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AWN Headline News

Headline News

All News Corp. Units on Go for Simpsons Film

Leading up to the 20th Century Fox launch its feature version of THE SIMPSONS next year, parent company News Corp. will synergize all units throughout its empire promote the film, president/coo Peter Chernin said today (June 14, 2006), according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

With THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT, opening Friday from Universal Pictures, the vfx bar has been raised in that franchise to 768 shots, divided among 10 houses, with Rhythm & Hues handling the most complex sequence. Alain Bielik reports how placing the action in Tokyo necessitated creating the environment digitally for the car racing. Meanwhile, Renee Dunlop delves into Foxs GARFIELD: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES, which also opens Friday, featuring the animation/vfx of Rhythm & Hues and Rainmaker.

Bill DesowitzEditor

Animation Headline News

New York TV Festival Seeks Animatics and Pilots

The New York Television Festival (NYTVF) is seeking submissions for the Animation category to be entered into the 2006 Independent Pilot Competition. Entries may be animated projects or animatics running 2-20 minutes in length that introduce a character or a main premise for an episodic TV series. The NYTVF, to be held in New York City in mid-September, is the first-ever Independent Television showcase, uniting prominent industry figures, artists and TV fans in one forum.

Headline News

Radium Does ‘Dot Matrix’ for Yukon Denali

Radium lent its creative editorial, design, visual effects and animation talents to DOT MATRIX, a sleek duo tone package for Lowe Worldwide and its client GMC Yukon Denali. In the evolution of The Behind the grille campaign, Radium helped create a captivating automotive brand film in :30 and :20/10 second versions for broadcast. The spot was directed by The Cronenweths, with production company Untitled.

Television Headline News

Superman Comes To IN2TV AT AOL.com

Timed to coincide with the upcoming release of SUPERMAN RETURNS (in theatres June 28), Warner Bros. and AOL have launched a special Superman Channel on In2TV (www.aol.com/in2tv) to celebrate the Man of Steel. In2TV is the largest offering of popular television series available online for free and the destination for watching full TV episodes. The Superman Channel is available now through the end of July 2006.

World Headline News

Jane and the Dragon Wins Banff World TV Award

On June 12, 2006, the Banff World Televison Festival announced the winners of the 27th annual Banff World Television Awards. Winning in the Animation Program category was JANE AND THE DRAGON Shall We Dance, produced by WETA Prods. Ltd. New Zealand and Nelvana Ltd.

The Banff World Television Awards are part of the annual Banff World Television Festival (June 1114) at the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff, Alberta. For more information on BANFF 2006, visit www.banff2006.com.

Headline News

Gorillaz Wins Artist of the Year at Webby Awards

The Webby Awards, the leading international award honoring excellence in web design, creativity, usability and functionality, has announced its winners. Animated virtual band Gorillaz won Artist of the Year for www.gorillaz.com.

Bebop Jeans (www.bebopjeans.com), credited by White Noise, won for Best Use of Animation or Motion Graphics while Stackopolis (www.stackopolis.com), credited by Bloc Media, won in the Games category.

Award Headline News

Hamburg Int’l Short Film Fest Announces Winners

The 22nd Hamburg International Short Film Festival, which ran from May 31 to June 5, 2006, has announced its winners.

In the International Competition, a special mention went to Finnish animated short, ELUKKA / TIER by Tatu Pohjavirta.

In the NoBudget Competition, the NoBudget Audience Award went to the computer animated MAN OS 1 / EXTRAORDINATEUR from Roland Seidel and Achim Stiermann of Austria and experimental animation JULOT from Maya Tiberman of Israel.

Spot Headline News

R!OT Moves Heaven and Earth for Hyundai Spot

R!OT literally moved heaven and earth to deliver a new effects-driven spot for Hyundai. The studio assisted in the design, and provided visual effects, color correction and post production services for the visually-rich spot, which presents a topsy-turvy world to underscore the radical thinking behind the automakers new Sonata.

Headline News

SIGGRAPH 2006 Offers Latest Computer Graphics, Interactive Techniques

The SIGGRAPH 2006 Papers Program features the latest achievements in the worlds most prestigious presentation of the years best research innovations in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Of 474 international submissions, 86 Papers were accepted for SIGGRAPH 2006 taking place July 30-Aug. 3 in Boston. The SIGGRAPH 2006 Papers Program opens July 31 at 8:30 am and closes Aug. 3 at 5:30 pm.

Effects Headline News

Sony Pictures Imageworks Awards $50,000 in IPAX Grants

Sony Pictures Imageworks president Tim Sarnoff announced the presentation of scholarships to six students currently enrolled at academic institutions affiliated with the Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence (IPAX) program.

International Headline News

The Meltdown & Last Stand Help Fox Cross $1 Billion Overseas

Twentieth Century Fox became the first Hollywood studio this year to hit the $1 billion mark at the overseas box office, thanks to Blue Skys animated ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN ($441M) and X-MEN: THE LAST STAND ($160.6M), according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

2006 marks the second consecutive year that Fox has led the pack in the race to break the billion-dollar threshold. But last year it took Fox International about three weeks longer, bolstered by STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH and KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

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:

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