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Before he became a key member of the team that made "Rugrats" and "Aaahh!!! Real Monsters," Igor Kovalyov challenged the animation world with his enigmatic short, "Hen, His Wife."

The post Ottawa Animation Festival 40th Anniversary Look-Back: ‘Hen, His Wife’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The master animator will be visiting New York City in September.

The post Richard Williams To Present ‘Thief and the Cobbler’ Work Print At MoMA appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

I had a brilliant time at Foyles in Birmingham doing a reading HOW TO FIND GOLD and then drawing a massive picture with everyone...in the end it turned into an impromptu book! Here it is.

Such a wonderful and inspiring workshop by @vivschwarz #amazingauthors #foylesbrum #colouringoutsidethelines

A photo posted by Andi (@wererat) on Aug 6, 2016 at 12:52pm PDT

Animation historian Maureen Furniss revisits the Ottawa grand prize-winning short "The Man Who Planted Trees."

The post Ottawa Animation Festival 40th Anniversary Look-Back: ‘The Man Who Planted Trees’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Hanna-Barbera is getting an art show, and it's not the one they deserve.

The post Hanna-Barbera Exhibit To Open At Norman Rockwell Museum appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Over 70 guests from 13 countries will attend Pixelatl next month in Mexico.

The post Mexico’s Pixelatl Festival Announces All-Star Lineup of Speakers appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The impressive craftsmanship of "Kubo and the Two Strings" is currently on display in Los Angeles.

The post Take A Tour Inside The Laika Exhibition Currently In Los Angeles (Photo Gallery) appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The first edition of the festival will take place next year in Canada.

The post ‘Ed, Edd n Eddy’ Creator Danny Antonucci Named Artistic Director Of Okanagan Festival appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The ever-expanding Brooklyn animation scene offers two unique animation screenings this month.

The post Upcoming Brooklyn Animation Screenings: Dirty Morning Cartoons and The Dumbest Sh!t I Ever Saw appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Italy’s largest computer graphics and digital media conference has an amazing line-up of speakers this year from Disney, WB, Sony, Pixar, Laika, Zynga and beyond.

The post ‘Zootopia’ Director Byron Howard Among Keynote Speakers At VIEW Conference appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

What happened in Montreal in 1967 has never happened before or since.

The post Rediscovered Photos Of The Greatest Animation Cocktail of the 20th Century appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

While Harry Potter and the Cursed Child may be making magic across the pond, a decidedly different Potter-inspired play is stirring up success of its own in New York.

Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic is a fan-created, unofficial play written by Matt Cox that follows the true Hogwarts underdogs–Hufflepuffs–as they navigate seven years of mishaps and misadventure, all thanks to a certain troublemaking trio. The parody–which will soon wrap up a sold-out run at the Peoples Improv Theater–has recently announced that it will move on to an off-Broadway run this fall.

The show’s site summarizes the play’s premise:

Some people are born to do great things. Some people change the world. Some people rise from humble beginnings to beat back the forces of darkness in the face of insurmountable odds. Puffs, or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic & Magic by Matt Cox is the story of the people who sit in class next to those people. And badgers.

Wayne Hopkins–a boy from New Mexico who is neither brave, smart, nor a snake–finds out he’s a wizard. Upon arrival at a certain school of magic and magic, he’s placed into the Puffs: a group of well meaning, loyal rejects. Over seven increasingly eventful years, he’ll try to learn magic; try to get out of the shadow of his world famous nemesis; and try not to get hurt in what is actually a very dangerous place for unsupervised children to be. Sometimes he will succeed. Partially.

Public previews for Puffs will begin at the Elektra Theatre on September 29. The show officially opens on October 20.

Read more at Entertainment Weekly and Mashable.

With the heavily anticipated and exciting launch of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ due to hit screens this November, Leaky was not only present at the San Diago Comic-Con event, but also lucky enough to get some behind the scenes action from our two representatives watching the live cast interviews unfold, from the Great Hall at Leavesden Studios in London!

Prior to the Live interviews commencing at Comic-Con, across the pond in London, we eagerly awaited the main event of the evening and took time to appreciate the Harry Potter Studios in all it’s glory! From famous sets to beautifully executed props with a magical aesthetic, the evening consisted of everything J.K. as we able to indulge in ultimate wizarding fan entertainment!

After a fantastic tour, fans were guided to a private screening, showing us the newly released trailer of ‘Fantastic Beasts’. Watch the trailer here! (If you havent’t seen it already–it’s amazing!)

Finally the Great Hall doors were opened, and along with some limited edition, ‘Newt Scamander’ wands gifted by Warner Bros, the audience was seated ready to go live with everyone at the SDCC exclusive event! The interaction with the cast was brilliant, with Ezra Miller and Dan Fogler receiving a particularly cheerful response from our London audience as they made the interview even more fun amongst their talented co-stars.

As a perfect round off to the already magical evening at the Warner Bros Studios, we were given a glimpse at the extraordinary 1920’s costumes used in the movie. The wizarding world felt very much present as fans took a good look at the very individual looks presented, but they definitely emitted something fresh and original to keep everyone on their toes for the latest Rowling installment!

Over in San Diego, Carianne and Tabitha met up with Warner Bros to take seats across from the Fantastic Beasts cast, as everyone prepared for a live Q&A with the cast of one of the most anticipated films of the year. Carianne, a proud Hufflepuff (just like Newt!) from San Diego, and Tabitha a proud Gryffindor, with a lot of Hufflepuff qualities mixed in, wrote about their experience at the events unfolding at SDCC 2016.

Carianne described what it was like behind the scenes, saying:

Being in the room in San Diego during the livestream was an incredible experience. The Fantastic Beasts group was so close to me that I couldn’t even fit them all in one picture! When they entered the room, the cast was buzzing with excitement over how well their Hall H presentation had gone (that room holds 6,500 people, so it’s a pretty big deal). Their energy was electrifying and contagious and an absolute joy to watch!

Then the host announced “2 minutes till live!” and the room suddenly became still and silent with anticipation. To lighten things up again, Ezra Miller started cracking jokes, such as giving us signals to follow during the live stream: He said if he tugged his ear we were supposed to laugh, and if he scratched his nose we were supposed to cheer! He was kidding, of course, but he got everyone laughing and really livened the room up again. He was such a riot! (Ezra also made a few hilarious quips after the Leavesden host said she wanted to “Take an Ezra Miller home,” but those might be the kind of things he would rather I did not share with the internet.)

After the livestream, they stood on the stage talking to each other for a few moments, looking just like a group of friends rather than co-movie-stars. It was clear that this cast really gets along well with each other. Their was a friendly and supportive demeanor among all of them. It honestly just made me even MORE excited for the film to come out! November can’t come soon enough

As the even ended, a few of the cast members gave a little bit of attention afterward to the fans that were in the room. They didn’t have a lot of time (as they were running late to make it to their next event), but just a “thank you for your question!”, a high-five, or a quick photo went a long way. They were in no way obligated to do any of those things — they just did it because they are nice. My only regret is that I couldn’t spend more time talking with them! Maybe someday…

There was a great spirit of camaraderie between all of the writers/interviews there. I talked a bit with a couple of writers there, one representing Snitchseeker and the other MuggleNet. We got to know each other a little before the interview, and we all expressed how excited we were for this opportunity. 

To me, as someone who has never been behind-the-scenes for something like this, it was fascinating how something as seemingly simple as an interview takes so much preparation by a host of different people. All of the camera operators had to prepare their equipment and test it extensively; other members of the crew had to test the live-feed between San Diego and Leavesden to make sure it worked properly; and of course, there were quite a few people dedicated solely to making sure the actors were ready. 

On a light note, the room the interview took place in was *tiny*! It was maybe a fifth of the size of the Great Hall shown in Leavesden. The stage took up about half of the room, and there was hardly any free space for people to move around in. 

Unfortunately, the cast couldn’t stick around for long after the interview. They were rushed out pretty much immediately afterwards to go sign autographs at Comic Con. 

Thank you to Georgia, Gemma, Tabitha and Carianne for attending the Fantastic Beasts Live Q&A events both in London and SDCC 2016. The video of the event can be seen here.

We have been covering the unveilings of exclusive material at San Diego Comic Con’s Fantastic Beasts panel – first a trailer, and now an exclusive Q&A event with the cast – featuring a question from Leaky!

We’re live now with the cast of #FantasticBeasts and the NEW TRAILER. #SDCC2016 pic.twitter.com/g1sBRhAGiu

— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) July 23, 2016

We’re live at #SDCC2016 with the cast of #FantasticBeasts. Follow us on Snapchat for more magic. – Wizarding_World pic.twitter.com/ufAIlK4r9w

— Fantastic Beasts (@FantasticBeasts) July 23, 2016

Present at the event were: Director David Yates, Producer David Heyman, Ezra Miller (Credence), Collin Farrell (Percival Graves), Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Tina Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski) and Alison Sudol (Queenie Goldstein).

In the U.K., fans (and Leaky) were in the Great Hall at Leavesden Studios to take part in the live stream Q&A, where Fantastic Beasts costumes and props were being flaunted – unfortunately only for this exclusive event. Georgia and Gemma represented Leaky in London, so keep posted for more updates on this!

Carianne and Tabitha attended Comic-Con in San Diego on behalf of The Leaky Cauldron, Carianne managed to ask what Eddie, Katherine, Dan and Alison’s favourite parts about the wizarding world are:

Alison answered “Anything is possible, and also that it’s a beautiful world, it’s close enough to our world that it feels real and yet the possibilities and just the wonder of it, on just the tiniest little details how magic is sort of workaday in the world is just constantly inspiring” 

Katherine says “I think the idea of a parallel universe is just something I think we can all relate to. Of course children have that sense and we kind of grow up and we are kind of bred out or encouraged to stop thinking that way and stop seeing  the beauty and the possibility and the magic around us, and to consider it in this much more literal way that there could be a simultaneous world happening around us that we might not be conscious of, that we might be able to notice if you tune into it or look for it … I love that idea” 

Presenter Edith Bowman asked what it was like in San Diego when the brand new trailer was shown to audiences, and Eddie Redmayne jumped straight in with his answer, clearly excited to be at such a huge event:

“You hear so much about Comic-Con, the moment you actually walk on stage, it’s like no sensory experience you can possibly imagine – it’s so overwhelming, but so exciting”

According to Redmayne, there were people dressed as Newt Scamander in the audience!

Ezra Miller’s character has been kept closely under wraps (he does, however, feature in the new Fantastic Beasts poster), so his answer was understandably more discrete:

“I can’t tell you my favourite scene” he says, but said his favourite thing about working on the film was working with Collin Farrell, Eddie Redmayne and Samantha Morton (Mary Lou).

Alison Sudol says she is a “big Harry Potter fan” so is obviously excited to be promoting Fantastic Beasts at such a great event. “You can’t help but feel like a kid” she says, “It is magical, it’s magical to be a part of this world and to have a continuation of the universe that we all fell in love with, but it’s something new, something different” 

Dan Fogler is a loyal Comic-Con fan, who says he’s been attending the event for probably the past 15 years, and compares the excitement of attending 2016’s event to 2015:

“Last year I didn’t have much going on … then I got the call from my agent saying you know, ‘Next Comic-Con’s gonna be a lot different’, and they were right.” 

Pottermore asked the first time Eddie Redmayne learned to use a wand, which apparently happened in what turned out to be a slightly awkward experience during screen tests for the film:

“I remember David said very kindly ‘Ed, just choose a wand’ and I was like *HUGE GASP*. What was extraordinary was that your inner 9-year-old has waited for this moment all your life, and I picked the thing up, and I got complete stage fright. I had no idea what to do with it – it looked really odd in my hand so in the end I actually went back and looked at some of the Harry Potter films and looked at Dan and Emma and Rupert’s work and thieved an idea or two!”

Alison Sudol echoed this ‘stage fright’, saying that she was also concerned about whether the wand was actually magic, but that after the initial shock is over with “it becomes quite addictive” – apparently she’d found herself actually walking around at home with a wand!

Katherine Waterston said that the muscles involved in wand work were a surprise for her, saying she got a case of ‘wand elbow’.

SnitchSeeker then asked Eddie Redmayne what makes Newt Scamander a true Hufflepuff. Eddie said he’d recently taken the Pottermore sorting test:

“I’d been holding off doing it for an age because I couldn’t believe it would actually work, and I was sorted into Hufflepuff and it was the most exciting moment of my life”

“It’s his heart – he’s a complicated, knotty, at moments spiky character, but he has a wonderful heart and a passion for his creatures, and I suppose it’s those qualities which I associated with a Hufflepuff”

You can view the trailer and the full Q&A in the video on the Fantastic Beasts below, and check out our break-down of the trailer here!

Thank you to Carianne for asking Leaky’s question, and to Alison Sudol and Katherine Waterston for answering it! Many thanks to Tabitha, who joined Carianne and represented Leaky at SDCC 2016, and Gemma and Georgia, who joined the festivities at Leavesden Studios in London on Leaky’s behalf–thank you!!!

San Diego Comic-Con’s Fantastic Beasts event is currently underway, which means a BRAND NEW TRAILER!

Leaky is at both the San Diego panel, and Warner Bros’ exclusive event at Leavesden Studios in London, which is currently featuring some brand new Fantastic Beasts costumes!

Watch the trailer below, and keep reading for our coverage of the trailer:

Collin Farrell is the first to appear. He is tracking a beast …. which means, of course, he’s tracking Newt Scamander.

New York city is shown being thrown into chaos by Newt’s case of beasts, which – as we know from previous trailers – was opened by Jacob.

A house elf also makes an appearance in the trailer:

Along with a new magical moving portrait to love:

We also get to see more of Queenie Goldstein, saying ‘Teenie… you brought men home?’ as she greets her sister, ‘Mr Scamander’ and Jacob:

“We’re going to re-capture my creatures before they get hurt” Newt – of course – is concerned for the welfare of his beasts. New York City, not so much. Check out this beautiful shot of 1920s Times Square from the trailer:

The beauty of the cinematography is not going to let us down – the trailer is breathtaking in its visual effects:

And there are some new beasts for us to ponder over:

“When No-Majs are afraid, they attack…. Contain this, or it’ll mean war” warns Seraphina Picquery, President of MACUSA:

“Your skull is susceptible to breakage under immense force” Newt tells Jacob, after handing him a helmet:

“Don’t panic! There’s absolutely nothing to worry about” Newt assures police officers, as a HUGE beast appears behind him:

After that IMMENSE trailer, Jacob sits back with Newt and says enviously, “I wanna be a wizard”. We know the feeling!

Keep posted for more updates, and read Pottarmore’s coverage here!

SIGGRAPH can be overwhelming, so here’s an animation and VFX-focused look at what not to miss in Anaheim.

The post SIGGRAPH 2016: An Animation and VFX Preview appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Brad Bird, virtual reality, storyboarding, and true animation legends are part of our must-see Comic-Con events.

The post Comic-Con 2016: Five Must-See Animation Panels appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Yesterday, Evanna Lynch attended the Giffoni Film Festival held in Salerno (Italy), after starring in My Name is Emily, which featured in the Generator +16 competition at the event. Of course, many Potter fans attended the festival to ask questions, but Evanna also had some wisdom of her own to share.

Evanna was part of the Potter community long before she was cast as Luna at 14 years old, so it makes sense that she’d have ideas about where she  would have liked the plot to go. The bonus of being cast was that J.K. Rowling was right there, available to speak to about ideas, and maybe get a few hints at the story along the way. Evanna did not waste this opportunity, telling Rowling a very interesting idea she’d had for the development of Luna’s character:

“I’ve always had so many ideas about the narrative developments that one day I went to the writer to propose her a love story between Luna and the Headmaster … I told her I didn’t mind the difference of age between them, instead, I thought they would be a nice couple. She replied: ‘It’s not about the age. In any case, the relationship would be impossible because he is gay’. That’s how I found out about one of the greatest revelations of J.K. Rowling”

When asked about the decision to cast Noma Dumezweni in Cursed Child (which opens officially on July 30th), Evanna gave sensitive, thoughtful reasoning behind her answer:

“I consider it to be the right decision. Hermione is a libertarian in spirit, she fights for those in difficulty, it makes total sense to imagine her as part of a minority. One of the most beautiful things about J.K Rowling, which for me is a point of reference, is the way in which she uses her characters to send a message”.

She later reaffirmed this answer:

“Hermione’s feature is her desire to help the defenceless, like house-elves, thus it makes perfectly sense her being part of a minority. Such a choice proves that J.K. Rowling wished to give a strong social message through her work. As far as I’m concerned, it’s talent that counts, not skin colour”.

She also had a few words to say about Luna’s sense of social justice:

 “Luna doesn’t give a darn about people’s prejudices, she is a free spirit and she also helped me fighting my insecurities, just like she’s doing with million people in the world. This is the reason why I decided to embrace important causes in my following projects. For example, I acted a wicked girl who hates homosexuals in G.B.F. Because I felt awkward whilst giving life to her pettiness, I understood that my character would have succeeded in proving the premises of the film true.”

Evanna is an aspirational young actress, who likes to take on challenging roles – her troubled character in My Name is Emily illustrates her desire to portray complex characters who tell a story. However, she also sets herself personal challenges in her career:

“I always look for new challenges and I’ve got a long list of actors I’d like to play with. First of all is Benedict Cumberbatch because I’m a fan of his TV Sherlock”

Of course, as a Potter fan herself, Evanna would never give up another chance to play Luna:

“I am not ready to abandon the character entirely and I think I would be jealous if it were assigned to someone else”.

Later she also said of Cursed Child:

“ Should anyone make a film based on the stage play I would whip into it. The truth is that I can’t say goodbye to my character, and I hope to play it again, maybe in an older version”. 

We all know that Evanna loves her cat – her Instagram is almost exclusively photos/videos of Puff, so when a fan awkwardly proposed to her at the event, her reply was believable:

“We’ll talk about it again in ten years’ time, now I’m giving all my time over my kitties, indeed, I wish to open a cattery very soon to welcome them all and spend all my money on their safeguard”

Back with ma baby. Surely I’m not the only one who sings the Tangled wake up song to herself and her cat in the morning?? ????

A video posted by Evanna Lynch (@msevylynch) on Jul 8, 2016 at 11:42am PDT

I swear to god she talks to me and I understand her!! ???? #soulmates #bff #LilPuff

A video posted by Evanna Lynch (@msevylynch) on Jun 25, 2016 at 6:40pm PDT

Lynch also advised young aspiring actors to “read a lot and broadly, stay pure and be yourselves; this will help you in a world that is not always easy”.

She also gave advice to younger fans in the audience:

“Be sympathetic to your parents, explain them your dreams and help them understanding the reasons why you want to experience new things. Sometimes, they might forbid you to dye your hair or wear some clothes but they do it in good faith to protect you. My mother, who is here with me in the hall at Giffoni, gave me strict rules but she also left me free to find my way, so I realised that my adolescence rebellion was not a pique but instead a desire to understand who I was”

Read more over at the Giffoni Film Festival website and ANSA, and see photos of Evanna at the event below!

According to Pottermore, Newt Scamander will be coming to San Diego Comic-Con this month – in Funko Pop! style!

The new figure will make his debut at the convention, and will be on sale to the general public following the event. Being a magizoologist, it’s only fitting that Newt be sold along with a three-pack of a Cornish pixie, Mandrake and Grindylow – these ‘fantastic beasts’ will be exclusive to Comic-Con, and we’re super jealous!

The convention will run from 20th – 24th July. Find out more here!

30 years of work, 2,500 items on display—this is a must-visit for any Ghibli fan.

The post Massive Studio Ghibli Exhibition Opens Tomorrow In Tokyo appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

This summer, Warner Bros Studio Tour London are inviting guests to enjoy an exclusive breakfast in front of their extraordinary Hogwarts model, with early access to the Studio Tour!

The event will run on 21st and 28th August. Details from the website are as follows:

“Harry Potter fans of all ages are invited to watch dawn break over the Hogwarts castle model while enjoying an exclusive breakfast reception. The iconic castle took a team of 40 people seven months to build from scratch with over 300 fibre optic lights installed to simulate lanterns and torches.

After breakfast, you will be given early access to the Studio Tour where the Great Hall will be specially dressed for breakfast as it was in the magical film series right down to the boxes of Pixie Puffs and Cheeri Owls on the trestle tables. Staff members dressed in full Hogwarts’ uniforms will join you in the Great Hall for a complimentary souvenir photograph at the breakfast table.

Then you will be invited to walk among the authentic sets and discover the behind the scenes secrets at the studios where it all began, ahead of the first tour of the day. Highlights include the Gryffindor common room, Dumbledore’s office, the Weasley kitchen at The Burrow and the iconic Platform 9 ¾ that houses the original Hogwarts Express locomotive.

Following a complimentary tankard of Butterbeer in the Backlot Café, you will be able to step inside Harry Potter’s childhood home, number four Privet Drive, before wandering up the wizarding shopping street of Diagon Alley. The visit concludes in our lobby where a complimentary souvenir guidebook can be collected.”

Tickets go on sale at 10am (BST) on July 6th (adult tickets £95, child tickets £75).

For more information, an itinerary, and details on how to buy tickets, visit the Warner Bros. Studio Tour website here!

We've got the 2016 trailer premiere for Mexico's big animation event, Pixelatl.

The post Exclusive: Mexico’s Pixelatl Festival 2016 Trailer by Mighty Animation appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A team of worldwide creators set to market Fantastic Beasts over the coming months was introduced this week at VidCon. As this is one of the biggest fan conventions based around the power of online video, (originally conceived by YouTube’s Vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green), it was only fitting that Youtubers led the panel and the new marketing strategy!

The event starts with the amazing trailer of Fantastic Beasts, of course (which you can find here)

The panel is then introduced by Youtubers Tyler Oakley and Ingrid Nilsen, telling us that more teasers are coming up in the next few months, let by ‘worldwide creators’ chosen by Warner Bros to market the film.

These worldwide creators are introduced on the Fantastic Beasts set, and give us a tutorial on correct posture and pronunciation of spells in the Wizarding World.

The panel of creators then introduce their houses, and kick off by answering a question by J.K. Rowling, who asks what it was like to be on set. Of course, most appreciate the level of detail behind the scenes of the film, and say how exciting it was to be on set!

The creators share stories on how they were introduced to the books and films, memories of being a part of the Potter fandom, why Eddie Redmayne is the perfect Newt Scamander, questions they have about the Fantastic Beasts storyline, and answer many more questions surrounding the new, expanded wizarding world we have been introduced to through Fantastic Beasts.

Be sure to watch the panel below to get to know the creators who will be marketing Fantastic Beasts – more teasers are soon to come!

This event came shortly after Warner Bros. release of another Fantastic Beasts poster, which you can find here.

Watch the video of the panel below!

Fantastic Beasts will be in attendance at VidCon this year – one of the biggest fan conventions based around the power of online video, originally conceived by YouTube’s Vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green.

In the run up to the convention, the film’s Facebook page released a brand new poster, featuring Newt Scamander, and a message teasing at something FANTASTIC set to occur at VidCon:

“A new piece of art to celebrate a new era of the Wizarding World! And stay tuned because something FANTASTIC at ?#?vidcon2016? is being announced soon… ?#?FantasticBeasts?“

This new poster is absolutely beautiful – we can’t wait to see what they’ll be up to at VidCon! Watch the official trailer here!

If you are in or near Minneapolis, please come see my workshop on Interiority: Exploring a Character’s Inner Life. This topic is always on my mind. I find myself constantly commenting on interiority (thoughts, feelings, emotions) in client manuscripts. There isn’t a protagonist out there, in my humble opinion, that couldn’t stand to be developed more fully from the inside out.

This is an in-depth three-hour workshop where we’ll really dive into my favorite fiction craft topic. I hope to arm you with some inspiration and knowledge so that you can dive into your protagonist more confidently and deepen your own craft as a fiction writer.

The Loft is still taking registrations and you can find more information here. I’d love to see you on July 23rd.