THE DARK KNIGHT, DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO! and the fourth season of LOST arrive on DVD and Blu-ray, plus Oscar-winning Best Animated Short PETER & THE WOLF makes its U.S. DVD debut, and more.

THE DARK KNIGHT On DVD And Blu-ray

This week in AWN's Forums, a newbie to animation wants to know the best 2D animation programs. Discussion continues on the aspect ratio on animation software. A member wants to know the best way to set up a Flash movie for eventual broadcast or screening. Have some advice on becoming a voiceover actor? A member is looking for advice. Help out a member choosing which 3D software to use for a feature film. A junior at the Savannah College of Art and Design is looking for a summer internship. Got some cool links to Christmas animation? Post them now!

Bitfilm has released the first issue of its new BITFILM COLLECTION. It contains 12 groundbreaking digital animations, voted on the first ranks by the international audience of the Bitfilm Festival -- including all six winners of the Bitfilm Awards. Once a month, the digital film experts will select 12 films that they consider state of the art of digital animation.

Animation is not just kids' stuff anymore, and Nexus Productions Ltd. is in the thick of the changing creative and business market for animated films of all kinds. The London-based company, founded 10 years ago to create creative, family animation for commercials, music videos and shorts, has recently doubled its size, secured new avenues of funding, and positioned itself to take advantage of a revolution in the field. In addition, two recent short films produced by Nexus, THIS WAY UP and DAMAGED GOODS, have qualified for the 2008 Academy Award for animated short.

Nathania Seales has been promoted to VP of production for Cartoon Network On-Air. Formerly senior director of on-air production, Seales will oversee production of on-air promotions, program production, ad-supported/sponsored promotions and branding material for Cartoon Network and Boomerang. She will continue to manage the assignment of projects and budget allocations to partnering production companies, writers, animation and live-action producers and on-air talent.

PEANUTS has become the first fully animated series in the Warner Premiere Motion Comics digital content category.

HP has introduced a high-performance thin client and blade workstation that provide virtualization customers a true workstation experience combined with the security, ease of management and lowered total cost of ownership of thin client computing.

Offering significantly more processing and graphics performance, the new HP gt7725 Thin Client and HP ProLiant xw2x220c Blade Workstation deliver a leading remote experience for 3D mechanical computer-aided (MCAD) applications, rich media, flexibility and performance.

This week in AWN's Forums, members are discussing how the upcoming presidential election will affect the economy as it relates to the animation industry. A member wants input on whether to include comic pages in an animation portfolio, and the discussion continues over whether one can be too old for cartoons. A user would like some help on animating in Flash CS4. Members are still updating each other on their current projects. A thread has been started for tips and advice on buying and selling outside animated feature scripts.

The Fremantle Corporation has acquired the new and quirky CG animated series LIMO GUY from Comet Ent. and Kaleidoscope Productions. LIMO GUY is akin to the antics of SOUTH PARK with a twist of a modern day TAXI.

Super U Animation Contest
Deadline: October 30, 2008

Stop-motion, 3D, claymation, Flash or flip book. If it's animated, you could win $2,500.

Beginning in September 2008, Super U and TAC.tv (a.k.a Tetes a claques) will be presenting quarterly animation contests. A jury, including TAC.tv creator Michel Beaudet will be awarding a prize for the best of the best at the end of August 2009.