jack is the new kid on the block of visual effects companies and is quickly making a statement. Having officially launched in Venice, California, feature film and commercial production companies now have a new creative partner for high-end visual effects, finishing and previs.
With a takeoff of $24.6M, Buena Vistas FLIGHTPLAN, the Jodi Foster airplane thriller (with vfx from Lola Visual Effects and Peerless Camera Co.), withstood TIM BURTONS CORPSE BRIDE for the weekend ended Sept. 25, 2005. However, Warner Bros. should be pleased with the $19.1M tallied by the stop-motion feature as it goes wide throughout North America. CORPSE BRIDE (with vfx by MPC) now has $19.65M. Coming in third place with $9.6M was DreamWorks romantic fantasy, JUST LIKE HEAVEN (with vfx by Big Red Pixel), which now totals $29.8M.
Nicktoons, Nickelodeons 24-hour animation network, has renamed and rebranded itself to become Nicktoons Network on Sept. 23, 2005. The network, which became ad-supported I August, will continue to showcase a variety of animation all day and night. Targeting kids 6-14, Nicktoons Network features programming that is 75% exclusive to the channel. In addition to a new name and logo, Nicktoons Network sports a fresh look with new packaging both on-air and on the networks new website, www.NicktoonsNetwork.com.
Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, a leading animation training institute in India and part of the internationally acclaimed Maya Entertainment Ltd., hosted a seminar on Career Opportunities in the Animation Industry at the Music Academy in Chennai recently, reports CHENNAI ONLINE.
The 2005 Cartoon d'Or has been awarded to Marc CRASTE of the U.K. for his short, JOJO IN THE STARS.
The Cartoon d'Or winner receives 15,000 euros from MEDIA as a pre-production aid to begin a more ambitious project like a feature film or a TV special. The prize was awarded on Sept. 24, 2005, at the closing night of the 16th Cartoon Forum held in Kolding, Denmark.
With DreamWorks Animation recently announcing its slate of upcoming films, Walt Disney Studios chairman Richard Cook announced Disneys forthcoming films at the Walt Disney Studios Showcase, which offered previews of the studio's slate through 2008 and featured cameo appearances by Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and Elton John, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The daylong event was held at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland for exhibitors, retailers, merchandisers and other business partners.
Alan Gregg has been upped to vp, production and distribution, children's television, at Alliance Atlantis Communications to fill the void by Ken Faiers departure to Nerd Corps Ent. Based in Alliance Atlantis head office in Toronto, Gregg is responsible for developing and implementing the overall strategy for the companys childrens properties, including all aspects of production and distribution.
Cartoon Network will launch SUNDAY PANTS, a new Sunday evening, 30-minute showcase of original and acquired animated shorts, starting Oct. 2, 2005, at 9:30 pm. SUNDAY PANTS will feature a variety of animation styles, from traditional hand-drawn animation to artists working on computer-based Flash and CGI, as well as both original and acquired shorts, giving Cartoon Network the opportunity to work with many different animators from around the world.
PBS KIDS GO! Kicks off its third annual CYBERCHASE ONLINE CONTEST in which kids may hone their sleuthing skills will the chance to win two Intel Centrino Mobile Technology-based notebook computers -- one for the winner and one for the winner's school or community group -- as well as fun CYBERCHASE products donated by Flying Minds, the online store for "Cool Stuff For Clever Kids."
Intel is a corporate sponsor of CYBERCHASE, the popular math-mystery cartoon series seen weekdays on PBS KIDS GO!
San Francisco-based animation studio Wild Brain has hired Dan Rounds as producer/head of development. He will lead the feature development efforts in acquiring and developing the companys first 3D-animated feature. (OPUS, the proposed BLOOM COUNTY 3D-animated spinoff about the wisecracking penguin, was not given the green light once Miramax split from Disney.)
The world premiere of Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE will take place Dec. 7 at Londons Royal Albert Hall in the presence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Chosen as the prestigious 2005 Royal Film Performance, the premiere is a fundraising event in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. The movie opens Dec. 9 in the U.S.
e frontier America Inc., a leading publisher of multimedia software, and Bauhaus Software Inc., a leading provider of 2D animation and special effects tools, announced a wide-ranging distribution agreement for Bauhaus Mirage 2D animation system. Combining e frontiers distribution capacity with the strength of the Mirage animation platform will allow both companies to target a broader end-user base, reach new vertical markets, and deliver immense value to both freelancers and professional graphics studios.
Maya 7 Personal Learning Edition (PLE) and MotionBuilder 7 Personal Learning Edition are now available for download at www.alias.com/mayaple and www.alias.com/motionbuilderple, respectively. Maya 7 PLE and MotionBuilder 7 PLE are special versions of Maya Complete and Alias MotionBuilder Standard that provide free access to the software for non-commercial use.
Korea-based Gravity Co. Ltd., an online game developer and distributor, has launched its mobile games in Japan and North America. Gravity launched RAGNAROK TACTICS, a strategic simulation 3D mobile game, and RAGNAROK 2 MOBILE EPISODE VERIENE, a 3D mobile action role- playing game, in Japan at the Tokyo Game Show 2005 (TGS 2005), which ran from Sept. 16-18, 2005.
Marvel Ent. and Activision have released the latest games based on the X-MEN and SPIDER-MAN comics.
Universal Pictures has forked over seven figures to Joss Whedon for him to direct his fantasy thriller spec script GONERS, reports VARIETY. Mary Parent and Scott Stuber are set to produce.
"It's the story of a young woman's journey that involves a great deal of horror and some heroics," Whedon said. "It's certainly darker than SERENITY, and there are a lot of left turns along the way. It is something I had in mind for a while, and it just poured out of me when I finished my film."
Paramount has hired Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn to write an adventure version of the legend of St. George and the dragon, according to VARIETY. Red Wagon's Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher are producing. The studio paid high six figures against low seven figures.
The myth chronicles the knight's struggle to save a feudal princess from a fearsome beast. As a twist, the knight will be not chivalrous and the princess not chaste.
Triple Take Media and CowParade Holdings Corp., a world-renowned organization whose cow motif art and collectible figurines have spawned a multimillion dollar franchise, have established a joint venture designed to expand the beloved COWPARADE brand into all areas of media and merchandising.
Veteran TV publicity exec James Anderson joins Cartoon Network as vp of public relations, overseeing external and internal communications supporting the domestic Cartoon Network brand, including the flagship television network and its sister services, Adult Swim and Boomerang; and Cartoonnetwork.com.
Cookie Jar Entertainment, the entertainment arm of Cookie Jar Group, is expanding its U.S. Operations with the appointment of Lisa Tanzer to vp, U.S. marketing, and André Lake Mayer to vp, U.S. licensing.
Mike Young Productions dives into intl co-production DIVE! OLLY! DIVE!, a 3D CGI 52x11 series targeted at kids 4-7. Indigenous versions of the show will be created for individual markets.
DIVE! OLLY! DIVE!, created by two U.K.-based Liverpudlians, Ian and Andrew Ross, the show will be a co-production of Mike Young Productions UK Ltd., Yoram Gross Australia, KIKA of Germany, Telegael of Ireland, Taffy Ent. and Moonscoop of France.
Toon Boom Animation has released Toon Boom Solo, a new stand-alone animation software solution designed to for smaller studios and independent animation filmmakers. Solo offers a new level of creativity, efficiency and simplified workflow to produce animation of the highest quality for film, video, television, web sites, games and mobile devices.
INVADER ZIM fans have been pining for new action figures, ever since the release of Palisades first wave earlier this year. And while the second wave of regular figures will be available next month, fans can head to Hot Topic stores for all-new figures right now.
The second exclusive wave of INVADER ZIM action figures began to show up at Hot Topic stores a few weeks ago, and sales have been swift. This second wave of exclusives features all five characters from Series 2 with newly sculpted heads and all-new accessories.
Hot Topic Series 2 includes:
The Irish live-action short, PREY ALONE, comprised almost entirely of virtual environments (co-directed by James Mather and Stephen St. Leger), won the Jury Added Award for Excellence in Digital Filmmaking at The Action/Cut 2005 Short Film Competition earlier this month in Los Angeles.
Jane Austens classic novel PRIDE & PREJUDICE, one of the greatest and most memorable battles of the sexes ever portrayed in literature, has been enhanced for its latest cinematic release by leading London visual effects house Double Negative.
