Sep
06
Sep
05
A new home in the city holds big adventures, laughs and love around every corner in Nickelodeon’s new original animated series The Casagrandes, premiering 14 October.
A spinoff of Nick’s animated hit The Loud House, The Casagrandes tells the story of 11-year-old Ronnie Anne who moves to the city with her mom and older brother to live with their big, loving family, the Casagrandes.
Starring Izabella Alvarez (Westworld) as Ronnie Annie, Carlos PenaVega (Big Time Rush) as her brother Bobby and Sumalee Montano (Nashville) as her mom Maria, the series showcases the culture, humor, and love that’s part of growing up in a multi-generational Mexican-American family. After moving in with their grandparents in Great Lakes City, Ronnie Anne adjusts to her new life living under one roof and over the family-run mercado (local market), which is a gathering place for everyone in the neighborhood.
The Casagrandes is produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank, California. The series is executive produced by Michael Rubiner (The Loud House), with Karen Malach (The Loud House) serving as producer, Alan Foreman as supervising producer and Miguel Puga as supervising director. Award-winning cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz (Coco) serves as consulting producer and cultural consultant.
The post Nickelodeon makes room for ‘The Casagrandes’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
05
This Teacher’s day, Sony YAY! celebrates the third edition of ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’
Posted in: AnimationReal heroes don’t always wear capes. They also teach, mentor and help individuals realise their best potential. Dedicating countless hours to us with their knowledge and insight, teachers prepare us for the journey called life. On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, Sony YAY! celebrates these real heroes through a unique initiative – ‘Heroes Behind The Heroes’.
Leena Lele Dutta
Taking forward the annual celebrations of Teachers Day, Sony YAY’s ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’ campaign recognises and celebrates those mentors/gurus who have not only groomed world-class individuals across various fields, but also continue to encourage budding talent. Through this initiative, Sony YAY! aims to strengthen the bond kids’ have for their teachers, mentors and guides.
Building on the unprecedented support for the last two years, which brought a host of teachers and students under one roof, the third edition of ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’ continues to felicitate the nation’s eminent mentors and personalities such as Divine, Remo D’Souza, Dinesh Lad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Pullela Gopichand, Afroz Shah and Ria Sharma.
Commenting on this initiative, Sony YAY! business head Leena Lele Dutta said, “The Heroes Behind the Heroes initiative by Sony YAY! is an ongoing celebration of those teachers who’ve shaped today’s role-models. These individuals have not only selflessly dedicated their lives to honing and nurturing their students’ talent but also to grooming and mentoring the next generation of budding youngsters. Sony YAY!, through this initiative is not just recognising and celebrating these heroes, but also highlighting the core value that a teacher brings into our lives. We salute, and celebrate these eminent personalities for their selfless endeavours towards nurturing excellence and producing the champions of tomorrow.”
DIVINE
Vivian Fernandes, better known as DIVINE, is an Indian rapper who brought upon a new wave of rap and hip-hop right from the streets of Mumbai through his label, Gully Gang Entertainment. He now manages and unearths desi hip-hop talent by churning out content round the clock.
Noted he, “A teacher isn’t just someone you find in a classroom. Life, and people we come across in that life, all teach us something about ourselves. My life taught me to be authentic and honest about my music, and I am honored that I’ve inspired other rappers to be proud of their roots and where they come from. Truly thankful to Sony YAY! for the award of Heroes Behind the Heroes.”
With more than a decade of experience in the Indian film industry, Remo D’Souza, is not only credited for his success today as a film director, but for his sheer passion for dance. The ace choreographer has taken his expertise forward through mentoring and training dancers at his esteemed Remo’s Dance Institute. Having made a telling contribution to Indian cinema, his students specialize in various genres such as Freestyle, Break Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Contemporary, Waltz, Salsa & Bollywood style and continue to perform and dazzle across a host of award shows and other esteemed events in the country and worldwide.
D’Souza mentioned, “Thank you so much Sony YAY! for this amazing award and celebrating teachers across various fields. The award is a testament to all the silent heroes who play a vital role in the success of today’s role models. It’s a great initiative by Sony YAY! simply because it is nice to celebrate the people who have been instrumental in helping us succeed. So thank you, Honey-Bunny and Sony YAY! for bestowing me with the award of ‘Heroes Behind The Heroes’.”
Remo D’souza
Director Mahesh Bhatt, is well known for his distinctive work in Hindi cinema. The Indian film-maker is regarded highly not only in the Indian film fraternity but also globally. Having mentored and trained several successful Bollywood actors, he is credited for some of the finest work in the film industry.
Dinesh Lad, is a renowned name across cricketing circles. Dinesh is credited for nurturing and honing the talent of the country’s current Vice Captain, Rohit Sharma and his own son Siddesh Lad. Not only that, he has been mentoring and grooming talent at the Swami Vivekananda International School.
Dilip Vengsarkar today presides over three academies in the city. The channel celebrated his contribution to not only Indian cricket but also coaching and mentoring famed cricketers, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar. Under his guidance, budding cricketers of today have honed their cricketing skills towards reaching their dream of representing India.
Vengsarkar said, “Cricket has quite easily been my life. From representing India at the highest level to nurturing talent, it has been a joy ride. A little celebration of all those years of dedication will inevitably bring smiles on face of teachers. I am extremely happy that Sony YAY! has undertaken this initiative and aims to celebrate the real Heroes Behind the Heroes. Thank you, Sony YAY!”
Not just cricket, Badminton too continues to win laurels for the country with its shuttlers dominating on the world stage. One of the most inspiring figures in producing the new badminton stars of tomorrow has been Pullela Gopichand. Gopichand has taken the likes of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu under his wing and trained them to perfection. In addition to these two superstars, the 2009 Dronacharya Awardee grooms youngsters at the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. A badminton player himself, he has a watchful eye over India’s badminton contingent as the National Coach.
Pullela Gopichand
He exclaimed, “Extremely humbled by this gesture by Sony YAY! To be recognised for your efforts in shaping an individual’s career, is a really nice feeling and this initiative serves it to perfection.”
The initiative also celebrated and felicitated heroes from other walks of life, one of them being Afroz Shah, the man behind the largest beach clean-cup drive in the city. In October 2015, this Mumbai-based lawyer spearheaded the drive that saw the 2.5-km long stretch at Versova beach being entirely transformed over three years ago. The Versova Beach clean-up every Sunday was one of the largest citizen initiatives that the world has witnessed. His efforts were even recognised by the United Nations, which awarded him with the Champions of the Earth award in 2016.
Another face for change that was recognised through the initiative was Ria Sharma, the founder of the NGO, Make Love Not Scars (MLNS). MLNS has since 2014 rehabilitated over sixty acid-attack survivors. Their campaign #EndAcidSale won a Gold Cannes Lion in film in 2016. Over the years, her NGO, which works to raise funds for acid attack survivors in India, has helped rehabilitate many survivors medically, legally, financially, psychologically, as well as educationally.
Sharma added, “I am so honoured and touched by Sony YAY!’s initiative, Heroes Behind The Heroes. Such initiatives further restore hope that corporations are socially conscious when it comes to highlighting causes and I am personally grateful to them. I wish them all the best in taking forward this initiate and sincerely look forward to being a part of it. I want to thank them for giving me the platform to spread awareness on my cause and for this award. I am truly humbled.”
Adding a layer of fun to the heartfelt initiative with these heroes were Sony YAY!’s iconic duo of Honey and Bunny. The pair known for their light-hearted banter and teaching kids something or the other through their camaraderie, celebrated these heroes. It was an enjoyable experience for the icons as the feline duo visited them personally to felicitate them.
Celebrating these gurus who have shaped today’s heroes, for their heartfelt and selfless contribution during their formative years, is what Heroes Behind the Heroes stands for!
The post This Teacher’s day, Sony YAY! celebrates the third edition of ‘Heroes Behind the Heroes’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
05
Ubisoft recently released an update that prepared Assassin’s Creed Odyssey for the upcoming Discovery Tour, which fans cant wait get their mitts on. The patch only appended the game to run the mode and not much was known as to when it is set to release. Well, the wait is over as the devs have officially revealed some details as well as the launch date for Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece.
“Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, an educational tool allowing anyone to explore and interact with the history and culture of the Ancient Greek world, will release on September 10,” Ubisoft revealed in a statement given to comicbook.com. This is likely to be the last big addition to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, allowing players to explore Ancient Greece.
History is your playground in Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece, where players can take guided tours or freely roam around the rich open world of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey free of conflict and gameplay constraints. Visitors will travel through 29 regions with over 300 stations with tours featuring five different themes: philosophy, famous cities, daily life, war, and myths. It also exhibits new features that allow players to learn the way they want, with 35 unique avatars and 15 mounts that are accessible by progressing through objectives.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Discovery Tour: Ancient Greece will land on 10 September 2019 and is free for all owners of the game.
The post Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s Discovery Tour Mode release date announced appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
05
Netflix has picked up a children’s animated series called Centaurworld, from first-time showrunner Megan Nicole Dong.
Centaurworld is centered around a war horse who is transported from her embattled world to a strange land inhabited by silly, singing centaurs of all species, shapes, and sizes. Desperate to return home, she befriends a group of these magical creatures and embarks on a journey that will test her more than any battle she’s ever faced before.
Dong worked as a story artist on DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie and is a supervising director on Netflix’s kids’ show Pinky Malinky. She will executive produce the series alongside Dominic Bisignano (Star vs the Forces of Evil) who will serve as co-executive producer. Meghan McCarthy (My Little Pony franchise) will serve as story editor and Toby Chu (Bao) will be the series composer.
The series will join Netflix’s robust lineup of original animated series currently in production at Netflix Animation, including City of Ghosts from Elizabeth Ito, Kid Cosmic from Craig McCracken, Battle Kitty from Matt Layzell, Maya and the Three from Jorge Gutierrez, and Trash Truck from Max Keane.
The post Netflix greenlights kids animated series, ‘Centaurworld’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
04
Whether it is Sartaj Singh (played by Saif Ali Khan) sprinting through dingy streets in the rainy night, firing bullets Walther PPK-style or the criminals vigorously trying to wade through bullets and explosions to escape arrest, the Netflix special Sacred Games has had us under its spell with its stunning imagery.
With superlative storytelling and equally brilliant VFX game, Sacred Games 2 emerged as India’s crème de la crème in the slate of homegrown content. A thrilling piece of storytelling in the whodunit crime genre presupposes a great deal of action and gore especially when the overarching theme and the landscape packs a hot mix of geopolitics and India’s political timeline spanning over complex character arcs into one plot.
Sacred Games 2
Sacred Games 2 elaborates on how the game becomes larger than any of the characters that we speculated to be the real perpetrator. In order to depict the imagery, visual effects had to be deployed in the most seamless and photo-realistic manner. Bearing that in mind, the OTT giant roped in philmCGI to create VFX imagery for buttressing the storytelling of India’s superhit Netflix series.
AnimationXpress spoke to the VFX chieftains; philmCGI director Anand Bhanushali and VFX supervisor Arpan Gaglani, to know what went on behind the scenes of India’s most popular crime thriller Sacred Games season 2.
Could you discuss as to what role did VFX play in the season two of Sacred Games?
For series like Sacred Games. VFX has to be unseen. We had to create lots of gunshots, fire, blasts, face-aging, and de-aging, prosthetic cleanups, city destructions, PIP, crowd multiplication, Around 1000 shots.
philmCGI
We have seen some chase scenes, fight sequences and fire elements in the series. What sort of software approach and techniques did you deploy to create that imagery?
Our approach was clear, 80% real on set effects and 20% enhancement through VFX for almost every challenge that was presented. It is very important to get real interaction on actors and the location. Be it gunshots, brain splatter splatter, fire, explosions, etc.
For example, we had a long chase sequence with Sartaj and Malcolm in the narrow streets of Mumbai. Long water pipes were installed through the road to create rain. In this situation, rainfall is never consistent and it leaves lots of gaps. So in post, we made sure we filled in those gaps with digital rain and also maintain rain-speed consistency throughout the sequence. And obviously we have to clean up all the pipes from the shots. Similarly, for fire and blasts, we would shoot the real blasts without the actors and then composite them back in the shot. Actors would be shot with animated lights to mimic the blast intensity. In addition to that, we shot a lot of ref plates of real fire and smoke on black, which we later used to further enhance the shot during the compositing stage.
“One of the challenging sequence was that of creating a nuclear blast-stricken city. Although its seen for a very short time in the show, lot has gone into it”
Do you think OTT giants like Netflix are making way for high-quality VFX work given their commitment to dishing out premium streaming services and originals?
Yes Absolutely, if you check most of the originals made by OTT platforms are quality driven and have a high budget for VFX which definitely helps us achieve much better quality VFX . The horizon for VFX has widened and how!! More and more creators are getting confident of using VFX as a part of their storytelling and not just as some patchwork after the shoot. This is also strongly backed by the OTT platforms.
Netflix
In India, the lack of budget becomes the critical point and the primary obstacle in the process of VFX work. In the last number of months, do you think storytellers and filmmakers are releasing the importance of the VFX department and shelling out the required budgets?
philmCGI director Anand Bhanushali – Yes , in recent years VFX has become the integral part of storytelling and we have seen getting its due share of better budgets , we have seen that Producers, directors, production houses have recognised the importance of VFX and what it can do to enhance the quality of the production and storytelling. More and More planning is being done on VFX as a part of storytelling right from the start i.e Concept and Script stage.
philmCGI VFX supervisor Arpan Gaglani – I have a different take on this matter. I would refrain from using words like lack of Budgets for VFX. Every Feature, series has its own budget I believe there has to be a clear understanding between the producer, director and the Visual effect supervisor from the beginning. For all my projects, I knew what my budgets are going to be. So it’s my responsibility to make sure I steer the execution to fit everything within my budget and also not compromise the vision of the project. There are times when the script has a lot of stuff written assuming it is possible to execute in VFX. But if the budget does not fit, it has to be changed. We always find a different way to do it. If something is a must, then that budget has to be accounted before we begin the shoot. Even during the shoot, we have to make sure the shooting does not go off track. If you do not control it then, it will backfire as there won’t be budgets left to accommodate. We have been fortunate enough to work alongside directors and producers who understand and are ready for the changes.”
OTT rush
Given the fact that viewers have higher expectations from OTT platforms and Giants like NETFLIX and Amazon Prime are committed to living up to those expectations. Do you think that the OTT platforms have more spending capacities than linear television productions?
Yes they do, as most of the original content that they produce is not restricted to one territory, its distributed globally on their platforms and hence they definitely have more budgets for their shows. A lot of shows raised the bar and clearly expectation is very high and thus OTT platforms are willing to spend the right amount of money to do justice to the show.
“Netflix has their own pipeline where the shots go through rounds of QC as they’re checked frame-by-frame. At the start of the project itself, they are precise in the way we have to follow the process which is explained clearly”
What are some of the challenges you face in creating the imagery?
Challenges are plenty! If I have to pick my favourite, its TIME! Time has always been my biggest challenge. For a long show, we are completely dependent on the locked edit and we can’t start work till the edit is final and locked. That gives us a small window to accommodate a lot of shots. We try our best to pre-plan as much as possible but we always fall short of time!! Another challenge is working on a 4K pipeline. Now all of a sudden with these 4K monitors we are seeing a lot of errors which we could never see in a 2K monitor.
Also, we are still figuring the best way to smoothen the process as even with the high-end machines it tends to drag and it’s very frustrating for the artists. This challenge is temporary as am confident it will become easier over a course of time!
Tell us about some of the most challenging sequences that tested your VFX prowess?
One of the challenging sequences was that of creating a Nuclear destructed city. Although its seen for a very short time in the show, a lot has gone into it. Given the time, we kept trying to perfect it as much as possible till the last day given. We were working on native 5k exr pipeline,It had all the elements of a complicated shot-creating 3D city, keying, match move, effects like fire, dust particles, smoke, projection technique on certain layers…all having their individual 5k layers…it took a lot of time to see a desirable image and getting it up to mark took us a long time with lots of iterations.
Since the quantum of work has increased in the VFX department, do you think VFX jobs will be created and aspirants will have all the reason to see VFX as a viable career option?
Yes, its ones of the most flourishing careers today and only going to get better. Its a great option for today’s and coming generations. As per our understanding, a lot of projects are already in the pipeline which is heavy VFX. Both international and homegrown. So yes, more jobs will be created and one should definitely choose VFX as a viable career as it will not only provide stability but tons of fun working on it! Imagine the experience when you will watch your film on-screen with your friends and family and you will be pointing out “that”s my shot”!
Tell us about the quality check routines put in place by OTT giants like Netflix.
Netflix has its own pipeline where the shots go through rounds of QC as its checked frame by frame. At the start, they are precise in the way we have to follow the process which is explained clearly. So once you submit the final EXR, it goes to their QC department and they get back to you any errors they find. Technically they want every image to be absolutely correct. If I have to say it in few words, they won’t even let a single “DEAD pixel” pass by in a frame!
Lastly what advice would you give to the budding aspirants who would like to work for your studio?
We are looking for multi-talented, multifaceted artist and not resorting to just one expertise. As a studio, we cater to the creative needs of the show and we expect everyone to be a part in brainstorming and getting the desired output. As long as the Artist is willing to explore all aspects of film making we are more than happy to welcome in our studio.. After all, we are all filmmakers!
The post philmCGI chieftains walk us through the VFX process of ‘Sacred Games 2’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
03
Former Indian esports team members are now in PTW’s newest team- Orange Rock Esports
Posted in: AnimationPole To Win International,(PTW), the video games and tech services outsourcer, has announced that it is launching a top-tier esports team. The team is composed of former members from the Indian Tigers as well as other top pro players. The team is already one of the top three teams in India, qualified for the ESL championship in Milan and trending as the fan favorite in India.
“The growth and potential of esports are phenomenal.Orange Rock Esports represents our first foray into an incredibly exciting arena. We are thrilled to join this rapidly growing industry and ready to cheer on our talented team,” said PTW CEO Deborah Kirkham.
The Orange Rock Esports team is currently undergoing an exclusive boot camp in Hyderabad, India. They will be training together for the next two months under the management of Bharat Kiran Reddy (also known as Ribbi) who is a legend in the pro-esports community in India.
“It’s predicted that there will be 557 million esports enthusiasts by 2021 and PTW is eager to play a role in capturing the hearts and minds of esports viewers.At PTW, we are all gamers at heart, which makes this an extra exciting move for us. There was a recent PMCO event where the team attracted over 3.7 million viewers and was voted as the fan favorite by over 660,000 votes. Many of us have been fans of the Indian Tigers, and now we look forward to directly supporting the success of our team, PTW’s newly-formed Orange Rock Esports,” added PTW America and India President Kasturi Rangan.
Prevailing over 500 other teams playing in India, Orange Rock Esports will have its first chance to compete as a team in late September, having qualified for the Vodafone 5G PUBG Mobile finals in Milan, representing India.
“Now that we have spent time coalescing as a team, we are stronger than ever and ready to dominate the PUBG Mobile arena. We are so excited to be working with PTW to build the future of esports as Orange Rock Esports,” said Bharat Kiran Reddy, Orange Rock’s team coach and spokesperson.
Way to go for Orange Rock Esports team!
The post Former Indian esports team members are now in PTW’s newest team- Orange Rock Esports appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Sep
03
One Take Media Co. (OTMC), one of the pioneer names in Movies, OTT, VAS and kids content, has launched their much awaited property Invention Story in India. The acquired rights includes for broadcast, OTT and Value Added Services.
Invention Story is a 3D CGI 104 x 11’ series with a promising premise which tells the tale of Kit, a clever fox who comes up with a new invention in each episode. His adopted home, Carrot Town, is home to a population of rabbits, most of whom admire Kit. A few, however, are envious of his abilities and want to stop him or steal his ideas. They include the mayor, who has only one big invention to his name. Kit, by contrast, can’t stop inventing. He also tends to be a touch undisciplined, which can sometimes lead to hilarious accidents and silly situations. But he keeps learning and so does his audience.
Anil Khera
OTMC founder and CEO Anil Khera said, “Invention Story is an animated comedy-action series for children combining fun and learning. This show offers four to seven-year olds an insight into the world of science. And as we all know, where there’s a conflict – there’s a story!! It is amazing to see how knowledgeable and skilled our younger generations are these days. You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to inspire your kids to reach for ideas beyond their traditional realm of thinking. Use these ideas to help your children learn to think outside the box and experiment with common materials around them. We have 104 Episodes full of entertainment in our library. The series has richness of intelligence, thoughtfulness and creativity which leads to a lot of inventions.”
OTMC is one of the leaders in providing Value Added Services to DTH, Telecom and Cable industries which includes Hollywood Movies, Hollywood Movies dubbed in Hindi & regional languages, South Movies dubbed in Hindi, Celebrity based Cooking show and Korean tv series. It has more than 2000 hours of kids’ content which includes most Popular Kids series, Kids Animated Movies and kids Nursery Rhymes.
The post One Take Media brings ‘Invention Story’ to India appeared first on AnimationXpress.
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