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AWN Headline News

Animation Headline News

Gotham Group Pacts To Produce 19 Direct-to-DVD Toons

Animation talent agency Gotham Group its stretching its wings in the production vein, signing deals with Lionsgate and IDT Ent. to co-finance 19 direct-to-DVD toons over the next three years for roughly $50 million, it was reported by DAILY VARIETY.

Gotham and its prez/founder, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, will produce 10 features for Lionsgate and nine for IDT under the deal. Gotham will pony up half the budget for each DVD, about $3 million, from a fund it has raised from Korean firm Sovic Venture Capital.

Films Headline News

MTV & Nickelodeon Become Full In-House PMPG Labels

Viacom Inc. announced Aug. 21, 2006, that MTV and Nickelodeon will become full labels under the Paramount Motion Picture Group (PMPG) as part of a new structure designed to deepen their already successful track record with their core target audiences. The two former production companies, which had operated as on-lot producers, will now join several other labels under PMPG's umbrella, including Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Vantage and Paramount Classics.

Animation Headline News

Cartoon Class in Session for Shuriken School on Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon presents a fun blend of Japanese and European animation design to viewers this August with new series, SHURIKEN SCHOOL, a quirky comedy with a martial arts twist about a boys adventures at Ninja school. SHURIKEN SCHOOL, which debuted on Nick Aug. 20, 2006, at 11:30 a.m. with new episodes following each week in the series regular timeslot, Sundays at 11:30 am. The original animated comedy series was created by Emilio and Jesús Gallego and co-produced by Xilam Animation in France and Zinkia Ent. in Spain.

Series Headline News

Kappa Mikey Swings onto Nickelodeon

KAPPA MIKEY, the breakout Nicktoons Network hit anime/comedy series about a struggling American actor-turned-Japanese anime star, migrated to Nickelodeon as of Aug. 20, 2006, at 11:00 am, leading into the net's new series, SHURIKEN SCHOOL at 11:30 am.

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk Area Portal Goes Live

Autodesk Media & Ent.s new community portal, Area (www.the-area.com), is now live. The site is intended to be a centralized repository of content created using Autodesk Maya and Autodesk 3ds Max animation, modeling and rendering software; Autodesk MotionBuilder character animation software; or Autodesk VIZ 3D modeling, rendering and presentation software. To foster collaboration and networking within the industry, content on the Area is intended to be generated by the community, and supported by Autodesk.

Headline News

Dead Man’s Chest to Set Sail on DVD

Disneys PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST, the years biggest smash hit and number six all-time and climbing with $923.3M, will hit DVD shelves on Dec. 5 (Buena Vista Home Ent.) in single disc ($19.95) and double-disc collectors editions ($24.95), reports THE MAN ROOM.

Effects Headline News

Poseidon Resurfaces on DVD

After a disappointing summer theatrical run, Wolfgang Petersens POSEIDON remake comes to DVD on Aug. 22, 2006 (Warner Home Video, $34.98). Despite being trimmed, there is no extra footage or directors cut in this two-disc special edition. And, unfortunately, there is nothing about the innovative fluid simulation advances.

Headline News

FrameCycler DI Powers ARRI

Arnold & Richter Cinetechnik GmbH (ARRI) has selected Iridas FrameCycler DI for the film scanning department at its Digital Film facility in Munich. ARRI will use the advanced application for review of uncompressed frames for quality testing of scanned material and applying initial tech-grade color correction.

Effects Headline News

GenArts Releases Sapphire Plug-ins 1.08

GenArts Inc. announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 1.08 for After Effects and compatible products. The new version features enhancements for both Mac and Windows platforms. Version 1.08 for Mac adds Universal Binary support for FCP 5.1 and all After Effects compatible host products. The new release will also run under Rosetta and on Power PC Macs for use with applications such as Adobe After Effects that have not yet been compiled specifically for Intel-based Macs.

Headline News

Blackstar, Space Sentinels, Freedom Force Fly on DVD

BCI is set to release Filmations animated adventure series BLACKSTAR as well as 70s sci-fi animation series SPACE SENTINELS and THE FREEDOM FORCE on DVD.

Originally aired in 1981, BLACKSTAR follows the tale of an astronaut sucked through a black hole, who finds himself stranded on a faraway planet, facing enchantment and danger. This two-disc, 13-episode set, from BCI's Ink & Paint brand, and media company and underlying rights owner, Entertainment Rights Plc will be available on Aug. 22, 2006, for $19.98.

Headline News

Diane Nelson Named President, Warner Premiere

Diane Nelson has been named president, Warner Premiere, the brand new direct-to-DVD production arm of Warner Bros. Ent. Nelson will report to both Kevin Tsujihara, president, Warner Bros. Home Ent. Group and Jeff Robinov, president, production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Headline News

Brits Ban Tokin’ Toons

Under pressure from regulators and the U.K. anti-smoking lobby, Turner Broadcasting will edit out scenes of cartoon characters smoking in U.K. versions of classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons, including THE FLINTSTONES, TOM AND JERRY and SCOOBY-DOO, according to various news outlets.

In all, more than 1,700 episodes will be re-edited after the Office of Communications (Ofcom) received a complaint about two TOM AND JERRY toons "Texas Tom" and "Tennis Chumps" which aired on Turner-owned Boomerang.

Films Headline News

South Park Duo Join Two Live-Action Films

For their next foray into features, SOUTH PARK creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have high school comedy and rubber suit monster movie in the works at Paramount, reports the trades.

The demented duo, who have re-named their Paramount-based company Important Pictures, will first make the Jeff Roda-scripted high school laughter MY ALL-AMERICAN. They will follow that film up with GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN!, a film written by J.F. Lawton (UNDER SIEGE) that will combine live-action with the "rubber suit" monsters like GODZILLA.

Effects Headline News

VES Starts Taking Awards Entries on Sept. 1

5th Annual Visual Effects Society (VES) AwardsHollywood, California, USAFeb. 11, 2007Deadline: Dec. 2, 2006

The Visual Effects Society (VES) presents the 2007 VES Awards, a celebration of the best in visual effects. The 5th annual event will be held at the Kodak Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. Dennis Muren will received the VES Award for Lifetime Achievement this year.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for Aug. 21, 2006

This week in AWN's Forums, members keep explaining why drawing is so important. Others are talking about A SCANNER DARKLY and V FOR VENDETTA. Debate continues to rage on whether Walt Disney was a scumbag or not. Another member is looking for the best schools in India. Others continue to post their work for members to critique. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Design Headline News

Newspeak Opens in NYC with mtvU & VH1 Projects

Newspeak has started up in New York City as a young design boutique specializing in motion design, art direction and identity development. Founded by Erik Montovano, its creative director, he is joined at Newspeak by Andreea Prichea as exec producer. The companys initial projects are a major show package for mtvU MTVs 24-hour college network, and show packages for three Vh1Classic series.

Headline News

Sid Ganis Re-Elected President of Motion Picture Academy

Sid Ganis was re-elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by the organizations Board of Governors for his second consecutive term in the office.

In addition, Robert Rehme, an Executives Branch governor and past Academy president, was re-elected first vp; Music Branch governor Arthur Hamilton was re-elected to a vp post; Sound Branch governor Donald C. Rogers was elected to a vp post; Actors Branch governor Tom Hanks was elected treasurer and Actors Branch governor Kathy Bates was re-elected secretary.

Studio Headline News

Studio ArtFX Releases Anime How-to Podcast

Studio ArtFX has released ANIME GENESIS: HOW TO TURN YOUR ANIME DREAMS INTO REALITY, a new podcast series that will continue in the Studio ArtFX tradition of showing how it was done. ANIME GENESIS, or ANIGEN for short, can bring users up to date information on the state of independent animation and the tools that continue to allow artists to create studio quality work without millions of dollars or major studio backing.

Headline News

Gnomon Offers Registration for Fall Term

Registration for Fall Term at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects (Sept. 25-Dec. 10) begins today, Aug. 21, 2006.

Meanwhile, Gnomon is offering four new classes for Fall Term: * Creature Development & Creation: Taught by Puddnhead, takes students through the entire process of designing creatures for film and videogames.* ZBrush Digital Sculpting and Anatomy: Taught by Scott Spencer, builds on the skills acquired in the 10-week ZBrush class, guiding students through using ZBrush to convey accurate anatomical form.

Headline News

Snakes Takes Mild Box Office Bite

New Lines SNAKES ON A PLANE (with vfx by CafeFX and Hybride) proved less venomous in its box office opening than experts predicted, drawing only $13.8M for the weekend ended Aug. 20, 2006, with an overall take of $15.2M, thanks to a Thursday night preview. Coming in a very close second was Sonys TAKKADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY, which hauled in $13.75 for a cume of $114.3M. Holding the third spot was Paramounts WORLD TRADE CENTER (with vfx from Double Negative and Animal Logic), which earned $10.9M for a cume of $45.1M.

Mill Headline News

Mill Paint Effects For Infiniti

The Mill London team has produced a new commercial for Infiniti. Directed by French directing team Pleix for Chiat Day/ TBWA through BlinkInk, the spots contain a very clever use of paint for dramatic effect. In the first spot, we see the Infiniti creating and parting huge waves as it drives through a sea of warm colored paint, and in the second spot a stormy sky of deep blues, purples and yellows crash above the cars below.

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