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Tag: Bill Dennis

  • More than 200 animators to collect for Anifest 05

    More than 200 animators to collect for Anifest 05

    MUMBAI: Its celebration time for animators, as Mumbai hosts Anifest 05 this Saturday. Organised by TASI & ASIFA India in association with Indiantelevison.com’s Animation ‘xpress, Anifest 05 is an attempt at collecting Indian animators under one roof.

    Being held at Ramada Plaza Palm Grove, Juhu, the festivities include a special screening of the best 45 minutes of the 37 original short films sent in. Besides the special screening, the panel discussion features prominent animators like Neelesh Gore, Jai Natarajan, Prashant Kadkol, Priyam, Gitanjali Rao, Sameer Kulavoor and Debbie Pashkoff. The spirit of art and animation shall be further heightened by JAM sessions, rock n roll and doodling and caricature corners.

    Says TASI President Ram Mohan, “Anifest 05 is a significant step forward for Indian animation professionals who wish to make their presence felt and their voice heard. The enthusiastic support and sponsorship received by TASI and ASIFA so far gives us reason to believe that is the first of many more such celebratory events in the years to come.”

    ASIFA India President Bill Dennis tells Indiantelevision.com, “It was really the artists and animators who came up with the idea for this festival format. At last year’s International Animation Day event in Mumbai, several artists came up to me and commented they would like a forum or an event where they could express their own views and discuss their own ideas instead of always listening to the views and concerns of management and production executives. So, that’s what we’ve tried to do with Anifest 05.- an event by and for the artists. It’s really been great for ASIFA India working with TASI and I hope we’ll be able to team up on many projects in the future.”

    While globally animation festivals are a norm, for Indian animation to have a festivity like Anifest is an indicator of the way the scene is evolving in India too.

  • Hanuman goes animated; series to launch next December

    Hanuman goes animated; series to launch next December

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Toonz Animations has announced that it will launch its second home production, an animated series called Adventures of Hanuman on Cartoon Network next year.
     

    The series on Ramayana’s monkey-warrior Hanuman will hit the television screens by December 2004 and will be shown in 13 half-hour episodes, according to a company release.
    Toonz Animation CEO Bill Dennis was quoted in the release as saying that full production of the series will begin by December 2003, and that it will take place completely in-house at Toonz Studios in Thiruvananthapuram.

    Dennis mentions that the estimated cost for the entire series would be under $1 million.

    The Adventures of Hanuman takes a unique journey into modern mythology while paying homage to traditional legend, the release specifies. Toonz creative director Atul Rao is the story editor and creative producer for the series. The four writers who penned the script were selected after a special training on creative writing.

    “In this series, the immortal Hanuman lives today, retaining all his legendary powers. As Hanuman’s new adventures continue in the 21st Century, each and every story bridges the gap between ancient mythology and the modern world,” the release quotes Rao as saying.

    Talking on the technology of blending 2D and 3D animation in this series, Rao says, “3D effects are being used as a tool to enhance the cartoon.”

    Dennis explains that while developing Hanuman’s character the primary importance was to keep the integrity of the character intact. “We are confident that Hanuman will be a bigger hit that Tenali Raman. West gave us men powers like Spiderman, Superman and He-Man, India gives them Hanuman in return.”

    Toonz is also holding talks with producers to market Hanuman in the US and European markets, Dennis informs.

  • Toonz plans animated series on ‘Hanuman’

    Toonz plans animated series on ‘Hanuman’

    MUMBAI: After animation major Pentamedia Graphics’ Pandavas from the great Indian epic Mahabharat (shown on Cartoon Network), it is the turn of the Thiruvananthapurum-based Toonz Animation. This time it is a character from the other great Indian epic Ramayan that forms the subject line. Toonz is planning an animated series on the feats of mighty Indian demigod Hanuman.

    “Hanuman is a fantasitc character. Children in the West as well as India will enjoy it,” Bill Dennis, CEO and President, Toonz Animation India was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying.

    For Toonz, Hanuman is the second major India-based animated series after Adventures of Tenali Raman.

    Tenali Raman, has a comic series based on this popular Telugu character hitting the stands ahead of the multi-lingual TV series.

    The character of Hanuman is an interesting one that the West will take to – “a little bit monkey, a little bit Tarzan,” according to Dennis.

    Toonz says the series would focus on some episodes in Hanuman’s life that can be enjoyed by children the world over.

  • Asianet facilitator as Toonz does a southside talent search

    Asianet facilitator as Toonz does a southside talent search

    Asianet will act as a facilitator for Toonz Animation, India’s first digital ink and paint studio, in its efforts to track down creative 8-14 year olds, the Malayalam channel’s COO Mohan Nair said on Tuesday. Asianet will co-sponsor the Toonz project of a month-long animation workshop for children at Toonz studio in Thiruvananthapuram in the southern Indian state of Kerala, in May 2001.

    “The idea is to gift animation-literacy to creative children,” the Financial Express quoted Bill Dennis, CEO, Toonz Animation India Private Ltd, as saying at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.

    “In return, the young blood will pump in fresh animation content which will help Toonz in its race for the world’s $35 billion animation market,” Dennis said.

    The month-long workshop, scheduled to be held at Toonz from May 1, 2001 to May 31, 2001, will teach children how to make animation films, identify and nurture the creative talents in children, promote animation as a vocation and create novel ideas and concepts. This include selection by competition, conducting the workshop, actual making of the film and promotion and distribution of the film.

    “Asianet will be regularly carrying promotions inviting patrons of the channel to get kids to participate,” Nair said. The completed films will be seen by an international audience through animation festivals in major centres around the world. As cosponsor, Asianet Communications will air the one-hour special throughout the year. Each individual film made in the workshop will include the children’s original promo and the live footage of the making of the film. Dennis said that efforts will be made to broadcast the final product at the International Children’s Day of Broadcasting in December. “The broadcast will be premiered exclusively on Asianet,” Nair said.

    “We’re also looking at it as a way to increase options as far as career options go for youngsters in Kerala. There’s a lot of talent out there but very few avenues,” Nair said.