Animation Magazine

Sandbox Celebrates Smurfs’ 65th Year with New Games App

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November 27, 2023

Sandbox Celebrates Smurfs’ 65th Year with New Games App

London-based learning businesses outfit Sandbox Group and IMPS, the worldwide licensor of The Smurfs, today announced a new educational kids’ app: The Smurfs – Educational Games.

“We are really proud to have been selected by the Smurfs to bring to life a learning app with their iconic characters to be enjoyed by kids around the world,” said Shan Eisenberg, Chief Commercial Officer of Sandbox Group. “Sandbox has extensive experience in leveraging our educational game know-how and in-house gaming studio for top IP brands and we are chuffed about the opportunity to help celebrate such a significant milestone.”

Celebrating the 65th anniversary of the classic cartoon, the app allows youngsters to explore the Smurfs’ Village and play 10 different mini-games covering a range of different learning areas. The game aims to develop creativity, number recognition, hand-eye coordination, memory and attention skills, and includes activities such as painting, music, puzzles, numbers and counting, mazes and well-known games like dominoes and word search.

Fabienne Gilles, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Consumer Products at IMPS – The Smurfs, says, “Edutainment occupies a central position within The Smurfs’ licensing program. They are powerful characters when it comes to communicating with kids and they always do it with a unique touch of smurf-fun! We are very proud to launch this new learn and play app with Edujoy and Sandbox Group.”

The collection was developed by Edujoy, a Spain-based company specializing in developing educational mobile games for kids of all ages. The studio has helped create some 100 educational games in collaboration with leading children’s brands like Masha and the Bear and Hello Kitty.

The Smurfs – Educational Games is completely free and is available for iOS and Android devices in five different languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese.

Filmakademie Short ‘Xanh’ Wins Germany’s Oscar-Qualifying Golden Lola

Mercedes Milligan

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November 27, 2023

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Filmakademie Short ‘Xanh’ Wins Germany’s Oscar-Qualifying Golden Lola

At an evening ceremony held November 23 in Hamburg, Minister of State and Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media Claudia Roth presented the German Short Film Awards (or Lola Awards). Five filmmakers were honored, winning out against 220 competitors for a share of the 260,000 euro s in prize money. Roth lauded the winning films as “unique and important for German cinematic art.”

The award for Best Animated Film was given to Xanh, directed by Thi Dang An Tran and produced by Sylvia Jorde, from the acclaimed Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (FABW). The 2D film was created in FABW’s experimental filmmaking program before the filmmaking team transferred into the school’s Animationinstitut.

Xanh opens in the kitchen of an Asian fast food restaurant, where Duy Em and her father Ba are discussing a discriminatory incident. She asks her father why he does not defend himself against racist remarks. His answer takes the two of them back to his former life among the “boat people” in Vietnam. “Xanh” means both green and blue in Vietnamese — so, the film’s title reflects the different perspectives of the protagonists: the childlike, privileged view of the daughter clashes with the father’s lived experiences.

“We are grateful for the attention Xanh is receiving and are pleased to contribute to raise awareness of a very important topic,” the filmmakers commented upon receiving the award.

Prof. Thomas Schadt, Managing Director of the FABW, noted, “The German Short Film Award is one of the most important awards in the national film industry. To receive such an award this early on in your studies is truly a great achievement. Congratulations to the entire team of Xanh!”

The German Short Film Award is regarded as the most prestigious — and most highly endowed — award in the short film sector in Germany, established in 1956 to honor and support local filmmakers. In 2023, nominees received €15,000, while the federal government provided up to €30,000 for winning an award. With the Golden Lola in hand, Xanh is now also eligible for the Academy Awards.

This year’s German Short Film Award winners also included Marie Zrenner’s Alex in the Fields (Best Feature Film, under 30 Minutes), Thuy-Han Nguyen-Chi’s Into the Violet Belly (Best Experimental Film) and Killian Armando Freidrich & Tizian Stromp Zagari’s Nuclear Nomas (Best Medium-Length Film).

Screen Australia Backs Kids’ Animation ‘Wishes,’ VR Drama ‘Lustration 2.0’

Mercedes Milligan

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November 27, 2023

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Screen Australia Backs Kids’ Animation ‘Wishes,’ VR Drama ‘Lustration 2.0’

Screen Australia has announced 18 feature films, 10 television dramas, two online projects and one virtual reality project that will share in over $900,000 of story development funding. Included in this slate are 16 projects that have been supported through the Generate Fund, 13 through the Premium Fund and two through the Online Development Fund.

Among the funded projects are children’s animation series Wishes, following five-year-old girl Lucy and her young Guardian-creature Kino, and the second iteration of acclaimed virtual reality series, Lustration 2.0.

“This diverse slate of projects reflects a rich tapestry of creativity, from animated family adventures to thought-provoking dramas. It presents a wealth of opportunities to showcase and nurture the incredible talent we have here in Australia,” said Bobby Romia, Head of Development for Screen Australia. “We’re committed to continuing our drive to invest in ambitious, quality content for audiences far and wide and I’m excited to see these teams transform their visions into compelling narratives.”

Information on all of the projects selected for funding can be found here.

Wishes (Generate Fund)
26 x 7 mins.
Karu-Karu
Family, Adventure, Fantasy
Director: Ana Maria Mendez Salgado
Producer: Carlos Manrique Clavijo
Executive Producer: Colin South
Synopsis: Wishes is an animated series about a five-year-old girl, Lucy, and her young Guardian-creature Kino. Whenever Lucy feels the struggles of others and wishes she could do something to help, Kino materialises into Lucy’s world of magical solutions, helping her shape them into selfless acts of kindness.

Lustration 2.0 (Online Development Fund)
6 x 15 mins.
New Canvas Pty. Ltd.
Drama, Fantasy
Director: Ryan Griffen
Writers: Ryan Griffen, Hannah Belanszky
Producers: Carolina Sorensen, Nathan Anderson
Executive Producers: Nathan Anderson, Wadooah Wali, Ryan Griffen, Wolfgang Bylsma
Synopsis: Life is hard. Life after death is harder. From First Nations creator Griffen, the second iteration of the critically acclaimed VR series follows Bardolph and Gallus — two protectors of ‘The Between,’ a realm where the dead go in order to cleanse or ‘lustrate’ themselves before crossing over to pure happiness. But when an evil target slips through their grasps, everyone and everything in ‘The Afterlife’ begins to unravel.

‘Dadda Panda’ Introduces a Stay-at-Home Panda Pop Who Tackles Fussy Eating

Mercedes Milligan

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November 27, 2023

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‘Dadda Panda’ Introduces a Stay-at-Home Panda Pop Who Tackles Fussy Eating

Recently launched U.K. content company DaddiLife Productions announced the launch of a brand new book and video series, Dadda Panda, including YouTube animated shorts and songs for kids ages three and up and and their parents/carers. Dadda Panda is a pioneering representation of a primary carer father in children’s media, who stays at home with his cubs while Mumma Panda goes to work.

The new company, book and series is helmed by the founder of the award winning website and community DaddiLife (now reaching more than 100,000 parents a month), Han-Son Lee, who has produced nine books, including four Amazon best sellers. Alongside Nick Withers (former head of development at NBCUniversal’s label Monkey and co-creator and producer of Rap Tales on Sky Kids) and registered children’s dietitian Sarah Bushell. The illustration and animation is produced by King Bee Animation (Daisy Digs It, Cats vs. Pickles).

Written in a rhyming style, the book and complimentary YouTube content focuses on the relatable parenting challenge (or ‘mission’ as Dadda Panda calls it) of fussy eating. QR codes in the book lead readers to the animated shorts and sing-alongs that emphasize the lessons, like “Gobble Your Greens” and “Make Food Fun.”

Dadda Panda also contrasts with the longstanding cartoon dad character tropes of being lazy and incompetent around the house with a more modern view of today’s fathers — Millennial dads who are heavily involved in day-to-day parenting. Dadda Panda activates ‘super Dad’ mode by going into his ‘shed’ or ‘man cave’ to figure out how to complete each ‘mission.’ His AI powered ‘smart’ plant Bot-Zai gives disastrous (and comedic) ideas that spark Dadda Panda’s more credible solutions.

DaddiLife Productions conducted research which shows that, since the COVID-19 lockdowns, stay at home dads have risen significantly, and U.K. dads are doing 18 percent more childcare since pre-pandemic times. Two thirds of dads are involved in cooking for their children, with 40 percent in charge of the grocery shop.

“There is a huge dearth of positive and relatable dad role models in children’s media. We aim to address this imbalance and create a more modern interpretation of fatherhood,” says Lee. “Dadda Panda offers a much needed new positive father figure that kids will love and parents will be inspired by. He is memorable, distinct and represents Dads in a way that gets children to do something positive. We are offering a unifying figure with an entertaining entry point, providing guidance and support.”

Well timed to the food-focused winter holiday celebrations, Dadda Panda’s first mission to tackle is fussy eating and the challenge of getting kids to try new foods. The book provides inspiration and guidance to navigate this sometimes overwhelming meal — DaddiLife Prod. teamed up with Bushell to draft the top 10 tips on keeping a tantrum-free Christmas dinner. An animated holiday special has launched as well to further illustrate the book’s message.

“This book is all about helping parents think differently about how they feed their children, as often how they ‘food parent’ stems from how they were fed as kids,” says Bushell. “Being a positive food parent involves trusting your child to listen to their appetite, supporting them to grow confidence around unfamiliar foods by making mealtimes enjoyable and food fun, all so that their natural curiosity is piqued allowing them to explore and learn about how food looks, feels, smells and eventually tastes.”

Follow the Dadda Panda Official Channel on YouTube and find more parenting tips for modern dads at DaddiLife.com.

‘Misaligned’ Director Marta Magnuska Takes Us Behind the Scenes of Her Debut Short

Ramin Zahed

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November 27, 2023

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‘Misaligned’ Director Marta Magnuska Takes Us Behind the Scenes of Her Debut Short

Marta Magnuska’s animated short Misaligned finds parallels between the relationship between a man and a woman, and a gecko and several flies circling a lamp in their room. The short, which is produced by Polish company Animoon and co-produced by Atom Art (Latvia), has been receiving great word of mouth at festivals around the world and has qualified for Oscar consideration.

Magnuska was kind enough to answer a few of our questions about her short in an email interview:

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the origins of the short?

Marta Magnuska: In 2019, shortly after graduation from the Film School in Łódź, I was contacted by two producers from the Polish animation studio Animoon — Piotr Szczepanowicz and Grzegorz Wacławek — asking if I would like to work with them on my debut short. I had a couple of very rough ideas in mind. I was not sure about the final shape of the film yet, but I wanted to experiment with less narrative, more visual ways of storytelling.

What was the inspiration?

The idea of the film is loosely inspired by a short story written by Italo Calvino, titled The Gecko’s Belly, that I had come across some years before. In the story, a couple follows a daily ritual of sitting by the window and watching a gecko hunt for flies. Watching the gecko devouring the flies triggers a stream of existential thoughts in their minds. I remember reading this short story for the first time and the vivid description of the thoughts of the protagonist who imagines he is a fly and is being eaten by the gecko. I immediately visualized it in my mind and I drew a couple of illustrations.

However, in the end the script of the film is not an adaptation of Calvino’s work by any means, the initial idea evolved numerous times. In its final version, the film focuses on the relationship between the woman and the man. The gecko remained in the story as a sort of catalyst of events — a magical element, an observe who is a silent ally of the woman who tries to reconnect with her partner.

Can you tell us about the artistic style of the short?

While creating the visual concept for the film, I was trying to figure out what form and look would work the best for this particular story. I was wondering what elements are essential for telling the story and relaying what I wanted to say. The minimalist form of Misaligned’s visuals aims to focus the viewer’s attention on the dynamics between the protagonists. That’s why I decided there was no need for complex scenography, and the fact that the situation is happening inside the flat is only marked with a couple of details.

I wanted to make a film using a traditional animation technique of drawing on paper. I enjoy drawing, and hand-drawn animation is the technique I feel most comfortable working with. With each new project, I try to learn and experience something new and I want to experiment with different animation techniques — and that’s why I decided to use frame by frame charcoal drawing on paper for Misaligned.

It’s a time-consuming technique, but I feel it adds a lot of expression to the drawings because of all sorts of imperfections, mistakes and dirt that appear while working, often giving unexpected results. I enjoy playing with textures, organic hand drawn lines of different expressions that serve to depict the dynamics and tension between the protagonists in a non-narrative way.

How long did it take to make and what was your ballpark budget?

The whole process of creating the film since the initial idea took almost three years (including breaks) It took me many weeks and many versions to decide about the final shape of the animatic before we were able to continue with the production stage. I don’t remember the exact numbers but the funding we got was around around 25,000 euros.

Where was the animation produced?

The main producer is Animoon studio based in Warsaw, Poland. The coproducer studio Atom Art is based in Riga, Latvia.

What was your biggest challenge?

I remember that the concept phase and the stage of creating the animatic took many months and was very challenging for me. I was curious to experiment with different ways of telling the story than with the traditional narrative. The initial idea changed significantly compared to the final version of the film — the concept of the film changed numerous times. It took many versions to get to the point where we were all happy about its final shape.

Another big challenge while working on the film was the work with the team of animators. In the case of my previous student shorts, I used to animated the whole film on my own, so it was a new experience to share the work with other artists, explain to them my ideas, and introduce them to the way I work.

How many people worked on it?

We worked in a small team: I was the director, scriptwriter and the author of the visual concept as well as the main animator. First I was working alone on the concept of the film and on the animatic while I was often discussing the progress and sharing the ideas with the team of producers from Animoon studio. Piotr Szczepanowicz, Grzegorz Wacławek, Karolina Barciszewska and Zosia Jaroszuk, who offered production and organization support, also offered lots of valuable creative feedback.

At the stage of working on the animatic, I started working with the editor Ewa Golis. She helped me to organize the structure and define the rhythm of the whole short. After a long stage of creating the animatic, I started working on the animation, and at one point two animators, Martins Dumins and Kristine Zvirbule from our Latvian co-production studio Atom Art, joined the team. Michał Fojcik was our sound designer: He helped me to define the initial idea that I had in mind and created a very intense sound design.

What would you like audiences to take away from this short?

The short is kind of an observation, I wanted to keep its structure open. I find it interesting that viewers are able to reflect on themselves and their own experiences in the project and often their impressions are going beyond what I was thinking about while creating it. Most people saw in it aspects of previous or current relationships, the short touches on issues that many people can relate to — loneliness in a relationship, the impact of routine on a couple and falling out of love.

What was the biggest lesson you learned from the experience of making this short?

One of the most interesting experiences while working on Misaligned was to realize that the short also reflects certain aspects of my personal life. I find it quite curious how circumstances seemingly unrelated to the filmmaking process can influence it so much. New ideas and interpretations kept on appearing as I was working on the project — often surprisingly and unconsciously parallel to my own life. It’s quite obvious, but it was interesting for me to realize how therapeutic the process of filmmaking can be!

For more information, visit misalignedshort.com.

You can watch the short below:

You can also check out out an interview with Marta below:

DeAPlaneta Captures Korean Animation Hit ‘Bugsbot Ignition’ & Spin-Off ‘Bugsbot G’

Mercedes Milligan

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November 27, 2023

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DeAPlaneta Captures Korean Animation Hit ‘Bugsbot Ignition’ & Spin-Off ‘Bugsbot G’

DeAPlaneta Entertainment and South Korean media company Cocktail Media inked a distribution deal for kids’ animated series Bugsbot Ignition and its spin-off, the short-form animation series Bugsbot G, outside of Asia. The 2D/3D hybrid series (26 x 22′), co-produced by Cocktail Media and CJ ENM, is set in a world where humans and insect-shaped robots called “Bugsbots” co-exist peacefully until an unknown virus spreads among the ‘bots.

Aimed at young viewers ages six to nine years old, Bugsbot Ignition has already proven a favorite airing in China (Jinying Cartoon, Toonmax, Yooman Cartoon, among many others), Taiwan (YoYo TV), Hong Kong (Viu TV), Indonesia (RTV) and, of course, South Korea (Tooniverse, MBC, AniOne, Cartoon Network, others). In addition to this, 24 different Bugsbot Ignition toy lines released in South Korea reached the #2 toy sales rank in domestic sales.

“Bugsbot Ignition is exactly the kind of anime-style IP that DeAPlaneta Entertainment is currently betting on for Western territories: a local IP, with success in Asia, that has the potential to become a global brand,” commented Carlos Biern, Director of Distribution & Contents, DeAPlaneta Kids & Family. “The quality and dynamism of its animation, as well as its action-packed duels and adventurous stories address also hot topics such as environmental awareness and human-machine interaction, ideal for engaging new digital audiences. Bugsbot Ignition has also a natural licensing potential thanks to its almost unlimited number of transforming bugs-shaped robots, which have already become hugely successful toys in several countries in Asia.”

Steve Sangmin Lee, Chief Marketing Officer of Cocktail Media, said, “We are delighted by our partnership with DeAPlaneta Entertainment and the global distribution of Bugsbot Ignition and Bugsbot G. This collaboration reflects the success and universal appeal of our animation projects. We are confident that DeAPlaneta’s expertise will introduce Bugsbot’s captivating world to new audiences, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead. This marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we’re eager to see Bugsbot’s reach expand on the global stage.”

deaplanetaentertainment.com

Prime Video Sets ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Premiere Date & Season 1’s Guest Stars

Mercedes Milligan

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November 27, 2023

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Prime Video Sets ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Premiere Date & Season 1’s Guest Stars

Prime Video today announced that adult animation fans have a special post-holiday treat to look forward to, as Vivienne Medrano’s Hazbin Hotel has made a reservation to premiere on streaming January 19, 2024 in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. Season 1 guest stars were also announced for the hellacious musical-comedy.

Based on the pilot released by Medrano on YouTube in 2019, which racked up ofer 92 million views, Hazbin Hotel follows Charlie, the princess of Hell, as she pursues her seemingly impossible goal of rehabilitating demons to peacefully reduce overpopulation in her kingdom. After a yearly extermination imposed by angels, she opens a hotel in the hopes that patrons will be “checking out” into Heaven. While most of Hell mocks her goal, her devoted partner Vaggie and their first test subject, adult-film star Angel Dust, stick by her side. When a powerful entity known as the “Radio Demon” reaches out to assist Charlie in her endeavors, her crazy dream is given a chance to become a reality.

Guest stars will include Broadway veterans Darren Criss as Saint Peter, Jeremy Jordan (Lucifer Morningstar), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Carmilla Carmine), Patina Miller (Sera) and Jessica Vosk (Lute). They join the previously announced main cast, including Erika Henningsen, Stephanie Beatriz, Alex Brightman, Keith David, Kimiko Glenn, Blake Roman, Amir Talai, Christian Borle and Joel Perez.

The series will feature original music and lyrics from platinum-certified artist Sam Haft and Emmy-nominated Andrew Underberg.

Medrano serves as executive producer and directed all episodes. Joel Kuwahara and Dana Tafoya-Cameron, and Scott Greenberg (S1) also serve as executive producers. Hazbin Hotel is produced by A24 and FOX Entertainment’s Emmy Award-winning animation studio, Bento Box Entertainment.

In true Broadway fashion, Prime Video will be announcing the new guest stars via the marquee at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood today (Monday, November 27) from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fans can continue to visit HazbinHotel.com to pre-order special packages that include exclusive Season 1 merchandise, digital access to the first two episodes before they release on Prime Video, and a virtual Q&A event with Medrano and special guests. Early access episodes will be available to stream for a limited time on the A24 App.

Disney’s ‘Wish’ and DreamWorks’ ‘Trolls Band Together’ Split Holiday Weekend Audiences

Animation Magazine

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November 26, 2023

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Disney’s ‘Wish’ and DreamWorks’ ‘Trolls Band Together’ Split Holiday Weekend Audiences

The five-day Thanksgiving holiday period is always a popular movie-going period for families seeking out animated fare. This weekend was no exception with Disney’s 62nd animated feature Wish and DreamWorks Animation’s 47^th title Trolls Band Together splitting audiences, and landing at No. 3 and No. 4 spots on the box office chart during this five-day holiday weekend.

Disney’s Wish was the subject of much analysis by the trades. Billed as the studio’s 100^th anniversary tentpole movie, the film was somewhat unfairly judged by critics who categorized it as too much of a retread of past animated successes with a plucky heroine and adorable sidekicks. The film earned a respectable A- Cinescore for audiences, despite its total 50% Rotten Tomatoes rating from critics. Deadline is estimating a total of $32.3 million box-office for the film’s five-day run (three-day: $20 million) in 3,900 theaters. Overseas, the movie took in about $17.3 million in 27 markets (about 40% of its eventual overseas opening), bringing its worldwide total to $49 million.

DreamWork’s Trolls Band Together sits at the No. 4 spot with a five-day total of $25.3 million and an overall cume of $64.4 million (since its Nov. 17 release in 3,893 theaters Stateside. The movie has made over $81 million overseas, with a worldwide overall gross of $145 million. Industry observers predict that the popular threequel, directed by Walt Dohrn, will pass the $150 million benchmark in a few days. (The Hunger Games: the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was the No. 1 film at the box office with a $42 million five-day run and Apple’s Napoleon landed at the No. 2 spot with a $32 million total in the same time frame.)

Both movies will face more fierce competition from Universal/Illumination’s Migration movie when it opens wide on Dec. 22. At the same time, streamers like Netflix are offering solid alternatives to theatrical fare: The Adam Sandler-voiced Florida lizard movie Leo is sitting mighty on top of Netflix’s movie chart this week. Other animated movies on the streamer’s most-watched U.S. chart include Illumination’s Minions at No. 4, Sony’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse at No. 8 and DreamWorks Trolls at No. 10.

Sources: Deadline.com, Variety.com, Boxofficemojo.com, Netflix.com

‘Mya Go’ Goes Global with PGS

Mercedes Milligan

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November 24, 2023

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PGS Entertainment has partnered with Motion Pictures for the global distribution of the first two seasons of 2D animated preschool series Mya Go. The series is a co-production between Motion Pictures, Piranha Bar (Ireland) and Gloobinho (Brazil). The global distribution agreement excludes Spain, U.K. and Brazil.

Set in the lively town of Everyday, Mya Go centers on the adventurous and spirited Mya Go, her family and her pet dog, Doggy Go. Her zest for life transforms everyday activities, from sports to gardening, into exciting adventures. Accompanied by her friends, Mya Go tackles various challenges. The series, with its diverse characters, vibrant artwork, and a catchy theme tune, aims to captivate and educate preschoolers.

Mya Go has already aired in over 20 territories through top outlets including Milkshake! (U.K.), Clan, Amazon & TV3 (Spain), RTP (Portugal), Gloob (Brazil), SVT (Sweden), Televisa & Blim (Mexico), YLE (Finland), TVNZ (New Zealand), Hop (Israel), Discovery (MENA) and Megogo (Russia). The series has ranked in the Top 3 on Milkshake, Clan and Gloob.

“Mya Go is rapidly establishing itself as an essential preschool brand,” notes Philippe Soutter, Co-Founder of PGS Entertainment. “Its stellar performance with leading broadcasters is a testament to its wide appeal and potential. We are honored by the trust Motion Pictures, and its partners have shown in us to expand the series’ reach. Our team at PGS is committed to leveraging our expertise and global networks to enhance the show’s international presence and ensure Mya Go‘s continued success and brand expansion.”

pgsentertainment.com

Oil & Toil: ‘The Peasants’ Directors DK & Hugh Welchman Detail Their Second Ambitious Painting-Animated Feature

Rich Johnson

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November 24, 2023

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Oil & Toil: ‘The Peasants’ Directors DK & Hugh Welchman Detail Their Second Ambitious Painting-Animated Feature

This article was written for the
December '23 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 335)

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival saw the premiere of The Peasants, the latest oil-painted masterstroke of animation from Hugh and DK Welchman. The husband-and-wife team are best known for their 2017 debut Loving Vincent, a breathtaking, starry-eyed study of Vincent van Gogh’s life (and last days) as a painter.

The filmmakers tell Animation Magazine that the beginnings of this latest project go back to the time DK recommended Władysław Reymont’s Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Peasants, to her husband. They knew that the source material not only provided an opportunity for representation of DK’s Polish culture, but also was a story that portrayed the struggles, strength and passions of a vital female lead.

Painting Poland

“After Loving Vincent, people were asking us, ‘Which artists are you going to do next?’” recalls Hugh. “And the truth is, we thought there were many more possibilities rather than [to] stick to the study of a single artist. We were looking for something different. So, when I read the book — learning so much about my wife’s culture — I thought it was a masterpiece; that if this was an example of English literature, it would have had numerous adaptations by now.”

But despite DK’s intent to both educate and inspire her U.K.-born husband to pursue an adaptation, there remained some trepidation. “Of course, all of that is the glorified version of our story. I think the truth is that I immediately thought, ‘No way — people will kill me!’ Because Reymont is a national treasure in my country, and I know full well that the Polish can be tough … as you will see from our film.”

Originally published as a four-volume epic, The Peasants (a.k.a. Chłopi) focuses on the village of Lipce — specifically, the troublesome romance involving a wealthy widower, Maciej Boryna, his young peasant bride, Jagna, and his son, Antek, with whom she has fallen in love. The scandal is unveiled across the seasons and observed by other peasants presenting somewhat of a reflective dream of rural Poland on the cusp of the 20th century. In capturing this magnum opus, the most notable production change from their first project was to take a more philosophical approach. As DK notes, “Because we had particular paintings to shape the story of Loving Vincent, every work of art had to be linked. In this case, we had to come up with a definitive visual approach for a preexisting story.”

The visual style and process that has emerged is a remarkable feat in the development of independent animation. They drew inspiration from European realism — specifically Józef Chełmoński and French realist Jean-François Millet — and the rest of the Young Poland Movement that Reymont belonged to during this period, “It made complete sense for this approach to fit with the painters who were working at a time when Poland had been wiped off the map by Russia, Prussia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire,” states Hugh.

“The movement was really expressing the national character and culture that was alive back then when it was being completely suppressed,” he adds. “Reymont’s poetic descriptions were so epic and vivid that it felt as though live action just wouldn’t do it justice; that the actual place just doesn’t look as beautiful and bucolic. It couldn’t be beautiful enough. He spends four pages on a storm and the great thing is we can do that in one painting, and so we could visually portray the richness and the complexity of his descriptions by doing it as an oil-painting animation.”

‘The fact is that you can bring a different level of artistry, emotion, complexity and ability from oil painting than you can from photography. It’s all just different forms and tools. We just want to do stuff with heart.’

— Director DK Welchman

A total of 127 artists worked on the oil-painting animation, but not at the same time, including traditional painters based in Lithuania, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine. Among these numbers were 61 digital animators working on the in-betweening, and 20 digital painters working on matte paintings and fixes. In total, The Peasants took three years to paint and animate, taking five hours to paint a single keyframe. “We have over 40,000 frames of oil paintings. If one person were to paint the entire film, it would take almost 100 years.”

Partnership and Process

Hugh and DK work together very closely, and although the dynamics changed working together on this film, it suited the scope and complexity of the production. “On Loving Vincent, we directed everything together for the live action,” says Hugh. “But the idea with this one was for DK to direct.” Working with the Polish language, it made more sense for DK to take as much control as possible over the live-action reference, directing 90 percent of the footage, “I worked closely with the actors, doing rehearsals. The only part I missed was a section of the main battle, which Hugh managed to cover.”

As you can already imagine, one director isn’t enough on such a mammoth project. DK, a skilled oil painter herself, was also in charge of the animation. “I would approve frames every day,” she says. “Arriving at the studio in the morning, we would have an online meeting with the Serbian studio and the supervisors, analyzing the shots, looking for corrections and approving the first frames. We would then connect to the other studios and do the same. Approvals will involve scrutinizing the use of texture, light, anatomy, characters’ features — everything. Once the first frame is approved, then the painter can carry on and I can just watch daily, which is usually just one frame more each day!”

The Welchmans own their method, employing myriad techniques that marry tradition with technological processes. With half of the live-action segments filmed on set and the other half on greenscreen, they used as many VFX technologies and tools as possible to produce the final composites for each shot, such as building the Village in Unreal for a live view. There were hand-drawn elements, with other models added via Maya; weather effects, CGI animals and background characters were all created in Houdini. As an approximation of how the film will look to help repaint in oils, it is important to point out that although The Peasants is certainly closer to rotoscoping, there is no tracing. The shots remain on a screen as a reference with only Dragon used to capture and onion skin the previous frames.

There are interesting parallels to advancements in artificial intelligence, and those who may ignorantly dismiss the aesthetic of the animated feature as an AI render rather than “oilscope.” “A lot of the painters that we’re referring to were at a pinnacle of their craft, dealing with the invention of photography,” DK points out. “Similar questions were asked: ‘Why are you bothering anymore to paint when you can just take a photograph?’ If people out there want to use CGI or AI, then great. In fact, we attempted to use AI for in-betweening, but it was a disaster. There was just no way that it could cope with the play of light on canvas, the variation and overall individuality. The fact is that you can bring a different level of artistry, emotion, complexity and ability from oil painting than you can from photography. It’s all just different forms and tools. We just want to do stuff with heart.”

The Peasants was released in Poland in October. Sony Pictures Classics will release the movie in select U.S. theaters for awards consideration.

A Man of Characters: Glen Keane on Artist Peter de Sève (Book Excerpt)

Glen Keane

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November 24, 2023

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A Man of Characters: Glen Keane on Artist Peter de Sève (Book Excerpt)

This article was written for the
December '23 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 335)

“Pilot” character sketch for ‘The Little Prince’

The beautiful new book Local Fauna: The Art of Peter de Sève (Abrams Books’ Cernunos imprint, $40) offers a rich collection of some of the brilliant artist’s illustrations and character sketches for favorites such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Ratatouille and Ice Age, famous New Yorker covers, as well as some rarely seen personal work. The book also includes essays by fellow character designer Carter Goodrich, animator and director Glen Keane, and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, as well as an in-depth interview by Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Waterson.

We can’t think of a better holiday gift for all the animation lovers in your life and are thrilled to share Keane’s essay, along with a few of the iconic images from the book:

In all of Peter de Sève’s work there is the unmistakable mark of a man who keenly observes life. You see it in the subtle way a character stands, a gesture, a tilt of the head, or the way a wry smile married with a knitted brow speaks volumes without words. You see it in his gentle but wicked wit. To me, there seems to be a certain “Mark Twainess” in Peter’s drawings, a homespun warmth and wisdom coupled with laser-accurate perceptivity. I feel like I know the character of each person or animal he illustrates. I’ve either met them, or I am them.

This doesn’t come about by desire alone. There are many learned skills Peter has acquired over the years that he brings to every drawing he makes. In my early days at Disney, I would hear Ward Kimball brag that he could draw anything he could take apart and put back together. That meant one needed a solid understanding of a thing before one could describe it in line. I realized it’s not just setting yourself free to explore your creative muse … you also have to have your bags packed with the skills you need for that journey. Peter’s bags are packed. He knows his stuff. From the discipline of figure drawing to sketching everyday life around him, he has filled his creative satchels with a keen sense of anatomy, expression, and character.

Illustration and ‘New Yorker’ cover by de Seve

His images have wonderful dimension and volume; I think of them as sculptural drawings. One feels you could reach out and put your hands around the form of his characters in the same way you could place your hands on a Rodin bronze.

And these characters want to move! They are not frozen lines but stored kinetic energy. I love the texture of his line; you can almost feel how it felt to draw it. The skin is soft and fleshy. Bony corners jab out in hard angles. Cotton fabric has weight and saggy skin wants to droop down. The expressive lines he makes serve as a seismograph of his soul. His characters scream out to be animated. It’s no wonder he is one of the most sought-after character designers in animation today.

Grinch character sketch for ‘The Grinch’

Perhaps the most singular trademark of Peter’s work is the surprising shape combinations he employs. Again and again I am in awe as he uses a rectangle, a circle, or a square to describe a person’s face or an animal’s head in such a way that feels more like that creature than any exact photo could ever hope to reproduce.

Freshness and originality are the goal of every artist. Peter de Sève reminds us that this goal is possible, that we can draw anything our minds can imagine. This is a tremendous gift. Enjoy the creative journey Peter is taking us on and allow yourself to believe that all you dreamed of becoming as an artist is possible.

— Glen Keane

Coming Attractions: 30 New Animated Movies to Track in 2024

Animation Magazine

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November 24, 2023

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Coming Attractions: 30 New Animated Movies to Track in 2024

As we enter the final weeks of the year, we thought it would be a good idea to take a sneak peek at some of the biggest animated movies coming our way in 2024. Of course, the “official” release dates of these titles are bound to change, especially due to delays resulting from the actors strike in Hollywood. Just consider this a relatively reliable road map of what we can look forward to in the next 12 months!

The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie. Daffy Duck and Porky Pig join forces to save the world from aliens in this first 2D-animated Looney Tunes movie made for the big screen. Directed by Peter Browngardt (Looney Tunes Cartoons). Warner Bros. Animation

Despicable Me 4. Evil mastermind Gru and the adorable Minions are back for another installment in the popular franchise. With the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove and Steve Coogan. Directed by Patrick Delage, Chris Renaud. Illumination/Universal; July 3

Doraemon: Nobita’s Earth Symphony. In this musically themed outing, Doraemon and friends go on an adventure to meet new friends, connect with people through music and save the world from a major disaster. Kazuaki Imai directs this 42nd film in the franchise. Toho/Shin Ei; March

Dragonkeeper. Directed by Salvador Simó (Buñuel in the Labyrinth of the Turtles), this Spanish-Chinese co-pro centers on an orphaned slave girl in ancient China named Ping who befriends one of the last imperial dragons. With the voices of Bill Nighy, Bill Bailey, Anthony Howell and Mayalinee Griffiths. Guardian de Dragones, China Film Animation, SC Films Intl.

Fixed. When our canine hero Bull (voiced by Adam DeVine) realizes that he’s going to be neutered the following morning, his friends treat him to one last day of fun before his operation. Animation icon Genndy Tartakovsky directs this R-rated 2D-animated comedy. With Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn and Fred Armisen. Sony Pictures Animation/New Line Cinema

The Garfield Movie. Mark Dindal (The Emperor’s New Groove) is directing this CG-animated pic based on Jim Davis’ lazy, lasagna-loving tabby cat. Chris Pratt voices the feline hero, alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang and Ving Rhames. Sony/Alcon/DNEG; May 24

Giants of La Mancha. Alfonso, the 11-year-old heir of Don Quixote, and his three imaginary rabbit friends try to save their beloved town of La Mancha from a huge storm. Directed by Gonzalo Gutierrez. GF Films/Studio 100 Media/GG VFX/Studio Isar/3 Doubles

Harold and the Purple Crayon. The popular children’s book about a boy and his adventures with a magical crayon comes to life in a hybrid live-action and animated movie, directed by Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age, Rio movies, Ferdinand). With Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery and Zooey Deschanel. Sony/Columbia; Aug. 2

The Imaginary. Directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, this much-anticipated movie is based on A.F. Harrold’s novel about a young girl named Amanda who is coping with emotional loss and a world of invisible imaginary characters who are doomed to be destroyed when they’re forgotten. Studio Ponoc/Netflix; Dec. 15, 2023 (Japan), TBA 2024 (U.S.)

In Your Dreams. In this comedy adventure, two very different brothers magically travel into the world of dreams to find The Sandman so he can save their parents’ marriage. Co-directed by Alex Woo and Erik Benson. Kuku Studios/Netflix

The Inseparables. Adapted by Bob Barlen and Cal Brunker (PAW Patrol: The Movie) from an original idea by Toy Story writers Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow, this CG family movie centers on a runaway puppet and an abandoned stuffed animal who cross paths in Central Park. Directed by Jérémie Degruson (Son of Bigfoot). nWave Pictures/Octopolis

Inside Out 2. Pixar’s 28th feature and the sequel to the Oscar-winning 2015 movie follows the same young girl, Riley, who discovers new emotions ruling her world as she gets older. Directed by Kelsey Mann in his feature debut and penned by Meg LeFauve, and featuring the voices of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, and Maya Hawke (as Anxiety). Disney/Pixar; June 9

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Part 1. An animated adaptation of the popular comic-book series by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez (1985-86) in which the Anti-Monitor is unleashed on the DC Multiverse and begins to destroy the various Earths that comprise it. Main characters include Monitor, Harbinger, Pariah, Superman Kal-El, Superboy-Prime, Alexander Luthor Jr., Flash, Psycho-Pirate and Supergirl. DC/Warner Bros. Animation; Part 1 Premiered on Jan. 9; Part 2 premieres on April 23.

Kung Fu Panda 4. Mike Mitchell and Stephanie Stine direct this fourth cinematic adventure of the lovable hero Po (voiced by Jack Black) which finds him facing a sinister and powerful adversary called the Chameleon (Viola Davis) while also trying to find someone to replace him as Dragon Warrior. WIth Awkwafina, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane and Ke Huy Quan. DreamWorks/Universal; March 8

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This new animated adaptation of Tolkien’s epic is set 183 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and stars Brian Cox as Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan who must battle an army of Dunlendings. Directed by Kenji Kamiyama. With Miranda Otto and Shaun Dooley. New Line/Warner Bros./Sola; Dec. 13

The Magnificent Life of Marcel Pagnol. Acclaimed director’s Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville) much-anticipated new movie is set in 1955 and follows the life and adventures of celebrated French writer, playwright and filmmaker Pagnol. Onyx Films/ON Animation/Walking the Dog/Sony Pictures Classics

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom. Directed by Mitsuo Fukuda, the film takes place one year after the events of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny in Cosmic Era 75 and centers on Kira Yamato and Lacus Clyne. Bandai Namco Filmworks/Shochiku; Jan. 26 (Japan)

Mufasa: The Lion King. After becoming king of the Pride Lands, Simba tries to teach his cub about the origins of his own late father, Mufasa (Aaron Pierre), in this CG-animated photorealistic musical drama, directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) and written by Jeff Nathanson. With the voices of Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and John Kani. Music by Hans Zimmer, Pharrell Williams and Nicholas Britell. Disney/Pastel Productions; Dec. 20

Night of the Zoopocalypse. This family comedy follows a group of animals who become zombies after their zoo is hit by a meteor. Directed by Ricardo Curtis and Rodrigo Perez-Castro. With the voices of David Harbour, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Scott Thompson and Gabbi Kosmidis. Mac Guff/L’Atelier/Elevation/Apollo Films

Orion and the Dark. Based on the book by Emma Yarlett, the movie centers on an anxious boy (Jacob Tremblay) who is visited by his biggest fear — the Dark (Paul Walter Hauser)— and is whisked away on a trip around the world to conquer his fears. With the voice of Werner Herzog. Sean Charmatz directs from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. DreamWorks/Netflix; Feb. 2

Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie. When Bikini Bottom is suddenly scooped out of the ocean, Sandy Cheeks and SpongeBob journey to Sandy’s home state of Texas, where they meet Sandy’s family in this fourth SpongeBob theatrical movie. Liza Johnson directs from a script by cartoonist Kaz and Tom Stern. With the voices of Carolyn Lawrence, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Wanda Sykes, Loretta Devine, Johnny Knoxville, Craig Robinson and Grey DeLisle. Nickelodeon/Netflix

Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Directed by series regular Jeff Fowler, this third installment in the movie adventures of Sega’s speedy blue hero (voiced by Ben Schwartz) finds the entire Donut family traveling to Egypt where Sonic meets a pink hedgehog who claims to predict the future, while Robotnik returns from hell and awakens a new challenger, Shadow the Hedgehog. Paramount/Blur/Marza/Sega; Dec. 10

Spellbound. Directed by Vicky Jenson, this second Skydance Animation feature follows a young princess (voiced by Rachel Zegler) in the kingdom of Lumbria who must break the spell that turned her parents (voiced by Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem) into monsters. With the voices of John Lithgow, Jenifer Lewis, Nathan Lane. Music by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Produced by John Lasseter. Skydance Animation/Netflix

That Christmas. DreamWorks veteran Simon Otto (How to Train Your Dragon) directs this holiday feature based on the book series by Richard Curtis. It follows several entwined tales about love and loneliness, family and friends, and Santa Claus making a big mistake — as well as an enormous number of turkeys! Locksmith Animation/DNEG/Netflix

Thelma the Unicorn. When a pony’s dream of becoming a glamorous superstar unicorn comes true, she learns that fame and fortune come with a cost and she longs for her simple, sparkle-free life back home. Directed by Jared Hess and Lynn Wang, and based on Aaron Blabey’s (The Bad Guys) popular book series. Mikros Animation/Netflix, May 2024

The Tiger’s Apprentice. A young Chinese-American boy discovers he’s part of a long lineage of magical protectors known as the Guardians, and he now must bring the estranged Zodiac animal warriors back together to fight evil forces in this adaptation of Lawrence Yep’s trilogy, directed by Raman Hui, Yong Duk Jhun and Paul Watling. With the voices of Leah Lewis, Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh, Henry Golding, Lucy Liu and Bowen Yang. Paramount/Mikros/Paramount+; Feb. 2

Transformers One. Josh Cooley (Toy Story 4) directs this animated prequel set on Cybertron that revolves around the relationship between Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry). With the voices of Scarlett Johansson (Elita), Keegan-Michael Key (Bumblebee), Jon Hamm (Sentinel Prime) and Laurence Fishburne (Alpha Trion). ILM/Entertainment One/Hasbro/Paramount; Sept. 13

Trouble. When 13-year-old Jax gets in trouble with his family, he is swept away into a parallel reality known as the World of Trouble in this movie co-created by Danny McBride and Brad Lewis. Rough House Pictures/Spire Animation Studios

Ultraman: Rising. Shannon Tindle (Kubo and the Two Strings) and John Aoshima (storyboard artist, Maya and the Three) direct this beautifully designed animated take on the popular Japanese sci-fi franchise, which was first introduced in 1966. The movie follows the adventures of an alien race of superheroes who often combat kaiju or other aliens. Netflix/ILM/Tsuburaya Productions; June 14.

Untitled Wallace and Gromit Movie. The second big-screen feature adventure of Aardman Animations’ popular plasticine inventor and his clever cheese-loving dog is directed by Nick Park. The plotline is rumored to revolve a ‘Smart Gnome,’ invented by Wallace, who develops a mind of his own. Then, it’s up to Gromit to battle the Gnome’s evil plans and save his master from the sinister machine. Aardman Animations/Netflix; Fourth Quarter

The Wild Robot. Chris Sanders (Lilo & Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon) directs this adaptation of Peter Brown’s illustrated book about the bond between a castaway robot named Rozzum 7134, an orphaned gosling named Brightbill, and their misfit animal friends on a deserted island. Universal/DreamWorks; Fall

Sources: imdb.com, wikipedia, animationmagazine.net

Meet HAL, Your New Animation Assistant!

Carl Reed

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November 23, 2023

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This article was written for the
December '23 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 335)

A few thoughts on embracing or shying away from AI.

Navigating the world of animation these days feels a bit like stepping into a sci-fi movie, complete with all its awe and apprehension. Artificial Intelligence is everywhere, and it’s got people talking about all of the ways that it can revolutionize the way we create. But, alas, in many of the sci-fi flicks that I have seen, the new super technology usually ‘escapes the machine’ and tries to eliminate humanity as we know it. Trust me, as someone who started out as a traditional artist with pencil and paper, toiling for years to improve my craft, seeing a machine create art in a blink is very similar to watching the T-1000 shapeshift to get into a locked room in Terminator 2. Jarring, to say the least!

To be clear, AI presents both opportunities and challenges. It has the capability to produce work that closely mimics the craftsmanship of a seasoned artist. And, sure, it can be the ultimate “copycat” if used unethically. Big studios could go all-in with AI, leading some to fear a rise in the unemployment rate faster than you can prompt ChatGPT to write a term paper.

Haven’t we seen this movie before? Cue the flashback to the mid-2000s, when the animation industry was transitioning from traditional pen and paper to digital animation. Everybody was on edge. There were similar concerns about job security and quality at the time, with many wondering if these new tools — or the less experienced people who had access to them — were ready for primetime. But the end credits told a different story. We didn’t just survive; we thrived. The animation industry expanded, leading to the creation of new animation houses specializing in digital animation, as well as an increase in the number of projects produced due to the reduction in cost. Also, more creators have gotten to contribute their talents.

‘With advanced tools like Stable Diffusion and Claude AI becoming increasingly accessible, the proverbial Pandora’s box is not just open — it’s been open-sourced. There’s no turning back now.’

So, could AI be the sequel we didn’t know we needed? From my vantage-point, it’s scary, but promising. It’s still the first act, but with the speed of innovation that we are witnessing, it won’t be long until the tools become very useful. At our studio, we have already been impacted. In one of our recent projects, using Adobe’s generative fill helped us instantly revise a set of production art background paintings that would have normally taken over two weeks. That’s two extra weeks for creative refinement, which is worth more than gold in our industry.

But it can’t be that easy, can it? Well, the fear of job loss isn’t baseless. Reports are already emerging that some of the largest studios are establishing specialized ‘task forces’ to integrate AI for the purpose of cutting costs. This could very well lead to a reduction in the workforce, which is a concerning development. However, it’s important to recognize that technological advancements often create new roles even as they make others less essential. Take the rise of YouTube, for example. This platform has given birth to a new category of content creators, working in formats we never before envisioned. These small creators are now competing with some of the largest broadcasters and studios for viewers’ attention, all from the comfort of their own bedrooms. In a similar vein, AI could likely spawn professions and creative avenues that we can’t yet anticipate.

Additionally, with advanced tools like Stable Diffusion and Claude AI becoming increasingly accessible, the proverbial Pandora’s box is not just open — it’s been open-sourced. There’s no turning back now. The undeniable reality is that AI is here, bringing both transformative potential and ethical considerations with it. We are at a crossroads: we can either embrace AI to enhance our artistic capabilities and tap into unprecedented creative possibilities, or we can shy away, leaving the field open for large studios to monopolize these advantages. Faced with these alternatives, my preference is clear: let’s harness this technology to amplify, rather than replace, our human skills. For my team and me, the decision is easy. We choose to be proactive, contributing to shape the future of AI in a way that enriches the world of animation and media production for the better.

Carl Reed is the CCO and president of Lion Forge Animation and CEO of Composition Media. His career includes 20 years in media creation. Over the course of his career, Carl has worked with high-profile clients to produce a variety of different types of content, from comic books to broadcast animated series, toys and video games.

‘They Shot the Piano Player’ Directors Discuss Their Animated Notes on a Disappearance

animation_magazine

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November 23, 2023

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‘They Shot the Piano Player’ Directors Discuss Their Animated Notes on a Disappearance

This article was written for the
December '23 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 335)

When filmmaker Fernando Trueba decided to tell the story of Francisco Tenorio Júnior — a gifted Brazilian pianist who mysteriously vanished at age 34 while visiting Argentina — there was no doubt in his mind that animation was the best medium for it.

“I wanted to make a documentary about a musician — an artist alive — and see him playing and see him in the bars that don’t exist anymore, where bossa nova was created,” he says. “And after Chico & Rita, I thought that animation was the best possible language for Tenorio’s story.”

The result is They Shot the Piano Player, which Trueba wrote the screenplay for and directed with Javier Mariscal — their second animated feature collaboration after 2010’s critically acclaimed Chico & Rita. The feature film puts real interviews with Tenorio’s colleagues, friends and family to animation — all tied together with a fictional framing sequence in which a New York journalist played by Jeff Goldblum discovers and tracks down the story.

Stepping Back in Time

That part is in some ways only half fiction, as it’s based on Trueba’s own tale of discovering Tenorio’s music and then his lost story. While making the 2004 documentary The Miracle of Candeal, Trueba often escaped into bookshops and record stores, where he found a jazz record called O LP, on which Tenorio played. Taken by the pianist’s performance, he tracked down via eBay a copy of the one record Tenorio had made as a bandleader that had long been out of print.

“I was interested in him and what the guy was doing now,” Trueba says. “And I discovered that there was nothing where he was participating, or by him, in the last 30-some years.”

He describes Tenorio as a “musician’s musician” — he was not popular or famous, but all the best players and most knowledgeable fans of Brazilian jazz knew and loved his playing. There was little information about his disappearance — he left his hotel late one night in 1976 to pick up some sandwiches and never came back.

“I was first shocked by it and I started to try to find things,” Trueba says. He started by speaking with Suzana de Moraes, daughter of poet and musician Vinicius de Moraes (whom she made a documentary about). This prompted him to begin to track down more interviews.

“From the end of 2005 to 2007, I did like 140-something interviews,” he says. “Most of them were in Brazil, but some in Argentina and some in the United States.”

**The Vanishing:** An N.Y.C. journalist (Jeff Goldblum) sets out to discover the reasons for the disappearance of a young Brazilian piano virtuoso in Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal’s ‘They Shot the Piano Player.’

Trueba at this point was determined to make a film that would document Tenorio’s music and life and preserve his memory. Having just completed Chico & Rita, he had second thoughts about his initial idea of using animation. But the more he thought about it, the stronger the urge became and the more he thought Mariscal was the right man to help him make it.

“I became more convinced that live-action or documentary were not the right way to tell that story,” he says. “Javi was the right man to do that, to give color and life into this. So, from that material, from all these hours of interview, I just start writing a screenplay.”

The process started with a year of preproduction work during which they decided on the art styles and color palettes and storyboarded the movie.

Mariscal says they decided on a more realistic look for the framing sequences of Goldblum’s journalist tracking down the story, and more colorful and expressive looks for the flashback and interview sequences.

“The palette of the colors (for the flashbacks) remains more like three, four colors — even one color — and we try with the color to describe the feeling of the people in the memory,” he says.

Sequences were animated over the following two years by studios in Amsterdam, France, Spain and Portugal, with the production’s main base in Barcelona, Mariscal says. Postproduction — including the detailed sound work — was done in France and was essential to the movie with so much music and original interview audio.

“This is a more risky kind of story and kind of movie, so we didn’t want to do the classical animation at all,” Trueba says. “We wanted to experiment more, to break things. And that’s one great thing about Javier Mariscal’s art, is that he is he has this quality that is very open, very risky, very broken, very Picassian in some ways, etc. And it was great to have his style in a movie like this.”

Mariscal agrees that animation was the right choice because it allows the audience to see Tenorio directly through the memories of the people who knew him. If an actor played Tenorio as a character, the audience would see the actor first, and a straight documentary would lack the movement and feel that animation gives to the 1960s and ’70s and the music of those times.

Javier Mariscal & Fernando Trueba ©Elena Claverol

‘I tried to tell a good story … but if the young generation who doesn’t know anything about Latin America in the ’70s, or about the relationship of American and Brazilian music, can learn and discover things, it’s also very good.’

— Director Fernando Trueba

“Everybody will have very different memories of the same thing,” he says. “And with the drawings, you can go more far away and have more a strong relation with the audience.”

Obtaining the rights to some of the music was complicated, Trueba says, since the rights holders were often decentralized — there was no one person who could make a decision. “There were some difficult ones, but we got it resolved,” he says.

Musicians appearing in the film include such accomplished and iconic players as Vinicius de Moraes, Tom Jobim, João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Milton Nascimento, Gilberto Gil, Paulo Moura, João Donato, Mutinho and Aretha Franklin.

Goldblum leads the cast of actors for the fictional characters, which also includes Roberta Wallach and Brazilian favorite Tony Ramos as João.

Trueba says he met and became good friends with Goldblum years ago while making another movie, and he had the actor in mind for the lead role as he wrote it. “He liked the screenplay, and he’s also a pianist and a very good musician,” Trueba says. “For me, apart from being a good friend, Jeff is the most interesting voice in American cinema. … It’s like a jazz player voice … He is always fresh and new. It’s never boring for one second.”

The final fate of Tenorio, as revealed in the film, is tragic. His visit to Buenos Aires coincided with the rise of a military dictatorship in Argentina. He was taken by the police, detained and questioned, and eventually shot in the head. Although Trueba wasn’t looking to teach a history lesson, it does reflect on the state of politics and the rise of authoritarian and dictatorial powers in Latin and South America at that time.

Back to Bossa Nova

“I tried to tell a good story, that’s the important thing,” he says. “But if the young generation who doesn’t know anything about Latin America in the ’70s, or about bossa nova or about the relationship of American music and Brazilian music, can learn and discover things, it’s also very good.”

The tragedy of his death — he was a musician, and not political — is still relevant with innocent people still being caught in the crossfire of wars today in places like Ukraine and the Middle East.

“I think it’s important to rescue this great artist, who has been cut (down) in the middle of his life and career, but also to tell a story about the crash of beauty and violence that happens every day still,” Trueba says.

Sony Pictures Classics will release They Shot the Piano Player in select U.S. theaters for one week from Friday, November 24.

Oscar-Qualified Queer Love Story ‘Aikāne’ Debuts Online

Mercedes Milligan

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November 23, 2023

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Oscar-Qualified Queer Love Story ‘Aikāne’ Debuts Online

Aikāne, the latest award-winning animated short from the team behind Kapaemahu, has been made available to watch online for free through queer news and culture outlet Them. Titled after the Hawaiian term for an intimate companion of the same sex, the 14-minute 2D piece is a supernatural romance about a brave warrior and his shape-shifting lover and advisor who make a stand against colonial forces.

A valiant island warrior, wounded in battle against foreign invaders, falls into a mysterious underwater world. When the octopus who rescued him transforms into a handsome young man, they become aikāne, intimate friends bound by love and trust, and an epic adventure begins.

The short was conceived by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson, a married couple who began their filmmaking careers with a documentary about the reaction to their own same-sex marriage in Wilson’s small hometown. While the film most prominently draws from Native Hawaiian mythology, it also takes inspiration from LGBTQ+ legends from around the world — including Celtic Europe, ancient Greece and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. The settings are based on the couple’s free-diving experiences.

Important guidance was provided by producer Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a mahu (transgender) Native Hawaiian culture bearer. The team also included director and animator Daniel Sousa, who honed the look of the film’s imaginative settings; executive producers Judith Light and Daniel Karslake; and Dan Golden providing music and sound design. The film is a production of Qwaves and Kanaka Pakipaka.

Aikāne made its festival premiere at Animayo and the Seattle International Film Festival in May, and has since earned a flurry of awards — including Academy Awards qualifiers from the Hawai’i International Film Festival (Best Made in Hawai’i Short), New Hampshire Film Festival (Animated Shorts Jury Award).

In addition to the online screening on Them, festival goers can catch screenings of Aikāne at the current Native Cinema Showcase at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC (Nov. 17-24) and the upcoming Palermo International Film Festival (January 31) and AniMate (Sydney, March 3).

Watch Aikāne on Them.us now. Check out the trailer below and learn more about the film and other works by the filmmaking team at qwaves.com.

Watch: Warner Bros Releases Trailer for ‘Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth – Part One’

Animation Magazine

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November 22, 2023

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Watch: Warner Bros Releases Trailer for ‘Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth – Part One’

DC Comics and Warner Bros. animated movie fans have one more thing to be thankful for this Thanksgiving: A new trailer for the 2024 movie Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth — Part One has arrived online. Part of a trilogy, the movie is based on the famous 1985-86 comic book series by Marv Wolfman and George Perez.

In the trailer, DC’s heroes are brought by a character called the Monitor. The Monitor explains that the heroes exist in a multiverse, and we see Superman with an older version of himself from a parallel world. He also tells Supergirl that she is needed to stop their world from being erased from existence.

The official synopsis reads: “Death is coming. Worse than death: oblivion. Not just for our Earth, but for everyone, everywhere, in every universe! Against this ultimate destruction, the mysterious Monitor has gathered the greatest team of Super Heroes ever assembled. But what can the combined might of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern and hundreds of Super Heroes from multiple Earths even do to save all of reality from an unstoppable antimatter Armageddon?!”

Directed by Jeff Wamester and written by Marv Wolfman, the movie is reportedly being released on DVD, Blu-Ray and 4K in the first quarter of 2024. The cast includes Darren Criss as Clark Kent/Superman and Jonathan Adams as The Monitor/The Anti-Monitor. According to the teaser, Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earth will be a trilogy.

Here is the trailer:

Crunchyroll Reveals Anime Updates, Black Friday Deals for Fans

Mercedes Milligan

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November 22, 2023

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Crunchyroll Reveals Anime Updates, Black Friday Deals for Fans

Crunchyroll once again hit a major fan gathering with a deluge of anime announcements, unveiling new acquisitions and series updates at Anime NYC and sneak peeking its otaku-pleasing Crunchyroll Store Black Friday deals.

Big news from the Anime NYC panel includes:

Tower of God Season 2: The epic climb resumes, covering pivotal WEBTOON webcomic arcs “The Return of the Prince” and “Workshop Battle,” coming to Crunchyroll in July 2024.

Synopsis: Reach the top, and everything will be yours. At the top of the tower exists everything in this world, and all of it can be yours. You can become a god. This is the story of the beginning and the end of Rachel, the girl who climbed the tower so she could see the stars, and Bam, the boy who needed nothing but her.

Solo Leveling: The weak but determined Jinwoo Sung faces deadly dungeons and emerges as a formidable hunter, with the English dub cast announced for the January 2024 release:

Dual blade wielding, shadow summoning, solo leveling guy Jinwoo Sung [성진우] will be played by Aleks Le
● Trusty rich sidekick extraordinaire Yoo Jinho [유진호] will be played by Justin Briner
● The hard working sister Sung Jinah [성진아] will be played by Rebecca Wang
● The lovely, deadly S-rank hunter Cha Hae-in [차해인] will be played by Michelle Rojas
● Flame wielding, glasses cool guy Choi Jong-in [최종인] will be played by Ian Sinclair
● The beast mode with sick sideburns Baek Yoonho [백윤호] will be played by Christopher R. Sabat
● The silver haired wise but strong chairman of the Korean hunter association, Go Gunhee [고건희] will be played by Kent Williams
● And finally, slicked-back-hair sporting chief inspector of the Korean hunters association Woo Jinchul [우진철] will be played by SungWon Cho

True Beauty: Based on the hit WEBTOON webcomic of the same name, True Beauty tells a compelling tale of Jugyeong, a girl who reinvents herself with makeup, navigating school life, rivalry, and romance, with a simulcast coming to Crunchyroll in 2024.

Synopsis: Jugyeong, who transformed herself with makeup, transfers to Saebom High School to leave her past of being bullied behind. The school is known for producing idols, actors and influencers, thanks to its unique tradition of anonymous voting for the school’s True Beauty goddess. The chosen student gets scouted by entertainment agencies.

Jugyeong quickly becomes the center of attention, gaining the title of the next goddess candidate and mingling with Sujin, the former two-time goddess. However, Sujin’s friendly facade hides a malicious intent. She aims to bring Jugyeong down using cunning tactics and traps. Determined not to be a victim again, Jugyeong confronts Sujin, vowing to become the next goddess. She engages in a fierce voting war while concealing her makeup-free face.

Things take unexpected turns when Suho Lee, the school’s heartthrob, accidentally sees her bare face, and Jugyeong crosses paths with the enigmatic SeoJun Han, who is determined to unveil her true identity. As Jugyeong’s life becomes more entangled with these two, a thrilling tale of beauty, intrigue, and self-discovery unfolds.

UA HEROES BATTLE: In these new, original episodes from My Hero Academia, class 1-A combats winter boredom with a new, intense U.A.-themed card game introduced by Mirio Togata, sparking a spirited competition among the students. Premieres in sub and dub on November 30.

Synopsis: Class 1-A are bored out of their minds! Stuck in their dorms during the winter season, they can’t go out or do anything fun. That is until third year Mirio Togata pays the students a visit with a new card game the support course developed that uses U.A. students as playable characters. Now to pass the time, they’ll play this game that’s just as tough as U.A. Who will win the card battle?!

Delusional Monthly Magazine: Explore bizarre and inexplicable phenomena with Delusional Monthly Magazine” an unusual science magazine bringing its outlandish stories to Crunchyroll in January 2024.

Synopsis: The story takes place in the town of Most City in a certain country. On the second floor of an old building is a publishing company that puts out a periodical called Delusional Monthly Magazine, a science magazine featuring articles about shocking, bizarre events and inexplicable phenomena that make even scientists throw up their hands in defeat. Its staff consists only of a beautiful editor-in-chief and her one editor, Taro J. Suzuki, who are joined by grade-school-aged assistant Jiro Tanaka and his dog, Saburo. The editorial department is always empty, and Taro, Jiro, and Saburo are usually hanging out in Rock, a coffee shop on the first floor. One day, the scientist Goro Sato visits them for a consultation, and therein lies the beginning of an outlandish new story.

Senpai Is an Otokonoko: Love and identity entangle in Senpai Is an Otokonoko, where unrequited love leads to surprising revelations and a complex love triangle, launching in 2024.

Synopsis: Can true love really overcome any obstacles? Saki, a high school student, confesses her feelings to Makoto. Taken aback, Makoto reveals his secret, but the sudden discovery doesn’t seem to bother Saki who is already head over heels for him. After being rejected, Saki asks Ryuji, Makoto’s childhood friend, for some advice on how to win his heart. A love triangle unfolds when Ryuji realizes that he might also have some feelings for his old friend.

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the anime and manga lover on your holiday list, don’t miss the Black Friday deals on the Crunchyroll Store this week. Score major discounts (up to 97% off!) on home video, publishing, plushies, home goods, figures and apparel — Crunchyroll’s Store features over 30,000 products, including 17,000 manga.

A few of the Black Friday deals available now include:

Viz Media Home Video Sale

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 1 Part 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray (SRP: $99.99 / Deal: $64.00)
One Punch Man Season 1 Limited Edition Blu-Ray/DVD (SRP: $59.99 / Deal: $30.08)
Sailor Moon R Complete Season Blu-ray (SRP: $49.99 / Deal: $24.96)

40% Off Manga

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Manga (1-5) Bundle (SRP: $54.95 / Deal: $32.42)
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Manga (6-10) Bundle ($54.95 / Deal: $32.42)
Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Manga (11-14) Bundle (SRP: $43.96 / Deal: $25.94)
Blue Lock Manga (1-3) Bundle (SRP: $38.97 / Deal: $22.99)
Blue Lock Manga (4-6) Bundle (SRP: $38.97 / Deal: $22.99)

In-Stock Figures up to 40% Off

Chainsaw Man – Chainsaw Devil Luminasta Figure (SRP: $38.99 / Deal: $22.99)
Koro-Sensei Pink Variant Ver Assassination Classroom Limited Edition SFC Figure (SRP: $32.99 / Deal: $28.04)
Lum Urusei Yatsura ARTFX J Figure (SRP: $155.99 / Deal $135.99)
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- Kamado Nezuko Noodle Stopper Figure (SRP $24.99 / Deal: $19.99)

Young Animator of the Year Announces Six Winners for 2023

Mercedes Milligan

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November 22, 2023

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Young Animator of the Year UK (YAY UK) competition winners were announced on Sunday, November 12 and had their work premiered at a special screening session at this year’s Manchester Animation Festival.

Run by ACCESS:VFX (accessvfx.org), ScreenSkills (screenskills.com) Animation Skills Fund and 3Dami (3dami.org), the YAY UK initiative invites budding animators aged 11-18 to submit their creations to the initiative’s awards program each year. The program aims to provide aspiring animators from a range of backgrounds with access to and advice from professionals and studios in the animation, games and VFX industry.

The young animators entered their original work into one of six categories, separated by age range and animation medium. Not only have the six winners of this year’s awards had their work reviewed by professionals from across the industry, but they’ll also get the chance to tour ACCESS:VFX’s members’ studios, including Aardman, Blue Zoo and Axis.

The winners of this year’s awards program are:

Best Stop-Motion Animator Aged 11-14; Nuk Jansen, Edinburgh, Age 14 — Mosquito’s Day Out
Best 2D Animator Aged 11-14; Pavlos Xenophontos, London, Age 14 — FlipaClip
Best 3D Animator Aged 11-14; Jeremiah Achene, Derby, Age 14
Best Stop-Motion Animator Aged 15-18; Ben Mullan, Bedford, Age 18 — The Deadline
Best 2D Animator Aged 15-18; Thomas Langridge, London, Age 17 — The Complete Cartoon History of Man
Best 3D Animator Aged 15-18; Euan Garbut, Glasgow, Age 16 — Street Food

“The quality of the films this year were phenomenal,” commented program judge Amy Backwell, Emerging Talent Specialist at ILM. “It’s brilliant to see a variety of short films executed to such a high quality with storytelling, technicality and the fundamentals of animation and form in mind. In visual effects, it’s imperative to demonstrate the ability to create realistic and believable content and that’s exactly what these shortlisted entries showcased. It’s exciting to see the level of talent improving every single year!”

Throughout the summer, the young animators on the program were set various mini challenges by industry experts from VFX and animation studios across the U.K., allowing them to hone their skills before producing their own original films. As part of the YAY UK program, animators were encouraged to use opensource software that’s available to anyone, many of which are standard tools for the VFX and animation industry. The skills learned and developed as part of the program are ones that are directly transferable to future careers.

“This year’s showcase of entrants for the awards truly epitomized the jaw-dropping creativity and boundless potential of creative teenage animators from across the U.K.,” said Tom Box, co-organizer of YAY UK, board member of ACCESS:VFX, Chair of ScreenSkills Animation Skills Council and Managing Director of Blue Zoo Animation Studios. “Each year the quality gets better and better, and the industry judges had an almost impossible job of picking the winners. It was wonderful to be able to present the winners with their trophies at Manchester Animation Festival in person, giving a platform to the next generation of talent, and hopefully inspiring many more animated careers in the process.”

Watch the winning films for 2023 and previous years at younganimator.uk/winners.

Animation Veteran Mike Blum Discusses His Animated Series ‘Dogster Kid Songs’ and YouTube Channel

Ramin Zahed

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November 22, 2023

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Animation Veteran Mike Blum Discusses His Animated Series ‘Dogster Kid Songs’ and YouTube Channel

Animation writer and director Mike Blum (The Zit, Fifi Cat Therapist) is launching a fun new animated preschool show called Dogster Kid Songs on YouTube this week. We had a chance to chat with him about his new venture, how he got it off the ground and why he decided to launch the show online. Here is what he told us via email.

Animation Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the origins of your new YouTube Channel?

Mike Blum: For over 10 years, we have been trying to figure out how to launch a channel while retaining ownership of the IP. But what could we make that would be creatively rewarding and we could afford to make? We knew we needed to feed the YouTube algorithm a lot of content to help us build a subscriber base. And even our reasonable rates were way too high for us to shoulder the costs without help.

But earlier this year we designed and animated a talking chef’s hat for the Hulu reality series Secret Chef, that would serve as the show’s de facto host. To cope with production demands, we provided them with a 2D puppet that they could drive on set using Adobe Character Animator’s real-time animation tools (i.e. mocap). The production went smoothly and it opened our mind to using similar techniques for a web series. We also recently sold and made a couple of fun, simple-to-execute preschool shorts to Sesame Street. We realized we could reduce production costs for our own series by using a related visually simple style. And real-time animation techniques would reduce them even further. From there, we researched what was popular for preschoolers on YouTube.

It was immediately obvious that we needed to make song-based content. But we didn’t want to compete in the crowded spaces of counting, phonics or nursery rhyme videos. Instead, we interviewed preschool and kindergarten educators who noted there wasn’t enough great content that specialized in social-emotional learning and age-appropriate science information. Bingo! From there, we developed a concept that was flexible enough to generate hundreds of episode ideas. We settled on the idea of best friends (Zipp and Zarra), who both boys and girls would see themselves through, and a third creature character (Dogster) that would act as comic relief. But we also wanted to inject an interactive element by having Dogster speak directly to camera (à la Dora the Explorer) and ask kids questions. Through this whole process, we used my son’s old preschool as our test audience — pitching story ideas, showing them designs, playing them songs and showing them animatics and episodes. The kids’ comments were so helpful and encouraging! In fact, the class looked at our then-nameless creature character and declared that it looked like a half dog, half monster — a dogster! We found the name so charming we named the whole channel after him!

What prompted you to launch the show on YouTube?

We wanted to create and retain ownership of an original show that was fun to make and would be a positive influence on our world. Will it make money? Who knows? But for the first time in my career I feel like we have a reasonable chance of succeeding without waiting for permission.

What makes Dogster Kid Songs stand out from the other animated preschool shows?

There’s a lot of really nice work being done on YouTube, but if I’m being honest, we haven’t found a lot of channels that combine top-notch character designs, animation and original music. I think that’s largely because a lot of channels were started by people who aren’t necessarily animation and music professionals. I’m not knocking any of them. They are making compelling content that has attracted millions of subscribers. But our goal is to be best in class in all three areas. To succeed, we needed to marry our studio’s animation skills with amazing song writers. That’s why we were so ecstatic when Mike Barnett and Dena Diamond came on board. Mike is a world class composer known for his work on CoComelon, Action Pack, Mickey and the Roadster Racers and many more shows. Dena, our lyricist, has published over 500 songs featured on shows like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sid the Science Kid and Word Party. I wake up every morning singing one of their Dogster songs, and we’re pretty sure kids will find them just as memorable.

Where is the animation being done?

Boards, animatic and art assets are being done in Los Angeles, and because over the pandemic we have switched almost fully to virtual work, we’ve been doing the animation itself in New Jersey. Joey Perez is a really talented young animator who we hired to work on Secret Chef, and he is responsible for rigging all of the characters, animating and compositing.

What are the visual inspirations behind the show?

Working with Sesame Street helped us focus our energies on keeping the art style simple and uncluttered. But the show itself revolves around our three main characters and we knew kids would have to instantly find them charming and appealing. From the beginning, I wanted to use one of our favorite character designers, Shawn Boyles, to do our designs. All of his characters have charm, appeal and a little whimsy. At the same time, we didn’t want to short circuit our process, so first we assembled a detailed deck of appealing preschool reference art that included shows like Pocoyo, Bubble Guppies and Baby Shark and a ton of indie designers in order to be able to have creative discussions with Shawn.

What would you say is your biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge is going to be staying in a rhythm to continue producing episode after episode. The series is going to be a loss leader for many months, if not years, so we have to have patience that the YouTube algorithm will eventually reward us with enough placement to build our subscriber base. Folks like Cory Williams and Pat Smith, who both make their living off of YouTube, have been incredibly helpful setting our expectations and explaining some best practices.

How long does it take to produce each segment?

Part of my challenge to the whole team was to break our traditional pipeline and expectations wherever we could. Since we’re self-funding for the foreseeable future, we set the goal that no department would take more than one day to complete their entire job. So, no more than eight hours to write and record a song, write the stage directions, create the board/animatic or animate. The first couple took longer as we were figuring things out, but we’re pretty close to that aspirational goal already, and we’ll keep getting faster. All that said, we still need to work on other projects that actually keep the lights on, so over the first six months, we’re planning on one big song video per month plus two to three shorter segments in between. Within a few months, we should be able to produce one song every three weeks. What are some of the other projects you are working on?

We developed a show for six- to 11-year olds called Grounded with the Scottish production company Hey Daisy Moon that Bejuba! Entertainment is distributing. It’s about two free-spirited, amiable caterpillars who decided not to become butterflies, but still live every day to its fullest from the bottom rung of their sky-high society. We have an adult series called My Boss Is a Monster setup with Lion Forge Animation that we developed with Joelle Sellner (Ben 10: Omniverse, Teen Titans) and Bill Freiberger (Drawn Together, Sonic Boom), about an earnest college grad who has to survive in a hostile workplace at an amoral, multinational corporation where every boss is figuratively and literally a monster. And we’re just finishing up a really ambitious CG trailer for a brand new series idea called Animixies that we developed with Jeff Prezenkowski (Teen Titans Go!, New Looney Tunes). It’s for four- to seven-year olds and is kind of a cross between Pokémon and LEGO. I don’t want to say more yet, but I can’t wait to share this with you guys. It’s super cool. What is your take on the animation scene in 2023-2024?

Honestly, it’s rough out there. Between the strikes and the fact that all the streamers have woken up with a hangover after overspending, almost no one is buying right now. And no one is currently looking for anything not based on existing IP. But, I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years, and everything goes in cycles. I’ve talked to a bunch of folks coming back from [MIPCOM/MIPjunior] and the sense I get is that by the end of first quarter or perhaps second quarter of 2024, purse strings should start opening up again. And when they do, we’ll be ready!

Best advice for animation producers?

I try to maintain an equal measure of unbridled enthusiasm and optimism for unique ideas while at the same time applying rigor and logic in understanding the current state of the marketplace. That means we poke the gatekeepers to see what they are looking for (and not looking for!) and make sure that what we are planning on developing and pitching has a reasonable chance of finding a buyer. Or in the case of starting our YouTube channel, we built a business case prior to starting development. Creating marketable and unmarketable ideas take the same amount of time — might as well spend your time on the marketable ones!

Tune in to Zipp, Zara and Dogster’s musical adventures at youtube.com/@DogsterKidSongs. Check out the first Dogster Kid Songs video below! For more information on the studio’s other projects, visit pipsqueakanimation.com.

‘FernGully’ Rights Flit to Machine Media, New Animated & Live-Action Projects in Talks

Mercedes Milligan

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November 22, 2023

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‘FernGully’ Rights Flit to Machine Media, New Animated & Live-Action Projects in Talks

Machine Media Advisors LLC, led by industry veterans Jonathan Sheinberg, Susan Sheinberg and Matt Feige, announces their acquisition of the animated feature film FernGully: The Last Rainforest and all associated rights. Originally released in 1992, the film was directed by Bill Kroyer and starred Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Samantha Mathis and Cristian Slater, and quickly captivated audiences with its groundbreaking environmental message.

As the new owners of the FernGully intellectual property, Machine Media Advisors has been dedicated to reviving and reintroducing the film to a new generation of viewers. They have successfully re-released the film’s soundtrack, featuring music from acclaimed artists such as Elton John, Sheena Easton and Raffi. Additionally, they have brought back the 1998 sequel, FernGully 2: The Magical Rescue. In celebration of the film’s 30th anniversary, a special edition was released in August 2022, showcasing its enduring impact and resonance with fans. Historically, Disney/20th Century Fox managed the distribution of these releases. However, FernGully is now distributed by Shout Factory.

“It has been a pleasure to bring FernGully back to life in the modern digital era,” says Jonathan Sheinberg. “It’s a film that matters deeply to so many people, and we’re excited to continue the legacy of this beloved title.”

Machine Media Advisors plans to honor the nostalgic value of FernGully while introducing new iterations that will engage both existing fans and fresh audiences. The company is currently in talks with major studio partners for potential live-action remakes and animated movies. The team is actively pursuing strategic alliances in the realms of immersive experiences, encompassing gaming and the metaverse, as well as extending the FernGully reach to the world of Broadway, through collaborative partnerships.

Jon Sheinberg’s controlling interest in Machine Media Advisors and the FernGully IP is through his shingle SFO Entertainment, with the instrumental support of their minority partner Moonheart led by Moonli Singha and Rosa Gudmundsdottir. FernGully is represented by the Verve Agency.

The FernGully rebirth will introduce new worlds, characters and weave together compelling storylines crafted to spotlight pressing issues impacting our planet. Among the anticipated themes are the far-reaching consequences of deforestation, the effects of pollution on wildlife, biodiversity and community action.

Upon its original release, FernGully: The Last Rainforest generated over $250 million and becoming one of the best-selling movies in the ’90s. It holds the distinction of being the first film ever screened at the United Nations General Assembly and sparked increased awareness and advocacy for environmental issues among audiences. The film’s impact extended beyond the screen, with significant contributions to the World Wildlife Fund and a continued presence in popular culture. FernGully content has garnered over 110 million views on TikTok, 30 million views on YouTube, and trends on Twitter multiple times a year during environmental news cycles.

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