Saturday, February 20, 2010

Multi Animated Links

Linkage on a winter weekend, what could be finer?

The New York Times details the animated shorts vying for an Oscar:

... Few movies of any length combine such daring and craft with the dazzling wit of “A Matter of Loaf and Death,” Nick Park’s half-hour tour de force. It marks the welcome return of Wallace and Gromit, the hand-molded English bloke and his skeptical dog who have brought glory to the Aardman animation studios. ...

How to Train Your Dragon serves up a teaser trailer (which is probably already sprinkled far and wide across the intertubes, but we throw it up as a link anyway.)

Adult Swim expands ....

The additional hour of prime time is in response to Adult Swim’s high ratings that have dominated the 18- to 34-year-old male demographic consistently since 2007.

Quick. Dream up some crass and/or edgy and/or older demographic-type cartoons.

Dr. Catmull to be honored:

... The 8th Annual Video Effects Society (VES) Awards, which takes place on Sunday, February 28, will honor Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar President Dr. Ed Catmull with the Georges Méliès Award for Pioneering ...

The Los Angeles Times looks at a new direct-to-video hand-drawn feature:

'Dante's Inferno' and the rings of pop culture

... The direct-to-home-video release ... is rooted in "The Divine Comedy," the epic 14th century poem by Dante Alighieri that endures as one of the signature works in world literature. This "Inferno," though, will be a bit jolting to anyone whose mental image was shaped by high school textbooks or the classic illustrations by Botticelli or William Blake's watercolor interpretations. This "Inferno" finds its hellish landscape in the game published this year by Electronic Arts and developed by Visceral Games ...

The WGA (east and west) held its writing award ceremonies today:

... The WGA's annual awards for film, TV, radio, news, promotional, video-game, animation and variety-show writing were presented ... in simultaneous ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the Millennium Broadway Hotel's Hudson Theatre in New York City. "Family Guy" mastermind Seth MacFarlane hosted the West Coast show, while "Curb Your Enthusiasm" regular Susie Essman hosted back east ...

The Art Center College of Design is mounting an animation exhibit at its Williamson Gallery:

... A rare opportunity to see just what's involved in creating the blend of artistry and technology in animated film opens March 5 with the "DreamWorlds" exhibit ...

"It's ...a chance to peek behind the veil and see what the environment of contemporary animation looks like," said Stephen Nowlin, the gallery's curator. "You get to see the process, and people are still fascinated by that...but I think they'll still be able to suspend their disbelief" when they see the finished movie. ..."

And finally there is Yogi Bear Three Dee ... now shooting in New Zealand?!

... Welcome to another day at Jellystone Park. Or, as it's known to its usual native wild creatures, the mountain bikers of Auckland, Woodhill Forest.

It's roughly halfway through the New Zealand shoot for Yogi Bear, the mixed live action and computer-animated 3D version of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon which dates back to 1958.

The production has already spent time in Taupo, shooting whitewater scenes at the Aratiatia rapids, and in central city Auckland - (spoiler alert) at some point Ranger Smith is reassigned to the tiny "Evergreen Park" better known to us as Emily Place.

And they'll be here until mid-March, with more days at Woodhill and West Auckland's Studio West for scenes inside Yogi's cave.

It's always good that an American icon is being shot on the bottom side of the globe. Makes me tingle.

Have a refreshing sabbath.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking forward to Dean's dragon cartoon. Any idea when they'll finish this teaser? Was it made for a videogame? It looks unfinished.

Anonymous said...

"Dean's" dragon cartoon? Not "Sanders'?"

Anonymous said...

There'll be a new Dragons trailer soon in front of "Alice in Wonderland"(and presumably online also).

Anonymous said...

Gotta love the ever-present anti-DreamWorks trolls. The first poster is a little more subtle than most, but he's a troll nonetheless.

Anonymous said...

It's most likely the same "genius" troll that has been posting on every forum about Dragon's claiming that Dean DeBlois is the main director of the film. Most likely some student/fan that thinks he knows more than he actually does. Chris Sanders was the solo director on this film in the beginning but Chris and Dean were working so closely together on boarding and writing that I'm sure DreamWorks felt it was right to make Dean a co-director. They both deserve their credits and are doing amazing jobs.

Anonymous said...

It's Dean AND Sander's film. Sanders is co-director. What's the big deal.

Anonymous said...

More OTT gushing about the latest Wallace & Gromit from the media.

Well, I've seen it and was disappointed. I loved all the W&G films til now but this one is way too much of a scene for scene retread and finally feels just tired. Gromit's always a fun character to watch, yes, but you've seen all the gags and plot before multiple times. It isn't as snappy, creative or fresh as any of the others and doesn't deserve the Oscar.

It also seems a bit unfair/unbalanced to have a 30 minute TV special in amongst 4-5 minute "shorts" in the short animated film category as the two forms are so obviously completely different, but oh well.

Site Meter