Tag Archives: News

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Incredible Time-Lapse Shows the Time Consuming Labor Behind Stop Motion Animation

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pF_MTFzm27A

I’ve always loved the art of stop motion. To me it’s almost like magic, whereby these actual dolls come to life, moving, singing and laughing. It’s an incredible feat of work and talent and the amount of preparation that goes into it, is truly astounding. That said, here’s a little snippet from the end credits of The Boxtrolls, which captures a tiny bit into the herculean amount of work that goes into making even one scene of stop motion animation. Enjoy!

About The Boxtrolls: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised an orphaned human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s villain, Archibald Snatcher (Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley), comes up with a plot to get rid of the Boxtrolls, Eggs decides to venture above ground, “into the light,” where he meets and teams up with fabulously feisty Winnie (Elle Fanning). Together, they devise a daring plan to save Eggs’ family

You can read the whole post here.

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News: The Perils of an All Digital Movie future

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Vulture.com has an interesting read about the future and troubles of switching to an all digital movie industry which is currently at about 90% saturation.

A quote from the article:

In one of the most famous examples of the perils of digital preservation, when the makers of Toy Story attempted to put their film out on DVD a few years after its release, they discovered that much of the original digital files of the film — as much as a fifth — had been corrupted. They wound up having to use a film print for the DVD. “That was the first major episode to draw public attention to the fact that digital files are a challenge when it comes to conservation,” says Usai. (Somewhat hilariously and almost tragically, a similar fate came close to befalling Toy Story 2, which nearly got nuked when someone accidentally hit a “delete” button.)

You can read the whole article here.

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News: The Tale of Studio Ghibli

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The economist is reporting  that in the wake of the retirement of its visionary director, Hayao Miyazaki, last year, Studio Ghibli is taking an indefinite break from the production of new feature films, citing high production costs. This is a profound loss to animation and cinema, and “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is a vivid, bittersweet illustration of all the reasons why. With no British or American release dates announced for the studio’s latest effort “When Marnie Was There”, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” may go down as Studio Ghibli’s swansong on the international scene.

You can read the whole story here.

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News: DHX MEDIA TO ACQUIRE NERD CORPS

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DHX MEDIA TO ACQUIRE NERD CORPS

Deal adds experienced team, animation capacity and library titles

Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, London. 2.12.2014. DHX Media, a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Vancouver-based Nerd Corps Entertainment Inc. and its subsidiaries for approximately $57 million. The transaction is anticipated to close by December 24, 2014.

The acquisition increases DHX’s operating leverage, adding Nerd Corps’ animation studio in Vancouver, BC, which features five lines of production, as well as Nerd Corps’ interactive apps, gaming expertise, and licensing opportunities with Nerd Corps’ brands. The transaction brings more than 200 half hours of proprietary children’s content to DHX’s library, including the hit comedy adventure series, Slugterra, which has been broadcast in more than 150 countries and is one of the most popular titles on Disney XD in both Canada and the US. The deal includes licensing and distribution rights for all proprietary Nerd Corps series. The acquisition will increase DHX’s staff level in Vancouver from approximately 300 to 700 personnel.

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News: Kidscreen Awards and iKids Awards short lists revealed

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SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR ALL CATEGORIES!

 

Winners to be revealed at a gala event on February 24 during Kidscreen Summit in Miami

Toronto, November 26, 2014: Kidscreen, host of the globalkids television industry’s leading awards for excellence, is delighted to announce the shortlisted entries that will be continuing in the competition through a final round of judging.

The nominees are in the Programming Categories are:

PRESCHOOL

Best New Series

Peg + Cat (9 Story Entertainment)

The Summer with Dad (NRK)

Wallykazam (Nickelodeon)

 

Best Animated Series

Dinosaur Train (The Jim Henson Company/Sparky Animation)
Masha and the Bear (Animaccord Animation Studio)

Peg + Cat (9 Story Entertainment)

Peter Rabbit (Silvergate Media/Nickelodeon/Frederick Warne)

 

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Grandpa in My Pocket (Adastra Creative/CBeebies)
Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)

 

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Dive Olly Dive and the Pirate Treasure (Splash Entertainment)

Ruby’s Studio: The Safety Show (The Mother Company)

Stella and Sam Holiday Specials (Stella and Sam Productions)

 

KIDS

 

Best New Series

Annendroids (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Katie Morag (Move on Up)

The Games (Ape & Bjorn/NRK/SVT/DRTV/NFI/NFTVF)

 

Best Animated Series

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)

The Amazing World of Gumball (Cartoon Network EMEA Studio/Great Malborough Productions)

The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue! (TAT Productions)

 

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

Bushwhacked (Mint Pictures)

Roy (JAM Media)
World Animal Championships (Blacklab Entertainment)

 

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Fangbone! (Radical Sheep Productions)

Slugterra: Ghoul From Beyond (Nerd Corps Entertainment)

The Jungle Bunch to the Rescue: Old Jim’s Treasure (TAT Productions)

 

TWEENS/TEENS

 

Best New Series

Nowhere Boys (Matchbox Pictures)

The Next Star: Supergroup (Tricon Films & Television)

Undercover High (General Purpose Entertainment)

 

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

Dance Academy Series 3 (Werner Film Productions)

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour (Front Street Productions in association with The Hatchery/Hub Network)
Trio: Odin’s Gold (NordicStories/Fabelaktiv)

 

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Harriet’s Army (CBBC)

Horrible Histories (Lion Television/Citrus Television/CBBC/BBC Worldwide)

YTV Summer Beach Bash (Tricon Films & Television)

 

These shortlisted entries will be reviewed and assessed by a fresh panel of judges, including the following execs:Tara Sorenson (Amazon Studios), Joe D’Ambrosia(Disney Junior), Karen Mitrega (Super RTL), Tiphaine deRaguenel (France Télévisions), Carole Bonneau (Corus Kids), Nicole Keeb (ZDF) and Deirdre Brennan (ABC Australia).

 

In the Broadcasting Categories, the nominees are:

 

Channel of the Year

Cartoon Network (US)

CITV (UK)

PBS KIDS (US)

Best Channel Design
CITV (UK)
Hopster (UK)

PBS KIDS (US)

 

Best Interstitial Campaign
CBC (Kids’ CBC Olympic Moments)

CITV (Share a Story)

TFO (Mini TFO)

Kidscreen‘s readers will now be invited to review theseshortlisted entries, and vote for their favorite in each category. Their votes will determine the final winners

 

All Kidscreen Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special presentation event and after-party during Kidscreen Summit, on the evening of Tuesday, February 24. Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend as part of their event registration, and tickets for just the Kidscreen Awards evening can be purchased forUS$150 by contacting Kidscreen Events Sales Manager Joel Pinto (416-408-2300 x650 or jpinto@brunico.com).

Additional details about the Kidscreen Awards, including categories, eligibility, judging and entry process, can be found at http://awards.kidscreen.com.

iKIDS AWARDS 2015 SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED!

 

Winners to be revealed at an evening awards ceremony 

on February 24 during Kidscreen Summit in Miami

 

Toronto, November 27, 2014: Kidscreen is delighted to announce its shortlist for the third-annual iKids Awards, which recognizes and celebrates the market’s best digital media products and platforms for children. The following nominated entries will be continuing in the competition through a final round of judging.

 

PRESCHOOL (0 to 5)

 

Best Website

Hi Opie! (Marblemedia /TVO/The Jim Henson Company)

In the Night Garden (DHX Media/Kids Industries)

Peppa Pig (Entertainment One/Kids Industries)

 

Best Web/App Series

Disney Junior Appisodes (Disney ABC Television Group, Digital Media)

Guigo (Planetário de Ideas)

Jim Henson’s Doozers Creek (The Jim Henson Company/DHX Media)

 

Best Learning App (Smartphone)

Nick Jr. Leap (Nickelodeon UK)

Windy’s Lost Kite (Loud Crow Interactive)

Wonster Words (77SPARX Studio)

 

Best Learning App (Tablet)

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame (Sesame Workshop)

Daniel Tiger’s Grr-ific Feelings (PBS KIDS)

Sago Mini Friends (Sago Sago)

 

Best Game App (Smartphone)

CosmoCamp: Color Hunt (Frima)

Play Phone by BabyFirst (BabyFirst)

Talking Ginger (Outfit7)

 

Best Game App (Tablet)

CBeebies Playtime (CBeebies)

Cookie Monster’s Challenge (PBS KIDS)

Dora and Friends (Nickelodeon)

 

Best eBook

Hoppy Birthday (Pesky/Box of Frogs Media)

Over There (Disney Press)

Musical Mayhem (Pesky/Box of Frogs Media)

 

Best Streaming Video Platform

Hopster (Hopster)

Playkids (VSC)

Sesame Street Go (Sesame Workshop)

 

 

KIDS (6 and up)

 

Best Website

BatteryPOP.com (batteryPOP)

CBBC (Kindle Entertainment/Syndicut)

Nowhere Boys: The 5th Boy (Matchbox Pictures)

 

Best Web/App Series

Meet Me At the Reck (Maker Studios)

Plum Landing (WGBH/Global Mechanic)

Turbo FAST (DreamWorks Animation)

 

Best Learning App (Smartphone)

Habitat the Game (Elevator Entertainment)

MY:24 (Australian Children’s Television Foundation)

Plum’s Photo Hunt (WGBH)

 

Best Learning App (Tablet)

Cyberchase Shape Quest (THIRTEEN/PBS KIDS/ Curious Media)

Hooked on Phonics Reading Pro (Hooked on Phonics/Big Yellow Taxi)

Toca Lab (Toca Boca)

 

Best Game App (Smartphone)

Cartoon Network Anything (Cartoon Network)

Crayola Nail Party (Budge Studios)

Dragons Adventure World Explorer (Microsoft/DreamWorks Animation)

 

Best Game App (Tablet)

Doodle Jump SpongeBob SquarePants (Nickelodeon)

LEGO FUSION Town Master (LEGO System)

Slug it Out! (Nerd Corps Entertainment)

 

 

 

 

Best eBook
Discovery Kids Sharks (Discovery Consumer Products/Parragon/Blippar)

Penny the Pirate/OPSM Kids Eye Screening Tool (Saatchi & Saatchi/Two Bulls)

 

Best Streaming Video Platform
The Viddiverse (The Viddiverse)

WATCH Disney XD (Disney ABC Television Group, Digital Media)

WATCH Disney Channel (Disney ABC Television Group, Digital Media)

 

These shortlisted entries will now be reviewed and assessed by panels of professional judges, including the following execs: Liz Kline (GlassLab), Lauren Devillier (Disney), Chris Bishop(PBS KIDS Digital), Robin Raskin (Living in Digital Times),Eric Huang (Made in Me), Amy Kraft (Monkey BarCollective), Dave Schlafman (CloudKid), Beau Teague(Cartoon Network Digital), Susan Miller (Cupcake Digital) andAnne-Sophie Brieger (Sago Sago).

 

All iKids Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special evening ceremony on February 24 during Kidscreen Summit 2015, which will be held at the InterContinental Miami from February 23 to 26. iKids and Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend as part of their event registration, and tickets for just the awards ceremony can be purchased for US$150 by contacting Kidscreen Events Sales Manager Joel Pinto (416-408-2300 x650 or jpinto@brunico.com).

 

Taking place in Miami at the end of Kidscreen Summit on February 26, iKids is an annual conference exploring the intersection of mobile content, social media and web entertainment for kids. Attendees will discover strategies & make connections that will help them amp up their digital media business through better planning, better partnerships and better execution.

MONIQUE LEVINE

ACCOUNT MANAGER

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News: 9 Story expands reach in Asia through sales in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore

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Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood9 Story expands reach in Asia through sales in Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Singapore

Toronto, Canada – November 30, 2014 – 9 Story Media Group, a leading producer and distributor of children’s and family entertainment content,  has secured a host of key sales across Asia as it heads to Asia Television Forum.

Good TV (Taiwan), EBS (Korea) and Asiana Licensing (Korea) have all picked up multiple seasons of the popular and long-running series Arthur. Media Corp (Singapore) has licensed season one of preschool hit Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood (80 x 11’) while Daekyo Kids (Korea) has acquired season three of the 3D animated comedy Erky Perky (26 x 11’). Thailand’s True Visions has licensed almost 200 half hours of 9 Story programming including Peg + Cat (40 x 22’), Almost Naked Animals (52 x 22’), Joe & Jack (13 x 22’), Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs (52 x 22’), Frankenstein’s Cat (15 x 22’) and Turbo Dogs (26 x 22’).

PEG+CAT

“We are very pleased with our progress in Asia,” said Federico Vargas, Director, Distribution at 9 Story Media Group. “Across preschool, transitional (4-8 year olds) and comedies for the 6-11 audience, our content really resonates with this diverse territory. We are looking forward to attending ATF next month and meeting with new and existing broadcast partners to share news of our upcoming slate.”

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 and its affiliate companies represent 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