Animation World Network now sports a collection of remembrances by many in the animation industry (including Don Hahn, Glen Keane, Gene Deitch, Chuck Williams, Chris Wedge, John Lasseter, and Jeffrey Katzenberg) of recently passed Disney animator Ollie Johnston.
Mass Animation Project Pays
Some happy news to report today. The Mass Animation project that we mentioned here last week released a new set of details today on their Facebook page. Notably among those details is that every artist whose work is used for the short will be compensated financially. Granted that the project is still structured like a contest and there’s a chance that the work you create won’t be used in the film (hence no compensation), but at least the artists whose work wins approval will receive something for their effort. Exploring new production models based on online collaboration is a worthy cause as long as it’s not done on the backs of artists, and I’m glad that we can now show some support behind a contest like Mass Animation.
(Thanks cartoonbrew)
Barbie vs. Bratz Victory for Mattel
For nearly two years now, Mattel and MGA Ent. have been locked in a heated battle over copyright infringement claims filed by the maker of the iconic Barbie line of toys and animated features. A jury has finally ruled in favor of Mattel, though the damages to be paid are still unclear. Reports of $100 million came in yesterday, but MGA claims that Mattel was only awarded $20 million in the ruling. Barbie sales have reportedly dipped 15% since the Bratz came onto the scene.MGA said that the jury made its award pursuant to a variety of legal claims, each based on the same damages theory, and subject to the court's instruction not to be concerned about duplicative damages. The company behind the Bratz dolls also pointed out that, during the trial, Mattel even conceded that the damages it sought were overlapping and duplicative.
MGA intends to appeal any amount of awarded damages. Still, the company’s leadership is relieved that the battle is nearing an end.
“We are pleased to have this trial behind us,” says MGA Ent. CEO Isaac Larian. “We can now concentrate all of our energies on what we do best—providing dolls and other toys that are the consumers’ first choice.”
Headquartered in Van Nuys, California, MGA manufactures toys, games, consumer electronics, home décor, stationery, sporting goods and other consumer products based on Bratz and other properties including Yummi-land, Storytime Collection, Rescue Pets, Miuchiz and Little Tikes. It also oversees production on an animated Bratz series and a number of direct-to-video Bratz toon features, which are now being distributed by Lionsgate. Lionsgate has also released a live-action Bratz feature film, and recently picked up MGA’s Little Tykes for North American distribution and initially plans to release four animated movies on home video this fall. More information on MGA is available at www.mgae.com.
Charlie Brown Elected to DVD
Obama and McCain aren’t the only candidates hitting the campaign trail this fall. Charles Schulz’ iconic comic-strip creation is out to snag consumer’ votes as the classic animated televsision special You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown hits retail with a re-mastered, deluxe edition slated to debut on Oct. 7. The Warner Home Video release will feature new extras, including the brand-new bonus episode He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown.In You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown, Charlie wants to be student body president, but polling information gathered by Lucy doesn’t look good for his chances. He decides instead to back Linus, who runs on a pro-recess, anti-homework platform. He’s looking like a shoo-in, until he starts talking about the Great Pumpkin.
Included on the disc is a behind-the-scenes featurette titled The Polls Don’t Lie: The Making of You’re Not Elected, Charlie Brown. The feature offers viewers an in-depth look at the eighth Peanuts television special, and explores the political leanings (or lack thereof) of its producers as they set out to create a politically-themed piece within the realm of Peanuts. The DVD will carry a suggested retail price of $19.98.
The Peanuts Characters will also be active in the real presidential campaign with “It’s Time to Vote, Charlie Brown,” the property’s first partnership with Rock the Vote. The program allows fans to cat their ballots in an online Peanuts election at www.peanutsrocksthevote.com, and aims to encourage young people to register to vote in the actual 2008 presidential election using Rock the Vote’s custom online voter registration tools.
Imira to Debut Myo & Ga at Cartoon Forum
Spainish producer and distributor Imira Ent. will introduce its quirky new 3D animated comedy series, Myo & Ga, at this year’s edition of Cartoon Forum. Aimed at kids six and up, the show is a co-production with Korea’s VOOZ Character Systems, creator of the Pucca property, and leading Korean animation channel Tooniverse.Set in the animal kingdom, the series of 78 seven-minute-long episodes is packed with slapstick comedy and martial arts action. Myo & Ga are heroes whose quest is to track down the mysterious Dragon Pearl of Wong and save the natural world from destruction. The trouble is, Myo’s a rabbit, Ga is a turtle, their best friend is a chicken, and they have no idea where to start! The show features manga-inspired animation, Matrix-style fight sequences and video game sound effects.
Imira has a history of collaborating with Korean companies. In addition to selling various shows to broadcasters in the region, the company currently distributes several Korean-produced series such as the Iconix-produced Pororo in Spain.
Cartoon Forum is an annual confab designed to support the co-production, financing and distribution of European animation for television and new media platforms. This year’s event will take place Sept. 16-19 in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Produtions from all over Europe will be competing for the Cartoon d’Or awards, supported by the EU MEDIA Programme.
Gnomes and Trolls Invade Europe
Gnomes and Trolls: The Secret Chamber, a new animated children’s movie from Swedish production company Whiteshark Films, is building an audience across Europe and other parts of the world. According to Daily Variety, the English-language fantasy feature has sold to 69 countries.Directed by Robert Rhodin and produced by Rhodin and Carl Johan Merner, Gnomes and Trolls: The Secret Chamber is an action-adventure comedic fairy tale in which a teenage gnome named Junior wants nothing more than to invent gizmos and gadgets in his tree-house laboratory. However, Junior’s father, Jalle, the head gnome of the forest, would prefer his son to follow in his footsteps and one day be in charge of his own forest. On the eve of the first winter storm, Junior helps Jalle distribute food rations to the soon-to-be-hibernating animals. At the same time, troll brothers Face and Slim hatch their evil father’s plan to steal the food from the gnome secret food chamber. It’s up to Junior and his best friend, Sneaky, a paranoid neurotic crow, to journey to the depths of the troll cave and retrieve the stolen food.
The movie premiered over the weekend at the Norwegian Film Festival in Haugesund. Sales are being handled by NonStop Sales, which has reportedly sold the film to distributors in Latin and South America, the whole Middle East and several Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Iran. The film has yet to sell to the U.S., the U.K., France, Italy and Germany, which are major targets in NonStop’s strategy. Buyers will be able to catch a screening at the American Film Market (AFM) in Santa Monica, Calif. this November. A television version will also debut at MIPCOM in Cannes in October.
Gnomes and Trolls is the first animated feature from Whiteshark. Junior the gnome will return in Gnomes and Trolls II: The Forest Trial, a sequel currently in the works. Whiteshark is also developing an animated fantasy titled Astrid Silverlock. Watch the trailer for Gnomes and Trolls at www.gnomesandtrolls.com.
Sleeping Beauty Returns to Hollywood
The El Capitan theater in Hollywood is bringing back the Disney animated classic Sleeping Beauty for a special 50th anniversary limited engagement running Aug. 28 through Sept. 18. The screenings is being held in conjunction with the Oct. 7 DVD and Blu-ray special edition re-release of the family favorite.Hosted by award-winning veteran Disney producer Don Hahn (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King), the film’s opening night screening will take place at 7 p.m. on the 28th. The film will be preceded by a filmmakers’ panel that will include Mary Costa (voice of Princess Aurora), animator/Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, background artist Frank Armitage, acclaimed Hollywood journalist/author Bob Thomas (Walt Disney The Art of Animation), and renowned Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter.
"Sweet Blackberry Presents" up for Humanitas Prize
"Sweet Blackberry Presents," a set of two HBO specials, is among the nominees in the children's animation category for this year's Humanitas Prize.
Through animation and a wide variety of music, the Sweet Blackberry Presents specials tell lesser-known stories about historical African-Americans in order to promote the culture and give children new heroes to identify with. A group of children listen to the stories as told by Alfre Woodard and Queen Latifah.
Other nominees for children's animation are the TV series My Friends Tigger & Pooh and Toddworld.
Recent Humanitas winners in the category include Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Friends, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks and Little Bill.
Founded in 1974, the Humanitas Prize is an annual screenwriter's award presented by the Human Family Educational and Cultural Institute in Los Angeles to "stories that affirm the dignity of the human person, probe the meaning of life and enlighten the use of human freedom." The winners are given both a trophy and a cash award. This year, $115,000 in prize money is being handed out, including $25,000 in the children's animation category.
Humanitas' annual luncheon is moving this year from the Hilton Universal to the Beverly Hills Hotel for its September 17 awards celebration.
The writers of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno and Lars and the Real Girl have been named finalists in the feature film category.
In the 60-minute television category, episodes from Boston Legal, John Adams and The Wire are the nominees.
Finalists in the 90-minute category are Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Charlie & Me, A Life Interrupted and Pictures of Hollis Woods. In the 30-minute category, the finalists are The Bill Engvall Show, In Treatment and Scrubs.
Other finalists are Johnny Kapahala, Minutemen and Sheira & Loli's Dittydoodle Works in the children's live action category, and Henry Poole Is Here, A Raisin in the Sun and The Visitor in the Sundance feature film category.
"Waltz With Bashir" screens at Atlantic Film Fest
Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman's animated documentary "Waltz With Bashir," acclaimed as this year's "Persepolis," will be screened as part of the 27th Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Full details of the festival, which runs from September 11 to 22, were announced Wednesday, when tickets first went on sale. There will be a slate of 254 films, including 70 from Atlantic Canada.
Shown as part of the Special Presentations series, the Israeli-German co-production Waltz With Bashir will be shown at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, September 18 at the Oxford Theatre.
Examining events around the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, particularly the infamous massacres at the Sabra and Shatila Palestinian refugee camps, Waltz With Bashir merges the fluidity of memory with shifting animation techniques to question the nature of history. Beginning with a story told to him by a friend who dreams of 26 dogs, Folman -- who was a 20-year-old Israeli defence fighter at the time of the war -- weaves interviews with combat survivors into discussions with some of Beirut' citizens who are involved in the war, piecing together a viable picture of just one of the conflicts that divided the Middle East through the last quarter of the 20th century.
Two separate but parallel tales are intertwined in director Nina Paley's Sita Sings The Blues, a dazzling and hypnotic independent animated film from the United States, to be shown at 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, September 17 at the Empire 8 Park Lane - 8.
Paley employs a bold range of animation styles in the retelling of the traditional Indian national legend Ramayana, alongside the modern tale of a wife who is dumped by her husband via e-mail.
In the film, we follow Sita's amazingly epic historical quest for love and understanding in a colorful and vibrant India, against the mundane modern travails of a couple in crisis, with each story commenting on and complementing the other in unexpected and profound ways.
With a soundtrack that merges electronic and Indian music with songs sung by Annette Hanshaw, a lascivious singing star in the 1920s, this is a truly original vision that will leave you stunned.
Also at the Empire 8 Park Lane - 8, Oscar-winning independent animator and cult favourite Bill Plympton is back with a new feature film.
Arguably his most provocative work to date (which is really saying something), Idiots & Angels is the tale of a boorish businessman who awakens one day to find angel wings growing out of his back. Taken aback by this development, he embarks on a quest to remove them. And much to his chagrin, they are not only cumbersome but actually compel him to perform good deeds.
Along the way, we meet an eccentric cast of shadowy characters in this dialogue-less romp through the recesses of society. Dark, daring and realized in his trademark style, this is another amazing animation that you will not want to miss.
Idiots & Angels screens at 7 p.m. Friday, September 12.
The Atlantic Film Festival has a pair of 90-minute "Frame X Frame" showcases for animated short films. Both will take place Saturday, September 15 at the Empire 8 Park Lane - 7.
Program One, set for 7:05 p.m., offers After School Midnight, B-Boy Bomb Breaking, Dragon, Madame Tutli-Putli, No Room For Gerold, Flighty, Fetch, I Met The Walrus, Paper, Pib and Pog: Peter’s Room, Rocket Science!, The Pearce Sisters, Stop Talking and Ujbaz Izbeneki Has Lost His Soul.
Program Two, scheduled for 9:25 p.m., includes Ark, Good Luck Counting Sheep, Habitat, Shuteye Hotel, Sleeping Betty, The Runt, Doxology, everything will be ok, Golden Cage, Posters, The White Wolf, Tunnel Vision and Usavich.
For ticket information and reservations, visit atlantic.bside.com/2008.
Bolt: Storyboard vs. CG
AICN recently posted the above two images as part of a preview of Disney’s Bolt. So, as I understand the animation process at Disney, here is how you translate a board drawing into a final CG film frame:
1. Remove all the funny shapes in the character design and turn the character into a nondescript blob.
2. Take out any asymmetry (like the angles on the arms) and even out the pose.
3. Tone down the funny expressions.
4. Just in case there is any appeal still left in the CG model, add flat lighting and excessive texturing so the characters and background mesh into an indistinguishable dark muck.
5. Repeat this process until you have blown $150 million dollars.
(Thanks cartoonbrew)
Briefly: India Needs 'Toon Pre-Production; Rall Animated; NYAF Tix Outlets
* The Financial Express states that the Indian animation industry needs to develop a strong pre-production plan to recover from a recent downturn as hundreds of animators have been left unemployed as studios are shutting down or shifting their business focus.
* Editorial cartoonist Ted Rall will be joining several of his colleagues in producing animated versions of his editorial cartoons, with the first to be posted "in a week or two." [Editor & Publisher]
* The New York Anime Festival has released a list of New York City area retailers who will be selling tickets to this year's festival. Friday tickets are $35, Saturday tickets are $40, Sunday tickets are $35, and Weekend tickets for all three days are $55. [Press Release]
2-Disc Edition of "Superman: Doomsday" Coming to DVD
Tvshowsondvd.com reports that Warner Bros. will release a special 2-disc edition of the hit DC Universe movie Superman: Doomsday on November 25, 2008.
Disc one of the set will contain the film starring Adam Baldwin as Superman, James Marsters as Lex Luthor, and Anne Heche as Lois Lane. The second disc will contain bonus features including 4 episodes of Superman: The Animated Series hand-picked by producer Bruce W. Timm.
NY Times: Disney to Deploy Animated Icons to Sell Blu-ray; 5 Titles Over 2 Years
The New York Times is reporting that Disney will be releasing five "Platinum Editions" of their movies in Blu-ray format over the next 2 years as part of a push to accelerate adoption of the new, high-definition video format. The five titles named were Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Fantasia 2000, and Beauty and the Beast. They will join Sleeping Beauty, which will be released on Blu-ray in October this year, and Pixar's first short films collection, Cars, and Ratatouille. The upcoming titles will incorporate the new BD Live technology, which lets viewers interact with others watching the movie at the same time.
In a related story, details are emerging for the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of Pixar's WALL-E, scheduled for release on November 18, 2008.
Newsarama Interviews Brooke Burgess on "I Am Legend" and "Hellboy 2" Animated Shorts
Newsarama's Animated Shorts column has interviewed animator Brooke Burgess, who made enough of a splash with his Broken Saints web animation to get a DVD release from Fox. The interview covers how Broken Saints led to his work on four animated short films on the I Am Legend DVD and the Hellboy 2 feature film. An additional Hellboy 2 animated sequence will be included on the DVD, and Burgess also detailed his involvement with a Batman: Black & White animation project.
Korea Times Interviews Pixar's Ralph Eggleston and Andrew Pienaar
The Korea Times has interviewed Pixar's Ralph Eggleston (production director) and Andrew Pienaar (technical director), who were in South Korea to deliver lectures in conjunction with a Pixar exhibition on display at the Seoul Arts Center through September 7, 2008. The pair discuss the working environment at Pixar Animation Studios, noting that it's the Pixar staff that makes the movies as successful as they are, and about the way the pair deal with the stresses of working at the studio.
New Images From Upcoming "Wolverine And The X-Men" Animated Series
Marvel Animation Age has received two new images from the upcoming Wolverine and The X-Men animated series.
To get a closer look at the images, click on the thumbnails below.
Wolverine and The X-Men is scheduled to premiere on the Nicktoons Network in early 2009. The series will debut in Canada, on the Canadian channel YTV, at 7pm (ET) on September 6th, 2008.
Industry Reactions to Superman Reboot News
In light of the recent announcement from Warner Bros. that the Superman film franchise would be "reintroduced", the Superman Homepage contacted various Superman related identities to get their reaction to the news.
Greg Rucka (writer at DC Comics) said, "Hmm...well, yeah, I think a reboot is a good idea at this point. While there are elements of Returns that I thought worked quite well, the film utterly failed, in my opinion, to demonstrate why Superman is, frankly, the best of the best. And there's the tiny little problem I have with making any kind of Superman movie that you can't bring an 8 year old to see, let alone a 10 year old. Batman? Sure, PG-13 all the way. But Superman, especially as a film, needs to be something that both kids and adults can enjoy -- in many ways, it goes to the core of the character, his universality. So I don't think a reboot is a bad idea -- as long as we don't end up with a take on the material that has Kal getting his power from a special suit, or that turns Doomsday into his long-lost brother."
As for whether Rucka could see himself writing the script for the next Superman movie, "Oh hell yeah! Will it happen? I can't imagine it. But damn, I'd be there in a micro-second, no question."
Jack O'Halloran, who starred as Non in "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman II", says the decision to reboot comes down to money. "Warner's weren't happy with the returns on Superman Returns." As for who he'd like to replace Bryan Singer if the director decides not to continue on with the Man of Steel, O'Halloran says, "I hope if they are rebooting Superman they hand the reins to Richard Donner. It would be the salvation of the series. Dick has such a passion for the series, the fan base would finally get what they have been waiting for someone with the passion to light up the screen."
Comic book writer Mark Waid told SaveSuperman.com that he thought the reboot was necessary but that he has reservations. "I think it's a good idea - though the idea of making Superman "darker" chills me to the bone. Still, what Batman Begins did for Batman gives me confidence. I have enormous respect for Singer, for Routh, and for all the people involved with Returns, I really do - and I'm sorry the sound bites picked up for the MTV piece didn't really reflect that - but as much as I loved Returns, and I really did, I grudgingly accept that the general audience thought of it as a misstep and that a reboot is probably necessary."
Virgin Comics shutters NY office, heads for Hollywood
Variety reports that the shutdown of Virgin Comics' New York offices is less a sign of the company going out of business and more about reorganizing as a Hollywood idea farm.
The comics company produced a number of high-quality books with high-profile creators since its inception a few years back. However, in spite of being inseminated with funds from Richard Branson's media empire, Virgin (like so many publishers before them) found the comics industry to be a rocky place where their seeds could find no purchase.
In spite of the books being non-starters with comics buyers, they did manage to create partnerships with Hollywood players like John Woo, Jenna Jameson, Ed Burns, Jonathan Mostow, Guy Ritchie and fan-fave Nicolas Cage. Several such properties have been optioned as movies.
As such, the company is said to be restructuring and will likely open offices in L.A. to quicken the pace of conversion of their comics into film.
Announced film projects include SCI FI Channels 'The Stranded', Guy Ritchie's 'The Gamekeeper', Hugh Jackman's 'Nowhere Man', Ed Burns' 'Dock Walloper', 'Secrets of the Seven Sounds', 'The Leaves', 'The Sadhu', 'Virulents' and 'The Megas' to name a few.
Downey Jr. and Fey Voicing MasterMind?
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Tina Fey ("30 Rock") are in negotiations to voice characters in DreamWorks Animation's MasterMind, scheduled for a November 5, 2010 release.
Produced by Ben Stiller's production company, Red Hour Films, the film is a satirical send-up of the superhero genre, built around the story of a super villain who must find a new motivation after accidentally killing his archrival, Uberman, in the opening scene of the movie.
MasterMind is based on a script from Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons and will be directed by DreamWorks Animation veterans Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson.
Will Christopher Nolan Do a Third Batman?
While the internet is going crazy with casting rumors that aren't true for Christopher Nolan's possible third Batman movie, the director himself is on vacation as The Dark Knight approaches $500 million domestically.
The Hollywood Reporter has published an interesting article about the film's marketing and the deaths of both Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe before the film's release. The piece ends with a bit on the third installment.
And Warners and Legendary are both interested in doing a third in the series, but all involved say it will be up to Nolan to come to them with a story and a plan.
"There are a lot of us who emotionally would love to do it," Roven says. "But it's really Chris' call. Chris is the kind of filmmaker who just doesn't think about the next movie before he has completely finished the movie he is working on."
For now, Nolan is taking a well-earned vacation.
Says Roven, "When he comes back, we will see how he feels."
We will be waiting patiently...
Employment and Employment Distribution
The employment stats above (also the ones below the break) tell a complex tale. Work in theatrical feature animation has been large and growing. Television employment? Welll ... not so much. That side of the biz has been smaller, and shrinking, even as overall totals have been growing ...
Since January every large feature studio -- Disney, DreamWorks, and IM Digital up in San Rafael -- have added to staff. (The exceptions are Imagi, which has no changes in staff size, and Sony Pictures Animation, now going through a rough patch as it replaces executives and sheds artists lining up its ducks about SPA's next animated feature. Which looks, as of this writing, like it will be Cloudy with Meatballs.)
Now take a look at "Employment Per Studio: January 2008 -- August 2008." You'll note that most television animation facilities endured declines in staff sizes. Film Roman and Nick had the largest job reductions, and Universal the smallest, but five out of seven teevee 'toon studios shrank rather than expanded.
So artists who've complained about how slow the television wing of animation is, have some basis for their gripes. There's work out in the small-screen marketplace, but it ain't getting bigger, certainly not at the moment. I keep hearing rumors that new shows are in the pipeline, but outside of The Cleveland Show at Fox Animation, I couldn't tell you what they are. (Cartoon Network is greenlighting a number of shorts, and hopefully some of these will generate new series, but we're months away from that possibility.)
The good news is: Union employment is pretty robust, and it's been growing. The bad new is, the growth is uneven.
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
Spielberg And Tintin Still Going To Happen
From the trades comes nail biting Tintin news:
Although Brussels' Herge Studios seems to think otherwise, Steven Spielberg remains committed to directing the first in a planned "Tintin" trilogy for DreamWorks. It will be his next directing effort after this summer's $780 million-worldwide-grossing "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Herge Studios, which holds the rights to the iconic comic strip character, said Tuesday via a spokesman that Peter Jackson was moving into the director's chair for the first film. But both Jackson's and Spielberg's camps say that Jackson in fact remains attached to direct the sequel, though he will still be a producer on the first.
In the meantime, Jackson will finish postproduction on "The Lovely Bones" for DreamWorks/Paramount before moving on to co-write the two "Hobbit" movies for New Line and MGM.
The first "Tintin" feature will be based on two of the books, "The Secret of the Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure," written by Tintin creator Herge between 1942 and 1944.
The film, scripted by "Doctor Who" writer Stephen Moffat, will be animated with motion-capture technology and star 18-year-old Thomas Sangster as Tintin and Andy Serkis as his friend Captain Haddock.
I had a lot of the comic books growing up, but not once did I ever hope a movie would be made out of them. Is anyone else excited about a Tintin series of films?
Dragonball Trailer Coming in October
ComingSoon.net has learned that 20th Century Fox will debut the first trailer for Dragonball in theaters on October 17 with the studio's video game adaptation Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg. We'll have to wait and see whether Fox will release the trailer online earlier that week.
Opening on April 10, Dragonball is written/directed by James Wong and stars Justin Chatwin, James Marsters, Jamie Chung, Emmy Rossum, Eriko Tamura, Joon Park, Chow Yun-Fat, Texas Battle, Randall Duk Kim and Ernie Hudson.
Dragonball is adapted from the manga created by Akira Toriyama. It was also turned into a Japanese anime series that played all over the world.
CNE Lines Up Softlines: 'Ben 10: Alien Force' & 'Bakugan'
Enterprising Animation
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), capitalizing on their previous business partnerships with apparel manufacturers for their ever growing property Ben 10: Alien Force, has successfully inked a series of soft-line product collections for the action and adventure television animation. Although the cable network has previously worked with designers and manufacturers of shirts and shoes, boards and bikes to promote Ben 10 a few years ago, Cartoon Network Enterprises has recently made it a priority to transition its marketplace relationship to meet the needs of older brother series Ben 10: Alien Force.
In related news, CNE has also successfully inked soft-line deals for Bakugan, a fantasy-adventure animated television series currently supplemented by a toyline from Spin Master, Ltd. Just as the new agreements made for Ben 10: Alien Force number a half-dozen, the agreements for Bakugan up to five (the two properties do share a few partners in select product categories). Soft-lines, often consisting of branded apparel such as t-shirts and long sleeves, also include accessories and footwear.
The launch date for new clothing items from each of the properties is this Fall season, with more merchandise making its way to retailers by the time the holiday season rolls around. The final touches on each of the clothing and merchandise lines should be made by Spring 2009. Of the branding agreements for which Ben 10: Alien Force and Bakugan share: C-Life, in charge of sunglasses and various swim accessories for Ben 10: Alien Force, and with board shorts and rash guards for Bakugan; and Accessory Innovations, singing on with Cartoon Network Enterprises to help supply headwear for Ben 10: Alien Force, and a series of nifty messenger bags, backpacks, and lunch bags for Bakugan.
"Ben 10: Alien Force has been a must-watch show for boys since its launch earlier this year and the overall Ben 10 franchise continues to evolve into an evergreen brand, both on-air and on-shelf," Christina Miller, Vice President of Consumer Products, Cartoon Network Enterprises, stated. "As we look to the fall and into 2009, we're excited to continue to work with such strong partners in key softlines categories to introduce a wide range of products that will continue to expand the brand."
Other items on tap for fans of the alien force include apparel from Freeze (t-shirts), SG Footwear (shoes, sneakers, boots, slippers), and AME (sleepwear). Naturally, Bandai America, Inc. continues to produce a large and complex toyline based on the action animation, as indicated over the past few months. With the anticipated launch of a videogame based on Ben 10: Alien Force this coming Fall from D3Publishers, the expansion of the Ben Tennyson series, after only a few months' time, seems never-ending.
Also making its way across all tiers of retail in the near future are other Bakugan-specific deals. CNE has taken on the role of establishing more and more brand representatives for animated productions created outside of Cartoon Network over the past few months, Bakugan being one of them. Soft-lines for this series, which airs weekdays on the network in the mornings, also include a number of shirts and collectibles.
"With the incredible buzz that has surrounded Bakugan since it launched on-air and on-shelf in the U.S., we moved very quickly to sign on key partners that were able to get high quality products to market at a speed that could meet the high demand," Miller commented on the priority of the series. "With this first round of partners, have created a great softlines program that will help expand the brand's presence at retail and continue its incredible momentum."
Hybrid Tees has come on board for t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts that will feature the characters and images kids familiar with the series will certainly recognize. In time for kids dreading the back-to-school frenzy, Jazwares, a south Florida product development group, has singed on to help create Bakugan-themed novelty stationary.
on Cartoon Network Enterprises: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network, is charged with building consumer product franchises for Cartoon Network, its brands and characters from the channel's growing library of award-winning original programming. CNE also works to secure and support long-term licensee partnerships across all key merchandising categories.
Briefly: LaFontaine in Critical Condition; Miyazaki Interview; NYAF Hosts Iron Chef
* Famed voice-over performer Don LaFontaine is reported in critical condition, with a blood clot lodged in his lung.
* Nausicaa.net has posted a translated excerpt of an interview with Hayao Miyazaki which was published in the Japanese magazine CUT.
* The NY Anime Festival will host Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as a Guest of Honor at this year's festival from September 26-28 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. [Press Release]
Vote for the Top New Canadian Animators at TELETOON.com
Canada's TELETOON.com has posted the finalists for the 2008 TELETOON Animation Scholarship, where Canada's finest up-and-coming animators compete for cash prizes and a chance to have their short screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Voting is open at the TELETOON web site until September 15, 2008.
For more details, read the press release here.
'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Trailer on DVD?
The Australian Classification Board have approved a 2 minute video for 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' for an upcoming DVD. The site does not specify the nature or content of the footage, nor what DVD it may be released on, but we can presume it'll run on an upcoming Fox Home Video release.
Perhaps a new 'X-Men' trilogy boxed set is coming?
Friends, Romans, Yellow Family
The morning was spent at Starz Media, where most artists (as previously stated) are back at their Cintiqs and/or light-boards...
In the King of the Hill section of the building, a staffer was happy to be back after the hiatus and optimistic that there could be more than one more season of Hill:
"We're a fairly lean and mean show here compared to The Simpsons. The King of the Hill actors are a whole lot cheaper than the other group, and the audience base is okay. I'm hoping we'll be around awhile."
Speaking of The Simpsons, the question I had for a Wise Old Veteran in the Yellow Family sector was, "How long is Fox going to keep The Simpsons on the air? One season? More than one season? What?" And the answer ...
"We tie the Gunsmoke record for number of seasons this year. I think Fox wants to break that record so we'll go another year. But I think we'll go more than that, because we're all getting Cintiqs and they want to amortize the costs for those over three years..."
Which would indicate to me, math major that I am, that The Simpsons is going to be around two seasons beyond this one.
As for more Simpsons features, Rupert doesn't hire stupid execs. So they won't miss the opportunity commission a couple more Yellow Family feature-length cash cows.
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
Industry Reactions to Superman Reboot News
In light of the recent announcement from Warner Bros. that the Superman film franchise would be "reintroduced", the Superman Homepage contacted various Superman related identities to get their reaction to the news.Greg Rucka (writer at DC Comics) said, "Hmm...well, yeah, I think a reboot is a good idea at this point. While there are elements of Returns that I thought worked quite well, the film utterly failed, in my opinion, to demonstrate why Superman is, frankly, the best of the best. And there's the tiny little problem I have with making any kind of Superman movie that you can't bring an 8 year old to see, let alone a 10 year old. Batman? Sure, PG-13 all the way. But Superman, especially as a film, needs to be something that both kids and adults can enjoy -- in many ways, it goes to the core of the character, his universality. So I don't think a reboot is a bad idea -- as long as we don't end up with a take on the material that has Kal getting his power from a special suit, or that turns Doomsday into his long-lost brother."
As for whether Rucka could see himself writing the script for the next Superman movie, "Oh hell yeah! Will it happen? I can't imagine it. But damn, I'd be there in a micro-second, no question."
Jack O'Halloran, who starred as Non in "Superman: The Movie" and "Superman II", says the decision to reboot comes down to money. "Warner's weren't happy with the returns on Superman Returns." As for who he'd like to replace Bryan Singer if the director decides not to continue on with the Man of Steel, O'Halloran says, "I hope if they are rebooting Superman they hand the reins to Richard Donner. It would be the salvation of the series. Dick has such a passion for the series, the fan base would finally get what they have been waiting for someone with the passion to light up the screen."
Comic book writer Mark Waid told SaveSuperman.com that he thought the reboot was necessary but that he has reservations. "I think it's a good idea - though the idea of making Superman "darker" chills me to the bone. Still, what Batman Begins did for Batman gives me confidence. I have enormous respect for Singer, for Routh, and for all the people involved with Returns, I really do - and I'm sorry the sound bites picked up for the MTV piece didn't really reflect that - but as much as I loved Returns, and I really did, I grudgingly accept that the general audience thought of it as a misstep and that a reboot is probably necessary."
Virgin Comics shutters NY office, heads for Hollywood
Variety reports that the shutdown of Virgin Comics' New York offices is less a sign of the company going out of business and more about reorganizing as a Hollywood idea farm.
The comics company produced a number of high-quality books with high-profile creators since its inception a few years back. However, in spite of being inseminated with funds from Richard Branson's media empire, Virgin (like so many publishers before them) found the comics industry to be a rocky place where their seeds could find no purchase.
In spite of the books being non-starters with comics buyers, they did manage to create partnerships with Hollywood players like John Woo, Jenna Jameson, Ed Burns, Jonathan Mostow, Guy Ritchie and fan-fave Nicolas Cage. Several such properties have been optioned as movies.
As such, the company is said to be restructuring and will likely open offices in L.A. to quicken the pace of conversion of their comics into film.
Announced film projects include SCI FI Channels 'The Stranded', Guy Ritchie's 'The Gamekeeper', Hugh Jackman's 'Nowhere Man', Ed Burns' 'Dock Walloper', 'Secrets of the Seven Sounds', 'The Leaves', 'The Sadhu', 'Virulents' and 'The Megas' to name a few.
Downey Jr. and Fey Voicing MasterMind?
Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) and Tina Fey ("30 Rock") are in negotiations to voice characters in DreamWorks Animation's MasterMind, scheduled for a November 5, 2010 release.
Produced by Ben Stiller's production company, Red Hour Films, the film is a satirical send-up of the superhero genre, built around the story of a super villain who must find a new motivation after accidentally killing his archrival, Uberman, in the opening scene of the movie.
MasterMind is based on a script from Alan Schoolcraft and Brent Simons and will be directed by DreamWorks Animation veterans Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson.
Will Christopher Nolan Do a Third Batman?
While the internet is going crazy with casting rumors that aren't true for Christopher Nolan's possible third Batman movie, the director himself is on vacation as The Dark Knight approaches $500 million domestically.
The Hollywood Reporter has published an interesting article about the film's marketing and the deaths of both Heath Ledger and Conway Wickliffe before the film's release. The piece ends with a bit on the third installment.
And Warners and Legendary are both interested in doing a third in the series, but all involved say it will be up to Nolan to come to them with a story and a plan.
"There are a lot of us who emotionally would love to do it," Roven says. "But it's really Chris' call. Chris is the kind of filmmaker who just doesn't think about the next movie before he has completely finished the movie he is working on."
For now, Nolan is taking a well-earned vacation.
Says Roven, "When he comes back, we will see how he feels."
We will be waiting patiently...
Employment and Employment Distribution
The employment stats above (also the ones below the break) tell a complex tale. Work in theatrical feature animation has been large and growing. Television employment? Welll ... not so much. That side of the biz has been smaller, and shrinking, even as overall totals have been growing ...Since January every large feature studio -- Disney, DreamWorks, and IM Digital up in San Rafael -- have added to staff. (The exceptions are Imagi, which has no changes in staff size, and Sony Pictures Animation, now going through a rough patch as it replaces executives and sheds artists lining up its ducks about SPA's next animated feature. Which looks, as of this writing, like it will be Cloudy with Meatballs.)Now take a look at "Employment Per Studio: January 2008 -- August 2008." You'll note that most television animation facilities endured declines in staff sizes. Film Roman and Nick had the largest job reductions, and Universal the smallest, but five out of seven teevee 'toon studios shrank rather than expanded.
So artists who've complained about how slow the television wing of animation is, have some basis for their gripes. There's work out in the small-screen marketplace, but it ain't getting bigger, certainly not at the moment. I keep hearing rumors that new shows are in the pipeline, but outside of The Cleveland Show at Fox Animation, I couldn't tell you what they are. (Cartoon Network is greenlighting a number of shorts, and hopefully some of these will generate new series, but we're months away from that possibility.)The good news is: Union employment is pretty robust, and it's been growing. The bad new is, the growth is uneven.
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
Spielberg And Tintin Still Going To Happen
From the trades comes nail biting Tintin news:Although Brussels' Herge Studios seems to think otherwise, Steven Spielberg remains committed to directing the first in a planned "Tintin" trilogy for DreamWorks. It will be his next directing effort after this summer's $780 million-worldwide-grossing "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."
Herge Studios, which holds the rights to the iconic comic strip character, said Tuesday via a spokesman that Peter Jackson was moving into the director's chair for the first film. But both Jackson's and Spielberg's camps say that Jackson in fact remains attached to direct the sequel, though he will still be a producer on the first.
In the meantime, Jackson will finish postproduction on "The Lovely Bones" for DreamWorks/Paramount before moving on to co-write the two "Hobbit" movies for New Line and MGM.
The first "Tintin" feature will be based on two of the books, "The Secret of the Unicorn" and "Red Rackham's Treasure," written by Tintin creator Herge between 1942 and 1944.
The film, scripted by "Doctor Who" writer Stephen Moffat, will be animated with motion-capture technology and star 18-year-old Thomas Sangster as Tintin and Andy Serkis as his friend Captain Haddock.
I had a lot of the comic books growing up, but not once did I ever hope a movie would be made out of them. Is anyone else excited about a Tintin series of films?
Dragonball Trailer Coming in October
ComingSoon.net has learned that 20th Century Fox will debut the first trailer for Dragonball in theaters on October 17 with the studio's video game adaptation Max Payne, starring Mark Wahlberg. We'll have to wait and see whether Fox will release the trailer online earlier that week.Opening on April 10, Dragonball is written/directed by James Wong and stars Justin Chatwin, James Marsters, Jamie Chung, Emmy Rossum, Eriko Tamura, Joon Park, Chow Yun-Fat, Texas Battle, Randall Duk Kim and Ernie Hudson.
Dragonball is adapted from the manga created by Akira Toriyama. It was also turned into a Japanese anime series that played all over the world.
CNE Lines Up Softlines: 'Ben 10: Alien Force' & 'Bakugan'
Enterprising Animation
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), capitalizing on their previous business partnerships with apparel manufacturers for their ever growing property Ben 10: Alien Force, has successfully inked a series of soft-line product collections for the action and adventure television animation. Although the cable network has previously worked with designers and manufacturers of shirts and shoes, boards and bikes to promote Ben 10 a few years ago, Cartoon Network Enterprises has recently made it a priority to transition its marketplace relationship to meet the needs of older brother series Ben 10: Alien Force.In related news, CNE has also successfully inked soft-line deals for Bakugan, a fantasy-adventure animated television series currently supplemented by a toyline from Spin Master, Ltd. Just as the new agreements made for Ben 10: Alien Force number a half-dozen, the agreements for Bakugan up to five (the two properties do share a few partners in select product categories). Soft-lines, often consisting of branded apparel such as t-shirts and long sleeves, also include accessories and footwear.
The launch date for new clothing items from each of the properties is this Fall season, with more merchandise making its way to retailers by the time the holiday season rolls around. The final touches on each of the clothing and merchandise lines should be made by Spring 2009. Of the branding agreements for which Ben 10: Alien Force and Bakugan share: C-Life, in charge of sunglasses and various swim accessories for Ben 10: Alien Force, and with board shorts and rash guards for Bakugan; and Accessory Innovations, singing on with Cartoon Network Enterprises to help supply headwear for Ben 10: Alien Force, and a series of nifty messenger bags, backpacks, and lunch bags for Bakugan.
"Ben 10: Alien Force has been a must-watch show for boys since its launch earlier this year and the overall Ben 10 franchise continues to evolve into an evergreen brand, both on-air and on-shelf," Christina Miller, Vice President of Consumer Products, Cartoon Network Enterprises, stated. "As we look to the fall and into 2009, we're excited to continue to work with such strong partners in key softlines categories to introduce a wide range of products that will continue to expand the brand."
Other items on tap for fans of the alien force include apparel from Freeze (t-shirts), SG Footwear (shoes, sneakers, boots, slippers), and AME (sleepwear). Naturally, Bandai America, Inc. continues to produce a large and complex toyline based on the action animation, as indicated over the past few months. With the anticipated launch of a videogame based on Ben 10: Alien Force this coming Fall from D3Publishers, the expansion of the Ben Tennyson series, after only a few months' time, seems never-ending.
Also making its way across all tiers of retail in the near future are other Bakugan-specific deals. CNE has taken on the role of establishing more and more brand representatives for animated productions created outside of Cartoon Network over the past few months, Bakugan being one of them. Soft-lines for this series, which airs weekdays on the network in the mornings, also include a number of shirts and collectibles.
"With the incredible buzz that has surrounded Bakugan since it launched on-air and on-shelf in the U.S., we moved very quickly to sign on key partners that were able to get high quality products to market at a speed that could meet the high demand," Miller commented on the priority of the series. "With this first round of partners, have created a great softlines program that will help expand the brand's presence at retail and continue its incredible momentum."
Hybrid Tees has come on board for t-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, and sweatshirts that will feature the characters and images kids familiar with the series will certainly recognize. In time for kids dreading the back-to-school frenzy, Jazwares, a south Florida product development group, has singed on to help create Bakugan-themed novelty stationary.
on Cartoon Network Enterprises: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network, is charged with building consumer product franchises for Cartoon Network, its brands and characters from the channel's growing library of award-winning original programming. CNE also works to secure and support long-term licensee partnerships across all key merchandising categories.
Briefly: LaFontaine in Critical Condition; Miyazaki Interview; NYAF Hosts Iron Chef
* Famed voice-over performer Don LaFontaine is reported in critical condition, with a blood clot lodged in his lung.
* Nausicaa.net has posted a translated excerpt of an interview with Hayao Miyazaki which was published in the Japanese magazine CUT.
* The NY Anime Festival will host Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto as a Guest of Honor at this year's festival from September 26-28 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. [Press Release]
Vote for the Top New Canadian Animators at TELETOON.com
Canada's TELETOON.com has posted the finalists for the 2008 TELETOON Animation Scholarship, where Canada's finest up-and-coming animators compete for cash prizes and a chance to have their short screened at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. Voting is open at the TELETOON web site until September 15, 2008.
For more details, read the press release here.
'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' Trailer on DVD?
The Australian Classification Board have approved a 2 minute video for 'X-Men Origins: Wolverine' for an upcoming DVD. The site does not specify the nature or content of the footage, nor what DVD it may be released on, but we can presume it'll run on an upcoming Fox Home Video release.
Perhaps a new 'X-Men' trilogy boxed set is coming?
Friends, Romans, Yellow Family
The morning was spent at Starz Media, where most artists (as previously stated) are back at their Cintiqs and/or light-boards...
In the King of the Hill section of the building, a staffer was happy to be back after the hiatus and optimistic that there could be more than one more season of Hill:
"We're a fairly lean and mean show here compared to The Simpsons. The King of the Hill actors are a whole lot cheaper than the other group, and the audience base is okay. I'm hoping we'll be around awhile."
Speaking of The Simpsons, the question I had for a Wise Old Veteran in the Yellow Family sector was, "How long is Fox going to keep The Simpsons on the air? One season? More than one season? What?" And the answer ...
"We tie the Gunsmoke record for number of seasons this year. I think Fox wants to break that record so we'll go another year. But I think we'll go more than that, because we're all getting Cintiqs and they want to amortize the costs for those over three years..."
Which would indicate to me, math major that I am, that The Simpsons is going to be around two seasons beyond this one.
As for more Simpsons features, Rupert doesn't hire stupid execs. So they won't miss the opportunity commission a couple more Yellow Family feature-length cash cows.
(Thanks Animation Guild Blog)
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