All Entries Tagged With: "International"
What is comedy?
Here is a brilliant example of how humour can be expressed through simple drawings and a little bit of surprise. I discovered it on YouTube quite by accident and am I glad I did! This hilarious piece of animation is called “What is Comedy?” and rather than ruin the fun by explaining it, I suggest you see it for yourself.
Description as found on YouTube and posted by Sara Benincasa…
A long-forgotten 1951 classroom film from Medium Large’s educational library (”Bake Your Way to Marriage!” “How to Cripple a Bully” “Polio: God’s Judgment Against Gays” ), this short exposes the chilling, horrifying, alarming truth about comedy in a fun, fact-filled format. The movie was made possible with a grant from “Buick: The Cadillac of Cars.”
Written, drawn and directed by Francesco Marciuliano. Edited by Sara Benincasa.
For more from Francesco “Ces” Marciuliano, please go to http://medium-large.com or http://francescoexplainsitall.blogspot.com
Is that Brad Bird and John Lasseter??!
This one is just for fun! Flipanimation.net is a monthly online magazine that’s been around since May 2007. With some very interesting articles and free readership, it seems to be quite popular. Their latest issue (September 2008) has a very interesting Black and White photograph on the cover - its the Character Animation Class of 1976 from Cal Arts and guess who’s there in the picture? See for yourself…
Flipanimation.net has many more such fascinating bits of trivia besides some really good articles that make for engrossing reading. Do check it out!
Mickey, Jerry are evil. Kill them!
Are the lovable Mickey Mouse and Jerry evil? Sheikh Muhammad Munajid seems to think so and would like nothing better than to see them killed. He claims the mouse is “one of Satan’s soldiers” and makes everything it touches impure. He warns that cartoon depictions of the animal such as Jerry and Disney’s Mickey Mouse has led children to believe that it was in fact loveable!
So who is Sheikh Muhammad Munajid and why is he accusing our beloved rodents? The Telegraph, UK, reports that he is a cleric and a former diplomat at the Saudi embassy in Washington DC, said that under Sharia, both household mice and their cartoon counterparts must be killed. Mr Munajid was asked to give Islam’s teaching on mice during a religious affairs programme broadcast on al-Majd TV, an Arab television network.
Good News! Persepolis coming to India.
Just received a press release from NDTV Lumiere that they will be releasing ‘Persepolis’ in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore on June 20th, 2008.
I am really looking forward to this. I don’t have the details but once I do, I shall put them up here on the blog. It is sad that they seem to be releasing the film only in 3 metros. I am sure there are a lot of people in smaller cities who would have liked to see this beautiful film.
Persepolis is writer-director Marjane Satrapi’s magical and ingenious award-winning story of a young girl coming of age in Iran, that is both lively and thought-provoking. The animated film is an adaptation of graphic novels about her childhood. Persepolis, which has won, among others, the Jury Prize at the Festival de Cannes in 2007, and an Oscar nomination in 2008 sees Iran through the eyes of the precocious and outspoken nine-year-old Marjane. Critically acclaimed and widely enjoyed, Persepolis is a magical and ingenious film based on Satrapi’s own experiences of growing up in an increasingly fundamentalist Iran.
The Road From New Delhi To Annecy
The Annecy Festival is exactly a week away and with India as the Focus Country this year; everyone is excited about the implications. NASSCOM is taking a large Indian delegation to Annecy including some of the biggest and best studios in India - Toonz Animation, Paprikaas, Accel Animation, Sanra, Kahani World, Big Animation, FX Labs, ettaminA, Blowfish FX, Dawson, Cornershop, Graphiti, Green Gold, Picasso Digital, to name just a few.
NASSCOM is organizing THE INDIA PAVILLION together with Government of India - Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at Annecy 2008 – the world’s largest creative festival for animators and the animation world.
The 27 square meters large ‘Indian Pavilion’ is the largest showcase of Indian animation companies at any single event and the stand will present the logos, play the show reel and display the logos of all the participating companies. The ministry and trade delegation will be meeting several counterparts from other countries and discussions will range from proposing growth initiatives including co-production treaties, reciprocal participation in trade shows and official visits by trade delegations between themselves. To celebrate the ‘Spotlight on India’, NASSCOM and the delegation will be the hosts for the opening gala evening on the 10th where an Indian Fair has been planned. A show-reel of student and professional films compiled by ASIFA India will also be showcased by the delegation. A handbook on India, with updated information on the industry and profiles of visiting delegates will be presented.
Speaking about this Col. S V Ramachandran, Regional Director, NASSCOM said, “NASSCOM Animation and Gaming Forum has decided to participate in selected international markets as a platform to present the Indian Industry. MIFA at Annecy is the largest ‘pure play’ animation market and NASSCOM’s participation last year convinced us about the possibilities for our members and the positive role the government can play in turbo powering some of the initiatives.”
I caught up with Biren Ghose, CEO Kahani World Inc. and Chairman of the NASSCOM Animation & Gaming Forum and here is what he had to share about NASSCOM’s role at Annecy and in the country’s Animation and Gaming scenario.
India Goes to BANFF for “nextMEDIA - The Future of Digital Content”
nextMEDIA - The Future of Digital Content is where the world’s content creators, broadcasters, financiers, carriers, digital publishers, technology solution-providers, and advertisers meet to extend their knowledge and nurture key business relationships. The conference is set in spectacular Banff, Alberta, nextMEDIA is the sister event to the world renowned Banff World Television Festival. The event takes advantage of the synergies connecting the television and new media industries by facilitating a high-value networking environment.
Attendees at nextMEDIA gain an expert understanding of the most important areas of development in the interactive media industry and learn how to create and execute profitable digital media strategies.
AAA caught up with Biren Ghose, CEO of Kahani World Inc. who is one of the prominent speakers at the digital content show in Banff, Alberta, Canada from the 6th to 8th June 2008, where India is featured as the “emerging market” for discussion. Biren Ghose will be presenting his thesis on “Storytelling 2.0″ which will explore how storytelling will change in a world where the viewer will influence its course.
There is a panel on emerging markets where key decision makers from major media companies network in a retreat based environment. Key participants featured here include:
Ah, Nostalgia! The return of Fraggle Rock.
Many who grew up in India around the same time as I did, in the 80s to be precise, would remember Fraggle Rock. Thank God, Doordarshan showed some wholesome ‘kiddie’ programmes for us who were ‘kiddies’ back then.
The series was created by Jim Henson and featured a cast of Muppet creatures - the Fraggles, Doozers, Gorgs, a Trash Heap, a Dog and his Human Master. A worldwide hit at that time, the theme was an allegory to the real world where different races co-exist, sometimes oblivious to each other’s existence and interdependence. There was also an animated version of the Fraggle Rock series which lasted only one season, but sadly , those of us in India did not get to see it.
The good news is that Gogo, Wembley, Mokey, Boober and Red , the most popular Fraggles will be reunited in a new live-action musical feature for the big screen. The Jim Henson Co. will produce and TWC will distribute the film which will be directed by Cory Edwards. No dates have been announced as yet, so until then, enjoy this clip of the Fraggle Rock intro from Youtube. And be a kid once again 
Creature Discomforts! Aardman’s Animation with a Message
There must be very few true-blue animation fans who haven’t heard of Aardman’s Creature Comforts. Now, they can also see Creature Discomforts, a beautiful campaign created by them for Leonard Cheshire Disability. The series is based on one experiences of real disabled people with lovable characters and a profound message. The characters have been voiced by the very people on whom the characters are based. The website is worth a visit for two reasons: to change the way you see disability and for the brilliant characters and animation.
