Hasta La Motion!

Jun 27

Tibu Comics makes its way to Kindle

The favourite Tibu is now available for her readers on Kindle. The comics, although available in print, were a logistics hassle specifically in the lockdown period. But the urge to reach out to their target audience with Tibu content was always the focus.

Usually popping up in our social media feed, Tibu will now be on our Kindles too. “The posts on social media were one such way of reaching but were limited in a sense,” mentioned Magic Elements Studios founder Nikhil Salvi.

The first Tibu Comic that made its way through Comic Con Mumbai 2018 was overlooked, but the team always wanted to offer something to Tibu’s fans. And now, Tibu is available to the readers in digital format. Making it easy to purchase anytime, anywhere in India and all those countries where Kindle is available.

Tibu is gaining popularity, not just in India but has a huge following globally too. Fans of Tibu as far as from Australia had asked Salvi about purchasing the book when it first got launched. Within half an hour of it going live, the first digital copy was sold on the UK Amazon site. “Am a bit relieved to offer the readers their favorite characters’ story at their own convenience,” added Salvi. The team is planning on making the second comic soon which will be direct to digital format on Kindle bypassing the print hard copy.

Tibu, is fun, naughty, sweet, and smart, just like any other kid in every household. She is all that any person as a kid would have loved to be, imaginative, expressive and loveable.

The creators of Tibu, an eight year old creative individual, showcased how she would react in the grim situation of the current pandemic in her own jovial manner and perspective. The fun, cute comics were seen all over the official social media pages of Tibu Comics.

The team planned on using Instagram as the platform to generate some feedback initially, and very quickly saw a greater potential from Tibu than they have ever imagined. The naughty and lovable Tibu is already growing her fan base and we are eager to also see her get all animated soon!

Till then, enjoy some fun, entertaining and light-hearted reads from Tibu on Kindle.

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Jun 27

“With Jambo and ‘Namooney’, we wanted to tap on the unexplored areas of adult animation in India”: Ashwin Suresh

Posted in: Animation

Pocket Aces, popular India digital entertainment company recently forayed into animation with the launch of Jambo – a desi-animation channel for young adults. Rejecting the idea that animation is only meant for children, Jambo has created a library of snackable animated videos which resonates with young adult audiences mainly targeted to the Hindi speaking belt across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh. The channel released India’s first desi-animated comedy web-series, Namooney, on YouTube from mid May 2020.

AnimationXpress spoke to Pocket Aces founder Ashwin Suresh who revealed the reason behind venturing into animation and future plans for Jambo and Namooney. Here are the excerpts:

> What were the thoughts behind coming up with Jambo?

It was a combination of factors. The most important thing was understanding about the current and future trends, about the kind of local content audiences prefer. So we studied the YouTube trends and we understood that one of the fastest and largest growing categories on YouTube is animation.

Animation in India largely caters to children, but there are a lot of young adults and adults who also admire and enjoy animation but have very less good animated content to fall back on and enjoy. So we observed there’s a domain that’s still unexplored and under served in India. Thus, we thought to touch upon the factors and thought of creating animated content for adults and that’s how Jambo was born, as a result of a calculated effort.

Ashwin Suresh

> What inspired you to create an adult animated web series, Namooney after that for the channel?

In urban India you’ll find enough people who are consuming adult animated content like BoJack Horseman, F for family, Simpsons, Undone and several others. But in India, these numbers are very less. In smaller towns of India people are consuming 2D animated channels and we realised that this is a very underserved category and we should tap on it.

We began with a small in-house team and started creating content which we could distribute across digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

We learnt a lot about the short-form content space from the videos we create for Filtercopy or Dice Media. And channelised those learnings for Jambo and noticed that few content on college students, friends, hostel mates and others are quite popular on Jambo. So we intended to make a show that is very relatable, and targets a specific Hindi-speaking belt in India because those areas we feel are still unexplored as far as animation is concerned and are not served enough. The goal was to find some commonality between those states and as well as the urban audience. We tried to find a common ground for their cultures, characters and situations. Hence, we created Namooney.

> Can you tell us about the team that worked on Namooney, if it was done in-house or commissioned to some studio?

The animation for Namooney is a combination of in-house and outsourced for Pocket Aces. We have a team of content writers, storyboard artists, animators, designers, motion graphics people and more in-house. As the pandemic hit us hard and the lockdown followed, we realised that animation is a genre that we can continue to keep creating unlike live-action. So we decided to expand the volume of content for Jambo. Our short form content volume thus went up from three/four to almost 12.

Namooney was initially thought to be done entirely in-house. But later, we decided to commission into Pryaan Studios. We did all the animatics, storyboard, characterisation, background drawings, conceptualisation and everything in house and the animation per say was outsourced. So we gave everything, and told them to animate. All other content on Jambo except Namooney are completely done in-house by a team of 10 people.

For Animation, we have Abhinav Krishna (associate manager), Bhaskar Sivakumar (associate), Mayur Khadse (associate), Shreya Vatsa (associate) and Shruti Jalgaonkar (associate). Operations are taken care of by associate manager Kaiarsh Saher. The writers are Balram Vishwakarma (senior associate), Dhaawal Shivhare (associate) and Jitesh Vasani (associate).

> How has Namooney fared since launch? What are your future plans with it?

Namooney has done really well for us, and Jambo. Initially, we were not sure about the audience reception and acceptance but after a few months, we realised that there is an audience for it. When he launched this show on YouTube, we had only 100 subscribers. Now we have 10K+ subscribers for Jambo and the entire credit goes to Namooney. In fact, the 10th or finale episode of season one, had six lakh views alone. The team is planning to launch the second season very soon, in a couple of months which will be set in Goa and will pick up from where the first season had left.

We are learning a lot about our consumers, about students and their tastes and we are trying to cater to all of it. We’re getting a lot of feedback on Namooney, and we are trying to imbibe if not all, most of it into our upcoming content slate including Namooney.

The title character Ankit is already very popular and people want to see more of him and about his life, so we are planning a long form content around it also due to audience demand. So all the analysis and all the betterments are being figured out right now. We’re working upon all of it because we plan to make the character of Ankit even better and more relatable to the audience.

> Did Namooney or Jambo attract advertisers?

For season one, the Pocket Aces/Jambo team didn’t go for advertising but might consider it for the upcoming season as the genre is garnering more attention every passing day.

> What are your other upcoming projects?

We are also planning on our next shows as we have planned to make four animated web series in 2020. We are figuring out the characters, on the story, plot lines, and more. We have calculated the grammar for short form content – from the backgrounds, to the story, to the characterisation, and the plots about how we will develop a character or the show that is around it. We haven’t zeroed down on anything yet.

> What do you think of animation as a medium or industry in India?

Animation is a very affordable and convenient medium for creators and producers especially in such tough times. The technical product is also at par with international standards nowadays. The grammar for short form or long form animated content is different than that of live-action. What we need to focus on is the art of storytelling through animation and we will reach the right spot. Indian animation has a bright future ahead and we are happy to be contributing to it.

The post “With Jambo and ‘Namooney’, we wanted to tap on the unexplored areas of adult animation in India”: Ashwin Suresh appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Jun 26

Crunchyroll releases trailer of its original Latinx animated series, ‘Onyx Equinox’

Posted in: Animation

Crunchyroll has revealed the trailer of its upcoming original Latinx animated series Onyx Equinox.

Created and produced by Sofia Alexander, the animated series was originally announced along with the platform’s in-house slate, and will feature “fantastical-yet-authentic Mesoamerican cultures.”

Onyx Equinox features its protagonist, a young Aztec boy named Izel who is saved from death by the gods and is chosen to act as ‘humanity’s champion,’ forced to discard his apathy toward his fellow man and prove humanity’s potential.

The trailer shares a first look at Izel’s epic journey, taking him across ancient Mesoamerica to save humanity from a war between the gods. The trailer teases a bloody war between Aztec gods and humanity.

In the trailer, monsters rise from below the earth’s surface to wreak havoc on Mesoamerican communities, while blood flows from temple steps. Not much of plot details have been revealed by the trailer, but hints at- in this world, humanity has been “remade” four times before. Without Izel’s intervention, that fate could have a fifth.

This Latinx animated series is expected to expand Crunchyroll’s diversity besides adapting Korean IPs into animation. It will join the company’s In/Spectre, Tower of God and The God of High School as part of the anime brand’s Originals slate of programming.

Alexander, who is a well-known creator in the animation world, has recently worked on Cartoon Network’s Infinity Train, The Powerpuff Girls, Nickelodeon’s Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus, and also participated in the inaugural Native American Showrunner programme.

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Jun 26

Elizabeth Banks to play Ms. Frizzle in hybrid live-action of ‘The Magic School Bus’

Posted in: Animation

Universal, Elizabeth Banks’ Brownstone Productions and Marc Platt are developing a feature live-action hybrid movie about Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus. The team decided to make a live-action film in an effort to expand the project’s reach beyond just children.

The Magic School Bus, based on the Scholastic book series by author Joanna Cole, was a popular animated TV show in the 1990s. The educational series follows Ms. Frizzle and her class as the go on field trips in their yellow school bus that transforms into a plane, submarine, spaceship or surfboard. Another focus for the movie is to develop the Magic School Bus character itself, and explore the relationship between the Bus and Ms. Frizzle, to be played by Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect, The Hunger Games).

Banks will also produce the film with Max Handelman for Brownstone Productions, as well as Scholastic Entertainment’s president and chief strategy officer Iole Lucchese and senior VP and general manager Caitlin Friedman, and Marc Platt and Adam Siegel for Marc Platt Productions. Alison Small will serve as executive producer for Brownstone Productions.

The movie’s consumer products program will include kids items like toys, as well as a nostalgia-focused offering for adults in categories like apparel. Scholastic previously inked a deal with The Young Scientists Club to develop science kits and games inspired by the brand, and Friedman says those types of experiential products will be a focus moving forward.

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Jun 26

‘Transformers: War For Cybertron’ anime lands on Netflix in late July

Posted in: Animation

The first installment of the Transformers: War for Cybertron trilogy is all set to land on Netflix in 30July.

Transformers: Siege, the first chapter of the series tells the story of the hours of the great civil war of Cybertron. The Autobots and Decepticons have ravaged their homeworld of Cybertron in the war; in an attempt to tip the balance, Decepticons leader Megatron decides to use the Allspark to reformat his enemies.

With their backs against the wall, the Autobots have no option but to destroy their home planet in order to save it. The first chapter will feature six, twenty-two-minute episodes.

The series, which will debut as a part of a trilogy that will be split into installments of six twenty two minute episodes each, is something of a prequel to the events of the original series, following Optimus Prime and Megatron as they lead their two armies in a war on their home planet of Cybertron. The plot is suggested to take these main characters eventually to Earth, possibly by the end of the first act. Part two, which is currently named Earthrise, will then follow, after which part three (yet to be named) will draw a conclusion to the Netflix Original.

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Jun 26

Disney discontinuing its TV channels in the UK, shifts content to Disney+

Posted in: Animation

Disney has decided to discontinue its three linear TV channels in the U.K. beginning this fall, shifting its content to Disney+.

From 1 October, Disney+ UK will be the exclusive and only destination for content from Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior, the company announced yesterday, 25 June.

Commenting on this, Disney told The Hollywood Reporter, “The direct-to-consumer service, which garnered more than 54.5 million subscribers worldwide in its first seven months, will now premiere all the latest films, series and specials from the three Disney Channels, along with offering a rich and expansive back catalogue of Disney Channel titles in the U.K., including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Descendants 3 and Phineas and Ferb.”

Recently, Disney closed its TV channels in Singapore making way for the streaming service and has also started hiring for executive positions there.

The House of Mouse added, “The Walt Disney Company remains committed to our kids channels business and continues to execute distribution agreements for Disney channels in many markets where Disney+ is also available, with the goal of giving our fans multiple entry points to our storytelling. ”

A spokesperson for pay TV giant Sky U.K., which earlier this year signed a distribution deal for Disney+ noted, “We have over 5,000 episodes of on demand content alongside our brilliant linear channels, from our partners Viacom and Turner, and we’re investing more in our own Sky kids originals, too, like Moominvalley and Morph. Kids can watch favorites like Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol, SpongeBob Squarepants and The Amazing World of Gumball, all the wonderful LEGO content and much, much more. And it is all available in one place – together with the best apps, like Disney+ and Netflix on premium pay TV service Sky Q.”

Disney is clearly focusing on building a streaming empire, where the entertainment giant will be able to retain a higher percent of the revenue through direct signups than with linear television in markets like the UK.

PP Foresight analyst Paolo Pescatore stated the U.K. news “a landmark moment.” He noted, “The streaming revolution is gathering pace and cannot be ignored. The future is all about streaming and this latest move sets a benchmark for others to follow suit.”

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Jun 26

‘Burn Bryte’, an original Roll20 RPG to release in July

Posted in: Animation

Roll20 has announced the launch date for Burn Bryte, a brand new RPG made exclusively for the virtual tabletop service.

The new science-fantasy RPG is set in the Olaxis galaxy, the last galaxy in the universe, which is slowly being consumed by a strange bright orange phenomenon known as the Burn. As the entire universe solely contracts, the residents of Olaxis fight over precious resources and planets at the heart of the galaxy as greedy corporations exploit the situation for profits. However, the players take on the roll of characters who fight back against the corruption and terror that makes an already dangerous and untenable situation even worse.

Burn Bryte is designed by James Introcaso, a veteran RPG designer who has worked on multiple Dungeons & Dragons adventures.

Per Introcaso’s WorldBuilder blog, Burn Bryte is a skill-based system built around 18 different skills ranging from Computers to Empathy. Each skill is assigned a different size die (ranging from a d4 to d12) and players will roll that skill’s assigned die when making a skill roll.

Burn Bryte is unique in that it was designed with the Roll20 virtual tabletop service in mind, giving players the ability to roll tons of dice instantly, build customizable characters within Roll 20, and do everything from track resources to customize spaceships as a party. Burn Bryte will be available on 7July.

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Jun 26

Nickelodeon greenlits new preschool series ‘Baby Shark’s Big Show’

Posted in: Animation

Nickelodeon has officially given the greenlight to its new adaptation of Baby Shark. Animated preschool series Baby Shark’s Big Show! (working title) will be co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and SmartStudy, the entertainment company behind IP owner Pinkfong. The viral video has more than 5.7 billion YouTube views.

Nick has ordered 26 episodes of the show, to premiere in 2021. Baby Shark’s Big Show! will make its TV debut with a holiday special to air in December before the series launches in the spring, followed by an international rollout. The series is executive produced by Gary DiRaffaele and Tommy Sica (Breadwinners), with Whitney Rails (My Little Pony: Equestria Girls) serving as co-executive producer. Production is being overseen by Nickelodeon preschool SVP Eryk Casemiro.

“Having the opportunity to dive deeper into this incredible world and create all-new storylines has been extremely exciting, and our head of preschool Eryk Casemiro and his team can’t wait to help grow the Baby Shark universe and fanbase with an amazing new series that captures the heart and spirit of this beloved property,” said Nickelodeon Animation executive vice president of production and development Ramsey Naito.

Nickelodeon will debut the series with a holiday special in December, with premieres rolling out across its preschool platforms in spring 2021. Following the U.S. launch, the series will roll out on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally.

ViacomCBS Consumer Products is handling consumer products licensing for the Baby Shark property worldwide, excluding China, Korea and Southeast Asia. Baby Shark’s Big Show! is the first piece of content to come out of the partnership.

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Jun 26

Splash Mountain to get ‘The Princess And The Frog’ theme

Posted in: Animation

One of the mainstay rides at Disneyland, Splash Mountain is getting a makeover. The Imagineers at Disney announced that the Splash Mountain ride at both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida will be redesigned to feature characters from its animated movie The Princess and the Frog.

It will tell the story of what happens after Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen’s final kiss in the film. It will feature music from the movie and follow the characters as they prepare for their first Mardi Gras performance.

“With this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today,” Disney said in a statement. “The new concept is inclusive, one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”

Song of the South long has been criticised for its depiction of African Americans and romanticising the Antebellum South. Disney has kept the film locked away in its archives and never has released it on video. A recent petition was among the calls to re-theme Splash Mountain with Princess and the Frog, which features Tiana as the Disney’s first black princess.

Disney’s announcement of the changes to Splash Mountain comes as other figures in media are altering their names to be more racially sensitive.

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Jun 26

Global games market to generate $159.3 billion revenue with over 3 billion gamers in 2020

Posted in: Animation

Games are playing a pivotal role in our society as the pillar of entertainment, social connection, and relief. Gaming has been easing the lockdown woes of millions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are spending more time gaming than ever, and the gaming market has seen unprecedented levels of engagement in the first half of 2020.

The lockdown measures across the world have accelerated—and even catalysed—the growth in the games market. Ten years ago, younger generations were leaving behind traditional media for social media. Today, they are leaving behind social media for the more interactive experiences that gaming offers. Playing games has always been an inherently social experience, and this year, the World Health Organisation officially promoted video games as a recommended social activity during the pandemic. Market Research firm Newzoo has launched a new report 2020 Global Games Market Report which shares :

Mobile gaming (including both smartphone and tablet) remains the largest segment in 2020, with revenues of $77.2 billion and growing +13.3 per cent year on year. The fastest-growing mobile gaming ecosystems are in emerging markets in the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East and Africa. However, the Americas, Europe, and China will also enjoy strong growth. There will be 2.6 billion mobile gamers in 2020, of which just 38 per cent will pay for games
On PC, browser game revenues will continue to decrease as more gamers convert to mobile gaming. In 2020, browser revenues will decline -13.4 per cent year on year. Downloaded/boxed PC games will generate $33.9 billion this year. PC games will generate $36.9 billion in 2020, making it the third-largest segment.
Engagement and revenues on console are set to grow due to the lockdown measures, at least in the short term. COVID-19 is also having adverse effects on console gaming, as physical distribution, massive cross-company collaboration, and certification are a significant part of console game development. These factors, along with the continued shift toward the games-as-a-service business model, will drive 2020’s console game revenues to $45.2 billion, growing at +6.8 per cent year on year.
The current console generation of Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is coming to an end this year, meaning the installed base for these consoles is at its highest. The Nintendo Switch continues to be successful. Console is 2020’s second-largest segment, growing +6.8% year on year to $45.2 billion.
Markets in the Asia-Pacific region will generate $78.4 billion in 2020, up +9.3 per cent year on year, accounting for almost half of all global game revenues which is 49per cent of the global games market.This represents a year-on-year growth of +9.9 per cent.
In 2020, the Middle East and Africa region will grow the fastest year on year, up +14.5 per cent from 2019.
By the end of 2020, there will be a total of 2.7 billion players across the globe, an increase of more than 135 million from the previous year. The Asia-Pacific region, with 1.4 billion gamers, will account for more than half (54 per cent) of all players worldwide.
The year 2023 will mark a major milestone for the global games market. That year, the total number of players will surpass the three-billion mark, representing a CAGR (2015-2023) of+5.6 per cent. Naturally, growth markets are adding more to this player growth than more mature markets.
The top 50 public game companies generated revenues of $124.5 billion in 2019, an increase of +5.3 per cent from 2018’s $118.2 billion. In 2019, the 50 companies alone accounted for 85 per cent of the entire global games market. Tencent again held on to the coveted #1 spot. In 2019, Tencent doubled down on targeting overseas markets while it monetised Chinese users via PUBG Mobile (called Game for Peace in China). Tencent’s strategy paid off, its year-on-year growth rate increasing to +10 per cent in 2019. Across the ranking, other Chinese companies—including NetEase and Perfect World—enjoyed similar returns to form after 2018’s nine-month-long licensing freeze.In India demand for entertainment has boosted interest in esports, video games, online auctions and online gambling to fill the void. As live sports events restart without fans in stadiums, this is an opportunity for live video coverage to experiment with new formats to make up for lack of crowds at the event.In a recent report “How Video is Changing the World” of Limelight Research shows huge surge in streaming in India during COVID-19 period as fans of esports can participate in event commentary along with the live in-arena audience or connect with closed ones over gaming session. Realtime live video opens up new business opportunities in sports, gaming, auctions, and more by making live viewing a more interactive social experience.