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Kidscreen Awards shortlist release

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 kidscreenawards 2016

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR ALL CATEGORIES!

Winners to be revealed at a gala event on February 9 during Kidscreen Summit 2016 in Miami

Toronto, November 24, 2015: Kidscreen, host of the global kids television industry’s leading awards for excellence, is delighted to announce the shortlisted entries that will be continuing in the competition through a final round of judging.

The nominees in the Programming Categories are:

PRESCHOOL

Best New Series

Hey Duggee (Studio AKA)

PJ Masks (Frog Box, Entertainment One UK, France Television, Disney Junior, CNC, Rhôdes-Alpes Region, Procirep, Angoa)

Puffin Rock (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Children’s Books)

Best Animated Series

Clangers (Coolabi/Sprout/CBeebies/Factory)

Peg + Cat (The Fred Rogers Company, 9 Story Entertainment)

Puffin Rock (Cartoon Saloon, Dog Ears, Penguin Children’s Books)

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

Dino Dan: Trek’s Adventures (Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Hi Opie! (marblemedia in association with TVO and The Jim Henson Company)
Sesame Street (Sesame Workshop)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots (Entertainment One, Astley Baker Davies)

Ruby’s Studio: The Siblings Show (The Mother Company)

Sesame Street: The Cookie Thief (Sesame Workshop)

KIDS

Best New Series

The Adventures of Puss in Boots (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)

All Hail King Julien (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)

We Bare Bears (Cartoon Network Studios)

Best Animated Series

All Hail King Julien (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)

The New Adventures of Figaro Pho (Chocolate Liberation Front, Luma Toons)

Steven Universe (Cartoon Network Studios)

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

Hank Zipzer (Kindle Entertainment, DHX Media, Walker Productions, Screen Yorkshire)

Horrible Histories (Lion Television)
Odd Squad (The Fred Rogers Company, Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Monster Beach (Bogan Entertainment Solutions)

Monster High: Freaky Fusion (Mattel Playground Productions)

Ten Pieces (Somethin’ Else, BBC Music)

TWEENS/TEENS

Best New Series

Dragons: Race to the Edge (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)

Hetty Feather (CBBC In-House Productions)

Wild But True (Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, Beyond Screen Productions)

Best Animated Series

Dragons: Race to the Edge (DreamWorks Animation Television, Netflix)

Bob’s Burgers (Bento Box Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television)

Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series

4 O’Clock Club Series 4 (CBBC In-House Productions)

Nowhere Boys Series 2 (Matchbox Pictures)
Trio: Cybergold (Nordicstories, Fabelaktiv)

Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie

Lost Treasure Hunt (Argosy Film Group)

Pirate’s Passage (Mahon Pictures)

These shortlisted entries will be reviewed and assessed by a fresh panel of judges, including the following execs: Andy Yeatman (Netflix), Emily Hart (Disney Junior), Tara Sorensen (Amazon Studios), Jamie Piekarz (Corus Kids), Jennifer Dodge (Nickelodeon), Alison Stewart (BBC Children’s), Andrew Thomas (Hulu) and Deirdre Brennan (ABC Australia).
The nominees in the Broadcasting Categories are:

Channel of the Year

Cartoon Network (US)

Gulli

PBS KIDS

Best Channel Design
Boomerang
PBS KIDS

Best Programming Block
Sunny Side Up (Sprout)

Gulli Good (Gulli)

Best Channel Website
Channel One News (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

PBS KIDS

Tiny Pop (CSC Media Group, part of Sony Pictures Television)
Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team
Louis-Philippe Deslauriers, Alexandra Janvier and Josée Leblanc (Groupe Média TFO)

Channel One News—Azia Celestino, Tom Hanson, Arielle Hixson Keith Kocinski, Demetrius Pipkin and Maggie Rulli (Houghton Miffin Harcourt)

 

Kidscreen‘s readers will now be invited to review these shortlisted entries, and vote for their favorite in each category. Their votes will determine the final winners

The nominees in the Digital Categories are:

PRESCHOOL

Best eBook
Disney Story Central (Disney Publishing Worldwide)

Little Emily (Ever After Tales)

My Little Pony: Twilight’s Kingdom Storybook Deluxe (PlayDate Digital)

Best Game App—Smartphone

Monkey See Monkey Dance (Smartoonz Entertainment)

Sesame Street Video Maker (Sesame Workshop, IDEO Toy Lab)

Best Game App—Tablet

My Very Hungry Caterpillar (StoryToys)

Peppa Pig: Golden Boots (Entertainment One and Kids Industries)

Sesame Street Art Maker (Sesame Workshop)

Best Learning App—Smartphone

Blaze and the Monster Machines (Nickelodeon Digital/CHEWY)

Sesame Street—Let’s Get Ready! (Sesame Workshop)

Sunny’s Hootenanny (Loudcrow Interactive/Twofold Films)

Best Learning App—Tablet

Elmo’s Animals: A Sesame Street S’More App (Sesame Workshop)

Mickey’s Magical Math World by Disney Imagicademy (Disney Publishing Worldwide)

Tiggly Tales (Tiggly)

Best Streaming Video Platform

Hopster (Hopster)

Nick Jr. (Nickelodeon Digital)

PlayKids (Movile)

Best Web/App Series 

The Adventures of Annie & Ben (HooplaKidz)

Fanny Foozle (Aether Entertainment, Cosmic Toast Studios)

Lalaloopsy Kitchen (MGA Entertainment)

Best Website 

ABCmouse.com Early Learning Academy (Age of Learning)

Nickjr.com (Nickelodeon Digital)

Peep and the Big Wide World/El Mundo Divertido de Peep (WGBH Educational Foundation)

KIDS

Best Game App—Smartphone

Adventure Time: Magic Man’s Head Games (Cartoon Network Digital)

Crayola Color Alive! (DAQRI)

Mix+Smash: Marvel Super Hero Mashers (Disney Publishing Worldwide)

Best Game App—Tablet

Adventure Time Game Wizard (Cartoon Network Digital)

Toca Life: City (Toca Boca)

Weirdwood Manor (All Play, No Work)

Best Learning App—Smartphone

The Centsables Dash for Cash (DNA Creative)

Plum’s Creaturizer (WGBH)

Safari Tales (Kuato Studios)

Best Learning App—Tablet

The Foos Coding 5+ (codeSpark)

Weirdwood Manor (All Play, No Work)

Zoombinis (TERC and FableVision Studios)

Best Streaming Video Platform

Cartoon Network app (Cartoon Network Digital)

Nick.com (Nickelodeon Digital)

Toon Goggles (Toon Goggles)

Best Web/App Series

Life Hacks for Kids (DreamWorksTV)

Talking Tom and Friends: The Animated Series (Outfit7 Limited, arx anima Animation Studio)

Wonder Quest (Maker Studios)

Best Website

Design Squad (WGBH Educational Foundation)

The Next Step: Make a Scene (Secret Location/DHX Media/Temple Street Productions/Bell Fund)

Nick.com (Nickelodeon Digital)

These shortlisted entries will now be reviewed and assessed by panels of professional judges, including the following execs: Rachel Bardel (CBeebies Interactive), Sara Berliner (Night & Day Studios), Noemie Dupuy (Budge Studios), Matthew Evans (Nickelodeon), Robin Raskin (Living in Digital Times), Josephine Tsay (GlassLab Games), Amy Kraft (Monkey Bar Collective) and Anne Richards (Cracking Wise Interactive).     

All Kidscreen Awards winners will be announced and celebrated at a special presentation event and after-party during Kidscreen Summit, on the evening of Tuesday, February 9. Kidscreen Summit delegates are invited to attend as part of their event registration, and tickets for just the Kidscreen Awards evening can be purchased for US$150 by contacting Kidscreen Events Sales Manager Joel Pinto (416-408-2300 x650 or jpinto@brunico.com).

Additional details about the Kidscreen Awards, including categories, eligibility, judging and entry process, can be found at awards.kidscreen.com.

For further information, please contact:

Janet Balmforth at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 20 8868 0511  EMail: janet@ddablueprint.com

Notes to editors:

Kidscreen Summit 2016, which takes place from February 8 to 11 at the InterContinental Miami, offers an unparalleled opportunity to keep abreast of important issues and trends in the fast-moving international kids entertainment industry, generate business and revenue opportunities, and network with leading decision-makers.

Last year, Kidscreen Summit welcomed more than 1,700 attendees, representing 1,000+ companies from 54 countries around the world. And more than 450 buyers and investors were at the event looking for new content and partners. More information about Kidscreen Summit 2016 is available at summit.kidscreen.com.

 

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Where to Work: Top 100 Studios for Animation Professionals

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Animation Career Review has a list of the Top 100 Studios for Animation Professionals. Below is A-B. Click the link for a full list!

343 Industries

This is the studio that took over Bungie’s Halo series back in 2009 and released Halo 4 in 2012.  In October this year we’ll finally get to play Halo 5: Guardians and see what’s in store for the future of Master Chief. No matter where the series is headed, I’m sure 343 will consider hiring plenty more game artists in the coming years to create make Halo 6. Next year we’ll get Halo Wars 2 to help us wait.

A-1 Pictures

This is simply one of the hardest working animation studios in the anime industry today. In 2014 and 2015 combined they have released a new season for twenty four different anime series including the highly anticipated Sword Art Online II and Persona 4 The Golden: Animation. Sure, they often collaborate with other animation studios to complete so many shows, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a 2D animation studio deliver such an intense schedule of releases in such a short amount of time.

Aardman Animations

If you fell in love with the stop motion clay animation in Chicken Run or the Wallace and Gromit films, then this is a studio name you probably know well already. In 2006, they entered the computer animation industry with the film Flushed Away, and since then they’ve worked on the films Arthur Christmas (2011), The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012), Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015) and they’re currently at work on Early Man (2018) and Shaun the Sheep 2 (TBA).

Animal Logic

My prediction from last year for this Australian studio hasn’t come true yet, but I’m still holding out hope! Illumination Entertainment hired Mac Guff to create most of the film Despicable Me for them, and then used the massive profits to buy the studio outright. Warner Bros. Animation went through a similar symbiotic relationship with Animal Logic, which animated all of The Lego Movie for them, so I still wonder if an acquisition is on the horizon. Either way, Animal Logic just opened a new office in Vancouver a few days ago, so they’re doing just fine! Both offices are hiring, so check them out!

Anzovin Studio

This animation company is located in Massachusetts and offers services in storyboarding, animation, graphic design, game art, software development, Maya plugins, character designs, character rigging, and can work in Maya, Mudbox, 3DS Max, ZBrush, VRay, Substance Designer, and all the Adobe CC products. Their rigging tools look superb, and it’s no surprise they’ve worked with famous clients like Bungie, A&E, PBS Kids, Microsoft, Syfy, DreamWorks Animation SKG, and Sea World. If you want to work on lots of different projects over a year instead of a huge neverending project over many years, then this could be the perfect studio for you.

Bardel Entertainment

The name “Bardel” comes from the names of its married founders, Barry Ward and Delna Bhesania, and they formed this Vancouver animation studio in 1987. Together they’ve handled plenty of large projects in the past, but what’s really gaining them global recognition is The Prophet and their hilarious art in the new television show, Rick and Morty. One of their other ongoing projects is doing all the animations for VeggieTales and VeggieTales in the House.

Bento Box Entertainment

This California studio is one of the younger ones on the list, but already has several hit series under its belt. Founded in 2009, they’ve already helped worked on Neighbors from Hell, Bob’s Burger’s, Allen Gregory, Brickleberry, Out There, Murder Police, and Bordertown. Add in the Web series The Awesomes and Gloves and Boots, as well as the films Achmed Saves America and Madea’s Tough Love, and you’ve got one of today’s most promising young studios.

Bethesda Game Studios

If you’re a gamer, then all I have to say is the Fallout series and The Elder Scrolls series. Enough said? Enough said. Not a gamer? Then this is a studio name to remember; even when it’s been years since they’ve released a game for either series, I still listed them as one of the most influential video game studios in the world. When Skyrim came out in 2011, the Internet was a quiet wasteland for a few days as everyone unplugged to play the expansive game. Forums went dry, comments sections were barren, and no one got insulted on YouTube for a whole sixty seconds once. Then, a few days later, the Internet damn near broke when everyone came back all at once and discussed the game everywhere and anywhere on every dot com imaginable, which made for one of the most memorable months the net has ever experienced. This November, Fallout 4 will finally be released! Prepare yourselves!

BioWare

One of the oldest game studios on this list, BioWare was founded back in 1995 and has been relevant ever since then. Its famously memorable storylines rely heavily on award winning writing, making it a highly competitive studio to get employed at. Lately they’ve been releasing several games for the series Dragon Age and Star Wars: The Old Republic, and are now looking to launch another Mass Effect title. They’ve got a lot of exciting things in motion, but they also have a lot of job applications, so bring your best and see if you can get an interview.

Blizzard Entertainment

In one word, legendary. Blizzard was legendary long before they became an Activision subsidiary. Sometimes Blizzard gamers can be notorious for only playing Blizzard games, but even when that’s not the case, the loyalty is still strong. When Blizzard releases a game, almost everyone plays it, regardless of their demographics. For decades they have released the most breathtaking 3D animated cinematics the world has ever seen, even when compared to the best films the box office has to offer those years. They only hire the best, but the projects they tackle are so huge that they hire a lot of employees, so if you want to be one of the thousands of names listed in their next credits list, then apply and see what happens!

CONT’D…

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Andy Clark

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What is your name and current occupation?
My name is Andy Clark and I currently work at Nickelodeon Animation Studio as a Background Painter on the cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I guess I would have to say serving in the Marines. There’s nothing quite like blowing stuff up and having people take pot shots at you.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I have had some really interesting jobs working in editorial illustration and development but the highlight has be my current job on SpongeBob.

How did you become interested in animation?
Hours and hours of Johnny Quest, Hong Honk Phooey and Scobby Do.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I am originally from Phoenix and I settled in Los Angeles after I finished my commitment in the Marines. I actually never planned to work in the entertainment industry I just kind of land here. My intention throughout art school was just to focus on being a proficient draftsman and painter. Somewhere around my last year of art school I realized I was up to my neck in debt and needed a job to support my family. All my classmates were getting hired by Continue reading

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48 Hours of Joseph Campbell Lectures Free Online: The Power of Myth & Storytelling

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JosephCampbell_JonathanYoung

If you’ve ever dabbled in writing stories and done even a tiny bit of research the name Joseph Campbell is bound to pop up early in your search. Best known for his work in comparative mythology and comparative religion Mr. Campbell is ubiquitous with modern storytelling and writing and his work covers many aspects of the human experience including even the most recent Star Wars movie coming out soon.

“From the Star Wars trilogy to the Grateful Dead,” says the Joseph Campbell Foundation, “Joseph Campbell has had a profound impact on our culture, our beliefs, and the way we view ourselves and the world.” This collection, The Lectures of Joseph Campbell, which comes from early in his career, offers “a glimpse into one of the great minds of our time, drawing together his most wide-ranging and insightful talks” in the role of both “a scholar and a master storyteller.” So not only can Campbell enrich our understanding of all the stories we love, he can spin his lifetime of mythological research into teachings that, in the telling, weave into a pretty gripping yarn in and of themselves.

Well now you can listen to a large collection of almost 48 hours of lectures via a playlist on Spotify that Mr. Campbell did over the years which covers a large part of his teachings thanks to Open Culture.

Enjoy!

http://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/61Ox0LYO2W8cWnXGabMDz5

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Jeffrey Scott

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsGHRq2ZjFs

What is your name and your current occupation? 
Jeffrey Scott.  Screenwriter.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I was a portrait photographer in high school.  I got one job.  The guy hated the pics so much he refused to pay me.  Not at all crazy, but I also inked comic books for Disney, Warners, Hanna-Barbera and Lantz characters.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
Number one by far would be my work on Jim Henson’s Muppet Babies, for which I won three Emmys and the Humanitas Prize.  Working with Jim was a true pleasure.  I later wrote a live-action screenplay for him, but sadly he passed before we could make the film.
How did you become interested in animation? 
First by watching cartoons as a kid.  I loved the old Max Fleisher Superman cartoons.  Then my father invented an animation process so I got know animation from a deeper perspective.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 
I was born in Hollywood into a show biz family.  My grandfather was Moe Howard of The Three Stooges.  Continue reading

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23 BRAND-NEW ASIAN PROJECTS TO BE UNVEILED AT THE 2015 ASIAN ANIMATION SUMMIT NEXT MONTH

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23 BRAND-NEW ASIAN PROJECTS TO BE UNVEILED AT THE 2015 ASIAN ANIMATION SUMMIT NEXT MONTH

Best-in-class concepts from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, India and China will be pitched live to buyers

TORONTO, CANADA –November 19, 2015: Kidscreen is thrilled to announce the 23 animation concepts that have been selected for the 2015 Asian Animation Summit showcase. Representing the very best kids animated TV development work across Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Singapore, India and China, these projects will be presented live at the event to an audience of broadcasters, co-producers, distributors and investors from Asia and the international marketplace.

Animon Race                                                     Lunchbox Studio (Thailand)
Bloody Bunny                                                    2Spot Communications (Thailand)
Buck and Buddy                                                Lil Critter Workshop (Malaysia)
Cliol The Story Teller                                     ATAPY (Thailand)
Ditto with Dinosaur Friends                        Mansi_Beijing Audio Visual Creative Company (China)
Fridgies                                                                                Giggle Garage (Malaysia)
FrienZoo                                                              Grafizix (Korea)
GOGO DINO                                                       Studio Moggozi (Korea)
J For Adventure                                                               August Media/Transmedia For Change (Singapore/Australia)
Katuri                                                                   FunnyFlux Entertainment (Korea)
Maya & the Marinauts                                  The R&D Studio (Malaysia)
Modoo Modoo Show                                     PNI System (Malaysia)
Mondo Yan                                                        Toonz Animation (India)
Naughty Nuts                                                    MOSTAPES (Korea)
Rocky Dollies                                                     Rocky Dolly Studio (Thailand)
Shasha & Noah go to SuSu Land                YG Films (Malaysia)
Space Drone                                                      Pictionary Art Factory (Korea)
Spongo & Fuzz                                                 Cheeky Little Media (Australia)
Takraw Super Kick                                           Moon House Studio (Thailand)
The Time-Travel Adventures                      YoBoHo (India)
of Annie & Ben
Tobix                                                                     BIG PUMPKIN (Korea)
Tony Jetskate                                                    Blindspot Studios (Malaysia)
Toteboom                                                          Playtune (Malaysia)
Hosted by KOCCA (Korea), the 2015 Asian Animation Summit is owned and produced by Kidscreen, in concert with presenting partners SIPA and DITP (Thailand), MDeC and MCMC (Malaysia) and supporting partner Screen Australia, with a mandate to facilitate international financing and co-production connections for projects from the Asian region.

This year’s event is set to take place in Jeju, South Korea from December 7 to 9—optimal timing for those who are also attending Asia Television Forum in Singapore the previous week (December 2 to 4).

Over the course of the three-day event, each project will be presented in a moderated live pitch and Q&A format, with plenty of time for follow-up meetings and casual networking built into the schedule.

There will also be an informative conference session at the start of each day, touching on topics that are highly relevant to Asian animation producers. They are as follows:

The Rules of Engagement

Asian app maker Dr Panda’s kids games have racked up more than 40 million downloads to date. In this session, we’ll dig into the DNA of these games to find out what makes them such a popular entertainment choice with kids and parents alike.
FEATURING:
Bosma Thijs, CEO, Dr Panda 

Shifting Your Pitch

Pinpoint the unique content requirements global buyers like Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Netflix are looking for, and then find out how to customize your project pitch to tick each one’s boxes.

FEATURING:

Frank Falcone, President & Creative Director, Guru Studio

 

Superwings Case Study: An East meets West success story

Exploring the perspectives of creator and US broadcaster on why Superwings works for an international audience.

FEATURING:
Andrew Beecham, SVP of Programming, Sprout

Jung Jin Hong, Producer, FunnyFlux Entertainment

 

Project images are available upon request.

For further details, please contact:
Janet Balmforth/Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 208 868 0511 Email: janet@ddablueprint.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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