Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

Warner Bros. Pictures has formed a feature animation creative consortium, marking a new and innovative approach to the establishment of a diverse and far-reaching animation slate.  The announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

The mission of the new think tank is to help develop and produce high-end animated motion pictures, with the goal of releasing one feature per year under the Warner Bros. Pictures banner.  The select team of accomplished filmmakers will collaborate with the Studio to frame and guide a variety of projects from start to finish.

The artists who will be involved in Warner Bros.’ new feature animation venture are: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, (“Crazy, Stupid, Love.,” “Cats & Dogs”); Nicholas Stoller (“The Muppets”); Phil Lord and Chris Miller (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”); and Jared Stern (“Mr. Popper’s Penguins”).

The filmmakers will work both individually and collectively, supporting one another artistically in the making of the films.  They will not be exclusive to the Studio’s animated film productions; rather they will also continue to write and direct live-action movies.  This new endeavor reflects Warner Bros.’ ongoing commitment to being a filmmaker friendly studio, which invites and fosters original projects, continually expanding the entertainment scope of its slate.
In making the announcement, Robinov stated, “Warner Bros. has an extraordinary legacy in the world of animation, including some of the most enduring characters in cinema history.  Looking to the future, we have now gathered some of the best and brightest talents in the industry to help us grow and broaden that legacy.  Drawing upon their imaginations and inspiration, the Studio will produce a slate of new and original animated films that are sure to delight audiences of all ages.”

The first feature in the pipeline is the upcoming 3D animated adventure “The LEGO Movie,” being directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller from their own screenplay.  Bringing the globally popular LEGO construction toys to the big screen for the first time, the film is being produced by Dan Lin and Roy Lee and stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Nick Offerman, Alison Brie, and Morgan Freeman.  The animation is largely being accomplished at Australia’s Animal Logic.  A presentation of Warner Bros. Pictures, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, “The LEGO Movie” is slated for release on February 7, 2014.

Among the other projects being developed are: “Storks,” conceived and being written by Nicholas Stoller and to be directed by Oscar® nominee Doug Sweetland (PIXAR short “Presto”); and “Smallfoot,” to be written by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, from an original idea by Sergio Pablos (“Despicable Me”), who is also set to direct.  The films are being targeted for release in 2015 and 2016, respectively.

The development of animated features will be overseen at Warner Bros. by Courtenay Valenti, Chris deFaria and Greg Silverman.  Overall look, character design and the story reel process will be housed in Burbank; however the Studio will look to partner with established animation studios for production of the films.

Every year, KIDS FIRST! puts together a list of what we believe to be the best feature films of the year. These are all major feature releases that were released theatrically in 2012 and some are already out on DVD/Blu-Ray. So, be sure to check them out before the Oscar nominees are announced. (Drum roll please) In no particular order, the KIDS FIRST! Top Ten Kid Films 2012 are:

Ice age: Continental Drift

Life of Pi

Rise of the Guardians

Hotel Transylvania

Odd Life of Timothy Green

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Brave

Hunger Games 

Journey 2: Mysterious Island

Our 2013 KIDS FIRST! Film Critic competition is wrapping up the end of this month. If you have a child, age 7-14 who wishes to enter, it’s not too late yet. And, of course, we want to remind you to vote for your favorite contestant. Visit our Competition Web Page for more details.

The annual KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Search Competition opens October 3, 2012 and ends at midnight, December 31, 2012. The national competition is open to all U.S. children, ages 7 to 14. Just send in your child’s written and videotaped review of one of the Official Competition Films and get your friends and family to vote for them. Your child could be one of twelve winners who will review all the newest films rated for kids, interview celebrities both on and off the Red Carpet and be featured on the #1 rated weekly radio show, KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions on Voice America Kids Network. This is your chance for your child to be a Star!

Public voting on the contestants’ video reviews ends at midnight, December 31, 2012 and will determine the finalists. A panel of celebrity judges will select the winners who will be announced on or around January 15, 2013. Past campaigns have generated more than 11 million votes! Judges for this year’s competition: Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Landmark Theaters, HDNet Movies and Magnolia Pictures; Ben Lyons, film critic for the internationally syndicated show, EXTRA and frequent contributor to ‘Good Morning America;’ Thelma Adams, a Yahoo! Contributing Editor and whose column “Thelma Adams on Reel Women” runs on AMC Filmcritic.com; George Pennacchio, entertainment reporter for ABC7 Eyewitness News team in Los Angeles KABC-TV.

The Official Competition Films include: E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Princess Bride, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and 2 films, to be announced. These films are all available this fall in DVD/Blu-ray at DVD retailers and online at Amazon.com, KIDS FIRST!’s online partner.

The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics program, now in its third year, teaches kids to be critical viewers and users of media.  Although the competition is restricted to 12 winners, every child who enters wins by learning valuable skills and has a chance to shine!

The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics have made a name for themselves in Hollywood, interviewing talent on the red carpet and off and writing and videotaping more than 400 reviews in the last 20 months. They have covered more than 100 films and events including: Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Awards, Journey 2: Mysterious Island, Alvin & the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, The Amazing Spider-man, Hotel Transylvania, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Thunderstruck, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Mirror Mirror, the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials, An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars, Brave, Rock of Ages, Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, The Avengers, Hunger Games, The Lorax, Adventures of Tintin, The Secret World of Arrietty and more.

Recent research shows that, during their school age years, most U.S. children spend more hours watching media than the hours they spend in school. Fundamental to KIDS FIRST! mission is teaching children to make critical media choices so that they are not just couch potatoes but they seek out and use media in a beneficial way.

KIDS FIRST! evaluates, rates and endorses children’s films, DVDs, CDs, TV shows, apps and games using volunteer, community-based juries of adults and children from diverse backgrounds and offers a variety of means to showcase and enhance consumer awareness of sponsored products.

Industry supporters of The KIDS FIRST! Film Critics Campaign include: Amazon.com, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Warner Home Video, and Walt Disney Home Entertainment. Campaign support also comes from national nonprofit organizations that include the National Education Association and the National Council of Women’s Organizations, with a cumulative membership of over 17 million.

For information about the KIDS FIRST!, visit: http://www.kidsfirst.org/
For information about the KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Campaign, go to http://www.kidsfirst.org/become-a-juror/2013Campaign/Index.htm

RaeAnne Marsh joined KIDS FIRST! in July of 2010 as editor of KIDS FIRST! News and has cheerfully served in that position ever since. We have only praise for the extraordinary job that RaeAnne has done over these last two plus years. She excels in meeting deadlines, adjusting to last minute changes and making everyone happy. Thanks RaeAnne for everything you have done to support this organization.

This week, Lauren Longworth, our Jury Manager, takes over as editor and we welcome her with open arms. Lauren also publishes a local edition of Macaroni Kid where she publishes a weekly newsletter. So, she’s familiar with the territory. In addition to that, her expertise in all things related to KIDS FIRST! makes her more than qualified.

Please give us your comments as we take some new direction with our weekly newsletter. Let Lauren or myself know what you think – good or bad. Don’t be too harsh on us but do give us your constructive thoughts.

Lauren’s first edition will go out tomorrow, December 4 at 6 a.m. ET.

According to The Pew Internet & American Life Project, in conjunction with Princeton Survey Research, 85% of U.S. adults own a cell phone, and 31% of them have used their phone to look for health information. Two years ago, only 17% of cell phone owners had used their phones to look for health advice.

Smartphone owners lead this activity: 52% gather health information on their phones, compared with 6% of non-smartphone owners. Cell phone owners who are Latino, African American, between the ages of 18-49, or hold a college degree are also more likely to gather health information this way.

80% of cell phone owners say they send and receive text messages, but just 9% of cell phone owners say they receive any text updates or alerts about health or medical issues. Women, those between the ages of 30 and 64, and smartphone owners are more likely than other cell phone owners to have signed up for health text alerts.

Smartphones enable the use of mobile software applications to help people track or manage their health. Some 19% of smartphone owners have at least one health app on their phone. Exercise, diet, and weight apps are the most popular types. Mobile health continues to climb in popularity, especially among smartphone owners.

Among all cell phone owners, some demographic groups are more likely than others to look for health information on their phones: Latinos, African Americans, those between the ages of 18 and 49, and college graduates.

Mobile health information also seems to appeal to certain groups of health consumers: caregivers, people who went through a recent medical crisis, and those who experienced a recent, significant change in their physical health such as gaining or losing a lot of weight, becoming pregnant, or quitting smoking.
Nearly all demographic groups report significant increases in this activity, with the exception of those over 65 and those who did not complete high school. A few groups stand out: cell phone owners who are African American, college graduates, women, those with an annual household income between $50,000 and $74,999, and those between the ages of 30–49. Smartphone ownership has greatly increased over the last two years and no doubt had an effect on this trend.

Text messaging is a nearly universal activity, especially among younger cell phone owners, but it has not yet had a significant impact on the health market. 80% of cell phone owners say they send and receive text messages, but just 9% of cell phone owners say they receive any text updates or alerts about health or medical issues.
Source, all data: Pew Internet/CHCF Health Survey, August 7–September 6, 2012. N=3,014 adults ages 18+. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish, on landline and cell phones.