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Category: Business

Headline News

Corus Does The Locomotion

Canadian-based media company Corus Entertainment Inc. has acquired a 50% interest in pay television network Locomotion, an animation channel available in over 7 million homes throughout Latin America and Iberia. Corus announced it purchased the interest in Locomotion from the Claxson Interactive Group, Inc., for a maximum consideration of US$10.5 million and a holdback in the event of certain economic changes that may impact revenue projections. The remaining 50% interest in Locomotion is held by U.S.-based communications giant the Hearst Corporation.

Million Headline News

Pixar Posts High First Quarter Revenues

Pixar Animation Studios had a "monster" first quarter as the success of MONSTERS, INC. gave the company higher than expected revenues. For the quarter ended March 30, 2002, Pixar earned $15.6 million or $0.30 per diluted share. These results compare to earnings of $8.3 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, achieved in the year-ago quarter.

Music Headline News

Nexus And FilmTecknarna Forge Alliance

Formalizing an existing three year relationship, London-based animation producer Nexus Productions has entered into a representation deal for commercials and music promos with Swedish animation studio FilmTecknarna. Over the past three years the two companies have worked together on various projects including the award-winning Boddington's campaign. Nexus will exclusively represent FilmTecknarna for the UK and France.

Headline News

DIC Opens European Headquarters In Paris

In addition to the recently announced deal with Nickelodeon, DIC Entertainment is undertaking a major expansion into Europe with the opening of a European operations headquarters in Paris. Leslie Nelson, former managing director of international sales for BKN, has been appointed managing director of European operations for DIC and will be responsible for sales, marketing, licensing, co-productions and all other ancillary businesses in the major European territories.

Animation Headline News

Sony Pictures Establishes Feature Animation Unit

Fresh off the record-breaking success of the effects-heavy feature film SPIDER-MAN, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment (SPDE) has announced they will form an all CG feature animation division, to be headed by former DreamWorks executives Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox. Rabins and Cox will be responsible for the development and production of all-CG animated features and will report to SPDE president Yair Landau.

Production Headline News

Toon Factory Finds New Production Partner

After finding a new co-production partner, French animation company Toon Factory has started up production again on two new series. The production of the 52 x 13-minute animated series HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR MONSTER and the 52 x 13-minute series KID CLONES IN SPACE, had been interrupted after the withdrawal of bankrupt co-pro partner Luxembourg's Neuroplanet. HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR MONSTER is now scheduled to broadcast in September 2003 by French partner TF1, while production on KID CLONES IN SPACE will start by the end of 2002.

Effects Headline News

Film Roman Forms New Visual Effects Division

Film Roman, Inc. continues to expand, this time into the visual effects arena. The company best known for THE SIMPSONS has announced plans to acquire visual effects house VanHook Studios and to form a new visual effects division called Forum Visual Effects, to be based out of Film Roman's North Hollywood studios.

Studio Headline News

B1 Media Leaps To Larger Studio, Expands Talent Base

Design studio B1 Media has moved its headquarters to a new facility in Studio City, California, more than doubling the size of its previous space, and has added several new staffers to its growing talent base. Previously partnered in multimedia company Barbed Wire, Joshua Hatton has moved to B1 as an animator involved in 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics working on DVD, broadcast design and games. Game producer Jason Friedlander joins B1 from MTV's ROAD RULES where he was responsible for developing and writing game competitions.

Animation Headline News

Vinton Studios Acquires Celluloid

Portland, Oregon-based animation house Vinton Studios has acquired Denver-based Celluloid Studios, which specializes in cel animation. Vinton Studios has announced that the two companies will be combined to create a more diverse style of animation, although each studio will retain their company name. Vinton and Celluloid recently collaborated on a 4-minute advertising short for TBWA/Chiat Days client Nissan and their SE-R automobile launch.

Years Headline News

Cinar Settles Class-Action Suit

Founders Appoint Trustee. Cinar Corporation has reached an agreement in principle to settle the claims against it and certain other defendants in class actions brought in Canada and the United States. The plaintiffs have agreed to receive an aggregate US$25 million in full settlement of the claims against Cinar and such other defendants. The allocation of the settlement amount among the parties was not disclosed and the settlement is subject to approval by the courts in the United States and Quebec. In other Cinar news, company founders Micheline Charest and Ronald A.

Television Headline News

Corus Entertainment Appoints Peter Moss VP Of Programming

Three months after stepping down as head of Cinar, Peter Moss as been appointed to the newly created position of vice president of programming for Corus Television. Beginning May 1, 2002, Moss will be responsible for enhancing programming across all Corus services by developing strategic approaches to program development, acquisition and partnerships. "Peter has an outstanding track record in both public and private television broadcasting as well as production," said Paul Robertson, president of Corus Television.

Entertainment Headline News

Peppermint And DIC Sign Distribution Deal

Global entertainment company peppermint has signed a deal with DIC Entertainment to distribute their eclectic catalogue throughout Asia. Peppermint will have exclusive distribution rights for 59 different titles, representing 1174 episodes, in Asian territories, including Malaysia, Indonesia and South Korea. DIC's catalog of animation and children's entertainment includes the animated series THE HURRICANES, which follows a soccer team as they tour the world, as well as the popular series' INSPECTOR GADGET and SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

Headline News

Buena Vista To Distribute Fox Kids' Saban Library

Now under Disney ownership, Fox Kids Europe (FKE) has announced that Buena Vista International Television (BVI-TV), a division of The Walt Disney Company, will service distribution for FKE's Saban library beginning May 1, 2002. The Saban library contains more than 6,300 episodes of children's programming including major franchises such as SPIDER-MAN, POWER RANGERS, X-MEN, DIGIMON, THE INCREDIBLE HULK and INSPECTOR GADGET. FKE owns the television rights in Europe and the Middle East to all children's programming in the Saban library.

Effects Headline News

New 3D Animation & Visual Effects Studio Launched

3D animator and visual effects artist Mark Glaser has launched Sway, a 3D animation and digital effects studio serving the commercial and film industries. A two-time Clio Award winner, Glaser was a former CG supervisor at Digital Domain and was co-founder and visual effects supervisor for Station X Studios. Glaser's specialties include photo-real rendering and 3D animation. His credits include spots for Dodge, Nike, Chevy, Sony and Duracell.

Entertainment Headline News

Corus Entertainment Completes Sale Of Klutz To Scholastic Inc.

Canadian-based media and entertainment company Corus Entertainment Inc. announced that it has successfully completed the sale of Klutz to Scholastic Inc. Klutz was sold for approximately US$43 million in cash plus a three-year earn-out based on revenue. The proceeds of the sale will be used to repay debt. Corus acquired Klutz, a publisher of children's books and related products based in Palo Alto, California, through its acquisition of Nelvana Limited in November 2000. âº

Film Headline News

Xilam Inherits Kaena

French animation studio Xilam has taken over the film and video game rights for the original property KAENA, following the liquidation of Chaman Production by a French court. For nearly 4 years, Chaman Production has been working on the feature-length film and the accompanying video game, but the company was not able to secure a publishing partner and was forced into liquidation. Xilam will take over the CGI production on the film, which is scheduled for release at the end of 2002.

Series Headline News

TNN To Launch New Adult Primetime Animation Block In 2003

The National Network (TNN) has announced plans to launch an adult animation block of programming in the 2003 season. Headlining the block is GARY THE RAT, a half-hour original animated series starring Kelsey Grammer as the voice of the title character. Gary is a New York attorney who is so unscrupulous and immoral that he wakes up one morning to discover that he's turned into a rat. Rob and Mark Cullen are the writers and creators of the series and serve as co-executive producers, along with Grammer. The series is produced by Grammnet Productions.

Production Headline News

Mike Young Productions In New Partnership

Mike and Liz Young of Mike Young Productions (MYP) and Bill Schultz, former nine-year veteran executive vice president of Film Roman, have formalized their current working relationship by announcing the formation of a new partnership. "Although the name on the door says Mike Young Productions at the moment, the studio has for the past four years been the mind-meld of three experienced producers -- all of whom are passionate about the business and the art of animated programming," said Mike Young.

Headline News

SecondSun To Combine All Divisions In New Facility

The three animation divisions that make up the newly formed Vancouver-based SecondSun Entertainment, are merging under one roof. As of May 1, 2002 3D division Brainchild Studios, 2D division Delaney & Friends Productions and Interactive Game Division Furious Entertainment will begin operation in a combined production and administration facility. SecondSun's new office will be in the heart of British Columbia's film and TV studio district, 15 minutes from Vancouver, in the city of Burnaby.

Digital Headline News

Crush Digital Founder Launches New Company

Jeff Stabenau, founder and former president of Crush Digital, has launched a new company, Blink Digital, to offer content preparation services for a broad range of digital media. DVD authoring will be the focus of the new company, a division of Liberty Livewire, but it will also offer preparation, conversion and optimization services for streaming media, interactive television media and archival digital media formats. Stabenau and former Crush Digital technical director Michael Ory, have been joined at Blink Digital by many other former Crush Digital staff.

Animation Headline News

Neon Noodle Cuts Staff

Neon Noodle Productions, the U.S. representative and marketing company for Global Animation, has shuttered their Marina Del Rey-based Spectrum Studios. 10 employees from the motion-capture studio have been laid off, confirmed a company spokesperson. In addition, Neon Noodle announced that they have let go the majority of the employees at their Encino-based location and will be operating with a skeletal staff. The company cited the events of September 11th and 2001's threatened actors' strike as reasons for the staff cuts.

Headline News

Activision Acquires Software Developer Shaba Games

In an effort to further enhance its console development capabilities and game creation for the next-generation consoles, Activision, Inc., has acquired Northern California-based software developer Shaba Games LLC. Under the terms of the agreement, Shaba has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, with Shaba's equity holders receiving 258,621 shares common stock in connection with the acquisition.

Series Headline News

CinéGroupe and Film Roman to Produce SCI FI Animated Series

The newly formed alliance of Canadian production company CinéGroupe and animation producer Film Roman Studios has begun production on SCI FI Channel's first-ever animated series TRIPPING THE RIFT. The CG-animated series is based on the short film of the same name, with thirteen half-hour episodes slated to debut in first quarter 2003 as part of SCI FI's regular Friday primetime line-up of original series.

Million Headline News

Cinar Releases Financial Statements

Canadian entertainment company Cinar Corp. has released its audited financial statements for the year ended November 30, 2001 and reported a loss of C$42 million (US$26.5 million). The loss is due to a number of items related to the company's ongoing financial trouble, including improper claims for government incentives, which have been subsequently disallowed by both the Canadian and Provincial authorities, as well as monies reportedly embezzled by Micheline Charest and Ronald Weinberg, the cofounders of the company.

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