CTNX is for the young and hungry, boasting a crowd of current students and the recently graduated, who are looking at an angle into their beloved, but notoriously tough, contemporary animation industry. There’s no doubt the event will keep on drawing in professionals, studios, and students, but it remains to be seen whether it can live up to high expectations. Seeing young talent engage with their idols, and feeling their way into a field they are clearly passionate about, is where CTN truly shines.

In this, the second of a three part series on the work of Georges Schwizgebel, we look at his pre-production process.

ANIMATION VOLDA is a unique festival run by animation students at Volda University College in Norway. Volda is a town of roughly 7,000 people of which 3,000 are students and the festival is primarily for students and festival guests.

Well, I finally got to speak to Bernard Derriman. Speak as in actually talk to him, as opposed to our Email ‘conversation’ back in 2005 when I wrote about animated music videos and his now justly famous Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me. Our paths crossed again when I wrote about Fox’s new Sunday night cartoon Allen Gregory. Derriman directed two out of the show’s seven initial episodes; if the series gets renewed (which all depends on how much America takes an arrogant pipsqueak to their hearts) he’ll be doing more of them. At the moment he’s busy with Fox’s other Sunday night backup toon Bob’s Burgers.

Finding the perfect gift for the newbie animator.

Yesterday, the Motion Picture Academy screened 45 qualified animated short films for short list voting in a program from which the eventual 2011 Oscar winner will be chosen.

Georges Schwizgebel’s films are swirling journeys through space and time. The first of a three part series, this article looks at the inspiration behind his films.

Emmy-winning writer Jeffrey Scott gives a sneak peek of his latest feature writing project, Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker.

What to do with these characters has been Warner Bros.’ challenge for years now. The classic theatrical shorts have matured from classic to just plain old. (Masterpieces all, but old just the same.) Attempts to bring them up to date have given us excretions like Loonatics, so-whats like Baby Looney Tunes and faux old-time toons like Carrotblanca. Under exec-producer Sam Register, they’ve finally gotten it right: contemporized their merrie menagerie while keeping their core personalities intact.

The folks at Buzzco Associates have taken on big business and the pervasive economic and political dissatisfaction spilling over on Wall Street with a set of 7 animated shorts. In the time-tested spirit of political humor, where one can only laugh when faced with daunting issues that are anything but funny, each short is based on a traditional nursery rhyme, spinning topical issues together with little childhood ditties we all know and love. The latest film, Itsy Bitsy Spider, was just released last week.

Learning 2D animation on your own is very doable. This first of a four part series on the tools of the trade looks at mark making in a digital world.

Coming November 18-20, 2011 to Burbank, California, CTN brings you a variety of business, creative, technical and inspirational presenters from various walks of life to reaffirm that CTN-X as that jewel in the crown, that "one of a kind" show where we get to rise out of the production trenches for 3 whole days to experience visual stimulation, fantastic connections and powerful inspiration.

Let Snoopy and Charlie Brown brighten your holidays with seven merry-making Peanuts DVD titles available from Warner Home Video (WHV) this fall. Among the animated classics offered to consumers is Happiness is…Peanuts™: Snow Days, a new title making its debut on DVD October 18, 2011. Several iconic Peanuts holiday classics will also be available in stores including: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown; A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; A Charlie Brown Christmas, among others.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) came to an end with the highly anticipated closing ceremonies which were held this evening at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. OIAF organizers announced the 2011 winners of the official competition during the ceremonies.

The opening night screening of Ottawa 2011 was packed with goodies.

It’s time for the Ottawa International Animation Festival 2011.

If you have ever watched an animated film and wondered “How did they do that?” then Tobias Wengert’s ANIMATORS how did they do that? is the book for you. Wengert has transcribed in print his conversations with twelve diverse members of the Stuttgart, Germany animation community who reveal the secret techniques behind the magical images they create.

Disney turns to Pooh for its latest hand-drawn feature.

Veteran voice actor Jim Cummings has vocalized Winnie the Pooh and Tigger for over thirty years. His enthusiasm for voicing the bear and the tiger is of Tiggerish proportions, as you're about to read...

This might be the gutsiest release of the summer. Theatrical films geared toward the preschool and slightly above set are rarely made today. They usually dwell in the land of direct-to-video. Pooh is Disney's biggest merchandising producer. Every preschooler has something Pooh related in their room. But once the kid hits school, is Pooh cool? That's why this is a difficult sell. But those who buy a ticket will be transported into a simple timeless production filled with wit and whimsy.