Electronic Arts to Lay Off 5% of its Workforce
Big layoffs at major game companies continue; with cuts explained as a move to ‘optimize our global real estate footprint to best support our business,’ the gaming behemoth will also sunset games and ‘move away from the development of future licensed IP’ that will be unsuccessful in the ‘changing industry;’ company drops Star Wars shooter development.
Orange Comet and Universal Team for ‘JAWS: Infested Waters’ Experience
Unfolding on Roblox, the group survival adventure transforms the classic 1970s film into an interactive experience, combining elements of strategy, teamwork, and action.
CBS VFX Transports ‘Super Bowl LVIII’ Fans Back to 1980s ‘NFL Today’ Studio
VFX reel highlights work that takes viewers back in time ‘digitally’ to the iconic 1980s with anchor Brent Musburger at his desk; VFX extends off-screen to ‘Paramount Expedition Vegas: Journey to the Peak’ a 4-minute gondola and cinematic experience up the Paramount Mountain.
Magic Media Acquires Interactive Creation
The North Macedonian studio specializes in 3D, Animation, and VFX, and has contributed to multiple notable video game project, such as ‘Fall Guys,’ ‘Weird West,’ and ‘Shadow Warrior.’
GKIDS Releasing ‘Chicken for Linda!’ in Select Theaters
Watch the trailer for the Annecy Crystal award-winning hand-painted animated feature from husband-wife team Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach that follows a mother trying to assuage her guilt for unjustly punishing her daughter with a mad dash about town looking for poulet; theatrical run kicks off in NYC on April 5.
Dell Announces New Line of AI Laptops and Commercial Workstations
New PCs designed to help organizations implement AI strategies and create a modern workplace that can embrace new AI-enabled workflows.
Netflix Sets ‘Ultraman: Rising’ Release Date
It’s coming! Shannon Tindle’s all-new iteration of Ultraman introduces baseball star Ken Sato, an average young man who can transform into a gigantic superhero, streaming globally this June.
Digital Art Collective Nouns Announces New Funding Round
2nd funding round opens March 1, awarding $20,000 grants for ‘Tall Short’ film ideas; ‘Short Shorts’ submissions close February 29.
The Folio Society Releases ‘DC: Batman’ in Collaboration with DC
In celebration of the 85th anniversary of the first comic book appearance of Batman, the new project, curated by former DC Comics President Jennette Kahn, presents a dozen of the greatest Batman comics of all time, including a replica copy of ‘Batman #1.’
‘Wings of Fire’ Animated Series Moves to Amazon
Adaptation of the popular children’s books by Tui T. Sutherland has found a new home at Amazon MGM Studios after being shelved at Netflix in 2022 amid company layoffs.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Lays Off 900 Employees
The division responsible for PlayStation devices and multiple game development studios has ‘concluded that tough decisions have become inevitable,’ says CEO Jim Ryan.
Titmouse Announces Annual ‘5 Second Night’ Screenings
Don’t miss this year’s showcase of the studio’s in-house animated shorts program, screening live in theaters once again; coming to Los Angeles March 27, Vancouver April 3 and New York April 5 – tickets now on sale.
Exclusive: ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’ Behind the Animation Featurette
It’s the biggest, most action-packed ‘Kung Fu Panda’ movie ever seen! Watch director Mike Mitchell, co-director Stephanie Ma Stine, and their team talk paint splashes; all-new character designs; creepy, supernatural shape-shifting transformations; terrifying kid bunnies with no social inhibitors; and a Chameleon rig with 8,130 controls! DreamWorks Animation's gorgeous new film hits theaters March 8, 2024.
Podcast EP 243: Lee Griffin On Picking Up Blender and Going Viral
The 25-year-old data analyst shares how he picked up Blender as a hobby, created a unique animation style and subsequently saw his short animations go viral on social.
Warner Bros. Animation Expands Executive Team
Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro join the studio as EVP of Production Talent and VP of Production Talent, respectively, while company executive Susan Akinbola is promoted to VP of Development.
Netflix Scraps Film Adaptations of Rick Riordan’s ‘The Kane Chronicles’
The young adult trilogy’s author, also known for ‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians,’ revealed the disheartening news on Goodreads, stating that the project’s future ‘depends on whether another studio would like to step in, assume the pre-production costs, and move forward.’
Roku Drops Teaser Trailer For ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ Series
The live-action project stars Christian Slater as the evil ogre Mulgarath, Joy Bryant as loving matriarch Helen Grace, and Lyon Daniels and Noah Cottrell as twins Jared and Simon; all eight episodes will be available to stream on April 19.
Disney Branded TV Greenlights ‘SuperKitties’ and ‘Pupstruction’ Season 3
The popular animated series, renewed ahead of their Season 2 debuts, gives the fearsome foursome of Kitties more time to make their town ‘pawsome’ while the all-dog construction crew keeps their town in tip-top shape.
Exclusive: ‘Migration – How the Animation is Designed’ Featurette
Director Benjamin Renner, production designer Colin Stimpson, and other members of the creative team share insights into the animation design and how 2D art transforms onto the big-screen in Illumination’s 3DCG animated comedy, available today, February 27, on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD.
McDonald's to Bring Fictional Anime Restaurant to Life in Four Episodic Shorts
Embark on an epic journey at ‘WcDonald's’ with original episodic short from Studio Pierrot, manga-inspired packaging by Japanese manga artist/illustrator Acky Bright, a new savory chili sauce.
Famed Character Sculptor Kent Melton Passes at 68
Known for his work on multiple high profile animated films including ‘Aladdin,’ ‘The Lion King,’ ‘Mulan,’ ‘The Incredibles,’ and ‘Coraline,’ the artist dies last Thursday from Lewy body dementia.
Podcast EP 242: Keith Pakiz on How to Become an Animation Director
The director, story artist, writer, and animator shares his journey, which took him from Cleveland to LA in pursuit of an animation career and how he rose in the ranks working on a variety of shows.
Paramount+ Shares ‘Dora’ Series Trailer
Dora the Explorer returns this April with Nickelodeon Animation’s all-new 3DCG preschool show set in a fantastical rainforest.
NVIDIA Announces NVIDIA RTX 500 and 1000 Ada Generation Laptop GPUs
Generative AI and hybrid work environments are requiring increasingly powerful laptops; new NVIDIA GPUs will be available in highly portable mobile workstations from partners including Dell, HP, Lenovo and MIS this spring.
The Academy to Split Short Films and Feature Animation Branch
Short Films and Feature Animation part ways; Board of Governors votes to create 2 new distinct branches: the Animation Branch and Short Films Branch.
