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AWN Headline News

Effects Headline News

GenArts Releases New Sapphire Plug-Ins for Shake

GenArts Inc. announced the immediate availability of Sapphire Plug-ins version 2 for Apples Shake. This release contains 20 additional effects, including a new FilmDamage effect, and a wide array of new features and improvements such as on-screen widgets for easy parameter adjustment, and an improved user interface for all color parameters.

Studios Headline News

President of Dominican Republic Visits Game Co. Trilogy Studios

In a meeting on Saturday, June 24, 2006, at Trilogy Studios in Santa Monica, the president of the Dominican Republic Leonel Antonio Fernandez Reyna, along with Trilogy execs, set plans in motion for an outsourcing program that they hope to have in place before the end of the year, beginning with Trilogy's first title, DAYBREAKERS. If all goes well, Trilogy Studios will assist and act as the Dominican's liaison to the entire games industry for future outsourcing initiatives.

Mobile Headline News

Report Ranks Casual Games As One-Third Of Mobile Market

Puzzle/Strategy games drive one-third of the total mobile game revenues, according to Telephia, the leading provider of performance measurement information to the mobile industry. The Telephia Mobile Game Report for Q1 2006 shows that four of the top five revenue-generating titles fall into the Puzzle/Strategy (casual games) category, with TETRIS, TETRIS DELUXE and BEJEWELED securing the top spots. TETRIS and TETRIS DELUXE secured 5.2 and 3.6% of the total mobile game revenue share for the quarter, respectively, while BEJEWELED posted a 2.6% share. JAMDAT MAHJONG and MS.

Series Headline News

Uglies Looking Pretty at Fox

Twentieth Century Fox and producers John and Jordan Davis have snatched up the rights to the young adult fantasy book series by Scott Westerfeld, which starts with UGLIES, reports VARIETY.

Futuristic story finds kids labeled "uglies" until they turn 16 and get surgically transformed into the attractive "pretties," who live to the glamorous part of town. A precocious teen is threatened with being denied the procedure unless she spies on a friend who skipped the operation and joined a rebellious group.

Point Headline News

Cuppa Coffee & Six Point Harness Provide Sic’Emation for MTV2

For MTV2s new SicEmation lineup, Cuppa Coffee and Six Point Harness have provided work on the new CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH and WHERE MY DOGS AT? respectively.

As the largest stop-motion studio in North America, Cuppa Coffee was brought on board by MTV2. It was important to keep the feel of the original series and build on that to offer a slicker sharper looking show, explains series director Andrew Horne. Of course we wont stray far from what makes the show funny; blunt force trauma.

Headline News

Supreme Court Refuses Winnie the Pooh Case

In another chapter in the on-going Winnie the Pooh legal battle, the Supreme Court refused on June 26, 2006, to decide whether the granddaughter of A.A. Milne, creator of Pooh, can recapture control of the copyright, reports CNN.

Milne wrote the Pooh books between 1924 and 1928 and granted a U.S. license to Stephen Slesinger in 1930, which Slesinger signed over to Stephen Slesinger Inc. Later Slesinger Inc. sublicensed certain rights to Walt Disney Prods.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for June 26, 2006

This week in AWN's Forums, a member presents the definition of frustration. Another thread is collecting members favorite animation style. Others are talking about the return of 2D to Disney. A member has a question regarding character design in Flash. Others are talking about return of FUTURAMA. A potential student has questions about Animation Mentor. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Sound Headline News

Emmy-Winning Sound Specialist Geisler Joins Pacific Soundwaves

Leading post-production sound facility Pacific Soundwaves announced that animation sound specialist Michael Geisler has joined the company as supervising sound editor. Bringing the award-winning sound designer/editor on staff enables Pacific Soundwaves to better address the very specific needs of animated film, television, gaming and interactive projects. A highly-regarded audio pro and founder of sound postproduction company BadaBing BadaBoom, Geisler is now serving his extensive base of animation clients as a member of Pacific Soundwaves team, at its top-of-the-line Burbank facility.

Headline News

Johnny Depp to Voice Legend of Jack Sparrow Videogame

Johnny Depp will lend his voice as Captain Jack Sparrow in the upcoming videogame, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW. Slated for a June 27 release for the PlayStation2 and the PC, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE LEGEND OF JACK SPARROW features a blend of fast-paced action and adventure from Bethesda Softworks.

Headline News

Digital-Tutors Releases Walk Cycle Animation Training for Maya

Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk Authorized Publisher, announced the availability of INTRODUCTION TO MAYA ANIMATION: WALK CYCLE, a comprehensive guide to creating convincing walk cycle animations in Maya and the latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging digital artists. Artists will easily learn proper body mechanics, adding personality to characters, and creating walk cycles with less time and more creativity in Maya with more than 2.5 hours of project-based training, an ideal learning resource for artists learning character animation.

Interactive Headline News

Largest Digital Art Exhibition Debuts in Boston at SIGGRAPH 2006

The SIGGRAPH 2006 Art Gallery: Intersections is estimated to be the world's largest and one of the most unique international digital art exhibitions featuring an extensive collection of works that merge innovative computer graphics and interactive techniques with artistic practice.

Film Headline News

Fido Uses REALVIZ Technology on ‘Frostbiten’

Fido Film, one of Scandinavias leading visual effects studios, completed work on FROSTBITEN, Swedens first vampire feature, directed by Anders Banke.

Frostbiten issomething truly unique in the Scandinavian film industry, especially in terms of visual effects, said Janak Thakker, vfx supervisor/lead animator at Fido Film. The project provided us with many exciting challenges ranging from digital face replacements and digital make-up, to full CG creatures

Headline News

Pirates Sequel to Premiere at Disneyland

Disney's PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST will makes its world premiere on Saturday, June 24, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. The sequel, with nearly 1,000 vfx shots from Industrial Light & Magic and considerable character animation advancement, opens July 7.

Comics Headline News

Crazee Comics Heads to Licensing Int’l 2006

Fledgling publisher Crazee Comics, known for titles like COSMICWARS and RUSS5377, is heading to Licensing Intl to promote its products.

With the successful launch of its weekly podcast show CATCH DA CRAZE PODCAST AUDIO MIX and appearances on UPN, radio & public television and numerous critic reviews, the publisher is now ready to test their products marketability.

For the show, Crazee Comics has produced a Flash animated trailer of THERE'S AN ALIEN IN MY TOILET and some prototype latex models of the main character Doodie.

Licensing Headline News

Shuriken School Proves A-grade Licensing Property for Xilam & Zinkia

The animated, comedy-action series, SHURIKEN SCHOOL, ahs racked up a host of licensing deals for producers Xilam Animation (France) and Zinkia Ent. (Spain), including a pan-European contract with Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG), as well as Kidz Ent. for Scandinavia and EEMC for eastern Europe.

CPLG, which represents such high profile properties as BRATZ, CARE BEARS and THE SIMPSONS, will handle licensing for SHURIKEN SCHOOL in Spain, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Benelux, UK, Eire, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Headline News

Capcom Ships New Mega Man & Street Fighter Releases

Capcom released MEGA MAN BATTLE NETWORK 6 in two versions CYBEAST GREGAR and CYBEAST FALZAR for the Game Boy Advance, and STREET FIGHTER ALPHA ANTHOLOGY for the PlayStation 2, a compilation of the STREET FIGHTER ALPHA series.

Animation Headline News

Toonskool-KSOU Offer Animation Degree

Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) signed an MOU with Toonskool Advanced Animation Academy Bangalore for a three-year degree program in animation, reports EFY TIMES. With the signing of this MOU, Toonskool becomes the first accredited institute in India to train students for a B.Sc. Degree to be awarded by KSOU in the field of Animation.

Animation Headline News

Cartoonist Kal Holds Digital Press Con with Pres. Bush

This weekend, a digital version of President Bush will hold a "press conference" at the Walters Art Museum, lead by renowned political cartoonist Kevin "Kal" Kallaughe, who will have his tongue firmly planted in cheek, reports the BALTIMORE BUSINESS JOURNAL.

Headline News

TOKYOPOP & L.A. Public Library Team on Teen Reading Initiative

TOKYOPOP and the Los Angeles Public Library announce the all-new "Manga Madness Summer Reading Club," a first-of-its-kind collaboration designed to encourage teens to read. Teens, ages 11 to 18, who join the "Manga Madness Summer Reading Club" at their local branch library will receive a free folder, book bag, reading log and bookmarks. Every branch will have special scheduled teen programs as part of the reading club. Also, each reading club participant will receive a certificate at the end of the summer reading program.

Games Headline News

Gaming Expected to Reach $46B by 2010

By 2010, the worldwide videogame market is expected to reach $46.5 billion, at an average 11.4% compound annual rate, global consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts in an article by THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

PwC estimates the filmed entertainment business will grow at a 5.3% compound annual rate, to become a $104 billion market by then and the television business is targeted to grow at a 6.6% rate to $227 billion.

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