Channel Frederator Blog

Den of Geek has a great article on several animated features that had a lot of trouble during production. While every animated film production has its own struggles, the films in this story had especially trying production phases.

While many of the films listed had their theatrical releases met with large audiences, one can’t help but wonder what would have happened had the productions continued on in the directions they were first headed.

I’d still very much like to see a Jan Pinkava feature.

-Floyd Bishop

There is a super extra special episode of Channel Frederator available today! This episode comes to us from our buddies over at Indy Mogul!

Indy Mogul host, Erik Beck is invited to visit the acclaimed Dreamworks Animation Studios to show you how the stunning animation in the new film Monsters Vs. Aliens was created.  The talented team at Dreamworks shows off new technology and techniques that were developed to achieve the animation and digital 3D images of the film.  From real models of the Golden Gate Bridge to the revolutionary, state-of-the-art 3D virtual camera, this episode of Hollywood FX reveals it all.

Check it out at www.channelfrederator.com and get even more at www.indymogul.com!

Variety says it best:

 “Kung Fu Panda” kicked considerable butt at the 36th annual Annie Awards on Friday night, shutting out the competition to win every feature-related category the international animation society ASIFA offers — and then some, earning additional kudos for its videogame and “Secrets of the Furious Five” short film tie-ins.

This is huge for Deamworks! To many, they have been the house of Shrek. Now Kung Fu Panda changes that. The animation industry has seen that they are much more than just the home of the green ogre. Congratulations to the crew! Now, on to the Oscars! -Floyd Bishop 

Thanks to Lou Brooks’ and his Drawger Blog for giving me some advance notice so I can make sure I don’t miss TCM’s airing of the original Artists and Models (1937) on Sunday, February 1, at 2 PM EST. Not only does it pair Jack Benny and Ida Lupino, but cartoonists Rube Goldberg and Peter Arno show up as artists in their only major motion picture appearance. Other now lesser-known illustrators are also featured: pretty girlie artist McClelland Barclay, Russell Patterson, Arthur William Brown, and John Lagatta. Who? Check out the links; I didn’t know who they were either.

For cartoonist cameos in a more recent film (direct-to-DVD), see Comic Book: The Movie! (2004), mostly shot at San Diego Comicon. The cast also includes top animation voice talent like Billy West and Tom Kenny. You will NOT recognize Mark Hamill!

—Anne D. Bernstein

Imagi has posted their trailer for the upcoming film “T28″. In the US, the series was better known as Gigantor.

Usually, I’m not a big fan of reimagining or updating old shows or films. For every “TMNT” there are five “Underdog” type films. It looks like Imagi has got a great film going here. Let’s hope that their other update film, “Astroboy”, does well enough to keep the great movies coming!

-Floyd Bishop 

Legendary actress, singer, and voice over artist Eartha Kitt has passed away. Her animation credits include The Emproer’s New Groove, American Dad, The Emporer’s New School, My Life As A Teenage Robot, and many more.

She had quite a singing career as well, including her 1953 hit “Santa Baby”.

In my opinion, she was the best on screen Catwoman to date.

Eartha Kitt was 81.

-Floyd Bishop    

The Golden Globe nominees for Best Animated Feature Film are Disney’s Bolt, DreamWorks Animation’s Kung-Fu Panda and Disney/Pixar’s WALL•E. Both Bolt and WALL•E have songs nominated for Best Original Song. “Down to Earth” from WALL•E features music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, with lyrics by Peter Gabriel, and “I thought I Lost You” from Bolt has music and lyrics by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele.

The animated documentary Waltz with Bashir from Israeli filmmaker Ari Folman is up for Best Foreign Language Film.

-Floyd Bishop

Swing gang
You thought:
- Morally flexible group of young people with similar tattoos.
- On-set Jazz entertainment.

What do the people in the fiml credits actually do? Some of the titles of positions are pretty strange sounding. Many of them come from Hollywood slang or nicknames. If you’re curious, Den of Geek has posted a list of titles, and what they actually mean.

The Swing Gang is actually a bunch of guys who make last-minute set changes the director may ask for.

-Floyd Bishop

In 1952, the Tex Avery directed a short Rock-A-Bye Bear premiered. The short, written by Heck Allen and Rich Hogan featured a simple premise: Spike has a job running a house for a hibernating bear, who insists on quiet. Tex was strained by the amount of work, so he left MGM shortly after completing the piece (the film was actually completed in 1950, but not released until two years later due to the backlog of cartoon shorts).  In Tex’s absence, his unit was directed by former Walter Lantz director, Dick Lundy.

Tex returned to MGM in 1951,  where he took back his animation unit. He went on to direct eleven more cartoons. Most of these had a similar look to the UPA cartoons that were gaining popularity at the time. In March 1953, MGM closed down Tex’s unit, believing that 3D films that were quickly taking theaters by storm would end the [Read more…]

On this day in 1940, Walt Disney’s 3rd feature film, “Fantasia” premieres at New York’s Broadway Theater (formerly known as the Colony where Steamboat Willie debuted). The film introduces stereophonic sound to the motion picture via a special sound system dubbed “Fantasound”.

November 13th is also my birthday. I’m 33 today: 16 on the left, and 17 on the right.

 -Floyd Bishop