Kenya's artists toon tabs on tech tools

'Tinga Tinga Tales'NAIROBI -- As Kenyan tech companies push for vision from the "plastic savannah" in this East African nation, local artists say their marketplace is set to ride our prime-tech wave toward as an animation giant.Buoyed through the wealth of "Tinga Tinga Tales," a toon for your BBC's children's web CBeebies co-produced with the U.K.'s Tiger Aspect Prods. as well as the Nairobi-based Homeboyz Animation, Kenyan artists are hopeful their country will emerge since the next large industry for outsourcing.Allan Mwaniki, director and lead animator at Homeboyz, states the size of "Tinga Tinga Tales," which involved nearly 50 artists in Nairobi, was proof the Kenyan industry could effectively handle a substantial-scale production. "We now have proven the earth we could take action,In . according to him.Kenya's animation industry began to blossom with numerous U.N.-backed training programs from 2004-2006, which introduced Kenyan artists together with artists from around the world.Called Africa Animated!, the initiative was created to enhance ale African artists to deal with the Western imports, which dominate children's programming on African Tv producers.Working out courses gave Kenyan artists an important platform to demonstrate their concentrate on an international stage, eventually inducing the "Tinga Tinga" collaboration.The series will be a watershed moment for local artists."Before 'Tinga Tinga,' every artist familiar with work in their own personal small corner," states former "Tinga" animator Pete Mute. "The entertainers that came(from "Tinga") as well as the experience they completed of the project -- most of them look at setup their particular clothes," according to him.Designers still face limited options inside the Kenyan market. Kwame Nyong'o, creator in the well-regarded as as animated short "The Legend in the Ngong Slopes," states the Darwinian character in the local industry forces artists being passionate entrepreneurs that goes for them work."You have to produce the options by yourself,In . according to him.The look of the broadband fiber-optic cable in East Africa a year ago has several artists anticipating more "Tinga"-style collaborations.Growing curiosity about local content from Kenyan tv producers, additionally to elevated government support, has furthermore introduced to optimism over not able to the domestic market. Homeboyz is concentrating on aircraft aircraft pilots for just two series it hopes to air in 2012.Since the market evolves, some artists are actually searching ahead to where the marketplace is going.Mute launched an animation company referred to as African Sci-Fi Factory couple of years ago, while using about "beginning a conversation with film producers and TV producers and calculating how animation suits their companies." The, according to him, is just beginning to understand the chance that animation offers.Mute has began concentrate on a short that mixes animation and live stars.No matter his efforts, according to him you will discover still financial and technological hurdles preventing his vision from being fully recognized."You would like it could grow faster, nevertheless it takes persistence," according to him. "It's still beginning.Inch Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com

Artist Director Michel Hazanavicius on Auteur Pride, Hollywood and Surviving the Awards Marathon

It was probably just a matter of time before French filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius broke through in the United States: His OSS 117 diptych of spy spoofs had already acquired something of an international audience, and his curiosity about Hollywood has grown alongside his reputation. But no one — least of all Hazanavicius himself — likely foresaw him breaking through with The Artist. Which says more about our culture’s lack of vision than Hazanavicius’s own. After all, he was the one who conceived and executed an honest-to-goodness black-and-white silent film about George Valentin (Jean Dujardin), a silent-era Hollywood superstar relegated to obscurity as talkies — led notably by George’s erstwhile co-star Peppy Miller (Brnice Bejo) — surge to the fore. The rest is history — or it will be history, anyway, if The Artist’s devotees continue mobilizing on its behalf in the awards race. Hazanavicius just made it look easy, though. He recently talked to Movieline about the untold challenges before, during and after making his masterpiece, up to and including what’s next for the artist behind The Artist. How are you holding up in the Artist marathon? It’s not so easy day after day from a personal point of view, because I have kids, and they’re in Paris, and I don’t see them enough. And a lot of the time you say the same kinds of things, and there’s just one subject of discussion — your own movie. It’s not so easy. But in another way, I don’t feel I have the right to complain, because it’s a good story for the movie. And the movie goes well. So I feel like a soldier serving the movie. A soldier for The Artist! Yes, in a way. So what’s the one question you’ve never been asked about The Artist that maybe you wish you’d been asked? Well, it’s not a question, but I feel like… To me, it’s really a director’s movie. And I could spend hours talking about how the line of the story is conceived — which image is important to understand, [or] how to understand at the end why we did that. All the complexity! It’s a very complex device, this movie. I know that the people who see it once, first they get the format. It’s a really strong experience of the format; they love everything because of the format. But I really don’t think they see the movie. I think they really enjoyed the experience of the silent movie. And that’s great. But I feel like I could spend more time talking about the complexity — the directing. It’s complex. How fundamentally different is making a silent film from making a sound film? They’re ultimately both visual storytelling, right? Yeah, but usually you try create some images when you’re doing a normal movie, yet you’re not attached to that. Sometimes you don’t need images. You know that a character can explain something. At one point in the movie, the action stops and people explain what’s going on. For example, there’s the professor in Back to the Future who says, “OK, this is where we are in the script.” You can’t have that [in a silent film]; you’re attached to images. It’s very different to have just that tool. It’s very freeing in a way, because I think the audience is really ready to accept some illustration of conflict, of feeling, of something — a visual illustration that they would not accept in a normal movie. For example, at one point, the character has a problem with himself. He thinks he acted bad. In the silent movie, he can argue with himself. You don’t usually do that in a normal movie. This is different. Your freedom is different. The limits are also different. You have to take another path to tell the story. George is also very proud, both as an actor and a filmmaker — which interferes with his ability to work and create. Is that an obstacle you’ve ever battled as a director, on set or otherwise? I think pride is a motivation… I don’t have the good word in English. An engine? A bad engine. Pride makes people move, and usually they make bad moves. In this case, pride moves him to create, but it also moves him to love. But in my case? I guess I’m like everybody. It makes me do some things. I try to fight against it, but, yeah. To what degree to you relate to George’s struggle against pride, if at all? Not too much, because [the reason] why George doesn’t want to do talking movies is about fear. I think he’s afraid of doing something else. He’s afraid of what might happen to his small enterprise. He’s selling himself — everything works well, and suddenly… [Hazanvicius’s mobile phone alights with a call from Bejo.] Annnnd right on cue! [Answering] Brnice? [Deploys a French phrase and hangs up.] I love it. So I think he’s afraid of changing. I can consider myself maybe proud, but I’m not afraid. Fear is really not something I consider when I’m working. My motivations are more about pleasure and desire. That’s what I’m looking for. I don’t really care about fear. Going back to the complexity of making this film, was there ever a specific scene moment where you thought, “Yes! We’ve got it!” Or on the contrary — a crisis of faith on the set, perhaps? Not on the set. During the writing process, yes. It’s the same every time. I don’t know anybody strong enough to not doubt. I mean, the only thing is what you do with the doubt. I think doubt can be very constructive, but it can also be destructive. So script after script, I try to use the doubt in a constructive way. For this it was a little different because all the markets say, “It’s not a doable movie. You cannot make this movie.” So you really feel alone for a long time with that kind of movie. Fortunately I met this wonderful producer, Thomas Langmann, who really has some panache. He’s been very supportive, and he gave me his confidence and pushed me in a good way. So I feel so overwhelmed. But when I was writing, this was really new — to write a silent movie. But I was watching things like City Lights by Charlie Chaplin, and that helped me a lot. When I was watching the movie, I thought, “I have to continue. There is a movie to make here.” How much of the struggle of making this movie is actually getting it to audiences? Is the principle struggle behind you, or is there more to come? The movie opened in France, and the figures are excellent. We don’t count in money, we count in seats. So to give you an example, for my last movies we did 2.3 million for the first one and 2.5 million for the second one. And that is a really big success. For this one I think we’re going to do between 1.8 million and 2 million — which is huge for any kind of movie. Imagine for a black-and-white silent movie! It’s just incredible. So I want it behind me, but in a way, everything that comes now is a plus. A plus, a plus, a plus. I have to say, I’m a really lucky guy, because there’s a lot of plus. I mean, I never pretended it would be the hugest success of the year. I can’t fight with Tintin. I can’t fight with some big, popular current comedy or some more easy movies. But the people who come into theaters, that’s the most important thing. When we are talking about the audience, we are talking about two kinds of audiences: The real audience is the person who is in the theater watching the movie. That’s the audience. And the other audience are the people in the street who potentially could come. But if they don’t, then they are not the audience. They are people. So what’s important for me is the audience — people who are in the theater. And so far, people who see the movie really enjoy it. For me, that’s important. I cannot force people to come. I know you have to make an effort to come see a black-and-white, silent, French movie with two unknown actors. I know you have to make an effort. But I can’t force people, and I can’t blame them if they decide not to come. What’s important to me is that people who come to see the movie, they enjoy it. What’s your favorite movie of this year? Or what have you seen that you really love? There are some. I really loved A Separation — the Iranian movie? I saw it in Paris. I think it’s a Hitchcockian drama, but so special and so accurate. Everything is so fantastic. The actors are fantastic. I was really impressed. I also loved Drive, I loved The Descendants. There are a lot of good movies. This year I didn’t have an opportunity to see a lot of them, because… You’ve been running around. Yeah. At least you’re running around at festivals, where conceivably, if you’re there long enough, you have a pretty good chance of seeing something good. I remember when I was at Cannes, I stayed three days, and it was three days of press. And when I was in Telluride, I saw Footnote, which is really good, and Descendants. But for other ones… Like, I had a chance to see Shame, but I’d have to leave the theater 20 minutes before the ending of the movie. So I said, “No way; I can see it later.” Toronto’s the same way; the schedule doesn’t always fit. Is that frustrating? Yeah, sure. Festivals are good for that: You see movies, and you meet people, and you meet the other directors. Usually you never meet. When you work, you meet D.P.’s and members of the crew, but they work with me. The director’s don’t. And I really love directors. I love to talk to them, to discuss. Having technically worked in Hollywood now, is returning your next step? Working in America, working on studio productions? Or do you want to just keep it small? I don’t have these kinds of geographic goals. I really love to work here, and I really loved to make this movie here, because this movie had to be done here. But I didn’t make it to come here and make another movie. It really depends what movie. I have some propositions here; some of them are interesting, some of them are not. It really depends on what movie. I don’t have a career plan. It’s a lot of investment for me to make a movie — a lot of time. You immerse yourself in something, and I have to feel more than comfortable. I have to feel like there’s a good movie at the end of the process. So it’s not the question of being in Hollywood or in France. It’s really a question of which movie are we talking about? The Artist opens today in NY and Los Angeles, with more locations to come in the weeks ahead. Read Stephanie Zacharek’s review here. Follow S.T. VanAirsdale on Twitter. Follow Movieline on Twitter.

TEDDYS WISHES: IMG Elects Michael Dolan Chairman/CEO & To Stay Standalone Company

As expected, IMG and Forstmann Little today carried out the wishes oftheir late boss Tedd Forstmann by choosing his handpicked successors to lead the companies after his death. And, no, Michael Ovitz wasn’t mentioned: NY, NY — IMG Worldwide, a leading global sports, fashion and media company, announced today that the shareholders of IMG have unanimously elected Michael Dolan Chairman of IMG and the IMG Board of Directors has unanimously elected him Chief Executive Officer, following the passing of IMG’s former Chairman and Chief Executive Ted Forstmann. Mr. Dolan joined IMG in early 2010 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. In April 2011, Mr. Forstmann appointed Mike Dolan to President and Chief Operating Officer to lead day-to-day management of the company, and serve as Mr. Forstmann’s hand-picked successor to run the company following his death. “Mike’s broad global experience and record of success makes him a clear choice to lead IMG forward,” said Julian Robertson, founder of the investment firm Tiger Management who was appointed this morning Chairman of Forstmann Little &Co. “Mike has the vision, experience, passion and leadership skills to ensure IMG’s continued growth and success.” Mr. Robertson has also been elected to the Board of Directors of IMG. Following his election to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Dolan said, “Over the past two years we have developed a strategic plan for the company that is powerful and has already begun to produce significant sustainable results. We are committed to growing the business to maximize the value for our shareholders.” In addition, the Board of Directors of IMG said that it concurs that the maximum value of the company can best be achieved as a standalone company. Since joining IMG, Mr. Dolan has been instrumental in the development and execution of the company’s global strategy. Mr. Dolan currently leads the company’s expansion into high growth markets including China, India and Brazil, as well as expansion into new business areas. In 2010, he led an overhaul of the company’s financial structure and organization as well as several key strategic acquisitions enabling the creation of new revenue platforms for the company. “IMG has lost an outstanding leader and friend in Ted Forstmann,” said Mike Dolan. “I am proud and honored to take on this role and to continue building IMG for future growth and success. IMG is an extraordinary company with scale, scope and assets that are unrivaled within the industry. With IMG’s strong leadership team, strong businesses, and new and exciting revenue opportunities, I am confident that we can continue to grow this company long into the future.” Prior to joining IMG, Mr. Dolan served as Executive Vice President and CFO of Viacom, where he led the spin-off of Viacom from CBS and the launch of the new independent public company. Mr. Dolan was previously Chairman and CEO of Young & Rubicam, the diversified marketing services company with over 10,000 employees. He began his career at Young & Rubicam in 1995 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, and he led the 1996 recapitalization of the company and subsequent IPO in 1998.

News Round The Dark Dark evening Increases

Tom Sturdy on Bane, and Nolan talks!You've frequently seen the completely new Empire covers withBatman and Bane, but this is a sneak take a look at a couple of from the news round the Dark Dark evening Increases inside the magazine. Particularly, Nolan themselves provides a few information round the film's plot and setting, and Tom Sturdy talks about Bane.Let's pay attention to director Christopher Nolan first, and discover what he'll divulge in regards to the film. "It's about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a really precarious place. Possibly remarkably for most people, our story builds up a good deal later, eight years following a Dark Dark evening. So he's an adult Bruce Wayne he is not in the great condition."WithBane, we're searching to supply Batman challenging he's not had before. With this particular choice of villain with this choice of story we're testing Batman both physically additionally to psychologically."Speaking about physical challenges, what exactly can Tom Sturdy reveal about Bane?"He's brutal. Brutal. He's a sizable dude who's incredibly clinical, in the fact he's an impact-based and oriented fighting style. It is not about fighting. It comes down lower to carnage. The form is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty. From small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, rubber rubber stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and getting upset heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spine posts. He's a terrorist in attitude additionally to brutal action."Costume designer Lindy Hemming also enables drop a few clues to his backstory as she talks about Bane's look. Round the mask, she states,"He was hurt at the beginning of his story. He's battling with discomfort as well as gas to live. He can't survive the discomfort without any mask. The pipes within the mask return along his jawline and feed in to the one factor at his back, where you will discover two cannisters."For much, much more each one of these folks - additionally to Christian Bale - obtain the completely new problem of Empire if the hits newsstands on Thursday. The Dark Dark evening Increases is going in cinemas about this summer time 20, 2012. Dark evening Increases CoversIts prologue, Nolan has confirmed, are available in choose IMAX cinemas onDecember 21. Similar to the Dark Dark evening, it'll be - according to Nolan - "basically the initial six, seven minutes in the film" and may work as "presenting Bane, together with an idea in the relaxation in the film."Mouth. Watering.

Robert Pattinson's Baby Picture, plus much more 'Twilight' Stars Before They Were Famous (PHOTOS)

Moviefone will make you content, Twi-hards. (No, we don't have bootleg copies of 'Breaking Beginning, Part I,' so stop asking.) Showing 'Twilight' stars' baby photos! The truly amazing folks at Snakkle.com have develop a squee-worthy gallery of Rachelle Lefervre, Billy Burke, Rachelle Lefervre, Ashley Greene and great deal really your 'Twilight' faves before they were famous. Aside from the Jackson Rathbone coconut-bikini photo, a number of these photos aren't that embarrassing, and may likely elicit a few "awws" within the 'Twilight' faithful. Ahead, find two favorite images (three words: Pattinson, age 4) and mind onto Snakkle to look for the whole collection. You can examine out all the 'Twilight' stars as full-grown grownups when 'Breaking Beginning, Part I' opens during the night time on Thursday -- that's, in the event you bought tickets recently. [via Snakkle] [Top Photo: Mirrorpix, Summit] [Bottom Photo: Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library, Summit] RELATED: 'Twilight' stars reveal what they're excited for fans to find out in 'Breaking Dawn' 'Breaking Beginning' Cast Quotes 'Breaking Beginning' Cast QuotesBill Condon, DirectorAshley Greene, Alice CullenNikki Reed, Rosalie HaleElizabeth Reaser, Esme CullenPeter Facinelli, Carlisle CullenSarah Clarke, Renee DwyerBilly Burke, Charlie SwanCasey LaBow, Kate DenaliJulia Manley, Leah ClearwaterBooboo Stewart, Seth ClearwaterMelissa Rosenberg, ScreenwriterCarolina Herrera, Bella's wedding dress designerMackenzie Foy, Renesmee CullenTaylor Lautner, Jacob BlackRobert Pattinson, Edward CullenKristen Stewart, Edwards Friend Jacob See All Moviefone Galleries » Follow Moviefone on Twitter Like Moviefone on Facebook

Penn Condition Game: ESPN Takes High Road in Coverage (Opinion)

What might have been a wonderful assault on Penn St. and also the child-abuse sex scandal including former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was rather handled with taste by ESPN throughout Saturday's broadcast from the school's game against Nebraska.our editor recommendsAshton Kutcher Known as 'Idiot,' 'Ignorant' After Tweeting Joe Paterno's Firing Was 'in Poor Taste'Joe Paterno's Weekly Penn St. Press Conference Canceled Among Jerry Sandusky Sex ScandalJoe Paterno Firing Draws Mixed Reaction Around Internet The sports broadcaster addressed the problem in the interviews with new mind coach Tom Bradley and quarterback coach Jay Paterno, boy of ousted mind coach Joe Paterno, but didn't overload in the approach. The 84-year-old Paterno, that has were built with a effective 46-year training career, was fired Wednesday together with leader Graham Spanier. The move arrived the wake of Sandusky being billed with 40 counts of sexual abuse of kids. Paterno continues to be belittled for neglecting to contact government bodies when he was told about possible misconduct by Sandusky nine years back. STORY: Ashton Kutcher Known as 'Idiot,' 'Ignorant' After Tweeting Joe Paterno's Firing Was 'in Poor Taste' USA Today's Michael McCarthy creates that ESPN "shipped effective, nuanced coverage from the school's first game because the explosive child abuse sex scandal that cost coach Joe Paterno his job." McCarthy notes, "ESPN sensibly stored a camera trained on Penn Condition quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, in the second he left his parents' the place to find him charging from the team bus to repeated shots of him prowling the sideline" and "ESPN's on-air talent sensibly stored the main focus where it will happen to be Saturday: the gamers and coaches in the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers the sufferers as well as their families and also the tough future for that folks in Happy Valley who face many years of legal cases, scandal coverage and repairing." Penn St. lost the overall game 17-14. Halftime shows on other systems for example CBS and ABC which were televising college gridiron games Saturday pointed out the scandal when confirming game scores but were mostly restrained like ESPN. Bradley told ESPN after the overall game, "It had been unparalleled, most likely within the good reputation for college sports what continued here. And that we really grieve for that sufferers, sense sad for that groups of the kids. I believe they saw a student body today, the support they'd for that sufferers and also the children, that people're all here today. Many of the stuff that continued today, it had been about them." Paterno stated, before turning away in tears, "We've ought to days within our lives. I consider the other day, where i was sitting and also the world's kinda switched upside lower. Our youngsters were resilient, I believe they'd some real challenges plus they performed hard. Regrettably, they emerged a bit short." Nebraska coach Bo Pelini stated from the situation within the postgame press conference, "It had been larger than the overall game which was just performed. "Believe me when I say to you, I don't be aware of more knowledge about the problem. I'm not knowing anybody, but the truth is youthful kids were hurt. That's a criminal offense by itself. It's a great deal larger than football. It's a great deal larger than the NCAA, the Large Ten or other things." ESPN

Will Ferrell's Jay-Z/Kanye Collaboration Is 'Surreal'

FROM MTV MOVIES: It's one of the finest and several inexplicable hits of 2011, a sound lesson extremely popular that it's hook was title-checked throughout player introductions on Sunday Evening Football, so massive that Jay-Z and Kanye required to undertaking it multiple occasions per set by themselves Watch the Throne Tour. We're speaking, clearly, about "N---just like Paris," the max-impact Throne single that's a sensation, thanks in no small part to producer Hit-Boy's bouncing beat, West's pop-cult wordplay ("What's that jacket, Margiela?") and, clearly, some oddball samples acquired from Will Ferrell's 2007 figure-skating comedy "Rotor rotor blades of Glory." As you're probably aware, "Paris" starts with Ferrell's grizzled Chazz Michael Michaels defiantly stating, "We're gonna skate to at least one song then one song only," then really builds up steam mid-song, when (in the move that could alternately be known to as "completely inspired" or "completely insane"), Hit-Boy drops the beat and enables the song roll around the second Ferrell sample: "Nobody knows exactly what it means, but it's provocative ... it'll obtain the folks going!" See the full story at MTV Movies!

TV Ratings: Andy Rooney Tribute Does Well for '60 Minutes,' 'Once Upon a Time' Consistent

CBS Little more than a day after news of his Nov. 4 death, veteran commentator Andy Rooney received a tribute from his former series, 60 Minutes, giving the CBS newsmagazine a bump to 13.7 million viewers, with a 2.2 in adults 18-49. Rooney's final broadcast, which aired only one month ago, gave the series 17.11 million viewers, its largest audience since 2007. NBC's Steelers/Ravens Sunday Night Football match-up pushed the network to top the evening, giving the network a handed win in both adults 18-49 (6.3) and average audience (16.3 million) for the night. ABC's Once Upon a Time dipped slightly in its third outing, but continued to hold much of its premiere audience. The series clocked a 3.7 in adults 18-49, with 11.4 million viewers. A Once Upon a Time repeat, followed by Desperate Housewives (8.7 million, 2.8) and Pan Am (5.2 million, 1.8) gave the network an last place audience of 7.4 million for the night, with a 2.4 in the demo. Football overage boosted Fox's Sunday numbers, giving it an average audience of 10.9 million, with the ensuing animation line-up contributing to a strong showing of 4.6 in adults 18-49. NBC - 6.3 - Football Night In America: 12.3 million, 4.4 - Sunday Night Football (Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore from 8:30 - 11 p.m.): 20.2 million, 8.0 FOX - 436 - The OT: 21.2 million, 8.0 - The Simpsons: 8 million, 3.7 - Allen Gregory: 4.2 million, 2.1 - Family Guy: 5.7 million, 3.0 - American Dad: 4.8 million, 2.5 ABC - 2.4 - Once Upon a Time (R): 4.1 million, 1.1 - Once Upon a Time: 11.4 million, 3.7 - Desperate Housewives: 8.7 million, 2.8 - Pan Am: 5.2 million, 1.8 CBS - 2.2 - 60 Minutes: 13.7 million, 2.2 - Amazing Race 19: 9.98 million, 2.6 - The Good Wife: 8.99 million, 2.1 - CSI: Miami: 8.6 million, 1.9 TV Ratings