Tom Goes to the Mayor Returns to Adult Swim With Guest Stars
TOM GOES TO THE MAYOR makes its basic cable homecoming with a new season on Adult Swim this June. The small-town politics, poor decision making, delusional thinking and curious guest stars that have become the Adult Swim shows hallmark started up again on June 4, 2006, at 12:30 am.
TurboSquid & ILL Clan Forge Machinima Cartoon Series Partnership
Animation studio ILL Clan and 3D objects provider TurboSquid have partnered up to present TRASH TALK, which employs the use of machinima in the production of the latest talk show host to grace computer and iPod screens. This animated 3D game character wannabe named ILL Will, a cross between Jay Leno and Duke Nukem, reports on the latest gaming news and talks trash each week on the Internet with his sidekick, a missile named Mal Content.
Nicolas Coppermann to Head Télé Images
General secretary/deputy program director in charge of drama production at M6, Nicolas Coppermann, will soon take over as head of Télé Images. Coppermann will team with Pascal Breton (Marathon), Vincent Chalvon Demersay (Marathon Media) and Denis Mermet (Adventure Line Prods.), who joined forces in January 2006 with the fusion of the temporarily named Finhera group, currently presided over by Pascal Breton.
Vue 5 xStream Pre-Release Available for LightWave and Cinema 4D
e-on software announced the pre-release of two new versions of its xStream suite of plug-ins: xStream for LightWave and xStream for Cinema 4D.
Vue 5 xStream is a suite of plug-ins that enables the seamless integration of Vue environments into the industry's leading 3D applications. Versions of xStream were already available for Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya. As of June 1, versions of xStream for Newtek LightWave and Maxon Cinema 4D are also available. xStream for SOFTIMAGE|XSI is still under development.
Warner Set to Distribute Popeye on DVD in 2007
The Popeye logjam is over. Warner Home Video (WHV) has reached an agreement with Heart Ent. and King Features Syndicate to be the exclusive worldwide DVD distributors of the classic Popeye theatrical animated shorts and the Popeye made-for-TV animated shorts.
Alienware's New Limited-Edition Superman Systems Take Flight
Alienware celebrates June 28 release of Warner Bros. Pictures' SUPERMAN RETURNS with individually-numbered desktop and notebook systems inspired by DC Comics' iconic superhero, Superman. The desktop and notebook systems showcase masterful artwork of the Man of Steel on the outer cases. Alienware's Area-51 Superman Edition desktop and Area-51 SUPERMAN RETURNS Edition notebook come with a certificate of authenticity. Each system also includes a specially-designed Superman desktop theme by The Skins Factory utilizing Stardock's Theme Manager software.
Iridas’ FrameCycler Standardized at ILM
Iridas announced that Industrial Light & Magic has purchased universal site licenses of FrameCycler Professional 3.5 for its facility in the Letterman Center in San Francisco, Lucasfilm Animation in Singapore and the Skywalker Ranch in San Rafael. Now artists at all three locations will have immediate access to uncompressed frame-based playback for review and analysis of their work on every workstation.
LAIKA/house Ups Roland Gauthier to CG Manager
Roland Gauthier will now serve as CG manager for LAIKA/house division. He will oversee LAIKA/houses CG animation group for all LAIKA/house commercial projects. The CG department has successfully created memorable commercials for various commercial clients.
Roland brings great expertise and enthusiasm to this key role, remarked Lourri Hammack, president/exec producer LAIKA/house. We are very excited for him to lead our phenomenally talented CG team.
Dumbo Flies on DVD in Big Top Edition
Disneys beloved DUMBO from 1941 has been beautifully remastered on DVD for this BIG TOP EDITION (Walt Disney Home Ent., $29.99) that streets June 6, 2006.
NOGGIN Bonds With Dads Throughout Father’s Day
NOGGIN will honor dad on Fathers Day with themed episodes from the networks preschool lineup. On Sunday, June 18, beginning at 6:30 am (ET), fans can join the characters of OOBI, CONNIE THE COW, MIFFY AND FRIENDS, LITTLE BEAR and FRANKLIN, as they pay tribute to dad.
* 6:30 am CONNIE THE COW Connie & Her FatherConnie's mummy tells her that theyre going to have a surprise party for her daddys birthday. With help from her friends, Connie gets everything ready to make her daddy's celebration a very special one.
Spider Riders To Make U.S. Broadcast Debut On KIDS’ WB!
Coliseum, the action-adventure brand of Cookie Jar Ent. Inc., will make its U.S. debut of the series, SPIDER RIDERS, on KIDS WB! on Saturday, June 17, 2006, at 10:30 am (ET/PT). SPIDER RIDERS is a co-production between Cookie Jar and leading Japanese advertising agency, Yomiko, together with celebrated Japanese animation studio, Bee Train, known for its popular cult series, HACK//SIGN. SPIDER RIDERS is Coliseums largest production since the companys inception in 2004.
Weinsteins Draw Swords With Live-Action Mulan
The Weinstein Co. is in final talks on a three-picture deal with MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA star Ziyi Zhang, which includes a live-action version of MULAN, VARIETY reports. The second film in the deal would be a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 classic, THE SEVEN SAMURAI.
CAEAA Announces the Opening for Award Submissions
Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts Richmond, British Columbia, Canada September 14, 2006Deadline: July 14, 2006
Lionsgate Drops Marvel’s Black Widow
Lionsgate has dropped the development on a live-action feature film version of Marvel Comics' BLACK WIDOW, reports IGN FILMFORCE. Insiders say the studio balked on the project after poor box office results for other recent female-driven action films like ULTRAVIOLET and AEON FLUX.
Writer/director David Hayter said, "Marvel and I then spoke to a few other financing entities, but I never felt comfortable that we had found a place that was willing to take the movie, and the character, seriously."
Miami Short Film Fest Wants Your Toons
Miami International Short Film Festival 2006Miami, Florida, USANovember 27 December 2, 2006Deadline: September 26, 2006
Odd Todd Webtoon Lands Deal at Paramount
Paramount Pictures has optioned the pitch ODD TODD, based on the Webtoon created by Todd Rosenberg, according to VARIETY. Jonathan Kesselman (THE HEBREW HAMMER) is attached to direct.
Rosenberg independently produced the Web series and later adapted it for Comedy Central's broadband website. He will write the screenplay, which will follow the title character as he locks himself out of his apartment on the very day his unemployment checks run out.
ODD TODD will be among the first films developed by the Comedy Central Films banner. Mike Karz will produce.
Monster Sells I’m an Animal for Nickelodeon UK
Monster Distributes just sold its new animated series, IM AN ANIMAL, from Oscar-nominated Brown Bag Films to Nickelodeon UK. Produced with the support of RTE and the Irish Film Board, the series has already been sold to Rai Italy, TV Ontario, Knowledge Network Canada, Cartoon Network Australia, Cable TV Hong Kong, Sanctuary UK, Hungama TV Indonesia, Malaysia and India and Al Sayyar in the Middle East.
IM AN ANIMAL was one of the top programs at MIPCOM Jr. last year, and will have all 52x2 episodes completed this month.
FUNimation Awarded Full Metal Panic
FUNimation Ent., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corp., has been awarded FULL METAL PANIC: THE SECOND RAID by Kadokawa Pictures USA. FULL METAL PANIC: THE SECOND RAID is the third season in this popular anime series. FUNimation has scheduled Oct. 3, 2006 as the street date for the first DVD.
Autodesk Certifies ATI’s FireGL Workstation Graphics Accelerators
ATI Technologies Inc. announced that its FireGL workstation graphics boards have been certified for Autodesk Inc.'s full range of design software solutions. ATI's entire top-to-bottom line of FireGL graphics boards complement Autodesk's media and entertainment, design and manufacturing products by helping industry professionals more accurately and more efficiently visualize digital models to design better products while speeding time to market.
CG Pioneer Bill Kovacs Passes Away
Bill Kovacs, who co-founded Wavefront Technologies, earned a 1997 Academy Award for science and engineering innovations and who worked as a programmer on TRON, passed away last Tuesday at his home in Camarillo, California. Kovacs, who was 56, died of a stroke in his sleep brought on by a cerebral hemorrhage.
Bluescreen Developer Arthur Widmer Dies at 92
Arthur Widmer, who developed some of the most widely used visual effects technology in films, including the bluescreen, and earned an Academy Award last year for lifetime achievement, died of cancer on May 28. He was 92.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gave Widmer the award for his work in developing Ultra Violet and bluescreen effects processes.
Newest Acrobat Edition of Animation World Mag Ready for Download!
This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for June 5, 2006
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for June 5, 2006
This week in AWN's Forums, more members chime in on what an aspiring animator can expect. Another thread discusses character design copyright buyout rates. Others are discussing the animation program at Full Sail. Fans of Disney and Miyazaki square off in a battle over what animation innovator is better. A senior member is looking for other AWNers attending Annecy. In the Animators Desktop forums, members are discussing Cintiq and Tablet Based Animation.
Break-Up Tops X-Men
Universals romantic comedy, THE BREAK-UP, debuted at $39.1M, good enough to upend Foxs X-MEN: THE LAST STAND from the top spot at the box office for the weekend ended June 4, 2006. After its record Memorial opening, THE LAST STAND (with vfx from Cinesite, Framestore CFC, MPC and Weta Digital, among others) dropped to second place with $34M and a cume of $175.3M. DreamWorks animated comedy, OVER THE HEDGE, held the third spot with $20.6M and a cume of $112.3M.