NOB Invests In Medialab. NOB
a European broadcast facility center based in Hilversum, Holland, is joining
forces with European media group, Canal +. NOB will purchase a sizable
stake in Canal +'s Paris-based real-time animation production subsidiary,
Medialab, in exchange for a 50% stake in the company. The relationship
will provide Medialab with increased funds for research and development
(R&D), while integrating the use of their motion capture technology
into production services offered by NOB. This partnership is similar to
the one between Medialab and Burbank-based media group, 4MC. The two joined
forces in January 1997 to form Medialab Studio LA, a 50/50 joint company
servicing the film and television industries. While NOB's investment will
primarily affect Medialab's European studio, the capital investment in
R&D will ultimately benefit the L.A. facility with the implementation
of new technologies. "NOB's backing underscores the growing recognition
of the potential for performance animation as a powerful production tool,"
said Medialab's president and CEO Gerard Mital.
Veteran Lacewood Leader Forms Amberwood. Former Lacewood Productions
leader, Sheldon Wiseman, has announced the formation of Amberwood Entertainment
Corporation, a new company under his direction which will specialize in
development, production and distribution of television productions for
third party producers. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Amberwood will primarily
focus on animated productions, starting with Zeroman a co-production
with Los Angeles-based Cloud 9 Media (see Television News in this issue).
"Amberwood has embarked on an ambitious program of development,"
said Wiseman, "And we are also looking to the Canadian creative community
to come forward with further concepts and proposals for both animated and
live-action projects." Wiseman was formerly chairman and president
of Lacewood Productions, producer of animated series such as Flash Gordon,
Savage Dragon, and Katie and Orbie. Lacewood was recently
acquired by Toronto-based Paragon Entertainment, following the failed partnership
between the two companies (AF 8/05/97).
First published in the Daily Animation Flash, 9/12/97.
Activision's Investment Activity. Activision, the ever-expanding
interactive game developer and publisher, has acquired an equity stake
in yet another young game developer. Redline Games has signed a long-term
agreement with the company, naming Activision as their exclusive publisher.
The first three Redline titles will be released by Activision in 1998.
Activision also recently acquired Raven Software, and has development deals
with five other game developers: id Software, Ritual Entertainment, Parsoft
Interactive, Titanic Entertainment, Eutechnyx Ltd. and Kalisto Technologies.
Fox Completes IFE Purchase. Fox Kids Worldwide completed its $1.9
billion purchase of International Family Entertainment (IFE) in early September.
The merger brings IFE's cable network, The Family Channel, under the control
of Fox Kids, which currently programs only on network television through
Fox Kids Network (FKN). It has not yet been determined exactly what the
future of programming on the Fox Family Channel will look like, but FOX's
acquisition of IFE is certainly their next calculated move into the cable
market. Fox has been gearing up for expanded children's programming since
they were cut loose from parent company News Corp. to form a joint company
and launch a cable network with Saban Entertainment (AF 10/07/96 and AF
1/21/97). While Fox integrates IFE operations and holdings into the company,
much restructuring is taking place. It has been reported that out of IFE's
800 employees, several hundred based in Virginia will be laid off in the
consolidation, starting in October. Larry Jacobsen has just been named
to the board of directors of Fox Kids Worldwide, in his recent executive
promotion to president of Fox Television Network. In July, Margaret Loesch,
who has been heading up operations for Fox Kids Worldwide, had her position
changed from president to vice chairman (AF 7/22/97), a role in which she
will be working on the integration of FKN programming onto the Fox Family
Channel. However, speculation continues around her future role at the company.
Planet Comics Opts For Deferred Sentence. The two-year court battle
involving the Oklahoma City comic book store, Planet Comics has come to
a sudden and unexpected end. The case revolves around charges against Planet
Comics for selling and displaying "obscene material" (adult comics).
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund (CBLDF), a non-profit organization dedicated
to defending First Amendment rights in the comic industry, had taken on
the Planet Comics case under the policy that the defendants, Michael Kennedy
and John Hunter (owners of Planet Comics), would not plead guilty in exchange
for a reduced penalty. But on September 5, just days before the case was
to go to trial, Kennedy and Hunter's defense attorneys entered a guilty
plea to the charges, without consulting the CBLDF. In exchange, Kennedy
and Hunter were each given a $1500 fine and three-year deferred prison
sentence, which means they do not have to serve jail time if they are not
convicted of any further criminal activity in the next three years. While
the sentence reduction is a relief for the defendants, the CBLDF sees it
as a setback in their mission. CBLDF executive director Susan Alston said
their reduced sentences are "a small comfort indeed when considered
in the larger and more important context of the erosion of rights guaranteed
under the First Amendment that their guilty plea represents."
For background information on the case, see Susan Alston's article "Censorship
In Comics: Is This the United States?" in
the July 1997 Comics issue of Animation World Magazine.
What do you think? Discuss the topic in the AWN
Discussion Forum.
Blue Sky, VIFX Merge. Very Imaginative Pictures, parent company
of Los Angeles-based visual effects studio, VIFX, has acquired a majority
interest in New York-based CG character animation facility, Blue Sky Studios.
The end result of this investment/merger is a fully integrated, bicoastal
company called Blue Sky | VIFX, which will specialize in visual effects
and animation for a variety of media. Maintaining their respective titles
held at Blue Sky and VIFX, David Brown will be CEO while Richard Hollander
will be President of the new company. The staff of the two companies combined
totals at roughly 250 people, and is expected to increase with new hires
approximately 20 to 50% in the next year. There will be some shuffling
of talent between studios as a careful integration gets started over the
next few months. Technology, such as Blue Sky's proprietary rendering software
CGI Studio, will be shared between the two facilities. The main focus of
this "vertically integrated" company is to service "whatever
comes up that needs high-quality images," said Richard Hollander,
stating that the company will offer everything from 3D animation and digital
compositing, to a model shop and motion control systems. Hollander also
stressed that while VIFX's parent company, Fox, is a frequent and major
client, the scope of Blue Sky | VIFX work will not be limited to effects
for Fox feature films.
David Brown, President and CEO of Blue
Sky | VIFX.
It was just over a year ago that VIFX was purchased
by News Corp's Fox Filmed Entertainment. While the financial arrangements
of the deal were not disclosed, the company's CFO, Gene Straub, does not
deny Fox's interest in the merger, but stresses that this is a long-term,
strategic move which is not based on a particular project. In Los Angeles,
Blue Sky | VIFX is currently working on tests for Fox Feature Animation's
second feature, Planet Ice, as well as visual effects for a number
of features, including Titanic, Mouse Hunt, Blackwood,
Alien: Resurrection and T-Rex, an IMAX venue project. The
New York studio is currently doing tests for several feature and commercial
projects. Blue Sky | VIFX is currently looking for a "communication
solution" to manage real-time, high-speed transfer of digital imagery
and data between the two locations. Blue Sky currently uses Sprint's Drums
package for this purpose. The company will have its' headquarters in VIFX's
Los Angeles studio, which is scheduled to move into a new, 90,000 square
foot facility in early 1998.
For background
information on Blue Sky Studios, see the feature
article spotlighting the company in the May 1997 issue of Animation World
Magazine.
H-B Staffers Moving To WB. According to announcements made at the
studio, the remaining staff of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons will be relocating
from their home of 35 years, the Hanna-Barbera building on Cahuenga Boulevard
in Hollywood, to join the offices of Warner Bros. Classics and Television
Animation in Sherman Oaks. Designed by architect Arthur Froehlich, Hanna-Barbera
Studios' futuristic Jetsons-style building has become a landmark
to the animation industry since it was erected in 1962, five years after
William Hanna and Joe Barbera founded the company to produce television
animation. News of the pending move, scheduled to take place by December,
comes amidst industry rumors that the Hanna-Barbera building and lot has
been sold to Universal. Universal, who declined comment at the time of
this report, does have its' own animation production unit, Universal Cartoon
Studios, based in the Universal City lot, about a mile away from Hanna-Barbera.
It is uncertain at this time what will become of the building. Hanna-Barbera
is currently in production on Cow and Chicken, Dexter's Laboratory,
Johnny Bravo and a series of shorts for Cartoon Network.
Karzen Execs Form A Q. "Q" is the name of a new production
company in Los Angeles, which has been launched to specialize in design,
animation, motion graphics, and live-action for television commercials.
The company has been founded by Marc Karzen, Ed Hynes, C.B. Harding and
Chris Roe, who are principals of Karzen, an L.A. broadcast design firm.
Q will be represented by Yvette Lubinsky on the West Coast, Mary McClenahan
in the Midwest, and Andy Arkin/BLAH! Blah? (Blah) on the East Coast.
Animation World News is compiled daily for publication in the AWN Daily Flash, the weekly Animation Flash email newsletter, and monthly issues of Animation World Magazine.
Send your newsworthy items, press releases, and reels to:
Email: wendyj@awn.com
Fax: (213) 464-5914
Mail: Animation World Magazine
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