Kidscreen Summit Comes of Age
This month the Animation Pimp gets a little queer about the gay hysteria circling around various cartoons.
'Robots': 'Rolie Polie Olie' on Steroids
Bill Desowitz talks with many of the artists that formed the lush, retro-futuristic world of Robots.
'3D for Beginners:' Preparing a Button for the Web — Part 2
For the book 3D for the Web, Carol MacGillivray and Anthony Head continue their step-by-step look at creating a simple 3D button for the Web.
Dr. Toon: Animated Battlegrounds
The liberal left. The religious right. Dr. Toon gets in between the two sides of the culture war that has invaded toonland.
I Castelli’s Peace
Heather Kenyon reports on the 2004 I Castelli Animati festival, where the selection included a special, and very ambitious film.
Career Coach: How to Win the Game
The Career Coach pontificates about how general gaming skills can be applied to advancing your career.
Toy Fair 2005: A Tech Infusion
Karen Raugust attends Toy Fair, reporting back on how technology infuses toy offerings at the annual New York event.
'Bambi': Restoring the Original Circle of Life on DVD
Bill Desowitz talks with the people behind the restoration of Bambi about the various challenges of bringing a treasured classic to DVD.
Andy Heyward: New Strategy Puts Energy Behind an Annual Single Blockbuster Show
John Michaeli talks with DIC head Andy Heyward about changes in kid audiences and how that has impacted his company.
New from Japan: Anime Film Reviews
Anime expert Fred Patten reviews the latest anime releases including Chrono Crusade, Get Backers, Knight Hunters: Eternity, Rave Master and Time Bokan.
'Pet Alien' — Anatomy of an Emerging Brand
Fresh, new and branded. This is a line that is being uttered by acquisition and development executives at both NATPE and KidScreen Summit. What in tar-nation does this mean? How can something fresh and new be branded? Is Taffy Entertainments latest hit, Pet Alien, a brand?
Brand by its very nature is an established production that is consistent in delivering to its audience a quality product that is always the same like Coke or Pepsi. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Brand is a class of goods identified as a product or a particular firm or producer.
Can a new show like Pet Alien be classified as a brand so early in its life?
Taffy Entertainment/Mike Young Prods. has built a reputation of delivering shows that are appealing to their target audiences. Shows like, Jakers!, He-Man and Clifford the Big Red Dog are projects that have set the brand benchmark for the studio. Whether work-for-hire on pre-existing brands, such as He-Man or Bratz, or original productions like Jakers! or Pet Alien, programming executives expect a level of quality from MYP, which translates into viewership.
Gang of Seven Goes Employee-Owned Route
Marisa Materna talks with the artists behind Gang of Seven, a collective of animators who have pooled their talent to form their own privately owned studio.
Children and Animals (and Reluctant Animators): The 2005 Oscar Nominees for Best Animated Short
Taylor Jessen previews all the Oscar nominated shorts, highlighting the wide array of styles and origins among the nominees.
Fresh from the Festivals: February 2005’s Reviews
Taylor Jessen reviews five short films: Guard Dog by Bill Plympton, Fallen Art by Tomek Baginski, The Revolution of the Crabs by Arthur De Pins, 9 by Shane Acker and Its the Cat by Mark Kausler. Includes QuickTime movie clips!
Cowboys and Indies: The Vertically-Integrated Individual — Part 3
In Part 3, Christopher Panzner focuses on new financing issues as he looks at how independent producers have to be a vertically-integrated individual as well as a little of a cowboy to survive in the industry.
For Artists/Entrepeneurs
Animal Logic creates a series of interstitials to complement Cartoon Networks international rebranding effort. Includes QuickTime clips!
Trouble in Toyland
Karen Raugust looks into how studios are reevaluating licensing strategies in the face of toy industry struggles.
Make It Real — Part 2: Marks in the Sand
In Part 2 of this series, Ellen Besen sits down with former Disney animation artist Charlie Bonifacio to consider the changing role of 2D in a CG-dominated world.
Sundance Animation Spotlight Shines the Light on Top Notch Animation
Mary Ann Skweres reports back from Sundance the premiere U.S. film festival regarding the animated encounters she experienced.
'Sprung! The Magic Roundabout': Classic Cartoon Goes CG
Christopher Panzner chronicles the ride taken to bring The Magic Roundabout to the big screen in CG.
Purple Heart: 'Pooh’s Heffalump Movie'
With friendly new additions to the Hundred Acre Wood in Poohs Heffalump Movie, Greg Singer reports that the demise of hand-drawn animation has been exaggerated.
Slamdance: Sparky Honors Animation
Mary Ann Skweres visits Park City and reports on what animation the upstart Slamdance Film Festival featured this year.
'3D for Beginners:' Basic Buttons — Part 1
In this first of a series of excerpts from 3D for the Web, Carol MacGillivray and Anthony Head cover the basics of 3D for beginners and explain why we all love buttons
Career Coach: Long-Term Relationships
The Career Coach reminds you to acknowledge the long-term partners in your career on this Valentines Day.