AWN Headline News

Headline News

What’s New Scooby-Doo? Vol. 6 Monster Matinee Comes to DVD

WHATS NEW SCOOBY-DOO? VOL. 6 MONSTER MATINEE features episodes from the hit TV series, including four episodes selected for Halloween viewing for DVD viewing. This 88-minute offering of Hanna-Barbera produced SCOOBY episodes is a Warner Home Video is a release and streets Aug. 9, 2005, with a SRP of $19.97.

One of the episodes, A Scooby-Doo Halloween, includes an amped-out performance by KISS and a ghost seeking revenge for wrongs done to him 100 years ago.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Digital Headline News

Mark Spatny Named Supervising Producer at Stargate Digital

Mark Spatny has been appointed supervising producer at Stargate Digital to manage the producers and coordinators at Stargates Los Angeles facility, and help coordinate schedules and staffing company-wide. He will also continue to work on select projects as a visual effects supervisor.

Spatnys recent work for Stargate includes supervising the effects for the pilots THE BOOK OF DANIEL and AMY COYNE, and producing for the FOX feature IDIOCRACY. He is also working with Indian director Anubhav Sinha on visual effects for the Bollywood film DUS.

In People, Visual Effects, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animation Headline News

IDT Ent. Names Nick Foster CTO & Robert Taylor Animation Finance VP

Nick Foster was formerly head of Global FX at DreamWorks Animation, will take over as cto at IDT Ent., effective Aug. 15, 2005, with responsibility for unifying the technology and staff of the FX departments at the Los Angeles and Bay Area production studios. Robert Taylor has joined IDT Ent. as vp, animation finance, to oversee all production finance matters related to the animated slate.

In People, People | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

Lasseter & Barron Among 5 New Governors Elected to AMPAS Board

Animator John Lasseter and VFX Artist Craig Barron are among five new governors, three of them serving for the first time, who have been elected to represent their branches on the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Nine incumbent governors were reelected.

In People, People | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Television Headline News

Animal Logic Creates Cast of Thousands for the Big Ad

Huge crowd scenes were needed for Carlton Draughts latest advertising epic, the BIG AD, a hilarious parody of pompous beer ads, with an ode to BRAVEHEART comprised of unlikely armies of choral-robed gladiators singing about the glories of beer, accompanied by the bombastic CARMINA BURANA.

Animal Logic created 3D computer-generated human extras for all the large, aerial crowd shots, clothed them in flowing robes and then brought them into Massive, the award-winning AI-driven crowd simulation software from Massive Software.

In Commercials, Visual Effects, Commercials, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Australia

Headline News

Framestore Handles Photoreal CG Squirrels for Charlie

In helping realize Tim Burtons vision for the Nut Room factory sequence in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, Framestore CFC delivered photoreal digital, working closely with vfx supervisor Nick Davis. Combining its artistry with footage of both real and animatronic squirrels, Framestore CFC delivered 130 shots for the film, including some 64 featuring CG squirrels.

In Films, Visual Effects, Films, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

Calling Ghostbusters Again on DVD

VFX have obviously come a long way since the two GHOSTBUSTERS movies hit the screen in 84 and 89. Indeed, you can witness the vast differences between the two movies themselves, supervised by Richard Edlund and Dennis Muren, respectively, and created by EEG and ILM).

In fact, the vfx evolution is much more evident, thanks to the remastered DVDs that comprise the GHOSTBUSTERS I & II DOUBLE FEATURE GIFT SET (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $19.94). Welcome back to slime time with Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and co., courtesy of Ivan Reitman.

In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Services Headline News

Barbara Marshall Upped at Encore Hollywood

In a precursor to a vigorous new expansion effort, Ascent Media Creative Services Group has promoted Barbara Marshall to managing director of its Encore Hollywood post-production facility.

In People, Visual Effects, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia

Design Headline News

PowerNURBS Advances Creative Design Toolset

NPower Software, a division of Integrityware Inc, announced that PowerNURBS 1.0 will officially release on Sept. 15, and is now available for sale.

In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Working Headline News

eyeon Has a R!OT With Fusion 5

eyeon Software announced at SIGGRAPH 2005 that Santa Monica-based R!OT confirmed its decision to introduce Fusion 5 into its workflow.

R!ot is a vfx studio specializing in digital imagery, commercial, feature, music video, HD and television productions.

We are excited to add Fusion to our compositing pipeline, said R!OT vfx artist Andrew Wilkoff. The speed and functionality of Fusion 5, coupled with eyeons stellar support, will make it easy for us to deliver world class visual effects shots.

In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, North America

Headline News

Steamboy Flies Onto DVD

Katsuhiro Otomos STEAMBOY has now arrived on DVD from Columbia TriStar Home Ent. This original directors cut of the film is available in both a single disk edition ($26.96) and a special gift set ($49.95). The first feature Katsuhiro Otomo has written and directed since his watershed AKIRA (1988), STEAMBOY offers a fantastic, sepia-toned vision of the past-as-future. In place of the dystopic Neo-Tokyo of AKIRA, STEAMBOY is set in England in 1866. Young Ray Steam receives a Steam Ball, a mysterious, powerful device, from his inventor grandfather.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe, South America

Interactive Headline News

Midway Acquires Ratbag, Pacts with Ant Bully

Midway Games Inc. announced that it has acquired Ratbag Holdings Pty Ltd., a game development studio based in Adelaide, South Australia. Midway acquired the privately-held developer in a primarily stock transaction for 418,570 Midway shares. The studio is currently working on several unannounced Midway products for both current- and next-generation systems. The studio will be renamed Midway Studios - Australia.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Australia

Headline News

EA’s Madden NFL 06 Spirals Into Stores

Electronic Arts has shipped MADDEN NFL 06, the newest iteration of the EA SPORTS best-selling football franchise. Reflecting the focus on the passing game in the NFL, MADDEN NFL 06 has changed passing for the first time in ten years with the all-new QB Vision Control and QB Precision Placement and introduces the all new NFL Superstar mode, where you can live the life of an NFL Superstar.

In Interactive, Games, Interactive | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Film Headline News

Shopgirl Director Negotiates His Golden Compass

New Line Cinema is in talks with British director Anand Tucker (SHOPGIRL, HILARY AND JACKIE) to helm THE GOLDEN COMPASS, the feature film adaptation of the first installment of author Philip Pullman's popular HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, which includes THE GOLDEN COMPASS, THE SUBTLE KNIFE and THE AMBER SPYGLASS. HIS DARK MATERIALS is being produced by Deborah Forte of Scholastic Media, the publisher of the books.

In Films, Visual Effects, Films, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

YTV Goes Camping in August

Beginning Aug. 8 at 5:30 pm and running until Aug. 12, YTVs The Zone celebrates camping with themed episodes of SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS, JIMMY NEUTRON and ALL GROWN UP.

Then starting Aug. 20 at 6:00 pm until Aug. 21 at 9:00 pm, YTV will air back-to-back episodes of YTVs most peculiar programs, featuring four new episodes of DANNY PHANTOM as well as hair-raising favorites MARTIN MYSTERY, SMALLVILLE and MYSTERY HUNTERS.

In Anime, Television, Anime, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Time Headline News

Final Call for Free 7 Month VFX Course

Escape Studios, Skillset and six major U.K. post houses are still looking for entries to the Visual Effects Production Grade. Starting in October 2005, the VFX PG combines five months full time training and a two-month work placement in the post-production industry. Throughout this time not only will the training be free, but students will also be paid.

To be eligible you must be an experienced Maya user and an EU National.

In Education and Training, Visual Effects, Education and Training, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Universal Headline News

Cartoon Network to Air Land Before Time Series

Marking the first major milestone for Universal's newly formed family entertainment label, Universal Studios Home Ent. Family Prods. (USHEFP) announced that it has commenced production on 26 episodes of a new animated TV series, THE LAND BEFORE TIME. The series is slated to debut on Cartoon Network in 2007 and will be subsequently distributed on DVD by Universal.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for August 8, 2005

Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.

In Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for August 8, 2005

This week in AWN's Forums, a member asks whether ToonBoom Studio is worth the price. A student wants to know the pros and cons of the New England Institute of Art versus Ringling or Sheridan. Another student is looking to find a lead animator to interview for a school project. A member asks whether you can do traditional 2D animation in Flash. Others are looking for members to critique their work. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

In Flash, Flash | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Headline News

Dukes Power Hazardous Box Office

Warner Bros. big screen adaptation of THE DUKES OF HAZARD debuted in the top spot at the box office for the weekend ended Aug. 7, 2005, revving up $30.6M worth of ticket sales. New Lines WEDDING CRASHERS, last weeks winner, dropped to second place again with $16M for a cume of $143.6M. Warner Bros. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (with delightful vfx from MPC, Framestore CFC, Cinesite and Digital Domain) dipped to third place with $10.9M for a total of $169.4M.

In Anime, Films, Anime, Films | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Services Headline News

Bakers Man Cooks Up Truelight Ent. Headed By Keven O’Donnell

Bakers Man, an industry leader in Internet based technology, marketing communications and digital information management for the entertainment industry, has formed a new production company, TrueLight Entertainment, to provide a wide range of animation production, innovative marketing and e-learning services based on proprietary processes and tools. Industry veteran Kevin ODonnell is president of new media company.

In Business, Flash, Business, Flash | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

DisneyToon Studios Ups Elizabeth Wolfe to Publicity VP

Long time publicity veteran Elizabeth Wolfe has been upped to vp, publicity for DisneyToon Studios, responsible for all areas of publicity for DisneyToon Studios and liaisons with the publicity teams for Buena Vista Pictures Marketing Group and Buena Vista Home Ent. as well as other areas of The Walt Disney Co. Additionally, she oversees talent relations and special projects, which include working with numerous charitable organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Free Arts for Abused Children and Adopt a Family.

In People, People | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

4Kids Debuts New DVD Product Line

4Kids Entertainment introduced DVDouble Shot, a new line of low-priced, impulse-driven DVDs, during the recent VSDA 2005 in Las Vegas. Each DVD will contain two of the most memorable episodes of a given TV series, as selected by each series original producers and writers, with input from fans. Several 4Kids shows will be featured in the line, including YU-GI-OH!, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, WINX CLUB, SONIC X, CABBAGE PATCH KIDS and KIRBY: RIGHT BACK AT YA!.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Dell Headline News

NVIDIA nForce 4 SLI Supercharges New Dell Desktop PC

NVIDIA Corp. announced that the new Dell XPS 600 desktop PC features NVIDIA nForce4 SLI X16 Intel Edition technology and award-winning GeForce 7800 GTX graphics processing units (GPUs). This marks the first time that Dell has used a chipset enabling dual graphics in their product offerings.

In Technology, Technology | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Series Headline News

Noodlesoup Pours Into New Facility

Noodlesoup Prods. has moved into a new facility in New York City at 489 5th Ave., 26th Floor as of Aug. 1, 2005.

Our new, state-of-the-art facility brings together our extraordinary and diverse team of animation professionals and client-devoted project managers with stunning views of Bryant Park. Its a great place to practice the delicate business of creativity, said Noodlesoup ceo Nathan Graf.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All