Viewers around the world watching the animated simulations of the Mars rovers mission are watching the work of a young, lone animator, using LightWave, to make the mission come to life when communications and cameras aren’t cooperating. He is Dan Maas, operating out of his own studio, Mass Digital in Ithaca, New York, far from NASA in Texas, JPL in Pasadena and Mars, where the two rover explorers are now carrying out their missions.

Extending its capabilities in feature film post-production, Santa Monica-based Company 3 has hired visual effects editor and artist Rob Doolittle. Doolittle, who previously collaborated with Company 3 on BAD BOYS II, has broad experience in designing and executing VFX for features. Formerly an applications specialist with visual effects hardware manufacturer Quantel, Doolittle also is a leading expert in that company's Generation Q projects used in on-lining for film and high resolution video projects.

Retail sales of U.S. videogames, which includes portable and console hardware, software and accessories, remained largely unchanged over the previous year's record-breaking performance, according to a leading marketing information provider, the NPD Group. The console industry saw sales figures fall 2.7% to $10 billion in 2003, compared to $10.3 billion in 2002.

Southpaw Entertainment has announced that it has hired SHREK 2 and SPIRIT director Kelly Asbury to write and direct a live-action/CGI fantasy adventure, titled IMAGINARY CHILDREN, reported VARIETY. Southpaw's Richard Lewis and Scott Peters came up with the concept, which follows a cartoonist whose characters consume his life's so much that he is estranged from his real child. Lewis will finance the project on his own with investments from his Southpaw partner eBay co-founder Jeff Skoll.

Avid Technology has acquired Munich-based NXN Software, the leading provider of asset and production management systems specifically targeted for the entertainment and computer graphics industries, in a cash transaction valued at approximately EUR35 million.

Ron Scalpello of BBC Broadcast has directed a series of trailers (1 x 60 secs, 1 x 40 secs and 3 x 20 secs and 3 x 5 secs) for Abbott Mead Vickers promoting the new BBC One drama HUSTLE. Visual effects and postproduction were carried out at Moving Picture Co. (MPC).

The series concentrates on a group of charismatic confidence tricksters in the business of making money. The trailers themselves introduce the five main characters: Albert, Stacie, Ash and Danny, with each person’s particular traits being described by Mickey, their colleague, during the :60 trailer.

HBO hired Venice, California-based design/production house twothousandstrong (www.2000strong.com) to produce an elegantly designed :60 retrospective promo spot. YEAR-END PROMO, broke during the premiere of ANGELS IN AMERICA, focuses on HBO's acclaimed series' THE SOPRANOS, SIX FEET UNDER, SEX & THE CITY and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM.

Alias is continuing to foster a strategic business relationship with Weta Digital beyond THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, as it looks forward to working together on KING KONG.

Using 165 seats of primarily Maya Unlimited, Maya proved invaluable as the core 3D animation software utilized in the production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy.

The Writers Guild of America, West and East announced its nominations for outstanding achievement in writing for the screen on Jan. 22, 2004.

Four of the seven features vying for the Best Visual Effects Oscar -- MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD (Asylum Visual Effects), PETER PAN (Digital Domain), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (