Luxology Llc. unveiled modo 102, a powerful new version of its subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. modo 102's superior realtime performance and artist-friendly interface, combined with hundreds of new feature enhancements, make it one of the fastest and most advanced 3D modeling systems currently available.
e-on software has announced the immediate availability of Vue 5 Pro Studio. Vue 5 Pro Studio is the latest addition to e-on software's suite of award-winning solutions for the creation and rendering of natural 3D environments. Vue 5 Pro Studio is designed for advanced digital artists seeking extended control over the creation of natural 3D.
Nick Jr.s Dora the Explorer takes kids on a musical journey through the Seven Seas with the one-hour special, DORAS PIRATE ADVENTURE, airing Jan. 17, 2005, at 11:00 am on Nick Jr. In the show, Dora and her friends cant put on a pirate show until they find their missing treasure chest of costumes. The storyline is also the basis of the brand-new version of the theatrical presentation Dora the Explorer Live!, a co-production between Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Entertainment.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. Check out the latest installment from quizmaster Karl Staven, an accomplished independent animator and head of the Animation Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Surely you consider yourself somewhat knowledgeable about the field of animation or you wouldn't be here. So surely you must be aware of the most important East European stop-motion animators. So surely you should be able to pick out the correct animator from the choices.
This week in AWN's Forums, a member wants to know what the odds are on getting an animation job in the U.S.
AWN and Animation Cafe moderator Larry Lauria proudly present our first 2005 contest.
Pop star Britney Spears has signed on to voice the lead in Madonnas animated film adaptation of the MATERIAL GIRL singers childrens book, THE ENGLISH ROSES, reports MonstersandCritics.com. Spears will lend her voice to Binah, a young girl who is excluded by the other girls at school because of her beauty. Madonna will voice the role of the Fairy Godmother and David Bowie and Snoop Dogg with also lend their voices. Madonnas husband SNATCH-director Guy Richie will produce the film.
The Orange British Academy Film Awards nominees were announced on Jan. 17, 2005 with Martin Scorseses THE AVIATOR leading the pack with 14 nods. Three visual effects filled dramas topped the list for Best Film, including THE AVIATOR, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND and FINDING NEVERLAND. Those pics will compete with THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES and VERA DRAKE.
Anna Paquin (X-MEN), Alfred Molina (SPIDER-MAN 2), and Patrick Stewart (X-MEN, STAR TREK: NEXT GENERATION) will provide the voices for the North American dubbed version of director Katsuhiro Ôtomo's STEAMBOY, reports ComingSoon.net. Sony's Screen Gems will conduct a limited release of the film in theaters starting March 18, 2005.
New French distribution company Quinta Distribution has made its first foray into animation with acquisition of all rights in France for Spanish feature, MIDSUMMER DREAM, reports VARIETY. Quinta plans to release the film in France with 200 prints on June 28, 2005.
THE LIVING FOREST producer Dygra produced the CGI MIDSUMMER, based on Shakespeares play. Portugal's Appia Films co-produced the film and Buena Vista Intl. will distribute the film in Spain this year. The 6 million ($7.9 million) budgeted film was directed by Dygra's Manolo Gomez and Angel de la Cruz.
The Disney Channel has has ordered three new original animated series and two animated movies based on hit series, KIM POSSIBLE and THE PROUD FAMILY. The three new series include THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE, KATBOT and EMPERORS NEW SKOOL. The series are scheduled to premiere during 2005-06 and are produced by Walt Disney Television Animation Studio.
Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini family of 3D software, has appointed Craig Zerouni as production consultant. The addition of Zerouni to Side Effects Softwares production team will further establish the companys position as an essential partner for production studios. In this role, Zerouni and team will collaborate directly with production studios and technical directors to help build superior CG pipelines and create cutting-edge digital animation for feature films.
In an unusual move, The Art Directors Guild (ADG) included THE INCREDIBLES in its nominees for Excellence In Production Design for a Period or Fantasy Film, making it one of the few animated films to ever be considered against live-action films in the history of the awards.
INCREDIBLES production designer Lou Romano is competing for the honor against fellow production designers Dante Ferretti for THE AVIATOR, Gemma Jackson for FINDING NEVERLAND, Rick Heinrichs for LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS and Anthony Pratt for THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.
Universal has obtained the film rights to Darren Shan bestselling childrens book series, CIRQUE DU FREAK, reports VARIETY. Brian Helgeland is attached to write/ exec produce with Lauren Shuler Donner producing. Helgeland plans to base the first film on the first three books in the dozen-book series. Universal hopes this will be a new trilogy for them. The storys main character is named Darren Shan and follows him to an illegal freak show where he is lured into becoming a vampire's assistant in order to save his best friend's life.
David Hulbert, former president, Walt Disney Television International, will be leaving the company in the wake of the Disney-ABC Television Group reorganization its television businesses in the European, Middle Eastern and African territories, promoting of two key executives to oversee this new organizational structure.
John Hardie, former svp/md, branded television, EMEA moves up to evp/md, Branded Television, EMEA while Tom Toumazis, former svp/md, Buena Vista International Television, EMEA advance to evp/md, Buena Vista International Television, EMEA.
Digital-Tutors has released PRINCIPLES OF PHOTOSHOP CS, the latest in a series of training resources for digital artists. In more than three hours of comprehensive training methods, PRINCIPLES OF PHOTOSHOP CS gives new users a wide understanding of the program and the technical and artistic direction to get started with Photoshop CS.
Taking animation and design to the next level, creative collective Psyops team of artists wrote, directed, designed and animated SHOXPLOITATION, a new commercial trailer and a collection of four short films for Nikes Shox Neo sneaker that crosses the look and feel of blaxploitation movie posters of the 1970s with high-end Japanese style animé.
wondertouch has launched particleIllusion 2.0 SE for Mac OS X, marking the companys first product to support the advanced operating system from Apple.
Electronic Arts has announced the development an interactive TV show, allowing viewers to control the characters like in THE SIMS, and a change in the deal to acquire 50% of Digital Illusions (DICE), reports REUTERS. The company is in early talks with production companies and might use a voting system to allow viewers to determine the actions of the characters.
Mandate Pictures (formerly known as Senator Intl) has announced that Takashi Shimizu will return to helm THE GRUDGE 2, reports VARIETY. Ghost House Pictures, Mandate's joint genre production label with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, will produce the film. The original American remake of the Japanese cult sensation JU-ON THE GRUDGE grossed out audiences to the tune of $110 million in the States and a global box office take of $143 million.
Starz Entertainment Group LLC (SEG) announced the renewal of their agreement with Angry Alien Prods to create ten more 30-second BUNNY THEATER shorts from animator Jennifer Shiman, the creator of Angryalien.com. The shorts will be aired on STARZ!, Starz on Demand and STARZ! Tickets on Real Movies. The first three movie spoof shorts aired during STARZ! Hare Raising Halloween Marathon last October.
Gnomon School of Visual Effects has been approved by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) to enroll non-immigrant M-1 students and to issue I-20s. Eligible foreign students may now receive visas to attend Gnomons High-End Computer Graphics Certificate Program or Maya Fast Track Program.
This is such an important step for us, said Kristin Bierschbach, Gnomons director of administration. Because of the quality of our programs and instructors, students from all over the world want to come to Gnomon. Now they can.
Eyetronics, an international provider of high resolution scanning services and animation-ready 3D models, is coming off its most successful year yet and looks to 2005 with a prestigious slate of projects, including RACING STRIPES, ELEKTRA, the much anticipated CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BATMAN BEGINS, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, LEGEND OF ZORRO, THE ICE PRINCESS and TRANSPORTER II. Among the recent feature films employing Eyetronics scanning services are ALEXANDER, BLADE: TRINITY, MASTER AND COMMANDER, KING ARTHUR, THE LAST SAMURAI and XXX.
The car commercial opens on a deserted car park roof, and takes us on a journey through a district of a modern day city.
The :60 spot shows the Audi A6 deconstructing into thousands of abstract component parts, which then travel from one end of the city to the other. These elements become recognizable as letters that go on to spell out the famous Audi strapline: Vorsprung, Durch, Technik.
Emmy Award-winning Zoic Studios provided vfx to Sci Fi Channels new BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, which debuts Jan. 14 at 9:00 pm/8:00 pm Central.
