John Leguizamo has joined the cast of M. Night Shyamalan's next thriller THE HAPPENING, which is being produced by 20th Century Fox, reports the trades. Leguizamo will play the best friend of Mark Wahlberg, who is a father that must take his family on the run when the world is threatened by a natural disaster. Production will start in August in Philadelphia, with a June 13, 2008, release date in mind.
Rencontres Internationales 2007Various Locations Nov. 1, 2007Deadline: Aug. 15, 2007
Accredited-Online-Colleges.com has just added three new online colleges and universities to its database, offering online degrees in everything from 3D animation to nursing in this diverse mix.
Accredited-Online-Colleges.com maintains up-to-date info. on the latest online degree programs from respected higher institutions of learning from all over the U.S.
Students searching to expand their knowledge and skills or to change the direction of their careers can find degree programs, training, and certification through Accredited-Online-Colleges.com.
In anticipation of SIGGRAPH next month in San Diego, J. Paul Peszko takes a sneak peek at the Art Gallery: Global Eyes, which embraces the international diversity of digital technologies. Meanwhile, managing editor Rick DeMott reports on last week's revamped but still newsworthy E3, and Alain Bielik explores Danny Boyle's futuristic SUNSHINE (opening Friday from Fox Searchlight), which required sophisticated vfx from London's MPC.
Bill DesowitzEditor
Digital Anarchy has released Primatte Chromakey 3.0 for Photoshop. Primatte Chromakey is the award winning, best-of-breed green/bluescreen solution for photography, bringing the power of high-end Film/TV technology to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. Primatte removes a blue/green background from a still image or footage, leaving the subject against a transparent background with any color cast removed.
GenArts will be exhibiting at SIGGRAPH 2007, being held Aug. 7-9 at the San Diego Convention Center. GenArts will feature Sapphire Plug-ins, a collection of more than 200 image processing and synthesis effects, on a wide range of host platforms in the Plug-in Pavilion, booth 321.
The Austin, Texas, division of BioWare Corp. is integrating NaturalMotion's morpheme into its pipeline and will be using it to develop assets for several undisclosed next-generation game titles. morpheme is robust middleware designed to give developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview blends, blend trees and transition graphs in realtime.
This month in "The Animated Scene," Joseph Gilland ponders to be too busy or not too busy that is the question.
Anistock has launched its animation library, a web destination (www.anistock.com) for stock royalty free 2D and 3D animation. From graphic artists to web designers, art directors to corporate marketing, all can obtain and instantly download, fully customizable stock animations for use in web, broadcast and other new media productions.
Alphanim in France has retained Al Ovadia & Assocs. to rep its 52x30 GALACTIK FOOTBALL animated series for distribution and licensing in the U.S. market. The deal includes all forms of media, including broadcast, home entertainment and motion pictures, as well as the emerging markets of wireless and Internet video-on-demand (VOD). The company will also handle licensing and merchandising of the GALACTIK FOOTBALL brand.
Ubisoft, one of the world's largest videogame publishers, announced that on July 12, 2007 it sold the 13,367,923 shares it owned in Gameloft (representing 18.89% of the company's capital) to Calyon, Credit Agricole Group's Corporate and Investment Bank. The sale price was 6.08 euros, based on Gameloft's closing share price on July 12, 2007.
The New York Anime Festival (NYAF) announced it will host the North American premiere of the anime film CATBLUE: DYNAMITE at its inaugural event this December in New York City. CATBLUE: DYNAMITE, set in the 1970s, is the story of a girl named Blue who gets mixed up with the mob over a missing Frank Sinatra album. But while going up against an army of hitmen might make a normal woman shake, Blue's anything but normal. Blue has all the agility and finesse (and ears and a tail) of a cat, and when her reflexes alone aren't enough, she can also count on an undead sidekick.
TotalVid.com, the Internet video-on-demand service from Landmark Communications, has announced the availability of five new anime series from FUNimation Ent. downloadable through its subscription platform. TotalVid.com offers consumers unlimited access to thousands of enthusiast, special interest and instructional videos, movies and TV episodes in categories such as anime, action sports, martial arts and travel on a subscription basis for $9.95 per month. Individual anime episodes will also be available on a download-to-own basis for $1.99 each.
After making a big impression in the pilot episode of NBC''s BIONIC WOMAN, Katee Sackhoff signed a late in the day deal yesterday (July 17, 2007) to be a regular on the revamp of the 1970s series, reports VARIETY. Sackhoff will play a villainous bionic named Sarah, who is the chief adversary to lead character Jamie Sommers, played by Michelle Ryan. David Eick, the exec producer of both BATTLESTAR and BIONIC, played a big role in reaching terms with the actress, who has become a gay icon as BATTLESTAR's Capt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace.
The Casual Games Association, the industry's leading advocacy group that represents casual gaming executives, publishers and developers from around the world, is hosting Casual Connect Seattle. With increasing popularity, casual games are proliferating and securing a captive audience worldwide. By 2008, the casual games industry is expected to reach $1.5 billion worldwide, with $690 million from North America. About 60 million downloads of casual games each month and 200 million people playing online casual games.
The 2007 Government Technologies Conference & Expo and 2007 Health Technologies Conference & Expo are the premier annual IT events for IT professionals from all levels of government and health services in Canada. These highly anticipated conferences and trade shows feature cutting-edge applications and solutions on current hot topics such as Technology Trends in Government, Electronic Health Records, Privacy, e-Health, Security and many others.
The 2007 e-Financial WorldExpo, organized by WowGao, is the annual global technology event for the financial industry, that covers all information technologies and enterprise solutions employed by the world's financial service sectors, including banking institutions, insurance providers, investment and brokerage houses, securities and mortgage providers
Walt Disney Studios Asia Pacific's animated feature THE MAGIC GOURD scored $2 million in its second weekend in China and will now be turned into a videogame, reports VARIETY. Walt Disney Internet Group plans to release 15 Java-based mobile games based on the film later in the year.
The CG film's week two receipts were down only 16% over its June 29, 2007, opening weekend.
Digital 04 Studios is pleased to announce additional speakers to the //ADAPT 2007 Conference schedule. Presenting in the 3D Masters Program are Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena, renowned artists and two of the three founders of AnimationMentor.com, the leading online animation school.
DreamWorks Animation's MONSTERS VS. ALIENS has been slated for domestic release on May 15, 2009, one week earlier than the previously announced date. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS, which reinvents the classic '50s monster movie as an irreverent modern-day action comedy, will be the first DreamWorks Animation film produced in stereoscopic 3-D technology. The film is being directed by Conrad Vernon (SHREK 2) and Rob Letterman (SHARK TALE), and produced by Lisa Stewart (I THINK I LOVE MY WIFE).
The Walt Disney Studios announced the launch of Disney's Magical Blu-ray Tour, which will visit 18 malls nationwide beginning Aug. 17, 2007. Previews of upcoming releases of CARS and MEET THE ROBINSONS will be highlighted along with THE PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN movies.
J. Paul Peszko sizes up the Art Gallery for SIGGRAPH 2007: Global Eyes, which embraces the explosion of digital technologies around the world.
MTV Networks (MTVN) has promoted Greg Clayman from svp, MTVN Mobile Media, to evp, digital distribution & business development. Based in the company's New York City headquarters, Clayman will continue to report to Mika Salmi, president, Global Digital Media, MTVN.
After six memorable years, the HARVEY BIRDMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW animated series on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim comes to a close with the final episode to air in a 30-minute special on July 22, 2007, at 11:45 pm.
HARVEY BIRDMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW helped launch Adult Swim and was part of the first original lineup on the now highly rated late-night network for young adults. The series, which was an instant success and received immediate critical acclaim upon its debut, is now retiring after 39 episodes.
Sony Computer Ent. Inc. & Sony Computer Ent. America Inc. (SCEA) recently unveiled a new PSP that has a more streamlined for a video-out port and two new PSP Entertainment Packs based on the DAXTER, FAMILY GUY and STAR WARS properties. The new units will be available in North America this fall for $199.99.
