Quibi has placed a series order for Doomlands (working title), a new adult animation from Josh O’Keefe and Look Mom! Productions, a studio that specializes in original animated programming for teens and adults.
The series follows infamous Danny Doom and aspiring bartender Lhandi as they sling beers across a hellish wasteland in their mobile subterranean pub: The Oasis. In order to survive, all the crew needs to do is not kill each other.
Paying homage to his Australian upbringing and love for “Ozploitation” film, series creator O’Keefe began the project through a successful Kickstarter campaign. The series was then picked up by Look Mom! Productions, a Blue Ant Studios company, and developed with Executive Producer Joshua Bowen.
“When I was first introduced to Josh O’Keefe’s concept for Doomlands, I immediately loved the idea of a motley crew of characters roaming around a wasteland in a subterranean vehicle that doubles as a bar. The only thing I was disappointed in is the fact that there isn’t a bar that exists like this in real life,” said Bowen, Creative Director of Look Mom! Productions. “We couldn’t have found better partners in Quibi and can’t wait for The Oasis to roll onto screens across Canada and the U.S.”
Bowen’s credits include Gary and His Demons, Goodwin vs. Badwin (co-creator), Night Sweats and Bigfoot. The talent attached to the new series includes supervising producer/voice director Lee Porter (Gary and His Demons, Bigfoot); writers/performers Roger Bainbridge (Founder of Tony Ho, also featured in Baroness Von Sketch, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Amazing Gayl Pile), Mark Little (Conan, Cupcake & Dino; creator, Gary and His Demons, Cavendish), Kayla Lorette (creator, New Eden; Gary and His Demons, Kim’s Convenience); and animation director Stephen Sloan (Crack-Duck, Bigfoot; creator, Parenthesis Humour).
Look Mom! Productions is a Blue Ant Studios company, specializing in original animated content for teens and adults. Learn more at lookmomproductions.com.
Quibi is now available; sign up at www.quibi.com by April 30, 2020 to take advantage of a 90 days free special offer. (Free trial not available in Quebec.)
GKIDS is planning a special “Promare Watch Party” online event, in celebration of the digital release of the 2019 anime hit Promare. On April 21, audiences are invited to join the Live Watch Party with the English voice cast by pressing play on their respective digital copies at 9 p.m. ET, and following along on Twitter using #PromareWatchParty. Fans will be joined by the voice actors tweeting along, reacting, answering fan questions, participating in special giveaways from GKIDS, and more.
Participating voice cast includes Billy Kametz (@BillyKametz), Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld (@AlysonRosenfeld), Billy Bob Thompson (@BillyBobThomps), John Bentley (@JohnEricBentley), Kari Wahlgren (@KariWahlgren), Neil Kaplan (@NeKap), Erica Lindbeck (@ericalindbeck), Yuri Lowenthal (@YuriLowenthal), Mike Pollock (@itsamike) and Crispin Freeman (@CrispinFreeman).
Promare is officially available for purchase through digital download and to own on demand as of Tuesday, April 21 through AppleTV, Amazon Prime Video, GooglePlay, Playstation, Xbox, Fandango Now and Vudu. For more information on how to purchase Promare ahead of the watch party, visit PromareMovie.com. Details of the release, which will extend to Blu-ray and DVD on May 19 from Shout! Factory, here.
The first feature-length film from the acclaimed Studio TRIGGER, creators of the hit series KILL la KILL and Little Witch Academia, and director Hiroyuki Imaishi (Gurren Lagann, KILL la KILL), Promare uses a bold cel-shaded visual style to tell a blistering action-adventure story, and is the spiritual successor to many of director Imaishi’s former works.
Synopsis: Thirty years has passed since the appearance of Burnish, a race of flame-wielding mutant beings, who destroyed half of the world with fire. When a new group of aggressive mutants calling themselves “Mad Burnish” appears, the epic battle between Galo Thymos, a new member of the anti-Burnish rescue team “Burning Rescue,” and Lio Fotia, the leader of “Mad Burnish” begins
Pop Paper City (52 x 11’) has won MIPTV’s 2020 Kids Series Pitch. The competition presents the most promising projects from creators and producers of animation and live-action series around the globe, showcasing new projects to meet kids’ growing appetite for innovative content. Produced by LoveLove films and distributed by Aardman, Pop Paper City was one of only five projects to be selected for the pitch out of hundreds of applications, and was the only series to have been produced in the U.K.
The other contenders included two other animated series: Bear & Salmon (Like A Photon Creative; Australia) and Sullivan Sails (Distillery Films; Ireland).
Pop Paper City follows a group of unique paper characters as they get crafty and create adventures together in a captivating paper world. In each 11-minute episode, the characters find new ways to have fun together by creating new parts of their already impressive world. The craft montages in the show – which mix live-action with 3D animation – inspire children to make their own paper creations, encouraging “doing as well as viewing.”
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, many of MIPTV’s sessions were held virtually. This included the Kids Series Pitch, for which finalists had to submit an online pitch presentation for their projects. An esteemed panel of Jury Members from across the children’s TV landscape charged with assessing the pitches included the Senior Acquisitions Manager (Kids EMEA) for Warner Media, Zia Bales; the VP Animation for Nickelodeon International, Chris Rose; and Acquisitions Executive of YLE, Vicky Schroderus.
Pop Paper City’s success in Kids Series Pitch follows a noteworthy development journey for the show. In 2019, Pop Paper City received development funding from the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund — which supports the creation of distinctive, high-quality content for audiences up to the age of 18. Using the development money, the LoveLove Films team developed a brand new teaser trailer for the show, along with various other development materials. Alongside LoveLove MD/series producer Georgina Hurcombe, the Aardman distribution team presented the new Pop Paper City teaser at MIPJunior 2019, where the project became the fourth most-viewed project in the screening library.
“We are absolutely delighted that Pop Paper City has won the Kids Series Pitch. The Pitch is such a great way for upcoming producers to get their content out there, and it’s a wonderful showcase of all the innovative kids’ content in development right now,” commented Hurcombe. “The whole team have worked so hard to develop Pop Paper City, and it’s really fantastic to get this prestigious industry recognition from MIPTV. We are thrilled to be the winning pitch.”
FOX Entertainment and social broadcasting platform Caffeine are partnering to launch the Anidom Beyond Show, an all-new live and interactive program hosted by Emmy Award nominee Andy Richter and dedicated to FOX Network’s iconic Sunday comedy block, Animation Domination.
Premiering this Sunday, April 19, at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT on Caffeine at caf.tv/AnimationOnFox, the hour-long program will feature episode recaps and interviews with guests, including creators, producers, writers and casts of FOX’s animated series The Simpsons, Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Bless the Harts, Duncanville and more. Scheduled to run for five weeks until the end of this broadcast season, the Anidom Beyond Show will also include real-time interaction between fans, Richter and his guests vis-à-vis Caffeine’s user interface platform.
The Anidom Beyond Show will be co-produced remotely by Caffeine Studios and FOX Entertainment, with Caffeine overseeing physical production of the series. It will be exclusively available on Caffeine for 24 hours, after which it will be posted on FOX NOW and FOX.com.
“I love animation, and I love working in animation doing cartoon voices. And now with this recap show, I plan to become the Barbara Walters of animation interview shows,” said Richter.
“We’re excited to join forces with Caffeine on this new series,” said Michael Thorn, President of Entertainment, FOX Entertainment. “Animation Domination enjoys one of television’s most loyal followings, with its cultural influence reaching far beyond the linear world and deep into the digital universe. With Andy at the helm, the Anidom Beyond Show will even further extend our brand’s legacy by introducing it to a new legion of fans in a fun and innovative way.”
“Fans of Animation Domination are incredibly engaged with every aspect of each show and Caffeine gives them a way to engage in a new, interactive format,” said Ben Keighran, Caffeine’s founder and CEO. “On the Anidom Beyond Show fans can hang out with their friends, learn about behind the scenes details, and ask Andy and his guests the questions that they’ve always wanted to ask but had never been able to.”
Actor and writer Andy Richter returned to his role as announcer and sidekick to Conan O’Brien on Conan when it premiered on November 8, 2010. Richter rose to fame in 1993 as O’Brien’s sidekick on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and reprised this role on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, which premiered in 2009. In addition to numerous primetime guest-starring roles, Richter starred in the Emmy-nominated series, Andy Richter Controls the Universe for FOX and Andy Barker, P.I. for NBC. His feature film work includes Robert Altman’s Dr. T & The Women, Cabin Boy, Scary Movie 2, Elf, Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro. He can be heard as the voice of Mort in DreamWorks Studios’ Madagascar films, as well as the Nickelodeon series, Penguins of Madagascar and All Hail King Julien.
The Mouse House is staying super busy amid global lockdown, coming up with lots of tempting content for stuck-at-home audiences. Web-slingers won’t want to miss the premiere of Marvel’s animated latest, Spider-Man: Maximum Venom on Sunday. Disney Channels will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of Earth Day (April 22) with special themed content across all its platforms. And a flash sale on select feature film titles across the Walt Disney Studios library will be a welcome budget break for movie lovers.
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Maximum Venom suits up for action on Disney XD and DisneyNOW on April 19 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Season 3 of the popular Spidey toon kicks off with the episode “Web of Venom”: When Spider-Man and Max Modell experiment on a sample of Venom symbiote, it escapes and unleashes a weapon of unknown purpose.
Amphibia
Disney Channel, National Geographic, Disneynature and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park are joining forces to air Earth Day content from April 20 through to a special full-day programming event on April 22 (including a new special, beloved Disneynature docs and thematic episodes of Big City Greens), while Disney Junior is lining up episodes of popular series Mira, Royal Detective, Mickey Mouse Mixed-Up Adventures, T.O.T.S., Muppet Babies and Puppy Dog Pals with environmental messages. Disney XD is offering a full-day marathon of Amphibia (4/22, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET), while @DisneyTVA will present a special episode on IGTV highlighting fun facts about amphibians and their importance in their respective ecosystems. And the DisneyNOW app will feature an Earth Day Collection.
Moana
The Walt Disney Studios will be offering special, themed collections of films available on digital platforms in the U.S. for limited times in April and May, starting at just $4.99. Packages include Feel Good Movies (April 14-20), Earth Day with Disneynature (April 21-27), Game Changers (May 5-11) and Action Movies (May 12-18). Animag readers may be most interested in:
If you’re a big LEGO fan, chances are you have been transfixed by FOX-TV’s popular reality competition series LEGO Masters, which has been delivering big numbers on Wednesday nights over the past couple of months. Hosted by Will Arnett, the show features two competing teams as they face tough brick-building challenges to win the top cash prize, the ultimate LEGO trophy and the grand title of LEGO Masters. We caught up with the show’s two-time Emmy-winning executive producer and showrunner Anthony Dominici (Making It, The Amazing Race) to find out more about how the series incorporated some fun animated sequences to jazz up the live-action footage.
Anthony Dominici
Animag: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us today. Can you tell us a little about when you started working on the show?
Anthony Dominici: A friend of mine told me about it, and I was able to get a meeting and pitched my heart out. So I was very pleased when I got the job. The show had been floating around for a while and had done quite well in the U.K. and Australia. Fox bought the U.S. version from Endemol Shine and I was hired to exec produce the show. The show shoots in Los Angeles at the same studio [Chandler Valley Center] where they shot The Office.
What drew you to the project?
I love the show because it’s all about imagination and creativity. The message is that if you can dream it, you can become it. So, it’s a very aspirational series where people are given the same idea, but the way they interpret the idea, you’re celebrating the diversity of ideas, backgrounds, where they come from, different build styles. The idea that we were able to do a show to do that is really exciting and fun. From the beginning, it was something that we wanted everyone in the whole family to enjoy together. And, of course, Will Arnett is such an amazing and funny host.
How long did it take to prepare and shoot?
We started filming in early November and finished filming in mid-December. Every episode takes about three days to shoot. Will says you have 18 hours to build it, but there are breaks that you don’t see on camera. We are very humane! Of course, to make it exciting for television, you don’t see all that stuff. We’re just wrapping up and our finale airs on Wednesday (April 15). It takes about a month to put together. It’s 10 hours — 10 episodes, and it’s like a movie that you have to edit down. The build takes 18 hours and you have to follow each one of the build team in edits. So, we have hours and hours of footage to sift through.
LEGO Masters
Can you tell us about the use of animation throughout the show?
So, we have different types of animation across the series. We featured some stop-motion animation in a number of our episodes, created by Burbank-based Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken) They actually did some animation on The LEGO Movie, and they had a great sensibility and tone, and they instantly got what we were going for. We employed the stop-motion animation taking a number of our finished builds: We took a couple of the builds and did interviews with the team, and they walked us through the build. We did a radio edit of them telling the story of the build, and then, Stoopid Buddy made an animatic and brought it to life. We wanted to do more than just beauty shots of the final build. We wanted to see through the eyes of the builders … and they are seeing their whole story come to life through stop-motion animation using their original builds. It was really incredible to see how they did that. Every time they finished their work, I was like a kid in a candy shop waiting for the studio’s finished animation for the episode. It would take several weeks for each section.
We also used other types of animation since not every build lent itself to stop-motion animation. We worked with Mister out of Australia throughout the season. They did an incredible job with our CG-animated tiles, graphics and bumpers. Charlie Co. out of Culver City did our virtual 3D backgrounds for the Theme Park, Mega City, Good vs. Evil and the finale episodes. We did these beauty shots and Charlie Co. added these amazing virtual backgrounds. They rotoscoped the entire build, then cut them out and put them in a completely new virtual environment, which was really fun.
Were you affected by the COVID-19 Shutdowns?
We were certainly affected by it. As soon as we learned about the shutdowns, we started to have people work from home. Ultimately, our editors have been working from home, using drives of the footage we had, and ended up finishing the shows from people’s homes. It was a little bit of a challenge, but thankfully, the bulk of our production was done, and we had a few episodes to do in the end. Our post team was incredible in coordinating and managing everyone and sharing all this information virtually over the internet for the most part, and trying to minimize everyone’s exposure.
Will Arnett
What will you remember most about the experience?
I honestly have never laughed so much during the making of a show. Our host, Will, is an incredibly nice guy, and he’s so dedicated and had a way of connecting with our contestants … It’s a very rare and special thing that someone can be funny, deliver challenge rules and do it with such great connection and personality.
Honestly, the other most fun thing was I have a lot of friends who watch the show with their kids, and they call me and tell me, “Oh, this is our favorite show — we watch it together.” That brings me so much joy, because there’s not a whole lot of TV that you can put a whole family in front of and have something for everyone. Hopefully, the show sparks people’s imagination so they go and build their own thing and imagine the things they can do on their own. Our builders are everyday people who are really fans. They are just people who love building with LEGO and love being creative. To see that creativity brought to life via animation is really exciting and satisfying. It gives a deeper connection to the builders who are making these things.
You can watch the season finale of LEGO Masters on FOX-TV tonight at 9 p.m.
Irish children’s author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers’ 2017 book Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth is the kind of charmingly illustrated and conceived project that lends itself well to animation. So, it’s no wonder that Studio AKA (Hey Duggee, The Amazing World of Gumball) animation producer Sue Goffe and director/writer/exec producer Philip Hunt jumped at the chance of adapting the book as a special for Apple TV+, premiering Friday, April 17 ahead of the 50th annual Earth Day on April 22.
As Goffe recalls, “We’d been discussing with Oliver Jeffers what project we would like to do together next, as we were developing a portfolio of his books that we’d like to adapt to film, when Oliver showed us pencil sketches of his new book. There was no doubt this had to be the next film Studio AKA made.”
Fortunately, this coincided with a very early meeting Goffe had with Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids’ Programming at Apple. “We pitched the film to her and together decided we would want to launch the animated short film for the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day,” says the producer. Together with Apple, the team developed the script and design/concept work in early 2018.
A team of about 60 people worked on the project at Studio AKA’s London space. The production used Maya for the majority of the 3D work and Arnold for rendering, Houdini for some 3D effects work, Nuke for compositing, TVPaint for 2D animation and After Effects for some 2D comping. Substance Painter and Photoshop were also employed for texturing, while ZBrush was used for modelling, Photoshop for design work and Resolve for grading, per Angela Edmonds, animation producer for Studio AKA.
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet EarthHere We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
Oliver’s Fan Club
Hunt, who also helmed the award-winning special Lost and Found, the 2008 adaptation of a previous Jeffers book, says there are many reasons he looked forward to this new collaboration. “Oliver is extremely dedicated to this project and truly brought a worldly touch as he worked closely on aspects of the film with us from wherever he was in the world,” the director notes. “Since adapting his bestselling Lost and Found into a BAFTA-winning film, we have maintained a regular working relationship. It was Oliver that set everything in motion by trusting us with his early sketches and ideas for the as-yet unpublished book on which the film is based, and once we had seen them, we were hooked.”
Hunt mentions that the key to the special relationship with the author is that he is never interested in creating a simple “moving version” of his books. “Oliver is always looking for what animation can bring, or what else can be brought to the story, and his collaboration and encouragement were vital in finding our way with Here We Are,” says the director. “His linework and color sense are always exploring new directions, and he provides much of the artwork used in the film.”
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet EarthHere We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
According to Goffe, one of the project’s biggest challenges was delivering the short film on time. “We hit several creative and technical challenges along the way that impacted the schedule, but as April 22 this year is the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, slipping the launch day back wasn’t an option,” she explains.
Beyond the practical concerns, the team was driven by the desire to ensure that Oliver Jeffers’ voice could be heard through the dialog and the spirit of his beloved book could be recognized by his fans. “Here We Are is not a regular picture book. As a ‘beginner’s guide’ to Earth, it is an uplifting snapshot of life on our planet, and what it means to those who call it home,” explains Hunt. “The film is inspired by the book to tell a bigger story, and Apple wanted to bring out the perspective for a wider family. The idea of introducing the world to a child ‘one thing at a time’ remains anchored as a pivotal story point. But, we realized that by placing the storyline a few years down the line, the child could better engage with both the world — and his parents — and open up the story to the full potential of a family experience and interaction with the film.”
Creating Wonderment and Whimsy
The director also points out that structuring this story into something relatable while allowing the project to maintain a strong sense of lyricism was an adventure in itself. “We were fortunate enough that our co-writer Luke Matheny was able to help us find the balance we were looking for,” he notes. “In the final film, we are afforded a glimpse into the beautiful logic of children — and how baffling it can be for parents — expressed in moments of wonderment, worry and whimsy to which everyone on Earth can still relate.”
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
Hunt is quite proud of the fact that the animated version of the book has developed into something that feels unlike anything else out there for a broad audience. “Despite the expansion of the narrative, Oliver’s hand remains across the film,” says the director. “We love the way we’ve managed to include so much original artwork from Oliver into the film, so that his visual signature can be felt across the story. This has been a very special project and we’ve loved bringing this book to life.”
He is also quick to give credit to the project’s wide range of talent that came together from all corners of the world to make it happen. “It has been a very collaborative project across the team and the work of everyone involved made for a hugely enjoyable experience,” says Hunt. “We were lucky enough to secure Manddy Wyckens as art director, and she skillfully guided the production design team to find our interpretation of Oliver in the film. Meanwhile, animation supervisor Laurent Rossi conducted our animation team to pull moments of nuance and humor out of the performances. The CG team, under the supervision of James Galliard, achieved incredible depth and warmth from sets and characters, and this went on right across the team we assembled. The joy of adding a score by Alex Somers and sound design by Adrian Rhodes was always going to be the icing on the cake, and we can’t wait to share it with audiences around the world.”
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet EarthHere We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
One of the production’s secret weapons is its stellar voice cast, which includes Meryl Streep as the narrator. “Working in partnership with Apple, we all agreed that the narrator needed to embody a presence, a nurturing voice that united us all in support of a bigger mission — and that was Ms. Streep,” says Goffe. “Meryl Streep loved Oliver’s book and is passionate about the environment — and we were humbled to get her, along with the other amazing voice cast.
Casting Jacob Tremblay (Room) as Finn came about after a brilliant suggestion from Apple’s head of casting. Goffe says it was joy to hear his exuberance and wonderment throughout the film as he comes to an understanding of the world, and his place in it. “He truly is the anchor to the film and has brought a wide-eyed perspective to the little things that we can do to make a bigger contribution,” she adds.
“As the voice of the book, the character of the father was personal to Oliver, and from the outset, Chris O’Dowd was always our first choice for the dad,” she notes. “We wanted someone Irish, and he has the perfect mix of warmth and comic timing, and his performance was a gift for the animation team. In opening up the narrative to bring the family into focus, we wanted the character of the mother to set the tone and act as a calming presence throughout. Ruth Negga was our choice for the mum and she brings a wonderful calm, maternal quality to her beautiful performance.”
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth
Hunt and Goffe both see the new special as a love letter to the planet, told not only from the perspective of a new parent, but also shifting the gaze to look through the eyes of a curious child. “For a family who wants to make sense of a world that can be a bewildering place, the messages are simple, and never more prescient,” says Hunt. “This is a timely story for young and old alike, and we think it will resonate with new parents and young families in particular. If we can bring an audience together even for a moment in appreciation of the film, then we will have honored what Oliver sought to do with the book.”
Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth premieres on Apple TV+ on April 17. Add it to your Up Next list at this link.
Hulu powering up the hyper hilarity drives in anticipation of the Solar Opposites premiere on May 8. The original adult animated comedy from Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan centers on a “family” of aliens trying to adjust to suburban life on some crap-hole planet called Earth. As we can see in the new trailer, this turns out to be challenging in ways us pathetic humans could never imagine.
Check out the new spot and be sure to pick up the May issue of Animation Magazine to learn more about the show straight from its out-of-this-world co-creators.
Solar Opposites follows a team of four aliens who have escaped their exploding home world, only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Justin Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambroni) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty, while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living super computer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth.
Season 1 guest voice actors: Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Amanda Leighton, Andrew Matarazzo, Andy Daly, Calum Worthy, Chris Cox, Christina Hendricks, Echo Kellum, Eric Bauza, Gary Anthony Williams, Gideon Adlon, Jacob Vargus, Jason Mantzoukas, Jeannie Elias, Jesse Mendel, Jon Barinholtz, Karan Brar, Kari Wahlgren, Ken Marino, Liam Cunningham, Maurice LaMarche, Miguel Sandoval, Nat Faxon, Natalie Morales, Neil Flynn, Phil LaMarr, Rainn Wilson, Rob Schrab, Ryan Ridley, Sagan McMahan, Thomas Barbusca, Tiffany Haddish, Tom Kenny, Vargus Mason and Wendi McLendon-Covey.
Solar Opposites is executive produced by Roiland, McMahan and Josh Bycel. The series is produced by 20th Century Fox Television.
Emmy Award-winning entertainment company Zoic Studios has partnered with Tapas Media, the leader in mobile publishing specializing in bite-sized stories, to develop their upcoming AI-infused thriller comic Mnemosyne for television and cross-platform adaptation. The epic will be produced by Tapas Media and Zoic founding partners Chris Jones and Loni Peristere and VP of Development Samantha Shear, with additional partners soon to be announced.
Borrowing its name from the Greek goddess of memory, Mnemosyne follows a young woman recovering from a horrible crash who struggles to regain her memory. The more she remembers, the more she fears that her caretakers are her captors and that her memories might not be her own.
“We were extremely impressed with how in tune Tapas is with what audiences are consuming right now. Their groundbreaking digital platform for comics delivers a remarkable depth of creative and truly engages with its viewers,” said Zoic Studios Founder, Executive Creative Director Chris Jones. “We look forward to working with Tapas to elevate their rich story and help bring these already dynamic visuals to life.”
“Tapas is very excited to be partnering with Zoic Studios to bring creator SANSA’s incredibly imaginative and thought-provoking story to TV audiences,” said Tapas Creative Executive, Brooke Huang. “As we introduce our stories to the entertainment community, it’s a priority for us to find partners who can not only appreciate the creator’s vision, but also share our passion for bringing stories that you can’t find anywhere else to readers and viewers everywhere. We couldn’t be more excited to embark on this shared effort with them.”
The partnership with Tapas follows additional development deals in-progress out of Zoic Studios. Most recently, the VFX shop behind remarkable effects in Game of Thrones, Legion and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina optioned New York Times best-selling author Michael Johnston’s epic fantasy novel Soleri for film and television, and author Christopher Golden’s horror novel Snowblind for feature film adaptation, with screenwriter Amber Alexander attached to pen the screenplay.
Tapas Media is a next generation media company offering bite-sized content through its online mobile platform, which boasts over 5.5 billion content views to date. With a community of over 51,000 creators and 76,000 unique stories, the platform is the premiere destination for comic and novel creators. The company produces a slate of wholly-owned original comics through its in-house production team, Studio Tapas.
Zoic Studios is an entertainment company based in Culver City, California, New York, NY and Vancouver, BC, which creates computer-generated visual effects for film, television, commercials and video games.
Toon2Tango, the new kids & family entertainment venture headed by Ulli Stoef and Jo Daris, announced that its new original adventure-comedy Monster Loving Maniacs (52 x 11′) has been commissioned by Super RTL (Germany). Created and produced by JA Film in co-production with Ginger Pictures, the 2D series for kids 6-9 follows three kids being trained as monster hunters by their tough old grandfather. Cool, clever and tough young teen Edith, monster-phobic monster expert Ernest (he’s 10) and Bo, a fearless and often reckless five-year old, are massive, all-knowing horror fans. They love dangerous paranormal creatures and want to protect them – and take selfies with them if possible! Grandpa Arthur, however, prefers to capture monsters and keep them in suspended animation in a prison in his basement, so he and the kids don’t always see eye-to-eye on monster welfare.
Cloudco Entertainment‘s update on an American Greetings classic, Care Bears: Unlock the Magic has launched with Nickelodeon Latin America. The 2D series debuted April 1 on Noggin and airs on Nick LatAm. The pick up includes the show’s 48 x 11′ episodes and two 22-minute specials. Care Bears: Unlock the Magic follows Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear, Good Luck Bear, Funshine Bear and Share Bear as they embark on a new adventure from Care-A-Lot to the Silver Lining, a beautiful strange world inhabited by the Whiffles, a group of innocently happy creatures that plant seeds to keep the magical land of Care-A-Lot growing. Throughout the series, the Care Bears use their belly badge powers to spread messages of sharing, caring, friendship and courage while making sure to have lots of laughs along the way.
Care Bears: Unlock the Magic
Gutsy Animations is winning over Nordic broadcasters with its internationally celebrated animated drama Moominvalley (13 x 22′), based on the beloved works by Tove Jansson. Under the new deals negotiated by PGS Entertainment:
Seasons one and two will be available on DVD and digital across the Nordics in December 2020 through a deal with SF Studios; Moominvalley will also be available on SF Studios’ SVOD platform SF Kids in Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
In Norway, season one will launch in Autumn 2020 on NRK Super, when the series will also be available on NRK Super TV and NRK TV.
The series will debut in Iceland on RÚV.
Moominvalley
Genius Brands International is sending its hit series Rainbow Rangers to the rescue with more major deals. The show is now sold for broadcast across 100% of the Western Hemisphere, with two new deals signed with Canada’s No. 1 preschool channel Treehouse (Corus Ent.) and leading Mexican broadcaster Televisa. These new partners join current broadcasters including Nick Jr. (U.S.), CCTV (China), Nickelodeon/NOGGIN (LatAm), Cartoonito (Italy) and Discovery Kids (Middle East), as well as leading streamers iQiyi (China) and Televisa’s BLIM TV (Mexico).
Rainbow Rangers
Topic, the North American streaming service from First Look Media, is teaming up with improv troupe The Second City for a half-hour sketch and variety limited series, The Second City Presents: The Last Show Left on Earth. The series will feature a line-up of Second City’s finest alumni and famous friends for a mash-up world of original sketches, musical performances, animation and rare Second City footage from the vaults. The first episode, premiering Thurs., April 16 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be hosted by Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), with musical guest Jeff Tweedy of Wilco and special guest Kelci “Saff” Saffery from Netflix’s Tiger King. (www.topic.com)
ViacomCBS has launched Pluto TV, available via www.pluto.tv, Apple TV, Android TV and mobile device apps for download in iOS and Android in 17 Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Paraguay, El Salvador, Uruguay and Venezuela. The platform LatAm version currently has 24 unique, curated channels, with more to come on a monthly basis over the next year to reach 70+ selections. Programming spans a variety of genres — including anime and kids’ content — from content partners including BBC, Fremantle, Lionsgate, Nelvana, Nickelodeon/Nick Jr., Sony Pictures Television, VIZ Media, WildBrain and more.
Organizers have confirmed that the Annecy festival — one of the biggest annual events of the animation calendar — will take place in a new digital version June 15-20.
Some of the program is being postponed until 2021, such as the 60th anniversary celebrations and the territory focus on African animation, but a healthy selection of some of the best films of the year will be available on the new platform now in development.
Other unique and exclusive content modeled on the event’s usual Festival, Market (MIFA) and Meetings programs are also being considered.
The Festival has received more than 3,000 films from 94 countries (the most represented are: France, U.S.A., United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, China and South Korea).
Short Film competition: 37 films in the Official and 12 in the Off-Limits category, 20 in the Perspectives section, 10 in the Young Audiences section
Graduation Films: 44
TV and Commissioned Films: 21 TV Films and 35 Commissioned Films
“On the whole, the 2020 selection is less serious, and funnier, than the previous few years. We still find several films dealing with current themes, in particular ecology, migration and gender identity. Some films – Empty Places by Geoffroy de Crécy, The Physics of Sorrow by Theodore Ushev and Something to Remember by Niki Lindroth Von Bahr – even appear to anticipate the present situation,” said Marcel Jean, Festival Artistic Director.
“We are particularly proud of the quality and variety of the Off-Limits selection, which testifies to the vitality of experimental approaches. In addition, six of the twelve films from this section were directed by women, which represents the level of equity that characterises the selection in the diverse categories of the Short Films. We are also thrilled with the diverse countries where the selected films come from, there are works from Iceland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt and Indonesia, countries that are rarely represented at Annecy.
The Graduation Films revealed a very high level of productions from the Lodz School in Poland, where three films from this educational institution were selected. Meanwhile the programs destined for television indicate that this sector is going through a great era with so many audacious and ambitious productions targeted to diverse audiences.”
The Official Selections for Feature Films and VR Works will be announced in mid-May.
The Annecy 2020 Official Selection is overseen by Jean, the Films & Program Planning team, Laurent Million, Yves Nougarède and Sébastien Sperer, as well as Peggy Zejgman-Lecarme (Director of the Cinémathèque de Grenoble), Marie-Pauline Mollaret )Chief Editor, EcranNoir.fr), Clémence Bragard (Independent Events Manager specializing in animation, Programmer of the National Animation Film Festival for the Afca), Isabelle Vanini (Programmer of the Forum des images / Carrefour du cinéma d’animation and “animation expert” for the CNC, the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Region, Ciclic and the César).
This year’s jury members include…
Short Films: Matt Kaszanek (Director, Animation Is Film; U.S.), Naomi Van Niekerk (Director, Dryfsand; South Africa), Denis Walgenwitz (Director; France)
Graduation Films & Off-Limits Shorts: Signe Baumane (Director & Producer, My Love Affair with Marriage; Latvia), Jeanette Bonds (Festival Co-Founder & Director, GLAS Animation / Director & Producer, B&B Pictures; U.S.), Thomas Renoldner (Director & Head of Selection, Animation Avantgarde at Vienna Shorts Film Festival; Austria)
TV & Commissioned Films: Marco De Blois (Artistic Director, Les Sommets du cinéma d’animation; Canada), Dahee Jeong (Director & Producer, Between The Pictures; South Korea), Diane Launier (Managing Director, Art Ludique Le Musée; France).
As part of the network’s #KidsTogether initiative to keep young viewers informed, active and entertained during the current global health crisis, Nickelodeon has announced a series of exciting drawing tutorials coming to Instagram Live. Learn to Draw Live! will bring on Nickelodeon animation artists and surprise voice talent guests to show fans how to recreate their favorite characters from beloved NickToons.
The first back of Learn to Draw Live! sessions will roll out over the next couple of weeks. The fun begins Wednesday, April 15 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET with supervising producer Jim Mortenson on @nickrewind, drawing nostalgia characters from various properties. On Thursday, April 16, tune in to catch Ant Blades on @nickelodeon drawing characters from his delightful new odd-couple comedy, It’s Pony. Then on Friday, round out the week with supervising director Jessica Borutski on @theloudhousecartoon drawing the overcrowded characters of hit series The Loud House.
Set for next week are storyboard artist Kevin Kobasic, who will be live on @nickjr April 21, and animation director Pablo Smith will take over @spongebob on April 24.
Netflix Introduces New, Original Series ‘All of Us Are Dead’
Based on the popular Korean webtoon Now at Our School, the apocalyptic adventure is about a group of high school students who are faced with an extreme crisis situation when they become trapped in their school, while a zombie virus spreads like a wildfire. Lee JQ (Beethoven Virus, Damo: The Legendary Police Woman, Intimate Strangers) is directing with Kim Nam-su; writer is Chung Sung-il.
NYICFF Short Takes: Let’s Talk About Animation!
Check out Tyler Pacana’s primer for kids 5+, How Does Animation Work? (Talking points: Name a film that you’ve seen using some of the methods that were described in the film: hand drawn, stop motion and CG animation.) Or, learn how to animate a bouncing ball with a quick, simple video lesson from flipanim.com.
Pixelatl Publishes Book to Help Kids Understand Coronavirus The Day When Everything Stopped was published with the children of Mexico and Latin America in mind, but the collaborative book — created with the pro bono contributions of artists across Mexico and the help of children’s content experts like producers Joan Loft (Peppa Pig) and Marta Machado (Until Sbornia Takes Us Apart). Due to popular demand over the last two weeks, the free digital title is now available Spanish, English, French, German, Portuguese and Basque Euskara. Translations in Romanian, Italian and Arabic are coming soon.
2020 Licensing International Excellence Awards Nominees Unveiled
More than 600 entries were received this year from companies in 22 countries. Those submissions were judged by a panel of 152 executives from 20 nations to produce a ballot of 175 nominees in 23 categories of brands, properties and companies. Winners will be announced at Licensing Expo.
The nominees for Best Brand – Entertainment / Character – Animated are:
“The necessity of social distancing has halted nearly all live-action production in our industry. However, many animated programs have continued production with crews working remotely from home. As a result, we have heard from members that studios and producers are increasingly interested in developing animated projects. This is an important moment to remind you that the WGA can and does cover writing for animation.
“If a producer tells you, ‘The Writers Guild doesn’t cover animation,’ that is simply not true. Many prominent animated television shows — on broadcast (Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, The Simpsons), cable (American Dad!) and streaming (BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, Disenchantment, F Is for Family) — are covered by WGA contracts. In fact, our Contracts Department recently negotiated deals to cover new animated series for Netflix (Q-Force, Hoops), Amazon (Undone), Apple TV+ (Central Park) and HBO Max (The Prince). The WGA also covers animated feature projects, including soon to be released Wendell & Wild for Netflix and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run for Paramount.”
‘The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run’ Pushed Back a Week
The movie, which was previously bumped two months back to July 31, has now been scootched over to August 7 by Paramount Pictures. The family flick takes over the slot from Mark Wahlberg actioner Infinite, which will now open Memorial Day weekend.
In celebration of Anime Day (April 15), Kanopy — a video streaming service dedicated to “quality, thoughtful entertainment” — is showcasing a collection of award-winning, inspiring animated titles from the GKIDS catalog. Available to watch today, these adventurous films are free to stream for users nationwide who hold a partnered public or academic library card.
The recommended Anime Day movies, which include both acclaimed Japanese productions as well as diverse, compelling animations from Europe, are:
Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond: Totalling 12 short films all together, the two collections from Studio 4°C (Mind Game, MFKZ) share a simple goal — take an all-star team of the best animators working in anime and give each free rein to create a story celebrating “the spirit of creativity” — with mind-boggling results. Directors include Hideki Futamura, Masaaki Yuasa and Shinichiro Watanabe.
Summer Days with Coo: Directed by Keiichi Hara and produced by Shin-Ei Animation, this curious road trip adventure centers on a suburban fourth-grader who accidentally awakens a baby Kappa (a mythical water creature) from a 300 year slumber, and sets out to reunite this odd new friend “Coo” with his kind.
The Case of Hana and Alice: When Alice transfers to a new middle school, she hears an urban legend about a student who disappeared the previous year and is suspected to have been killed by his classmates. Even worse, she lives next door to his former (supposedly haunted) house, now occupied by a reclusive classmate named Hana. The girls decide to investigate this “murder case” together, but soon find their lack of detective skills may be an obstacle. Directed by Shunji Iwai, produced by Rockwell Eyes/Stephen Stephen.
Aya of Yop City: Set against the colorful and spirited backdrop of the Ivory Coast in the 1970s, Aya of Yop City is a vibrant, beautifully animated adaptation of the best-selling series of graphic novels by Marguerite Abouet, who co-directed the film with Clément Oubrerie. In a bustling neighborhood of Abidjan, 19-year-old Aya dreams of becoming a doctor, while her best friends Adjoua and Bintou just want to hang out, have fun and flirt with boys. Trouble arises when Adjoua gets pregnant by the son of a wealthy (and feared) man.
Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles: Luis Buñuel is left penniless after the scandalous premiere of his film L’Age d’Or. His good friend, the sculptor Ramón Acín, buys a lottery ticket with the promise that if he wins, he will pay for Buñuel’s next film. Incredibly, luck is on their side, so they set out to make an unconventional documentary about Spain’s desperately poor Las Hurdes region. Buñuel’s initially callous approach to the extreme poverty and situations he encounters (or creates) gradually leads to a filmmaking experience that will transform him forever. Directed by Salvador Simó.
This Magnificent Cake!: In the late 19th century, keen to compete with other European imperial powers on the continent, King Leopold II of Belgium proclaimed, “I do not want to miss a good chance of getting us a slice of this magnificent African cake.” The subsequent occupation of the Congo would come to attract a contingent of servants, merchants and miscellaneous bourgeois driven by everything from insatiable greed to existential fear. From the intimate stories of these characters — many of whom pass through a luxury hotel in the middle of the jungle – emerges a greater narrative concerning the imperialist mentality. Directed by Marc James Roels and Emma de Swaef.
Kanopy carries movies, documentaries, foreign films, classic cinema, indie flicks and educational videos that inspire, enrich and entertain. The platform partners with public libraries and universities to deliver an ad-free experience available on TVs, mobile phones, tablets and online.
Gerry Shirren, managing director of Ireland’s acclaimed animation studio Cartoon Saloon, was kind enough to drop us a line about how he and his brilliant team are faring these days. Kilkenny has been in lockdown since March 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be shut down until May 5 at last estimate.
“Both at Lighthouse Studios and the Saloon there are approximately 150 crew members in each studio, all from home in what was a massive logistical exercise for the IT, studio managers and HR across all the productions,” Shirren says. “And our partners across all the studios we are working with have been hugely supportive and understanding.”
Gary Shirren
2020 is a big year for Cartoon Saloon, since everyone is anticipating the latest feature release from the studio, Wolfwalkers, which was originally set to be released in the fall. Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, the 2D-animated feature is set in Ireland in the mid-17th century. It tells the story of a young apprentice hunter who comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack of wolves. Her life changes after she saves a native girl, leading to her discovery of the Wolfwalkers and her transformation into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy. Cartoon Saloon’s previous films include The Breadwinner, Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells, all of which were warmly received by critics and general audiences alike, and were all Oscar nominated. The studio was also behind the Oscar-nominated short Late Afternoon, directed by Louise Bagnall.
The studio’s TV output includes shows such as Skunk Fu, Puffin Rock, Eddie of the Realms Eternal and Vikingskool. Cartoon Saloon’s latest production is Dorg Van Dango, a Nickelodeon show co-produced with WildBrain. The show centers on a 13-year-old boy who discovers a motley crew of supernatural beings that escaped while being transported to a secret holding facility (Area 51). The series is co-created by Fabian Erlinghauser and Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner).
Dorg van Dango
“Losing Dingle, Annecy and the other summer festivals is a huge disappointment to everyone, but it’s safety first all round and these are the correct choices,” notes Shirren. “Most of all, all our crew are well and nobody has been ill so far — and, as you know, we have a hugely international crew in Kilkenny and we are feeling for those especially from Italy, Spain and France, where those countries are having a particularly hard time at the moment, and feeling for those in the crew who are worried for their families and friends back home.”
Shirren adds, “We’re grateful that everyone is well and we can keep working, Dorg Van Dango has launched on TV in Ireland and this month in the U.K. and we have Wolfwalkers to look forward to in the fall. So, not a lot to complain about when we see the very tough struggles others are having either with illness or with unemployment. And we have tons of chocolate left over from Easter to get us through.”
Ann Sullivan, an animator and ink-and-paint artist who worked on iconic films of the Disney Renaissance, has died due to complications from coronavirus. She was the third resident of the Motion Picture Television Fund nursing home in Woodland Hills, CA to succumb to the virus, while currently 13 other residents and eight staff members have tested positive. Sullivan had just turned 91 on Friday.
MTPF President & CEO Bob Beitcher offered a tribute to the late artist:
“Ann Sullivan was a remarkably gifted and resilient woman who chased her dream of life in California and work at Walt Disney and succeeded with grace and resiliency. This young lady from Fargo, North Dakota, followed her sister Helen to California, and after studying at the Art Center in Pasadena, landed a job at Walt Disney in the animation paint lab in the early 1950s. After a work hiatus – Ann was starting a family of four children – in 1973 she fought her way back into the business, at first at Filmation Hanna Barbera. But all she ever wanted to do was work at the Walt Disney Studios, and she did.
“Ann rejoined the animation department in time to paint and ink on such Disney classics as The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Lilo & Stitch. Stunningly, late in her career, she made the switch to computerized animated production at Disney until her retirement in the early 2000s.
“We called her ‘Giggles’ at MPTF. You couldn’t help but fall in love with her laugh. Chaplain Dina Kuperstock said: ‘She had the best laugh of any person I’ve ever known. Ann didn’t just laugh with a sound. When she giggled, her whole body would shake and light up with joy, and it was contagious for everyone in the room.’
“Her daughter Shannon described her as a ‘beach’ mom. She took her children, grandchildren, and friends to the beach at every opportunity. Ann loved the sun. At MPTF, the staff enjoyed taking her for walks as often as possible. She loved Nancy’s Garden, a bird sanctuary we set up a few years ago in honor of long-time advocate Nancy Biederman, and would sit peacefully there listening to the birds. Earlier in her life, she loved painting on the California coast.
“But Ann couldn’t be rushed to do anything. ‘Her whole life, she was late for everything,’ her daughter Shannon reports. She was fastidious about her appearance and insisted that she wouldn’t leave her room unless her ‘eyebrows and lipstick’ were on. Ann loved Casino Day at MPTF but wasn’t a big fan of bingo!
“This past Friday was Ann’s 91st birthday. Throughout the day, the incredible MPTF staff helped her connect with family and friends through Facetime so everyone could express their love and admiration for her. Her daughter Shannon said of her: ‘My mom had a great sense of humor, was extremely positive, and touched everyone who was lucky enough to meet her. She loved to have a good time.’
“The MPTF staff would most certainly agree. Ann left behind four children, eight grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. She loved them all deeply and they loved her back. ‘Family was everything to her,’ said Shannon.”
Sullivan was predeceased at the MPTF home by actor Allen Garfield (age 80) and John Breier (64), husband of an IATSE member, last week.
Tubi (www.tubi.tv), the world’s largest ad-supported video on demand service, began rolling out Tubi Kids on Android on Tuesday. Tubi Kids will be available to all Android users in the coming days, expanding its current availability on Roku, Fire TV and Comcast Xfinity.
“We’re excited to expand the Tubi Kids library to Android’s billions of active devices so that more kids and families will have free and effortless access to thousands of hours of content,” said Michael Ahiakpor, Chief Product Officer, Tubi. “Collaborating with one of the most widely used operating brands is key in our mission to democratize content and provide value to our customers.”
Tubi Kids features a robust library of children’s content – over 1,200 age-appropriate movies and television shows or over 5,000 hours of content – completely free in a dedicated section built just for families. A destination for age-appropriate content on the service, Tubi Kids helps alleviate parents’ worries over what their children are watching and will soon be available on all major streaming devices in the near future.
The service’s selection includes hit movies like Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of TinTin, Norm of the North and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, alongside series with iconic characters including Sonic the Hedgehog, Strawberry Shortcake, Paddington Bear, The Wiggles and many more – all completely free.
With total view time rocketing to over 163 million hours watched last December, Tubi is the world’s largest AVOD service with over 20,000 movies and television shows from nearly every major Hollywood studio. The service gives fans of films and television programs an easy way to discover new content which is available completely free.
Tubi is available on Android and iOS mobile devices, Amazon Echo Show, Google Nest Hub Max, Comcast Xfinity X1, Cox Contour, and on OTT devices such as Amazon Fire TV, Vizio TVs, Sony TVs, Samsung TVs, Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4, and soon on Hisense TVs globally. Consumers can also watch Tubi content on the web at www.tubi.tv.
Newly-launched short-form video streamer Quibi — which has totted up 1.7 million downloads in its first week — has announced the development of Filthy Animals (working title), a 2D animated science-fiction comedy series featuring Rashida Jones; written by acclaimed artists and twin brothers, Nikolai and Simon Haas; and produced by Stoopid Buddy Stoodios (Robot Chicken).
Filthy Animals centers on Sunny Day (voiced by Jones), a too smart for her own good, lonely 12-year-old suburban middle schooler who befriends a selfish, renegade, messy, suave adoptive cat, Cruz.
The series is created and written by Nikolai Haas, Simon Haas and Johnny Smith. Executive producers are Seth Green, John Harvatine IV, Matthew Senreich, Eric Towner, Chris Waters, Will McCormack and Rashida Jones (Le Train Train).
Learn more about Quibi or sign up for a limited time, 90-day free trial at www.quibi.com.
Dublin-based animation studio Daily Madness Productions is bringing two new sweet and prickly playmates into the lives of young viewers with Pins and Nettie, a new mini-series for kids under five focused on games to play at home, premiering on YouTube Friday, April 17.
The new series stars two little hedgehogs named Pins and Nettie — usually, there’s nothing they love more than to go exploring in the suburbs where they live, but their usual adventures are now on hold. For the time being, they need to stay home.
Pins and Nettie will launch Friday with a special episode titled “Together and Safe,” which has been specifically created to acknowledge and identify feelings of anxiety (sadness, anger and fear) caused by the current COVID-19 crisis in a way that is suitable for the youngest audiences. The episode will also lead viewers through a very simple mindfulness exercise designed to help empower children in moments of anxiety, which has been a key aspect in Daily Madness’ development of the series.
“Together and Safe” was written by Pins and Nettie co-creator Shannon George (Gigantosaurus, Kody Kapow, Blue’s Clues) with the support of educational consultant Karen Leavitt (Blue’s Clues, Sesame Street), to provide children and families with reassurances as well as moments of joy to help them through the current situation. The premiere is narrated by Nicola Coughlan (Derry Girls).
In new episodes rolling out each week, Pins and Nettie (with their friend, the Narrator) will learn about a fun new game they can play either indoors or in their front garden — kid-friendly favorites like Simon Says, I-Spy and Hide-n-Seek.
“Animation is an amazing tool for connecting to people and, right now, with children across the world experiencing social distancing and lockdown scenarios, being able to connect with our youngest of audiences has never been so important. We want all the little ones at home right now to know they’re not alone … that Pins and Nettie are experiencing the exact same situation, too,” said Lindsey Adams, series co-creator and director. “We hope that with our two little heroes and their weekly activities, we can bring a little bit of extra joy to families each week.”
Daily Madness will continue to release new episodes of Pins and Nettie ever Friday on the hedgies’ brand-new YouTube Channel until lockdown is lifted and children can return to playgroups, visit their relatives and friends again … and our spiny new friends can return to their usual adventures further from home.
While the full 2020 Tribeca Film Festival has been put off due to coronavirus, the pioneering New York event will be presenting select programming from its 19th edition in a virtual, online film festival.
Tribeca Immersive, the incubator for innovation in storytelling, will move forward with the first edition of Cinema360 to be offered remotely. In partnership with industry leader Facebook’s Oculus, Cinema360 will feature 15 virtual reality films, curated into four 30-40-minute programs.
One animated standout in the lineup is Upstander, making its world premiere. The 360 experience tackles the subject of bullying, and explores how we all can make a difference if we stand up against these transgressions. Created by director and storyteller Van Phan in partnership with the Oculus VR for Good Program and youth charity The Diana Award, Upstander uses scole, embodiment and shifts in perspective to push the boundaries of the story.
Upstander touches on the trauma caused by social, verbal, physical and cyberbullying and builds around the periods of a child’s school day. The piece uses backpack characters to represent children in a school environment to help immerse the audience in a story that defies reality and challenges the viewer to think and take action. It poses the question: How can we be part of the solution and not part of the problem?
Van Phan’s Upstander will be available to view from April 17 to April 25 in Oculus TV, available for Oculus Go or Oculus Quest headsets.
