Nickelodeons AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER has been greenlit for 20 additional episodes to premiere in 2007. Created and exec produced by Michael DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the new pick-up order will bring the total number of episodes for the series to 60, for a third season.
DIC Ent. and AOL online kids destination, KOL, have formed a partnership to co-produce a new Saturday morning branded programming block, "KOL's Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party on CBS," which will premiere Sept. 16, 2006. DIC and KOL will also develop online and on-air co-production initiatives in conjunction with the block.
Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based CG animation studio Hatchling Studios announced the development of MODREDS ISLE and STORE 118, two animated short series targeted exclusively at mobile media distribution.
Hatchling Studios has always looked towards the cutting-edge when providing animation for our clients. Now, we can use this vast new arena of mobile technology to bring digital animation to the next level, said Hatchling Studios ceo/producer Marc Dole.
Twenty-four French production and distribution companies, organized by TV France International, are expected to attend Discop East in Budapest, June 22-24, 2006, at the Sofitel Atrium Hotel.
Animation Block Party is now closed for submissions. The summer festival received more than 400 submissions this season and the shorts lineup will be announced on the www.animationblock.com website on July 3, 2006.
Opening night, July 22, at Rooftop Films will feature a special performance by the uber-hip Vic Thrill and the Saturn Missle. Doors open at Automotive High School (AHS) at 50 Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with giveaways from ABP sponsors and food followed by two hours of animation exclusives, NY and world premieres from artists of all nationalities.
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products comes to Licensing Show, June 20-22, 2006, at the Javits Center in New York City, with a hit-driven roster and expanded licensing programs for its newest hits including AVATAR, THE BACKYARDIGANS and GO, DIEGO, GO! Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products will be located at Booth #1317.
Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products will also announce plans for merchandising THE WONDER PETS!, the hit show on Nick Jr. that regularly ranks among the top three preschool shows on commercial television.
In last months Digital Eye, Per Holmes argued why storyboards dont work anymore, especially for 3D-animated features.
Electronic Arts brings to life the triumphs and travails of one of sports most gut wrenching jobs with NFL HEAD COACH¸ a new franchise from the EA SPORTS brand. The first 3D sports strategy game, NFL HEAD COACH, challenges gamers to manage every aspect of a professional football team and build their franchise from the ground up will trying to become the greatest coach of all time.
Animax Asia announced today (June 21, 2006) a new long-term output deal with GONZO, Japan's leading animation studio. Asia viewers will now get the chance to watch anime programs from GONZO, via Animax, soon after Japan viewers.
In response to a previous Digital Eye column on why storyboards dont work, veteran previs artist Peter Rubin offers a counter argument about why they are not obsolete.
Manchester-based Cosgrove Hall animators have employed the latest technology and animation magic to recreate two lost episodes from the cult classic series, for the BBC. The BBC was in a quandary when it decided to release the DOCTOR WHO series and discovered sadly that, although the soundtracks remained, some 100 episodes were missing from the archives.
Advanced Digital Art Production Techniques (ADAPT) is launching the first edition of a new conference aimed to bring world leading international & local digital art masters under one roof in Montreal. Presented by Digital 04 studios, the ADAPT 2006 Conference will take place Sept. 23-24 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Apple has released Shake 4.1, the first Universal version of its industry leading compositing software and cut its price from $2,999 to $499 to fit almost any production's budget. Final Cut Studio editors can now take advantage of Shake for sophisticated 3D compositing, keying, image tracking and stabilization for the price of a plug-in. Shake continues to be the tool of choice for major movie studios and leading effects houses to create award-winning visual effects, including this year's Oscar winner, KING KONG.
L!censing International is the premier annual trade event and conference where owners and agents of intellectual properties showcase their concepts to develop new and unique consumer products, solidify promotional partnerships, sign exclusives with retailers and network. The event sees 500 exhibitors, 5,500 properties and brands available for licensing and 20,000+ high-profile manufacturers, retailers and marketers.
In collaboration with the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival, AKQA has organized the first ever "Future Lions Competition" for advertising students around the world. The global student competition is now open and accepting entries. The goal of the competition is to showcase forward-thinking ideas and concepts created by the next generation of global advertising superstars.
PROMAX&BDA 2006 is dedicated to advancing the role and effectiveness of promotion, marketing and broadcast design professionals in the electronic media. The event features various awards and sessions to keep professionals up-to-date on the latest trends and technology. For more information, visit www.promax.org/main.asp.
Rhythm & Hues utilized the Massive AI-based 3D animation system as part of its vfx arsenal for Universals THE FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT.
The work follows on the heels of Rhythm & Hues' epic visual effects for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, and saw the facility extending its command of Massive to meet such diverse new challenges as digitally creating Tokyo street scenes.
PipelineFX, makers of Qube!, a leading render farm management system for film production and game development, has hired Scot Brew, former technical art director for LucasArts, as senior pipeline consultant. Brew will assist with film and game studios on pipeline workflow and tools issues and the deployment of Qube! for render farm management and distributed game build functions. Brew will also lead product development and user interface design for Qubic, the GUI by which artists submit jobs into Qube!.
FrameFree Technologies has launched FrameFree Studio, the first digital imaging software that allows for the creation of compelling movies from still photographs without a steep learning curve or compromising quality at any bandwidth. FrameFree Studio is available in four different versions: FrameFree Studio HD, FrameFree Studio SD, FrameFree Studio Pro and FrameFree Studio Express, all of which are available now from the companys website.
Autodesk Inc. launched Autodesk Lustre HD, a new digital color grading system designed for working on high-definition television (HDTV) commercials and programming, as well as HDTV film projects. Lustre HD is the latest addition to the Autodesk Lustre family of nonlinear digital color grading products, which have been used to grade Academy Award-winning films such as THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and KING KONG.
2006 Architectural 3D Awards Competition Boston, Massachusetts, USAAugust 4, 2006Deadline: June 23, 2006
Following up on last year's huge success, CGarchitect.com is hosting the 3rd annual Architectural 3D Awards to be awarded at this year's VisMasters Design Visualization Conference. The Awards Competition is open to everyone in the Architectural Visualization industry to highlight the best imagery and animations done in 2005/2006.
Last year at Comic-Con, director Bryan Singer said he was open to the notion of converting SUPERMAN RETURNS to IMAX 3-D, but wouldve preferred shooting it in true 3-D with multiple cameras. However, after seeing a test of the trailer this year by IMAX, Singer became a quick convert. Although there wasnt sufficient time to convert the entire live-action feature, IMAX has still managed to convert 20 minutes using a proprietary 2-D to 3-D system, which includes technology licensed from Three-Dimensional Media Group Ltd. and invented by David M. Geshwind.
Make Your Movie in Hollywood Contest World Wide Web August 10, 2006 Deadline: July 26, 2006
This summer, two talented people will win the opportunity to make their short movies in Hollywood. The winning duo will each use THE MOVIES PC game and THE MOVIES STUNTS & EFFECTS expansion pack to fulfill their movie-making dreams. They won't be locked in a studiothey'll be writing, recording and editing their movie in all the hot Hollywood spots, because creativity has no restrictions when combined with Intel Centrino Duo Mobile Technology.
Orange, Connecticut-based Pez Candy Inc. is branching out to less proven characters in a line of candy dispensers based on ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, OVER THE HEDGE and CARS, reports VARIETY. The strategy is to produce a limited number and allow the popular of the films increase the value to collectors.
"We're doing a lot more licenses, and people seem to like it," says Peter Vandall, vp of sales and marketing for Pez. "We're putting out an event almost every other month."
Mickey Mouse was the first licensed character.
Asian Festival of 1st FilmsSingapore, SingaporeNovember 30 December 7, 2006 Deadline: August 31, 2006
Asian Festival of 1st Films is an annual film and documentary festival to celebrate excellence for first-time producers, directors, cinematographers, writers, actors and documentary makers from the Asian Diaspora. For more information, visit asianfirstfilms.com.
