ADV Announces May 10 Releases
ADV Films has announced three new titles set to hit the streets on May 10, 2005 the second volume of CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL, volume five of CHRONO CRUSADE and the second season box set of MUTANT X.
ADV Films has announced three new titles set to hit the streets on May 10, 2005 the second volume of CROMARTIE HIGH SCHOOL, volume five of CHRONO CRUSADE and the second season box set of MUTANT X.
The 58th Cannes Film Festival will honor George Lucas for his film career with the celebrated "Trophy of the Festival" onboard Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, on May 15, 2005, to an audience of hundreds of Cannes attendees.
On that same day in Cannes, Lucas will debut the long-anticipated, worldwide preview of STAR WARS: EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. The film opens in theaters worldwide on May 19.
PorchLight Ent. has announced that Discovery Kids and Jetix Europe have ordered 13 new episodes of the Emmy award-winning animated series, TUTENSTEIN. The new episodes are scheduled for delivery in 2006. Discovery Kids Channel and Jetix Europe are the series partners in the U.S. and Europe respectively. In the U.S., Tutenstein airs on the Discovery Kids channel and the Discovery Kids Saturday morning block on NBC.
Off your Box CompetitionWest Midlands, U.K. May 20, 2005Deadline: May 20, 2005
Screen Media Lab is holding the first annual Off your Box competition and it needs talented, creative people to get involved and win great prizes. Prizes include Sony PSP, Apple Mac mini and Apple iPod shuffle. Short films, animation and interactive media are all eligible. This years theme is Future Living or City Culture. For more information, visit www.offyourbox.co.uk.
Anima Estudios has announced with the support of Fidecine Mexico the release of its second feature animated film, IMAGINUM. The film will be released in theaters nationwide in August 2005, distributed by Videocine, the movie production and distribution company of Televisa.
The main characters are voiced by Eugenio Derbez (Mexico´s most popular comedian), Giovanni Florido, Ilse Olivo and Ruben Trujillo.
DC Comics unveiled a new DC Comics company logo that will appear on comicbooks, graphic novels and, for the first time ever, on films and television series based on DC properties. The new DC logo will make its first appearance on a DC Comics cover May 25, 2005, when the company publishes DC SPECIAL: THE RETURN OF DONNA TROY #1 and will then appear on the entire DC line the following week.
This week in AWN's Forums, a new member asks questions about quality issues regarding the transfer of Flash animation to video. More second Flash question comes in the form of a member wondering why his animation looks like trash. Another post asks: whats the difference between cartooning and animation? Theres a thread asking users of XSI for help. Another blogger wants to know how you can teach yourself 2D. In addition, theres a question about where are the best places on the Web to view animation.
IDT Ent. announced that its subsidiary Anchor Bay Ent. has closed a credit agreement with a bank group led by J.P. Morgan Chase Bank. The credit agreement provides for a $50 million, five-year, secured revolving credit facility which may be increased to up to $75 million.
Continuing our special event specific Flash Newsletters, AWN has added a new mailing for Annecy International Animation Festival and will continue with its coverage of Licensing. These two important events are fast approaching and our editorial and advertising staff is gearing up for the Flash Newsletter series. Please send releases to editor@awn.com. Here are the dates for the publications.
Annecy 2005May 24, 2005
Licensing 2005:June 7, 2005June 14, 2005
ABC and exec producer Robert Halmi Sr. have announced the international cast for its miniseries THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, reports the trades. Dougray Scott, Omar Sharif, Naveen Andrews, Mia Maestro and Linus Roache will headline the big-budget, four-hour telling of classic biblical tale of Moses. Ron Hutchinson (THE JOSEPHINE BAKER STORY) wrote the screenplay and Robert Dornhelm (TVs SPARTACUS) is directing.
Leading post-production boutique Post Logic Studios has appointed Manny Fernandez to the newly created position of managing director of its Manhattan-based satellite Post Logic N.Y.C. Opened in March 2004 with a focus on long form work, the New York operation has flourished since its inception and will now broaden its client base to include television and commercial projects. To accommodate its new clientele, Post Logic N.Y.C. has added a second Spirit HD/SD telecine.
20th Century Fox Television has signed a two-year overall deal with Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman, exec producers and showrunners for Fox's new animated comedy, AMERICAN DAD. As part of the seven-figure deal, the duo will continue on AMERICAN DAD if it is renewed in addition to developing other half-hour projects for the network. Barker and Weitzmans credits also include NBCs FATHER OF THE PRIDE and the WBs OFF CENTRE.
Perforce Software announced that the 2005.1 version of its software configuration management system (available beginning May 16) enables users to preview multiple versions of an image and increases productivity for technical and non-technical users.
After a limited theatrical run in the U.S. earlier this year, Geneon Entertainment releases APPLESEED on DVD May 10, 2005 with the UMD format to come out July 5.
This sci-fi anime the film is based on the manga story by Masamune Shirow (GHOST IN THE SHELL) and directed by Shinji Aramaki (BUBBLEGUM CRISIS). APPLESEED features a groundbreaking animation style, "3D Live Anime," blending motion-capture technology and 3D computer animation, and enhanced by the latest in 2D character animation.
Noodlesoup Prods. (NSP) has signed 3D director/animator Doug Johnson. Johnson has directed spots for such clients as Novartis, IBM, Nabisco, SBC, Combe Inc. and Nickelodeon. He has also been a lead CG animator on numerous award-winning spots for Orkin, Primeco, Sci Fi Channel, AT&T, Bell South and others.
Framestore NY has completed work on POETRY, a :30 spot for GMCs new Envoy Denali via agency Carol H. Williams. POETRY, which develops around the visual motif of materializing fantasies, features underground hip hop artist Mos Def and began airing May 7.
Jeff Herrera has been appointed to the newly created position of vp multicultural marketing for Universal Studios Home Ent. (USHE), to oversee the crafting and implementation of marketing strategies aimed at Latinos, African-Americans, and other ethnic groups. Herrera will work closely with USHE's sales and marketing departments to develop strategies and programs as well as play a key role in identifying and implementing partnership opportunities between USHE and its NBC Universal sister company, Spanish-language television network, Telemundo.
Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) and the Major League Baseball Players Assoc. (MLBPA) have joined with Cartoon Network for the second year of a program designed to promote youth interest in baseball and baseball card collecting by reaching out to the millions of children who watch Cartoon Network original programming. The partnership, designed to engage children in the game of baseball via non-traditional media partners that speak directly to youth audiences, features characters from the popular Cartoon Network program CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR.
Majesco Ent. Co. and Tiger Hill Ent., an entertainment production company co-founded by director John Woo that produces both videogames and feature films, announced, DEMONIK a next-generation, third person action game franchise with acclaimed writer/director Clive Barker. The agreement furthers Majesco's expansion into developing new intellectual properties and underscores the company's commitment to partner with Hollywood's top creative talent.
Zingy has announced an exclusive mobile publishing agreement with G-Unit, a leading urban brand founded by award-winning hip hop artist, 50 Cent. Under the agreement, Zingy will release a series of games based on members of the G-Unit crew, including 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck and Tony Yayo.
Zingy is the exclusive distributor of 50 Cent voice ringtones, ringback tones, voicemail greetings, wallpapers and video ringtones. This extension of the partnership between the two entities will now include an array of 2D and 3D G-Unit mobile videogames.
Universal has secured the film rights to the young adult fantasy novel series OUTCAST, reports VARIETY. Charlie Mitchell (forthcoming THE CHILDREN OF THE DUST BOWL) has been hired to adapt the screenplay. Additionally, Mitchell will produce along with Donaldson/Sanders' Peter Donaldson and Circle of Confusion's Jason Lust.
On a film already in production, Hugo Weaving, who has been immortalized as Agent Smith in THE MATRIX films and his elfin role in THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, will replace James Purefoy (RESIDENT EVIL) as the star of V FOR VENDETTA, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The reason for the move was not announced, but the film is still set to hit theaters Nov. 4, 2005. The cast also includes Natalie Portman, Stephen Rea, Rupert Graves and Stephen Fry.