Thanks to everyone who showed up for the big Nicktoons Network Animation Festival party here at the Nick Studio in Burbank Friday night. More than 300 people attended, and a good time was had by all.

Hal Sparks was on hand to announce the winners of this year’s festival, and these were the results:

– Nick Development Award - “Zoologic”, Nicole Mitchell
– Grand Jury Prize - “Zoologic”, Nicole Mitchell
– Producers’ Choice Award - “St Laleeloo”, Jiwook Kim
– Student Award - “Bare”, Andy Lyon
– Diversity Award - “Feb-18-05″, Javier Barboza

[Read more…]]]>
Nicole Mitchell receiving the first of her two awards

Thanks to everyone who showed up for the big Nicktoons Network Animation Festival party here at the Nick Studio in Burbank Friday night. More than 300 people attended, and a good time was had by all.

Hal Sparks was on hand to announce the winners of this year’s festival, and these were the results:

– Nick Development Award - “Zoologic”, Nicole Mitchell
– Grand Jury Prize - “Zoologic”, Nicole Mitchell
– Producers’ Choice Award - “St Laleeloo”, Jiwook Kim
– Student Award - “Bare”, Andy Lyon
– Diversity Award - “Feb-18-05″, Javier Barboza

Andy Lyon and his galpal, Abby

Still to be given is the Viewers’ Choice Award, which will be determined after all the films have aired on Nicktoons Network at the end of the month.

Javier Barboza with festival directors Rita Street and your blogger

Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all the filmmakers for their work.

– Eric

Here’s the scoop on the Viewers’ Choice voting for this year’s Nicktoons Network Animation Festival.

First a note from Nicktoons Network, the ones running the voting:

“The festival takes over the month of August on-air and online! Starting August 1st, one short will be showcased every night at 10p where viewers can go online or text their vote if the short “Rocks or Rots” and enter into the “Rocks or Rots” sweepstakes, all leading up to the final one hour “Best Of” special on August 31st at 10pm, announcing the award winners including the Grand Jury Prize ($10,000), the Nick Development Award, and the Viewer’s Choice (“Rots or Rocks”) Award.”

First of all, that’s 10:00 p.m., EDT, or New York City time.

You can go to the Nicktoons Network website and click on “Rocks or Rots” sweepstakes.

Voting online for each film will last 24 hours. Each short will be up from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. [Read more…]]]>

Here’s the scoop on the Viewers’ Choice voting for this year’s Nicktoons Network Animation Festival.

First a note from Nicktoons Network, the ones running the voting:

“The festival takes over the month of August on-air and online! Starting August 1st, one short will be showcased every night at 10p where viewers can go online or text their vote if the short “Rocks or Rots” and enter into the “Rocks or Rots” sweepstakes, all leading up to the final one hour “Best Of” special on August 31st at 10pm, announcing the award winners including the Grand Jury Prize ($10,000), the Nick Development Award, and the Viewer’s Choice (“Rots or Rocks”) Award.”

First of all, that’s 10:00 p.m., EDT, or New York City time.

You can go to the Nicktoons Network website and click on “Rocks or Rots” sweepstakes.

Voting online for each film will last 24 hours. Each short will be up from 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every day.

You will also be able to text your vote. Text voting lasts each night from 10:00 p.m. to midnight (that’s a two-hour window for your texts).

– Eric

You know, when I was a kid, in order to make sure I caught on the TV those shows I really wanted to see, I had to grab the new TV Guide every Thursday and go through and circle everything that looked even half interesting for the week ahead. Now, with the miracles of computers and the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival, all you need to do is print out the list below and circle everything that looks even half interesting. Hooray for the Internets.

Anyway, if you’re on the east coast of the United States, these shorts will begin on the Nicktoons Network promptly at 10:00 p.m. If you live elsewhere in the country, you’ll have to do the math as to when it airs in your time zone. Here’s the schedule:

8/1 L’amie De Zoe - MAKE (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
8/2 Icarus - Adam Swaab (Sherman Oaks, California, USA)
8/3 Saalis - Aiju Salminen & Saara Knottinen (Helsinki, Finland)
8/4 Sonadora - Andrea [Read more…]]]>

You know, when I was a kid, in order to make sure I caught on the TV those shows I really wanted to see, I had to grab the new TV Guide every Thursday and go through and circle everything that looked even half interesting for the week ahead. Now, with the miracles of computers and the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival, all you need to do is print out the list below and circle everything that looks even half interesting. Hooray for the Internets.

Anyway, if you’re on the east coast of the United States, these shorts will begin on the Nicktoons Network promptly at 10:00 p.m. If you live elsewhere in the country, you’ll have to do the math as to when it airs in your time zone. Here’s the schedule:

8/1 L’amie De Zoe - MAKE (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
8/2 Icarus - Adam Swaab (Sherman Oaks, California, USA)
8/3 Saalis - Aiju Salminen & Saara Knottinen (Helsinki, Finland)
8/4 Sonadora - Andrea Lira (New York City, New York, USA)
8/5 Bare - Andy Lyon (Los Angeles, California, USA)
8/6 Striped - Anna Gopin (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
8/7 Hedgehug - Dan Pinto (Teaneck, New Jersey, USA)
8/8 Hominid - Mike A. Smith (Portland, Oregon, USA)
8/9 Kiwi! - Dony Permedi (Santa Monica, California, USA)
8/10 Carried Away - Zach Parrish (Savannah, Georgia, USA)
8/11 Monster on the Moon - Drew Hill (Paw Paw, Michigan, USA)
8/12 Jose y Maria - Edward Juan (Valenica, California, USA)
8/13 Angst - Emiel Penders (Elsloo, Limburg, The Netherlands)
8/14 A Peach for the Teach - Erica Pitt (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
8/15 Freewheel - Eve Weinberg, Ryan Suffern, Tim Millen, Gary McIlwaine (Chicago, Illinois, USA)
8/16 Cranks - Jacques Khouri (Savannah, Georgia, USA)
8/17 Feb-18-05 - Javier Barboza (Los Angeles, California, USA)
8/18 Mortimer Pigmun and his Time Traveling Chums - Jeffrey Wallenhorst & Matthew Witham (Wells, Maine, USA)
8/19 St Laleeloo - Jiwook Kim (Glendale, California, USA)
8/20 Barfy the Pig in ‘A Day in the Park’ - Joel Foster & Ryan Page (Port Orford, Oregon, USA)
8/21 Process Enacted - Jordan C. Greenhalgh (Rochester, New York, USA)
8/22 Old Chestnut - Lily Shia, Danyin Zhu, Hazel Lam (Forestville, NSW, Australia)
8/23 Puppet - Patrick Smith (New York City, New York, USA)
8/24 Zoologic - Nicole Mitchell (Cupertino, California, USA)
8/25 After Oz - Percy Kiyabu (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
8/26 The Little Dictator - Peter Lowey (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
8/27 Think Like a Frog - Pongo Kuo, Mig Jou, Alice Tasi (Taipei, Taiwan)
8/28 Art’s Desire - Sarah Wickliffe (New York City, New York, USA)
8/29 Loose Change - Tim Golem (London, Ontario, Canada)
8/30 Insomnia - Vladamir Lesciov (Riga, Latvia)

You’ll also be able to watch each film online for a few hours after it airs, especially good for those of you outside the U.S. (Hooray for the Internets, squared). Vote for your favorites. Then on Friday, August 31, Nicktoons Network will air all the films consecutively, winding up with a best-of special including this year’s winning shorts.

Confused? We’re here to help.

– Eric

Okay, I figure by now you’re sick of all the press dedicated to this year’s panel of judges for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. No, wait. You probably haven’t heard anything about this year’s panel of judges for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Until now, that is.

In 2007, we continue the tradition of having stellar folks in the animation industry judge the festival. Here they are:

[Read more…]]]>

Okay, I figure by now you’re sick of all the press dedicated to this year’s panel of judges for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. No, wait. You probably haven’t heard anything about this year’s panel of judges for the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Until now, that is.

In 2007, we continue the tradition of having stellar folks in the animation industry judge the festival. Here they are:

Michael Dougherty – Michael is known for writing Superman Returns and co-writing the second X-Men movie. In addition to his feature film work, Michael is also an accomplished animator and illustrator. His award-winning animated films have appeared on MTV, SCI FI Channel, Spike & Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation, and G4-TV, while his morbid illustrations are published as greeting cards by Nobleworks. Following a first solo exhibition last year, Dougherty’s artwork was showcased at Every Picture Tells a Story in Santa Monica.

Steve Oedekerk – Steve O. may have written Bruce Almighty, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, and The Nutty Professor (the most popular movie of 1996), but, in the animation world, he stands as the creator of the movies/TV series Jimmy Neutron and Barnyard (Barnyard premieres on Nick later this fall). In 2002, Steve’s company, O Entertainment, produced the first IMAX 3D cartoon, “Santa vs. the Snowman 3D”.

Joanna Quinn – Emmy Award-winning Joanna is one of the true stars of independent animation (and in dependent animation, too). Her own films includes the Annecy hit “Girls Night Out”, the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning “Famous Fred”, and “Dreams and Desires: Family Ties” (“Dreams” is her latest and possibly her most popular and critically acclaimed, a winner at Annecy, Zagreb, and of the Cartoon D’Or). Plus, you’ve certainly seen her commercial work for Whiskas, United Airlines, and Charmin.

Mark Shirra – Mark’s Vancouver Film School short, “A Great Big Robot from Outer Space”, won last year’s Producers’ Choice Award in the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival, and we’re very happy he’s a part of this year’s panel of judges. Mark has an entensive live-action background, directing commercials and promos for both film and television. He’s currently up at Pixar. His bio claims Mark’s aims are to find a never-ending jar of Marmite and to be six feet three inches tall. He is currently around five feet ten.

Genndy Tartakovsky – In my opinion, Genndy’s one of the two filmmakers (the other being Craig McCracken) who defined what it originally meant to be a Cartoon Network cartoon. He created Dexter’s Laboratory and Samurai Jack and oversaw Star Wars: Clone Wars, any one of which would solidify Genndy’s reputation in the cartoon business.

Patrick Warburton – I had no idea Patrick Warburton has done so much voice-over work in animation (in addition to being Puddy, of course). Look him up on IMDb, and you’ll see his long list of credits includes recurring roles on The Xs, Family Guy, The Emperor’s New School, The Venture Bros, Kim Possible, and The Tick. Plus, you can hear him in Open Season, Home on the Range, and in the upcoming Bee Movie, and Space Chimps.

Patrick, Genndy, Mark, Joanna, Steve, and Michael join our previous judges – Gabor Csupo, Andreas Deja, Michael DiMartino, Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg, Mark Hamill, Elizabeth Ito, Bryan Konietzko, John Kricfalusi, Seth MacFarlane, Bill Plympton, JG Quintel, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Noah Webb. Thanks very, very much to everyone for your time.

– Eric

First of all, thanks to the hundreds of filmmakers who submitted their work to the 2007 Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Lots of great stuff, as usual, including more than a few we couldn’t air due to content (it’s for a Nickelodeon network, after all). Beginning Wednesday, August 1, you, the viewer, can see a different short every night through the month at 10:00 p.m., New York City time. The month will culminate with all films being shown, back to back, on Friday, August 31, topped off by a one-hour best-of special which will include the winners in the Diversity, Student, Producers’ Choice, Grand Jury, and Nick Development Award categories.

Here are this year’s selections in the 2007 Nicktoons Network Animation Festival in alphabetical order. Congratulations, everyone.

Peach for the Teach - Erica Pitt (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

After Oz - Percy Kiyabu (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Angst - Emiel Penders (Elsloo, Limburg, The Netherlands)

Art’s Desire - Sarah Wickliffe (New York [Read more…]]]>

First of all, thanks to the hundreds of filmmakers who submitted their work to the 2007 Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. Lots of great stuff, as usual, including more than a few we couldn’t air due to content (it’s for a Nickelodeon network, after all). Beginning Wednesday, August 1, you, the viewer, can see a different short every night through the month at 10:00 p.m., New York City time. The month will culminate with all films being shown, back to back, on Friday, August 31, topped off by a one-hour best-of special which will include the winners in the Diversity, Student, Producers’ Choice, Grand Jury, and Nick Development Award categories.

Here are this year’s selections in the 2007 Nicktoons Network Animation Festival in alphabetical order. Congratulations, everyone.

Peach for the Teach - Erica Pitt (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

After Oz - Percy Kiyabu (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)

Angst - Emiel Penders (Elsloo, Limburg, The Netherlands)

Art’s Desire - Sarah Wickliffe (New York City, New York, USA)

Bare - Andy Lyon (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Barfy the Pig in ‘A Day in the Park’ - Joel Foster & Ryan Page (Port Orford, Oregon, USA)

Carried Away - Zach Parrish (Savannah, Georgia, USA)

Cranks - Jacques Khouri (Savannah, Georgia, USA)

Feb-18-05 - Javier Barboza (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Freewheel - Eve Weinberg, Ryan Suffern, Tim Millen, Gary McIlwaine (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Hedgehug - Dan Pinto (Teaneck, New Jersey, USA)

Hominid - Mike A. Smith (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Icarus - Adam Swaab (Sherman Oaks, California, USA)

Insomnia - Vladamir Lesciov (Riga, Latvia)

Jose y Maria - Edward Juan (Valenica, California, USA)

Kiwi! - Dony Permedi (Santa Monica, California, USA)

L’amie De Zoe - MAKE (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)

Loose Change - Tim Golem (London, Ontario, Canada)

Monster on the Moon - Drew Hill (Paw Paw, Michigan, USA)

Mortimer Pigmun and his Time Traveling Chums - Jeffrey Wallenhorst & Matthew Witham (Wells, Maine, USA)

Old Chestnut - Lily Shia, Danyin Zhu, Hazel Lam (Forestville, NSW, Australia)

Process Enacted - Jordan C. Greenhalgh (Rochester, New York, USA)

Puppet - Patrick Smith (New York City, New York, USA)

Saalis - Aiju Salminen & Saara Knottinen (Helsinki, Finland)

Sonadora - Andrea Lira (New York City, New York, USA)

St Laleeloo - Jiwook Kim (Glendale, California, USA)

Striped - Anna Gopin (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)

The Little Dictator - Peter Lowey (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)

Think Like a Frog - Pongo Kuo, Mig Jou, Alice Tasi (Taipei, Taiwan)

Zoologic - Nicole Mitchell (Cupertino, California, USA)

– Eric

You look like the kind of person who would draw a jump cycle and not have the common courtesy to put in some follow through. What do you think your doing! Get off the Internet, stop working at your so called “job” to pay your “bills”, and get to work on your film! You think you’ll be the next big animator by just setting there? You’re just gonna go through life telling people about this great idea for a film you have, but you’ll never do it! You’re too lazy, you think, “Oh, I’ll just wait for my ship to come in.” Well guess what buster, this is your ship and its about to set sail because your to much of a dingy to get on. You think John Lasseter was sitting around twiddling his thumbs, going “Maybe I’ll make a film for next year.” No! He was working with [Read more…]]]>

You look like the kind of person who would draw a jump cycle and not have the common courtesy to put in some follow through. What do you think your doing! Get off the Internet, stop working at your so called “job” to pay your “bills”, and get to work on your film! You think you’ll be the next big animator by just setting there? You’re just gonna go through life telling people about this great idea for a film you have, but you’ll never do it! You’re too lazy, you think, “Oh, I’ll just wait for my ship to come in.” Well guess what buster, this is your ship and its about to set sail because your to much of a dingy to get on. You think John Lasseter was sitting around twiddling his thumbs, going “Maybe I’ll make a film for next year.” No! He was working with a used 1950’s NASA computer the size of a room where he had to simultaneously, draw, animate, punch punch cards, and keep all the gears oiled and tightened. And look at you, with you fancy computer, your Flash and Photoshop and your Wacom tablet. You could make a film in an afternoon, but you’d rather just Photoshop your head onto people who look better then you! You sit around watching Youtube shorts, criticizing everything, thinking to yourself I could do better then that. Well, guess what, you can’t cause you never will! Now stop reading this and get to work.

You only got 8 days left, now go go go!

How To Cope With Depression is one in a series of shorts called Tales of Mere Existence by Lev Yilmaz.

This film may have taken an afternoon to create, be two minutes long, and mostly contain credits, it was voted t#38 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons and is the shortest classic ever. Though not very funny by today’s standards, it paved the way for short, off the wall cartoons.