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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.

Toon Headline News

Toon Boom Storyboard Launched at MIFA 2006

Emmy award-winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. announced the release of Toon Boom Storyboard, the leading storyboarding system for visual storytelling. Developed in conjunction with expert storyboard artists, Toon Boom Storyboard speeds up production planning and enables studios to increase production integration.

Toon Boom Storyboard provides:* Flexible layer-based panel display with motion camera capabilities * Complete set of drawing tools, including pressure-sensitive brush tool when using a digital graphic tablet and pen

Show Headline News

MJZ & TBWAChiatDay Top Winners at AICP Show

MJZ topped the list of honored production companies in the 15th Annual AICP Show, The Art & Technique of the American Commercial, presented by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers, tonight (June 8, 2006). Close to 2,000 members of the advertising and production industry gathered to view the show, an hour and 22-minute compendium of the best commercials of the previous year, which premiered at The Museum of Modern Art, and now goes on tour to museums and cultural institutions around the country and abroad.

Headline News

Michael Pardee Exits Digital Domain for Sway

Michael Pardee joins Sway Studio as exec producer after serving as head of production for commercials at Digital Domain since 2003.

This is a key development for Sway, said company founder and former Digital Domain exec Mark Glaser. Ive known Mike for more than 10 years and hes the perfect person to oversee all of our production in a seamless, cohesive and streamlined manner. Pardee will work alongside executive producer Shira Boardman.

Headline News

Framestore Tackles Bridge for X-Men: Last Stand

London-based Framestore CFC created the climactic San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge sequence in X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, arguably the most complex vfx in the movie, as it is wrenched from its foundation to form a bridge with Alcatraz island. It features a vast array of elements: CG, digital backgrounds, miniatures, full-size sets with digital extensions, night-shot material that had to be matched with day-shots all of which had to be brought together as a seamless whole.

Headline News

New Line Set For Battle Royale

Despite producer Toeis reluctance to license the blood-soaked original to any North American studio for fear of cuts, New Line was able to obtain the remake rights to worldwide Japanese cult hit, BATTLE ROYALE, according to VARIETY. Neal Moritz and Roy Lee are set to produce.

Headline News

Neopets Members Vie for International Glory in First Altador Cup

This month, top players from around the globe will compete for the sporting worlds other top international prize the Altador Cup. On June 8, 2006, concurrent with the start of the World Cup, Neopets.com will kick-off its first ever Altador Cup Tournament, offering its 25 million members the opportunity to compete internationally in the online sport, "Yooyuball" (pronounced you-you-ball).

Animations Headline News

Aardman’s Big Jeff To Be Shown On MTV2

MTV2 has joined up with Aardman Animations to broadcast a series of shorts featuring the character Big Jeff.

MTV2 is MTV Networks U.K. & Irelands channel dedicated to guitar-based music. The 10 BIG JEFF films range from 90 to 180 seconds in duration and will be scattered amongst the MTV2 schedule from mid June. The animations were created, written and directed by Aardmans Tom Parkinson and exec produced by Miles Bullough, Pete Lord and Dave Sproxton.

Channel Headline News

FUNimation Channel to be Part of Verizon’s FiOS TV Lineup

FUNimation Ent., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corp., announced that the company has signed an agreement with Verizon for distribution of the FUNimation Channel as part of the Verizon FiOS TV service.

Headline News

Genius Products & BKN Embrace the Classics

Genius Products has signed a U.S. distribution pact with BKN Intl for 16 animated direct-to-video titles based on classic tales, reports VARIETY. In addition, an all-animal CG version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL will receive a limited theatrical release via SD Intl in November before arriving on DVD later that month.

Other titles will debut between September and the end of 2007 and include ALI BABA AND THE 40 THIEVES and animated retellings of A JUNGLE BOOK, ROBIN HOOD and ZORRO.

Game Headline News

Trilogy Studios Adds Experienced Talent to Game Dev Team

There's an influx of new talent at game developer Trilogy Studios. Animator Chad Schoonover recently left Sony Pictures Imageworks, where he created 3D facial and body animation for characters in the upcoming animated feature film, MONSTER HOUSE. He is now leading the animation team at Trilogy. He previously worked for five years as an animator on the UNREAL franchise, the demos for Epic's highly vaunted UNREAL 3 tech, as well as three years at Midway Games, where he pioneered the use of motion capture in the Sports division.

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