ANIMATIONWorld Magazine

animated shorts ANIMATIONWorld

Memories and ‘Maybe Elephants’: Torill Kove Reflects on Her Creative Process

With humor, humility, and a curious cat by her side, Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove gives viewers an exclusive look at the creative process behind her latest acclaimed short film, ‘Maybe Elephants.

Go With the Flow ANIMATIONWorld

‘Flow’: Cat-aloging Gints Zilbalodis’ Journey of Teamwork and Self Discovery

The Latvian director employs beautifully stylized and detailed 3D animation, somewhat photoreal, somewhat painterly, to tell without words his engaging story about a cat waking up in a world invaded by water, where humans have disappeared, who must belay his instincts and learn to get along with a group of animals in order to survive.

Monstrous Family Dynamics ANIMATIONWorld

‘Spellbound:’ Making Children of Divorce Feel Seen

Vicky Jenson and Skydance Animation’s new, original fairy tale take on a very real contemporary family dynamic, with a princess struggling to keep up appearances while hiding the fact her parents, the king and queen, have been turned into massive, rampaging monsters, debuts November 22 on Netflix.

It’s Not All For Kids ANIMATIONWorld

Magnets, Lube and an R-Rating: Adam Elliot Discusses ‘Memoir of a Snail’ at SAVFF

The Oscar-winning director of ‘Harvie Krumpet’ discusses his new, award-winning, decidedly not-for-kids stop-motion feature, including the use of sophisticated magnetic puppets, being forced to play board games as a kid, and how personal lubricant makes the best tears because it can go all day and not evaporate.

Remembering the Last Hawaiian Queen ANIMATIONWorld

‘The Queen's Flowers’ Celebrates Hawaii’s Queen Lili’uokalani’s Legacy of Love and Forgiveness

Ciara Leinaʻala Lacy’s new short, her first animated film, is a magical take on a touching, true story about the island nation’s last ruling monarch, known for her kindness, spare candy, and ever-present butterfly brooch, overthrown and imprisoned by U.S.-led forces in 1893, and a young girl who used to sneak into the Queen’s garden to steal the beautiful flowers.

Springfield Takes It in the Shorts ANIMATIONWorld

Al Jean Talks ‘The Simpsons’ Short ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 3:24pm

The iconic show’s long-time executive producer and showrunner shares his thoughts on his team’s latest short film - featuring Sideshow Bob, famous Disney+ villains, and so-called Halloween spirit - as well as his love of the format, and the important role shorts play in the franchise’s universe since the move to Disney.

Remembering What is Barely Spoken About ANIMATIONWorld

‘Remember Us’: Addressing the Rarely Spoken About Salvadoran Civil War

Director Pablo Leon and producer Jonathan Coria’s animated short follows a journalist documenting three different people who lived through the tragic 1980s in El Salvador, exploring themes of childhood loss, violence against women and the indigenous population, and regaining a sense of hope for the future.

Celebrating the Best in Animation ANIMATIONWorld

Reflecting on 30 years of DreamWorks Animation

Chris Sanders, Raymond and Christopher Zibach, Rebecca Huntley, Joel Crawford, and Jason Mayer share their thoughts on the studio’s first three decades, how it nurtured and supported their lives and careers, and how that ‘family’ atmosphere in turn spurred the visionary storytelling and beloved characters created within its walls.

Pals Forever… Not! ANIMATIONWorld

Christopher Batty Talks the Cinematography of ‘Transformers One’

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 12:36pm

From the innovative use of mocap for fast prototyping with virtual story reels to choosing the right cameras to ensure a proper sense of scale on massive sets and environments, the cinematographer discusses how he handled layout and composition on Josh Cooley and Paramount’s 3DCG origin story of how two best friends became the sworn enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron.

How Adversity Can Define Us ANIMATIONWorld

Of Love, Loss and Music: How Scot Stafford’s Daughter Influenced ‘Ultraman: Rising’s Score

The Emmy Award-winning composer shares for the first time how his daughter’s serious accident, in the middle of production, brought him even closer to his role as a parent while influencing his work writing music for a film with so many uncomfortable parallels about trying – and sometimes failing - to protect one’s family.

A Musical Journey to Insanity ANIMATIONWorld

Building the Crazy World of ‘Dullsville and the Doodleverse’

By Trevor Hogg | Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 12:24pm

Billed as a ‘journey beyond the threshold of sanity’ featuring Hap, a mad scientist and his cat Mello, the new animated short from Burnt Toast and his company Doodles brings together the music of stars like Pharrell Williams and Lil Wayne with hand-drawn and CG animation that required all new pipelines, processes, and the tightest of schedules.    

We Return to Piltover and Zaun ANIMATIONWorld

‘Arcane’ Season 2: More Songs, Darker Animation, and Lots of Shimmer

Riot Games’ multiple Annie and Emmy Award-winning adult animated steampunk series is back with a long-awaited new season filled with twice the number of songs, a deeper dive into the inner workings of magic and its connection to hextech, and more grimy, seedy underbelly fun; premieres November 9 on Netflix.

Books Blogs

MY CHRISTMAS WISH LIST OF BOOKS FOR ANIMATORS

 

     It is getting to be that time of the year when we are all thinking about gifts. One of my favorite presents to give and receive is books. This year there has been a bountiful crop of books to give to your favorite animator or to gift to yourself. From a book about Simon Stampfer and his Stroboscopic Disks to a tiny Viennese animation gallery, to two books about Portuguese animation and animators at BAP Studio there is something for everyone out there. I even wrote a book and it will be published on the 20th of December.

We Want More Eva! Headline News

Apple TV+ Sets ‘Eva the Owlet’ Season 2 Premiere, ‘Eva’s Moon Wish’ First Look Clip

The new season of the CG-animated series will premiere on January 24, 2025, while the upcoming holiday special debuts December 13.

Awards Headline News

2024 TIGA Games Industry Awards Winners Announced

The UK video games industry trade association awarded Game of the Year accolades to ‘Helldivers 2,’ while The Chinese Room and Secret Mode's ‘Still Wakes The Deep’ earned both Best Audio Design and Heritage in Games.

A Very Disney Season Headline News

Exclusive: ‘Big City Greens’ and ‘ZOMBIES: The Re-Animated Series’ Holiday Specials Clips

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 8:14am

As part of the ‘Disney Channel’s Fa-La-La-Lidays’ programming slate, Disney Branded Television will deck the halls with new specials of both series premiering December 7, and December 11 / December 18 respectively on Disney+.

Business Headline News

Kedoo Announces New ‘Booba’ Episodes, Series, Broadcast Deals

Season 5 is now available for TV distribution, while the new live-action ‘edutainment’ series ‘The Booba Show’ launches on YouTube in January 2025; the original series will air on ITVX, Nine Networks, Star Channel, RTL, VOYO, and CDA Premium starting in 2025.

Heading to Stuttgart Headline News

FMX Drops 2025 Conference Trailer

Created by Samuel Lewek and his team at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, ‘Dancing in Norms’ reflects the upcoming event’s ‘Rhythm of Change’ theme; ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 is first confirmed presentation.

Whistle While You Watch Headline News

Disney Drops ‘Snow White’ Trailer

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 12:13pm

Hi Ho indeed! Catch the first extended look at Snow White, the Evil Queen, the famed Magic Mirror, the cursed apple, and of course, Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy, in the live-action/3DCG hybrid musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, hitting theaters March 21, 2025.

People Headline News

Adrian Rashad Driscoll Joins RADiCAL Advisory Board

The teacher and EAST Initiative advocate plans to promote RADiCAL’s mission of democratizing content creation by empowering young people in underprivileged and under-represented communities via emerging technologies.

Awards Headline News

‘Tabby McTat,’ ‘La Vida Secreta de tu Mente’ Nab International Emmy Awards

The CG animated film, which follows a busker and his cat, won Best Kids Animation; Warner Bros. Discovery’s animated series aimed at solving the greatest mystery in the universe nabbed the Kids: Factual & Entertainment award.

We Marvel at This Collection Headline News

Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum Present ‘Marvel Unforgettable Stories’

The pair have curated 10 Marvel comics into one, 280-page collectible hardcover collection, now on sale from The Folio Society; 100 signed copies are also now available.

People Headline News

Technicolor Group Names David Conley President of MPC

By Dan Sarto | Monday, December 2, 2024 at 11:03am

The former Executive Producer at Wētā FX will report directly to Andrea Miloro, Chief Business & Strategy Officer, and Caroline Parot, Chief Executive Officer.

It’s Anime-zing! Headline News

‘The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife’ Anime Series Coming in 2025

The manga, written by IWATOBINEKO, follows the blind woman Yakou Shizuka, who works at a detective agency for Tounome, who is invisible; somehow, Yakou always knows when he is near.

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