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The new web site explains how artists will receive the nearly-$19 million settlement fund from Blue Sky and Sony Pictures.

The post New Web Site Helps Artists Claim Settlement Money From Wage Theft Lawsuit appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Gareth Edwards, is the first of the Star Wars spin-off stories that will be released between “proper” episodes of the series. This first one, as you surely already know, centers on the Rebel attempt to steal the plans for the Death Star. Felicity Jones looks to be […]

This is a significant victory for the hard-working members of the feature animation community.

The post Blue Sky Agrees To Settle Wage-Fixing Lawsuit With Animation Workers appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

This morning is just chock-full of entertainment goodies. Now, we’ve got a quick teaser for Star Wars Episode VIII that’s just begun production: Along with the reveal that Benicio Del Toro (Sicario, Traffic), Laura Dern (Wild, Enlightened), and newcomer Kelly Tran will be joining the cast in undisclosed roles. Del Toro has been long rumored […]

Last year, Marvel launched their new Star Wars comics by offering remastered editions of the original comic book adaptations. Well…  next March, Lusasfilm Press will release a brand new graphic novel adaptation of the original trilogy (AKA “A New Hope Strikes the Jedi”)! I can’t discover who made this; it’s listed as “LucasFilm Book Group”. Disney […]

Take a few minutes to understand the lawsuit that industry artists have filed against the big American studios and why it matters.

The post What Is The Animation Wage-Fixing Lawsuit? An Explainer for the Community appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

I thought the most recent trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was very pretty and artfully made, I also thought it did a not so great job actually selling the movie that its leading up to. Abrams and Disney know that they already have at least 2 billion in the bank at this point, […]

Film producer Sam Mercer has been hired to run ILM's four studios in San Francisco, Vancouver, London, and Singapore.

A judge rule that animation artists can continue a case against studios which allegedly suppressed wages for decades through fraud.

I’m not at D23 this weekend, and I’ll reserve any of the “on the scene” impressions for Beat contributors Alex Jones and Victor Van Scoit, who are both there in person. But that doesn’t mean I won’t report on the biggest announcements that are worthy of attention and discussion, and when it comes to Disney […]

The Blu-ray set will be available on September 1st.

So, we all know that Marvel didn’t present anything in Hall H during Comic-Con.

Was it because they didn’t have anything to show, just like Sony and Paramount?

Or were they saving their big announcements for the D23 Expo, Disney’s biennial fanfest scheduled for August 14-16? 

Well, we know a little bit more, as Disney has published the show schedule, and released PR about some of the bigger events, taking place in “Hall D23″.  Disney hasn’t published any maps yet for the Expo, but it will be located in Hall D of the Anaheim Convention Center, which has a theater capacity of … 15,000! (The attached Arena seats “only” 7500.) Disney isn’t using the entire space. just 7500 seats. So get there early!

So, what’s scheduled?

Friday

10:00 AM – Noon   Disney Legends Awards

This is the Disney “Hall of Fame”. This year, Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger will induct:

GEORGE BODENHEIMER, who retired from his role as Executive Chairman of ESPN in May 2014, enjoyed a remarkable 33-year career that began in the company’s mailroom in 1981. Working his way through the ranks, he became executive vice president of sales and marketing in 1996, before being named the network’s fifth president in 1998. He held that role until 2012, when he stepped down from day-to-day operations.

ANDREAS DEJA is a link to Disney’s past and one of the greatest animators of its modern era. Deja is known for his rich portraits of villainy, having animated Gaston for Beauty and the Beast, Jafar for Aladdin, and Scar for The Lion King. He has also brought life to heroes such as mighty Hercules, the precocious Lilo (Lilo & Stitch), regal King Triton (The Little Mermaid), wise Mama Odie (The Princess and the Frog), and loveable Tigger (Winnie the Pooh). In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious Winsor McCay Award for his contributions to the art of animation.

EYVIND EARLE, one of the greatest of Disney artists, brought his unique style to a number of memorable projects but perhaps the purest realization of his vision remains the visual styling and backgrounds for the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty. Earle’s career with Disney began in 1951, working on background artwork for Peter Pan. He created the look of the 1953 animated short Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, which won an Academy Award^® for Best Short Subject, Cartoons in 1954. His most noticeable contribution, however, remains his work on Sleeping Beauty. The film’s eye-catching look, in its design and backgrounds, are the perfect representation of his unique style.

DANNY ELFMAN provided the songs and score for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, for which he also provided the singing voice of Jack Skellington. He also scored several Disney films including Alice in Wonderland, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Dick Tracy, Dead Presidents, Flubber, Good Will Hunting (Oscar^® Nomination: Best Score), A Civil Action, Instinct, Frankenweenie, and Oz the Great and Powerful. Elfman also wrote the theme for ABC’s Desperate Housewives and penned the music for the Mystic Manor attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland. His music is featured in Disneyland’s annual Haunted Mansion Holiday. His upcoming Disney projects include Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.

GEORGE LUCAS, whose Star Wars films made him one of the most successful filmmakers of all time, is also a longtime Disney fan who has left an indelible impression on Disney parks. His first project with Disney was Captain EO, the 1986 3-D spectacular starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Star Tours and Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, as well as Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril in Disneyland Paris, and two blockbuster Indiana Jones Adventure attractions at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, round out Lucas’ timeless work in conjunction with Disney.

SUSAN LUCCI portrayed Erica Kane on ABC’s fabled soap opera All My Children for 41 years, a role that TV Guide deemed unequivocally the most famous character in the history of daytime television, earning Lucci 21 Daytime Emmy^® nominations to which she won the prestigious Emmy for Best Actress to an industry-wide standing ovation on her 19th nomination. Shortly thereafter, she received her Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, presented to her by Bob Iger, Chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. The iconic actress has also appeared on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars and Hope & Faith, as well as Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven. Lucci currently stars in the international hit Lifetime series, Devious Maids, produced by ABC Studios, as the wealthy and effervescent socialite, Genevieve Delatour.

JULIE REIHM CASALETTO, who began her Disney career as a tour guide, became Disneyland’s first Ambassador in 1965—a role created to help Walt, who found it increasingly difficult to attend all the events to which he was invited. As Disneyland’s first Ambassador, she was chosen “as a personification of Disneyland’s world-famous spirit of friendliness and happiness.” She became the template upon which decades of Ambassadors would pattern themselves.

CARSON VAN OSTEN helped bring Disney characters to life in a variety of media, all around the world, for three decades. During Van Osten’s tenure, he oversaw creative content for motion picture tie-in advertising, many Disney publications, and also established some of the first licensing style guides for Disney Consumer Products. The talented artist designed logos for Mickey Mouse’s 50th and 60th birthdays, the Walt Disney Studios logo and water tower design, and the Disneyland Hotel clock tower “Mickey” logo in Paris.

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM   Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films, Hosted by John Lasseter

After meeting the Emotions inside the mind of an 11-year-old, taking a trip to San Fransokyo, where a boy genius and his robot save the world, and falling in love with a queen with icy powers who wants to “let it go,” come see where Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios plan to take you next. In what has become a D23 EXPO must-see, host John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, presents this in-depth look at the animation studios’ slate. Filmmakers will unveil never-before-seen footage from Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory and Disney Animation’s Zootopia and Moana. The event will include surprise announcements, musical performances, and appearances by the films’ star voice talent.

Saturday

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM   Worlds, Galaxies, and Universes: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios

Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm are home to some of the planet’s best storytellers, immersing audiences fully in the world of each film from beginning to end and beyond. In this exclusive Hall D23 presentation, join Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn for a tour of upcoming live-action projects from these legendary film studios. A bevy of special guests will be on hand to offer a look at an unparalleled slate that includes Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—and much, much more.

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM   Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

No description yet, but Parks chairman Bob Chapek will reveal what’s new! I would expect more info on the new Shanghai Disneyland! As well as info on Disney Springs and [Disney’s Hollywood Studios]! Maybe some information on the $1 Billion expansion at Disneyland?

Sunday

11:00 AM – Noon   It’s Game Time: Disney Interactive Takes The Stage

No idea…  I would expect more information about Disney Infinity 3.0 (now with more Wookies). Also, since it launches in October, there’d better be some hands-on demos for Playmation. (Hollee… Iron Skrull?!?!? You had me at MODOK!)

Ahem… getting back on track…  sorry… I’ll try not to think about the Star Wars or Frozen sets…

3:00 – 4:30 PM   Frozen FANdemonium: A Musical Celebration!

Join host Chris Montan, president, Walt Disney Music, and the Oscar^®-winning songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez as they take you on a once-in-a-lifetime musical journey through the world of Frozen. This one-day-only performance features your favorite friends from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film—including Anna and Elsa––with sing-along experiences and fascinating stories behind some of your favorite Frozen songs.

CEO Bob Iger has driven the Disney Company to record profits. But how long will his strategy work?

Here’s a bit of a shock; given that Marvel Studios (the feature film division anyway) reportedly won’t have a presence at San Diego Comic Con this year, you figure it’d be safe to assume that LucasFilm/Disney would save Star Wars for D23 as well.

You know what they say about assuming…

Lucasfilm announced today that Star Wars: The Force Awakens will indeed have a panel in Hall H this year on Friday July 10th. In attendance will be director J.J. Abrams, producer Kathleen Kennedy, and writer Lawrence Kasdan. “Special guests” have also been cited in the announcement released below. Who wants to bet those guests include a certain trio of Star Wars vets? Here’s the panel info and other fun events those attending SDCC will be able to take part in, provided you can handle the surely massive line to get there:

Friday, July 10, Star Wars Schedule

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Hall H 

Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and special guests provide a special look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Star Wars Publishing 2015, Part 1: 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.; Room: 7AB

Join a dynamic, all-star, New York Times-bestselling panel of authors including Alexandra Bracken (the Darkest Minds series), Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grim series), Tom Angleberger (The Origami Yoda series), and Tony Diterlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles) in conversation with Lucasfilm’s Mike Siglain about the new Star Wars retellings for a younger generation of fans. From  picture books to novels, these authors present A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi in perspectives that will change the way readers understand who these beloved characters are and how they became legends for legions of fans.

Star Wars Publishing 2015, Part 2: 11:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.; Room: 7AB

Join a variety of authors as they talk about their upcoming projects from that galaxy far, far away. Moderated by Lucasfilm’s Mike Siglain, authors from Del Rey and other publishers will participate in a discussion on writing stories for the exciting new future of the Star Wars universe.

Hasbro Star Wars, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., Room: 7AB 
Join a variety of authors as they talk about their upcoming projects from that galaxy far, far away. Moderated by Lucasfilm’s Mike Siglain, authors from Del Rey and other publishers will participate in a discussion on writing stories for the exciting new future of the Star Wars universe.

Join members of the Hasbro and Lucasfilm teams as they discuss the popular Hasbro Star Wars line. Attendees will get an in-depth look at Hasbro’s latest action figure offerings, and word on the Holonet is there may also be a few surprises, including a special product reveal.

Star Wars Collectibles Update with Lucasfilm’s Anita Castellar, 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., Room: 7AB

Join eFX, Gentle Giant Studios, Kotobukiya, and Sideshow Collectibles for product development insights and exclusive previews of the latest in Star Wars collectibles. In attendance will be Anita Castellar, a self-professed Star Wars fangirl who manages licensing for hardline categories at Lucasfilm such as toys, collectibles, consumer electronics, automotives, and more.

ILM 40^th Anniversary, 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Room: 7AB

For 40 years, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has set the standard for visual effects, creating some of the most memorable images in the history of modern cinema. From advances in the photo chemical process, optical compositing, motion control, and models and miniatures — to the company’s pioneering efforts in computer graphics, digital compositing, film scanning and recording, morphing, digital environments, performance capture, character animation and modern digital pipelines, ILM continues to break new ground in visual effects for film, television, themed attractions, and new forms of entertainment. The presenters will discuss the company’s work from its earliest days and breakthroughs along the way.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition at San Diego Comic Con 2015

For the first time, Star Wars joins forces with characters from across The Walt Disney Company in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition – the next chapter in the best-selling hybrid toy/video game series. Fans are invited to the Disney Infinity Pop-Up Shop, located at the heart of Gaslamp District, for the opportunity to play as Ahsoka Tano, Luke Skywalker, Darth Maul or any of the Star Wars characters featured in Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic and Star Wars: Rise Against the Empire.

Fans will also have a chance to step into the “Disney Infinity Only in the Toy Box” mediated reality experience, where guests virtually enter the Toy Box and interact alongside their favorite Disney Infinity characters, such as engaging in lightsaber duels with Darth Vader or Yoda, and take home a customized photo and video with their chosen character. Other Disney Infinity Pop-Up Shop activities include a Toy Box TV Live Edition webcast on Twitch featuring new announcements, surprise guests, contests with prizes, and exclusive giveaways.

But the fight isn't over yet. Animation artists have 30 days to produce new evidence.

Between Guardians of the Galaxy and The Lego Movie, Chris Pratt was probably THE action/adventure star of 2014. With Jurassic World coming up in June and The Magnificent Seven about to begin shooting, that momentum doesn’t look like it’s slowing down anytime soon.

If Disney has their way, we may very well see Pratt attached to another big franchise: The Indiana Jones series.

Ever since acquiring the rights to the swashbuckling archaeologist from Paramount in 2013 (who had held onto film rights even after the Lucasfilm purchase by the House of Mouse), the studio has been looking to reboot after the moribund reaction to Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. There were rumors floating around that Bradley Cooper would get the nod that were eventually dismissed, but now Deadline is hearing that Pratt is their go-to guy.

Its still a rumor at this point, but something to keep an eye on in a world where we’re about to get a Mad Max revival (and I call that a great thing, by the way).

The major studios filed a motion last Friday in federal court asking a judge to dismiss the antitrust wage-fixing lawsuit that had been filed by animation industry employees.

The wage-theft scheme operated by major American animation studios continues to grow with no end in sight.

Shocking details of wage-theft conspiracy emerge in a class action lawsuit filed against DreamWorks, Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm, Digital Domain 3.0, Sony Pictures Imageworks and others.

Pixar and Disney Animation president Ed Catmull has always had a reputation as a decent person, but newly revealed court documents show that he's been working against the interests of Pixar's employees for years, as well as trying to hurt other studios who didn't play by his rules.

Tech site Pando Daily has been providing amazing coverage of the Department of Justice antitrust invesigation and subsequent class action lawsuits over wage-fixing amongst Silicon Valley tech companies and animation studios.

Just two months after Disney cancelled the Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, they have announced a new series called Star Wars Rebels. The show will debut on the Disney Channel as a one-hour special in 2014, before continuing as a regular series on Disney XD. The show will be set during the two-decade timespan between Episode III and IV, at a time when “the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape.”

Dave Filoni, who was supervising diretor on Clone Wars, will head up the production as exec producer. He will be joined by Clone Wars veterans Kilian Plunkett (Art Director) and Joel Aron (CG Supervisor), as well as some fresh faces:

Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Executive producer Greg Weisman brings with him a wealth of animation experience with credits such as Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles.

Just two months after Disney cancelled the Cartoon Network series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, they have announced a new series called Star Wars Rebels. The show will debut on the Disney Channel as a one-hour special in 2014, before continuing as a regular series on Disney XD. The show will be set during the two-decade timespan between Episode III and IV, at a time when “the Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is taking shape.”

Dave Filoni, who was supervising diretor on Clone Wars, will head up the production as exec producer. He will be joined by Clone Wars veterans Kilian Plunkett (Art Director) and Joel Aron (CG Supervisor), as well as some fresh faces:

Leading the development of the series is a creative team of exceptional talent. Screenwriter/producer Simon Kinberg (X-Men: First Class, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is an executive producer on Star Wars Rebels and will write the premiere episode. He is joined by Dave Filoni as executive producer, who served as supervising director of the Emmy nominated Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Executive producer Greg Weisman brings with him a wealth of animation experience with credits such as Young Justice, The Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles.

The shake-out from Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of Lucasfilm continues. This morning, Disney shut down LucasArts, the 31-year-old gaming division of Lucasfilm. They gutted the whole division with approximately 150 employees losing their jobs. The only question that remains is what inspiring piece of photography Lucasfilm exec Colum Slevin will post on his Tumblr to commemorate the shut down.

If you’re an animation studio executive and you’ve just laid off a a crew of artists, what’s the first thing you should do? Going on Tumblr to blog about it should be nowhere near the top of that list. In fact, you shouldn’t even be thinking about whether that’s something you should be doing. Don’t tell this to Colum Slevin, Lucasfilm Vice-President, Head of Studio Operations, who decided that he would blog his company’s layoffs.

The layoffs probably weren’t Slevin’s decision. They are owed to the inevitable restructuring resulting from Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm. Disney’s cancellation of the Clone Wars TV series caused an initial round of layoffs last week. After crew members working on the show were let go, Slevin made this post on his Tumblr account:

In another context—like an Oprah TV special—this might have been a nice thought, but the fortune cookie-worthy sentiment is more than a little icky coming from a well-paid executive who doesn’t have to worry about where he’s getting his next paycheck.

Executives love to promote the idea that studios are families, which is a silly analogy for countless reasons. For starters, families don’t lay off their own members. That’s why it’s a good idea for execs like Slevin to reserve the paternalistic pep talks for their own kids, and avoid telling former employees that they have Character (with a capital C no less) and showing them garish personal photos—though the latter does bode well for Slevin’s bid to become a Creative Exec.

(via RebelScum.com)