Hasta La Motion!

Andrew Lincoln explains how he thinks Rick Grimes should die on ‘The Walking Dead’

With nearly 15 million channel views and 45,000 subscribers for SpacePOP on YouTube since launching in summer 2016, Genius Brands International continues the momentum and expansion in 2017 with new content licence agreements for distribution with WeKids Asia of the music-driven animated series in China.  Additionally, Genius Brands has greenlit the development of season two of SpacePOP for global distribution, anticipated for fall 2017.

“SpacePOP demonstrates that music, fashion, fun and adventure are universally appealing to girls, bonding them to a shared experience regardless of where they live or what language they speak,” explained Genius Brands, president (worldwide content sales, global consumer products and marketing), Stone Newman.  “Expanding brand awareness and building the SpacePOP franchise through media partnerships in China, the UK and Southern Europe – we’re successfully building the brand in some of the largest and most influential markets in the world just three months after SpacePop’s initial release in the U.S. The response from licensing partners, retailers and viewers has been incredible, which is why we’re eager to get moving on season two of SpacePOP.”

Genius Brands has licensed the content distribution, licensing and merchandising rights for the series to WeKids Asia to launch a brand program across China in summer 2017.  The company has also licensed the rights to the SpacePOP original music videos to U Music TV for distribution across the U.K. via their popular app, and subsequently through their content block Sky TV, FreeSat and FreeView.

‘SpacePOP’ series

“Genius Brands has done a phenomenal job in developing SpacePOP and in introducing it to young American consumers through the platforms they frequent,” said WeKids, founder and CEO, Sean Chu.  “WeKids can replicate that rollout, with simultaneous launches of music videos, merchandising and the animated SpacePOP series through online streaming video, IPTV, OTT TV, iOS and Android based apps for mobile and tablet devices throughout China.  As Genius Brands has shown us, this type of organic launch supported by local and regional promotions not only reaches the intended audience but also invites and encourages them to participate in introducing this amazing content to their friends, which is the most authentic method for growing a hit brand.”

The deals with WeKids and U Music TV follow a recent agreement with Luk Internacional to handle the content distribution and licensing and merchandising campaign for the series in Southern Europe (Spain, Portugal and Italy). Luk International is creating a dedicated Spanish-language SpacePOP YouTube channel for the market in Spain, utilizing Genius Brands’ U.S. marketing strategy by partnering with influencers and regional promotional partners.

“U Music TV combines apps, television, online platforms and merchandising in the creation of a truly multiplatform entertainment experience that is ideally suited to Genius Brands’ SpacePOP,” U Music TV, CMO, Claire Palmer stated.  “Today’s young consumers want to be part of a property’s development; they want to claim responsibility for the popularity of songs, content and consumer products and SpacePOP clearly puts them in the driver’s seat.  It may be a unique growth strategy today, but other content developers will be emulating it for years to come.”

The post Genius Brands expands animated series ‘SpacePOP’ into China and UK appeared first on AnimationXpress.

The Action Packed adaptation of the 1990’s much-loved TV show Mighty Morphin Power Rangers hit the Indian theatres on Friday, 31 March, 2017.

After its surprise blockbuster opening at the US box office where it opened on Number Two spot behind Beauty and the Beast with a $40.5 million weekend, the filmgoers have ensured that Lionsgate may have a superhero franchise on their hands. The story of the film focuses on the warriors from prehistoric earth, called power rangers, who were given the task to save the earth. Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove – and the world – is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Miss out on Power Rangers:

1. Old friends return: Zordon returns to train the Power Rangers and he is voiced by none other than Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston. He is also joined by Emmy winning Bill Hader who plays his robot companion Alpha No. 5.
2. Rita Repulsa is the ultimate new villain. She is unpredictable, lethal and when need be, comical. Elizabeth Banks is a revelation along with her army.
3. New cast brings the Rangers to life. The new Rangers crew are diverse up comers including pop star Becky G, R J Tyler and Naomi Scott. Fresh faces take the helm and the helmet and breathe new life into the franchise.
4. Watch all new Zords battle like never before in non-stop action scenes. The Power Rangers power up in mechanised engines of monster destruction called Zordsand as the monsters get bigger, the Zords combine together to form the Megazord.
5. New and improved Power Ranger suits: No spandex here! The Power Rangers are locked and loaded with new suits with way more cool features than ever before.

Power Rangers released on 31 March, 2017 and is playing in cinemas in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Baroda, Surat, Rajkot, Goa, Chandigarh, Goa, Lucknow, Bhopal, Guwahati, Coimbatore, Thrissur, Jaipur and Shillong.

The post Action packed ‘Power Rangers’ arrive in India- 5 reasons you shouldn’t miss on them appeared first on AnimationXpress.

The latest Russian cartoons Be-Be-Bears (104 x 5.5 min) and Paper Tales (78 x 5.5 min) are officially available to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa on the DKids network (Discovery Kids MENA channel). Fully-adapted into Arabic language, including high-quality dubbing and graphics, these fresh animated tales are gaining ground in the market, having already earned attention and love from the youngest audiences across the region. DKids is available through the Pay-TV platform beIN (Qatar) on channel 110.

“We are very happy to start cooperation with Signal Media, which offers great content that combines the best Russian tradition of animation and storytelling with the most modern technology,” Discovery programming team’s Dorota Eberhardt said.

Be-Be-Bears and Paper Tales were created and produced by a well-established animation studio Parovoz, commissioned by Digital Television Russia (DTR) and exclusively distributed by Signal Media. Both series target children from three to six years old, but are fun to watch as well as engaging for older kids too.

Be-Be-Bears tells the story of two little bears and their friends. All the characters are quite different: Bucky likes to invent gadgets and Bjorn is one with nature. Behind the main conflict is a search for balance between technical progress and the love of nature, but these furry friends always find a way out of any situation. The entire animation series is full of good energy and brings tons of fun and positive vibes to the viewers.

Paper Tales takes the audience on the creative journeys of a paper cut-out duo — a moose named Aristotle, and woodpecker Knock-Knock — in a paper wonderland. The origami creatures captivate kids, while the DIY instructions help them develop motor skills, logic, and their imagination. The animation shares light philosophies and ways to deal with mishaps. Each episode ends with step-by-step instructions on how kids can make their own paper cut-out toy, relevant to its lesson. The hands-on activities promote kids’ independence and creativity, giving them an alternative to computer games.

Each cartoon has been presented to and already made popular with international audiences. Last year Be-Be-Bears became available through an online platform LeTV in China, and had scored 6 million views in the first three days of its launch. It was also placed 15th most viewed among 1,500 animation titles at MIPJunior 2016. Paper Tales won Cyber Sousa’s Best Overseas Animation Series at the prestigious Xiamen International Animation Festival (China) in August, 2016.

Both animation series have their own mobile apps on Android and iOS devices. Be-Be-Bears is Apple Editor’s Choice in more than 70 countries, while Paper Tales leads ratings in categories of Top Paid, Top Free and Top Grossing on iOS. DTR apps were downloaded 10 million times across all mobile devices.

DTR and Signal Media are bringing these animation series to the MENA region. Signal Media, CEO, Mikhail Kovalchuk said, “Collaboration with Discovery has been a big new step for us. DKids is a renowned kids’ brand with a long history and millions of viewers all over the world. It is a challenge to reach and match up to the DKids brand. We are sure that our animation will not only become a part of the TV schedule, but will also become the reason kids and their parents in all countries within the MENA region pick up the remote to switch on DKids.”

The post DTR and Signal Media sell ‘Be-Be-Bears’ and ‘Paper Tales’ to DKids MENA appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Leica is running “Free Yourself from Colors” (Liberte-se das cores), an advertising campaign promoting the LeicaM-Monochrom (Typ 246), a digital camera that only takes black & white photos. The Leica Free Yourself from Colors film and three radio spots, aired in Brazil, France and Germany, exalt the monochrome universe, proposing that consumers break free from colors to eternalize any scene with poetry. “Nothing is more colorful than black and white. Blood red. Green grass. Blue water. In the colored world there is no space for dreams, or reverie. The colors order. The eyes obey. A serious and predictable cell with silver guards. Imagination’s death row. The black and white world is anarchistic. In it, norms exist only for those who decide to invent them. Black becomes orange, maroon, and purple. White turns yellow or lilac. Black and white is all the colors. Whichever inspiration decides. In the prison of colors, black and white is the sunbath. LeicaM-Monochrom. Free yourself from colors.”

Mateus de Paula Santos and Fábio Acorsi, from Lobo, are responsible for scene direction of the black & white animation, which makes several graphic comparisons with the photography universe. Copies in the B&W, Future, and Colorful ads aired last year now have their own voice through the interpretation of Toby Ricketts, and production by Satellite Audio.

According to the directors: “The unique nature of Leica Monochrom made us delve into the universe of photography as a whole. Not only technically, translating the analogical and digital processes of photography, but also conceptually, given the brand’s relevance for the success of languages such as photojournalism. This approach led to the selection of basic geometric shapes, such as the circle (reticule) and the square (pixel), as the matrices of the graphic interpretations of each paragraph of the film’s copy.”

In the first part of the film, which discusses the formal rigidity of Colors, minimalistic animations were created digitally, on the computer, and in the second part, the anarchistic liberation enabled by Black & White, the animations were made using analog methods such as projection and stop-motion, photographed and shot using M-Monochrom itself and thus providing real textures to the images.

Leica Free Yourself from Colors Credits

The Leica Free Yourself from Colours campaign was developed at F/Nazca Saatchi & Saatchi, Sao Paulo, by executive creative director Fabio Fernandes, creative directors Pedro Prado and Rodrigo Castellari, account managers Saulo Sanchez and Gabriela Marques, media team Maurício Almeida and Edison Tamashiro, senior producer Fernanda Sousa, account planner Rafael Paes, agency producer Victor Alloza, and Elucieli Nascimento, working with Leica Gallery São Paulo manager Luiz Marinho.

Filming was shot by directors Mateus de Paula Santos and Fábio Acorsi via Lobo, with designers/animators Bruno Ferrari, Fabiano Broki, Fábio Acorsi and Felipe Frazão, art director Fabiano Broki, photographer Andreia de Marchi, executive producers Alberto Lopes and Sérgio Salles, account manager Márcia Guimarães.

Sound was produced at Satelite Audio with account team Fernanda Costa and Tatiane Dias Ferreira. Voiceover is by Toby Ricketts (English) and Gabriel Spinosa (Portuguese).