Saturday, January 03, 2009

New Yearr's Linkage

The first linkfest of '09, starting with.

The Indian subcontinent ... which is having a tad less success with animation than the U.S. of A.:

... Trade sources confirm that Bollywood has had a bad run with animation this year. Between Hanuman Returns, Krishna, Roadside Romeo, Dashavatar, Ghatotkach and My Friend Ganesha parts 1 and 2, insiders estimate animation losses will total up to about Rs 70 crore. "Indian animation has suffered quite a few hiccups,'' says a trade source. "What's worse is that many animation films that are complete and awaiting release have no takers.'' ...

(I also linked to this in a post below. You will note that Indian press has deemed Roadside Romeo an underperformer.)

Newsarama offers up the best -- in Newsarama's learned opinion -- of teevee animation circa 2008:

... Comedy Central certainly got a leg up with the second season of Lil’ Bush. Rough animation from “best of the web”-type shows display lots of potential. Organizations such as Adult Swim and Frederator admit they are combing the Net constantly for the next Mike Judge, Parker and Stone. Could another, more updated version of MTV’s old Liquid Television be far off in the future? ...

As for the new blood, it’s coming both in the forms of radical young talents and major organizations. Cartoon Network is getting theirs both ways. New shows like CH Greenblatt’s Chowder, Jay Stephens’ Secret Saturdays and Jennifer Pertch’s Total Drama Island and 6teen representing the young innovators. That’s not to say that it’s all newcomers - on the big guy front, there’s Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: Clone Wars. All these shows have been giving CN some incredible ratings boosts, especially the last half of the year ...

Jeffrey K. proselytizes for stereo animated features ...and how he came to learn the art of animation in the first place:

... Katzenberg delved into the late Walt Disney's archives, which included memos on everything from Snow White's storyboards to how to analyze a scene. “To this day, I'm still amazed by what he left,” Katzenberg said. “I always say he left breadcrumbs the size of Volkswagens – you'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to be able to follow the path. Though I never met him, he taught me how to make animated movies. It was there for anybody who wanted to learn.” ...

Animation writer Michael Jelenic discusses the wonders of Wonder Woman:

QUESTION: As this is Wonder Woman's origin story, what did you know you needed to include and on what did you want to focus?

MICHAEL JELENIC: We had to hit certain elements that are part of Wonder Woman's myth, and my job was to answer what sort of ramifications her origins would have on her character during her journey to becoming a hero. It's basically trying to boil down essential Wonder Woman elements into one story. We looked at the stuff that the fans had to see – the iconic things about Wonder Woman – and then tried to put a twist on them ...

And where and when did The Tale of Despereaux come into being?

Framestore is the largest visual effects and computer animation studio in Europe. It has more than 20 years of experience in digital film and video technology, and employs 800 or so staff out of three buildings in Soho, with another office based in New York.

The company has just finished a two-year project rendering the Universal Studios cartoon feature The Tale of Despereaux, and that needed probably the largest CGI rendering supercomputer in Europe to do the job ...

The work was complicated because the Framestore creatives had been briefed to create a 'look' for the full-length cartoon based on the Dutch Masters with relatively soft lighting and detailed shadows. There was a fixed deadline, meaning animation proceeded in parallel with the development of the processing needed to render the Vermeer-esque final look.

This parallel approach increased render farm and storage demands, because many intermediate stages of production data had to be retained to avoid unnecessary animation rework whilst the fine tuning of the lighting effects and colour was worked on. There were several specialist teams working in parallel with the rendering, the lighting work being concentrated more towards the end of the project ...

Lastly, we link to newer concept art for Imagi's Astro Boy, due for release in ten months ... assuming the cash stream keeps flowing.

(I've seen bits and pieces of the completed movie, and the production looks competitive and solid ... Add On: Imagi execs discuss changes in the character here.)

Have a rejuvenating weekend.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

So is there going to be a "Li'l Obama" series? After all, the inspiration for such a show is already embroiled in a political scandal - before he's even been sworn into office. That says comedy gold to me!

Anonymous said...

"So is there going to be a "Li'l Obama" series? "

Of course not ! That would be disrespectful to the President.

Anonymous said...

After all, the inspiration for such a show is already embroiled in a political scandal - before he's even been sworn into office.

I like how his opponents tried to tie him to Blagojevich and tried to make him look like a crook. It was nice try. But at this point nobody really buys that Obama's cut from the same cloth, except for those clinging to the hopes that Obama isn't really a citizen and he's just some terrorist in disguise waiting to blow up the U.S. as soon as he gets access to that button.

Steve Hulett said...

So is there going to be a "Li'l Obama" series?

I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we? I supposed if his poll numbers get low enough, anything's possible.

Maybe Comedy Central could get Rush Limbaugh to produce, in-between junkets to Puerto Rico.

Anonymous said...

I don't see why anyone would create a show based on that dolt bush.

And is anything he ever did funny?

Approving TORTURE?
Allowing terrorsts to attack America on 9/11?
The largest SPENDING adminstration in U.S. History
Losing the surplus left by President Bill Clinton
His constant re-writing of the Constitution
His legacy of being asleep at the wheel over hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike?
His lying to get us into a massive quagmire in Iraq while the Taliban and Al Queda take over Afghanistan?

Yeah. That's funny.

I'm so glad that shmuck is out of here. He can attempt to repair his "legacy," but time will show he is, indeed, the worst "president" in U.S. History.

Anonymous said...

I know I'm outraged that we didn't have one a terrorist attack on our soil since 9/11. Every single opinion on both sides of the aisle said it looked inevitable in the days after 9/11 and we haven't had one!

the nerve!

Anonymous said...

Except for those anthrax attacks, which targeted Democrats and the liberal media. And used anthrax that came from our own government labs.

Anonymous said...

"Except for those anthrax attacks, which targeted Democrats and the liberal media.."

If there were any validity to lay upon your opinion its that you seem to be just as batsh!t crazy as Bruce Edward Irvins.

There has been absolutely no conclusive evidence of that man's intentions. He sent letters to the (oh so liberal) NY Post and the National Enquirer among other recipients. He also stalked sorority sisters - were they democrats too!?!?

Lower the dosage dude.

Anonymous said...

People who defend Bush remind me of the elderly folks I played bingo with at the hotel my parents used to take me to on the Jersey shore. It was the night Nixon resigned (August, '74), and even at my young age, I knew he was a crook and a schmuck. Yet when I went to the room where the bingo game was being held, all the old people were in tears, decrying how he had been unfairly hounded out of office. The longer I live, the more I think some voters want the President to be the Daddy they never got at home. As a result, they can't speak badly of even the worst of them because Daddy can do no wrong.

Anonymous said...

Yes, you hate your father. This much is clear (to everyone but you).

Anonymous said...

Anon above.

that is an awesome response to the dopey 'elderly folks' comment from the kid above you.

hahahaha.

Anonymous said...

I'm eager to see if the elderly folks today give President #44 the same consideration they gave Nixon and Bush; or do they they see him as an upstart "boy" and not one of them?

Time will tell.

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