Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Click 3X does just that in a high-energy spot for the Maryland Lottery’s MONOPOLY scratch-off ticket, bringing the board game’s iconic dog to startling CGI life. Click 3X CGI Director/Creative Director Anthony Filipakis led the effort on the spot, which came to the studio via REJ & Associates, Inc., GKV.

The spot opens on the well-known Scottish terrier game piece standing placidly on a broad tabletop. As a funky beat opens up, the staid little pup springs suddenly to life, pouncing toward a pair of lottery tickets and digging up the scratchcard as though he was going after a particularly delectable buried bone. The animated animal bops across the landscape, dancing, spinning and moonwalking his way through the spot.

Click 3X created an entirely CG world for the dog, which includes virtual foreground objects such as the table, chairs and fruit bowl. The studio then combined those elements with HDRI backplates, which allowed them to seamlessly light and render the CGI environment.

“The virtual set helped make the camera moves much more dynamic and allowed us to create angles that would have been much more difficult to achieve practically,” stated Filipakis. “It also made the spot a lot more fluid and entertaining. This flexible virtual approach – which avoided getting into the rigid mindset that we had to go all CGI or all practical – yielded an awesome final product.”

Click 3X’s attention to detail was crucial to creating, in macro detail, the typically miniscule-to-the-naked-eye dust and debris that builds up from the doggy’s digging into the scratch-off lottery ticket. The studio created these beautifully lit photorealistic close-ups by shooting loads of reference shots.

Click 3X worked closely with the agency to bring their vision of a fun, entertaining reprise of the beloved Monopoly dog to life. “We set out to create a fully animated CGI spot that could be both amusing and entertaining as well as visually impressive in a photoreal way,” noted Managing Director/Partner Jason Mayo. “We had a lot of fun with this one, especially in working with the agency, whose creatives had a very clear idea as to what they were looking to achieve and were extremely collaborative technically as well as creatively.”

“We had the bar set pretty high as far as how we wanted the dog to look and move, and Click 3X nailed it,” noted GKV creative Dave Broscious. “The dog not only looks real, he has real personality, which makes the character much more likable and the spot that much more fun to watch.”

DUCK, long known for its robust and versatile directorial roster, brought the full force of 10 of its best to bear on a monster 12-spot campaign for the United States Olympic Committee via Y&R. Each of the animated spots, which tell the story of one US Olympic athlete and the special relationships that helped them rise to the pinnacle of their sport, features a unique aesthetic and animated style.

“Y&R came to DUCK because they knew we were one of the few studios out there that could fulfill their request to make 12 thematically similar spots that each had a very different look and feel,” noted DUCK EP Mark Medernach. “This is a massively important project that really shows off the incredible depth of talent that we’ve amassed at DUCK. The variety and quality of the work is breathtaking.”

The basket of spots, drum up awareness for the USOC’s “The Team Behind the Team” campaign, which encourages people to support US athletes with donations. Brief previews of four of these compelling spots, which range in length, and a word with each of their directors, is below:

Henry Cejudo by Hsinping Pan:

Inspired by US freestyle wrestler Henry Cejudo’s recollections of his fearless mother, Hsinping Pan creates a warm and colorful animated world to showcase the athlete’s mom’s devotion. Grounded in a warm palette of oranges and pink, Pan creates a detail-packed landscape that weaves from Cejudo’s mother’s entrance into the US 30 years ago to her 20-hour journey through a snowstorm to watch her son compete in the state tournament.

Pan packs the story with symbolic details, such as the family matriarch’s arms transforming into tree branches and rising skyward to protect her seven children from a thunderstorm. “The first image that came to my mind when I heard this story is of Henry’s mom standing like a big tree to protect and support her family,” said Pan. “It’s really touching that she overcame so many difficulties and gave her family the best she could. The bond between Henry and his mom is very strong and inspiring.”

Queen Underwood by Chris Harding:

When Queen Underwood was working her way up through the women’s boxing world, she could always count on her sister’s encouraging voice bellowing to her at ringside, inspiring one knockout after another. Chris Harding delivers Underwood’s story in an engaging stick-figure animated sequence replete with typography and enlivened with a textured, paint-like color scheme.

“For someone involved in a fighting sport, Queen’s story had a surprisingly gentle tone,” noted Harding. “Queen is an extremely powerful athlete, but the way she talked about her sister struck me as loving, grateful and familiar. I chose the colors and simple line drawings to enhance the overall tone of her story. I also tried to choose something that fit the clarity and innocence of this aspect of their relationship.”

Bershawn Jackson by Roger Chouinard:

Bershawn Jackson took bronze in the 400-meter hurdles in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but his real dream is for his hardworking grandmother to see him compete. Roger Chouinard tells Jackson’s heartwarming story in a delightfully animated spot. With a series of vibrantly lit panels, the director takes us on a journey of Jackson’s epic comeback in the race and the importance of his grandmother’s support along the way.

“I could personally relate to his story because I had a grandmother who was very influential in my life when I was growing up,” Chouinard stated. “I’ve developed this film style for editorial and book illustration, and I thought it would convey the warmth, humor and human heart of Bershawn’s story.”

John Orozco by SMOG:

John Orozco couldn’t stop as a kid, erupting across park playgrounds and household furniture in an endless sequence of flips and bounces and jumps. So when his sanitation worker father found a flier seeking aspiring gymnasts while on his rounds in Manhattan, he took his young prodigy to a strict coach who guided him all the way to the Olympics. SMOG conveys this story in a primarily red, white and blue animation heavy on geometric angles and typography that reinforces key inspirational words and messages.

“John’s story really sounds like a fable, so we wanted to tell it in a simple way,” stated SMOG. “We also wanted a slightly different feel for his father’s story and his coach’s, as they each have different roles – the father is a big protector and believes in him, while the coach is his partner and fights beside him. Each character has a different angle for John, so they had to look different in the animation while still being connected to get the whole picture.”

One of NYC’s “best-kept secrets”…an annual FREE film & animation festival, MAY 6-9 – open to the general public- now in its 23rd year!

- No tickets/reservations needed- just show-up and watch – full schedule and details: www.sva.edu/dusty

WHO: More than 100 Filmmakers and Animators Graduating from the School of Visual Arts (SVA)

WHAT: The 23rd Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival, “23 on 23”

WHERE: SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street (between 8th and 9th Aves.)

WHEN: Sunday-Tuesday, May 6-8: Film Screenings – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Monday, May 7: Animation Screenings – OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Wednesday, May 9: Awards Ceremony – (INVITE ONLY)

School of Visual Arts Launches “23 on 23,”  23rd Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), announce the 23rd Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival, or “23 on 23,” will be held in New York City on Sunday, May 6 through Wednesday, May 9, 2012. The four-day event will showcase more than 100 films and animations from students graduating this spring, as well as celebrate 23rd Street as a home for the college and the theater. Annie Flocco, producer/filmmaker and SVA faculty member, will produce the event; Meredith Engstrom will co-produce.

This year’s headlining sponsors are: AbelCine; Act Zero Films; Adorama Rental Company; AJA Video Systems; Animation Magazine; Avid Technology, Inc.; Blue Sky Studios; Bryan Singer; CAVA – SVA Computer Store; Eastman Kodak Company; Emmett/Furla Films; Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables; Foto Care; Future Media Concepts; Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc.; Machinima, Inc.; National Board of Review; New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Rota6; Scheimpflug; and SCS Agency, Inc. One hundred percent of the sponsors’ donations will benefit thesis students in the form of grants and in-kind gifts.

The festival kicks off with three days of film and animation screenings, and concludes with an awards ceremony on May 9. Thirteen awards—including Outstanding Film and Achievement in Directing, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Traditional and Stop Motion Animation, and the New York Women in Film and Television Award—are given to students in recognition for outstanding thesis work. All festival screenings and the awards ceremony are free to the general public and will take place at SVA’s state-of-the-art theater, located at 333 West 23rd Street, NYC. The final list of presenters and special guests will be made public at a later date, and an outdoor screening in June, which will highlight many of the winning films, is in the works.

“We are proud the Dusty Film and Animation Festival is celebrating its 23rd year, and pleased to have the College and the theater on bustling 23rd street,” says Reeves Lehmann. “What better way to meet our neighbors than to host ‘23 on 23’! We hope the public will enjoy another great year of work from SVA’s filmmakers and animators, who we know will entertain and provide food for thought for diverse audiences.”

The Dusty Film and Animation Festival was established and named after SVA Founder Silas “Dusty” H. Rhodes with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film, Video and Animation Department students to a wider audience. “Our festival receives industry-wide recognition and is considered one of the top student film festivals in the country,” Annie Flocco notes.

SVA is widely regarded as one of the leading art schools in the country for its innovative curriculum, unparalleled faculty of more than 1100 creative professionals, and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. BFA Film, Video and Animation Department alumni have received accolades from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations.

SVA in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction for their artistic vision.

GLENDALE, Calif., May 2, 2012  — DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ: DWA) today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2012. For the quarter, the Company reported total revenue of $136.1 million and net income of $9.1 million, or $0.11 per share on a fully diluted basis.

“DreamWorks Animation’s first quarter of 2012 was driven primarily by Puss In Boots‘ continued success at the international box office and the solid performance from its home video release to date,” said Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation. “We look forward to releasing the third chapter of our blockbuster Madagascar franchise in theaters on June 8th.”

Puss In Boots, which has grossed approximately $554 million in worldwide box office to date, contributed $73.6 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by home entertainment and international box office. The film reached an estimated 3.8 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the first quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

Kung Fu Panda 2, the Company’s summer 2011 release, contributed $14.1 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by home entertainment. The film reached an estimated 5.5 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the first quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

Megamind, the Company’s fall 2010 release, contributed $5.0 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by international pay television and worldwide home entertainment. The film reached an estimated 5.3 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the first quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

Shrek Forever After, the Company’s summer 2010 release, contributed $2.5 million of revenue to the quarter, driven primarily by home entertainment. The film reached an estimated 10.0 million home entertainment units sold worldwide through the end of the quarter, net of actual and estimated future returns.

Library, which now includes How to Train Your Dragon, contributed approximately $27.4 million of revenue to the quarter. Titles are added to the Company’s Library during the quarter of the second anniversary of the domestic theatrical release. All other items, including non-feature film businesses, contributed $13.5 million of revenue to the quarter, of which Shrek The Musical was the single largest contributor.

Costs of revenue for the quarter equaled $96.5 million. Selling, general and administrative expenses totaled $27.5 million, including approximately $4.9 million of stock-based compensation expense.

The Company’s income tax expense for the first quarter was $5.1 million. The Company’s combined effective tax rate — the actual tax rate coupled with the effect of the Company’s tax sharing agreement with a former stockholder — was approximately 35.5% for the first quarter.

The Company’s second quarter and full year results are expected to be driven by Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which is scheduled to be released on June 8, 2012. Television revenue for Kung Fu Panda 2 and home entertainment revenue for Puss In Boots are also expected to contribute to the Company’s second quarter results.

Items related to the earnings press release for the first quarter of 2012 will be discussed in more detail on the Company’s earnings conference call later today.

Conference Call Information

DreamWorks Animation will host a conference call and webcast to discuss the results on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. (ET). Investors can access the call by dialing (800) 230-1059 in the U.S. and (612) 234-9959 internationally and identifying “DreamWorks Animation Earnings” to the operator. The call will also be available via live webcast at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available shortly after the call ends on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. To access the replay, dial (800) 475-6701 in the U.S. and (320) 365-3844 internationally and enter 244157 as the conference ID number. Both the earnings release and archived webcast will be available on the Company’s website at www.dreamworksanimation.com.

Beverly Hills, CA – Thirty-five students from 20 U.S. colleges and universities have been selected as finalists in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 39th Annual Student Academy Awards competition. Academy members will view the finalists’ films at special screenings and vote to select the winners. Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal awards, along with accompanying cash grants of $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively, may be presented in each of four categories: Alternative, Animation, Documentary and Narrative. Winners will be brought to Los Angeles, along with the international student winners in the Foreign Student Film category, for a week of industry activities and social events that will culminate in the awards ceremony on Saturday, June 9, at 6 p.m. at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The finalists are (listed alphabetically by film title):

Alternative
Falconer, Micah Robert Barber, University of Texas at Austin
In Between Shadows, Tianran Duan, University of Southern California
Last Remarks, Umar Riaz, New York University
Peace at Home, Avital Epstein, Florida State University
The Reality Clock, Amanda Tasse, University of Southern California
SiSiSiSiSiSiSiSiSiSiSi, Juan Camilo González, University of Southern California
Terra Cotta Warrior, Bin Li, Rochester Institute of Technology
Us, Alex Lora, City College of New York

Animation
Chocolate Milk, Eliza Kinkz, University of California, Los Angeles
Cowboy, Clone, Dust, Matthew Christensen, New York University
Eyrie, David Wolter, California Institute of the Arts
The Jockstrap Raiders, Mark Nelson, University of California, Los Angeles
La Lune et le Coq, Raymond McCarthy Bergeron, Rochester Institute of Technology
Lizard and the Ladder, Aaron Bristow, Utah Valley University*
My Little Friend, Eric Prah, Ringling College of Art and Design
Reviving Redwood, Matt Sullivan, Ringling College of Art and Design
Shinobi Blues, Yue Liu, School of Visual Arts

Documentary
Dignity Harbor: A Home Away from Homeless, Michael Gualdoni, Lindenwood University*
Dying Green, Ellen Tripler, American University
Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment, Keiko Wright, New York University
Lost Country, Heather Burky, Art Institute of Jacksonville*
Love Hacking, Jenni Nelson, Stanford University
Pot Country, Mario Furloni, University of California, Berkeley
Reporting on The Times: The New York Times and the Holocaust, Emily Harrold, New York University
Smoke Songs, Briar March, Stanford University
Why Am I Still Alive, Hanzhang Shen, School of Visual Arts

Narrative
Benny, Huay-Bing Law, University of Texas at Austin
Contra el Mar, Richard Parkin, University of California, Los Angeles
Hatch, Christoph Kuschnig, Columbia University
Mr. Bellpond, A. Todd Smith, Brigham Young University
Nani, Justin Tipping, American Film Institute
Narcocorrido, Ryan Prows, American Film Institute
The Recorder Exam, Bora Kim, Columbia University
Requited, Madeline Puzzo, Point Park University*
Under, Mark Raso, Columbia University

*Indicates first-time finalist entry for the school/university

To reach this stage, U.S. students competed in one of three regional competitions. Each region is permitted to send to the Academy up to three finalists in each of the four categories. Academy members have selected students from Australia, Germany and the United Kingdom as finalists in the Foreign Film category.

The Academy established the Student Academy Awards in 1972 to support and encourage excellence in filmmaking at the collegiate level. Past Student Academy Award winners have gone on to receive 46 Oscar nominations and have won or shared eight awards. At the 84th Academy Awards earlier this year, 2011 Student Academy Award winners Hallvar Witzø and Max Zähle were nominated in the Live Action Short Film category for “Tuba Atlantic” and “Raju,” respectively. James Spione, a Student Academy Award winner in 1987, earned a nomination in the Documentary Short Subject category for “Incident in New Baghdad.”

The 39th Annual Student Academy Awards ceremony on June 9 is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets are available now, online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office, or by mail. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

Meet the man behind the NFB classic The Sweater! Enjoy his NFB animated shorts and join him for a live discussion and signing session following the screening. His book, This Sweater is for You!, a celebration of the creative process in film and art, will be available during the event.

Join us for the following beloved animated films:

The Sweater (10 min 21 s)
Snow Cat (14 min 37 s)
I Want a Dog (10 min 9 s)
Pies (12 min 14 s)
Dreams Come True: A Sheldon Cohen Retrospective (13 min)

May 10 at 7PM

FREE

Presented in partnership with ECW Press.

Pinterest, Spotify and Google+ win first Webby Awards

Louis CK, Instagram and Bjork among special achievement honorees

Facebook earns inaugural People’s Special Achievement for Social Change

(New York, NY) May 1, 2012 — Pinterest, Google+ and Spotify will each be presented with their first Webby Awards alongside special recognition honorees Instagram and Bjork at The 16th Annual Webby Awards on May 21, at the Hammerstein Ballroom. The Webby Awards ceremony will be hosted by Patton Oswalt and will broadcast live at webbyawards.com starting at 4:30PM EDT.

Academy judges like Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone, Arianna Huffington and mobile phone inventor Martin Cooper selected The Webby Award Winners while Internet voters around the world chose the Winners of The Webby People’s Voice Awards with a Webby record of nearly 1.5 million votes cast from over 200 countries.

Each year, the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) acknowledges the outstanding individuals whose groundbreaking Internet work stands out among others. The Special Achievement Webbys, selected by the Academy, celebrate the winners’ commitment to using the Internet to foster innovation and add to the growth of Internet culture.

This year’s special achievement winners include Webby Person of the Year Louis CK who is being honored in acknowledgement of the groundbreaking digital-only release of his comedy special Louis C.K. – Live at the Beach Theater. The special, which was available directly from C.K.’s site for $5 and published without restrictions, set a new precedent for distribution that has since been followed by fellow comedians Aziz Ansari and Jim Gaffigan.

Bjork will be presented with the Webby Artist of the Year Award for her Biophilia album. Dubbed the world’s first “app album”, Biophilia establishes the Icelandic musician as a ground-breaking creative innovator in the digital realm. Instagram, the photo-sharing startup that recently became a household name after the $1 billion acquisition deal with Facebook, will be honored as the Webby Breakout of the Year. Past recipients of this award include now globally-popular sensations Twitter (2009) and Flickr (2005). Additionally, Juliette Lewis and Graydon Sheppard will be honored as Best Actresses for their original YouTube series Sh*t Girls Say.

In the wake of political and social transformation around the globe, Facebook was named the winner of the inaugural People’s Special Achievement for Social Change, besting Twitter, YouTube, Kiva, and Change.org. The first-ever Award honors the important work that the Internet plays in enabling and fostering social and political development. The winner was selected by the online public as part of The Webby People’s Voice voting process.

Not to be outdone, the entertainment industry’s biggest names also continued to use the power of the web to encourage people do good. Wieden + Kennedy won three awards for Nike’s Back for the Future campaign, which featured Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Bill Hader and Kevin Durant and benefitted The Michael J. Fox Foundation. Funny or Die picked up a Webby for its Drunk History Christmas with Ryan Gosling, Jim Carrey and Eva Mendes. In the Best Drama Online Film & Video category The Confession, which featured Kiefer Sutherland, won both a Webby and People’s Voice Award. Old Spice’s Mano a Mano en El Baño won three People’s Voice Awards for Isaiah Mustafa and Fabio. And 72andSunny’s campaign for K-Swiss, MFCEO Kenny Powers earned Danny McBride two People’s Voice Awards. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s Star Wars was honored with two People’s Voice Awards for CollegeHumor. Last, and certainly not least, Will Ferrell won his third Webby Award for impersonating President George W. Bush in Funny or Die’s President Bush Reacts to Osama Bin Laden’s Death.

This year’s Agency of the Year honors, highlighting the agency that wins the most overall Webby Awards (including People’s Voice awards) went to BBH which won nine Webby Awards for four of their entries.

“This year’s winners represent an amazing cross-section of the new and continuing trends we’ve seen across the Internet this year,” said David-Michel Davies, Executive Director of the Webby Awards. “We want to thank all of the IADAS members — people like Richard Branson, Biz Stone, and Arianna Huffington, among many others — for once again picking a truly inspiring list of Webby winners. We also want to thank the online voters for making their voices heard in the form of this year’s Webby People’s Voice winners.”

Flipboard built on its success from last year, this time winning two awards for its new iPhone application. The Onion, which won five awards in total, beat out perennial Best Humor Website winners Funny or Die and College Humor for top honors. And Showtime and HBO both took home awards for their second screen technologies — Showtime for its Showtime Social app for iPad, and HBO for its HBO Connect website — which allow viewers to interact with the shows they’re watching on TV. Pandora, which swept the music category last year, took home two People’s Voice Awards this year but it was the IADAS that voted Pitchfork as Best Music Website.

Other Highlights of The 16th Annual Webby Awards winners include:
The Museum of Me: Best Use of Social Media Interactive Advertising
The Sound of Football: Best Augmented Reality Interactive Advertising
Mashable: Best Blog – Business Website
Take This Lollipop: Best Online Guerilla & Innovation Interactive Advertising
TED.com, which won a number of Webbys including the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Education site.

The winners of multiple awards include:
Dropbox (4): Webby and People’s Voice Award for Best Practices Website and Webby and People’s Voice Award for Best Web Services & Applications Website
The 21st Century Beetle – Rock ‘n’ Scroll (4): Webby Award and People’s Voice Award for Best Automotive Website and Webby Award for Best Navigation/Structure Website and Best Visual Design � Function Website
Counterspill (3): Webby and People’s Voice Award for Best Activism Website and a Webby Award for Best Green Website
Draw A Stickman (3): Webby and People’s Voice Award for Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics Website and Best People’s Voice Award for Best Viral Marketing Interactive Advertising
The Creators Project (3): Webby Award and People’s Voice Award for Best Music Online Film & Video and Webby Award for Best Branded Content Interactive Advertising
Epicurious.com (3): Webby and People’s Voice Award for Best Lifestyle Website and People’s Voice Award for Best Lifestyle (Handheld Devices) Mobile & Apps
KAYAK (3): Webby Award and People’s Voice Award for Best Travel Website and the People’s Voice Award for Best Travel Mobile & Apps
Skype (3): Webby Award and People’s Voice Award for Best Social (Tablets & All Other Devices) Mobile & Apps and People’s Voice Award for Best Use of Device Camera Mobile & Apps
Sesame Street Muppets (2): Webby Award for Best Youth Website and People’s Voice Award for Best Home/Welcome Page Website
Super 8 (2): Webby Award for Best Use of Device Camera Mobile & Apps and Best Entertainment (Handheld Devices) Mobile & Apps

Winners of both The Webby Award and The People’s Voice Award:
Manilla: Best Banking/Bill paying Website
Jameson1780.com: Best Use of Interactive Video Online Film & Video
Ben & Jerry’s Fair Tweets: Best Corporate Social Responsibility Website
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Best Cultural Institutions Website
BabyCenter: Best Family/Parenting Website
Mint.com: Best Financial Services Website
MINI Maps: Best Games (Tablets & All Other Devices) Mobile & Apps
NASA: Best Government Website
Yelp Mobile: Best Guides/Ratings/Reviews Mobile & Apps
CitizenshipWorks: Best Law Website
Unstuck: Best Lifestyle (Tablets & All Other Devices) Mobile & Apps
The Creators Project: Best Music Online Film and Video
FactCheck.org: Best Politics Website
Target iPhone App: Best Shopping (Handheld Devices) Mobile & Apps
Fab.com app: Best Shopping (Tablets & All Other Devices) Mobile & Apps
ESPN.com: Best Sports Website
From Peru for Peru: Best Travel & Adventure Online Film & Video
Evernote: Best Utilities & Services (Handheld Devices) Mobile & Apps
‘I will never be cut’: Kenyan girls fight back against genital mutilation: Best Documentary: Individual Episode Online Film & Video
The VICE Guide To Congo: Best News & Politics: Individual Episode Online Film & Video

Winners will be fêted at a star-studded ceremony at The Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 21, at 5:30PM. There, many will deliver their take on the famous Webby 5-Word Speeches. The show will be hosted by critically-acclaimed stand-up comedian, writer, and actor Patton Oswalt, and streamed live in HD at www.webbyawards.com. Winners will be presented with the Webby Award (as voted on by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) and the People’s Voice Award (as voted on by online fans). A full list of this year’s winners can be found at http://wbby.co/winners.

AMERICA’S FAVORITE BEARS (AND THEIR BELLY BADGES) RETURN TO TELEVISION IN CARE BEARS: WELCOME TO CARE-A-LOT,

NEW ANIMATED SERIES PREMIERING JUNE 2 ON THE HUB TV NETWORK

Series Introduces New Character as Care Bears™ Celebrates 30th Anniversary

LOS ANGELES – After 30 years of lovable, huggable fun for billions of fans worldwide, the classic pop culture franchise Care Bears™ returns to television this summer in an all-new CG animated series Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot Saturday, June 2 (8 a.m. ET). The half-hour series on The Hub, a television network for kids and their families, will feature everyone’s favorite bears in exciting new adventures in the land of Care-a-Lot. In addition, the series will introduce a new, younger addition to the group: the playfully curious Wonderheart Bear. The re-imagined series is produced by American Greetings Properties, the outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM).

Care Bears celebrates its 30th Anniversary, with a new series that introduces the beloved characters to a new generation with their messages of caring and sharing on their fun-filled adventures packed with music, belly-badge powers and great big “care” hugs! Parents everywhere can now revisit their own childhood as the entire family takes a journey to Care-a-Lot, the high-above-the-earth home of the Care Bears, where wishes come true and unbelievable adventures ensue. On hand for the fun are familiar favorite characters including Tenderheart Bear, Cheer Bear, Grumpy Bear, Share Bear, Harmony Bear, and Funshine Bear – the coolest, most caring-est, magical friends around!

A new addition to the crew, Wonderheart Bear, is silly, sweet and full of joy and wants to be part of the “big bears” adventures. She is playfully curious and never short of questions – about everything! Her belly badge is a small heart that will become full of power as she grows older.

The Hub’s Marketing team will support Care Bears: Welcome to Care-a-Lot through traditional and non-traditional off-channel media designed to drive sampling of the cuddly, new iteration of the iconic original series.