Spanish Lottery’s “Deportes”–directed by Yuval and Merav Nathan via Acme Filmworks, Hollywood, Calif., for agency Branding, Miami and Madrid–has won the Annie Award in the commercials category during a gala ceremony held earlier this month (2/6) at UCLA’s Royce Hall in Los Angeles.
Now in its 37th year, the Annie Awards competition annually recognizes outstanding achievement in animation. The Annies are presented by the Burbank, Calif.-headquartered International Animated Film Society (ASIFA-Hollywood).
Contributing to the stop motion Spanish Lotto spot was a team that included Acme executive producer Ron Diamond, co-exec producer Gwynn Adik, producer Donna Waxstein, DP Rick Thomas, animators Yuval Nathan, Guy Ben-Shitrit and Pete Levin, production designer Merav Nathan, art director Tricia O’Connell and postproduction supervisor George Khair.
Similarly themed stop motion from Yuval and Merav Nathan also graced their “Her Morning Elegance” music video with singer Oren Lavie (which earned Lavie and the Nathans inclusion in the 2009 Saatchi & Saatchi New Directors Showcase) and a Comcast commercial “Anthem” for Long Beach, Calif.-based agency Grupo Gallegos (a SHOOT Top Spot, 8/14/09).
Spanish Lotto’s “Deportes” topped a field of Annie nominees that consisted of: another Acme-produced spot, Idaho Lottery’s “Twiceland” directed by Dave Wasson for Boise agency Drake Cooper; Goldfish crackers’ “In The Dark” from Blur Studio, Venice, Calif., with Lee Santos serving as director/animation supervisor for Young & Rubicam, New York; McDonald’s “Nutty Trade” from Blue Sky Studios, Greenwich, CT; and Kellogg’s “The Spooning” for Leo Burnett Chicago, with Henrik Sundgren directing for Acne U.S., Venice, Calif., and Chris Finnegan serving as animation director via Screen Novelties, Los Angeles. (The Screen Novelties collective is now handled via Los Angeles studio DUCK.)
The Annie Awards competition honors outstanding animation achievement in theatrical feature films, TV programs, commercials, home entertainment, video games and short subjects/special projects.
Pixar Animation Studio’s Up won such honors as best animated feature and best director, Pete Docter. Walt Disney Animation Studios earned six Annies overall–three for its feature The Princess and the Frog and three for its television production Prep and Landing. DreamWorks Animation won five Annies including best TV production for children, and directing/TV for The Penguins of Madagascar, and storyboarding/feature for Monsters vs. Aliens. Coraline from animation studio Laika copped a pair of Annies.
For a full list of winners, log onto www.annieawards.org.
Disney Pledges $15 million In L.A. Fire Aid As More Celebs Learn They’ve Lost Their Homes
The Pacific Palisades wildfires torched the home of "This Is Us" star Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps most poignantly destroying the father-to-be's newly installed crib.
CBS cameras caught the actor walking through his charred house for the first time, standing in what was once his kitchen and looking at a neighborhood in ruin. "Your heart just breaks."
He and his pregnant wife, Jarah Mariano, evacuated Tuesday with their dog and they watched on security cameras as the flames ripped through the house, destroying everything, including a new crib.
"There's a kind of shock moment where you're going, 'Oh, this is real. This is happening.' What good is it to continue watching?' And then at a certain point we just turned it off, like 'What good is it to continue watching?'"
Firefighters sought to make gains Friday during a respite in the heavy winds that fanned the flames as numerous groups pledged aid to help victims and rebuild, including a $15 million donation pledge from the Walt Disney Co.
More stars learn their homes are gone
While seeing the remains of his home, Ventimiglia was struck by a connection to his "This Is Us" character, Jack Pearson, who died after inhaling smoke in a house fire. "It's not lost on me life imitating art."
Mandy Moore, who played Ventimiglia's wife on "This Is Us," nearly lost her home in the Eaton fire, which scorched large areas of the Altadena neighborhood. She said Thursday that part of her house is standing but is unlivable, and her husband lost his music studio and all his instruments.
Mel Gibson's home is "completely gone," his publicist Alan Nierob confirmed Friday. The Oscar winner revealed the loss of his home earlier Friday while appearing on Joe Rogan's... Read More