Animation Nation

Perhaps the most innovative and interesting animated films coming out lately are originating in France. Case in point, a feature that was released this past November entitled 'Le Tableau'.

Directed by Jean-Francois Laguionie, Armelle Glorennec and Eric Jacquot, and set in the 1930's, Le Tableau (The Painting) involves a group of misfit characters from unfinished paintings by a French artist, who embark on a journey to find their creator. Produced by Blue Spirit, the film mixes CG animation with digital 2D. The French-Belgian co-production is hoping to secure US distribution in 2012. Click here for more details. Enjoy the trailer...

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A sequel to the popular Disney movie is coming out as a short this Friday the 13th, which I hope will be a lucky day for this fine looking film. Directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, it'll run prior to screenings of the new 3D version of Beauty and the Beast which is also opening this weekend.

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It does not take long for a Ray Johnson animated music video to hit big view numbers on YouTube. As of this writing, his latest release, "Friend Zone" is at 1,122,966 in just its third day online. As of this month, January 2012, the Ray William Johnson channel is the most subscribed channel on YouTube with over 5.2 million subscribers and over 1.5 billion video views.

Here's his latest, produced by Cosmic Toast Studios in Burbank.

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A new member to the AN Forums, Woulter Tulp is a character designer, visual development designer, and an all around excellent talent. Located in the Netherlands, he's currently art directing a 3D feature film. He posted a video in the AN Gallery  that showcases his work, created both in digital and traditional mediums. I'm happy to share his video on our homepage. The link to the Forum topic can be found here. 

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A great demonstration of the technical capabilities of Nvidia, the world leader in graphics processors. Superb visuals in this portrayal of Medusa the Gorgon as she entices yet another unsuspecting victim.  

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We've got some fine films that have been brought to our attention and featured in the Forums lately. Among them, this great little short posted up last week. It's by Yevgeni Krachak from the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. "Homeless" features a hermit crab in search of better digs. An animated character on live action. Very nicely done. Here's Yevgeni's film followed by his 2011 showreel. The Forum topic is here.

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A big part of the legacy of AnimationNation is how we are open to and embrace political dialog on our Forums. This goes back to the earliest days of AN. We believe it's essential to be aware of what's happening with issues that affect our lives. We're perhaps the only online community in animation that is pro-active in this regard, and we're committed to continuing this aspect of the site. That said...

Jerrol LeBaron is the proprietor of Inktip.com, a website dedicated to professional writers for the entertainment industry. He is also a political activist who is involved in initiating reform in the way the US Congress does business.

Namely... Reading the legislation our political representatives sign before they sign it. He's produced a film entitled "Fools On the Hill" in an effort to educate others as to what goes on the in the way politicians in Washington DC conduct business. The film is about ethics and legislative incompetence that follows one man's attempts to require politicians to actually read the Bills they are passing, which is not a current requirement in the US.

Check out the trailer for Jerrol LeBaron's Fools on the Hill. Also visit the website for more info about the movie here. Follow this link to the Forum topic.

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Wishing our members, friends, colleagues, readers, followers, all the fine people that make and continue to contribute to the greatness of AN year after year, all the very best to you and yours in 2012 and beyond. Here's a fun animated New Year's greeting to enjoy courtesy of Condor Digital in Brussels Belgium.

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Now that 2011 is coming to a close, let's take a retrospective look at all that transpired in this momentous year through the eyes of the JibJab crew.

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Five years in the making and only 1 Week to go for the online release of "Devils, Angels & Dating". Directed by animation veteran Michael Cawood, the computer animated short is the work of a worldwide team of Artists and Animators. Developed entirely online, it's become a fantastic learning tool and a source of inspiration for students and professionals alike. You're invited by the DA&D team to follow the film on Facebook. Here's a look at the trailer.

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