Keiichi Hara’s ‘The Wonderland’ Comes Home Oct. 6 from Shout!, Eleven Arts
Fantastical anime adventure The Wonderland will be released on digital download, On Demand, on Blu-ray + DVD combo pack (SRP $26.99) and as a standalone DVD (SRP $16.97) on October 6, from Eleven Arts and Shout! Factory.

The movie a showcase of incredible creative force, directed by Keiichi Hara, one of Japan’s leading animation film directors (Miss Hokusai, Colorful), with visual and character designs by renowned artist Ilya Kuvshinov (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045).

The Wonderland is available for pre-order through ShoutFactory.com on Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack ($21.99) and DVD ($13.97)

Bonus features on the release include interviews with the Japanese voice cast, featuring the talent of Mayu Matsuoka as protagonist Akane (Young Shoya, A Silent Voice) and audio commentary with Kuvshinov.

Synopsis: On the day before her birthday, young Akane meets the mysterious alchemist Hippocrates who brings her through a basement and into a fantastical world full of magic and color. Though things seem peaceful on the surface, he reveals this world is in danger and as the destined Goddess of the Green Wind, it is Akane’s responsibility to bring back the rain and save this world from the terror known as Zan-Gu. Joining Akane on her journey is Pipo, an alchemist in training, and her adventurous Aunt Chii. The only problem? Akane just wants to go home.

The Wonderland is based on Sachiko Kashiwaba’s celebrated children’s book Chikashitru Kara no Fushigi na Tabi (Strange Journey from the Basement).

Bonus Features:
- “Our Wonderland” Cast Interview
- “Mayu Matsuoka’s Amazing Adventure”
- Audio Commentary with Character Designer & Concept Artist Ilya Kuvshinov and Eleven Arts’ Chris Platt and Amelie Khuat
The Wonderland
July 13, 2020
New Lucasfilm Animated Series ‘Star Wars: The Bad Batch’ Coming to Disney+

Disney+ has ordered a new animated series from Lucasfilm, Star Wars: The Bad Batch. Fresh off of the critically-acclaimed series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the Disney+ original series will premiere on the streaming service in 2021.

The series follows the elite and experimental clones of the “Bad Batch” (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch – a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill which makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew. In the post-Clone War era, they will take on daring mercenary missions as they struggle to stay afloat and find new purpose.

“Giving new and existing fans the final chapter of Star Wars: The Clone Wars has been our honor at Disney+, and we are overjoyed by the global response to this landmark series,” said Agnes Chu, SVP Content, Disney+. “While the Clone Wars may have come to its conclusion, our partnership with the groundbreaking storytellers and artists at Lucasfilm Animation is only beginning. We are thrilled to bring Dave Filoni’s vision to life through the next adventures of the Bad Batch.”

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) with Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) as co-executive producer and Josh Rimes as producer (Star Wars Resistance). Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer.

July 13, 2020
Clip: Cartoon Network Toons Up Comic-Con@Home!

Cartoon Network announced their roster of virtual panels coming to San Diego Comic-Con@Home July 23, which features first-looks and interviews with talent from Cartoon Network Studios’ fan favorites. This includes the trailer for the upcoming Ben 10 vs. The Universe: The Movie and sneak peeks from hit series!

On Thursday, July 23 at 11 a.m. (PT), hear from industry pros as they share their career journeys in animation and the tips they’ve picked up along the way in the Cartoon Network Studios: The Art of Storyboarding panel. In this masterclass virtual panel, hear from the artists behind your favorite series as they share their journeys, learnings and top tips for aspiring storyboard artists worldwide as they reveal how a concept or script is brought to life through the art of storyboarding. Panelists include: Mic Graves, director of and voice on The Amazing World of Gumball; Chuck Klein, “Storyboard Royalty” and supervising producer/director, Apple & Onion; Julia Pott, creator of and voice on Summer Camp Island; and Alabaster Pizzo, storyboard artist, Summer Camp Island.

Craig of the Creek

Then at 12 noon (PT), go behind some of Cartoon Network’s hit animated originals like the Emmy-nominated Craig of the Creek, Apple & Onion, Victor and Valentino, Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart and We Bare Bears The Movie during the Cartoon Network Studios First Look panel. Philip Solomon, voice of Craig, and Lucia Cunningham, voice of Craig’s little sister Jessica, from the Emmy-nominated series Craig of the Creek host this annual preview session. It’s like they are at the Trading Tree, but instead of handing out Choco Rolls they’re dishing out special announcements and exclusive clips! (Please note: Attendees are responsible for bringing their own Choco Roll.)

Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart

Also, be sure to check out the ThunderCats Roar panel at 3:00 p.m. (PT). Producers Victor Courtright and Marly Halpern-Graser join voice cast members Chris Jai Alex, Erica Lindbeck, Patrick Seitz and Max Mittelman for a roaring Q&A session covering Warner Bros. Animation’s new sci-fi action-comedy series, currently airing on Cartoon Network.

Victor and Valentino

Apple and Onion

July 13, 2020
Trailer: CBS All Access Blasts Off with ‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Aug. 6

CBS All Access, ViacomCBS’ digital subscription video on-demand and live-streaming service, has revealed the official trailer and key art for its new half-hour animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks. The series will premiere on Thursday, August 6, with new episodes of the series’ 10-part first season arriving weekly on Thursdays, exclusively for CBS All Access subscribers in the U.S.

Developed by Emmy Award winner Mike McMahan (Rick and Morty, Solar Opposites), Star Trek: Lower Decks focuses on the support crew serving on one of Starfleet’s least important ships, the U.S.S. Cerritos, in 2380. Ensigns Mariner, Boimler, Rutherford and Tendi have to keep up with their duties and their social lives, often while the ship is being rocked by a multitude of sci-fi anomalies.

The Starfleet crew residing in the “lower decks” of the U.S.S. Cerritos, includes Ensign Beckett Mariner, voiced by Tawny Newsome. Ensign Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid), Ensign Tendi (Noël Wells) and Ensign Rutherford (Eugene Cordero). The Starfleet characters that comprise the ship’s bridge crew include Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis), Commander Jack Ransom (Jerry O’Connell), Lieutenant Shaxs (Fred Tatasciore) and Doctor T’Ana (Gillian Vigman).

The series is produced by CBS’ Eye Animation Productions, CBS Television Studios’ new animation arm; Secret Hideout; and Roddenberry Entertainment. Secret Hideout’s Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin, Roddenberry Entertainment’s Rod Roddenberry and Trevor Roth, and Katie Krentz (219 Productions) serve as executive producers alongside creator and showrunner Mike McMahan. Aaron Baiers (Secret Hideout), who brought McMahan to the project, serves as a co-executive producer. Titmouse (Big Mouth), the Emmy Award-winning independent animation production company, serves as the animation studio for the series.

Star Trek: Lower Decks will air exclusively on CBS All Access in the United States and is distributed worldwide by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group.

Star Trek: Lower Decks

July 12, 2020
Animation Block Party Announces Virtual Online Program

The Animation Block Party has unveiled the program for its 17^th annual festival which will take place August 21-23. As many of this year’s other animation events, the festival will stream animated shorts and host virtual parties. The programs will be available for free to all viewers with a suggested donation to either Black Lives Matter of Greater NY or City Harvest for COVID-19 support.

The event will kick off on Friday, August 21 with an “Opening Night Party” featuring Picture This at the Littlefield NYC Virtual Stage at 9 p.m. EST. The program will showcase award-winning animators paired with top comedic talent, telling jokes as they are animated live on Zoom.

The Saturday streaming programs of Animation Block Party 2020 will be available starting at 9 a.m. EST on Saturday morning and remain online until midnight on Sunday, August 23rd. You can tune in to BAM.org for live Vimeo Premium digital broadcasts of festival shorts throughout Animation Block Party weekend. Among the dedicated programs are a collection of shorts from the East Coast; a program of shorts for children; an experimental, graphic design and music video collection; an indie animator showcase; a Saturday night party with Cartoons on Film live from Tommy Stathes in Brooklyn, as well as several collections of international shorts and student projects.

Considered one of the most invigorating and fun animation events in the U.S., Animation Block Party is the brainchild of organizer Casey Safron, who founded the event in 2004. You can find all the details and the lineup for each individual program at www.animationblock.com/summerfest2020

Lizard Ladder by Ted Wiggin

Awkward by Natha Metlukh

July 10, 2020
Bejuba!/Old Branch’s ‘The Grimes’ Clean Up for ITV

ITV has picked up The Old Branch’s animated series The Grimes, which is distributed by indie outfit Bejuba! The timely 15 x 5 minute show emphasizes the importance of cleaning up with soap as each episodes finds the dirtiest family in the world end up completely filthy as they go about their daily routines. Fortunately, the family has a fantastic, magical bathroom which helps them clean up and get ready for bed every day.

The Old Branch, which is led by Eliot Wykes and Nikki Haley, used a unique approach in creating The Grimes: Eliot, Nikki and their two daughters voiced all the characters and ideas for the episodes came from their own life in the middle of a forest where their kids run wild. Eliot hired a team of animators from around the world and premiered the first five episodes on YouTube where the series has been a great success. They plan to create more episodes of the show in the near future.

“My partner and I moved out of London to the middle of a Suffolk forest five years ago to follow our dream of writing stories for children,” says Wykes. “Watching our own daughters becoming slightly feral — trying to crawl down rabbit holes, building dens using random objects dug up with a metal detector, swimming in our murky fishpond — these experiences wrote The Grimes for us. It’s a real joy to see it finally finished, and to partner with Bejuba! and ITV in bringing this filthy family out into the world.”

Tatiana Kober, Bejuba!’s president adds, “We were delighted to begin working with Eliot and Nikki, because of the success of the series on YouTube and the strategy they have. We look forward to bringing more of their shows to the marketplace. Knowing where the series has struck a chord globally helps us to be more targeted in our sales efforts.”

The Old Branch has produced a number of other popular animated shorts, including Caterpillar Shoes which attracted over 37 million views on YouTube, and has ambitions to create longer series based on their online success. Bejuba! is best known for animated titles such as Wishfart, Ruff Ruff Tweet and Davie, and The Hive.

You can get dirty with The Grimes here:

July 10, 2020