Animation World News

by David Kilmer

Business: AtomFilms Broadens Its Distribution, Sony Formalizes Family Entertainment Group, MIPCOM Announcements, Viacom Proposes Merger With CBS, Nickelodeon Opens Animation Studio In New York, and Disney Halts Peter Pan Production.

People: Musical Chairs. Marci Selsberg returns to Will Vinton Studios, Patty Wooton resigns from PDI, Warren Littlefield and Craig Hunegs join AtomFilms, Universal appoints Brian Compton, Dennis Kang wins scholarship, Cartoon Network promotes James Porges, Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials signs Tom Decker, Santa Barbara Studios hires Pete Travers and Vivien Minton, Erik St. Anthony joins Interactive Television Entertainment (ITE)-USA, Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group appoints five key development executives, Blue Sky Studios promotes Chris Burrows and Tim Speltz, Disney Consumer Products hires Susan Garelli, Infogrames, appoints a new management team, Spontaneous Combustion hires Fabrice Maurel, Sony Pictures Entertainment hires Mel Harris, promotes Masayuki (Yuki) Nozoe, Nelvana Limited promotes Emmanuele Petry, Cartoon Network promotes Mark Norman, Warner Bros. Television Animation promotes Linda Steiner and Christopher Keenan, Passion Pictures signs David Feiss and Emma Calder, Pixar Animation Studios hires Ann Mather, Cheryl Mills joins Oxygen Media, RealNetworks promotes Thomas Frank and hires Martin Plaehn, Universal Pictures promotes Greg Sucherman, and Disney Interactive promotes Jan Smith.

Films: AWN Animated Box Office Report, Phantom Menace Continues World Tour, A New Fractured Fairy Tales Cartoon Premieres!, SABA Completes First Iranian Feature, and Fox Sets Release Date For X-Men.

Visual Effects: Topix/Mad Dog Puts Singer On Clouds, Method Spins New York, and Galaxy Digimation Creates Spider-Man Ride Newscast.

Television: Fox Family Announces Fall Schedule, UPN Orders Roman Doomsday, Phil Roman Announces The Gaudins, andMarsupilami Goes Into Production.

Commercials: Seeing Spots by Quiet Man, Curious Pictures, The Attik, Richard Purdum Productions, Graphiti Multimedia, Simex Digital Studios, and Spontaneous Combustion.

Home Video: Disney Classics, Pink Floyd's The Wall, And Other Home Entertainment Titles Are Set For Release, Pinocchio Returns to VHS, Kino Releases Brothers Quay, Image Releases Hubley DVD, Universal Offers Alvin And Chipmunks DTV, Winstar Releases Gulliver's Travels, Iron Giant Comes To Home Video, A.D.V Films Releases More Anime For Fans, and Manga Releases Macross Plus DVD.

Licensing: Rhino Releases Batman Beyond And Dr. Seuss Soundtracks, Superman Battles Copyright, McFarlane Releases Yellow Submarine Action Figures, Kid Rhino Releases What To Do, Blue? And Goodnight Blue, and US Post Office Issues Yellow Submarine Postage Stamp.

Education: Here's An Acting Class For Animators, USC Joins The Army, Don't Miss This Animation Workshop, Learn To Write For TV Animation, and Animators Offer A Seminar For Animators.

Technology: Macromedia Relases Flash Player For UNIX, Newtek Ships Video Toaster For Windows, Station X Licenses Animation Software, Macromedia Releases Flash Writer For Adobe Illustrator Users, Animo Releases Production Tracker, Metacreations Announces Carrara And KPT Vector Effects 1.5, Macromedia Ships Drumbeat 2000, Androme Launches Creatoon, Digital Video Releases Toonz 4.3, PiXELS: 3D V.3.2 Is Now Shipping, Toon Boom Ships New Version Of TicTacToon, Adobe Announces New Version Of After Effects, Puffin Designs Announces Commotion Dv And Knoll Light Factory, SoftQuad Announces HoTMetaL PRO 6.0, and Macromedia Offers Free Seminar.

Internet & Interactive: A Totally Mad CD-ROM, Penn & Teller Guest Star On WhirlGirl, Adam Sandler Makes A Cartoon, Sega DreamCast Sets Record For Preorders, Daria Goes Interactive, MTV Forms MTVi, Saturday Night Fred Debuts On Cartoonnetwork.Com, Harvey Selects Xceed For Development Of Internet Strategy, Star Blazers Episodes Offered On Internet, Disney Launches The Walt Disney Family Museum Website, Netscape Carries Two Animated Series By Mondo, Disney Names ABC President Internet Group Chairman, DreamCast Debuts With A Glitch, Lucas Learning Releases Star Wars: Pit Droids, MIP Interactive Industry Spotlight Set To Debut, A Disney Infoseek Executive Has Been Arrested, and Humongous Releases Blue's Treasure Hunt.

Books: Disney's Illusion Of Life Tops Best Animation Books Poll.

Animation Art: American Royal Arts Offers Yellow Submarine Sericels.

Call for Entries: NPAR 2000 Calls For Entries, Art In Motion Calls For Entries, Toronto Digital Image Festival Calls For Entries, Brussels Calls For Entries, MILIA d'Or 2000 Calls For Entries, Dancing Pixel Festival Calls For Entries, British Animation Awards Calls For Entries, EuropaCinema & TV Film Festival Calls For Entries, and MILIA Calls For Entries For New Talent Competition.

Awards: King Of The Hill And Spawn Win Emmies, Wolfman Wins At Edinburgh, and Fantoche 99 Announces Winners.

Events: The Tenth Cartoon Forum, and Alexander Petrov's The Old Man And The Sea plays At IMAX.

Last Month in Animation: Women In Animation Events, Golden Marble Awards, Portland Creative Conference, GSTA Annual Meeting, That '70s - '80s Cartoon Show!, Hollywood Shorts, Golden Marble Awards, MIM, Scooby Doo Birthday Celebration, Cartoon Forum, Matita Animation Festival, Animated Castles Festival, Sony Wonder Technology Lab, and The Creative Alliance Monthly Salon Series.