fmx/conference presents and reflects upon the latest trends in an extraordinarily dynamic industry. And one trend can be seen very clearly throughout animation, visual effects, games and postproduction: story is king. Computer-generated imagery or effects are only effective to the degree that they serve a suspenseful and overwhelming narration. A few highlights from the conference (held May 5-8 in Stuttgart, Germany), include:

Alphanim's new 52x13 series MATT'S MONSTERS has secured new broadcasts of the series with Cartoon Network in Asia, RTP in Portugal and Noga Communications in Israel.

Co-produced by Alphanim, RAI Fiction and Torino-based animation studio Lanterna Magica, MATT'S MONSTERS is a 2D/Flash comedy starring boy-next-door Matt Average, an 8 year-old monster enthusiast who takes family business quite seriously and, as soon as homework is done, rushes to help out in his mom and dad's monster care agency.

Open Development Call for Batman: Brave and Bold Flash Game
Deadline: March 27, 2009

Warner Bros. Animation and Mochi Media, in association with DC Comics, are having a casting call for developers to submit ideas for creating a new Flash game as a promotional brand extension for Warner Bros. Animation's hit animated series BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (www.braveandthebold.com), airing Fridays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network.

M&M's is asking Canadians to "Join the Hunt." Created by Proximity Canada, BBDO Toronto, and Firstborn Multimedia based in New York, the campaign uses television, point of sale and online media inviting consumers to find and collect eggs with PIN codes and point values hidden on the web and inside specially marked packages of M&M's Speck-tacular Eggs. The more points collected, the better the chances of winning thousands of instant prizes or one of three grand prize getaways to New York, Las Vegas or Orlando, Florida.

PINOCCHIO's 70th anniversary edition hits DVD and Blu-ray today, March 10, along with a four-film BATMAN anthology on Blu-ray, SOUTH PARK (12th season) on Blu-ray for the first time, HOWARD THE DUCK on DVD for the first time, SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK and TRANSPORTER 3 on DVD/Blu-ray and an edition of WOODY WOODPECKER favorites on DVD.

ALL-STAR SPORTS DAY! on DVD

SPECIAL AGENT OSO, a new animated television series starring Academy Award-nominee Sean Astin as the voice of Oso, a fuzzy, lovable, bumbling stuffed panda bear who is a special agent-in-training, premieres with two consecutive episodes Saturday, April 4 (8-9 a.m., ET/PT) during Disney Channel's learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block.

The interactive series, which emphasizes discovery, humor and organizational skills, calls upon viewers to help accomplish special missions by breaking down everyday tasks using three simple steps, just as Oso does.

This week in AWN's Forums, members are discussing last weekend's Annie Awards. Did WALL-E and Pixar get snubbed, or is that just the way it goes? What are the 'Do's and 'Don't's for your pitch bible's design and layout? What are some good ways to develop empathy in animated characters? A member is having Flash issues, come help!

As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand-new stuff to check out in show and tell!

MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA comes in for a landing on DVD and Blu-ray on FRIDAY, February 6, 2009 from DreamWorks Animation.

With twice the laughs, twice the fun and twice the Penguins, the Move It! Move It! Double DVD Pack and Blu-ray include two animated adventures from Nickelodeon's new television series, THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR. The series stars Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, Private and King Julien back at the New York zoo where it all started -- on a mission... without permission.

FEAR(S) OF THE DARK came out Monday, with MADAGASCAR 2 hitting DVD/Blu-ray shelves on Friday. Tuesday releases include a MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER volume, AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION, the 20th anniversary edition of OLIVER & COMPANY, direct-to-DVD SPACE BUDDIES and more.

AFRO SAMURAI: RESURRECTION on DVD and Blu-ray

TABCO Inc. and Digital Video have released TAB Kids 3.1, the new version of a software tool that smoothly introduces kids to the animation world in a funny and intuitive way.

The TAB Kids is a friendly and colorful software for kids to create animations and cartoons. It is so easy that any kid can use it with spectacular results, and yet it is powerful, as it relies on the Toonz technology developed for the industry to produce feature films and television series.