This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include Cartoombria
International Animation Festival in Italy, and the San Francisco
Independent Film Festival. The Calendar of Upcoming Events is a
constantly changing reference source for what's happening around the
World of Animation. Use it to stay abreast of animation related
activities across the globe. If you know of animation related events
that we don't have listed, send an email with the pertinent facts to
annick@awn.com. We'd love to publish your event information for free!

AWN recently launched the "Career Coach," a new monthly column by Pamela
Thompson, a noted authority on jobs and recruiting within the animation
and visual effects industries.


AWN recently launched the "Career Coach," a new monthly column by Pamela
Thompson, a noted authority on jobs and recruiting within the animation
and visual effects industries. Pamela's new column is written
exclusively for AWN's Student Corner, and offers practical advice on key
issues related to jobs, recruitment, education and training, as well as

This week's comic is about X-ray baggage inspection in a US airport...

This week's quiz features questions about the lore of animation’s
past...How much do you really know about animation? Test your skills and challenge your brain. Each week, we'll see just how "smart" you really are! Take up the challenge by answering five multiple choice questions on a specific theme. For our second edition, we're asking questions about stop-motion and puppet animated films. Good luck...you'll need it!


You can find AWN's weekly Animation Trivia Quiz at:


www2.awn.com/quiz

It was a rough weekend for Warner Bros.' newly released THE IRON GIANT at the US boxoffice. THE IRON GIANT, directed by Brad Bird, was the first 100% animated film to be released since June's SOUTH PARK, but despite nearly unanimous praise from critics and fans, it finished a lackluster ninth with a gross of just $5.7 million.

Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., announced the worldwide availability of 3D Studio MAX Release 3 software, the latest release of its award-winning, professional, 3D modeling and animation solution designed specifically for Intel architecture and Microsoft Windows NT. Shipping with the 3D Studio MAX R3 software is a free update to Character Studio" Release 2.2. With an enhanced collaborative workflow environment and powerful new renderer, 3D Studio MAX supports hundreds of third-party commercial and free plug-ins, many of which will be available for 3D Studio MAX R3 software today.

Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., announced the worldwide availability of 3D Studio MAX Release 3 software, the latest release of its award-winning, professional, 3D modeling and animation solution designed specifically for Intel architecture and Microsoft Windows NT. Shipping with the 3D Studio MAX R3 software is a free update to Character Studio" Release 2.2. With an enhanced collaborative workflow environment and powerful new renderer, 3D Studio MAX supports hundreds of third-party commercial and free plug-ins, many of which will be available for 3D Studio MAX R3 software today.

New York City-based Cyclotron@Post Perfect has signed Alex Seiden as
Creative Director. Seiden will direct commercial projects. Seiden comes
from ILM where he was a Director & Visual Effects Supervisor on such films
as JURASSIC PARK, DRAGONHEART, and STAR WARS: THE SPECIAL EDITION. He also
directed a PSA for the American Psychiatric Association, and numerous
live-action second unit and special effects shoots.

Mark Lasoff has joined Stan Lee Media Inc. as executive vice president to
oversee production of the Web-based company's upcoming super hero projects.
Prior to this, Lasoff created visuals for Disney's upcoming CGI feature
DINOSAURS, which will mix live-action backgrounds with animated characters,
and was part of the visual effects team for TITANIC.

Gold Coast, Australia-based EA Australia, a subsidiary of Redwood City,
California-based Electronic Arts, has hired Steve Dauterman to head a new
development studio located in Australia. Dauterman, formerly Director of
Development for LucasArts, had been with the Lucas group for ten years,
initially as Financial Analyst for Lucasfilm before moving across to
LucasArts in 1992. Since working at LucasArts he has overseen the
development of such worldwide interactive titles as "Rebel Assault," "Dark

Sherman Oaks, California-based Warner Bros. TV Animation Studio has
completed a spot featuring the classic cartoon characters, Tom and Jerry,
in Promise Buttery Light "Butter Trouble," a :30 for New York-based agency
McCann Erickson. In the cel-animated spot, Tom attempts to trick Jerry by
switching Promise Buttery Light for plain butter.

Stockholm, Sweden-based Filmtecknarna F. Animation has completed the
animation for "Chilled Cream," a three-spot campaign for British beer
company Boddington. The three ads combine 2D animation with 3D background
and CGI effects. The design of the characters and the overall look of the
films were created at Filmtecknarna under the creative direction of Stig
Bergqvist and Jonas Dahlbeck. The sound editing and overall production
management was handled by London-based Nexus Films with producer Chris
O´Reilly in charge.

White Plains, New York-based J.J. Sedelmaier has completed two :30 spots
for Old Navy. "Girls Zip Pocket Flares" features a young magician who
conjures up and controls Old Navy's new zip pocket jeans for her friends.
In "Boys Boarder Jeans," boys show off their large style jeans while
walking the dog, sawing a log, talking to a frog, and paying the rent while
skateboarding. The spots feature a '60s retro-style designed by David
Sheldon.

Newly launched Atlanta,
Georgia-based Giant Studios is a performance animation studio. Their
proprietary Motion Reality? system utilizes the latest advancements in
microprocessor technology and interfaces with the best animation software.
A state-of-the-art motion capture studio is available with a 50' x 50' x
24' open floor space. The system can capture and process multiple,
subject-object interactions in real-time, as well as the intricate detail
of hand and facial captures. The studio offers fully integrated

SHOWTIME will launch a new
advertising campaign for the network's exclusive, weekly online series
WHIRLGIRL, which premiered on SHO.com in February 1999. The new campaign,
designed in-house by SHOWTIME's Red Group led by Showtime Networks'
Executive Vice President, Creative & Marketing Len Fogge, will debut in
print, outdoor, and on the world wide web in August. Valued at
approximately US$1 million, the campaign will run through October 1999. To
generate greater awareness of WhirlGirl, the network will target national

TIME WARNER INC. has named Warner Bros. current chief operating officer
BARRY MEYER as the new chairman and chief executive of the film studio, and
Castle Rock Entertainment Chairman ALAN HORN as its president and chief
operating officer. The new team, which takes over October 4, replaces
Warner Bros. co-chairmen Robert Daly and Terry Semel, who announced last
month that they would step down from the studio they have run together for
nearly twenty years. Meyer joined Warner in 1971 as a director of business

Culver City, California-based advertising consultants Random/Order
Information and Entertainment has hired Robert Abel to oversee several
aspects of its consulting services, as well as to develop new content and
programming. CGI-pioneer Abel has created many landmark titles, including
commercials for Apple Computer, IBM, the Smithsonian Institution, and the
Mayo Clinic. His many technical innovations include: the first "motion
control" camera system, "streak photography," and the first algorithms for
computer animated human movement.

The Surrey Institute Of Art & Design has awarded an honorary fellowship to
Clare Kitson, Channel 4's animation commissioner, for her contribution to
British Animation. Films commissioned by Kitson at Channel 4 include Alison
Snowden and David Fine's BOB'S BIRTHDAY and ACHILLES by Barry Purves.

Disney's Whomptastic, the previously announced two hour cartoon programming
block which is set to air daily on UPN beginning September 6, has been
changed to DISNEY'S ONE TWO so that viewers will associate it with Disney's
other cartoon block, the ABC Saturday morning DISNEY'S ONE SATURDAY
MORNING. DISNEY'S ONE TWO will present the premiere of SABRINA THE ANIMATED
SERIES, as well as include the already established shows DISNEY'S RECESS,
DISNEY'S DOUG and DISNEY'S HERCULES.

Six new children's series based on popular titles from noted authors such
as Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, Don Freeman and William Joyce will be
produced by Toronto-based Nelvana for distribution by the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS) as a weekend block beginning in fall 2000. The
six book titles upon which the new series will be based are: Maurice
Sendak's SEVEN LITTLE MONSTERS, William Joyce's GEORGE SHRINKS, Don
Freeman's CORDUROY BEAR, Rosemary Wells' TIMOTHY GOES TO SCHOOL, Michael