AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for January 23, 2006
This week in AWN's Forums, the members are abuzz with the rumors that Disney is set to buy Pixar.
In Headline News | Geographic Region: All
AWN Headline News
Sail Your Films to Brazil for Anima Mundi
Anima Mundi 2006Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo, BrazilJuly 14-30, 2006Deadline: March 27, 2006
Anima Mundi is the International Animation Festival of Brazil, which brings to the Brazilian audience the best selection of films and videos from around the world. It is a variety specially designed for the adults and the children. The event runs in Rio de Janeiro from July 14-23 then moves to São Paulo from July 26-30. For more information, visit www.animamundi.com.br.
EA Hosts 'Reveal 06' Computer Animation Competition
Reveal 06Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada May 2, 2006Deadline: April 7, 2006
Electronic Arts is hosting 'Reveal 06' the company's second annual computer animation competition. Building on the success of last year's contest, EA is inviting graduating Canadian art and 3D animation students to submit their best animated short video for a chance to win a $20,000 grand prize and a matching grant to the grand prize winner's alma mater. The four-minute shorts will be reviewed by a panel of award-winning EA art directors.
Action/Cut 2006 Wants Your Shorts
Action/Cut 2006 Short Film CompetitionLos Angeles, California, USAAugust 15 - September 1, 2006Deadline: May 15, 2006
Spontaneous Creates U2’s Latest Music Video with SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT
New York-based design and vfx company Spontaneous used Softimage character animation technology to create the latest music video for the Grammy Award-winning rock band U2. The video for ORIGINAL OF THE SPECIES features a digital version of Bono, the bands lead singer, accompanied by a computer-generated woman. Both characters were created using SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 and animated with an alpha version of SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT, the new digital acting technology that allows 3D artists to achieve realistic, lifelike facial animation for high-end film, post and games projects.
Disney Goes to Infinity and Beyond with $7.4 Billion Pixar Purchase
Its a done deal: The Walt Disney Co. will acquire Pixar Animation Studios for an all-stock transaction to be completed this summer. Under terms of the agreement, 2.3 Disney shares will be issued for each Pixar share. Based on Pixar's fully diluted shares outstanding, the transaction value is $7.4 billion ($6.3 billion net of Pixar's cash of just above $1 billion).
Princess Tutu, E's Otherwise & Neo Ranga Hit DVD
ADV Films will release three new anime titles on Jan. 24, 2006. The new releases include new volumes of PRINCESS TUTU and ES OTHERWISE and the colossal new NEO RANGA COMPLETE COLLECTION.
In Anime, Home Entertainment, Anime, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe
FrameForge 3D Studio Version 2 Now Available
The new version of FrameForge 3D Studio is now available. The update offers greater ease-of-use, improved speed, TrueOptix Optically Accurate Depth of Field and a host of other new features.
AtomFilms Studio to Develop Original Online Video Content
Atom Ent. announced the opening of AtomFilms Studio, a new program which invests in independent producers to create broadband entertainment. AtomFilms Studio announced six development projects and plans to produce dozens more projects during the course of the year. New shorts from AtomFilms Studio will be distributed beginning this spring on the award-winning AtomFilms website (www.atomfilms.com) and its online and mobile entertainment partners.
Wallace & Gromit Wins PGA Award
In its inaugural year for award animated feature, The Producers Guild of America has awarded in top animation prize to WALLACE & GROMIT: CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. The announcement was made at a ceremony on Jan. 22, 2006, at the Century Plaza hotel. The other animated films nominated were CORPSE BRIDE, ROBOTS, CHICKEN LITTLE and MADAGASCAR. For a list of all the winners, visit www.producersguild.org/pg/awards_a/.
Digital Video Releases Toonz 5.0 Harlequin
Digital Video has released Toonz 5.0 Harlequin, which steps into paperless animation by integrating vector drawings in its traditional workflow based on raster drawings. This new environment allows to manage drawings, images and animation levels the way one prefers, preserving their nature throughout the workflow, with no unwanted conversion from raster to vector, or vice versa.
UPN & The WB Merge to Form The CW Network
CBS Corp. and Warner Bros. Ent. announced their intent to form a new 5th network, The CW, to be launched in the fall of 2006. The new broadcasting network will be a joint venture between Warner Bros. and CBS, with each company owning 50%. In an important strategic move that secures major market distribution for The CW, it was announced that Tribune Broadcasting and the CBS Corp.'s UPN affiliates have agreed separately to sign 10-year affiliation agreements with the new network.
Videogame Siren Screams Into Theaters
Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert's Ghost House Pictures has netted the film rights to Japanese videogame SIREN from SCE Worldwide Studios, Sony Computer Ent.'s worldwide game development studios for the PlayStation platforms, reports VARIETY. Working closely with the games director Keiichiro Toyama, Michael Gordon (forthcoming 300) will pen the script.
It's Time To Get Involved With AWN's MIP-TV Special Newsletters!
Continuing our special event specific Flash Newsletters, we will be publishing special editions for GDC & MIP-TV. The markets are fast approaching and our editorial and advertising staffs are gearing up for the GDC & MIP-TV-specific Flash Newsletter series. Here are the dates for the publications. Please send your news two weeks prior to the publication date.
Games Developers Conference 2005 Animation Flash NewsletterMarch 7
MIP-TV Flash NewslettersMarch 14March 21March 28
Magnum P.I. Feature Catches Dodgeball Director
DODGEBALL director Rawson Marshall Thurber has inked a deal to write and direct the big-screen adaptation of MAGNUM P.I. for Universal Pictures, reports the trades. Brian Grazer will produce via his Imagine Ent. company.
Don’t Miss Out On Getting Into Animation World Magazine & VFXWorld!
Each month, ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE focuses its attention on a particular theme.
In Headline News | Geographic Region: All
This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for January 23, 2006
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.
HOODWINKED, the independent CGI animated feature released in January 2006, opened with better than expected results its first weekend in release. Do you know anything about this film yet? If not, you probably wont know the answer to most of these questions.
Digital Animation for Freelance Producers Event Comes to U.K.
Digital Animation for Freelance Producers is six-day program exploring animation and CGI from a producers viewpoint.
The program includes evaluating all aspects of animation through design to delivery, budgeting and scheduling within a 3D environment, demystifying jargon, breaking down the roles within animation and CGI, and managing clients and artists within a 3D environment.
Underworld: Evolution Scares Up Box Office
Screen Gems UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION (with Luma Pictures as the leading vfx house) led the box office with $26.8M in its opening bow for the weekend ended Jan. 22, 2006. HOODWINKED, the hot 3D-animated indie from The Weinstein Co., followed in second place with $10.4M and a two-week cume of $28.6M. Buena Vistas GLORY ROAD slipped from first to third with $8.76M and $27.7M. Paramounts LAST HOLIDAY was right behind in fourth with $8.71M and $25.9M.
The Foundry Launches Furnace 3 for Shake
Leading visual effects developer The Foundry kicks off 2006 with the release of Furnace 3 for Shake, including brand new image processing plug-ins designed to significantly enhance workflow and productivity for Shake artists.
Furnace, available for Linux and OSX, is already a popular suite of image processing tools, designed to tackle every day compositing tasks, and the new release delivers Shake artists with an additional 10 plug-ins, many of which automate time-consuming processes in the creation of digital visual effects.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia
Lots of Houdini at VFX Bake-Off
Three of the seven films competing in the visual effects industry Bake-off on Jan. 25 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences used Houdini from Side Effects Software. They include CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. The Bake-off involves a 15-minute presentation to the Visual Effects Award Nominating committee, which will then create the final nomination list for the Visual Effects Oscar awarded each year by the academy.
Plenty of SHOW AND TELL from VES
The Visual Effects Society (VES) offered its version of the Academy Bake-Off with SHOW AND TELL 2006, all-day Saturday at Skirball Cultural Center. Boasting the largest turnout ever, with 200 participants, more than a dozen presenters and 30 different presentations, many industry luminaries offered in-depth presentations of the nominated works, including John Knoll (STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH), Joe Letteri (KING KONG), Dennis Muren (WAR OF THE WORLDS) and Dean Wright (THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE).
Da Vinci Code To Open Cannes
Ron Howard's THE DA VINCI CODE will open the 59th Festival de Cannes on May 17, 2006. Howards films that previously screened as Cannes include WILLOW, FAR AND AWAY and ED TV.
Based on Dan Browns best-selling thriller, the story chronicles the conspiracy developed to cover-up the true meaning of the Holy Grail. Many historians and religious leaders have criticized the book as pure fiction.
In Films, Visual Effects, Films, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, South America
Medal of Honor Airborne Flies Into Stores
Electronic Arts announced MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE, the newest installment from EAs critically-acclaimed MEDAL OF HONOR franchise. As the first game in the MEDAL OF HONOR series to be released on next-generation platforms, AIRBORNE will ship to stores in Winter 2006 under the EA brand for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Xbox and Windows PC.
Rendering Center To Be Built in Southern China
An animation rendering support center for animation production is being set for Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong Province, reports People.com.cn. The project hopes to bring all areas of animation production studio-design, financing, production, selling to the area.
The Institute of Digital Media Technology (Shenzhen) Ltd. (IDMT) will build the center. IDMT is a major 3D animation production company, which made the first 3D high-definition cartoon movie in China.
