Time Jumper involves a new superhero who uses a special cell phone to travel backward and forward through time. Bringing comic-book artwork to life with movement, voice tracks and sound effects, the digital comic is being produced trough the collective efforts of Disney’s home entertainment, online and publishing units.
Henson Taps Ewing to Sell Sid
The Jim Henson Co. has appointed children’s television industry veteran Sam Ewing to handle the international sales of its newest property, a CG-animated preschool TV series titled
Sid the Science Kid. The show will debut in the U.S. on Sept. 1 as part of the two-hour morning preschool block PBS KIDS and online at pbskids.org.
Most recently, Ewing launched the Cartoon Consultants Group, consulting on productions and distribution for companies including EM.TV Munich, Saban Capital Group and Starz Media/Bolder Media. Prior to that, he served as senior VP of worldwide distribution and VP of development for Cookie Jar Ent. Ewing also served as VP of international co-productions and acquisitions at Saban Int’l. Other previous gigs included stints as Ruby-Spears Prods., Worldvision Ent., Hanna-Barbera Prods. and NBC Ent.
Sid the Science Kid is an educational show that uses comedy to promote exploration, discovery and science readiness among preschoolers. The energetic and inquisitive Sid starts each episode with a new question (“Why are my shoes shrinking?” “Why do bananas get mushy?”) and embarks on a fun-filled day of finding answers with the help of family and friends. Sid and his pals also host an interactiveb website at pbskids.org/sid.
An initial slate of 40 half-hour episodes are being co-produced by The Jim Henson Co. and KCET/Los Angeles. The animation is created using the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows the company's performers to puppeteer and voice digitally animated characters in realtime. The technology was previously used to launch the Henson toon property
The Skrumps.
Red Sonja posterA pair of teaser posters for the new
'Red Sonja' movie were unveiled at Comic-Con Thursday, giving fans their first look at Rose McGowan in a chainmaille bikini.
Studio 4°C Takes Up the Street FightAnime News Network notes that the Capcom's San Diego Comic Con panel revealed that Studio 4°C will be animating the in-game footage for
Street Fighter IV. Koji Morimoto (
Memories'
"Magnetic Rose," The Animatrix's
"Beyond" short,
Genius Party's
Dimension Bomb, ) and animator Jiro Kanai (computer graphics in
Akira, key animation in
"Beyond," Mind Game, The Wings of Honneamise) are involved in the project.
Anime Game NewsICV2 notes that a
Search for Vengeance expansion of the
Highlander TCG 2nd Edition card game, based on anime movie will be released in late October. The set will be packaged in 10-card Booster Packs ($3.99) and 50-card Starter Decks ($12.99).
1Up features a
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm PreviewSuper Robot Wars Ztrailer 3trailer 4Upcoming in JapanAnime News Network report that software developer
Ryukishi07 (Seventh Expansion) revealed that pyscho thriller mystery Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (aka When They Cry) side stories collection
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Re will be released on DVD December 26 and on Blu-ray in January.
The first of five volumes,
"Hajisarashi," will be a gag story set in the municipal swimming pool. The next three volumes, which will be the
"Saikoroshi" arc, will be a serious drama involving one of the story's heroines after the resolution of the two previous television series. This arc will be released between February and June of next year. The final volume,
"Hirukowashi" on August of 2009, will be a slapstick romantic comedy based on a novel spinoff from the
Higurashi Daybreak game, which is being ported to the PSP.
Studio DEEN will be adapating web manga
Hetalia - Axis Powers - a "cynical gag" story mainly recounts the era between World War I and World War II starring bishonen (cute guys)
Previews/TrailersKara no Kyoukai - the Garden of sinners - fiveWorld Destruction: Sekai Bokumetsu no RokuninSDCC ’08: DISNEY ANIMATION STORY PROCESS PANEL
Comicon.com's PULSE News covered the Disney Animation Story Process Panel, reporting on the collected wisdom of Paul Briggs (story artist, The Princess and the Frog), Nathan Greno (head of story, Bolt), Don Hall (head of story, The Princess and the Frog), Mark Kennedy (head of story, Rapunzel), Michael LaBash (story artist, Bolt), Joe Mateo (story artist, Bolt) and Josie Trinidad (story artist, The Princess and the Frog).Slightly later than 11 AM, the Disney Animation Story Process panel convened, as PAUL BRIGGS (story artist,
The Princess and the Frog), NATHAN GRENO (head of story, Bolt), DON HALL (head of story, The Princess and the Frog), MARK KENNEDY (head of story, Rapunzel), MICHAEL LaBASH (story artist, Bolt), JOE MATEO (story artist, Bolt) and JOSIE TRINIDAD (story artist, The Princess and the Frog), took their seats and introduced themselves. The artists told a packed house how they came to work in the Story Department at Disney feature animation. The stories were varied, but a few general tips can be gleaned from their stories: be able to draw, have a passion for it, don’t give up even if you have to labor for years in another industry… and go to Cal Arts. And be prepared when you get your shot. Today, they intimated, Disney even has a Talent Development internship program, which at least one panelist utilized to open the door to their current position.
The Panel then began their discussion of the process of how Disney storyboards their animated films – when they receive scripts from the film’s writers. Michael LaBash offered up that storyboarding is a distinct part of animation, and most people can’t realize how much planning, discussion and brainstorming occurs – and how many ideas get thrown out (and thrown back) – before the first drawing begins. The images that make it through are the results of an incredible amount of thought.
Nathan Greno noted that they start with their concept of what will be most entertaining to the audience, and then go beat by beat to figure out the movie. He and LaBash posited (and the panel agreed) that the best Story rooms are the ones where the artists can throw out any idea, no matter how bad or how unlikely, without worrying about the consequences, where they can argue for their concepts and ideas and fight for their points of view without anyone taking it personally. It’s important to be able to socialize and fight civilly, because everyone’s in that room to make the movie better.
Also crucial, said Greno, is the ability to keep an open mind, posing the example that
“let’s say we worked for a week on something, and then one person wakes up in the morning and says, “I don’t think that concept makes any sense. The healthy element in a good room, is that if you go against the room, you’ll either wind up changing your mind, or come away even more confident about your opinion and your vision.”Don Hall estimated that about 75% of what they draw never sees the light of day, and Mark Kennedy added that
“you might work for a long time on something, and then they come and say they’re going with another way. You need to be able to let go of stuff.” LaBash bolstered this, saying that while an artist might disagree with the rest of the other artists in the room, it’s not about winning or losing – it’s about making the idea better. And there are times, he assured the audience,
“when you’ll walk away and think you’re an idiot.” Greno agreed – you don’t always walk away happy, because the majority rules.
Bearing that in mind, Mateo observed that it’s important to keep one’s enthusiasm for the project and the idea – even if they cut it from the movie; Kennedy agreed, saying that, “we’ve all pitched horrible things over the course of days in the room; you have to love it or you’ll go nuts.” But Hall provided a crucial bit of perspective; “The good thing is, you get paid to draw pictures. No matter how bad it is, you still get to lock yourself in your room and draw pictures.”
Regarding the process of what happens when an individual artist gets to work, Greno said,
“you sit and work out what you want to do, and then you get your sequence and you need to think about how to draw it. We’ll think about it with the writers and they’ll write the pages, and you draw it; you have to not drop the ball.” LaBash elaborated, noting that a board artist, as they start to board things out, uses a blend of writing, photography and directing – and it’s important to understand all those disciplines – while also using your instincts.
“The amount of thought that goes into even a rough sketch, where you still have to show what a character is thinking in that moment, is deceptive.”As the panel was running behind, at this point they showed the audience the trailer for the upcoming Disney animated film, BOLT, the story of a dog who stars in a popular action TV show about a super-dog who regularly rescues his young girl owner from danger. The thing is that the eponymous hero dog doesn’t realize that it’s just a show. So when he thinks that she’s lost, the dog breaks out of his movie sound stage and embarks on a quest to rescue her. To that end, he captures a reluctant cat (cats play villain characters or extras in the show within the movie), and is joined willingly by a gung-ho hamster in a plastic exercise ball.
It looks hilarious, by the way.
Following the trailer, they demonstrated how the storyboarding process works for them by breaking down and building a scene, by showing a sequence from BOLT. The first decision that must be made is to assign their sequences, because everyone has different strengths; some are better at comedy; others are better with action. Kennedy took over the lead artist spot for the particular sequence, in which two cats – who are bit players on the show -- have a bit of fun at Bolt’s expense after hours, playing on his belief that the show is actually real life. After getting pages from the writers, Mark took a week to flesh things out before coming back with a finished sequence.
Kennedy presented the sequence as a series of story boards showing the scene that incorporated the points of view of the cats as well as the hero dog character, with dialog pasted beneath the pictures. He stressed that they keep making changes throughout the process, from start to finish; they repitch ideas over and over, eventually creating a “blueprint” for the animators. Kennedy then showed the audience the scene again as an animatic – (a sequence of drawings that nearly animate the movie, showing crucial facial expressions, camera angles, motions and action – this time accompanied by the dialog track recorded by the movie’s actors.
Unfortunately, due to a computer glitch, the sequence cut itself short, so the panel turned to take questions from the audience. The first question asked whether they prefer humor skills to action skills in the artists they might hire; the response was that mainly they look for the ability to convey character, point of view and pacing in a sequential series.
The second question wondered how the script-writing process melds with the story process and the art involved; the consensus was that the writers these board artists enjoy working with most, are egoless, and team-sports types, because they understand the collaborative nature of story-boarding – and because they’re not separate from the story art; “you’re editing the film before you make it.”
The final question wondered what they would suggest to someone looking to work on Story; Josie Trinidad finally chimed in, saying that while being a good draftsman is important, they mainly look for the ability to convey character; “your drawing will get better no matter what, but you need to draw quickly, roughly and clearly to convey the idea and the mood, and suggested that instead of an art class, that one observe people and watch movies – because story is everything – it’s acting, staging, directing, etc.”
As the panel broke up, Greno directed would-be artists to contact Disney’s Outreach program, which oversees a talent development program in a number of artistic and technical areas
SDCC2008: "Avatar" Panel ReportToon Zone sat in on the panel for Nickelodeon's
Avatar the Last Airbender, which was dominated by a screening of parts 3 and 4 of the
"Sozin's Comet" season finale. In attendance were show co-creators Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and director Joaquim Dos Santos. The panel was moderated by Roland Poindexter, VP Original Programming, Animation.
The screening received a standing ovation from the audience, and the panelists noted that 5.6 million people watched the last episode of
Avatar. They added that the series will be run in order on Nicktoons very soon, and stated that this is not the last time
Avatar will have a panel at Comic-Con. In response to a question, the creators confirmed that the skill learned from the lion turtle can be performed more than once.
They set out to make a show that they wanted to watch and worked for kids, teenagers and adults. The show was also always designed to be a trilogy.
They're working to get a soundtrack to the show released, but there's nothing confirmed yet.
An audience member asked if there was any truth to the rumor that they were signed for six seasons. Bryan confirmed this rumor was false, although there was a parody
"Book 4: Air" trailer shown that used badly animated fan art from the Internet.
An audience member asked if they would ever resolve where Zuko's mother is, and was told that they hope to some day.
The live-action movie is also to be a straight re-interpretation of Book 1.
From the Animation Guild Blog...The Family of Family Guy
I spent a generous portion of the day at Fox Animation on Wilshire. Most staff is back at work after the Writers Guild strike, but many were missing in action ...
"It's really quiet around here. Everybody is down at the Comic Con in San Diego" ...
Including the top brass.
... [Y]ou'll be thrilled to hear what they're doing with The Empire Strikes Back — it's called "Something, Something, Something Dark Side," executive producer Chris Sheridan jokingly revealed in the show's packed Friday afternoon panel at Comic-Con.
Flanked by Guy creator and star Seth MacFarlane, along with Seth Green (voice of Chris), Mike Henry (who spins off his own series, The Cleveland Show, next year), director Greg Colten, and producers Kara Vallow and Mike Henry, Sheridan was more forthcoming with Fox's take on the new Empire episode, than on the episode, itself. He read from a list of "notes" Fox executives gave the producers, offering guidance like, "Page 68: Han's comment at Lando that he is 'this close to going Michael Richards on your ass,' is in poor taste...." So what did the panel reveal? ...(That info is
here.)
The last couple of months, both
Family Guy and
American Dad artist have dropped pencils and paper and now use Cintiqs. One story boarder, still climbing the digital learning curve, asked how many studios were doing storyboards on computers now. I said "most of them."
Unlike a lot of cartoon studios, Fox Animation has long-term employment going on, since FG is good for two seasons, and
American Dad has a full-season order.
It's nice that somebody has more than four months of work.
SDCC: The Heroes Panel At the San Diego Comic-Con today, NBC previewed nearly all of the first episode of the third season for
"Heroes." SPOILER highlights follow:
Turn back now if you don't want to know! Still here? Here we go...
- The shooter of Nathan Petrelli from last season was revealed - Peter Petrelli from the future.
- Nathan is revived... and has a vision from God. Believing he's an angel on God's mission, he is set up to be some sort of religious zealot in subsequent episodes.
- Sylar corners Claire in her house. Despite hitting Sylar over the head and stabbing him, she's caught. In a scene that drew gasps and revulsion from the audience, we see Sylar probing her brain as she twitches on a table. Claire, who is conscious, asks, "Are you going to eat it?" Sylar responds, "Eat your brain? Claire, that's disgusting." He then steals her invulnerability, then puts her skull cap with the hair back on her head (to more groans). I think someone in the audience got sick after seeing the scene.
- Suresh develops a serum to give humans powers and injects himself, thus giving him super strength.
- Hiro takes over his father's company and discovers a secret formula in his father's safe... which is promptly stolen by a new speedster character. When Hiro travels to the future to see the results, he sees his future self confronting Ando over the formula... then Ando shocking him with a red bolt of electricity.
- HRG is shown in a prison cell while Nikki is shown as the mistress of a Governor.
- Parkman discovers Peter shot his brother, but Peter then zaps him into a far away desert.
There were a few more details and surprises, but I want to leave something for you to see in the episode! The cast came back out for a short Q&A. A couple of fans dressed as Samurai Hiro and a Sylar victim brought some good laughs to the enthusiastic crowd.
Final verdict?
"Heroes" Season 3 puts the show back on track and sets up a lot of fantastic storylines for the season.
SDCC2008: BET Animation Brings "Black Panther" and "Hannibal"At their panel this morning at the San Diego Comic Con, B.E.T. announced that they are making aggressive moves into TV animation. In attendance were Reginald Hudlin (president, B.E.T.), Denys Cowan (senior V.P., B.E.T. Animation), Cort Lane (Marvel Animation), and John Romita Jr. (Marvel Comics artist).
The Black Panther animated series will debut in early 2009, bringing the Marvel Comics superhero to television in his own series. The show was designed to bring John Romita Jr.’s style to life, and despite some slightly jerky animation, the violent teaser reel shown at the panel proved that the
Black Panther team at Titmouse was successful in creating what promises to be an interesting mature animated program.
Hannibal, debuting alongside
Black Panther, stars the vocal talents of Vin Diesel. Some gorgeous rough animation was shown, and the more finished footage looks to have fluid animation, great composition, and interesting use of color. There were beheadings during the clip, which fits in with the more adult flavor.
Lastly, audience members expressed pleasure with B.E.T.’s movement towards animation. When asked if they would air animated shows that feature multicultural casts, Reginald Hudlin replied “yes.”
Pixar’s UP teaser out nowThe first teaser for the Disney/Pixar’s upcoming feature film
UP is now online and can be watched at the
official UP site.
Up hits theatres on May 29, 2009.
"Delgo" named best feature film at Anima Mundi Rio de Janeiro's Anima Mundi, one of the world's largest and most prominent animation festivals, has given the long-awaited -- and long-delayed --
Delgo its highest award for best feature film.
Produced by Atlanta-based Fathom Studios,
Delgo was announced in 1998; production initially lasted from 2001 to 2006. Fathom initially expected to complete production by the end of 2002, but delays forced the studio to hire numerous outside contractors and consultants.
The all-star voice cast includes Anne Bancroft in her final film. Bancroft, who was given top billing as the voice of Sedessa, died of uterine cancer in June 2005. Melissa McBride served as a voice double for Bancroft in limited sequences after the star's death.
The final cut of
Delgo, a fantasy action-adventure of a world's struggle for unity, premiered at the Brazilian animation festival. Other cast members include Freddie Prinze, Jr., Jennifer Love Hewitt, Val Kilmer, Chris Kattan, Malcolm McDowell, Lou Gossett, Jr., Kelly Ripa, Michael Clarke Duncan, Eric Idle, Sally Kellerman and Burt Reynolds.
"After many years of development and production, it's exhilarating to have such a positive reception from audiences," said producer Marc F. Adler, who, with Jasin Maurer, directed the feature film.
"Seeing the reactions from festival attendees as they watched our film made all our hard work worthwhile."The computer-animated
Delgo was also selected by Annecy (France) and SICAF (Korea), the world's other two largest animation festivals. A wide domestic theatrical release will be announced shortly.
An audience of 100,000 viewers, rather than a festival jury, determines the award for best feature film.
"We believe it's important for film enthusiasts to decide on the winner rather than a panel of jurors or film critics," said Anima Mundi director Cesar Coelho.
"Everyone who watches the selected films has an opportunity to voice their opinion."Winning films at Anima Mundi were selected from thousands of submissions from over 70 countries. The 15-day festival ends today (Sunday, July 27).
In second place for best feature film was
Princess, by Anders Morgenthaler of Denmark. Third place went to American director Bill Plympton's
Idiots and Angels.
Dossie Re Bordosa by César Cabral took the first prize in two categories: best short subject and best Brazilian animaiton. It also won a special award, the Prêmio Aquisição Canal Brasil.
La Queue de la Souris, directed by Benjamin Renner of France, won first prize for best student film, as well as second prize for best short subject.
Humberto Avelar's
Seu Lobo won third prize in the categories of best children's animation and best Brazilian animation.
Other awards announced by Anima Mundi:
Best Short Subject 3.
Premier Voyage (Grégoire Sivan, France)
Best Student Film 2.
Oktapodi (Julien Bocabeille, François Xavier Chanioux, Olivier Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier and Emud Mokhberi, France)
3.
Maman Je T'Aime (Mickael Abensur, Antoine Collet and Damien Dell'omodarme, France)
Best Children's Animation 1.
Um Dia de Sol (Gil Alkabetz, Germany)
2.
A Maldição de Skull Rock (Ben Smith, United Kingdom)
Best Brazilian Animation 2.
Calango Lengo - Vida e Morte Sem Ver Agua (Fernando Miller)
Professional Jury Prizes Best Soundtrack KFJG Nº 5 (Alexei Alexeev, Hungary)
Best Script La Maison en Petits Cubes (Kunio Kato, Japan)
Best Art Direction Yours Truly (Osbert Parker, United Kingdom)
Best Animation Madame Tutli-Putli (Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, Canada)
Best Commissioned Film Sony Bravia
"Play-Doh" (Frank Budgen and Darren Walsh, United Kingdom)
Madcap Mecha Anime 'Gurren Lagann' on SCI FIJourney to the Surface and Beyond
Already available on home video (subtitled only, at present) from Bandai Entertainment is the action anime
Gurren Lagann, a frenetic journey to the surface, quite literally, by a group of the most unlikely heroes whose knack for the daring, trouble-making, and skimpy outfits make for one rather interesting ride. From the animation production studio that carved out some of the industry's most memorable titles (
Furi Kuri, Neon Genesis Evangelion), Gainax Studios'
Gurren Lagann is ready for its western television debut.
Having gained approval by many viewers for its fast-paced giant robot action and characters of an all too familiar quality,
Gurren Lagann begins with a subterranean society whose mythical adoration of the surface-world has left many of its residents fearful if not complacent of change.
Simon himself does his duty to drill throughout the caverns, excavating treasures for the underground culture and expanding the caves as is necessary. But one day, he comes upon something rather interesting, a key of some sort.
A close friend of Simon, Kamina has a bit of a rebellious gene in him. Claiming to have been to the surface when he was much younger, Kamina asserts a confidence about himself that attracts adventure-seeking Simon, a younger-brother of sorts to take up arms when a massive earthquake finds a beast of a giant robot to plunge through the village's ceiling. With the aid of a curvaceous stranger named Yoko (and her sniper rifle), and a key to mecha outfits of their own (as Simon would soon find out), the three step up to the challenge of first defending the underground city and later promising to quest to the surface world, where even more strange, dangerous, and unique twists await them.
Gurren Lagann is scheduled to land on SCI FI Channel in the forthcoming weeks, bringing Gainax's fast-paced, giant robot, action-comedy to fans familiar with such fare. Finding humor in the wildly impossible and seeking action through fluid mecha battles whose design and construction stretch the imagination,
Gurren Lagann is an anime with personality.
SCI FI Channel, having rededicated itself to Japanese animation programming, is looking to benefit from the program's combination of simple characters, organic visual design, and directorial flair.
Gurren Lagann hits the extended cable channel's Ani-Monday programming block today, Monday July 28th, 2008 at 11:00pm (ET).
A bi-lingual DVD release of
Gurren Lagann is tentatively scheduled for sometime late 2008, or more likely early in the 2009-year. Bandai Entertainment has intimated that it is quite possible for
Gurren Lagann to remain on-air on throughout the rest of the year. SCI FI Channel will treat the full-length animated television series as likely to air two episodes weekly, as such.
SDCC2008: "Ben 10 Alien Force" and "The Secret Saturdays" Panel ReportThe
"Ben 10: Alien Force and
The Secret Saturdays Sneak Peek" Panel yielded up lots of new information about the two new Cartoon Network shows. In attendance were
Alien Force producer Glen Murakami and story editor Dwayne McDuffie, along with voice actors Yuri Lowenthal, Ashley Johnson, Greg Cipes, and Dee Bradley Baker; creator Jay Stephens was also on hand to talk about
The Secret Saturdays.
On August 31, "Alien X" arrives. Alien X was described by Dwayne McDuffie as one of Ben’s most powerful alien forms, so much so that our hero fears using it. Unfortunately, an intergalactic kidnapping puts the Earth in such a pickle that the risk must be taken and Ben must use the time stopping Alien X to save the day. Additionally, a version of the bounty hunter "SixSix" will appear.
McDuffie also teased a ravenous audience that what the characters think to be the truth is not always so. Work on season two is over with and the third is next on their slate. Additionally, our opinions of the characters will change over the course of the season and into the next.
Another teased element were the secrets behind the alien transformation the Big Chill. The audience responded enthusiastically when it was mentioned that the story of Kevin's transformation back to normal in the null void may be told. McDuffie added that there is a very good reason why he does not use his absorption powers, which will be revealed eventually. Also, the revelation that Gwen is now an energy being may reveal some interesting story possibilities.
Finally, confirmation was given that we will see old and new Plumber kids in future episodes. It was also revealed that there will be no "filler" episodes; every episode will fit into the larger scheme of things.
The Secret Saturdays section of the panel was rather brief, limited to a screening of a clip and repetition of most of the information in the press releases. Some character designs were shown as well, with Stephens pointing out that the characters were based off of the shows in the 1960's, like
Jonny Quest and
The Herculoids.
SDCC '08 - Lionsgate/ Marvel 'Hulk vs. Wolverine' PanelNewsarama covered the Lionsgate/Marvel Hulk vs. Wolverine panel, where half of the upcoming DTV was screened for the audience, followed by a Q&A with supervising producer/co-writer Craig Kyle.
Marvel’s not releasing its
“Hulk Vs.” animated DVD feature until January, but the fans who filled the massive Hall H to two-thirds capacity got to see one half of the show in its entirety.
Supervising producer and co-writer of the film Craig Kyle introduced the screening of
“Hulk vs. Wolverine,” a 40-minute episode that will appear on the DVD along with a similar
“Hulk vs. Thor” feature.
The film begins much as Wolverine and Hulk’s very first comic book meeting did, with the Hulk landing in Canadian territory and the military sending Wolverine in to stop him. After a fairly long and bruising battle between the two, the story veers off into Wolverine’s back story with both characters being captured by the rogue Weapon X operation. As in the comics, Weapon X is headed up by The Professor, and Logan has a lengthy flashbacks that effectively recaps the original Barry Windsor-Smith comic story from Marvel Comics Presents #72-84.
When Logan comes to, he finds that Weapon X — whose agents now include Sabretooth, Omega Red, Lady Deathstrike, and Deadpool — is looking to reclaim him as an agent while making a weapon of the Hulk as well. After The Professor is killed, the story focuses on Logan escaping the personal vendettas of his foes and ending Weapon X’s operation with the help of the Hulk. The pic was packed with action, with fans enjoying the heavy action and, particularly, the very good one-liners from Deadpool.
After the screening, Kyle returned to the stage with the project’s producer and supervising director Frank Paur, co-writer Christopher Yost and voice actor Fred Tatasciore, who provided the voice of the Hulk in the film.
Kyle says he was glad to see a good response to the appearance of Deadpool, who hadn’t previously been confirmed as being in the film.
“These are the kind of films I think we should be making for you guys,” he says.
Tatasciore says the Hulk in this film, who speaks dialogue, is different from the one in
“Hulk vs. Thor,” which Kyle described as
“huge, ugly monsters destroying gods.” Tatasciore also says voicing the Hulk — a role he played in both
“Ultimate Avengers” animated features — forces him to get physical to get into character. “It’s a lot of fun, but it’s a difficult workout.” Tatasciore also played Jarvis in the
“Ultimate Avengers,” and will voice Beast on the upcoming
“Wolverine and the X-Men” animated TV series, which Kyle adds will feature its own Logan-Hulk battle in its first season.
The animation in the feature had a slightly different look from previous Marvel direct-to-DVD features, with designs by Jeff Matsuda. Again, the look will be quite different for
“Hulk vs. Thor.” “It’s really a David Lean approach for Thor and a David Fincher approach for Wolverine,” Kyle says.
Doing these projects on DVD allows them to be a little more violent than what can be done on TV, where the audience is younger and broadcast standards apply. The DVDs allow a lot more creative freedom in the writing, says Yost.
“Literally, the only (requirement) was that Hulk to be in it and Wolverine had to be in it,” he says.
He says he thinks
“Hulk vs. Wolverine” will contrast nicely with “Hulk vs. Thor.” “It was dark and gritty and ‘Hulk vs. Thor’ is almost the exact opposite,” Yost says.
“We really tried to capture the land of the gods and we tried to put the Hulk in the middle of that.”The idea for the Wolverine episode, Yost says, was to go for the big action comics fans love and to delve a bit into Wolverine’s history.
“Everything fans like about the comic book, we tried to put in there,” he says.
Paur says doing the DVDs allows the animation designs to vary from show to show.
“We can do some things that are not cost-conscious on a TV series.” The challenge of creating two different looks for this DVD was another pleasant change, he says.
Kyle says the lineup for Marvel’s upcoming animated DVD features continues with
“Next Avengers” in September; followed by
“Hulk vs.” in January; then
“Tales of Asgard,” featuring early tales of Thor; and an adaptation of the comic book story
“Planet Hulk.”Opening it up to questions, one fan said he loved Deadpool in the series and wanted to know if the character might get his own feature. Kyle replied they try to sneak in as much stuff like as they can — one sequence featured a nod to Kyle and Yost’s X-23 character — but it was up to fans to support the material by buying it.
He continued that he thinks there’s room for features aimed at younger audiences, such as
“Power Pack” or
“The New Mutants,” as well as titles for older viewers. But sales need to be there and people watching for free on the Internet undermines his efforts to get these made. “Show us you want this, and I will fight for you on our side.”
Your Weekly Linkfest
One more links festival of cartoony goodness:Animator and director Glen Keane
expounds on Disney Animation's
Rapunzel:.
"It's a story of the need for each person to become who they are supposed to be and for a parent to set them free so they can become that. It will be a musical and a comedy and have a lot of heart and sincerity ... There’s no photoreal hair. I want luscious hair, and we are inventing new ways of doing that. I want to bring the warmth and intuitive feel of hand-drawn to CGI.”Matt Groening and Seth McFarlane hold a
mutual admiration festival:
"Matt and I get along very well," MacFarlane said. "People want us to hate each other. We get along extremely well. He's a wonderful guy. Seriously." ...
"I wouldn't be sitting here if it wasn't for The Simpsons," MacFarlane said.And since we're heavy on
Family Guy information,
there's updates about the oncoming
Cleveland Show ...
... perhaps the biggest event coming up on Family Guy is Cleveland's exodus from Quahog. He'll end up losing his house to wife Loretta, then will move back to his hometown in Virginia and hook up with a new girlfriend who has a couple smart-talking kids of her own. MacFarlane described the new series as "the black Brady Bunch," and also promised that the character's new neighborhood will be filled with all sorts of memorable weirdos. Cleveland's new neighbors will include a stupid redneck, as well as a family of bears voiced by MacFarlane.And if you're in the vicinity of Los Angeles, you might want to visits
this exhibit at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:
The Academy’s new exhibition “Ink & Paint” highlights the work of numerous artists who have devoted decades of their lives to creating the characters, storyboards, color keys, backgrounds, layouts, cels and thousands of other process artworks that are needed to assemble a traditional animated film.
“Ink & Paint” also celebrates the artists whose genius spawned the screwball characters of Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes cartoons, the classic fairytale environments of Disney animated features and the Academy Award®-winning shorts of UPA, whose stylized look and simple lines approach modern art.The New York Times
weighs in on Comic Con (I doubt the gray lady would have noticed the Con even existed back in the El Cortez Hotel days ...)
Frank Miller, a revered figure in the comics world, explained how he found the temerity to direct a movie version of “The Spirit,” the signature work of an even more revered figure, Will Eisner.
“If I didn’t do it, somebody else was going to do it, and something very bad could happen,” Mr. Miller told about 6,500 listeners in one of the convention’s big halls ...
Brad Bird, who directed both “Ratatouille” and “The Incredibles” for Pixar Animation Studios, worked for years on his own version of “The Spirit” after leaving the California Institute of the Arts. Mr. Bird has said in the past that he thought the project best suited to hand-drawn animation, an approach very far from the live-action, computer-assisted, star-driven approach taken by Mr. Miller ...(Deadline Hollywood has ongoing posts of the Con extravaganza
here.)
And as Comic Con was going on in San Diego, animation was
being celebrated down in Brazil:
Anima Mundi, one of the largest and most prominent animation festivals in the world, awarded Delgo, the Best Animated Feature of the year.
An audience of 100,000 viewers, rather than a festival jury, determines the award for Best Feature Film. Anima Mundi director, Cesar Coelho, stated, “We believe it’s important for film enthusiasts to decide on the winner rather than a panel of jurors or film critics. Everyone who watches the selected films has an opportunity to voice their opinion.” ...We end with George Lucas (you've heard of him, right?)
waxing philosophic about the road(s) not chosen:
... “Right at the beginning, I wanted to be an illustrator. Then I wanted to go to art school, to an arts centre in Los Angeles. My father said, ‘No way - you are not going to be an artist. Artists don’t make any money, and I won’t pay for that.’ Knowing I was a lazy underachiever then, he knew I wasn’t going to pursue that seriously. It was hard, but I do believe that, in the end, if I had gone to the arts centre and started to be an illustrator, I would probably have drifted into animation, and would probably have moved into Star Wars, just like I did." ...
(thanks
Animation Guild Blog)
Terminator Salvation Previewed
McG, director of the upcoming franchise reboot film
Terminator Salvation, screened new footage for screaming fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 26, including new dialogue scenes between John Connor (Christian Bale) and a new character, Marcus (Sam Worthington).
Anyway, McG comes out to a stage already dominated by the above T-600 and paraded out names to appease the audience. He talked about speaking with James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the writer is Jonathan Nolan who co-wrote
The Dark Knight. Then he said Stan Winston’s designs are all over the movie. In essence…
“Please like it and don’t boo me.”Before the footage screened, McG offered a few bits of news: The film will be dedicated to late special-effects artist Stan Winston; it will be shot with an eye to an R rating; the T-800, as famously played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, will be
"part of the mythology of Terminator"; Howard's character, Kate (first played by Claire Danes), will be married to Bale's John. Later, in a news conference, McG offered that the film--the first of an envisioned trilogy--ends on a cliffhanger note.
The footage was screened before a panel that included most of the sequel film's cast, which included Australian actor Worthington, Moon Bloodgood, Anton Yelchin, Bryce Dallas Howard and Common.
He addressed the rating, and said there are only two people who would want the film to be PG-13 and they told him to make the picture and if it’s R-rated, it’s R-rated. There might be some wiggle room there.
Then he called Christian Bale’s cell… straight to voicemail and held it up, saying that he made a promise to Bale that if we didn’t cheer loud enough he wasn’t going to show any footage, so everybody screamed for Bale’s voicemail and the footage rolled.
The footage played very light… in that the aesthetic isn’t dark like in the flashbacks. This takes place a full 10 years before what we glimpse in
T1 and
T2 and the machines are in their early stages.
The first shot was a high shot, looking down at a crashed chopper, with Bale lying on the ground. He sits up, sees the T-600 crushed under the chopper (we later see him aim his gun down, like the still that was released, and put a single bullet in the head as the lights go out in its eyes) and try to raise someone on a CB. He gets someone and is asked “How many survivors?” “One,” he responds. “Repeat?” Then he says it sharper, louder: “One!”
He steps over a dead endoskeleton and walks into the deserty sunset.
We’re introduced to Worthington, who seems like a good guy, but there’s a later scene with him chained up and Bale looking him in the eye saying “You killed my father, you tried to kill my mother and you’re not going to kill me.” Maybe I’m not up on what’s current with the flick, but is Worthington a terminator?
Worthington sees a human shape in what looks like a broken down garden and calls out. It, of course, is a T-600 and shoots at him with machine guns attached underneath its arms. Worthington is tackled before he’s hit and Anton Yelchin sits up and says, “Come with me if you want to live,” with a smile.
By the way, there was a couple of interesting glimpses: One, a shadowed T-600 overlooking a pen filled with humans, like a concentration camp and the other was a closer look at a T-600 with his face looking skull-like... not metal endo-skeleton skull, but human skull... kinda like the original Giger alien. Maybe that was a trick of the light, but something was different... maybe it was just some of the "fake rubbery skin" that the early Terminators are supposed to have that I'm mistaking for a skull.
Then we got a lot of Road Warrior-ish chase scenes through a desert landscape, broken down cars… being chased by something we don’t see. The truck the humans use is a reinforced tow truck.
There’s a voice-over from, I assume, Bryce Dallas Howard, where she says “If you saved us once in another future you can save us in this one.”
One of the last shots was John Conner pinned to the ground, a close up as he screams out “YOU SON OF A BITCH!” and a Terminator hand comes into frame, looking like it’s going to touch his cheek. They cut to profile as it drags down his face as he screams. Is this the origin of the scar?
That’s pretty much the footage…
Afterward the footage screened, Howard summed things up for the more than 6,500 fans attending the panel presentation:
"I think MCG spoke so accurately when he said this really is a reinvention," she said, adding:
"We're starting over. ... It's after Judgment Day, and it's a completely different thing. I think what's been wonderful for all of us is we get to really invent what were creating, and a lot of that has to do with all of you, what you're asking for, what you're craving, and we really listen to that." Terminator Salvation is slated to open May 22, 2009.
Variety reports that Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea grossed $14.8 million over the three-day weekend of July 19-21 in Japan. Studio Ghibli’s last feature Tales from Earthsea had grossed $8.4 million in its opening frame in 2006. Ponyo’s opening box-office gross was 96.6 percent of the similar three-day holiday bow of Miyazaki’s Spirited Away in 2001. This also compares with $13.9 million for the opening weekend of Hayao Miyazaki’s previous film Howl’s Moving Castle in 2004.
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