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AWN Headline News

Black Headline News

Black Hole Latest Installment In SCI FI Movies

BLACK HOLE is the latest installment in the current season of SC FI Movies. It premiered June 10, 2006, and encores on June 15 at 9:00 pm on the SCI FI Channel.

When a St. Louis based particle accelerator malfunctions, an ever-expanding and unstoppable black hole forms. Out of the hole comes a vicious "energy creature" that begins destroying everything in its path. It stars Kristy Swanson, Judd Nelson and Julia Sinks.

Headline News

Dario Piana to Helm Deaths of Ian

Commercial director Dario Piana will make his feature directorial debut with THE DEATHS OF IAN, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Stan Winston Prods is producing the independent horror film, written by Brendan Hood, produced by Stan Winston and Brian Gilbert. The flick tells the story of an all-American guy who is murdered each day by horrifying pursuers, only to wake up in slightly different lives to experience the terror of being murdered again.

Company Headline News

Edell New DIC Ent. President/COO, Replacing Brooks

Jeffrey Edell has been appointed president/coo of DIC Ent., replacing Brad Brooks, who returns to investment banking with a position he accepted at Imperial Capital. Brooks was asked to continue as a consultant to DICs senior management in finance and strategy assessment. Edell will manage DICs operating units worldwide, including consumer products, television and home entertainment. The companys creative division will continue to report directly to Andy Heyward, DIC chairman/ceo.

Cartoon Headline News

Legend of Buddha All Set For Cartoon Network Premiere

Cartoon Network in India is set to airing locally produced features, SON OF ALLADIN and THE LEGEND OF BUDDHA, according to THE HINDU.

Kicking off this programming was the 3D animated, SON OF ALLADIN. This cartoon sees Mustafa, Prince of Basra Alladin's son get the better of the evil Zee Zee Ba, meet the woman of his dreams and rescue his long lost parents.

Headline News

Scott Grogin Promoted To Fox Broadcasting Corp. Communications SVP

Veteran FOX spokesperson Scott Grogin has been promoted to svp, corporate communications for the Fox Broadcasting Co., responsible for developing and executing business and tactical communications strategies on behalf of the network as well as serving as primary liaison to the daily trade, financial and business media.

Animated Headline News

French & Saunders Cast In LAIKA's Stop-Motion Animated Movie Coraline

LAIKA Ent. has struck a deal with the celebrated British comedy duo of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders to join Dakota Fanning and Teri Hatcher in its first animated feature film, CORALINE. The stop-motion animated movie, being directed/adapted by Henry Selick, is being distributed worldwide by Focus Features.

Selick is adapting the stop-motion flick with CG effects from Neil Gaimans international best-selling book, CORALINE. LAIKA Ent.s director of story Mike Cachuela is co-director of the feature.

Headline News

Blackmagic Has New 5.6 Software Support for Fusion 5

Blackmagic Design announced the immediate availability of Version 5.6 software for all Multibridge and DeckLink products. This release includes new support for Eyeon Fusion 5, support for 720p/50 on DeckLink high definition cards, new HDV playback support in Premiere Pro 2.0 on Windows XP and XP x64 systems.

Headline News

Early Adopter Program Offered for Antics V2

Antics is offering an extensive pre-shipping Early Adopter Program (EAP) to customers showing an interest in Antics Version 2. This will include services such as free support, and up to 75% discount on launch price making this a hugely attractive opportunity. Antics is fast, easy to use pre-vis software designed for creative professionals and does not require any previous 3D animation experience.

Music Headline News

Underworld: Evolution Rages on DVD

UNDERWORLD: EVOLUTION continues the war between vampires and werewolves in director Len Wisemans sequel starring wife Kate Beckinsale. This widescreen special edition DVD (Sony Pictures Home Ent., $28.95) was released June 6, 2006. As reported on VFXWORLD by Alain Bielik, Luma Pictures raised the vfx bar this time out, resulting in a pipeline shift and greater reliance on ZBrush for modeling. Luma vfx supervisor/co-founder Payam Shohadai participates in the commentary.

Bonus features include:

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for June 12, 2006

This week in AWN's Forums, members are debating art vs. animation schools and hand drawn vs. computer animation. Others are discussing the state of animation in India. Theres a thread discussing how Pixar does it. Moderator Larry L chimes in with his thought on life after SCAD. Another thread answers some questions about character animation using Flash. Another members vents about some optioning troubles. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Film Headline News

Lionsgate To Take Happily N'ever After To Big Screen Ball

Lionsgate announced its acquisition of U.S. and Canadian rights to the computer-animated family comedy HAPPILY NEVER AFTER is directed by Paul J. Bolger and written by Robert Moreland. The film was produced by John H. Williams (Oscar-winning SHREK), BAF Berlin Animation Film and BFC Berliner Film Companie, co-exec produced by Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill of Odyssey Ent., and exec produced by Rainer Soehnlein, ceo of BFC Berliner Film Companie. It stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Sigourney Weaver, Freddie Prinze Jr., George Carlin, Wallace Shawn and Andy Dick.

Headline News

Paramount, Nick Buzzing About Mayfly

Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies have optioned the CG family pitch MAYFLY from writing team Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick (THE SANTA CLAUSE, SPACE JAM), reports VARIETY.

With mayflies sometimes only living a matter of days, a young bug accidentally oversleeps and must live for the moment with the help of his tortoise friend, who could live to be 100 years old.

Nick Movies exec Julia Pistor will produce.

Animation Headline News

Khan Kluay Hopes to Ignite Thai Animation Industry

With the successful mid-May release of the animated film, KHAN KLUAY, producer hope the films success with set the scene for more animated movies, reports THE CHINA POST.

Produced by Auchara Kijkanjanas, the film chronicles the life of blue elephant Khan Kluay (Banana Stalk) from his young days until he grows into the war elephant that led Siam's King Naresuan to victory over the Burmese in 1593.

Award Headline News

Renaissance Surprise Feature Winner at Annecy 2006

The coveted short film grand prize at the 30th International Festival of Animated Film at Annecy went to TRAGIC STORY HAPPY ENDING by Regina Pessoa for France while the black-and-white French film, RENAISSANCE, won the Cristal for Best Feature. The awards were presented at the closing ceremony held on Saturday, June 10, 2006 in Annecy, France.

Effects Headline News

VES Call For Submissions: First Annual International Showcase

For the first time, the Visual Effects Society's Festival of Visual Effects will include an ongoing showcase that will highlight examples of the best visual effects work being done by international artists. This year's Festival, the eighth annual, will be held July 6-8, at the famed Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Festival Headline News

Annecy Plays Pleasantly Along While MIFA Market Abuzz With New Shows

There were many films submitted to the latest Annecy animation festival, now running June 5-10, 2006, along with the MIFA market (June 7-9), in Annecy, France, and loads of screenings but many festival goers are in search of a film that really wows them. The films have been described as abstract, too long, lacking story with only a few, so far, gaining any note, and even those are not generally agreed upon.

Animation Headline News

Face Robot 1.0 Now Available

SOFTIMAGE|FACE ROBOT v.1.0 is now available. It is the first production toolset for lifelike face animation. By solving faces for animation and reducing preparation time, Face Robot allows animators to concentrate on sculpting the details of every expression for unforgettable performances.

Digital Headline News

Massive Helps Create Mayhem for X-Men: The Last Stand

Massive Software was utilized by visual effects studios Framestore CFC and Weta Digital for X-MEN: THE LAST STAND. With Massive, visual effects studios can animate anywhere from a few to a few hundred thousand realistically responding digital characters, helping artists and animators tackle ever more ambitious effects challenges and scenes, such as those seen in X3.

Both Framestore CFC and Weta Digital used Massive to craft scenes of mayhem in the Brett Ratner-directed movie, which sees war breaking out after a cure for mutant genes is found.

Dreamworks Headline News

Brit Brothers to Remake Korea’s Tale of Two Sisters

The British directing duo, Tom and Charlie Guard, are in negotiations to remake Korean chiller, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, for DreamWorks, according THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

The 2004 original from Kim Jee-woon was based on a classic Korean folk tale crossed with 1970s British horror. The DreamWorks version will follow modern-day teenage sisters Anna and Alex Rydell who return home from a mental hospital only to have their sanity challenged by a cruel stepmother, clueless father and a lingering ghost. Production is set to begin this fall.

Headline News

32nd HUMANITAS Prize Finalists Announced

HUMANITAS Prize announced that 33 writers were named finalists in eight categories for the 32nd HUMANITAS Prize. The writers will be competing for $145,000 in prize money to be handed out at the annual luncheon, which will be held on Wednesday, June 28, 2006, at the Hilton Universal Hotel. The HUMANITAS Prize was created 32 years ago to reward great writing for television and film.

Animation Headline News

Imagi Prepares New CG-Animated Gatchaman Feature

Imagi Animation Studios, in association with Tatsunoko Prod. of Japan, will produce a new CG-animated feature-length theatrical release based on the long-running anime franchise GATCHAMAN. The new film will be written and directed by Kevin Munroe, who is writing and directing Imagis TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CG feature that is being distributed by Warner Bros. in the U.S. and The Weinstein Co. internationally.

Headline News

Animax Ent. Wins New Broadband Emmy Award

Animax Ent. won a Sports Emmy Award for OFF-MIKES, the weekly original animated series they produce for ESPN.com. Animax Ent. and ESPN.com won for Outstanding Achievement in Content for Non-Traditional Delivery Platforms, a category that the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences debuted this year. This is Animaxs first Emmy Award.

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