Disney will release A BUG'S LIFE - COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD on November 23, 1999. The Disney/Pixar
film, which crosses the Western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (a remake of Akira
Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI) with Aesop's THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, is
about an inventive ant named Flik who hires what he believes are "warrior
bugs" to defend his colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers. As
with the TOY STORY laserdisc box set, the supplemental features are
plentiful:


DISC ONE: THE MOVIE

Puffin Designs -- the producers of popular 2D effects tool Commotion - recently announced that
they will be releasing a version of Knoll Light Factory in Avid's AVX
plug-in format. The Light Factory plug-in is already available for Adobe
After Effects and Apple's Final Cut Pro, however Avid users have yet to
experience the control and precision lighting effects that Knoll Light
Factory offers. The Avid version of Light Factory will be available before
the end of 1999, and will be priced at $295.00 (US). For more information

Warner Bros. Online, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, and Brilliant Digital Entertainment, an Internet content and tools developer, have announced the formation of a co-production and Internet distribution relationship to launch a co-branded 3-D animation channel, the MULTIPATH MOVIE CHANNEL, on Time Warner's Entertaindom Web site at www.Entertaindom.com.

The 21st International Monitor Awards, the postproduction and digital media industry's most prestigious
prize, has issued its annual "Call For Entries" in eighteen categories and
nine craft areas. Entrants who take advantage of the early entry deadline -
December 17, 1999 - will enjoy a substantial discount. The final deadline
is January 28, 2000. The Awards, sponsored by ITS: The Association of
Imaging Technology and Sound, which is dedicated to furthering excellence
in all fields of film, video and audio electronic production and

Buena Vista's
supernatural thriller THE SIXTH SENSE, with visual effects by DreamQuest,
finished fifth at the US weekend boxoffice, grossing $7,025,098 for a total
of $234,547,781. Other animation-related films in the top 40 include:
Lucasfilm's STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE finished 15th with
$697,097 for a total of $425,360,285; DreamWorks SKG's THE HAUNTING, with
digital effects by ILM, finished 17th with $350,352 for a total of
$90,114,112; The Walt Disney Company's INSPECTOR GADGET, with digital

NIGHT OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, an hour-long animated special, will air on
Fox on Thursday, October 28, at 8 pm. Featuring the voices of Luke Perry
(BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), William H. Macy (FARGO), and Tia Carrere
(WAYNE'S WORLD), the special was produced by Dallas, Texas-based Computed
Animation Technology (CAT) and Wimberley, Texas-based Locomotion Studios
using performance (motion-capture) 3D animation. It was written by John
Shirley (THE CROW). The special, like the upcoming Tim Burton film, SLEEPY

Columbia-Tri Star Home Video is releasing a collector's edition DVD of
HEAVY METAL which was supervised by Gerald Potterton and released in 1981.
Those who bought the laser rot-prone laserdisc that was released three
years ago will want to purchase this new release even if their LD remains
in pristine condition. The movie is digitally remastered and in widescreen,
with anamorphic video. Hopefully, that means it has a new transfer that,
unlike the previous widescreen release, does not cut off the top and bottom

STUART OKEN has been promoted to the position of senior vice president of
creative affairs for WALT DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS. Oken joined Walt
Disney Theatrical Productions in 1995, and has been closely involved with
the Tony Award-winning stage show, THE LION KING, and Elton John and Tim
Rice's new musical, AIDA, set to premiere in Chicago in December 1999. . .
TOM WILLIAMS, a 29-year company veteran and former president and chief
executive officer of Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, Florida, has been

San Francisco, California-based WILD BRAIN, INC. has added GEORGE EVELYN to
their directorial staff. Evelyn joins Wild Brain after 17 years at Colossal
Pictures where he worked with the Trix Rabbit, Betty Boop, and Gary
Larson's Cavemen.

Burnaby, British Columbia-based CDIS is offering a one-day industry
introduction to Macromedia's Flash 4.0 on October 23 from 9 am-4:30 pm.
Cost is $225, which includes lunch. By the end of the seminar, you'll know
how to prepare graphics for Flash, use the interface, sketch and draft
ideas for animation and interactivity, create symbols and manipulate
instances for actions, combine the final pieces into your own 30-second
animated banner with sound, and post the final product to the web with FTP.

Toronto, Canada-based IMAX CORPORATION, which operates a chain of large
format film theaters, has appointed MARY PAT RYAN to the new post of
Executive Vice President of IMAX Ltd. and Network Group President. Ryan
will oversee the ongoing development of the Network Group, which is charged
with ensuring the success of all theatres in the worldwide network of IMAX
theatres and the development of the IMAX brand. Based in New York, Ryan
will have responsibility for all areas of the Network Group including brand

Los Angeles-based CHEQUEMATE INTERNATIONAL INC., doing business as C-3D
Digital Inc., a 3D media company that provides broadcasting and
entertainment companies with the technology to deliver 3D entertainment to
any standard television 24 hours a day, has appointed media marketing
expert DANIEL R. THOMPSON to the C-3D Digital Board. Thompson is the
founder and head of Hollywood entertainment agency A Creative Group (ACG)
which specializes in product placement, promotional advertising, program
sponsorships, and distribution.

Vancouver-based BARDEL ANIMATION has added executive producer CAROLE
DUCHARME and business affairs executive DEBORAH REES-LEE to its business
affairs department. DUCHARME began her career in the film industry as a
lawyer specializing in film financing and as a legal advisor for
organizations such as the Quebec Film Classification Board. She moved into
the role of producer with the Paris, France-based company Les Production
Lazennec, negotiating and drafting agreements for international

SANFORD M. (SANDY) LITVACK has been named vice chairman of the board of THE
WALT DISNEY COMPANY. Litvack joined Disney in April, 1991, as senior vice
president and general counsel, and was promoted to executive vice president
the following December. In May, 1992, he assumed the additional duties of
executive in charge of human resources. Before joining The Walt Disney
Company, Litvack was a member of the executive committee and chairman of
the litigation department of the international law firm Dewey Ballantine.

On November 2, 1999 Rhino Records will release GO SIMPSONIC WITH THE
SIMPSONS, musical selections from the often very musical THE SIMPSONS.
Consisting of more than 50 tracks of songs, themes, and underscore music,
GO SIMPSONIC not only picks up where its predecessor, SONGS IN THE KEY OF
SPRINGFIELD, left off, but also digs deep into the first nine seasons,
capturing selections that didn't make it onto the first collection. GO
SIMPSONIC also makes available for the first time four never-before-heard

Waterloo, Ontario-based Jedor Inc. has released Viscosity 1.0, a new
software package that puts the process of 2D image editing and animation
into one application, and enables both novice and advanced graphic
designers to create, edit, and view animated graphics for web sites, video
clips, and multimedia presentations. Viscosity differs from traditional
image editing software by totally integrating highly visual animation
tools, animated effects, and real-time playback directly into Viscosity's

Cary, North Carolina-based LIPSinc. is offering a free beta version of
Ventriloquist for MAX, a new lip-synching plug-in for 3D Studio MAX R3.0.
Ventriloquist for MAX automates the process of synchronizing correct mouth
movements to dialogue for animated characters. For more information visit
www.lipsinc.com.

Orlando, Florida-based AARGH! ANIMATION, INC. (not related to the above
company) is co-producing a series of :10 and :30 spots for Cold-Eeze cold
medicine that combines live-action with cel animation. Mark Simon and Dave
Kallaher directed the animation. The three :10 spots consist of a cel
animated plane that swoops into frame over a six layer multi-plane of
moving clouds. The computer generated product packages fly out of the plane
and are presented close to camera. In the :30 spots, live-action passengers

Sony Wonder Technology Lab, a center for high-tech entertainment and
education, will host ALL EYES ON CGI. The presentation will feature a
representative from Sony Pictures Imageworks, whose talent and technology
contributed to the upcoming feature film STUART LITTLE in which for the
first time ever, audiences are introduced to a three-dimensional,
photo-realistic, performance based, computer generated movie star.
Admission is $10. The events takes place Thursday, September 30, 6:30 pm in

This month: Licensing And Merchandising.


As the holidays approach our minds turn to licensing and merchandising and
what is going to be on the shelves this winter. In this issue Tarleton
Gillespie takes us on a trip through Toys R Us to determine the meaning of
toys to kids. The French licensing and merchandising market is detailed by
Valerie Rivoallon. Sharon Schatz profiles toon loving Rhino Records and
Karen Raugust looks at how "Sesame Street's" content changes as the popular