Animation Magazine

Tag: featured

  • Belfast’s ALT Animation Secures Dev Funding for ‘Lugi – The Brodgar Boy’

    Belfast’s ALT Animation Secures Dev Funding for ‘Lugi – The Brodgar Boy’

    ALT Animation has secured development funding from Creative Europe for its animated feature film project Lugi – The Brodgar Boy, becoming the only animation company in the U.K. to receive the Single Project Development award in the results published in May 2020.

    The Creative Europe MEDIA sub-program supports European independent production companies looking to develop projects with international potential for cinema, television or digital platforms. In total, 278 applications from 32 countries were submitted in November 2019, with 64 projects awarded grants.

    “I am delighted that ALT Animation have been successful in their application to the Creative Europe MEDIA sub-program,” said Rosie Le Garsmeur, Creative Europe Desk Manager for Northern Ireland. “The Single Project Development call is extremely competitive, so it’s wonderful to see a Northern Irish company awarded the grant and it speaks to the potential of this exciting project to reach and connect with audiences in Europe and beyond.”

    ALT Animation was one of 10 animation companies from across Europe to secure the prestigious award, and will now look to use the funding to develop the animated feature film with the support of Northern Ireland Screen.

    “This news speaks volumes of the strength of their application in the face of competition from all across Europe,” commented Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen. “We wish the entire team at ALT Animation every success as they embark on bringing Lugi – The Brodgar Boy to the big screen.”

    Lugi – The Brodgar Boy is a feature-length animated adventure set in Neolithic times on the mystical Scottish islands of Orkney. The film tells the story of a young disabled boy who must unite his people in order to defeat the evil forces that threaten to cover his world in darkness. Aimed at a family audience, the film will tell a compelling, action-packed story within a truly unique setting that deals with universal themes of acceptance and self-belief which will be relatable to audiences all around the world.

    The film will explore some of the mysteries surrounding Orkney’s most ancient monuments, such as the famous settlement of Skara Brae and the iconic Ring Of Brodgar: sites that predate Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt and suggest that these islands were the epicentre of human existence 5,000 years ago. The story of Lugi, a boy born with one arm into a mystic and ritualistic world, will be woven around real archaeological evidence to create a fun and action-packed family-friendly animated adventure for the ages.

    The project is the creation of writer/illustrator and native Orcadian Alex Leonard, and has been optioned by ALT Animation, who have already secured interest from a number of award-winning studios around Europe who will bring their collective skills and experience to bear on the development and production of this exciting project.

    ALT Animation will look to tap into the strong tradition of European co-operation on animated feature films that has seen titles such as My Life as a Courgette and Song of the Sea enjoy international success for a fraction of the budget of the features from the major U.S. studios.

    The feature film represents ALT Animation’s first foray into the development of animated features and are looking forward to making the transition from broadcast to the big screen.

    “We are thrilled to receive this support that will help us realise our ambitions to take our stories to a global cinematic audience,” said Tim Bryans, writer and producer from ALT Animation. “In these uncertain times, we are delighted to be able to embark upon such an exciting project and we hope that Lugi is just the first of many animated features that we can produce on these shores in the coming years.”

    ALT Animation is a production studio based in Belfast, formed by Andrea McQuade, Lee McQuade and Tim Bryans in 2016. They are currently collaborating on projects with clients such as Avalon, BBC Studios, Milkshake! and BBC, as well as developing their own slate of animated properties with studios all around the world. It was one of the first animation studios in the U.K. to receive funding from the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund for their preschool series The Hearios, which was successfully pitched at Cartoon Forum 2019. They are currently closing the finance on the stop-motion animated series as well as beginning production on Adastra’s new 52-part preschool series Mimi‘s World, commissioned by Channel 5’s Milkshake.

    www.altanimation.com | www.northernirelandscreen.co.uk

  • CN June Highlights: ‘Craig of the Creek’ Celebrates Father’s Day

    CN June Highlights: ‘Craig of the Creek’ Celebrates Father’s Day

    Cartoon Network celebrates Father’s Day with a special half-hour episode to kick-off the season three premiere of Craig of the Creek at 6 p.m. ET/PT on Sunday, June 21. New Season 2 episodes premiere all week, kicking off Monday, June 8 at 10 a.m. ET/PT with the series’ first musical episode.

    Throughout June, fans can also catch action-packed new episode premieres of Bakugan, Transformers: Cyberverse and Power Players.

    Cartoon Network June episode premiere schedule:

    June 7

    6:30 a.m. ET/PT Bakugan | “Kung Fu Master / A Battle of Popularity”

    7:00 a.m. ET/PT Transformers: Cyberverse | “Silent Strike/The Other One”

    7:30 a.m. ET/PT Power Players | “Grin and Bear It / Green with Envy”

    June 8

    10:00 a.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek | “In the Key of the Creek” – When a rainy day keeps Craig inside, he uses his toys and imagination to create his own Creek adventure in Craig of the Creek’s first musical episode!

    “The Children of the Dog” – Craig has tried to convince his family to get a dog for years but has never been successful, but he may have a chance if he follows the guidance of a charismatic creek kid and her three step program.

    June 9

    10:00 a.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek | “Jessica Shorts” – Spend some time with Craig’s little sister, Jessica, with a series of five short stories. Follow along as she trains to be the best video game fighter in “Power Punchers,” deals with a loose tooth in “Incisor Trading,” puts on her own TV show in “The Jessica & Small Uncle Show,” saves Kelsey’s sword in “Jessica in Operation” and takes family game night too far in “Jessica in Payup!”

    “Ferret Quest” – The kids are on the search for an elusive ferret in the Creek. Kelsey unites her friends Stacks and Wildernessa to find it, but worries they’d rather hangout with each other instead of her.

    June 10

    10:00 a.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek | “Into the Overpast” – Craig and The Green Poncho travel to the Other Side of the Creek where Craig learns Green Poncho’s shocking origin story.

    “The Time Capsule” – Worried he’ll one day forget all his favorite memories, Craig creates a time capsule to remember them all.

    June 11

    10:00 a.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek | “Beyond the Rapids” – Resident creek scientist, Wren, enlists Craig to voyage through dangerous waters in search of a path to the Ocean.

    “The Jinxening” – Craig, Kelsey and JP help a kid who’s been jinxed and can’t talk, but they soon come to regret it.

    June 14

    6:30 a.m. ET/PT Bakugan | “The Mysterious Revenger / Wynton vs. Lia”

    7:30 a.m. ET/PT Power Players | “Bring on the Bad Guys / Spies Like Us / Return of the Thermometron 9000 / Just Like Robots”

    June 21

    6:00 p.m. ET/PT Craig of the Creek Season 3 Premiere | “The Other Side: The Tournament” Hoping to win a special prize for his Dad’s birthday, Craig and his friends compete in a tournament on the Other Side of the Creek!

    June 28

    6:30 a.m. ET/PT Bakugan | “The Best Friend / Thief and Brawler”

  • ‘Hero Elementary’ Premieres on PBS KIDS June 1

    ‘Hero Elementary’ Premieres on PBS KIDS June 1

    Science is powerful – and Hero Elementary, a new multiplatform animated PBS KIDS series, co-produced by Twin Cities PBS and Portfolio Entertainment, will help spark a love of science among kids nationwide when it premieres June 1 on PBS stations.

    Hero Elementary is a school for budding superheroes, where kids learn to master their innate powers, like flying and teleportation, while exploring science along the way. The launching series will give children ages 4 to 7 important tools to help them solve problems by encouraging them to think and act like scientists, igniting their natural curiosity. Hero Elementary also showcases character and social-emotional concepts such as kindness, empathy, and commitment to working together to solve problems.

    “With its unique, fun and informative STEM, literacy and social-emotional learning curriculum, Hero Elementary is sure to be a heroic hit with kids, parents and teachers alike,” said Linda Simensky, Head of PBS KIDS Content.

    The stories in Hero Elementary center on a diverse group of super students, led by their quirky and enthusiastic teacher, Mr. Sparks. The team works together to help people, solve problems, and try to make the world a better place. When their imperfect powers aren’t up to the task, they look to their other powers – the superpowers of science – to help them investigate, observe, make predictions, and figure out a solution.

    “Sparks’ Crew” includes Lucita Sky, an empathetic natural leader with the power to fly – and a fear of heights; AJ Gadgets, a superhero who is passionate about all things “super” and has the ability of thought projection and making super gadgets – and who also happens to be on the Autism spectrum; Sara Snap, who’s tiny, but mighty, with super strength and the power to teleport; and Benny Bubbles, a loyal and protective animal lover with a heart of gold, who can create amazing bubbles that double as forcefields and more. Both Mr. Sparks and Lucita are bilingual Spanish/English speakers. Rounding out the Crew is Fur Blur, the class hamster with an epic appetite and super speed.

    “Hero Elementary has the right formula to help empower kids to make a difference in their own backyards and beyond by actively doing science,” said series co-creator Carol-Lynn Parente, who formerly executive produced Sesame Street, where she met Hero Elementary co-creator Christine Ferraro. “The series combines the excitement of superheroes and the power of science to help show kids that they can be superheroes and save the day, too.”

    The science curriculum in Hero Elementary addresses crucial components of children’s learning – the ability to develop and test ideas, ask questions, predict, and observe – skills known to contribute to learning in other content areas, such as literacy, language development and critical thinking. Each episode will include two animated 11-minute stories with accompanying interstitial content.

    The series is currently in production for 40 half-hour episodes, which will premiere on PBS stations, the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel and PBS KIDS digital platforms.

    Along with the TV series, the Hero Elementary universe will include a collection of interactive digital components to supplement and expand the television world, reinforce learning, and encourage interactive play for kids everywhere. Games will be available on pbskids.org and on the free PBS KIDS Games App, along with clips and full episodes streaming across PBS KIDS’ video platforms, including the free PBS KIDS Video App. A collection of parent and educator resources will be available on PBS KIDS for Parents and PBS LearningMedia, respectively.

    Hero Elementary is funded by a Ready To Learn grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The Ready To Learn Initiative is a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families.

    Hero Elementary
    Hero Elementary
  • Indie Cinema Streamer OVID Debuts Kawamoto’s ‘Book of the Dead’

    Indie Cinema Streamer OVID Debuts Kawamoto’s ‘Book of the Dead’

    OVID.tv — a U.S./Canada streaming service dedicated to independent film — is celebrating the work of master animator Kihachiro Kawamoto (1925-2010) with Friday’s release of his sole stop-motion feature, The Book of the Dead. The historical 2005 tale based on the novel of the same name is a tour de force adventure about a young noble girl in 8th century Japan, who leaves her home to follow the apparition of an executed prince in a ravishing film of beauty and mysticism.

    The Book of the Dead

    Directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto; KimStim, Animation

    As Buddhism is being introduced to Japan from China, Iratsume, a woman of noble descent becomes obsessed with this mysteriously new religion. One night in a rapturous trance, Iratsume sees a luminous vision that she believes to be the Buddha, compelling her to leave home and journey to a sacred temple. There she sees Otsu, a young Prince who was executed 50 years earlier.

    While Iratsume mistakes the prince’s spirit for the very incarnation of the great Buddha, the ghost mistakes Iratsume for the last woman he eyed at the moment of death. As an act of great devotion, Iratsume decides to make a giant shroud for the prince to heal his soul, and the Prince begins to haunt the young woman and those around her. The pair embark on an impassioned battle of wills, one longing for the material world, the other striving for the spiritual.

    Watch Book of the Dead here.

    New subscribers can sign-up for a free 14-day trial of OVID.tv. After that, subscriptions are just $6.99/mo or $69.99 for an annual subscription.

    OVID.tv’s catalog of animated films also includes the Animation Domination collection of features, as well as award-winning short films and compilations such as The Exquisite Short Films of Kihachiro Kawamoto, Torill Kove’s Threads, Chris Landreth’s Subconscious Password, Koji Yamamura’s Muybridge’s Strings and Diane Obomsawain’s I Like Girls.

    Book of the Dead
    Book of the Dead
    Kihachiro Kawamoto
    Kihachiro Kawamoto
  • Technicolor Folds Mill Film into Mr. X in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

    Technicolor Folds Mill Film into Mr. X in Response to COVID-19 Crisis

    Technicolor has announced the merger of Mr. X and Mill Film, under the Mr. X name. The move brings together the expertise and creativity of both brands into a stronger united entity. Mr. X now becomes a VFX studio crossing four time zones, spanning Canada, the United States, Australia and India.

    Laura Fitzpatrick, MD of Mill Film, will move into a managing director role at Mr. X, based in Montreal, with Dennis Berardi, founder of Mr. X, assuming the position of creative director for the studio.

    “As the entertainment landscape has continued to evolve, both studios were naturally overlapping into each other’s spaces,” said Berardi. “Merging both brands allows us to build the perfect team for each and every client.”

    The merger is a direct and necessary response to the current COVID-19 crisis. The newly combined and expanded studio will service clients across both features and episodic.

    With 20 years in the business, Mr. X has won multiple awards, including VES and Canadian Screen awards, in addition to BAFTA, Satellite and Critics Choice award nominations. Mr. X has built a number of collaborative partnerships with notable directors such as Guillermo Del Toro and Paul W.S Anderson. The studio is known for bringing the vision of filmmakers to life across projects, with credits including Academy Award winners The Shape of Water (Fox Searchlight) and Roma (Netflix), as well as the blockbuster Shazam! (Warner Bros.)

    Mill Film has delivered legacy projects such as Gladiator (Universal), which won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 2001, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Warner Bros.), plus more recent releases such as Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (Disney) and Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount).

    “Our aim is to partner with clients to realize their ideas and exceed visual expectations,” said Fitzpatrick. “With our merged brand we can pitch global expertise in all creative areas: original design and art direction, on-set supervision, environment creation, FX simulations, creature and character work.”

    The combined legacy of both studios serves as the foundation for Mr. X going forward. The expansion of the studio’s talent pool paves the way for the team to share knowledge and best practices for delivering projects of all genres, formats and mediums.

    All facilities remain open in Toronto, Montreal, Los Angeles, Adelaide and Bangalore. The merger is effective immediately, with a period of transition for employees. This does not impact The Mill, which continues to operate as a separate entity.

    www.technicolor.com | www.mrxfx.com

    [Source: Post Magazine]

    The Shape of Water
    The Shape of Water
    Maleficent
    Maleficent

  • Apple TV+ Original ‘Central Park’ Reveals S1 Songwriters at Premiere

    Apple’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed animated musical comedy series Central Park, from Emmy Award winner Loren Bouchard, Grammy Award winner Josh Gad and Emmy Award winner Nora Smith, features an all-star roster of iconic songwriters behind its show-stopping numbers.

    The series features an A-list voice cast including Gad, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Tituss Burgess, Daveed Diggs and Stanley Tucci, who perform original music throughout the season, giving viewers yet another reason to break into song and dance for today’s series launch of the first two episodes on Apple TV+ (apple.co/-centralpark).

    Each episode features three to six original songs and will be released on the series’ soundtrack on Apple Music and other digital service providers day and date with their episodic debut on Apple TV+. Songs from the first two episodes are available now on the soundtrack from Hollywood Records, which is available to stream today.

    From rock to hip-hop, Broadway, R&B and beyond, guest songwriters contributing to season one soundtrack include: Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress Sara Bareilles; Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning singer, songwriter, activist and actress Cyndi Lauper; Tony-nominated lyricist Glenn Slater; composer, songwriter, conductor and producer Alan Menken, Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor, singer, songwriter Darren Criss; Grammy-winning and Academy Award- nominated singer/songwriter Aimee Mann; Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Meghan Trainor; platinum-selling, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Anthony Hamilton; Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Fiona Apple; social activist and artist Rafael Casal; and actor-rapper Utkarsh Ambudkar.

    Kate Anderson & Elyssa Samsel (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure) and Brent Knopf (Bob’s Burgers) serve as the show’s composers and writers, while musical arrangements are created by the music production team, including executive music producer Frank Ciampi (Alien News Desk, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), music supervisor Patrick Dacey (Bob’s Burgers) and music editor Tim Dacey (Bob’s Burgers).

    Guest songwriters broken down by episode and artists:

    • Episode 101 “Poops I’ll Pick It Up” – Steven Davis, Nora Smith, Loren Bouchard
    • Episode 102 “Weirdos Make Great Superheroes” – Sara Bareilles
    • Episode 103 “The Park is Mine” – Rafael Casal and Utkarsh Ambudkar
    • Episode 104 “Garage Ballet” – Cyndi Lauper and William Wittman | “Rats” – Cyndi Lauper and Teddy Sinclair
    • Episode 105 “Spoiler Alert” – Alan Menken and Glenn Slater
    • Episode 106 “First Class Hands” – Darren Criss
    • Episode 107 “Big Deal” – Aimee Mann
    • Episode 108 “I’m In A Perfect Relationship” – Meghan Trainor
    • Episode 109 “Live it Up Tonight” – Anthony Hamilton and Charles Holloman
    • Episode 110 “New York Doesn’t Like Your Face” – Fiona Apple and David Lucky

    In addition to the original songs by the guest songwriters, there are also several tunes in each episode written by the show composers.

    Beginning today, fans can visit a dedicated Central Park destination on Apple Music at Apple.co/CentralParkMusic for music-driven content from the series including cast-curated playlists, interviews and more.

    Each week, a lyric video for catchy tunes like “Own It,” which is featured in episode 101 and written by composers Kate Anderson & Elyssa Samsel, Sara Bareilles’ “Weirdos Make Great Superheroes,” Cyndi Lauper’s “Rats” and Meghan Trainor’s “I’m in a Perfect Relationship” will be available to coincide with the episode’s debut on Apple TV+.

    Central Park follows the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world’s most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.

    The series is created, written and exec produced by Bouchard, Gad and Smith; Sanjay Shah and Halsted Sullivan are also exec producers. Central Park is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.

  • Royal Television Society Unveils 2020 Student TV Nominees

    Royal Television Society Unveils 2020 Student TV Nominees

    The Royal Television Society (RTS), Britain’s leading forum for television and related media, has shortlisted the nominations for the national RTS Student Television Awards 2020, sponsored by Motion Content Group. Across six categories, 23 institutions’ students have received nominations, having qualified by winning at their respective regional RTS Student Awards earlier this year.

    Now in its 25th year, the awards ceremony will be livestreamed on Friday, June 26 at 2 p.m. BST. Further details will be published on the RTS website in due course.

    The RTS Student Awards celebrates the best audiovisual work created by students with an Undergraduate and Postgraduate winner both awarded in each category across Animation, Comedy & Entertainment, Drama, Factual, News and Short Form. To reward excellence in craft skills, awards will also be presented in the following categories at the judges’ discretion: Camerawork, Editing, Production Design, Sound and Writing.

    “It was inspiring to see such imagination, heart and energy, that was put out there for everyone to see by all the nominees,” said RTS Student Television Awards Chair Siobhan Greene (Managing Director, 110% Content). “We need to be uplifted, now, more than ever before, and the life force of creativity we watched from the entries was fantastic. I can’t wait to ‘meet’ the nominees via Zoom on 26 June. They deserve all the praise they’re going to get.”

    Animation nominees are…

    Undergraduate:

    Ctrl Alt Z
    Ctrl Alt Z

    Ctrl + Alt + Z – Holly Keating, Conor Leech, Ciara O’Shaughnessy and Kai Munoa (Ballyfermot College of Further Education)
    A girl accidentally deletes her thesis the night before it’s due, and goes through 4 stages of stress: Denial, Anger, Depression and Acceptance. (Watch)

    Margin of Terror
    Margin of Terror

    Margin of Terror – Kieran McLister (University of Edinburgh)
    A stop-motion comedy short about a perfectionist mad scientist driven to create the most horrific, terrifying giant monster ever seen – no matter how many times he screws it up. (Teaser)

    You’re Fit – Lydia Reid (Kingston University)
    Blue hot-pants, pink skin, and a lot of love. You’re Fit explores what actually happens at the gym.(Trailer)

    Postgraduate:

    Almost There
    Almost There

    Almost There – Nelly Michenaud, Tim Dees, Nathanael Baring, Kate Phibbs and Team (National Film and Television School)
    On an everyday train journey quite unlike any other, a not-so-casual observer goes to extreme lengths to avoid other passengers, a giant baby runs away from his parents, a romantic woman starts an ill-fated relationship with a cuckoo, and a naïve boy discovers that some problems can’t be fixed by pictures of unicorns. (Trailer)

    Heatwave
    Heatwave

    Heatwave – Fokion Xenos, Priya K. Dosanjh, Brendan Freedman, Stella Heath Keir, Kevin Langhamer and Team (National Film and Television School)
    In the midst of a searing heatwave, two little children find a way to cool everyone down! A playful stop motion short film animated in a hybrid technique between cut out, clay animation and thousands of replacements pieces. (Trailer)

    In Her Boots
    In Her Boots

    In Her Boots – Kathrin Steinbacher (Royal College Of Art)
    Heidi is experiencing strange things. While her granddaughter is visiting, she suddenly embarks on a hiking journey, to the deepest parts of the Alps, revealing the reason for her devoted attachment to her hiking shoes. A story about Heidi’s attempt to retain her identity and autonomy. (Trailer)

  • TV & Streaming News Round-Up

    TV & Streaming News Round-Up

    With the full catalog of Studio Ghibli films now available to stream on HBO Max, distributor GKIDS has released a new video interview with co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki, in which he discusses memorable moments from beloved Ghibli flicks. Watch it below.

    Toshio Suzuki [Photo: Nobuyoshi Araki]
    Toshio Suzuki [Photo: Nobuyoshi Araki]

    If you’re curious about how Disney+ managed to arrange to stream Fox’s record-breaking, iconic animated sitcom The Simpsons in both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios (a variation occurring over the show’s long run since 1989), you can hear more from Joe Rice, VP of Media Product for Disney Streaming Services in this quick read from Deadline.

    Magic Eye is Back
    Magic Eye is Back

    Mediacorp (Singapore) has acquired 52 episodes of Magic Eye Is Back and will air the series on its Chinese-language channel from June 6, every Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Magic Eye is Back is the latest spin-off from Magic Eye the Wonder Boy series. The 2017 series is co-produced by CCTV and Zhejiang Zhongnan Animation (also known as Zoland Animation), and was aired on China’s leading children’s channel, CCTV-14. In 2019, it reached an average TV rating of 1.28%, an all-day highest. On China’s Youku OTT platform, it has received 9.1 high scores and reached 140 million clicks within two months.

    Magic Eye is no average boy, but one from Outer Space! In the past, he has travelled to Earth and gotten to know some earthlings. His newfound friends are fascinated by him and his magical powers. Together, they have been through many exciting moments. Sadly, he left Earth, but promised his buddies that he will return one day. In this new season, he returns to Earth to reunite with his friends and once again, they will encounter much adventure and overcome daily challenges.

    In the pilot episode, Lena is burdened by her school exams because her parents have high expectations of her. She learns how to cope with her anxiety with the help of Magic Eye. She also chooses to lend a helping hand to her friends despite her exam stress.

    “I am delighted that [the] Magic Eye Is Back series is returning to Mediacorp’s TV channels,” said Samantha Wong, Head of Global Division, Zoland Distribution. “This show inspires children to establish good character traits and contains subtle lessons on how to deal with daily issues in positive manner, both at home and at school.”

    Moo, Baa, La La La
    Moo, Baa, La La La

    Leading North American children’s streaming platform Ameba announced the launch of its newly established production division, Ameba Productions, created to bring an expansive assortment of popular children’s books to life through video for young audiences to enjoy. Ameba Productions has completed its first set of productions and unveiling the first of its new read-along books with four of a series from New York Times best-selling children’s author and illustrator, Sandra Boynton: Moo Baa, La La La, Horns To Toes and In Between, Fifteen Animals and Blue Hat, Green Hat with other Boynton books to follow. Ameba Productions has numerous projects already in the pipeline.

    “We know that parents are looking to keep their kids entertained during these challenging times of staying home,” noted Tony Havelka, CEO of Ameba and Ameba Productions. “Reading can offer an escape and visually having a book read to children can offer an ideal diversion to the hum-drum of being home. Sandra Boynton books have long been favorites of young children and their parents alike. Each book is illustrated with wonderful rhymes and wry humor, which makes them the perfect anytime book for young children. We are thrilled to begin this new venture with bringing these wonderful books to life to our young audiences. What better time than now to enjoy a little fun reading and some serious silliness for all ages!”

  • Steamroller Studios Releasing Award Winner ‘Spice Frontier’

    Steamroller Studios Releasing Award Winner ‘Spice Frontier’

    Spice Frontier, a new animated short from Steamroller Studios and recipient of numerous official selections and accolades (Independent Short Awards, Dragon Con Independent Film Festival, L.A. Int’l Film Festival’s Indie Shot Fest, IndieX, Jelly Fest, DaVinci Film Festiva)l, will be released online on June 4.

    The story centers on space explorer Kentucky “Kent” Williams and his cyborg pilot C-LA as they scour the universe for rare Earth spices, centuries after the planet’s destruction. The eight-minute short features a fast-paced action sequence aboard The Silent Tide, an abandoned research facility floating in space. The events in the short forecast a few major plot points and introduce the mystery and suspense from Spice Frontier’s broader story — Steamroller is hoping to continue following this out-of-this-world action-adventure and its compelling characters in a TV series or feature film project in the near future.

    Steamroller Studios is based in Mount Dora, Florida. The tech and animation powerhouse provides high-end animation and experience design for clients. Their work can be seen across blockbuster films, popular video games — including Fortnite and Mortal Kombat — as well as attractions at some of the world’s largest theme parks.

    For Steamroller’s first in-house developed animation project, Spice Frontier artists experimented with a new animation technique, developing two-dimensional characters and worlds from a 3-D animation process.

    The studio is hosting a Facebook Live watch party to celebrate the release, which will be followed by a live Q&A with the creators. Spice Frontier will also be available to view at www.spicefrontiershort.com.

    Spice Frontier
    Spice Frontier
  • ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Speeds Ahead to Sequel

    ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ Speeds Ahead to Sequel

    Paramount Pictures and SEGA SAMMY are limbering up for a sequel to hybrid live-action/CG video game adaptation Sonic the Hedgehog. Oscar-nominated animator Jeff Fowler (Gopher Broke) will return to direct, as will script writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller (Golan the Insatiable).

    The project is currently in development, so casting and production kick-off are TBA, but the partners confirmed that Neal H. Mortiz, Toby Ascher and Toru Nakara will be producing, with Hajime Satomi, Haruki Satomi and Tim Miller as executive producers. 

    Debuting domestically on Valentine’s Day this year, the family action-comedy Sonic the Hedgehog centers on the eponymous ultra-speedy hedgehog (voiced by Ben Schwartz), a.k.a. The Blue Blur, as he embraces his new home on Earth. That is, until he accidentally knocks out the power grid and sparks the attention of super-uncool evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey). It’s super-villain vs. super-sonic in an all-out race across the globe to stop Robotnik from using his unique power for world domination. Sonic teams up with The Donut Lord, a.k.a. Sheriff Tom Wachowski (James Marsden), to save the planet.

    The pic opened at No. 1 with $58 million at the U.S. box office, despite pre-release hiccups with Sonic’s character design and resulting fan scepticism across the web. Sonic went on to collect golden box office rings around the world, totting up a $306.8M worldwide box office before speeding to an early digital home video release due to coronavirus cinema closures. The movie launched on disc May 19.

    (You have a chance to snag your own copy our givewaway.

    Read about the animation and VFX work (provided by MPC) of Sonic the Hedgehog in Trevor Hogg’s story for the April issue of Animation Magazine here.

    [Source: Variety ]

  • Heritage Animation Art Auction Opens Bids for Toon Treasure Trove

    Heritage Animation Art Auction Opens Bids for Toon Treasure Trove

    One of the largest collections of artwork from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan ever brought to market, including masterpieces by David Hall and Mary Blair and the largest offering of art, photos, books, ephemera, checks, insurance cards and studio letters hand-signed by Walt Disney could make Heritage Auctions’ June 19-21 Animation Art Auction one of the biggest ever held. Bidding is now open for these beautiful and historic pieces.

    “This sale has as broad a range of material as any Animated Art auction has had,” Heritage’s Animated Art Director Jim Lentz said. “There are items from virtually every classic animated film, and by all of the best artists. The choices range from one of the largest collections of rare production cels, animation drawings, concept art, backgrounds and storyboards from Peter Pan. There literally is something for collectors of all tastes in this sale.”

    The Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background is one of 73 Peter Pan lots – including artwork from artists David Hall and Mary Blair – in the auction that make up one of the largest collections of Peter Pan artwork ever offered. Highlights include a Peter and Wendy on the Jolly Roger Concept Painting by Hall (Walt Disney, 1940), an extraordinary piece of concept art (estimate: $25,000+). During early development of the animated feature, a number of exceptional concept paintings were created by Hall, whose contributions to the film are widely known among Disney scholars.

    Plus:

    • Mary Blair “Neverland Lagoon” Original Concept/Color Key Painting Original Art (Walt Disney, c. 1950s): $5,000+
    • Tinker Bell Early Concept Painting by David Hall Original Art (Walt Disney, 1940): $5,000+
    Fantasia
    Fantasia

    No name is bigger in Animation Art than Walt Disney, and this auction includes an assortment of 25 lots hand-signed by the icon who built the empire that includes films, cartoons and theme parks. His is one of the most famous signatures anywhere, ranking up there with the likes of John Hancock and George Washington, which naturally made him a popular target among autograph seekers, especially after he started hosting a weekly television show in 1954. Disney was wary of signing autographs, for fear of sparking a swarm of people who wanted one of their own, which added to the rarity of his signature. Some Disney artists signed his name to their works, making items signed personally by Disney treasured keepsakes among collectors. Disney-signed lots in this auction include artwork, checks, photos, books, an insurance card, World War II ephemera and a letter on 1940 Fantasia stationery.

    Some of the top signed lots include, but are not limited to:

    • Walt Disney Signed 2-Page Letter to Stockholders (1941). An extraordinary hand-typed letter on Walt Disney Productions stationery dated June 14, 1941, with a Fantasia logo on first page and large Walt Disney signature on the second page. The letter (estimate: $5,000+) concerns stock dividends, the Screen Cartoonists Local #852 strike against the studio that began May 29 and lasted until sometime in September 1939, reducing the staff from 1,200 employees down to 400; and the effects of the coming war. It also mentions Fantasia finishing its roadshow run and The Reluctant Dragon as ready for release; it mentions as well two major films still in production: Dumbo and Bambi. This is one of the oldest and most important known Disney-signed letters.
    • Fantasia “Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria” Courvoisier Concept Art Signed by Walt Disney (1940), from the final segment of the classic Fantasia. Carrying a pre-auction estimate of $5,000+, composer Deems Taylor introduces the scene as the conflict between the profane (represented by “Night on Bald Mountain”) and the sacred (“Ave Maria”). Framed in a round mat opening of 6 1/2 inches, this painting measures 9 inches by 8 inches, and is housed in a 15-by-16-inch frame. Disney signed the mat, which also has a “WDP” stamp, indicating that the lot originally was sold at the Courvoisier Gallery in San Francisco. Original art from Disney’s masterpiece film is very rare and highly sought after by serious collectors.
    • Peter Pan Captain Hook Production Cel and Key Master Background Signed by Walt Disney (1953). An exceptional Disney-signed piece (estimate: $5,000+) from the classic film, and one of the best Captain Hook production cels anywhere. This image can be seen around the 21:40 mark in the film, at the first appearance of Captain Hook, who is smoking his famous double cigar while reviewing a map of Never Land. The cel image was hand-inked and hand-painted on acetate, and the key master background was rendered in gouache on background board of about 13 inches by 10 inches. This is a beautiful piece from the background team of Eyvind Earle, Ralph Hulett, Ray Huffine, Art Riley, Thelma Witmer, Al Dempster, Dick Anthony, Brice Mack and Art Landy. The matboard was signed by Walt Disney to Oliver “Ollie” Wallace, a composer and conductor known for his music compositions for Disney animation, documentary and feature films and bears the “WDP” studio stamp.
    • Mickey Mouse 25th Birthday Portrait Print Signed by Walt Disney (1953): $2,500+
    • Walt Disney’s Fantasia 1st Edition Book Signed by Walt Disney (1940): $2,500
    Pinocchio
    Pinocchio

    Among the top lots in the sale is a Pinocchio Preliminary Concept Painting by Gustaf Tenggren (Walt Disney, 1940), a stunning concept piece from one of Disney’s most popular classic films. With a pre-auction estimate of $35,000+, it is arguably the greatest contribution Tenggren made at the Walt Disney Studios, ultimately becoming the design of the backgrounds and the overall look of the film, in which he introduced complex backgrounds to enhance the illusion of depth. This lot is a preliminary concept painting that shows Pinocchio’s village at night, with the only visible activity in Gepetto’s workshop. Visible at the top of the painting is the wishing star. This image, created with cut paper, graphite and pastel, was used to create the final background in the first and fifth sequences. The final painted version can be found on page 96 of The Walt Disney Film Archives, The Animated Movies 1921-1968 by Taschen on page 96. The artwork is signed by Gustaf Tenggren in the bottom left.

    Mary Blair Peter Pan
    Mary Blair Peter Pan

    This auction includes more than 40 pieces by Disney artist Mary Blair, who was considered Walt Disney’s favorite artist and was inducted in 1991 into the Disney Legends group. Highlights among the Blair lots are:

    • Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle Peter Pan Concept Art Group of 2 (Walt Disney, 1953) are a pair of collaborations by the artists. Earle joined Walt Disney Studios in 1951 as an assistant background painter, but only after he began working as Blair’s apprentice did he embark on the career path that resulted in him becoming a Disney Legend Inductee in 2015, 15 years after he died. Their partnership helped make Peter Pan one of the most dazzling and opulent animated films ever produced at the studio, and helped Earle conclude that he wanted to follow Blair’s career blueprint. The offered lot (estimate: $20,000+) is rendered in gouache on board; each piece measures 8 inches by 6 inches.
    • Mary Blair Cinderella Concept/Color Key Original Art (Walt Disney, 1950): $10,000+
    • Mary Blair Cinderella Concept Painting (Walt Disney, 1950): $10,000+
    • Mary Blair Alice in Wonderland Alice with Flowers and Birds Concept Painting (Walt Disney, 1951): $10,000+
    Peanuts
    Peanuts

    One of the most popular comic strips and cartoons of all time can be had, thanks to 58 Peanuts lots. The selection includes one of the largest collections of single-cel pan progressions of both Snoopy and Charlie Brown – some have up to 15 images in the setup. Many are also signed by legendary Peanuts artist Charles Schulz.

    Among the top choices is the A Charlie Brown Christmas Nine Character Production Cel (Bill Melendez, 1965). This rare offering is an original hand-inked, hand-painted production cel of the skating scene from the opening of the first Charlie Brown CBS special, which premiered in December 1965 and won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award.

    Other top Peanuts lots include, but are not limited to:

    • The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show World War I Flying Ace Production Cel Sequence of 9 with Pan Master Background (Bill Melendez, c. 1980s): $7,500+
    • It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Multi-Character Production Cel (Bill Melendez, 1966): $5,000+
    Walt Disney World's 35th Birthday
    Walt Disney World’s 35th Birthday

    Becoming a Disney artist was a lifelong pursuit for Don “Ducky” Williams, who first wrote a letter to Disney when he was just 10 years old. A 37-year Senior Character Artist at Walt Disney World resort, Williams created the proffered airbrush published illustration “Walt Disney World’s 35th Birthday” (Walt Disney, 2006) for the park’s milestone celebration. The image (estimate: $10,000+) contains more than 30 Disney characters parading down the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street, riding on the trolley, as well as 35 hidden Mickey Mouse ears, the location of which are pointed out in a diagram on the back; Cinderella’s Castle appears in the background. The massive painting has a mat opening of 21 by 32 inches and is housed in a frame that measures 48 by 36 inches, and was used for limited edition fine art prints, posters and consumer products, as well as other retail and promotional items. Both the brush and the instruction sheet are signed by Williams.

    Other lots in the sale by Williams include, but are not limited to:

    • “Walt Disney and Friends” Illustration by Don “Ducky” Williams (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $5,000+
    • “The Art of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell” Illustration by Don “Ducky” Williams (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $5,000+
    Seven Dwarves
    Seven Dwarves

    The sale features five lots from the Disney Store that first opened in March 1987 in Glendale, California, and grew into a worldwide chain that boasted 749 stores at its peak in 1997. Each store featured large-scale displays showcasing famous moments in Disney animation history, with the idea of providing visitors with a theme park-like experience. Among the highlights in the sale:

    • Seven Dwarfs Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s). One of the most elaborate Disney Store display pieces ever offered to the public. Featuring all seven dwarfs – Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy and Sneezy, each standing between 27 and 30 inches high – the lot (estimate: $25,000+) also features the pipe organ that Grumpy played in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
    • Pluto and Donald Duck Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    • Donald Duck and Pete Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    • Mickey Mouse Store Display (Walt Disney, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    The Nightmare Before Christmas
    The Nightmare Before Christmas

    The multi-faceted Tim Burton is widely known as a film director, but his artwork has long been in high demand among collectors, who will have a chance to bid on 30 Burton lots in this auction. Among the highlights:

    • Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Giclée Suite in Case Limited Edition #266/315 (Touchstone/Disney, 2005): $5,000+
    • Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington Limited Edition Charger Bowl by Brenda White Prototype (Walt Disney, 1997): $2,500+
    • Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Zero Limited Edition Charger Bowl by Brenda White Prototype (Walt Disney, 1997): $2,500+
    • “The Art of Tim Burton” Character Drawing Original Art (Walt Disney, 1982): $2,500+
    Simpsons
    Simpsons

    Included in the auction are 48 lots from one of the best production art selections ever assembled from The Simpsons, the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, in terms of both seasons and number of episodes. Among those are 27 lots by Bill Plympton, the artist whose contributions to the show include the several of the beloved “couch gag” opening sequences. Highlights from the show include, but are not limited to:

    • The Simpsons Couch Gag Production Cel and Key Master Background Setup (Fox, c. 1990s): $2,500+
    • The Simpsons Bart and Lisa Signed Production Cel with Matt Groening Sketch (Fox, 1990): $2,500
    • Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 3 (Fox, 2019): $2,000
    • Bill Plympton The Simpsons Season 19 DVD Box Set Animation Drawings Sequence of 5 (Fox, 2019): $1,500+

    Not surprisingly in an auction of this size and quality, the list of appealing lots continues, including cartoon lots from Hanna-Barbera, Warner Brothers, Looney Tunes and MGM; classic films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Bambi, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty; and Disney Renaissance films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

    For images and more information on these and all of the items in Heritage Auctions’ Animation Art Auction, visit HA.com/7232.

  • Paley Center Presents Conversation with ‘Central Park’ Cast & Creatives

    The Paley Center for Media (based in New York) has announced new selections to its Paley Front Row series, including talks with news anchors and general interest hosts at MSNBC (June 5) and a look at ABC’s “Summer Fun & Games” lineup (June 12). Of note to animation fans is a lively look at the making of one of the most anticipated new toons on streaming: Apple’s Central Park: A Conversation with the Stars and Creative Team, debuting Friday at 12 p.m. EST.

    Part of Paley@Home Presented by Citi, Paley Front Row is a new offering from the Center that gives fans and professionals the chance to enjoy and learn from behind-the-scenes stories of today’s top shows from the comfort of home. All programs are available to watch on the Paley Center YouTube Channel.

    “We’re thrilled to announce the next three highly-anticipated selections in our Paley@Home Presented by Citi series,” said Maureen J. Reidy, the Paley Center’s President & CEO. “This stellar slate of programs includes a timely conversation with powerhouse women reporting on the COVID-19 crisis, an exciting behind-the-scenes look at today’s hottest game shows and their incredibly popular hosts and a superstar lineup from TV’s most talked-about, animated, musical series.”

    Premiering Friday, May 29 on Apple TV+, Central Park is a new animated musical comedy about the Tillermans, a family that lives in Central Park. Owen, the park manager, and Paige, his journalist wife, raise their kids Molly and Cole in the world’s most famous park, while fending off hotel heiress Bitsy Brandenham and her long suffering assistant Helen, who would love nothing more than to turn the park into condos.

    The all-star Paley Front Row panel includes voice stars Kristen Bell (“Molly”), Daveed Diggs (“Helen”), Kathryn Hahn (“Paige”), Leslie Odom, Jr. (“Owen”), as well as Loren Bouchard (Executive Producer/Co-Creator), Josh Gad (Executive Producer/ Co-Creator/“Birdie”), Nora Smith (Executive Producer/Co-Creator), Sanjay Shah (Executive Producer) and Halsted Sullivan (Executive Producer). The chat is moderated by Entertainment Weekly TV critic Kristen Baldwin.

    In the session, viewers will find out how this song-filled series sparked to life, how the actors manage to bring adlib choices to the animators’ tables despite recording solo, why Stanley Tucci ended up voicing the diminutive villainess, the unexpected uses for a law degree when writing for animation and, of course, an enthusiastic recap of the first season’s music from reunited Frozen co-stars Gad and Bell.

    You can also read all about Central Park in Ramin Zahed’s feature story from the May issue of Animation Magazine here.

    Paley Front Row “Apple’s Central Park: A Conversation with the Stars and Creative Team” will be live on YT on Friday, May 28 at noon EST.

    For more information, visit www.paleycenter.org.

    Central Park
    Central Park
  • Jellyfish Pictures Shifts Operations to Take on Global Capacity

    Jellyfish Pictures Shifts Operations to Take on Global Capacity

    BAFTA and multi-award winning animation and VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures (How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, HBO’s Watchmen) has expanded its operating model to access talent across the world. Having spearheaded the use of virtual and cloud technologies in the animation and VFX industry since 2015 and opening the world’s largest virtual studio at the end of last year, the company has now moved on to its next stage of development.

    The new way of working allows Jellyfish Pictures to access talent anywhere in the world without having to invest in bricks and mortar or on-premises hardware. Artists can work from their own homes, with the same experience as teammates located 6000 miles away, thanks to Teradici Cloud Access Software and Microsoft Azure. This new model has been implemented with artists joining the company from Israel, India, North America, Finland, Canada, Spain and Réunion.

    With Jellyfish Pictures’ IT infrastructure already housed off site and completely virtual, the company utilizes Azure’s backbone to set up hubs all over the world, which will connect back to the Jellyfish Pictures’ tier one datacenter in the U.K.

    All content resides on PixStor, Pixit Media’s software-defined storage solution. Using its dynamic data manager Ngenea, integrated with pipeline tools and Azure, files are distributed across creative hubs quickly and securely. Artists access their content from PixStor running in the cloud hub, which guarantees their performance requirements are always met. When completed, files automatically move back to the U.K. datacenter.

    Data never leaves the secure Azure hub, with pixels streamed to artists’ monitors via an encrypted streaming session over Teradici PCoIP technology. Data cannot be downloaded, shared or accessed, remaining fully compliant with TPN protocols and the stringent security measures withheld in the physical studios.

    To further strengthen the global operation, Jellyfish Pictures’ review tool, which extends to the public cloud, allows clients to review content seamlessly in 4K. No matter where they are based in the world, both client and artist can share the same screen, updating and annotating in real-time.

    “From the very beginning when I first started looking at cloud and virtual technologies with Jellyfish CTO, Jeremy Smith, it was always my vision to be able to go to where the artists are. We introduced cloud rendering and virtual desktops so we could break out of our four walls,” recalled CEO Phil Dobree. “Now in 2020, with events no one could have foreseen, we have over 280 artists working from home with no loss in productivity. Moving our staff to this environment was a relatively simple one, connecting to the datacenter from home is the same as if they were connecting from the studio.”

    “It was always our intention to roll out this way of working on a global scale, we have merely accelerated our plan due to current circumstances,” Dobree added. “By unleashing the power of Azure and the different technologies that allow global collaboration to run efficiently and smoothly, Jellyfish Pictures truly has unlimited studios with a community of the best global talent.”

    jellyfishpictures.co.uk

    Cristina Ortega
    Cristina Ortega
  • DreamWorks Debuts Fantastical ‘Kipo’ S2 Trailer

    DreamWorks Debuts Fantastical ‘Kipo’ S2 Trailer

    The wild, otherworldly adventures of Netflix original series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts returns with 10 all-new episodes on June 12. To give a taste of some of the craziness in store, DreamWorks Animation has released an exciting trailer for the second season of the whimsical, post-apocalyptic series.

    The trailer provides a glimpse into the high-stakes adventure and thrills that await in season 2 as Kipo (voiced by Karen Fukuhara) embarks on a mission to find Scarlemagne and free her people from his mind control.

    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.

    Following the season one finale, all is not well on the surface. With the burrow people under Scarlemagne’s mind control and her father his prisoner, Kipo must quickly learn to master her newly-discovered mute abilities in order to save them. As she and her friends split up on a dangerous rescue mission, Kipo’s journey of self discovery unearths mysteries of the past that change everything she thought she knew.

    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).

    The voice cast features Karen Fukuhara (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) as the enthusiastic and curious “Kipo;” Sydney Mikayla (General Hospital) as “Wolf,” a weapon-wielding survivor who knows the ins and outs of the surface; Coy Stewart (The Blacklist) 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 (Frozen II) returns as Kipo’s father “Lio Oak;” Dan Stevens (Legion) as the power-hungry “Scarlemagne;” Jake Green (The Boss Baby: Back in Business) as mod frog “Jamack;” and Lea DeLaria (Orange Is the New Black) as Timbercat “Molly Yarnchopper.” Amy Landecker (Transparent) joins as the mysterious “Dr. Emilia.”

    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
    Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
  • Trailer: ‘F Is for Family’ S4 Squabbles Heat Up June 12

    Trailer: ‘F Is for Family’ S4 Squabbles Heat Up June 12

    A new trailer has dropped for the fourth season of Netflix original series F Is for Family, bringing more adult animated antics to the streamer on June 12.

    From comedian Bill Burr and Emmy award-winner Michael Price, F Is for Family transports viewers back to the 1970s — a time when political correctness, helicopter parenting and indoor smoking bans weren’t part of anyone’s vocabulary, let alone the norm.

    Season 4 finds Frank (voiced by Burr) dealing with an unwelcome visit from his estranged father (Jonathan Banks of Breaking Bad), while Sue (Laura Dern) pursues New Age pregnancy support and the Murphy kids (Justin Long, Debi Derryberry, Haley Reinhart) try out new personas.

    F Is for Family is produced for Netflix by Gaumont International Television/Gaumont Animation and Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Television. The cast also features the voices of Sam Rockwell as “Vic,” Trevor Devall, Mo Collins and Phil Hendrie.

    www.netflix.com/FisForFamily

    F is for Family
    F is for Family
    F is for Family
    F is for Family
    F is for Family
    F is for Family
  • Exclusive Clip: Kristen Schaal Dives in with ‘Bubble Guppies’

    Exclusive Clip: Kristen Schaal Dives in with ‘Bubble Guppies’

    In an all-new episode of Nickelodeon’s Emmy Award-winning preschool series Bubble Guppies, celebrated actress, writer and comedian Kristen Schaal (Bob’s Burgers, BoJack Horseman, Gravity Falls) joins the undersea school to voice a scaly new companion for the merkids. Schaal voices Agnes — a sensitive, sweet and misunderstood dragon in the episode “Dragons N’ Roses!,” premiering Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. ET/PT.

    In “Dragons N’ Roses!,” everyone in the Kingdom of Roses is afraid of Agnes the Dragon’s constant roaring. To stop everyone from fleeing the kingdom, Zooli journeys to find out what’s wrong with Agnes and prove that she’s not as scary as she looks.

    Meet Agnes in the exclusive clip below!

    Bubble Guppies is created and executive-produced by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull and co-developed by Janice Burgess. The interactive CG-animated series is set in a vibrant underwater environment and follows a group of diverse preschoolers with colorful fish tails who go on adventures discovering their world. Bubble Guppies is set to a soundtrack of catchy, educational pop songs and features a curriculum that infuses the core elements of kindergarten readiness, including math, literacy, the arts, science and socio-emotional development.

    Bubble Guppies
    Bubble Guppies
    Kristen Schaal
    Kristen Schaal
  • DMR Secures NorAm Rights to Classic Tezuka Titles

    DMR Secures NorAm Rights to Classic Tezuka Titles

    Digital Media Rights (DMR), one of the world’s largest innovative content aggregators and distributors, has reached a new agreement with Tezuka Productions to obtain all North American rights (SVOD/TVOD/AVOD/Digital Linear for the U.S. and Canada) to several legendary anime titles, including Astroboy and Black Jack, among others. The series and movies – which will initially air on RetroCrush beginning June 5 – reflect the creative legacy of Osamu Tezuka who is widely revered as The Godfather of manga and anime.

    RetroCrush is devoted to streaming classic anime and is available with new video-on-demand (VOD) apps on iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV and smart TVs, and on desktop at www.retrocrush.tv. Having launched this past March, RetroCrush joins DMR’s expanding family of OTT channels that also includes AsianCrush, Midnight Pulp, YuyuTV, Cocoro and KMTV.

    “It is an honor to bring a touch of the genius of the late Osamu Tezuka to our newly-launched RetroCrush platform,” said David Chu, Co-Founder & CEO of DMR. “Anime aficionados across North America will be thrilled to once again enjoy these incredible programs. New fans will have the opportunity to learn why Mr. Tezuka has been called the Walt Disney of Japan.”

    DMR Head of Content Partnerships, Mary Gibson, commented, “It’s been wonderful working with Tezuka to bring more of their content to fans in the West. Our goal is to not only bring them gems that they know and love, but also introduce and share the other lesser known works from Tezuka Osamu. By doing so, we believe this helps fans gain a deeper understanding of his work and an appreciation of how much each piece of animation meant to Mr. Oasamu.”

    Titles acquired in the just-announced deal include:

    Astroboy (1980 / 52 x 24′) – This is the first HD remastered original Japanese version release. Also, it’s the original color series which came about from a proposal Tezuka made to a broadcaster to reproduce the series in a way that he couldn’t fully accomplish with the original black and white series.

    Set in a future where machines have advanced to the point of autonomy and become a point of major contention in the political and social realms, Astro Boy chronicles the struggles of a crime-fighting young robot named Atom. Created in the image of his enigmatic inventor’s deceased son, Atom survives rough beginnings, getting saved and adopted by the benevolent Dr. Ochanomizu. In his pursuit of justice, Atom finds himself in the midst of numerous clashes with various factions, and is often faced with the harsh realities of the world.

    Although this is a remake of the earlier work, the content of each episode is arranged to suit the present. This work includes nine episodes of “Atom vs. Atlas,” a series of confrontations between good and evil, much to Tezuka Osamu’s taste. In other words, his intention was to let us see that both good and evil have their own weaknesses, through a depiction of the confrontation between these two in nine consecutive episodes.

    Black Jack (Original Video Animation / 1993 / 12 x 50′) – This is the first animated series of Black Jack which was directed by Osamu Dezaki in tandem with Akio Sugino, the team-up best known for The Rose of Versailles and Aim for the Ace! The last two episodes (karte:11 and 12) were planned during the last years of Dezaki’s life, making the OVA one of his last works.

    Endowed with excellent surgical technique, Black Jack always miraculously saves seriously ill patients and those on the verge of death. But he always claims an outrageous price for his surgery, which is why his presence is rejected in medical circles. Black Jack lives quietly in a clinic out in the deserted wilderness with his assistant, Pinoko, whose life he had saved. Patients whom other doctors have given up on come to see him every today; he represents their very last hope.

    Though inspired by the original manga, each episode is a completely new story. Unlike the TV series, this OVA series features a more mature and darker tone than its other anime counterparts, with the focus on Black Jack’s character as he’s portrayed in a more mysterious and even edgy manner.

    Ambassador Magma (1993 / 13 x 25′) – Newspaper writer Murakami Atsushi and his family wake up one morning to find they have traveled 200 million years back in time. Looking out their window they see dinosaurs were walking around outside their house. This is, in fact, the work of a spaceman named Goa, who sent them back into the past in a show of his power. Proclaiming that he would take over the earth, Goa dares Murakami to report his plans in the paper.

    Coming back to the present, Mamoru, son of Murakami, is taken by a giant named Magma to the underground of a volcano island, where he meets the creator of the earth (called “Earth”). To squash Goa’s ambitions, Earth creates three “rocket-men” named Magma, Mol and Gum. Magma gives Mamoru a whistle he can use to call him and the other rocket-men whenever he is in trouble, and they fight together against Goa. But Goa has already started his earth invasion project, sending creatures that can turn themselves into humanoids, called “Hitomodoki”.

    This is an original videotaped animated film based on the popular manga of the same title, broadcast on TV in 1966 as a special effects feature. A more contemporary flavor was then added to the story settings, revolving around the conflict between the rocket-man Magma and the evil king Goa. The video became ever more popular when Ohira Tohru, who played Goa in the TV drama, appeared in the video playing exactly the same role after 27 years.

    A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose (1993 / movie) – A devil sends two cities; Kujukuri City in Chiba Prefecture and Dallas in the U.S., to 10,000 years in the future, makes them fight each other, and enjoys watching over the fight. The devil’s name is Bazusu. So Tanbara Gai, a member of Time Patrol, fights this devil to stop the atrocity. This is also a special animated program produced for “24-hour Television.” This animated TV program is unusual because it is even closer to Osamu Tezuka’s original idea than the original manga is.

    Undersea Super Train: Marine Express (1979 / movie) – First aired as a TV special along with One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book (1978) and Fumoon (1980), as part of Nippon TV Network’s annual 24-hour charity program, “Love Saves the Earth”. Despite a relatively short run time (91 min.), the telefilm features a veritable “Who’s Who” of Osamu Tezuka’s Star System. Each character has an important role, with many intertwining and overlapping stories. In keeping with the central theme of a charity program, the story emphasizes the dangers of environmental destruction and the need to work together to overcome them.

    The story is in two parts, and packs an enormous quantity of plot into a fairly short running time. The first section follows the maiden voyage of a new, experimental super-fast undersea train, running across the Pacific Ocean. The action follows the passengers, who include the train’s creator and financier, and a number of other characters, some of whom are supposed to be on the train, some of whom are definitely not. Half way through, after hijackings, natural disasters, betrayal, mechanical problems, onboard surgery and shark attacks, the train reaches the island of Mu, where the second part of the story begins with the remaining crew being sent back in time. Five thousand years earlier, the ancient and mysterious civilization of Mu, known in the modern day only through sparse archaeological remnants, is under threat by a three-eyed demon and a vampire, and our heroes must team up with Mu’s supernatural protectors to liberate the natives.

    One Million-Year Trip: Bander Book (1978 / movie) – This was Japan’s first two-hour animated film for television. The program received high ratings when broadcast as part of a set of 24-hour TV programs called “Ai wa Chikyu wo Sukuu” on Nippon Television. After a long gap since his last animated film for television, this work fully reflects Osamu Tezuka’s desire to achieve theatrical quality with this production.

    This new agreement also includes: Dear Brother (1991 / 39 x 25′), Jungle Emperor – The Brave Changes the Future (2009 / movie) and Moby Dick – Great Whale in Space (a.k.a. Legend of the Moby Dick / 1997) / 26 x 25′).

  • ‘Bless the Harts’ Stars Unite in Virtual Table Read for Feeding America

    ‘Bless the Harts’ Stars Unite in Virtual Table Read for Feeding America

    Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ike Barinholtz, Jillian Bell and their castmates from Fox TV’s Bless the Hars are lending their voices for a virtual table read, in support of Feeding America’s COVID-19 response fund.

    Scheduled for Monday, June 1 at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET on the Animation Domination YouTube Channel, the streaming event will also feature series co-creators/exec producers Emily Spivey, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, as well as hilarious guest stars Ken Jeong, David Herman and Jeremy Rowley.

    Feeding America is a nationwide hunger-relief charity helping more than 40 million Americans yearly, including 12 million children and 7 million seniors. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Feeding America is committed to serving communities and individuals facing hunger across America, wherever they are. Every dollar raised from the COVID-19 response fund will be used to get food and funds to local food banks across the U.S.

    Donate to the fund here.

    Season 2 of Bless the Harts is on the way, and viewers can catch up with Season 1 through Fox’s offerings on Hulu.

  • Licensing News: ‘Rise of Gru’ Toys; MGM, Planeta Junior Go Virtual; Animaccord, Xilam Deals & More

    Licensing News: ‘Rise of Gru’ Toys; MGM, Planeta Junior Go Virtual; Animaccord, Xilam Deals & More

    Even though the nefarious workings of the COVID-19 crisis mean Despicable Me fans have to wait until next year to enjoy Minions: The Rise of Gru in theaters, Universal Brand Development and partners are going ahead with the retail launches of delightfully dastardly new playthings for Illumination fans to collect and enjoy.

    Fart n Fire
    Fart n Fire

    From Mattel, let ‘er rip with the Fart ‘N Fire whimsical sound and humor blaster ($29.99; Target, mass) or its portable, air-plunger powered cousin, the Tiny Toot ($9.99; Target, Walmart, mass). The SFX Loud ‘N Rowdy figures ($14.99; Walmart, mass) and push-activated Action Minions ($9.99; Walmart, mass) bring to life gags and excitement from the film with removeable accessories. Liven up game night with The Rise of Gru Uno ($5.99; Walmart, mass) and Fart Blaster card game Gas Out ($19.99; Kohl’s, Walmart, mass). And Minions take flight with new Splat ‘Em collectibles including Playset ($14.99), 3-Packs ($9.99) and Assortment options ($3.49). Hot Wheels fans can also choose from six special diecast character vehicles inspired by Young Gru, Carl, Otto, Bob, Stuart and Kevin ($3.99 each / $54.99 set; Walmart, mass).

    Rise of Gru plush toys
    Rise of Gru plush toys

    Just Play is rolling out a full lair’s worth of huggable plush and interactive Minions. Laugh and Chatter Otto is coming soon to Target ($24.99). Movin’ and shakin’ Boogie Dancing Bob is an 11″ dancing machine ($29.99; Walmart, Amazon, mass). Traditional plushes include the Small assortment — Stuart, Kevin, Pilot Kevin, Kung Fu Bob, Biker Otto ($7.99), Jumbo — Kevin, Bob ($19.99), and squishable Tactile Plush — Kevin, Stuart, Bob, Otto ($9.99). The Fart Blastin’ Minion Surprise mini plush collectibles (eight, $9.99 each) each comes in its own Fart Blaster — press the button to launch the surprise (with appropriate sound effects). Decked in his groovy best, Disco Dancing Bob has poseable arms and gets down when you press his foot to start the tunes ($17.99). And the Laugh & Giggle Plush Assortment lets kids laugh along with soft and squeezable Bob, Kevin and Stuart ($14.87).

    Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair
    Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair

    And of course, LEGO is building anticipation for the film with Brick-Built Minions and Their Lair ($49.99; Target, mass) and Unstoppable Bike Chase ($19.99; Target, mass) sets.

    The Addams Family
    The Addams Family

    Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) announced they will host their first ever virtual licensing summit on June 15, 16 and 17. With the annual Licensing Expo canceled this year, this will enable MGM to host current and potential licensees and provide a sneak peek at upcoming initiatives for a number of their iconic brands including Pink Panther, The Addams Family, Legally Blonde, Rocky and many more. (By invitation only, contact MGM at consumerproducts@mgm.com).

    Over the years, MGM has built a large roster of licensees and other strategic partnerships in the apparel, accessories, gaming, home and collectibles categories, as well as live events and location-based experiences, and is continuing to expand programs for its broad portfolio. During the presentation, attendees will get an overview of the breakout events and anniversaries that lie ahead, opportunities for collaboration, and some special announcements. The presentation will also conclude with a question and answer session.

    • Pink Panther: MGM’s iconic character started life in the front and end credits of the legendary detective series of the same name more than 50 years ago, and its popularity spawned TV series, specials, comics and merchandise. Pink Panther continues to be discovered by new generations and remains one of MGMs most well-known franchises. Shortly, MGM will be making a very exciting announcement for the Pink Panther brand
    • The Addams Family: Based on the famous New Yorker creations of Charles Addams, The Addams Family celebrates the uniqueness of every family and delivers spooky fun all year long. MGM released the very first full-length animated film about the eccentric and unconventional family on October 11, 2019, with a star-studded voice cast. The film quickly became a box office success, garnering more than $200M in worldwide receipts, with a sequel already set for theatrical release in October 2021. Timed to the virtual licensing summit, MGM will be making some exciting announcements about the Addams Family 2 program.
    Planeta Junior
    Planeta Junior

    Leading European kids entertainment co. Planeta Junior announced its plans for the virtual Licensing Week trade fair — bringing the world’s licensing industry together from June 15-19 in a virtual space that allows participants to contact retailers, manufacturers and the media, to take part in the online fair, virtual conferences, educational and thematic seminars, and to network. The Planeta Junior virtual stand will present updates for a range of its brands.

    • Gormiti is a new animated series co-produced by Planeta Junior, Giochi Preziosi and Kotoc. When four kids from the kingdoms of Gorm go looking for a Lost Tower, they set out on the most epic and entertaining adventure of their lives: the Return of the Gormiti!
    • Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is a CGI animated action comedy series broadcast in over 120 markets. Marinette may look like a normal teenager, but she leads a double life. By day, she dreams of her adorable Adrien, and by night she turns into super-heroine Ladybug. But Marinette couldn’t possibly imagine that Adrien also has a secret identity: Cat Noir. Neither hero knows of the other’s identity, but they always run into each other on their adventures.
    • Power Players is a team of secret toy heroes led by Axel, a boy who discovers the Power Brandz, which turn him into a toy-sized action figure: Action Axel. He and his team of living toys fight the destructive ‘fun’ unleashed by Madcap the robot and his gang of broken toys. Axel must save the world and his friends while keeping his toy identity secret.
    • Pucca is the lifestyle brand created by South Korean company Vooz, based on the iconic character who’s been a hit in 170 countries. Pucca is back to win young adults’ and millenials’ hearts with her bravery, daring, fun, lack of prejudice, and the great message of love grounded in being yourself. Pucca also stars in a highly entertaining TV series.
    Zig and Sharko
    Zig and Sharko

    Award-winning French animation studio Xilam Animation has appointed Licensing Works! as the North American licensing agent for its hit animated slapstick comedy brand Zig & Sharko. Licensing Works! is now assembling a merchandise program for the brand targeting kids, tweens, teens and families and focused on vacation and Spring/Summer products including swimwear and pool accessories; home décor and outdoor textiles; surf, skate and related sporting goods; personal care; greetings cards; toys, puzzles and games; dress-up, publishing; back-to-school; gifting, food and drinks; seasonal promotions; and meet and greets.

    In NorAm, Zig & Sharko is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, alongside having a strong local presence on Xilam’s dedicated YouTube channel where the new third season is now available. The Zig & Sharko YouTube channel boasts 10.5 million subscribers and has received over 5.1 billion views globally, with North America ranking as the second highest market for views and fourth largest for subscribers.

    Masha and the Bear
    Masha and the Bear

    Animaccord, the multinational licensing & media company and studio, announced its first licensing deal for China with its animated family property Masha and the Bear. The company has recently inked the deal with Guangdong D&G Trading Limited to distribute the licensed toy collection across the country. The debut of a branded toy line that includes dolls, plush, playsets, figurines and roleplay is scheduled for August 2020 both in offline and online retail.

    Earlier this year, Animaccord brought the Masha and the Bear series to TV broadcast in China for the first time. CCTV 14, the country’s main kids channel, released Seasons 1 & 2 on linear, following the cartoon’s previous premiere on Xigua Video, one of the most popular media applications in China, in January 2020.

    License This!
    License This!

    Brand Licensing Europe has opened entries for its annual License This! competition, which gives young brands and designers a much-needed leg up into the multi-billion-dollar world of licensing and brand extension. This year’s judges are on the hunt for fresh, exciting new blood across two award categories: Character & Animation and Brand & Design. To qualify, entrants can hail from anywhere in the world, but they must be unsigned: not working with an agent or have any retail deals in place.

    This year’s two License This! winners will receive a free exhibition stand at BLE 2021, one year’s Licensing International membership, PR support, and invaluable advice from the panel of industry experts. In addition, all finalists will receive legal consultation from competition sponsor Wynne-Jones.

    Finalists will be chosen on September 11. Entry is free at https://www.brandlicensing.eu/en/learn-brand-licensing/license-competition.html

  • Key Buyers Event: Russia’s 1st Virtual Content Market Unveils Program

    Key Buyers Event: Russia’s 1st Virtual Content Market Unveils Program

    The Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition hosted by Roskino, the Russian film body, has announced its program, presenting over 300 projects — including exclusive world premiere screenings of films, drama series, animation and non-scripted formats from the country’s greatest filmmakers and emerging talent. Rising Russian actress, Anna Chipovskaya (Road to Calvary), has been signed up as an ambassador for the event.

    The Russian virtual content market, supported by the Ministry of Culture and Moscow Government will go live on June 8, featuring a wide range of Russian voices from across the country as they contribute to panel discussions, company presentations and screenings, as well as a large co-production section. Buyers and producers from over 40 countries, including RTL, AMC Networks, Mars CGV, Wild Bunch, Beta Film, Koch Media and iQiyi, have registered for the event.

    “Such a national virtual market is unprecedented, and it is exciting to be the pioneers,” explained Evgenia Markova, CEO of Roskino. “For eight days, The Key Buyers Event: Digital Edition has been designed to facilitate networking, inspiring discussions and screenings that showcase the diverse landscape of Russian content inclusive of films, series, animations and documentaries, and to promote Russian talent around the world. During these challenging times, we are adapting to champion our filmmakers to give them every opportunity to engage in global exchange through the virtual market, which is possible with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Moscow Government.”

    Key Buyers Event will host a diverse industry program of panel discussions with Russian and international media and industry professionals on co-production, animation, the TV and film landscape both in Russia and beyond and new international opportunities in a post-pandemic world.

    The speaker line-up includes Pierre Sissmann, CEO, Cyber Group Studios (France), Richard Rowe, Director of International Acquisitions & Co-Productions, WildBrain (U.K.), Yan Li, CEO, Beijing Joy Culture Media Co. (China), Lionel Marty, Managing Director, APC Kids (France) and Ariel Tobi, CEO, SNAP TV LatAm (Argentina), who will discuss Russian animation and its international success. The panel to be moderated by Thatcher Mines, Director of Development and Deals at Power Animals United (Finland).

    The Moscow Film Commission will host a discussion on film production after the pandemic, with Jess Conoplia, President, Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) and Pavlína Žipková, Head of the Czech Film Commission among the speakers. International speakers will include Juliana Da Cunha Jacobsen, Head of Acquisitions & Operations at BF Distribution (Latin America), Jordan Fields, VP Acquisitions at Shout! Factory (U.S.A.) and David Ellender, CEO of Sonar (U.S.A.)

    The program will also gather notable Russian executives: producer and film director Timur Bekmembetov (Nightwatch, Wanted, Profile), producer and film director Fedor Bondarchuk (Stalingrad, Attraction, Invasion), General Director of CTC Media and TV producer Vyacheslav Murugov (Sputnik, Invasion), Hype Film producer Ilya Stuart (Persian Lessons, Leto, Sputnik), producers and directors of PREMIER Studios Valeriy Fedorovich and Evgeniy Nikishov (Ordinary Woman, Identification, Dyatlov Pass, Metro 2033), general producer of Metrafilms (Dovlatov, Dau, Air) Artem Vasilyev and Vadim Vereshchagin, CEO of Central Partnership, with more to be announced.

    The program will include Screenlife Fest, hosted by Bekmambetov, a pioneer in Russian filmmaking. Bekmambetov’s film company Bazelevs has recently launched Quarantine Stories, a competition for Screenlife projects, and will announce the finalists at the Key Buyers Event, as well as show the best Screenlife series from notable national directors.

    The event will also feature a co-production section highlighting a diverse selection of over 90 projects open to international co-production. The pitching sessions will highlight the best work in progress in series, feature films, documentary (films and series) and animation (films and series).

    Since the majority of international participants will attend from home, Roskino and its partners will provide cultural activities to keep children entertained while their parents are attending the Key Buyers Event. As part of the children’s program, Russian actors will recite fairy tales of different cultures in English. There will also be online excursions, games, cartoons and educational videos for children of all ages in English and other languages.

    In collaboration with the Moscow Government and the Moscow Tourism Committee, forum participants will have access to online tours around the most famous museums of the Russian capital including the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Tretyakov Gallery and the Moscow Museum.

    Animation, one of the most promising and fastest-growing sectors within the Russian creative industry, is well represented at Key Buyers Event with a slate of world-class feature animated films and series. Participants include:

    CTB Film Company presents a high-scale sci-fi movie Cosmoball, fantasy feature Upon the Magic Roads and a slate of brand-new animated movies The Nutcracker and The Magic Flute, My Sweet Monster and The Barkers: Mind the Cats!, based on the popular TV show. The company also brings new episodes of the Moonzy animation series which has already gained popularity across the globe.

    Soyuzmultfilm will showcase its new animation series Squared Zebra, as well as The Adventures of Peter and Wolf, Pirate School, Claymotions and Mr. Theo, Cat & Dog.

    Licensing Brands will premiere The Magic Arch, an underwater animated comedy written by Alec Sokolow (Toy Story).

    Wizart Animation brings Sheep and Wolves: Pig Deal and Snow Queen franchise, which includes a fourth feature installment and TV series spin-off. It will also show CG feature film sequel title Fantastic Return to Oz directed by Fedor Dmitriev and produced by Russia’s largest animation studio, Melnitsa. Within KBE, Wizart plans to announce several international deals and hold a series of meetings with potential partners relating to the new TV series the Snow Queen: Keepers of Wonders and Tin Robots.

    St. Petersburg-based Riki Group presents an entertaining and educational slate of beloved brands including BabyRiki, The Fixies, Tina & Tony, Panda and Krash, Beardy Bodo, Kikoriki and PinCode.