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U.K.’s Puffin line (Penguin’s Children) has formed a partnership with Ireland’s acclaimed animation studio, Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Skunk Fu, and the upcoming feature Song of the Sea) and Northern Ireland’s children’s media producer Dog Ears (Miss Rosie Red), to co-produce Puffin Rock, a multi-platform brand which will feature a Puffin Rock animated TV series (39×7), and digital and traditional books.
Puffin Rock centers on a family of puffins, including a young puffling, Oona, and her little brother, Baba, as they explore the sea, land and sky around their island home. The puffins share the island with various creatures, including an elusive mermaid. The co-production partnership is part of a new wave acquisitions and partnerships that include Topsy and Tim, Hattie B, Magical Vet, Whale Trail, Moshi Monsters and Skylanders for the Penguin Children’s Group in the U.K.
San Francisco’s Curious Hat has introduced its latest app, Eye Paint Animals, which offers kids the opportunity to paint with the colors and textures of the real world. Founded last January, Curious Hat produces innovative educational mobile applications for iPhone, iPad & Android for kids (three to nine).
The Eye Paint app series offers children the unique opportunity to create amazing illustrations alongside world-renowned artists. Through exploration and ingenuity, children are able to add their own personal touch to a range of wacky illustrations and make them their own.
“This is a great way for kids (big ones too) to learn how the colors, textures and forms of their surroundings can be used to create the different colors, textures, and forms of a drawing. This is a truly inspired use of technology and design,” said Scott Singer, digital effects supervisor at Tippett Studio.
Eye Paint Animals features 20 original and humorous drawings from Italian artist Giorgio Cavazzano. Eye Paint Halloween, which features the work of Italian illustrator, Francesco Chiacchio (www.francescochiacchio.com) became available on the Apple App Store in October 2012 and is currently available for free. Further apps from the Eye Paint app series will be announced shortly, featuring the work of renowned artists from around the world, each bringing their own sense of style and culture.
Curious Hat is the brainchild of Luca Prasso and Erwan Maigret, both of whom are parents and tech industry pros who have worked on DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek series, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.
It’s a big Pixar week on the home entertainment front as the studio’s acclaimed summer hit Brave and its Short Films Collection Vol. 2 become available on Blu-ray and DVD this Tuesday (Nov. 11). Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, this lavishly animated feature centers on the red-haired Scottish Princess Merida who courageously sets out to save her mother from a terrible spell. While it garnered a 78% rating on Fresh Tomatoes (some critics found the pic to be too traditional and predictable), it went on to make over $534.4 million at the box office worldwide and is one of this year’s top Oscar contenders.
The Blu-ray disc features commentary by director Mark Andrews, co-director Steve Purcell, story supervisor Brian Larsen, and editor Nick Smith, the short films La Luna and The Legend of Mor’Du, and eight behind-the-scenes featurettes that (total of 50 minutes). The extras include four extended scenes, an alternate opening, and a few other minor featurettes. The 3-disc collectors Blu-ray/DVD can be yours for about $20 on amazon, while the DVD is priced at $15 on the site. The five-disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition, which includes the 3-D version, Blu-ray, DVD and digital copy sets you back about $30.
Also on our must-have list this week is the Pixar Short Films Collection 2. This lovely anthology features shorts that are continuations of some of the Pixar features such as Your Friend The Rat (Ratatouille), BURN-E (WALL.E), Dug’s Special Mission and George & A.J. (Up), Hawaiian Vacation and Small Fry (Toy Story) and Time Travel Mater (Cars 2) as well as stand-alone festival favorites such as Partly Cloudy and the Oscar-nominated Day and Night, La Luna and Presto. The release also features audio commentary and student films by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Pete Docter. The Blu-ray is priced at about $28 on amazon, while the DVD can be yours for $20.
Canada’s 9 Story Entertainment has announced that CiTV U.K. has renewed the hit animated kids comedy series Almost Naked Animals (52 x 22) for a third season. The 2D-animated show which is produced and distributed by 9 Story was recently nominated for a BAFTA Kids’ Vote Award.
The series blends irreverent comedy with a strangely lovable assortment of free-spirited undies-clad animals, who run a beach-front hotel like kids at a summer camp and do their best to make each day more fun than the last. The crew is lead by top dog and hotel manager Howie, who has the attention span of an 11-year-old in a videogame arcade.
Almost Naked Animals has been chosen as one of People Magazine’s top kids shows to watch, and can be seen in the U.S. on Cartoon Network and in Canada on YTV and VRAK, in addition to leading international channels including ABC Australia, Disney Channels in Italy, India, Latin America, Spain and Portugal, NPO’s Z@pp/Zeppelin in the Netherlands, Super RTL Germany, Canal+ Family, Nogal Isreal, RTE Ireland, DR TV Denmark, and Teletoon+. The series’ licensing program includes home entertainment, toys and apparel, an online game, e-commerce store and social networking partnerships. Learn more at www.9story.com.
Back by popular demand, U.S. distributor of international animated films GKIDS is returning to New York’s IFC Center for another five week run of its retrospective on Japan’s Studio Ghibli features. Fifteen films from 1984 to 2009 will make their encore appearance from November 16 to December 20. The premiere run in 2011 broke box office records and became the most successful series to ever run at the IFC.
Highlights of the five week program include Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro and Castle in the Sky. The films will be shown in both the subtitled and English dubbed versions. Additionally, the retrospective will include week-long theatrical runs of Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (beginning Nov. 16) and Kiki’s Delivery Service (Nov. 23).
GKIDS signed a theatrical distribution agreement with Studio Ghibli for its animated features library in 2011. This summer, GKIDS secured a license agreement to release the studio’s latest film From Up on Poppy Hill—including theatrical, non-theatrical, home video and TV rights. Poppy Hill will be released in the U.S. on March 15, 2013, following an Academy Award and Annie Awards qualifying run. The newest Ghibli feature was directed by Goro Miyazaki from a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki and was the top-grossing Japanese film of 2011.
For a complete list of films and show times and to buy advance tickets, visit www.gkids.com.
Ever wondered how Adult Swim’s popular Moral Orel character developed his religious beliefs? Well, you’ll be able to learn more about this interesting stop-motion character’s early days and the birth of his brother Shapey in a new special, slated for a November 19th premiere at 12:30 a.m. (and repeats on Wednesday and Friday of the same week).
Created by Dino Stamatopoulos, (Mary Shelley’s Frankenhole, Mr. Show), Moral Orel first aired on Adult Swim from Dec. 2005 to Dec. 2008. Described as Davey and Goliath meets South Park, the stop-motion show poked fun at the religious Sunday morning children’s shows and was never afraid of taking risks and exploring darker themes.
Stamatopoulos’ Starburns Industries handles the animation for the special, Beforel Orel, which is exec produced by Stamatopoulos, James Fino, Duke Johnson, Joe Russo and produced by Rosa Tran. Scott Adsit, Jay Johnston, Carolyn Lawrence, Britta Phillips, William Salyers and Joe Unger provide the voices in the prequel.
DQ Entertainment International has announced an exclusive deal with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to broadcast two of the studio’s 3D animated series, Iron Man: Armored Adventures season 2 and Casper’s Scare School season 2. The deal allows ABC exclusive broadcasting rights across Australia for both shows.
ABC is Australia’s national public broadcaster that provides television, radio and online services throughout the country as well as overseas through the Australia Network and Radio Australia. Iron Man: Armored Adventures is co-produced by DQE, Marvel Animation and Method Animation; Casper’s Scare School is co-produced by DQE, Moonscoop and Classic Media.
A fresh crop of talent providing voices for the upcoming Lego 3D animated film, slated for a February 7, 2014 release, has been announced. The Hollywood Reporter notes that Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman and Alison Brie have signed on for the Warner Bros./Village Roadshow flick.
The Lego movie also stars Chris Pratt, Will Arnett, Elizabeth Banks and Morgan Freeman. Pratt stars as Emmet, a regular minifigure mistakenly identified as the key to saving the world and drafted into a quest to stop an evil tyrant, the production companies revealed. Ferrell will play President Business, a CEO trying to balance his plans for world domination and everyday life. Neeson is a henchman called Bad Cop. Offerman voices a revenge-seeking pirate, while Brie will be a member of Emmet’s world-saving team who holds ‘a powerful secret.’
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs helmers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are directing the film from a screenplay they wrote, with story help from Dan Hageman and Kevin Hageman. Dan Lin and Roy Lee are producing.
(top left to bottom right) Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman and Alison Brie
U.S. kids have a new children’s programming platform this week as Hulu debuts its kids and families portal Hulu Kids (www.hulu.com/kids) in its Hulu Plus subscription section. At launch, the Hulu Kids section features 43 shows—including commercial-free series episodes from Nickelodeon as well as series from PBS and Lionsgate.
Hulu Plus subscribers can click on Hulu Kids and the Shows You Watch section for where they can browse through categories like Dino Time, featuring episodes of Barney, Dinosaur Train, and Cartoon Favorites for series such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Arthur, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Legend of Korra, Wild Kratts, Thomas & Friends, Martha Speaks, Robot and Monster and Caillou. Users can also select by channel, by age (K2-4, K5-7, K8-10), or on a grid format. The service also offers live-action fare such as iCarly, Victorious, Biz Kids and House of Anubis. Netflix also launched its own Just For Kids service on iPad in October.
More than 36 new animated projects from producers in Australia, Malaysia, Korea and Singapore will be presented at the first annual Asian Animation Summit (AAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 10 & 11. This new event is designed to stimulate co-production and co-financing by showcasing these early-stage concepts to an audience of potential co-producers, broadcasters, distributors and investors from Asia and also the international market.
Among the shows that are listed as partially financed—have raised 15% of their budgets and are looking for further financing—are:
Circus Show – Studio Gale (Korea)
DuniaEicak (The World of Eicak) – Addeen Multimedia (Malaysia)
Exchange Student Zero – Cartoon Network Asia Pacific
Fantastic Forest – Chocolate Liberation Front (Australia)
Harry & Bunny Show – Animasia Studio (Malaysia)
Herb & Ray’s Yum – Sticky Pictures (Australia)
KEMY (Season 2) – GNG Entertainment (Korea)
Oddbods – One Animation (Singapore)
Origanimals – Giggle Garage (Malaysia)
PadaZamanDahulu (Once Upon a Time): Season 3 – Les Copaque Productions (Malaysia)
If you’re looking add some Bikini Bottom melodies to your usual holiday soundtracks, you’re in luck. Nickelodeon and Sony Music Entertainment are offering It’s a SpongeBob Christmas! Album, a new release featuring 11 tracks of original holiday-themed music, featuring four songs from the upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants special It’s A SpongeBob Christmas!
Included in the release are “Santa Has His Eye On Me” and the timeless Bikini Bottom classic, “Don’t Be a Jerk (It’s Christmas),” as well as seven brand new compositions co-written by Tom Kenny (voice of SpongeBob) and Andy Paley (Blondie, Brian Wilson, The Ramones). The album is currently available for digital download from online retailers.
The complete track listing for It’s a SpongeBob Christmas! Album is as follows:
It’s A SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas!
Don’t Be a Jerk (It’s Christmas)
Christmas Eve Jitters
Santa Won’t Let You Down
Snowflakes
Pretty Ribbons And Bows
Wet, Wet Christmas
Ho, Ho Hoedown
Christmas Is Mine
Hot Fruitcake
Santa Has His Eye On Me
A Holiday Message From SpongeBob SquarePants
It’s A SpongeBob Christmas! premieres on Nickelodeon Sunday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT), featuring John Goodman as Santa Claus. In the stop-motion special, inspired by the Rankin/Bass specials (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town), Plankton turns everyone in Bikini Bottom from nice to naughty by feeding them his special jerktonium-laced fruitcake – all in an effort to get his Christmas wish, the Krabby Patty formula.
Pioneering voice actress Lucille Bliss passed away on Thursday Night (Nov. 8), per Cartoon Brew. She was best known for voicing TV’s first cartoon character, Crusader Rabbit (1949), as well as her memorable parts as Anastasia in Disney’s Cinderella (1959), Smurfette in Hanna-Barbera’s The Smurfs and Miss Bitters on Nickelodeon’s Invader Zim.
Born on March 31, 1916 in New York City, Bliss moved to San Francisco in the 1950s and played Auntie Lou, the hostess of The Happy Birthday To You Show, a live local children’s TV show on KRON-TV. She began working for Hanna-Barbera and voiced Tuffy in Robin Hoodwinked (1958) Leprechaun in MGM’s Droopy Leprechaun and Hugo on an episode of The Flintstones. She also voiced characters in Don Bluth’s The Secret of Nimh (1982), Avatar: The Last Airbender (2004) and Fox/Blue Sky’s Robots (2005).
“Smurfette felt so real to me because I created her voice, so I could feel her emotions,” she told Gary Rutkowski in a 2005 interview. “It may sound strange but it’s true. We have to think like the character and it takes over. That’s what I tell my students, too. You must lose yourself if you want to be successful in animation and be the character.”
For more on the life and times of the late actress, visit this interview in The Archive of American TV website:
If you’ve been dying to check out some of the hard-to-see, indie international features vying for the Oscar race this year, you’d better find some time to go to Burbank this week. New York-based indie distributor GKIDS will bring nine of its acclaimed animated features to Los Angeles for special screenings, Nov. 14-18. In conjunction with Burbank Animation Week and the CTN Animation Expo, the features will play at the Laemmle NoHo 7 and AMC Burbank 16 theaters.
Among the films scheduled for the week are Goro Miyazaki’s From Up on Poppy Hill, Jean-Francois Laguionie’s The Painting (Le Tableau), Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux’s The Rabbi’s Cat (in 3D) and Remi Benzancon and Jean-Christophe Lie’s Zarafa—all of which are competing for the Best Animated Feature and Annie Award consideration. The showcase will also feature a sneak preview of A Letter to Momo and a surprise feature, which GKIDS plans to qualify for the 2013 awards season. Rounding out the lineup are previous GKIDS Oscar nominees The Secret of Kells, A Cat in Paris and Chico & Rita. GKIDS principals Eric Beckman and David Jesteadt will also be on hand to introduce the Films. GKIDS recently received Animation Magazine’s 2012 Distributor of the Year Award at the World Animation Feature and VFX Summit in Marina del Rey.
Here is the full schedule:
The Rabbi’s Cat
Wednesday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. (AMC Burbank 16)
The Painting
Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. (Laemmle NoHo 7)
Several of this year’s Oscar contenders discuss their biggest challenges, triumphs, inspirations and the state of animation in a very good year.
Peter Lord – Director, The Pirates! Band of Misfits
On the aspect of the movie he’s proudest of: I’m pleased about the spirit of the film. The attitude and the way the movie approaches life is very joyous. It seems like it has a great energy and sense of fun.
The inspiration: We had a meeting going over new ideas for movies and Gideon Defoe’s book was lying on the table, among other things. It was a short book and was easy to glance through. I read the first six pages and found it to be a work which really wants to entertain you. It grabs you by the lapels and engages your attention, and I wanted to share that with the viewing public.
First time I knew I wanted to work in animation: When I first saw Yogi Bear on TV, I thought it was pretty fantastic. I also loved Ray Harryhausen’s movies like Jason and the Argonauts. I thought what he was doing was pretty miraculous. I felt the same way kids felt about Star Wars 20 years later. I thought that’s how films should always be. I wanted to work in the business when I was 15. I experimented with animation. At first, it was absolutely terrifying to move things around. But once you have that experience of creating life yourself, it’s a very impactful. Once I saw what I could do, I was completely hooked!
Favorite animated character: Yogi Bear. I also love Rocky and Bullwinkle. I think Buzz Lightyear is a brilliant character. Miyazaki’s Totoro is beautiful and very influential as well. I also loved a kids’ show on the BBC called The Clangers. It was primitive animation, but it was quite smart and funny.
Favorite movies of all time: My Neighbor Totoro is right up there, because the world that Miyazaki created is truly magical—although that word is used a lot in animation. I love the fact that there’s gentleness, but it’s also exciting, mysterious and borderline scary and ultimately, it’s life affirming. I’m a sucker for that. Lots of people try to be life affirming and they pour on tons of saccharine but this is the genuine item. It’s deeply felt. Miyazaki gets the magic of childhood in a way that’s both realistic and idealistic. In live action, I saw Back to the Future again the other day and it’s really a fantastic movie. Having come up with such a high concept idea and then handling it with such wit is both complicated and simple. I also love The Shawshank Redemption and The Big Lebowski.
On the state of animation in 2012: It’s been amazing, really, compared to when we got in the feature business in 1996 with Chicken Run. So many studios are capable of producing astonishing animated movies. The fact that we can expect to see three really good animated movies in a year is quite amazing. I will confess that I’m slightly scared that there are so many movies being produced. I hope that we don’t kill the goose that lays the golden egg. I do hope that we can make other kinds of animated movies, films that don’t just target the family audience.
Best and worst advice I got: Somebody from Disney—I can’t remember who it was because it was so long ago—told me that you could never make a stop-frame feature film. That was long ago, in the early 1990s—that was the worst advice. I got the best advice from my dad, who sat me down and told me to trust my luck. Keep an open mind and don’t be anxious. Keep your faith and don’t close things down. Something great will come up.
Mark Andrews – Director, Brave
Proudest of: For me, Pixar has been a place of innovation—both in terms of animation technology and the types of stories they tell. As Brave is one of our darker stories, I’m proud of that fact that the studio continues to push the envelope by putting out a movie like this. Judging from the audience response, I think they are ready for more out of animation.
The biggest challenge: The story is always the hardest part. You have to make it compelling and create an intimate experience for the audience. There are lots of plates spinning in Brave and to make everything work out and get into the world of all the characters that is a feat.
How I got into animation: I was hired to work in animation back in 1993. I went to CalArts because it was the only school that I could go to get a degree and draw. Then after graduating, I found myself working in animation.
Favorite animated characters/movies: Most of my faves come out of Japanese anime. I appreciated what Disney was, but I loved Captain Harlock, Rick Hunter from Robotech, G-Force, Gatchaman, Kimba the White Lion; Porco Rosso is my favorite Miyazaki character. Of course, I also loved Jonny Quest and most of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons from the ’70s Saturday morning lineup. Akira and John Huston’s The Man Who Would Be King are two favorite movies.
On the state of animation today: I think animation is ready for a push. The boundaries between live action, CG special effects and animated films are vanishing. Animation needs to broaden its just-for-kids mentality. We need to focus on different types of stories that we can be telling. It’s a huge market and that blurred line is soon going to be erased entirely.
Best advice: It came from Jeff Lynch, head of story on Iron Giant. He told me that without integrity you don’t have anything. You need to approach your work with a sense of integrity, because they can’t argue with that. They can’t take that from you, no matter what situation you’re in.
Katherine Sarafian – Producer, Brave
Proudest of: Our filmmakers and crew and the fact that we didn’t shy away from the intensity and the scary parts of the movie. We didn’t back down from that level of passion. The films that influenced us were pretty scary, and we were influenced by them. We are here to inspire audiences and to offer life lessons.
The biggest challenge: In animation, you’re really making a movie in slow motion. It’s a long, painstaking process, and no matter how dedicated the team is, it’s important to keep everyone excited day after day. Keeping everyone energized is a good challenge to have.
How I got into animation: I was a graduate student in critical studies at UCLA Film School. One day we had a speaker from Pixar who showed us short films like Luxo Jr. and Tin Toy and talked about the craft. Luxo totally rocked my world. Since I was interested in both technology and art, it was a perfect mash-up for me, so I sent them my resume!
Favorite characters/movies: I loved all the Disney villains—especially Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. She scared the bejeezus out of me, but everything about her—the way she moved, the flames of her cloak…those were what nightmares and dreams are made of and that’s what stays with you all your life. Better Off Dead is one of my favorite live-action movies—a teenage angst movie that was funny and had heart.
On the state of animation today: We are at a turning point and we’re about to get over the hump. In the U.S., we mostly use animation in family films. It’s important for the public to realize that animation is a medium, not a genre. You can do anything you want to do in animation. We need to bring more diversity to the type of stories that we can tell through animation.
Best advice: It was Steve Jobs…I remember I was wobbling about how to approach a situation. He said, just tell the story the way it happened because the truth is easier to remember. It was the best approach. John Lasseter always says, make it insanely great. He taught me on Toy Story 2 not to focus on doing a lot of things, but try and do one thing well. That applies to Pixar’s method of making one movie a year, but make it the best thing you can make. We put six years into making Brave, but we tried to make it as best as we could.
Worst advice: On the job that I had before Pixar, I had to go through every shot in the movie and write down all the details about each shot. A woman I was working with told me, “You know, you are really underemployed. Nobody is going to look at what you’re writing.” That really hurt my feelings because I’d spent two weeks on the data. But she was wrong, because when you’re in a production, you do whatever it takes. When I became a producer, I knew that we needed to explore every aspect of the research. Everyone at Pixar feels an ownership of the movie. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to be doing what we’re doing at the studio.
Tim Burton – Director, Frankenweenie
Inspirations: If you’re lucky enough to have a pet that you love, it connects right to your heart. I was lucky enough to have a special pet that I had that kind of relationship with. The movie gets to explore kids’ politics and the way kids are with each other, and weird teachers and things. The kids in the movie were also inspired by the ones I went to school with.
Proudest of: We wanted to show the stop-motion in the movie. When we did Corpse Bride, the puppets were so good that a lot of people thought it was computer animation. So we just went back and did a little bit low-tech, so that you really feel the stop-motion animation. When you see the details and everything, it’s really beautiful. It’s its own art form.
On the magic of stop-motion: As much as you can do anything with technology today, there is just something about going back to the simplicity of stop-motion and the excitement of seeing someone move it, and then you see it come to life. It’s just very magical.
On the Academy Awards: I grew up on movies like Dr. Phibes that were not Academy Award-contending movies. It’s not something that I’ve got to win. It’s like getting into film—I didn’t say early on, “I’m going to become a filmmaker,” “I’m going to show my work at MoMA.” When you start to think those things, you’re in trouble. Surprises are good. They become rarer and rarer as you go on. But anything like that is special. I’m not Woody Allen yet. [The last quote an excerpt from a recent article in The New York Times.]
Genndy Tartakovsky – Director, Hotel Transylvania
On the process: My goal was to make sure the movie had a broad, comedic tone—alone the lines of the sensibilities of the classic animation masters like Bob Clampett, Tex Avery and Chuck Jones. I really wanted to prove to the world and to myself that we can both be funny and physical in a CG-animated movie. You can call it the cross-breeding of two worlds. My visual language is very old school—’50s and ’70s-era animation. That cinematic language translated very nicely to the 3D world.
On his fondness for 2D: I love drawing, and I’ll always love watching real drawings on the screen. But I’m definitely liking mixing things up and enjoying it more than I thought I would.
On the state of the toon business: I am very critical when I look at the animated movie scene. I feel that CG has homogenized everything. All the movies are in danger of looking the same way, and it’s hard to tell who did what. What’s missing in animated movies is a singular voice. Of course, that’s also missing in the live-action world. You want to see that purity of vision, so that you can say, “Oh, that’s a Hitchcock movie.” In animation, people like Brad Bird or Pete Docter are the exceptions. That rarely happens in animation. I want to make a movie that people can say, “Oh, that’s a Genndy movie.”
Good advice: “There are several important lessons to learn in this business, one is to approach situations with a good sense of humor. Be absolutely confident in your vision and point of view. They hire you because of your point of view…Keep drawing and don’t give up.”
Mireille Soria – Producer, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Proudest of: I’m happy we made a movie that people say makes them laugh and feel good. We could all use a good laugh.
Inspiration: Friendship, laughter and a travel bug.
State of the animation business: Better than the live-action business.
Best and worst advice: Be yourself … and be yourself.
Chris Renaud – Director, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Favorite moments: My favorite moment of The Lorax is the song sung by the Once-ler called “How Bad Can I Be.” It had a graphic flair that was reminiscent of, and heavily inspired by, the illustrations of Dr. Seuss. It also captured the tone of the movie and clearly illustrated why music was an important storytelling element for us. The Lorax is essentially a very somber tale, but music with an ironic, comedic twist allows you to deliver a serious message in an entertaining package.
Career beginnings: I originally wanted to work in comic books for Marvel and DC. While I always enjoyed animated films and television, it wasn’t until I began work on a show called The Book of Pooh that I was hooked. It was a real-time virtual set (sort of like a game engine) with live-action puppet characters. It wasn’t true animation, but you could sense the storytelling possibilities that were emerging from digital technology.
Favorite animated characters/movies: I have always loved the Warner Bros. classic cartoons starring Bugs Bunny et al. However, my favorite character of the group must be Daffy Duck. His ability to balance indignation, hurt feelings and putting his beak back on after an explosion is still unparalleled. For favorite movie, I realize that this is a completely boring and overused answer in some ways, but I would have to say the original Star Wars. It had such a profound impact on my little 10-year-old brain that continues to this day. For that reason, it’s hard for me to give that title to any other film I’ve ever seen. And, I still collect Star Wars action figures, so that must mean something…
On the state of the toon business: The market is getting more sophisticated, but certain films still tend to work better than others with a broad audience. As we get more films made, there may be more animated movies that struggle at the box office. It used to be that if you made an animated film, you would automatically have some sort of financial success. I don’t think that’s true anymore. Audiences now have so many choices, in and out of the theater, that everyone has to fight for their attention.
Best advice: I have been fortunate enough to have received great advice from many people along the way in both my career and in life. Relating to the animation industry specifically, Carlos Saldanha (director of the Ice Age films and Rio) once told me that animation could improve a scene by 50% but not 100%. Basically, he was referring to the importance of the story reel. If the movie is working as a bunch of drawings, you’re probably on the right track.
Chris Meledandri – Producer, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Proudest of: There was a significant challenge in taking a story with such important and relevant thematic elements and executing what Theodor Geisel did so well, which was presenting the story in a way that is highly engaging, dazzling in its imagination, and which leaves one feeling inspired by the content. With Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, I’m proud of how we tackled such a demanding challenge. We brought back the Despicable Me team, comprised of Chris Renaud and his crew of designers, art directors and animators, and collectively they’ve crafted a film that is visually spectacular in scope, movement, color and texture. In terms of story, we adapted a short book into a feature length film with a strategic focus on memorable characters, which allows the comedy and emotion to stem from the personality of these characters.
Inspiration: Like so many others, I was raised on the works of Dr. Seuss, and when I became a parent myself, I revisited them with my own children. This multi-generational experience of interacting with this singular storyteller has had a profound impact on my interest in his work and his legacy. I had been fortunate enough to work on Dr. Seuss’s Horton Hears a Who! and formed a deep bond with Audrey Geisel, Ted Geisel’s widow. After Horton, we had always talked about doing another film. Audrey actually came to me, and asked if I would consider making a film of The Lorax, and her interest in it certainly ignited my own. In re-reading Geisel’s book, it was obvious to me that the material was even more relevant today.
Career beginnings: It’s ironic that I ended up making animated films, mainly because growing up, animated and family films were not the ones my own parents chose to watch. They would much rather have me sit down to watch Touch of Evil as opposed to Bambi. But this early exposure to a broad range of storytelling and genres had great impact on my appreciation and understanding of story, character and comedy. I began my career in live action, but have since found that I enjoy the creative opportunity that exists quite specifically in animation between words and visuals. I find that the artists’ involvement in the creation of the story is quite dynamic. As a producer, and one who so greatly enjoys being deeply involved in all aspect of the process, animation allows me a level of engagement that I find truly satisfying and invigorating. Favorite animated character/movies: Gru from Despicable Me. Animated movie: Spirited Away; live Action: Moonrise Kingdom.
On the state of the toon business: On the business side, the animation industry is following the path of many other industries—advances in technology are making global access to new opportunities (both for artists and production facilities) not only feasible, but also highly desirable. But, animation is at root still a storytelling industry with a specific visual edge—therefore the storytelling and visual components and the time, care and effort necessary to execute these elements to the highest standards will continue to remain the same. If anything, a growing demand for cleverer, wittier and frame-breaking content that still has heart and real imagination will only increase with audience demand. Therefore the challenge will continue to be one of finding excellent stories and pairing them with the right talent to imagine and execute that creative vision.
Best advice I got: While working on the film Anastasia, the ending just was not coming together as I wanted. There wasn’t enough heart; it was lacking an emotional pull and just didn’t resonate the way I had hoped. So I asked Oscar-winning screenwriter Alvin Sargent (the Spider-Man series, Ordinary People, Julia, Paper Moon) to take a look at the last scene of the film. And his conclusion was that nothing could be done because one cannot manufacture heart in only one scene; rather it needs to be built throughout from beginning to end. That piece of wisdom has been an enormous influence on how I approach character and story.
Allison Abbate – Producer, Frankenweenie
Proudest of: This is a hard question to answer because I am so proud of everything and everyone on this film. I cry more during the credits then during the film because I can see how much heart and soul everyone put into every frame of the film. But one of the things that really stands out to me is the quality of the animation and the contribution of the animation director Trey Thomas. He worked so well and so closely with Tim [Burton, director] and really understood the nuances that Tim was looking for and I think it shows through in the animation. Most of our team of animators were not the most experienced and Trey gave each of them exactly what they needed to do their best work. He pushed them to be more confident, held their hands when they were overwhelmed and gave them all the guidance they needed to make sure that every frame of Tim’s vision made it to the screen.
Knew I wanted to work in animation when: I started in animation by accident, really. I had just moved to L.A. and I got a temp job helping out on Little Mermaid at Disney. They were crewing up for their next project, the Rescuers Down Under, and asked me to help, so I did. It was a really exciting time to be in animation because it was right when the appetite for animation really got big. There were so few of us in production at that time so you were really able to get an understanding of every aspect of the film. After that I went up to San Francisco to work with Henry Selick on Nightmare Before Christmas and I really caught the stop-motion bug. Ever since then, there’s been no looking back.
Favorite animated character/movies: I love so many characters but my favorite has to be Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas. From the first day I started and found them storing her sculpt in my office for safekeeping, I knew she and I would get along. She is the heart and soul of that film, and Catherine O’Hara’s sweet voice singing her song is one of my favorite animated movie moments.
Movies:My list goes from Citizen Kane to City Slickers so I can’t definitively distill it down to one but here is at least one that stands out: When I was a child my parents loved old movies and sometimes my siblings and I would be woken at midnight to come down and share an old “Fred and Ginger” classic. My dad would tape them on a cassette player so we knew if we were quiet and didn’t ruin the recording we could dance and sing to them ourselves the next day. Those nights were so exciting and magical so I’m going to say for the sake of this questionnaire, Top Hat is one of my favorites.
On the animation scene in 2012: I think the animation business has never been more interesting or varied. I am so happy that there is an appetite for all sorts of animated films. Twenty years ago, if you weren’t associated with a big studio it was hard to get an audience for your film. And if you were associated with a big studio, you were forced to make big blockbusters and be a slave to the distribution machine. I’ve done my last three movies with big studios but was able to create beautiful and artful auteur pieces that were totally driven by the creative direction. By keeping the budgets low, you have much more creative autonomy and the pressure for huge box office numbers doesn’t drive the filmmaking process. There is definitely a market for all sorts of interesting and different films and I think the future of animation seems very bright.
Best advice: When I became an APM on Rescuers Down Under, the amazing producer Kathleen Gavin once had to admonish me for not letting anything go and for not trusting in the PAs that were working in my department. She told me to remember that “sometimes, if you’re doing it, then you are doing it wrong.” She showed me that if you surround yourself with great people and trust them to do what they are great at, you will all be more productive, creative and happy. It is still hard letting go, but I often think of her wise words and in almost every instance, I have been rewarded ten-fold.
Sam Fell – Director, ParaNorman
Proudest of: Happy that our movie looks so fantastic—we pushed the craft. I’m proud that creatively and thematically we had conviction.
Inspirations: I was inspired by many amazing directors; John Carpenter, John Hughes, Steven Spielberg, Mario Bava, Sam Raimi, George A. Romero and David Gordon Green.
I knew I wanted to work in animation when: In the ’80s, I discovered Jan Svankmajer. Inspired by him, I got a film camera and made my own animated surrealist short film in my basement. As soon as I got the film back from the lab, I was smitten!
Favorites: Animated character is Buzz Lightyear; favorite movie is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
On the state of the toon business in 2012: Nothing really changes—funny is money!
Best and worst advice ever received: Best: Don’t panic. Worst: Good things come to those who wait.
Chris Butler – Writer and director, ParaNorman
Proudest of the fact that: This may seem like a cheat answer, because it’s not very specific, but bear with me and I’ll explain. I’m proud that the movie got made, looking the way it did, told the way it’s told and being exactly what I intended it to be. See it from my point of view… I had an idea for a movie, which was a little “out there” and probably way too irreverent for most animation studios, and I wrote it, and not only did a studio want to make it, but they allowed me to be the only writer, and they also asked me to direct it, and I did, and it turned out great. How many people can say they’ve had that experience? It’s literally a dream come true. So I’m proud of the whole thing, and one of my happiest moments must have been sitting in Travis’ [Knight, CEO of LAIKA] office when he gave me the green light.
Inspiration: Two things, really: The movie was partly inspired by me being a kid (who didn’t really fit in, and hated school, and had a stupid haircut), and also all the movies I watched during that time. Movies that I enjoyed over and over again and secretly aspired to make one day. Movies like The Goonies, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Poltergeist, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, other movies with the word “dead” in the title. There’s a whole heap of personal nostalgia in this project.
Wanted to work in animation: As early as I can remember. I believe I was about six or seven when I first had the idea of drawing storyboards for a living.
Favorite animated characters: That’s difficult. Madame Medusa (TheRescuers), or Stromboli (Pinocchio), or Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty). Or maybe the saber toothed tiger in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.
Favorite movie of all time: Again very difficult, but if I think of a movie that makes me nearly wet myself with glee every time I watch it, it’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
State of the animation business in 2012: It actually seems pretty healthy from a feature point of view. I love that more movies are happening now; when I first started in the industry the landscape was decidedly bare. And it’s great that there are a lot of projects that are tonally very different. I really hope that continues. There’s no reason we should all be making the same kind of movie. When the Western world fully acknowledges that animation is not a genre, I’ll be happy.
Best and worst advice ever received: Best advice was, “Be different.” Worst advice was, “Directing animation isn’t about building friendships.”
Jean-François Laguionie – Director and co-writer, The Painting (Le Tableau)
Proudest of: Since I am unable to choose a section of the film that I prefer (screenplay, set design, animation, directing, editing, musical direction, etc.), I believe that I’ve succeeded with my film. It’s the first time that this has happened to me…! It’s also the reason why I have a particular fondness for the artists and technicians that made this film with me.
The inspiration: The script is from an original story by Anik Le Ray, and it was love at first sight. Talking about painting and creating a metaphor about the theme of difference and of creation is a respectable and ambitious idea. I have done everything to respect it.
My first time: I made my first film when I was 23 years old as an attempt at something new. I intended to work in set design for theater but to me, animation seemed one of the richest forms of artistic expression that existed. I have not let go of the camera since.
Favorite animated character: Betty Boop, the first sexy character.
Favorite movie: Le Petit Soldat (The Little Soldier) by Paul Grimault. This film made me discover that animation can be pure poetry and address people of all ages.
On the animation business in 2012: Animation is, first and foremost, an art. It can also be a business because it takes a long time to make and it can be expensive. But animation always has to have a poetic or philosophical ambition. We see today that the general public is not only responsive to adventure films, but that they know how to appreciate the quality of an emotion or a generous idea. Some recent films, from all countries and not only for children, have shown us this.
Best and worst advice received: The worst advice that I was given was to surrender myself completely to digital. I did not follow this advice… The best advice that I received was to look at others at length…before drawing.
Joann Sfar – Director, Producer, Writer, The Rabbi’s Cat
Proudest of: I’m very happy to be able to talk about religion in an ironic way, but without offending those who are believers. I am delighted to be able to talk about my memories of a world where Jews and Muslims live side by side without being unrealistically optimistic. It seems to me that stories like The Rabbi’s Cat can help start a discussion. There is a Utopian aspect to my story and my greatest happiness comes from meeting children, Jewish or Muslim, who talk to me about “the cat.”
Inspirations: My father’s side of the family are Arabic-speaking Algerian Jews, whose interactions are an inexhaustible source of drama, humor and reflection. The cat is my actual cat—he is on my desk at the moment as I speak to you. The Rabbi’s daughter resembles my grandmother, Esther Malka. Malka of the Lions is one my great uncles who was a lion tamer in the Atlas Mountains.
Career beginnings: I’m a comic-book artist. Animation was a great discovery. I took the path of animation, above all, to share my message with a wider audience. I wanted to give “the cat” an opportunity to go and talk to families. Cinema was the best medium for this story, which is about tolerance.
Favorite animated characters/movies: I like Betty Boop and all the characters from Fleischer Studios—Popeye as well. My favorite animated films are Robin Hood and 101 Dalmatians from Disney. I am a huge fan of that classical period from Disney when they did their drawings in pencil. I love Ken Anderson’s watercolors and Mary Blair’s gouaches.
On the state of animation business: It’s… interesting. The Lorax and Despicable Me proved that we can make animation here in France with the American standard. Films like ParaNorman or the works of Aardman Animations show the curiosity of the public for different techniques beyond CGI. And… can I be honest? The two best studios in the world, DreamWorks and Pixar, are in a transition period where they are obliged to invent new things so they don’t repeat the same film all the time. More than ever, even in its business aspects, animation needs inventiveness and artists. I’m very curious to find out what will happen in the coming years.
Best and worst advice given: The worst advice: “This has nothing to do with comics.” In fact, it has everything to do with comics. The best advice: “An animated film develops exactly the same way as a live-action film.” An animated film does develop exactly the same way as a live-action film!
John Kahrs – Director, Paperman
Proudest of: I’m most excited about how the final product exceeds my expectations in every way, and this is not because of me, but because of the incredible team I had helping me.
Inspiration: The brief, chance connections with strangers I would make during my commute to work in New York City when I was just starting my career.
Early beginnings: At age 10, when my mom scolded me for making too many flipbooks down the sides of her paperback novels.
Favorite animated character: That’s tough…A toss-up between B’rer Fox from Song of the South and the robot from Ghibli’s Laputa, for the purity of how they move and act.
Favorite movie: I’m going to approach this from a “lost on a desert island” perspective: It’s a Wonderful Life.
On the state of animation: There’s a lot of work out there, an explosion of CG films. We’re now at perhaps a over a dozen CG features, annually. But 20 years from now, what films will be truly great? I hope there are a few that stand tall amongst films such as Totoro and The Man Who Planted Trees.
Best and worst advice heard: Best? Brad bird: “Take the time to explain yourself properly, to make sure it’s right, even if they’re pressuring you to make a decision. If comes back wrong, that’s on YOU, man!”Worst? Me: Every time I say to myself, “I’ll do it later.”
Rich Moore – Director, Wreck-It Ralph
Inspirations: I’d been working in television for a long time. After you’ve directed a hugely popular network show like The Simpsons, you wonder where you are going to end up after that. I had felt the way Ralph does, because he begins to think, “Am I going to wreck a building for the rest of my life?” And I felt like, wow, maybe this is what my life is all about. I just work in TV animation and go from one project to another. Maybe that’s all there is? So there’s definitely a real-life aspect to this story. It explores the possibility that you can move from one environment to another and find yourself in a larger, different world.
Challenges: One of the biggest challenges for us was that each world had to feel authentic and match the gaming universe they represented. The movie also had to feel homogeneous as a whole. We had to remind the team that these 8-bit characters move and act differently from the characters in the first-person shooter world. Part of our job was to celebrate the differences between the three main gaming worlds the story unfolds against.
Sticking with the Story: We had to put aside the fact that our story was set in the world of videogames and really concentrate on the story. We didn’t want to give in to the temptation of just taking the easy route and just playing with the gaming aspects of the projects. The heavy lifting part of the job was to craft a story worth telling with characters that we really cared about. The world is quite rich and will provide this great texture, but our job was to create something that would resonate even if you weren’t familiar with these games. After we did that, the whole thing started to synthesize naturally, without us trying to shoehorn a story in this specific universe.
The Disney tradition: Our feature was CG, but it really felt like that classic Glen Keane era of 2D animation. I inherited what was already established at the studio. The relationship he forged with the 3D animators and the insights he instilled was vital. He would sit at a Cintiq as shots played and would do 2D drawings over the animation. It was an easier fit than you might think…we all speak the same language.
Features vs. series: TV shows and movies are more similar than you would think. I applied the same principles on The Simpsons and Futurama and Wreck-It Ralph. I think the mechanics are the same, but in movies, you are looking at a profound shift in the point of view of the characters. There was a real emphasis in establishing that character arc for Ralph, although he’s going through a series of episodic events. I think the audience will expect comedy and action. They’ll expect state-of-the-art animation and spectacle. But I think they’ll be surprised by how much heart the movie has and how much they’re going to love these characters!
Is it just us or is the Best Animated Features race shaping up to be one of the more exciting categories of the award season once again? With the possibility of five nomination spots opening up to the top contenders (which is triggered when more than 16 titles qualify in this Oscar category), toon watchers will have more options to root for their favorite big studio releases and smaller indie dark horses. So who will win the hearts and minds of the animation branch this year—a certain courageous Scottish princess, Santa and his team of childhood avengers, the blood-sucking denizens of a Romanian hotel, an 8-bit bad guy with a heart of gold, a ’60s-era Japanese high school girl, or a brave little boy with a talent to see the dead? Take a look at our list of contenders to find out which movies have the odds in their favor.
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Feature Film:
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax
Studio:
Illumination Mac Guff
Directors:
Chris Renaud, Kyle Balda
Distributor:
Universal Pictures
Release Date:
March 2
Box Office:
$338.9 million [$214 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
54%
Synopsis:
The CG animated update of Theodor Geisel’s environmentally minded children’s classic stars Zac Efron as a young boy named Ted bent on saving the disappearing Trufula Trees, Taylor Swift as the girl of his dreams, Danny DeVito as the gruff yet cuddly Lorax, Ed Helms as the mysterious Once-ler, Rob Riggle as the mayor and Betty White as Ted’s grandma.
The Buzz:
It’s always a challenge to adapt a well loved picture book as a feature effort; despite the artistic wizardry of French studio Mac Guff and the box office response, critics seemed underwhelmed by the updated Lorax.
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Feature Film:
The Pirates! Band of Misfits
Studios:
Aardman Animations, Sony Pictures Animation
Director:
Peter Lord
Distributor:
Columbia Pictures
Release Date:
April 27
Box Office:
$121.6 million [$31 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
86%
Synopsis:
This mad-cap seafaring adventure stars Hugh Grant as Pirate Captain, who in the course of vying for the Pirate of the Year contest gets tangled up with the likes of Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton), Charles Darwin (David Tennant) and other characters. The excellent cast also includes Martin Freeman, Jeremy Piven, Salma Hayek, Brian Blessed, Brendan Gleeson and even Al Roker as the Pirate Who Likes Sunsets and Kittens.
The Buzz:
Co-directed by Jeff Newitt and based on the popular books by Gideon Defoe, Pirates was a tour de force of richly detailed stop-motion animation and Brit humor—but after the mania over Oscar winner Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Aardman might have trouble filling its own sizeable shoes.
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Feature Film:
Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted
Studio:
DreamWorks Animation
Directors:
Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
Distributor:
Paramount Pictures
Release Date:
June 8
Box Office:
$638.8 million [$216.1 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
78%
Synopsis:
In the zoosters’ latest escapade, a faulty getaway with the "help" of the penguins finds the critters joining up with a European traveling circus, all the while evading capture by Monaco’s most dogged Animal Control Officer, Chantal DuBois (Frances McDormand). Franchise cast including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Sacha Baron Cohen return along with newcomers Bryan Cranston, Jessica Chastain and Martin Short as their circus pals.
The Buzz:
While the third outing performed very well at the box-office and entertained family audiences, so far none of the franchise’s films have made the final Oscar cut—then again, the popular zoo pals may be overdue in the Academy’s eyes.
Brave
Feature Film:
Brave
Studio:
Disney-Pixar
Directors:
Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Distributor:
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date:
June 22
Box Office:
$515.7 million [$233.8 million domestic]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
77%
Synopsis:
As princess of an ancient Scottish kingdom, Merida (Kelly Macdonald) struggles against the expectations of her parents and her plans for her life. When she takes her destiny into her own hands, it threatens the safety of the kingdom as well as those she loves most. The pedigreed cast also includes Billy Connolly and Emma Thompson as the king and queen, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd and Craig Ferguson.
The Buzz:
Pixar’s first fairytale sought to break the mold with its strong-willed female protagonist as well as forge new ground in stunningly detailed CG animation; despite accomplishing this, some critics felt Brave lacked the originality of prior Pixar films.
Ice Age: Continental Drift
Feature Film:
Ice Age: Continental Drift
Studio:
Blue Sky Studios
Directors:
Steve Martino, Mike Thurmeier
Distributor:
20th Century Fox
Release Date:
July 13
Box Office:
$849.9 million [$159.2 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
38%
Synopsis:
The fourth installment of the Ice Age saga sees the herd separated by shifting continents, pestered by pirates and desperately trying to reunite families amid the chaos and finding a new home (and a new girlfriend for Diego). Key cast Ray Romano, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Chris Wedge and Keke Palmer are joined by Jennifer Lopez, Peter Dinklage, Wanda Sykes, Drake, Aziz Ansari, Nicki Minaj and more to round out the cool ensemble.
The Buzz:
Despite being the highest-grossing toon of the year (so far) and cracking up audiences, the 3-D CG sequel effort seemed to critics to recycle too much from the previous films; it’s unclear whether the franchise is overdue for a nod or if the first film’s nomination was its best shot.
ParaNorman
Feature Film:
ParaNorman
Studio:
LAIKA
Directors:
Sam Fell, Chris Butler
Distributor:
Focus Features
Release Date:
August 17
Box Office:
$86.5 million [$54.1 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
87%
Synopsis:
Norman is an outcast kid shunned by his schoolmates for his strange ability to talk to ghosts. But when an ancient curse unleashes a horde of zombies on his small town of Blithe Hollow, it’s up to him to set things right. Kodi Smitt-McPhee stars with Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Elaine Stritch, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Bernard Hill and John Goodman.
The Buzz:
LAIKA’s second feature effort, ParaNorman‘s original story (penned by Butler) and lovingly hand-crafted stop-motion impressed the critics … except certain conservative outlets who found fault with a reference to a character’s homosexuality in a kid flick—but we like to think (hope?) the Academy is less stuffy.
Hotel Transylvania
Feature Film:
Hotel Transylvania
Studio:
Sony Pictures Animation
Director:
Genndy Tartakovsky
Distributor:
Columbia Pictures
Release Date:
September 28
Box Office:
$57.7 million [$49.6 million]
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
45%
Synopsis:
Dracula (Adam Sandler) runs a luxury resort for classic monsters (werewolves, mummies, zombies and the like) and is busy preparing for his daughter Mavis’ (Selena Gomez) 118th birthday. As the gruesome guests are set to arrive, a normal human named Jonathan (Andy Samberg) stumbles onto the hotel and takes a shine to Mavis, much to Drac’s chagrin. The comedic cast is filled out by Kevin James, Cee Lo Green, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Fran Drescher and Jon Lovitz.
The Buzz:
Toon fans were keen to check out Tartakovsky’s first feature effort and enjoyed the colorful, cartoony vibe of this kids’ comedy; but the long and tumultuous production may have added to critics’ sense that the plot seemed a bit too familiar.
Frankenweenie
Feature Film:
Frankenweenie
Studio:
Tim Burton Productions
Director:
Tim Burton
Distributor:
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date:
October 5
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
85%
Synopsis:
When young Victor is inspired to reanimate the body of his beloved dog, Sparky, his classmates follow suit and unleash a chaotic plague of strange creatures on the town of New Holland. Based on Burton’s 1984 live-action short, the film features the voices of Charlie Tahan, Catherina O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Atticus Shaffer, Christopher Lee, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell, James Hiroyuki Liao and Tom Kenny.
The Buzz:
With a disappointing opening weekend B.O. (lagging behind Hotel Transylvania, which was in its second week), Disney’s gamble on Burton’s quirky éclat seemed wobbly; critics however praised the artistry of the black-and-white stop-motion film as well as its oddball story—hey, how much did Spirited Away make on its U.S. debut?
Wreck-It Ralph
Feature Film:
Wreck-It Ralph
Studio:
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Director:
Rich Moore
Distributor:
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date:
November 2
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
John C. Reilly stars as a disgruntled 8-bit game villain who sets out on a journey across the various videogames in his arcade to prove that he has what it takes to be a hero. The 3-D CG flick also stars Sarah Silverman as Vanellope, a glitchy but cute racing game character; Jack McBrayer as the hero of Ralph’s game Fix-It Felix, Jr.; and Jane Lynch as Sgt. Calhoun, star of an FPS game.
The Buzz:
Disneyphiles and gamers alike are psyched to check out Ralph, which will feature cameos from popular game characters; first glimpses reveal a sweeping variety of characters and worlds expertly animated——but only time will tell if this departure from the Disney canon will please the Academy.
Rise of the Guardians
Feature Film:
Rise of the Guardians
Studio:
DreamWorks Animation
Director:
Peter Ramsey
Distributor:
Paramount Pictures
Release Date:
November 21
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
This colorful, action-packed adaptation of William Joyce’s popular book stars Chris Pine as Jack Frost, who joines up with North (Santa Claus, Alec Baldwin), Bunnymund (Easter Bunny, Hugh Jackman), Tooth (Tooth Fairy, Isla Fisher) and Sandy (Sandman) to restore the faith of children around the world and defeat the wicked Pitch (Jude Law).
The Buzz:
William Joyce picked up an Oscar for co-directing the short The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore this year, so it will be fun to see how DreamWorks Animation fares with this imaginative take on the characters he created. The visually stunning movie has already received an early nod from the Hollywood Film Festival as Best Animated Feature of 2012, so chances are the movie will do much better than previous Joyce adaptations Meet the Robinsons (Disney) and Robots (Fox/Blue Sky).
The Painting
Feature Film:
The Painting
Studios:
Blue Spirit/Be-Films
Director:
Jean-François Laguionie
Distributor:
GKIDS
Release Date:
TBA
Box Office:
$183,700 (approx. USD value of French B.O., per AlloCiné)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
Set in the world of a 1930s artist’s atelier, three races of painted beings—the completed Alldunns, partially done Halfies and roughly rendered Sketchies—battle each other for supremacy. Ramo an Alldunn and Claire, the Halfie he loves, join up with inquisitive Lola on a quest to find the artist and discover why he created these contentious races.
The Buzz:
Critics responded favorably to this inventive, beautifully crafted tale from Laguionie and co-scripter Anik Le Ray (Eleanor’s Secret) on both sides of the pond—it’s a blessing and a potential curse for Painting that 2012 has been such a strong year for foreign animated features.
From Up on Poppy Hill
Feature Film:
From Up on Poppy Hill
Studio:
Studio Ghibli
Director:
Goro Miyazaki
Distributor:
GKIDS
Release Date:
TBA
Box Office:
$56 million (approx. USD value of Japanese B.O., per Variety)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
Set in 1960s Yokohama, the film follows two high school students who undertake to restore an historic building and save it from demolition, all the while unraveling the mystery of their own connected past. GKIDS has tapped Gillian Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Dern, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Chris Noth, Aubrey Plaza, Anton Yelchin, Beau Bridges, Sarah Bolger, Jeff Dunham, Isabelle Fuhrman, Emily Osment, Charles Saxton and Alex Wolff as the English language voice cast.
The Buzz:
With the pro revamp team of director Gary Rydstrom, writer Karey Kirkpatrick and exec producer Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy (all of Arrietty fame) on the case, audiences can expect a fluid translation of this heartfelt teen adventure—but though the Academy loves Ghibli, Goro’s (son of Hayao Miyazaki) last feature effort was a B.O. and critical disappointment.
Zarafa
Feature Film:
Zarafa
Studios:
Prima Linea Productions
Directors:
Rémi Bezançon, Jean-Christophe Lie
Distributor:
GKIDS
Release Date:
TBA
Box Office:
$1.7 million (approx. USD value of French B.O., per AlloCiné)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
This expansive film takes viewers on a journey from Sudan to Paris as 10-year-old Maki pursues his beloved pet giraffe Zarafa, who is en route to France as a gift to Charles X from the Pasha of Egypt. Through Alexandria, Marseille and the snow Alps the duo encounter many adventures and odd characters in this charming story of true friendship.
The Buzz:
Zarafa has won over festival audiences around the word with its impeccably French 2D artistry and sweet sentimentality—although some have raised their hackles over inaccuracies about the fate of the legendary giraffe; it’ll be up to Academy members to decide whether the art of fiction wins out over the complexities of history when GKIDS launches its qualifying run.
The Rabbi’s Cat
Feature Film:
The Rabbi’s Cat
Studio:
Autochenille Productions
Directors:
Joann Sfar, Antoine Delesvaux
Distributor:
GKIDS
Release Date:
TBA
Box Office:
$552,416 (approx. USD value of French B.O., per AlloCiné)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
Based on Sfar’s award-winning comic series, the film centers on a cat living in 1920s Algeria who gains the ability to speak after swallowing a parrot and expresses his desire to convert to Judaism to his Rabbi owner.
The Buzz:
While critics have been universally won over by the colorful 2D animation, some were less enchanted by the storytelling in the film translation—but after nabbing the top Annecy Cristal, it’s still a strong contender for Oscar nomination.
A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman
Feature Film:
A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman
Studios:
Bill and Ben Prod., EPIX
Directors:
Bill Jones, Ben Timlett, Jeff Simpson
Distributor:
Brainstorm Media
Release Date:
November 2
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
Based on Chapman’s fictitious 1980 autobiography, the film is a mélange of real and completely untrue events from the Brit comedian’s life. Former Python cohorts John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam provide voices, adding to recordings of Chapman reading from the book made shortly before his death in 1989.
The Buzz:
Python fans are eager to see how this independent project will turn out, and animation aficionados are piqued by the format which will combine animated “chapters” crafted by over a dozen studios—but has “Project Chapman 3D” generated enough buzz to lure in Academy voters at the end of the year?
The Secret of the Wings
Feature Film:
The Secret of the Wings
Studio:
DisneyToon Studios
Directors:
Peggy Holmes, Roberts Gannaway
Distributor:
Disney
Release Date:
September 3 [Limited]
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
The fourth film in Disney’s popular Tinkerbell home movie franchise sees Tink (Mae Whitman) venture into the forbidden world of the Winter Woods and discovering a mysterious secret about fairies’ wings. Lucy Hale, Lucy Liu, Angela Bartys, Raven-Symone, Megan Hilty, Pamela Adlon, Anjelica Huston, Timothy Dalton and Grey DeLisle star.
The Buzz:
While the fairies do gangbusters with their young target home audience, they haven’t managed to conjure up an Academy nod—although Disney may have pushed a theatrical release in part to raise the number of qualifiers, and thus nominees, like they tried with Great Fairy Rescue in 2010.
Arjun: The Warrior Prince
Feature Film:
Arjun: The Warrior Prince
Studios:
UTV Motion Pictures, Disney
Director:
Arnab Chaudhuri
Distributor:
Walt Disney Pictures
Release Date:
May 25, September 3 [Limited]
Box Office:
$19,267 (approx. USD value of Indian B.O., per BollywoodTrade)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
Taken from the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, the film explores the early life of legendary warrior Arjun, his training, the family rivalries for the crown that drive him into exile with his brother and his eventual triumph.
The Buzz:
Indian critics widely acknowledged Arjun, with its intriguing CG/toon-shaded animation style, was a big leap forward for the country’s toon industry and it’s been snapped up by festivals—but with such strong competition it might not make much of an impact Stateside.
The Mystical Laws
Feature Film:
The Mystical Laws
Studio:
IRH Press
Director:
Isamu Imakake
Distributor:
ELEVEN ARTS
Release Date:
October 5, 2012
Box Office:
$7,408,190 (approx. USD value of Japanese B.O., per Box Office Mojo)
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
In the near future, the newly formed Godom Empire is threatening to take over the world by using advanced technology offered to them by Leika Chan, the mysterious female president of a trading company. The film’s hero, Sho Shishimaru, is the one man who has the “mystical technology” that can stop the Godom Empire. After being hunted down by the Empire, Sho is saved by mysterious Indians monks, who tell him about a prophecy about the rebirth of Buddha. Based on the book by Ryuho Okawa, the founder of the controversial religious organization Happy Science (Kōfuku no Kagaku).
Zambezia
Feature Film:
Zambezia
Studio:
Triggerfish
Director:
Wayne Thornley
Distributor:
Sony Pictures
Release Date:
June 5, 2012
Box Office:
TBA
Rotten Tomatoes Rating:
TBA
Synopsis:
On the edge of a majestic waterfall, in the heart of Africa, lies the amazing bird city of Zambezia, led by wise and battle-tested Sekhuru (Leonard Nimoy). Our young falcon hero Kai (Jeremy Suarez) leaves his remote outpost against his Father’s (Samuel L. Jackson) wishes to join the prestigious Hurricane defense flyers fiercely trained by Ajax (Jeff Goldblum) to patrol the skies keeping Zambezia safe. Kai’s father goes after him but is captured as the scheming iguana lizard Budzo (Jim Cummings) conspires to attack the sanctuary. Kai and soulmate Zoe (Abigail Breslin) will need to gather all their flying skills along with a big dose of diplomacy to save the city from Budzo’s deadly plot.
How Junkyard’s director Hisko Hulsing created one of the most powerful and acclaimed animated shorts of the year.
While it’s customary for big studios to release their hard-hitting, dramatic features during the fall season, animation artists who create short-form content can deliver the goods all year round. One of this year’s most effective and celebrated shorts, Dutch artist Hisko Hulsing’s Junkyard, first began to grab the attention of festivalgoers at the Annecy festival in June. The powerful 17-minute project, which won the Best Dramatic Narrative award at the prestigious Ottawa International Animation Festival last month, centers on a fatal stabbing by a junkie and touches upon a youthful friendship destroyed by drugs. Let’s just say that it’s not the kind of happy, shiny eye candy we’re used to seeing from Disney and Pixar.
Hulsing, who also directed the acclaimed 2003 short Seventeen, says he came up with the idea for Junkyard simply by tapping to his own past.
“I realized that there was a lot of drama in the history of many of the friendships of my youth,” he says. “Some of them grew up under bad circumstances, got abandoned and started their criminal careers at a very young age. In retrospect, it almost seemed inevitable that they would end up that way. I combined that with my own bad experiences of smoking pot at a very young age, and that’s how I came up with a tight story that is loosely based on all those elements.”
Hisko Hulsing
Inspired by such diverse works as 19th century Dutch paintings, the richly painted backgrounds of Disney’s Bambi and Roman Polanski’s films from the ’70s, Hulsing and his team began production on the short in 2007.
The animation process was anything but simple. Hulsing created clay heads for all the characters at the different ages they are depicted in the film. Then, he filmed them from all sides and then animated “brushes” in TVPaint as a reference for the drawn animation.
“We did this so I could focus directly on the characters’ expressions instead of spending lots of time on construction,” explains the gifted director. “For the bodies, we used live-action footage that I’d shot with some young actors. A lot of it was rotoscoped, but our lead animator Stefan Vermeulen and I had to exaggerate their movements frequently. We used digital pencil in TVPaint.”
Junkyard
The other elements such as cars, mopeds and trains were animated by 3D animators from Polder Animation. They projected Hulsing’s oil paintings on the animation to ensure a unity in style. Effects like fire, smoke, water and rain were all hand-drawn by the studio’s hard-working team of interns. Hulsing also painted 130 backgrounds, and to match the character animation with these backgrounds, he painted the shadows of all the characters on them with a special digital water-color brush he created in TVPaint.
Another key component of Junkyard is its haunting, otherworldly music. Believe it or not, Hulsing also composed and arranged the music for an 18-piece orchestra.
“We recorded and overdubbed it, so that it sounds like a full symphony orchestra,” he notes. “Thomas Bloch came all the way from Paris to Amsterdam to record his strange water instruments like the crystal Baschet, the waterphone and the glass harmonica.”
Junkyard
It’s interesting to point out that Hulsing actually came to be such an innovative animator by happenstance. He was studying art and painting at the Art Academy of Rotterdam, while his brother was focusing on illustration and cartoons. When they found out about an animation course at school, they took so that he could paint the backgrounds and his brother could focus on the characters.
“That plan never materialized, but the moment I began to work in animation, I was hooked,” he recalls. “There were so many different possibilities. Of course, when I started on my own film, of course, it consumed all my time, and that was the end of my painting career!”
Regardless of the technical superiority and painterly qualities of the film, Hulsing says his biggest challenge was making the story work.
Junkyard
“It was a very complicated film to make and I tried to succeed on every technical level. I would have been disappointed if people would come up to me after seeing the film and just say, ‘Well done!’ because I really want to touch people with my film and take them on a trip.”
To make sure he was making all the right choices, Hulsing ask eight intelligent people whose opinions he requested to view the short and comment on it on a regular basis.
“I wrote down all their comments and noted the areas where they overlapped. That way I could see what was working and what was not, and how to fix it. They were my safety net.”
Junkyard
Hulsing says he’s proudest of the fact that the film has had a strong impact on many audiences.
“It seems to be a film that sticks with people, and that’s a great thing to hear, because a lot of films are forgotten immediately after you watch them, even when they are good. I’m also proud of the fact that the film is sort of a feature film, compressed in 18 minutes, while it feels like it’s only 10 minutes long.“
When asked to name his animation and artistic heroes, Hulsing he’s had different role models at different points his life. However, he does single out Walt Disney for classic movies like Bambi, Ralph Bakshi for Heavy Traffic, Hayao Miyazaki for Spirited Away and “Bill Plympton for his inspiration and advice to independent animators.” Outside the animation world, he cites classic films by Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, Sidney Lumet, music by Shostakovich and Elmer Bernstein, and the paintings of Vermeer and Caravaggio.
Junkyard
When it comes time to offer a few words of advice for animators who want to make an impact with their work, he says,
“I don’t know what it takes to do very well in business. But the advice I can give people who want to become good filmmakers is to watch as many films as possible and try and analyze them. Also, you have to get acquainted with all technical aspects of making animated films—from storytelling, storyboarding and animating to sound effects, music, editing, etc. That’s the best way to become successful artistically. The money part—I don’t know much about!”
Yes, it’s that time of the year when we begin to feel that gnawing sense of panic, reminding us that the holidays will be with us in less than a couple of months. If you’re looking for a few solid gift ideas for that talented animator or toon fan in your life, you have arrived at the right place. We’ve searched high and low to find a few special items that will hopefully seal your status as a thoughtful friend or relative during this stressful time of the year. Let’s just hope they don’t return the favor with a brick-hard fruitcake or a copy of the new Olivia Newton John and John Travolta Christmas CD!
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection Volume 2
We don’t know a single animation fan who wouldn’t want to to spend at least part of their holidays with Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Tweety and the rest of the hilarious Looney Tunes gang. That’s why the new Platinum Collection from Warner Bros. Home Ent. is such a perfect gift. Featuring 50 digitally remastered shorts by Bob Clampett, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Robert McKimson and Friz Freleng, this hot new release is available both on DVD ($26.99) and Blu-ray ($44.98) and includes a cool cartoon guide with rare images compiled by none other than animation historian Jerry Beck. The first disc showcases core characters (i.e. Bugs, Tweety, Daffy, etc.), while the second one zeroes in on one-shot classics like Cecil Turtle, Beaky Buzzard and A. Flea. The package also includes three Oscar-nominated shorts AWild Hare, Tabasco Road and Mexicali Shmoes. Die-hard fans will especially love the third disc (only available on the Blu-ray version), which is packed with special featurettes, expert commentaries and alternative audio tracks, as well as excellent docs about Freleng and Avery. We could easily skip all the holiday releases and stay home and watch these timeless toons over and over again!
I Say, I Say…Son! A Tribute to Legendary Animators Bob, Chuck and Tom McKimson
I Say, I Say…Son! A Tribute to Legendary Animators Bob, Chuck and Tom McKimson By Robert McKimson Jr. [Santa Monica Press, $45]
The McKimson brothers have played such a big role in the history of animation that it’s hard to believe that this is the first book on their life and accomplishments. Penned by Robert, the son of Bob McKimson, who created such influential characters as Foghorn Leghorn, the Tasmanian Devil, Speedy Gonzalez and Sylvester Jr., this loving work looks at the life and times of these three talented men and chronicles their work on the Looney Tunes, Pink Panther and the Mr. Magoo series. McKimson generously shares tidbits about his relatives (“I can remember seeing my father do a fast drawing and never retrace a line…He had a habit of sharpening his pencil, not with a sharpener, but with a piece of paper attached to the side of his lighted animation board.”), as well as making insightful observations about the classic Looney Tunes characters and figures such as Leon Schlesinger, Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. Fans will also love the beautiful, color reproductions of book covers, original cels and layout drawings, which are fun to thumb through and return to for inspiration over and over again. There’s something genuinely loving about this collection, which even includes a copy of a typewritten 1946 letter from the Academy welcoming Bob McKimson into the Short Subjects Branch.
Safari: A Photicular Book
Safari: A Photicular Book Created by Dan Kainen and Written by Carol Kaufmann [Workman Publishing, $24.95]
Some people like more movement in their books—that’s why this intriguing new release featuring Scanimation technology is a great gift for those who like a little more visual magic in their tomes! Using lenticular-based technology, sliding lenses and video imagery, the animals featured in this book move like a little 3-D movies across the page. Seriously, it feels like a cool little National Geographic mini-short on every page. Yes, the publishers have included a nice journal about a Kenyan safari and at-a-glance list of cool facts about the animals as well, but who can concentrate on reading when there’s a bounding cheetah, an ear-flapping elephant or a galloping gazelle staring back at you. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the very cool, 3-D version of the flipbook—and it’s much easier to afford than a Kindle!
The Ted R-Rated Talking Plush Teddy Bear
The Ted R-Rated Talking Plush Teddy Bear
Seth MacFarlane’s R-rated live-action comedyTed was one of the biggest comedy hits of the summer. Now, you can also put a 16-inch version of the foul-mouthed Teddy Bear star of the movie under your Christmas tree! Although the little guy looks very innocent, he has a pretty raunchy vocabulary. We’re not sure if grandma will approve of the little guy saying things like, “You ever hear a Boston girl have an orgasm?” but you got to admit: He is so much fun to have around the house or have a beer or two with. Just ask his co-star, Mark Wahlberg! If you’re shopping for younger, more innocent minds, then you should consider the eight-inch-tall Ted plush who only says G-rated things like “I wuv you” and “C’mon, I don’t sound that much like Peter Griffin.”(Available on www.entertainmentearth.com.)
Wreck-It Ralph videogame
Get Wreckin’!
Disney Consumer is unleashing a Claw Machine-worthy assemblage of goodies for the studio’s holiday release Wreck-It Ralph. Topping the list for gamer fans is Activision’s Nintendo-exclusive videogame. (Does it get more meta than a videogame based on a movie based on videogames?) In this side-scrolling story extension, Ralph teams up with Fix-It Felix to stop a creepy invasion of Cy-Bugs. The game is rated E and available on Nintendo’s Wii, DS and 3DS platforms. For the less manually dexterous, we are loving the animated talking Ralph and Vanellope action figures ($44.99 each) for kids four and up, and the deliciously adorable scented 9” plush toys modeled on the kart-racing kids of Vanellope’s Sugar Rush game world ($8.99) for younger tykes—or any toon fan with a serious sweet tooth.
Poster Art of the Disney Parks
Poster Art of the Disney Parks By Danny Handke and Vanessa Hunt, Introduction by Tony Baxter [Disney Editions, $40]
As any visitor to Southern California’s Disneyland theme park (or any of the myriad Mouse House attractions scattered around the globe) can attest, there’s nothing quite like the sense of magic evoked by the detail-focused, full sensory experience crafted by the Disney Imagineers. While it’s impossible to bottle the feeling of being at The Happiest Place on Earth, this holiday season you can gift someone special this collection of beautiful poster art from Disney Parks, which for decades have been charged with succinctly, artistically communicating the spirit of each attraction—whether the adventure that awaits on the Jungle Cruise or the magical allure of Peter Pan’s Flight. Compiling posters from 1956—when Disneyland first displayed them—to 2012, the book explores the evolution of art styles, design techniques and the characters of the park attractions themselves. Posters from Disneyland Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong help fill out the story of this unique artistic tradition, which comprises 144 lushly colored pages in this 14 x 10.9” hardcover treasure.
Old School Stocking Stuffers
Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: A Christmas for Shacktown
Fantagraphics, that endless cornucopia of printed delights, has a couple must-nab offerings for gift givers with fans of old school Disney comics this year. You’d have to be a total Scrooge McDuck to not love the seasonally appropriate Walt Disney’s Donald Duck: A Christmas for Shacktown ($28.99). This third volume of the reprinting of Carl Barks’s classic Donald and Scrooge adventure (originally published in 1951) showcases the legendary artist’s peak with his Dickensian portrayal of the Duck family’s venture to raise money to throw a Christmas party for the poor children of Duckburg’s slums. The painstakingly re-colored collection also includes Donald adventures “The Golden Helmet” and “The Gilded Man”—and all that’s less than half of this 240-page volume!
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Vol. 3 & 4
Travel further back into the classics with the beautifully printed and packaged Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Vol. 3 & 4 box set ($49.99), which feature’s Mickey and friends’ 1930s adventures as told by legendary artist and writer Floyd Gottfredson. Volume 3 highlights the Wild West comedy adventure High Noon at Inferno Gulch, plus over 50 pages of supplementary features—behind-the-scenes art, vintage publicity material, commentary form Disney scholars, and more—while Vol. 4 gets spooky with House of the Seven Haunts and another ghoulish assortment of terrifyingly terrific extras. The largely black-and-white reprint collection (with some color) comes as two large hardbound books in an attractive blue and gold slipcase.
Tooning Made Easy
Toonboom’s Flip Boom Doodle
Software house Toon Boom is well known in the industry for its professional products, but if there’s a budding young animator in your life, they also offer a range of affordable and easy-to-use programs to help toonsters of all ages and skill levels hone their talents from the comfort of home. For teen and adult hobbyists getting started, Toon Boom Studio ($199) is a multi-technique facilitation system loaded with effects and the cool Robo-Skeleton character animator to quickly get your ideas moving. The Flip Boom line offers tools for a range of age groups and skill levels with a super simple interface to import drawings, photos and more plus a sound effects library—plus users can export their projects directly to YouTube and Facebook. Toon Boom recommends FB Doodle ($29) for kids who want to create quickly, FB Cartoon for kids 6-12 ($39.99) and All-Star for teens and up ($59). We also love Animation-ish, created by kids’ author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and guided by his storytelling and toon tips ($59.99) and comics creator Garfield’s Comic Boom, created and shepherded by Garfield creator Jim Davis ($29) for dedicated doodlers of all ages.
The Whole Cartoon Network Kit ‘n Kaboodle!
Beemo Face iPhone Case
If you haven’t scoped the online Cartoon Network Shop recently, you may have forgotten what a dizzying array of cool merch is waiting to mesmerize you and max-out your credit card. Shield your eyes and type these majorly mathematical items into your search bar, lest ye become mired in the swamp of goodies! First things first: We adore Penn Ward’s Adventure Time, and so does just about everyone as far as we can tell. For the grownup who’s a kid at heart on your list, splurge on the adorable Beemo Face iPhone Case ($34.95, for iPhone 4/4S). Sassy teens will love the LPS “Lump Off!” tee (adult sizes, $24.95), and school aged tykes will be the envy of the play yard with the Reversible Jake & Finn Backpack ($44.95)—or just kit out the whole family in matching Jake Face tees (men’s and women’s sizes $24.99, kids 15.95) and call it a holiday.
Ben 10: Ultimate Alien “AlterAlien”
For fans of J.G. Quintel’s Regular Show, what could be better than a Mordecai & Rigby laden gift basket? Say it all with an assortment of “Oooh!” catch-phrase emblazoned merch including shirts (men’s and women’s $24.95, kids $15.95), aluminum water bottle ($19.95) or super professional iPhone 4/4S case ($34.95).We also love the minimalist, transformable Ben 10: Ultimate Alien “AlterAlien” figures, which are interactive enough to keep kids busy and cool-looking enough to grace any fan’s cubicle or drawing board with style—and at just $11 a pop you can jump-start your giftee’s collection (top picks: Swampfire, Spidermonkey and Echo).
10 DVD/Blu-Ray Titles to Add to Your List
A Cat in Paris DVD
A Cat in Paris
Directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli, Alain Gagnol
New Video Group, $29.95, $34.95
Brave
Directed by Brenda Chapman, Mark Andrews
Disney, $29.99, $39.99 (Available Nov. 13)
Arthur Christmas
Directed by Sarah Smith, Barry Cook
Sony, $30.99, $40.99 (Available Nov. 6)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 10 animated short films will advance in the voting process for the 85th Academy Awards®.
Fifty-six pictures had originally qualified in the category.
The list is as follows:
Adam and Dog
Adam and Dog, Minkyu Lee, director (Lodge Films)
Combustible
Combustible, Katsuhiro Otomo, director (Sunrise Inc.)
Dripped
Dripped, Léo Verrier, director (ChezEddy)
The Eagleman Stag
The Eagleman Stag, Mikey Please, director, and Benedict Please, music scores and sound design (Royal College of Art)
The Fall of the House of Usher
The Fall of the House of Usher, Raul Garcia, director, and Stephan Roelants, producer (Melusine Productions, R&R Communications Inc., Les Armateurs, The Big Farm)
Fresh Guacamole
Fresh Guacamole, PES, director (PES)
Head over Heels
Head over Heels, Timothy Reckart, director, and Fodhla Cronin O’Reilly, producer (National Film and Television School)
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare
Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, David Silverman, director (Gracie Films)
Paperman
Paperman, John Kahrs, director (Disney Animation Studios)
Tram
Tram, Michaela Pavlátová, director, and Ron Dyens, producer (Sacrebleu Productions)
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee viewed all the eligible entries for the preliminary round of voting at screenings held in New York and Los Angeles.
Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will now select three to five nominees from among the 10 titles on the shortlist. Branch screenings will be held in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in December.
The 85th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 10, 2013, at 5:30 a.m. PT in the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater.