AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for January 23, 2006
This week in AWN's Forums, the members are abuzz with the rumors that Disney is set to buy Pixar.
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Sail Your Films to Brazil for Anima Mundi
Anima Mundi 2006Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo, BrazilJuly 14-30, 2006Deadline: March 27, 2006
Anima Mundi is the International Animation Festival of Brazil, which brings to the Brazilian audience the best selection of films and videos from around the world. It is a variety specially designed for the adults and the children. The event runs in Rio de Janeiro from July 14-23 then moves to São Paulo from July 26-30. For more information, visit www.animamundi.com.br.
EA Hosts 'Reveal 06' Computer Animation Competition
Reveal 06Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada May 2, 2006Deadline: April 7, 2006
Electronic Arts is hosting 'Reveal 06' the company's second annual computer animation competition. Building on the success of last year's contest, EA is inviting graduating Canadian art and 3D animation students to submit their best animated short video for a chance to win a $20,000 grand prize and a matching grant to the grand prize winner's alma mater. The four-minute shorts will be reviewed by a panel of award-winning EA art directors.
Action/Cut 2006 Wants Your Shorts
Action/Cut 2006 Short Film CompetitionLos Angeles, California, USAAugust 15 - September 1, 2006Deadline: May 15, 2006
Starting All Over Again
Nancy Cartwright wipes the slate clean for 2006 and tells us how we can all start over again.
Spontaneous Creates U2’s Latest Music Video with SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT
New York-based design and vfx company Spontaneous used Softimage character animation technology to create the latest music video for the Grammy Award-winning rock band U2. The video for ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES features a digital version of Bono, the bands lead singer, accompanied by a computer-generated woman. Both characters were created using SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 and animated with an alpha version of SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT, the new digital acting technology that allows 3D artists to achieve realistic, lifelike facial animation for high-end film, post and games projects.
Disney Goes to Infinity and Beyond with $7.4 Billion Pixar Purchase
Its a done deal: The Walt Disney Co. will acquire Pixar Animation Studios for an all-stock transaction to be completed this summer. Under terms of the agreement, 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share. Based on Pixar's fully diluted shares outstanding, the transaction value is $7.4 billion ($6.3 billion net of Pixar's cash of just above $1 billion).
Princess Tutu, E's Otherwise & Neo Ranga Hit DVD
ADV Films will release three new anime titles on Jan. 24, 2006. The new releases include new volumes of PRINCESS TUTU and ES OTHERWISE and the colossal new NEO RANGA COMPLETE COLLECTION.
In Anime, Home Entertainment, Anime, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe
NATPE Mobile++ 2006
Begins: January 23, 2006
The National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) and iHollywood Forum Inc. will jointly produce NATPE Mobile ++ at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The all-day summit will be held prior to the NATPE 2006 Conference & Exhibition (January 24
WIA/NY Show and Tell
Begins: January 23, 2006
For its monthly meeting for January, WIA/NY is hosting a "Show and Tell" Night. Attendees can show anything old or new
The Foundry Launches Furnace 3 for Shake
Leading visual effects developer The Foundry kicks off 2006 with the release of Furnace 3 for Shake, including brand new image processing plug-ins designed to significantly enhance workflow and productivity for Shake artists.
Furnace, available for Linux and OSX, is already a popular suite of image processing tools, designed to tackle every day compositing tasks, and the new release delivers Shake artists with an additional 10 plug-ins, many of which automate time-consuming processes in the creation of digital visual effects.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia
Lots of Houdini at VFX Bake-Off
Three of the seven films competing in the visual effects industry Bake-off on Jan. 25 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences used Houdini from Side Effects Software. They include CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. The Bake-off involves a 15-minute presentation to the Visual Effects Award Nominating committee, which will then create the final nomination list for the Visual Effects Oscar awarded each year by the academy.
Plenty of SHOW AND TELL from VES
The Visual Effects Society (VES) offered its version of the Academy Bake-Off with SHOW AND TELL 2006, all-day Saturday at Skirball Cultural Center. Boasting the largest turnout ever, with 200 participants, more than a dozen presenters and 30 different presentations, many industry luminaries offered in-depth presentations of the nominated works, including John Knoll (STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH), Joe Letteri (KING KONG), Dennis Muren (WAR OF THE WORLDS) and Dean Wright (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE).
Digital Animation for Freelance Producers Event Comes to U.K.
Digital Animation for Freelance Producers is six-day program exploring animation and CGI from a producers viewpoint.
The program includes evaluating all aspects of animation through design to delivery, budgeting and scheduling within a 3D environment, demystifying jargon, breaking down the roles within animation and CGI, and managing clients and artists within a 3D environment.
Da Vinci Code To Open Cannes
Ron Howard's THE DA VINCI CODE will open the 59th Festival de Cannes on May 17, 2006. Howards films that previously screened as Cannes include WILLOW, FAR AND AWAY and ED TV.
Based on Dan Browns best-selling thriller, the story chronicles the conspiracy developed to cover-up the true meaning of the Holy Grail. Many historians and religious leaders have criticized the book as pure fiction.
In Films, Visual Effects, Films, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, South America
Medal of Honor Airborne Flies Into Stores
Electronic Arts announced MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE, the newest installment from EAs critically-acclaimed MEDAL OF HONOR franchise. As the first game in the MEDAL OF HONOR series to be released on next-generation platforms, AIRBORNE will ship to stores in Winter 2006 under the EA brand for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Xbox and Windows PC.
Underworld: Evolution Scares Up Box Office
Screen Gems UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (with Luma Pictures as the leading vfx house) led the box office with $26.8M in its opening bow for the weekend ended Jan. 22, 2006. HOODWINKED, the hot 3D-animated indie from The Weinstein Co., followed in second place with $10.4M and a two-week cume of $28.6M. Buena Vistas GLORY ROAD slipped from first to third with $8.76M and $27.7M. Paramounts LAST HOLIDAY was right behind in fourth with $8.71M and $25.9M.
VES Show and Tell Event 2006
Begins: January 21, 2006
The VES will present its Show And Tell Event 2006, its version of the Motion Picture Academy visual effects
Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival 2006
Begins: January 21, 2006
Wingspan Arts presents its second annual Kids Film Festival at The Film Society of Lincoln Center
NVIDIA and Adobe Partner on New Production Studio
NVIDIA Corp. will offer its Quadro professional graphics to Adobe users through the newly announced Adobe Production Studio. NVIDIA and Adobe have established a strategic partnership that allows tighter integration between these hardware and software solutions in order to support industry initiatives, such as the recently announced Adobe OpenHD alliance.
In Anime, Business, Visual Effects, Anime, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe
Eyetronics Doubles Growth in 3D Scanning; Moves U.S. Operations
Eyetronics, the international 3D scanning leader, enjoyed its most successful year to date in 2005, doubling its volume of work, according to Nick Tesi, vp of operations for Eyetronics in the U.S. As a result, Eyetronics has moved its U.S. operations to handle further growth this year.
Disney Board to Consider Pixar Purchase
The board of directors of the Walt Disney Co. will meet on Monday (Jan. 23, 2006) to decide the fate of the proposed buyout of Pixar Animation Studios, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported. The stock transaction would be in the neighborhood of $6.7 billion, The WALL STREET JOURNAL reported. A deal would make Pixar ceo and Apple chief Steve Jobs a board member and biggest shareholder with a 6% stake. Shares of both companies rose slightly Thursday.
Monster Distributes Gets Ready for a Busy NATPE
Monster Distributes will be taking its animated preschool series PICME to NATPE for the first time. From Irish-based Jammedia, PICME is an award-winning interactive animation where a child literally stars in his/her own cartoon. Commissioned by RTE, PICME creates an interaction between broadcaster and audience. Great emphasis is put on the stories themselves, so that children who are not in the story also get huge enjoyment out of it.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Special Events: NATPE | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe
Mexican Directors Fly Japanese Anime Kite Into Live-Action
Mexican commercial directors Jorge and Javier Aguilera known as Big Brother have been tapped to helm the live-action adaptation of the Japanese anime, KITE, reports VARIETY. Rob Cohen and Anant Singh are producing.
Singh and Brian Cox will produce for Singh's Distant Horizon. Cohen and Marc Pitre will produce for Cohen's Nowita Pictures. Joshua Rubin is penning the script.
Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online Launches
Disney Online, part of the Walt Disney Internet Group, in partnership with Disney Channel, has launched a new broadband subscription product called Playhouse Disney Preschool Time Online. The service is available for an annual subscription fee of $49.95. Parents can log-on to www.preschooltime.com to subscribe to the product or to access a free trial.
