Multi-Emmy Award winner Chris Zapara (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) has been named a supervising visual effects artist at Eden FX, having recently worked as a 3D supervisor at Zoic Studios. He produced models, animation and vfx for the finale of the hit show. Before that he was a 3D supervisor with Area 51 (2000-2003), where he produced animation and vfx for DUNE and CHILDREN OF DUNE, for which he received Emmys.

nPower Software has released version 2.5 of Power Booleans for 3ds max / viz, including 6.0 of 3ds max. Power Booleans 2.5 also introduces new functionality, and provides bug fixes for reported problems. The popular Power Booleans plug-in extends 3ds max with powerful, accurate and fun polygonal Boolean operations. Power Booleans is powered by POPLib, a powerful polygonal modeling kernel from IntegrityWare.

The highly anticipated DVD release of CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE streets Oct. 21, 2003 in both theatrical and un-rated versions (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, $27.94). Directed once again by McG and starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, the sequel capitalizes on more creative stunts, sexy costumes and a pulsating soundtrack.

Responding to the rapid growth in its visual effects and high definition divisions, R!OT Manhattan has boosted its staff through several key personnel moves. Luis Ribeiro has been promoted to the newly created post of exec producer, and Susan Giattino to business manager. Ribeiro previously held the title of sr producer; Giattino was production manager. Additionally, the company has hired Angela Botta as sales representative and Colleen Garvey as producer.

mental images has just completed a $6 million investment round led by ViewPoint Ventures and another large international private equity investor to expand its product offerings to include the 3D collaboration platform, RealityServer. The transaction was managed by ViewPoint Capital Partners. The company will also expand its U.S. operation in San Francisco.

With great fanfare, the INDIANA JONES trilogy comes to DVD Oct. 21, 2003 (Paramount Home Entertainment, $49.95) in a handsome four-disc set. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (now bearing the INDIANA JONES AND THE…moniker), INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE have never looked or sounded better at home. They've been digitally cleaned up by Lowry Digital Images and remastered by THX. And the extras on disc 4 are like archaeological treasures.

The Emmy Award-winning TAKEN, produced by DreamWorks Television and exec produced by Steven Spielberg, was Sci Fi Channel's highest rated program ever. The 10-part miniseries comes to DVD Oct. 21, 2003 in a lavish five-disc set (DreamWorks Home Entertainment, $89.95). Spanning 50 years of habitual alien abductions among three American families, TAKEN expands on many of the themes Spielberg first introduced in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, obviously with a stronger emphasis on family.

Universal Pictures has promoted John Swallow to evp of production technology. He will continue to report to presidents of production Mary Parent and Scott Stuber. Swallow was named svp of production technology for Universal in January 1998, having first joined the studio in Nov. 1996 as vp of production technology. Over the years, he has been responsible for supervising the production technology for such films as THE GRINCH, THE MUMMY, THE MUMMY RETURNS, THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and OCTOBER SKY.

Artbeats has announced the expansion of its royalty-free stock footage library. The new collections include high-quality images that include: Chicago Aerials, Mountain Peaks, Middle East, Rural Lifestyles, Sharks, Winter Lifestyles and Winter Scenes.

With declining profits this year in entertainment and electronics, Sony Corp. has ordered Sony Pictures Entertainment to layoff as many as 300 employees throughout its key business groups at the Culver City, California-based studio, including Sony Pictures, both domestic and international TV units and Sony Pictures Digital, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported. The layoffs, which have already begun, could save as much as $75 million a year. Last week, Sony Pictures’ 73-year-old chairman John Calley announced his retirement.