Monthly Archives: July 2016

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Freek van Haagen

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Freek van Haagen, and I’m currently a freelance illustrator and animator.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Oh, I was…an art-director and packaging designer. I even was an electrician-assistant way back at my dad’s office. But that’s like really long ago. And I had my own little animation/games company 15 years ago.
What are some of your favourite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Well New Eden comes to mind first of course. It’s an animated sci-fi web comedy about two crewmen that have crash landed on the wrong planet. They are quite literally the last surviving people in the whole galaxy. And now they have to survive everything the hostile planet throws at them. It turns out that’s the easy part because getting along with each other proves to be harder. It was made on a zero-budget but it was a lot of fun. The last cool job I did commercially was for Aquafresh. The toothpaste brand wanted an online game teaching kids about the health of their teeth. I did all the character designs, background designs and even did an intro animation. Turned out pretty cool and got positive reviews.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
The first time I saw a Disney movie. I don’t remember which one but I do know that I couldn’t understand how Continue reading

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Hasbro Acquires Boulder Media Animation Studio

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Hasbro Acquires Boulder Media Animation Studio

Hasbro Expands TV and Feature Film Capabilities with Purchase of Irish Animation Studio

PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) today announced that it has acquired Boulder Media, a multi-award winning Irish animation company based in Dublin. Boulder has produced a variety of award-winning series for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney and BBC. As a wholly-owned subsidiary, Boulder will continue to produce animated series on behalf of third-party clients, in addition to producing animation projects for Hasbro’s best-known brands. Terms of the transaction, which closed on July 13, 2016, were not disclosed.

“At Hasbro, we’re building our brands through storytelling, and today, we’re telling richer stories across more platforms than ever before,” said Brian Goldner, Hasbro’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are also reinventing traditional modalities of animation production, both creatively and financially. With Boulder, we will deliver the highest quality animation that will engage our audiences with deep storytelling and great characters in a very cost-efficient manner.”

Founded in 2000 by Robert Cullen, Boulder is one of the fastest growing animation studios in Ireland with approximately 150 full-time employees. Boulder will retain its brand and report into Stephen Davis who leads Hasbro’s entertainment and consumer products licensing division. In February 2016, Hasbro was ranked No. 3 on Fast Company’s list of Most Innovative Companies in Hollywood.

“As one of the largest independent studios producing animation in Hollywood, the time is right for Hasbro to acquire its own animation studio, allowing us to expand our animation and storytelling capabilities even further,” said Stephen Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, Hasbro. “In Boulder, we have found one of the most progressive, innovative and creative teams in the business. We are thrilled to partner with Rob Cullen, Pete Lewis, Jenni MacNeaney and the entire Boulder team as we significantly enhance the execution of our story-led Brand Blueprint strategy.”

“Boulder and Hasbro have ambitious plans for growth, and working together, we will substantially expand our team and our business,” said Robert Cullen, Creative Director, Boulder. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to bring to life the Hasbro stories and characters that mean so much to our team, and join a company that’s emerging as an entertainment powerhouse.”

About Hasbro

Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS) is a global company committed to Creating the World’s Best Play Experiences by leveraging its beloved brands, including LITTLEST PET SHOP, MAGIC: THE GATHERING, MONOPOLY, MY LITTLE PONY, NERF, PLAY-DOH and TRANSFORMERS, and premier partner brands. From toys and games, television programming, motion pictures, digital gaming and consumer product licensing, Hasbro fulfills the fundamental need for play and connection with children and families around the world. The Company’s Hasbro Studios and its film label, Allspark Pictures, create entertainment brand-driven storytelling across mediums, including television, film, digital and more. Through the company’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, including philanthropy, Hasbro is helping to build a safe and sustainable world and to positively impact the lives of millions of children and families. Learn more at www.hasbro.com, and follow us on Twitter (@Hasbro & @HasbroNews) and Instagram (@Hasbro).

About Hasbro Studios and Allspark Pictures

Hasbro Studios is responsible for entertainment, brand-driven storytelling for Hasbro across television, commercial productions and short-form content. It develops, produces and distributes content based on Hasbro’s world class brands, including TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, and LITTLEST PET SHOP. Many of its series air on Discovery Family Channel and on networks and digital platforms in more than 190 territories globally. Since its formation in 2009, the studio has received ten Daytime Emmy wins.

On the film side through its film label Allspark Pictures, the Company has developed and produced a number of features based on Hasbro’s brands. Films in development or planned for release include OUIJA 2 (Universal), MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE (Lionsgate), MAGIC: THE GATHERING (21st Century Fox), PLAY-DOH (21st Century Fox), TRANSFORMERS 5, 6 and 7 (Paramount) and the Cinematic Universe (Paramount) which includes GI JOE, MICRONAUTS, M.A.S.K, ROM and VISIONARIES.

About Boulder Media

Boulder Media is a multi-award winning Irish animation company based in Dublin. One of Ireland’s largest animation studios, it has produced many great shows for Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, BBC and Disney, including Wander Over Yonder for Disney, and Go Jetters and Danger Mouse for BBC. Learn more atwww.bouldermedia.tv/.

© 2016 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Deane Taylor

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Deane Taylor, I draw stories, create worlds, design and direct animation in multi mediums.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Before animation I was a signwriter, scenic painter, a television presenter and most crazy… A volunteer ambulance officer.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Cow and chicken was a highlight for me, I did the layout and art direction with my good friend David Feiss who I have the utmost respect for. Recently I was Creative Director on a series called Figaro Pho. The extended version of 26xI min interstitials. Very cool.  On the film side…The Nightmare Before Christmas continues to be the project closest to me.

How did you become interested in animation?
I used to be a big fan of the early Fleischer cartoons where miniature sets combined with 2-D. Other influences were Continue reading

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Brett Snelgrove

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
Brett Snelgrove and I’m an Independent writer/producer.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I worked in a coffee shop in my youth where I had to wear a promotional character outfit to distribute flyers around the shopping centre. The character had this huge nose and the local kids weren’t shy about telling me I looked like a giant nob. Back in high school when I thought I wanted to be an actor, I was part of a drug awareness performance troupe and one of our outings involved crashing a big Oktoberfest event. Needless to say we were thrown out.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I’ve recently completed an animated sci-fi web comedy called New Eden with Dutch animator, Freek van Haagen. That’s been a lot of fun and a lot of hard work but worth it. It was a bit of a trial by fire as it is my first foray into animation.  Previous to that I worked in television production and on my own independent projects. I’m very proud of my award winning action-comedy short Domestic and very grateful that I got to work on the satirical news programme NEWStopia with legendary Australian comedian Shaun Micallef.

 

How did you become interested in animation? 
I’ve always been a fan of cartoons and animation. Before CGI became commonplace, animation used to be the only place that you can really see Continue reading

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Ryan Woodward

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Ryan Woodward – animator/storyboard artist/professor of animation.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Little ceasars pizza!

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My latest Bottom of the Ninth. My short film, Thought of You. and of course some nice films like The Avengers, The Iron Giant and Spider-man 2.
How did you become interested in animation?
Ever since I was a kid. It’s what I always wanted to do. There really wasn’t any other Continue reading

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Kyle McQueen

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Kyle McQueen and I am the studio Art Director at East Side Games in Vancouver, B.C.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I went through a placement agency once and ended up getting a job taping boxes shut it a powder painting factory. The parts would be passed through the assembly line and then placed into a box. Once the box was full, I taped it shut and put it on a skid. It took roughly 2-3 minutes to fill a box. Nobody spoke for 8 whole hours. The factory was located across from a mental institution, which is an unsettling thing to have to walk past when your shift ends at 2 am. I quit after one shift.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I think my favorite project would have to be the “Block Party for Blockheads” animated PSA I did for Nexon America. I had a really great Creative Director who trusted me and gave me complete creative freedom and support and just let me get on with it. Such a rare opportunity in this industry, but the most rewarding as well.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve always known that it’s what I wanted to do. I grew up on The Muppet Show, Transformers, Spiderman comics and was always drawing. When I was small I thought of animation as this Continue reading