Oscar-winner Brad Bird will be honored with the first Texas Avery Animation Award at the Deep Ellum Film Festival (DE/F2) on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005. Taking place at the North Dallas High School where famed animator Tex Avery attended, the event will be hosted by popular childrens author William Joyce (GEORGE SHRINKS, ROLIE POLIE OLIE) and film critic Gary Cogill. Tex Averys daughter, Nancy Avery Arkley, will also make an appearance.
Los Angeles-based producer/distributor PorchLight Ent. has signed an exclusive agreement to collaborate with LeapFrog Enterprises Inc. to develop television programming based on LeapFrogs valued educational content and popular brand.
Under terms of the agreement, PorchLight acquires the rights to develop and attract new television properties that will be launched with the LeapFrog brand name and make TV stars of the lovable LeapFrog characters Leap, Lily, Tad and others.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
This week in AWN's Forums, members are posting three sentences on CHICKEN LITTLE. A junior member wants to know why students first have cover 2D in colleges and cant go directly into 3D animation? Theres a thread on painting in Photoshop. Members are still talking about Cartoon Networks SUNDAY PANTS. Others have questions on exporting layers from Flash. Moreover, theres a thread on pricing animation. As well, lots of members have posted their work for others to check out and critique.
In just one week of release, STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH on DVD and the STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT II videogame brought in sales of $210 million in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia and Latin America, capping a record-breaking year for the STAR WARS franchise.
The two newest STAR WARS home entertainment releases debut in four more major international markets through Nov. 23.
Cookie Jar Ent. Inc. has awarded Mattel Inc. the worldwide master toy licensee for THE DOODLEBOPS. THE DOODLEBOPS, Cookie Jar's high energy, music-based, kids series, airs twice daily on Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney preschool block of programming in the U.S., and on CBC weekdays in Canada. The master license grants Mattel manufacturing and marketing rights for toys, dolls, feature plush, figures, playsets, games and puzzles that incorporate the rock 'n' roll fantasy from the TV series. Mattel plans to launch THE DOODLEBOPS toy line in fall 2006.
Atari Inc. and Epic Games announced that Atari has obtained the rights to use the Unreal Engine 3 and tools for games on next-gen platforms in a multiple-licensing agreement.
Were excited to continue building our relationship with Epic Games and we look forward to tapping the potential of Unreal Engine 3 technology, said Jean-Marcel Nicolai, svp of Worldwide Product Content, Atari Inc. By utilizing the Unreal Engine 3, Atari will gain rapid prototyping capabilities.
Artist-owned-and-operated Brickyard VFX announced the launch of a CG division, extending the companys on-site visual effects capabilities to include character modeling, animation and rendering in full 3D. The move, which includes the hiring of industry talents Jay Lichtman, Robert Sethi and Yafei Wu, is already allowing the bi-coastal effects studio to complete more and different types of client work.
Infamous AMERICAN HISTORY X helmer Tony Kaye is set to begin shooting the supernatural thriller, REAPER, according THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The film chronicles the story of a tortured man who is visited on his deathbed by the grim reaper, who offers him a chance at eternal life, which will give the man the chance to search for his kidnapped daughter. Kaye intends to shoot the lead characters tale in HD video and the reapers tale on film. The netherworld will be photographed in black & white. The $20 million film has a cast, which will be announced at a later date.
In November, TELETOON steps it up a notch with a month-long KAPOW! extravaganza, starting with the Canadian premiere of the new series, ALIEN RACERS. KAPOW is TELETOON's all action, Saturday morning lineup, which runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Production and distribution company Maxmedia has optioned the film rights to the forthing Microsoft videogame KAMEO: ELEMENTS OF POWER, reports VARIETY. Maxmedia plans to team with SKY BLUE production house Sunmin Park, to adapt the animated feature. She and Jungmin Ethan Park are producing the film, which is set to being production next year.
Top professionals from the U.K.s movie service industry will convene at the second UK Showcase, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, V FOR VENDETTA and MATCH POINT will be just a few of the movies discussed as collaborative efforts between the U.S. and U.K.
Industry speakers at UK Showcase 2005 will present seminars and Q&A sessions on finance, production and shooting, post-production, digital distribution and interactive budgeting.
Exceeding all expectations, CHICKEN LITTLE, Disneys first full 3D-animated feature, debuted with an impressive $40M for the weekend ended Nov. 6, 2005. It marks the best opening for a Disney animated feature since LILO & STITCHS $35.3M back in 2002. Apparently even adults flocked to the movie. In addition, the launch of CHICKEN LITTLE in digital 3D proved very promising as well, turning in an estimated $2.1M in 85 U.S. locations.
Softimage Co. announced the TD Love Training Tour, the first in a new series of technical seminars (free for a limited time) designed by and for CG professionals on how to use SOFTIMAGE technology for improving character creation and visual effects production processes. During the events, experts from CG Soup, Pixologic and the Softimage Special Projects teams will be on-hand to demonstrate how using SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0, ZBrush 2 and SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT software gives studios an advantage for producing high-quality 3D art in a realistic timeframe.
Alias announced its plans for 3December 2005, the 7th annual global celebration of 3D computer graphics, including the first-ever online component. With festivities spanning the globe in over 20 host cities, 3December is expected to draw thousands of entertainment and design experts, enthusiasts and students to cities including: Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, London, New York, Los Angeles and many other major North American cities. Global 3December events are free for participants. The event is made possible in part by sponsors Hewlett-Packard Co., Intel Corp. and ATI Technologies Inc.
Director/animator/producer/composer Derek Lamb passed away Nov. 5, 2005, in Washington after a long battle with cancer. His wife Tracie Smart was at his side.
Lamb started his animation career with the National Film Board of Canada in the 1960s. He worked extensively as a writer, director and producer in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, both in commercial and experimental film.
International animation producers are tying to gain a foothold in the world's largest cell phone market reports CHINAVIEW.COM.
"One exciting venue which holds great potential for animation in China and around the world is the cell phone," said Sander K. Johnson, president of International Television for Asia (ITA), during the Fourth China Cartoon Industry Forum, being held in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.
Leading French producer Ellipsanime, part of the Dargaud Group, is producing an additional 26 13-minute episodes of its hit television series, LITTLE KING MACIUS, following production on the much-anticipated feature film version of the popular show. Co-production partners are Saxonia Media and Studio 88 in Germany, Araneo in Belgium, Spains Docon Film, and Orange in Poland in association with Ki.Ka and France 5.
One of the most powerful sessions at the recent Serious GamesSummit held Oct. 31-Nov. 1, 29005, in Arlington, Virginia, was for an edugame for firefighters, Hazmat HotZone. Ten New York City firefighters showed up in front of the Standing Room Only room to demonstrate the game, including two chiefs, two captains and a lieutenant (an instructor) from the NYFD Training Academy, all of them in full uniform that was really dramatic.
The 26th American Film Market (AFM), which opened on Nov. 2, 2005, reports record attendance with an all-time high of 8,014, a 13% increase over last years 7,064. They are also better armed to deal with digital distribution issues thanks to new Model International Licensing Agreements containing clauses to deal specifically with the emerging world of digital distribution, drawn up by AFM parent organization the Independent Film & Television Alliance.
The highly anticipated and publicized series, THE BOONDOCKS, Adult Swims new animated comedy series based on Aaron McGruders award-winning comic strip of the same name, premieres Nov. 6, 2005, at 11:00 pm on Cartoon Network.
BOONDOCKS fans should find the series a good transition from comic strip to a provocative family-based comedy in your face with social relevance and satire. It has an arresting, anime look that is true to the color and graphic line style of the comic and stands out with a somewhat different, appealing look for animation and comics fans.
Warner Home Video will release THE HUCKLEBERRY HOUND SHOW: VOLUME 1, THE YOGI BEAR SHOW: THE COMPLETE SERIES and THE FLINTSTONES: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON on DVD Nov. 15. Each four-disc deluxe collectors box set will retail for $44.98.
Paramount Home Ent. has greenlit the first feature length production of QUEER DUCK THE MOVIE from four-time Emmy award-winning creator and writer Mike Reiss (THE SIMPSONS, THE CRITIC). The original shorts were broadcast on the Net on Icebox.com and later aired on Showtime.
The pro-Israeli Middle East Media Research Institute is reporting that Iranian state-sponsored IRIB TV has aired two childrens cartoons promoting anti-Israeli propaganda, including suicide bombing.
Though its not new for politicians to us animation in their campaigns, more and more politicians are turning to Web animation to get their message out, according to an AP report.
The often-satirical ads are cheap to produce and have the potential to be spread to many voters quickly over the Net.
