AWN Headline News
This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for July 25, 2005
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for July 25, 2005
This week in AWN's Forums, a junior member pitches to the members to work on his new project for free and gets some interesting responses. Another blogger wants know more about exposure sheets. A member wants to know how good people were at animation when they were 15 years old. Theres also a request for advise on doing stop-motion animation. A new thread has popped up talking about the Sick & Twisted Festival. Theres another post asking whether taking a course or using online tutorials is a better learning option.
AWN & RES Magazine Sponsor Special SIGGRAPH Screening
Join AWN and RES Magazine on Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2005, at the historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood to celebrate the best in animated short films and music videos. The screening will focus on the years best animation and coincides with the 32nd annual SIGGRAPH computer graphics and interactive festival. See great new films, hear from special guests in attendance. Check out www.res.com for the programming lineup and where to buy tickets. As well, join us for a reception after the show. Buy your tickets today!
AWN Tribute To Lou Hertz
ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE will offer a tribute story to animation advertising veteran Lou Hertz, who died at his home in Atlanta on July 4, 2005, at the age of 73. He had been serving as president of the Atlanta ASIFA chapter and sat on the ASIFA International board of directors. Messages and remembrances from his colleagues and students have been pouring in to us. If youd like to add yours, please send them to editor@awn.com by Aug. 3. Artwork is also welcome, please send high-res, at 300 dpi.
Hot Spots Showcase Looking For Entries!
Makers of commercials, IDs and music video were looking for your work to highlight in the August addition of Animation World Magazine.
Avoid Eye Contact Volume 2 Released on DVD
Launched at the Annecy Animation Festival where many of its contributors were present, Avoid Eye Contact Volume 2, the best of NYC Independent Animation is available on DVD from The Animators of Square Footage Films at www.avoideyecontact.com.
Animators Bill Plympton, Patrick Smith, Fran Krause, PES and John Dilworth are some of the offerings on the new volume along with some newer independent filmmakers from New York.
4Kids Ent. to Merchandise Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Film
4Kids Entertainment Inc. will handle exclusive worldwide merchandising rights TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CGI-animated feature film expected to be released in early 2007. Playmates Toys will develop a toy line for the all-new TURTLES film from The Weinstein Co., Warner Bros. Pictures and Imagi Animation Studios
Charlie Still Top Choice at Movie Theaters
Tim Burtons CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (with delightful vfx from MPC, Framestore CFC, Cinesite and Digital Domain), is a double delight for Warner Bros., leading the box office for a second week in a row, taking in another $28.2M for a total of $114M for the weekend ended July 24, 2005.
Konami Acquires Game Rights For American Idol
Konami Digital Ent. Inc. announced a multi-year agreement with FremantleMedia Licensing Worldwide, Americas that gives the company the exclusive interactive videogame rights for AMERICAN IDOL. Pursuant to the agreement, FLW, Americas grants Konami the rights to develop games for current and next generation videogame systems. The games will be distributed throughout America, Canada and Latin America with more details to be revealed at a later date.
Renny Harlin Turns To The Covenant Comic
Renny Harlin is set to helm an adaptation of the graphic novel THE COVENANT, by CROSSING JORDAN writer Aron Coleite and artist Tone Rodriguez, reports PRODUCTION WEEKLY.
Adapted by J.S. Cardone, the story follows a group of four families whose patriarchs have great powers that have been passed down from father to son for generations. During that summer of fun and experimentation, the four boys next in line unknowingly release an evil into the world, which the Covenant must stop.
Burton to Help Turn 9 Animated Short into Feature
Shane Acker has landed an animation student's dream. Focus Features has agreed to turn his student short 9 into an animated feature with Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov (Russian director of NIGHT WATCH) and Jim Lemley (exec producer of RED EYE) producing, reports the trades. Acker will even get to direct. Focus president of production John Lyons will shepherd the film.
Colette Scott to Head Kodak Educational Initiatives
Colette Scott has been promoted to worldwide manager of the education Segment of Kodak's Entertainment Imaging Division, where she will guide ambitious programs aimed at developing Kodak's ongoing commitment to providing support for the next generation of filmmakers and their mentors at film schools around the world.
Janet Hill New EVP of Paramount Pictures Corp. Communications
Janet Hill takes on the newly created position of evp of corp. communications, Paramount Pictures, overseeing internal and external business plus media communications and public relations.
NBC Universal Renews Universal Studios President/CEO Ron Meyer
Universal Studios president/ceo Ron Meyer has signed a new five-year contract and will continue to lead the studios motion picture, parks & resorts and studio operations.
THQ Wants to Destroy All Humans! on the Big Screen
THQ Inc. announced that it has engaged United Talent Agency (UTA), a leading Hollywood talent and literary agency, to expand the brand of THQ's recently-released, top-selling DESTROY ALL HUMANS! videogame title. UTA aims to guide the property through its development into major motion picture and television projects, overseeing activities related to development, financing, production and distribution. This is the first time THQ has secured agency representation for one of its own original properties.
Amended Class Action Suit Filed Against DreamWorks Animation
The law firm of Milberg Weiss Bershad & Schulman LLP announces that an amended class action lawsuit was filed on July 21, 2005, on behalf of purchasers of the securities of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. that extends the Class Period. The previous Class Period was from October 28, 2004, to May 10, 2005. The new Class Period is from October 28, 2004, to July 11, 2005.
Disney Nabs Gibson’s Apocalypto
Disney has won a bidding war for the domestic distribution rights to Mel Gibsons next directorial effort, APOCALYPTO, reports VARIETY. Gibsons Icon will handle international distribution. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST director also wrote the script for the film, which will start production in Mexico in October for a summer 2006 release. Icon partner Bruce Davey will produce alongside Gibson.
Limelight Networks Launches Flash Video Streaming Solution
Limelight Networks announced the immediate availability of Flash video streaming for its industry-leading Content Delivery Network.
Sprite Animation to Premiere Journey Short at SIGGRAPH 2005
Sprite Animation Studios will premiere the original CG-animated short film, JOURNEY TO THE WEST, at the 2005 SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festivals Animation Theater. JOURNEY TO THE WEST is directed by Moto Sakakibara and produced by Junichi Yanagihara and Kyoko Aihara. With its beautiful use of color and funky pop images, JOURNEY TO THE WEST is a vivid demonstration of Sprite Animation Studios imaginative creative abilities.
Zack Petroc to Teach Digital Human Sculpting at Gnomon Workshop
Renowned digital modeler Zack Petroc (SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW) will teach a five-week course in Digital Sculpting of the Human Form at Gnomon Workshop. This course will run on Mondays from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, beginning Aug. 8 and running through Sept. 5. Those interested can register online, in person, via fax or postal service. For more information call 323/466-6663.
Autodesk Releases New Versions of VFX, Editing & Digital Color Grading Systems
Autodesk Inc. released new versions of its visual effects, editing/finishing and digital color grading systems. Used to create high-value feature film and television content, Autodesk's systems have been used on such major projects as CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, FANTASTIC FOUR, SPIDER-MAN 2, THE SOPRANOS and the CSI franchise.
Korea's Toon Biz Growing
Korea's animation industry is seeing increased growth as it moves from a subcontractor to a source of original productions, reports ARIRANG NEWS. For years, Korean producers had a hard time even garnering an audience in their own country, always being overshadowed by products from Walt Disney and Studio Ghibli.
Star-Studded Voice Talent Announced for New Marc Ecko Game
Atari Inc. and Marc Ecko announced an star-studded lineup of Hollywood talent providing voices for the characters featured in the videogame, MARC ECKO'S GETTING UP: CONTENTS UNDER PRESSURE. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Rosario Dawson, Brittany Murphy, George Hamilton, Giovanni Ribisi, Adam West, Andy Dick, Charlie Murphy, The RZA and Michael "M.C. Serch" Berrin will all add their voices to the first authentic videogame based on urban culture and graffiti art. Hip-hop artist Talib Kweli who will voice Trane the game's lead character was announced earlier this year.
Ant Bully Doesn’t Shrink on IMAX 3D
IMAX Corp., in association with Warner Bros. Pictures, Playtone Prods., its principals Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman and John A. Davis of DNA Prods., announced that THE ANT BULLY will be released simultaneously in IMAX 3D and conventional 2D format on Aug. 4, 2006. The film will be digitally converted into IMAX 3D and feature proprietary IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The picture marks Playtone's third IMAX film project and Warner Bros. Pictures 10th film commitment to IMAX. Warner Bros. Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of THE ANT BULLY to IMAX theaters worldwide.