ANIMATIONWorld Magazine

Technology ANIMATIONWorld

Autodesk Reveals New Artist Tools and Workflows at AU 2024

At this year's Autodesk Univerisity, with the help of Mikros Animation, Digital Fish, and Wonder Studio, the tech giant demonstrated a slew of program feature updates and improvements across its product lineup, all designed to increase creative productivity and lower barriers for great storytelling.

animated shorts ANIMATIONWorld

Torill Kove Tells the Story Behind the Imagery in ‘Maybe Elephants’

Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove, known for her unique style of personal storytelling, now dives into the inspiration for the images in her award-winning short ‘Maybe Elephants’ and how they were crafted.

Ho Ho Ho! ANIMATIONWorld

Re-VIEW: ‘That Christmas’ – A Seasonal Film for Life

Set in a charming coastal town during Christmas, Simon Otto and Locksmith Animation’s new film explores themes of empathy, compassion, and human connection, weaving stories of love, resilience, and community through the perspectives of children and adults; now streaming on Netflix.

It’s Anime-zing! ANIMATIONWorld

Sae Okamoto Talks Mechanical Arms and Animating Mechas

8 years after a successful Kickstarter, the first-time anime series director’s show, ‘Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms’ is now streaming on Crunchyroll; it blends traditional 2D with hand-retouched 3DCG to deliver fluid, lifelike human-machine characters.

On the Road to the Oscars Headline News

Academy Announces Shortlists in 10 Categories for 97th Oscars

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 11:38am

VFX category narrowed down to 10 films, animated shorts to 15; voting for nominations runs next month, January 8-12, with nomination announcements set for January 17, 2025.

Wallace & Gromit Return ANIMATIONWorld

‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl:’ The Power of Stillness in Stop-Motion

Directors Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham bring back the enigmatic villain Feathers McGraw in Aardman and Netflix’s new comedy, combining animation mastery with nuanced, non-speaking characters that never work as hard as when they’re not moving.

Ultraman Returns ANIMATIONWorld

‘Ultraman: Rising’: Achieving the Perfect Lens Flare and Ken Sato Hairdo

ILM VFX supervisor Hayden Jones reveals how his team merged anime styling with cutting-edge visuals including hand-drawn transitions and ‘Akira’-inspired lens flares to create a love letter to classic manga.

preschool animation ANIMATIONWorld

‘Wonder Pets: In the City’: A Classic Revived with Photo Puppetry and Hypnosis

The classic charm of ‘Wonder Pets’ is back with creator Jennifer Oxley’s new series, a fresh take that introduces a new team of animal heroes, navigating global adventures, who showcase the power of empathy and collaboration while teaching life lessons through mini-opera-inspired tales.

The Increasing Need for Entertainment Content ANIMATIONWorld

Helping Artists and Studios Deliver in an Increasingly Competitive M&E Landscape

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 4:26pm

For Rob Hoffman, Lenovo’s Senior Worldwide Manager for Media & Entertainment Vertical, insatiable consumer appetite for new experiences across film, TV, games and interactive experiences, in greater quantity with increasing fidelity, means, the future of entertainment content development continues to look strong.  

Yes My Precious! ANIMATIONWorld

‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’: Middle Earth Meets Modern Anime

Kenji Kamiyama’s prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga travels 183 years before the original trilogy to bring Héra, a forgotten, unsung character, into the spotlight with a tale of courage and resilience; in theaters December 13.

Encourage Empathy and Celebrate Our Differences ANIMATIONWorld

‘Carl the Collector’: A Lovely Walk Inside the Mind of Autism

Zachariah OHora discusses the unique challenges, and constant joy, of creating his PBS KIDS’ series about the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic racoon who enjoys collecting things and loves his friends and family in Fuzzytown. 

Never Lose Your Imagination ANIMATIONWorld

Re-VIEW: ‘The Imaginary’ - A Story to Believe

With breathtaking animation and a heartfelt narrative, Studio Ponoc’s hand-drawn animated film celebrates the unrestrained magic of childhood imagination while addressing universal themes of loss, memory, and the enduring power of stories. 

We Return to Piltover and Zaun ANIMATIONWorld

Christian Linke Talks Animation Secrets, Silent Characters and Last Lines of 'Arcane' Season 2

From watercolors and charcoal to hand-drawn 2D and highly stylized 3D, the award-winning series’ second and final season pushed visual and storytelling boundaries while delivering a gripping and emotionally stunning finale.

Honoring NFB Legends Headline News

Normand Roger, Eunice Macaulay to Receive Winsor McCay Award

The legendary artists at the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) will be honored by ASIFA-Hollywood for their career achievements in animation at the 52nd Annie Awards on February 8.

Cutting-Edge Animation Headline News

MPC Recreates the Pride-Lands for ‘Lion King’ Prequel ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’

The VFX and animation studio led a team of over 1,700 artists, technologists, and production crew across 4 continents, collaborating remotely as well as using VR and virtual production tools to navigate digital environments.

Do It in the Cloud Headline News

NVIDIA Expands Cloud Gaming with GeForce NOW App

Debuting later this year, app for the Steam Deck will allow gamers to play their favorite PC titles at GeForce RTX quality; GeForce NOW cloud gaming will also be available on Apple Vision Pro spatial computers, Meta Quest 3, and 3S and Pico virtual/mixed-reality devices.

Business Headline News

Maxon Acquires Laubwerk, Adds to Ongoing Capsules Project

The move will bring hundreds of detailed and authentic 3D botanical assets, materials, and tools to the software platform, which provides solutions for content creators working in 2D/3D design, motion graphics, and visual effects.

It’s Anime-zing! Headline News

‘Ghost of Tsushima: Legends’ Anime Series Coming to Crunchyroll in 2027

Takanobu Mizuno will helm the project, with animation by KAMIKAZE DOUGA; the anime platform is teaming with Aniplex, Sony Music, Playstation Productions to produce.

Business Headline News

Disney to Merge Hulu + Live TV With Fubo

The deal, still subject to regulatory approvals, will form a combined virtual MVPD company; Fubo’s existing management team, led by David Gandler, will operate the newly combined Sports & Broadcast services.

Business Headline News

Bizaar Studios Launches, George R.R. Martin and Conrad Vernon Named to Advisory Board

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 11:22am

New company bets on future of adult animation, will offer development, marketing and distribution across TV and films, as well as free streaming services.

More Miraculous Things Await Headline News

Disney Sets ‘Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir’ Season 6 Premiere

The animated series, which follows the adventures of two seemingly typical teens with secret identities, debuts January 25 in the U.S. on Disney Channel and Disney XD with episodes airing in simulcast at 11am ET/PT.

Business Headline News

Getty Images to Merge with Shutterstock

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 8:25am

Combined company expected to be ‘well-positioned to meet the evolving needs of creative, media, and advertising industries through combined investment in content creation, event coverage, and product and technology innovation.’

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