The categories for animation and VFX films were redefined and expanded by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Now a 40 minute film can be considered (down from 70 minutes).  Very interesting is the decision to specify that Motion Capture techniques (MOCAP) are not considered to be "animation".

This is the full story, from AWN

Beverly Hills, CA — The governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences finalized the rules for the 83rd Academy Awards at its most
recent meeting (June 22). The most significant change is in the Visual
Effects category, which will now feature five nominees rather than
three.

Since 1963, when the Special Effects award was discontinued and new
separate categories for achievements in visual effects and sound effects
were established, the only period during which it was possible to have
five visual effects nominees was 1977 through 1979. In only one of those
years (1979) were five achievements actually recognized. Between 1980
and 1995, two or three productions could be nominated; since 1996 the
rules have dictated there be exactly three nominees.

In the Animated Feature Film category, the rule governing running time
for a motion picture to qualify was changed from at least 70 minutes to
greater than 40 minutes, which is consistent with the running time
requirements for feature films in all other categories. The running time
for a motion picture to qualify as an animated, live action or
documentary short film has been and continues to be a maximum of 40
minutes. The previous 70-minute threshold for an animated feature had
left a gap for films that ran between 40 and 70 minutes, effectively
preventing them from being able to qualify as either features or shorts.

Also in the Animated Feature Film category, a sentence regarding motion
capture was added to clarify the definition of an animated film. The
language now reads: "An animated feature film is defined as a motion
picture with a running time of greater than 40 minutes, in which
movement and characters' performances are created using a frame-by-frame
technique. Motion capture by itself is not an animation technique. In
addition, a significant number of the major characters must be animated,
and animation must figure in no less than 75 percent of the picture's
running time."

Other modifications of the 83rd Academy Awards rules include normal date
changes and minor "housekeeping" changes.

Rules are reviewed annually by individual branch and category
committees. The Awards Rules Committee then reviews all proposed changes
before presenting its recommendations to the Academy's Board of
Governors for approval.

Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2010 will be
presented on Sunday, February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre at
Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television
Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than
200 countries worldwide.

Dear Talented VFX artist and animator friends:

I am quickly assembling an elite team of VFX artists for a short feature film called "Naked Angel".  It is directed by Christina Morales Hemenway and lensed by the awesome Keith Jeffries! 

This is a Michigan/Hollywood project, and features some well known Hollywood actors, including James Duval (Independence Day, Donnie Darko) and Debra Wilson (MadTV, Avatar, Mr. Potato head Show).

These are volunteer positions, perfect for students or veterans who have a few hours to contribute, who need or want a very nice film credit!  And the experience will be valuable, too.

The team I'm looking for will be a star-studded, talented group of men and women who can help bring Christina's vision to life.  There are about 50 scenes in total, with cool challenges like glowing wings (on our angels), transporter/timeshifting FX, walking through walls (and people!), wire removal, background replacement/enhancement and more... there is something for everybody here.

The deadline is the end of August, so in order to deliver a quality package on time, I'd like to farm out 1-5 shots each to a large team of artists!  That means you can choose your own time commitment- it can be as much or as little as you wish.  And by everyone chipping in, we will avoid burn out.  This will be a fast, efficient project.

Another goal and benefit of this process will be the networking with some talented artists who all bring a lot of cool ideas to share with the team.   It will be a great experience for newbies and veterans alike!

Some of you have worked with me before.  My role as Supervisor will be to ensure great communication and sharing of ideas- make sure everyone is informed- and that your great ideas and art end up on the screen!  If you know me at all, you know that I value comraderie and teamwork and networking!  I believe we can create something here that we'll be very proud of, that we'll brag about to our friends, and feature prominently on our demo reels!

Please call me asap and let me know if you are interested and have some time to share with us this summer.

Scott Dunham

VFX Supervisor, "Naked Angel"

313.418.5177 m

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Animators, video game makers drawn to Michigan

Christina Rogers / The Detroit News

Video game developer Nathaniel McClure had never been to Michigan before he began scouting the Great Lakes state last year as a possible choice for relocating his company.

After seven visits over six months, McClure was sold. The 34-year-old uprooted his life in Los Angeles and moved to Michigan to open a digital studio.

The attraction was simple: He could do the same work while taking advantage of the state's steep film industry tax breaks.

"Forty-two percent is a lot of money," said McClure, CEO of Scientifically Proven Studios, which opened this year in Farmington Hills.

Big Hollywood productions like "Gran Torino" and "Red Dawn" may get top billing when it comes to the beneficiaries of Michigan's film industry perks. But animators, video game developers and digital media firms also are capitalizing on the 42 percent tax break, helping this small, emerging, high-tech industry grow in the state.

Attracting such high-paying, permanent work to Michigan has the potential to make a big economic impact and could further bolster the state's reputation as a studio production hotspot.

"For one thing, it's definitely the future," said Ken Droz, spokesman for the Michigan Film Office. "When you talk productions, they're not all shooting on film anymore."

Looking beyond movie production could also help Michigan land longer-term projects -- most video games take multiple years to complete -- and help attract highly educated professionals, state officials and industry officials say.

"If you do capture a major motion picture in Michigan, the money is going to be quite significant," said Steve Siwek, a Washington, D.C.-based economist who has studied both industries. But digital production will tend to deliver permanent, higher-paying, computer-literate jobs.

While the digital production industry is smaller than the $80.7 billion motion picture industry, it has shown steady growth. Computer and video game sales totaled $11.7 billion in 2008. For a period before the recession hit, the industry had been posting annual sales growth in the double digits, according to the Entertainment Software Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group for computer and video game publishers.

The sector's expansion in Michigan far lags that of the film and television industry, even though digital work was included in the original tax incentive bill that went into effect in April 2008.

Among the 100 production projects granted tax breaks from the state, a half-dozen have fallen under the category of digital media, Droz said.

That's largely because the technology-intensive work takes longer to ramp up and often requires creating a permanent local work force, he said.

Already, several large and small digital production houses have set up shop in Michigan.

Pixofactor Entertainment in Royal Oak last year moved to Michigan from Florida to take advantage of the tax credit. The 3-year-old company works closely with video game powerhouse Electronic Arts Inc. in Redwood City, Calif., and develops games and downloadable applications for devices like the iPhone.

While Pixofactor doesn't receive the state's tax credit directly because it's a game developer, the incentive gives the company an advantage when bidding for work, said Sean Hurwitz, the company's president. A $1 million project would cost a client only $600,000 with the tax break, he said.

"It makes us a heck of a lot more competitive," Hurwitz said.

The company has plans to grow its work force by 200 during the next year or two, mostly by hiring local artists and programmers, he said.

In Plymouth, PC gaming company Stardock plans to spend $18 million during the next decade to hire employees and expand its facilities to include a new $900,000 studio. The 60-employee firm was founded in Michigan more than 20 years ago.

CEO Brad Wardell said the credit helps give Michigan technology firms a boost in overcoming other economic challenges, such as an otherwise relatively high state tax burden and a weak high-tech business community. It also helps attract talent and retain Michigan graduates who may have otherwise left for jobs elsewhere.

Some video game producers say the state could do more to attract work here by extending the credit to Michigan companies that contract with large game publishers. Right now, only publishers can earn the tax credit because they own the intellectual property rights, and many are based out of state.

The industry's expansion in Michigan has had growing pains.

Last year, Wonderstruck Studios LLC, a Los Angeles film studio, was working with another California studio to launch Detroit Center Studios, envisioned as an $86 million digital animation and visual effects studio at the former MGM Grand Casino site.

But plans for the MGM site broke down in negotiations.

Wonderstruck has since set up shop at Ford Field in downtown Detroit. It has projects in the works and is hiring, said Thad Johnson, an emerging markets director with Wonderstruck, who declined to offer specifics, citing confidentiality agreements. "The industry at large views Michigan as the next frontier for animation production," he said.

Dan Hewitt, a spokesman for the Entertainment Software Association, said it's no surprise Michigan's tax credit is generating a favorable buzz. "We go where there is a talent pool," Hewitt said "That's why you see pockets in Florida, Massachusetts and Louisiana" where there are tax credits from production work, he said.

The recession could even work to Michigan's advantage, said Scientifically Proven's McClure. Many large digital studios have cut staff, so more programmers and designers are on the move. As technology advances, fewer people are needed to do the same amount of work, paving the way for smaller start-up firms.

"It's kind of like the Wild West," McClure said of Michigan. "There is tremendous opportunity. It's just not focused or directed yet."

Livonia resident and professional animator Kristen Miller has teamed up with voice over artist Oliver Darrow, musician Dan Belleville and College for Creative Studies graduate Kasandra Fry to represent the state of Michigan and the Metro Detroit area in a Sesame Street animation contest.

As of 8:30 p.m. April 28 EST, her animation was second among hundreds of entries!

Simply titled Three Wombats, the animation features three little wombats who explore their world and help young viewers learn about the number “3.” Submitted on Monday, Three Wombats has consistently been ranked at 35 and higher among the hundreds of contest submissions.

The deadline for contest entry was April 26, and Miller has submitted a piece for consideration in the “School Readiness Skills” category. It's one of five categories from which animators can choose, and the entries will be viewed - and a winner chosen - by a star-studded judges panel comprised of Neil Patrick Harris, Sandra Oh, Juju Chang, Kevin Clash, Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan and Jeffrey Hale.

A winner will be announced in each of the five categories, chosen by a public ranking of popularity, with a grand prize winner chosen from those five. A total of $50,000 is being awarded to the winners, which are being selected on May 17. The animation that receives the top award will also be shown during an episode of Sesame Street.

To watch, rate and share the animation, go to www.aniboom.com/animation-video/439585/Three-Wombats/