UpcomingPixar via BoxOfficeMojo and ComingSoon.net reports that the release date for Disney/Pixar’s Up appears to have been pushed forward by 14 days. Up was originally scheduled for a June 12, 2009 release but is now set to hit theatres on May 29, 2009.
Bam Margera’s Unaired MTV Pilot - Bamimation
Bam Margera, one of the infamous Jackass daredevils, has been animated many times in the past - but mainly as a video game character. But back in 2006, this star of MTV’s Viva La Bam was illustrated into his very own Flash-animated pilot - Bamimation. I found this canceled pilot floating around the web, and am fairly certain it was animated by Six Point Harness in Hollywood.
nockFORCE, the weekly animated musings of Jim Gisriel and Ian Jones-Quartey, has spawned its first politically-minded episode. This Flash-animated series isn’t the most elaborately-animated project, but keep in mind that Jones-Quartey is animating on his own - weekly. It’s a loopy, open-topic series that’s now released the 26th episode titled Presidential Go-Kart Race, which nods to the Nintendo game Mario Kart.
LEGO Secures Speed Racer Rights
LEGO Group today announced an agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) to secure construction toy rights for the upcoming Speed Racer, the live action feature film adaptation of the classic TV series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida.
Under the agreement, LEGO Group will produce four constructible racing playsets under its LEGO Racers brand, scheduled to race onto store shelves in April 2008, and ranging in price from $19.99 to $59.99 USD. Builders and collectors alike will appreciate the inclusion of multiple authentic racers in each set for head-to-head racing and building fun. Many of the Speed Racer characters also will come to life in LEGO minifigure form, including Speed, Racer X, Trixie, Spritle, Chim-Chim, Mom and Pops Racer, Taejo Togokhan, Snake Oiler, Gray Ghost and Cruncher Block.
"Warner Bros. Consumer Products has partnered with LEGO on Batman and Harry Potter, and we are excited to expand our relationship to include products based on the upcoming 'Speed Racer' film," said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President, Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing, for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "LEGO has captured the racing excitement of the film in its own unique way."
"The popularity and universal appeal of 'Speed Racer' has engaged generations of loyal and enduring fans," said Jill Wilfert, Vice President, Partnership and Alliance Management for LEGO Group. "Combined with one of our most popular lines in LEGO Racers, 'Speed Racer' has become an awesome proposition for our business and consumers."
The green flag drops on May 9, 2008, when Speed Racer makes his feature film debut in the newest project from writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski, the creators of the groundbreaking "The Matrix" trilogy, and producer Joel Silver. A live-action, high-octane family adventure based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the big-screen Speed Racer will follow the adventures of the young race car driver Speed (Emile Hirsch) in his quest for glory in his thundering Mach 5. It will feature other characters that fans of the show will remember, including Mom (Susan Sarandon) and Pops Racer (John Goodman), girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci) and the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox).
Watchmen Enters Final Weeks of Filming
Watchmen director Zack Snyder (300) has posted a new column at MTV that includes the following bit:
At the moment, I'm in the final weeks of shooting "Watchmen," in Vancouver, British Columbia. Since "Watchmen" is a dissection of the superhero genre and forces it to take a long, hard look into the pop-culture mirror, it only makes sense that it's where my head is at these days.
Opening March 6, 2009, the big screen adaptation stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer.
Carla Gugino Talks Watchmen
MTV caught up with Carla Gugino at Sunday's SAG Awards, where she talked about her role in Zack Snyder's Watchmen:
"It was really one of the craziest, most fun roles I've ever gotten to play," marveled the "Sin City" star, cast as the burlesque dancer who proves to be the most PR-savvy of the complex superheroes. "I start at 25 years old in the 1940s, and I age to 67 years old with full prosthetics in the 1980s. [Sally] is a larger-than-life character. She's a costumed crime fighter, but her idea of a costume is very Bettie Page-meets-[Alberto] Vargas.
For more of the interview, hit the link above!
Visions of Frank dvd
Visions of Frank is a dvd that came out last year collecting eight animated shorts by Japanese animators, all based on Jim Woodring’s wondrous comic creation Frank. The 45-minute dvd, which sells for $25 on Woodring’s website, also comes with a 16-page booklet, and includes Woodring’s own animated short Whim-Grinder. More info from the website:
VISIONS OF FRANK collects 8 wild Frank animations made by some of Japan’s most innovative and idiosyncratic filmmakers: Taruto Fuyama, Eri Yoshimura, art unit COCOA, DROP INC., Masaki Naito, Kanako Kawaguchi, Naomi Nagata. Each piece is an interpretation of a classic Frank comic and is scored by musicians from Japan and the USA. The films run the gamut of animation techniques: 3D CG, paper craft, clay, iron sand and traditional cel 2D…For each animation, you are able to choose between the original music and the newly composed music by other musicians. Participating musicians include James McNew (from Yo La Tengo), The Coctails, Dame Darcy, Kicell, Milk Yabe, and others.
A number of the shorts, if not all, are viewable on YouTube including this fine one:
Ka-Ching Drops Their 3D Machine on Rotterdam
Last night at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Joost van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk, the Dutch artists behind Ka-Ching Cartoons, debuted their new 7-minute Flash-animated short The 3D-Machine. Inspired by 50s monster movies, this film is actually produced in traditional 3D format (glassed encouraged, but not required), and the team used Photoshop and After Effects for the backgrounds and Premiere for the editing. The film is about “a professor who invents a machine that can bring everything he draws to life.”
El Chavo: Univision’s Flash-Animated Prime Time Hit
According to a recent article in Animation Magazine, Univision’s first prime-time animated series, El Chavo: La Serie Animada debuted with strong ratings, scoring ahead of both The CW and the almighty NBC. This Flash-animated series was physically produced by Anima Estudios, which is based in Mexico City. El Chavo is based on the children’s show, El Chavo de Ocho.
Below is an episode titled Vacaciones en Acapulco.
Marcell Jankovic’s Fehérlófia
Every so often I find out about such an awesome piece of animation that I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never heard about it before. Tonight was such an instance when my friend Joshua Smith introduced me to the 1982 Hungarian animated feature Fehérlófia directed by the legendary Marcell Jankovics. (Note: Other websites peg the film’s release date as 1980 and ‘81. If anybody knows for sure, let us know.)
Admittedly I’ve never followed Jankovics’s work very closely. Like most indie animation fans I’m familiar with his award-winning short Sisyphus(warning: unintentionally NSFW soundtrack) and that’s about all. I had no idea that he’d also directed features, especially one as daringly experimental as this one. The first bit of Fehérlófia that I watched was this clip:
After watching this, I thought there’s no way there could be an entire film that maintains this visual intensity and innovation throughout. Then a search on YouTube revealed that the entire film is posted in eight parts and in fact it’s a pretty damn amazing piece of work. Visually, it’s rooted in a pastiche of late-’70s/early-’80s graphic styles yet it also manages to look remarkably fresh and contemporary. This ten-minute segment blew me away:
What the film lacks in the type of nuanced character animation that we demand from our US animated features, it more than makes up for with its experimental graphic animation and sweeping artistic vision. Joshua Smith tells me that he’s working to create an English fansub of the film. I hope he makes that available online so we can all learn if the story is as fascinating as the artwork.
Spotlight on Chinese Animation
“They already make most of the toys, holiday decorations, and household items sold in America, in addition to holding most of our debt. Think China is just content to be regarded as the place you go for cheap animation outsourcing? Think again!” o-meon covers almost 2000 years of Chinese animation and aims to show the rich quality of animation coming from the most populous country in the world.
Fly Me Gets Launch Date
Fly Me to the Moon, a CG-animated family feature developed specifically for stereoscopic 3-D exhibition, will be released in IMAX venues and other theaters equipped for digital 3-D projection on Aug. 22. A co-production of Illuminata and nWave Pictures, the film will be distributed nationwide by Summit Ent.
In the movie, three tween-aged flies decide they want to become part of the space program and hatch a plan to stow away on the 1969 Apollo II mission. Against the wishes of their mothers and with encouragement from a grandfather who missed his shot at becoming the first fly in space, the intrepid insects manage to get into the rocket and embark on an exhilarating and harrowing space adventure. The voice cast features Kelly Rippa, Christopher Lloyd, Nicollette Sheridan and Adrianne Barbeau, as well as real-life Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin in a special cameo role.
The G-rated, independently produced film is directed by Ben Stassen of Brussels-based nWave Pictures. The company has been have been producing 3-D films for more than a decade, creating specialty titles such as 3D Mania, Alien Adventure, Misadventures in 3D and Wild Safari for IMAX theaters and theme-park attractions. To handle its first animated feature for the mass market, nWave augmented its core group of animators in Belgium with hires from throughout Europe, the U.S and Canada.
While other animated movies have been converted to 3-D as an afterthought, Fly Me to the Moon is a pioneer when it comes to animated films built from the ground up with stereoscopic projection in mind. Major studios have since adopted the model. DreamWorks Animation will make all of its CG features in 3-D, starting with 2009’s Monsters Vs. Aliens, and Disney/Pixar will bring an extra dimension to Toy Story 3. The first two Toy Story films will be converted for 3-D exhibition and re-released.
Leonardo in The Box for France
Gruppo Alcuni, a production company based in Treviso, Italy, has signed The Box Distribution to handle its animated series, Leonardo, in French-speaking territories. Co-produced by Rai Fiction with the support of the European community’s MEDIA program, the series consists of 26 13-minute episodes that blend traditional 2D animation and CG techniques. Installments will be ready for air by the end of April.
Set in the 1400s, Leonardo follows the exploits of a group of Tuscan youngsters who are lucky to have a resourceful friend in Leonardo da Vinci. At the age of 13, the young inventor is not yet aware of the role he will play in history. He’s content to dream up new gadgets and get into thrilling adventures with loyal pal Lorenzo and the beautiful Gioconda, while foiling the plots of rivals Laura and Gottardo. Each episode will reveal one of da Vinci’s new inventions from its conception to its creation. These include a flying machine, a special catapult and an elastic bicycle.
Newport Beach Fest Adds Chuck Jones Award
The Newport Beach Film Festival and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity will present the first ever Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation this year. Created in honor of the legendary animation director, the award will be given each year to an individual or group best exemplifying artistic achievement and innovation in the field of animation.
Winners of the Chuck Jones Award will receive a special animation cel from Jones' body of work, a cash award and recognition at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Filmmakers from around the globe with feature-length or short-form original animated works can submit their films for consideration.
“Chuck Jones lived in Newport Beach as a child and always held it close to his heart,” comments Linda Jones Clough, daughter of the Oscar-winning animator. “His last 22 years were spent as a resident of Newport Beach/Corona del Mar, and it is with great pleasure and delight that the Jones family and Trustees of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity participate in this wonderful festival.”
The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a nonprofit organization with a mission to foster and encourage creativity, especially in young people, using Jones' films, drawings and writings as artistic resource and inspiration. Jones made more than 300 animated films over the course of his 60-year career, and was a driving creative force behind such enduring Warner Bros. characters as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote.
The Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 24 through May 1, and will highlight more than 300 films from around the world. Filmmakers can download an entry form at www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com, or submit through www.withoutabox.com. The final deadline for entries is Feb. 11.
M-I-C-K-E-Y B-U-S-T-E-D: Mouse's tail sent to jail
Forget Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan: Mickey Mouse -- or someone borrowing the celebrity Disney character's name -- has been arrested for DUI in Sacramento, California.
Arrest records indicate that within an hour last Thursday, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department arrested one "Mickey Mouse" twice on charges of driving under the influence and once for driving on a revoked license.
Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran expressed surprise to hear that Mickey had been placed in custody.
"I don't know how that got in there," Wednesday's Sacramento Bee quoted Curran as saying. "When trainees learn to use our system, they put that (name) in.... It's one of the names we can use without getting in trouble."
Arrest records describe the rodent as an Anaheim, California resident who works as a bartender.
The arrest log further describes Mouse as a 47-year-old African-American male who's 5'9" tall and weighs 190 pounds.
Mouse has used the aliases "Buzz Lightyear" and "Donnie Duck," jail records state. He's known to police, having been arrested in 2005 on felony drunk driving charges.
ADV Films Breaks Silence on Anime Titles Vanishing from Their Website
"We know there are a lot of rumors swirling about, and that fans are looking for assurances that ADV will continue to distribute the anime series they know and love.
While we can't go into any detail at this time, please know that ADV is working through a few short-term challenges and fully intends to continue our releases.
We thank you for your patience."
Finally New Superhero Movie Details
It's been a while since we talked about Dimension Films and MGM's Superhero Movie, a spoof comedy from writer/director Craig Mazin and producer David Zucker. The movie, opening March 28, stars Sara Paxton, Leslie Nielsen, Drake Bell, Christopher McDonald, Kevin Hart, Marion Ross, Ryan Hansen, Jeffrey Tambor and Brent Spiner
We can tell you that the trailer is coming very soon--either this weekend or next weekend--and that ComingSoon.net has posted the plot, which goes like this:
Finally, the guys behind the outrageously silly "Scary Movie" franchise have used their own 'special powers' to spoof superhero movies. After being bitten by a genetically altered dragonfly, high school loser Rick Riker develop superhuman abilities like incredible strength and armored skin. Rick decides to use his new powers for good and becomes a costumed crime fighter known as "The Dragonfly." However, standing in the way of his destiny is the villainous Lou Landers. After an experiment gone wrong, Lou develops the power to steal a person's life force and in a dastardly quest for immortality becomes the supervillain, "The Hourglass." With unimaginable strength, unbelievable speed and deeply uncomfortable tights, will the Dragonfly be able to stop the sands of The Hourglass and save the world? More importantly, will we stop laughing long enough to notice?
Reeves Scares Up Cloverfield Sequel
Matt Reeves is in early talks with Paramount to direct a sequel to his recent monster movie Cloverfield, Variety reported. If the studio can complete discussions with Reeves, producer J.J. Abrams and scribe Drew Goddard, there is a chance that the Cloverfield sequel will be his next film.
Cloverfield, which tells the story of a monster attack on New York City through hand-held video footage, broke the box-office record for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend when it opened on Jan. 18 with $46 million in ticket sales. It fell sharply the following weekend, but not significantly enough to deter the studio from moving forward with a deal for a follow-up film. A likely factor was the film's modest $25 million budget, which it made back in its first two days of release.
Everybody has been jumping on the Flash bandwagon these past few years, but could 2008 be the year that animators begin abandoning the infamously buggy software for a more stable and artist-friendly program? Lili Chin and Eddie Mort, the creators of one of the earliest Flash-animated TV series ¡Mucha Lucha!, have announced on their blog that they’re through with Flash. The creative duo is currently wrapping up a feature in Flash called Los Campeones de La Lucha Libre, but they say that beginning with their next project, a short for Cartoon Network Asia, they’ll be switching to Toon Boom’s Harmony. The statement on their blog reads:
“Goodbye Macromedia Flash. After 8 years we are truly over you. Those buggy filters you tantalisingly tempted us with in Flash 8 were the last straw. And you got an ANNIE AWARD for your inadequate software? We’re looking forward to working in some new kind of HARMONY for Rocquita.”
Is this an isolated incident or has the exodus begun?
It seems Warren Ellis has made a rare appearance on the somethingawful.com forums which require a 10 dollar charge for an account (keeps the riff raff out… sometimes). During the Q&A Ellis said some interesting things about the oft-rumored but never-happening 'Transmetropolitan' movie.
Here are the highlights from the Q&A, as the were presented in the forum:
Q: Which of your creations would you be least happy to lose control over?
A: Darick [Robertson] and I have turned down countless approaches to do 'Transmetropolitan' in TV and film, for the simple reason that we are going to exercise control and see it done right or it will not be done at all. I would not be happy to lose control over that book.
Q: Any comments on Patrick Stewart doing Spider Jerusalem for TV/film? [Editor's Note: it had been rumored many years ago that Stewart was interested in doing a web-animation based on 'Transmet'.]
A: It'll never happen.
Q: More generally, who do you have in mind doing Spider so that it gets "done right"?
A: Darick and I both favour the idea of Tim Roth playing Spider.
Q: if you had to (as in gun to the head style "had to") have one of your characters made into a movie, which would it be?
A: HAD to? Jesus. Um... 'Atmospherics'.
'Atmospherics' is one of the numerous Ellis titles available through Avatar Press.
There you have it. For the complete thread visit SomethingAwful.com and check under the "Batman’s Shameful Secret" sub-forum for the “Warren Ellis Q&A” thread. He discusses his opinion on things in the news, the presidential primaries, and status of his books! Exciting for sure.
'Marvel Zombies' Animated Feature Rumored
According to ShockTillYouDrop.com, a Direct To DVD animated feature based upon the popular Marvel Zombies mini series may be in the works.
The series, which follows the events of an alternate Marvel universe becoming infected with a virus that turns the characters into flesh hungry zombies, has been both a critical and commmercial hit for the publisher.
Marvel has yet to officially announce which characters will be featured in future Marvel/Lions Gate DVDs beyond this years Avengers Reborn, Hulk Smash! and next year's Thor features, so the story must be considered strictly rumor at this stage.
Nickelodeon Universe Opens in March
Mall of America, the country's largest shopping and entertainment center, will hold the grand opening of a new theme park dubbed Nickelodeon Universe on Saturday, March 15. Construction is underway on several Nick-themed rides that will be added to the seven-acre indoor park in Bloomington, Minn. Attractions will include two roller coasters dubbed SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender, and a thrill ride named Splat-O-Sphere.
SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender are the first roller coasters of their kind to be built inside a mall. The SpongeBob ride will offer vertical lifts, spirals and 90-degree turns before screeching to a halt at the Bikini Bottom Bus Stop. The Avatar Airbender will reach heights of 70 feet, and the Splat-O-Sphere will launch riders nearly 60 feet high before sending them down again at breathtaking speeds. Construction of the rides requires 45-tons of reinforcement steel, eight tons of structural steel and 4,000 cubic yards of concrete.
Nickelodeon Universe will also feature live shows, shops, games and other entertainment based on such top animated shows as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Danny Phantom, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and The Backyardigans. In addition, young fans will get to meet Nick characters in the park, which will host the network’s largest retail presence in the world. The Nick store will occupy more than 4,000 square feet with such items as branded tee-shirts, souvenirs and novelties.
Located minutes from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, Mall of America is a 4.2 million-square-foot complex that opened in August of 1992. Home to more than 520 shops, the tourist destination houses the nation's largest indoor family amusement park, a 1.2 million-gallon walk-though aquarium, a 14-screen movie theater and other attractions. For more information on Nickelodeon Universe, go to www.theparkatmoa.com.
Nick Airing Valentine's Day Romance Marathon
Nickelodeon will air romance-themed episodes of SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents, Go, Diego, Go and other series on Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14, as part of its Crush Week programming schedule, the network says.
The Valentine's Day marathon will run from 6:30am to 9:00pm (EST/PST).
Johnson Heads Animation at Nick, MTVN Kids
Brown Johnson, a 20-year Nickelodoen veteran, has been promoted to the newly created position of president of animation for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. Previously exec VP and creative director of Nickelodeon preschool, and general manager of NOGGIN, Johnson was the driving force behind such Nick Jr. hits as Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, The Wonder Pets! and The Backyardigans. In her new role, she will report to Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami as she spearheads development and production for all animated programming across Nickelodeon, while continuing to oversee development and production for all preschool programming.
Johnson joined Nickelodeon in 1988 as exec in charge of production and, in 1989, was promoted to VP of production for Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, where she oversaw all Nickelodeon production and talent, as well as Nickelodeon Studios’ production staff in Florida. In 1993, she became VP/exec producer of Nick Jr. production and development. She was promoted to exec VP of Nick Jr. in 2001 before taking on the role of creative director of preschool television and general manager of NOGGIN in 2007.
A president of animation, Johnson will oversee the development and production of more than 225 new episodes of Nicktoon series in 2008. In addition to supervising the creative direction of such established favorites as SpongeBob Squarepants, The Fairly OddParents and Back At The Barnyard, she will shepherd the upcoming Amy Poehler Nicktoon series The Mighty B and The Penguins of Madagascar in partnership with DreamWorks SKG.
Based in both Nickelodeon's New York City headquarters and the Nick Animation Studio in Burbank, Calif., Johnson will supervise creative executive teams on both coasts, managing the creative direction and coordination efforts between series production, on-air promotions, marketing and consumer products. Nickelodeon's live action series and TV movie development and production will continue to be led by exec VP Marjorie Cohn.
Adult Swim Picks Up More Bleach
VIZ Media, LLC has announced that the 52-episode second season of the hit supernatural action animated series BLEACH is expected to begin airing on Saturday, March 1 on Adult Swim.
BLEACH follows Ichigo Kurosaki, an ordinary 15-year-old boy who also happens to be able to see ghosts. His fate takes an extraordinary turn when he meets Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper who shows up at Ichigo's house on the trail of a Hollow, a malevolent lost soul.
Drawn to Ichigo's high level of spirit energy, the Hollow attacks him and his family, and as a last resort, Rukia decides to transfer part of her Soul Reaper powers to Ichigo. As a result of Rukia’s actions, she is sent back to the Soul Society, where she is condemned to die. In Season 2, a stronger and more powerful Ichigo demonstrates a new resolve to save Rukia from certain death. This culminates in an explosive confrontation with Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia’s by-the-book brother and his most intense opponent yet! Soon, Ichigo’s journey takes him back to the World of the Living where he must deal with a new assortment of supernatural enemies as well as the rigors of high-school life.
IESB.net is reporting that theatre actor David Murray has joined the big screen G.I. Joe adaptation to play villain Destro:
David Murray, mainly an actor of theatre, has been described as a cross between Alan Rickman and Clive Owen. A strong, good-looking dark haired actor, it is said he has a bit of an aristocratic snob quality about him.
And although Destro had a minor role in the original animated "G.I. Joe: The Movie," he is the main baddie this time around.
For more on this, hit the link above!
Whedon: Weird Science Is Offensive
Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly creator Joss Whedon participated in the weekly Geeks On podcast on Jan. 24 and discussed his upcoming projects, as well as his disgust for the concept at the heart of the '80s fantasy film Weird Science, according to science-fiction blog io9.
"I hate Weird Science not a little," Whedon said during the podcast, which was devoted to the theme of artificial intelligence. "I find it offensive, the boy fantasy of building a girl. Obviously, we were doing the nasty version of it [in Buffy the Vampire Slayer], because I find it grotesque."
He added that his new upcoming series Dollhouse, starring Buffy veteran Eliza Dushku, is "very much about humanity and how much of it is programmed."
Whedon is also working on a film script with former Buffy writer Drew Goddard--whose monster movie Cloverfield is currently in theaters--and a new project involving Internet content. In the print realm, Whedon is finishing up his runs on the comic-book series Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Finally, he confirmed that his Wonder Woman film is officially dead at Warner Brothers.
The full podcast can be heard in streaming format here.
Wire Has Exclusive Knight Video
SCI FI Wire visited the set of NBC's upcoming Knight Rider and spoke exclusively with the cast and crew about the making of the TV movie. Two new videos (part one and part two), featuring footage from the behind-the-scenes interviews, are now live.
Knight Rider airs as a two-hour movie on Feb. 17 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Three cartoons up for television diversity awards
A trio of television series have been nominated by the National Association for Multi-ethnicity In Communications for the animation category of the 14th Annual NAMIC Vision Awards.
Nominated are Cartoon Network's The Boondocks; "A Very Happy Holiday," an episode of Disney Channel's Handy Manny; and "Moustache Kid" and "Puma Licito," two episodes of Nickelodeon's El Tigre.
In the children's category, the four nominees include the animated Nickelodeon shows Dora The Explorer: Dora's World Adventure and Go, Diego, Go! - Diego Saves Christmas.
Presented by NAMIC-Southern California, the NAMIC Vision Awards is the only competition recognizing outstanding achievements in original, multi-ethnic cable programming.
The 14th annual awards presentation, which honors programming diversity, will take place April 16 at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
This year's NAMIC Vision Awards will be presented at a special luncheon held in conjunction with the NAMIC West Coast Creative Summit, which is part of the trade organization's signature conference series focused on the content development aspects of the television industry.
Over 200 entries were submitted by 29 networks competing for top honors in 15 award categories.
HBO dominated the voting by garnering 10 nominations in five categories. Disney Channel received five nominations, and TV One garnered four. TV One's impressive showing marks the largest number of NAMIC Vision Awards nominations earned by the network to date.
"The Vision Awards exemplifies the best of what the cable television industry produces annually in multi-ethnic and cross-cultural original programming that positively reflects the diverse interest of its viewers," said NAMIC president Kathy Johnson.
Oscar-nominated "Tutli-Putli" nominated for Genie
Nominated a week ago for an Academy Award, the National Film Board of Canada cartoon Madame Tutli-Putli is one of three candidates announced Monday for the Genie Award for best animated short.
The winner of two awards at Cannes, the wordless Madame Tutli-Putli is the first film from Montreal filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski.
Also nominated for a Genie in the category are two other NFB releases: Diane Obamsawin's Here And There and George Schwizgebel's wordless Jeu -- a co-production with Switzerland's Studio GDS and Télévision Suisse Romande.
The Genie Awards are organized each year by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. Canada's top film honors, they're the Canadian equivalent of the Oscars.
The 28th annual Genie Awards will be presented March 3 in Toronto.
Leading the Genie nominations with 12 each are David Cronenberg's Mafia thriller Eastern Promises and Shake Hands With the Devil, a dramatic adaptation of retired Canadian general Roméo Dallaire's experiences in Rwanda.
Eastern Promises stars Viggo Mortensen and Naomi Watts. Shake Hands With the Devil stars Quebec actor Roy Dupuis. Both films have been nominated for best motion picture.
Also nominated for the top award are L'Âge des ténèbres (Days of Darkness), Away From Her and Continental, un film sans fusil.
Future Film Festival: We Have Seen the Future, and We is Schizophrenic
Russell Bekins chronicles the eclectic mix of films from the East and the West at the Future Film Festival.
Habbo and Paramount Pictures Digital Ent. today announced a licensing agreement to create virtual goods based on titles including THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, BEOWULF and MEAN GIRLS. The deal will provide Habbo merchandising rights throughout the U.S. and Canada for all three properties. The partnership marks one of the first of its kind between a major motion picture studio and a virtual world commodity.
Starting in February with the upcoming fantasy-adventure title THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES, Habbo will introduce items that include themed apparel to accessorize avatars, virtual furniture and accessories, as well as other virtual goods based on the movie. Habbo will follow up by producing themed virtual merchandise for the popular previously released titles BEOWULF and MEAN GIRLS in the upcoming months.
"The Habbo audience demands that their community reflect today's real world pop culture entertainment landscape," said Teemu Huuhtanen, EVP, Habbo business and President, North America. "By establishing a licensing deal with a leading studio like Paramount Pictures Digital Ent., we are able to produce themed virtual goods relevant to the movies our teen audience is watching, while simultaneously implementing impactful promotional campaigns for the studio."
"Many of our movie properties naturally lend themselves to unique and innovative opportunities in the traditional, digital and virtual worlds," said Alex Carloss, EVP/GM of Worldwide Digital Distribution for Paramount Pictures Digital Ent. "This agreement allows us to access Habbo's exceptional virtual community and built-in audience base where users can extend and enhance the film experience with a suite of themed-virtual goods."
There are currently Habbo communities in 31 countries on five continents. To date, over 86 million Habbo characters have been created and more than 8 million unique users worldwide visit Habbo each month. For more information, visit www.habbo.com.
Fifth of Aqua Teen on DVD
Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Volume 5 arrives on home video today, offering ten more episodes of the absurd Adult Swim animated comedy from creators Matt Maiellaro and Dave Willis. Also hitting retail today is the critically acclaimed video-game documentary King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, and episodes of the popular children’s shows SpongeBob SquarePants and Pingu.
Produced under the Williams Street banner, Aqua Teen Hunger Force follows the exploits of three super-sized fast food items that rent a house together in New Jersey. The fifth season episodes are packaged as a two-disc set that also includes four previously unreleased episodes and other bonus features. Featurettes include Aqua Teens Respond to the Critics, Learn to Shred Like the Master, Tera Patrick Eats a Hot Dog and Granny Takes Her Top Off. There’s also a music video an interactive game dubbed The Worst Game Ever, a full episode titled “Space Ghost Coast to Coast Chambraigne,” the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters premiere with Space Ghost, deleted scenes, favorite episode promos and a trailer for the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro Am video game. The Warner Home Video releases lists for $29.98.
Released theatrically by New Line Cinema over the summer, King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters focuses on Mark Alpiger and Billy Mitchell, two video game fanatics who compete to break world records on classic arcade games. Bonus features include commentary by director Seth Gordon, producer Ed Cunningham, associate producers Clay Tweel and Luis Lopez, an animated short titled A Really, Really Brief History of Donkey Kong and other featurettes.
SpongeBob Squarepants: To Love a Patty is a collection of eight episodes. In addition to the title installment, the episodes include “Le Big Switch,” “Goo Goo Gas,” “A Flea in Her Dome,” “The Donut of Shame,” “The Krusty Plate,” “Pat No Pay” and “Blackjack.” The disc form Paramount Home Entertainment carries a suggested retail price of $16.99.
Pingu: On Thin Ice features eight episodes of the Hit Ent. animated series about a charming and mischievous young penguin who lives at the South Pole with his family. These are the later installments produced by Hot Animation. The property started as a clay-animated show made by Trickfilmstudio in Switzerland in the late 1980s. The disc lists for $14.98 and includes a DVD-Rom game.
Eric Coleman Named Disney SVP
Former Nickelodeon exec Eric Coleman has been named SVP, Development, for Walt Disney Television Animation, it was announced by Gary Marsh, President, Entertainment, Disney Channels Worldwide, to whom Coleman will report. Coleman joins Disney after 15 years at Nickelodeon, where he most recently was VP and Exec Producer, Animation Development and Production, and was the Exec in Charge of Production on the iconic series SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, among others.
Meredith Roberts, SVP, Creative Affairs, Walt Disney Television Animation, has been named to the new role of SVP and General Manager at DisneyToon Studios.
With a mandate to lead Disney's animated TV development into a new phase of growth, Coleman joins the company on Feb. 4 to spearhead development of animated short-form and long-form series for Disney Channel, Toon Disney and Jetix platforms, which are available to over 219 million homes worldwide. Coleman will also oversee Walt Disney Television Animation's Casting and Music departments.
In addition, he will provide development guidance and leadership for global partners of Disney Channel and Walt Disney Television Animation who are engaged in creation of original animation in the U.K., China, Japan and India, among others.
Coleman is credited throughout the industry as being the executive who championed the development and production of SPONGEBOB and AVATAR, two of Nickelodeon's most successful series.
Coleman began his career at Nickelodeon in New York where he worked on the first wave of original Nicktoons: RUGRATS, REN & STIMPY and DOUG. He then moved to Los Angeles and, as Manager of Development, he worked on numerous animated pilots including ROCKO'S MODERN LIFE, HEY ARNOLD! and ANGRY BEAVERS. In recent years, Coleman served as Exec Producer on AVATAR, CATSCRATCH, and EL TIGRE and was the Exec in Charge of Production on INVADER ZIM.
Coleman was raised in Scarsdale, New York, and graduated Cum Laude from Duke University with a bachelor's degree in English literature. He resides in Los Angeles.
Jerry Beck to be honored at this year's Annie Awards
Jim Hill pays tribute to this noted author & historian, who will receive the June Foray Award next week for the positive impact that he's had on the animation industry
Next Friday night, Toontown's top talents will put on their Sunday best and then motor on over to the Alex Theatre for the 35th annual Annie Awards.
Copyright 2008 ASIFA-Hollywood. All Rights Reserved
This is the night that the animation industry honors its own. When the very best work from 2007 in the fields of feature films, shorts, television and gaming finally gets the recognition that it so richly deserves.
And speaking of recognition ... Earlier this year, I was thrilled to learn that Jerry Beck had been selected to receive the 2008 June Foray award. Which is given annually to that individual who has ...
" ... made a significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation."
2008 June Foray Award winner Author & historian Jerry Beck Photo by Harvey Deneroff
Which describes Jerry Beck to a T.
Now I know that Jerry isn't exactly a household name. Unless -- of course -- you're a Hollywood history nut like myself. If that's the case, then your library already has at least one of the 12 well-written & researched tomes that Mr. Beck has produced over the years.
I mean, never mind about James Brown. To my way of thinking, Jerry Beck is the hardest working man in show business. Hell, just last year between October 25th and November 20th, three new books of his turned up on store shelves.
First up was "The Art of Bee Movie" (Chronicle Books, October 2007), which detailed the convoluted production history of Dreamworks Animation's latest CG feature.
Copyright 2007 DreamWorks Animation
Given the decades that he's been covering the animation industry, Jerry knows story. Which is why he has a great eye for that truly ironic detail (EX: Like how DreamWorks design labored for months to come with a character design that looked just Jerry Seinfeld. Only to then have the acclaimed comedian reject this design because he thought it looked too much like himself) that just makes a show biz anecdote soar.
Copyright 2007 DreamWorks Animation
But what Beck's also great at is explaining the actual process of animation. Breaking the various phases of production down, giving his readers a clear understanding of how an animated feature really comes together.
Copyright 2007 DreamWorks Animation
He's also not afraid to tackle big projects. So when Nickelodeon decided that it wanted a book that chronicled its entire animation output, Jerry jumped in with both feet. Creating "Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!" (DK Adult, November 2007) ...
Copyright 2007 Viacom International Inc. / DK Adult. All Rights Reserved
... this profusely illustrated coffee table book that's just loaded with great stories from the creators of such landmark Nickelodeon animated series as "Spongebob Squarepants" and "Rugrats."
Copyright 1996 Viacom International Inc. / DK Adult All Rights Reserved
But you know what I like best about Beck? In spite of all the years that he's been writing about animation, all the high profile projects that he's worked on, all the movers and shakers that he's met & interviewed, Jerry has never become jaded. Deep in his heart of hearts, he's still a huge animation fan.
Copyright 2007 Insight Editions. All Rights Reserved
Nowhere is this more apparent than in Beck's third book for 2007, "The Hanna-Barbera Treasury" (Insight Editions, November 2007). Jerry's love for the sometimes schlocky Saturday morning shows that HB churned over the years is obvious, given all the model sheets, miniature comic books and other tchotchkes that he crams into this 56-page hardcover.
Copyright 2007 Insight Editions. All Rights Reserved
It's books like these three which entertain as they inform, not to mention the dozens of magazine articles that Beck's written over the years or the great work that he continues to do over at Cartoon Brew with Amid Amidi that explains why this writer / historian is so well respected by members of the animation community.
So congratulations on your June Foray award, Jerry. Enjoy your time in the spotlight next Friday night. You definitely earned it.
Randall Duk Kim joins 'Dragon Ball' as Gohan
According to his website Korean actor Randall Duk Kim is playing the role of Grandpa Gohan in the live action adaptation of the popular Shônen JUMP Japanese comic Dragon Ball. Readers might remember Kim as being the Key Maker in the Matrix Reloaded, sequel to the popular action film The Matrix.
Dragon Ballis due out this summer, produced by Stephen Chow and directed and written by James Wong.
UpcomingPixar has posted two new images from the upcoming Disney/Pixar film WALL•E. Direct links to these images, which appeared in Entertainment Weekly Magazine and Disney Reporter respectively, can be found here and here
Bee Movie DVD extras revealed
DVDTimes has posted the artwork and extras for the upcoming Bee Movie dvd which will hit the stores on 11th March 2008. Bee Movie will be made available as a Two-Disc Special Edition and standard single-disc versions. Extras on Two-Disc Special Edition will include Jerry Seinfeld & Filmmaker Commentary, TV Juniors - Hilarious “behind the scenes” segments with Jerry Seinfeld that aired on NBeeC, Live Action Trailers, Alternate Endings, Jerry’s Flight Over Cannes, Inside The Hive: The Cast of Bee Movie, Lost Scenes with Commentary, “We Got The Bee” Music Video, and more.
Slamdance Tells Blood It's the Best Animated Short
The 14th annual Slamdance Film Festival announced the winners in three categories who will share more than $200,000 in cash and prizes. The just-concluded Festival in Park City, Utah, received over 3,500 submissions from 25 countries for less than 100 programming slots. The winner of the Grand Jury Award for Best Animated Short was Andrew McPhillips' BLOOD WILL TELL. McPhillips was awarded a $2,500 credit at Filmworks/FX. For a complete list of winners, log on to www.slamdance.com.
Nelvana Content Arrives on ReelTime.com
ReelTime.com, the video-on-demand Internet television network, announced at NATPE that it has entered into an agreement with Nelvana Enterprises for the VOD rights to episodes from its extensive kids content library.
Nelvana is known for its library of well-loved classics, such as RUPERT, BABAR, FRANKLIN, ROLIE POLIE OLIE, and THE BERENSTAIN BEARS. Its shows have won over 70 major international awards and have been broadcast in over 160 countries.
Among the titles from Nelvana's library that will be available on ReelTime.com are JACOB TWO-TWO, RUPERT, MY DAD THE ROCK STAR, NED'S NEWT, STICKIN' AROUND, TALES FROM THE CRYPTKEEPER, MOVILLE MYSTERIES, CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS, FLYING RHINO JUNIOR HIGH, DUMB BUNNIES, JIM LEE'S WILDC.A.T.S., ELLIOT MOOSE and MARVIN THE TAP-DANCING HORSE. The majority of titles are available for viewing now.
Marv Wolfman on "Raven" Mini-Series
Writer Marv Wolfman has been interviewed by Comicon.com's PULSE News about the upcoming Raven mini-series, based on the Teen Titan he co-created with artist George Perez. Wolfman discusses the recent changes to Raven's status quo and how the current comics character and the mini-series was influenced by her depiction on the Teen Titans animated show.
"Car Talk" Animated Series Announces Official Title: "As the Wrench Turns"
Tom and Ray Magliozzi, the co-hosts of National Public Radio's Car Talk, have announced the name of their new prime-time animated series coming to PBS soon : Click and Clack's As the Wrench Turns. The name was selected from numerous entries submitted by their listeners, with the winning entry submitted by Geoff Groff. Groff was interviewed by the pair and will be appearing as a character on the show.
Announced last summer, the show was scheduled for a Summer 2008 release.
Oscar Nom, More Theaters Boost "Persepolis" at Box Office
Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed $4.5 million over the weekend, which was enough to snag the CG-animated hit 11th place at North American box offices and a cumulative gross of $204 million, according to data at Box Office Mojo.
Overseas, the Chipmunks took in another $6.5 million for an international cumulative of $105.6 million.
One week after being nominated for an Oscar, Persepolis expanded from 31 theaters to 58 and picked up $350,000, giving it a per-screen average of $6,035. To date, the film has grossed $1.4 million.
The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything grossed $1.2 million for a cumulative of $10.3 million.
Enchanted and Bee Movie continue to make money overseas. Enchanted grossed $4.1 million over the weekend for a foreign cumulative of $167.2 million. Bee Movie grossed $3.1 million for an international gross of $152 million.
New Dark Knight Photos
Scooper 'Enache Tiberiu' has sent us some new photos from The Dark Knight, opening in theaters on July 18. The Christopher Nolan-directed film stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman.
Chris Nolan Remembers Heath
Everyone is talking and remembering Heath including his last director Christopher Nolan - who directed him in the upcoming Batman Begins sequel The Dark Knight. Nolan talked with Newsweek and laid down his thoughts on the actor:
One night, as I'm standing on LaSalle Street in Chicago, trying to line up a shot for "The Dark Knight," a production assistant skateboards into my line of sight. Silently, I curse the moment that Heath first skated onto our set in full character makeup. I'd fretted about the reaction of Batman fans to a skateboarding Joker, but the actual result was a proliferation of skateboards among the younger crew members. If you'd asked those kids why they had chosen to bring their boards to work, they would have answered honestly that they didn't know. That's real charisma—as invisible and natural as gravity. That's what Heath had.
Heath was bursting with creativity. It was in his every gesture. He once told me that he liked to wait between jobs until he was creatively hungry. Until he needed it again. He brought that attitude to our set every day. There aren't many actors who can make you feel ashamed of how often you complain about doing the best job in the world. Heath was one of them.
One time he and another actor were shooting a complex scene. We had two days to shoot it, and at the end of the first day, they'd really found something and Heath was worried that he might not have it if we stopped. He wanted to carry on and finish. It's tough to ask the crew to work late when we all know there's plenty of time to finish the next day. But everyone seemed to understand that Heath had something special and that we had to capture it before it disappeared. Months later, I learned that as Heath left the set that night, he quietly thanked each crew member for working late. Quietly. Not trying to make a point, just grateful for the chance to create that they'd given him.
Those nights on the streets of Chicago were filled with stunts. These can be boring times for an actor, but Heath was fascinated, eagerly accepting our invitation to ride in the camera car as we chased vehicles through movie traffic—not just for the thrill ride, but to be a part of it. Of everything. He'd brought his laptop along in the car, and we had a high-speed screening of two of his works-in-progress: short films he'd made that were exciting and haunting. Their exuberance made me feel jaded and leaden. I've never felt as old as I did watching Heath explore his talents. That night I made him an offer—knowing he wouldn't take me up on it—that he should feel free to come by the set when he had a night off so he could see what we were up to.
When you get into the edit suite after shooting a movie, you feel a responsibility to an actor who has trusted you, and Heath gave us everything. As we started my cut, I would wonder about each take we chose, each trim we made. I would visualize the screening where we'd have to show him the finished film—sitting three or four rows behind him, watching the movements of his head for clues to what he was thinking about what we'd done with all that he'd given us. Now that screening will never be real. I see him every day in my edit suite. I study his face, his voice. And I miss him terribly.
Back on LaSalle Street, I turn to my assistant director and I tell him to clear the skateboarding kid out of my line of sight when I realize—it's Heath, woolly hat pulled low over his eyes, here on his night off to take me up on my offer. I can't help but smile.
Mouseterpiece Theater creator Robert Cunniff dies
Robert Cunniff, the Emmy-winning TV writer and producer who created Disney's Mouseterpiece Theater, died January 20 in Brooklyn, New York after a long illness. He was 81.
In 1984, Cunniff created, produced and co-wrote the hit Disney Channel series, which featured vintage Disney cartoon shorts. The deadpan parody of Masterpiece Theater was hosted by George Plimpton, who introduced the cartoons in a hilarious spoof of Alistair Cooke. In a March 1984 article, Publisher's Weekly called the show "one of TV's finest hours."
Cunniff shared an Emmy Award with Jon Stone in 1973 for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming - Entertainment/Fictional. It was for his work as a writer-producer of PBS' Sesame Street. He came up with the idea for the character of "The Count."
Sesame Street's head writer from 1972 to 1975, Cunniff came up with the idea for the character of "The Count" for Muppeteer Jerry Nelson. He wrote many sketches for the show.
Cunniff appeared in a cartoon himself in The New Yorker. The weekly magazine published a cartoon portraying him using a bulletin board to plot the elements of a daily TV talk show. Unlike nearly all of the magazine's cartoons, no caption was needed.
Born Robert Rody Cunniff in Chicago on September 13, 1926, he was the eighth of nine children born to Elizabeth and Luke Cunniff, a longtime Chicago Democratic Party associate.
During the Second World War, he served in the United States Navy in the Pacific Theater. Cunniff was one of five brothers who returned from overseas military service.
He earned a master's degree in literature from the University of Chicago on the G.I. bill, then wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times and TV Guide. He was compelled to quit the latter job due to a perceived conflict of interest: he won $4,750 on the TV quiz show Break the Bank.
In 1954, Cunniff and fellow Chicagoan Tom O'Malley came out with Cunniff and O'Malley, a syndicated newspaper column about TV. The column was a success until 1957 -- when it was shut down after O'Malley reported that What's My Line panelist Dorothy Kilgallen could see through her face mask.
Cunniff came to New York in 1953 -- because, he said, he was a fan of the work of choreographer George Balanchine.
As a young writer for The Today Show, Cunniff was one of the first to bring live jazz to national television in the United States. From 1963 to 1965, he created a multi-part concert series with his idol, Duke Ellington.
From 1963 to 1969, The Today Show's head writer. He worked closely with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters, then the first female TV anchor in the U.S.
During his tenure, The Today Show offered what was then seen as especially strong coverage for a morning show. Issues included American drug and music culture, the Vietnam war, the violent 1968 Chicago Convention and U.S. political assassinations. He also helped broad news and satellites together with the first Early Bird Satellite Broadcast. It came out from Rome, where Cunniff also wrote a speech for Pope Paul VI -- thus giving him the nickname "The Holy Ghost Writer."
Cunniff was head writer for the late-night version of The Dick Cavett Show on ABC from 1969 to 1972. In 1971, he decided to book Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal on the same show. Realizing that there'd be a battle of words, he brought in elderly, mild-mannered New Yorker writer as "referee." He also booked Salvador Dali, Lillian Gish and Satchel Paige on the same show in 1970.
While he wrote for the show, one guest died on the air (publisher J. I. Rodale, 1971) and one walked off the set in a huff (former Georgia Governor Lester Maddox, 1970). He also brought what was then a huge helping of live rock music, including Woodstock performers Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Joni Mitchell. Cunniff's love of film led to Ingmar Bergman and Laurence Olivier having their first appearances on an American TV talk show.
Cunniff even chose what would become known as the Cavett theme song, "Glitter & Be Gay" from Leonard Bernstein's Candide. When Cavett returned to public TV in the early 1980s and went to CNBC in the 1990s, Cunniff was an editorial force behind the scenes.
In 1976, Cunniff became the producer of Good Morning, America. He became friends with a then-obscure writer that he had hired, Broadway author Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers), and with actress Barbara Feldon, who sometimes hosted the show.
Cunniff was a major creative force behind dozens of late 1970s symphonic and solo productions for PBS TV's Live From Lincoln Center.
In the 1990s, he produced live TV theater for The Groundlings, a youth-oriented breakthrough comedy troupe based in Los Angeles.
Cunniff's work as a writer-producer for "magazine television" included such ABC shows as Calendar, with Harry Reasoner, in the early 1960s, and the brief 1980 revival of Omnibus.
A lifelong jazz and classical music aficionado, Cunniff served on the board of the National Endowment for the Arts.
Robert Cunniff's survivors include daughter Jill Cunniff Gregoire, lead singer of all-female rock group Luscious Jackson. She guested as herself in "Surprise," a 1996 episode of the cartoon show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.
He is also survived by son Stephen Cunniff of New York, longtime companion Kate Resek, granddaughters Chloe and Piper Gregoire and Madeline Cunniff, and brother Joseph of Chicago.
A memorial will be held Saturday, February 9 at The Unitarian Church of All Souls, 1157 Lexington Ave at 80th Street, Manhattan.
Toon Tuesday : How Pixar fixed "Finding Nemo"
Been hearing disappointing things about those "WALL*E" test screenings? Jim Hill reminds us what happened when Michael Eisner predicted that Andrew Stanton's last film would flop
It's the story that won't go away. How back in 2001, Michael Eisner reportedly told Disney's board of directors that he'd be postponing any further contract talks with Pixar Animation Studios.
"And why would the then-Chairman & CEO of the Walt Disney Company do that?," you ask. Because Eisner had just come back from a work-in-progress screening of "Finding Nemo." And he supposedly told the board that this Andrew Stanton movie was the weakest thing that Pixar had produced to date. Which is why Michael wanted to wait 'til this fish film flopped before he then re-opened negotiations with that Emeryville-based animation studio.
You see, Eisner believed that it would be far easier for Disney's attorneys to get Steve Jobs to agree to much more favorable terms if Pixar were coming off of its first "reality check." Which is why he wanted to put off any talk of an extension of their co-production deal for a year or so.
But then when "Finding Nemo" opened in theaters nationwide on May 30, 2003, it became this huge critical & financial success. For a time, that Academy Award-winning film was even the top grossing animated feature of all time ... At least until "Shrek 2" came along and knocked off that clownfish's crown.
Copyright 2002 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
And as for Eisner ... Many people (Roy Disney included) used Michael's "Finding Nemo" box office prediction as an indication of how truly out-of-touch Disney's Big Cheese had become. Which helped speed Eisner's fall from power.
But here's the thing: Michael Eisner wasn't actually wrong about "Finding Nemo." At least not when it comes to the shape that this Pixar production was in back in the Fall of 2001.
Back then, this Andrew Stanton film was in awful shape. It was saddled with at least one too many plotlines, one lead character that had a rather unappealing secret as well as another character who was desperately in need of a new voice.
As for "Nemo" 's extraneous plotline ... Early on, Stanton wanted to keep moviegoers in the dark for long as possible about why Marlin was so over-protective, why Nemo had this damaged fin. Which is why he initially tried to handle this father & son's tragic backstory through a series of flashbacks.
As Andrew explained on the visual commentary track of the "Finding Nemo" DVD:
Andrew Stanton with the Oscar that "Finding Nemo" won for Best Animated Feature. Copyright 2004 Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and ABC, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Earlier (on), we had flashbacks. And we were going to dole them out, this whole backstory. We were just going to tell a little bit at a time ... And you'd get these little windows of the past ... And it was all leading up to this tragic event with the barracuda.
So why did Stanton eventually decide to discard this rather stylistic way of revealing of how exactly Coral died, how all of Nemo's brothers & sisters got eaten?
Ultimately what made it fall apart was there was nothing big to reveal at the end. There was no "Ah Ha!" or surprise slant to it ... By the time you were getting near the end of the movie, you kind of suspected what the tragedy was. (Which is why we decided to) remove the flashbacks and just (reveal the barracuda attack) right up front. Which is what almost every Film 101 book tells you to do.
Mind you, it took a couple of passes before Stanton finally came up with an opening for "Finding Nemo" that hit all of the right emotional beats. One that made Coral being eaten by the barracuda, the destruction of most of the eggs in the nest " ... powerful and yet not overly brutal." After all, Andrew's initial intent was to have the audience bond as quickly as possible with Marlin & Nemo.
Which is why -- for a time anyway -- "Finding Nemo" opened with the Father clownfish telling his son a bedtime story. And as Coral's death, that was explained away in a single poignant exchange between Marlin & Nemo.
Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
NEMO : And then the ocean took Mommy away?
MARLIN : (Rueful) That's right. It did.
But in the end, the quickest way to get moviegoers to care about the two clownfish was to actually show the tragedy that bonded these characters together. Which is why "Finding Nemo" eventually opened with that barracuda attack on Marlin & Coral's anemone.
FYI: That opening sequence was not in the work-in-progress film that Michael Eisner saw back in 2001. He saw a version of "Finding Nemo" which opened with Nemo's first day of school. Where Marlin was already twitchy and over-protective, but you didn't initially understand why the Father clownfish constantly hovered over his son. Which made that character rather difficult to like.
And Marlin wasn't the only "Finding Nemo" character that audiences initially had trouble warming up to. Early on, Gill (i.e. The leader of the Tank Gang) was also a very unlikable character.
Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
But that was only because Stanton wanted to reveal that this angelfish (Which the young clownfish had begun looking up to as a possible replacement for his father) was no angel. In a now-deleted scene from "Finding Nemo," Nemo was supposed to discover that Gill's colorful backstory (i.e. That Gill grew up in Bad Luck Bay and had four brothers -- Marco, Polo, Lester & Linus -- & one sister -- Lulu) had actually been cribbed from a children's storybook that P. Sherman made available to patients waiting in his lobby.
Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
And while making Gill a liar was an interesting story choice for the leader of the Tank Gang, it also confused "Finding Nemo" 's test audiences. They couldn't decide whether they should still root for this angelfish's escape plan. More importantly, they wondered if they could really trust Gill to keep Nemo safe during his time in the dentist's office.
Realizing that they unintentionally complicated the middle portion of their movie, Stanton and his story team eventually dropped the whole Gill-stole-his-backstory-from-a-children's-book idea and just made this angelfish a determined loner who would do whatever he had to in order to escape from P. Sherman's seawater aquarium. Which then brought an emotional clarity to Act 2 of "Finding Nemo."
But -- again -- that's not what Michael Eisner saw. He saw a version of "Finding Nemo" where Gill was this charismatic but delusional character. Where Nemo didn't know who to trust while he was stuck in that aquarium, waiting for his father to come rescue him.
Speaking of Marlin ... One of the other reasons that Disney's then-Chairman & CEO wasn't all that enthusiastic about "Finding Nemo" was the actor that Andrew initially hired to provide the voice of the Father clownfish. William H. Macy's vocal performance in this role just lacked ... something. Though this award-winning performer tried his damnest, he just couldn't make Marlin a character that you cared about. Which is why Stanton was eventually forced to recast this role.
And as for the actor that Andrew eventually did hire to play the Father clownfish, the "Finding Nemo" director had this to say about that performer:
Albert Brooks. He absolutely saved this picture. He is exactly what I needed this father character to be. You needed someone who was neurotic, over-protective but still appealing throughout. And that is one of Albert's gifts. That he can sort of play both. Usually it's such an off-putting thing. But he just makes it so winning.
(L to R) Ellen Degeneres, Alexander Gould and Albert Brooks at the premiere of "Finding Nemo." Photo by Dan Steinberg. Copyright 2003 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
But -- again -- the version of "Finding Nemo" that Michael Eisner saw didn't have Albert Brooks performing the voice of Marlin. But rather William H. Macy. Who's a very talented man but not the right guy if you're looking for the proper performer to voice an over-protective clownfish.
You getting where I'm going yet? That the version of "Finding Nemo" that Michael Eisner saw back in 2001 was pretty bad. Which is why the then-Chairman & CEO of the Walt Disney Company was right to feel the way that he did. Michael genuinely believed that he was looking at Pixar's first flop. Which is why Eisner felt justified in telling Disney's board of directors what he told them.
But Pixar Animation Studios ... They had the time (More importantly, the talent in-house) to make all of the changes necessary to turn "Finding Nemo" into a hit. Which is why that Andrew Stanton film was such a huge success when it finally rolled into theaters in May of 2003.
"So why bring this up now?," you query ... Well, "WALL-E" has had several test screenings over the past six months. And while audiences have supposedly fallen in love with the movie's title character, they have also reportedly raised some concerns about this new Andrew Stanton film. Which allegedly has been described " ... as the darkest motion picture that Pixar has ever produced."
Copyright 2008 Disney / Pixar. All Rights Reserved
Among the issues that these test audiences have supposedly cited are "WALL-E" 's depressing settings (i.e. The first act of this film is set on Earth 700 years from now, where -- thanks to humanity's wasteful ways -- our planet is now basically one big trash heap floating in space) as well as the picture's depiction of people (i.e. In the future, mankind has grown so slothful that everyone weighs 500 pounds and has lost the ability to walk on their own. Which is why we all make use of these devices that look like floating barcaloungers).
So should we be at all concerned about the somewhat negative comments that have been coming out of these early "WALL-E" test screenings? Is this new Andrew Stanton film -- which obviously pokes fun at today's consumeristic society -- really going to have a tough time finding an audience during summer blockbuster season?
I say ... That we should probably pay attention to the hard lesson that Michael Eisner learned back in 2001. Which is that it's really not wise to predict how a new Pixar film will do based on the work-in-progress version of that particular picture. Which is why you may want to discount any rumors that you may have heard about disappointing "WALL*E" test screenings.
Don't worry. They've got time. They can fix it.
Iron Man Super Bowl Spot to be Everywhere
Looks like you won't have trouble finding the Iron Man Super Bowl TV spot online after it airs during the big game. Check out this bit from the Wall Street Journal:
Paramount Pictures is using its ad spending to promote the May release of superhero film "Iron Man." People who watch the game on TV will see a commercial for the movie. People who visit any of the major online Super Bowl ad polls will also see the spot. Visitors to MySpace can see an Iron Man profile on the site. And if people search for terms related to Iron Man on Google, it will turn up there as well. On ESPN.com, ads will show the TV spot and prompt visitors to go to the "Iron Man" Web site to register for downloads and giveaways.
Quaid, Vosloo Board G.I. Joe
Dennis Quaid and Arnold Vosloo have joined director Stephen Sommers' G.I. Joe cast, according to Variety and IESB.net.
Quaid will play General Hawk, the grizzled team leader, and Arnold Vosloo will play Zartan, a mercenary who works with Destro and Cobra. The action-adventure, coming to theaters on August 7, 2009, is scheduled to shoot next month in Los Angeles.
The two join the previously-announced Channing Tatum (Duke), Ray Park (Snake Eyes), Marlon Wayans (Ripcord), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Rex), Rachel Nichols (Scarlett), Sienna Miller (The Baroness), Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Heavy Duty), Said Taghmaoui (Breaker) abd Byung-hun Lee (Storm Shadow) in the live-action feature.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who is coming off Transformers, is producing with Brian Goldner. Latter is the point person for Hasbro's venerable action figure line. Sommers and partner Bob Ducsay are also involved in producing capacities. Stuart Beattie wrote the most recent script draft.
For those who didn't know, MTV Animation had a "unofficial" reunion this past Saturday night in NY, for the cast and crews of "Beavis and Butt-Head", "Daria", "Downtown", "The Head", "Celebrity Deathmatch", among others, with one also happening 3 hours earlier in L.A.
Here a few pics from the NY bash, hopefully with more to come - thanks Kevin and Miguel.
(Clockwise L to R) Dougie Hines, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Geoffrey Johnson, Diane Sparagano-Palermo, Otis Brayboy, Kimson Albert, Ben Price, Kevin Lofton
(L to R) - Ben Price, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Gloria DePonte, Jen Batanich
(L to R) - Dougie Hines, Kevin Lofton, Kimson Albert, Ben Price
(L to R) - Nick DeMayo, Tony Kluck, Miguel Martinez-Joffre
(L to R) Ben Price, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Kimson Albert, Kevin Lofton, Diane Sparagano-Palermo
(L to R): Diane Sparagano-Palermo, Miguel Martinez-Joffre, Bryon Moore
(Clockwise, from Lower Left): Kimson Albert, Kevin Lofton, Ben Price, Otis Brayboy, Miguel Martinez-Joffre
(L to R): Dominie Mahl, Michael Zod, Diane Sparagano-Palermo
(L to R):Don Poynter, Kevin Lofton, Gloria DePonte
(L to R): Doug Crane, Ben Price, Mike Baez
(L to R):Vicky Smith, Pat Smith (no relation), Olivia Ward, Dougie Hines (behind Olivia), unknown (sorry!)
(L to R): Amy Jackson, Anne D. Bernstein, Machi Tantillo, Yvette Kaplan
Minotauromaquia is an intriguing stop motion short I saw a few years back in Annecy. It’s directed by Spaniard Juan Pablo Etcheverry. The short will appeal most to those who are familiar with Picasso’s work, though the message should be clear to all. Jeff Hasulo’s blog Hydrocephalic Bunny also offers some nice thoughts about the film.
"Persepolis" Nominated for Cesar; Toons Jostle for Sound Editing Prizes
Prize season continues to unfold, with Persepolis gaining multiple nominations for France's Cesar Awards, Variety reports.
The animated feature was nominated in the Picture, First Film, Adapted Screenplay, Song, Score, and Editor categories. For Best Picture it will compete with The Secret of the Grain, La Vie en rose, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, and A Secret. Winners will be announced on February 22.
Meanwhile, Persepolis will be competing with Bee Movie, Meet the Robinsons, Shrek the Third, The Simpsons Movie, Surf's Up and Tekkonkinkreet for Sound Editing in an Animated Feature, one of the categories in Motion Picture Sound Editor's Golden Reel awards. Transformers was nominated in the Dialogue and Foley categories.
For Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated, the competitors will include The Batman, Catscratch, El Tigre, Loonatics Unleashed, Shrek the Halls, Spongebob Squarepants, Tak and the Power of Juju, and Transformers: Animated. The Invincible Iron Man and Superman: Doomsday will compete with three live-action entries for Best Sound Editing—Direct to Video.
May CMX Releases
DC Comics will be releasing the first 48 page, Prestige Format issue of Yoshinori Natsume's BATMAN: DEATH MASK on April 9th.
There's a new serial killer in Gotham, and he may have ties to the training Bruce Wayne acquired as a young man in Japan. Does the murderer know Bruce Wayne is the Batman?
On sale April 9 - 1 of 4 - 48 pg, B&W, $5.99 US
Next Volumes of Freedom Scheduled
Anime on DVD reports that Bandai Visual will be releasing volumes four and five of the DVD/HD DVD Hybrid sci-fi Freedom on 02/26/2008 and 04/22/2008 respectively. The one-episode discs retail for $39.98
Anime Screening in California
ImaginAsian Entertainment and Bandai Entertainment Inc. announced that three of Bandai’s Anime Movie Classic releases will be screened theatrically on 35mm at the newly opened ImaginAsian Center from February 15-21 in downtown Los Angeles.
The three films to be screened starting Feb 15th at ImaginAsian are:
Escaflowne-the movie, is a theatrical rendition of the classic series which features music by the Yoko Kanno of Cowboy Bebop fame, and produced by animation studio Sunrise. A depressed girl named Hitomi is whisked away to a fantastical land where she meets young King Van and learns that she alone has the power to summon Escaflowne – a warrior/protector that can end the fierce conflict that has been raging between the forces of light and dark.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Counterattack of Char, is the final chapter of the first Gundam saga. The foundations of peace between the Federation and the Neo Zeon Army are shattered as the notorious Zeon leader Char Aznable threatens the Federation with nuclear devastation. Only Amuro Ray and the state of the art mobile suit, Nu Gundam, can stop them!
Jin-Roh, created and written by the acclaimed Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell-the Movie, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence), is a powerful allegory which centers on a very different Tokyo than the one we know today, where a totalitarian government rules with an iron fist. Constable Fuse of the Capital Police’s Special unit defies his orders to shoot and kill a young protestor and as a result is “re-conditioned” as a solider. As Fuse’s world comes crashing down around him, he is challenged to do what is right in the face of an oppressive regime.
The newly renovated ImaginAsian Center is located at 251 S. Main St., Los Angeles California. For ticket information call (213) 617-1033 or www.iacenterla.com/la
Santa Monica's Aero Theatre will be screening NAUSICAA, VALLEY OF THE WIND (Friday, February 1 – 7:30 PM), MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (Saturday, February 2 – 3:00 PM) and SPIRITED AWAY (Saturday, February 2 – 7:30 PM).
Worth Checking Out
Same Hat! Same Hat! posted a translation of Shintaro Kago's Drunkard Condo Syndrome. The site also previews Kazuo Umezu's Cat Eyed Boy! ahead of Viz's release.
Patrick Macias at theYoung Jump New Years Party, photographed with Kazuo Koike, Go Nagai, and Hirohiko Araki
Newsarama spoke to the localization team forCrayon Shin-Chan.
Bowers Pilots Astro Boy
Imagi Studios, the animation company behind TMNT, has signed Flushed Away director David Bowers to helm its CG-animated Astro Boy feature. Based on the classic comics and anime series created by Japan’s “god of manga,” Osamu Tezuka, Astro Boy will be released worldwide release in 2009 by Warner Bros. Pictures and The Weinstein Co. Bowers replaces the film's previously announced director Colin Brady (Everyone's Hero).
Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy will tell the tale of a powerful young robot that a brilliant scientist created in the image of the son he lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving man’s expectations, our metalic hero embarks on a journey in search of acceptance, experiencing betrayal and a netherworld of robot gladiators before returning to save Metro City and reconcile with the father.
“I’ve had a lifelong affection for the original Astro Boy, so am looking forward to giving him the full action-adventure Hollywood treatment,” Bowers comments. “His story is both emotional and spectacular, so it absolutely lends itself to the big screen. With the amazing crew that Imagi has assembled, I feel there’s an opportunity to create something very special—a film to surprise audiences, have them on the edge of their seats, and hopefully make them laugh, too.”
Bowers worked at famed British animation studio Cosgrove Hall before joining Steven Spielberg’s Amblimation in London to work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit. When DreamWorks was founded, he relocated to Los Angeles where he worked primarily as a story artist on The Prince of Egypt and The Road to El Dorado. During this period, he met Nick Park and Peter Lord and struck up a long and fruitful relationship with U.K. animation house Aardman Animations. He helped to conceive of and storyboard many of the major set pieces is Chicken Run, and continued to move between Los Angeles and Bristol to lend his creative talents to various DreamWorks and Aardman projects, including Shark Tale and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, before making his directorial debut with Sam Fell on Flushed Away. Maryann Garger, a co-producer on that film, is producing Astro Boy.
Aardman Toons on iTunes
Fans of Wallace and Gromit and other Aardman Animations creations can now find a host of the company’s animated shorts and TV productions available for download from the iTunes Store in the U.K.(www.itunes.com/uk). For £1.89 per download, customers can enjoy the Oscar-winning half-hour Wallace and GromitadventuresA Close Shave, The Wrong Trousers and A Grand Day Out, as well as theCracking Contraptions collection of nine shorts featuring the plasticine pals. Other offerings include 25 one-minute-long episodes ofAngry Kid, 13 ten-minute installments of the cult television comedy seriesRex the Runt, and the new 2D short,The Pearce Sisters, which won the Special Jury Price at Annecy and the Cartoon D’Or at Cartoon Forum last year.
“We are delighted that some of our key shows will now be available to new viewers through the world’s most popular online TV store,” remarks Robin Gladman, digital rights manager for Aardman.
The Bristol-based company has been aggressively expanding into the digital arena, striking deals last year with Joost, Rhythm, Atom Films and Player X. Further big-screen plans include a trio of films in development via a three-year, first-look deal with Sony Pictures Animation. The lineup includes a stop-motion heist pic titled The Cat Burglars, an adaptation of Gideon Defoe’s The Pirates! book series and a Christmas toon dubbed Operation Rudolph.
Diznee’s Aladin
I’m back, with more madness from the same studio that brought you Animal Soccer World. Someone has just posted (on YouTube) their shameless rip-off of Disney’s Aladdin.
The language is German, but the voice-acting is much more bearable this way. There’s even a German “fanpage” dedicated to this company, offering plot overviews and direct comparisons of the characters with the original Disney characters.
If you haven’t had enough, check the Dingo Pictures website for information (and trailers) of their other movies. And don’t miss their inspired sequel More Dalmatians. Why hasn’t Disney thought of this?
The bigger question, you may ask, is why am I so fascinated with this crap?
Digital Downloads of"Naruto," "Death Note," "Bleach"Come to Amazon
Naruto Uncut, Death Note and Bleachwill be available for digital download from Amazon Unbox for $1.99 per episode, thanks to a deal between the online retailer and VIZ Media, the companies announced today.
In addition, VIZ is offering a free download of one episode of each series through January 31, 2008.
Death Note will be available in its entirety, while Naruto and Bleachwill initially offer the first 25 episodes. All episodes are dubbed.
"Kara no Kyokai" Breaks House Records in Japan
Kara no Kyokai, a Japanese animated feature adapted from a web-based comic, set a house record at the Theater Shinjuku during its December debut, Variety reports. The film, about a girl who can see the "death lines" on all living things, garnered standing room crowds and more than 19,000 admissions during its four-week run.
Speed Racer Lines-Up Big Tie-Ins
Warner Bros.' Speed Racer, opening in theaters on May 9, is targeting a G rating, reports Variety. Because of this, the studio has been able to enlist a lengthy lineup of promotional partners that will pony up at least $80 million in additional marketing support around the film.
That kind of backing from brands like General Mills, McDonald's, Target, Mattel, Lego, Topps and Esurance, among others, will create the "noise" needed to gets audiences interested in the film, producer Joel Silver says.
"You have to open big," he says. "You have to let them know you're out there. The only way to make a lot of noise is to have people shout from the rooftops. ('Speed Racer') was an opportunity to do something we've never done before."
The marketing line-up includes:
- General Mills stamping Speed Racer imagery on packaging of its cereals and other brands like Betty Crocker cookie mixes, Old El Paso Mexican foods and Fruit Gushers.
- LEGO creating four playsets based around the film.
- Target, which rarely does film promotions, coming aboard as the pic's official retail partner and, in addition to in-store ads and circulars, offering a gift card that enables consumers to access exclusive footage from the film;
- Puma designing Speed Racer-themed shoes;
- McDonald's offering separate Happy Meals for boys and girls.
- Overseas, Japanese tiremaker Yokohama Rubber Co. and auto parts retailer Autobacs, as well as Brazilian oil company Petrobras and Mexican snack-food maker Bimbo, among others, will also push the pic through ads and other tie-ins.
"Variety" on Nick's New Bilingual"Ni Hao, Kai-lan"
Variety has taken a look atNi Hao, Kai-lan, the new pre-school animated series that will debut on Nickelodeon on Chinese New Year, February 7, 2008. The show will attempt to duplicate the bilingual success of Nickelodeon'sDora the Explorer, except with a Chinese-American lead exploring Chinese language and culture along with lessons on dealing with anger, jealousy, and other emotions. The article also covers the long gestation period of the show, which began as the yoga-inspired Downward Doghouse, and the attempt to tap into growing interest in Chinese as the language of choice for business in the near future and in the growing population of adopted Chinese girls growing up in the Americas.
"Blue Harvest"Debuts at Number Two in DVD Sales
Family Guy Presents Blue Harvestdebuted in the number-two spot among DVD sellers, Video Business Online reports. It was the thirteenth most popular DVD rental during the same period.Good Luck Chuck, also in its debut week, was both the top DVD seller and rental.
The Simpsons Movie rose to the number eight spot from number nine on the sales chart, but fell to number 20 from number 15 among rentals. Ratatouilleheld steady at number 15 in sales.
Screen Time and Da Vinci Revive Classic Cartoons
Chicago Superstation WGN's 50-year-old tradition of airing classic cartoons every Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve took on new life this year when Screen Time Images restored the shorts to their former glory. Using the da Vinci Revival image restoration system and other da Vinci color enhancement tools, the Schaumberg, Illinois-based company was able to complete the task in just two weeks.
"Animation, unlike live-action material, does not always have 24 unique frames of motion per second and can have identical consecutive frames, which often confuses systems," said McKee. "But together with a critical eye, Revival handled this with ease. After piecing together new masters from the only remaining 16mm prints available, all of the footage received a scene-by-scene, semi-automated process with Revival to take care of small particles of dirt."
Once the automated process was complete, McKee used Revival's interactive scratch removal, and tool and splice repair features, to go through frame by frame and manually remove larger defects. After the audio had been restored, masters of the four cartoons were created in D5-HD, SD, and SD with logo bugs. The cartoons aired on WGN on Thanksgiving and again on Christmas Eve. McKee thought Screen Time's job was done.
However, on Dec. 22, WGN made a last-minute decision to improve the look of the two-hour BOZO, GAR, AND RAYshow, which was made up of clips compiled from 50 years of children's television on WGN. Origination formats included kinescope, two-inch quad, one-inch, three-quarter inch, and even VHS. To improve the quality of the entire two hours in only two days' time, Screen Time had to prioritize.
Much of the footage had a greenish hue so that the people looked unnatural, and it was decided that scene-by-scene color correction on the da Vinci 2K would make the biggest difference overall. After skin tones and balance were restored, Screen Time then deployed Revival to eliminate video noise and dropouts. The results achieved in a very short time were quite impressive.
"These shows have been enjoyed by so many Chicago viewers over the years and it is wonderful to see them looking new again," said Dean Lyon, director of marketing at da Vinci. "This is yet another example of how the high-speed processing power of Revival and the powerful, efficient 2K system continues to help postproduction houses meet tight deadlines and improve overall productivity -- and most of all, how they make the end result the best quality for the viewing public."
Burbank, California-based Alpine Pictures has announced that Bonne Radford, Randi Barnes, Daniel St Pierre, and Matthew Jon Beck have all signed onto their productionDOROTHY OF OZ, an animated musical based on the writings of Roger S. Baum (great-grandson of originalOZseries author L. Frank Baum). The film is being produced in association with Box Office Productions III, LLC.
DOROTHY OF OZis the first in a slated series of animated feature films by Alpine Pictures based on the writings of Baum, whose work continues the legacy of his great-grandfather through new stories of Dorothy's adventures in the enchanted Land of Oz, and the magical friends she meets along the way.
Alpine Pictures, Inc is a 12-year-old internationally established company engaged in the production, acquisition, and distribution of feature films. Alpine recently completed LOVE IS THE DRUG, directed by Elliott Lester, and just wrapped postproduction onDARK HONEYMOON.
Ni Hao, Kai-lan
Review of the Nick Jr. original animation 'Ni Hao, Kai-lan,' a sharp new preschool cartoon that blends Chinese culture, early education-learning and fun in the sun for a great viewing experience. Teaching young audiences elementary Mandarin Chinese as well as the basics of teamwork and dealing with emotions, Nickelodeon's 'Ni Hao, Kai-lan' is a promising new children's program that should keep viewers well-invested.
Bill McFadden, 86, built Disney multiplane cameras
William Clyde "Bill" McFadden, in charge of the 1930s group that designed and built multiplane animation cameras for Walt Disney Studios, has died at 86, according to a belated obituary published in the Los Angeles Times.
McFadden died last April 12, but his paid obituary appeared only Sunday.
Family members said that he graduated from Caltech in 1934, getting a design job with Disney to supervise the group that made multiplane cameras and other devices necessary for the continuous productions of such full-length animated films as Snow White, Pinocchio, Dumbo and Fantasia.
Born in Placentia, California on February 25, 1911, he grew up on a citrus ranch and continued a lifetime of farming in his own backyard in La Canada, California.
During the Second World War, McFadden utilized his college major of aeronautics, working for Pan American-Grace Airlines in Lima, Peru as a service engineer in charge of overhaul of engines, instruments and propellers. In 1949, he went to work at Hycon Manufacturing Co. in Pasadena, California, becoming the vice-president and chief engineer for the development of the "B" camera for the U-2 program.
In 1958, McFadden and his two partners started DynaMetric, Inc. as a design and manufacturing company involved with early government surveillance hardware. They then finally turned their attention to commercial telephone accessories. He retired as CEO of DynaMetric at 86.
Bill McFadden is survived by wife Janet; daughters Jill McFadden, Bonny Henderson and Julie Schermbeck; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and brother James M. McFadden.
'Spectacular Spider-Man' To Premiere At Wonder Con
Sony Animation has recently announced that the first episode of the upcoming The Spectacular Spider-Man will premiere in it's entireity at Wonder Con. The convention takes place between February 22nd - 24th. Below is the current synopsis for the episode, entitled "Survival Of The Fittest".
An elder scientist named Adrian Toomes claims that Oscorp stole his flying technology and plans his revenge on Norman Osborn. Otto Octavius also appears
The Spectacular Spider-Man will premiere on Kids WB! on March 8th.
Hulk vs Wolverine/Hulk Vs Thor DTV Rumored
A recent email survey for marketing focus groups from Marvel/Lionsgate Productions reveals their possible plans for the Hulk Smash! Direct to DVD feature, currently planned for an October 2008 release. These were the synopsis' provided for the direct-to-video feature, but please note, this project is currently in the early stages of production and has yet to be officially announced by either Marvel Or Lions Gate and as such, can only be considered as rumour at this time.
Below are the synopsis' for the feature, which would be split into two parts.
Hulk Vs. Wolverine ALBERTA, Canada. The smoldering wreckage of a town-the latest casualty of a rampage by the monster known as The Incredible Hulk. Over the past week, Hulk has been tearing a line across the Canadian wilderness, leaving a swathe of destruction in his wake. He has to be stopped, and there's only one man up to the job. He's Wolverine, and he's been put on Hulk's trail with a single objective: stop the green goliath...at all costs. Hulk and Wolverine are about to enter the fiercest battle of their lives.
Hulk Vs. Thor ASGARD, realm of the gods. For ages, Loki the trickster has sought a way to bring defeat to his accursed stepbrother, Thor. But for all the battles Thor has fought, in all the nine realms, only one creature has ever been able to match his strength-a mortal beast of Midgard known as The Incredible Hulk. Now, with Odin the almighty king of the gods deep in a regenerative sleep, and the forces protecting Asgard at their weakest, Loki is finally ready to spring his trap. In an epic battle that will pit gods against monsters, only The Mighty Thor can hope to prevail. But to do so he must survive a perilous quest that will take him into the very depths of the underworld itself.
A Thor Direct To DVD feature is also planned for an April 2009 release.
Luc Besson brings Adèle Blanc-Sec to the screen.
French director and producer Luc Besson just closed a deal to acquire the rights for the series of graphic novels of "Adèle Blanc-Sec" created by Jacques Tardi. Besson plans to do a trilogy of movies with the first one to be released in 2009. The series is about a brilliant and independent heroine in a post World War I Paris full of extraordinary creatures.
Cloverfield Drops To Fourth
A week after setting an opening-weekend record for the month of January, Cloverfield fell to fourth place at the box office, taking in just $12.7 million in its second weekend of release, the Associate Press reported. The monster movie, from producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves, saw a steep 68 percent drop from its initial take of $41 million.
Despite the decline, Cloverfield easily surpassed its reported $25 million budget, with a total box-office gross of almost $65 million in 10 days.
New Up concept image
Upcoming Pixar has posted new concept art from Pixar’s upcoming animated release, Up. A direct link to the image can be found here. Hitting theaters in 2009, Up is the story of a 70-year old man who teams up with a Wilderness Ranger to fight beasts and villains.
"Boondocks" Loses 2 Episodes in Season 2
A report on Newsarama is stating that The Boondocks has pulled two episodes from season 2, "The Huey Freeman Hunger Strike" and "The Ruckus Reality Show." According to an anonymous source speaking to the website HipHopDx.com, the two episodes were pulled from the schedule for taking a critical and satiric view of BET and its current programming, one of which parodies BET executives Debra Lee and former Boondocks producer Reginald Hudlin.
As of press time, only Adult Swim has commented on the reports, only confirming that the episodes have been pulled from the schedule. So far, there has been no comment on the above from BET, Sony, or Boondocks creator Aaron McGruder.
Nick Names New Toon Prez
Brown Johnson has been named president of animation for Nickelodeon and the MTVN Kids and Family Group, Variety reports. In addition to overseeing development and production of all Nick programming, she will continue to manage preschool programming at the network, including Nick Jr. and Noggin.
Marjorie Cohen, who had formerly overseen all Nick programming, will now concentrate on live-action series.
The trade journal notes that the network's animation studio will boost its output by 50% this year.
Channing Tatum is Duke in G.I. Joe
First mentioned by Latino Review as being up for the role, Ain't It Cool News is now saying it has confirmed that Channing Tatum has landed the lead role of Duke in director Stephen Sommers' big screen G.I. Joe adaptation, which Paramount will release in theaters on August 7, 2009.
Tatum has starred in such films as She's the Man, Step Up and A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints. His upcoming films include Stop-Loss and Fighting.
He'll be joining Sienna Miller, Ray Park, Rachel Nichols, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Said Taghmaoui, Marlon Wayans and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the cast for the action-adventure.
The film, based on the Hasbro property, is set to start shooting next month in Los Angeles.
Del Toro Considering Hobbit Films
Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct back-to-back installments of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Del Toro's name was on a short list of directors who could tackle the highly anticipated project, the trade paper said.
Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson was originally set to direct the prequel films, but he departed the project following a legal dispute with New Line and the project was put on hold. But with the resolution of the lawsuit in December, The Hobbit is now back on track, with Jackson on board as an executive producer.
Because of the strike, no writer has been hired to adapt Tolkien's children's classic, though that process will be fast-tracked once it's resolved. Del Toro and Jackson will oversee the development of the script.
Principal photography for the two films, which will be shot simultaneously, is tentatively set for 2009. The production budget is estimated at $150 million for each installment. The release of the first film is slated for 2010 and the second in 2011.
Brad Bird Talks Oscar Nominations for "Ratatouille;" Animators Weigh In on Oscars
The Oregonian has spoken with writer/director Brad Bird about the multiple Oscar nominations for Ratatouille, noting that award nominations are the "icing on the icing" of the work itself but also adding that "you don't get too blase about the Oscars." The article also speaks to Portland-area animators Joan Grantz, Will Vinton, Joanna Priestley, and Tom Knott about the Ratatouille vs. Persepolis contest for Best Animated Feature.
Most Effective Product Placement of 2007 is "Guitar Hero" on "South Park"
According to the data reporting firm iTVX, the "Guitar Hero" episode of South Park was the most effective product placement of 2007. iTVX came to this conclusion via their Q-rating calculation, which measures 50 criteria such as whether a character on a show is holding a product while talking about it and if a product logo is clearly shown in a foreground shot.
In Strike News...
January 24, 2008: Simpsons producer Mike Scully has posted his thoughts on the DGA/AMPTP preliminary deal and the appropriate influence it should have on the WGA negotiations. He notes some of the unanswered questions as of yet, such as how Internet downloads will be policed and what the "17-day promotional window" really means.
"Toy Story" Trilogy to Get Full 3-D Treatment in 2009-10
A press release from the Walt Disney Company is stating that the two existing Toy Story movies will be released in digital 3-D versions starting in 2009 in advance of the release of Toy Story 3, which will also be released in 3-D. The first Toy Story movie will be released to theaters in 3-D on October 2, 2009, with the sequel coming on February 12, 2010. Toy Story 3, which is currently underway at Disney/Pixar, will be released to theaters on June 18, 2010. The release states that the technical teams at Pixar will be, "retrieving all of the original digital elements and rebuilding them in 3-D."
Updates on The Flash, The Dark Knight, Transporter 3, Brazilian Job
During The Bank Job press junket today I got some one-on-one time with Producer Charles Roven about some of his upcoming projects including The Dark Knight and The Flash. He wasn't able to give out many details, but I tried to squeeze what I could out of him.
On a possible sequel for Get Smart:
"The movie is essentially finished. I'm just a believe that you gotta do movies one movie at a time. We've got a wonderful movie, we've got a fantastic cast, Peter Segal did a wonderful job directing it. We had some really wonderful contributions from Mel Brooks and I really hope and believe that the movie is going to be widely accepted. I'm hopeful that the movie's gonna work and if the movie works, we'll sit down and have a conversation about what there is to do next."
In regards to Christopher doing only 3 Batman films, with Two Face as the villain for the 3rd movie. I said I know Harvey Dent is in The Dark Knight, but is Two-Face? And would he be the main villain in the third film? (Charles looked at me like he wanted to slit my throat.)
"I just told you about my film making philosophy, Chris Nolan is so much of that, even more than I am. He is such a focused guy that he really only thinks about one thing at a time. Hes editing right now. You know, we're all very sad about what happened, but you know, right now, other than a pause to think about and give honor to Heath, we're gonna go forward and just finish the movie."
In regards to The Flash I'll sum up what he said:
The director is David Dobkin. The writer is Craig Wright. No casting information at all. He would not give an answer if it will be Barry Allen or Wally West as Flash, but he he does know about the first Flash Jay Garrick and said he finds it interesting that there was more than one Flash.
They do have a take in the direction they want to go with it, but wouldn't say what that direction is. The writer hasn't started writing because of the strike. They've done all the research on the first three Flashes and he said he knows everything about them. He laughed and said "Nice Try" when I asked what villain they were thinking of. "You wouldn't want me to tell you this far out." Uh...yes I would!
I asked him about the tone of the film. That Peter Segal is looking to make a sort of light comedy with Shazam, what would the tone be of The Flash?
"It's gonna be straight ahead and do a lot of honor to the source material. We're not going in a comedy direction. It's gonna be straight ahead action movie with a lot of character but it's not gonna necessarily be like The Dark Knight or anything, it's going to be its own thing. At least, that's what we're gonna try to do."
For Jason Statham's upcoming projects, I asked him if he was doing Transporter 3:
"Ya. We're gonna shoot it in Paris. Can't say what the storyline is."
Maybe this time he delivers one-liners at comedy clubs. BA DUM DUM! Thank you very much!
On The Brazilian Job:
"It's not happening. If it does happen, we'll all go 'Jesus, we didn't expect it to.' It's been stagnant for so long that it just feels that it needs some dynamite under it to make it move. I'm very happy to do it, I'd love to work with Mark again. But it's on the back burner."
He also mentioned Crank 2 goes into production in April.
That's all I got! Look for the full interviews soon.
Marvel Cranking out another Comic Book movie
Jason Statham, an ex-pro swimmer, is keen to re familiarize himself with the wet stuff it seems. The big guy is someone Marvel apparently likes for comic-book character 'The Sub-Mariner'.... he's just not convinced he's the right man for the job.
''I don’t know if I’d look right running around in a tight speedo with wings on my ankles", laughs Statham in an interview with IESB, "I’m trying to think of what would be a good comic book character for me to play. You know, there’s talk of them redoing The Crow. That was a good movie with Brandon Lee, although that was years ago. So if that one comes my way, bang!"
Did Statham just say there's talk of them remaking "The Crow"!? F#@k no!
Marvel Comics Get Lost
ABC has worked with Marvel Comics to insert images and references to the hit series Lost in upcoming comic books, including Uncanny X-Men, Incredible Hercules, Thunderbolts and Wolverine Origins, the TV network announced.
For example, a Lost poster, the number 6 and the slogan "Find Yourself" all appear in the latest editions of several Marvel comics that hit newsstands through Jan. 30.
Season four of Lost premieres Jan. 31 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
Alba on Sin City 2 and Fantastic Four 3
Soon to be hot mom Jessica Alba talked to ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! on Wednesday about her upcoming films while promoting her new thriller, The Eye.
CS/SHH!: What can you tell us about your character in "Sin City 2"?
Jessica Alba: I haven't read a script. I don't know anything about it. Robert (Rodriguez) and Frank (Miller) haven't talked to me about it at all.
CS/SHH!: How long until we get "Fantastic Four 3"?
Alba: I have no idea. I know the writers strike and the impending actors strike has kind of put a wrench in everything production wise. That film takes a lot of prep, a good six months of prep and about six months to shoot. With the strike, I think, maybe it's put on hold.
CS/SHH!: Any thought into making "Dark Angel" into a film?
Alba: We've talked about it, I want to work with Jim so I would pretty much do anything he wants to do.
CS/SHH!: In the "Fantastic Four" comics your character becomes a mother. Would you like to see that in the film?
Alba: Little Franklin? Yeah, I think that would be hilarious. He's so powerful, I think that would be a really interesting dynamic - a mother-child dynamic. She's still a superhero but she's super protective and he's wild, he can do anything and has no sense of what's appropriate, that would be really fun.
The Eye opens in theaters on February 1.
Nicholson Warned Ledger About "Joker" Role
Jack Nicholson has hinted he warned tragic Heath Ledger against taking on the role of The Joker in the new Batman film. Ledger, 28 - who was declared dead at 3:30pm at his Manhattan apartment on Tuesday - publicly declared himself exhausted and sleep deprived in November following the grueling shoot for The Dark Knight. He also revealed in an interview with the New York Times he'd resorted to taking sleeping pills - an overdose of which is believed to be the cause of his death - in a desperate bid to catch up on rest. And Nicholson, who famously portrayed the menacing Joker in Tim Burton's 1989 movie Batman, implied to the waiting crowd outside plush London restaurant The Wolesley on Tuesday night he spoke to Ledger about his role in The Dark Knight - and warned him about the pitfalls of taking on such a demanding challenge. When asked by the London crowds for his reaction to Ledger's untimely demise, a defeated Nicholson simply replied, "I told him so." Batman Begins prequel The Dark Knight is due to be released in July.
In Memory of Heath Ledger
We think the changes on these official Warner Bros. The Dark Knight sites speak for themselves:
Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc., and the Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced today that they have reached an interim comprehensive agreement that will put writers immediately back to work on the Marvel Studios development slate. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
"We're very excited about our summer releases, 'Iron Man' and 'The Incredible Hulk,' and look forward to resuming work with writers on our future projects including 'Captain America,' 'Thor,' 'Ant-Man,' and 'The Avengers,'" said Marvel Studios Chairman David Maisel.
"Marvel Studios' signing of an interim agreement with the Writers Guild is more good news for our membership," said WGAE President Michael Winship and WGAW President Patric M. Verrone. "Marvel is committed to fairly compensating their writers and now they can move forward with their planned production schedule."
Marvel Studios recently launched its independent live-action film studio to develop, produce, and fully finance Marvel movies, which will include two of this summer's most anticipated releases - Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk. Directed by Jon Favreau, Iron Man will be released by Paramount Pictures on May 2, 2008, and stars Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Incredible Hulk, which will be released by Universal Pictures on June 13, 2008, is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, and William Hurt.
In cooperation with other studios, Marvel previously produced a long succession of hits, including the "Spider-Man," "X-Men," and "Fantastic Four" franchises, Ghost Rider, and Daredevil.
The WGA recently entered into interim agreements with The Weinstein Company, United Artists, Lionsgate, Worldwide Pants, Spyglass Entertainment, MRC, Jackson Bites, Mandate Films, and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.
Pirate Bunnies
The complete Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy can now be seen in less than two minutes and re-enacted by animator Jennifer Shiman’s bunnies by watching parts 1 and 2 here and part 3 here.
Aeon Flux, Butt-Head Hit UMD
Peter Chung’s anime series Aeon Flux and Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head make their way to the PSP on UMD (Universal Media Disc) via a deal between Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and MTV Networks. SCEA’s first such collaboration with a major TV content provider, the arrangement also saw volumes of the popular live-action shows Jackass, Wildboyz and Viva La Bam hit retail on UMD this week.
Phil Rosenberg, senior VP of sales and business development for SCEA, says PSP owners are using the hand-held gaming machines as video players more than ever now that the new units offer a video-out port, allowing them to watch UMD discs on standard television sets in adition to the PSP’s built-in screen. “This [deal] demonstrates our commitment to supporting the UMD video format by delivering what consumers want to watch at the right price,” he says. “SCEA will continue to license movie, TV, and other video content, leveraging our sales and marketing strengths, as a strategic focus moving forward."
Aeon Flux: The Complete Animated Collection and the second and third volumes of Beavis & Butt-head: The Mike Judge Collection are now available on UMD for the suggested retail price of $14.99.
"Storm Hawks" nominated for Canadian Indie Award
The animated adventure series "Storm Hawks," which airs on Cartoon Network, has been nominated for the CFTPA Indie Award for Best Children's and Youth Programme or Series.
Produced by Asaph Fipke, Ken Faier and Chuck Johnson, Storm Hawks is released by Nerd Corps Entertainment. Nominations for the Indie Awards were announced Monday by the Canadian Film and Television Production Association.
The awards were created by the CFTPA in order to recognize and honor the outstanding achievements of Canadian independent producers. The awards will be presented at a special reception and ceremony February 20 in Ottawa.
Facing off against Storm Hawks in the category are the live-action The Great Canadian Polar Bear Adventure, produced by Shari Cohen, Robert Cohen and Robin Neinstein; Mystery Hunters, produced by Jonathan Finkelstein, Jason Levy and Stacey Tenenbaum; Generation XXL, produced by Lesley Ann Patten; and Life With Derek, produced by Christina Jennings, Scott Garvie, Daphne Ballon and Suzanne French.
"There is an incredible number of talented independent producers across Canada, and this is a reality that is not celebrated nearly as often as it ought to be," said CFTPA president and CEO Guy Mayson. "On behalf of the members of the CFTPA and the board of directors, we are proud to showcase such excellence, and we congratulate all the nominees."
The CFTPA is a non-profit trade organization that works on behalf of almost 400 companies engaged in the production and distribution of English-language television programs, feature films and interactive media products in all regions of Canada. For a list of nominees in all categories, visit www.cftpa.ca/news/press_releases/2008/2008_01_21.php.
"Girl Who Leapt Through Time" Trailer Goes Online
IGN.com has posted a trailer for The Girl Who Leapt Through Time online. The Mamoru Hosoda-directed film, about a high school girl with the power to go backward in time, will get a limited theatrical release in the US in the summer of 2008 before heading to DVD.
"Astro Boy" Gets New Director
David Bowers is replacing Colin Brady as director of the upcoming CG-animated Astro Boy, Variety reports. Bowers's previous directorial credit was Flushed Away.
The film, based on the character created by Osamu Tezuka, is slated for a 2009 release.
The Animated Scene: How To Make an Animated Film 101 (version 20.08)
In this month's "The Animated Scene," Joseph Gilland explores the sea change that�s come about in the animation process.
The Glover Park Group, the ad agency for the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), has tapped J. J. Sedelmaier Prods. to produce a new TV campaign promoting the services SHRM provides its members. The first ad in the campaign, titled MOST IMPORTANT ASSET, is currently running on CNN's election coverage and on selected Fox Business Channel programs.
Animation director J. J. Sedelmaier says the script presented to him for the SHRM spot was different from previous collaborations between his studio and Glover Park that had resulted in PSAs for Poison Control and advertising assignments for Pfizer. It stood out from other business-to-business messages by employing a gentle, flowing quality that spoke directly to the human side of human resources.
"The storyboard had a very fluid, gestural style to it," says Sedelmaier. The team at Glover Park also presented him with the work of Italian illustrator Alessandro Gottardo -- also known as Shout -- whose work has appeared in such publications as THE NEW YORK TIMES, ESQUIRE, WIRED and LE MONDE. Shout's illustrations impressed Sedelmaier so much that he immediately set out to contact him.
"The agency was into this iconographic and symbolic look -- we weren't going to have to approach the subject matter literally," the director adds. "Shout's work has a clever, sophisticated charm to it, and I started contacting friends of mine who'd worked with friends of his to see if we could connect."
Shout was similarly familiar with the work of Sedelmaier's studio, and was very interested in collaborating on the project, which has resulted in Shout's first animated work. "My initial idea, when I first saw the boards, was to work with outline, not too many descriptive details and few colors," he says. "In this way I thought it was easier and faster for everybody to work on the animations of my drawings, by essentially keeping the drawings simple."
Sedelmaier says when the initial tests began to take shape, the agency began to explore even more detail in the work. "They had some ideas they were unable to articulate until they saw the images moving," says Sedelmaier. "As we started to do designs and give it a graphic identity, it became clear that they were more flexible in what they saw this campaign representing than we'd originally thought."
Sedelmaier is also pleased with the outcome. "It's sophisticated, gentle and clever," he says of the spot. "We had an opportunity to work with an artist and designer not known for an animation, and translate that into motion. We couldn't have asked for a better combination on a project."
Agency credits for the work go to creative director Susan Armstrong, art director Mark Driscoll, copywriter Michael Vines and producer Annie Onda. For J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, credits go to Sedelmaier, director/designer; Patrice Sedelmaier, exec producer; Andy Friz, animator; "Zero," digital production; Janine Cotter, production assistant.
Spanish-language network Univision's premiere of its first-ever prime-time animated series, EL CHAVO: LA SERIE ANIMADA -- with Flash animation produced by Mexico City-based Anima Estudios -- captured the #1 spot among entertainment programming, excluding sports, among Adults 18-34 for its time period and saw double- and triple-digit audience gains in every other key demo, according to the Nielsen Fast Affiliate ratings.
* Univision captured the #3 spot among Teens 12-17 and Kids 2-11 for the Sunday 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm hour, beating out CBS, NBC and CW.
* Among Adults 18-49, Univision was the #4 ranked network, out-performing NBC and CW.
* For the entire night on Sunday, Univision was the #3 network, beating CBS, NBC and CW with the combination of EL CHAVO and LOS 5 MAGNIFICOS ("The Magnificent 5") among Adults 18-34 (1,000,000) and Kids 2-11 (483,000).
* Locally, EL CHAVO: LA SERIE ANIMADA was the #1 entertainment program, excluding sports, in its time period among key demos in many major markets including Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston, New York, Dallas and San Francisco.
Paramount Vantage's Teen Doc Features Animation
Paramount Vantage has acquired worldwide distribution rights, excluding the U.K., to Nanette Burstein's documentary AMERICAN TEEN, which features animation.
AMERICAN TEEN follows the lives of four teenagers in one small town in Indiana through their senior year of high school. Using cinema verite footage, interviews, and animation, it presents a candid portrait of being a teenager and all that goes with it. Described as a modern day BREAKFAST CLUB, the film chronicles the insecurities, the cliques, the jealousies, the first loves and heartbreaks, and the struggle to make profound decisions about the future.
"This was the most entertaining and uplifting film we saw at Sundance," said Nick Meyer, President of Paramount Vantage. "It's a movie that we believe audiences will embrace worldwide."
Nanette Burstein's NYU thesis film turned into her first feature-length documentary, ON THE ROPES, which won a Special Jury Prize at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, along with the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement and the International Documentary Association's award for best documentary film. It was also nominated for an Academy Award. She co-produced and directed THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, which premiered at Sundance in 2002 and also screened at Cannes. Burstein's other producing/directing credits include the five-part series SAY IT LOUD: A CELEBRATION OF BLACK MUSIC IN AMERICA for VH1.
AMERICAN TEEN is an A&E Indiefilms Presentation of a Firehouse Films and Quasiworld Ent. production in association with 57th and Irving. Nanette Burstein, Jordan Roberts, Eli Gonda and Chris Huddleston produced. The film was represented by Cinetic Media and CAA and was negotiated by Jeffrey Freedman, EVP, Business Affairs and Operations, on behalf of Paramount Vantage. Amy Israel, EVP, Production and Acquisitions, and Ben Cotner, Director, Acquisitions and Co-Productions, will oversee the project for Paramount Vantage.
Newport Beach Film Festival announces the “Chuck Jones Award”"
“The Newport Beach Film Festival and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity announced today the first ever ‘Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation’ to be presented at the 2008 Festival. Named after the legendary animation director, the inaugural award will be given each year to an individual or group who best exemplifies artistic achievement and innovation in the field of animation. Created to recognize the new generation of animators, the Award will celebrate the legacy of Chuck Jones and the continuing recognition of animation as a significant art form.” The full press release follows:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 24, 2008
NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL CHUCK JONES ANIMATION AWARD
Newport Beach, Calif. – The Newport Beach Film Festival and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity announced today the first ever “Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation” to be presented at the 2008 Festival. Named after the legendary animation director, the inaugural award will be given each year to an individual or group who best exemplifies artistic achievement and innovation in the field of animation. Created to recognize the new generation of animators, the Award will celebrate the legacy of Chuck Jones and the continuing recognition of animation as a significant art form.
Winners of the “Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation” will receive a special animation cel of Chuck Jones’ work, a cash award and recognition at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Filmmakers from around the globe with original animated works, utilizing traditional hand drawn and/or computer generated techniques, created in feature length and short form may submit their films for consideration.
“Chuck Jones lived in Newport Beach as a child and always held it close to his heart. His last 22 years were spent as a resident of Newport Beach/Corona del Mar, and it is with great pleasure and delight that the Jones family and Trustees of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity participate in this wonderful festival,” stated Linda Jones Clough, daughter of Chuck Jones.
The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to foster and encourage creativity, especially in young people, using Jones’ films, drawings and writings as artistic resource and inspiration.
Chuck Jones made more than 300 animated films over the course of his 60-year career. He created or helped create many of Warner Bros. most famous characters including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and the Roadrunner and Coyote. Winner of four Oscars®, Jones received his final golden statue in 1996 for Lifetime Achievement.
The Newport Beach Film Festival runs April 24 – May 1, 2008 and will highlight more than 300 films from around the world, including features, shorts, documentaries, and animation. The Festival is dedicated to bringing Orange County the best in classic and contemporary films.
When the Academy Awards nominations came out on Tuesday morning, no one in the animation industry was more pleasantly surprised than the folks at Sony Pictures Animation, who assumed Academy voters would overlook Surf’s Up because most moviegoers did over the summer. Still dazed and a little confused, writer Chris Jenkins and director Chris Buck, who shares directing credit with Ash Brannon, spoke with us shortly after receiving the news.
Animation Magazine Online: Was the nomination a big shock to you?
Chris Jenkins: It’s a big shock all right, biggest shock of my life. I think Chris, Ash and I had gotten used to the possible penguin malaise that was out there–not to be mistaken with the penguin mayonnaise, which is something different all together. We just wanted more people to see it. In terms of awards and recognition, I think getting this kind of vote from the industry gives us the most validation for everything went into it, and for really trying to make a different kind of movie—not to be different for different’s sake, but to stretch animation out a little bit, push out the corners and see if we could do a very different kind of genre in our own medium. It’s been five years now I’ve been attached to Surf’s Up and pushing this idea of doing a mocumentary in animation, and it’s thrilling to see it recognized.
AMO: How do you size up the competition? You have Ratatouille, another state-of-the-art CG movie, and Persepolis, a very stripped-down, black-and-white 2D film. It’s a very interesting race this year.
CJ: I love both of them, and would have voted the same way. There’s a touch of magic about Ratatouille, and it’s great to see that 2D animation is alive and kicking and people are recognizing that. I don’t know what to say about how the competition’s going to run. Again, I hadn’t contemplated this three-way race, but I do believe it shows a sort of health about the animation industry that I hope most studios will reflect on and we can keep trying to do new things. In coming up with the idea and approach for Surf’s Up, we knew that we were not playing it safe, and we though the way it performed at the box office was maybe an indication that maybe we should play it more safely. Now I think that when people can see different kinds of movies, it speaks to the healthy end of the industry.
AMO: Has this completely caught you off guard?
Chris Buck: Yeah, kinda. I was still asleep when I got the call and I thought it was my phone alarm for getting the kids up and off to school. Luckily, I didn’t just open and close it like I usually do. As you know, this summer was a disappointment for us because people just didn’t go and see it, but it’s been a whirlwind these last few hours.
AMO: Do you start to play the odds, thinking Disney and Pixar already got their share of Oscars so perhaps Academy voters will share the wealth a bit?
CB: You never know. Last year, I was surprised that Happy Feet won. You don’t know what the voters are thinking because they’re not all animation people, obviously. That’s just a small portion of the voting membership. I’m just telling people this is a kick and I’m just going to have a good time. Whatever happens beyond that is gravy.
AMO: Hopefully there’ll be a ceremony this year.
CB: I hope so, too. The Oscars are sort of how America is viewed by the world sometimes. They follow our celebrities and our movies closely, so I hope that [the Writers Guild] can come to some sort of decision at least just for the show, and, of course, I do hope that the writers and producers can come to a decision soon.
AMO: Sony Pictures Animation has experienced some growing pains with these first two films. Has this nomination lifted the mood over there a bit?
CB: Chris Jenkins and I are developing the next one, which I can’t talk about yet, so we’re out of the day-to-day mood of the place, but I know the guys working there. We put so much work into it, Ash, Chris and I, but the artists and everybody on the crew really put their hearts and souls into the movie and for them to get noticed between the Oscars and Annies is huge for them. That makes me happier than anything.
AMO: I’m sure there was a lot of excitement around the house when you got the call. Are your kids old enough to really appreciate what any of this means?
CB: My youngest son, who’s 10, did one of the voices in the movie, the young penguin Arnold. He was excited about it, but still he was like, “That’s great, now could you just close the door so I can get back to sleep?”
AMO: Sounds like it’s business as usual at home, but can you start throwing your weight around at work now?
CB: Yeah. I’m going to have to re-negotiate now! No, it’s actually humbling. Brad Bird was one of my first mentors. We went to school together at CalArts and he was one of the first guys I worked with at Disney. I worked with him on Family Dog and stuff like that, so I’m thrilled to be in the same category with him.
AMO: But you still want to beat him, right?
CB: Of course!
Animation Collective Delivers Comedy, Action and Chinese Food to NATPE 2008
Leading independent producer Animation Collective has announced that it will bring a sneak peek of the premiere episode of its new action-comedy series THREE DELIVERY (26x22) to NATPE this month.
Targeting kids 6-11, THREE DELIVERY tells the story of three teenage kung fu heroes on a quest to recover magical recipes missing from an ancient Chinese cookbook; they must battle the evil Kong Li, who wants to use their power to take over Chinatown and the world. The series has sold to YTV, BBC and Nicktoons in the U.S. and Nickelodeon Australia.
Animation Collective will also bring its growing library of titles to the market including:
DANCING SUSHI (26x1) - A hyperactive anime comedy about four pieces of fish who have escaped from the sushi bar with one dream: to become the world's biggest pop stars.
ELLEN'S ACRES (52x11) - The amazing adventures of 5-year old Ellen, her feather duster, her radial tire, and the hotel she owns (actually, the hotel belongs to her parents).
HTDT (52x11) - When all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty back together again, they turned to Dr. Kizami Miyazaki, who did the trick with some bio-nuclear physics. Now known simply as HTDT, with the help of Dr. Miyazaki's 10-year-old son Axel and his babysitter, the beautiful assistant librarian and teen pop star Arisa, he battles the forces of evil that regularly threaten the kingdom of Olde Story.
JOLLY RABBIT (52x11) - An idiotic and irreverent high seas adventure for boys. Jolly awakens one morning to find someone has stolen his leg. Leaving the safety of his boyhood burrow, he takes to the sea and makes friends with a punk-rocking trio who are inexplicably and precariously in control of a pirate ship. Together, they have lots of adventures, made more interesting by the relentless Captain Squid.
KAPPA MIKEY (52x22) - American actor Mikey Simon joins the cast of "LilyMu," once the top-rated anime show in Japan. Though Mikey is a fish out of water, his crazy antics and style lift "LilyMu" out of the ratings gutter and transform Mikey into the biggest star Japan has ever seen.
Gazoon Conquers Continent
New non-dialogue animated series GAZOON (30x3.5) from Sparkling Animation Studios in co-production with TF1 France has been picked up by YLE Finland within days of signing with Monster Distributes. The series has already sold to RAI in Italy and Samanyolu TV and Mehtap TV in Turkey.
Take a group of wild animals in the African savanna, add wacky behavior, and you've got GAZOON -- an animated comedy with a tender and surreal touch aimed at kids 4-10.
Studio100 Inflated by Balloontoons
Newly formed Studio100 Media NV & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Studio100 (Belgium), announced today that they have acquired extensive distribution rights to the animation series BALLOONTOONS (Russian title "Smeshariki") from German licensor FunGameMedia GmbH. The contract encompasses all broadcasting rights, including video on demand, databank and home video rights and extends to worldwide territories excluding the U.K., Ireland, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, 12 GUS countries, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Serbia & Montenegro.
Produced by Studio Petersburg and targeted at kids 3-9, BALLOONTOONS (52x13) features a friendly group of funny round characters whose world is full of adventure, without violence or brutality. The series is designed as a representation of the society that surrounds a child's life. Each figure has a specific character, an individual background and its own personal interests, and each always finds a way to solve its problems in an unexpected and cheerful way.
Final Nominees for 2nd Elan Awards Announced
The Producers of the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts announced the final nominees for their 2nd Annual Elan Awards. This year's awards show will be hosted by Seth MacFarlane (FAMILY GUY, AMERICAN DAD) at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts on Feb. 15, 2008.
The nominees are:
Best Feature-Length Animated Production * BARBIE AS THE ISLAND PRINCESS - Rainmaker Animation * BARBIE FAIRYTOPIA: MAGIC OF THE RAINBOW - Rainmaker Animation * MAX STEEL: COUNTDOWN - Rainmaker Animation
Best Animated Production (Television Series) * CARL SQUARED - Portfolio Ent. * CLASS OF TITANS - Studio B * EDGAR & ELLEN - Bardel Ent. * STARVEILLANCE - Cuppa Coffee Studios
Best Animated Short Subject * YELLOW STICKY NOTES - Jeff Chiba Stearns * CLANCY WITH THE PUCK - Studio B
Best Direction in a Feature-Length Animated Production * BARBIE AS THE ISLAND PRINCESS - Rainmaker Animation * BARBIE FAIRYTOPIA: MAGIC OF THE RAINBOW - Rainmaker Animation * MAX STEEL: COUNTDOWN - Rainmaker Animation
Best Direction in an Animated Television Series * CARL SQUARED - Portfolio Ent. * GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE - Studio B * RICKY SPROCKET - Studio B * RUBY GLOOM - Nelvana
Best Male Voice-Over in in Animated Feature or Television Production * Lee Tockar - GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE - Studio B * Louie Chiurillo - JOHNNY TEST - Cookie Jar Ent. * Stewart Stone - CARL SQUARED Episode 32 "Superstar" - Portfolio Ent.
Best Female Voice-Over in an Animated Feature or Television Production * Emily Hampshire - CARL SQUARED Episode #29 "Carl SuperSized" - Portfolio Ent. * Maryke Hendrisk - JOHNNY TEST - Cookie Jar Ent. * Julie Lemieux - WILBUR: WILBUR'S BIRTHDAY - Mercury Filmworks * Tabitha St. Germain - RICKY SPROCKET SHOWBIZ BOY - Voicebox Prods. & Studio B
Best Original Musical Score * BRUNO AND THE BANANA BUNCH - Cuppa Coffee Studios * CARL SQUARED Episode 32 "Superstar" - Portfolio Ent.
Best Storyboarding Still in Judicial Process
Best Production Design or Art Direction * EDGAR & ELLEN "Crushed" - Bardel Ent. * GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE "Naked Ape Man" - Studio B * MAX STEEL: COUNTDOWN - Rainmaker Animation * WEIRD YEARS "Pipes" - Mercury Filmworks
Best Writing in an Animated Production * CARL SQUARED Episode #44 "Doomsday" - Portfolio Ent. * GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE "Beetle Invasions/Naked Ape Man" - Studio B * RICKY SPROCKET SHOWBIZ BOY "Screen Kiss/Double Crossed" - Studio B * Storm Hawks "Age of Heroes" - Nerd Corps Ent.
Best International Animated Production (Television Series) * AMERICAN DAD - Fuzzy Door Prods. * DEATH NOTE - VIZ Media * DOGSTAR - Media World Pictures * FAMILY GUY - Fuzzy Door Prods.
Game of the Year * ASSASSIN'S CREED - Ubisoft * COMPANY OF HEROES: OPPOSING FORCES - Relic Ent. * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SKATE. - Electronic Arts
Best Console Game * ASSASSIN'S CREED - Ubisoft * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SCARFACE - Radical Ent. * SKATE. - Electronic Arts
Best PC Game * COMPANY OF HEROES - Relic Ent. * WAR HAMMER 40,000 DAWN OF WAR: DARK CRUSADE - Relic Ent. * POWER RANGERS: SUPER LEGENDS - Disney Interactive
Best Sound Design * CRASH OF THE TITANS - Radical Ent. * NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET - Electronic Arts * SKATE. - Electronic Arts * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games
Best Original Musical Score * ASSASSIN'S CREED - Ubisoft * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * COMPANY OF HEROES - Relic Ent. * WAR HAMMER 40,000 DAWN OF WAR: DARK CRUSADE - Relic Ent.
Best Character * Commander Shepard (MASS EFFECT) - Bioware/Microsoft Games * Crash Bandicoot (CRASH OF THE TITANS) - Radical Ent. * Death Jr. (SCIENCE FAIR OF DOOM) - Backbone Ent. * Tony Montana (SCARFACE) - Radical Ent.
Best Art Direction * ASSASSIN'S CREED - Ubisoft * COMPANY OF HEROES: OPPOSING FORCES - Relic Ent. * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SKATE. - Electronic Arts
Best Handheld Game of the Year * CHICKEN LITTLE: ACE IN ACTION - Disney Interactive * HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL SING IT - Disney Interactive * SOCOM U.S. NAVY SEALS: TACTICAL STRIKE - Slant Six Games * SONIC RIVALS - Backbone Games
Best Game Design of the Year * ASSASSIN'S CREED - Ubisoft * MARIO STRIKERS CHARGED - Next Level Games * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SKATE. - Electronic Arts
Best Mobile/Casual/Arcade Game of the Year * SKATE. - Electronic Arts * CANDACE KANE'S CANDY FACTORY - Gnosis Games
Best Writing for a Game Production * COMPANY OF HEROES - Relic Ent. * COMPANY OF HEROES: OPPOSING FORCES - Relic Ent. * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SCARFACE - Radical Ent.
Outstanding Innovation in Gaming * COMPANY OF HEROES: OPPOSING FORCES - Relic Ent. * MASS EFFECT - Bioware/Microsoft Games * SKATE. - Electronic Arts * WAR HAMMER 40,000 DAWN OF WAR: DARK CRUSADE - Relic Ent.
International Video Game of the Year * THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE: SHADOWS OF ANGMAR - Turbine, Inc. * RATCHET & CLANK FUTURE: TOOLS OF DESTRUCTION - Insomniac Games & Sony Computer Ent. America * CRYSIS - Crytek & Electronic Arts USA
Student Animated or Motion Graphic Production of the Year * LEGEND OF BORUTA - Emily Carr Institute - Bartosz Nowakowski * SWING - Vancouver Film School - Estaban Azuela * TURNTALE - Emily Carr Institute - Kora Kosicka * DUELITY - Vancouver Film School - Marcos Ceravolo & Ryan Uhrich
Student Game of the Year * BLOOM - Vancouver Film School - Boring Games; Project Manager: Adrian Audet * CHAMELIO - Vancouver Film School - Chad Sehn, Dave Malmberg, Jefferey Chang, Kayo Wildman * FOAMZILLA - Vancouver Film School - Johan Eickmeyer, Mark Barazzuol * SEAS OF EUROPA - Vancouver Film School - Scott Riesterer, Jordan Ivey
Best Original Sound Design/Musical Score for an Animated Production or Game * LE BUILDING - Vancouver Film School - Doug Woods * CLIMBER - Vancouver Film School - Jessica Lemes da Silva * SNOWMAN - Vancouver Film School - Steve Bigras * HATCHED - The Art Institute of Vancouver - Kevin Webb
Best Student Art Direction - Game Production * HYDRO - School of Interactive Art and Technology (SIAT) SFU - Yohei Shimomae, Scott Ko, Darrell Yeo * INTROSPECT - The Art Institute of Vancouver - Team Leader - Mitchell Lagran * PATCHWORK PLAYGROUNDS - Vancouver Film School - Jimmy Steorts, Sean Bosshardt, Brian Chong, Tom Munro * SEAS OF EUROPA - Vancouver Film School - Scott Riesterer, Jordan Ivey
Best Student Art Direction - Animated Production * 8 - Emily Carr Institute - Jeff Simpson * A MODELLING REEL - Vancouver Film School -Julianna Kolakis * MANSO SINISTRA - Emily Carr Institute - Kate Lee * THE LEGEND OF BORUTA - Emily Carr Institute - Bartosz Nowakowski
Best Student Writing for an Animated or Game Production * CATNIP - Western School of Interactive Art and Technology (SIAT) SFU - Cody Church, Mohammed El Eryan, John Pang * DOCUMENTARY - Vancouver Film School - Lawrence Chung * FOR YOU MY PEOPLE - Emily Carr Institute - Jose Pablo Gonzalez * THE LEGEND OF BORUTA - Emily Carr Institute - Bartosz Nowakowski
Ready To Rocket * Bartosz Nowakowski - Emily Carr Institute * Karl Schmidt, Alex Ting - School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) SFU * Diego Rodriguez - Vancouver Film School * Matt Alder - VanArts
Adina Pitt has been named vice president, content acquisitions and co-productions for Cartoon Network and Boomerang, it was announced today. In her new role, Pitt will be responsible for identifying, negotiating and acquiring pre-produced series, specials, movies and short-form product that fit the Cartoon Network and Boomerang brands for exposure on all platforms. She'll continue to oversee those programs once they have been acquired and positioned at each of the networks. Pitt also will serve as a liaison with international Cartoon Network and Boomerang channels to coordinate global acquisition contracts, and she'll represent the U.S. networks at all major programming markets including MIPTV, MIPCOM, Kidscreen and NATPE. Pitt will be based in New York City.
Previously, Pitt was vice president of acquisitions for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. In this position, she developed acquisition strategies that supported current and long-term programming plans for Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr, Nick at Nite, The N and Noggin. In addition to these duties, she oversaw channel inventory, cable and network television series and movie deals, competitive pricing, theatrical and made-for-TV movie availability, and competitive inventories, both domestically and globally.
Pitt joined Nickelodeon in 1998 as a coordinator of acquisitions and, over the course of nine years, has worked on Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, TV Land, Nicktoons Network, Noggin, The N, Nick Jr., TNN and Spike TV. She previously worked in film programming acquisitions at HBO.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Pitt earned a BA degree in elementary education from Brandeis University and a master's degree in educational communication and technology from New York University.
Heath Ledger Autopsy Inconclusive
An autopsy on Heath Ledger was inconclusive, and more tests are needed, the medical examiner's office said Wednesday, a day after the 28-year-old actor was found dead with sleeping pills nearby.
It will take about 10 days to complete the investigation, said Ellen Borakove, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner.
Earlier, police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.
About Heath and The Dark Knight..
Not that it really matters - the guy is gone, big deal if a marketing campaign has been thrown into turmoil - but according to Warner Bros, Heath Ledger had completed all his work on “The Dark Knight”, so they're safe there – and the only problem they’ve got on their hands is “The status of the pic's marketing campaign. The first phase is built around the Joker and pics of his character are particularly ghoulish. Warner execs were still grappling with the news on Tuesday and had no comment on how they would proceed”, said Variety.
The "Dark Knight" rollout will present more than a few challenges en route to opening weekend. One poster shows the Joker the character drawing a clown's smile on a mirror with red lipstick and scrawling the words, "Why So Serious?" Tagline was also used to launch a Joker-centric website that the studio used to bow new photos from the pic and a viral scavenger hunt, among other games.
"The Joker character is dealing with chaos and life and death and a lot of dark themes," one insider with knowledge of the campaign said. "Everyone is going to interpret every line out of his mouth in a different way now."
As for those that are wondering whether The Joker, and therefore Ledger, was supposed to come back for the third ‘Batman’ film?– Yes, the character is in stencil for the third film. If I recall correctly, David Goyer (writer) wrote into the third film that The Joker somehow aids Batman in his search for that film's villain, Two-Face - whether that's from a jail cell, or the looney bin Fortunately for the filmmakers, it would only be a cameo by The Joker (either behind bars, or some kind of flashback) so they can work around that - I presume they'll either cut the character from the eventual script or simply re-cast (and have that person in the shadows). Again, who gives a shit. It's not really important... but everyone's emailing me and asking so there's the answer.
Warner have issued a press release.
"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news," said Alan Horn, president-COO, Warner Bros. & Jeff Robinov, president, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. "Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person."
Do Artists Improve With Age?
Do artists improve with the passage of time or do an artist’s skills begin to deteriorate at a certain age? Animation director Will Finn explores this fascinating topic on his blog, using as an example the late work of Chuck Jones. It’s a thought-provoking read that argues that Chuck was actually a better artist when he created artwork intended for the animation process instead of static pieces of fine art.
"Bee Movie" Coming to DVD March 11
DreamWorks Animation will release Bee Movie to DVD and HD DVD on Tuesday, March 11, the studio said today.
The two-disc set will include as extras a commentary with Jerry Seinfeld and the producers; "TV Juniors" segments; alternate endings; early live-action trailers; "lost" scenes with commentary; a music video; and documentary featurettes about the cast and technical aspects of the film. The HD DVD will also include a feature-length picture-in-picture storyboard reel, customizable menus, pop-up trivia, and web-enabled downloadable features.
New Iron Man Photo Released
Marvel Studios has released this new photo from the Jon Favreau-directed Iron Man, coming to theaters on May 2. The comic book adaptation stars Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeff Bridges.
The movie tells the story of Tony Stark (Downey Jr.), a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. Upon his return to America, Tony must come to terms with his past. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man.
Edward Norton on The Incredible Hulk
Edward Norton talked to Total Film magazine (via The Sun) and said there is no connection between upcoming The Incredible Hulk and 2003's Hulk.
"First off it's utterly unrelated to that film," he told the magazine. "This is in no way a response to it or picking up from it. I think like Chris Nolan and those guys did with Batman, we just said: 'We're going to start completely with our own version of this myth or saga.'"
While he said "no" to the role a couple of times until he was able to rewrite the screenplay, Norton now says the story will likely span more than one film.
"To me the whole thing was to envision it in multiple parts," he said. "We left a lot out on purpose. It's definitely intended as chapter one."
The Incredible Hulk opens in theaters on June 13.
Treehouse TV February 2008 Programming Highlights
Treahouse TV: February 2008 News
Treehouse Television, the early education focused programming network who last fall scheduled popular programming such as The Backyardigans and The Land Before Time, are again looking forward to another round of quality additions to their line-ups. A specialty network owned by CORUS Entertainment; Canadian parents and/or caretakers now have the option of accessing a wide array of television animation selected specifically for their young children.
For the month of February 2008, Treehouse TV is scheduling a slew of themed programming for their preschool animated television series' in addition to the long anticipated inclusion of two new properties. New are My Friend Rabbit and Fifi and the Flowertots, the former is a well-designed property about problem solving while the latter is a lighter, simpler environment emphasizing the values of sharing and the like.
Additionally, all day long on Thursday, February 14th 2008, Treehouse will celebrate Valentine's with "Friendship and Caring Day". Special highlights include Little Bear: Valentine, Max & Ruby: Valentine, Franklin: Franklin's Valentine and a variety of Strawberry Shortcake specials including Strawberry Shortcake: Best Pals Yet. Highlights from Treehouse Television's February programming schedule includes the following (all times Eastern):
Fifi And The Flowertots {new series} Fifi and her amazing group of Flowertot friends live in Flowertot Garden. Since Flowertots are small, everything around them appears to be huge! Fifi and the Flowertots love the outdoors and through Fifi's fine example, children can learn to care for and explore the natural world. From HIT Entertainment, the producers behind Bob the Builder, Fifi and the Flowertots will air on weekdays, Monday through Friday at 6:20pm beginning Monday, February 25th 2008. Additional airtimes may include: Saturdays at 10:30am.
My Friend Rabbit {new series}
Welcome to the adventures of two ebullient heroes, Mouse and Rabbit – best friends through thick and thin. In these unique stories based on Eric Rohmann's award-winning book, this Canadian original series shows children that curiosity, friendship and creativity can make problem-solving fun! It's the whimsical journey rather than destination that Rabbit, Mouse and their friends love most and no idea is too wacky or quirky for this group of critters to try.
Aimed at kids three to six, this new 2-D Nelvana-produced series premieres on Treehouse. The show's regular timeslot will reportedly be Tuesday, starting February 26th at 8:00am in its regular timeslot. Other times for My Friend Rabbit will include: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30pm, Thursdays at 8:00am and Saturdays at 1:00pm.
Strawberry Shortcake: Best Pals Yet Strawberry Shortcake's cat, Custard, lives quite the pampered existence. But with the sudden arrival of Pupcake, a rambunctious stray puppy, the comfortable world little Custard once knew is then turned upside down. The episode Strawberry Shortcake: Best Pals Yet airs Thursday, February 14th at 3:30pm and 9:30pm.
Little Bear: Valentine Love is in the air for Little Bear on Valentine's Day. When a mysterious valentine appears with his name on it, Little Bear makes it his mission to discover the identity of his secret admirer. Little Bear: Valentine airs Thursday, February 14th at 6:30am, 12:30pm, and again at 8:00pm.
Franklin: Franklin's Valentine During the classroom Valentine's Day party, Franklin makes the distressing discovery that his handmade cards were lost on the way to school. But Franklin's classmates are so understanding that he decides to celebrate their friendship in a special way. Airs in primetime Thursday, February 14th at 7:30pm.
Max & Ruby: Valentine Valentine's Day is a busy time for Ruby and Louise who make special Valentine cards for all their Bunny Scout friends. Max wants to make a Valentine but he's too little to use scissors and glue, so Ruby gives Max the important job of taking her Valentines to the mail box -- and Max ends up making a special delivery of his own. Airs Thursday, February 14th at 2:30pm and much later in the evening at 9:00pm.
About Treehouse TV: Treehouse TV (www.TreehouseTV.com) is the first and only national, specialty network in North America dedicated to providing suitable programming for preschoolers, age six-years and younger. Available 24 hours-a-day in most markets, Treehouse offers a unique television environment that is in tune with the interests and developmental levels of this age group. Treehouse provides a balance of real people, puppets and animation within its program schedule. The program lineup contains high-quality children's programming from Canada and around the world including Blue's Clues, Dora The Explorer, Berenstain Bears and Big Comfy Couch.
Frisky Dingo Bound For DVD
The entire first season of the Adult Swim animated series Frisky Dingo is set to arrive on DVD for the first time on March 25. The release will feature more than 150 minutes of content and will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.97.
Created by Matt Thompson and Adam Reed, the twisted minds behind Adult Swim favorite Sealab 2021, Frisky Dingo plunges viewers into the world of the villainous Killface, whose mission of destroying mankind is derailed by the boring details of media buys, personnel staffing and marketing. His arch nemesis is Awesome X, the alter ego of billionaire Xander Crews, who is more concerned with the sales of his action figure line than foiling Killface’s plans and saving the world.
Frisky Dingo debuted on Adult Swim in October 2006 and, during its first season, consistently placed among the top 10 programs with men 18-24 among all broadcast and cable programs, with more than 4.5 million viewers checking in. Fans of the series will also be able pick up Frisky Dingo apparel and toys that will debut at retail this spring from various licensing partners.
Cartoon Movie Celebrates 10th Anniversary
More than 500 animation professionals are expected to visit the German city of Potsdam to view 47 new projects from 16 European countries as the next edition of Cartoon Movie kicks off on March 5. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the business forum aimed at boosting the production, financing and distribution of European animated films. The three-day event will take place at Babelsberg fx.Center, some 30 kilometers outside Berlin.
Created by the European Association of Animation Film, Cartoon Movie is key annual event for the European animation industry. This year’s projects represent a combined budget of more than $473 million. France is represented the most with a total of 20 projects, followed by Germany with 12 and Spain with six. Denmark and Belgium chime in with five projects each. There are approximately three times more 3D projects than 2D as the popularity of CG-animated productions continues to grow.
Cartoon Movie main partners are MEDIA Programme of the EU, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Land Brandenburg, Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM), Filmförderungsanstalt/German federal Film Board (FFA), fx.Center Babelsberg and Studio Babelsberg. For further information on this year’s edition, go to www.cartoon-media.be.
"Inspector Gadget" coordinator Nicole Pascal dies
Assistant animator Nicole Pascal, production coordinator for Dic Entertainment's Inspector Gadget during its 1983-84 season, died November 30, The Animation Guild announced.
Pascal's age was not immediately available.
She handled color key for DiC's Rainbow Brite (1985), as well as for Citizen Ghost, a 1986 episode of The Real Ghostbusters.
An assistant animator for the 1996 Turner Feature Animation movie Cats Don't Dance, Pascal worked on the starring character, Danny. In addition, she was an assistant animator for the Warner Bros. movie Quest For Camelot (1998) and a clean-up assistant for WB's The Iron Giant (1999).
Pascal was a character breakdown artist for Fox's The Pagemaster (1994), which combined live action and animation. She was a background and character designer for DiC's Madeline, released as a half-hour HBO TV special in 1989.
Her career lasted from 1965 to 1999. Her other studios included Jean Mineur, DePatie-Freleng, Hanna-Barbera, Bakshi-Krantz, Filmation and Disney.
Daigle Lets Burlap Out of the Bag
Jacques Daigle, a Canadian animator, has had plenty of TV and feature experience. He's worked on a 3D feature (Space Chimps) and handful of Flash-animated series including George of Jungle, Delilah and Julius, and Johnny Test, but more recently he's trying his hand at some online shorts. His original series features Burlap, an odd, mischievous, little character. Here's the first two episodes.
Drink and Drive
Patridge Produces Pickles
Harry Partridge is an animation student at UCCA in Surrey, England, and for his latest class deadline, he submitted a Flash-animated short titled Jimmy Tickles' Magic Pickles. The class was limited to 2-minutes running time, and Partridge used this opportunity to try out the tween function in Flash. Tweening can be a tough nut to crack, but the results here are smooth and snappy.
Esurance Customer Drives to Toon Town
Paul Mackinaw, an Esurance customer since January 2002, was in attendance last year at a silent auction fundraiser for the San Francisco Urban Services YMCA. After besting his competitors in a bidding war, Mackinaw had won an opportunity to "play a villain" (via voiceover) in an upcoming Esurance TV spot - promoted as a $300 value. But for Mackinaw the opportunity turned into something priceless . According to Kristin Brewe, Esurance’s Director of Brand & Public Relations, when her team discovered that Paul "was an Esurance customer from very early on, and saw how articulate and engaging he was, we decided to offer him a starring role with Erin Esurance." Mackinaw wound up on-camera in two Flash-animated TV spots - Paul Gets Animated and Paul Saves Some Green. For more on his experience, check out the microsite.
Here is Paul Saves Some Green.
"Dream Worlds" offers look at abandoned Disney animated features
Jim Hill reviews Hans Bacher's new "Production Design for Animation" book. Which features visual development art from "My Peoples," "Fraidy Cat" and "Wild Life"
Who is Hans Bacher?
Trust me, folks. If you're a Disneyana fan, you know this man's work. If you were creeped out by the look of the Beast's lair in "Beauty & the Beast" ...
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
... or ever marveled at the clean, crisp design of the logo for the stage version of Disney's "The Lion King" ...
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
... then you have Hans to thanks. For Bacher is the production designer / visual development artist who worked on these two projects as well as many other Disney films.
Now what's kind of unusual about Hans' work is that it's rarely seen by the public. His paintings & drawings are mostly used in-house as inspirational material for the artists and animators who are actually working on each new animated feature.
Copyright 2007 Focal Press. All Rights Reserved
Which is what makes "Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation" (Focal Press, December 2007) so extraordinary. Here -- for the first time ever -- is a collection of the canvases that Bacher did for Walt Disney Feature Animation productions like "Aladdin" ...
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
... featuring many ideas that Hans originally proposed for these pictures which -- in some cases, anyway -- the film-makers ultimately decided not to go with.
Better than that, Bacher shares behind-the-scenes stories about each of the animated features that he worked on. Take -- for example -- "Mulan," which Hans began working on because ...
" ... Andreas Deja, a good friend and a former student in Germany, now one of the top animators at Disney, had called me and talked about a future project they were planning: 'China Doll.' He explained the showdown between the emperor, Mulan, and her army friend. I liked that ending actually way more than the ending in the final film ... where Mulan had to decide between the life of the emperor and her friend Shang."
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
Bacher has similar stories about "The Lion King," recalling that ...
"... The first script pages I got were not very promising ... I was working in Germany. Nobody at Disney really believed in the project, so there was no budget to fly me to LA."
Which was not a very auspicious start for what would eventually become the most successful hand-drawn animated feature of all time.
But what should really interest animation fans is that "Dream Worlds" features development art that Hans did for three projects that Walt Disney Animation Studios ultimately decided not to put into production: "My Peoples" (AKA "Elgin's Peoples," "Angel and Her No Good Sister," "Once in a Blue Moon" and "A Few Good Ghosts"), ...
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
... "Fraidy Cat," which Bacher had some very fond memories of. Given that ...
"... I was the first artist to get involved in ... 'Fraidy Cat,' so I could design with no limitations.
The story outline and the first treatment looked very promising. It was a little bit of a Hitchcock crime story with a cat and a parrot in London. Somehow, it reminded me of '101 Dalmatians,' one of my favorite movies."
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
But the images that will -- no doubt -- most intrigue animation fans are the pages & pages of development art that Hans did for "Wild Life." Which was to have been Disney's The Secret Lab's follow-up to "Dinosaur." And according to Bacher, this decidedly unusual project (Which was to have a urban, hipster-ish spin on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion") ....
"The final look of the major areas in story looked breathtaking, together with the very unusual character designs. It would have been an incredible movie."
Copyright 2007 Disney Enterprises. All Rights Reserved
Mind you, this 216-page hardcover isn't just a fond look back at Hans' days of doing visual development for Disney. "Dream Worlds: Production Design For Animation" is also an excellent how-to book for anyone who's thinking of entering the business. It features all sorts of Bacher's tips about how to put together strong & concise drawings that clearly put across specific story points.
But me personally, what I loved best about "Dream Worlds" were Hans' BS-free stories. Where he'd look back at various WDAS productions that he'd worked on and then tell the real behind-the-scenes stories. Not the carefully edited & massaged versions that Disney Publicity inserts into production notes. But -- rather -- the really-for-real stories about how your favorite Disney animated films actually came together.
Take -- for example -- "Beauty and the Beast." Which Hans remembered like so:
The first 'Beauty and the Beast' treatments were very serious. Well, it's a serious original story. There is nothing funny about a beast. I always compared it to 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' where you have a serious part with the witch and the dwarfs for comic relief. In 'Beauty and the Beast,' we wanted to do it in a similar way with the enchanted objects in the castle.
(So in) the fall of 1989 ... We just worked like crazy. And we finished a story reel in color in a very short time, about 50 minutes long. The First Act: It was not a typical Disney movie, more a European version. But we all believed in it.
Well, they didn't in LA ... When I heard that the plan was to change it into a musical, I was shocked. It's difficult for Europeans to understand how these ideas come up in the New World. We are very serious and would never even think about such an insult. I made jokes about a singing beast.
(But since the Disney executives) felt so bad (about throwing) all our work in the trash, they decided to send us to the Loire area in France ... Our trip lasted 4 days, maybe 20 castles ... We had good French food and even better wine ...
That reference trip could have created an incredible looking movie. We shot thousands of pictures, video, and did tons of sketches. Unfortunately, later in the movie it was decided not to use any of the reference and just do another generic-looking Disney film.
You see what I'm saying? That "another generic-looking Disney film" comment isn't the sort of thing that you'd expect to read in an official "Art of ..." book. Which -- to be honest -- is what makes "Dream Worlds" so refreshing. It makes you realize how truly rare it is to hear the plain unvarnished truth.
So if you want to see some beautiful visual development art (not to mention some great behind-the-scenes wart-and-all stories about your favorite Disney animated features), then I urge you to pick up a copy of Hans Bacher's "Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation."
A Child’s Metaphysics by Koji Yamamura
According to the website of Koji Yamamura, he has completed a new short entitled A Child’s Metaphysics. The film, which premiered last October, is just beginning to hit the festival circuit. The synopsis of the film is intriguing if slightly confusing:
A child whose head is numerals, a child who winds his own face and has it under his arm. What was left is his identity, a child whose eyes are provided by fishes, a child who lies down on the floor and head-butts his identity, a child who cannot say anything because of a zipper across his mouth. He undo the zipper but under it is another zipper…
Ecology and philosophy of children with sadness and humor.
Yamamura has emerged as perhaps the finest independent Japanese animation director of his generation. Though he’s been creating animated films since the late-’80s, he didn’t begin attracting worldwide attention until 2002 when his short Atama yama (Mt. Head) became a huge hit on the festival circuit and garnered an Oscar nomination. Since then, he’s turned out a couple of other winners—The Old Crocodile (2005) and last year’s Franz Kafka’s A Country Doctor, which I’ve heard is nothing short of incredible. You can familiarize yourself with a couple of his best known works below.
The Old Crocodile
Atama yama
Ratatouille vs. Persepolis
The Oregonian has a short but interesting article about what animation artists in Brad Bird’s home state, Oregon, think about the Oscar race between Ratatouille and Persepolis. The piece offers quotes from animators Joan Gratz and Will Vinton, who believe Ratatouille deserves to win, while Joanna Priestley and LAIKA recruiter Tom Knott are in the Persepolis. camp. I agree with Tom Knott who says that recognizing the accomplishment of Persepolis will have long-term benefits for the industry as a whole, and will hopefully encourage animated films with more substance and personal styles of storytelling. Knott says in the article:
“‘Ratatouille’ has some of the best animation to appear in decades, and Brad did a great job telling a story. He’s a friend of mine. But personally, I’d like to see ‘Persepolis’ win just because it’s an independent film, and it’s lower-budget. I think it gives hope to other filmmakers trying to do things on lower budgets that are more personal. So if something like ‘Persepolis’ can find an audience, that’s good.”
China to Invest $100 Million in Comics and Animation Industries
Authorities in Guangzhou, China, will spend up to $100 million over the next four years to develop the region's comics and animation industries, People's Daily Online reports.
One-fifth of China's annual revenues off these industries come from companies in the area.
The government plans to expand international cooperation to boost the industries, even as some local cartoonists stress their desire to focus on traditional Chinese culture instead of imitating Japanese or Korean models.
"Code Lyoko," "Fantastic Four" Get Distribution Deals in Iberia
Taffy Entertainment has signed deals to distribute eight of its titles in Spanish and Portuguese territories, KidScreen reports. Titles covered by the deals with Canal Panda, Clan TV, TVE, and Cartoon Network Spain include Dive Olly Dive!, The Fantastic Four, SamSam, Growing Up Creepie, Code Lyoko, Mix Master, Cosmic Quantum Ray and Lamimila.
Ghibli's "Ponyo on a Cliff" Scheduled for Mid-July Release in Japan
Newsarama Chats with English Writing Crew for "Shin Chan"
Newsarama's Animated Shorts has spoken with the local English translation crew of Shin Chan, the enduring Japanese comedy anime. Series head writer Jared Hedges and staffer Joel Bergen and Alex Muniz talk about the difficulties on translating the show's humor, comparing it to doing The Simpsons in Japanese only more difficult. They also discuss the show's upcoming Star Wars parody episode, which was actually finished and aired many years before the Robot Chicken and Family Guy Star Wars parody episodes.
Chris Kientz, Atomic Cartoons Partnering for "Task Force Shaman"
Atomic Cartoons will partner with Chris Kientz to produce Task Force Shaman, an animated action adventure series about eight teens entrusted with magical amulets to fight a global threat, the studio announced yesterday.
Kientz and Atomic will unveil the project to potential buyers and broadcasters at the 2008 Kidscreen Summit in New York in February.
Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan apartment, and police said drugs may have been a factor. The Australian-born actor was 28. Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the residence in the tony SoHo neighborhood, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said. A housekeeper who went to let him know the massage therapist had arrived found him dead at 3:26 p.m.
A large crowd of paparazzi and gawkers began gathering Tuesday evening outside the building on an upscale block, where several police officers guarded the door.
Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," where he met Michelle Williams in 2005. The two lived together in Brooklyn and had a daughter, Matilda, until they split up last year.
Ledger most recently appeared in "I'm Not There," in which he played one of the many incarnations of Bob Dylan — as did Cate Blanchett, whose performance in that film earned an Oscar nomination Tuesday for best supporting actress.
Ledger was to appear as the Joker this year in "The Dark Knight," a sequel to 2005's "Batman Begins." He's had starring roles in "A Knight's Tale" and "The Patriot," and played the suicidal son of Billy Bob Thornton in "Monster's Ball."
Ledger grew up in Perth, and began doing amateur theater at age 10. At 16, he moved to Sydney to pursue an acting career, quickly landing TV movie roles and guest spots on Australian television.
After several independent films and a starring role in the short-lived Fox TV series "Roar," Ledger moved to Los Angeles and costarred in "10 Things I Hate About You," a teen comedy reworking of "The Taming of the Shrew."
Offers for other teen flicks came his way, but Ledger turned them down, preferring to remain idle than sign on for projects he didn't like.
"It wasn't a hard decision for me," Ledger told the Associated Press in 2001. "It was hard for everyone else around me to understand. Agents were like, `You're crazy,' my parents were like, `Come on, you have to eat.'"
UPDATE: Regarding Heath's work as The Joker in THE DARK KNIGHT
There's a lot of rumors swirling around right now in regards to Heath and where his involvement with THE DARK KNIGHT was. I got it confirmed from a source involved in Post-Production on THE DARK KNIGHT. Heath's post work was complete. He had indeed finished it, as to not interfere with the production of the film he was doing with Terry Gilliam. But there will be no-dubbing on Heath in THE DARK KNIGHT - his performance was finished.
January 22, 2008: The WGA has officially dropped its demand that it be given jurisdiction over reality and animation writing, The Hollywood Reporter says. The guild says it is dropping this demand to "make absolutely clear [its] commitment to bringing a speedy conclusion to negotiations." It did say it would continue organizing efforts intended to bring writers in those genres within its representation. The news comes as the WGA and studio chiefs say they will hold informal talks aimed at restarting contract negotiations.
Pink Panther and Friends Vol. 6: "The Inspector" Announced
The sixth volume of The Pink Panther and Friends: Classic Cartoon Collection will feature 17 "The Inspector" cartoons. The shorts included, with years and directors, are:
-The Great DeGaulle Stone Operation (Freleng, 1965) -Reaux, Reaux, Reaux Your Boat (Chiniquy, 1966) -Napoleon Blown-Aparte (Chiniquy, 1966) -Cirrhosis of the Louvre (Chiniquy, 1966) -Plastered in Paris (Chiniquy, 1966) -Cock-A-Doodle Deux Deux (McKimson, 1966) -Ape Suzette (Chiniquy, 1966) -Pique Poquette of Paris (Singer, 1966) -Sicque! Sicque! Sicque! (Singer, 1966) -That's No Lady - That's Notre Dame (Singer, 1966) -Unsafe and Seine (Singer, 1966) -Toulouse La Trick (McKimson, 1966) -Sacre Bleu Cross (Chiniquy, 1967) -Le Quiet Squad (McKimson, 1967) -Bomb Voyage (McKimson, 1967) -Le Pig-Al Patrol (Chiniquy, 1967) -Le Bowser Bagger (Chiniquy, 1967)
The one-disc release will be available on 3/4/08 for $14.98.
VIZ to Showcase Animated Properties at 2008 NATPE Conference Jan 28-31, 2008
VIZ Media has announced that it will be showcasing a variety of its anime properties at the 2008 National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) Conference and Exhibition, which runs from January 28-31, 2008, in Las Vegas, NV. According to the press release, "the NATPE conference develops and nurtures opportunities, both commercial and educational, for the buying, selling and sharing of content and ideas." Properties to be showcased will include Naruto, Death Note, Nana, Buso Renkin, Hunter X Hunter, Naoki Urusawa's Monster, Honey & Clover, and Bleach.
"Avatar: The Last Airbender" Book 3 Vol. 3 Announced
The third volume of Avatar: The Last Airbender's third season has been announced by Nick and Paramount. It will contain these five episodes:
-The Day of the Black Sun Part 2: The Eclipse -The Western Air Temple -The Firebending Masters -The Boiling Rock: Part 1 -The Boiling Rock: Part 2
The DVD will be released on 5/6/08 for $16.99.
Second Season of Black Lagoon in Canada
Anime News Network and Zannen, Canada report that Black Lagoon: Second Barrage, the second season of the gunslinger anime, is airing on G4TechTV Canada, Fridays at 8:30 p.m. EST/5:30 p.m. PST with a repeat at 11:30 p.m. EST/8:30pm PST. The first season was released on DVD in North America before Geneon ceased their distribution operations.
Japanese Release of New Eva Movie Scheduled
According to Anime Nation and AV Watch King Records announced that the 2007 Evangelion Shin Gekijouban: Jou (Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone) animated motion picture will be released on Japanese DVD in April. The film will be released in a special edition double disc package on April 25, retailing at 5,985 yen, followed by a single disc standard release on May 21, retailing at 4,935 yen. King Records has formally stated that there are presently no plans for an HD DVD or Blu-ray version of the film.
Site Updated For Oshii's Next
Production I.G's as post an English description of Mamoru Oshii's Sky Crawlers
The film is based on a popular five-part novel by a best-seller writer, Mori Hiroshi, who enjoys enthusiastic support from younger generations and has sold over 8 million copies of his works in total. The story unfolds in another 'possible' modern age. The main characters are youngsters called "Kildren", who are destined to live eternally in their adolescence. The Kildren are conscious that every day could be the last, because they fight a "war as entertainment" organized and operated by adults. But as they embrace the reality they are faced with, they live their day-to-day lives to the full.
After reading the novel, Director Oshii praised it as "a work that should be made into a movie for young people now." Clothing, food and housing are in abundance in our modern society, and yet we carry an unfulfilled vacuum in our hearts. "It is time to face this new perception to our existence through the Kildren, who live indefinitely in eternal adolescence, and this theme should be dealt with now," claims Oshii earnestly. The author Mori regards his novel, The Sky Crawlers "as the most difficult among all of my works for film adaptation." However, Mori declared himself "surprised and relieved at the same time to know the director was going to be Mamoru Oshii," and gave his immediate consent.
Release Date in Japan: Summer 2008 Original Novel: Mori Hiroshi (Chuokoron-Shinsha) Screenplay: Chihiro Ito Director: Mamoru Oshii Character Designer/Key Animation Director: Tetsuya Nishio Mechanical Designer: Atsushi Takeuchi Art Director: Kazuo Nagai Music: Kenji Kawai Animation Production: Production I.G Produced by: The Sky Crawlers Production Committee Distributed in Japan by: Warner Entertainment Japan
Based on the novel by Mori Hiroshi (published in Japan by Chuokoron-Shinsha)
Screenplay: Chihiro Ito
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Music: Kenji Kawai
Sequence Director: Toshihiko Nishikubo
Character Designer/Key Animation Director: Tetsuya Nishio
Production I.G's The Making of XX: Interview with Junichi Fujisaku (4)
LA Times talks to TOKYOPOP's Stu Levy aka DJ Milky.
Episode 58 of the ANIME TODAY podcast (find it on iTunes), features an interview with Zac Bertschy – executive editor of Anime News Network (AnimeNewsNetwork.com) and managing editor of Protoculture Addicts. In this new interview, Bertschy takes a look back at the successes and surprises of 2007, experiments in packaging and distribution, the differences between what series are popular with Japanese and Western fans, and the issues and challenges facing the North American anime industry in 2008.
and, a trailer for Filipino giant robot film Resiklo
Zoic Animates Terminator
One of the driving forces behind the successful new FOX action series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, visual effects outfit Zoic Studios was charged with creating more than 400 vfx shots for the pilot and between 25 and 100 shots per episode. While some feats of digital trickery are designed to go unnoticed by audiences, others, including the photorealistic Terminator T-888 character, help bring the thrills of the feature film franchise to the small screen.
Zoic has been creating visual effects for such hit TV shows as CSI, Eureka, Pushing Daisies, Cold Case and Criminal Minds, but Terminator presented the shop with an exciting new challenge. VFX Supervisor Jim Lima was responsible for designing the digital elements of the show, working hand-in-hand with series creators to design the new model of terminator.
“The Terminator is a highly articulate and complex 3D character with as many parts as there are in the human skeletal structure,” says Lima. “And, like any creature, he has a ‘life’ history. The T-888's are also characters that perform as an actor would, driving the narrative forward. Creating this has been a true creative challenge and completely satisfying endeavor.”
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles stars Lena Headey (300) as Sarah Connor, who has decided to stop running and go on the offensive against an ever-evolving technological enemy bent on destroying her son, and perhaps the world. Produced by C2 Pictures in association with Warner Bros. Television, the show airs Mondays at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on FOX.
Warcraft Takes 10 Million Prisoners
Blizzard Ent. Inc. announced today that subscribership for its massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft has passed the 10 million mark worldwide since debuting in November of 2004. Geographically, the number breaks down to approximately two million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and about 5.5 million in Asia. The game is currently available in seven languages, with a Russian version in development and scheduled for release later this year.
“It’s very gratifying to see gamers around the world continuing to show such enthusiasm and support for World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Ent. “We’re always pleased to welcome new players to the game, and we’re looking forward to sharing the next major content update with the entire community in the months ahead.”
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, the first expansion pack for the game, was the best-selling PC game of 2007 in both North America and Europe, and holds the record for fastest-selling PC game of all time, with nearly 2.4 million copies sold in its first 24 hours of availability. Development is underway on World of Warcraft’s second expansion, Wrath of the Lich King, which was unveiled at the company’s BlizzCon gaming festival in August of 2007. For more information on World of Warcraft, The Burning Crusade, and Wrath of the Lich King, go to the official website at world of warcraft.com .
101 Dalmatians run loose at the El Capitan
From now until January 30, Disney’s El Capitan Theatre is screening One Hundred and One Dalmatians leading up to its Platinum Edition DVD release on March 4. The new Goofy short How to Hook Up Your Home Theater accompanies the classic film. Read on for pictures from the opening night which featured a panel moderated by Leonard Maltin:
The marquee lights up Hollywood Blvd.
Disney’s Soda Fountain and Studio Store next door gets into the Dalmatian theme
L to R: Alice Davis, Blaine Gibson, Lisa Davis, Eric Goldberg, Leonard Maltin
Paul Dini on Contemporary Animated Films
Do you hate the pedestrian state of storytelling in today’s animated features? Probably not as much as Paul Dini does. Dini, best known for writing on the animated Batman and Superman TV show, has posted a long essay on his blog tearing apart the contrivances of contemporary animated features. An excerpt from Dini’s rant:
“Your primary objective as a modern animation feature storyteller is to get the audience members emotionally charged (i.e., distracted from logic gaps and not thinking too much) so they will be ready for your big finale. This usually consists of the hero defeating the villain (almost always by some initial violent action of the villain that the hero has “cleverly” used to boomerang back on the bad guy; real heroes never being allowed to slay dragons on their own these days) and the villain falling to their death from a great height, the only acceptable way for a baddie to meet their end in a cartoon (Gaston, Frollo, the bear in “The Fox & The Hound,” Scar, the poacher in “Rescuers II”, anyone notice a trend here?). If the villain can trip over the edge while trying to get in one last cowardly stab at the hero, so much the better. The demise of the bad guy puts everyone in a good mood, so the sidekicks fire up the juke box, or strike up the band, or simply break into song, and while the hero and heroine share a modest kiss, everyone rocks out over the end credits.”
Preston Blair Swipes
Nothing hits the spot after a hard’s day work like seeing a few good Preston Blair swipes. Reader John Luciano writes, “I never get tired of seeing Preston Blair swipes! I’ve been meaning to take a picture of a pet rescue sticker that’s been on my apartment door since I moved in.”
And just to show that stealing from Preston Blair is not an activity limited to Americans, Danny Wall sends us a gem from Japan—a cardboard popcorn container full of PB swipes. Danny writes, “Although why use that little donkey? Personally, I never liked that character, although I am guilty for using that lion for my senior class’s high school mascot.”
Bender Media Services, the newly created distribution company specializing in television sales to Latin America, will introduce its diverse slate of animated, entertainment, lifestyle and documentary programs to Latin American broadcasters at NATPE 2008, it was announced today by Susan Bender, President/CEO of Bender Media Services.
For animation, the firm will be offering WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN. This series centers around the most popular member of the X-Men -- Wolverine. With action and a sense of humor, the series reveals Wolverine as a complex and mysterious leader among the most famous Marvel characters including Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Rogue, Mystique and special guest appearances from Marvel favorites such as The Hulk. The story brings the familiar themes of the mutants' struggle to co-exist with bigoted humans, all in the name of saving world civilization. Twenty-six 30-minute episodes will be presented to buyers at the market.
At NATPE 2008, Bender Media Services will be located in suite 7907 at THE Hotel.
Headquartered in New York, Bender Media Services represents the Latin American distribution of television producers in all key programming categories, including Lifestyle, Entertainment, Reality, Extreme Sports, Beauty & Adventure, and Animation.
Breakthrough Brings Atomic & Flamingo Back to NATPE
Breakthrough Entertainment heads to NATPE with new episodes of some of their returning highly rated, hit television series. The announcement was made today by Tanya Kelen, Head of Distribution, Breakthrough Ent. Inc.
ATOMIC BETTY (78x30) and (1x60 Christmas Special) is an action-adventure comedy series that follows Betty, the sweet and brainy girl next door, who, when the galaxy beckons, becomes, "Atomic Betty, Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos." Along with her faithful crew, she defends the galaxy from evil super-villain Maximus I.Q. ATOMIC BETTY is a Canada/France co-production of Breakthrough Animation, Atomic Cartoons and TeleImages Kids. The series has been licensed worldwide to major broadcasters in over 125 territories. Season 3 available now.
In CAPTAIN FLAMINGO (52x30), Milo Powell, dressed in a terrycloth cape with pink headgear, saves the day as Captain Flamingo, fighter for truth, freedom and justice for kids everywhere. Armed with a backpack of novelty store items and best pal Lizbeth, Captain Flamingo helps kids navigate through grown-up rules. CAPTAIN FLAMINGO is a co-production of Breakthrough Animation, Heroic Film Co., Atomic Cartoons and PASI Animation. It's a YTV Canada original production. Season 3 available now.
At NATPE 2008, Breakthrough Ent. will be located at booth #1129.
Toronto-based Breakthrough Ent. Inc. is the distribution arm for Breakthrough Films & Television, Breakthrough Animation and Partners in Motion. As one of Canada's largest television distribution companies BEI has licensed programs to major broadcasters in over 200 territories. With a catalogue of over 2,100 half-hours of programming, BEI not only focuses on distribution, but also worldwide pre-sales, co-productions and acquisitions. On the Web, the company is located at www.breakthroughfilms.com.
Fifi and the Flowertots Takes Root in Canada
Leading preschool entertainment producer HIT Ent., on behalf of Chapman Ent., has made arrangements with major Canadian television, toy and apparel companies to bring the international hit series FIFI AND THE FLOWERTOTS to Canada for the first time.
Starting Feb. 25th, FIFI will air on Canada's Treehouse Monday through Friday and will be featured prominently on Treehouse's website (treehousetv.com) with games and activities.
Additionally, HIT has selected Danawares to be the Master Toy licensee for FIFI in Canada. Under the multi-year master toy deal, Danawares would develop, manufacture and market a full line of products including playsets, plush, puzzles, games and role-play items for launch in fall 2008.
At the same time, One of the Boys will launch a full line of FIFI apparel, also scheduled for launch in fall 2008, that will include sportswear, long and short-sleeved shirts and sets, sweatshirts, sweaters and more in a complete range of preschool sizes. Adorable Kids Sleepwear has been tapped to design and market Fifi sleepwear, including pajamas and loungewear in sizes 0 to 16 for launch in tandem with the clothing line.
FIFI AND THE FLOWERTOTS is a stop-motion animated series that follows Fifi, a forget-me-not who forgets a lot, and her group of little Flowertot friends as they go about their lives in Flowertot Garden. There are always things to make, cakes to bake, games to play, problems to solve, and many adventures to be had in Fifi's organic garden that is always blooming.
Yenny To Be a Series
Spain-based animation producer Black Maria has added YENNY, a new animated comedy-adventure series for teenagers, to its slate of projects. Based on an Internet comic strip by David Alvarez that was adopted by Universal Press Syndicate for digital distribution, YENNY follows the adventures of a big-footed Boricua girl. Alvarez is working together with Black Maria's creative directors in the graphic development of the series, which will follow the original storylines of the comic strips.
Black Maria hopes to assemble an international group of experienced American and European scriptwriters to work under Alvarez and producer/director Fernando Carrion and is looking for co-production partners and financial investors. The company plans to begin production by fall 2008.
The project website (www.blackmaria.es/projects), including production details, full info about the series and the characters, and a Flash games gallery featuring YENNY and her friends, will be completed soon. More information is also available at yennycomics.com.
Lewis, Gallo Join "Metropia"
Juliette Lewis and Vincent Gallo are joining the voice cast of Metropia, Variety reports. The Swedish live-action/animation hybrid, a futuristic film about a world that has run out of oil, is aiming for a spring 2009 completion date.
Dalmations No Longer Wobbles
Film critic Leonard Maltin told SCI FI Wire that Disney's 1961 animated film 101 Dalmatians has been corrected to fix wobbly animation for the upcoming DVD release.
"Even when the film was released, the new form of animation had some jitters in it, and that had been corrected now," Maltin said in an interview before a preview of the new print in Hollywood last week. "It's in far better shape."
The new version of the movie will screen theatrically at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre through Jan. 30.
To fix the animation, technicians pored over nearly four miles of film, correcting 104,000 frames of the hand-drawn animation.
Last week, Maltin led a star-studded panel at the new print's premiere, which included Lisa Davis (the voice of Anita), animator Blaine Gibson, Disney legend Alice Davis (wife of animation great and Cruella De Vil creator Marc Davis) and animator Eric Goldberg (Pocahontas).
The audience include June Foray (the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel), Margaret Kerry (Peter Pan's Tinker Bell) and the family of Frank Thomas, one of the "nine old men" of Disney classic animators.
The panel screened behind-the-scenes footage and revealed secrets about the making of the dog film, which was remade into a live action movie in 1996 with Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels.
"The animation in this looks so beautiful, especially the city scenes around London," Davis said. "And when we all were originally talking about the voice of Cruella De Vil, it was supposed to be more of a Zsa Zsa Gabor-kind of voice."
Maltin described the film as "a contemporary story, not a classic fairy tale. And the look is so different. It was the first contemporary Disney animated film where the characters were really stylized, angular, not rounded or cute. There was a very kind of rough, almost sketchy quality visually that made it look very modern."
The 101 Dalmatians: Platinum Edition two-disc DVD debuts on March 4 and includes songs that were deleted from the film, an interactive game with a virtual puppy, behind-the-scenes featurettes and an in-depth look at the personal correspondence between Walt Disney and Dodie Smith, the author of the original novel.
Easter Eggs Abound In Cloverfield
The mysteries surrounding Cloverfield do not stop with the film's release on Jan. 18: according to director Matt Reeves, there are little Easter eggs scattered throughout the film itself. That's in addition to the viral marketing elements all over the Internet that provide hints about the history of the monster that destroys New York City. (There are spoilers ahead!)
For example, after the credits roll audiences can hear some static-y noise, followed by a few indistinguishable words. Reeves, who actually spoke those words, coyly refused to reveal what he said.
"I can't tell you that," he said during an interview with reporters on opening day. "At the end of the thing we were doing the mix. We were just about done. We'd mixed all of that great music and I turned to [co-producer] Bryan [Burk], and we said, 'Let's just do one more little thing.' There was a thing in teaser trailer where I'd jumped up to the mike and said, 'I saw it! It's alive! It's huge!' And that all got turned into people thinking we were doing Voltron, because I speak so quickly that they thought I said, 'It's a lion. It's huge.' But I actually said, 'It's alive.'"
Some enterprising fans have decoded the message (SPOILER: he says what sounds like "It's still alive!" played backwards).
"I apparently have some diction and enunciation problems," Reeves added.
There have also been rumors that there's something--perhaps a creature in the water--in the last shot featuring Rob (Michael Stahl-David) and Beth (Odette Yustman) in pre-attack happier times at Coney Island. Again, Reeves played it coy.
"Is there a creature?" he asked rhetorically. "I will tell you, there is something in that shot as well. There is something. You have to look at that shot. There is something going on in that shot. Whether or not it's a creature or something else ?"
Reeves added: "The thing about that shot is that almost nobody sees the shot, but once you see the shot and the thing in it, you'll never stop seeing it." Cloverfield is in theaters now.
Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "3:10 to Yuma," "Transformers."
Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum," "No Country for Old Men," "Ratatouille," "There Will Be Blood," "Transformers."
Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli; "The Kite Runner," Alberto Iglesias "Michael Clayton," James Newton Howard "Ratatouille," Michael Giacchino "3:10 to Yuma," Marco Beltrami.
Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova "Happy Working Song" from "Enchanted,"Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "Raise It Up" from "August Rush,"
Nominees to be determined; "So Close" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz; "That's How You Know" from "Enchanted," Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.
Makeup: "La Vie en Rose," "Norbit," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."
Animated Short Film: "I Met the Walrus," Link "Madame Tutli-Putli," Link "Meme Les Pigeons Vont au Paradis (Even Pigeons Go to Heaven)," Link "My Love (Moya Lyubov)," Trailer "Peter & the Wolf."Link
Four of the five animated short nominees can be viewed online in their entirety. Ticklebooth has the links.
Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass," "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," "Transformers."
Assuming the show comes off as scheduled, ABC will broadcast the Oscars live Feb. 24 from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. Jon Stewart — who recently resumed "The Daily Show" on Comedy Central, but without the help of his striking writers — will serve as Oscar host, a job he also filled two years ago.
If you are anywhere—and I mean anywhere—in the DC area on February 15 and 16, then mark your calendars for the American premiere of Genius Party and the world premiere of Genius Party Beyond. These two new Japanese features are from Studio 4°C, the same production studio that has given us Mind Game and Tekkon Kinkreet. Each 90-minute film is a compilation of seven shorts, some from well-established directors, some from the young and up-and-coming.
The Washington DC screening, which is a part of the Japan! Culture + Hyper-Culture festival, will also include in-person appearances by three of the fourteen Genius Party directors: Shinichiro Watanabe, Koji Morimoto, and Mahiro Maeda.
To truly grasp the uniqueness of this undertaking, listen to Studio 4°C CEO Eiko Tanaka describe the idea for these features in this FPS magazine interview:
“Studio 4°C was born from the desires of the creators who longed to create what they really wanted to make. Creators and people generally cannot keep living without expressing themselves. [Genius Party] has to have this kind of energy with strong longing for self-expression. This was the only requirement and also the theme. It was of course clear to us that it is much easier to sell the product if all the short films have the same tone from a given particular theme. But we chose not to make the same theme or set particular conditions to the films. Instead, we decided to have the diversity of these films be the sales point.”
Which major feature production studio in the US would take the risk of producing not one, but two 90-minute compilations of anything-goes animated shorts? Which studio would be inspired enough to hand the reins to fourteen different directors and allow each to bring to the screen the stories they really want to tell, and then find a workable business model to distribute these films to the general public?
There are many promising shorts in the Genius Party packages including new works by Masaaki Yuasa (Mind Game) and Koji Morimoto. This trailer for the first Genius Party offers a taste of what’s in store.
In the FPS interview noted above, Tanaka lays out one of the primary reasons why her studio, which she cofounded in 1986 with Koji Morimoto and Yoshiharu Sato, is such a consistent producer of excellent and challenging works of animated art:
“Another reason for Studio 4°C being successful might be that we are not a profit-seeking company. We have not tried to grow bigger, or to pursue profit, or to float the company on the stock market. We keep the number of our management and controller staff to a minimum to save the budget for the production of the film. Our policy has been that the film is made by the creators, but not by the capital. In spite of our intention, the studio has expanded, had more employees, and the number of film productions has increased. Naturally there are issues with managing larger production budgets. But we are confident in cost controlling and the artists are also fully aware of the deadlines and the limitations of the budget. I believe that we have reached where we are now because we have been producing the best possible pieces within a budget.”
One of the Genius Party shorts that I’m most looking forward to is Wanwa, the Puppy directed by Shinya Ohira. MangaAnimation.net recently offered scans of a magazine article featuring artwork from the short. The images in this article are a tantalizing mix of stylistic experimentation and individualistic character animation; its free-spiritedness reminds of the very best of the works by John and Faith Hubley, a comparison that can’t be made often nowadays. As anime critic Ben Ettinger writes, “it’s truly stunning stuff that has little to do with anime and everything to do with great animated art.” Ettinger’s blog AniPages Daily offers some explanation of the short’s technique and his thoughts about the short’s potential:
“Ohira is creating the backgrounds himself in addition to doing all the animation. He’s not only drawing but also gluing origami paper and string and other assorted materials directly onto the paper to create a very rich and beautiful texture. Sections of animation are even being animated using crayons. The crayoned keys will be inbetweened in a conventional manner, however, and not with crayons. The film will be made using many of the same materials that might be littered around the house of some pint-sized Picasso, in other words, extending the thematic underpinning to the materials used to make the film. I can only say that each of the individual images he has created are of stunning beauty and seem like they would function just as well framed on a wall as photographed in sequence.
Suzie Templeton’s contemporary stop motion retelling of Peter and the Wolf can be seen below in three parts. As reported last week, the film is on the shortlist for possible nominees in this year’s Oscar race. Last year the film was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Short Animation Film and also won both the Annecy Cristal and Audience Award at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.
Animex Festival Coming to Teesside in February
The University of Teesside will host the Animex International Festival during the week of February 4, GazetteLive.com reports.
The festival, which celebrates both animation and computer games, will include speakers representing Sony Pictures Imageworks, DreamWorks, Pixar, and Toonranch Consulting. Surf's Up and Finding Nemo will be among the films screened at the gathering.
"Robin Squires" Getting Toon Treatment
9 Story Entertainment will produce an animated direct-to-video feature based on Joan Clark's The Hand of Robin Squires, c21 Media reports. The story is about a boy trying to find hidden pirate treasure.
"Ratatouille," "Enchanted" Share Golden Tomato Honors
Ratatouille and Enchanted share honors as recipients of the 2007 Golden Tomato Awards, Rotten Tomatoes said today. Brad Bird's Ratatouille garnered a 96% on the website's Tomatometer, which nabbed it the top spot in both the Wide Release and Animation categories. Enchanted won the top spot in the Kids/Family category.
Penelope Cruz Joins "G-Force"
Penelope Cruz is joining the cast of Disney's G-Force, says The Hollywood Reporter. She will voice a guinea pig in the live-action/CGI picture about ultra-intelligent animal commandos.
She joins Nicholas Cage, Steve Buscemi, and Tracy Morgan. Hoyt Yeatman is directing the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced project.
Moviegoers Chip in $7 Million to "Alvin"
Alvin and the Chipmunks grossed $7.0 million at North American box offices over the weekend, bringing its cumulative domestic gross to $196.4 million. Overseas, the picture grossed $9.4 million, for a foreign total of $95 million.
Enchanted and Bee Movie also continue to perform overseas. The former grossed $5.5 million for a foreign cumulative gross of $160 million; the latter took in $3.7 million for a foreign total of $147.6 million.
Cloverfield was the top film at the North American box office, grossing $41.0 million during its debut weekend.
From aintitcoolnews...
Harry exclaims, 'Sweet Father of Life - TUROK: SON OF STONE - Animated DVD is unbelievably fantastic!!!'
In other news, The New York Times has profiled Patric M. Verrone, head of the WGA and former writer for The Simpsons and Futurama, and his chief lieutenant David J. Young, focusing on the decision facing the Guild in the wake of the tentative deal between the AMPTP and the Director's Guild of America.
Totoro Appears at Southern Japan Bus Stop
A 43-year old Japanese man has erected a statue of Totoro at a bus stop in the city of Sankai in the Nagasaki prefecture (original Japanese article with picture here). Yoshiyuki Yamamichi constructed the statue out of scrap materials "to improve the image of the area." Thus far, no Catbus has stopped to pick up the Totoro.
Hayao Miyazaki Tribute Screenings in L.A. Feb 1-2, 2008
The American Cinematheque at the Aero Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, will be screening three Hayao Miyazaki movies on February 1-2, 2008, in a tribute to the Japanese animated filmmaker. Full details are available at the American Cinematheque website.
Eidos Preps Highlander Game
Eidos Interactive is capitalizing on the popularity of the Highlander series of films and TV shows with a Highlander video game set to hit retail as early as this spring. Employing Unreal Engine 3 technology, Widescreen Games developing the title for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Written by David Abramowitz, a writer on the live-action Highlander television series, the game puts players in the role of Owen MacLeod, an immortal who is stalked by a mysterious figure that has unleashed a series of attacks on New York City. MacLeod soon learns that his only chance of defeating this new enemy lies in reuniting the three fragments of a mysterious stone that is reputed to bring unlimited power to the Immortal that possesses it.
The epic adventure will span 2,000 years, from First Century Pompeii, to Ninth Century Scotland, 14th Century Feudal Japan and near-future New York. players will be able to exploit their immortality in various ways as they master the Claymore, Katana and Twin Gladius in intense sword combat, absorbing the power of vanquished enemies.
The latest incarnation of the Highlander saga is Highlander: The Search for Vengeance, an anime feature release on DVD in June by Starz Home Entertainment. The property was previously animated with 1994’s Highlander the Animated Series, produced by Gaumont Television.
Zinkia Names New CEO
In a move designed to drive the company through its next phase of growth and consolidation, Spanish animation company Zinkia has hired business strategist Fernando de Miguel as its new CEO. In the role, he will be responsible for implementing new operational and business structures, building existing global franchises for the award-winning preschool series Pocoyo and Shuriken School, advancing TV projects in development such as Mola Noguru, and developing Zinkia’s video game production division.
Having worked over the last 15 years with an array of prestigious new technology, media and audiovisual companies, de Miguel brings a a good deal of corporate finance and business development expertise to the company. He has worked alongside the senior management team at Zinkia over the last four months to ensure a smooth transition.
New Toy Treatment for 'Skunk Fu!' Animation
Flash animation 'Skunk Fu!' which follows a rambunctious young skunk and his encounters with the rest of the animal kingdom in his quest to master martial arts, will get its own line of plush toys and action figures. Although no date or season is currently set for release, the items will be developed by Croco Worldwide Sourcing, a Galleon Holdings company. Additional licensing deals for 'Skunk Fu!' are in the works.
The live-action version of 4 Kids Entertainment's Bratz cartoon series has been nominated for three Razzie Awards, including worst picture.
Bratz, about a quartet of young fashionistas, is one of five nominees for best picture. The satirical awards "honor" Hollywood's worst films of the year.
The four Bratz stars -- Logan Browning, Janel Parrish, Nathalia Ramos and Skyler Shaye -- shared a nomination for worst actress. Jessica Alba was also nominated for three films, including Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer.
Jon Voight was nominated for worst supporting actor for his performances in four films, including Bratz and Transformers.
Leading the Razzie nominations was Lindsay Lohan's I Know Who Killed Me. It's up for nine awards, including worst picture. The Razzie Awards called the flick a cross between the "teen torture porn" film Hostel and The Patty Duke Show.
Lohan received two worst actress nominations -- one for each of the twins that she plays in the movie.
Eddie Murphy's Norbit is up for eight Razzies in all, including worst picture.
Also nominated for worst picture are I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry and Daddy Day Camp, the latter a sequel to a Murphy movie.
Spoofing Hollywood awards, the Razzie nominations were announced Monday, a day before the Academy Award nominations are released. "Winners" of the Razzies will be announced February 23, the day before the Oscars.
"5 Centimeters" Wins Festival Prize
Byousoku 5 Centimeters has won the Lancia Platinum Grand Prize at the Future Film Festival, festival organizers have announced.
The jury cited Makato Shinkai's film for its ability to combine "poetry, art, and technical skills with animation and new technologies."
Tekkonkinkreet was also recognized for its "interesting and original graphics" and "involving story with a non-rhetorical message”.
Buyers Circling "Postman Pat" Producer
UK animation house Entertainment Rights says it is in takeover talks with unnamed buyers, c21 Media reports. The parent of Classic Media and owner of Postman Pat, Basil Brush, and Rupert the Bear recently saw its share price plunge when it said its revenues and profits for 2007 would come in at the lower end of expectations.
Newsarama Talks with Tiffany Ward about New "George of the Jungle"
Newsarama's Animated Shorts has spoken with Tiffany Ward, daughter of Jay Ward and caretaker of the many animated properties Ward created including Rocky and Bullwinkle and George of the Jungle. The subject is the new George of the Jungle cartoon, and Ward discusses her father's thinking behind the original and the changes that were made for the updated version. She also briefly discusses the animated Sherman & Mr. Peabody film from DreamWorks Animation scheduled for release in Winter 2010.
Emmy-winning actress Lois Nettleton dead at 78
Veteran actress Lois Nettleton, long seen on Broadway, the movie screen and TV, died Friday in Woodland Hills, California following a long struggle with lung cancer. She was 78.
Nettleton was the winner of two Emmys: one for the 1976 daytime drama special The American Woman: Portraits of Courage, and another in 1983 as a performer in religious programming for "A Gun for Mandy," an episode of the religious anthology Insight.
She received four Emmy nominations: in 1976 for actress in a comedy or daytime drama special (as Jennifer Clifton in "The Last Bride of Salem," an episode of The ABC Afternoon Playbreak); in 1976 for supporting actress performance in a comedy or drama special (as Nan Claybourne in Fear on Trial); in 1987 for guest performer in a comedy series for playing Jean in "Isn't It Romantic," an episode of The Golden Girls; and in 1989 for supporting actress in a dramatic series for portraying Joanne St. John in In the Heat of the Night, one of her regular TV roles.
Nettleton voiced Malificent in the 2002 direct-to-video movie House Of Mouse: The Villains, repeating the role in four House of Mouse episodes: The Stolen Cartoons, Clarabelle's Big Secret, The Mouse Who Came To Dinner and House Of Scrooge.
As well, she voiced Nora in the Spider-Man: The Animated Series episodes Day Of The Chameleon (1995) and Partners In Dangers, Chapter II: The Cat.
Miss Chicago 1948 (and a semi-finalist at that year's Miss America Pageant), she was was born Lois June Nettleton on August 6, 1929 in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois.
She studied acting in Chicago before moving to New York to join the Actors' Studio. Her Broadway debut came in Darkness at Noon and The Biggest Thief in Town, both 1949 productions. Returning to Chicago, she co-starred with Burt Reynolds in The Rainmaker.
Soon she became well-known on Broadway for appearing in Tennessee Williams' plays. Theater critics noticed her when she was in the 1955 Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, staged by Elia Kazan. Barbara Bel Geddes's understudy in the role of Maggie the Cat, she got to play Maggie herself once in a while.
Starring roles came in Silent Night, Lonely Night and The Wayward Stork. She was nominated for a Tony Award in 1976 for They Knew What They Wanted, and won the Clarence Derwent Award for God and Kate Murphy.
She won enthuastic reviews in New York and across the Unted States for her part as Blanche DuBois in the 1973 revival of Williams' Streetcar Named Desire.
Although she had a bit part in Kazan's A Face in the Crowd (1957), Nettleton made her official film debut five years later in the film adaptation of Williams' Period of Adjustment. In 1963, she won ninth place when she was nominated for the Golden Laurel for top new female personality.
Other films included Mail Order Bride, Valley of Mystery, The Man in the Glass Booth, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and Come Fly With Me. A low point came in 1983, when she was nominated for the Razzie Award for worst supporting actress for her role in Butterfly.
Her regular TV roles included Christina Stockwood in the 1977 series All That Glitters and Penny Vanderhof Sycamore in 1987's You Can't Take It With You. She had recurring roles in Crossing Jordan, Murder She Wrote and Full House. and guest-starred in numerous series, mini-series and TV movies.
Nettleton appeared often on Twilight Zone. Often, she guested at the series' annual conventions.
From 1961 until their 1967 divorce, she was married to radio and TV humorist and writer Jean Shepherd.
They "met" over the phone in the 1950s when she called his late-night radio show on New York station WOR. Shepherd was entranced and broadcast their phone conversations regularly. In 1959, they appeared together in Shepherd's off-Broadway play Look Charlie.
Donations are suggested to The Actors' Fund for Everyone In Entertainment, 729 Seventh Avenue, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
Character actor Allan Melvin - the voice of Magilla Gorilla - has passed away at age 84.
He provided numerous voices for Hanna Barbera characters, including Punkin' Puss on The Magilla Gorilla Show, as well as significant parts on The Banana Splits, Hong Kong Phooey and Wait Till Your Father Gets Home. He was also the voice of the title character in Sid and Marty Krofft's live-action/puppet show, H.R. Pufnstuf, as well as Bluto on Hanna-Barbera’s All New Popeye Hour and Popeye and Son. On camera, Melvin is best known as Sam The Butcher on The Brady Bunch and Cpl. Henshaw on The Phil Silvers Show. He died on Thursday January 17th of cancer, said his wife of 64 years, Amalia.
'Cloverfield' pulls down monster $41M
The creature-feature "Cloverfield" became the first monster hit released in 2008, debuting with $41 million, a record opening for January, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Paramount's tale of a giant reptile causing chaos in New York City surpassed the $35.9 million premiere weekend of the "Star Wars" special edition in 1997, the previous best for January.
Opening in second-place was 20th Century Fox's romantic comedy "27 Dresses," starring Katherine Heigl as a perpetual bridesmaid. It pulled in $22.4 million.
The weekend's other new wide release, Overture Films' crime comedy "Mad Money," with Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah and Katie Holmes plotting a Federal Reserve Bank heist, opened at No. 7 with $7.7 million.
Featuring a cast of unknowns, "Cloverfield" tells its monster story from the perspective of a partygoer's hand-held video camera, which captures the mayhem as the creature tears through the city.
The film benefited from cryptic marketing that sent young moviegoers on a scavenger hunt to decode clues about the movie's plot, images and even its title, which was not confirmed until shortly before its release.
"As we started it, we asked, how do we draw people in and have them say, `Hey, I want to know more about that. That looked cool, that looked intriguing,'" said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "Then fortunately, they delivered a movie that was as unique and engaging as people had hoped from the marketing campaign."
Following Heigl's success with last summer's hit "Knocked Up," "27 Dresses" solidifies the "Grey's Anatomy" co-star as a big-screen star.
While "Cloverfield" was more a movie for young males, "27 Dresses" sewed up the women's audience, the two films giving Hollywood a huge lift during what is normally a sleepy time for new releases.
"This is almost like a summer weekend," said 20th Century Fox distribution executive Chris Aronson. "It's almost a counter-programming move where you have two pictures aimed squarely, at least initially, at different audiences, and they both succeeded."
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "Cloverfield," $41 million. 2. "27 Dresses," $22.4 million. 3. "The Bucket List," $15.2 million. 4. "Juno," $10.3 million. 5. "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," $8.1 million. 6. "First Sunday," $7.8 million. 7. "Mad Money," $7.7 million. 8. "Alvin and the Chipmunks," $7 million. 9. "I Am Legend," $5.1 million. 10. "Atonement," $4.8 million.
Individuality VS Standardization
An old, yet interesting post on John K's blog, which still rings true today...
Curious Pictures, animation producer for such series as Sheep in the Big City, Codename: Kids Next Door and Little Einsteins, has made some changes to its commercial directorial roster. Mary Knox, exec producer for commercials, announced today that the team of Disney-trained animators Saul Blinkoff and Elliot Bour will be embarking on solo directorial careers. In addition, Inner Circle Collective, formed by directors Dennis Go and Kevin Robinson, is disbanding.
Curious Pictures will continue to represent and produce for Blinkoff. His reel includes award-winning animation work for such brands as Dunkin’ Donuts, Mercedes, EA Sports, Best Buy and MTV. The last project he and Bour directed together was animation for a new American Legacy Foundation anti-smoking campaign for Arnold in Boston. That spot is scheduled to air soon.
Work produced by Inner Circle Collective includes spots for Citibank, retailer A. J. Wright and Ronzoni pasta. Their last job was a new branding campaign for Turner Classic Movies and its 30 Days of Oscar broadcasts. Curious Pictures will represent and produce for its successor team, which is dubbed Fresh Paint and consists of Robinson and director Mike Papagni.
French Shows Have Madrid Rendez-Vous
Organized by TV France International, this year’s Madrid Rendez-Vous kicks off on Monday, Jan 22, putting 29 French companies together with program buyers from Spanish television channels. Presented in collaboration with the French Embassy in Spain, the two-day event is expected to draw more than 50 acquisition execs to the Miguel Angel Occidental Hotel.
In 2006, the Spanish market represented more than 12.7% of French television sales in Western Europe, with acquisitions totalling approximately $9.14 million, That compares with roughly 8% and 5.34million in 2005. In the kids' programming category, Taffy Ent.’s Code Lyoko achieved a 46.7% market share on TV Galicia and on K3-33, while Xilam’s The New Adventures of Lucky Luke managed a 44.2% market share.
Among the significant sales made during the Biarritz Rendez-Vous in September of 2007 were Catalan channel TV3’s purchases of Tafy Ent.’s Growing up Creepie, season two of Futurikon’s Chasseurs de dragons (Dragon Hunters), and Mediatoon International Distribution’s Time Jam. Xilam, Futurikon and Mediatoon are returning for this year’s event, joining 1such other top French production and distribution companies as Marathon International, Carrere Group, Celluloid Dreams, Europe Images International/M5 Films Distribution, MK2, RFO, ZED, Upside TV and Zorn Production International.
Joe Strike swings through the jungles of production (misses a tree) and finds the details behind Classic Media's revamp of the TV classic, George of the Jungle.
Lawmaker claims boy took his own life for Naruto
Claiming that an elementary schoolboy committed suicide because of Naruto, a parliamentarian has called on the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (also known as the KPI) to be more vigilant when it comes to evaluating Japanese anime films.
"Look at Naruto. The story contains violence and caused a boy to take his own life," said Indonesian lawmaker Mutammimul Ula, of the conservative Prosperous Justice Party.
"Many people still don't realize that comics are not necessarily for children," the country's Antara news agency on Friday quoted Ula as saying. "That very much depends on the substance."
Mutammimul urged the KPI to be stricter in monitoring and controlling TV programs. "The question is why the KPI was so powerless in responding to the situation," he said.
Violent cartoons worry parents in India -- study
Violence in TV cartoons concerns parents in India who want it cut back, according to a study by Manisha Goel of Delhi's Lady Irwin College.
"Most parents said violence in cartoons should be reduced. Children aspire to be like the characters, imitate their actions and language," said Goel in the study, "Animated Cartoons: Capturing Children's Imagination."
Many parents in India have turned off popular cartoon channels because older children have fought their younger siblings in imitation of cartoon characters taking on the villains. Also imitating the toons, children have also teased classmates, threatening revenge, and talked like such characters as misbehaving youngster Shin Chan, star of anime series Crayon Shin-chan.
"After watching the cartoons, my son begins to act like the characters, making filthy comments and arguing," said Shalini Oberoi, mother of two boys. "It has been five months now since I blocked the channel," the Hindustan Times, an English-language New Delhi paper, quoted her Friday as saying.
Her friends have blocked some cartoon channels, as well, Oberoi said.
Some staff members at Hans Raj Model School decided collectively to block certain cartoon channels and programs at their own homes.
"There is a rise in aggression," said child psychologist Geetanjali Kumar, who conducted a study on how cartoons affect children's behavior.
Kumar said that cartoons affect language, concentration and dietary habits of children, who are learning to tease and take revenge.
Kirti Iyer, a social worker at Springdales School, said that parents have told her about increasing cartoon violence.
"The superhero shows are especially violent. Parents are concerned about rising levels of aggression among children," she said.
Charity blames "Ratatouille" for abandoned rats
"Ratatouille" is bringing out unwanted rats, alleges a British animal charity that's received 40 of the abandoned rodents since Christmas.
Released just before Christmas in Britain, Ratatouille features an animated rat called Remy, who lives in the French countryside, and who travels to Paris in hopes of becoming a chef.
After seeing the Pixar-Disney film, children wanted pet rats, but they dumped them later, said Animals Need Nurturing and Adoption, based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire.
The charity is caring for abandoned rats at its center.
The animals need to be cared for, and not just at Christmas, said spokesman Petrina Alderman.
"I think some of it [the increase in the number of rats being handed to the shelter] is due to the film Ratatouille," the BBC quoted her Friday as saying. "They are alive, and they deserve more than people are giving them."
The Hard Lessons of Kwicky Koala
There are certain details of animation history that have always bothered me. For example, how did Tex Avery, arguably the greatest animation director of all-time, end his illustrious career? The answer is that he created a character called Kwicky Koala, who appeared in a 1981 Hanna-Barbera TV series of the crudest variety. Recently a bunch of Kwicky Koala shorts have found their way online and as expected, they are dreadful, though perhaps no more so than any other piece of Hanna-Barbera flotsam pulled from their vast sea of mediocrity. What makes these particular cartoons so painful to watch is the knowledge of who was making them. In what other art form could the creator of genius such as this, this, and this also have his name attached as the creator of these? Only in animation.
What’s troublesome is how the animation world has never bothered to make a distinction between its true auteurs and its workaday hacks, forcing each and every one to work on product of the most degrading sort. In live-action, by contrast, a Robert Altman or Eric Rohmer or Woody Allen can continue expressing themselves artistically right until the very end because there are enough people on the business end who recognize the value (financial though it may be) of supporting these artists.
While I was researching the life of writer and board artist John Dunn, I was granted access to his diaries and gained a good understanding of his feelings about working on the cheap animation of the Seventies and Eighties. Dunn, in fact, worked briefly with Avery at Hanna-Barbera on the “Dino and the Cavemouse” shorts, and he notes in his diary having conversations with Avery about the pitiful state of their industry. The studio veterans of that era certainly weren’t naive; they were aware of the hopelessly Sisyphean task of creating anything of quality or value. And yet artists like Avery and Dunn continued working up until the very end because they loved the art form so dearly. Avery, who passed away while working on Kwicky, was well past the age of retirement at the time—72-years-old.
It makes one wonder: If the animation world can so casually discard one of its most distinguished practitioners and relegate him to working in the trash heap of television, what hope is there for everybody else? It’s a blight on the collective art form and industry that it has never been able to provide decent creative outlets to its artists who truly deserve them. It happened then, and I see it happening with alarming frequency today. Granted, an artist always has the option of charting their own course as an independent, but the fact of the matter is that an industry which consistently fails to recognize the value of the people working within it is an unhealthy industry that cannot be expected to advance or prosper.
There is nothing more depressing than watching the credits of oldschool Hanna-Barbera, DePatie-Freleng and Filmation shows and seeing the names of Golden Age artists scroll by, one after the other, a rollcall of beat down artists who had no option but to submit to the thankless art they had chosen as their life’s calling. Is it any wonder that so many of them, Dunn and Avery included, drowned their sorrows in drink? (Occasionally, a sympathetic younger artist like Richard Williams would throw them a lifeline, such as when he recruited animators like Ken Harris, Grim Natwick and Art Babbitt to work on his feature The Thief and the Cobbler, and boy, did they shine when given the chance, but such opportunities were few and far between.)
So has animation learned from its past? Is our industry diverse enough today to support and utilize the wide range of talents working within it? Twenty years from now, will we be looking at the credits of Bee Movie, Open Season, and Chicken Little with a similarly sad lament? And more importantly, does anybody even know who Tex Avery is in 2008? Questions worth considering as we move forward.
PULSE News Talks to Alan Burnett About Justice League in Comics and "The Batman"
Comicon.com's PULSE News has interviewed writer Alan Burnett about his brief stint writing DC Comics' Justice League of America, comparing the experience to his job writing for animated shows like Static Shock and The Batman. Burnett notes how his animation writing got him the job writing the comic, how he and regular series writer Dwayne McDuffie collaborated, and how writing a comic is different from writing a TV show. He also confirms that McDuffie will return as the main writer for the comic after issue #19.
At the tail-end of the interview, Burnett also states that the February 2 episode of The Batman will be the last non-team-up episode, and briefly discusses who will be appearing in the next few episodes. He also expresses doubt that The Batman will lead up to a new Justice League animated series.
Aussie Government Denies Killing Justice League
Remember that the Hollywood trades said "the studio cited script issues as the one of the causes and the other is that the project needed tax breaks from shooting in Australia"?
That doesn't appear to be the case. Variety reports:
The Oz government is looking for some justice.
Warner Bros. last week cited tax break complications as one reason for putting a hold on the Down Under shoot of "Justice League." But Oz officials say that's not the case, mate.
"We understand the postponement of filming is absolutely confined to creative issues and especially to delays in refining the script due to the writers' strike," says a spokeswoman for arts minister Peter Garrett.
Bay on Prepping Transformers 2 During Strike
Director Michael Bay told Variety that he has been preparing to get the Transformers sequel into production, strike or no strike.
"We knew from early on that the writers strike could get ugly, and this has got to bring a little sanity to the situation," Bay said. "I can't do the movie without my writers, but I have been prepping. I'm not in the guild, but I've been writing every day. This strike (is) insane, and a director's responsibility is to the 50 crew members who depend on you for their livelihoods. We've got battle plans ready for the possibility of an actors strike. Somehow, you've got to keep the ball rolling."
Hopefully the Directors Guild of America's tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will lead to agreements with the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild as well.
EXCLUSIVE: G.I. Joe's DUKE Down To Three Choices!
There has been A LOT of really good noise being made on G.I. JOE recently and in due time I will give my thoughts overall on what I think. All I’m gonna say, to borrow a word from Devin’s vocabulary, is that Joe fans are going to have a “geekgasm” with what I hear is cooking in the G.I. JOE pan. I know I have been a mute lately when it comes to all the recent developments on this project, but good things come to those who wait so stay tuned.
In the meantime, I leave you with this…
It's official. SAM WORTHINGTON is out because James Cameron kept pushing the end date for AVATAR. It was a scheduling issue.
They went back to the drawing board and got the role of DUKE down to three choices…
Here they are…
CHRIS EVANS
CHANNING TATUM
MATTHEW FOX
What do you guys think?
Me personally I like the choices in that order above. I’m not really feeling Matthew Fox. Chris Evans was dope in Danny Boyle’s SUNSHINE and showed me that dash of leadership in that film that leads me to believe he can lead the G.I. JOE team.
Alphanim Eyes Future Features
Paris-based animation producer Alphanim, which was recently acquired by Gaumont, is planning to branch out to feature animation and live-action children's programming, reports KIDSCREEN. While it will take some time to restructure the company following the quickly concluded acquisition, Alphanim founder Christian Davin said that they were planning a series of full-length CGI movies to follow the success of their 2006 feature FRANKLIN AND THE TURTLE LAKE TREASURE. However, the new direction won't slow down their series production, which will continue at the rate of five animated series a year. Alphanim also will take advantage of Gaumont's distribution expertise to expand sales of properties such as GALACTIK FOOTBALL and ROBOTBOY.
Cartoons and Brew
Animator Dan Meth is hosting his second annual Drinking and Drawing event in both New York City and Portland Oregon next Wednesday
The sad truth is that alcohol was the vice of choice for many of our animation heroes of the 1930s, 40s and ’50s. And of course, drinking made its way into the cartoons themselves, dating back way before Prohibition was lifted. Scrappy, Buddy, Woody Woodpecker and Betty Boop (to name a few) all made cartoons with beer gags - or about making beer itself. Matthew Hunter recently compiled this clip reel of drinking gags from early 30s Warner Bros. cartoons:
Even the Flintstones did a special Busch Beer promotional episode. Perhaps it’s no surprise that there is a beer in Germany called “Animator” (Hacker-Pschorr Animator) — and there’s even a wine in Europe featuring Goofy on the label (label below)!
But honestly, I don’t think any character drank more than Magoo:
The Drinking and Drawing events commence January 23rd at 8PM. In New York it’s happening at the M1-5 Bar in lower Manhattan (52 Walker St. @ Church St.). To participate in NYC you need to RSVP: savemeaplace ( at ) frederator (dot) com. In Portland it’s being held at the Someday Lounge 125 NW 5 Avenue. RSVP to cascadesiggraph ( at ) gmail (dot) com by January 22nd at noon.
Michelle Monaghan Talks Wolverine
Last week, it was rumored that Michelle Monaghan was up for the role of Silver Fox in 20th Century Fox's "X-Men" spin-off, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, to be directed by Gavin Hood and starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
On Friday, we got a chance to talk to Monaghan on the set of her upcoming thriller, Eagle Eye, and she confirmed that she is up for the role.
"They've asked me to do it," she said. I really like Hugh Jackman and it's areally, really great franchise and stuff. I think we're going to have to work on dates and see if it conflicts. We'll see."
Don't know much about Silver Fox? Click here for a full rundown of the character. The studio is targeting a May 1, 2009 release date for "Wolverine."
Shatner Unveils Trek Tour
Original Star Trek star William Shatner waxed nostalgic about the franchise as he unveiled a multimedia touring exhibition of Trek memorabilia in Long Beach, Calif., on Jan. 17.
"I must tell you I walked in this morning and went to look at the bridge and felt this surge of nostalgia," Shatner told reporters in a news conference in the Queen Mary Dome, referring to a re-creation of the original bridge of the starship Enterprise. "It was quite incredible. I hadn't been on the bridge set ... since I made the last movie."
Shatner is the official ambassador for the exhibition, called Star Trek the Tour, which has its North American debut in the California city through Feb. 17 before moving to San Francisco, Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit.
It wasn't all a pleasurable trip down memory lane, Shatner joked. "I looked over at the uniform that I was supposed to have worn back 40 years ago, and I thought, 'That couldn't be me.' [It was] a little small," he said, evoking laughter from the crowd of journalists.
The tour, produced by SEE Touring Productions and presented by Metropolitan Talent, features re-creations of several Trek sets, including the bridges of the original Enterprise and The Next Generation's Enterprise D. The 50,000-square-foot exhibition includes costumes, props, ships and other items from all five Trek TV shows and 10 movies. The tour also features a multimedia theater and several flight-simulator rides.
Shatner was eventually asked about the upcoming 11th movie, a reboot of the franchise by director J.J. Abrams. Will he appear in it? "I think they're about halfway through shooting, something like that, or coming toward the end," Shatner said. "They've got another three weeks to hire me [laughs]. I don't think you'll be seeing me, unfortunately. I would love to have been in it. For some reason, I'm not. I don't know the reason why. But I'm sure it'll be a wonderful film, and I wish them all the best. I only hope that Star Trek continues." Star Trek the Tour opened Jan. 18.
Max Fleischer Getting Spotlight at Anima 2008
The films of Max Fleischer will be showcased at Belgium's Anima 2008 festival, which runs from February 1st through the 9th, AWN reports. Fleischer's work will be represented with a collection of short films and two features.
The festival will also include a look at Polish animation and showings of Le Chevalier d'Eon and The Pixar Story, among other films. Anima 2008 will open with a screening of Fear(s) of the Dark and the children's fillm Max & Co.
Shrek of Arabia: DreamWorks Plans Dubai-Based Theme Park
DreamWorks Animation is partnering with Dubai Holding's Tatweer subsidiary to create a DreamWorks-branded theme park and other DreamWorks-related properties in Dubai, Dubai City Guide reports. The theme park will feature attractions based on Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and other DreamWorks films. Restaurants, hotels, and retail outlets are also planned.
New Line’s Inkheart Pushed Way Back
It’s in the can, but New Line’s family fantasy flick Inkheart is being pushed from its original release date of March 18 to January of 2009. According to Daily Variety, the Brendan Fraser vehicle is being shuffled around because the studio feels it can’t market it properly with TV networks losing viewers due to the writers’ strike.
Based on the young-adult book trilogy by Cornelia Funke, Inkheart is the story of a 12-year-old girl whose father discovers he has the ability to bring storybook characters to life while reading to his daughter. One day, he reads a book titled Inkheart and accidentally brings its villain, Capricorn, into the real world and sends his wife to the storybook realm. Years later, Capricorn finds the man and seeks to harness his abilities for evil deeds, and uses his daughter for bait.
Andy Serkis plays Capricorn in the film, which also stars Jim Broadbent, Paul Bettany and Helen Mirren. The studio reportedly wanted a more bankable star for the role of Mo Folchart, but hired Fraser at the insistence of Funke, who dedicated one of the books in the series to the actor. Visual effects were created by Framestore-CFC, Double Negative, Rainmaker, Cinesite, Peerless Camera Company and Glassworks.
The movie is being pushed back nearly a year because Fraser has two other fantasy films scheduled for release in 2008. New Line’s Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D is slated to hit theaters on July 11, and Universal’s sequel The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens in theaters in Aug. 1.
Konami Brings Terror to Wii
Leading game developer and publisher Konami is bringing a coin-operated arcade favorite to Nintendo’s Wii console with the relaunch of Target: Terror. The gonzo 2004 game from developer Raw Thrills features images of George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden, and depicts airplanes crashing into the White House. Konami’s version, which hits retail on March 18, will probably be a bit more reverent.
Target: Terror puts the player in the role of an elite anti-terrorist agent who is charged with protecting the U.S. from all terrorist activities. With a full-scale assault spanning the entire U.S., gamers work to eliminate the seemingly endless waves of enemies with an assortment of high-tech weapons. A special edition titled Target: Terror Gold rewarded arcade players with medals and bonus mini-games.
On the Wii, the shooting action will be enhanced with the Wii Zapper, which stands in for the arcade light-gun. The game will also offer “Justice Mode,” a new, single player experience that allows the use of two guns for gun fights right out of an action movie. Unlockable mini-games will add a humor as they creatively reinterpret many classic games.
Zack Snyder's Watchmen Storyboards
Watchmen director Zack Snyder has posted a new update on the official website for the graphic novel adaptation. He talks about the storyboards he creates and how they play a big role in the production. Snyder even shows you two storyboard pages, so don't miss the update here .
Scheduled for a March 6, 2009 release, the Warner Bros. pic stars Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Stephen McHattie and Matt Frewer.
Suzanne Pleshette, 70, was "Bob Newhart's wife"
Beautiful, husky-voiced Suzanne Pleshette, who played Bob Newhart's sharp-tongued wife Emily Hartley onsardonic wife on The Bob Newhart Show, died early Thursday evening at 70.
The star of films and Broadway plays, she died of respiratory failure at her Los Angeles home, attorney and family friend Robert Finkelstein said. Pleshette had undergone chemotherapy for lung cancer in 2006.
She voiced Zira in Disney's direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba's Pride (1998), as well as Yubaba and Zeniba in Spirited Away, the English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 film Sen To Chihiro No Kamikakushi.
She was also in the live-action Disney comedies The Ugly Dachshund, Blackbeard's Ghost and The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin.
The Bob Newhart Show ran from 1972 to 1978. Four years later, Newhart moved to Newhart, another successful sitcom in which Bob was surrounded by eccentrics. The final episode in 1990 returned Pleshette to her role from the first show in one of TV's greatest finales.
Newhart woke up in his The Bob Newhart Show bedroom next to Pleshette, and told her of the crazy dream she just had.
The 5'4" Pleshette was born in New York on January 31, 1937. The cousin of actor John Pleshette, she was the only child of Eugene Pleshette, a manager of the Paramount and Brooklyn Paramount theaters during the Big Band era.
Attending the New York High School of the Performing Arts at 12, she later studied at Syracuse University, Finch College, the Neighborhood Playhouse and Sanford Meisner's Acting School.
"When I was 4, I was answering the phone, and (the callers) thought I was my father," she said in a 1994 interview. "So I often got quirky roles because I was never the conventional ingenue."
In 1959, she met her third and last husband, Tom Poston, during a joint appearance in the 1959 Broadway comedy The Golden Fleecing. Though they had a short fling, they didn't marry until 2001. Their marriage lasted until Poston's death last April.
Poston had gone on to marry someone else as well, but both were widowed by 2000, when they got together again.
"He was such a wonderful man. He had fun every day of his life," Pleshette said following Poston's death.
In Broadway and on the road, Pleshette replaced Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker, the 1959 drama about Helen Keller.
Pleshette's film career began in 1958 with Jerry Lewis in The Geisha Boy.
Her early appearances in TV shows included Have Gun, Will Travel, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Playhouse 90 and Naked City. Meanwhile, the early 1960s brought her such youth-oriented films as Rome Adventure, Fate Is the Hunter, Youngblood Hawke and A Distant Trumpet. A more mature role came in Pleshette matured in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.
In 1964, she married teen heartthrob Troy Donahue, her co-star in Rome Adventure. But they divorced after only eight months. Pleshette married Texas oilman Tim Gallagher from 1968 until his death in 2000.
In recent years, she worked in several TV-movies, landing the title role in Leona Helmsley, the Queen of Mean (1990). She also guested recently in episodes of the TV sitcoms Will & Grace and 8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter.
Pleshette never objected to doing character parts over glamorous roles.
"I don't sit around and wait for great parts," she once said. "I'm an actress, and I love being one, and I'll probably be doing it till I'm 72, standing around the back lot doing Gunsmoke."
In Strike News...
- January 20, 2008: Top studio executives and leaders from the WGA will meet informally to discuss the resumption of bargaining between the two sides, Variety reports. The news comes days after the producers negotiated a tentative deal with the Directors' Guild of America (DGA). According to the trade paper, studio executives have said that the WGA will be offered terms similar to those settled on with the directors.
Bollywood Plunging Deeper Into Toon Features
Hollywood apparently isn't the only industry town that will jump on a hot animation trend once it develops.
The Hindustan Times reports that in the wake of several successful recent releases, India's film industry—Bollywood—is plunging into animated production, with PPC, Yash Raj Films and UTV bankrolling over half a dozen 'toon features between them. Stories based on mythology have been the most popular recent releases.
In another imitation of classic Hollywood behavior, the studios are also signing up live-action movie stars to voice the films.
Exclusive: New Iron Man Fan Film!
There are less than four months left until the premiere of Paramount's Iron Man movie but in the meantime you can feast your eyes on this fan film created by David Guivant. It's not so much a movie as it is the opening title sequence for an Iron Man TV series, made in the spirit of Sandy Collora's Batman Dead End and World's Finest.
David created this on a shoestring budget over a period of a couple of years and it features Tony Stark as Iron Man, plus it includes Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, The Black Widow, Ms. Marvel, Nick Fury AND The Mandarin. Not only that, but it's chock full of special effects, which believe it or not are all 2D and not 3D.
It's been a labor of love for him and I encourage you to check it out here!
Megan Gale confirms she is (was?) Wonder Woman
Just as the news comes that the 'Justice League' movie is postponed and actors have been released from their option deals, actress Megan Gale is talking openly about landing the role of Wonder Woman in the feature.
"People used to tell me I looked like Lynda Carter."
At the time of the article's writing, Gale had reportedly been getting into Amazonian fighting shape and training with weapons for the part, which she won in October but has remained secretive about ever since.
Given the comments Gale made, it would appear that she talked to the Perth Confidential before Warner Bros. pulled the plug on the project.
"It was always a bit of a fantasy. It was never going to be a reality for me, but it kind of found me and I'm a big believer in fate and destiny.
"Even if the writers' strike goes on forever, for me, the fact that I've been cast as Wonder Woman is enough.''
The model-turned-actress may yet play the role, should the production restart later this year. However, with the current state of things on 'Justice League', it's entirely possible that the role could be recast with another actress.
Spidey, Iron Man and Hulk team up in online toon
Video: Iron Man and Spidey Fight a Robot - Part II
Fans all over the world thrilled to the first groundbreaking Marvel Adventures Animated AdverVideos last week, as your favorite heroes were brought to life like never before! In the second AdverVideo, Iron Man arrives on the scene to take on a seemingly unstoppable foe—but will his genius and amazing suit of armor be enough? Or could a certain “incredible” ally be the key to victory? Visit MarvelKids.com to experience the Mighty Marvel adventure that has everyone buzzing!
Hulk helps Iron Man and Spider-Man defeat robots - Part III
The first Marvel Adventures Animated AdverVideos series comes to an explosive finale as Hulk joins Iron Man and Spider-Man in their battle against robotic villainy.
William Hurt drops some 'Hulk' spoilers
Actor William Hurt, who plays General Thunderbolt Ross in the upcoming 'Incredible Hulk' movie recently spoke to MTV and dropped several juicy tidbits about the Marvel movie, including the scoop on the 'Iron Man' cross over.
"I have a scene with Iron Man, with Robert Downey Jr.," the Oscar-winning actor told MTV News Friday at the Sundance Film Festival. "It's a funky scene.
"I don't know how it'll work," Hurt admitted, saying it was a thrill to appear as General Thaddeus Ross during Downey's scene. "I know it's weird [to work with a character from another movie], and to know it's a device. We did something; I don't know what that's going to be like [to watch]."
Later comments reveal plot points that may be considered SPOILERS, so read on with caution.
"Liv Tyler, I play her father, General Ross," he explained. "There's a scene, and during that scene there are a number of things happening. [Hulk] has beaten Abomination, and then there's a crowd that gathers around, and they realize that he's beaten Abomination. That Abomination was the one who was killing for just the joy of killing; Hulk is not the one.
"It's the moment of turn," Hurt added, "when society's relationship with Hulk stops being so stupid."
Hurt goes on to describe the core themes of the film and how they relate to the concerns of moviegoers.
"[The story] has to do with the fact that [Banner's] conscience still exists in a body that is a manifestation of power and is greater than his own ability to control it — and how he's learning that relationship," said the actor. "Because that's what's happening to us. That's the central metaphor for all of us, that we're learning these powers — technological powers, whatever — that we don't know if we have enough conscience to control in a wise way yet. And that's what he's doing.
"[Hulk] is managing to save his humanity inside that, while people like General Ross can't. That's a main theme throughout many of the comics, and in 'Hulk,' it seems to be [primary]...I love him."
For more revealing commentary from General Thunderbolt Ross check out the complete interview here.
transculturELLE: How Girls Cross Cultures
Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26 at McGill University in Montreal, Thomas Lamarre will be hosting a workshop on shoujo anime and manga. Academic papers on gender, genre, and culture will be presented by the likes of Frenchy Lunning, Toshiya Ueno, and Ian Condry. There is no charge to attend. For more information, contact Thomas Lamarre.
Here is a prospective list of papers:
FRIDAY
Session 1: 11:30 – 14:00
Anne McKnight, USC. ‘Subcultures and Frenchness’
Brian Bergstrom, McGill. ‘Girliness is Next to Godliness: The Girl as Sacred Criminal in Kurahashi Yumiko’s ‘Seishôjo’
Frenchy Lunning, University of Minnesota. ‘Under the Ruffles: Shojo and the Morphology of Abjection’
Session 2: 15:00 – 16:30
Saitô Satomi, McGill. ‘Genre Convergence in the Digital Age: Shojo manga, sekai-kei, and Shinkai Makoto’
Emily Raine, McGill. ‘Kawaii and Capital in t.o.L’s Tamala 2010: A Punk Cat in Space’
Ian Condry, MIT. ‘Future Anime: Girls and Boys who Leap through Time’
Session 3: 17:00 – 18:30
Livia Monnet, UdM. ‘The Anatomy of Permutational Desire: Perversion and the Artificial Girl in Contemporary Japanese Animation’
Tom Looser, NYU. ‘The Utopic Matter of Women’
SATURDAY
Session 4: 9:30-11:30
Toshiya Ueno, Wako University. ‘Matriarchy and Criticism in Japan’
Yukiko Hanawa, NYU. ‘Camouflage Time’
Tom Lamarre, McGill. ‘Nature Girls and Culture Times’
"Gatchaman" screenwriter Jinzo Toriumi dies at 78
Screenwriter Jinzo Toriumi, who planned and wrote such anime series as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and Yatterman, died Thursday morning of liver cancer at a hospital in Japan's Shinjuku district. He was 78.
A novelist as well, Toriumi worked for Tatsunoko Production until the late 1970s.
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, also known as Battle of the Planets and G-Force, was but one of his many projects.
His work in animation scripting began in 1964 at Mushi Productions for Mighty Atom (Astro Boy). Heading to Tatsunoko the next year, he worked full-time in TV animation, contributing to Casshern, Tekkaman and Time Bokan.
He was a planner for the 1967 series Mach Go, Go, Go, better known as Speed Racer.
Later, he wrote for such Sunrise series as Armored Trooper Votoms, Yoroiden Samurai Trooper (Ronin Warriors) and Mister Ajikko.
He was involved in the Gatchaman sequel series Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman II (1978) and Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman F (1979).
Toriumi was a writer for 1969's Kurenai Sanshiro (Judo Boy), as well as 1973's Kerokko Demetan, widely exported to French-speaking countries. He was a layout artist for Kashi no ki Mokku, also known as Mock, Made of Oak and Pinocchio.
Toriumi was born on February 1, 1929 in Takikawa, in Japan's northern prefecture of Hokkaido. He first wrote scripts for live-action films at Nikkatsu before turning to anime.
He wrote the novelizations of Gatchaman, Shin Heiyoden and Dororo. In addition, he wrote the textbook Anime Scenario Nyumon (The Introduction to Anime Scriptwriting), which he used when he taught vocational school to future screenwriters.
Toriumi chaired Ohtori Koubou, a support organization for scriptwriters. In May 2000, he received the (Scenario) Scriptwriting Award from the Japan Writers Guild.
Jinzo Toriumi is survived by wife Kazuyo. A funeral was planned Sunday.
MyToons Launches Bumper Contest
MyToons.com is now accepting entries for its international Bumper Blastoff competition, the online animation community announced Thursday. Contestants will have a chance to win $7000 in cash prizes by creating original animated bumpers lasting 30 seconds or less.
Categories open to competition include a student "Rising Stars" category ($500 to six winners, plus a professional portfolio review for the submitter of the best student entry) and three "Super Star" awards carrying $1000 each in prizes. Limited edition t-shirts will go to randomly selected contestants on a weekly basis.
Luis Blanco and Michael Uman of INTERspectacular will judge the entries, with nine winners being announced on March 12. Winning selections will run on MyToons.com and on its partner websites. More information can be had at MyToons.com/blastoff.
Patapon
If I had a Sony PSP (or played video games for that matter), I’d be looking forward to the February release of Patapon, a visually striking rhythm-based fighting game. The game’s graphics are based on the work of French artist and toy designer Rolito, who also has a blog here. Here’s a few links that tell you all you need to know about this title:
While Disney artists bring their imaginations to life through animation, Disney executives are living a lifestyle that animators can’t even begin to imagine. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Disney chief executive Bob Iger received a 7% pay increase in 2007 for a total financial compensation of $27.7 million. According to the company’s proxy statement, the breakdown is as follows: $2 million salary, which remained the same as 2006; a $13.7 million bonus, which was a decrease from his $15 million bonus in ‘06; stock awards totaling $7.9 million, and $740,000 for personal air travel, security and a car benefit. Other Disney execs who earned healthy sums were CFO Thomas Staggs ($9 million), General Counsel Alan Braverman ($7.9 million), executive vp of human resources Wesley Coleman ($2.7 million) and executive vp for corporate strategy Kevin Mayer ($2.6 million). With figures like these, there’s only four words these guys can be thinking right now: High School Musical 3. (PS: If you’re curious about what the average animation artist makes, download this PDF of the 2007 wage survey by the Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE.)
JJ Abrams Enables One CMU Professor To Check Off An Item On His Own Personal Bucket List!
Green Lantern, Wonder Woman & J’onn J’onzz Grounded!! George Miller’s JUSTICE LEAGUE Production Delayed By Strike!!
Citing script problems that couldn’t be remedied during the writers guild strike, Warner Bros. has decided to let its options lapse on the cast for George Miller’s upcoming “Justice League" movie.
The project will now have to wait until the AMPTP and/or Warner Bros. make deals with the writers, actors and directors guilds. The latter two unions see their agreements with the studios come up for renewal this summer.
Those said to have been cast but now may or may not be available once production commences include:
Adam Brody (Wally West), who turns 29 in December; Scott Porter (Clark Kent), who turns 29 in July; Lonnie “Common” Lynn (John Stewart), who turns 36 in March; Megan Gale (Diana of Themyscira), who turns 32 in August.
Many will be thrilled that that such young actors may not play these iconic DC superheroes.
But. Look at the ages of other actors when they played their superhero roles:
Christopher Reeve, 24 in 1976; Lynda Carter, 24 in 1975; Christian Bale, 29 in 2003; Brandon Routh, 25 in 2004.
Sanjeev Waeerkar, UTV Creative Director, will hold a workshop in Mumbai titled "Animation for those who can't draw" on January 19, AnimationXpress reports.
The workshop, which is being organized by The Animation Society of India, will focus on "teaching acting, managing a team and handling the project in the way director wants," according to Waeerkar.
"Justice League: The New Frontier" HD DVD Date Pushed Back; Final Specs Released
The High-Def Digest website is reporting final specs for the Justice League: The New Frontier direct-to-video animated movie on DVD, HD DVD, and Blu-ray disc. All 3 versions of the movie will include a set of common special features, including two audio commentary tracks, three documentaries, and three bonus episodes of Justice League Unlimited (including "Task Force X," which was penned by New Frontier writer/artist Darwyn Cooke). The high-def releases will include 1080p/VC-1 encodings.
As a result of Warner Brothers' decision to drop the HD DVD format, the HD DVD release of the movie will be delayed by three weeks. The standard and Blu-ray editions will go on sale on February 26, 2008, while the HD DVD version will street on March 18.
Marsters speaks to TV Guide about 'Dragonball'
In the January 21-28, 2008 issue of TV Guide actor James Marsters (Spike, Buffy/Angel, Brainiac, Smallville) spoke about his involvement in ‘Dragonball’, a live action adaptation of the Weekly Shonen JUMP title by Akira Toriyama (directed and written by James Wong):
“Oh, Dragonball is the coolest television cartoon in the last 50, 000 years. It’s got a Shakespearean sense of good and evil. The movie has incredible action scenes with characters with unbelieveable powers. It’s going to be really visually exciting.”
When his stint on Without a Trace came up Marsters spoke of how the producers were "...miffed that I wasn't available anymore [due to Dragonball], which was both a surprise and kind of a compliment."
Dragonball also stars Justin Chatwin, Chow Yun-Fat, Emmy Rossum, Joon Park, Jaime Chung, and Eriko Tamura while being produced by Stephen Chow.
From aintitcoolnews...
And Now - For the Next Strange Weird Foreign Thing That Harry Loses His Mind Over... CJ7!!!
Hey folks, Harry here... wow... I'm not entirely sure how Stephen Chow (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) continually creates things of such awesome splendor that my mind goes into Robby The Robot spitz and cracklez - but he does it. Chow says that he loved E.T. as a kid and was inspired to make his own run at that type of thing. And here is what he came up with. It looks spectacular and the creature is so incredibly cute. And the best news - we get it stateside on March 7th! Woo Hoo!!!
With the teaser trailer for the J.J. Abrams-directed Star Trek debuting in theaters with the Abrams-produced monster movie Cloverfield this weekend, Paramount Pictures has brought online the official website for the anticipated Christmas Day release. As of this posting, the site just includes the animated logo and a link to register for updates.
Star Trek stars Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Winona Ryder, Rachel Nichols, Jennifer Morrison, Chris Hemsworth, Clifton Collins Jr., Ben Cross and Tyler Perry.
Stay tuned for when the teaser trailer comes online!
WGA Nominates Games
While its ongoing strike is throwing a wrench in other awards ceremonies, the Writers Guild of America has nominated five video games for the 2008 WGA Awards. A planned Feb. 9 ceremony in Los Angeles has been canceled due to the strike, but WGA East is holding out hope that its event on the same night will go on as planned at the Broadway Millennium.
The nominees are: Crash of the Titans, written by Christopher Michell for Sierra Ent.
Dead Head Fred, written by Dave Ellis and Adam Cogan for D3 Publisher
The Simpsons Game, written by Matt Selman, Tim Long and Matt Warbuton, with dialogue by Jeff Poliquin for Electronic Arts
The Witcher, with lead story designer Artur Ganszyniec, dialogue by Sebastian Stepien, additional dialogue by Marcin Blacha and writers Sande Chen and Anne Toole for Atari
World of Conflict, story design by Christofer Emgard, story consultant Larry Bond and script consultant Ed Zuckerman and Sierra Ent.
To be eligible, the games had to have been released between Dec. 1, 2006, and Nov. 20, 2007, but did not have to be produced under WGA jurisdiction. Writers of source material were not eligible, and the credited scribes must have been or applied to become members of the WGA’s New Media Caucus.
Eden FX Explores Life After People
The Warner Bros. blockbuster I am Legend has been getting attention for its visual effects depicting New York City after a nasty virus has all but wiped out mankind. Taking another angle on that concept, Hollywood-based Eden FX has completed digital effects and matte paintings for The History Channel’s two-hour special Life After People. Working for client Flight 33 Prods., Eden designed and produced more than 30 digital vfx shots for the program, which will air at 9 p.m. on Jan. 21.
Life After People explores the question of what, if anything, will be left behind should humans cease to exist on this planet. Eden was charged with digitally destroying a number of world-famous landmarks, including the Sears Tower, Seattle’s Space Needle, the Hoover Dam, Buckingham Palace, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Arc de Triomphe, as well as such major metropolises as New York City and Chicago.
John Gross, who co-founded Eden FX with Mark Miller, comments, “This was the first time we had to digitally illustrate, in a highly artistic fashion, the destruction and decay of numerous renowned locales. In so doing, we developed a new approach to time-lapse photography, which we utilized for a number of shots, including the aging of a cornfield as it grows, withers and rots away, a car decaying over 80 years, and even the Hoover Dam crumbling and spilling out a massive amount of water. This was a challenging, and certainly different, project for us, which we delivered with a very fast turn-around.”
Eden FX has also completed visual effects work on the upcoming feature film Get Smart, which Warner Bros. will release on June 20. The company is now working on more than 200 vfx shots for Walden Media’s family adventure Nim’s Island, which stars Jodie Foster and Gerard Butler. Based on the book by Wendy Orr and Kerry Millard, the pic will be distributed by 20th Century Fox on April 4.
For more information on Life After People, see the official website here.
"Dex Hamilton" Gets Green Light Down Under
Dex Hamilton: Alien Entomologist, a future-set series about a young explorer fighting an alien epidemic and preserving the ecosystem, has gotten a production go-ahead, World Screen reports. The series, from March Entertainment, SLR Productions and Parthenon Kids, has already been presold to Australia's Network Ten.
In Strike News...
January 16, 2008 - Twentieth Century Fox Television, CBS Paramount Network Television, NBC Universal, and Warner Bros. Television have invoked force majeure clauses to cancel more than sixty television production deals, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The clauses allow studios to unilaterally cancel production deals in the event of crisis events, including strikes. The deals being cancelled can be for as much as $2 million to cover staff overheads on the development of television series.
The move is seen as an admission by the studios that the development of shows for the new season will not occur. It will also allow studios to eliminate deals with marginal television writer-producers.
January 17, 2008 - The AMPTP has reached a tentative deal with the Directors' Guild of America (DGA) for a new contract, the Los Angeles Times reports. According to the Times, the three-year contract would give directors higher royalties from the online sales of movies and TV shows; terms are said to be better than those the AMPTP initially offered the striking WGA, essentially doubling the current paid rate, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
New Merch Lines Getting "Speed Racer" Branding
Speed Racer Enterprises has signed licensing deals to IMT Accessories, Saramax Apparel, Star Ride Kids, and other companies that will give them the right to produce merchandise related to its upcoming Speed Racer: The Next Generation series, World Screen reports. Product lines covered include indoor and outdoor furniture, bicycles, skateboards, and fishing rods; sleepwear, boxers, t-shirts, and sportswear; and Halloween masks and cake decorating kits.
The new series will premiere on Nicktoons in May.
"Pet Pals" to Save Venice in New Feature Film
Pet Pals will get a feature film spinoff in late 2009, World Screen reports. The Pet Pals and Marco Polo’s Code, from Italy's Gruppo Alcuni, will have the title characters fighting to stop the Crow Witch from draining the lagoons of Venice. Gruppo Alcuni is aiming for a Christmas release.
"Shrek the Musical" Coming to Broadway in the Fall of 2008
Shrek the Musical will have its world premiere in Seattle on August 14 before bowing on Broadway in the fall of 2008, producers announced today.
The play, based on characters created by William Steig and featured in the DreamWorks Animation films, will have a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori. Jason Moore will direct; Josh Prince will do choreography.
Carnival Cruise Lines will offer a "Betty Boop Fan Cruise" this October, the cruise line announced today.
The five-day specialty cruise aboard the Carnival Elation will feature special Boop-related events, including screenings, parties, and a photo, autograph and question-and-answer session with Mark Fleischer, the president of Fleischer Studios.
The ship will depart from San Diego on October 9 and visit Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico. For more information, visit here.
Re-Examining Mary Blair
Folks in and around the Bay Area should make a point to check out the “The Art and Flair of Mary Blair” exhibition which continues at the Cartoon Art Museum in downtown San Francisco through March 18, 2008. DreamWorks story artist Jenny Lerew recently visited the show and offered some perceptive observations about Blair’s work on her blog, including the notion that we shouldn’t allow today’s plethora of second- and third-rate Blair imitators affect our judgement about the quality of her original work. Jenny writes:
“There’s always a lot of talk about the obvious influence of Mary Blair on artists today–so much so, in fact, that it’s led in some circles to a bit of a backlash towards her or towards the stylings of artists who’ve been inspired by her. But when you see these up close and without the filters of photography(either the still camera’s or the animation stand’s)or the limitations of the published page, even now they leap out at the viewer and are as new and fresh as they must have been half a century ago. To see her technique up close is to appreciate how incredibly skilled she was. Intuitive, surely; imaginative and whimsical, yes–but also plain, keen, brilliant, diamond-hard thinking going on. It’s still a big wow.“
MyToons.com Bumper Blastoff Animation Contest
In response to positive animator feedback, MyToons.com, the world’s premier online animation community, is now accepting entries for Bumper Blastoff, its newest international animation contest, through February 28, 2008. Contestants are asked to create original animated bumpers lasting 30 seconds or less, for a chance to win their share of $7,000 in cash prizes. All animators, from students to professionals, are invited to enter Bumper Blastoff at MyToons.com.
Six “Rising Stars” in the student category will receive $500 each. One of the student winners will also be crowned “Supreme Rising Star” and will receive a professional portfolio review by INTERspectacular, Victor Newman of Freestyle Collective, and Michael Waldron of Nailgun.
Everyone else is invited to compete for one of MyToons.com’s three “Super Star” Awards. Winners will receive $1,000 each, with one “Supreme Super Star” grand prize winner being awarded an extra $1,000. In addition to these great prizes and worldwide exposure, MyToons.com will award limited edition T-shirts to randomly selected contestants on a weekly basis.
“The Art & Animation Community is our number one priority,” says Stacey Ford, chief creative officer of MyToons, “We are constantly looking for fun and creative ways to engage our members and promote their amazing skills. Bumper Blastoff will help us achieve this goal by empowering and rewarding the hard work and talent of animators everywhere."
Animations entered into Bumper Blastoff will be judged by leading industry professionals Luis Blanco and Michael Uman, founders and creative directors of INTERspectacular in New York City. The nine winners will be announced on March 12, 2008.
"We've seen that students and beginning animators have tremendous talent and great ideas," says Luis Blanco, one of the key creative directors of INTERspectacular, the award-winning New York-based design and concept studio. “We want to ensure that these amazing artists have equal opportunity to share their ideas and be rewarded for their dedication and creativity," agrees Michael Uman, co-creative director of INTERspectacular. "The Rising Star category in Bumper Blastoff offers students a much-deserved and challenging opportunity to shine."
Animators from across the globe are expected to participate in MyToons.com’s second worldwide contest. MyToons’ first contest attracted animators from countries as diverse as Australia, Brazil, France and Germany.
Winning selections will run as pre-rolls and bumpers on MyToons.com and on MyToons’ partner websites. This amazing opportunity will provide the winning animators with great exposure to the millions of people who enjoy MyToons.com. For more information, visit here.
BioShock Leads Interactive Acheivement Noms
The popular first-person shooter BioShock from 2K Games received a record 12 nominations to lead the pack of hopefuls for The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. Released today, the list also includes top nods for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare from Activision, The Orange Box from Electronic Arts and Valve Software, Rock Band from MTV Games and Super Mario Galaxy from Nintendo of America. All titles named will be vying for Overall Game of the Year Award when the ceremony commences on Feb. 7 at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, in conjunction with the 2008 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit.
Hosted for a third time by actor/comedian Jay Mohr, the peer-based kudo fest will recognize the outstanding products, individuals and development teams that have contributed to the advancement of the multi-billion dollar worldwide entertainment software industry this past year. Those who aren’t attending the summit can view the ceremony online for the first time at gamespot.com, and via Comcast HD Video on Demand.
In additon to Overall Game of the Year, BioShock is up for Console Game of the Year, Computer Game of the Year and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, among others. In many categories, the title is up against Call of Duty 4, which also received more than 10 nominations.
The following is a partial list of nominees for the 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards. A complete list will be posted at interactive.org.
Overall Game of the Year Bioshock Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity Ward
Rock Band Publisher: MTV Games Developer: Harmonix
Super Mario Galaxy Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: Nintendo
The Orange Box Publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve Software Developer: Valve Software
Computer Game of the Year Bioshock Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity Ward
Crysis Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Crytek
The Orange Box Publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve Software Developer: Valve Software
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade Publisher: Vivendi Games Developer: Blizzard Ent.
Console Game of the Year Bioshock Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Publisher: Activision Developer: Infinity Ward
Mass Effect Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: BioWare
Rock Band Publisher: MTV Games Developer: Harmonix
Super Mario Galaxy Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: Nintendo
Outstanding Innovation in Gaming Assassin’s Creed Publisher: Ubisoft Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Bioshock Publisher: 2K Games Developer: 2K Boston, 2K Australia
Rock Band Publisher: MTV Games Developer: Harmonix
Super Mario Galaxy Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: Nintendo
The Orange Box Publisher: Electronic Arts/Valve Software Developer: Valve Software
Handheld Game of the Year Drawn to Life Publisher: THQ Developer: 5th Cell
Jeanne d'Arc Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Developer: Level 5
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords Publisher: D3 Publisher of America Developer: Infinite Interactive, 1st Playable Productions
Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Developer: High Impact Games
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass Publisher: Nintendo of America Developer: Nintendo
Animated shorts on display at Sundance Film Fest
"Animation Spotlight," a program of shorts, will be shown four times at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, which gets underway tonight (Thursday) in Park City, Utah.
Whether hand-drawn, computer animated, or stop-motion, these animated stories are more mesmerizing and daring than ever.
A love story, murder and cover-up fill a gripping noir thriller. Delightfully strong women stop at nothing when identity, dinner, or their insatiable curiosity is at stake. A repressed man seeking God in forbidden places finds more than he bargains for. And to stir things up, a bunch of partying cowboys and revengeful astronauts are ready to rewrite the history of America.
Oh! And here's the latest from our beat-up rock idol Bobby Bird and his monkey tale of friendship.
Shorts include Madame Tutli-Putli, the much-honored tale created by Montreal-based artists Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski for the National Film Board of Canada.
Other films in the 105-minute program:
Yours Truly (dir. Osbert Parker; U.K., 2007, 8 min., Color & B/W) Animation and live action collide in a dark romance as psychological tension surrounds the ultimate kiss-off letter.
Chonto (dir. Carson Mell; U.S.A., 2007, 15 min., Color) Wilted rock idol Bobby Bird literally tries to buy a friend when he adopts a monkey from a zoo in South America.
Lapsus (dir. Juan Pablo Zaramella; Argentina, 2007, 4 min., B/W) A curious nun ventures into the darker side of her animated world.
1977 (dir. Peque Varela; U.K., 2007, 9 min., Color) A small town, a growing knot, and a girl searching for her identity.
For the Love of God (dir. Joe Tucker; U.K., 2007, 11 min., Color) Graham lives with his overbearing mother in a Christian bookshop. They both love God, but in very different ways.
Dog (dir. Herman Karlsson; Iceland, 2006, 1 min., Color) Remembering the death of a dog and the guilt of a boy that soon followed.
The Pearce Sisters (dir. Luis Cook; U.K., 2007, 9 min., Color) An amusingly bleak-hearted tale of two old spinsters living on a remote strip of coast, scraping out a miserable existence from the sea.
The History of America (dir. MK12; U.S.A., 2007, 31 min., Color) A psychedelic western space opera.
Screenings are at 5:30 p.m. Friday, January 18 at Prospector Square Theatre, Park City; 3 p.m. Saturday, January 19 at Broadway Centre Cinemas IV, Salt Lake City; 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, January 22 at Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City; and 3:15 p.m. Saturday, January 26 at Eccles Theatre, Park City.
Organizers of Sundance, the annual showcase for American and international independent films, will hand awards at a ceremony January 26, a day before the official end of the fest.
Romania's regulatory body for TV broadcasting will make an official protest to the European Commission about Suicidal Squirrels, a one-minute cartoon series shown every afternoon on British-licensed channel AXN.
The German cartoon's black "humor" includes images of squirrels hanging themselves and throwing themselves in front of cars.
The cartoon is also aired on cable television in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova.
AXN is seen on cable television. Licensed by Britain, it's therefore governed by British broadcasting rules and can't be controlled by Romanian authorities, Russia's Pravda news agency said Thursday. AXN did not reach an agreement with Romanian broadcast regulators.
The National Audiovisual Council doesn't think that the cartoon is damaging for children to view.
However, Gelu Trandafir, a member of Romania's broadcasting council, disagreed strongly.
"Some people may say this is an overreaction, but I don't think that such programs would be broadcast in Britain at two in the afternoon," Trandafir said.
The Kennedy Center will host a series of anime screenings as part of its Japan! Culture + Hyper Culture program in February.
"Genius Party" and "Genius Party Beyond" on February 15 and 16 will present a series of anime films, including Genius Party, Shanghai Dragon, Deathtic 4, Doorbell, Limit Cycle, Happy Machine, Baby Blue, Gala, Dimension Bomb, Moondrive, "Wanwa" the Puppy, and Tojin Kit. Directors Shinichiro Watanabe (Baby Blue), Koji Morimoto (Dimension Bomb), and Mahiro Maeda (Gala) will introduce the films and talk about their work.
"A Marathon of Anime Premieres" on February 17 will present 5 Centimeters Per Second, The Piano Forest, and Appseed Ex Machina. Shinji Aramaki, director of the latter, will introduce it.
The Boondocks, Handy Manny, El Tigre, Dora the Explorer: Dora's World Adventure, and Go, Diego, Go!: Diego Saves Christmas are among the nominees in the 14th Annual Vision Awards, the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) said today.
The awards are meant to honor and recognize achievements in original, multi-ethnic cable programming.
Dora and Diego were nominated in the Children's category, where they will compete with Cory in the House and High School Musical 2. The other series will compete with each other in the Animation category.
Smurfs film to feature “greater female presence”
Yahoo! Movies reports that due to the changes in the structure of society since the first appearance of the Smurfs, more female characters will appear in the upcoming CGI film. “There have been dramatic changes in socio-cultural values in the past 20 to 25 years,” explained head of Smurf’s rights holder Hendrik Coysman. “One of these is girl empowerment.” The article also hints at more information regarding the Smurfs movie becoming available in the coming weeks.
American Film Institute to pick top 10 animations
The American Film Institute on Thursday introduced a new chapter in its Emmy Award-winning AFI's 100 Years... series.
AFI's 10 Top 10 will count down the top 10 films from 10 classic American film genres, including animation. This year, the jury will be asked to choose up to 10 movies per genre from a comprehensive list, including entries such as Pinocchio (1941), Shrek (2001), and Cars and Happy Feet (both 2006).
Of the 50 animated films on the ballot, 13 were produced by Walt Disney.
AFI defines "animated" as a genre in which the film's images are primarily created by computer or hand and the characters are voiced by actors.
Other genres are fantasy, science fiction, gangster, western, sports, romantic comedy, courtroom drama, mystery and epic films.
AFI's 10 Top 10 turns a page in the institute's ongoing celebration of the American cinema centennial with a more diverse version of AFI's highly anticipated annual countdown special. Celebrating film genres that have never been honored before, AFI will create 10 new lists within the format previously designed for a top 100.
"Ten years ago, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies launched an unprecedented celebration of American film to mark cinema's centennial. As we continue this program into a new decade, we look forward to catalyzing a national conversation 10 times greater -- for the ultimate goal of this program is to drive audiences to discover and rediscover the classics of American film," said AFI president and CEO Bob Gazzale.
AFI's 100 Years... series has included AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998), 100 Stars (1999), 100 Laughs (2000), 100 Thrills (2001), 100 Passions (2002), 100 Heroes & Villains (2003), 100 Songs (2004), 100 Movie Quotes (2005), 100 Cheers (2006) and AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies-10th Anniversary Edition (2007).
The primetime special will be executive produced and directed by Gary Smith, executive produced for AFI by former AFI Board Chair Emeritus Frederick S. Pierce, and produced by Dann Netter. SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program.
AFI distributed a ballot Thursday with 500 nominated movies (50 per genre) to a jury of over 1,500 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians.
Winsor McCay's home town may honor him at last
Spring Lake, Michigan, the home town of Winsor McCay, may pay tribute to the pioneering animator at the Muskegon Film Festival, which runs from January 31 to February 2 this year.
Winsor McCay committee members meeting last Friday at the Spring Lake District Library agreed to consider honoring the creator of 1914's Gertie the Dinosaur at this summer's Spring Lake Heritage Festival as well.
Born in the Michigan town in 1871, McCay died in Brooklyn in 1934. The Winsor McCay Award is presented annually at the Annie Awards for lifetime achievement in animation.
Heritage Festival president Dave Hamather, who wasn't at Friday's meeting, said he didn't object to the plan to honor McCay.
As a youngster, McCay was first recognized for his art when he drew a picture of a local fire that destroyed his family home. He etched the scene in the frost of a windowpane at a neighbor's house.
On a school chalkboard, he drew an image of the steamer Alpena after it sank in Lake Michigan.
Reportedly, a photographer once sold pictures that he took of McCay's early drawings. Committee members are trying to find some of those photos.
Plans for the long term plans include a monument near Spring Lake Township Hall and the Spring Lake District Library. McCay attended the then Union Elementary School between the two sites.
Originally, plans included a monument in the park between the library and township hall. However, township officials objected, saying that parking places or building expansion may be needed in the indefinite future.
"This (monument) idea is just in its infancy," committee chairman Mark Miller said Friday.
Muskegon Film Festival president Mat Moore told the committee that an event at the Muskegon Museum of Art could include a screening of McCay's films tied in with a lecture.
Committee members suggested putting a marker or monument west of the library as near as possible to the original Union School site, perhaps with concrete "dinosaur" footprints pointing the way to the spot.
The Spring Lake District Library has a collection of books and videos showing McCay's life and work.
Those with information about McCay's local roots or descendants are invited to visit here.
A few random notes on the French animated feature Persepolis:
• Upon winning the best animated feature prize from the NY Film Critics Circle, Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi said, “In France, they always call the New York critics tough bastards. So thank you, my bastard friends.” Animation director Michael Sporn responded on his blog, “It’d be nice to hear what she might say if she wins an Oscar. She’ll get my vote.”
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday the nine films which are advancing to the next round of voting in the Foreign Language Film category. Persepolis, which was France’s entry, was snubbed and didn’t even make the shortlist. I’ve been opposed to the Oscar’s Animated Feature Film category from the very beginning for the simple reason that it continues to ghettoize the art form. Academy voters don’t feel compelled to recognize the merits of animation as film when they know that a special category exists solely for animated features. As the art form continues to mature with films like Persepolis, the flaws of the Animated Feature Film category will only become more and more evident.
• Whoever said animation isn’t a powerful medium and can’t be used to instigate positive change in society? Chicago’s Daily Herald has an interesting article titled “Local Iranians hope Persepolis will open eyes about their homeland.” Says one Iranian interviewed in the piece, “I think Americans are generally very open-minded, but there isn’t a lot on the news about the people of Iran, just its government. Persepolis shows how important it is to see that a country’s government and its people can be different.”
• The box office numbers for Persepolis are deceivingly tiny. While the film placed 28th on the charts last weekend with $187,000, it is performing remarkably well considering that it is only playing in 18 theaters. In fact, it had the second-highest per-theater average of any film playing last week, behind only Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood. If there’s any question why the animated art form is viewed so poorly by the general public, it’s because a film like The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything can open in 1300-plus theaters while an animated feature like Persepolis remains virtually inaccessible to the general moviegoing public. One can only assume that distributor Sony Pictures Classics will move Persepolis from its current platform release into a wider release once the Oscar noms are announced next week.
The (Animated) Presidential Campaign
Earlier this month, I linked to illustrator Steve Brodner’s podcast series “The Naked Campaign” which offers his views on various Presidential candidates. This got me to thinking about whether there are other people who are creating animated pieces in hopes of influencing the outcome of this year’s Presidential elections.
A bit of searching on YouTube uncovered a number of independently produced animated pieces, though none of them appear to be making a huge splash at the moment. But it’s only January and with ten months still to go, I expect we’ll be seeing an unprecedented use of animation during the 2008 elections. The most viewed animated piece supporting an individual candidate that I found on YouTube is the following Ron Paul Brickfilm short, which has garnered over 60k views since debuting ten days ago.
Andrew Arnold has created an impressive CG political animated series called Heada’State which features strong condemnations of candidates Rudy Giuliani and Thompson
Ray Noland (director) and Rebecca Berdel (animator) have posted a piece called Revolt in support of Barack Obama.
Democratic longshot Mike Gravel is promoted in this puppet and stop-motion piece titled The Word: Mike Gravel.
And this live-action spot by candidate Mike Huckabee has inspired two different animated parodies, both of which are posted here and here.
This is not an attempt to catalog animated pieces that express a political viewpoint because there are plenty of those. Rather I’m curious to find out how animation is specifically being used to effect this year’s Presidential elections through pieces that are either for or against individual candidates.
Beowulf theatrical and director’s cut DVDs in February
DVDActive reports that Paramount Home Entertainment has announced theatrical and director’s cut releases of Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf on 26th February. The only extra feature on the theatrical cut will be A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf featurette. The Director’s Cut will include that, along with a Beasts of Burden featurette, a Origins of Beowulf featurette, a Creating the Ultimate Beowulf feaurette, an Art of Beowulf featurette, additional scenes, trailers, and easter eggs. An HD-DVD release of the film will also arrive on 26th February which will feature a high definition transfer, along with 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus, and 5.1 Dolby TrueHD tracks. All the extra features from the above releases will be included alongwith a Conversation with Robert Zemeckis, further featurettes on the stunts, art design, props and a couple of extra additional scenes.
Family Guy Goes Blue on Disc
The force is with Peter and the Griffin clan as the Star Wars saga gets some good-natured ribbing in Family Guy Presents: Blue Harvest. The sixth season premiere episode is now available on DVD with some nice extras. Fans can also pick up the special edition, which comes in collectible packaging and offers trading cards, 3-D glasses, a T-shirt and more. There’s more irreverent silliness to be found in writer/director David Wain’s The Ten, which features an animated segment created by Augenblick Studios. It also hits retail today following a limited theatrical run.
“Blue Harvest” is a reference to the working title George Lucas and crew used to keep over-zealous fans from crashing the set of 1983’s Return of the Jedi. The hour-long Family Guy installment debuted on Sept. 23, drawing big ratings on FOX with depictions of the show’s various characters in iconic Star Wars roles.
DVD bonus materials include additional footage, an uncensored track, animatics, commentaries, interviews with series creator/exec producer Seth McFarlane and Star Wars creator George Lucas. The Fox Home Entertainment release lists for $22.97 for the standard version, and $34.98 for the special edition with limited-edition collectibles.
The Ten stars Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Rob Corddry, Famke Janssen, Ken Marino, Gretchen Mol, Oliver Platt, Liev Schreiber and Jessica Alba in a series of ten humorous and twisted stories based on the Ten Commandments. The animated story employs a misguided Rhino and a cast of other animals to illustrate why it’s wrong to bare false witness. Extras include commentary by Wain, Marino and Rudd; alternate-take and deleted-scene vignettes; a bonus interview; Wainy Days “Episode One” as seen on MyDamnChannel.com; ring tones and wallpaper. Read Animation Magazine's exclusive interview with animator Aaron Augenblick concerning the project here.
LEGO Group today announced an agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) to secure construction toy rights for the upcoming Speed Racer, the live action feature film adaptation of the classic TV series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida.
MTV caught up with Carla Gugino at Sunday's SAG Awards, where she talked about her role in Zack Snyder's Watchmen:
Visions of Frank is a dvd that came out last year collecting eight animated shorts by Japanese animators, all based on Jim Woodring’s wondrous comic creation Frank. The 45-minute dvd, which sells for $25 on Woodring’s website, also comes with a 16-page booklet, and includes Woodring’s own animated short Whim-Grinder. More info from the website:
Last night at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, Joost van den Bosch and Erik Verkerk, the Dutch artists behind Ka-Ching Cartoons, debuted their new 7-minute Flash-animated short The 3D-Machine. Inspired by 50s monster movies, this film is actually produced in traditional 3D format (glassed encouraged, but not required), and the team used Photoshop and After Effects for the backgrounds and Premiere for the editing. The film is about “a professor who invents a machine that can bring everything he draws to life.”
According to a recent article in Animation Magazine, Univision’s first prime-time animated series, El Chavo: La Serie Animada debuted with strong ratings, scoring ahead of both The CW and the almighty NBC. This Flash-animated series was physically produced by Anima Estudios, which is based in Mexico City. El Chavo is based on the children’s show, El Chavo de Ocho.
Fly Me to the Moon, a CG-animated family feature developed specifically for stereoscopic 3-D exhibition, will be released in IMAX venues and other theaters equipped for digital 3-D projection on Aug. 22. A co-production of Illuminata and nWave Pictures, the film will be distributed nationwide by Summit Ent.
Gruppo Alcuni, a production company based in Treviso, Italy, has signed The Box Distribution to handle its animated series, Leonardo, in French-speaking territories. Co-produced by Rai Fiction with the support of the European community’s MEDIA program, the series consists of 26 13-minute episodes that blend traditional 2D animation and CG techniques. Installments will be ready for air by the end of April.
The Newport Beach Film Festival and the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity will present the first ever Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Animation this year. Created in honor of the legendary animation director, the award will be given each year to an individual or group best exemplifying artistic achievement and innovation in the field of animation.
Matt Reeves is in early talks with Paramount to direct a sequel to his recent monster movie Cloverfield, Variety reported. If the studio can complete discussions with Reeves, producer J.J. Abrams and scribe Drew Goddard, there is a chance that the Cloverfield sequel will be his next film.
