In the four years since Lighthouse Studios was first founded, its crew has grown from a handful of animators to over 250 artists from across the globe. Drawing on this abundance of diverse talent, the studio recently decided to take the plunge and create its very own animated short. The move represents a significant step forward in the studio’s ambitions to develop its unique voice within the industry and was welcomed by crew who were given the chance to submit their own ideas as part of the process. After a series of pitch development workshops, talks and presentations, the entries were whittled down to a shortlist of three contenders, with the final concept for production to be announced over the coming months. Watch this space!
Sneak peeks of Little Ellen and The Cuphead Show
Audiences were recently treated to sneak peeks of two shows currently in production at Lighthouse Studios. Little Ellen, a brand new 2D animated TV series from Warner Bros Animation, explores the world through the eyes of a young Ellen DeGeneres. The show is aimed at a preschool audience, and will air on Cartoon Network’s preschool block, Cartoonito. Clips from the show recently featured on Cartoonito’s Sizzle Reel 2021, giving audiences their first look at the animated world of Little Ellen.
Meanwhile, Netflix’s first ever Geeked Week took place during the second week of June. Its aim was to celebrate “all things genre entertainment at Netflix”, and the daily streams featured sneak peeks of upcoming shows and new releases. One of the most eagerly anticipated teasers to feature was that of The Cuphead Show. Based on the hugely popular video game by Studio MDHR, the new Netflix show features stunning 2D visuals that hark back to the Fleischer cartoons of the 1930s. Fans were also treated to the news that Wayne Brady, of Whose Line is it Anyway fame, will voice the villainous King Dice. All at Lighthouse Studios are looking forward to both shows’ release dates.
Andy Stevens is chosen as Toon Boom Ambassador 2021
Each year Toon Boom selects fifty creators who have been recognised for their stellar work in the field of animation and bestows upon them the worthy title of Toon Boom Ambassador. This year, Andy Stevens, Animation Supervisor at Lighthouse Studios, was among those selected to mentor and inspire the next generation of animators and artists. Congratulations, Andy!