The Saga of Rex Sets Course for Belgium to Become an Animated Feature Film
January 7th, 2014

For Immediate Release

Grid Animation, Belgium's premier animation and visual effects company, has acquired the option to create the feature film version of Michel Gagné's graphic novel, The Saga of Rex. Production is expected to start in the summer of 2014 with Gagné attached as director. The animated film will be a European co-production with main production taking place in Brussels.

The Saga of Rex was initially serialized over a period of 6 years, from 2005 to 2010, in the acclaimed comic anthology, Flight. It was compiled and published as a graphic novel in 2010, by Image Comics. Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, Gagné was able to produce four minutes of animation demonstrating the potential of bringing the story and imagery to animation.

"Years ago, I discovered The Saga of Rex in Flight, and I immediately loved it," said Mark Mertens, Managing Director for Grid Animation. "After the Kicktarter campaign, I contacted Michel to inquire about the rights for the movie. I was thrilled to discover that they were still available."

Since 1995, Grid has been providing services such as 3D, 2D, VFX, and set supervision for advertising and film production companies from facilities in both, Ghent and Brussels, Belgium. More recently, they started organizing complete productions for advertising and corporate assignments, as well as acting as a co-producer for international animated films. Last year, they were awarded "Animation Producer of the Year" by Cartoon Forum.

"I'm extremely excited about the prospect of working with Grid Animation and have access to the amazing European talent pool," said Gagné. "With a proper budget, and an inspired team to help me fulfill my vision, my dream of making an animated feature film that is a poetic work of art is now closer than ever to becoming a reality."

Michel Gagné is a veteran filmmaker, animator, comic artist, author and video game designer with over 25 years of experience. He was awarded a BAFTA (British Academy Award) and an Annie Award in 2010 for his video game, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.


Animating Fire on Taught by a Pro
December 20th, 2013

My first effects video class is now available from Taught by a Pro.

I never thought of myself as a teacher before, and doing this project has been very challenging. However, I trust that the end results were worth the effort.

I'm excited to find out if there's an actual market for this type of thing. I think it is important for classically trained animators to pass on the knowledge to the next generation so that the art form can continue to move forward.

I also did a brief interview for the Taught by a Pro Blog to go with the release of the lesson.

I'm already planning more videos and would love to hear your feeback and comments, if you purchased this first lesson.


ITSP Goes GFWL-Free with New Indie Bundle
December 10th, 2013

NEW BUNDLE SHOWCASES THE CREAM OF INDIE GAMES
Benefits Indie Developers and Charity

Insanely twisted and insanely playable! That neatly summarises the seven stunning Windows® PC games you’ll get in the awesome new Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars.

Curated by Capsule Computers, the new bundle features some of the best indie games on Steam for just $3.50. The Indie Capsule Bundle delivers an awesome range of titles across action adventure, platform, puzzle and survival horror, including three superb games making their bundle debuts.

Explore unique environments, battle bizarre creatures and solve complex puzzles in the highly acclaimed 2D action adventure Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. Shoot, slash and smash your way in the macabre platformer Blood of the Werewolf. Immerse yourself in an unsettling, haunting world and use your instincts to get out alive in first person survival horror gameSlender: The Arrival. Encounter tricky situations and mind-bending puzzles in the highly original puzzle platformer And Yet it Moves as you master the skills of jumping, running and rotating the world in an extraordinary paper-collage world. Become a suicidal ninja robot in multiplayer action game Plain Sight, invent your own vehicles and tools in crazy puzzle platformer Doc Clock: The Toasted Sandwich of Time and save your cargo of crazy animals in the over-the-top physics-based indie driving game, Snuggle Truck.

Gamers who buy the Indie Capsule Bundle from Bundle Stars not only save an epic 93%* but also support the Australian Red Cross, with 5% of profits from the bundle going to the charity.

Michel Gagné and Joe Olson, creators of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet said: "We're excited to be part of the Bundle Stars release, and by the same token, to officially announce the removal of Games for Windows Live from Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet. With Microsoft announcing the demise of the service earlier this year, we've been itching to make the transition to Steamworks. Now that this is done, we couldn't think of a better way to launch the updated release than to be part of a charity package such as Bundle Stars. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of a new lease on life for ITSP and a chance for players to discover the two co-op multi-player modes, Lantern Run and Shadow Hunters."

The Indie Capsule Bundle is available to own now at www.bundlestars.com for just $3.50.

* Promotional savings are based on retail prices charged to customers based in the USA for individual products, and are correct at the time of publishing.

Interview with Toon Boom
December2nd, 2013

I've been pretty vocal about my endorsement of Toon Boom Harmony, so I was not surprised to receive a call from one of the company's representative to discuss my experience with the software. We ended up chatting for about half an hour and from that conversation, an article was drafted and posted on their website. Check it out!

Taught by a Pro
November 30th, 2013

I'm back from a fabulous business trip in California. I had a blast and a very productive week meeting people from the industry and forging new alliances. A huge thanks to Tom and Tony Bancroft for letting me share a corner of their booth at the CTN Animation Expo in Burbank.

Tom announced his latest project at the show: Taught by a Pro, an online art training program that provides art instruction by professionals to artists in training who might not ordinarily have the opportunity to be taught by professional animators, comic book artists, comic strip artists, illustrators, video game designers and more.

On the press release, Tom states, “Our goal is to give artists in training access to the best professional artists without the expense of art school. Whether you are already a professional artist or an aspiring artist, it is critical that you improve your skills. Taught By A Pro is the platform for improving your abilities and enhancing your portfolio.

The types of professionals who will be sharing their techniques and tips to our students are Masters at their profession and don’t generally teach. These are artists who have honed their craft for some of the most prestigious film studios, video game companies, and institutions in the world. At Taught By A Pro, we are committed to bringing those artists to you!”

I've been working hard at putting together my first class which will deal with animating fire. Making a teaching video has proven to be a lot more challenging than I first thought, but I'm nearly there. For the next two weeks, I will be doing an intense job for Gearbox Software in Texas, and once that wraps (December 6th), I'm going to put the final touches on my class and have the video available on the site. In the meantime, check out what's available already and subscribe to the Taught By A Pro eNewsletter to get the latest updates.