The staff of Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg’s Animationsinstitut have been using the time during the coronavirus shutdown to develop a comprehensive online offer for students and the community. This includes making part of Animationsinstitut’s curriculum available online to the public. Furthermore, they have developed the Highlights of FMX 1994-2020, as a replacement for FMX – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media, which had to be cancelled for 2020. They will be presented regularly from the beginning of May to December 31, 2020, taking a look at the history, present and future of the internationally prestigious event.
Andreas Hykade with students
Animationsinstitut Online
Parts of the courses at Filmakademie’s Animationsinstitut will take place online in the summer semester 2020. But not only the students will benefit from this new offer: Animationsinstitut will open some of the teaching modules, offering the interested public — be it the community, prospective students or pupils — the opportunity to participate in lessons and get to know the teaching at Animationsinstitut.
On April 20, the teaching module Myself´s Online Animation Mentoring will kick off exclusively on the recently relaunched website, www.animationsinstitut.de. In the program, containing 26 teaching units that build upon one another, the virtual mentor Myself will guide the participants through the entire process of realizing an animated film, from the initial idea to the finished project, using short animated films.
After the program’s start on April 20 with Lesson One, Myself´s Online Animation Mentoring will continue on a regular basis. Each lesson ends with a task for the participants, which can be done with just pen and paper. Participants can then send their tasks to myself@animationsinstitut.de and receive concise feedback from Myself.
Myself´s Online Animation Mentoring is just one of the highlights offered on Animationsinstitut’s new website. Here, all important information about the institute can be found, i.e. about the study programs and the application process. In addition, the newly designed blog section will regularly present students, alumni, their projects and cinematic making-ofs. Under the name Online World Premiere, Animationsinstitut will frequently present student projects for the first time on the web. The first project has already been announced: On Your Way (Director: Thomas Sali, Producer: Eric Sonnenburg).
Highlights of FMX 1994-2020
Building on its history of highlighting outstanding people and projects, FMX – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media is establishing a new series of online shows. To bridge the time until the community can meet again in person, Filmakademie’s Animationsinstitut is happy to announce the Highlights of FMX 1994-2020.
This new series of online shows will kick off from May 5-8, the dates that FMX 2020 was originally going to take place, and from May 11 onwards will continue bi-weekly until the end of the year. Each episode will be dedicated to an outstanding personality from the rich history of FMX.
FMX will present highlights from talks and interviews with speakers from FMX’s past, and they are giving everyone the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers. The centerpiece of each show will be an extended interview with the personality of the day.
The FMX team is also inviting the community to contribute they’re ideas for the series. Feedback and questions can be addressed to highlights@fmx.de.
Here are the first confirmed interviewees:
Tuesday, May 5, 6 pm CET:Jan Pinkava, Director, Pinkava Productions. Being a pioneer in various fields of animation and immersive media, Jan Pinkava has been a continuous source of inspiration for FMX over the last two decades. In his exclusive interview, Jan will give an update on his personal views on the world of animation.
Wednesday, May 6, 6 pm CET: Volker Engel, President, Uncharted Territory. Working on iconic VFX movies over the last 30 years, Volker Engel has crossed from SFX to VFX and used a unique VFX-hub for each blockbuster production. In this exclusive interview, he will elaborate on his vast experience and perspective in VFX, and beyond.
Thursday, May 7, 6 pm CET: Regina Pessoa, Animation Director, Ciclope Films. Embracing the spirit of Eastern European animation, Portuguese animator Regina Pessoa has developed a unique artistic style and created highly personal films that have all become cornerstones of independent animation. In an exclusive interview, Regina will give insights into her work — past, present and future.
Friday, May 8, 6 pm CET: Ed Hooks, Actor / Acting for Animators. Teaching generations of animators what is essential in bringing the soul of a character to life, Ed Hooks has been a highlight of FMX throughout the years. In this exclusive interview, Ed will explain how he plans to continue to bring his Acting for Animators series of workshops to a worldwide audience.
Regina Pessoa
FMX is an event by Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg GmbH, organized by Animationsinstitut and funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing of the State of Baden-Württemberg, the City of Stuttgart and MFG Baden-Württemberg.
TFOU, the children’s programming block of TF1 (France), announced a pact with family animation studio La Chouette Compagnie (Droners, Imago) to develop Auzou Publishing’s kids’ comics Azuro & The Dragon Squad for television. Created for print by brothers Laurent Souillé and Olivier Souillé and illustrated by Jérémie Fleury, the 52 x 13′ animated comedy-adventure series will be aimed at kids 4-7.
Synopsis: Azuro, Oria and Vermillon form a dragons’ squad, an elite fire department specialised in rescuing and assisting fantastic creatures of all kinds. Every day, the three friends stand ready to leave their firehouse and help all distressed monsters. But, the three dragons are still only apprentices and their missions never happen as expected…
“At first reading, [we were] moved by the stories of Azuro, edited by Auzou Publishing. A real crush,” said Yann Labasque, director of TF1’s youth programs. “Azuro is a young dragon rejected by his peers because he’s blue and doesn’t breathe fire… but water! But this situation may be a good opportunity for him to overcome this difference. This character will gradually shift to a hero finding his way and becoming a lifesaver with his friends. With this new animated series led by La Chouette Cie, children will discover tender, funny and moving stories.”
“Azuro is an extraordinary and inspiring character, as shown by the thousands of readers captivated by the little blue dragon over the past years. Like many others before us, the Chouette Cie team has fallen under his charm,” commented La Chouette producers Mariam Hachmi & Sylvain Dos Santos. “We have been deeply moved by his story, his courage, and his kindness, and have enthusiastically decided to work on the animated adaptation of the book series. We are incredibly proud and happy to engage in this adventure alongside Yann and the TFOU team!”
Auzou Publishing’s Head of Diversification, Adélaïde Quiblier, added, “We are very happy about this new development which wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing work of La Chouette Cie. Azuro is a key character for Auzou Publishing and our aim, with the producer and TF1, is to create an iconic hero for the next generation of kids.”
Newen Distribution has been tapped to handle international distribution.
“We are delighted to be strengthening our partnership with La Chouette Cie and TF1 with the development of Azuro: a unique animated series that features a one-of-a-kind hero and promotes values such as sharing and caring with humor and tenderness,” said Malika Abdellaoui, Managing Director of Newen Distribution. “This wonderful new series will be filled with heart-warming stories that introduce young viewers to a colorful cast of characters they will readily identify with, guaranteeing it broad international appeal. With that firm conviction, we are pleased to be joining the project at this early stage, and will soon be looking for pre-financing partners.”
This summer, get ready as the DigiDestined and their Digimon return in a thrilling new adventure. In honor of the 20th Anniversary celebration of Digimon, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Toei Animation, will release the new anime feature Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna for home entertainment on July 7. Available for the first time in North America, this new movie features the last adventure of Tai and Agumon.
Each highly collectible edition of Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack boasts exciting movie presentation (featuring both versions; English voice cast and the original Japanese audio with English subtitles) and contains new insightful bonus features, which are currently in progress and will be announced at a later date. The title is available for pre-order now at ShoutFactory.com and will be made available in stores and through other retailers.
Die-hard have even more cause to celebrate: Toei Animation has revamped this highly sought-after anime movie for North American audiences by bringing onboard a stellar English voice cast. Joshua Seth, who voiced the main character Tai Kamiya in the original series, returns to the role for this feature film, alongside an exciting team of voice talent. Shout! Factory and Toei Animation will announce additional news and activities for fans in the incoming months.
Synopsis: Tai is now a university student, living alone, working hard at school, and working every day, but with his future still undecided. Meanwhile, Matt and others continue to work on Digimon incidents and activities that help people with partner Digimon. An unprecedented phenomenon occurs and the DigiDestined discovers that when you grow up, your relationship with your partner Digimon will come closer to an end. As a countdown timer activates on the Digivice, they realize that the more you fight with their partner Digimon, the faster their bond breaks. Will you fight for others and lose your partner? The time to choose and decide is approaching fast. There is a short time before “chosen children” will become adults.
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution KizunaDigimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna
For the past few weeks, we’ve been taking a look at how animation studios all over the world are responding to the challenges faced by everyone as we stay home to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We just found out that London-based Locksmith Animation has come up with a creative approach to its weekly production meetings on Ron’s Gone Wrong, the studio’s first feature film.
Each Friday, a hundred of the core creatives and crew on the film are using Zoom for their weekly production status meeting. Line Producer David Park had the idea to inject some whimsy into the proceedings by creating “themed” meetings. Several weeks ago, the first meeting took place with a theme: Virtual attendees dressed up as BBC newscasters (complete with appropriate backdrops) and a studio-wide practice was born. With input from the entire team, week 2’s theme revolved around “favorite albums,” with team members inserting themselves into iconic album covers from Sergeant Pepper to The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds to Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sounds of Silence. Last Friday’s theme was sci-fi … or, as Locksmith called it, “Sy Fri.”
The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
“It’s written into Locksmith’s DNA to have all our team working collaboratively under one roof,” says Julie Lockhart, company co-founder and co-CEO. “Whilst our amazing team power through making this movie in their separate homes, it’s imperative to find ways to keep our community joined and, most importantly, to keep smiles on their faces. Full credit to line producer David Park, the unwavering spirit of our crew and their fake moustaches!”
Co-founder and co-CEO Sarah Smith adds, “These difficult times have faced Locksmith with a crazy challenge. At the most intense phase of production of our first animated movie, Ron’s Gone Wrong, for release by Disney next February, we found ourselves having to have 260 Locksmith and DNeg artists work from home. But when the going got tough, our team got going. Not only are they continuing to make our movie to a fantastic standard producing beautiful work in a pipeline that now connects their attics, living rooms and kitchens, they have risen to the frustrations and challenges of zoom calls and dial ins with brilliant humor and creativity. The end of week ‘themed’ production Zooms have become a joy. Julie and I are so proud of our team — they have proven themselves to be the absolute best, smart, kind, witty and resilient. We can’t imagine a better group of people with whom to hunker down in a crisis.”
Take a look at this creative group’s fantastic pics from their latest meeting.
Maxon, the developers of professional 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software solutions, today announced Cinema 4D Subscription Release 22 (S22). The next generation of Maxon’s 3D application and first subscription-only release affords customers early access to massive performance and interactivity improvements including UV unwrapping and editing tools, improved selection and modeling tool functionality, organizational licensing for volume customers and updated viewport technology with support for Metal on macOS.
In addition, Maxon has boosted Cinema 4D’s pipeline compatibility with GLTF export, improved GoZ integration with Z-Brush, and support for node-based materials in FBX and Cineware. Cinema 4D S22 is immediately available for subscription customers. For perpetual license holders of Cinema 4D a release is scheduled later this year that will incorporate the features of S22, as well as additional enhancements.
“In September last year, we introduced subscription-based options so we could offer professional 3D software at a significantly lower price. This also allows us to deliver more frequent improvements and enhancements to our subscription customers,” said Dave McGavran, Maxon CEO. “S22 offers subscription users early access to powerful solutions like the much-requested UV tools improvements and organizational license management for our volume customers. And yes, we will roll all these features and more into an upgrade later this year for our perpetual customers.”
Cinema 4D S22
S22 Feature Highlights:
New UV Workflow Enhancements, Improved Packing and Automatic UVs – Improved selection tools, visualization tools and a progressive unwrapping workflow make it much simpler to define a UV map, while new packing algorithms optimize texture resolution. A new automatic UV unwrapping option based on the Ministry of Flat licensed technology developed by Eskil Steenberg of Quel Solaar makes it easy to create a basic unwrap with minimal distortion and overlaps for baking and texture painting.
Enhanced Viewport Cinema – 4D’s new viewport core provides a framework to make the best use of graphics technology in the coming years, with full support for Apple Metal. Users enjoy a more accurate view of the 3D scene, improved filtering and multi-instance performance.
Pipeline: GTLF export, GoZ Integration and More – GLTF export offers users a flexible and efficient format for sharing 3D animations on the web and within AR applications, while GoZ integration offers a smooth workflow with Pixologic Z-Brush for advanced sculpting. Support for Nodal materials within FBX and Cineware expands the pipeline for advanced materials.
Modeling Tools Improvements – In addition to many small usability enhancements, modeling tools are faster and more robust, and better preserve mesh attributes like UV and vertex maps, thanks to a new core architecture.
Organizational Licensing Options – Volume License Customers can leverage organizational accounts within the MyMaxon ecosystem to assign licenses to individual users or groups, coupling the flexibility of floating licenses with the accessibility and reliability of Maxon’s servers.
Cinema 4D S22 requires Windows 10 or MacOS 10.13.6 at minimum, and the latest 10.15 release for the best experience. (Full System Requirements.)
Available for download immediately for both macOS and Windows. (Pricing Information.)
The third season of Emmy Award-winning animated update series DuckTales launched earlier this month on Disney XD and DisneyNOW, kicking off all new adventures for the triplets, Uncle Scrooge, Webby and the rest of the flock.
The season premiere episode, “Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks” (guest starring Stephen Root as a talking guide book) follows Huey and Violet in competition to earn the top scout title. The show took a brief moment to sprinkle in some character diversity, placing two supportive parents wearing matching “I’m With Dad” shirts behind Violet when she accepted her award. In the episode, Lena refers to her friend as “my sister from a couple misters.”
Emmy-nominated series co-EP and story editor Francisco Angones (Wander Over Yonder) told a question asker on his Tumblr last fall:
“… We had a lot of conversations about who Violet was and what her background was and came up with this fun notion of her too enthusiastic, overly supportive dads who love being dads. We didn’t really have a story built around them, but when the time came for an episode focusing on Huey and Violet in a particular situation, it made sense that they would be there … But I’m well aware that the ‘queer representation through parents and background characters’ trope is an issue …
“We’ve done pretty well on racial diversity and representation of people with limb differences, but we really have not done enough relevant LGBTQ+ rep. We do have some themes and ideas coming up that address relevant LGBTQ+ narratives. But there’s always opportunity for a lot more…”
While Angones was concerned about lack of representation, the appearance of Violet’s dads was enough to cause a reaction from One Million Moms — a subsidiary of the American Family Association, a Southern Poverty Law Center designated anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.
OMM director Monica Cole, who previously targeted Toy Story 4, PBS’s Arthur and Pixar’s Onward (which featured the studio’s first openly gay character) over LGBTQ+ representation — as well as Disney TV’s The Owl House for being “demonic” — called for a boycott on Disney on Friday.
She wrote: “WARNING! DuckTales is not the same cartoon parents grew up watching. Disney has introduced a male couple as the parents of two characters in the reboot of its popular DuckTales, rated TV-Y.”
“It is apparent that this particular producer is not finished with indoctrinating children by exposing them to homosexual relationships through a facade of normalcy,” Cole added in reference to Angones’ blog post. “If anyone still has any doubt on where Disney stands on this controversial issue, hopefully this makes it clear that there is an LGBTQ agenda they are forcing on young audiences.”
It is unclear how many supporters One Million Moms actually represents. The self-described Christian network currently has 4,784 followers on Twitter; the no-DuckTales pledge addressed to CEO Bob Chapek has just under 9,700 signatures, according to OMM’s website.
According to the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, which tracks legal issues affecting LGBT people in the United States, There are 700,000 co-habitating same-sex couples in the U.S.; 114,000 of these couples are raising children under 18, and 24% of parents are raising foster or adopted children.
Italy-based kids’ content leader Rainbow has teamed up with Vertical Licensing to distribute its global preschool hit 44 Cats across Brazil. The popular 52 x 13′ series has already enjoyed record-breaking TV ratings around the world and is ready to launch a second season, continuing the CG-animated adventures of friends and bandmates Lampo, Milady, Pilou and Meatball — four kittens always eager to help other with creative solutions to everyday problems. Rainbow and Vertical Licensing have been partnering since 2017 on the super popular girls’ brand Winx Club.
Apex Legends. Stories from the Outlands
Acclaimed games animation studio Platige Image has unveiled a new episode of Apex Legends. Stories from the Outlands. Titled “The Old Ways,” the short is the second installment created by the Warsaw-based studio for global game publisher/developer Electronic Arts, following “Voidwalker.” Stories from the Outlands provides fans with more insight in the storyline of Apex Legends, a battle royale game which attracted more than 50 million players in its first month of availability. Watch the new ep. (rated T for violence) on YouTube.
GoGoBus
Winsing, one of China’s leading animation groups, has scheduled more stops for its cheerful kids’ series GoGoBus (156 x 13′). The edutainment program about a school bus who can transform into different vehicles and his team of six kids with amazing STEM abilities is now airing on Trans7 (Indonesia) and Tooniverse (South Korea). Toy launches are planned for these territories in July and May, respectively. The series will also be launching soon in Malaysia and Taiwan, with distribution partners TBA.
Moonbug has announced a partnership with leading SVOD service Showmax which will bring five of its children’s titles to young viewers across 56 markets in Africa: Little Baby Bum, Morphle, Gecko’s Garage, The Sharksonsand Supa Strikas seasons 1-5 (65 episodes).
“We have been focused on two key areas as part of our growth: continuing to build partnerships with premium streaming services around the world and strategically selecting content that will resonate with these new local audiences,” said Nicolas Eglau, Head of EMEA at Moonbug. “As the leading SVOD in Africa, Showmax is the perfect partner to host this diverse set of family-friendly programs that are already beloved by children and families globally.”
Rev & Roll
WildBrain and Alpha Group have inked more than 40 deals for their original animated preschool series Rev & Roll, which will be zooming around the world with top broadcasters across more than 25 territories. The series follows a group of high-energy friends led by eight-year-old Rev and his best friend, Rumble — a rambunctious, powerful truck with a puppy personality — in the town of Fender Bend, where everyone has a four-wheeled buddy at their side. Key deals for season one (52×11′) include SUPER RTL (Germany), TF1 (France), Turner’s Cartoonito (Italy), Karusel (Russia), TV Azteca (Mexico) and Channel 9 (Australia). In China, Rev & Roll has launched on mainstream children’s channels, including CCTV-14, JiaJia Cartoon, Youman Cartoon, Golden Eagle Cartoon, Haxuan Cartoon, and on SVOD platforms including Tencent, IQIYI, YOUKU and Mango TV. A global toy program from Alpha has rolled out in China and is planned for additional territories.
Space Dr. Cat
YouTube Kids series Space Dr. Cat is enjoying rocketing popularity, exceeding 10,000 channel subscribers. The channel has recorded steady audience growth in the first quarter of 2020, increasing 11% over March 10 and 56% over January 10. The toy/animation show follows a cat who lives in a fictional galaxy and works as a doctor, flying around on a spaceship to help the inhabitants of different planets. At the end of each episode, the cat gives simple and healthy recipes, and tips on safety, healthy living and hygiene. Watch it here.
In a move that will put a smile on the faces of millions of young viewers staying home, Disney India has announced summer premieres for Guddu, Bapu and Gadget Guru Ganesha — three new shows produced by leading India- and Singapore-based animation studio Cosmos-Maya. With the addition of these three shows, Cosmos-Maya will have 20 of its own-produced series currently airing worldwide.
The news comes soon after two other Cosmos-Maya originals, Titoo and Lambuji Tinguji, were greenlit by Turner India for their channels Cartoon Network and Pogo.
“We are very happy with this development and our heartfelt thanks goes out to Disney India for its continued support of local content,” said Anish Mehta, CEO of Cosmos-Maya. “As partners we have both have tasted great success with the hit show Selfie With Bajrangi, and just like Bajrangi, these three shows are also in line with Cosmos-Maya’s USP of creating series that combine ‘Novelty with Relatability’.”
Discussing how the studio is coping with current lockdown restrictions, Mehta explained: “For a studio the size of Cosmos-Maya, it was no small task to keep operations running. But crisis or no crisis, the show must go on. We have kept production operations running remotely from home to ensure that children are kept engaged and entertained at home.”
Guddu chronicles the exploits of the anthropomorphic circus lion Guddu, a spin-off character from the very popular Motu Patlu franchise. The show pushes the envelope of 3D animation quality with outstanding and original visuals.
Bapu, the first IP of its kind inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, tells the story of a wise elder of a contemporary neighborhood in the modern world. Bapu and his three monkeys always endeavor to help kids face their problems, right wrongs and add a positive spin to adversity.
Both Guddu and Bapu are directed by Suhas Kadav, who is also the director of the Motu Patlu franchise.
Gadget Guru Ganesha is a slice-of-life buddy comedy based on a quintessential Indian family, and beautifully encapsulates the nuances of Indian culture in an entertaining format. The show is directed by Dheeraj Berry, also the director of Cosmos-Maya highly popular Selfie With Bajrangi.
The Paley Center for Media is joining the ranks of organizations stepping up to offer educational resources to children, parents and teachers during the COVID-19 school shutdowns. The Center’s educational team has organized an easily-accessible curriculum honed for remote learning, Education At Home.
One highlight of the multifaceted and broad array of offerings are online classes, which include the course “Tooned into Animation” (available here;). In this class, kids can learn and see the difference between a storyboard, pencil test and completed title sequence, while being introduced to vocabulary terminology and more. The class is suitable for children in grades 4-7.
The Center has also put together other online classes covering different aspects of media, aimed at different age groups. These include “The Fine Art of Persuasion: Television and Advertising,” “The Thirty-Second Candidate: Political Advertising on Television” and “Red Scare: The Cold War & Television.”
Beyond classes, the educational program is anchored by the Paley Center’s Education & Media Resource Guide. The weekly publication is aimed at administrators, teachers and families. The first issue is a general Introduction to Media Literacy, with subsequent editions exploring topics including Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo, Global Communities, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, World Oceans Day and Civil Rights, all aligned with curricula. Issues will include curated and recommended TV programs and other media to share with students and families, along with specific follow-up questions to discuss with students, as well as writing prompts and video guides to physical activity.
Additionally, Paley educators also host Live Video Meetups leading discussions and Q&A from students, parents and teachers. These meetups take place every Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.
Finally, to help navigate the broad media landscape, The Paley Center will provide an Annotated Educational Television Guide of recommended programs on topics that tie to school curricula and build media literacy.
Blue Zoo Animation Studio has established itself as one of the U.K.’s leading animation companies. Renowned for its multi-BAFTA winning work in broadcast, the studio is now looking to expand its unique talents and capabilities within the advertising production sector.
Building on an already solid client list and successful commercial campaigns — including the likes of Kellogg’s, Microsoft, Clarks, Just Eat, Pokemon, Playmobil, LEGO and Disney — Blue Zoo welcomes the arrival of New Business Manager, Craig Purkis, to the Short Form and Advertising team.
Purkis brings over 15 years of experience in leading new business ventures for both film and animation production companies. His track record in maximising growth of existing markets whilst strategically repositioning company offerings to enable expansion into new territories made him the ideal candidate. Purkis’ industry knowledge and network will be instrumental as the studio looks to illuminate the Blue Zoo brand in the creative and advertising world.
The appointment signifies the company’s intent and ongoing ambition to create beautifully crafted and imaginative animation to an ever increasingly diverse audience.
Led by Creative Director and Head of Short Form, Damian Hook, and Purkis, the new-look Short Form and Advertising division will build on Blue Zoo’s current wealth of over 150 talented in-house artists. By also forging partnerships with external directors, the studio will open opportunities to work with a greater range of clients on ever more ambitious commercial projects.
“To join a company with such a great reputation and incredible portfolio of work is hugely exciting. What’s more, Blue Zoo’s approach to nurturing existing and emerging talent is something I am also very passionate about,” said Purkis. “I genuinely look forward to spreading the Blue Zoo word, creating new and exciting commercial opportunities and helping in the continuing success of the company in its 20th year and beyond.”
“Everyone at Blue Zoo is really excited about Craig joining the Short Form and Advertising Department. We know his experience and ability will help spread our reputation with creatives and agencies worldwide, whilst also developing talent inside the studio makes him the perfect addition to the team,” added Hook. “We look forward to collaborating on ideas and showcasing Blue Zoo’s fantastic character animation on some great projects soon.”
Disney has announced its new live-action film Artemis Fowl will stream exclusively on Disney + beginning Friday, June 12. The studio has also unveiled a new TV spot which sneak peeks some of the other-worldly effects of the high-tech fairy realm.
Based on the best-selling young adult book by Eoin Colfer and directed by Kenneth Branagh, Artemis Fowl is a fantastical epic adventure, resplendent with beautiful landscapes and spectacular visual effects that will transport viewers to magical new worlds. The feature stars newcomer Ferdia Shaw in the title role alongside Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel and Adrian Scarborough, with Colin Farrell and Judi Dench.
“Artemis Fowl is a true original. In challenging times, a 12-year-old criminal mastermind is one heck of a travelling companion,” said Branagh. “Smart, funny, and cool as mustard, he’ll take you to new worlds, meet unforgettable characters, and mix magic with mayhem. His own family is everything to him, and (although he’d never admit it), he’d be as proud as I am that families around the world will now be able to enjoy his first amazing screen adventures together, on Disney +.”
Synopsis: Twelve-year-old genius Artemis Fowl, a descendant of a long line of criminal masterminds, sets out in a desperate attempt to save his father, who has been kidnapped. In order to pay his ransom, Artemis must infiltrate an ancient, underground civilization — the amazingly advanced world of fairies — and bring the kidnapper the Aculos, the fairies’ most powerful and coveted magical device. To locate the elusive object, cunning Artemis concocts a dangerous plan — so dangerous that he ultimately finds himself in a perilous war of wits with the all-powerful fairies.
Award-winning American animation director and producer Gene Deitch has died at age 95. The beloved artist passed away Thursday night in Prague, where he lived with his wife and fellow animator Zdenka Najmanova. The news was shared with the Czech News Agency (CTK) by Garamond publishing house owner Petr Himel. The label published Deitch’s memoirs, For the Love of Prague, in 2018.
Born Eugene Merrill Deitch in Chicago on August 8, 1924, he moved to California with his family five years later. After graduating from Los Angeles High School, Deitch began working as a draftsman for North American Aviation. He was drafted and entered pilot training, but was discharged due to pneumonia in 1944. Deitch re-entered the commercial art world, contributing cover and interior illustrations to jazz magazine The Record Changer.
Deitch’s animation career heated up quickly. In the late 1940s/early ’50s, he won the Gold Medal of the New York Art Directors Club for best commercial two times, and these works became part of the Museum of Modern Art collection in New York. He worked at iconic mid-century studio UPA before becoming creative director of Terrytoons (under 20th Century Fox), creating characters like Sidney the Elephant, Gaston Le Crayon, Clint Clobber and Terr’ble Thompson.
He was nominated for an Academy Award in 1958 for his theatrical cartoon Sidney’s Family Tree, although he was let go from Terrytoons that same year. Deitch set up his own New York studio, Gene Deitch Associates, which primarily produced commercials. With the promise of funding for his theatrical short concept Munro, Deitch relocated to Prague in communist Czechoslovakia in late 1959. He intended to stay only 10 days, but decided to settle in the city permanently after meeting his future wife, animation producer Zdenka Najmanova.
Munro won the Oscar for Animated Short Film in 1961, becoming the cartoon produced outside the U.S. to earn the honor. Deitch worked with the film’s backers Rembrandt Films through the ’60s to produce Popeye TV cartoons with King Features and a dozen Tom and Jerry shorts for MGM. Deitch co-produced and directed a series of King Features’ Krazy Kat shorts for TV with William Snyder, with whom he also created his original kids’ series The Bluffers and directed Alice of Wonderland in Paris (1966).
From 1968 until his retirement in 2008, Deitch was lead animation director for Weston Woods Studios (based in Connecticut). The ex-pat openly expressed his love for Prague, where he created some 70 animated films and seven TV series, saying that Czechoslovak authorities never interfered with his work. Although, his 1969 short The Giants (Obri) was banned in the country due to perceived criticism of the 1968 Soviet invasion.
Deitch was honored with the Winsor McCay Award for his lifetime contributions to animation at the 2003 Annie Awards — an honor he once told an interviewer he valued more than his Oscar.
Latest updates: Comic-Con canceled, Cannes parallel sections canceled, Napa Valley Film Festival canceled, gamescom/devcom go fully digital, Digital Dragons indie game fest moved online
As cities, regions and entire countries enact emergency measures, international festivals and conferences have shut down or put off their upcoming editions due to the ongoing global spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Here is a brief rundown on animation, film, TV, gaming and fandom events affected, which Animag will be updating as announcements are made:
Comic-Con Int’l (July 23-26; San Diego, CA) CANCELED. Virtual “Comic-Con@Home” initiatives, including panels, interviews and Online Exhibit Hall, in the works. www.comic-con.org
Cannes Film Festival: Directors’ Fortnight, Critics’ Week and ACID (May 12-23; Cannes, France) CANCELED. Next editions: TBA. www.festival-cannes.com/en
Napa Valley Film Festival (November; Napa Valley, CA) CANCELED. Next Edition: November 10-14, 2021. www.napavalleyfilmfest.org
gamescom (August 25-29) and devcom (Aug. 22-24; Cologne, Germany) MOVED ONLINE. Established digital formats to be expanded and new ones added for both convention and developer’s conference. www.gamescom.global
Digital Dragons Indie Celebration (May 13-15) MOVED ONLINE. Presented on Steam by Walkabout Games, Digital Dragons and Valve. Submissions open thru April 16. Next edition: Sept. 14-15 (Krakow, Poland). http://digitaldragons.pl/digital-dragons-indie-celebration
Annecy Festival | MIFA (June 15-20; Annecy, France) CANCELED. Official selection to be announced April 15, will “disclose an offer that will be elaborate and up to the expectations of our festivalgoers and loyal Mifa professionals.” Next edition: June 14-19, 2021. www.annecy.org
NATPE Budapest Int’l (June 30-July 3; Budapest, Hungary) POSTPONED. Next edition: August 25-27. www.natpe.com/budapest
NATPE Streaming Plus (July 28; Los Angeles, CA) POSTPONED. Next edition: September 15. www.natpe.com/streamingplus
Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards (April 18; Tenerife, Spain) POSTPONED. Digital edition being planned for awards, co-pro and business forum — dates TBA. https://premiosquirino.org/en
Stuttgart Int’l Festival of Animated Film (May 5-10; Stuttgart, Germany) MOVED ONLINE. Free streaming festival, plus paid On-Demand film access and industry-only content. http://itfs.de / http://onlinefestival.itfs.de
The Children’s Media Conference (July 7-9; Sheffield, U.K.) is now The Children’s Media Community “Still Here Right Now”. Online programs will roll out leading up to a virtual conference, including a focus on the Chinese market (April 21) and virtual meetings with Chinese platforms & co-producers (April 22). www.thechildrensmediaconference.com
Tribeca Film Festival (April 15-26; New York City, NY) MOVED ONLINE. Select virtual programming includes Tribeca Immersive Cinema 360 (on Oculus devices April 17); Jury & Art Awards; N.O.W. Creators Market (industry-only), Industry Extranet Resource Hub; Tribeca X Awards showcase (April 3). www.tribecafilm.com
Cannes Lions Int’l Festival of Creativity (June 22-26; Cannes, France) POSTPONED. Next edition: October 26-30, 2020. www.canneslions.com
VidCon (June 17-20; Anaheim, CA) CANCELED. VidCon Mexico postponed to September, VidCon Abu Dhabi postponed to December. www.vidcon.com
LA Screenings (May 12-14; Los Angeles, CA): MOVED ONLINE. Next edition: Virtual Screenings 2020, same dates.
BAFTA events (U.K.): CANCELED. All live film/TV/games gatherings, lectures and seminars through April.
Quickdraw Animation Society (Calgary, AB) CLOSED. Workspace, classes and screenings shutdown until further notice.
NAB Show (April 18-22; Las Vegas, NV): MOVED ONLINE. Next edition: NAB Show Express digital edition April 2020; expanded NAB Show New York Oct. 21-22.
Daytime Emmy Awards & Creative Arts ceremonies (June 12-14; Pasadena, CA) CANCELED. Next edition: TBA. www.emmys.com
Fathom Events screenings (U.S.A.) including, CANCELED: Steven Universe: The Movie Sing-A-Long Event (March 23); POSTPONED: Children of the Sea (April 20 & 22), Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (March 25), Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] I. presage flower & II. lost butterfly Double Feature (April 23), Fate/stay night [Heaven’s Feel] III. spring song (May 7), PROMARE (Complete) (April 7 & 8). www.fathomevents.com
Cannes Film Festival & Marché du Film (May 12-23; Cannes, France) POSTPONED. Next edition: Festival, Summer 2020 TBA; Market, virtual version in works. www.festival-cannes.com/en.
Int’l Emmy Kids Awards (March 31; Cannes, France) MOVED ONLINE. The annual ceremony at MIPTV will be replaced by social media announcements (FB/TW/IG: @iemmys) beginning at 8 a.m. EST. http://www.iemmys.tv/international-emmy-awards/kids-awards
Cape Town Int’l Animation Festival (May 1-3; Cape Town, South Africa) POSTPONED. Next edition: April 24-27, 2021. A special CTIAF curated shorts program will screen at Annecy 2020. http://www.ctiaf.com
NY Licensing Leadership Summit (March 16-17; New York City, NY) POSTPONED. Next edition: November 5-6, 2020. www.licensingleadershipsummit.com
DreamHack Dallas (May 22-24; Dallas, TX) POSTPONED. Next edition: August 14-16, 2020. https://dreamhack.com/dallas
DreamHack Summer (June 12-14; Jönköping, Sweden) POSTPONED. Next edition: August 6-9, 2020. DreamHack Masters TBA. https://dreamhack.com/summer
Funko stores (Everett, WA / Hollywood, CA) CLOSED until further notice. www.funko.com
Anime Boston (April 10-12; Boston, MA): CANCELED. Next edition: April 2-4, 2021. www.animeboston.com
British Academy Television Craft Awards (April 26; London, U.K.): POSTPONED. Next edition: TBA 2020. www.bafta.org
Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards (May 17; London, U.K.): POSTPONED. Next edition: TBA 2020. www.bafta.org
Series Mania (canceled) is now Series Mania Digital Forum, available online March 25-April 7. Includes pitching sessions, “Coming Next From” and curated Buyers Showcase. https://seriesmaniadigital.com/
AMC movie theaters (U.S.A.) ALL LOCATIONS CLOSED. 630 cinemas closed for 6-12 weeks, effective March 17. https://www.amctheatres.com/
Ann Arbor Film Festival (March 24-29; Ann Arbor, MI): CANCELED. Next edition: TBA. http://aafilmfest.org
San Francisco Int’l Film Festival (April 8-21; San Francisco, CA): CANCELED. Next edition: 2021; SFFILM 2020 events TBA. http://sffilm.org/
gamesweekberlin (April 17-19; Berlin, Germany): POSTPONED. Next editions: July 22-25 (A MAZE./Berlin Festival of ART X), Oct. 28 (Digital Games Culture Foundation Conference), Oct. 29-30 (QUO VADIS conference, Womenize! recruitment platform, German eSports Summit; in cooperation with EGX Berlin Oct. 30-Nov. 1). www.gamesweekberlin.com
Licensing Expo (May 19-21; Las Vegas, NV): POSTPONED. Next edition: August 11-13. http://licensingexpo.com
Quickdraw Animation Society – classes & screenings (Calgary, AB) CANCELED. Workspace remains open. Next editions: Classes resume March 23, Saturday MASS (Persepolis) April 4, Spring Break Camp going ahead March 23. https://quickdrawanimation.ca
Game Developers Conference (March 16-20; San Francisco, CA): MOVED ONLINE. Next edition: Sessions streaming on Twitch 3/16-3/20. https://gdconf.com | twitch.tv/gdc
Independent Games Festival & Game Developers Choice Awards (March 18): MOVED ONLINE. Streams start at 5 p.m. PT.
GDC Day of the Devs (March 18): MOVED ONLINE. Stream starts at 4 p.m. PT.
FMX Conference (May 5-8; Stuttgart, Germany): CANCELED. Next edition: May 4-7, 2021. http://fmx.de
Creative Week 2020 (The One Show, 99th ADC Awards) (May 11-15; New York City, New York): CANCELED. Next edition: One Show, ADC Awards and Young Ones Awards to be held online. creativeweek.org
E3 (June 9-11; Los Angeles, CA): CANCELED. Next edition: 2021. e3expo.com
The World Health Organization released an informational video about what COVID-19 is, how it spreads, and how individuals can protect themselves and others from the risk of infection.
If you have information on other animation, VFX and related events that have canceled or postponed their 2020 editions, drop us a line at edit@www.animationmagazine.net
Animation director Van Phan won two Student Emmys for his first two animated shorts: Wild Card and Values,which were made when he was attending USC’s Film. Values also received the Best Animated Short prize at Siggraph in 2001. He has worked as an animator, previs artist and designer for films and games produced by DreamWorks, Sony Imageworks, Digital Domain, The Third Floor, Halon Studios, Activision, Zynga, Naughty Dog, 2K, ILM and Blue Sky Studios. Phan’s latest project, an animated VR short titled Upstander, debuts today as part of the Tribeca Festival’s online Cinema360 spotlight. He was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about his latest venture:
How did you come up with the idea for your anti-bullying VR project?
Van Phan: Upstander was made in partnership with youth charity The Diana Award and the Oculus VR for Good creator’s lab. I was partnered with The Diana Award to make a 360-degree video experience to champion their anti-bullying message. During my visit to The Diana Award, the ambassador acted out some possible bullying scenarios. Learning about their experience was invaluable and inspired several scenes in Upstander, helping to make it more authentic. Using the feedback from the Creator’s Lab, I reworked the original story and made changes in the story’s perspective from the bullied to the bystander. I also changed the set from an outdoor playground to an indoor basketball court, as having an indoor space would make it easier to direct the participant’s attention.
The journey of creating Upstander has been transformative for me, as I have discovered the potential of the new medium and believe in its potential as an empathy machine to make people feel and think more. As it was created in VR, I wanted to structure the experience so it would take advantage of the medium and pushed boundaries visually, and also by introducing certain narrative components unique to VR, such as the participant’s body movement.
When did you start working on it, and how long did it take to finish?
The project was started in June 2018 and production wrapped December 2019.
Which tools did you use to produce the animation?
We used the Unreal Marketplace for most of the models and environments and the Unreal game engine for used for the VR production.
How many people worked on it, and what was your ballpark budget?
There were a lot of people involved, but the production had a couple of people working on it during different stages of production.
Because VR is a new medium, a filmmaker can create something unique and fresh. I was able to explore the use of embodiment, space and shifts in perspective as a tool to drive the narrative of the new medium. It was very satisfying to be part of the entire process from ideation to promotion.
Upstander starts as a conventional linear narrative with extraordinary characters, as it uses backpacks to represent characters. Changes in POV, camera movement and embodiment support the narrative arc of the experience as well as to explore a new visual language. Bullying is more relevant now than ever during COVID-19 as the pandemic has escalated racial bullying towards Asians. I hope to push the boundaries of storytelling with his next interactive project.
What is your take on the state of VR in 2020?
VR is at a pivotal moment and will pick up again due to better and better content created, such as Half-Life: Alyx. Also, COVID-19 might have a positive impact on VR as people are using it as a tool to connect virtually. For example, the Tribeca immersive film festival will still run and will be screening for free on the Oculus Go and Quest headsets. Situations like this might lead people to explore VR as a tool for adapting to social distancing and explore ways to cope with being stuck at home. VR is also a lot more affordable, as you can get a VR to stand alone headset for only 200-400 dollars now.
What kind of advice would you give animators who would like to enter the VR medium?
Master the fundamentals of storytelling and animation well and use this knowledge to structure a good story. Also, learn emerging technology such as Unreal or Unity, as these are the tools for VR and AR development.
What are you working on next?
I want to explore using interactivity to create an experience that not only builds empathy but also gives the participant a sense of agency, so they can feel, think and take action after experiencing it. We have a prototype developed, and are looking for some partners to help us get it completed.
Upstander is available to experience in the Tribeca Film Festival’s Cinema360, presented in partnership with Facebook’s Oculus. Discover the program here and learn more about the film at www.upstandervr.com
Crunchyroll has released a brand new trailer for the upcoming series The God of High School — one of the anime destination’s Original Series slate — along with introducing the voice acting cast for the main characters. The preview offers an action-packed introduction to Jin Mori, the carefree, easy-going protagonist of the series who loves to fight using taekwondo; Han Daewi, a compassionate Kyokushin karate user who values his friends; and Yoo Mira, a Moonlight sword user determined to carry on her family’s tradition, as Crunchyroll teases the tournament to come.
The God of High School is an action-packed series that follows a high schooler and his friends as they compete in an epic tournament, borrowing power directly from the gods and uncovering a mysterious organization along the way… With the promise of their heart’s deepest desires, motivating their tournament victory. The series is based on the comic created by Yongje Park and published by WEBTOON.
Jin Mori: A 16-year-old whose taekwondo, which he learned from his grandfather, makes him undefeatable. Nothing is more important to him than being the best fighter of all, and his current record out of 299 fights is 297 wins and two draws. He decides to participate in the God of High School tournament, an interdisciplinary martial arts competition, after suffering the first loss of his life against Judge R, one of the tournament’s judges. Voiced by Tatsumaru Tachibana (Case File nº221: Kabukicho – Toratarou Kobayashi; Alchemist Code [Stage Play] – Kudanstein).
Yoo Mira: The 25th Master of the Moon Light Sword Style. She pretends to be a fragile high schooler, but she has the strength to easily overpower an entire group of delinquents in a fight. She prefers guys who are macho, because she’s been told that she needs to marry a man strong enough to help her resurrect her family’s sword style. For that reason, she’s participating in GOH to find a potential husband. Voiced by Ayaka Ohashi (Aikatsu! – Ran Shibuki; THE IDOLM@STER CINDERELLA GIRLS [TV] – Uzuki Shimamura; Masamune-kun’s Revenge – Aki Adagaki; BanG Dream! [TV] – Saaya Yamabuki; Magical Girl Ore – Saki Uno; Hensuki: Are you willing to fall in love with a pervert, as long as she’s a cutie? – Koharu Ootori; Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story [TV] – Kaede Akino).
Han Daewi: One of the “Mad Cows,” a duo that once controlled the entire Gangnam area. He’s been working part-time jobs to pay the medical bills for his partner in the duo, who fell ill with an incurable disease, but the part-time work available to high schoolers is barely enough to cover the daily medical bills and won’t cover a cure. He joins GOH after being told that he can save his friend if he wins. Voiced by Kentaro Kumagai (Tsuredure Children – Haruhiko Takase; Record of Grancrest War – Theo Cornaro; Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans – Aston Altland; Hinomaru Sumo – Yuuma Gojou).
The series is being directed by Sunghoo Park, who helmed GARO – VANISHING LINE and has worked in different capacities on hits like Yuri!!! on ICE and Terror in Resonance. The character design is handled by Akita Manabu, who has been a key animator on titles including Kakegurui, Terror in Resonance, Kids on the Slope and Rage of Bahamut. The animation is produced by MAPPA.
The God of High School will premiere exclusively on Crunchyroll in July.
Grizzled action icon Danny Trejo is bringing his bad boy act to animation for a new episode of Victor and Valentino, premiering on Cartoon Network on Saturday, April 25 at 9:45 a.m. ET/PT. Titled “Lords of Ghost Town,” the episode is also available now on the CN App and VOD.
Trejo voices “Paco,” the leader of the Lords of Ghost Town motorcycle crew and an outlaw that lives by his own rules. As one of Monte Macabre’s only ghosts with the guts to stand up to flesh-bags, Victor and Valentino recruit Paco to scare away a bully, but end up messing with the realm of the dead to disastrous consequences.
Created by Diego Molano, Victor and Valentino is a supernatural adventure comedy that follows two half-brothers who spend a summer with their grandma in Monte Macabre, a small and mysterious town, where the myths and legends of Mesoamerican folklore come to life.
Season 2 premieres this Saturday, April 18 on Cartoon Network, with new episodes airing every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. ET/PT through June.
As folks around the world adjust to the COVID-19 crisis, the award-winning animators at Netflix are turning their artistic skills to a series of touching tributes to the caregivers that are working to keep us all safe during the pandemic. Nurses, doctors, law enforcements, postal workers and other essential front-liners are being celebrated in cartoon “love letters” shared by the talented hands behind some of our favorite shows.
Representing the streamer’s kids & family, adult animation and anime departments, participating creatives sharing pieces to their personal accounts include James Baxter (Director of Character Animation and known for his work on iconic characters at Disney and Dreamworks), Sunmin Inn (Art Director), Prabhu Rajaganapathy (Animator for Love, Death + Robots), Adrian Maganza (Storyboard Supervisor), Derek Ortega (Artist), Chris Garbutt (Creator of Pinky Malinky), Michelle Lam (Story Artist), Janice Kobu (Lead color designer for Kid Cosmic) and Joe Sutherland (Animator).
Check out their #CartoonsForCaregivers below and follow @netflixfamily on Instagram for more fun from the streamer.
Cartoons for Caregivers by Jeff Baxter CartoonsCartoons for Caregivers by Adrian MaganzaCartoons for Caregivers by Joe SutherlandCartoons for Caregivers by Chris GarbuttCartoons for Caregivers by Derek OrtegaCartoons for Caregivers by Janice KuboCartoons for Caregivers by Michelle LamCartoons For Caregivers by Prabhu Rajaganapathy
Leading computer graphics technology company Chaos Group has released V-Ray PLE for Maya, a new personal learning edition of its production renderer. V-Ray PLE helps new and self-taught CG artists explore the benefits of photorealistic rendering at their own pace, using a free non-commercial license that can be renewed every 90 days. With access to nearly every V-Ray feature, artists can build new skills as they try out some of the same tools used to bring Game of Thrones and Avengers: Infinity War to life.
V-Ray PLE for Maya comes equipped with all the major features of V-Ray Next, including scene intelligence, GPU production rendering and improved IPR. While renders are never watermarked, V-Ray PLE output is limited to 4K. Other limitations are mainly network or development driven: no batch rendering, distributed rendering or access to AppSDK.
V-Ray PLE for Maya has been in development for several months, but was fast-tracked after COVID-19 to help more artists access the software from home. With more artists indoors, Chaos Group wanted to offer an engaging way to build new skills. To help them along, Chaos Group has also added a new set of learning materials to the V-Ray for Maya documentation page.
V-Ray PLE for Maya represents the pilot project for V-Ray personal learning editions. Chaos Group will leave the option open for other products in the future.
The new release is available now for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X. Licenses are free for non-commercial use and can be renewed every 90 days.
We’ve been following the brilliant team at London-based Lupus Films for many years now. Just yesterday, it was announced that their latest TV special The Tiger Who Came to Tea will be competing at Annecy’s online 2020 festival. The studio, which was founded by Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding in 2002, has produced several award-winning TV specials and features, including The Snowman and the Snowdog, Ethel & Ernest, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and The Christmas Letter. Upcoming productions include Kensuke’s Kingdom, Kiki, Molesworth and Brambly Hedge. Deakin and Fielding were kind enough to answer a few questions about running their studio during these challenging times.
Kensuke’s Kingdom
Animag: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us. Can you tell us how the pandemic and its stay-at-home policies affected your work?
Deakin & Fielding: We are all working from home and it was a bit strange at first, but now we’ve settled into a routine and it is working really well. We are currently in development on a number of exciting film and TV projects, and therefore it is relatively easy to work on those with everyone working from home. In development we are usually a small team of creatives working together — writers, directors, animators and producers — so it’s easy to coordinate everyone on video conferencing calls and we are finding that not having any interruptions, like you do in a busy production office, means we’re getting a lot done!
When did things really change for you in the U.K.?
The official lockdown was announced by the U.K. government on Monday 23rd March, but in fact we had already been moving over to home working a week or so before that, so we were well prepared. It’s also a relief not having a daily commute on the train or underground and because of that we’re being pretty efficient and starting and finishing earlier as a rule.
Molesworth
Which projects are in the works at Lupus right now?
We are working on the development of a large slate of projects, including some exciting animated feature films: Kensuke’s Kingdom, based on a Michael Morpurgo novel; Molesworth, which we pitched at Cartoon Movie in March and which is based on the books by Geoffrey Willans and illustrated by Ronald Searle; a film about Frida Kahlo directed by Paloma Baeza; and a film about Kiki, Queen of Montparnasse, directed by Peter Dodd. We are also developing some lovely TV specials and series, including an adaptation of the much-loved Brambly Hedge books, and some other top secret projects which we can’t announce yet!
Which technologies do you use to communicate and to do the animation from a distance?
We mainly use Google Hangouts for video conferencing with our own crew, as all our emails are hosted by Google, but have also been using Zoom, BlueJeans, Microsoft Teams, Skype and even HouseParty to talk to people outside the company, depending on what system they are using. We are also using screensharing for visual feedback on animation and design work, which is something we do in any case if we have freelancers working from outside the studio. We have a really good IT set up, so can access the main server in our studio pretty easily via a VPN, and can share large files via FTP sites. We’ve got animators working remotely on animation tests and trailers using packages such as TVPaint and AfterEffects, and one of our crew has been working from home editing an animatic for a new special using Adobe Premiere.
[virtual meeting]
Do you have any tips on how to stay sane, motivated and inspired during this challenging period?
Take regular exercise (if you can). We can go out for walks or cycle rides in London and have also been discovering the joys of online pilates and Zumba classes. And Ruth has even bought a treadmill!
Catch up with your team on regular video conference calls to make sure everyone is OK. Use the time to read scripts and treatments for work, but also seek out books and films and TV series that you keep meaning to dive into but never seem to get the time. We’ve both been increasing our knowledge online through the new MasterClass app. It’s a great way to learn something new and tap into your creativity.
Aim to have a group cocktail (or tipple of choice) on video conferencing at least once a week, generally heading into the weekend (which helps to remind us what day it is, as it is easy to lose track during lockdown)!
Have you been bingeing on any shows in quarantine land?
Camilla: Like many people, I have been watching Tiger King, but also rewatching box sets such as The Sopranos and introducing my teenage kids to films like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, The Usual Suspects, Donnie Darko and The Big Lebowski.
Ruth: I’m just about to watch the new series of Killing Eve and have been bingeing on The Nest, a recent BBC drama, and caught up with J-Lo in Hustlers on Amazon Prime.
To learn more about Camilla and Ruth and the team at Lupus Films, visit www.lupusfilms.com.
If you like your apocalyptic fare flavored with sharp insights, beautiful imagery and psychedelic animation, then you should get comfortable and get ready to binge the complete first season of The Midnight Gospel at one go. The fantastic new show, created by Adventure Time wizard Pendleton Ward and actor/comedian Duncan Trussell, premieres on Netflix on April 20, and is unlike anything else we might see this year.
Trussell, who started hosting his popular Duncan Trussell Family Hour podcast in 2012, says the genesis of the show goes back to the day he received a random email from Ward. “I couldn’t believe it,” says the comedian. “We were still in the early days of podcasting then, and I thought it was so amazing that he actually listened to my show. I was hoping I wasn’t being pranked or trolled by a monster!”
The Midnight Gospel
Before long, Trussell and Ward became friends, and when Adventure Time wrapped its run on Cartoon Network, Ward approached the comedian to collaborate on a new animated show. “I wanted to make something … meaningful, ha-ha!,” says Ward. “But I was struggling to come up with a concept for a show that could showcase the things that I think are meaningful. I wanted something overly honest that dealt with kindness and compassion, something that felt beautiful to me.”
Ward says he was listening to Trussell’s podcast and realized that the host was doing all the things that he wished he was doing. “He interviews meditation teachers and Zen gurus, comedians and philosophers … and in those conversations he’s an open book,” he notes. “He talks about his insecurities and flaws and he’s sweet and uplifting as he listens with intention to his guests … and he’s a comedian!”
Duncan Trussell and Pendleton Ward
Zen and the Art of Animation
Ward says Trussell has the ability to make two-hour conversations about meditation funny! “He makes listening to this stuff so enjoyable, so I asked him if I could make an animated show around his podcast interviews,” says the animation creator. “I drew a rough animatic of how I imagined it, where he was interviewing Dr. Drew and they were both fighting zombies in an apocalyptic reality while they talked about curbing opioid addiction with weed. Duncan was into it and then we went about developing it more together and pitching it.”
The show they came up with follows the adventures of a Clancy, slacker “spacecaster” who lives in another dimension called ‘The Chromatic Ribbon,’ where simulation farmers use powerful bio-computers to simulate universes to harvest technology. Meanwhile, all the planets within the simulator are going through their own unique apocalypses, and the beings living in these other worlds are the guests Clancy interviews for his spacecast, which is called The Midnight Gospel! Got it?
Trussell says Ward realized that if you take podcast dialog and put it against some intense Indiana Jones-type action, it creates an innately comedic situation. “I guess even during apocalyptic situations, people aren’t going to be always talking about the apocalypse and not about interpersonal relations. So, even though our hero goes through all these different scenarios, the conversation grounds it while allowing it to exist in these beautiful, ethereal and psychedelic worlds.”
According to Trussell, Ward came up with a proof of concept animatic for the show about two years ago, which eventually evolved into the pilot for the series. “At that point, we had both heard so many things about Netflix and the fact that they give a lot of creative freedom to the artists and creatives, so we took our pitch and showed it to Mike Moon [head of adult animation] at Netflix and told them that we wanted to work with them.”
Trussell says he and Ward were also very excited about working with Chris and Shannon
Prynoski and their L.A.-based animation studio, Titmouse. “I had been to one of their Smash Parties [where employees were invited to smash things they brought from home] and thought they were so cool,” he recalls. They have these great Bigfoot sculptures at the studio, it’s just a wonderful madhouse of an animation studio, and I fell in love with it!”
After getting the greenlight, Ward and Trussell put together a writers’ summit of sorts for two weeks, where they invited comedians like Johnny Pemberton, Brendon Walsh, Weird Al Yankovic and Emo Philips were joined by occult scholar Jason Louv and white witch Maja D’Aoust. “Those were the two most fun weeks ever,” recalls Trussell. “ The main idea was to come up with all these various ways that the world could end, since the show is all about a malfunctioning multiverse simulator, so we needed eight or more different apocalypses.”
The Midnight Gospel
Ward’s New Playground
For Ward, The Midnight Gospel was a chance to explore the brave, new world of making animation for grown-ups. “For the first half of the year, I felt kind of scared to make an adult cartoon — drawing blood and wieners and stuff,” he confesses with a laugh. “I was so used to making kids’ cartoons. I don’t know … I was like ‘this feels wrong!’ But then I got over it! My intention was to mix cartoony ultra-violence with conversations on compassion. I wanted to make something that calloused people could bite into and maybe get something out of it. That’s what Duncan’s podcast did for me. It has an edge that grounds me so I don’t cringe up into a ball listening to pure sweetness. It’s like putting honey on potato chips or dipping French fries in my frosty!”
Trussell says he was astounded by the contributions of all the board artists and animators who worked on the show. “Because of the nature of our show, our animators didn’t have to adhere to such a strict style, as we wanted this dreamlike, psychedelic fluidity. Our animators and visual artists all contributed to the writing. Overall, so many people contributed to each episode … I was a complete neophyte and so lucky to work with Pendleton and to be able to witness all of it from the beginning to the final episode of the season.”
The Midnight Gospel
“Working at Titmouse was truly, really cool,” adds Ward. “About 190 people worked on the show, and being near the animation was so wonderful for me. Our supervising director Mike Mayfield was all about letting animators interpret the scenes and acting as they wanted. I wanted it to be animated on threes and fours ‘cause I’m a nerd for limited animation. Mike asked the animators to stay loosely close to the designs, but to put their own style onto the drawings. I think all of that made it a fun show to animate since there was a lot of room for everyone to put their stink on it. The animation is killer, and I was blown away every time I watched a new cut with new animation in. Seeing how Titmouse worked and how Mike directed really made me want to make more shows where animators could have control.”
The two-time Emmy winner (and six-time nominee) adds, “The show really came together so good. I am so happy: I honestly feel like I can die happy because the last episode is just so good. I stood up and screamed, ‘Yeeeeeeaaaaaa!!!’ when I watched the first pass of the last animatic.
For Trussell, getting to work with Ward has also been a life-changing experience. “Creatively, it’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I have so many ways to describe him, but I don’t want to embarrass him, because he never likes to toot his own horn. But I really felt like someone who was living in a village in this fantasy world, and then one day, this forest wizard came out and said, ‘You come with me!’ and took me under his wing. He really downloaded so many things that he had learned during the years working on Adventure Time. He is such an empowering figure: He taught me to trust my own instincts and dive into the unknown, to even sing songs for the show! The amount of freedom he gives people who work with him is amazing. He also has this incredibly beautiful and powerful ability to trim the fact, which you can say is a simplicity genius.”
The Midnight Gospel
Trussell, who counts classic movies such as Watership Down, Charlotte’s Web and The Secret of N.I.M.H and MTV’s Liquid Television and Aeon Flux among his all-time animation favorites, says looking back he allows himself to pat himself on the back, because it’s really a pat on the back of the hundreds of people who worked on the show. “I am proud of becoming one of the little synapses in the collective brain that formed The Midnight Gospel. We all became this creative goo, merged together and resulted in this amoeba of creativity. I am just proud to be part of that goo!”
Ward says he’s especially fond of the last episode of the season. “Dang, I’ve watched it at least 50 times. I get something new from it every time I listen that changes my life. I got a lot out of working on this show … It really made my life better. For everyone else, I hope we made something that pulls people out of their heads so they can just be blobs for a bit. That’s my favorite kind of show to watch — Somethin’ that makes me smile and doesn’t push me around too much, so I can relaaaax into a blob!”
“’Gospel’ means good news, and I was hoping that we convey the message that even through the most catastrophic situations, when everything is falling part, there is opportunity to grow as a person,” concludes Trussell. “You can meet whatever particular end of the world you are going through with an open heart. That there’s this tiny little beam of light shining through the darkness of living through an apocalypse.”
The View from the Titmouse Nest
We also caught up with Antonio Canobbio, Chief Creative Officer for Titmouse, and Mike L. Mayfield, Supervising Director of the show, to get their take on The Midnight Gospel:
Animag: What would you say was inspiring and different about the series?
Antonio Canobbio: The way Pen, Duncan, Mike and Jesse [Moynihan, art director] work is so collaborative. They debated, trusted and respected each other’s vision. “Trust” was the key component in Pen and Duncan’s execution of the show that inspired me the most.
Mike Mayfield: We really started off with something of an “anything goes” philosophy — or at least, “try anything.” When I started, Pen and Duncan had a million ideas and concepts for worlds to explore. They were so gracious and willing to give over a lot of control to the artists when it came to shaping the stories and the journey of Clancy. I’ve never had the joy of working with so few limits before, with so many brilliant people who put their heads together to wrangle all these ideas into something that made sense!
What was it like to work with Penn and Duncan on this wild, surreal, apocalyptic show?
AC: I gained more working with those two than I have in the 25 years I’ve been in this business. They care so deeply about the subject, way more than the beautiful product we made, that they infused an unprecedented depth of knowledge into the architecture of the show. Their beneficial influence still resonates in a lot of the decisions I make today.
MM: Pen and Duncan brought so much enthusiasm to what was really unchartered territory in animation. To see how excited they were to share their ideas, as well as seeing them light up when anyone else brought something beautiful or hilarious to them, really infected everyone with that same giddiness to make this universe (or multiverse!) special and something unlike any of us had even seen before.
The Midnight Gospel
What was the biggest challenge of working on this series?
AC: On a technical level, it was marrying the podcast to the apocalyptic narrative. It took a ton of effort to make the two work together.
On a philosophical level, “letting go.” Breaking the boundaries of a model sheet and all the conventions that come with it. This was the hardest for me and most unfamiliar. Letting designers, animators, and compositors run wild and give something extra to every shot they touched. The result is unreal!
MM: Constraints are often really helpful in creative work … So although Penn, Duncan, Jesse, Antonio, Mike Roush (animation director), Joey Adams (storyboard supervisor) or I often had to shoot an idea down that wasn’t working, knowing when a weird direction actually would turn into something magical was really tricky. We’d try something nine different ways before one little change would make it go from clunky to incredible. So finding those boundaries, far beyond what any of us were used to in animation, was both the biggest challenge and the most exciting thing about the show.
The Midnight Gospel premieres on Netflix on April 20 (Yup, that’s 4/20!) Watch it here.
