Inkwell Images to Re-issue Before Walt Doc
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of American animation, beginning with HUMOROUS PHASES OF FUNNY FACES by J. Stuart Blackton, Inkwell Images Ink is releasing an updated version of its 1999 documentary, BEFORE WALT with all new material that traces the earliest concepts of animation and the foundations that lead to Disney's early career. Narrated by animation historian Ray Pointer, the film chronicles the accomplishments of Blackton, Emile Cohl, Winsor McCay, John Randolph Bray, Earl Hurd, Paul Terry and other early innovators.
H-B Writer/Producer Harvey Bullock Passes Away
Harvey Bullock, a prolific comedy writer and producer of film and TV, has passed away. Affected by a series of age-related illnesses, he died on Sunday, April 23, 2006, in Laguna Beach, California, with his family by his side. He was 84.
Bullock worked in animation on several Hanna-Barbera series. He was a writer on THE FLINTSTONES, THE JETSONS, TOP CAT, WELCOME TO IT and WHERE'S HUDDLES? He was the creator, exec producer and writer for the classic 1970s adult animated series, WAIT TILL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME.
Cinesite Expands 3D Team
Multi-award winning artist Virgil Manning has joined Cinesite (Europe) as senior character animator. Animator Jason McDonald, modeler Stephane Paris and 3D manager Claire McGrane are recent additions to the 3D team as well.
Marvel Announces Film Plans, Favreau To Direct Iron Man
As part of its overall slate of self-produced films based on Marvel superheroes, Marvel Studios has tapped director/actor/writer Jon Favreau (ELF) to direct the big screen adaptation of IRON MAN. In addition to helming, the ZATHURA director will develop the script with the writing team of Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway (CONVOY).
IDT Ent. Brings Everyone’s Hero & More To Cannes 2006
IDT Ent. is gearing up a full slate of projects, including its first theatrical CG feature EVERYONES HERO, to take to Cannes. Executives attending the event include: Neil Braun, president, feature films & television; John Hyde, coo; Andrew Berman, evp, IDT Ent. Sales; and Patti Rose, director, IDT Ent. Sales.
Columbia Pictures Launches the RV Pile-Up Game
Columbia Pictures has launched RV PILE-UP, a free game for BlackBerry, built to promote the studio's latest family adventure comedy, RV, starring Robin Williams, due in theaters April 28, 2006.
Adrenalini Brothers Debut Highlights May on YTV
For May 2006, YTV will be premiering its new series THE AMAZING ADRENALINI BROTHERS, along with a host of other special programming.
Spider Riders Premiere Tops TELETOON May Highlights
Topping the highlights in its May lineup, TELETOON will premiere the first anime series to come out of Canada SPIDER RIDERS. The series will launch Sunday, May 7, 2006, at 10:00 am with a 90-minute special, SPIDER RIDERS: THE INNER WORLD.
SPIDER RIDERS is an action-adventure series for kids 6-12, based on the book SHARDS OF THE ORACLE by Tedd Anasti and Patsy Cameron-Anasti, published in December 2004. Toronto's Cookie Jar Ent. and Japan's Yomiko co-produce the series. Japanese animation company BeeTrain, a division of IG Prod., is doing the animation.
Animated Happenings at L.A. Times Festival of Books
There are a few animation and vfx related happenings at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which takes place this weekend (April 29-30, 2006) at the UCLA campus.
There will be a Jay Jay The Jet Plane show at 11:00 am on Saturday on the Reading by 9 Storytelling Stage. Eve Keller will be playing Brenda Blue. In addition to the stage show, there will be a Jay Jay The Jet Plane themed booth from PorchLight Ent. with Toms Toys (Montrose and Beverly Hills).
John Lithgow to Star in Paloozaville Animated & Live-Action Series
23D Films, an animation design studio, and Weller/Grossman Prods., an award-winning television production company, will jointly produce live-action/animated PALOOZAVILLE, a 20-part signature series staring its creator, John Lithgow. The program will broadcast on Mag Racks Kids Club video on-demand presentations.
A palooza is an invitation to a creative adventure, an activity that keeps kids from uttering those terrifying words, Im bored! according to creator John Lithgow.
Double Negative Recreates United 93 Flight
London-based Double Negative helped director Paul Greengrass realize his documentary-like vision for UNITED 93, the story of the fourth plane to be hijacked on Sept. 11, 2001, opening today (April 28, 2006) from Universal Pictures and Working Title.
DAZ Ships Hexagon 2
DAZ Prods. Inc. announced the immediate availability of DAZ Hexagon 2, its newly acquired 3D polygonal and subdivision modeling software. DAZ acquired Eovia Corp. along with the Hexagon and Carrara technology on April 13
NAB2006 AIM Winners Announced
NAB announced the winners of the fourth-annual Awards for Innovation in Media (AIMs). Attendees at the NAB2006 exhibition voted April 24 and 25 for the technological innovations that best addressed current and upcoming issues in the electronic media industry by boosting efficiency, increasing user flexibility and creativity, and lowering cost.
Mike Myers Leads Robot Uprising
Paramount Pictures has tapped Mike Myers to headline HOW TO SURVIVE A ROBOT UPRISING, reports VARIETY. Michael DeLuca, who oversaw production at New Line when Myers made the AUSTIN POWERS films, will produce.
Jason Lee is Underdog
Have no fear, Jason Lee is here. MY NAME IS EARL star Lee has signed on to voice for the title character of Underdog for Spyglass Ent. and Walt Disney Pictures' live-action adaptation of the classic 1960s cartoon.
UNDERDOG chronicles the adventures of a humble dog named Shoeshine Boy who turned into the superhero Underdog, who spoke in rhyme. For the film, Shoeshine Boy is adopted by a 12-year-old boy and uses his superpower to protect his love, Polly Purebred, and the citizens of Capitol City from the evil Simon Barsinister, who will be played by Peter Dinklage.
Cannes Sidebar Gets Animated
Cannes has added two new toons to its 2006 festival lineup.
To be featured in the Directors' Fortnight sidebar, which opens May 18, the Danish anime-style film PRINCESS will make its debut. It was co-written and directed by Anders Morgenthaler and follows a priest who embarks on a bloody mission to destroy all pornographic material featuring his dead porn star sister. The film was produced by Zentropa, with Trust Film Sales handling international sales.
Mexican Toon Marks Domestic Milestone
Mexican toon UNA PELICULA DE HUEVOS grossed almost 30 million pesos ($2.7 million) this past weekend, making it the second-largest opening for a local film ever behind THE CRIMES OF FATHER AMARO.
Videocine, who released the picture Thursday, April 20, 2006, on 435 screens, will increase the screens to 460 this week.
The film tells the story of a group of talking eggs, trying to live in the human world.
TBI Kids’ Summit Announces Speakers
TBI Kids Summit 2006. which tackles the issue of creating kids brands for a multi-platform world, has announced its lineup of speakers.
Speakers now confirmed on the program include:* Mahmoud Bouneb, egm, Al Jazeera Children's Channel (JCC) * Peter Urie, chief development officer, TV Loonland * Howard Litton, svp/gm/director of channels, Nickelodeon UK* Elaine Sperber, head of family & children's drama, RDF Media* Julian Scott, head of children's drama and animation, Zenith Ent.
PA Supreme Court Allows Use Of Computer Animation
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors may use computer animation to illustrate their murder case, but the animation has to be relevant and must authentically depict the crime scene, reports THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER.
On April 25, 2006, the court said that the animation was handled properly in the case of Michael Serge, 60, a retired Scranton police detective who shot and killed his estranged wife. Serge claimed that she had attacked him with a knife and was too intoxicated to have intended to kill her. He is now serving a life sentence.
BlueArc Partners With PipelineFX to Improve 3D/VFX Pipeline
BlueArc Corp., a world leader in network storage innovation, has formed joint partnership with PipelineFX, makers of Qube!, the leading render farm management system for film production and game development, to help film, effects and game studios achieve maximum productivity through the deployment of an advanced technology infrastructure. BlueArc and PipelineFX will be presenting their solutions at NAB2006, in booth SL3238.
WIA Scholarship Deadline Extended To May 30
The deadline for entries for the $1,000 Phyllis Craig Scholarship Fund Competition, awarded by Women in Animation International Inc. has been extended until May 30, 2006.
Rick Mater New Broadcast Standards SVP for THE CW
Rick Mater has been named svp, broadcast standards, The CW, the new fifth broadcast television network, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Ent. and CBS Corp. Mater will oversee the broadcast standards of all CW programming for content, including all primetime series, Kids' WB! programming, on-air promotion, commercial clearance and development projects.
SPTI & SkyLife Launch Animax in Korea for Older Toon Viewers
Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) and Korean satellite TV broadcaster SkyLife will launch their joint venture channel Animax in Korea on April 29, 2006. Animax in Korea is a 24-hour local program provider carrying animation programming carried exclusively on SkyLifes DTH platform, which has a subscriber base of about 1.9 million in Korea.
Apple Introduces 17-inch MacBook Pro
Apple unveiled its new 17-inch MacBook Pro notebook computer featuring the Intel Core Duo processor and an all new system architecture that delivers up to five times the performance of the PowerBook G4. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro features an aluminum enclosure just one inch thin, weighs only 6.8 pounds, includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing on-the-go and the Front Row media experience with Apple Remote. The new 17-inch MacBook Pro also features a MagSafe Power Adapter, invented by Apple especially for mobile users.