With a mission to connect high-end talent with awesome brands, iartists has launched in Los Angeles to represent directors, designers, animators, visual effects pros, storytellers and digital experts, working across platforms, devices and spaces.

Fabien Coupez has joined MassMarket as Senior Flame Artist and VFX Supervisor.

The world's best productions in the field of applied animation received their prizes in the Mercedes-Benz Museum at the Animated Com Award held at the 19th Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film.

ACME Filmworks directors David Wachtenheim and Robert Marianetti recently completed work on a campaign for Kraft’s Ritz Crackerfuls created by agency Euro RSCG Worldwide in New York.

Executive producer Leslie Sorrentino, formerly of Animal West and The Syndicate, has joined digital production and design studio Big Block. He brings with him his production team, Flame artist Gizmo Rivera and producer Cindy Chapman.

Studio Aka completed a dazzling trail sequence for the BBC as part of their Olympic Campaign 2012 coverage. The sequence depicts an impressionistic world rendered with nothing more than shimmering golden dots of light, and dramatically traversed by Olympic torchbearers.

QuietMan recently flexed its concept-to-completion bona fides with an animated/live-action hybrid spot promoting The Topps Company's Baby Bottle Pops candy.

For the new season of "Auction Kings," the popular reality TV series on Discovery Channel, creative agency Oishii Creative developed a dramatic show open and graphics package that captures the intrepid crew of Gallery 63 and the thrill of the buy and sale.

Adobe announced the immediate availability of Adobe Creative Suite 6 software. The CS6 product line includes powerful new releases of Photoshop, InDesign, lllustrator, Dreamweaver, Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, Flash Professional and other products as well as four suite versions – Creative Suite 6 Design & Web Premium; Creative Suite 6 Design Standard; Creative Suite 6 Production Premium; and Creative Suite 6 Master Collection.

DUCK has sliced two birds with one stone, considerably escalating its presence in both the live-action and animation realms with the addition of versatile director Knife Party.

The winners of the 2012 CLIO Awards, one of the world's most recognized awards competitions honoring excellence in advertising, design and communications, were announced this week by Prometheus Global Media.

RE:Vision Effects announces support for Adobe After Effects CS6 and Premiere Pro CS6.

E3 Electronic Entertainment Expo

June 5-7, 2012 Los Angeles Convention Center

E3 is the world's premier trade show for computer and video games and related products. The show is owned by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies, publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet.

The E3 Expo draws tens of thousands of professionals to experience the future of interactive entertainment. The most influential people leading the most innovative companies in the business attend E3 to see groundbreaking new technologies and never-before-seen products for computers, video game consoles, handheld systems, mobile, and the Internet.

2012 will welcome software developers, buyers and retailers, programmers, distributors, entertainment industry representatives, financiers and venture capitalists, importers and exporters, manufacturers, resellers, researchers, educators, financial and industry analysts and worldwide electronic and print media.

Gravity was tapped by Microsoft Advertising and Y&R New York to create and produce the CG-animated “Samurai,” an original, two-minute web video promoting Microsoft.

DUCK brought the full force of 10 of its best to bear on a monster 12-spot campaign for the United States Olympic Committee via Y&R.

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Click 3X does just that in a high-energy spot for the Maryland Lottery's MONOPOLY scratch-off ticket, bringing the board game's iconic dog to startling CGI life.

Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Market

June 4th-9th

Annecy, France

Check out the latest animated gems, find out about current and future trends, meet up with your favourite film directors and up-and-coming talents, track down new associates and partners... in the fun and friendly atmosphere of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

 There are 5 theatres in and around Annecy screening Festival films from 10am to 11pm. The programme includes films in the official selection and screenings which don't need to be reserved.Each evening at 10pm, there is also a screening on the giant screen on the Pâquier lawn (opposite Bonlieu, free access). Established animators and budding creatives, film directors and producers, teachers and students, designers or artists, long-standing fans or newcomers to the art... everyone can be found at the Festival.

The Festival is paying tribute to Ireland this year.

It is perhaps too early to say that there is a particular style of Irish animation cinema. Influenced by the USA, but especially by Europe, these creations are still in their infancy. However, you will discover the diversity of this animation through TV commissions, graduation and independent films, as well as some prize gems from the archives.

Venables Bell & Partners has released the latest TV spot for Intel, "House of Flying Laptops."

After snagging a pair of key advertising talents in EP Misha Louy and CD Wyatt Neumann, Decon is keeping the momentum going with the addition of publishing, music and TV veteran Sacha Jenkins.

Pinterest, Google+ and Spotify will each be presented with their first Webby Awards alongside special recognition honorees Instagram and Bjork at The 16th Annual Webby Awards on May 21, at the Hammerstein Ballroom.