Online animation site MyToons has been shut down. The company laid off between 20 and 27 people in January (according to blog TechCrunch), and have now closed their doors.
The company sent out emails to their store sellers informing them of the close, and their site (http://www.mytoons.com/) is effectively shut down as well, with the page leading to a cartoon bouncer with the words, "MyToons has closed. Thank you for all your support." at the top.
Corus Ent. announced its second quarter financial results today.
Consolidated revenues for the three months ended February 28, 2009 were $181.4 million, up 1% from $178.7 million last year. Consolidated segment profit was $51.0 million, up 3% from $49.7 million last year. Net income for the quarter was $29.0 million ($0.36 basic and diluted), compared to net income of $35.4 million ($0.42 basic and $0.41 diluted) last year.
VIP, the Paris-based international licensing agent, announces the opening of their U.S. office in New York.
"Since we manage U.S. and North American rights of several licenses several licenses and the fact that we have gotten interest in several of our properties for cross territorial deals from U.S.-based licensees we thought it would be best to set up an agency in the U.S.," said Gregoire Parcollet, president.
This move is VIPs first step in the rollout of their international strategy.
For all those job-hunters in creative fields who need a strategic edge in the salary negotiation process -- or who simply could benefit from the motivation salary knowledge can provide, Industry Wages Inc. has delivered a new tool. The company has launched the website VFXWages.com (http://www.vfxwages.com) as a free way for these professionals and students to determine the latest information on salaries and hourly wages in their market.
EA is making an equity investment in Stupid Fun Club, Will Wright's new adventure. Stupid Fun Club is an entertainment think tank developing new Intellectual Properties to be deployed across multiple fronts including video games, movies, television, the internet, and toys. Will Wright is leaving EA to run Stupid Fun Club.EA and Wright each own equal percentages of Stupid Fun Club and are the principal shareholders. In addition, EA has the right to develop game concepts that spring from Stupid Fun Club projects.
U.K. children's television producer Coolabi Productions is just starting reverse takeover discussions, according to multiple news outlets.
KIDSCREEN reports that shares were suspended on the AIM Index in London after the announcement was made. Revenue for the last six months of 2008 was down to $776,000, from $1.3 million in the same 2007 period. Their licensing revenue has seen a 40 percent increase in the last year, thanks to demand for PURPLE RONNIE and SCARLETT & CRIMSON products.
C21MEDIA is reporting that Entertainment Rights is now going into administration, selling its U.K. and U.S. subsidiaries to Boomerang Media. Boomerang is a U.S.-based group founded by the founders of its subsidiary, Classic Media.
ER said in a statement, "Despite the financial support of the group's lender, the group has been unable to achieve a solvent restructuring of the company," and has appointed administrators Nicholas Guy Edwards and Carlton Malcolm Siddle of Deloitte, effective immediately.
THE NEW YORK TIMES reports that Silicon Graphics Inc., who once pulled in $4 billion in revenue a year, has been purchased for $25 million by Rackable Systems.
SGI, whose heyday was in 1997, produces computer graphics computers, chips and operating systems and were best known at the time for building the hardware that helped create JURASSIC PARK's vfx. Once thriving on selling computers based upon their own chips and operating systems, SGI was undercut by cheaper products from NVIDIA and Intel.
Arsenal FX, a special effects and finishing boutique catering to a diverse global client base that spans Advertising, Film, and Sports, has announced its official launch in Santa Monica, California.
Digimation, a provider of 3D content, software, and custom services to the defense and entertainment industry, is relocating its corporate headquarters from New Orleans, Louisiana to Lake Mary, Florida.
The company's new address is; 250 International Parkway, Suite 320, Lake Mary, Florida 32746.
David Avgikos, president of Digimation, said, "Our business is experiencing rapid growth, and being in Orlando puts us near our customer base, and the area's large pool of experienced 3D talent, both of which are critical as we grow our business."
Sony Pictures Entertainment is uniting its domestic and international television divisions as part of its strategy to produce and distribute content on a worldwide basis.
The announcement was made by Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO, Michael Lynton, and Co-Chairman, Amy Pascal.
This year’s GDC is expecting well over 14,000 attendees, at the Muscone Convention Center in San Francisco. This has become the epicenter of world game development, a gathering of game designers, producers, sponsors, and the tech companies that support them.
In an effort to regain the motion picture and TV rights to DICK TRACY, Tribune Media Services is suing Warren Beatty, reports REUTERS. In papers filed last week, Tribune states that Beatty "wrongly claims" the rights exclusively.
Beatty had purchase the rights to the yellow hat-wearing detective in 1985, later starring and director a feature film based on the character in 1990.
Alphanim has announced the organization of its commercial operations in Paris. The new organization sees the company's television and home-video distribution department join forces with its marketing and licensing activities, with all rights now managed within an integrated marketing & distribution team based in Paris.
4Kids Entertainment posted their year-end and 2008 fourth quarter results this week, with revenues down and losses up.
Net revenues for the three months that ended December 31, 2008 totaled $14.3 million, compared to $16.5 million for the same period in 2007. The company's net loss for the three months was $19.6 million, or $1.48 per diluted share, as compared to a net loss of $16.8 million, or $(1.26) per diluted share, for the same period in 2007.
Bob English, Tony Kadillak, David Edelstein, and Rob Meyers -- all from the award-winning creative team at NY-based broadcast design firm Nth Degree have recently joined forces with Click 3X to create a new broadcast design division called Click 3X Ent.
MTV Networks Latin America has opened its new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which will serve as the company's headquarters in region as well as a creative center for both Latin America and MTV Networks International (MTVNI).
Sci Fi has partnered with Acclaim Games and ZooKazoo to develop a new series of online games and entertainment destinations. The partnerships will offer Sci Fi consumers a robust and imaginative series of immersive casual games that embody the broad appeal of the SCI FI brand. The ZooKazoo partnership represents Sci Fi's first strategic move into the youth market.
IMAX Corporation has reported a net loss per share of $0.21 for the quarter ended December 31, 2008, compared to a net loss per share of $0.25 for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007.
During the fourth quarter of 2008, the company incurred certain charges related to the introduction of its digital projection system and the launch of new joint revenue sharing arrangement theatres. Excluding these items from the fourth quarters of 2008 and 2007, the company's loss per share was $0.11 and a loss per share of $0.21, respectively.
Talks between Disney and Hong Kong government have broken down over financing the second phase of the first Disneyland in China, according to VARIETY.
A U.S. judge ruled Monday that FAMILY GUY creator Seth MacFarlane and producers did not infringe copyright laws when they parodied "When You Wish Upon a Star" in a 2003 episode, REUTERS reports.
Music publisher Bourne Co., who owns the U.S. rights to the song made famous in the Disney animated feature PINOCCHIO, sued Fox Broadcasting Co. in 2007 for copyright breach, saying the show's parody "I Need a Jew" was a thinly-veiled copy of the music from " When You Wish Upon a Star," just with "new anti-Semitic lyrics" that did damage to the original.
Arguments started on March 10 for the lawsuit from author Claude Robinson against Montreal production house Cinar and are expected to go for three weeks, according to RADIO CANADA.
The author accused Cinar of having plagiarized one of his works and claims 3 million Canadian dollars in damages.
Bob Rafei and Dan Arey, founders of Big Red Button Entertainment (BRB), have entered into a strategic partnership with Emergent Game Technologies. The partnership will position Emergent as BRB's central technology resource and enhance BRB's creative vision, exceptional team and game design prowess. Marc Jackson, founder of Seahorn Capital, orchestrated the partnership and his team will continue to play a key role in building a strong foundation for this ground-breaking collaboration.
Take-Two Interactive Software posted a higher loss for the first quarter of the year, blaming high marketing costs, development and legal fees despite stronger sales.
Net revenue for the first quarter of 2009 was $256.8 million, compared to $240.4 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2008. First quarter sales were led by GRAND THEFT AUTO IV, CARNIVAL GAMES, NBA 2K9 and MIDNIGHT CLUB: LOS ANGELES.
The Walt Disney Company announced Monday a landmark set of strategic environmental goals and challenging three-to-five year targets to reduce emissions, waste, electricity and fuel use, and its impact on water and ecosystems.
The goals are part of Disney's 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report, which details the company's approach to critical corporate responsibility issues ranging from charitable giving to nutrition and from online safety for kids to workplace diversity.
