Montréal-based production house Voodoo Arts, part of the New York-based internationally-membered Ron Soodalter Associates Consortium, has gained exclusive representation in North America of Didier Kwak, one of the best French special effects artists. In addition, Voodoo also announced the appointment of Luc Belanger-Martin as executive vice president. With nearly fifteen years of experience in special effects, Kwak’s special effects credits include Wim Wenders’ PAR DELÀ LES NUAGES, Gérard Pullicino’s BABEL and Luc Besson’s THE FIFTH ELEMENT.

* Friday, October 13 – Friday, October 20, 2000, Burbank, California, U.S.A.


Screenplay Deadline: August 20, 2000.


Film Deadline: September 1, 2000.


Student Film & Children Film Deadline: September 9, 2000.

* Tuesday, August 15 - Wednesday, August 16, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.

* Saturday, August 5, 2000. Cupertino, California, U.S.A.

* Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

* Saturday, August 5, 2000. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

The British Film Office has appointed visual effects veteran Meg Guidon as their visual effects marketing executive. The newly created position was created to increase the visibility of U.K. F/X houses with U.S. production companies. The hope is to bring more high-profile work to the U.K. like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 and GLADIATOR, both of which were done in London. Guidon will be based out of the British Film Office at the Consulate General in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Previously Guidon worked at some of the UK's leading visual effects firms including Cinesite and Mill Film.

Congers, New York-based Turner Studios is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR proficient in character animation & 3D modeling in various 3D animation software packages; an ASSISTANT CEL ANIMATOR with exceptional craftsmanship & illustration skills; a CEL ANIMATION PRODUCTION MANAGER with exceptional organizational and client skills; and a part-time CEL ANIMATOR. . . New York-based Improv Technologies Inc.

Effective July 1, 2000, VanArts (Vancouver Institute of Media Arts) has received full accreditation status from the Private Post-Secondary Education Commission of British Columbia, Canada. This achievement gives the institute formal recognition for its high standard of excellence in operations and delivery of animation education. VanArts offers intensive one-year certificate programs in both classical and computer animation and a two-year diploma in commercial animation.

The Ottawa 00 International Animation Festival has completed this year's pre-selection for the official competition. Once again, the festival set a record for entries, receiving 1,300 films from over 50 countries. To ease the pressure on the selection committee, this year's selection was divided into two committees. Festival organizers Chris Robinson and Hayden Mindell judged the Independent Film Competition (graduate films, first professional films, independent short works under 50 min. and films for children).

* Friday, July 28 – Saturday, July 29, 2000. Los Angeles, California. Saturday, September 23 – Tuesday, September 26, 2000. Berkeley, California. Friday, October 13 – Sunday, October 15, 2000. Cambridge, Massachusets. Saturday, October 28 – Sunday, October 29, 2000. Washington D.C., U.S.A.

STAR TREK: VOYAGER-producer/writer Brannon Braga has signed a new three-year TV deal with Paramount, which will see the creation of a new TREK series. The seven-digit plus deal will have Braga teaming with Rick Berman to develop and create the next TREK-based series. Braga started at Paramount as the writer and producer of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. As part of the deal, Braga will produce other series for Paramount as well.

* Wednesday, August 16 – Sunday, August 20, 2000. Crested Butte, Colorado, U.S.A.

* Friday, August 18 – Thursday, August 24, 2000. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

* Saturday, September 23, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.


Entry Deadline: August 31, 2000





TOKYOPOP.com has extended their first AnimeOnline Festival until September. Animation artists working in the anime style are invited to submit their original anime Internet works in Flash, Shockwave or Quicktime formats. There are five categories in which participants may enter: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Fighting (Battle), Love/Comedy, Shoujo (Girl's Anime) and Asia Pop Focus (Open Category). Participants may enter into more than one category and may

Fremont, California-based myfrenz.com is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR to produce realistic animation with organic model. . . Luxembourg-based Oniria Pictures, an audiovisual production company specializing in animation, is looking for experienced 3D ANIMATORS with a good knowledge of traditional animation and a good sense of timing. . . München, Germany-based Papa Loewe Filmproduktion GmbH, a company producing "Janosch" animated series and feature films, is looking for a DIGITAL COMPOSITOR (ANIMO). . .

Web entertainment network Heavy.com has signed a deal to have its BEHIND THE MUSIC THAT SUCKS Net series appear within the TV variety show FARMCLUB on USA Network. THAT SUCKS is a 52-Webisode series that lampoons the hit VH-1 show, BEHIND THE MUSIC. Popular recording artists’ rise to stardom is reinvented in outrageous ways. "As the signature show on Heavy.com, BEHIND THE MUSIC THAT SUCKS has a great following," said show creator and Heavy.com’s Co-CEO David Carson. "We’re totally into the Heavy.com/Farmclub association.

SLACKER and DAZED AND CONFUSED director, Richard Linklater, has started the rotoscoped animation for his new feature, WALKING LIFE. The film will digitally shoot live-action actors which will then be "painted" over by artists using filmmaker Bob Sabiston’s new interpolated rotoscoping software. The program allows animators to stylize live-action footage with simulated brushstrokes. "WALKING LIFE is not animated in the truest sense of the word. It is a composite of wildly different, reimagined video scenes drawn in cartoon style," said Sabiston to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

On Wednesday, July 5, 2000, Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. announced its financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000. The CGI production company reported earnings of US$1.4 million ($0.84 million attributable to common shareholders) or $0.05 per share, versus a loss of $17 million or $1.23 per share for the year ended March 31, 1999, on a revenue increase of more than 100%. The increase has been attributed to the delivery of 52 episodes, which is double the amount of the prior year.

In September 2000, Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, will

celebrate the opening of the new Sheridan Centre for Animation &

Emerging Technologies. As part of the opening festivities, Sheridan

will stage an Animation Retrospective (September 1-10), a Digital

Media Innovations Conference (October 26-28) and the Premiere of the

Canadian Millennium Television Series. The Animation Retrospective

will celebrate Sheridan's successful, 31-year history in animation.