Category Archives: News

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Director and Flash animator Nicolas Fong animates Belgian band BRNS latest single, ‘Many Chances’,

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image001https://soundcloud.com/brnsmusic

https://www.facebook.com/BRNSmusic

http://www.brns.be/

*PRESS RELEASE*

“Many Chances” channels alt-J at their most menacing, and Wild Beasts at their poppiest. It’s a beguiling blend of textures and harmonies from BRNS.’ – The Line of Best Fit

Belgium-based band BRNS are proud to announce the U.K. release of their latest single, ‘Many Chances’, taken from their new sophomore album, ‘Patine’.

Having played over 200 shows in less than two years, BRNS have proven themselves as one of the most progressive and truly independent bands of this time. Playing across Europe with acts like Yeasayer, WHY?, Cloud Nothings andSUUNS, as well as performing at major European festivals such as Dour, Rock En Seine and Appletree Garden, the talented quartet have energized crowds everywhere with their sincere and exhilarating performances. NME cited them as one of the most exciting new bands of 2013, and their latest full length, ‘Patine’, promises to only confirm their hard work and dedication to expanding pop music. 　

Hailing from Brussels, BRNS members Tim “Clijsters” Philippe, Antoine Meersseman, Diego Leyder and César Laloux gain inspiration from various thriving music scenes scoping from the US to Europe. A four-piece of multi-instrumentalists who weave tunes that are all at once mystical, moody and infectious, their visceral sound will appeal to lovers of Animal Collective and Fugazi.

In addition to crafting a delicious cocktail of lulling vocals, instrumental layering, synths and percussion, BRNS’ accompanying music video for ‘Many Chances’ provokes thought and creative inspiration through its impressive animated visuals. As director Nicolas Fong describes, “The video attempts to echo that casualness, the constant internal struggle and vanity of a personal quest. It’s about fighting your inner dark demons.”

 Having just completed their five-day U.K. tour, BRNS look set to continue to impress with their unwavering ability to move from haunting ambience into chest-pounding beats and then back again.

 

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NETFLIX EXPANDS ITS PORTFOLIO OF ORIGINAL AND EXCLUSIVE TV SERIES WITH FIVE NEW SHOWS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES

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NETFLIX EXPANDS ITS PORTFOLIO OF ORIGINAL AND EXCLUSIVE TV SERIES WITH FIVE NEW SHOWS FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES
Beginning in 2015, Netflix Will Premiere Danger Mouse, Inspector Gadget, Some Assembly Required, Bottersnikes & Gumbles and SUPER 4
Feb 25, 2015
Beverly Hills, Calif., February 25, 2015 – A secret agent mouse, a cyborg detective, crazy outback animals, and a group of kids who run a toy company, are just a few of the adventurous and funny characters joining the world’s leading Internet TV network beginning this year. Working with award-winning global partners, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is adding five new animated and live-action comedy series to its already broad selection of high-quality kids and family entertainment.

“We’ve seen great characters and rich storytelling work for a global audience time and time again,” said Erik Barmack, Vice President of Global Independent Content. “That’s why we’re proud to be working with some of the industry’s best producers and animators on these shows and we can’t wait for kids and families all over the world to get to know these stories.”

Left Penfold Right Danger Mouse ©2014 FremantleMedia Limited

Danger Mouse – Spring 2016
The world’s greatest superspy, Danger Mouse, returns in dashing, globe-spanning style with a new animated series that features all the classic characters, catchphrases and comedy that made it an 80’s cult favorite. With the world once more teetering on the edge of disaster, the small but heroic secret agent is back to thrill a whole new generation of fans as he attempts to overthrow a host of villainous rivals with the help of hapless hamster Penfold and a collection of state-of-the-art gadgetry and vehicles. Originally a loose parody of British spy fiction, this new Danger Mouse series will feature British actor and comedian, Stephen Fry, as Colonel K. Netflix will premiere the show in North America, Latin America, Nordics, Benelux and Japan with all other Netflix territories launching at a later date.

Inspector Gadget

Inspector Gadget – March 2015
Everyone’s favorite bumbling bionic detective, Inspector Gadget, is back in an all new CGI animated series. Dr. Claw has reactivated his global crime syndicate MAD and Inspector Gadget must stop him! Backed up by his niece, Penny, her dog Brain, and an arsenal of high-tech gadgetry, the lovable Gadget fights crime as only he can. The 26-episode series, produced by DHX Media (TSX: DHX.A, DHX.B), premieres exclusively in the U.S. on Netflix this March and will join the service at a later date in Latin America, the U.K., Ireland, Benelux, France and the Nordics – after the initial broadcast in each country.

Some Assembly Required

Some Assembly Required – Summer 2015
As the new owner of Knickknack Toys, fourteen-year old Jarvis Raines hires a group of friends from school to help him create awesome new toys. Following the teensÂ’ comedic day-to-day adventures, this live-action series created by Dan Signer (A.N.T. Farm, Mr. Young) and Howard Nemetz (Mr. Young, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) and produced by Thunderbird Films, stars Young Artist Awards nominee, Kolton Stewart, and 2015 Canadian Screen Awards nominee, Charlie Storwick. Netflix will premiere the series in all Netflix territories this year, except in Canada, where it is currently the #1 show on YTV.

Bottersnikes

Bottersnikes & Gumbles – Spring 2016

Bottersnikes & Gumbles is a fast-paced community comedy series that follows the adventures of three young Gumbles -Tink, Bounce and Willi – as they bounce about and play while avoiding getting tin-canned by their lazy and grumpy neighbors, the Bottersnikes. Developed and adapted from the much loved Bottersnikes & Gumbles books, this new CGI-animated series is created by Cheeky Little, Mighty Nice and CAKE and co-commissioned by Netflix, BBC and Channel 7 Australia. The first 13 episode season will debut exclusively on Netflix around the world in 2016, with the UK and Australia launching at a later date.

SUPER4

In addition, SUPER 4, a brand new CGI animated series inspired by PLAYMOBIL®, makes its U.S. premiere in April exclusively on Netflix. SUPER 4 follows four main characters—Alex the Knight, Ruby the Pirate, Agent Gene, and Twinkle the Fairy— as they explore the distinct islands of their planet, fight bad guys, and have fun along the way.

In 2011, Netflix launched a dedicated section for kids under 12 years old featuring TV shows and movies from great partners like PBS, Disney Channel, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Mattel, Hasbro, Lego and Scholastic, all in a commercial free environment. In 2012, Netflix and the Walt Disney Company signed an industry-first agreement making Netflix the Pay TV home of all live action and animated feature films released by Disney theatrically beginning in 2016. Additionally, all DreamWorks feature films are now available on Netflix in the Pay TV window. And DreamWorks is creating 300 hours of original kids shows exclusively for Netflix, including Turbo F.A.S.T., All Hail King Julien, Puss In Boots, Dragons and DinoTrux.

The dedicated section for kids is available across a broad range of devices including PCs and Macs, iPads, game consoles, streaming devices and smart TVs. Members are provided a kids profile upon sign up and can customize additional profiles for their kids. The kids experience features a character bar where you can find a deep selection of great TV shows and movies featuring that character. Kids, parents and caregivers will also be able to scan through row after row of movies and TV shows organized by easy-to-understand genres like superheroes, princesses, dinosaurs and girl power, featuring clear and simple descriptions of the plot of each title.

For more information visit pr.netflix.com.

About Netflix
Netflix is the World’s leading Internet television network with over 57 million members in nearly 50 countries enjoying more than two billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including original series, documentaries, and feature films. Members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause, and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments.

Contacts:
Jenny McCabe
pr@netflix.com
pr.netflix.com
408.540.2090

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25 years of Photoshop

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adobe-photoshop-icons-change-of-25-years

It all started from 1987 when the developer Thomas Knoll created a very simple pixel imaging program called Display.  It was displaying gray scale photos on a black and white monitor. His brother John Knoll was supervisor at ILM (Industrial Light and Magic). The other digital artists were impressed at the post production facility of George Lucas with Display and eventually it was used into James Cameron‘s The Abyss. Later on Knoll brothers renamed it to Photoshop.

first-photoshopped-image-Jennifer-in-Paradise

Above is the very first Photoshop image ever edited  which is a photo of John Knoll’s wife in Bora Bora. Kinda cool…

Adobe bought the software from Knoll brothers and Photoshop 1.0 released on Feb. 19, 1990 for the Macintosh. As a storm, it took the entire Media and Entertainment industry talking about it. Digital photo retouching was costing $300 by an hour and one time buying price of Photoshop 1.0 was only $1000.

Just by end of the decade, it sold over 3 Million copies and the rest is history.

I remember being introduced to Photoshop (and Premiere) back at Hanna Barbera around 1994 when it was at version 2.0 and the things I remember most is that it had one Undo and no layers so you really had to be diligent with your saving iterations to make sure you didn’t destroy hours of work. Still it was a fascinating program even then!

Watch John Knoll demonstrate the very first iteration of Photoshop below. We’ve come a long way, baby!

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DreamWorks Animation To Sell Glendale Studio As It Grapples With Liquidity

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Newest Innovations In Consumer Technology On Display At 2014 International CES

Sad news for the animation community here in L.A.

Deadline.com is reporting that DreamWorks Animation execs apparently failed to impress investors with their cautiously upbeat financial forecasts in a conference call after releasing a generally disappointing Q4 earnings report. The company stock price continued to fall in post-market trading as the call progressed, falling 9.1%.

Read the entire article here.

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New music video “Feel the Light” from DreamWorks’ upcoming film “Home”

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DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox are pleased to share a NEW lyric video for “Feel the Light” by Jennifer Lopez, for the upcoming animation HOME! Featuring Jennifer Lopez and members of HOME‘s star studded cast including Rihanna and Jim Parsons, the new video gives you a sneak peak at the heartwarming and inspirational journey, that hits theaters everywhere on March 27!  
Watch the brand NEW “Feel the Light” Lyric Video on Yahoo here: https://www.yahoo.com/movies/first-listen-j-los-heart-warming-hip-shaking-111965209857.html
HOME hits theaters everywhere on March 27, 2015!  
Please find additional information about the film below and feel free to share with your readers.
Thanks!
DeAnna
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HOME
Animation
Release: March 27, 2015, in 3D
Director: Tim Johnson
Screenplay:  based upon the novel The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
Producers: Chris Jenkins, Suzanne Buirgy
Cast: Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin, and Jennifer Lopez
SYNOPSIS
When Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet, lands on Earth and finds himself on the run from his own people, he forms an unlikely friendship with an adventurous girl named Tip who is on a quest of her own. Through a series of comic adventures with Tip, Oh comes to understand that being different and making mistakes is all part of being human. And while he changes her planet and she changes his world, they discover the true meaning of the word HOME.
HOME Official Assets
HOME Official Socials
 #DreamWorksHOME
DreamWorks Animation Official Socials
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News: Laika Auction

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There’s something magical about stop motion animation. All forms of animation and fascinating in their own ways but to me stop motion is something special. It’s a process whereby actual puppets magically spring to life on film through the grueling frame by frame work of animation wizards and among those magicians no one does it better than Laika.

Last night, Animation Insider was proud to have been invited to the Laika auction at Heritage Auctions in Beverly Hills where we saw a great many amazing pieces of art which ranged from storyboards, development art, and actual sets and props to maquettes and fully articulated painted puppets that were actually used in the films Coraline, ParaNorman, and the Boxtrolls. Laika uses a process whereby they sculpt models with 3d software and then print them out on 3d printers so they can swap out multiple faces for different expressions. A laborious task to say the least.

A Focus Features rep (the distribution company for the animation house) was on hand giving a bit of details on the process  and he told me that Laika used a new type of 3d printer for Boxtrolls and it’s pretty clear as you look closely at these newer puppets. It’s also very clear to see that they’ve learned a tremendous amount over the course of the three films because the level of detail on the Boxtrolls puppets is far greater than Coraline and ParaNorman and if you look closely you can see seams on the faces of the earlier film’s puppets but on the Boxtrolls ones, there were none at all that were visible. Still, all the puppets were beautiful in their own ways. The level of detail they put in their puppets and sets is astounding, and to think that the puppets are poseable is hard to believe. When you look closely you can see that the later models even have tiny eyelids that slide down over the eyeball, an engineering feat that baffles me. The cars all had working steering mechanisms and the headlights all turned on as well.

2015-02-10 15.10.22

My favorite by far was the Boxtroll villain Snatcher played by Ben Kingsley. This beautifully sculpted puppet stood about two and half feet tall and when you consider it’s size it’s even more amazing that it can stand. It was painted with such detail that you could see the wrinkles on his fingers, (all bendable mind you)  and even the shine on his nails. The auction runs until tomorrow so if you’re in the L.A. area it’s totally work visiting.

Heritage Auctions Beverly Hills
9478 West Olympic Avenue, Beverly Hills, CA