Tradition Studios, the new animated feature film studio of Digital Domain Media Group, announced that Mike Markowitz has signed on to write its next animated feature.

Producer John Davis has picked up the rights to “Archetype,” a sci-fi short directed by Aaron Sims, with plans on developing it into a feature.

FX is continuing its push into animation with the development of a new half-hour animated comedy project from the co-creator of “Aqua Teen Hunger Force.”

Live, from the Ottawa International Animation Festival 2011, entertainment's own comedy pangea, Dino Stamatopoulos, is paid to sit down with the very Joel Frenzer and Alan Foreman for the most overmodulated audiophonic conver-senation* about his animated series Morel Orel and Mary Shelley's Frankenhole. Topics include: writing for adult animated comedy while drinking, drinking for adult animated comedy while writing, star-shaped facial hair, adopting classical horror literary author names into titular innuendo forever linking them historically, and poutine.

Alexander Payne, Jim Rash and Nat Faxon and Woody Allen took home the big screenplay prizes at the Writers Guild of America awards Sunday for writing The Descendants and Midnight in Paris, respectively.

Emmy-winning writer Jeffrey Scott explains a special technique for getting answers to creative story questions.

The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood announces the winners of the 39th Annual Annie Awards, with Rango taking top honors.

Days after settling a lawsuit regarding the long-gestating remake of The Crow, Relativity has closed a deal with F. Javier Gutierrez to direct the comic book adaptation. Jesse Wigutow has been signed to write the script.

THE 84TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS

FEDRUARY 26TH AT 7:00

   Each January, the entertainment community and film fans around the world turn their attention to the Academy Awards. Interest and anticipation builds to a fevered pitch leading up to the Oscar telecast in February, when hundreds of millions of movie lovers tune in to watch the glamorous ceremony and learn who will receive the highest honors in filmmaking.

    The Oscars reward the previous year’s greatest cinema achievements as determined by some of the world’s most accomplished motion picture artists and professionals. The Academy’s roughly 6,000 members vote for the Oscars using secret ballots, which are tabulated by the international auditing firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. The auditors maintain absolute secrecy until the moment the show’s presenters open the envelopes and reveal the winners on live television.

   Patton Oswalt, who was recently nominated by the Chicago, Toronto and Los Angeles Film Critics’ Associations for his performance in the film Young Adult starring opposite Charlize Theron, will host this year’s 39th Annual Annie Awards on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at UCLA’s Royce Hall. "The Annies are where the real weirdos hang, and it's a visual feast just to have a drink with them,” says Oswalt, irreverent as always. “I can't wait.” Celebrating the best in animation, this annual black-tie evening will begin with a pre-reception at 5 p.m. followed by the Annie Awards ceremony at 7 p.m. and an after-party celebration immediately following the ceremony. All events will be held at Royce Hall.

Patton will be joined on stage by a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent including animation legend June Foray and Judy Greer, JK Simmons, James Hong, Jib Jab founders Greg and Evan Spiridellis, Nika Futterman, Ty Burrell, Kelly Stables, Tara Strong, Daran Norris, Dee Bradley Baker and Logan Grove.