Radical Axis, Inc., an Atlanta studio that specializes in animation and design for broadcast (AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE, SQUIDBILLIES), is producing Comedy Centrals new animated half-hour series, FREAK SHOW. The show chronicles the adventures of a band of freak show performers and second-rate superheroes. Created by comedians David Cross and H. Jon Benjamin, Freak Show will premiere Oct. 4, 2006, 10:30 pm.
NewTek Inc. announced the availability of the latest release of LightWave 3D version 9.0, the next generation of the Emmy-winning 3D application. The new release is the first in a series of major rewrites and restructuring of LightWave 3Ds core with the addition of comprehensive new features such as a node-based materials editor, optically correct cameras, adaptive pixel subdivision, Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces, sub-surface scattering and vast render speed improvements.
NaturalMotion Ltd., developers of the highly-acclaimed euphoria and endorphin Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS) technologies has been awarded the Develop Industry Excellence Award for Tools and Middleware at the Develop Games Conference in Brighton, U.K. Competing against several other companies, NaturalMotion was selected by an independent voting panel of developers, as well as analysts and journalists.
Digital-Tutors released UV LAYOUT IN XSI, a comprehensive guide to learning the fundamentals of UV layout with in XSI and the latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging digital artists. Containing more than three hours of project-based training, UV LAYOUT IN XSI provides artists with time-saving UV mapping techniques, creative workflow and a firm understanding of XSI's UV tools. A 30-day trial version of SOFTIMAGE|XSI Foundation is also included, allowing artists immediate access to explore the software.
Pierre Spengler, one of the first three SUPERMAN films, will return to comicbook inspired films with a 12-picture deal drawn from titles in the catalog of French graphic novel publisher Humanoides Associes, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The first will be the live-action film I AM LEGION, adapted from the World War II political intrigue written by Fabien Nury and illustrated by U.S. graphic artist John Cassaday.
Spengler's company, Clubdeal Ltd., will produce the films, whike he is talks with a U.S. distributor to release all 12 films in the U.S.
REN & STIMPY creator John Kricfalusi believes "Warner Bros. Cartoons hates their fans, after Warner Bros. Ent. forced YouTube to remove clips of classic Looney Tunes shorts for its website, which were posted by John K, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
On Kricfalusis blog (johnkstuff.blogspot.com), the acclaimed animator posts informative essays about his favorite cartoons, which he has posts clips from to illustrate his point.
Jamie Foxx and his manager Jaime Rucker King are set to produce THE POWER OF DUFF, joining Marc Platt, who already has been developing the feature film via his Marc Platt Prods, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Foxx and King will help develop the drama, which Foxx may star in.
Universal won the script in a bidding war last year, paying $900,000 against $1.25 million. Russell Crowe, Ron Howard and Tom Hanks have circled the project as well.
CLASS OF 3000, the highly-anticipated primetime half-hour animated series created and exec produced by André Benjamin (OutKast) and Tom Lynch (ROMEO!), will debut in November. The series focuses on a group of musically-gifted kids and an unlikely visitor named Sunny Bridges who brings sunshine to their lives.
AK Comics Jalila, Rakan, Zein and Aya hit Comic-Con via newly published U.S. issues featuring AKs roster of caped Middle Eastern superheroes.
From a booth, attendees will be introduced to pages of four U.S. titles featuring the visually striking superheroes, as well the creative team bringing them to life. The L.A.- and Cairo-based company also will assemble artists, writers and editors for a panel to be presented 10:30 am in Room 8 on Thursday, July 20, 2006.
Adobe MAX 2006 Conference and Fourth Annual MAX AwardsLas Vegas, Nevada, USAOctober 23-26, 2006Deadline: September 1, 2006
Adobe Systems hosts the Adobe MAX 2006 Conference, giving developers and designers a forum to network, share ideas, get hands-on technical training from certified experts, gain new skills and learn about new and emerging Adobe products and technologies. Adobe also announced the call for entries for the fourth annual Adobe MAX Awards, which recognize customer achievement in eight different categories.
Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee 2007Kansas City, Kansas, USAApril 12-16, 2007December 10, 2006
An original news series, SQUIRREL BOY, created and exec produced by Everett Peck (DUCKMAN) and produced at Cartoon Network Studios, premieres July 14, 2006, at 7:00 pm.
It stars 10-year-old Andy Johnson and his best friend and pet, Rodney, a talking squirrel with lots of big ideas. These two lead each other into all sorts of adventures in Andys backyard and throughout the neighborhood. Andys often-exasperated dad (Mr. J) wants to kick the oblivious Rodney out on his furry tail.
Six new governors have been elected to represent their branches on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Eight incumbent governors were reelected.
Newcomers to the board are Rob Epstein, documentary branch; Mark Goldblatt, film editors; and James L. Brooks, writers. Returning to the board after a hiatus are Paul Mazursky, directors; Mark Johnson, producers; and Bill Taylor, visual effects.
Astral Media Inc. and Corus Ent. Inc. announced today (July 13, 2006) they would acquire the remaining 20% of the TELETOON network from the shareholders of The Cookie Jar Group.
Subject to the approval of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), this transaction will give Astral Media and Corus Ent. each an additional 10% ownership of TELETOON, bringing their individual ownership to 50% each. The price for this acquisition is approximately CDN $96 million.
FlickerLab, the New York City-based design and animation studio, has added director of animation Eric Merola to its creative roster, responsible for the direction of animated spots and the creation of original content. He will also work directly with FlickerLab founder/creative director Harold Moss as a creative partner on original properties, both live-action and animated.
Lionsgate has acquired television distributor Debmar-Mercury Llc., which owns the distribution rights to SOUTH PARK. Debmar-Mercury will continue to operate, still headed by principals Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein, under the Debmar-Mercury banner as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
Imagica Holdings Inc. has reorganized its group companies. The parent company has been renamed Imagica Robot Holdings Inc. Imagica Technologies Corp., the engineering solutions division responsible for developing the Imager XE and HSX Film Scanners and the Imager HSR Film Recorder has been spun off as an independent entity.
DreamWorks Animation announced the final cast for SHREK THE THIRD. The original casts from SHREK and SHREK 2 Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Rupert Everett, Julie Andrews and John Cleese will reprise their roles.
Bionatics announces the release of the version 4 of its 3D plant modeler natFX for 3ds max.
This latest version was developed to integrate even better into an Autodesk 3ds max production workflow, explains Stephan Gourgout, vp/sales director. It answers, in large part, the needs requested for the last 12 months by our clients from the varied industries such as architectural visualization, to the production requirements of the videogame industry and the 3D animation film studios, who need to build rapidly complex realtime or pre-rendered scenes.
Animex Awards has announced that Francisco Alvarez, from Sheridan College, has won his years this years Animex Audience Award. Of the 43 nominated entries posted on the Animex website, Alvarezs romantic comedy entitled LA BALADA DEL CARUPANERO TIMIDO received an average user rating of 4.75 out of a possible 5. Alvarez will receive a prize donated by Viglen Computers.
To view Fransciscos award-winning entry and other works being streamed from the Animex website, visit www.animex.net/audience.
Cartoon Network and Adult Swim will host a number of panels, special events, artist signings and for the first year ever CN will sponsor a booth, during Comic-Con International, to be held in San Diego, California, Thursday, July 20 - Sunday, July 23, 2006. The various events will give fans a chance to see sneak peaks of new shows and especially the first look at the AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE feature.
Panels include:
THE LIFE & TIMES OF JUNIPER LEEThursday, July 20, 5:00-6:00 pmLocation: 6BThe panelists include:
Nickelodeon and Nicktoons Network are gearing up for their events at Comic-Con International, to be held in San Diego, California, Thursday, July 20 - Sunday, July 23, 2006. The network will be located at booth #2515.
Lionsgate has picked up the Cruise/Wagner-produced remake of THE EYE out of turnaround from Paramount, reports VARIETY. The studio is now in talks with Jessica Alba to star and French helmers David Moreau and Xavier Palud to direct.
Lionsgate hopes to shoot the film this winter.
Directed by Danny and Oxide Pang, the original thriller follows a cornea transplant recipient who starts seeing disturbing images, which spurs her to find out what happened to the donor of her new eyes.
20th Century Fox Home Ent. has announced Nov. 21, 2006, as the release date for ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN, the year's #4 grossing movie with $193.4 million in domestic box office receipts. Nov. 21 is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, positioning the title for top sales on Black Friday, which is traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.
"We had tremendous success four years ago with a similar release date for the original ICE AGE,'" said Steve Feldstein, svp marketing communications for 20th Century Fox Home Ent. The first ICE AGE sold more than 14 million units.
After previously pulling a rerun of the Trapped in the Closet episode, Comedy Central has set July 19, 2006, to rerun the SOUTH PARK episode that lampoons Scientology and Tom Cruise, according to VARIETY. The episode was recently nominated for an Emmy.
The move is seen as the a big step in the studios effort to patch up their relationship with SOUTH PARK co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
