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Items of interest to Christian animators plus animation-related requests from Christians
If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ and have animation-related NEWS or NEEDS you want to post here, please send them to us at
. There is no charge for postings, but we reserve the right to decline to post any item submitted at our discretion without explanation. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
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Creating a Christmas Cartoon
Australian animator Phil Watson is working with the Bible Society of New South Wales to produce a short cartoon animation of the Christmas story. The video will be shown on YouTube and also given away as a free download. The animation is narrated using straight Bible text. "The aim is to simply tell the Bible story in a modern and engaging way without any denominational bias – apart from an Australian angle!" writes Watson. There is a short teaser trailer on the Cartoon Bible YouTube channel. The animation has been created to be easily translatable into other languages. Watson adds, "I hope to work towards creating a whole animated Gospel which will inspire the YouTube generation to 'read' the Bible and fall in love with Jesus."
Posted: 7-10 | Source: Phil Watson |
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Joke Generates Big (Bad) Bang
VeggieTales co-creator Phil Vischer has come under fire for a joking reference to the "big bang theory" in the first video of his 13-part What's in the Bible? DVD series from Tyndale House. Tyndale received written complaints from "a few fans" and at least one Christian bookstore saying the reference to the theory was "anti-Christian" and could "cause confusion" among kids. Vischer has attempted to address the concerns through his blog and direct contact with some critics. "The Bible is always correct in what it says. We - as humans - are sometimes incorrect in our interpretations of what it means," Vischer writes. "Let's agree on the facts, and agree that it's okay sometimes to disagree on how we interpret those facts." Lorena Allen, manager of Harvest Bookstore in Illinois USA, says, "I understand his response, but ... it is not 'in the Bible' and is not theologically a neutral subject."
Posted: 7-10 | Sources: July issue of Christian Retailing, PhilVischer.com |
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Background Artist Needed
The mission of Let's Love Japan is to share God's love with the people of Japan through high quality animation and video productions. They are in need of a volunteer background artist for their Mobile Site Initiative.
Contact: Tim Ingle, Chairman, at
Posted: 8 July 2010
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Veggies Target Niche Audiences
Big Idea is releasing the "first-ever VeggieTales episode just for girls" this month. Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of VeggieTales and now vice president of creative development, says the idea for Sweetpea Beauty—A Girl After God's Own Heart came about when Big Idea General Manager Leslie Ferrell suggested making "a show about inner beauty." Nawrocki admits "it's not the first thing a development team of three guys would think of. But we embraced the challenge ... being fathers of daughters ourselves." Big Idea is working on other targeted episodes including one in partnership with World Vision on "a lesson in serving others."
Posted: 7-10 | Source: Christian Retailing magazine |
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Salem Acquires tangle.com and GodTube.com
Salem Web Network, the online division of Salem Communications, "the leading radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and publisher focusing on Christian and Conservative opinion media," has acquired Christian content and community websites tangle.com and GodTube.com. Tangle, "the leading Christian niche social networking website," and GodTube, "the leading Christian video website," join Salem’s portfolio of faith and family-themed content sites which includes Crosswalk.com and Christianity.com. "We are excited about adding these sites and combined audience to our network," says Tom Perrault, Sr VP of Salem Web. "We have plans to aggressively grow both over the next several years."
Posted: 6-10 | Source: ECPA's Rush to Press newsletter
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Network Displays Double Standard
Just weeks after Comedy Central executives censored a program because of its depiction of Muhammad, the network announced it has a new cartoon series in development that mocks Christianity. Entitled "JC", the show will depict Jesus living in contemporary New York City trying to "escape his father’s enormous shadow." According to Comedy Central, God is an "all-powerful yet apathetic father [who] would rather be playing video games than listening to JC recount his life in the city." Comedy Central calls it "a playful take on religion," but the Media Research Center is launching a citizen petition to protest the cable network's obvious double standard.
Posted: 5-10 | Sources: Media Research Center, Comedy Central website
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New Superbook Images on FB
New "behind the scenes" art, storyboards, and visual effects breakdowns are on display at the Superbook Facebook page. The latest material includes both storyboards and color scripts for Superbook Episode 101 "Creation," color scripts for Episode 104 "Exodus," and special effects & compositing for Episode 106 "A Giant Adventure." Season 1 of the new 3D animation series is currently in production in Beijing, China.
Posted: 5-10 | Source: Superbook's FB page
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More on Vischer and What's in the Bible?
Storyteller Phil Vischer will welcome attendees at the Sunday evening "Pacesetter" event at this year’s International Christian Retail Show in St. Louis, MO USA. With a background in computer animation, Vischer created VeggieTales in 1990 to teach kids Christian values, starting a new era of films for children. Vischer's latest creation, the What’s in the Bible? DVD series, is a response to the growing trend of Bible illiteracy in the church today. Social media has been an integral part of the launch with a website, blog with a video, Twitter page and Facebook page introducing the new series.
Posted: 4-10 | Source: CBA Industry Briefs |
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New Bible-Based Virtual World Launched
Three organizations, the Canadian Bible Society (CBS), Simpleville Music and Tyndale House Publishers, have partnered to produce YAHERO, a new "massive multiplayer online game (MMOG) that is Bible based and supportive of a Christian worldview." CBS National Director, Ted Seres says, "The Canadian Bible Society is thrilled to have initiated this ground-breaking project ... The YAHERO website allows kids to become engaged with God’s Word while having incredible fun!" The site does not promote a particular denominational viewpoint and is "solely committed to inspiring a love for Scripture and instilling a high level of Biblical literacy."
Posted: 4-10 | Source: Canadian Bible Society's 'Word at Work' magazine |
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Video Contest Open to Animators
The Christian Filmmakers 36-Hour Contest will be held April 23-25, and animators are welcome to enter. Animators from around the world will have 36 hours to produce a 3-minute story on video and upload it to YouTube. Judges will score entries on Story, Cinematography, Sound, Performance and Editing. "Animation and rendering have to happen during the contest deadline, but all kinds of pre-production can happen beforehand [such as] character design, etc.," reports Nathaniel Bluedorn, the Christian Filmmakers.org site administrator. There will be cash prizes for the first and second place winners.
Posted: 4-10 | Source: Nathaniel Bluedorn |
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Korean Animators Open Storybox
TOC Creative Inc. in Korea has produced The Storybox Bible, a 3D animated Christian musical DVD for children 4 to 6 years old. The cartoons feature Paul, a little boy who is a "real troublemaker" and who lives with his grandmother in Ham City since his missionary parents died in a plane crash. More information about the series is available online in English and Korean.
Posted: 4-10 | Source: toccreative on Twitter |
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Vischer Unveils "VeggieTales Version 2"
VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer, owner of Jellyfish Labs, was interviewed in the March 2010 issue of Christian Retailing about his new What's in the Bible? DVD series from Tyndale House. "I think VeggieTales did a good job teaching individual Bible stories and Christian values," says Vischer. "What we're trying to do now, though, is connect all those dots to show kids the big picture ... I think it's the next step after VeggieTales – sort of 'VeggieTales v2.' " Vischer is also involving Focus on the Family, Awana, Moody and others in his new efforts. "Sixty-five percent of our kids are walking away from church as soon as they graduate from high school," he notes. "This is a crisis. We all need to work together to develop and promote solutions."
Posted: 3-10 | Source: Christian Retailing magazine |
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Multi-Production Animation Deal for Big Idea
Tennessee USA based Big Idea has entered into a multi-production relationship with animation studio Entrenched Inc., with the two companies agreeing to collaborate on new VeggieTales content, including DVDs. The animation will be completed by Entrenched's sister company, Hawaii Animation Studios (HAS). Previously, HAS played a part in the production of Big Idea and Universal Studio's 2008 theatrical release VeggieTales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything as well as the animated 3-2-1 Penguins! series.
Posted: 3-10 | Source: Christian Retailing website |
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Production Begins on New Superbook Series
Animation work will begin this week in China on the new Superbook series. 12 new episodes are being produced in Beijing while 13 more scripts are currently in development. Season 1 is expected to be completed by June 2011 for a fall 2011 series launch. The next 13 episodes of the new series will go into production around that time. The first 13 episodes of the original anime-style Superbook series are being re-mastered currently and will be released on DVD eventually. In the meantime the original cartoons can be viewed everyday from 12:30pm-1:30pm (East coast time in the USA) on CBN Live.
Posted: 2-10 | Source: Superbook's Facebook Fan Page |
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Pray for People in Visual Media
Mumbai, India based Galilean International has announced that Sunday 14 March 2010 will be Visual Media Communications Sunday to emphasize the "importance and power of visual media products such as films, videos and television/satellite programs for the communication of the Gospel in this information age." Visual Media Communications Sunday has been observed on the second Sunday of March every year since 1992 according to the organizers. The day is similar in concept to Internet Evangelism Day.
Posted: 2-10 | Source: The Internet Evangelism Day team |
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Asian Animation School Offers Update
There is a new extended promo video online for the School of Cartooning and Animation for Missions. The school will be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from 5 July to 18 December 2010. The class schedule includes traditional 2D and 3D digital animation as well as sessions on cartooning, manga, comics, cross cultural communication, and media strategy issues.
Posted: 1-10 | Sources: CITSCAM's Twitter updates and website |
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Francisco's First Fido Film is a Favorite
Artist/writer/musician Wendy Francisco, wife of singer/songwriter Don Francisco, has created her first animation entitled "GoD and DoG". She posted the video in early August 2009 after recording the song and doing the animation about a week before. The video received a million views in its first 40 days. "I had never tried to animate other than making flip books when I was a kid...now I am addicted," says Francisco. "I can hardly wait to start the next one." Currently she is working on a book version of "GoD and DoG" for a gift/childrens book publisher.
Posted: 1-10 | Sources: Wendy Francisco, GoD and DoG website |
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More Veggies on DVD
Another new VeggieTales cartoon will be released by Big Idea through Christian stores in February and the general market in March. Pistachio - The Little Boy That Woodn't is "an all-new family adventure featuring a helpful lesson in listening to your parents." A parody of the story of Pinocchio, Pistachio features the lonely toymaker Gelato in the small town of Bologna-Salami. "Everyone knows the story of Pinocchio ... but Pistachio has a clever VeggieTales twist ... emphasizing the father-son relationship and the strength of family," says Big Idea.
Posted: 1-10 | Sources: Christian Retailing, Big Idea website |
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Reaching Japan Through Anime
The mission of Virginia, USA-based Let's Love Japan is to share God's love with the people of Japan through high quality animation and video productions. The non-profit ministry's chairman, Timothy Ingle, is a professional animator. He studied animation and children's literature in his undergrad studies and received his master's degree in Media, Faith and Culture from Regent University in Virginia. "We are reaching out to the Japanese through anime," Ingle reports. "Actually, what we're calling [it is] 'Animanga'." To do this the ministry has launched a Mobile Site Initiative.
Posted: 12/09 - Source: Timothy Ingle (through Roald Lidal of NEXT) |
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TV Programs Needed to be Dubbed into Arabic
Looking for different kinds of TV programs and shows, kids programs or cartoons, documentaries and drama, short films. Any type of TV programs. Will be dubbed into classical or colloquial Egyptian Arabic and transmitted on the Arabic satellite stations.
Contact: Michael Guirguis at
Executive Producer / Arascope
Posted 6 Nov 2009 - Source: Visual Story Network
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Animated Series is "UnReal"
888-NeedHim has produced 10 video shorts "using innovative rotoscope animation techniques to present God's commandments in a compelling, relevant and authentic way." Each short in the series focuses obliquely on one of the 10 Commandments through personal, true stories of someone who has broken that commandment. Their search for peace leads each of them to the place where they can say, "Through Jesus, I'm real again."
Posted: 10/09 - Source: Dave Hackett of visionSynergy |
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Another Serving of Veggies for Christmas
A new VeggieTales cartoon, Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving, has been released this month by Big Idea. The story introduces Nick the Pepper, the first new VeggieTales character in 5 years, playing the role of Nicholas. The DVD has both Spanish and English Subtitles.
Posted: 10/09 - Source: Christian Retailing Magazine |
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New Superbook Ready for Release
The premier of the new Superbook episode, "A Giant Adventure," was screened for CBN Partners in Dallas, Texas USA recently. The new series is directed by Tom Bancroft and Rob Corley of Funnypages Productions. CBN hopes to have the cartoon "translated in more languages than the original with new opportunities in countries that were not exposed to the original series back in the eighties." Also, the new Superbook Kid's website is being "beta tested" currently and will officially launch in November.
Posted: 10/09 - Source: Superbook's Facebook Fan Page |
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IE Day Encourages Animated Evangelism
Digital Evangelism Issues, the blog for Internet Evangelism Day (IE Day), has posted an item on how to Make Your Own Cartoon Stories. IE Day exists to equip Christians to use digital media for evangelism, including video, animations and cartooning. Their annual worldwide focus day for digital outreach is held every April.
Posted: 10/09 - Source: IE Day team |
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Friends & Heroes Now Available on Sky Angel
The first 2 seasons of the award-winning animated series Friends & Heroes are now part of Sky Angel's Video-on-Demand children's programming. Each season features 13 episodes with stories from both the Old and New Testaments. Friends & Heroes was produced by an international team in the UK, USA, Canada, Korea, and Wales. Sky Angel is a Christian-owned multi-channel provider of faith-based and family-friendly television and radio programming.
Posted: 10/09 - Source: Christian News Wire |
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VeggieTales Creator Signs with Tyndale
Tyndale House Publishers has announced that Phil Vischer will produce a new DVD series entitled What's in the Bible? for kids and families. The first 2 DVDs in the 13 DVD series are scheduled for a March 2010 release. Each DVD will be filled with original music, animation, and puppet characters. Content will be exclusive to the DVDs, but the characters will also appear on Vischer's faith-based Jelly Telly in partnership with Focus on the Family. Tyndale pioneered the Christian children's video market almost 20 years ago with McGee and Me.
Posted: 9/09 - Source: ECPA Rush to Press |
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Christian Character Designer at Up-Coming Conference
Cedric Hohnstadt will be giving two lectures on character design next month at the Motion '09 conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico USA. Hohnstadt has designed animated characters for film and television including twelve episodes of the 3-2-1 Penguins! animated series on NBC.
Posted: 9/09 - Source: Cedric Hohnstadt on Twitter |
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Flash Animation Converter Needed
We are looking for help finding a Flash animation converter. To make a long story short we'd like to licence or purchase the converter to bundle with our retail product. Specifically, we need a component that converts Flash ANIMATION or SWF to MPEG2 video. Any guidance will be very appreciated.
Contact: Rick Hammond at
President/Slingshot Records, LLC
"It's Yahweh or the Highway"
Posted 15 Sept 2009
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New Animation from Vertical Hold
Animator Lon Waitman of Vertical Hold in Atlanta, Georgia USA, has a new video up on SermonSpice entitled Who Cares? based on a famous message by William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. Waitman was the winner in the "Web Animation" category of the Animations for Web & Mobile Devices Competition in 2006.
Posted: 9/09 - Source: Lon Waitman |
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TV Station in Philippines Needs Cartoons and Content
We are currently putting together a family-friendly, kid-friendly, clean and wholesome TV station with Christian value-programming for most of the week, with Saturdays and Sundays as our teaching and preaching times. Right now we need content, programming, stuff to put on the air. Would you know anyone who has Christian cartoons or other good Christian content that we can put on the air? We're just starting this new venture so there is no advertising money to be had as yet, but if any does come in, we will definitely make sure the content providers get their share of any revenue we might be able to attract.
Contact: Mari Kaimo in Metro Manila, the Philippines, at
Posted 15 Sept 2009
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