News Section
Wednesday, August 21, 1996
Volume 01, Issue 09
The Animation Flash Email Newsletter
an Animation World Network publication
WARNER BROS. ANIMATION SHUFFLE. Joe Reilly has been named senior
vice president and general manager of the studio's Television Animation
Division and is charged with overseeing all financial business and administrative
matters. Ken Duer is now vice president of worldwide production for Television
Animation which puts him in charge of all domestic and international production
units. Maria Womack has been promoted to director, finance, Warner Bros.
Television Animation. Liza-Ann Warren takes the newly created slot of director,
recruitment for the division, and as such will scout new animation talents,
production entities and training opportunities. Warren, who was director,
domestic production, will be replaced by Howard Schwartz. Finally, Chuck
Ansel has been appointed director, finance, Warner Bros. Classic Animation.
MAINFRAME TEAMS WITH IMAX ON REBOOT PROJECTS. Mainframe, best
known for its computer-animated "Reboot" TV series, will produce
two films for Imax' motion simulator rides using characters from the show.
The Vancouver-based studio's deal also calls for the development of other
projects. Imax, which premiered "Cosmic Voyage," which contains
15 minutes of computer animation effects, will release another CGI film
in October, "L5--First City in Space," with computer animation
provided by Britain's CFI and France's Ex Machina.
NICKELODEON IN NORDIC TERRITORIES. On August 1, 1996, Nickelodeon
began transmitting a six-hour block of its programming, including "RugRats"
to the five Nordic Territories--Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland.
The kids network has previously licensed deals to broadcasters in Scandinavia
and Finland, but has never entered the territory with any real presence.
The package is being broadcast initially only in Swedish and English. It
comes as a part of a deal between Viacom (Nickelodeon's parent company)
and SES (Société europeen des satellites) to provide transmission
via the Astra 1B satellite to Germany and the Nordic countries under a multiyear
arrangement.
WARNER BROS. BEGINS VIRTUAL CLASS. Warner Bros. Feature Animation,
as part of a nationwide consortium of telecommunication companies and school
systems, has been training teachers from around the country as part of a
program called the Virtual Training Network. The program will go online
in October, whenstudio staffers will demonstrate animation techniques to
students via close-circuit TV. Two-way communications will allow students
to ask questions and s have their work critiqued by animators. Dave Master,
manager of artist development and training for Warner Bros. Feature Animation,
is heading the effort.
NICK PARK'S "CLOSE SHAVE" WINS AGAIN! At the recent
Palms Springs International Short Film Festival, Academy Award-winning director
Nick Park's "A Close Shave" was voted favorite short film by festival
audiences. The winners received a solid bronze statue named "The Entertainer",
designed by local artist John Kennedy, as well as a $500 cash prize. (Park's
film also won a $250 prize for best animated short.) Under the International
Student Short Film category, "They Were The First To Ride" directed
by Lyndon Barrois, received a certificate and a $250 cash prize for best
animated film.
FRANCE FINDS HIT IN "SANDIEGO". The Gallic TV version
of "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" is a big hit with
French children audiences. Public web France 3, where the show airs Sunday
mornings, has reported a market share of 25% since its launch last April.
France 3 is so happy with it that it has commissioned another 30 episodes
of "Mais ou se cache Carmen Sandiego?" from French license-holder
Marina Productions.
CLASTER TELEVISION EXPANDS "POWER BLOCK" WITH CGI ANIMATION
SERIES "REBOOT". Joining "Beast Wars", "G.I.
Joe Extreme", and "VOR-Tech" as part of a 5 day a week action-oriented
animation block, "Reboot" extends the CGI franchise. "Power
Block" will debut this fall on 106 stations covering 85% of the U.S.
"ReBoot", which originally made its premiere in September 1994
as part of ABC's Saturday morning line up, has received several awards for
its appeal to kids of all ages; it is produced in Vancouver at Mainframe
Entertainment's 3D computer animation studio and is distributed worldwide
by Alliance Communications.
"PILLOW PEOPLE" COMES THROUGH IN SYNDICATION. The new
kids "FCC-Friendly" series, has been cleared in more than 85%
of the country through syndicator Summit Media Group, a division of 4 Kids
Entertainment. The series is produced in New York by creator Penny Ekstein
Lieberman's production company, Sandbox Entertainment.
HUMONGOUS ENTERTAINMENT SHIPS "FREDDIE FISH 2". On
August 29, 1996 the new hand-animated Junior Adventure for kids age 3-8
will be available on one multi-platform CD-ROM for Windows 95, Windows 3.1
and Macintosh for $39.95. "The Case of The Haunted Schoolhouse",
Freddie Fish and her pal Luther are on the case to unmask the ghost and
reclaim the toys in an underwater world full of adventure with 36 new environments
to explore. "Sing Along with Freddie Fish and her Friends" an
illustrated 24-page book with audio tape will be available free with the
purchase of "Freddie Fish 2".
TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ANIMATION FLASH BIWEEKLY NEWSLETTER,
If you already registered but didn't subsribe, do it by email:
send a message to:
listproc@awn.com
In the BODY of the message, write:
subscribe flash yourfirstname yourlastname
For example, for Earl Ralphs, you would write:
subscribe flash Earl Ralphs
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send mail to:
listproc@awn.com
In the BODY of the message, write only the following text:
unsubscribe flash
Back to Animation World Magazine
[about | help
| home | info@awn.com
| mail | register]
© 1996 Animation World Network