Monthly Archives: October 2012

Happy 102nd Birthday, Tyrus Wong!

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Animation concept artist and Disney Legend, Tyrus Wong is celebrating his 102nd birthday this week (though his actual birthday was yesterday Oct. 25th). You can send Tyrus a birthday greeting yourself here or better yet, on the Facebook page set up to support Pamela Tom’s feature length documentary (currently in post production). Alice Davis (Marc’s widow), animator Tony Anselmo and Minnie Mouse voice Russi Taylor have left video greetings om the page.

Tom’s film, Tyrus Wong:Brushstrokes in Hollywood is the first in-depth portrait that “explores the life and art of 101-year old pioneering Chinese American painter, muralist, lithographer, kite builder, and Disney Legend”. According to her website:

The movie shares Tyrus’s remarkable journey as one of the very first Chinese Americans to make a living in art and film during the earliest days of moviemaking. Despite numerous obstacles, like the Exclusion Laws and rampant racism, audiences will witness Tyrus’s long, illustrious, and diverse career, including his ground-breaking work at Disney on the classic film Bambi, and his nearly 30 years at Warner Bros. and other studios creating the look for dozens of notable classic movies with some of the most famous directors in Hollywood’s Golden Era. The film includes interviews with John Canemaker, Don Hahn, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Paul Felix, Charles Solomon and Alice Davis and appearances by Marc Davis and Frank Thomas.

While the film tells the story of an exceptional artist and inspiring individual, it also sheds light on the dramatic and untold story of the Chinese American experience in the 20th century. The film includes a powerful scene in which Tyrus visits the Angel Island Immigration Station in the San Francisco bay, where he first arrived and was detained in 1910.

I wish her success in bringing this story to the screen. In the meantime – Happy Birthday Tyrus Wong!

(Note: Wong will be appearing in person to discuss his career at the CTN Expo in Burbank California next month. More details here).

Sony Releases Genndy Tartakovsky’s new short “Goodnight Mr. Foot”

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If you’ve been wondering what Genndy Tartakovsky’s been doing this past summer besides hitting the road to promote Hotel Transylvania and prepping to direct a CG Popeye – wonder no longer. Tartakovsky wrote, directed and animated himself a brand new hand-drawn HT companion short entitled Goodnight Mr. Foot – in all of four weeks.

And now the short is getting an exclusive theatrical run starting tomorrow in Regal theaters nationwide before showings of Hotel Trasnsylvania, as a special Halloween treat for Holiday audiences. From the Sony Animation Press release:

Entitled “Goodnight, Mr. Foot,” the short stars none other than the legendary monster Bigfoot, and follows his adventure as he, too, checks in to Dracula’s five-stake resort in search of a little R-and-R, only to find himself faced with an enthusiastic witch-maid, eager to make Mr. Foot’s stay a memorable one.

Genndy Tartakovsky commented, “After we finished HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA I got an itch to animate! Taking inspiration from my favorite directors Bob Clampett, Tex Avery, and Chuck Jones I animated a short cartoon in the traditional 2D style. It was difficult and exhilarating all at once and I hope people will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.”

To commemorate the debut of the animated short, an exclusive new collectible one-sheet—designed by Tartakovsky himself—will also be given away at all showings of HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA in Carmike Cinemas nationwide from October 26 (while supplies last).

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA fans surfing the internet might just keep any eye out (not literally!) for a specially-created promo video popping up some time around October 31 (date TBD).

I can’t wait to see it. Here are two images the studio released from the film:

NY Premiere: “The Beginning” Doc About China’s Indie Animation Scene

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There’s a strong wave of indie animators emerging from Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and China. The latter country’s indie scene is the focus of the documentary The Beginning directed by Jess Zou of NeochaEDGE. The film, which debuts in NY next week at the China Institute (125 East 65th Street, NY, NY 10065), features profiles of twenty Chinese animators and studios who are pursuing a more independent approach in their work. The 100-minute film is in Mandarin with English subtitles. Tickets are $8 and pre-registration is required on the Institute’s website.

Artists and studios featured in The Beginning include: Ray Lei (Beijing), Sun Haipeng (Shenzhen), Liu Jian (Nanjing), Mao Qichao (Magic Animation Studio, Chengdu), Pi San (Beijing), Anytime (aka: ANI7IME) Animation Studio (Zhang Chunli, Pu Junhan, Li Weikun, Su Jingxin: Guangzhou), Seen Studio (Zhang Naowen, Aspirin, Zeng Xun: Beijing), Song Siqi (Henan)/Wang Qing (Suzhou), Li Dongzhen (Beijing), and Beijing Film Academy student animation group (Sun Yiran, Wang Xingchen, Chen Xi, Zhang Yi, and Zhang Xiadian).

“Turkeys” get Greenlit at Reel FX

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Here’s another film to look forward to in 2014: Relativity Media and Reel FX have announced that they will jointly produce and finance the upcoming animated feature Turkeys. The film is being directed by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears A Who!) and stars the voice talent of Owen Wilson (Cars) and Woody Harrelson (A Scanner Darkly). Relativity usually releases their films through a major U.S. distributor like Universal or Warner Bros. Expect one of them to pick it up.

The full Press Release is below:

Relativity Gets Animated With Reel FX
10.24.2012
(Beverly Hills, Calif.) October 24, 2012 – Relativity Media and Reel FX, a movie studio based in Dallas and Santa Monica, announced today that they will jointly produce and finance the upcoming animated comedy Turkeys, slated for a 2014 release. The film is directed by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears A Who!) and stars the voice talent of Owen Wilson (Cars) and Woody Harrelson (The Hunger Games). Turkeys will be distributed worldwide by Relativity.

Producing are Scott Mosier (Clerks), Craig Mazin (The Hangover Part II), John Strauss (The Santa Claus 2) and David l. Stern (Hotel Transylvania). The screenplay was written by Stern and Strauss with a rewrite by Mazin.

Turkeys is an irreverent, hilarious, adventurous buddy comedy where two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history – and get turkey off the menu for good.

Ryan Kavanaugh, CEO, Relativity Media said, “This agreement is a culmination of years of friendship and a continued desire to collaborate between Relativity and Reel FX. We are delighted to broaden our film release slate to include Turkeys which features an exciting roster of voice talent, a powerhouse creative team and an original witty storyline.”

Steve O’ Brien, Chairman and CEO of Reel FX said, “We’ve always been fans of Relativity, and have watched them evolve over the years into a major force in the film and entertainment business. We are excited to start our relationship with Relativity by partnering with Ryan and his team to bring Turkeys to audiences around the world.”

Reel FX is a fully-integrated movie studio that develops and produces both animated films and live action movies. In addition to Turkeys, Reel FX’s growing animation slate includes Day of the Dead (Guillermo del Toro producing) and Beasts of Burden (Aron Warner and Andrew Adamson producing). Reel FX’s own film slate follows almost 20 years of experience as an award-winning one-stop studio for animated content including films, special attraction/live venue projects and interactive projects for companies like DreamWorks Animation, Fox, Warner Bros. and Universal Studios.

Up next, Relativity will release the outrageous Movie 43 (in theatres January 25, 2013), the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ best-selling Safe Haven (in theatres February 8, 2013), the comedy 21 and Over (in theatres March 1, 2013), the corporate espionage thriller Paranoia (in theatres October 4, 2013) and Luc Besson’s darkly comedic action film Malavita (in theatres October 18, 2013) with EuropaCorp. Relativity is currently in post-production on Scott Cooper’s gritty dramatic thriller currently-titled Out of the Furnace.

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA
Relativity Media is a next-generation studio engaged in multiple aspects of entertainment, including full-scale film and television production and distribution, the co-financing of major studio film slates, music publishing, sports management and digital media. Additionally, the company makes strategic partnerships with, and investments in, media and entertainment-related companies and assets.

To date, Relativity has produced, distributed, and/or structured financing for more than 200 motion pictures. Released films have accumulated more than $17 billion in worldwide box office receipts. Relativity’s recent films include: House at the End of the Street, The Bourne Legacy, The Raven, Mirror Mirror, Act of Valor, Haywire, Immortals, Tower Heist, Bridesmaids, Limitless, Hop, Cowboys & Aliens, Battle: Los Angeles, Little Fockers, The Fighter, The Social Network, Salt, Despicable Me, Grown Ups, Dear John, It’s Complicated, Couples Retreat and Zombieland. Upcoming films for Relativity include: Movie 43, Safe Haven, 21 and Over, Paranoia and Malavita. Thirty-nine of the company’s films have opened to No. 1 at the box office. Relativity films have earned 60 Oscar® nominations, including nods for The Fighter, The Social Network, The Wolfman, A Serious Man, Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster and 3:10 to Yuma. Sixty-two of Relativity’s films have each generated more than $100 million in worldwide box-office receipts.

RelativityREAL, Relativity’s television arm, has more than 70 projects in active production, including 17 original series that are currently airing or will air in the upcoming television season including Police Women for TLC, Coming Home for Lifetime and The Great Food Truck Race for Food Network. Relativity also owns and operates RogueLife, Relativity’s digital content studio is developing original content for the web and creating sustainable online platforms and communities. Relativity Music Group, a music division of Relativity, provides music supervision, music publishing catalogues and soundtrack services for films produced and/or distributed by Relativity Media and other major Hollywood studios. Relativity Sports is a fast-growing sports agency dedicated to providing high profile athletes a full range of professional development services including contract negotiation, marketing, media relations, fan management, brand building with entrepreneurial ventures, community involvement and personal services. Clients include NBA, NFL and MLB athletes. For additional information, please visit www.relativitymedia.com.

ABOUT REEL FX
Reel FX is a fully integrated movie studio that develops and produces both animated films and live action movies. The company’s development slate includes Day of the Dead, Turkeys, and Beasts of Burden.

Reel FX launched its feature length development and production slate in 2010 after almost 20 years of experience as an award-winning one-stop studio for the creation of animated content including films, special attraction/live venue projects, and interactive projects for companies like DreamWorks Animation (Rise of the Guardians), Fox, Warner Bros. and Universal Studios.

Since starting the development and production of feature films, Reel FX has aligned itself with some of the most recognized and respected names and brands in the entertainment industry for its projects including Cirque Du Soleil: World’s Away (Cirque Du Soleil, James Cameron, Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner), Day of the Dead (Guillermo Del Toro, Jorge R. Gutierrez), Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse Comics, Andrew Adamson, Aron Warner) and Turkeys (Jimmy Hayward, Craig Mazin).

Monday in LA: Halloween Spooktacular 2012

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Be prepared, foolish mortals! For the fifth year in a row, I will be screening a selection of spooky, kooky, strange and creepy Halloween-related cartoons – using vintage prints in 16mm and 35mm that range from ghoulishly red Eastmancolor to gorgeously garish Technicolor. Everyone from Koko The Clown to Casper the Friendly Ghost will be there in costume and on the big screen, along with black and white classics starring Oswald Rabbit, Flip The Frog, Bosko, Bimbo, Scrappy, Puddy, Popeye – even Waffles and Don – and all the famous monsters of filmland. Join us for a lot of fun (and candy) next Monday October 29th at 7:30pm, at The Cinefamily (at Silent Movie Theatre) on Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. Advance tickets on sale here!

Meet Mecha Mickey and the Disney Super Sentai

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We’ve come a long way from Steamboat Willie. Apparently Disney and toy-maker Bandai are working together on a Voltron-like toy robot called King Robo, and according to the storyline, Mickey Mouse and his friends supposedly pilot the robot. The toy, part of the Bandai’s Chogokin line, will be released March 2013, and unlike most Disney toys, it will be aimed at ages 15 and up. If successful, the property could spawn an anime series.

And speaking of Steamboat Willie, apparently the robot’s head transforms from a toy version of the paddle boat from that landmark film! Click the image below to see how each Disney-mecha character transforms into the body and limbs of “King Robo”.

(Thanks, Liam Scanlan)

Friday in LA: Rare Stop-Motion Classics

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I think all twelve programs compromising the latest Platform International Animation Festival are terrific – not a bad show in the batch. Otomo, Pes, Disney’s Paperman crew, The Cartoon Network creators, the festival screenings and animators panels. One program in particular has me very jazzed – a tribute pioneering stop-motion animator Ladislas Starewitch.

Platform will present a rare screening of four 35mm archival silent short films (accompanied by live music) by this influential surrealistic filmmaker. Starewitch, who lived most of his life in Paris, made films using unique, bizarre puppets and on occasion, manipulated real (dead) insects. The program will include: 1921′s L’Epouvantail (The Scarecrow), 1923′s Amour Noir et Blanc (Love in Black and White), 1927′s La Reine des Papillons (Queen of the Butterflies), and 1925′s Les Yeux du Dragon (Eyes of The Dragon).

This program is actually the opening night event for Platform. It’s on Friday night, Oct. 26th, at 7:30pm in the Redcat Theatre (at the Disney Music Hall, Downtown L.A.). For more information and tickets, click here.

Run Wrake

Animators

Run Wrake (1965-2012)

Bummer news out of England. British animator Run Wrake died on
Sunday morning from cancer at the age of 47. He is survived by his …

FRIDAY: MoMA celebrates Sally Cruikshank

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I’ve been a fan of the crazy independent cartoons of Sally Cruikshank since Quasi at the Quackardero first burst on the screen back in the 1970s. At a time “underground comics” were at their peak – here came an underground cartoon animator. Evoking the surreal worlds of 1930s Van Beuren and Fleischer rubber hose masterpieces, Cruikshank has carried the torch for depression-era “funny animal” cartoons ever since. I’m delighted that The Museum of Modern Art is hosting a tribute to Cruikshank this Friday featuring newly preserved prints of her cel-animation classics, including 1975′s Quasi (since elected to the National Film Registry in 2009), Make Me Psychic (1978), and Face Like a Frog (1987, featuring an original soundtrack by Oingo Boingo), plus a sampling of her commercial movie credits, Sesame Street spots and several of her own versions of Fleischer’s Screen Songs – using doo-wop music of the 1950s.

Sally Cruikshank will be introducing her films at the screening on Friday, October 26, 2012, 7:15 p.m. (A repeat showing sans Ms. Cruikshank will also occur on Monday, October 29th, 2012 at 4:00pm). This tribute is part of MoMA’s Preservation Festival which includes many restored cartoon shorts interspersed among the many programs. Both the Cruikshank tribute and the Preservation Festival are highly recommended!

“Fisher” by Yoram Benz

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Yoram Benz – originally from Hawaii, grew up in France and spent many years working at studios in New York and LA – set up his own creative content company, One Eyed Robot, on a small 3-acre farm in Milton, Georgia. From there Benz has guided some wonderful commercials, commissioned pieces and personal films all worthy of attention. Here is one of the latter, Fisher, fresh from the festival circuit. Beautifully rendered, an intricate yet stylized peek into the world of a lonely fisherman. Haunting, strange… a cross between David Lynch and The Incredible Mr. Limpet. I like it.

Tuesday in New York City: Tissa David Memorial

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This Tuesday, October 23, there will be a public memorial for the great East Coast animator Tissa David, who passed away last August at the age of 91. The memorial will begin at 7pm at the Academy’s Lighthouse Theater (111 E. 59th St
New York, NY 10022). Artists who knew and worked with Tissa will speak about her work, and a selection of her work will be screened from the Hubley Studio, Raggedy Ann & Andy, The Ink Tank and Michael Sporn Animation. Admission is FREE.

“The Man With The Iron Fists” Animated Preview by Eric Calderon and RZA

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Once again Universal Pictures is using animation (in this case quite limited, though artistically done) to create a viral promotional piece to presage a major live action feature. The Man With The Iron Fists, stars Oscar winner Russell Crowe in a film directed and co-written by rapper RZA. This animated prequel finds the Blacksmith (RZA) beginning his journey through China. Eric Calderon directed this piece with RZA, through Titmouse in LA. Character design and storyboard by Chase Conley, illustrations by Chase Conley, Xiongliang Li, Connie Wong: