Netflix Shares Interactive 3D Series ‘Battle Kitty’ Trailer
The animated show about a super powered kitten allows kids to navigate their own adventures and unlock new chapters in the story; created by the ‘Layzell Bros,’ the show hits the streamer worldwide on April 19.
ITFS 2022 Announces Films in Competition and More Festival Highlights
2,028 films were submitted from 80 countries in the hopes of sharing over 65,000 euros in prizes; upcoming hybrid event runs in person and online May 3-8, featuring screenings, presentations, talks, workshops, and a free film program every day on Stuttgart's Schlossplatz.
Another Great Set of FMX 2022 Program Highlights Revealed
Conference confirms more talks, presentations, and masterclasses including a look at rendering challenges behind ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines,’ creation of Mixed Reality with Microsoft’s Darren Cosker, and Machine Learning with Foundry’s Mairéad Grogan; the event runs onsite May 3-5, online May 6 and on demand through May 31.
Disney+ Drops ‘Proud Family - When You Wish Upon a Roker’ Featurette
Disney+ Drops ‘Ice Age: Scrat Tales’ Trailer
Our hapless hero learns the joys of parenthood in 6 all-new animated shorts featuring the famed saber-toothed squirrel of the popular ‘Ice Age’ franchise; voiced by Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge, Scart and his epic adventures hit Disney+ April 13.
GKIDS Drops ‘Pompo the Cinephile’ Teaser
Directed Takayuki Hirao, the animated feature is an ode to the power of movies and the joys and heartbreak of the creative process; in partnership with Fathom events, the preview screening comes to theaters nationwide April 27-28.
Cartoonito Launches Across Asia
The preschool programming block debuted in Japan March 1 with ‘Thomas and Friends,’ ‘Pingu,’ and ‘Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz;’ the brand hits Southeast Asia and Korea today, with a slate of other popular series.
Podcast EP 154: Mercury Filmworks CCO Heath Kenny on How to Leap From Maker to Manager
The animator, writer, producer and development exec discusses careers, opportunities, and choosing the best path forward; he shares his journey from New Zealand to Canada and how he ultimately made the jump to management.
Watch ‘Sky: Children of the Light’ First Look Teaser
At Anime Japan 2022, thatgamecompany shared concept art and storyboards revealing new characters and the expansion of its popular game franchise; ‘Sky Assemblies’ and ‘Sky Crafting Corner’ give fans a chance to take part in themed activities including arts and crafts, trivia, and in-game challenges.
Annecy 2022 Announces Graduation, TV, and Commissioned Film Selections
99 films were chosen for competition in the festivals latest category announcements; more than 1,530 films were submitted this year from 64 countries; festival runs June 13-18 in Annecy, France.
‘Parallel Man: Infinite Pursuit’: Careening Across the Multiverse
FutureDude Entertainment’s Jeffrey Morris expands upon his comic and mobile game with a CG short that leaps from humanoid dino clans to polluted, steampunk cities in a sci-fi tale of commandos, stolen tech, and alternate Earths.
‘Dune,’ ‘Encanto,’ and ‘The Windshield Wiper’ Take Home Oscar Gold
Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic scored a hefty 6 wins, though the evening’s most momentous achievement was an unwanted, violent reminder that live TV never goes as planned... or hoped.
DreamWorks Drops ‘The Bad Guys’ Featurettes
They’re BAD – but can they draw? Studio’s new 3DCG action comedy about a crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws attempting to become model citizens, starring Sam Rockwell, Craig Robinson, and Awkwafina, hits theaters April 22, 2022.
90s Nick Jr. Mascot ‘Face’ Returns in New Preschool Show
Live-action / animation hybrid ‘Face’s Music Party’ stars Cedric Williams and features kid-friendly music videos, remix sing-alongs of nursery rhymes, and a high energy dance-along finale; the new show hits Nickelodeon’s preschool platforms this summer.
Exclusive Clip: ‘The Great North - Nobody Knows What Is Inside This Can’
In the all-new episode airing March 27 on FOX, Ham befriends an older woman who loves to party; meanwhile, Judy takes up pottery and is not great at it.
‘Arthur,’ PBS’s Beloved Aardvark-Centric Series, Gets a New Digital Life
Dan Flynn, associate creative director of Hero4Hire Creative and lead animator on ‘Arthur’ digital productions, talks about the future of the long-running children’s animated series.
Nickelodeon Greenlights ‘HexVet’ Animated Series
Based on the popular graphic novels by Sam Davies, the series follows 2 best friends apprenticing to be magical veterinarians for fantastical creatures; show set to launch in 2023.
Nickelodeon Greenlights ‘Bossy Bear’
The new animated preschool series follows the misadventures of a ‘Bossy Bear’ and his bestie, Turtle; the show is slated to debut in 2023 on Nickelodeon in the U.S. and Nick Jr. channels internationally.
BASE FX Says it is the Victim of $234 Million Fraud
In a just filed lawsuit, the longtime Beijing-based VFX and animation company alleges that two Americans have swindled and pocketed millions from investors while raising money on its behalf.
NVIDIA Instant NeRF Turns 2D Photos into 3D Scenes in the Blink of an AI
Company shares groundbreaking ultra-fast neural network research that instantly reconstructs a high-resolution 3D scene from a set of 2D images.
The Third Floor Launches TTF Anim Animation Suite
New toolset brings real-time capabilities to creators of cinema-quality, stylized animated content; developed on top of Unreal Engine, pipeline features custom-developed visualization tools that introduce game engine rendering to features of traditional animation.
Nickelodeon Announces Franchise Strategy at 2022 Upfront Presentation
Animation remains key as network reveals plans for expanding franchises such as ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ and ‘PAW Patrol;’ new series including ‘Face’s Music Party,’ ‘Bossy Bear,’ and ‘HexVet;’ and a ‘Blue’s Clues & You! Live Tour’ starting this fall in the U.S.
Mercury Filmworks Names Guillaume Dubois VP of Production
The veteran animation exec and co-founder of Caribara Montreal is tapped to manage studio’s production pipeline, including ‘Pangors of Puddle Peak,’ ‘Octicorn,’ and ‘Bad Jelly the Witch.’
Guru Studio Announces Key Hires Across Talent Acquisition and Recruiting
Babita Jassal has been promoted to VP of People and Culture, and Hetal Shah joins as senior talent acquisition specialist; staff additions come as the company seeks new creative talent to work across a range of 2D and 3D projects.
Foundry Launches ‘Voices Behind the Tech’ Career Path Video Series
Series spotlights career paths in VFX, CGI, and Animation Technology, kicking off with an episode featuring interviews with women on the company’s R&D team.