AWN Headline News

Headline News

Pixar Updates 2nd Quarter Via Incredible Sales Slip

Pixar Animation Studios announced an update to its fiscal second quarter 2005 guidance, following a review of the most current domestic and international home video sales data for THE INCREDIBLES. The company is updating its second quarter home video projections to increase its reserves for returns. As a result, Pixar is modifying its earlier projection of roughly $0.15 per diluted share for the quarter ending July 2, 2005, to approximately $0.10 per diluted share, which equates to around a $6 million difference in net income.

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

Farmer Headline News

Dungeon Siege Sees Stars

Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys Davies, Ron Perlman, Matthew Lillard, Burt Reynolds and Kristanna Loken are set to star in director Uwe Boll's the sword-and-sorcery videogame DUNGEON SIEGE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The $60 million adaptation starts filming July 3, 2005, in Vancouver, British Columbia.

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

Design Headline News

Tarzan the Musical Sings Into Broadway

Disney has officially announced that its will indeed bring a stage musical version of TARZAN to Broadway next spring, reports VARIETY. The project had been in the development stage for years. No theater has been announced and Shuler Hensley (THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL) is in final negotiations to take on the title role.

Cast size for DISNEY PRESENTS TARZAN will be 34. There will be no out-of-town tryout, and a previously announced workshop for this summer will not take place.

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

Headline News

TELETOON Celebrates Canada Day & More in July

TELETOON pays tribute to Canada and its great Canadian series with a full day of Canadian produced programs on Canada Day, Friday, July 1 from 11:00 am 9:00 pm. The lineup includes:

MISS SPIDERS SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS Fly Away Friends/Bedtime Stories 1:30 pmIn Fly Away Friends Squirt feels left out when his two winged siblings, Shimmer and Dragon, have high-flying fun that a little spider cant join in.

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

Headline News

Jakers! Takes Humanitas Animation Prize

Kelly Ward and Cliff MacGillivray, writers of the Waking Thor episode of JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS, that airs on PBS, won the newly upped $25,000 Humanitas Prize for Childrens Animation on June 29, 2005, during a luncheon ceremony at the Universal Hilton Hotel, in Universal City, California. Nine winning writers, representing a diverse slate of work, won these prestigious prizes and $135,000 were awarded in sis categories for film and television writers whose work entertain, engage and enrich the viewing public.

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

Entertainment Headline News

Contender Ent. Group Forms Two Separate Operating Divisions

Contender Entertainment Group (CEG) in the U.K. has split its operations into two separate divisions -- Contender Home Entertainment (CHE) and Rubber Duck Entertainment (RDE). The group contends that the new structure will help to capitalize on growth plans ambitions to double its size in the next three years.

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

Wild Headline News

Digital Jesters to Publish Super X Studios Wild Earth

Super X Studios is partnering with U.K-based Digital Jesters to bring its long-anticipated game, WILD EARTH, to market worldwide on PC CD-ROM for the upcoming holiday season.

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

Nickelodeon Headline News

Catscratch Comedy Series Comes to Nick

REN AND STIMPY has returned to the Nickelodeon airwaves and it now has a feline cousin in CATSCRATCH, a new series created by Doug TenNapel which resembles it remarkably in design, cartoony gags and character expressions. This is also not your typical kids fare and is appropriately scheduled in primetime, Fridays at 8:30 pm. The premiere episodes were broadcast back-to-back, 8-9:00 pm on July 9, 2005.

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

Comics Headline News

Education of a Comics Artist Hits Bookshelves

As comics studies have become much more complex and sophisticated, a wealth of resources has been compiled into a new, provocative anthology, THE EDUCATION OF A COMICS ARTIST, edited by Michael Dooley and Steven Heller and published by Allworth Press. This portable comics convention offers insights from pros into the booming changing comics field.

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

Headline News

Ghost House Casts Untitled Pang Brothers Project

Ghost House Pictures announced that Kristen Stewart (PANIC ROOM), Dylan McDermott (TVs THE PRACTICE), Penelope Ann Miller (THE RELIC, CARLITO'S WAY) and John Corbett (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, TVs SEX AND THE CITY) have joined the Untitled Pang Brothers Horror Project, which started shooting recently in Saskatchewan, Canada.

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

Game Headline News

Gameloft’s War of the Worlds Ready to Attack Cell Phones

Alien tripods are set to invade your phone with the release of WAR OF THE WORLDS, the mobile game, from Gameloft. The exclusive agreement with Viacom Consumer Products Inc. enables Gameloft to develop, publish and distribute the wireless game version of the highly anticipated War of the Worlds movie directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise.

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

Games Headline News

Massive Brings 10-Second Spots Into Games

In-game advertising provider Massive Inc. will start offering 10-second spots through its network next month, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The ads will play on natural elements in the game like TV sets and computers. Massive will charge higher rates than for its static ad displays within games. Ad partners and games using the new spots will be announced later.

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

Headline News

SAG Gaming Contract Goes Back to the Actors

On June 29, 2005, the SAG board voted to send its gaming contract to the 1,900 members who regularly work in game as well as any other active member who requests a ballot for a final vote, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. To accommodate the new vote, gaming publishers, including Electronic Arts and Activision, have extended the contract offer to July 31. Ballots will go out July 13 and are due back July 28.

Sister acting guild AFTRA has already agreed to the 3 1/2 year contract.

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

Design Headline News

Animation/Design/VFX Studio Gasket Launched

Award-winning digital artist Greg Shultz has launched Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Gasket to serve the commercial, music video and feature markets with a creative collective offering design, visual effects and 2D/3D animation.

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

Headline News

War of the Worlds Debuts with $34.6M Worldwide

Steven Spielbergs WAR OF THE WORLDS bowed with the seventh highest Wednesday opening ever of $21,256,483 in 3,908 theaters domestically (SPIDER-MAN 2 holds the record with $40.4M). Meanwhile, the $135M sci-fi remake grabs an estimated $13.350M overseas in 46 territories, though it has yet to open in 10 markets, including the U.K., France, Belgium and Korea.

The opening day number represents the largest in Paramount history and for star Tom Cruise.

Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.

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

Headline News

Tigar Hare Revs Up Photoreal Trailer for Project Gotham Racing III

Tigar Hare Studios has completed a :60 3D-animated theatrical trailer for Microsofts PROJECT GOTHAM RACING III Xbox 360 game. The HDRI photoreal trailer dramatically exemplifies the games slogan, Life Begins at 170, as it introduces three high-end race cars from the game, the Ferrari F430, the Lamborghini Murcielago and the Saleen S7, as they streak in furious competition through the streets of Gotham.

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

Effects Headline News

Boris FX to Acquire Final Effects Complete from Optibase

Boris FX will acquire Final Effects Complete from Optibase. Boris FX will acquire all associated trademarks, including Studio Effects, Next Effects and Ice FX. The products will continue to be offered with Boris FX providing maintenance, support and future development.

In Anime, Business, Visual Effects, Anime, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Color Headline News

Iridas Releases First Component of New Color Pipeline

Iridas, an industry leader in uncompressed playback technologies announced the release of Service Pack 2 for FrameCycler 3.5. This update introduces a key component of the new Iridias color pipeline. With SP2, FrameCycler playback applications now allow users to view sequences with SpeedGrade .look files applied. Color graded playback is thus now possible from every workstation or screening room at any point in the filmmaking process.

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

Animated Headline News

Futurikon and BRB Fire Up Dragon Hunters

BRB and leading French producer Futurikon are about to launch DRAGON HUNTERS in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. The series recounts the misfortunes of Lian Chi and Gwizdo, two dragon hunters who have to take on more than 50 of these legendary monsters in a fantasy medieval world set in the future.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Special Events: MIPCOM | Geographic Region: All, Europe, North America

Animation Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

WAR OF THE WORLDS opened Wednesday and VFXWORLD will provide full coverage next week after readers have had a chance to view and digest it. Working on just a 12-week schedule and experimenting with a new pipeline, ILM has achieved very impressive visual effects and character animation, which blend in seamlessly with the gritty, post-9/11 look that Spielberg was after. Coupled with the very promising trailer from KING KONG that began airing this week, the craft of invisible vfx is certainly on the rise.

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

Festival Headline News

Zagreb Deadline Nears!

Zagreb 2005Zagreb, CroatiaOctober 25-30, 2005Deadline: June 30, 2005

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Read More about Zagreb Deadline Nears!»

Festival Headline News

M1 Singapore Fringe Fest Looking for Art & Healing Films

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2006Singapore, SingaporeFebruary 26 March 12 2006Deadline: July 15, 2005

M1 Singapore Fringe Festival is an annual festival of theatre, performance arts, film, dance, visual arts, mixed media, music and forum created and presented by Singaporean and international artists. Themed differently each year, the festival aims to bring the best of contemporary, cutting-edge and socially-engaged works to the Singapore audience.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia

Headline News

Draw Pictures and Draw Edit Open in London

Music video production vets Patrick Holtkamp and Phil Tidy are the forces behind the newly established production company, Draw Pictures, based in London with a post-production arm, Draw Edit, on site.

Within three months, Draw Pictures has been the creative influence behind 20 stunning promos, including PRODIGY, MCFLY and Oasis new video, LYLA.

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

Motion Headline News

Vicon iQ 2.0 Released

Vicon iQ 2.0, the newest version of Vicons motion-capture pipeline software, has been released. Vicon iQ provides an intuitive interface with all of the tools needed to manage, automate, capture and process an entire production. With Version 2.0, Vicon iQ offers a complete realtime environment for setup, calibration and capture with Vicon's ultra high-resolution Vicon MX systems. Vicon iQ 2.0 also takes full advantage of the unique grayscale power of Vicon MX cameras, with all-new processing algorithms to deliver the best accuracy, quality and processing times.

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

Rendercore Launches RenMan 2.65 & MacOSX RenMan

Rendercore announced that RenMan client 2.65 & MacOSX RenMan client are ready to launch. Also, there is a new release of the Flash manual on how to use RenMan client.

RenMan client 2.65 features:* Supports Maya Vector render 6.0 & 6.5.* Fixed minor bugs and enhancement made in program.

MacOSX RenMan client beta features:* Supports Maya Application only at this time.* Easy installation. (Download --> Unzip file).* Double click renmanclient.jar file --> RenMan is launched.

Flash manual features:

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