#triggerfish studio

[soranatus]

STAR WARS: VISIONS — 2.09 “Aau's Song” concept art

[sketch-shepherd-art]

Did I mention today that I hate drawing birds?

Anyway here's more fanart from yet another obscure animated movie I like- Kai from Adventures in Zambezia (made by the same studio that made Khumba). And also another movie I found zero content of when searching on Tumblr

Redbubble link

[bison2winquote]

Joker vs Scorpion pre-fight, Mortal Kombat 11 (Netherrealm Studios) Humuhumunukunukuapua'a is the name of the state fish of Hawai'i, or the Reef Triggerfish. Similar to Scorpion, it has some yellow and black on its scales, although it also has a lot of white, like the costume Scorpion is wearing here.

[lovebandit42069]

Initially didn't plan on actually posting the full ref sheet but since so many of you voted in the poll to help me decide the color scheme (thank you by the way!!) I figured I'd show what ended up happening with that

I did the same poll on twitter and ended up with tied results (Color scheme 2 won on here, color scheme 1 won on twitter) which turned out to be fine because I talked to a bestie about how it'd look if I mixed elements of the two (something I considered doing before I made the polls) and decided this looked the best!

This post is already way too long so if you want to know more about the character itself you can check out its toyhouse page lmao

(Minors and Proship please do not interact)

[danwhobrowses]

Star Wars Visions: Volume 2 - Review

I am one with the 4th and the 4th is with me, and it's time for Star Wars to return into the experimental animation department for Visions' second season.

I had high opinions of the first season, so the second had a high standard to live up to. But this is what I thought about it

Spoilers for Visions: Volume 2. Watch it first if you don't want to be told major plot points and what my opinion on it is

And again I was left impressed and satisfied. Very glad to see Visions hit a home run once again because there is a lot of meat to bite into of a similar and different variety to the previous season.

As we have for the review of last season we'll start with the negatives to get them out of the way.

What Wasn't Great

No existing story is picked up A small gripe would be that after the great episodes of the first season it was an overall shame that none got a continuation, despite their potential for greater mileage. It's not entirely a bad thing, but it's a shame nonetheless.

The runtime still lacks Before we were looking at 20 minute episodes, but it seems volume 2 has ran down to episodes as short as 10-15 minutes. Which for a fan never feels long enough. While nobody's asking for padding, some episodes could've benefited from a bit more time to flesh out their action or emotional scenes.

Dumb Hopeful Child is Dumb (Twice) Once is passable but twice is worth noting, but the 'In the Stars' and 'Bandits of Golak' storyline both seemed to use the same idea of a force sensitive child's ignorance to how much the empire would hammer down on them, leading to the older sibling to step in. Rani and Tichina may have endearing qualities, but given what the episode tells about their past bereavement at the hands of the empire you'd think them to be at least a little more apprehensive towards using the Force in front of the Empire.

'This Path is only meant for you' (Thrice!) While one side is Jedi x2 and another Sith, there's also a similarity in conclusion in 'Screecher's Reach', 'Aau's Song' and again 'Bandits of Golak' with the young force sensitive having to leave their companions in order to complete training with their master - who in the former and latter is adamant to only take the one child - in search of a better life. In comparison, Daal's tragic story which sees her forced to kill to fall into the dark was more compelling than Rani's previously mentioned naivete stumbling into it, but Aau's tale achieves the opposite side of being hopeful as a counter to Daal's which I'll get more into. But again since Visions is meant to be fresh stories from appraised animation studios, it's a shame that you see duplication: it wouldn't have been too difficult really to tell each other what your story is so there's no overlap.

The Pit's main conflict is easily fixable While 'The Pit' acts well as a well-animated story with a dark turn midway, the whole problem of them being stuck in a hole they have dug felt like it could have been resolved a numeral amount of ways other than 'one will climb out into the imperial controlled city to tell people how the imperial has built this city on prison labor' or just 'chanting in unison so they can hear', I mean they could just build steps out of the bedrock, or just climb out the way Crux did. I also think that the story didn't want to go super dark with the troopers opening fire on the civilians, even though they were okay abandoning people in a pit to die. I dunno it felt rather unambitious at times, taking stories of other media (The Dark Knight Rises) and putting it into Star Wars.

What Was Great

An immediate feast for the eyes Immediately from the episode 'Sith', we are presented with a fresh and stylish level of animation; from the sketchbook-esque world, the flat brush strokes to the classic claymation, everyone's unique take on how the Star Wars world looks offers a new and intriguing perspective. The action is dynamic and fluid too, not to mention the character design for most are unique and themed to their environment.

Aardman understood the assignment At face value 'I Am Your Mother' felt like it'd be little more than a silly story. But its unique charm, blatant references, typical anime antagonist behaviour and its relatable storyline managed to pull off a lighthearted but fun ride.

Journey to the Dark Head! My favourite for this volume has to be the fifth episode, Studio Mir's 'Journey to the Dark Head', I mean fuck yes! A story of multiple plot threads, character development, and stakes, paired with japanese-esque settings, anime visuals and an unnerving villain, not to mention the core theme of balance rather than just light and dark. It's much of what I expect from this series and much like my last favourite 'The Ninth Jedi' it leaves me desiring more.

But also, The Spy Dancer! Second only to this would be the mesmerising Spy Dancer by Studio La Cachette that came right after it. What could've simply been an episode of manipulation underlined by a stunning performance immediately got turned on its head when the imperial ended up being Loi'e's kidnapped and indoctrinated son! Providing a new layer of complexity to the entire second half. A story which could've ended in brutal tragedy was instead given a merciful and hopeful open end. I can't exactly tell you the reasons why it doesn't beat Journey to the Dark Head, it could even be because I saw it first, but these are two stories that go higher and harder than the others in the volume in the similar bar as Ninth Jedi, Village Bride, Lop & Ocho and The Ronin.

Slight Familiarity Although it is unique content, you can see many influences in the episodes from other Star Wars Legends; a Malak-like sith, Gennedy's Clone Wars aesthetic, even an actual Wedge Antilles appearance, the familiarity does usher an easier immersion into the story.

It didn't end on a bummer like last time One of my biggest critiques of season 1 was that the season ended on a sore and bitter note with 'Akakiri', but this season seemed to remedy that with the ethereal-like story of Triggerfish's 'Aau's Song'. Immediately drawn in on premise, Aau achieves where Rani and Tichina struggled in being curious but aware, and also using her powers when necessary rather than forcing another to step in. While Aau also leaves her companions behind, her choice appears a lot more soft than Daal and Rani's 'leave or continue to suffer in this poor existence', and her departure feels more hopeful than bittersweet.

Definitely more stories to expand upon While we didn't pick up anything from Season 1 (yet), Season 2 has offered even more great story paths to look into; I do feel like each episode provided enough to be explored further and most would be captivating enough to be commissioned into full series if given the chance.

Conclusion

It was another good showing from Visions to show the newer and creative avenues the Star Wars universe can take under the helm of various animation styles and creative minds. With episodes tailored to different audiences too, there is a widespread appeal. If I were to rank them from best to worst in my opinion it would be:

Journey to the Dark Head, The Spy Dancer, The Sith, I Am Your Mother, Aau's Song, In the Stars, Screecher's Reach, The Pit, The Bandits of Golak

I'd say Bandits is probably the one I liked the least because In the Stars and Screecher's Reach/Aau's Song had the same plot elements done better, in spite of its unique arabic culture aesthetic and inquisitor villain. The Pit's lack of ambition also harmed it, but the rest were all very strong stories. It's actually a very good sign how much I had to toil between where to rank the third to fifth spots, with Aau's Song and I Am Your Mother surprising me on their quality, Screecher's Reach is great too with its tragedy but I do like positive stories over 'trauma be upon thee'. But yeah I think I'll gush a long time over Dark Head and Spy Dancer, that's some premium gourmet star wars there.

Bring on a Volume 3.

[theliterarywolf]

I watched Kizazi Moto and I really liked it a lot! One of the things I found especially interesting was the difference in…I want to say emoting? expression? with how some of the characters responded to things. Like with tongue clicking and some hand motions. I thought that was very interesting. Did you have a fave episode?

YES! Finally, someone watched/sent in an ask about this anthology!

And what you said here, noticing the differences in emoting. I am so glad you mentioned that because, yes: African storytelling, particularly when it comes to bringing stories to the big (or in this case, streaming) screen, does have its own style of emoting, staging, and composition.

And, yes, every culture does (for all people meme on Indian soap operas having the 'twenty dramatic zooms with matching music', you can tell that's a modernized carryover from traditional storytelling), but I have been yearning for African stories to be able to be seen by a wider audience so they can be a part of the conversation.

Because, yeah, we have companies like Netflix picking up a few Nigerian and Ghananian movies/shows for streaming, unless you're searching for them or your algorithm is trained, you'll never find them.

Also, shout-out to Supa Team 4

An upcoming CGI animated series from Zambia that is looking like a fusion of Miraculous and DC Super Hero Girls.

But, my rambling aside, for me there were three stand-outs from the anthology.

My favorite cultural-reflection, My favorite spectacle, and My Overall Favorite (kind of like a Best in Show).

My Favorite Cultural-Reflection

And by this, I mean which of the shorts reflected the culture it's creators are from the best (even though it may not have been my Overall Favorite):

Moremi (Nigeria)

(Hate that I couldn't find a gif for this one...)

Before this series aired proper, If you showed me 15 seconds of each short and told me to identify which country they came from, with this one it would have been a no-brainer. The staging and composition are such a strong mirror to Nigerian storytelling, a facet that is made even more obvious when we're introduced to the scientist character.

My Favorite Spectacle

Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer (South Africa)

The sheer definition of 'Hype'. When I was liveblogging my first time watching some of the anthology, I made the comment 'Who at Triggerfish Studios marathoned Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill before coming into work that day?!' But, yes, this short was extremely anime, extremely colorful, and extremely action-packed. All while still having a message about maintaining the connection with your ancestors.

My Overall Favorite (Best in Show)

Enkai (Kenya)

Everything about this short, the composition, the color-scheme, the acting, the setting, and the messages are beautiful. While the initial scenes give us the impression of a simple, more intimate story of a mother and daughter, as the story progresses, the audience is presented with themes of family, spirituality, environmentalism, and even a bit of generational trauma sprinkled in (if you know where to look).

In fact, I'm going to discuss the moment that solidified this short as Best in Show for me. Spoilers under the Read More

When Enkai and her mother finally escape the destroyed Earth and Enkai is showing the new world she's made, free of mankind's greed and destruction, her mother has a moment of hesitation and looks back towards the Earth.

Even though the Earth and it's people, the ones who she was trying so hard to protect, have hurt her so much, she still says, "...I can still fix this!"

And Enkai has to be the one to tell her mother, "If we didn't leave, we would never be free from them. They have to save themselves now."

As much as the environmentalist message is there, it also reflects a story of a woman being abused by her family, hurt by her family, and internalizing the fact that she has to stay; she has to take care of her loved ones, only finally being told by the next generation 'No, you have done enough! You have been hurt enough!'

I just... God, the beauty of African storytelling being presented in the medium of modern animation got to me, okay?

[canmom]

Animation Night 166: Star Wars Visions... 2

Remember Star Wars: Visions? We covered it back on Animation Night 73, now almost two years ago. If you don't, no worries: basically the Animatrix by way of Star Wars. The Mouse threw a bunch of money at some top-class anime studios to make films for their IP, giving the studios pretty free rein to play that however they pleased.

The results were pretty strong! Trigger did 'Promare with Sith' under Imaishi and a strong realist jedi-as-samurai piece, Geno Studio did an impressive digital facsimile of the 90s cel style, Kinema Citrus told a cool atmospheric scifi mystery with Emi Evans on the soundtrack, and Science Saru did a fun tribute to Astro Boy and a slickly stylised samurai one that, now I've seen Inu-oh, definitely has a little of its DNA. A lot of them boiled down to 'a Jedi fights a Sith', but delivered with a ton of panache.

Absolutely it was the best thing to come out of the zombie Star Wars memeplex in a long time, although I'd far rather these kinds of short film compilation projects could happen without having to be tied to the Brand. But, if wishes were horses, or y'know whatever these are...

Two years later, we're back with another round! This time, instead of going to anime studios, the Mouse has turned to various medium-sized animation studios from around the world - many beloved for their unique styles. Expect to see names like Cartoon Saloon (AN14), Aardman (AN50), Mir (The Legend of Korra) and La Cachette (Primal, c.f fufuro). There is strictly speaking one anime studio in there, namely D'Art Shtajio; there's also the South African studio Triggerfish, who I'll talk about in more detail when the time comes to do Kizazi Moto. Plus a couple of studios that I'm less familiar with, such as El Guiri in Spain and PunkRobot in Chile.

All in all a very impressive lineup, sure to bring some unique takes on the material.

Is it great that all these studios, known for their brilliant original work, are all here working for the Mouse, making yet more Star Wars? Hahaha. Well. No, but I'm still curious to see what they've come up with.

Work is crazy at the moment so I don't have time to do a big writeup. If you want to read summaries of the films, Wikipedia's got you covered. I'm of a mind to take them as they come, though!

Animation Night 166 will be starting at 10pm UK time, about 30 minutes from now, at twitch.tv/canmom!

[disneytva]

After the masterpiece of SPIDERVERSE, check 10 new stories by Africans with the help of Peter Ramsey, Triggerfish Studios, Disney Europe Animation & Disney Africa.

KIZAZI MOTO: GENERATION FIRE streaming July 5 on Disney+

[historyhermann]

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire Spoiler-Filled Review

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, known as Kizazi Moto for short, is an Africanfuturist animated film anthology series. It is the second animated series produced by a South African animation studio, Triggerfish. It follows Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes, which premiered on Disney+ earlier this year. Peter Ramsey is the executive producer. Tendayi Nyeke and Anthony Silverston join him as supervising producers. Shofela Coker, Raymond Malinga, and Ahmed Teilab developed the series. As a warning, this review will discuss death, blood, suicide, and other related themes. This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, Kizazi Moto, being reviewed here, wouldn't exist.

Reprinted from Pop Culture Maniacs and Wayback Machine. This was the forty-third article I wrote for Pop Culture Maniacs. This post was originally published on August 6, 2023.

Unlike some other series, Kizazi Moto is a bit hard to describe. While each of the ten short films within this series clearly has an African perspective, told by one or more directors, the themes of each episode can be vastly different. The music, animation style, writing, and everything else can also differ. Sometimes, it feels like the sinew holding the series together is not as strong as it could be. Even so, each film stands on its own, with many providing a possible starting point for future animated series.

In order to understand where the series stands, it is important to have some background about the genre. This series is outwardly Africanfuturist. In the reporting, before the series released, some media outlets incorrectly described it as "Afrofuturist." These two genres are not the same. Afrofuturism, which is well-known as a genre, explores intersection of science and technology with the African diaspora, addressing concerns and themes of that diaspora. The term was coined in 1993 by White male cultural critic Mark Dery. This has led some to use broader terms like "Black science fiction" and "Black speculative fiction" or embrace the term "Africanfuturism".

Africanfuturism centers on fusion of African mythology, history, culture, technology, and point of view, within Africa itself. Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor coined the term in 2019. She described it as a sci-fi sub-category deeply rooted in "African culture, history, mythology and point-of-view" which does not center or privilege Western countries, while retaining optimistic future visions. It is also, in her description, written and centered on people who are of African descent, and rooted in Africa. As such, it can also include the African diaspora.

While there has been more Africanfuturist literature, and comics, in recent years, there are very few films. One such film put in the genre (by some) is Black Panther. Others have included Pumzi and Ratnik, along with Okorafor's Binti and Who Fears Death, which are getting live-action series adaptations. Even so, there are no currently ongoing Africanfuturist series. As such, Kizazi Moto may prove vital to the possibility of future series in the genre. It will only join the ranks of series in development, like Iwájú, created by a Pan-African British company, Kugali Media, in collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios.

As such, Kizazi Moto differs from My Dad the Bounty Hunter, the upcoming Dantai (produced by Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowr). The still-in-production Iyanu: Child of Wonder (releasing in 2024) may include some Afrofuturist, or Africanfuturist, elements. More common examples of Afrofuturism include music of R&B/pop/funk/hip hop/soul musician Janelle Monáe and R&B/soul/hip hop musician Erykah Badu.

The first episode/film of this series, "Herderboy," features artful, colorful, and amazing animation. It is coupled with impactful voice acting and fitting music. The story of a wanna-be hero, Ndahura (voiced by Koona Blair Matthias "Wonders"), is typical. Some characters are speaking Yoruba (voiced by people in Benin, Nigeria, and Togo). The beast, a Nyamiyonga (voiced by Jon Olson), feeds off negative energy. Both are unique. It is unlike any other series I've seen. There aren't any simple naming conventions, like the original world of the Diamonds in Steven Universe called "Homeworld," rather than something more creative. The herding of cattle to gain crystals, known as chwezinite, to power their society shows the sci-fi nature of the episode. What really caps off this episode are the amazing action sequences and compelling characters.

The episode/film is directed, and written, by Raymond Malinga. Mpho Osei-Tutu does other writing. I was unfamiliar with any of the voice actors, either Florence Kasumba (voiced Ndahura's sister, Captain Katono), Idringi Patrick "Salvado" (voice of somewhat technology adverse Dushiime), or Omara Daniel (voiced of robot Isingoma).

The second episode/film of Kizazi Moto, "Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer," is unlike the first. It focuses on racing. The episode/film is set in a futuristic city where some speak Zulu. The racing scenes are fluid. They fit with characters jumping across the screen, garnering the viewer's attention. Unlike the first episode/film, this episode/film focuses on the importance of family, culture (being Zulu), and ancestry. The themes of displacement, gentrification, and togetherness are key. The neighborhood where Manzo (voiced by Nasty C) and his mother Manomi (voiced by Carol Ofori) live, is almost demolished by Ogun (voiced by Hakeem Kae-Kazim). He is an intergalactic racing overlord. Manzo only saves it when he takes on his mother's garb as Mkhuzi and becomes all-parts Zulu.

The episode/film had nice upbeat rock music and well-done animation. It has none of the same directors and writers as the first one. Malcolm Wope directed and created it. Simangaliso "Panda" Sibaya was a fellow director. Leslie Pulsfier wrote the episode. Apart from the aforementioned voice actors, I was unfamiliar with Sandi Dlangalala, who voices racer Cosmizi. In some ways, this episode reminded me of Birdie Wing, but that anime is more wild with golf-obsessed Mafia, even more than The Phantom Menace, which has a well-known pod racing scene, or similar scenes in Star Wars Resistance.

When it comes to writers, each episode/film had distinct individuals. The animation and writing weren't done in the United States. As such, their studios aren't mentioned on a recently-circulated spreadsheet noting conditions within animation studios. However, their labor and economic conditions are worth noting. The entertainment industry remains highly profitable. Disney, brought in over $55 billion to the company's Media and Entertainment Distribution division in 2022 alone. They can clearly pay writers, and actors, what they deserve, and fulfill their demands in the recent strikes. It should be no issue for them at all.

The third episode/film of Kizazi Moto, "Moremi," took a quite different tact than the others, making it stand out. In part, this was because it had moderate violence. It artfully combined mystical magical, and sci-fi themes all in one. Like the first episode/film, the Yoruba language is spoken. In some ways, this episode reminded me of the episode in the far-too-short animeseque Yasuke in which the samurai, Yasuke, travels upstream with Saki. A fundamental difference between that series, focused on the Black experience, is that this episode has character development, depth, and no tonal shifts.

This episode/film focuses on the frailty of the human condition, family togetherness, and the value of one's soul. The protagonist Luo (voiced by Tolowanimi Olaoye), who must recharge himself every day to keep his heart functioning, learns a story from Moremi, the woman who saves him from soul-eating monsters. Moremi (voiced by Kehinde Bankole) tells him that in the past, the land of Ife was filled with the aforementioned monsters from another realm. She adds that woman built a machine which closed the inter-dimensional gateway between worlds. Of course, even though this woman made an oath to the Gods, she vowed to save her child by any means necessary, even if the monsters returned.

This Kizazi Moto episode/film has a touching ending, with Luo merging his life force with the child, Olu. As a result, the monsters depart, and Moremi, the woman from the story, finally can reunite with her child. I can't even think of a series in which a character gives up their soul to save another person. Rapunzel in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure nor Steven Universe in the series of the same name has done anything like Luo. The only equivalent I can think of is what happens in the original Tokyo Mew Mew manga and the early 2000s anime. Masaya Aoyama uses the Mew Aqua inside of him to not only sacrifices his own life, but that of villainous Deep Blue. This does not happen in the reboot series, which has more of a "happy ending" than in the original series (or manga).

I wasn't familiar with the episode's director, Shofela Coker, co-writer, Vanessa Kanu, or co-director, Andrew McNally. Coker even voices a character (Malimbe) in this episode/film. Coker is known for his animation and video game work and for feature films like Liyana. Kanu is a new screenwriter. He is a staff writer on Supa Team 4, reportedly the "first original African animated series" on Netflix. McNally is co-creator of Isaura, a South African animated film in development. It focuses on climate change and environmental conservation, and centers on Mozambique. The same company that made that film, Studio Lucan, also did the work on this episode. The episode/film, it is inspired by the real mythological story of Yoruba hero Queen Moremi/Moremi Ajasoro of Ife.

The fourth episode/film of Kizazi Moto, "Surf Sangoma", goes in another direction. It's about surfing and finding yourself. It begins in a dark place. The grandmother of the protagonist, Njabulo, is pulled under water by squids. This mortifies her grandson, who tries in vain to save her, but fails. Then, there is a flash forward to the present, where Njabulo is a surfing coach, and he talks to his friend, Mnqobi. In an almost ominous tone, an announcement declares that surfing beyond the wall, which protects the city, is illegal and deadly. Even the high water is said to have caused civil unrest. In a scene, which reminds me of the bike chases in the often-forgotten Tron: Uprising, Mnqobi and Njabulo race one another and find a spot which gets them "over the wall".

This is where the episode becomes horror-like. Locals talk to Njabulo (voiced by Mandisa Nduna) and Mnqobi (Omiga Mncube), declaring that they either have to surf or leave. Although Njabulo refuses to take part, with his grandmother's voice telling him to avoid the water, Mnqobi obliges. All of them have squids, from the water, attached to their heads. This is even worse than the brain slug in Futurama. It's more like the insidious brain worms in two episodes of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. To make matters worse, Mnqobi joins the local surfers and they beat up Njabulo, stealing his board, the last thing he has left of his grandmother.

With an undoubted lesson that people should confront their fears, the voice of Njabulo's grandmother tells him to return to the water. Although the local surfers taunt him, he continues onward. His grandmother saves him from the ravenous squid. She is now part of the ocean. One of the best animated sequences in the episode follows. Njabulo is chased by other surfers, with the music and pace fitting the action. In the end, he is able to rescue his friend.

Perhaps to indicate the world's cruelty, the surfer with malintent, Mlindos (voiced by Carlos Fonseca Mokgata), is brutally killed/subsumed by the squid. Although Njabulu and Mnqobi survive, a final scene, which shows a squid, in the water near the former city, roaring, implies a possible continuation. It also indicates that the city may be under direct threat.

This Kizazi Moto episode/film has to be one of my favorites. Not only do some of the characters talk in Zulu, but the animation is smooth, colorful, and unique, having its own flair. On the other hand, it is a bit like a horror film. It is, perhaps, the scariest of the lot, and it took some time to come around to it since I'm not a big fan of the horror genre, with some exceptions. I wasn't aware of any of the directors (Catherine Green, Nthato Mokgata, and Graham Gallagher), nor the creators (Nthato Mokgata and Terence Neale) or the writers (Nthato Mokgata, Catherine Green, and Phumlani Pikoli).

Similarly, I hadn't heard of Sabelo Gumede (who voices Mlindos' associate, Nsimbi), Tyson Ngubeni (who voices Mlindos' associate, Joko), or Krofaa Sani Sekyiamah (who voices a little surfer girl/Njabulo's student at beginning of the episode). Mokgata is part of a South African visual art duo and musician otherwise known as Spoek Mathambo. He has a distinctly and "socially-engaged" Africanfuturist perspective. Neale is known for music videos.

The other six episodes/films continue the show's "unique African perspective" and play to a big audience. This series may be a breakthrough for the animation industry in Africa. Disney has under-promoted this series, without question. This leaves it up to the individual creators to do the promotion on their own. Triggerfish, the animation studio primarily behind the series, was praised on Glassdoor. Comments described it as extremely organized, having a great company culture, inspirational, great upward mobility, and high-quality animation. The same comments criticized it for a messy production pipeline, low job retention, and low pay.

I was intrigued when I saw the title of "First Totem Problems," the fifth episode/film of Kizazi Moto. The colorful animated scenery and cheerful music pulled me in, as were the struggles of the protagonist. Sheba (voiced by Rene Setlhako) cannot get on a train because it doesn't identify her as an adult. Later, she attends a ceremony to get a totem, so she can become an adult. By accident, she ends up in a dimension where her ancestors are living, akin to the spirit world in Elena of Avalor.

She is determined to get a totem. She enters the totem printing room with that goal. Her ancestors tell her that a totem is connected to your community and can't be manufactured. This doesn't faze her. She makes her own totem and is verified as an adult; despite the damage her actions may have caused within the spirit world.

Honestly, this episode/film was the least favorite one. The message appears to be that someone's determination and smugness will help you achieve your goals. Not sure that is a good lesson. The episode could have done something similar to Hilda, where her arrogance causes her trouble and issues with others. I hadn't heard of the episode's writer/director, Tshepo Moche, nor Maame Boateng and Khadidiatou Diouf, who provided additional writing. The same went for the voice actors, like Tumi Morake, Lillian Dube, Rampepe Mohohlo, and Sne Dladla who voiced Momzo, Mimi, Malume, and Wewe respectfully.

My disappointment from the fifth episode/film of Kizazi Moto faded away when I watched "Mukudzei". This episode/film not only criticizes online culture and obsession with likes as hollow, but it has the lesson that togetherness and cooperation are more important than individuality. Muku (voiced by Pious Nyenyewa) realizes this firsthand, while he is spray painting the ruins. He is transported, due to a timeline glitch, to a future parallel universe, Muchadenga. In this universe, Great Zimbabwe was never colonized. A fellow scavenger named Rumbie (voiced by Genesis "Gigi Lamayne" Manney) saves him. Rumbie tells him this society has all sorts of technology and the most sophisticated justice system in the multiverse. A monster bird chases them and there is an intense, and well-animated, chase through a tunnel.

The biggest twist is not that Muku realizes he messed up or that Rumbie is also from the past, and saw her brother die in the ruins. It is the fact that the bird is trying to help them get back to the past! The bird even assists them in keeping open the portal so they can return to the present, where Rumbie meets her mother (voiced by Fungai Muzoroza), once again. Muku realizes that being #1 as a social media influencer doesn't matter. Rather, talking to his dad is more important. Preserving one's culture and history is another important theme.

Like the other episodes/films, I hadn't heard of the directors (Tafadzwa Hove and Pious Nyenyewa). While Hove was the writer, Nyenyewa also was the episode's creator and voice of Muku, one of the protagonists, as noted earlier. Hove describes himself as a "filmmaker". Nyenyewa is a Zimbabwean who leads the studio, Alula Animation. Manney is a South African rapper known as Gigi Lamayne. This series is the voice acting debut of her and Muzoroza.

The seventh episode/film of Kizazi Moto, "Hatima," was one of the strongest. And I'm not only saying that because I enjoy reading stories about merpeople like Mermaid Huntress (formerly named Ice Massacre), Mora in Disenchantment, Coral in High Guardian Spice, or Lettuce in Tokyo Mew Mew New (who can sometimes be a mermaid). The fact that this took place in an underwater society makes me think of the underwater battles in Star Wars: Clone Wars, the secret society of Atlantis in the 2000s Disney films (Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Atlantis: Milo's Return), the Gungan society in Star Wars, or the oft-appearing Atlanteans in Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Young Justice, and other properties.

"Hatima" has common themes like a father's death at the hands of an enemy. Being deemed unworthy to be a warrior, with someone holding you back from your potential is not a new concept. I liked that Mati (voiced by Nkosinathi Mazwai) is headstrong. He won't listen to the reasoning of his brother, Sana (voiced by Tshepo Howza Mosese). Sana doesn't understand Mati's anger, or wants to use a "weapon of war", the Hatima. In fact, he declares that the Hatima are only used by the "air-breathers" (i.e., the humans) and that they don't use them. The backstory begins almost innocently. Nhela (voiced by Mo Mjamba) works in her makeshift lab. Her sister, Alani (voiced by Tumela Candice Modiselle) helps her. She learns that sodium chloride causes the Hatima cells to grow instead of destroying them.

It predictably goes south. Their actions incur the disappointment of King of their society, and their father (voiced by Herald Khumalo). He takes away the Hatima. After Nhela mocks his decrees, Alani refuses to work with her. In a possible allusion to chronic illness, Nhela, who is near death, and coughing up blood, submerges herself in the Hatima. She has changed. But no one will accept her, even after her pleas that this substance can cure all sickness.

The worst betrayal is that Alani says they can "fix" and return her to normal, which is ludicrous. Does she want her sister to almost die, again? Unsurprisingly, she leaves the society, feeling shunned by everyone. This connects to Mati and the battle underwater. This whole story is in a memory orb, which reveals this backstory. It causes him to embrace his "enemy," Ntsako (voiced by Lebo Mochudi), and realize they are all related. In some ways, this resolution makes me think of the sirenas in Elena of Avalor, likely referring to the mythologic creature in Filipino culture, which is like a mermaid.

I was familiar with themes of acceptance, the "other," ancestry, and family. Even so, I hadn't come across a series where characters speak Afrikaans, a West Germanic language which evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony used by German, French, Dutch settlers, and those they enslaved. Due to this history, it makes sense that the "oppressors" are speaking this language. I can easily sympathize with what Mati and Nhela are going through, on some level.

This episode/video has extreme potential become a full animated series. Whether Terence Maluleke and Isaac Mogajane, who were the directors, with Maluleke as creator and Mogajane as writer, want to pursue a longer series, I'm not sure. Tatenda Mbudzi was also on the crew, helping with dialogue. I hadn't heard of Sekoati Tsubane (who voices Mati's father) or Kgomotso Kekana (who voices Young Mati), who are voice actors in this series. Maluleke is a digital artist, while Mogajane is director and writer.

The last three episodes/films of Kizazi Moto are unique, but also connect to others. The eighth episode "Stardust", is all about discrimination, realizing who you want to be, and your "destiny" mixed with magic, amazing 3-D animation, and well-fitting music. The protagonist, Nawara (voiced by May Elghety), wants to escape her hard life, and sees the Oracle as the answer. Despite the Oracle's guard saying that her "kind" isn't allowed, the Oracle (voiced by Laith Nakli) gives her a scroll. He says that it has what she deserves. When she learns there is nothing inside the scroll, she is enraged. She declares she will "take" her destiny by herself.

Not everyone likes the Oracle. He is the enemy of the Pallids. They want a magical star from him, even destroying his droid protector. Later, Nawara escapes with some scrolls. Even so, she feels bad after the Oracle is captured. She becomes friends with Riphi, the oxen-like beast who is the Oracle's animal companion. She goes on a typical hero's journey to the observatory. In a powerful scene, the Pallid boss (voiced by Mo Ismail) tells Nawara that she shouldn't waste her pride and ambition because people like her don't get to choose their destiny. Of course, she can't accept this. She fights alongside the Oracle and the Pallids are defeated. Comically, they are thrown out of the observatory.

The end of this episode/film implies that Nawara may stay with the Oracle, as she says that she wants to be "nothing, but this". The camaraderie between Nawara and the Oracle is one of the best parts of the episode/film. The same can be said for the voice acting by Elghety, Nakli, Ismail, Amir Hedayah, Rami El Ashram, and Nayra El Sheikh. The latter three voice the droid announcer, a Pallid man, and Pallid woman. Ahmed Teilab wrote and directed this episode/film. Kenyas screenwriter Voline Ogutu does additional writing. Their talents make "Stardust" that much more impactful.

The ninth episode/film of Kizazi Moto, "You Give Me Heart" shares some similarities with the previously mentioned episode/film, "Mukudzei". However, this episode/film, more than any of the others, criticizes the absurdity of online value. The protagonist, Sundiata "Sundi" (voiced by Sechaba Ramphele), has only two followers. This differs from Phefo and Moepi, voiced by Mhlangabezi Richard Mashiya and Lesego Vorster. He joins a show in which contestants are from a version of Earth called Oro Kotoko. Winners enter the land of the Gods, called Hodimo, and become the new God of creativity. In order to do so, they must convince Maadi, goddess of plenty, to favor them. If the judges are displeased, then a contestant can be rejected.

Luckily for Sundi, he ascends. The announcer, Tsbinki (Mukovhe Monyai), has it out for him, because Sundi embarrassed him by turning him into a clay hummingbird during the contest. Maadi is willing to help him. While he is happy for her help, he never gets close to the follower count he needs to truly ascend: one million followers. He admits to her that it is hard to get people to like you. When he sees the true form of Maadi (voiced by Pearl Thusi), he films her, and causes him to reach his goal.

This is at a cost. He embarrasses her. It results in her losing so many followers that her goddess status disappears. In the final part of the episode, he strikes back. Everything falls apart, with the help of Maadi, with each of the gods losing their forms, and the system overloads. Maadi and Sundi hold hands and tell the program, Jojoba (voiced by Simba Mudereri) to "delete" it all. They appear to die happy while this horrifying place disappears from existence.

"You Give Me Heart" was one of my favorite Kizazi Moto episodes/films. I thought the imagery of the Gods working in cubicles is apt. I've always thought that if a higher power was even possible (which it isn't), there would be a massive bureaucracy to manage everything. This is almost never depicted in fiction. I liked Tsbinki's character, to an extent, as she is very energetic and emphatic. Some of the designs reminded me of Gem fusions like Sunstone, Sugilite, and Sunstone in Steven Universe. The director/creator, Lesego Vorster, and writer, Nonzi Bogatsu, were both new names to me.

The final film/episode of Kizazi Moto, "Enkai", shares themes with "Hatima". The mother Goddess, Shiro, has fun with her child, Enkai. Both speak Swahili together. Despite this warmth, she insists that Enkai isn't ready to create new life, and is not ready to come with her to Earth. Understandably, Enkai worries about her mother. She is excited when she makes her first being. Curiously, she travels to Earth and walks through a slum in Kirinyaga Mega City. People there are rapping that the Euro-Kenya Corporation is exploiting a mountain. Her mom, who is trying to put out fires made by the corporation's robots, saves her, just in time.

Shiro's belief that the corporation won't destroy the sacred mountain is proven wrong. The corporate greed, of the humans, almost kills her. Not all hope is lost. Enkai (voiced by Stycie Waweru) creates a whole new world, using items from Earth over years and years, called Thayari. She tells her mom that humans can only save themselves now. She adds that isn't her mom's responsibility anymore, and heals her mother (voiced by Sheila Munyiva). In the final sequence of this episode/film, they both dance in this new world happily.

While the Earth is "left to die", Shiro did as much as she could. She almost died trying to protect Earth. This episode/film has the implication that humans have no one to look up to but themselves. In some ways, this is an atheist theme. This contrasts with many of the other episodes/films, which have almost religious, or religious themes. I wasn't familiar with the voice actresses for Enkai or Shiro, nor those for Awa (Kate Harbor) or Makanga (Varees Marko Lukyamuzzi). The director/writer, Ng'engo Mukii, was also new. She is a film director and Tufts University professor.

I have further thoughts on Kizazi Moto before I end this review. The series was promoted badly. I only remembered it all thanks to some savvy users on social media. As such, the promotional campaign could have been better. Secondly, having all ten episodes/films drop one day is a recipe for having them disappear altogether, with people forgetting about them. The release of the episodes/films should have been spaced out along 10 weeks, or five weeks at minimum.

This series is unlike any other series I've seen, in part because it is an anthology. Each episode/film doesn't necessarily connect to the previous one. Even so, they all show the brilliance of African animation industry, whether through the writing, animation, or dialogue. Although I haven't seen any of the episodes of Star Wars: Visions yet, it has a similar feel, in terms of each episode standing alone and not necessarily connecting to those before it. At the same time, this series differs from other well-known sci-fi anthology series like Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone, The Ray Bradbury Theater, and Love, Death & Robots.

African stories are front and center in Kizazi Moto, just as Mexican stories are at the center of Victor and Valentino and Villainous. The fact that Ramsey, known for his co-direction of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, gives this series credibility. Unfortunately, many originally incorrectly labeled this as "Afrofuturist," despite the distinction as I noted earlier in this review, with some exceptions. With the premiere of Supa Team 4 late last month, My Dad the Bounty Hunter season 2  this month, and premieres for Iyanu: Child of Wonder, and Dantai, hopefully in 2024 or 2025, Black science fiction is moving to a broader audience.

Recently, Disney announced that The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder would be getting a third season. At the same convention, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, it was also revealed that The Sunnyridge 3, StuGo, Dragon Striker, and The Doomies will be going into production, along with a second season of Kiff, and future premiere of Primos sometime this year. All of this shows that Disney appears to recognize the value of diverse storytelling.

On the other hand, Disney continues to resist demands of striking writers and actors. Recently, newly-anointed Disney CEO, Bob Iger, denigrated striking writers and actors as "very disruptive". The former are asking for a ratified labor contract, a fair residual formula for streaming services, stronger regulation of self-tape auditions, preventing artificial intelligence from replacing actors, while the latter want to limit use of artificial intelligence in the writing process, size of writers' rooms, job security, and increased pay.

Due to Iger's statement, there's no guarantee Disney would pay them fairly or accept their demands at the present. However, it seems unlikely that the twin strikes by actors and writers will last long-term because, hopefully, the studio heads likely want to make a deal, even though some want to let things drag on until union members start "losing their apartments and...their houses." Furthermore, it is not known how this will impact Disney's push for diverse storytelling.

Kizazi Moto, along with various aforementioned series which are in production, those renewed, or those airing (Kiff, Hamster & Gretel, Moon Girl, and Hailey's On It!) is part of Disney's present course of action. Disney also has series in development such as Iwaju, Cookies & Milk, Tiana, or Moana: The Series. Clearly, the executives want to bring in, promote, and produce non-White stories. This was already clear with the Thai focus in Amphibia and various Black and Afro-Latina characters in The Owl House. It is even more evident with recent announcements.

I'm not sure where Kizazi Moto will go from here, but each has the potential to be expanded into their own series, or something more. I hope that they don't suffer the fate of the little-known web series, Recorded by Arizal, by Filipino creator Yssa Badiola. That series was ignored by Rooster Teeth, and not greenlit into a full series, despite the amazing potential of the four-episode prelude.

Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire can be watched on Disney+.

© 2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[thecastingcircle]

The 21st century has ushered in a new era of super heroes across film, TV and comics. Now, Netflix viewers are introduced to the tech-fueled young African heroines of Supa Team 4 in the brand-new official trailer. Premiering on July 20, the stylish CG action-comedy is created by Zambian writer Malenga Mulendema, who originally pitched the concept to Cape Town studio Triggerfish during an open call for African creators.

Synopsis: Four teen girls living in the neo-futuristic African city of Lusaka are recruited by a retired secret agent still committed to saving the world… even if it���s on a budget. In their journey from school girls tackling homework to undercover superheroes fending off supervillains, they’re transformed from a motley crew of friends into Supa Team 4!

Supa Team 4 features the voices of Zowa Ngwira (Mpali), Namisa Mdlalose (Bypass), Kimani Arthur (Shimmer and Shine, Nella the Princess Knight), Nancy Sekhokoane (Abraham Lincoln, The Woman King), Pamela Nomvete (Andor, Gangs of London) and John MacMillan (House of the Dragon, The Great).

The series is produced by Ciara Breslin, CAKE Entertainment and Triggerfish, with animation provided by Superprod Animation Studio. Executive producers are Anthony Silverston, Mike Buckland, Tom van Waveren, Edward Galton and Amy Keating Rogers.

Sharp eyed readers should remember when we posted about this when it was called "Momma K's Supa Team".

[demifiendrsa]

Star Wars: Visions has been renewed for season 3 at Disney+

Volume three of Visions will return to Japan, with 9 new animated shorts from anime studios in the country. The Japanese studios involved include:

David Production

Kamikaze Douga+ ANIMA

Kinema Citrus

Polygon Pictures

Production I.G

Project Studio Q

TRIGGER

WIT Studio

[sketch-shepherd-art]

Time for some obscure fanart again. Here's the titular character from the movie Khumba. It's not an absolutely amazing movie by any means but still a guilty pleasure of mine

Plus there was virtually ZERO fanart or posts talking about Khumba on Tumblr when I tried searching, took it upon myself to fill the empty hole with my own Khumba art

Redbubble link

[kudotsurugi]

An animatic created using storyboards created for an online storyboarding course with Triggerfish Academy.

The assignment, as the video title suggests, was to create a storyboard sequence based on a personal memory. For me, this was loosely based on what happened during a trip to a concert with friends in London.

Exaggerated for comedic purposes, of course 😂

Storyboard panels were drawn in Clip Studio Paint, and compositing and editing were done in DaVinci Resolve.

[abdullahosamaart]

Second batch✨✨

Here are some of the poses I did of Mimi and Wewe ( will be posting more of Wewe in the next post). The acting briefs on these two were what I enjoyed the most, it was really fun to play around with them!!

#layot#characterposing#animationDisney+

Triggerfish Animation Studios

Giraffics

Tshepo Moche

© 2023 Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved

[richardmurrayhumblr]

The 22nd edition of the 2023 Richard Murray Newsletter Topics Cento poem series , first instance Kobo Writing Life side Sue Campbell and marketing Triggerfish animation studios new work sign up for free using your email https://rmnewsletter.over-blog.com/2023/05/05/28/2023-rmnewsletter.html

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