Jul
21
Go behind the scenes to learn more about The Boy Who Learned to Fly, an animated film based on the life of Usain Bolt.
Jul
21
That’s the premise of my latest piece for Thrillist, Special Effects You Never Noticed in Movies. Like this amazing ILM shot of the Delorean coming into land in BTTF2.
Jul
21
New animated children’s series ‘Bottersnikes & Gumbles’ set to debut across international territories
Posted in: AnimationBottersnikes & Gumbles, a new award-winning CGI animated series, is set to make its debut across international territories on 16 August over Netflix, the world’s leading internet TV service. 26 episodes will premiere worldwide in 17 languages, with the exception of Australia and the UK, which will launch on Netflix in 2017. Bottersnikes & Gumbles is debuting in the UK on CBBC on 25 July and is also airing in Australia on Seven Network.
Bottersnikes & Gumbles follows the adventures of three young Gumbles – Tink, Bounce and Willi, who love nothing better than to ‘gumble’ all day long, which means crazy, stretchy capers around their junk valley, while carefully avoiding getting tin-canned by their lazy, grumpy neighbours the Bottersnikes, led by the foul tempered and vain Bottersnikes King. Endless battles ensue involving plenty of stealth, trickery, daring rescues and narrow escapes as the Gumbles try to outwit the Bottersnikes in every episode. Each 11 minute episode is set to thrill the imaginations of kids over six years of age.
Bottersnikes & Gumbles earned this year’s Pulcinella Award for Best Kids TV Series at the international animation festival, Cartoons on the Bay, in Venice and was nominated for a Logie Award in Australia for Most Outstanding Children’s Programme.
Bottersnikes & Gumbles has been developed and adapted from the characters and world as they first appeared in the much-loved Bottersnikes and Gumbles books by S.A. Wakefield, with illustrations by Desmond Digby. The books were published in the UK and Australia between 1967 and 1989.
CAKE, CCO and MD, Ed Galton commented, “We are thrilled and excited to see Bottersnikes & Gumbles launch on Netflix and we are very proud of the work that the production team has done.”
“First Australia, then the UK, and now Bottersnikes & Gumbles is coming to the US on Netflix,” added Cheeky Little Media, executive producer, Patrick Egerton. “I wonder if Sam Wakefield ever imagined this when he wrote the original books in the 1960’s? Making this show, and bringing these much loved characters to life has been amazing. We can’t wait to share this awesome show with the Netflix audience.”
“The original books created a truly unique, often hilarious, fantasy world of imaginative creatures, personalities and situations,” commented Mighty Nice, executive creative director, Darren Price. “Taking it further with animation has been a hugely rewarding experience… Netflix viewers, get ready to gumble!”
Bottersnikes & Gumbles (52×11’) is a Netflix original produced by CAKE, Cheeky Little Media and Mighty Nice and co-produced with CBBC and Seven Network Australia.
The post New animated children’s series ‘Bottersnikes & Gumbles’ set to debut across international territories appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
After two successful editions in the last two years, Taiwan Excellence in India has announced the third stint of their gaming tournament – the Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup (TEGC). The worldwide championship that has a good fan-following across the globe is coming back this year on a much larger stage.
This year, four more cities have been added to its itinerary and the TEGC will now be hosting elimination rounds in Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, in addition to Mumbai and Delhi. The tournament will challenge DOTA 2 gamers to battle for the revered cup and winners will take home a cumulative cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. The tournament is divided into two rounds for each city – Eliminations and a Grand Finale – with the former being conducted from select offline venues as per a pre-set schedule.
TEGC 2015 champions: Team Neck Break
The Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup is a venture by the Taiwan Excellence – an initiative of Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA and executed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).
To participate in the contest, enthusiasts can register on their official website. However, it should be noted that registering online does not mean a team slot is confirmed. Participants will have to be present with their teams at the venue between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm on the first and second day of the event to get a registered slot confirmed. Registrations will close on the second day of the event, once the slots are full.
Speaking about the TEGC, Taipei World Trade Centre Liaison Office in Mumbai, director, Michael Lin said, “We have had an incredible response for the TEGC in the past two years. Gamers from across the country have converged on this one platform to display their skills and it has been an action-packed gaming carnival. This year, we are bringing out a bigger edition of the event. There is a lot more in store for enthusiastic gamers from significant cash prizes to a championship title to some other amazing goodies. I hope the teams are ready to battle it out with their dynamic strategies.”
Just like last year, this year too, TEGC has attracted several new brands as sponsors including Acer, Adata, Asus, D-Link, Genius, Gigabyte, InWin, MSI, Optoma, Thermaltex, Transcend, and Zyxel.
There will be a hi-tech exhibit of some of the latest products from Taiwan Excellence, including gaming laptops and gaming peripherals during the Grand Finale. It’s the best chance to experience Taiwanese gaming technology.
The gala challenge will see games like DOTA 2 (Steam version), Competition method: 5 versus 5 (team play, 5 players per team); and Game Mode: Captains Mode (CM) being played.
This year, elimination rounds will be held first in Delhi between 29 July and 31 July followed by Hyderabad between 5 August and 7 August. The Mumbai ones will be held between 12 August and 14 August, Bengaluru between 19 August and 21 August, Chennai between 26 August and 28 August, and Kolkata between 2 September and 4 September.
After the eliminations, 12 teams will qualify from the six locations to play in the Grand Finale that will also be streamed live on Twitch TV. The Grand Finale will be held on 16 and 17 September in Mumbai and will be a two-day long ‘League of Excellence’ festival open to all interested audiences at a central venue. The event will be streamlined live on Twitch TV.
The prize money too is bigger this year with a total cash prize of Rs 5 lakh to be won. All 12 teams qualifying for the finale will win guaranteed cash prizes. The winning team will take home a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. The team winning the second spot will get a cash prize of Rs 80,000, while those winning the third and fourth spots will take home Rs 40,000 each. The fifth and the sixth spot winners will take home Rs 25,000 each. The seventh and eighth spot winners will take home Rs 20,000 each and the ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth spot winners will take home Rs 12,500 each.
The post Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup 2016: Here’s all you need to know appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
Microsoft’s Xbox and gaming revenue experiences a 9 per cent decline prior to the release of Xbox One S
Posted in: AnimationWith the reports coming from Microsoft, the company’s June quarter’s revenue figures show that their gaming revenue decreased by 9 per cent or $152 million, coming to a total of $1.53 billion. This is being mostly attributed to the declining number of sales of consoles and the low average price of Xbox One.
However, the monthly user base of Xbox Live increased by 33 per cent, reaching the mark of 49 million which boosted the company’s revenues from online services by 4 per cent. While Microsoft has ceased revealing the sales numbers for Xbox, it seems quite clear from their revenue figures that the company is falling behind in comparison to its direct competitor, Sony’s PlayStation which has been dominating the industry in the recent times.
In the month of May, Microsoft had announced that they were taking a step back from their phone business, while also indicating that they are not going out all together, following which they cut almost 1,800 jobs and took a blow of $950 million.
The Xbox business comes under Microsoft’s ‘More Personal Computing’ sector alongside phones and tablets and this category’s revenue fell by 4 per cent or $346 million. Microsoft, in their release also mentioned, “excitement for new games on Xbox One and Windows 10 led to a 13 per cent sequential increase in hours spent on gaming on Xbox One and a nearly 19 per cent sequential increase in hours gaming on Windows 10 PCs.”
The company has been offering heavy discounts on Xbox One consoles, which comes right before the debut of their upcoming console Xbox One S, which is slated to release 2 August, this year.
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Jul
21
POGO seeks to enthrall kids with ‘Trayodash ki Kahaani’ and ‘Kaha Gaya Dholakpur’ movies this monsoon
Posted in: Animation
With the advent of monsoon, this month Pogo will premiere the latest Chhota Bheem 3D movie – ‘Trayodash ki Kahaani’ on 24 July at 10:30 am. Kids will get to witness the adventurous journey of Bheem as Sky Dragon takes the kids to Paradise with SuperBheem as the chosen warrior, where they train to fight and defeat Zatak’s evil black horse, releasing paradise from the curse.
Kids will also get a chance to bring out the hidden detective as they join their favourite Chhota Bheem to unravel the mystery behind Dholakpur missing in ‘Kaha Gaya Dholakpur’ on 31 July at 12 noon
Pogo’s little fans will also get a chance to win gifts which include action cameras, drones and much more. All they have to do is take part in the ‘Har Shaam Bheem Ke Naam contest’ by watching Chhota Bheem from 11 July to 5 August, Monday to Friday at 6:00 pm on Pogo.
Pogo will also air the new movie ‘Krish Trish Baltiboy’ on 17 July at 12 noon and ‘Pogo Film Factory’ which will feature the best of Chhota Bheem movies every Saturday at 12 noon.
The post POGO seeks to enthrall kids with ‘Trayodash ki Kahaani’ and ‘Kaha Gaya Dholakpur’ movies this monsoon appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
Bollywood films have been relying on VFX and CGI to add on the glamour effect and overcome the practical barriers even in films with a simple script. The recent Salman Khan starrer Sultan has a subtle script with demanded less of VFX but more of colour correction and grading in order to bring alive the feel of the actual setting.
The VFX studio, FutureWorks, provided colour finishing, DI and camera equipment for director Ali Abbas Zafar’s action-adventure Sultan. The movie has been making headlines and creating waves with its record breaking box-office numbers in India and overseas. The team feels a sense of pride and achievement having executed the project on schedule and also have the film open to rant reviews for its brilliant performances and technical excellence.
Working closely with cinematographer Artur Zurawski PSC, FutureWorks senior colourist Rahul Purav, commented, “Sultan was a challenge to execute as the film has layers of emotions, drama, action and is staged at various critical point and locations. It is continuously moving from one location to another.”
He further added, “Key challenge was to retain the raw look and texture of village and Akadhas (wrestling rings) and project the ruggedness of the sport. The village romance also had to be handled carefully without deviating from the raw texture. As the second half gets into a darker zone, we had to give the raw texture of dark wrestling training rings and gymnasium and when it comes to the actual MMA fights we needed a much glossy finish to the rings which made the job more intriguing.”
An avant-garde cinematorgapher, Artur Zurawski’s use of anamorphic lens for his compositions and lighting to acquire the texture of various scenes and locations made the film look big in Cinemas. FutureWorks Rental Department provided Artur with the ARRI Master Anamorphic Lenses and a compliment of the latest Anamorphic Zooms.
“We are at a very exciting phase in FutureWorks with some promising projects coming up in 2016 which include 24 Season-2, Happy Bhaag Jayegi, Banjo, Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya and are confident that the same will reinforce and further strengthen our position in the Indian media and entertainment industry,” said FutureWorks Media, MD, Gaurav Gupta.
The post FutureWorks provides colour grading and camera equipment for YRF’s ‘Sultan’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
Contiloe CEO draws light on the VFX carried on Ashoka, Hanuman, Maharana Pratap and the state of the creative industry
Posted in: AnimationChakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman, Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap. All these shows have one thing in common apart from the fact that they are successful TV shows. All three of them come from the robust production house, Contiloe that’s been actively producing shows that require visual effects.
What was once never taken into consideration as the medium that can showcase the unimaginable into reality is now being used as a medium to not only bring the unknown to life but also to portray real life things via technology. With the Indian visual effects industry gaining a lot of momentum in the recent past in the Indian film industry, how can the television industry be left behind? Indian TV serials have also joined the bandwagon of incorporating VFX in their shows and this is not limited to just mythological shows.
AnimationXpress got in touch with Contiloe, CEO, Abhimanyu Singh, to know more about the VFX carried in their currently airing shows Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman and the off air one Maharana Pratap.
“To start off with, Contiloe got into VFX because we were compelled to get into it as it was the kind of stories that we tell. If you notice, ever since the beginning, while we were producing horror shows, we were required to use the medium of visual effects as in that genre there’s an inevitable usage of special effects and VFX,” says Singh. Gradually the technology changed and the production house got into various genres like historical, mythological, fantasies. With new genre getting added to its kitty, Singh obviously needed more support of the VFX and that’s how they kicked in as a full fledged VFX unit as well. That doesn’t mean all of the VFX work is carried out by the studio, as some of the projects are at times outsourced as well. “The genre that we’re dealing with needs a lot of visual effects to be a part of storytelling. And therefore we have taken the aid of VFX to deliver an effective and impactful story.”
The Contiloe VFX team is consistently small with about 30 people working in the studio. However, since Contiloe keeps outsourcing projects many a times, another 50 to 60 people come onboard totalling up to about 80 to 90 people working across projects. “We have Hanuman, Ashoka, sometimes a little bit is needed for Adaalat. So in these different genres, we continue to use VFX, and we outsource a large part of it,” adds Singh.
“The creatives, some part of the production is taken care of by us and a certain part of production is outsourced. The creatives, which are the most important part, and how to do those creatives, is then basically headed by Deepak SV. Deepak has been with us for many years now and has also been handling VFX for quite sometime. He takes care of mainly the creative aspect of it and how to do it also.
As of sketching out the plan for various VFX sequences, the VFX team sits with us when the script is being read out and that’s where it’s decided and discussed as to where all VFX will play its role. The team explains how and where all are they going to showcase the VFX and accordingly the storyboard is set.”
As Contiloe has different genre shows under its hood, how different is it working on a mythological based show like Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman from the historical events based shows like Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat and Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap?
“In Maharana Pratap and Ashoka, the same amount and kind of VFX is used because it’s about crowd multiplications, set extensions, certain 3D assets which are created like palaces, eras being recreated and exterior locations. As for mythological show like Hanuman, there’s a huge amount of VFX involved, mainly because it goes into a complete fantasy zone. Full episodes are shot on live plus chroma screens.
As opposed to Ashoka which is more of live action, in Hanuman, the character can fly which isn’t possible in real life. So when compared to earlier shows where Hanuman was seen flying, he actually had his Gada on his shoulder and he was floating and not flying. This has changed now as in the present day scenario, the viewers are now watching Hollywood movies and so they would want to experience the same realistic feel.”
Keeping in mind that these shows are aired on weekdays everyday, delivering quality VFX is a challenging job because of the time crunch. So for each episode for a historical show about 10 to 15 artists work for 12 hours a day. In the beginning of the show it goes up to 50 people as that’s the time when most of the assets are being set up. Whereas on a mythology show, it can range from 80 to 100 artists working on a regular basis!
Indian audiences are now watching American shows like The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, Daredevil, Once Upon A Time and many more. If we compare the VFX delivered for Indian television series as opposed to the VFX carried out in International shows, India still has a long way to go. Commenting on this topic, Singh justifies, “Visual effects is a combination of three things; time, money and quality. Now the issue is, you need to have at least two of these to be able to achieve commendable VFX. So if you have time and money, then only you will get quality; you have time and quality, then you need the money. Basically, time and money are two utmost important things. We neither have the time nor the money. So, how will we be able to achieve that quality?”
Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman Before After images
Singh further explains his point with an example: The maximum budget you get for VFX is Rs 1 lakh per episode. So if we consider 10 minutes of VFX in an episode, that works up to Rs 10,000 (approx $147) a minute and Rs 150 (approx $2.5) a second. As compared to the International guys, they are producing for $10,000 a second and we are producing for roughly $3 a second. And on top of that they have time in their hand whereas we have no time. So till we don’t get into seasonal stuff and until the budgets don’t go up for VFX, we won’t be able to produce that high quality VFX shows.
In the end, Singh mentions that it’s not that Indian TV shows don’t want to deliver high quality VFX. It’s just that there should be more of government involvement wherein the government should encourage creativity, visual effects and animation. “The government should be encouraging but it is doing nothing, as they are taxing each and everything. How will you have new industries emerging. Why does VFX and animation lack in India? What incentive does anybody have to invest in the fields of VFX and animation? We do it, because we are storytellers. But where is the incentivisation to studios to do it. India is a price sensitive nation. The channel is paid less by the cable operators and DTH. It’s an advertising driven economy wherein the consumer has to pay nothing. If the consumer does not pay to a platform, a platform does not pay to the maker, if the maker doesn’t get paid, how will we pay?”
Listening to Singh’s words, one does get a clear picture about the state of the VFX industry in India. We are getting to witness usage of visual effects in TV shows but the quality of it still has a long way to go, but we can’t put the entire blame on the artists. It’s time for the government to take some action and give leverage to the blooming VFX industry.
The post Contiloe CEO draws light on the VFX carried on Ashoka, Hanuman, Maharana Pratap and the state of the creative industry appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
Cartoon Network gives an affirmitive nod to the second season of ‘The Powerpuff Girls’
Posted in: AnimationCartoon Network has announced the renewal of the famous series, The Powerpuff Girls. The series got premiered in April had over 81 million worldwide fans experiencing it across multiple platforms, making it the largest international event in the history of the network. The successful ‘Powerpuff Yourself’ avatar maker has also given over 12 million fans of all ages the ability to see themselves as a real Townsville superhero. The series also picked up its first Emmy nomination this year for “Outstanding Short Form Animated Program.”
The original arbiters of girl power join an expanding diverse portfolio of returning fan-favourites at Cartoon Network that include Adventure Time, Steven Universe, The Amazing World of Gumball, Clarence, Regular Show and the recently-announced new Ben 10.
“The Powerpuff Girls is on a momentous run with its first Emmy nod, a debut appearance at one of the biggest fan events of the year, and now a second season greenlight,” said Cartoon Network, chief content officer, Rob Sorcher. “Congratulations to the Cartoon Network creative teams who have super-powered this property with the perfect amount of Chemical X to bring a hit show for a new generation of fans.”
As previously announced, The Powerpuff Girls will also make its inaugural appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, 21 to 24 July with its first-ever panel and a Townsville-inspired booth. Convention goers can step into the booth where they can print their personalised avatar on a t-shirt or tote bag using the Powerpuff Girls avatar maker.
The Powerpuff Girls has touched the cultural zeitgeist with Moschino and Hot Topic fashion collaborations in the United States and C&A Department Store and BIZUU globally; and with an international toy partnership with Spin Master featuring a full range of products. As part of Cartoon Network’s overall commitment to STEAM education, The Powerpuff Girls continue their efforts to make children learn to code with special episodes and programs including Google’s Made With Code GIF: The Powerpuff Girls and Scratch from the MIT Media Lab.
The Powerpuff Girls is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, with Nick Jennings (Adventure Time, SpongeBob SquarePants) serving as executive producer and Bob Boyle (Clarence, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!) as co-executive producer. The voice cast includes: Amanda Leighton (Blossom), Kristen Li (Bubbles) and Natalie Palamides(Buttercup).
One of Cartoon Network’s most enduring original series, the initial run of The Powerpuff Girls, created by Craig McCracken, premiered in 1998 and earned two Emmy Awards along with five nominations and countless animation honours throughout its 78 episodes. The series also spawned a feature film with Warner Bros. Pictures in 2002.
The post Cartoon Network gives an affirmitive nod to the second season of ‘The Powerpuff Girls’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
21
“From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” set to debut at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Globe Theatre
Posted in: AnimationLAIKA, the acclaimed animation studio and creators of the upcoming epic adventure film Kubo and the Two Strings will present “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience”
This innovative, first-ever interactive event will feature an up-close look at the artistic detail and imagination behind LAIKA’s groundbreaking ten-year filmmaking history, which also includes the Academy Award-nominated films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014).
The special event will take place at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Globe Theatre from 5 to 14 August and is included in the price of admission to the theme park. “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience,” will showcase the evolution of LAIKA’s unique blend of handcrafted stop-motion animation and visual effects magic that will come to life in four imaginatively themed rooms. The extensive display of original sets, puppets and props will immerse guests in their singular, fantastical worlds.
“LAIKA’s films are an imaginative fusion of old-school movie magic and cutting-edge technological innovation,” says LAIKA, president and CEO, Travis Knight, who makes his directorial debut with Kubo and the Two Strings. “For the first time ever, we’re peeling back the curtain and inviting audiences into our worlds, to see where our dreams are born. This experience offers a rare glimpse into the remarkable creative process of the brilliant artists and mad geniuses of LAIKA. I’m thrilled that their cinematic wizardry will be beautifully on display at Universal Studios Hollywood.”
Set in a fantastical Japan, Kubo and the Two Strings follows the journey of clever, kindhearted Kubo (voiced by Art Parkinson), a young boy whose relatively quiet existence is shattered when he accidentally summons a spirit from his past which storms down from the heavens to enforce an age-old vendetta. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (voiced by Charlize Theron) and Beetle (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) and sets out on a thrilling quest to unlock the secret of his legacy, reunite his family and fulfill his heroic destiny.
Fuelled by the vision of president and CEO Travis Knight, feature film animation studio LAIKA celebrated its 10th anniversary in December, 2015. Located just outside Portland, Oregon, LAIKA was awarded a Science and Technology Oscar plaque in recognition of its innovation in 3D printing in 2016. Its three films, Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), and The Boxtrolls (2014) were all nominated for Oscars and PGA Awards as Outstanding Animated Film. Coraline earned Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Critics’ Choice nominations, and was named one of the year’s 10 Best Films by the American Film Institute (AFI). ParaNorman (2012) garnered BAFTA, Critics’ Choice, and GLAAD Media Award nomination and won two Annie Awards and was cited as the year’s best animated film by 14 critics’ groups. The Boxtrolls also earned Critics’ Choice and Golden Globe Award nominations and 13 Annie Award nominations, more than any other film that year.
Kubo and the Two Strings, which marks the directorial debut of Travis Knight, will be released by Focus Features on 19 August, 2016.
The post “From Coraline to Kubo: A Magical LAIKA Experience” set to debut at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Globe Theatre appeared first on AnimationXpress.
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