Category: Anime

Geneon Ent. (USA) Inc. has released HELLSING ULTIMATE OVA SERIES. Based on the popular and ongoing HELLSING manga series, HELLSING ULTIMATE OVA SERIES is completely reanimated in the original comic style the creator, Kouta Hirano intended.

This week in AWN's Forums, there's a thread collecting the stories of what got members interested in animation. A junior member wants to hear from people who worked their way up at a production company from intern to producer/director. A member is looking for a good example of an exaggerated crying sequence. Another member has a copyright question regarding copying the style of animation. And others still are debating whether anime is ruining a generations' impression of animation.

Since the release of Anime Studio 5 earlier in the fall, e frontier America Inc. has seen impressive sales of its 2D animation and cartoon creation software. Anime Studio was previously known as Moho.

Anime Studio utilizes a "bone rigging" system normally found only in 3D graphics software that streamlines the animation workflow and reduces production time. Manipulation and drawing tools can be used with digital photos to create cut out animations similar to JibJab Media and SouthParkStudios.com.

animate!, the commissioning project established by Arts Council England and Channel 4 that supports risk-taking and experimental animation works for television, is the focus of the ANIMATE! BOOK, published in December 2006 by LUX in collaboration with Arts Council England. Since 1990, animate! has commissioned 84 diverse films including works from David Shrigley (WHO I AM AND WHAT I WANT), Run Wrake (RABBIT) and AL + AL (PERPETUAL MOTION IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY, INTERSTELLA STELLA), amongst others. The ANIMATE!

This week in AWN's Forums, members are talking about the latest animation sensation on the Net -- KIWI! Others are still discussing burning animation projects to DVD. And the debate still rages over whether anime is ruining the view of animation for a new generation. Other members are still posting their thoughts on the worst animated film of all time. A junior member has a question about backgrounds on pencil tests. A desperate animation fan needs help identifying two early 1980s animations. A web designer/programmer wants to find out the going rate for his services.

American Anime AwardsNew York, New York, USAFeb. 24, 2006Deadline: Jan. 31, 2007

The New York Comic Con will host the first-ever American Anime Awards. The awards ceremony will take place at the New Yorker Hotel in midtown Manhattan.

The American Anime Awards celebrates Japanese animation (anime), which has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. The awards showcase the very best anime to make its way to North America and the winners will be chosen by anime fans themselves.

2007 Adobe Design Achievement AwardsWorld Wide WebAugust 2, 2007Deadline: April 27, 2007

Adobe Systems is hosting the 7th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). The program honors and recognizes the most talented and promising student designers, photographers, illustrators, animators and digital filmmakers from the world's top design, film, interactive and Web higher education programs. This year, the competition will accept entries from 30 participating countries.

South Korean star Jun Ji-hyun has signed on to make her English-language debut in the live-action remake of BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, titled BLOOD VAMPIRE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Ronnie Yu (JET LIS FEARLESS) is directing.

The $30 million production will be produced by Bill Kong and France's Pathe Ent.

Jun starred in the Korean blockbuster IL MARE, which was remade as Warner Bros. THE LAKE HOUSE.

THE MATRIX masterminds Larry and Andy Wachowski are set to write and direct a long-in-development, live-action version of SPEED RACER, reports the trades. The project will reunited the brothers with their MATRIX collaborators -- producer Joel Silver, exec producer Grant Hill and visual effects supervisor John Gaeta.

Based on Tatsuo Yoshidas classic 1960s anime series, the story will chronicle the adventures of the young racecar driver Speed as he strives for fame and glory in his pimped out vehicle, Mach 5.