Christian Ziebarth Author Archive
Reviews | Interviews | Features | Blogs | News

Disney movie roundup

In Disney theatrical and home release animated movie news Animation World Network reports that Glago’s Guest (see our prior coverage) will now not be screening in front of Bolt, reminiscent of when How to Hook Up Your Home Theater ended up not screening with Enchanted as expected but ended up paired a few months later […]

The Chestnut Tree gets internet debut

Now showing in the YouTube Screening Room is Hyun-Min Lee’s Annie-nominated short, The Chestnut Tree. This small, personal project has been worked on by some big names in the animation world, including Jennifer and Bert Klein, Eric and Susan Goldberg, and Don Hahn (remember his panel is tonight). Click here to read our Animated Views […]

Upcoming DCA changes rooted in early Disney animation

Laughing Place has a new feature showcasing pictures and video from the new Walt Disney Imagineering: Blue Sky Cellar building at Disney’s California Adventure which opens to the public on October 20 and will give guests a sneak peek at new and revamped attractions at the second Anaheim Disney-themed park. New attractions will be a […]

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa stills

Following are five new images from DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, which is due out on November 7.

BYU animation program piques Pixar's curiosity

The BYU Magazine online has a piece about the school’s animation program and the interest Pixar personnel have taken in it. “Over the years, Pixar has worked with a lot of universities around the country,” says Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. “One of the interesting things is that, all of a […]

Sito interviews Goldberg

Master animator Eric Goldberg has spoken with Animated News and Views on a number of occasions but he has more tales to tell. Animation World Magazine has posted an interview with Goldberg conducted by Eric’s longtime friend Tom Sito. The interview fills in gaps hitherto unmentioned in Goldberg’s storied career. touching on work for Disney’s, […]

Don Hahn panel at Woodbury University

To tie in with the recent launch of The Alchemy of Animation, Don Hahn and a great panel of celebrated animators will be sharing their insights and thoughts on the art of animation through the years on Monday, October 20, at Woodbury University in Burbank, CA. Hahn and his panel of colleagues from the past […]

Happy Feet to tap some more

According to the Sydney Morning Herald director George “Mad Max” Miller is looking to produce a sequel to his award-winning animated feature Happy Feet the Ugly Duckling-esque tale of a penguin who couldn’t sing, as the rest of his flock could, but had the knack for some fierce tap-dancing.

Watch those pic-a-nic baskets, Yogi's coming to theaters

According to Yahoo! News, Warner Bros. has plans to create a live-action/animation feature film version of Yogi Bear directed by Ash Brannon (Surf’s Up). “Yogi Bear first appeared as a supporting character in 1958 in another classic cartoon, The Huckleberry Hound Show. In 1961, he got his own show, which has aired in reruns frequently […]

Shrek The Musical song preview

With previews beginning November 8 Shrek The Musical’s official website is up and running with lots of information on this new production. A new song written especially for the play, “I Know It’s Today,” can be previewed here. Thanks to Kristin for the heads up.

Walt Disney Studios Showcase Event Report

Over at o-meon Chuck Oberleitner gives an in-depth report of the recent Walt Disney Studios Showcase Event with information on Bolt, Car Toons, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, A Christmas Carol, Toy Story 3, a new Alice in Wonderland and more.

Lilo and Stitch team start training dragons

The Seward Street blog mentions that former Lilo and Stitch teammates Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois have re-teamed as director and writer, respectively, on DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon.

The Art and Technology of Bolt

Disney Insider peers into the soul of its soon-to-be-released animated feature Bolt and finds technological advancements only enhancing the fine art nature of its animated films. “Taking cues from the art world, Disney animators have captured the essence of Edward Hopper’s visual poetry by giving Bolt a lush, painterly feel reminiscent of Disney greats Pinocchio […]

Back to Back

AWN has a new interview now with Frédéric Back, independent animator of the 1987 Oscar-winning animated short, The Man Who Planted Trees. In the interview Back discusses his current work and his views on Disney animation past and Pixar animation present, among other subjects. Those local to or visiting the Los Angeles area between now […]

Alchemy of Animation video teaser

Due out next month Don Hahn’s forthcoming book The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age now has a video teaser for it up at YouTube. Get a taste for the book by hearing (and watching) Don discuss the three principle types of animation: hand-drawn, stop motion, and computer-generated. (Viewing tip: […]

Scrat returns in Ice Age 3 teaser trailer

As with the second Ice Age movie the third Ice Age movie is being introduced to us with a new Scrat short where the hapless yet determined saber-toothed squirrel goes to great lengths to retrieve an acorn with his adventures leading him into the larger story of the feature film. Watch the teaser trailer/short now […]

Bill Melendez, RIP

Yahoo! News reports the sad news that animator Bill Melendez has passed away at the age of 91. Melendez began work at the Disney studio before moving on to Warner Bros. then UPA then helping to successfully bring the Peanuts comic strips to life in enduring television animation. He also voiced the characters of Snoopy […]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Premieres on Cartoon Network – Friday, Oct. 3

Hot on the heels of its recent theatrical release Star Wars: The Clone Wars will premiere as a weekly television series from Lucasfilm Animation, on Cartoon Network beginning Friday, October 3 at 9 p.m. The first episode will be an hour long.

Eric Goldberg takes us on a Character Animation Crash Course!

Animated News & Views’ Christian Ziebarth speaks with Eric Goldberg about the animator’s new book, Character Animation Crash Course!

Ollie Johnston: In Remembrance

Animation World Network now sports a collection of remembrances by many in the animation industry (including Don Hahn, Glen Keane, Gene Deitch, Chuck Williams, Chris Wedge, John Lasseter, and Jeffrey Katzenberg) of recently passed Disney animator Ollie Johnston while Jim Hill Media reports on the recent life celebration that was held in Ollie’s remembrance at […]

Animation Podcast: Back in Action

Clay Kaytis’ formidable Animation Podcast website returns after a several month hiatus with Part One of an interview with Eric Goldberg discussing his career from making flip books at the age of 6 through to getting hired at Disney to animate the Genie in Aladdin, with stops at Richard Williams’ and his own studio along […]

New WDAS website

With a surprisingly minimalistic front page that ties into the company’s past and future, Walt Disney Animation Studios launches its brand new website. The About Us section delves into the studio’s history and discusses what it’s like to work at the studio now. The Projects section showcases the title treatments for their next several feature […]

Bert and Ernie get claymated

As reported by Animation Insider the longtime Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie will soon be starring in their own claymation program as part of Sesame Street’s 39th season on television. The educational intent behind the program, made up of five-minute segments, will be to take children beyond counting to building math and computational skills. […]

Newport Beach Film Festival Animation Showcase 2008

This coming Thursday night, August 7 at 8:00pm, the Newport Beach Film Festival will be holding its annual Animation Showcase at the Orange County Museum of Art. This program will feature “a unique collection of short animated films, including hand-drawn and computer-generated works created by cutting-edge and traditional animators from around the globe” shown throughout […]

Marvin the Martian gets his own movie

Marvin the Martian should be very happy, very happy indeed, because it has just been announced that he will be getting his own live-action/CGI movie, according to Cinema Confidential. “Marvin the Martian . . . made his debut in 1948. He often tried to blow up the world but would be thwarted by Bugs Bunny. […]

The frog gets his own trailer

Not much to say here except that the trailer for Disney’s return-to-hand-drawn feature, The Princess and the Frog, is now up at its official site…so hop on over and check it out.

ASIFA-Hollywood Comic-Con Schedule of Events 2008

Follow the ‘More’ link to view ASIFA-Hollywood’s booth and event information for this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. There’s plent of ways to get your animation fix (or overdose) at “the Con” this year.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle to reawaken

According to The Orange County Register the iconic Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA, will reopen its walkthrough attraction, originally opened in 1957 but closed in 2001, to coincide closely with the October 7th release to 2-Disc Platinum DVD and Blu-Ray of Disney’s 1959 animated masterpiece Sleeping Beauty. Be sure to check […]

More Glago's Guest

Over at Animation World Network an interview with Chris Williams can be read about his coming Disney animated short, Glago’s Guest. “It began as an illustration of Roman soldiers and evolved into an artful 3D-animated short about desolation and discovery in a Siberian outpost in the 1920s, as a lonely soldier named Glago has an […]

Eric Goldberg book signing

If you’re not able to make it to the San Diego Comic-Con to get your copy of “Character Animation Crash Course” signed by its author, Eric Goldberg, you’ll have another chance on August 6th from 7-9pm when Eric will be signing copies of his soon-to-be-released book at the Samuel French Theatre and Film Bookshop in […]