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Headline News

Superman Returns with $21 Million on Opening Day

SUPERMAN RETURNS took off with a solid $21M for Warner Bros. on Wednesday, which includes Tuesday night preview showings. For opening days, it ranks 29th on the all-time list, surpassing BATMAN BEGINS ($15.1M, a Warner Bros. benchmark) and eighth for Wednesday openers.

Of that $21M total, SUPERMAN RETURNS collected about $1.2M from 76 IMAX theaters. On Friday, the movie bumps up from 3,915 theaters to 4,065, making it the fourth largest all-time release. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.

Effects Headline News

Gnomon Workshop Releases First Maya Cloth Training DVD

The Gnomon Workshop has released its first Maya Cloth DVD. The need for realistic clothing and fabric has become commonplace in today's effects films and feature animation. CLOTH 101: FUNDAMENTALS covers the process of modeling and animating cloth garments. Mark E.A. de Sousa, Cloth and Hair supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, shares his production-tested techniques as he discusses how to control garment characteristics and demonstrates how to integrate dynamic fields.

Films Headline News

Frantic Flies With Superman Returns

Frantic Films delivered 140 vfx shots for Warner Bros. SUPERMAN RETURNS, its largest project to date. Having previously worked with director Bryan Singer on X2: X-MEN UNITED, Frantic was again enlisted for six major sequences. In the process, the company used its current proprietary software and created new technology.

Blogs

Nik, Nancy, Molly and Kirby's adventures

Well, guys, I have been getting requests for new about our adventures -- I'm afraid that it is going to have to come in installments since we landed in Gent (which I love --now sitting in my office in a window over looking the canal -- occasionally a boat or barge comes by) and took off immediately to festivals but here goes the first part . . . laugh on . . . it's all good!!!

Love, Nancy

PS a couple of photos so you can get the feel of what we are up to. Also, sorry about the unedited state of the story but there just isn't any more time!!!

Blogs

The First Installment of Nik and Nancy in Europe

Our last few weeks in San Francisco were very intense -- as many of you who helped us get out of the city know. ASIFA threw an amazing going away party for us replete with fabulous food and did the wine flow. There is no way we can thank Laura Tuluse and the crew of volunteers that she recruited, those who made and donated so much delicious food, and of course Carl and Sandra of Carl's Fine Film for giving us the most perfectly beautiful location.

Miss P. threw a real bash for us -- jam packed with so many friends -- people that we love so much -- lots of good food and again lots of wonderful drink -- we partied into the wee hours!!! Our last night in town we had a few of our very closest pals over to just eat, drink and hang out at Michael Lyon's home -- hard to believe that he actually put up with Nik and I plus our two beloved dogs and all of our stuff for so long!!! Nik actually set up a recording studio in his living room and recorded several episodes of MONSTORIES that had to be in Canada before we could get on the plane. Nik was totally amazing the way he just kept forging ahead and writing music in what to most seemed like total chaos but was becoming frighteningly normal to us!!!

Events

The Pillows In-Store Appearance

By Guest (not verified) | Wednesday, June 28, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: June 28, 2006

eigoMANGA LLC and Shibuya Airwaves announced that the Pillows will be making a special in-store Q/A appearance at the Kunokuniya Bookstore in San Francisco's Japan town at 5:00 pm. Kunokuniya Bookstore is located at 1581 Webster Street, San Francisco, California. Fans are encouraged to attend and meet the band.

The Pillows are a Japanese rock band best known internationally for their music in the anime series FLCL (FURI KURI). The band is currently on a North American tour for their new CD,

Disney Headline News

Walt Disney Co. Picks John Pepper to Succeed Sen. Mitchell as Chairman

The Walt Disney Co. board of directors today (June 28, 2006) elected independent Disney director and former Procter & Gamble chairman/ceo John E. Pepper, Jr., to serve as non-executive chairman of the board, effective Jan. 1, 2007. Pepper succeeds Senator George J. Mitchell, who has served as Disney chairman since March 2004.

Film Headline News

Golden Compass to Start Sept. 4

New Line Cinema has officially greenlit production on THE GOLDEN COMPASS, the highly anticipated adaptation of the first of author Philip Pullman's bestselling HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. Production on the $150 million film is scheduled to begin Sept. 4, 2006, in the U.K., with Oscar-nominated writer/director Chris Weitz (ABOUT A BOY, ANTZ) at the helm. Digital Domain reportedly will handle vfx with Oscar nominee Mike Fink (CONSTANTINE, X-MEN, X-2) serving as visual effects supervisor.

Festival Headline News

VES Festival to Highlight Shorts and Other Special Programs

The 2006 Festival of Visual Effects will feature a lineup of revolving showcases highlighting the creativity of digital visual effects artists from the earliest pioneers to the latest innovators. These four different programs will complement the previously announced schedule of panels and presentations being held at this year's Festival, July 6-8, at the famed Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California. Each program will be scheduled at least once per day and will be shown at the Steven Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian Theatre complex.

Software Headline News

Luxology Taps Bob Bennett for VP of Marketing

Luxology Llc. has hired Bob Bennett as vp of marketing. An active player in the 3D software field for more than 15 years, Bennett has held key positions at leading software developers such as Alias Systems, Microsoft and Autodesk. Joining Luxologys team of industry gurus, Bennetts exceptional level of skill and experience will expand Luxologys core knowledge and provide a driving force in modos market expansion.

Software Headline News

eyeon Eyes Fusion 5.1

eyeon Software gears up for the fall trade show season with the pre-announcement of its SIGGRAPH 2006 release of Fusion 5.1.

eyeon will soon unveil Fusion version 5.1, introducing more than 25 new technologies to their industry-leading compositing application. eyeon spent more than two years redeveloping the core architecture of Fusion 5. The 5.1 release will add a host of new features and functionality to this highly-adaptable visual effects system.

Headline News

Dead Superman Writer Revives Paramount's First Archival Toons Ever

With the release SUPERMAN RETURNS theres been a revival of interest in all things Superman.

Harrison Klein met Dr. Jay Morton Paramounts original Superman screen and animation writer recently deceased in 2002 when he was 91 and Klein was a play producer in Miami. At dinner Morton told Klein his story that started back when he was a starving scruffy teen sleeping in Central Park as a homeless boy during the depression.

Award Headline News

Moondance Hands Out Awards

Moondance 2006 wraps up its four-day event with the announcement of its winners. At he Boulder, Colorado event more than 10 deals and/or important alliances for Moondance projects were made. Visitors attended the networking parties, pitch panels and workshops.

For animated features, John Douglas SARA AND THE STARFISH won the Calypso Award for encouraging a spirit of enterprise in saving the environment, habitats and wildlife. Moreover, James Keeshens EL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS took home the Seahorse Award for men writers and filmmakers.

Series Headline News

ITV Taps Ricky Gervais for Toon

ITV has signed comedian Ricky Gervais to produce a TV series based on his best-selling children's book, FLANIMALS. THE OFFICE star will narrate the series, as well as voice the parts of some of his monster characters.

Gervais has devised a clay-animated ITV1 series of six 30-minute episodes for an adult as well as a younger audience. FLANIMALS is the third show the comedian has created, following the success of his debut series THE OFFICE and his follow-up EXTRAS.

Film Headline News

Wolverine Spin-Off Coming Soon

At Cine Expo in Amsterdam, 20th Century Fox enticed European exhibitors with its planned X-MEN spinoff WOLVERINE with rumors flying that the studio is setting 2007 as the release year for the film. WOLVERINE star Hugh Jackman confirmed his involvement via video from his native Australia during the Gold Reel Awards luncheon. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER originally reported that film was certainly set for next year, but has since removed mention of 2007 from its Cine Expo piece.

Headline News

Howard Changes for Babylon 5 Creator’s Thriller

Universal Pictures and Imagine Ent. have bought J. Michael Straczynski's thriller THE CHANGELING, with Ron Howard interested in directing, reports VARIETY. Brian Grazer will produce.

Billed as being based on actual events, the story follows a mother who prays for the return of her kidnapped son. However when her prayers are seemingly answered, she starts to believe the boy who comes back is not her child.

Production Headline News

Broadway Gets The Grinch for Christmas

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL is coming to the Hilton Theater on Broadway, according to VARIETY. The holiday-only production begins previews Oct. 25, 2006, with the official opening marked for Nov. 8. Running through Jan. 7, 2007, the family tuner will perform 12 shows a week, which required a special deal with the unions. Production will run eight shows on the weekend and has added Thursday 11:00 am matinees.

Headline News

32nd HUMANITAS Prize Winners Announced

MISS SPIDERS SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS writers Alice Prodanou, Michael Stokes and Steven Sullivan won the $25,000 HUMANITAS Prize for Children's Animation today, June 28, 2006, during a luncheon ceremony at the Universal Hilton Hotel, in Universal City, California. Eleven winning writers, representing a diverse slate of work, won these prestigious prizes and $145,000 were awarded in eight categories for films and television shows that "entertain and enrich the viewing public."

Awards Events

MI6 Conference and Awards

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, June 27, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: June 27, 2006

The inaugural MI6 Conference and Awards is a conference for marketing, promotion and design professionals in the gaming and interactive media. MI6 is a non-profit initiative organized to increase your effectiveness and recognize your achievements, and is the foremost source for ideas and information for those who want to win in the new digital marketplace. The event features two days of workshops and sessions, awards in more than 50 categories and a showcase of state-of-the-art campaigns, spots, trailers and events. For more information, visit www.mi6conference.com.

Game Events

Hollywood And Games Summit

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, June 27, 2006 at 11:00am
Begins: June 27, 2006

The CMP Game Group, host of the industry-leading Game Developers Conference (GDC), and entertainment trade publication THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER will be co-producing the inaugural Hollywood and Games Summit. Editorial teams from both organizations are now collaborating on the program agenda.

Game Headline News

Sprint, Cingular & Amp'd To Judge New Mobile Game Competition

LivePitch OnStageSeattle, Washington, USAJuly 13, 2006Deadline: June 30, 2006

Sprint, Cingular and Amp'd Mobile are set to judge the first ever LivePitch OnStage game competition at the Mobile Game Conference. Game developers and publishers are invited enter their new games, demos or concepts to score an opportunity to pitch live onstage before a panel of judges who can actually make a difference in their game's future. Think of it as AMERICAN IDOL for mobile game development.

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