Cambridge Animation Systems, developer of Animo 2D software, has been purchased from Japanese investment bank Nomura by a digital media consortium that includes an original founder of the company. The new owners are moving the company to a new and larger facility in Cambridge, England. Over the past 18 months the new management team placed in the company by Nomura has completely reorganized Cambridge Animation Systems, expanded Cambridge's line of products and set up a growing reseller network worldwide.

Toronto, Ontario's Chelsea Road Productions Inc., a creative and music production and audio post company, is looking for 3D MAX-4 MODELER/COMPOSITOR, SENIOR ANIMATOR 3D MAX-4, JUNIOR ANIMATOR 3D MAX-4, PRODUCTION ASSISTANT, and SENIOR ANIMATOR 2D. . . Toronto, Ontario's Evil Clown Animation is looking for a PRODUCTION COORDINATOR to coordinate an independent animated short production. . . Hollywood, California's Toonshoppe is looking for an onsite FLASH ANIMATOR & ILLUSTRATOR. . .

MorphInk has announced their commercial release of MorphInk 2.0, a Web-animation authoring tool. MorphInk 2.0 enables the creation and publishing of high-resolution animations playing at high frame rates (up to 30 frames per second) without increase in file size. In addition to its own ANC animation format, MorphInk 2.0 also supports other Web formats. MorphInk animations can be converted to Flash or Animated GIF. The MorphInk 2.0 package includes a stand-alone player, a Java player and ActiveX/Plug-In Web players.

In response to the success of the DVD short-film collection "Best of the Web," Multimedia 2000 (M-2K) has announced the release of a follow-up DVD, "Best of the Web, Volume 2." The new installment will highlight the work of CampChaos.com. The 75-minute DVD will feature episodes of NAPSTER BAD and SAFARI KINGDOM as well as the U.S. election parody FLORI-DUH. "Most of these cartoon shorts were originally developed specifically for the Web, using Macromedia's animation software, Flash," said CampChaos' Bob Cesca.

Barcelona, Spain's FILMAX, a production and distribution company, is looking for a BACKGROUND ARTIST. . . Saint James, New York's Inky Dinky Animation Studios is looking for an ANIMATOR/DIGITAL ARTIST. . . Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India's MUV Technologies Ltd. is looking for experienced RENDERMAN users. . . Glendale, California's NeoPets.com, a fast-growing global youth network, is looking for a FLASH ANIMATOR-GAMER/ARTIST. . . Makati City, Philippine’s Animation Studio, Inc., an independent animation studio, is looking for a PRODUCTION MANAGER. . .

Cartoon Network U.K. Online is urging people to send their work to their Animation Awards before the closing date of August 31, 2001. The U.K. toon channel is offering £10,000 (US$15,000) in prize money with the winning films to air on both TV and the Web. First prize is £5,000 ($7,500), second prize is £3000 ($4,500) and third prize is £2000 ($3,000). The competition is open to all U.K. animators using Flash and entries will be judged by industry professionals. The winning entries will also be shown on both CartoonNetwork.co.uk and CartoonNetwork.com.

The Sydney design and animation studio, alkamy has launched phase 2 of its Website, which includes 8 new works in the interactive section. Netizens can also catch new shorts featuring Dr. Leechfingers, who is the star of a series of short films alkamy has in development. Check it all out at www.alkamy.com… Professional British cartoonist/animator Bill Greenhead was launched the new Flash toon CAPTAIN POINTY at his site www.billgreenhead.demon.co.uk… Augenblick Studios' DRUNKY can be seen on CampChaos.com.

Swatch has announced the winner of the Swatchbeat 2 Flash Animation Competition on August 1. Hundreds of entries from around the world were submitted to a panel of Swiss judges and Internet audiences. The top prize was US$5000 dollars and a trip to the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland from August 9 -13. Each participant had to create a Flash animation no greater than 30 seconds on the theme of "Waiting for the Movies." The winning entry was by Frank Gapinski of www.flashtoonz.com in Australia. The toon features a movie-goer's struggle to get a comfortable seat at the movies.

Mohandiseen, Giza, Egypt's Alsahar Animation, a production company, is looking for a 2D ANIMATOR for a feature film. The animator will work through the Internet, no need to relocate. . . Los Angeles, California's Animation World Network is looking for a WEB DESIGNER to help manage and maintain the entire Animation World Network Website. . . San Francisco, California's Apex Pictures, producers of short comedy films, is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR for a series. . .

A brief compilation of some recent short films and Webisodes. The Web series, LEGENDARY, begins as each character is drawn into a tale of a prophecy by a mysterious young woman. Despite their inhibitions, they find what they see difficult to disbelieve, although their skepticism may not be entirely unfounded. LEGENDARY can be found at www.legendaryonline.com. New chapters are added twice weekly. MK ULTRA 3, a new Flash series at skritch.net, follows the exploits of three young CIA agents as they battle international espionage and new mind control methods.

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Universal Studios and Mondo Media have teamed on a multi-level ad campaign in support of AMERICAN PIE 2. The campaign consists of a blend of advertising and original content in a new advertising package called the Mondo Side Show. Ads will run on Mondo Web-syndicated Flash animation Mondo Mini Shows such as THUGS ON FILM, GARY THE RAT and ELMO AARDVARK OUTER SPACE DETECTIVE. Commercial content will include an interactive game, a viral marketing component, a commercial and mini Website.

Treat, the commercial production arm of Dogmatic, Inc., has created a thirteen Webisodes series for Pepsi, spoofing the cola company's successful Britney Spears commercial campaign. The 60 to 90-second long Webisodes, directed by the comedy directing team of Larry Shanet and David Rosenthal, combine Flash animation with live-action. The first eight installments follow an inept camera crew - ordered by Mr. Butch R.

Skunk has signed Flash director Michael Overbeck to their roster. The London-based company will represent the director internationally for commercials and music videos. Overbeck has won numerous international awards, including the 2000 Audience choice award at RESFEST. Overbeck recently worked on a pilot entitled UTICA CARTOON for the Cartoon Network, which aired Friday, July 13. "It's a great pleasure to be working with such a young and unique talent. Mike takes the application of the extremely popular Flash to another level," said Hyun-Ho Khang of Skunk.

Caligari Corporation, a provider of 3D authoring technologies, has announced that its 3D modeling and animation package trueSpace 5.1 now supports Macromedia Flash. This is in addition to Caligari's existing support for Macromedia Shockwave3D, Director8.5 and Viewpoint Experience Technology. Web developers can now convert their trueSpace5.1 objects (including NURBS) and scenes to Flash format, including all trueSpace geometry, materials, lights, views and even advanced animation techniques such as script animations, bones and key-frame animations.

Warner Bros. has launched a highly immersive Website to promote their upcoming live-action/animated feature OSMOSIS JONES at www.osmosisjones.com. Opening in the U.S. on August 10, the feature film teams a white blood cell and pill in a race to destroy a lethal virus that has infiltrated the body of Frank Detorri. Visitors to the film's site who select game mode will sign on as cops on the same immunity police force that employs Officer Osmosis, chasing down a lethal virus through the City of Frank, investigating suspects and tackling games of skill in a special arcade.

Gothenburg, Sweden's 3rd Dimension is looking for a SOFTWARE DEVELOPER to help create a Maya interface aimed towards 3D Studio Max, Maya, Lightwave and Softimage users. . . Tehran, Iran's Alian Shiveh Co. Ltd, an animation studio, is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR. . . Blue's Clues-Nickelodeon in New York is looking for an EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT to a supervising animation director and animation producer. . . Ireland's Clockwork Monkey Media is looking for a COMIC BOOK ARTIST/WRITER to work on series that they plan on publishing this year. . . Century City, California's EMA Multimedia, Inc.

New York's Across Frontiers International, producers of CD-Rom based movies for corporate/educational interests, is looking for a VIDEO EDITOR/ANIMATOR. . . India's Animindia, a 2D animation studio, is looking for a BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE. . . Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada's Collideascope Digital Productions, Inc., a new media and convergence company, is looking for ROUGH KEY & INBETWEEN ANIMATORS, CLEAN-UP ANIMATORS and LAYOUT/BACKGROUND ARTISTS for a children's animated series. . .

London's AGI-UK, a game development company, is looking for an ARTIST/GAMER for computer games. . . Los Angeles, California's Back Alley Pictures, an independent film & Web content creation company, is looking for an ANIMATOR for a mock news show combining animation and live action. This is an unpaid job. . . London, UK's Change Limited, a game company, is looking for a LEAD ANIMATOR with 3D Studio Max and Character Studio experience. . . New York's Curious Pictures is looking for CHARACTER ANIMATORS (traditional and/or Flash) and INTERNS for upcoming broadcast projects. . .

Budapest, Hungary’s Cartoon Webworks recently completed three commercials for TEAM Hungary, a Young & Rubicam subsidiary. These are the first three in a series of twelve animated spots that will begin airing this month on Viva+, Hungary’s music television channel. The commercials are among the first TV ads in Europe produced entirely in Macromedia Flash.