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Monday, 6 February 2012

Season Seventeen set for animation change in fall 2013

Hit Entertainment has confirmed that change to the animation will be on it's way for Thomas & Friends starting from the Seventeenth Series.

Arc Productions have been announced by Hit Entertainment to provide the CGI for new adventures sometime in 2013.
The press release notabally reads the following; Toronto-based Arc will provide animation for all 11-minute episodes of the upcoming seventeenth series, as well as a one-hour Thomas & Friends feature-length special.

The SiF Blog has confirmed that the new Season Sixteen and Blue Mountain Mystery film will be Nitrogen Studios' last contribution to the series since taking over visual reigns in 2009.
kidscreen have reassured fans by noting in their article that Arc will maintain the same CG-look to the series which was initially unveiled in 2010.

The change in the animation department is due to reflect the Andrew Brenner era for the show. SiF have since revealed that Rob Silvestri and Kallan Kagan will replace Greg Tiernan and Nicole Stinn.

Season Seventeen of Thomas & Friends premieres worldwide in the fall of 2013.

VISIT ARC PRODUCTIONS' WEBSITE

FULL COVERAGE
HIT ENTERTAINMENT
HIT NEWS ONLINE
SODOR ISLAND FANSITE
THE SiF BLOG
YAHOO! MOVIES
LICENSING
KIDSCREEN
REUTERS
BROADCASTING & CABLE
THE WRAP
ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK
PLAYBACK
CALGARY HERALD

Are you upset or satisfied over Arc taking over from Nitrogen?, do you think this will affect the show in a good way or a bad way?, or do you think this wasn't needed at all?

Send a comment below to give out your verdicts and reactions.
Posted by Melad Moshiri at 2/06/2012 05:36:00 pm
Labels:

28 comments:

  1. Bram of BramGroatFilms on YouTube6 February 2012 at 17:43

    So will begin the fourth period of Thomas' television history. Or it may just be a second sub-era for the CGI era.

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  2. SteamTeam6 February 2012 at 17:54

    Shame. Nitrogen do a splendid job (I hope they're still involved). I hope its part of a series revamp (but I doubt it).

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  3. NWR19916 February 2012 at 17:58

    Ah well, if Nitrogen's animators aren't involved well they've done a great job. I'm looking forward to see the changes. I just Greg Tirenan directs the show still.

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  4. Skarlouie6 February 2012 at 18:08

    Not another change :(

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous6 February 2012 at 18:10

    Wait a minute guys, TheTopHatts has updated it. Look at the bit where he mentions kidscreen. Maybe we shouldn't get upset. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jamie6 February 2012 at 19:30

    I really do not think that there should be a change in department. The CGI series is happier at Nitrogen Studios than anywhere else. I just really hope that Greg Tiernan will still be directing and that the animation will be preciecely the same otherwise the series will go "whoooosh" down the plughole for good.
    That's my view.
    P.S I'm not one for change.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris6 February 2012 at 23:41

      How do you know it's happier only at Nitrogen? Yes, their animation is stunning, and yes I'll miss it, but Arc should be given a chance! Remember what happened when fans criticised the CGI change in the first place?

      Delete
  7. Anonymous6 February 2012 at 19:33

    Oh great, another change. Wait, does it day 11 minute episodes? We go from, 5 min, to 8 min, to 11 min? Too long!

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    Replies
    1. SteamTeam6 February 2012 at 19:59

      I believe that with opening titles, roll call, and credits, the episodes are already around 11mins.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7 February 2012 at 19:26

      Oh, phew!

      Delete
  8. Jamie6 February 2012 at 19:45

    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'VE JUST FOUND OUT THAT GREG TIERNAN WILL BE REPLACED IN TERMS OF DIRECTING BY A PERSON CALLED ROB SILVESTRI AND NICOLE STINN WILL BE REPLACED IN TERMS OF PRODUCER BY A PERSON CALLED KALLAN KAGAN!!!!!! THIS IS NOT GOOD! IT'S TOO MUCH CHANGE FOR ME TO HANDLE!

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    Replies
    1. Chris6 February 2012 at 23:43

      ...of course they'll change. You didn't expect them to just quit a company they built from the ground up, did you? Seriously, get a grip. How do you know things what it's going to be like when you're not even trying to give Arc a chance?!

      Delete
    2. Jamie7 February 2012 at 15:50

      Sorry. I just was freaked out and afraid that this was going to be another HIT Entertainment critism thing. It's because I care about the show's future (don't we all?). Maybe I care a little TOO much. Please warn me if I start acting like a n00b (is that how you spell it?). I'll try and get a grip next time.
      :)

      Delete
    3. Chris8 February 2012 at 00:23

      I care, definately. But I just don't think it's really right to base an opinion just on a news report :)

      Delete
    4. Jamie8 February 2012 at 16:26

      Very true. Very true. :)

      Delete
  9. SkarloeyRailway016 February 2012 at 21:32

    I'm mostly bummed about the Tiernans leaving! :( I don't think a change was necessary, but who knows! Maybe Arc will do better!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous6 February 2012 at 22:16

    ROB SILVESTRI will be directing the big movie in 2014 too so I could see a positive change coming! Yes Nitrogen did an amazing job but I'm kind of excited! Bring on the next version!

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous7 February 2012 at 03:39

      Another director is doing the 2014 movie

      Delete
  11. Chris6 February 2012 at 23:46

    I'm very happy to give Arc a chance, and if Nitrogen's renders are being sent over, there might not be mucg different. This is a change for a children's show, yet many people are acting like it's the end of the world!

    ReplyDelete
  12. CharlieTheFunEngine147 February 2012 at 06:31

    I read the announcement on SiF this morning - I was devastated - but, as ThomasPercyandToby has said, we haven't seen what Arc has to offer yet. I remember when the original press release about the CGI switchover was released, it said that 80 new episodes would be made. This has indeed come to pass with Nitrogen - Seasons 13-16 were commissioned together. If Arc gets to use Nitrogen's rendition of Sodor and it's inhabitants, it can't be all bad.

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  13. sonicspeeder17 February 2012 at 16:31

    To be fair, I've always felt that the faces of the cgi era didn't quite get the faces right in terms of matching their model counterparts (although the other parts of the engines were spot on). This could perhaps improve the accuracy of the faces though I'll not be ranting if they don't. Personally Im just going to enjoy nitrogen's last season and special and then look forward to the changes coming in season 17.

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    Replies
    1. Chris8 February 2012 at 00:27

      To be honest mate, I don't think the faces will change much, since Arc will be using the render files that Nitrogen created (until new characters are rendered).

      Delete
  14. TomTomica27 February 2012 at 21:42

    I think that Arc Studios will do a Great job ! Nitrogen did a Wonderful job too !
    I think we should let a chance to Arc Studios to do The Animation ;) Don't we ?

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dan55897 February 2012 at 22:12

    From what I had seen in the news about Thomas moving from one animation department to another last night, and when I realised that they're the team that behind "9" and "Gnomeo and Juliet" (Which I had went to see last year).

    Having seen "Gnomeo and Juliet", the animation style looks fantastic, and so is the way a Shakespeare's story had been adapted into a film with garden gnomes and stuff (But at the scene where there's a statue of Shakespeare himself... I had no comment on it, just to be honest. :P).

    So final verdict, as we know that ever since 2009 when Nitrogen Studios' contract with HiT Entertainment to produce 80 episodes which has finally comes to an end after Series 16 was wrapped (And Blue Mountain Mystery).

    And overall, all we need now is to give ARC Productions a fair chance to make the whole series look fantastic in CGI besides the CG-series' preceders did (Especially from the start of the seventeenth series onwards).

    All I would say now is - Good luck Rob Silvertri and Kallan Kagan!


    Dan5589

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    1. SteamTeam7 February 2012 at 22:29

      I hope Rob and Kallan are as passionate as Greg and Nicole were :)

      Delete
  16. Anonymous9 February 2012 at 16:32

    It's a shame that Nitrogen Studios are no longer making the CGI next year, especially since Greg Tiernan has passion for the series. His directing was starting to get as good as David Mitton's, but I'm going to give Arc Productions and Rob Silvertri a chance.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous18 March 2012 at 01:29

    So I Really am excited 4 the new righting style butt I Want Nitrogen Studios 2 Still doo The CGI

    ReplyDelete

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