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Dreamworks Headline News

DreamWorks Animation CFO Departing

DreamWorks Animation announced today (Dec. 15, 2006) that Kristina Leslie, its cfo, will be leaving the company. Leslie will remain in her role through Feb. 2007 to oversee the reporting of the company's year-end results. DeamWorks will begin the search for a replacement.

Nominations Headline News

Cars Picks Up Three Grammy Nominations

All three nominations going to animated feature entries this year for the 49th Annual Grammy Awards were all from Disney/Pixar's CARS. The flick's album was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album." Randy Newman and James Taylor got a nod in Best Song Written For A Motion Picture for "Our Town." A Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance nomination went to John Mayer for his rendition of "Route 66," which was used in CARS. The winners will be announced on Feb.

Films Headline News

Seven Vie for VFX Oscar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the seven films are in contention for achievement in Visual Effects for the 79th Academy Awards.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

* CASINO ROYALE * ERAGON * NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM* PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST * POSEIDON* SUPERMAN RETURNS* X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

Headline News

Del Toro Swings with Tarzan

Guillermo del Toro is in talks with Warner Bros. and Jerry Weintraub Prods. to direct a new big screen adaptation of TARZAN, reports VARIETY. John Collee (MASTER AND COMMANDER, HAPPY FEET) is also in talks to pen the more faithful take on Edgar Rice Burroughs' famed character.

Blogs

IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) (****)

This crime mystery is one of my all time favorite films. The murder of a prominent businessman plays a central role in the narrative, but the homicide is not what the film is about.

Officer Sam Wood (Warren Oates, BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA) finds the dead body of Philip Colbert in an alley. The small town of Sparta, Mississippi doesn't see crimes like this one, so gruff police chief Bill Gillespie (Rod Steiger, ON THE WATERFRONT) sends out his officers to pick up any and all possible suspects. Sam finds black man Virgil Tibbs (Sidney Poitier, A PATCH OF BLUE) at the train depot and arrests him without question. When the chief interrogates Virgil about where he got the large sum of money in his wallet, Virgil says he earned it — as a police officer in Philadelphia.

Frederator Events

Fred Seibert/Frederator Breakfast Event

By Guest (not verified) | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: December 14, 2006

NY:MIEG (New York: Media Information Exchange Group) is a group of media (and related) professionals who meet monthly on an informal basis in Midtown Manhattan.

Our next meeting: Thurs. Dec. 14th when our special Holiday guest will be:

FRED SEIBERT President & Executive Producer Frederator Studios

- Developed the MTV brand in 1981 as founding Creative Director at MTV - Co-Founder Fred/Alan Productions and rebranded Nickelodeon and oversaw the launch of VH-1 - President of Hanna/Barbera under Turner Broadcasting System

Events

WIA/LA Annual Christmas Party

By Guest (not verified) | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: December 14, 2006

It's the loveliest time of the year... Hanukkah! Due to a chance conjunction of the lunar calendar this year, its annual Christmas party coincides with the ancient Jewish festival of fried foods. So this year Santa's wearing blue, the elves are starting a klezmer band and stockings will be stuffed with dreidels and fried latkes.

Please join WIA/LA for its Annual Christmas Party: "Hannukah Claus." The menorah will be lit at 6:00 pm on Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Barsac Brasserie, located at 4212 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Events

Drawing the Line Book Discussion

By Guest (not verified) | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: December 14, 2006

Tom Sito, Disney animator and former president of the Hollywood Animation Guild, will be discussing his new book, DRAWING THE LINE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE ANIMATION UNIONS FROM BOSKO TO BART SIMPSON at the Hollywood Heritage Museum. Sito will screen many never-before-seen images from the backstage of classic Hollywood.

Beginning at 7:30 pm, the museum is located in the Lasky-DeMille Barn at 2100 North Highland Avenue (Across from the Hollywood Bowl). Free parking and refreshments will be available. Admission is $5 for Hollywood Heritage members and $8 for non-members.

Digital Events

Screening of videoclub : digital

By Guest (not verified) | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: December 14, 2006

Digital Space will host a selection of digital moving image works selected from Brighton-based videoclub's open submission program, including artists' work in animation, game software and DV film. An international and eclectic mix of work that is humorous, beautifully made and undeniably strange. For more information, visit www.videoclub.org.uk.

The screening and discussion will take place at Showroom Cinema -- Showroom 5, which is located at Paternoster Row, Sheffield S1 2BX, at 7:30 pm.

Animated Headline News

Golden Globes Like Cars, Happy Feet & Monster House

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assoc. announced its nominees this morning (Dec. 14, 2006), adding for the first time a Best Animated Film category. The three animated nominees were CARS, HAPPY FEET and MONSTER HOUSE.

Other animated related nominations came in the Best Original Song -- Motion Picture category for "The Song Of The Heart," music and lyrics by Prince Rogers Nelson, from HAPPY FEET.

Headline News

ER To Acquire Classic Media Holdings

London-based Entertainment Rights Plc. (ER) has conditionally agreed to acquire Classic Media Holdings, Inc. for $210.0 million. Classic Media is the U.S.-based owner of an extensive portfolio of intellectual properties focused on children's and family characters and brands.

Headline News

eyeon Ships Fusion 5.1

eyeon Software Inc. announced that Fusion 5.1 is now available. The node-based compositor combines the benefits of an integrated 2D and 3D multi-processor architecture with an advanced collaborative workflow management system.

Fusion 5.1 boasts an impressive growth in features to streamline the workflow and push production capabilities. Some of the numerous features include:

Color Headline News

The Gnomon Workshop Releases Six DVDs

The Gnomon Workshop offers four exceptional talents to its library of educational DVDs. Wendy Froud, an acclaimed artist who has worked on such films as LABYRINTH and THE DARK CRYSTAL, shares her techniques for sculpting a faery doll. David Krentz, a multitalented creature designer, discusses dinosaur anatomy and sketching. J.P. Targete, an award-winning book cover illustrator, demonstrates his entire process of developing a digital painting. Stephen Platt, a comicbook artist and concept designer, explains the art of comicbook penciling.

Design Headline News

Look Effects Launches The Captain Design Division

Look Effects has expanded into graphic design with the recent unveiling of its new division, The Captain. The Captain offers TV, advertising and feature film client creative services that include the conception and production of main title sequences, show opens, logo design, film graphics and branding.

The Captain also achieved major client wins from HBO, Fox Sports and Dockers. Heading up the division are designer/director Mason Nicoll, exec producer Ellen Stafford and business development director Eric Todd Smith.

Music Headline News

Joel Veitch Animates Christmas My Arse Viral Music Video

EMI Music UK record label, Liberty, teamed up with web animator Joel Veitch to create the animation for Ricky Tomlinson's Christmas release, CHRISTMAS MY ARSE. The viral marketing campaign has been posted on social networking site, YouTube, to build momentum in the lead up to Christmas.

Viewers can expect a quirky music video from Rathergood website creator Veitch, known for his trademark, animated singing Rock Kittens."

Headline News

Depp Co. Conjures Up Inamorata

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Graham King's Initial Ent. Group and Johnny Depp's production company, Infinitum Nihil are set to co-produce an adaptation of Joseph Gangemi's book, INAMORATA, for Warner Bros., VARIETY reports.

Peter Medak (ROMEO IS BLEEDING) is in talks to direct the film. Gangemi will adapt his own book, which takes place in Philadelphia in the 1920 and follows a Harvard grad student who falls for a female psychic as he's trying to expose her as a fraud.

Headline News

Libertine Helmer Finds Holy Grail

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Laurence Dunmore (THE LIBERTINE) has been hired to direct MORTAL ARMOR: THE LEGEND OF GALAHAD for Seven Arts Pictures and Valhalla Motion Pictures, reports VARIETY.

Gale Anne Hurd is producing with Joel Gross penning the script, which is a coming-of-age tale chronicling Sir Galahad's quest for the Holy Grail.

"Laurence's vision for the film is modern in its approach yet steeped in the timelessness of this compelling classic," said Hurd told the trade paper.

Boom Headline News

Universal Tags Boom! Studios Comic

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Universal Pictures has tapped Carey Malloy to adapt Boom! Studios' horror comicbook TAG for the big screen, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Marc Platt will produce alongside Ross Richie and Andrew Cosby of Boom Ent. Inc.

Written by Keith Giffen and drawn by Kody Chamberlain, the comic tells the story of an average Joe who while walking down the street one night is tagged by a stranger, giving him a pagan curse that makes him begin to decompose before his eyes.

Donna Langley, Jeff Kirschenbaum and David Ortiz will shepherd for the studio.

Headline News

Sesame Street's Grows In The Middle East

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Sesame Workshop and its partners in Egypt, Jordan and Palestine are committed to creating and providing positive media content for children in the Middle East through three localized SESAME STREET co-productions. These series, promoting girls' education, boys' empowerment and respect and understanding, will each be back in production or launching new shows in 2007.

Stop-Motion Headline News

Cuppa Coffee Purchases New Studio Facility

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Cuppa Coffee Studios has purchased a new production facility at 53 Ontario Street in Toronto, formerly owned and occupied by The Partners Film Co. Housing 40 stop-motion studios, 50 compositing stations, seven online editing suites, including one HD suite, and an unparalleled character, sets and prop fabrication department, this move firmly cements Cuppa Coffee as the largest stop-motion facility in the world.

Headline News

ka-chew! Makes Mr. Mucus for Mucinex

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Hollywood-based ka-chew! announced that it has just completed a new spot for Adam's Respiratory Therapeutics. The 30-second spot, entitled "Here's Mucus" is ka-chew!'s latest in the popular and highly successful "Mr. Mucus" campaign for Adams' Mucinex line of products.

kachew!'s animation team worked in collaboration with director Jeff Cooney and EUE Screen Gems Ltd., who handled the live-action part of the spot. "Here's Mucus," is the sixth mixed-media piece ka-chew! has created for Mucinex, featuring their distinctive anti-hero Mr. Mucus.

Series Headline News

Amberwood Books Benjamin Bear in France, Brazil, Norway

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, December 14, 2006 at 12:00am

Amberwood Prods. announced that France Vision Services has licensed additional episodes of THE SECRET WORLD OF BENJAMIN BEAR to be broadcast on flights carried by Air France.

Jonathan Wiseman, vp, sales & acquisitions at Amberwood, said, "BENJAMIN BEAR continues to perform well in French-speaking territories and we are delighted by France Vision's continued support of the series."

THE SECRET WORLD OF BENJAMIN BEAR was commissioned by Canada's Family Channel. To date, the series (39x30, 78x11) has been licensed in more than 80 territories worldwide.

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