Coinciding with Discreet's release of flint and smoke for the Linux operating system, GenArts Inc. announced Sapphire Plug-ins for them.

Featuring the same familiar interface and wide range of effects and features that Discreet users have long depended on, Sapphire for flint and smoke on Linux is available immediately for $6,000. The software can be purchased directly from GenArts, or from Discreet's extensive worldwide network of resellers and sales representatives.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. has announced that THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW will hit DVD shelves on Oct. 5, 2004 ($29.98). The disc will include deleted scenes as well as commentaries by director Roland Emmerich, producer Mark Gordon, screenwriter Jeffrey Nachmanoff, cinematographer Ueli Steiger, production designer Barry Chusid and editor David Brenner. Also included among the goodies will be an interactive audio demo and DVD-ROM Weblinks.

With SPIDER-MAN 2 breaking box office records and upping the visual effects stakes, Ellen Wolff chats with supervisor John Dykstra about the superhero's vertiginous flights of fancy and the challenges of integrating Doc Ock's digital and mechanical tentacles.

Philip Anschutz's Walden Media has left Disney for Fox, reports VARIETY. The AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS producer will team with Fox on five features, including Kate DiCamillo's BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE (due for release January 2005); Katherine Paterson's BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA; Lois Lowry's THE GIVER; Wendy Orr's NIM'S ISLAND; and Adam Mortimer's as-yet-unpublished comicbook proposal BIBLIONAUTS. Unlike the past Disney deal, the Fox agreement is neither exclusive nor constrained by time limits.

Discreet has announced that its lustre digital grading and color correction system is now installed in 17 film studios and post-production facilities around the world.

Svengali Visual Effects has contributed visual effects to GARDEN STATE, Zach Braff’s (NBC’s SCRUBS) directorial debut that premiered to critical acclaim at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Scheduled for release on July 30, 2004 by Fox Searchlight, GARDEN STATE is a dark, romantic comedy set in New Jersey.

The Hollywood Post Alliance is presenting the 2004 Summer School Program, a tutorial on post-production. The program will run from July 23 - 24, 2004. The workshop will kick off on July 23 with drinks and hors d’oeuvres at 6:00 pm followed by as case study on SPIDER-MAN 2 at 7:00 pm.

Framestore CFC recently completed digital effects work on a new three-spot campaign for BT, highlighting the company's Customer Care program. St. Luke's was the agency on SNOW, FOOTBALL and SOUNDS with Outsider films as the production company. SNOW and FOOTBALL were directed by Dom and Nic with Nick Gordon helming SOUNDS.

Producer Tony Adams and Marvel Comics are negotiating a deal to bring Spider-Man to the stage as a musical, reports VARIETY. Reportedly Neil Jordan of CRYING GAME fame would pen the script with music by U2's Bono and The Edge. LION KING stage director and FRIDA film helmer Julie Taymor would take the director's seat on the project.

Oregon3D Inc., The Academy for Digital Arts & Sciences, will be holding a two-day open house scheduled for July 20 and 21, 2004. Technology presentations will focus on game development and design/visualization applications.

Oregon3D's Game Development Day: July 20, 3:00 to 7:00 pm
Presenters from Turbo Squid, RTzen, Right Hemisphere and other guest speakers will explore the tools and techniques used to create today's top-selling videogames.

MillTv recently completed the effects work on the BBC drama-documentary, THE FIRST OLYMPIANS, which looks at the equipment of early athletes and looks at the recently found remains of an early Olympic participant. MillTv was brought on board to digitally re-build the ancient site of Olympia, complete with games and crowds.

Fox has signed three of four members of the superhero team that will headline the studio's FANTASTIC FOUR feature, reports VARIETY. Taking the lead of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic will be Iaon Gruffudd, who played Lancelot in KING ARTHUR. THE SHIELD star Michael Chiklis will play Ben Grimm/the Thing and Chris Evans (NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE) is set to play Johnny Storm/the Human Torch.

A while back, Bruce Shutan profiled Atomic Visual Effects of South Africa for VFXWORLD. Spurred by a letter to delve further into South Africa's thriving 3D community, Shutan recently interviewed several other vfx and animation studios and various artists to discover why Cape Town is on the verge of becoming the next Sydney, Australia.

Activision's North American Publishing unit has shipped more than two million units of its SPIDER-MAN 2 videogame timed to the theatrical release of the feature film. The game lets players experience what it's like to be Spider-Man as they web sling from buildings, dive from rooftops to the streets and scale the heights of Manhattan. Players will be able to engage in various missions inspired by the action of the film. The game is available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC.

Samsung has unveiled a uniquely designed 3D Game Phone that uses the company's established clamshell design that includes a joystick. The game phone (SCH-V450), which comes installed with three games, such as ZIOGOLF (golf game) and METALION (shooting game), allows users to get a full 3D mobile gaming experience heard through dual speakers.

Rushes has recently completed the opening title sequence for Touchstone Pictures' KING ARTHUR (opening July 7). Loosely based on the true story that inspired the legend of King Arthur, the film focuses on the history, politics and warfare at the time of the Roman Empire's collapse in 476 AD. The title sequence sets the background from where the films narrative begins. Rushes composited sequences reflecting the passage of the Roman conquest from Samaria in Palestine, throughout Europe and reaching Britannia.

Alias announced its full lineup of new Maya Learning Tools to accompany Maya 6, the latest version of its 3D animation and special effects software. Maya Learning Tools are books and DVDs that offer self-paced learning for 3D professionals, students and enthusiasts. Alias will release dozens of DVDs and books in the coming months for a variety of learning levels, many in time for SIGGRAPH (Aug.

Curious Software has released version 2.5 of Curious gFx Pro and gFx Pro+, its powerful raster paint, rotoscoping and retouch software packages.

Edmonton's Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital's Syncrude Centre for Motion and Balance has used motion-capture software to help a six-year-old boy walk, reports THE GLOBE AND MAIL. Using the same technology that was used to create Gollum from THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, the hospital's "gait lab" helped doctors determine a surgical strategy to help Quinn Kozlowski, who suffers from cerebral palsy, walk.

Impact Pictures has announced that its next videogame-turned-feature will be DRIVER, based on Atari's top franchise, reports VARIETY. Impact co-founders Jeremy Bolt and Paul Anderson will produce the film along with Constantin Film's Bernd Eichinger. The script was written by James DeMonaco, Todd Harthan and James Roday. Constantin's L.A. head of production Robert Kulzer will exec produce.

Impact previously translated the RESIDENT EVIL videogame franchise into a film in 2002 and will be following up with the sequel RESIDENT EVIL – APOCALYPSE this September.