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News: Cartoon Network Enlists One Million People to Share “I Speak Up” Online Videos for Fifth Annual Stop Bullying: Speak Up Initiative

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SPEAK UP WEEK Logo

For Release: September 4, 2014

Cartoon Network Enlists One Million People to Share “I Speak Up” Online Videos to Kick off its Fifth Annual Stop Bullying: Speak Up Initiative

SPEAK UP WEEK (Sept. 29-Oct. 3) Multi-Platform Campaign to Include Celebrity Messages, New Shorts and PSAs as Lead-in to National Bullying Prevention Month

Dad & Daughter Speak Up for Bullying Prevention
Lauded Initiative Provides Bystanders with Tools Needed to Stop Bullying By Encouraging All to “Speak Up” Via Social Media Using the Hashtag #ISpeakUp

As bullying continues to affect millions of kids nationwide, Cartoon Network is kicking off its annual Stop Bullying: Speak Up campaign with a video call-to-action encouraging people to speak up on behalf of kids who need help. With a goal of attaining the combined voice of one million user-generated videos, the network is giving people the opportunity to say to the world, “I Speak Up.” By proclaiming those three words into a mobile device and sharing the video at www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com as well as their own social media platforms using the hashtag #ISpeakUp, participants are vowing to say something if they witness bullying.

The initiative, which first launched in 2010, will culminate during CARTOON NETWORK’S SPEAK UP WEEK September 29 through October 3, as a kick-off to National Bullying Prevention Month in October. The goal for this year is simple: To collect one million user-generated videos that unite the voices of kids, parents, educators, celebrities and government officials, each committing to speak up—either themselves or to a trusted adult—when someone is bullied.

Select videos from participants will become part of new campaign spots to appear on Cartoon Network, its digital platforms and Boomerang throughout October. Cartoon Network’s partnering organizations—including Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), 4-H Clubs, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention—also will be reaching out to their targeted audiences and communities to help reach the one million videos goal. Through these combined efforts toward a united cause, Stop Bullying: Speak Up underscores that speaking up is one of the most effective ways to help bring a bullying situation to an end.

“We’re so proud of the youth who inspired this campaign by their courage and kindness. Our goal is to give young people, and the adults who care for them, the confidence and competence to speak up safely and effectively when bullying happens,” said Alice Cahn, Cartoon Network vice president of social responsibility. “Working with expert partners nationwide, Cartoon Network provides practical bullying prevention advice kids can put into action. This new phase of our campaign is meant to empower anyone who wants to take an active role in seeing bullying come to an end. We embrace and thank the one million people out there willing to publicly take a stand; coming together, we can all make a difference for our nation’s children.”

During CARTOON NETWORK’S SPEAK UP WEEK, in addition to the videos, Cartoon Network will air shorts, bumps and PSAs with anti-bullying themes featuring the overlying message that “speaking up” should become the action when bullying occurs. Each message will remind viewers to visit StopBullyingSpeakUp.com to learn how they can participate in the one million video challenge. Additional spots will feature animated characters from Cartoon Network’s original series interacting with kids and families who have shared their “I Speak Up” message at StopBullyingSpeakUp.com. Furthermore, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Turner Broadcasting sister networks TBS, TNT, CNN, HLN, NBA TV and TruTV will air special bumps showcasing recorded messages from Turner celebrities encouraging even more viewer participation. Finally, an official “I Speak Up” tally will appear onscreen each day noting how many people have officially “spoken up” by submitting videos and/or pledges during within the campaign.

For anyone interested in sharing their own “I Speak Up” video, easy instructions are readily available at www.StopBullyingSpeakUp.com, along with recommendations for optimum video results. All participants will be asked to sign a digital release form to clear use of the video for all on-air, online and/or social media opportunities. Users under the age of 18 will be encouraged to ask a parent for permission and for help in submitting a video. Those that participate are also encouraged to use the hashtag #ISpeakUp to share videos via their own social media platforms to help spread the word and enlist friends to take part in the challenge.

 

About Stop Bullying: Speak Up
Cartoon Network’s Stop Bullying: Speak Up is an award-winning, multi-platform pro-social campaign, created with experts in the field to raise awareness, build partnerships and empower young people to speak up against bullying safely and effectively. Campaign resources include video, print and online content—including an award-winning documentary introduced by President Barack Obama—available at StopBullyingSpeakUp.com, available at no charge to schools, community groups and parents to motivate bullying prevention activities or discussions.

 

About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com) is regularly the #1 U.S. television network in prime among boys 6-11 & 9-14. Currently seen in 97 million U.S. homes and 194 countries around the world, Cartoon Network is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for kids and families. In addition to Emmy-winning original programming and industry-leading digital apps and online games, Cartoon Network embraces key social issues affecting families with solution-oriented initiatives such as Stop Bullying: Speak Up and the Move It Movement.Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

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Follow us @CartoonNetPR

CARTOON NETWORK CONTACTS:

Atlanta                  James Anderson                          (404) 885-4205                            james.anderson@turner.com

Joe Swaney                                   (404) 885-0657                            joe.swaney@turner.com

Los Angeles          Courtenay Palaski                       (310) 788-6903                            courtenay.palaski@turner.com

 

THE LIPPIN GROUP CONTACTS:

Los Angeles          Pam Golum                                  (323) 965-1990 x325                 pgolum@lippingroup.com

New York              Sara Levin                                    (212) 986-7080                            sara@lippingroup.com

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News: ASIAN ANIMATION SUMMIT 2014 TO TAKE PLACE IN HANOI

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 ASIAN ANIMATION SUMMIT 2014 TO TAKE PLACE IN HANOI, VIETNAM

ASSummit logo

Showcasing 24 animated projects from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand,
Australia and beyond that have never been to market before

Toronto, July 30, 2014: Kidscreen is thrilled to announce thatthe third-annual Asian Animation Summit will take place this year in Hanoi, Vietnam from December 3 to 5. The event’s venue is the Sofitel Plaza, a five-star hotel located just a few minutes away from the inspiring capital city’s Old Quarter.

An initiative of KOCCA (Korea), MDeC (Malaysia), SIPA and DITP (Thailand), AAS 2015 is owned and produced by Kidscreen, and supported by Screen Australia. Its organizers are anticipating that 250 to 300 attendees will take part this year. The event is designed to attract producers of animation who are interested in co-producing projects with Asian partners, as well as Asian broadcasters, distributors and investors from Asia and beyond.

Over the course of the three-day event, 24 projects from Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia and elsewhere in Asia that are brand-new to the market and looking for financing and partners will be presented. Each day will begin with a highly informative panel discussion or presentation that explores new market trends, business models or creative techniques that are most relevant to Asian producers.

More information about the 2014 Asian Animation Summit can be found online at www.asiananimationsummit.com.

For further details, please contact:

Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 208 985 4708 Email: aimee@ddablueprint.com

 

Monique Levine at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 207 932 9825 Email: Monique@ddablueprint.com

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News: RAINMAKER ENTERTAINMENT’S TARA KEMES UPPED TO VP CULTURE & TALENT

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TaraRAINMAKER ENTERTAINMENT’S TARA KEMES UPPED

TO VP CULTURE & TALENT

Former Director of Talent Development

Spearheads Company’s Recruitment Efforts at SIGGRAPH

Vancouver, BC (July 30, 2014) Rainmaker Entertainment, the multifaceted Vancouver-based animation studio, has promoted its Director of Talent Development, Tara Kemes, to the newly created position of Vice President Culture and Talent.  Kemes, who first joined Rainmaker in 2009, will spearhead the company’s recruiting efforts while also continuing to develop the unique culture that distinguishes Rainmaker from other animation production studios as it continues to expand its creative and technical teams. Kemes reports to Rainmaker Entertainment SVP, Production and Operations, Kim Dent Wilder, who announced Kemes’ promotion today.
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News: Kidscreen Awards 2015 official call for entry

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Kidscreen Awards 2015

Kidscreen Awards 2015 official call for entry 

NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES!

Programming Categories deadline: September 19
Broadcasting Categories deadline: October 31

July 18, 2014: Heading into its sixth year of singling out and celebrating the year’s best kids programming and broadcasting work, Kidscreen Awards 2015 is now accepting entries.

Early-Bird Entry Fees are in effect again this year to reward companies that complete their entries well before deadline.

New this year, we have added a Programming Category for Best New Animation to call special attention to outstanding kids shows that have launched in the last year. And we have also retired Best Companion Website due to overlap with a similar category in our iKids Awards set.

So in our 2015 Programming Category lineup, television shows targeting Preschoolers (0 to 5), Kids (6 to 10) and Tweens/Teens (11 to 17) can be put in the running to win these prizes:

  • Best New Series
  • Best Animated Series
  • Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
  • Best One-off, Special or TV Movie

Early-Bird Entry Fee (until August 15): US$300
After August 15: US$400

Winners will again be chosen by juries of highly respected entertainment professionals, who will also single out programs that merit special Creative Talent Awards for Animation, Directing, Voice Talent, Writing, Music, Design and Acting.

 

And in our Broadcasting Categories, dedicated kids channels and strands from around the world can compete for the following Kidscreen Awards:

  • Channel of the Year

Early-Bird Entry Fee (until September 19): US$500
After September 19: US$700

  • Best Channel Design
  • Best Channel Website
  • Best Interstitial Campaign
  • Best Integrated Promotion
  • Best On-Air Host or Hosting Team

Early-Bird Entry Fee (until September 19): US$250
After September 19: US$350

Entries in these streams will be shortlisted by Kidscreen’s esteemed editorial team, and the final winners determined by an industry vote open to the magazine’s 10,000-plus readers.

Winners in all categories will be announced at an evening presentation event as part of next year’s Kidscreen Summit, which is set to take place in Miami from February 23 to 26. All Kidscreen Summit delegates will be invited to attend the ceremony and cocktail party as part of their event experience, after registering online at summit.kidscreen.com. And other guests can sign up to attend just the Kidscreen Awards event for $150, beginning in January.

Detailed information on eligibility, judging and entering can be found at awards.kidscreen.com. The deadline for entries in the Programming Categories is September 19, and the Broadcasting Categories entry window closes a little later on October 31.

For further details, please contact:

Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 208 985 4708 Email: aimee@ddablueprint.com

 

Or Monique Levine at DDA Blueprint PR

Tel: +44 (0) 207 932 9825 email:monique@ddablueprint.com

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News: TOM AND JERRY: THE LOST DRAGON release date

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Tom and Jerry_The Los Dragon_Box Art_2D

TOM AND JERRY: THE LOST DRAGON

AN ALL-NEW ANIMATED FILM

FROM WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT

AVAILABLE ON DVD AND DIGITAL HD

SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

 

Release Includes 4 Bonus Tom and Jerry Episodes

 

BURBANK, CA (June 26, 2014) – Get set for fur-flying fun and delightfully zany cat and mouse high jinks withTom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon, the brand-new, full-length animated film, which is set for release September 2, 2014, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE). Join Tom and Jerry on a captivating adventure as the tussling twosome come upon an adorable baby dragon who is separated from his mother. Mama dragon is about to breathe fire unless she’s reunited with her precious baby! Will Tom and Jerry set aside their constant bickering to help reunite the family? Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon will be sold in standard DVD which retails for $19.98 SRP.  Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon will also be available on Digital HD day and date with the DVD on September 2, 2014.

 

Everyone’s favorite cat and mouse duo is back with song, sorcery and slapstick in this enchanted tale. The adventure begins when Tom and Jerry happen upon a mysterious glowing egg. Little do they know, this egg was stolen from a very large, fire-breathing dragon! In short time, baby Puffy hatches from his egg and takes Tom as his mommy.  The angry dragon mom wants her baby back, but she’s not the only one…a powerful witch named Drizelda captures the baby dragon for her own wicked plans! With the help of powerful allies and animal friends, Tom and Jerry must fight tooth and claw to stop the witch and get the baby dragon back to its mother. The action takes flight in a climactic ending filled with might, magic and cartoon mayhem of course! Can Tom and Jerry help this tale end happily ever after? Find out with this rip-roaring escapade for the whole family!

 

Bonus Episodes:

 

  • Medieval Mouse
  • Fire Breathing Tom Cat
  • Medieval Menace
  • The Itch

 

Originally created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, Tom and Jerry emerged during Hollywood’s golden age of animation and became one of the most popular cartoon series in existence. The shorts focus on the never-ending rivalry between Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse. The plots of each short usually center on Tom’s attempts to capture Jerry. Jerry however, is clever and quick on his feet so Tom hardly ever manages to catch him.

 

“This film will delight viewers with legendary Tom and Jerry antics presented in an entertaining new story that’s perfect for the entire family to enjoy together,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, Vice President Family & Animation Marketing. She added, “Tom and Jerry: The Lost Dragon is a whimsical story about magic and classic dragon lore that is filled with music, humor, endearing characters and, gorgeous animation. If you love Tom and Jerry or just want to enjoy a great family film, this title is a must have for your home entertainment library.”

 

The Credits

 

About Warner Bros. Animation

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, producing and developing both CG and traditionally animated projects for multiple platforms, both domestically and internationally. For TV, WBA produces series such as Teen Titans Go!, The Tom and Jerry Show and the upcoming Be Cool Scooby-Doo! and Wabbit – A Looney Tunes Production for Cartoon Network; original animated DC Nation shorts for Cartoon Network; and Beware the Batman and the forthcoming Mike Tyson Mysteries series for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. As the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries, WBA also produces highly successful animated films — including the DC Universe Animated Original Movies — for DVD. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has won six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).

 

About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment’s home video, digital distribution and interactive entertainment businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Discâ„¢ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com and WB Ultra.

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News: Disney Greenlights ‘Pickle & Peanut’ Toon Series Starring Jon Heder

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Deadline.com is reporting that Disney has picked up Noah Z. Jones’ “Pickle and Peanut” show for their 2015 season. Joel Trussell is set to Executive Produce.

Incidentally, we interviewed  Joel Trussell last year and I’m a big fan of his work.

You may remember he directed the Nick short Stick and Carrot…

…as well as one of my favorite shorts War Photographer.

Looking forward to this series!

From the site:

Disney Television Animation has launched production on a new series about a pair of unlikely buddies: an emotional pickle and a freewheeling peanut. Jon Heder and Johnny Pemberton provide the respective voices for Pickle & Peanut, which is slated for a fall 2015 premiere on Disney-branded channel and platforms around the world. Created by Noah Z. Jones (Fish Hooks), the series mixes 2D animation and live-action in telling the story of small-town underdogs trying to be anything but ordinary. Joel Trussell (Yo Gabba Gabba!) developed Pickle & Peanut and serves as executive producer with Jones. Mark Rivers is the story editor. “We see very few pitches that are as funny and original as Pickle & Peanut,” said Eric Coleman, SVP Original Series at Disney TV Animation. “We instantly fell in love with these characters, and Noah and Joel have built a world with a visual style and sensibility unlike anything on TV.” The toon unit also said today that it has ordered a third season of its Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts and Season 2 of Craig McCracken’s comedy Wander Over Yonder.