IMAX Corp. and Sony Pictures Ent. announced that OPEN SEASON: AN IMAX 3-D EXPERIENCE earned estimated grosses of $1.45 million in 66 domestic IMAX theaters, delivering a per-screen average of approximately $22,000 over the three-day period ending Oct. 1. The debut feature from Sony Pictures Animation was directed by Roger Allers (THE LION KING) and Jill Culton (TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS, INC.) and co-directed by Anthony Stacchi (ANTZ),
Cinequest Film Festival 2007San Jose, California, USAFeb. 28 - March 11, 2007Deadline: Nov. 10, 2006
Anime in the Limelight (AitL), the anime radio show, along and its legendary host, Max returns from its long hiatus with new and classic episodes on Oct. 7, 2006,
Las Vegas-based Limelight Prods., the producers of the world-famous show that went off the air in 2004, will start making episodes sometime early in 2007. Until then, classic episodes will air in rotation, with news one inserted as they are ready. AitL will run in its old timeslot of 6:00 pm on Saturdays. No word yet on the status of the AitL archive service.
THQ Inc. has shipped ALEX RIDER: STORMBREAKER for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance to North American retailers. The game is based on the upcoming teen movie ALEX RIDER: STORMBREAKER, inspired by the best-selling ALEX RIDER book series from award-winning author Anthony Horowitz. The videogame features 14-year-old British spy Alex Rider as he solves mysteries by completing mission objectives.
Electronic Arts has acquired Digital Illusions CE (DICE), the development team and creators of the BATTLEFIELD game franchise. Stockholm, Sweden-based DICE becomes a fully integrated EA studio dedicated to growing the Battlefield franchise and developing new products for the PC, next generation consoles and other new platforms.
THE LITTLE MERMAID, Disneys 28th animated masterwork from 1989, is back on DVD Oct. 3, 2006, in a restored two-disc special edition (Disney DVD, $29.99) with greatly improved image and sound.
Oscar-winning Weta Digital Ltd. (THE WATER HORSE, AVATAR), has implemented BlueArc Corp.s Titan 2000 storage system for use in the intensive process of visual effects development.
ACM SIGGRAPH announced that SIGGRAPH 2007, the 34th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, to be held Aug. 5-9 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, is inviting contributors or volunteers for SIGGRAPH 2007 programs.
To promote American Movie Classics (AMC) networks 10-day horror film marathon, "Monsterfest," FlickerLab has designed and created a complete Halloween stunt package, including a series of mini horror films, logos, opens, closes, bumpers and transitions. The broadcast package, guaranteed to give viewers the willies, will begin its national rollout Oct. 1 and continue to air through the Monsterfest 10th Anniversary, Oct. 22-31, 2006.
Anima Brussels Animation Festival 2007Brussels, BelgiumFeb. 16-25, 2007Deadline: Nov. 1, 2006
Anima 2007 presents an international competition for animation films in various categories: feature films, shorts, shorts for children, student films.The Festival includes also a national competition and nominates, from the European films that have been submitted, its candidates for the "Cartoon d'or." Anima 2007 provides a key showcase for the entire range of quality animation, right in the heart of Europe.
The Hong Kong film industry has issued a second warning letter to 20 Bit-Torrent file-sharing software users demanding HK$23,400 ($3,000) for downloading illegal copies of locally produced films, VARIETY reports.
The users were uncovered after the courts ruled ISPs had to turn over names, Hong Kong identity card numbers and postal and billing addresses of the accused copyright infringers.
The 10th season of SOUTH PARK is off to a game start with trouble in the online gaming world when a renegade player threaten to destroy Blizzard Ent.'s award-winning game, WORLD OF WARCRAFT. The future of the game lies in the hands of Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny, when all new episodes premiere Oct. 4 2006, at 10:00 pm on Comedy Central. This is followed the next night by DRAWN TOGETHER as it returns for a third season with more twists and turns from the animated group of dysfunctional misfits with seven new episodes, beginning on Oct. 5 at 10:30 pm.
SCI FI Channel has launch a new Visions for Tomorrow public affairs initiative set to champion a bold, optimistic view of the future and is predicated on the belief that individuals can have a positive impact on the human condition. What began as a two-day SCI FI Channel management off-site in the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, California in May 2004 has become the inspiration for SCI FIs ambitious new public affairs campaign, which is comprised of public service announcements, educational outreach, nonprofit advocacy efforts and an illustrious advisory board.
Housed inside our state-of-the-art Florida campus, Full Sails Computer Animation Bachelor of Science program offers intense, real-world training for students ready to make their mark on the growing 3D animation industry.
Warner Home Video and Cartoon Network are planning to release CARTOON NETWORK CHRISTMAS: VOL. 3 on Oct. 10, 2006 ($14.97).The new holiday DVD is includes five festive episodes from the networks top rated series including FOSTERS HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS, THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY and ED, EDD N EDDY.
Episodes include:
IF YOU MAKE FILMS, COMMERCIALS OR TV PROGRAMS and you havent seen Antics before, then you should. ANTICS V2 gives you the benefit of working on-set, off-set. Build your set, direct the action, experiment with camera angles and timing, work out when to cut and much more all in real time, all before you go on location!
In one short weekend I had the entire first scene of my screenplay animated and ready to cut to DVD, Arthur Roberts, Antics V2 user.
WTH THE ANTICS V2 Q-JUMPER PROMOTION YOU CAN:
Haim Saban has launched a new venture to develop family programs, according to REUTERS.
Saban's L.A.-based private equity firm Saban Capital Group Inc. will form a virtual studio, employing freelance producers, writers and artists. The new company will fund global programming that can be exploited across different delivery systems, including video games, mobile devices and broadcast TV.
"I am thrilled to return to my roots and focus on developing media properties for children and families," Saban said in a statement.
For October, Animation World Magazine is tackling the topic of TV animation while VFXWorld is looking at global market trends. Specifically, AWM is looking for suggestions in regards to Flash being used for TV series and religious programming utilizing animation. For VFXWorld, wed like to learn more about VFX work being done in the Middle East and India. For AWM, send all inquires to Sarah Baisley at sarah@awn.com and for VFXWorld, send suggestions to Bill Desowitz at bill@awn.com.
Comedy Centrals FREAK SHOW, an animated half-hour narrative featuring a band of freak show performers who also happen to be second-rate superheroes, debuts on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2006, at 10:30 pm. The seven-episode series is based on an idea by David Cross (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, MR. SHOW) and H. Jon Benjamin (DR. KATZ: PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST, HOME MOVIES). Encore presentations to air Wednesday at 12:30 am, Friday at 12:30 am and Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday at midnight.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
On YTV, October is dedicated to Halloween. To get prepared for this spooky occasion, YTV premieres two new series, RUBY GLOOM and GROSSOLOGY, launches the second season of GHOST TRACKERS, airs brand new Halloween specials from EDGAR & ELLEN, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, ROBOTBOY and ALL GROWN UP, and brings back a ton of classics including IT�S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN, GARFIELD�S HALLOWEEN ADVENTURE and THE FLINTSTONES MEET COUNT ROCKULA & FRANKENSTONE.
This week in AWN's Forums, a member has some newbie-ish questions regarding the best way to go about producing their first 5-minute short film in Flash. Another member is looking for a good entertainment lawyer in NYC. Theres a thread that is putting out a call to have Weird Al Yankovic inducted into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Theres another thread that discusses the state of the animation industry in India. A junior member has a question what to do next with their cartoon series.
Slamdance 2007Park City, UtahJan. 18-27, 2007Deadline: Oct. 10, 2006
The 13th Slamdance Film Festival will be held January 18-27, 2007, in Park City Utah. Its focus is on first time filmmakers. The festival has separate juried awards for animation, documentary, experimental, narrative and short films. Slamdance can exhibit mini-Dv, DV-cam, Digi-Beta, and 35mm. The early entry fee for a short is $25; $45 for the final deadline.
Deadlines are:* Shorts Postmark Oct. 10* Features Postmark Oct. 16
Emmy award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. has released Toon Boom Studio V3.5. Tailored to customer feature requests, TBS v3.5 provides significant improvements to animation creation and color palette management, as well as the addition of new special effects. V3.5 also offers a more user-friendly interface with an interactive welcome screen, help wizard and timeline improvements.
Highlights of this latest release include:* More than 30 improvements to boost productivity.
* New wizards for a faster start.
Robert Smigel, creator of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and SNLs TV FUNHOUSE, and Adam Sandler are teaming up to produce a new primetime animated series, ANIMALS, for Fox. Sandler's Happy Madison and 20th Century Fox TV, have received a presentation order, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and confirmed by a Fox Broadcasting spokesperson.
ANIMALS centers on a group of human-like animals that are parodying human life in the suburbs, written by Smigel and Greg Cohen of KING OF THE HILL.
