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Musical Chairs. Marci Selsberg has returned to Will Vinton Studios, a Portland, Oregon-based production company, as their east coast producer. Selsberg was most recently the president and executive producer of her own small business, Peek-A-Boo Productions which represented animation production companies such as Curious Pictures. . . Patty Wooton resigns as vice president, head of production at Palo Alto-based PDI (Pacific Data Images). Wooton was recently producer with Brad Lewis and Aron Warner on Antz. . . Warren Littlefield, president of the Littlefield company, and Craig Hunegs, Executive Vice President at Warner Bros. Television, will join the AtomFilms advisory board. Littlefield, former President of NBC Entertainment, and Hunegs will act as advisors in the areas of content programming for the AtomFilms web site as well as for its distribution and syndication sites. They will also offer advice on building strong relationships with traditional media companies for broader distribution. . . Universal Studios Hollywood has appointed Brian Compton Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. Compton will be responsible for financial reporting and budgeting, planning and implementation of operating budgets, and direction of the financial management organizations of both Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios CityWalk. Previously, Mr. Compton served as Director of Operations, Finance for Coach Leatherware, a division of Sara Lee Corporation. He has held key financial posts with Villeroy and Boch Tableware, and with Pepsi Cola Company East. . . Dennis Kang, a graduate of Robert Bateman Secondary School in Abbotsford, Canada, has been awarded a $5,000 entrance scholarship by the Center For Digital Imaging And Sound (CDIS). Kang will begin his post-secondary studies this October in CDIS's full-time Character Animation Program. Established in 1979, CDIS is one of Canada's oldest and most successful private media arts colleges with graduates working world-wide in today's most interesting fields. . .

James Porges. Courtesy of Cartoon Network.

Tom Decker is best known as the director of the Chuck E. Cheese campaign. Courtesy of Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials.

Cartoon Network has promoted James Porges to vice president of off-channel commerce. Porges will manage the business development of consumer products and off-channel presence of all Cartoon Network-branded multi-character efforts, including publishing, music, home video, and theme parks. He will also manage all original Cartoon Network characters such as The Powerpuff Girls and Johnny Bravo. Prior to becoming director of brand management, Porges was director of Cartoon Network Clubs at Turner Home Entertainment. . . Hollywood, California-based Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials has signed Tom Decker to direct spots for its commercial division. Decker is best known for his direction of the on-going Chuck E. Cheese campaign. From 1994-1997 Decker was senior animator at Chuck Jones Productions where he worked on theatrical shorts starring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and other classic characters in such titles as Superior Duck and From Hare To Eternity. . . Santa Barbara, California-based Santa Barbara Studios, a visual effects company that produces CGI for motion picture, commercial, television and special venue markets, has hired Pete Travers as CGI supervisor and Vivien Minton as sales and marketing manager. Travers is returning to the studio where he previously worked on An American Werewolf In Paris, after which he left to form his own company, ShadowCaster, through which he worked as computer graphics supervisor for Oscar winner What Dreams May Come. Minton began her career as an account executive at London-based public relations agency, Paragon Communications. In 1996, she moved to Los Angeles where she worked for literary agent Frank Wuliger at The Gersh Agency. . Erik St. Anthony has been appointed director of multimedia at Los Angeles-based Interactive Television Entertainment (ITE)-USA, where he will head the newly formed North American multimedia division. St. Anthony will be responsible for developing and implementing retail, on-line and ancillary distribution of the company's CD-ROM, PlayStation and Game Boy formats within North America. St. Anthony founded Adventure Media Group and Trinidad Entertainment, which together acquire DVD rights, create interactive formats on DVD and DVD-ROM, and distribute programming to major retail chains. Prior to forming Adventure Media Group and Trinidad, St. Anthony held positions at Pacific Coast Entertainment and Slingshot Distribution. . . Sony Pictures Family Entertainment Group has appointed five key development executives. Bob Higgins has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Creative Affairs; Stacey Attanasio has been named Senior Vice President of Production; Joe D'ambrosia has been named Executive Director of Creative Affairs; Tara Polacik has been promoted to Director of Creative Affairs and Grace Benn has been named Creative Executive. Prior to his new appointment, Bob Higgins served as Vice President of Creative Affairs for Columbia TriStar Television Children's Programming (CTTCP). Higgins will continue to have creative supervision over all television programming development and current production for the division's animated television series. His role will also expand to include the development of features and direct-to-video product, which are targeted to the family audience and aimed at creating character and kid-oriented franchises. Stacey Attanasio will be responsible for live-action, animated and CGI feature film development. She will focus on creating product for underserved market segments, including the girl and "tween" audiences. Attanasio will concentrate on developing properties with franchise potential to be utilized across all of SPE's film and TV divisions. Attanasio joins SPFE from The Meyers/Shyer Company, a Burbank, California-based production company she founded with filmmakers Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer. Joe D'Ambrosia will work with Attanasio and Higgins on the development of the division's feature film slate. He comes to SPFE from Nickelodeon Movies, where he served as Director of Development, and was involved in the overall creative direction of Nickelodeon's feature film division. Tara Polacik, who joined Sony in 1997 as Manager of Creative Affairs, will continue to be involved in the creation, development and direction of the division's animated and live-action programming. Grace Benn will be responsible for acquiring and developing both feature film and television properties. She comes to SPFE from Columbia Pictures, which she joined as a Creative Assistant in 1995, moving up to Assistant Story Editor in 1996, and Story Editor a year later. She began her career as an actress, appearing in national television commercials, regional theater and feature films. . . Harrison, New York-based Blue Sky Studios has promoted Chris Burrows and Tim Speltz to technical directors. Since beginning as a technical assistant at Blue Sky Studios in 1998, Burrows has worked on a variety of projects, including lighting and rendering for Blue Sky's Oscar award-winning short, Bunny. Speltz has been with Blue Sky Studios since he graduated from Brown University in 1997. Since then, he has excelled at effects, particle work, and lighting. He was credited as technical assistant and technical director on Bunny. . . Burbank, California-based Disney Consumer Products has hired Susan Garelli as vice president of human resources. Garelli joins Disney from Pasadena, California-based Avery Dennison, a worldwide manufacturer of self-adhesive materials and consumer products, where she was also vice president of human resources. . . Infogrames, a global publisher of interactive entertainment software, has appointed a new management team. Stan Roach, formerly executive vice president of marketing, will take on the role of COO overseeing sales, marketing and product development. Yves Legris, formerly with Infogrames' headquarters in France, will become COO responsible for finance, business development, legal affairs, studio operations, information technology and human resources. . . New York City-based Spontaneous Combustion has named Flame Artist Fabrice Maurel as Design Director. Maurel comes to Spontaneous Combustion from Los Angeles, California-based Novocom where he contributed to the art direction, design, implementation and special effects compositing of television shows, commercials and music videos. . . Sony Pictures Entertainment has hired Mel Harris as Co-President and Chief Operating Officer, sharing both of those titles with Bob Wynne. Masayuki (Yuki) Nozoe has also been promoted to Co-President, Digital Entertainment. The three executives will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and report to John Calley, Chairman and CEO of SPE. Nozoe will focus on the Digital Studios division and technology expansion, Wynne will manage corporate and financial operations, and Harris will emphasize worldwide television and related businesses. . . Toronto-based Nelvana Limited has promoted Emmanuele Petry to vice president of Nelvana Europe International Limited. In her new position, Petry will be responsible for supervising the company's London and Paris offices. She will continue to investigate co-production and financing opportunities in Europe, and she will also oversee the distribution of TV, video, theatrical and merchandising rights in countries outside North America. . .

Mark Norman. Courtesy of Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network has promoted Mark Norman to senior vice president of business operations for Cartoon Network USA and BOOMERANG. Norman will be responsible for long range strategic planning and forecasting, including network investments in original programming and program acquisitions. He will also oversee all business and operational aspects of the new Cartoon Network Studio in Los Angeles, as well as orchestrate the launch and manage all operation of Boomerang, the network's new classic animation channel which will launch on April 1, 2000. . . Warner Bros. Television Animation has promoted Linda Steiner from vice president of development to senior vice president of creative affairs and Christopher Keenan from vice president of programming to vice president of creative affairs. Steiner and Keenan will oversee the development of cartoon series, shorts and direct-to-video projects. . . London, UK-based commercial production company Passion Pictures has signed David Feiss and Emma Calder as directors. Feiss, a long time veteran, is best known as the creator of Cartoon Network's Cow And Chicken. Calder's recent film, The Queen's Monastery, has won prizes at film festivals throughout the world. . . Pixar Animation Studios has hired Ann Mather as its executive vice president and chief financial officer. Mather has more than eighteen years of financial operations experience, including seven years with The Walt Disney Company, most recently as the senior vice president of finance and administration of its Buena Vista International Theatrical Division. . . Cheryl Mills, Deputy White House Counsel, will join Oxygen Media, Geraldine Laybourne's media company founded to provide content for women, as senior vice president of corporate policy and public programming. In her new post, Cheryl Mills will address women's access to and participation in civic, political and public policy issues that affect their lives. She will oversee Oxygen's philanthropic activities, its grass roots initiatives and will work with Sarah Bartlett, Oxygen's Editor-in-Chief, to develop its legal and political programming. Mills joins Oxygen from the White House where she currently serves as Deputy White House Counsel. Her defense of President Clinton during the impeachment proceedings brought Mills to national prominence. One of the longest serving members of the Administration, Mills joined the President's legal team following the 1992 election. In 1997, she was promoted to Deputy Counsel to the President. Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Mills was an associate at Hogan & Hartson, a Washington D.C. law firm. . .

Jan Smith.

Seattle, Washington-based RealNetworks, a company specializing in Internet media delivery, has promoted Thomas Frank to chief operating officer and hired Martin Plaehn as senior vice president of media systems. Frank, who joined RealNetworks in January of this year, was previously senior vice president of media programming and publishing. Plaehn joins RealNetworks from Viewpoint Digital, Inc., a computer graphics company, where he was President. . . Universal Pictures has promoted Greg Sucherman to vice president of field operations. In his new position, Sucherman will oversee all regional publicity in the US and Canada, which includes press junkets, personal appearance tours, satellite tours as well as all regional promotional campaigns, screening programs, radio promotions and word-of-mouth programs. Most recently, Sucherman served as director of field operations. . . Disney Interactive has promoted Jan Smith to executive vice president of Disney's software-development business. Smith will be responsible for worldwide operations of Disney Interactive, including product development, marketing, finance and administration, business and legal affairs, and customer support.