Paradise Financial Group has launched a new animated production firm called Paradise Family Pictures LLC. The El Segundo, California-based company will produce animated 3D TV and feature film projects for the worldwide market. The new company will have three divisions: development, production and marketing. An international sales division will launch in May 2004. The toon house is in production on two 22-minute shows, COOL CAT ROCKY and IT'S A VERY MERRY JOLLY CHRISTMAS. Both projects will be completed early 2004.
"Our intent is to create content and a brand name for our entertainment products," said owner Jerry Paradise. We are working with top computer animators, 3D modeling artists, character design and storyboard artists."
The Paradise team consists of modeler Ed Shurla (SPIRIT, PRINCE OF EGYPT, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, YELLOW SUBMARINE) who specializes in rigging, modeling, animating, texturing and character design and elements; animating, lighting, and texturing pro Chris Yao, who worked for gaming companies such as Intergrafx and Vstar, Inc; Hanna-Barbera veteran animator Todd Hoff (NEW TOM & JERRY, REAL GHOSTBUSTERS, FLASH GORDON and THE SMURFS); Dave Fontana Emmy award-winning director of RUGRATS GO WILD; and recent Brooks College grads Don Conrad and Ozzy Blount.
Fontana is the storyboard artist and character layout artist for COOL CAT ROCKY. Conrad created the 3D Santa Claus model and the Christmas environments for IT'S A VERY MERRY JOLLY CHRISTMAS while Blount handles the character design and prototyes. Hoff is serving as a lead animator on the projects. In addition, Paradise is developing three additional shows including MILLENNIUM MAN, SANTA CLAUS CHRISTMAS JOURNEY and GOD BLESS AMERICA.
Animation has changed dramatically in the last decade, moving away from traditional hand-drawn cels to computer generated images, said Paradise. Now you can model, rig, animate and create environments all on one type of software, which was used in movies such as SHREK, MONSTERS, INC. and TOY STORY. The technology allows for more versatility and realism, but the work is still time-consuming and painstaking. It can take up to a year and a half to produce a feature 3D animated film and several months for a TV show depending on the number of animators involved in the production. Paradise Family Pictures is expanding its operations at the end of the year to five workstations from its current three. It will speed up our animation process, allowing the company to take on more projects and fulfill its mission. Our primary objective is to motivate, educate and inspire our youth with positive and uplifting animated stories. We want our animated characters to function as role models.
For more information on Paradise Financial Group visit its Website at www.paradisefinancialgroup.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
