Portland,
Oregon-based Happy Hour Entertainment has signed animation and comedy
director Mike Wellins for commercial representation. Wellins,
formerly a commercial and entertainment director at Vinton Studios,
brings many years of award-winning filmmaking experience to Happy
Hour Entertainment. While at Vinton Studios, Mike directed the Annie
Award-winning spot "Genie" for Mirinda Soda, and his commercial for
the Sony Playstation game LEGEND OF DRAGOON was voted Best Animated

LEGO Media International
has tapped Vanessa Chapman to take over as head of its television and
film arm following the promotion of Conny Kalcher to a newly created
senior position within the LEGO Company's core business. Chapman
takes up the role of global controller of programming and strategy in
August 2002, when Kalcher becomes vice president, global brand
marketing for Stories, one of the LEGO Company's new brand portals.
The Stories division encompasses LEGO-themed product lines aimed at

After five years as executive vice president and general
manager, Tim Sarnoff has been promoted to president of Sony Pictures
Imageworks. The promotion recognizes Sarnoff's tenure as executive
VP, during which time he is credited with transforming Imageworks
into a leading visual effects and digital character animation
company. Ken Ralston, who has served as Imageworks creative leader
since his arrival at the company in 1995, extends his relationship
with Imageworks as senior visual effects supervisor. Ralston is

Bill Matthews, Disney Feature Animation's longtime training and recruitment head, has joined Glendale, California-based Cornerstone Animation’s Board of Advisors. In his new role, Matthews will advise Cornerstone executives and creative staff on strategies for recruitment, training, production management and creative direction of the studio. Matthews makes available to Cornerstone his wealth of experience as one of the founding instructors of the Sheridan College Animation Program and as a ten-year manager of artist development for Walt Disney Feature Animation.

Hallmark Entertainment has named Michael R. Oesterlin as director, International Sales where he will oversee Hallmark Entertainment programming sales throughout French-speaking territories, Turkey and Russia, and video worldwide. Before joining the company, Oesterlin was a sales executive for Warner Bros. International Television. While there, he was responsible for selling Warner Bros. programming to Free TV broadcasters throughout Africa, Israel, the Middle East and Turkey.

Director Keith Ingham has joined Bardel Entertainment to helm SILVERWING, a new animated television series based on Kenneth Oppel's best selling children's novel of the same name. Ingham came to Bardel from Walt Disney Animation Canada, where he worked for 3 years as an associate director on direct-to-video projects including THE LITTLE MERMAID: RETURN TO THE SEA and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS. Ingham also produced and directed the television special WINNIE THE POOH, A VALENTINE FOR YOU.

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. has made some organizational changes and executive promotions in its North American operation. Kaz Hirai, the company's president and chief operating officer, said the new executive appointments are designed to accelerate a wide range of business objectives including the evolution of PlayStation2 as a broadband-based entertainment delivery medium. Andrew House and Jack Tretton have been promoted to executive vice presidents of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Cinesite Hollywood has recently added four new employees, senior compositor Rory Hinnen, senior engineer Suri Denduluri, colorist Marc Wielage and trainer Andrea Paolino, to the staff of its Hollywood office. "The addition of these talented people to our staff continues our efforts of building Cinesite's strength and services to the industry," said Cinesite Hollywood president and COO Ruth Scovill. Senior compositor Rory Hinnen studied digital art, mathematics and computer science at the University of Nevada-Reno.

Design studio B1 Media, which currently includes DVD and gaming divisions and a broadcast design arm, has formed B1 Productions to produce featurettes and documentaries for DVDs and content for television. As part of this new division, producers Brent Zacky and Erin Zelle have been brought on board. In addition to producing duties, Zacky and Zelle will be involved in B1's move into the production arena by developing properties for cable and network television clients. Zacky was most recently a supervising producer, writer and director with Van Ness Films.

Animated action series
SOSOPHIE, currently in development at entertainment company
channelzero, has brought on Emmy-winning writer Peter Gaffney.
"Peter's body of work and list of credits speak for themselves," said
channelzero founder and creative producer Dave Warren. "I think he's
the finest writer in animation and I'm thrilled to be working with
him to bring SOSOPHIE to television." Described by its creators as
THE SIMPSONS meets THE DUKES OF HAZARD, SOSOPHIE debuted at NATPE in