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ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 4.3 - JUNE 1999
People
Musical Chairs. ImagineAsia Studios, the Manila, Philippines-based 3D animation studio, announced the hiring of two U.S.-based executives in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Chairman Jeffrey Harrison appointed James Myhre to the post of Director of Development & Marketing, and Ivan Roth as the studio's new Creative Director. Myhre will oversee operations in ImagineAsia's corporate headquarters in San Francisco. Roth will divide his time between Los Angeles and the studio's main facility in Metro Manila. Myhre, a development veteran, started his career with producers Howard Kazanjian and Steven Siebert on the Warner Bros. feature, The Rookie, starring Clint Eastwood and Charlie Sheen. Soon after he joined the Warners-based personal management/production firm of Somers-Teitelbaum-David, overseeing development of such projects as the Trimark feature, Samantha, Disney Television's In The Nick Of Time and Showtime's The Fear Inside. His next effort, Gaudi Afternoon, will start shooting in Barcelona in September with director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan). Myhre wrote the screenplay and will co-produce the $6 million feature alongside Oscar-winning producer Andres Vicente Gumez (Belle Epoque). Roth began his administrative career in the entertainment business as Assistant Theatre Manager and later Manager for Writers Guild of America West. In 1991, he accepted a position as Executive Assistant to Writer/Director/Producer Steven E. de Souza (Die Hard 2, Ricochet), during which time he established offices at Warner Bros. and 20th Century-Fox. In 1995, he became Coordinator of the Director's Office of the American Film Institute, where he worked on upgrading systems, and the Life Achievement Award to Steven Spielberg. He was then tapped by Sony Retail Entertainment for a two-year stint as Executive Assistant to the renowned author/illustrator, Maurice Sendak (Where The Wild Things Are). He handled production coordination of the animation and illustrations for Sendak's Bell Atlantic advertising campaign, sets and costumes for the opera Hansel Und Gretel, and Nickelodeon's long-running series, Little Bear. Founded in 1997 by Harrison and partners Michael Collinson and Maria Passion, ImagineAsia Studios specializes in 3D animation, Digital Ink & Paint, motion capture and digital puppets. After completing work on Cine Groupe's Heavy Metal F.A.K.K.2, the studio will start production on its own 26-episode, 3D-animated series, The Quest: Tales From The Ramayana. . . .Harvey Entertainment has named Rick Mischel as President and Chief Operating Officer, joining Roger Burlage who will serve as the company's Chief Executive Officer. Mischel, currently President of The Mischel Company, was formerly Senior Vice President of Production and Acquisitions at LIVE (now Artisan) Entertainment, where he worked with Burlage on both LIVE's Family Home Entertainment division and the acquisition and co-production of feature films. Harvey has also announced that Elaine Hastings-Edell, Roger Burlage's partner at Burlage-Edell Productions, will join Harvey with an in-house production agreement. Mr. Burlage said, "Elaine's expertise in development and production will be valuable in bringing Harvey new opportunities." . . . Walt Disney Television Animation has promoted Ellen Gurney, former director of video premieres, movietoons, and specials, to supervisor of the development of direct-to-video productions; and Roy Price, formerly director of development and current programming, has been promoted to Vice President of creative affairs, overseeing new development and existing series for ABC's Saturday morning lineup and Disney's Whomptastic programming block for UPN. . . .Fox Family Channel has named Rob Sorcher head of the newly created position of Executive Vice President, Programming and Development. Sorcher will oversee all original programming, both current, and in development, for prime time scripted and reality series, specials, and movies, as well as all daytime children's programming for the Channel. Sorcher joins Fox Family from Cartoon Network, where he served as Executive Vice President of the network's US division since October 1997. At Cartoon Network Sorcher was a major force in establishing a commitment to original series programming, playing an integral role in bringing Ed, Edd N' Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, And Cow and Chicken to the airwaves. Sorcher joined Cartoon Network as Senior Vice President and General Manager in August 1995 from his position as President, Indigo Entertainment, Inc., a subsidiary of Grey Advertising in New York specializing in the development and production of children's programming. A University of Connecticut graduate, Sorcher began his career in 1983 as a copywriter for Benton & Bowles. . . Evening Sky Productions has named Mitch Nadon general and operations manager. Nadon will be responsible for the day-to-day management and studio operations of Evening Sky and The Animation House, its commercial division. She will also oversee the areas of trade marketing and human resources. Nadon comes to Evening Sky from Toronto-based Spin Productions, where she was Operations Officer. She has previously worked in production at TVOntario, and in animation production at Nelvana Limited. Evening Sky Productions is a division of Balmur Entertainment, a television production, music management, and publishing company owned by Canadian singer Anne Murray.
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