Folimage presented a preview (the first 23 minutes) of RAINING CATS AND FROGS, one of the most awaited film events for the end of the year, on June 7, 2003 at Annecy. In this report from Annecy, Andre Joassin interviewed soundtrack composer Serge Besset, about working with the director, Jacques-Rémy Girerd on the film.
Normand Roger moderates a round table exchange, "Pictures and Music: The Original Soundtrack" about the under appeciated art and aspects of composing music for animation, June 4, 2004 at 4:00 pm in the Theatre, part of the many programs going on June 2-7 at Annecy 2003.
Will Ryan reviews The Cartoon Music Book and finds a compendium of peculiar vitality.
Kevin Prendiville, former visual effects supervisor at Ring of Fire, has joined The Syndicate as the studio's new VFX supervisor and lead flame artist. Previously, Prendiville was the Henry artist at Hollywood-based visual effects house Novocom, where he worked on commercials for Discover Card, AT&T, Miller Lite, Chevy Blazer, Levis, Allsport and Mountain Dew. His music video work at Novocom included clips for Michael Jackson and Lenny Kravitz, and a special effects heavy Garth Brooks track that won the Country Music video of the year award in 1995.
Monday, December 2, 2002 is the deadline for both the official screen credits forms and music award submission forms to be received by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Music is traditionally a strong field for animated films. "If I Didn't Have You" from MONSTERS, INC. won Best Original Song in 2001 and many animated features including BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, LION KING and POCAHONTAS have won for both Original Song and Original Score. Official screen credits forms are available on the Academy Website www.oscars.org.
Four working composers discuss the creative challenges of making music for animation. Denis M. Hannigan, Don Grady, Jody Gray and James L. Venable offer tips and advice for both composers and creators, directors and producers.
The DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music & Books is a one-day event on creating, promoting and distributing independent film, music and books. The event features panels, workshops and exhibits on various aspects of bringing your creative vision to a larger audience. The New York City event is the Saturday programming at the CMJ Music Marathon, now in its 22nd year, and features the DIY Book Festival Awards, honoring the top independent authors and publishers in various categories, including comics.
Astropolitan director Steven Wagner recently completed a new music video for electronic duo DJ? Acucracks track, So To Speak, which was shot and finished at full resolution in the 24p HDTV format, a first for music videos. Incorporating live-action, 3D, motion-capture and miniatures, the music video for this club-hit track is a glimpse into the dark side of a future city.
Formalizing an existing three year relationship, London-based animation producer Nexus Productions has entered into a representation deal for commercials and music promos with Swedish animation studio FilmTecknarna. Over the past three years the two companies have worked together on various projects including the award-winning Boddington's campaign. Nexus will exclusively represent FilmTecknarna for the UK and France.
Ren & Stimpy is back on TV, thanks to VH1. After kicking off the series with a special four-episode mini-marathon on Friday, November 30, the music network will air one episode every weeknight at midnight during the month of December, concluding on New Year's Eve. Billy West, the voice of both Ren and Stimpy, will host the series, giving viewers a look at the creation of each episode, and (here's the VH1 tie-in) discussing how the music played such a pivotal part of the of the groundbreaking animated series' success.
Will Ryan asks illustrator, cartoonist, animator, director Milton Knight about his worldwide artistic influences.
Armed with diverse styles and techniques, a knowledge and love of music, smart, subversive wit and a desire to innovate one never knows what to expect from Sweden's Studio FilmTecknarna, just that it will probably be visually and aurally riveting, while offering some food for thought.
The Sundance Channels Sonic Cinema series is airing an episode that focuses on animation for music videos. SONIC CINEMA: ANIMATORS delves into the rich and ever-expanding universe of animated music. The program is made up of music videos, short films and short-form documentaries and features the talents of Bill Plympton, Mark Brierley, Jamie Hewlett, Tomas Apodaca, Tim Hope and the Toei Animation Studio. SONIC CINEMA: ANIMATORS airs on The Sundance Channel on October 19, 2001 at 11 pm and Sunday, October 21, 2001 at 1 am.
Lorenzo Music, famous for providing his voice to Garfield, passed away on Saturday, August 4. He was 64 years old, and suffered from cancer. Music started in the entertainment industry as a writer on classic sitcoms like SMOTHERS BROTHERS COMEDY HOUR, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW and THE BOB NEWHART SHOW. While working as a writer on RHODA, Music lent his voice talents as the unseen, perpetually intoxicated doorman, Carlton. He even went on to voice the pilot episode of the animated spin-off series CARLTON, YOUR DOORMAN, which failed to be picked up but won an Emmy for best animated special.
Boy, the Pimp is never happy! This month, the Animation Pimp discusses his great distaste at being hit over the head with music. Of course, he uses more colorful terms...
William Kent "Kenny" Holaday, a musician and artist for feature and television animation for the past 20 years, died on June 22 at his Shadow Hills ranch of complications brought on by a thyroid condition. He was 49 year old. He started his animation career in 1975 as clean-up artist for Hanna-Barbera, and in 1980 moved to Disney Feature Animation in the same capacity. At Disney, he served as a clean-up artist or assistant animator on such feature films as PETE'S DRAGON, THE FOX AND THE HOUND, THE LION KING and TARZAN.
London-based production company Stink has launched Skunk, a new animation house producing music videos, commercials and short films. The first project for the new company will be three spots for whisky brand Famous Grouse via ad agency Abbott Mead Vickers. Prague-based director Michal Zabka will helm the spots.
Walt DisneyHome Video will be releasing THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE on VHS and DVDon May 1, 2001. The VHS release, retailing for $26.99, will includeSting's "Making the Music" music video featuring "My Funny Friend andMe" from the film's soundtrack. Two different DVD versions will bereleased. The DISNEY DVD version, to retail for $29.99, includes anadditional music video "Walk the Llama Llama," as well as bonuscommentary, an interactive game and a deleted scene from the movie.
TV-Loonland has signed aseven-year licensing agreement with Russia's Nox Music, providing theMoscow-based company with video, television and merchandising rightsto 963 half-hour series episodes. The new agreement applies to theterritories of CIS/Russia, the Ukraine and the Baltic States ofLatvia, Lithuania and Estonia, and involved productions fromTV-Loonland's own studios as well as subsidiaries SunbowEntertainment and Telemagination. Nox was founded by Iosif
The Alias|Wavefront User Group will be presenting artists from Digital Domain. Come and see how Digital Domain has used Maya for the Experience Music Project, in their special venue and commercial divisions and on HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS. In addition, Kino Gil will show how Arete's Pyro for Maya was used for a volcano effect in a Backstreet Boys music video. The Gnomon School of Visual Effects and HighEnd.com are hosting the event. A meet and greet session will start at 6:30 pm with the presentation beginning at 7:30 pm.
Brilliant Digital Entertainment (BDE) is branching out into the music business with its new Brilliant Animated Music division. So far DreamWorks Records and Island Def Jam Music Group have signed on to have music from their catalogs transformed into 3D Multipath videos. Heading up the new arm will be Grammy-award winning record producer Lee Jaffe, attorney David Codikow and Andrew Lee, who was recently promoted to BDE's senior VP of strategy and development.
The CMJ FilmFest coincides with the CMJ Music Marathon and MusicFest and highlights the synergy between the moving image and music. The film festival showcases independent films that creatively and effectively use music in film. Awards are given to best feature or documentary, best short and best use of music in film. The event is sponsored and organized by the ChangeMusic Network.
* Thursday, October 19 Sunday, October 22, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.
Wild Brain has finished three spots for Sony Music Entertainments "Pass It On" campaign. "Adventure," "Love" and "Street Party" air exclusively on MTV and highlight several of Sony Musics top artists by combining live-action music video footage with traditional cel animation. Creative director Ed Bell brought to the project his futuristic hip hop/anime designs, while director Robert Valley helped bring to life the surreal tone of the spots. "Ed Bell created a new genre of animation that isnt confined by stylistic boundaries," said Valley.
* Thursday, October 19 Sunday, October 22, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.
Entry Deadline: September 1, 2000.
