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Microsoft’s 84-inch pen display for the office

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAMicrosoft had a BIG news day yesterday, among those details about the next version of Windows, and a GIANT 84″ wall screen called the Surface Hub which is essentially a humungous Surface Pro you hang on your conference room wall complete with pressure sensitive pen which magnetically attaches to the side of the screen allowing you erase etc. It’s essentially made to work with One Note but is also a full fledged PC which means you could open Maya, Harmony or Flash with it as well. Strategically placed cameras on the device allow Skype to make it appear as though everyone is speaking at eye level so you can brainstorm on a file as though your entire team was in the room even though they may be abroad. The one flaw seems to be that you do not save files on the device but rather are presented with an email address to send them to your own computer. I’m sure they’ll change that because that seems ridiculous. No word on price or release date yet, but I’m sure it’s gonna cost as much as a small car!

You can read the full article and more pics here!

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Craig Elliott

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Craig Elliott, I am a visual development artist and character designer, as well as an illustrator and fine artist
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I only had one job, as a paperboy, before I got a job at Disney. Not a very exiting or crazy job, unless you consider a glass perrier bottle blowing up and cutting my hands up with flying glass exciting… or being unable to carry the papers some Sundays and sitting crying on the driveway at 3 am alone! There was the occasional dog that chased me for several blocks, making me have to come back later on to do the deliveries in that area. That always made customers mad, and they would call to complain about late papers. What can you do? I didn’t want to get eaten alive! These occurrences seem less common in animation for some reason…
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I think Treasure Planet, and Enchanted are some of my favorites. There is something about any project that is a joy though. The challenge of turning a story into a visual is always rewarding no matter what the final outcome, or even if my work is used in the film. I always enjoy shows that require a greater amount of imagination- Treasure Planet definitely qualified in that sense. The movie wasn’t set in a specific place that is real, so anything goes! My mind and energy really get pumping in a situation like that. On Enchanted, Kevin Lima (the Director) asked us to come up with a Disney forest world, but with a twist. It was that twist that had us trying all sorts of creative things to help Kevin find what would satisfy his vision. I think it was my friend Christophe Vacher that thought to suggest we try using the Art Nouveau movement as a springboard. We all took off, working from that starting point. I put together a 30- something page style guide with Art Nouveau cues throughout, and even had a chance to speak with Alphonse Mucha’s Great Granddaughter on the phone at length as part of my research!
How did you become interested in animation?
I think I always was attracted to animation because of it’s limitless possibilities for Continue reading

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Jim Worthy

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jim Worthy, background designer on Tuff Puppy/The Fairly Oddparents at Nickelodeon.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Heinz pickle factory, graveyard shift at a 7/11 in Kalamazoo.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Just celebrated the 10 year anniversary of The Fairly Oddparents, proud to be a part of the
new hit Tuff Puppy… Dexter’s Lab, The Powerpuff Girls, Danny Phantom, Robot Jones, My Gym Partner’s A Monkey…

How did you become interested in animation?
They offered me a job

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
Holland, Michigan. When I was an art director in Continue reading

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HP’s new Slates Let You Draw Ultrasonically and Transfer to Digital

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hp-pro-slate-8-pen-pressAndroid Central is reporting on HP’s newest slates the HP PRo 12″ and the HP Pro 8″ and the craziest thing is it’s ability to draw what it sees on paper and transfer it to the tablet through ultrasonic emitters! That’s right, you can draw on paper and the tablet will pick up what you draw and transfer it to the tablet without wires.

The pen here supports both on-screen and ink-on-paper writing/drawing/what-have-you, and with the HP Paper Folio case you can literally write on a piece of paper and have that data transferred over to the tablet. How? With an array of four microphones on the tablet that pick up the super-high-pitched sounds emitted by ultrasonic emitters built into the pen. Qualcomm’s been showing off the technology for years, and HP’s tablets are the first to actually implement it.

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You can read the whole article here.

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9 Story Media Group Announces Sale of Emmy® Award Winner PEG + CAT to Discovery Kids Latin America

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Peg + Cat

9 Story Media Group Announces Sale of Emmy® Award Winner PEG + CAT to Discovery Kids Latin America

Toronto, Canada – January 20, 2015 – 9 Story Media Group is pleased to announce that its animated preschool series Peg + Cat (80 x 12’)  has been acquired by Discovery Kids for Latin America, including Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina.  The series originally debuted on PBS Kids in the fall of 2013 and recently won 3 Emmy® awards, including Outstanding Pre-School Children’s Animation Program. Peg + Cat recently premiered on Discovery Kids in Brazil and Argentina with other markets expected to follow later this month.

The series has also been acquired by Treehouse (Canada), TFO (French-speaking Ontario), Télé-Québec (Quebec), Canal+ Family together (France and French-speaking territories), CSC (UK), TG4 (Ireland), Super RTL (Germany and German-speaking Europe), YLE (Finland), SVT (Sweden), ABC TV Australia, TVNZ (New Zealand), Disney (Korea), True Visions (Thailand), HOP (Israel), Mini-Mini (Poland), E-Junior (UAE), Zee Learn (India), RTP (Portugal) and MBC Kids (UAE).

Created by Emmy® award-winning creative director, animator and children’s writer Jennifer Oxley (Little Bill, The Wonder Pets!) and Billy Aronson (Rent, Postcards from Buster), Peg + Cat is co-produced by 9 Story Media Group and The Fred Rogers Company for PBS Kids. 9 Story has international distribution rights to the series.

The series follows an adorable spirited little girl, Peg, and her sidekick, Cat, as they encounter unexpected problems that require fun and creative solutions. In order to solve the problems, Peg and her cat must add, subtract and apply basic arithmetic. Their adventures take them to historical far-away lands, art centers in bustling metropolises and the colourful cosmos, all the while demonstrating that it’s never too early to start learning the magic of numbers.

9 Story Media Group is a leading content creator, marketer and distributor of kids & family focused intellectual property. Recognized around the world for best-in-class brands such as Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood, Wild Kratts, Numb Chucks, Arthur and Peg + Cat, 9 Story represents over 1700 half hours of animated and live action programming, seen on some of the most respected international channels and platforms.  With one of North America’s largest animation studios, 9 Story employs over 220 creative and production staff and has produced over 900 half hours of award-winning children’s content. 9 Story is owned by Senior Management, ZM Capital and media entrepreneur Neil Court. www.9story.com 

For further information: 

Jennifer Ansley, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, 9 Story Media Group

+1 416 530-9900 ext 230, jennifera@9story.com

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Mike Scott

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Mike Scott, director / animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?Waiter, DJ, promos, runner for a film crew.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of6 Goldfish animated music videos, working with David O’Reilly on some [adultswim] idents, my ‘MooseBox’ Nickelodeon project, music videos for my brother’s band ‘The Kiffness’.

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always been interested in animation, I’ve drawn since an early age and had tried various animation tests growing up. One of my mother’s friends gave me a book on animation as a birthday present, I guess that all helped.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, went to junior school there, high school in Natal, Fine Art in Grahamstown, business degree in Johannesburg, then moved to Plettenberg Bay and I currently commute between Plett and Cape Town. One of my friends from University was working for a comedian and she said Continue reading