Animation World
Magazine, Issue 3.4, July 1998
People
Laybourne Launching New Company. Geraldine Laybourne, often described as one of the most
powerful women in the entertainment industry, has left her post as president
of Disney/ABC Cable Networks to form her own diversified media company.
With ABC as its first investor and client, the still unnamed company will
focus on creating branded content for the Internet and television, targeted
mainly at women and children. Prior to joining Disney/ABC in 1996, Laybourne
was president of Nickelodeon/Nick at Nite, a company she joined in 1980
at its beginning. Laybourne said, "With the explosion of new technologies
of the Internet with traditional media, I see many of the same conditions
today that existed 20 years ago." She added, "The interplay between
television and the Internet allows deeper connections than ever before."
Prior to joining Nickelodeon in 1980, Laybourne was a teacher and advocate
of media education.
Exploring a like-minded interest in the Internet as a mass medium, Geraldine's
husband Kit Laybourne has written "Below
The Digital Radar," an article included
in the June issue of Animation World Magazine.
 |
| Will Vinton Studios' new vice president
of production, Keith Shartle. Photo courtesy of Will Vinton Studios. |
Musical Chairs.
Portland, Oregon-based Will Vinton Studios has hired Keith Shartle
as vice president of production. He was previously senior vice president
and an executive producer at Dream Quest Images in Los Angeles, where he
has worked for the past 16 years, and was the third employee hired in the
company which now has 220 employees. . . . North Hollywood, California-based
Film Roman has hired Peter L. Kaufman as vice president of
business and legal affairs. He was previously director of business and
legal affairs at Live Entertainment. For Film Roman, he will focus mainly
on their expansion into live-action production, while Amy Lynne Pucker
will continue to handle most of the animation deals. . . . Montreal, Canada-based
software developer Discreet Logic is conducting an executive search
for someone to fill the president and CEO position which will be vacated
by company founder Richard Szalwinski who remain as chairman of
the board. . . . Manhattan Transfer senior digital artist Tami Feldman
will relocate from New York City to Miami, Florida to work at sister company,
Post Edge. The two subsidiary companies of Video Services Corporation
have formed a joint post-production division which will be headed by vice
president Dan Rosen, who is also president of Manhattan Transfer.
. . . New York City and San Francisco-based Curious Pictures has
added several new people to its computer animation team: Christopher Gwynne
is now CG supervisor and senior technical director, B. Ian Hayden is senior
technical director, Owen Demers is senior technical director and CG texture
and lighting meister and David Baas is senior character animator. . . .
MGM Animation has signed actors Betty White, William Macy, Peri
Gilpin, Jeffrey Tambor, Harve Presnell, Wallace Shawn and Joe Pantoliano
as the voice cast for the new animated series, The Lionhearts. .
. . Nickelodeon has signed Rob Mittenthal to an exclusive
first look film and TV development deal. Mittenthal is co-creator and executive
producer of the animation variety show Kablam!, which has just been
renewed for 26 new episodes. . . . Santa Monica, California-based post
production and effects studio POP has hired visual effects supervisor
David Sosalla and executive producer Joe Gareri. Both Sosalla
and Gareri were previously at effects house Pacific Title Digital where
they worked on films such as Deep Impact.. . . . Steve Hagel
has left his post as sales and marketing manager at animation supply distributor
ChromaColour International, where he had been for five years. He has moved
to Newhaven Media, a production facility also in Calgary, Alberta,
Canada, where he is now the business development manager for animation.
. . . Santa Monica, California-based visual effects/post-production studio
Digital Magic Company has hired Mark F. Miller as executive
vice president and managing director. He was previously president of Unitel
Hollywood. Digital Magic also brought on Chris Jones as Fire artist.
Previously employed at The Post Group, Jones worked on several animated
series such as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest. . . . Two people
have recently exited executive posts at Children's Television Workshop
(CTW): former vice president of program development Dolores Morris
has joined HBO as vice president of original programming for HBO Family
Channel. In addition, CTW's former vice president of production Marjorie
Kalins is now co-producing a feature film called Elmo in Grouchland
with CTW and The Jim Henson Company. . . . German broadcaster ZDF Enterprises
has promoted Volker Lehmann to head of acquisitions/business affairs,
a role in which he will oversee ten acquisitions executives. He was previously
in charge of acquisitions of all children's programs, documentaries and
TV movies. . . . Platinum Studios, a European comic book literary
rights company has hired Bill Kunkel as director of interactive
development for its U.S. entertainment arm, based in Los Angeles. He has
been a journalist, game designer and consultant in the gaming industry
since 1978. Platinum also promoted Paul Benjamin from manager to
director of creative affairs. Benjamin's background includes working on
licensing of animation properties Looney Tunes and Space Jam at
Warner Bros. Consumer Products. . . . California Institute Of The Arts
has hired Suzan Pitt as faculty member in its experimental animation
department and animator/puppeteer Janie Geiser to head up a new
puppetry program. For the past year, Pitt has been teaching at Ringling
School of Art & Design in Florida. Animation World Magazine has featured
profiles of both Pitt and Geiser in past issues. . . . David Vogler has been named
vice president/creative director of Nickelodeon Mediaworks. Since
1995, he had been vice president of Kid's Content for Disney Online. He
will now relocate from Los Angeles back to New York, coming full circle
to where he worked before Disney, as executive producer of Nickelodeon
Online . . . . Jayson Raitt has joined MGM Animation as manager
of creative affairs. He was previously at Columbia Tri-Star Television
Distribution. . . . In line with recent expansion of its commercial division,
Palo Alto, California-based Pacific Data Images (PDI) has signed
New York City-based agency Claire Garrett Alden for East Coast representation.
PDI is represented in the Midwest by Bill Rabin & Associates, and on
the West Coast by Lynda Woodward & Associates. . . . Animation director
Andy Staveley has joined London-based animation studio, Aka Pizazz
as staff CGI animator and is also being represented as a commercial director.
In between commercials, he is working on a short film called, Night
Saves the Day.
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World
Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
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