The Colors Within, in theaters nationwide beginning next Friday January 24th, is from director Naoko Yamada. Three teens — Totsuko, Rui and Kimi — form a band as they figure out the next steps in their lives. Totsuko also has a unique power: sensing people as specific colors. (This Animation Scoop Q&A with Yamada was […]
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INTERVIEW: Illuminating “In The Shadow Of The Cypress”
January 13th, 2025 
Jackson Murphy In the Shadow of the Cypress, from directors Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi, screened and won at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival. This LA Shorts, Animayo and Spark Animation winner is also one of the 15 finalists for Best Animated Short Film at the 97th Annual Academy Awards. A father and daughter must work together […]
INTERVIEW: Exploring “Maybe Elephants”
January 10th, 2025 Jackson Murphy Oscar winner Torill Kove is on the Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film shortlist again, this time for Maybe Elephants. It’s an autobiographical look back at her teen years living in Africa with her family, including her mom, who was struggling to find true happiness. If you’re a fan of Kove’s work, you’ll see some […]
INTERVIEW: A Taste Of “Magic Candies”
January 9th, 2025 Jackson Murphy One of this year’s 15 Best Animated Short Film Oscars finalists is Magic Candies, directed by Daisuke Nishio. A boy puts colorful pieces of candy in his mouth, and suddenly he can communicate with others like never before. The original story is based on Heena Baek’s picture book. This Animation Scoop Interview with Magic Candies […]
INTERVIEW: The Meaning Of “Percebes”
January 8th, 2025 Jackson Murphy One of the 15 Best Animated Short Film finalists for the 97th Annual Academy Awards is Percebes. This hand-drawn short from directors Alexandra Ramires and Laura Goncalves is about the life of goose barnacles… and much more. (This Animation Scoop Interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity.) Q: […]
INTERVIEW: Taking A Trip With “Beautiful Men”
January 7th, 2025 Jackson Murphy Director Nicolas Keppens’ stop-motion Beautiful Men is on the 2025 Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film shortlist. Three brothers, who happen to be bald, go to Istanbul for hair transplants. What will they discover, will they get along, and will they feel happy with their decisions? Keppens dissects it all in this Animation Scoop Q&A. […]
INTERVIEW: Gear Up For “StuGo”
January 6th, 2025 Jackson Murphy A group of student government middle schoolers are on a one-of-a-kind island for the summer. New animated series StuGo premieres this Saturday Jan. 11 at 8pm on Disney Channel. Creator and EP Ryan Gillis and Co-EP Sunil Hall ring in the New Year with this adventurous show. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length […]
INTERVIEW: Turning On “Wander To Wonder”
January 3rd, 2025 Jackson Murphy The miniature performers in a children’s TV show must figure out what to do when their human creator dies. Wander to Wonder goes down unexpected paths. Director Nina Gantz explains how she arrived at making her 2025 Oscars shortlisted animated short. (This Animation Scoop Interview was conducted as an Email Q&A and was edited for […]
INTERVIEW: A Kiss And A Lot To Tell About “Yuck!”
January 2nd, 2025 Jackson Murphy A first kiss between two kids is the subject of director Loic Espuche’s charming comedy Yuck! (Beurk!), which is one of the 15 finalists for the 2025 Best Animated Short Film Oscar. (This interview was conducted as an Animation Scoop Email Q&A and was edited for length and clarity. Images Credit: IKKI Films) Jackson Murphy: […]
INTERVIEW: Rolling Out “The Wild-Tempered Clavier”
December 30th, 2024 Jackson Murphy 15 shorts will be narrowed down to five early on in 2025 for the latest Best Animated Short Film Academy Awards category. One of the hopefuls is The Wild-Tempered Clavier, from director Anna Samo. She pays tribute to the music of Bach and the art of filmmaking with this unique presentation. (This Animation Scoop Interview […]
INTERVIEW: Diving Into “A Crab in the Pool”
December 24th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Alexandra Myotte and Jean-Sebastien Hamel are the directors of drama A Crab in the Pool, one of the 15 finalists for the upcoming Best Animated Short Film Oscar. The story is about a summer day with an older sister and younger brother that makes them reflect on the values of life — and how they […]
INTERVIEW: Stop-Motion Shortlisted “Bottle George”
December 23rd, 2024 Jackson Murphy The 97th Annual Academy Awards shortlists are out, and Bottle George is one of the 15 finalists for Best Animated Short Film. Talented director Daisuke ‘Dice’ Tsutsumi has been nominated before, for The Dam Keeper. He also was behind the Annie-winning limited series Oni: Thunder God’s Tale. Bottle George is about a daughter who witnesses […]
INTERVIEW: Inside The Music Of Pixar’s “Dream Productions”
December 11th, 2024 Jackson Murphy Hot-off the success of Inside Out 2 (the biggest movie of 2024) comes a new show set in-between Pixar’s two films about Riley and her emotions. Dream Productions explores the operations of the movie studio in Riley’s mind that makes her cinematic dreams. The four-episode event series is available starting today on Disney+. Composer Nami […]
INTERVIEW: The World Of “Au Revoir Mon Monde”
December 4th, 2024 Jackson Murphy It’s the end as we know it… in the short film Au Revoir Mon Monde (translated as Goodbye My World). The central character only has a short amount of time to make it to a clock tower. Why? That’s part of the mystery, drama and emotion of this year’s top recipient in the animated shorts […]
INTERVIEW: Precious Details On “The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim”
December 2nd, 2024 Jackson Murphy Warner Bros. will release an animated feature in theaters on December 13th that’s set about 200 years before the events of some of the most beloved and awarded live-action movies of the past 25 years. Director Kenji Kamiyama shares how J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson and his own previous animated projects inspired the story, characters and […]
