Stay up-to-date on which animation and vfx films are winning end-of-year honors.

The post The Cartoon Brew 2016-17 Animation Award Winners Tracker appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The Golden Globes animation category is much more interesting than we thought it would be!

The post Two Big Surprises And One Big Snub In The Golden Globes Animation Nominees appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

"The Jungle Book" and "Zootopia" were recognized tonight by the Critics' Choice Awards.

The post ‘The Jungle Book’ Wins Best VFX, ‘Zootopia’ Best Animated Feature At Critics’ Choice Awards appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A handy tracker to keep up with who's winning all the feature animation accolades in 2016.

The post Who’s Winning All the Accolades This Year? Check Out Our Award Tracker appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The New York Film Critics Circle has voted, and their top animated film of the year is "Zootopia."

The post ‘Zootopia’ Named Best Animated Film of 2016 by New York Film Critics Circle appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The Annie Awards have a problem. But does ASIFA-Hollywood want to fix it.

The post Why Can’t ASIFA-Hollywood Address Its Straight-Ticket Voting Problem? appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Nominations for the 44th ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards were announced this morning, and Disney’s Zootopia led the way with 11 nominations. Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings was close behind with 10 nominations.

The leading performance by the Walt Disney Company comes one year after Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out scored a record-breaking 25 nominations and the Walt Disney Company won 75% of the categories in which it was eligible, sparking widespread complaints that the Annies do not accurately reflect the accomplishments of everyone who work in the animation industry.

Across its various divisions, the Walt Disney Company took 38 nominations this year. It’s a curious turn of events considering that the Walt Disney Company claimed that the Annie Awards voting was rigged and pressured ASIFA-Hollywood to overhaul the awards voting process just a few years ago. In 2010, Disney Animation and Pixar president Ed Catmull, along with John Lasseter, withdrew all of Disney’s productions from the Annie Awards in protest that Kung Fu Panda had won too many awards the previous year.

“We believe there is an issue with the way the Annies are judged, and have been seeking a mutually agreeable solution with the board,” Catmull told Variety at the time. “Although some initial steps have been taken, the board informed us that no further changes would be made to address our concerns.”

Catmull and Lasseter’s strong-arm tactic eventually led to the ouster of ASIFA-Hollywood’s president, Antran Manoogian, who was replaced by the duo of Frank Gladstone and (Cartoon Brew co-founder) Jerry Beck. An advisory committee of feature animation studios was formed, and numerous changes were made to the voting procedures to ensure that voters would judge categories on the merits of individual accomplishment rather than voting for a single popular film.

This year, three of the five nominees for best animated feature were Disney productions—Moana, Zootopia, and Finding Dory. Shockingly, Mark Osborne’s The Little Prince, which won France’s Cesar Award earlier this year for best animated feature, was locked out of nearly every category, garnering just two nods for production design and music. On a positive note, The Red Turtle picked up five nominations, and My Life As A Zucchini picked up thre.

On the shorts side, four of the ten films shortlisted by the Academy this year were also nominated for Annie Awards: Theodore Ushev’s Blinda Vaysha, Patrick Osborne’s Pearl, Alan Barillaro’s Piper, and Rob Valley’s Pear Cider and Cigarettes.

Below is a list of all of 2016’s Annie Awards nominees:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Best Animated Feature – Independent

• Long Way North – Produced by Sacrebleu Productions, Maybe Movies, Norlum Studios, France 3 Cinéma and 2 Minutes
• Miss Hokusai – Production I.G
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions
• Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films

Best Animated Special Production

• Audrie & Daisy – A production of AfterImage Public Media in association with Actual Films for Netflix
• Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll – DreamWorks Animation
• Little Big Awesome – Titmouse, Inc. / Amazon Studios
• Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life – CBS Films/J.P. Entertainment/Participant Media
• Pear Cider and Cigarettes – Massive Swerve Studios and Passion Pictures Animation

Best Animated Short Subject

• Blind Vaysha – National Film Board of Canada
• Deer Flower – Studio ZAZAC
• Path Title Sequence – Acme Filmworks
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures
• Piper – Pixar Animation Studios

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Commercial

• Duelyst – Powerhouse Animation Studios, Inc.
• LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer – Plastic Wax
• Lily & the Snowman – Hornet
• Loteria ‘Night Shift’ – Passion Pictures Ltd
• The Importance of Paying Attention: Teeth – Bill Plympton Studio

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Preschool Children

• Ask the StoryBots – Episode: Why Do I Have to Brush My Teeth? – JibJab Bros. Studios for Netflix
• Peg + Cat – Episode: The Disappearing Art – Problem – The Fred Rogers Company/ 9ate7 Productions
• Puffin Rock – The First Snow – Episode: 59 – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House
• The Stinky & Dirty Show – Episode: Squeak – Amazon Studios and Brown Bag Films
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having a Ball – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment

Best Animated Television/Broadcast Production For Children

• Adventure Time – Episode: Bad Jubies – Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios
• DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender – Episode: Return of the Gladiator – DreamWorks Animation Television
• Elena of Avalor – Episode: A Day to Remember – Disney Television Animation
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Episode: Trans-Dimensional Turtles – Nickelodeon
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: My Fair Hatey – Disney Television Animation

Best General Audience Animated Television/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob? – Bento Box Entertainment
• BoJack Horseman – Episode: Fish Out Of Water – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix
• Long Live the Royals – Episode: Punk Show – Cartoon Network Studios
• The Simpsons – Barthood – Episode: Barthood- Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television
• The Venture Bros – Episode: Hostile Makeover – Titmouse, Inc.

Best Student Film

• Citipati – Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg
• Fishwitch – Adrienne Dowling
• The Abyss – Liying Huang
• The Wrong End of the Stick – Terri Matthews
• Twiddly Things – Adara Todd

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Lead Effects Artist: David Horsley, CG Look Development Lead: Eric Wachtman, Senior Compositor: Timur Khodzhaev, Compositor: Daniel Leatherdale, Lead CG Lighter: Terrance Tomberg
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Effects Sequence Lead: Matt Titus, Effects Sequence Lead: Jeff Budsberg, Effects Sequence Lead: Carl Hooper, Effects Sequence Lead: Louis Flores, Effects Sequence Lead: Jason Mayer
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Head of Effects Animation: Marlon West, Effects Lead: Erin V. Ramos, Effects Lead: Blair Pierpont, Foundation Effects Lead: Ian J. Coony
  Effects Lead: John M. Kosnik
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Special Effects Supervisor: Mouloud Oussid
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Effects Lead: Thom Wickes, Effects Lead: Henrik Fält, Effects Animator: Dong Joo Byun, Effects Animator: Rattanin Sirinaruemarn, Effects Animator: Sam Klock

Outstanding Achievement, Animated Effects in a Live Action Production

• Deepwater Horizon – The Rig – Lionsgate – Effects TD Supervisor: Raul Essig, Digital Artist : Mark Chataway, Lead Digital Artist : George Kuruvilla, Digital Artist : Mihai Cioroba
• Dr. Strange – Mirror Dimension – Marvel Studios – FX Supervisor: Georg Kaltenbrunner, Digital Artist : Michael Marcuzzi, Digital Artist : Thomas Bevan, Digital Artist : Andrew Graham, Digital Artist: Jihyun Yoon
• Ghostbusters – Iloura – Animator: Terry Bannon, Animator: Nicholas Tripodi, Animator: Daniel Fotheringham, Animator: Matt Weaver, Animator: Julien Boudou
• The BFG – Amblin Entertainment Walt Disney Pictures – Lead Effects TD: Claude Schitter, Senior Previs Animator: Benjaman Folkman, Senior Effects TD: Gary Boyle, FX Supervisor: David Caeiro, CG Supervisor: Luke Millar
• Warcraft – Magic – Legendary/ Universal – FX Supervisor: John Hansen, Lead Artist : George Kuruvilla, Lead Artist : Alexis Hall, Lead Artist : Gordon Chapman, Lead Artist : Ben O’Brien

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Atomic Puppet – Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor – Character Animator: Barry Kennedy, Character: Disastro, Phil Felt, Joey Felt, Old Man, Atomic Puppet, Mookie, Vivian Felt, Smoke Monster, Principal Wartickle, Sword Sister (Paulina), Were-chicken, Chicken, Mr. Inkwood, Cornelius (Octopus), Atomic Android, incidental characters
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Becoming, Part 1, DreamWorks Animation Television, Character Animator: Mike Chaffe Character: Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!
• The Snowy Day – Amazon Studios and Karrot Entertainment – Lead Animator: Rob Thomson Character: Peter, Mom, Nana + all characters included in reel
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Thinking Outside The Hoop / Fig’s Hay- Maze-ing Wander – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment – Lead Animator: Dan MacKenzie Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Okra, Maple, Pine, Buckeye, Gourd, Chickens
• Tumble Leaf – Episode: Mighty Mud Movers / Having A Ball – Amazon Studios and Bix Pix Entertainment – Lead Animator: Joe Heinen Character: Fig, Hedge, Stick, Buckeye, Pine, Beetles

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Feature Production

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios – Character Development and Animation: Erick Oh Character: All Characters
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Animator: Jan Maas Character: Multiple
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Animation Supervisor: Ludovic Bouancheau, Character: Various
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Dave Hardin Character: Judy Hopps, Stu Hopps, Bonnie Hopps, Chief Bogo, Nick Wilde
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Animator : Chad Sellers Character: Mr. Big, Koslov, Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, Flash

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Live Action Production

• Captain America: Civil War – Spider-man – Marvel Studios – ILM Animation Supervisor: Steve Rawlins, CG Lead Artist: Ebrahim Jahromi, Associate Animation Supervisor: Cedric Lo,
  CG Lead Artist: Stephen King, Digital Artist: Yair Gutierrez
• Games of Thrones Battle of the Bastards – Series 6 Episode 9 – HBO – Visual Effects By Iloura: Nicholas Tripodi, Visual Effects By Iloura: Dean Elliott, Visual Effects By Iloura: James Hollingworth, Visual Effects By Iloura: Matt Weaver
• The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures – Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. Jones, Animation Supervisor: Peta Bayley, Animation Supervisor: Gabriele Zucchelli, Character Supervisor: Benjamin Jones
• The Jungle Book – Walt Disney Pictures – Animation Supervisor: Andrew R. Jones, Senior Animation Supervior: Paul Story, Animation Supervisor: Dennis Yoo, Motion Editor: Eteuati Tema, Senior Facial Modeller: Andrei Coval
• Warcraft – Orcs – Legendary/ Universal – Animation Supervisor: Hal Hickel, Digital Artist : Jee Young Park, Digital Artist: Kai-Hua Lan, Animation Supervisor: Cedric Lo, Animation Supervisor: KimHuat Ooi

Outstanding Achievement, Character Animation in a Video Game

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Legends – Ludia Inc. – Character Animator: Lucio Mennillo, Character: Donatello Vision, Character Animator: Martine Quesnel, Character: Leonardo Vision, Character Animator: Alexandre Cheff, Character: Donatello LARP, Character Animator: Laura Gorrie, Character: Leatherhead LARP, Lead Animator: Guillaume Charrin, Character: Raphael Vision
• Titanf all 2 – Respawn Entertainment, LLC – Character Animator: Ranon Sarono, Character: Jack Cooper, BT-7274, Weapons, Character Animator: Shawn Wilson, Character: BT-7274, Creatures, Lead Animator: Mark Grigsby Character: BT- 7274, Jack Cooper, Viper, Weapons, Lead Animator: Paul Messerly Character: BT-7274, Jack Cooper, AI, Character Animator: Moy Parra Character: BT-7274, Villains
• Uncharted 4: A Thief ‘s End – Naughty Dog – Lead Animator: Jeremy Yates Character: All, Lead Animator: Almudena Soria Character: All, Lead Animator: Eric Baldwin Character: All, Lead Animator: Paul Davies Character: All, Lead Animator: Tom Bland Character: All
• Witcher 3 Expansion Packs – Character Animation Reel – CDProjekt Red – Lead Animator: Sebastian Kalemba, Character: Directing role

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Counterfeit Cat – Episode: 28 Seconds Later – Tricon Kids & Family and Wildseed Kids – Art Director: Raphaël Chabassol Character: Full cast: Max, Gark, Betty, etc.
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Win, Lose or Draal – DreamWorks Animation Television – Character Designer: Victor Maldonado, Character: All Characters, Character Designer: Alfredo Torres, Character: All Characters, Character Designer: Jules Rigolle Character: All Characters
• Pig Goat Banana Cricket – Episode: It’s Time to Slumber Party – Nickelodeon – Character Designer: Jennifer Wood, Character: Cricket with Turbine Nose, Burgerstein Nose Picking, Pig Window Squished, Moms Raisin, Angry Old Raisin Toothless, Angry Old Raisin Falling, Pig Melting, Incidental Adult 0014 Army, Sergeant Broseph Red Eyes, General Potato, Goat Soldier Dizz
• Rain or Shine – Google Spotlight Stories/Nexus Studios – Character Design: Robin Davey Character: Multiple
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: The Night Out – Disney Television Animation – Character Designer: Benjamin Balistreri, Character: multiple characters

Outstanding Achievement, Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Character Designer: Shannon Tindle, Character: Multiple
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Art Director Characters: Bill Schwab, Character: Moana, Maui, Pua, Heihei, Tamatoa, Kakamora, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters), Visual Development Artist: Jin Kim Character: Moana, Maui, Gramma Tala, Sina, Ancestor, Wayfinders, Lalotai Characters (Realm of Monsters), Te Kā
• The Secret Life of Pets – Illumination Entertainment – Character Design by: Eric Guillon Character: All
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Art Director: Tim Lamb Character: Trolls, Character Designer: Craig Kellman, Character: Bergens
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Character Design : Cory Loftis Character: Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Flash, Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, Mr. Big, Fru Fru, Koslov, Bellwether, Yax, Finnick, Doug, Mr. and Mrs. Otterton, Duke Weaselton, Misc. Characters

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• A Love Story – Passion Pictures – Director: Saschka Unseld
• Adventure Time – Episode: Bad Jubies – Cartoon Network Studios – Director: Kirsten Lepore
• Open Season: Scared Silly – Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly – Sony Pictures Animation – Director: David Feiss
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Director: Patrick Osborne
• Wander Over Yonder – Episode: My Fair Hatey – Disney Television Animation – Director: Dave Thomas, Director: Eddie Trigueros, Director: Justin Nichols

Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA– Director: Travis Knight
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM – Director: Claude Barras
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Director: MICHAEL DUDOK DE WIT
• Your Name. – CoMix Wave Films – Director: Makoto Shinkai
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Director: Byron Howard, Director: Rich Moore

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Glued, Where’s My Bob? – Bento Box Entertainment – Composer: Loren Bouchard, Composer: John Dylan Keith
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Dancevidaniya – Disney Television Animation – Composer: Christopher Willis
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Becoming, Part 1 – DreamWorks Animation Television – Composer: Alexandre Desplat, Composer: Tim Davis
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Composer: Scot Stafford, Composer/Lyricist: Alexis Harte, Composer/Lyricist: JJ Wiesler
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #2-24: “Twilight of the Apprentice” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD – Composer: Kevin Kiner

Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production

• Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders – Warner Bros. Animation – Composer: Kristopher Carter, Composer: Lolita Ritmanis, Composer: Michael McCuistion
• Sing – Illumination Entertainment – Composer: Joby Talbot
• The Little Prince – Netflix and On Animation Studios – Composer: Hans Zimmer, Composer: Richard Harvey, Composer/Lyricist: Camille (no last name)
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Composer: LAURENT PEREZ DEL MAR
• The Secret Life of Pets – Illumination Entertainment – Composer: Alexandre Desplat

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Adventure TIme – Episode: Bad Jubies – Bix Pix Entertainment Cartoon Network Frederator Studios – Production Design: Jason Kolowski
• Pearl – Google Spotlight Stories/Evil Eye Pictures – Production Design: Tuna Bora
• Puffin Rock – Episode: The First Snow – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears and Penguin for Netflix – Production Design: Lily Bernard
• Rain or Shine – Google Spotlight Stories/Nexus Studios – Production Design: Robin Davey
• The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show – Episode: The Wrath of Hughes – DreamWorks Animation Television – Production Design: Kevin Dart, Production Design: Sylvia Liu, Production Design: Chris Turnham, Production Design: Eastwood Wong

Outstanding Achievement, Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Production Design: Nelson Lowry, Production Design: Trevor Dalmer, Production Design: August Hall, Production Design: Ean McNamara
• Kung Fu Panda 3 – DreamWorks Animation – Production Design: Raymond Zibach, Production Design: Max Boas
• The Little Prince – Netflix and On Animation Studio – Production Design: Lou Romano, Production Design: Alexander Juhasz, Production Design: Celine Desrumaux
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Production Design: Kendal Cronkhite, Production Design: Tim Lamb
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Production Design: David Goetz, Production Design: Matthias Lechner

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Atomic Puppet – Episode: Sick Day – Mercury Filmworks, Gaumont Animation, Technicolor – Storyboard Artist: Kyle Marshall
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Road Hogs – Disney Television Animation – Storyboard Artist: Heiko Von Drengenberg
• DreamWorks Trollhunters – Episode: Win, Lose or Draal – DreamWorks Animation Television – Storyboard Artist: Hyunjoo Song
• Milo Murphy’s Law – Episode: “Going the Extra Milo” – Disney Television Animation – Storyboard Artist: Dan Povenmire, Storyboard Artist: Kyle Menke
• The Adventures of Puss in Boots – Episode: Prey Time – DreamWorks Animation Television – Storyboard Artist: Ben Juwono

Outstanding Achievement, Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

• Finding Dory – Pixar Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Trevor Jimenez
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Storyboard Artist: Mark Garcia
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Normand Lemay
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Storyboard Artist: Claire Morrissey
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Storyboard Artist: Dean Wellins

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• BoJack Horseman – Episode: Multiple Episodes – Tornante Productions, LLC for Netflix – Starring: Alison Brie Character: Diane Nguyen
• Open Season: Scared Silly – Episode: Open Season: Scared Silly – Sony Pictures Animation – Voice Actor: Will Townsend Character: Mr. Weenie
• Splash and Bubbles – Episode: #102 “I Only Have Eyespots”/”Double Bubbles” – The Jim Henson Compay and Herschend Entertainment – Puppeteer: Leslie Carrara-Rudolph, Character: Bubbles
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #3-05: “Hera’s Heroes” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD – Starring: Lars Mikkelsen Character: Grand Admiral Thrawn
• The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show – Episode: Ponce de León – DreamWorks Animation Television – Cast: Carlos Alazaraqui Character: Ponce de León

Outstanding Achievement, Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Kubo: Art Parkinson Character: Kubo
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Voice Actress: Auli’i Cravalho Character: Moana
• STORKS – Warner Animation Group – Voice of Tulip : Katie Crown Character: Tulip
• Trolls – DreamWorks Animation – Cast: Zooey Deschanel Character: Bridget
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Voice Actor: Jason Bateman Character: Nick Wilde

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: The Hormone-iums – Bento Box Entertainment – Writer: Lizzie Molyneux, Writer: Wendy Molyneux
• Gravity Falls – Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls – Disney TV Animation – Writer: Shion Takeuchi, Writer: Mark Rizzo, Writer: Jeff Rowe, Writer: Josh Weinstein, Writer: Alex Hirsch
• Puffin Rock – The First Snow – Episode: 59 – Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Random House – Writer: Davey Moore
• The Simpsons – Barthood – Episode: Barthood – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Writer: Dan Greaney
• The Simpsons – The Burns Cage – Episode: The Burns Cage – Gracie Films in Association with 20th Century Fox Television – Writer: Rob LaZebnik

Outstanding Achievement, Writing in an Animated Feature Production

• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Writer: Marc Haimes, Writer: Chris Butler
• My Life As A Zucchini – Rita Productions, Blue Spirit Productions, Gebeka Films, KNM – Writer: Céline Sciamma
• The Red Turtle – Studio Ghibli – Wild Bunch – Why Not Productions – Writer: Michael Dudok de Wit, Writer: Pascale Ferran
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Writer: Jared Bush, Writer: Phil Johnston

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production

• All Hail King Julien – Episode: King Julien Superstar! – DreamWorks Animation Television – Nominee: David Craig, Nominee: Jeff Adams
• Bob’s Burgers – Episode: Sea Me Now – Bento Box Entertainment – Nominee: Mark Seymour, Nominee: Chuck Smith, Nominee: Eric Davidson
• Disney Mickey Mouse – Episode: Sock Burglar – Disney Television Animation – Nominee: Illya Owens
• Gravity Falls – Episode: Weirdmageddon 3: Take Back The Falls – Disney TV Animation – Nominee: Kevin Locarro, Nominee: Andrew Sorcini, Nominee: Nancy Frazen, Nominee: Tony Mizgalski
• Star Wars Rebels – Episode: #2-24: “Twilight of the Apprentice” – Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney XD, Nominee: Joe E. Elwood, Nominee: Alex McDonnell

Outstanding Achievement, Editorial in an Animated Feature Production

• April and the Extraordinary World – Je Suis Bien Content, Studiocanal – Nominee: Nazim Meslem
• Kubo and the Two Strings – LAIKA – Nominee: Christopher Murrie
• Moana – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Nominee: Jeff Draheim
• SAUSAGE PARTY – Columbia Pictures Annapurna Pictures – Nominee: Kevin Pavlovic
• Zootopia – Walt Disney Animation Studios – Nominee: Fabienne Rawley – Nominee: Jeremy Milton

JURIED AWARDS

• Dale Baer
• Caroline Leaf
• Mamoru Oshii

Ub Iwerks Award – for technical advancement in the art of animation

• Google Spotlight’s Virtual Reality Platform

Special Achievement Award

• Life, Animated

June Foray Award – for their significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation

• Bill & Sue Kroyer

Certificate of Merit

• Leslie Ezeh
• Gary Perkovac

The post ‘Zootopia,’ ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ Lead the Annie Nominations [Complete List] appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Box office pundits underestimated yet another animated film.

The post ‘Trolls’ Launches With Powerful $45M+, ‘Finding Dory’ Surpasses ‘Zootopia’ To Become Year’s Top-Grossing Animation appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Billion-dollar buddies: "Finding Dory" and "Zootopia."

The post ‘Finding Dory’ Crosses $1B Worldwide appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Animation breaks another major box office record in 2016.

The post Two Animated Features Will Cross $1 Billion Box Office Mark For First Time Ever appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A new Disney film...from the creators of "Frozen" and Zootopia"?

The post Disney Releases First Full ‘Moana’ Trailer appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

"Zootopia" reached the milestone just two days before its Blu-ray release.

The post ‘Zootopia’ Becomes The Fourth Animated Feature To Reach $1 Billion Global Gross appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Will Rovio's big gamble on "Angry Birds" pay off?

The post ‘The Angry Birds Movie’ Launches with $43M, ‘Jungle Book’ Is India’s Biggest Hollywood Film Ever appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Discover the art of Armand Serrano, Cartoon Brew's Artist of the Day.

The post Artist of the Day: Armand Serrano appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Rainmaker's approach to video game adaptations may need a rethink, while Disney is obliterating box office records in 2016.

The post ‘Ratchet & Clank”s Dreadful Second Weekend Raises Questions About ‘Sly Cooper’ Feature appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Disney will release "Zootopia" on home video and streaming platforms just 95 days after its U.S. theatrical debut.

The post The Full List of ‘Zootopia’ Blu-ray Bonus Features, Available on June 7 appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The ninth weekend of Disney's "Zootopia" outperformed its new competition, "Ratchet & Clank."

The post ‘Zootopia’ Overpowers ‘Ratchet and Clank’ Debut appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Both of Disney's animated films in theaters right now are huge hits.

The post Disney Animation Is Unstoppable: ‘Jungle Book’ Crosses $500M, ‘Zootopia’ Over $900M appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Nearly everything in this piece about feature animation is wrong.

The post Bloomberg Is Concerned About The ‘Glut’ Of Animated Features appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Another animated film takes over the top spot at the U.S. box office.

The post Disney Rules The Box Office Again With Their Animated Hit ‘The Jungle Book’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

"Zootopia" is being denounced by China's military as subversive American propaganda.

The post China’s Military Has Some Thoughts On ‘Zootopia’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A behind-the-scenes look at the ultimate challenge: figuring out the story of "Zootopia."

The post WATCH: ‘Imagining Zootopia’ Is A Fantastic 47-Minute Look At The Making Of Disney’s Latest Film appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

     
    

Alternate Reality

“Harry Potter isn’t real? Oh no! Wait, wait, what do you mean by real? Is this video blog real? Am I real if you can see me and hear me, but only through the internet? Are you real if I can read your comment but I don’t know who you are or what your name is or where you’re from or what you look like or how old you are? I know all of those things about Harry Potter. Maybe Harry Potter’s real and you’re not.” 
― John Green

The illustration of Hogwarts is by Jim Kay

..................

Opening the Doors to Wonder

Wonder comes in many forms.

Harry Potter swept the reading world and opened the doors to a greater audience. The success of the Harry Potter series renewed broad-based respect for fairy tales. 

From the first book and beyond, J.K. Rowling created an alternate world that readers could relate to. People young and old are drawn in to these robust stories and their engaging, fully developed characters. As with the classic stories from the past, the characters, imaginative twists and turns of the stories, and the fully realized details, combined to enable readers to believe in the magic of an alternate reality. The seven Harry Potter books created an enormous worldwide audience. And provided the substance for wonderful films. 

Adults have also become fans of the books and movies, creating a record breaking "crossover" market. And the phenomenon continues to grow...

Click the photo for spring wonder.

................

Contact With The Lives Of Others

"Rowling's books, by arousing curiousity and establishing contact with the lives of others, even if they exist solely within the confines of a literary work, enable children to develop capacities that readily translate into real-life experience. JkRowling never shies away from the great existential mysteries: death and loss, cruelty and compassion, desire and depression. Harry is anything but sheltered from the evils of Voldermort...he is destined for greatness even though he also posseses the weaknesses, failings, and vulnerabilities of all humans."

Maria Tatar -- Enchanted Hunters -- The Power of Stories in Childhood

......................

Harry Began On A Train

JK Rowling: I was going on a train from Manchester to London and I was looking out of the window at some cows, I believe and I just thought: "Boy doesn't know he's a wizard - goes off to wizard school." I have no idea where it came from. I think the idea was floating along the train and looking for someone and my mind was vacant enough so it decided to zoom in there.

Stephen Fry: And you played with the idea in your head…

JK Rowling: Exactly! From that moment I thought: "Well why doesn't he realise he's a wizard?" It was as though the story was just there for me to discover and I thought: "Well his parents are dead and he needs to find out they're wizards" and on we went from there. 

From a Stephen Fry Interview with JK Rowling

The illustration, from the Philosophers Stone, is by Jim Kay.

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Hermione...an empowered young woman

"Throughout the Harry Potter Tales, Hermione emerges as the beneficiary of three centuries of girls' book identity. At times the plucky youth, at times the serious student, at times the foolish lover, at times the tomboy, at times the blossoming maiden -- taken together, all these aspects of her personality make her the heir to everyone from Jenny Peace in Sarah Fielding's The Governess, to Jo in Alcott's Little Women, to Alice in Carroll's Wonderland, to all the girl guides, or "new Women" or adventuresome or studious females who fill the range of popular writing well into the twentieth century."

From Seth Lerer writing about Theaters of Girlhood, Domesticity, Desire, and Performance in Female Fiction in his book, Children's Literature, A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter 

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“I wrote a strong female character with brains”

- J.K. Rowling commenting on Hermione in a video conversation with Daniel Radcliff

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Finding the Right Wand -- an adventure in an alternate reality

First, you go to Diagon Alley where Ollivanders is located..."Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C...

A single wand lays on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window."

You will be helped by Mr. Ollivander, a very old man, who remembers every wand he has sold -- and to whom he sold it.

You will be measured in many ways by a tape measure that works on its on while Mr Ollvander explains that, "Every Ollvander wand has a core of powerful magical substance...We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tale feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same..."

You may have to try many wands before you have the right one.

It seems you don't choose the wand, the wand chooses you...

The fully imagined detail in the Harry Potter books plays a major role in their appeal. The fascinating story of Harry finding the right magic wand takes place in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone when Hagrid takes Harry shopping on Diagon Alley, and introduces him to the the world of wizards.

The illustration of Harry and Hagrid in Diagon Alley is by Jim Kay

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An Alternate Universe

..."J. K. Rowling has created a world as fully detailed as L. Frank Baum’s Oz or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, a world so minutely imagined in terms of its history and rituals and rules that it qualifies as an alternate universe, which may be one reason the “Potter” books have spawned such a passionate following and such fervent exegesis...."

From the book review by Michiko Kakatani  of Harry potter and the Deathly Hallows in the New York Times

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Stories That Opened My Mind

"There are hundreds upon hundreds of reasons for one to fall in love with the world and characters J.K. Rowling created in the Harry Potter series, the aforementioned being among them. For me, these are the stories that opened my mind to the wonderful world of books, novels and novellas, making them very near and dear to my heart..."

From the BookNerd on her Wonderful World of Writing blog

 
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An Older Harry Potter 

...Harry is called back into active duty when evil powers return in force... a new book and a play (opening in London) based on the book - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child -- are on their way, arriving in late July. They are based on a story  by J.K. Rowling. Here are two links for more information: Pottermore and NPR

Wizardry Before Harry

The Wizard World in 1920's USA is the setting for a new movie,starring Eddie Redmayne... 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them opens in the UK in November 2016... The book about Fantastic Beasts was used as part of the curriculum for young wizards in the Hogwarts classroom. There will be two sequels...all written by J.K. Rowling. 

Support For Children
 
J.K. Rowling spends time and money on helping people...In 2004 she founded Lumos...'No child should be denied a family life because they are poor, disabled or from an ethnic minority. Lumos works to support the 8 million children in institutions worldwide to regain their right to a family life and to end the institutionalisation of children."

Among the many other charities she supports are:Book Aid International, Catie Hoch Foundation, Children with AIDS, Dyslexia Action, Gingerbread...

Who Is J.K. Rowling ?

For the real J.K. Rowling, or as close as we will probably get, I suggest the Oprah Interview... Engaging, interesting,  and with some excellent documentary scenes woven in...Also, her candid, heartfelt, Harvard speech.


Alternate Reality 

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” ― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows  

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The N.R.A. Reimagines Classic Fairy Tales, With Guns

Liam Stack wrote this disturbing article. Here are excerpts...

"The world of make-believe can be a scary place, but never fear: Thanks to a series of reimagined fairy tales published online by the National Rifle Association, classic characters like Hansel and Gretel are now packing heat.

The group has published two of the updated tales on its N.R.A. Family website in recent months, entitled “Little Red Riding Hood (Has a Gun)” and “Hansel and Gretel (Have Guns).” The stories have outraged advocates of gun control, but their author, Amelia Hamilton, a conservative blogger, has called them lessons in gun safety...

In the N.R.A. version, Little Red Riding Hood sets off through the forest to visit her grandmother, just like in the original. But the Big Bad Wolf did not scare her this time, because she “felt the reassuring weight of the rifle on her shoulder.”

When the wolf approached her, “she shifted her rifle so that it was in her hands and at the ready.” He fled in fear...

Dan Gross, the president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, agreed, calling the stories “a disgusting, morally depraved marketing campaign.” He said in a statement that the stories were in poor taste in part because nearly 50 children and teenagers are shot each day in the United States, and suicide by gun is a leading cause of death among children over the age of 9..." 

Here is a link to read all of this disturbing article:FairyTaleGuns

The photo of a boy with a Barrett rifle at a meeting of the National Rifle Association in St. Louis in 2012. is by Daniel Acker for The New York Times

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 Save The Children

Save the Children works in 120 countries, including the United States, and has helped more than 166 million children — including more than 55 million children directly. Here are excerpts from the story of one child...

"At 12 years old Omar* suddenly found himself responsible for his family and working to support his mother and younger brother after his father was killed in the conflict...
'I am the man of the house now and they are relying on me'...Recently Omar started working in a fuel market in northern Syria where the work is both difficult and dangerous, and yet it is a job that pays enough to meet his family’s needs. Every day he goes to the market with his bucket and sponge to collect fuel that has spilled onto the ground from the tankers. Using the sponge he soaks up the fuel, squeezes it into his bucket and sells what he has collected at the end of every day.

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Importance of Children's Books for Most Adults

"But children's books are extremely important. Most adults don't read many books and if they do it will probably be some form of popular fiction. So a children's classic may be the last, or in some cases, the only, piece of serious literature they have read. As such these books are very influential and so I think it is our responsibility to consider them as seriously and carefully as any other great literature." 

From a Guardian article by Pulitzer Prize winning author, Alison Lurie ,  professor emeritus of literature and writing at Cornell University, and author and editor of a multitude of children's books.

 
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A Classic Video....Harvey the Dog

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The Planet Of The Dogs....An Alternate Reality

Here are excerpts from Chapter One of the book...the story of how dogs came down to Planet Earth to help people...

"Far out in the sky, on the other side of the sun, is the Planet of the Dogs. Dogs have always lived there in peace and happiness.

There are country dogs and city dogs. They live in places like Shepherd Hills, Poodletown, Retriever Meadows, Muttville, Hound Dog Hamlet, Biscuit Town, and Shaggy Corners... 

Dogs talk to each other in many ways. They woof, bark, and howl. They use body movement, face licking, smiling, and tail wagging. Dogs can hear what other dogs are thinking. And they always tell the truth...Dogs are very good at sleeping, taking naps, and waiting for someone they love...

Dogs have no worries on their planet because there are no dangers there. There are no bad dogs, no hungry animals, and no mean people. There is plenty to eat, lots of time to play, and all kinds of schools for the puppies to learn interesting things about their planet and each other. It’s a wonderful place to live.

Here is a link to read Sample Chapters of the Planet Of The Dogs series. 

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 This is the world of Yelodoggie, created by author and dog advocate, C.A. Wulff.

  All dogs, deep in their heart of hearts, are yellow. Because yellow is the color of light and joy and happiness, and these attributes are the true essence of dogs. Here is a link to Wulff's Etsy shop where you can see more of these delightful original watercolor paintings and prints celebrating dogs. They make a wonderful gift...

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Alternate Realities from Finland

Leena Krohn, a highly regarded writer in Europe, wrote one of my favorite books, Tainaron. I was gratified to see that Joshua Rothman, in the New Yorker, wrote that her newly published book of collected fiction was among  " The Books We Loved in 2015". Here is an excerpt:  

"I also found myself hypnotized by Leena Krohn, a Finnish writer whose collected stories and novels, rendered into English by many different translators, have just been published as a single volume, “Leena Krohn: Collected Fiction.” Broadly speaking, Krohn is a speculative writer; one of the novels in the collection, for example, consists of thirty letters written from an insect city. (“It is summer and one can look at the flowers face to face.”) Krohn writes like a fantastical Lydia Davis, in short chapters the length of prose poems. Her characters often have a noirish toughness; one, explaining her approach to philosophy, says that when she asks an existential question, “life answers. It is generally a long and thorough answer...”

Here is the link to read all of Joshua Rothman's New Yorker review.

Photo by Mikael Böök. 

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"Zootopia" continues to be unstoppable.

The post ‘Zootopia’ Three-Peats In U.S., Becomes China’s Highest-Grossing Animation Ever appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Disney has scored another big hit with "Zootopia."

The post ‘Zootopia’ Is A Box Office Beast In Both US and China appeared first on Cartoon Brew.