NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, has launched a 50-city tour demonstrating how to work faster and lower costs using NewTek tools. The tour, spanning January through April, highlights TriCaster, VT[4], LightWave 3D and 3D Arsenal Creation Theater.
THQ Inc. has the exclusive worldwide rights to develop and publish videogames based on the forthcoming teen spy movie, STORMBREAKER. The movie follows the award-winning author Anthony Horowitz's series of best-selling Alex Rider books. The videogames, developed by Altron for Nintendo DS and Razorback Developments for Game Boy Advance, are scheduled for a simultaneous worldwide launch with the movie in summer 2006.
Disney's animated comedy series, THE EMPEROR'S NEW SCHOOL, premieres on four platforms Disney Channel, Disney Channel on Demand, Toon Disney and the ABC Television Network's ABC Kids, beginning Jan. 20-30, 2006. Based on the 2000 theatrical movie, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, the comedy/action series is the first to premiere across the four kids' TV platforms.
Daniel Taylor is stepping down from his post as president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM), as of Jan. 31, 2006, having completed the first phase of MGM's transition to its new business model as well as restructuring MGM's operations.
VisionFest 2006Indianapolis, Indiana, USAJune 1-4, 2006Deadline: February 10, 2006
VisionFest 2006 is the nations largest juried digital arts festival for high school and college students. Entries must be postmarked no later than midnight, Friday, Feb. 10, 2006, to qualify for competitive judging and critique.
Oxford International Festival Of FilmsOxford, U.K.May 2-12, 2006Deadline: February 15, 2006
Oxford International Festival Of Films promises white-hot films and stars from around the world. The film festival celebrates cinema from around the world both professional and student. This years event will feature workshops and seminars, highlight the work done on the LORD OF THE RINGS, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and HARRY POTTER films. For more information, visit www.oxfordfestivalfilms.com.
Zoie Films Online FestivalWorld Wide WebFebruary 15, 2006Deadline: February 15, 2006
The Zoie Films Online Festival celebrates 10 years of independent cinema and showcases the best works from around the globe. This unique forum utilizes the best technology for presentation and allows filmmakers to be seen by an international audience. ZoieFest offers viewers a non-stop film festival from your desktop for anyone seeking an independent film, animation or documentary quick fix. For more information, visit www.zoiefilms.com.
The characters from STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE and the animated series DRAGON BOOSTER will find their way into McDonalds Happy Meals and Mighty Kids Meals nationwide. Running Jan. 27 through Feb. 23, 2006, guests will receive one of eight berry fun Strawberry Shortcake characters or one of eight DRAGON BOOSTER action figures with the purchase of a Happy Meal or Mighty Kids Meal, at participating McDonalds restaurants, while supplies last.
Orlando-based Digital Ribbon has signed a cross-marketing agreement with Maxwell Render, a digital animation firm based in Spain, who will provide use of its digital animation software to Digital Ribbon clients. Both firms will earn commissions on software licensing agreements.
MTV Networks and Apple announced Jan. 26, 2006, that hit television programming from MTV, MTV2, COMEDY CENTRAL, Nickelodeon and The N is now available for purchase and download on the iTunes Music Store (www.itunes.com). The new content features favorites, such as PUNK'D, SOUTH PARK, DORA THE EXPLORER, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and LAGUNA BEACH.
Producer and distributor Cinamour Ent. announced at NATPE that it signed fours deals for its martial arts film, FORBIDDEN WARRIOR. Cinamour sold the 90-minute film to Rainbow Media's VOOM HD Channels, Eurocine (Spain and Andorra), Brand View Media (China Home Video) and DAAR Communications (Nigeria). The fantasy-adventure film follows the adventures of a female Asian mythical hero.
TOKYOPOP and game producer Blizzard Ent. announced the release of WARCRAFT: SHADOWS OF ICE, the second volume of the successful manga series, based on Blizzard's popular WARCRAFT game universe. WARCRAFT: DRAGON HUNT, the first volume of the trilogy, has gone back to print four times in less than one year. The manga is written by NEW YORK TIMES best-selling fantasy author Richard Knaak who has also written four WARCRAFT text novels and is illustrated by Jae-Hwan Kim, artist of TOKYOPOP's KING OF HELL series.
Screen Gems has hired AMITYVILLE HORROR director Andrew Douglas to turn Min-Woo Hyungs manga PRIEST, published by TOKYOPOP, into a feature film, reports VARIETY. Mitchell Peck, Mike De Luca, Sam Raimi and Josh Donen will produce the film, which is set to start production this summer. Cory Goodman wrote the screenplay.
The tale is a vampire Western that follows a warrior priest who disobeys church law by partnering with a young sheriff and a priestess to hunt down a band of renegade vampires who have kidnapped his niece.
One of the first signs that things will change at Disney under Pixars Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, Lasseter informed Walt Disney Feature Animation employees that TOY STORY 3 would cease production immediately, reports the ASSOCIATED PRESS.
Reaction within the industry to Disneys $7.4 billion acquisition of Pixar has been very positive so far, and was even was the talk of last nights VFX Bake-Off at the Academy. Two very dynamic companies getting stronger, was echoed by many, with the hope that Pixar can remain Pixar while helping to reinvigorate Disney animation.
Leading longform post-production company Post Logic Studios has hired marketing exec and digital intermediate producer Carrie Holecek for the newly created position of vp of business development. In her new role, Holecek will have oversight of the companys sales and marketing activities; her responsibilities will also extend to the studios digital production workflow and client relationships and services.
NVIDIA Corp. launched the new NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GS graphics processing unit (GPU). The latest addition to the Companys award-winning GeForce 7 Series line up, the GeForce 7300 GS boasts the video and gaming features of todays most advanced GPUs to deliver stunning, high-def video up to 1080i resolution and cutting edge gaming effects. In addition, the GeForce 7300 GS GPU is primed for the upcoming Microsoft Vista operating system (OS).
IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Pictures will release V FOR VENDETTA, the action-adventure from the creators of THE MATRIX trilogy, simultaneously to IMAX and conventional theaters on March 17, 2006. Produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski Brothers, directed by James McTeigue and starring Natalie Portman, V FOR VENDETTA will be digitally re-mastered through IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Warner Bros. Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theaters worldwide. It features vfx from Cinesite (Europe) and Double Negative.
New England quarterback Tom Brady joins the animated lineup of on FOX Jan. 29, 2006, doing a guest voice appearance on a special football-themed episode of FAMILY GUY at 9:00 pm.
MTV Networks Latin America announced a slate of new acquisitions from Paramount, Sony Studios, Warner Bros. and NBC Universal, among others, to further bolster its 2006 program schedule as the network prepared for this weeks National Association of Programming Executives Conference, NATPE, in Las Vegas. The new acquisitions span a variety of genres and styles and will air in the region on Nickelodeon, VH1 and LOGO.
Christina Norman, president, MTV, and Brian Graden, president of entertainment, MTV Networks Music Group and president of Logo, announced a radical new organizational structure for MTV that will allow the network to more aggressively develop and deliver dynamic content for audiences across all screens. MTVs multiplatform strategy revolves around building an engaging universe of music, entertainment, news, community and interactivity that allows the audience access to content whenever and wherever they want across a mix of platforms.
Comedy Central has launched on iTunes, with 56 half-hour episodes featuring the network's leading franchises the Emmy Award-winning SOUTH PARK, DRAWN TOGETHER and COMEDY CENTRAL STAND-UP. A download of a new episode of hit-animated reality series, DRAWN TOGETHER, will be available on Monday, Jan. 30, 2006, three days in advance of the Feb. 1, network debut making this an "iTunes Episode Premiere."
Cartoon Networks Adult Swim has ordered 20 new episodes of THE BOONDOCKS, the new hit series from creator Aaron McGruder, based on his award-winning comic strip of the same name.
The second season, to debut in winter 2006, will be produced by McGruder's production company, Rebel Base, in association with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). Ten episodes of the initial 15-episode order have already aired this season.
AtomFilms unveiled the winners of the Intel Indies Film Contest (intel.atomfilms.com ) at an Intel-sponsored event at the Sundance Film Festival. An experienced panel of film industry judges culled through hundreds of entries from 40 different states to determine the winning films. The grand prize-winner, Nicholas Worthey, received $25,000 in cash, $20,000 in Intel Viiv technology-based digital home equipment and an original content development deal with AtomFilms Studio.
The Gnomon Workshop has released its first training titles from Stephen McClure titled, MATCHMOVING 101: FUNDAMENTALS. Matchmoving integrates computer-generated visual effects into a live-action plate for film, television, music videos or commercials. Using real-world situations, MATCHMOVING 101 takes the artist from the set-survey process through recreating camera elements in Maya.
