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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Gnomon Workshop Releases Two 3ds Max Training DVDs

The Gnomon Workshop now offers two new DVDs by CG supervisor Tim Jones. The creation of digital environments for the highest caliber game cinematics and short films has been Jones area of expertise at Blur Studios. In these DVDs, he shares his techniques for modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and compositing highly realistic digital sets in 3ds Max.

ENVIRONMENT CREATION FOR PRODUCTION: 3DS MAX MODELING AND TEXTURING WITH TIM JONES.

Films Headline News

eyeon Makes Dreams Come True for Wish Films

Wish Films, a brand new production company based at Elstree Film Studios, has enlisted the help of eyeon Software to make Fusion an integral part of its pipeline.

Mark Ford and Stephen Charles are the driving force behind their new Wish Films studio. Recently at Lynx Video, a facility based in Denham, West of London, Ford and Charles operated the Flame/Smoke/Maya and Avid/Online suites, respectively. Successfully breaking into Wish Films, they have been commissioned to build a new post-production facility using Fusion 5.

Work Headline News

The Orphanage Wraps VFX Shots for Cannes-Bound Host

The Orphanage recently completed six months of vfx work on THE HOST, South Koreas most ambitious movie to date, which will have its world premiere on May 21 in the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival (which runs May 18-21).

Spot Headline News

Mayday for Poseidon

Paramounts MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III sunk Warner Bros. POSEIDON at the box office for the weekend period ended May 14, 2006. Despite a second-week drop of nearly 48%, M:I:III (with vfx from ILM) posted $25M for a cume of $85.1M. POSEIDON (with vfx from ILM and MPC) debuted with a disappointing $22.1M. Dropping to third place was Sonys RV, with $9.9M and a three-week cume of $43.2M. Foxs romantic comedy, JUST MY LUCK debuted in the fourth spot with $5.6M. Freestyles AN AMERICAN HAUNTING followed in fifth with $3.56M and $10.8M.

Animation Headline News

Being Ian Wins Top Toon at Leo Awards

The 8th annual Leo Awards took place on May 12-13, 2006, at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver. The Leo Awards are where the best film and television talent and programs in British Columbia are honored for their work.

In animation, the top winner was Studio Bs BEING IAN, which took home the prize for Best Animation Program or Series. Additionally, Mark Shirra of the Vancouver Film School won Best Student Production for his animated short, A GREAT BIG ROBOT FROM OUTER SPACE ATE MY HOMEWORK.

Headline News

Cohen Slings Arrow with Warner Bros.

Rob Cohen has been tapped the helm ARROW, a martial arts flick being produced by Basil Iwanyks Thunder Road at Warner Bros. Pictures, reports the trades. Details of Brandon Noonans script are being kept secret. Thunder Road's Mary Viola is shepherding the project, along with Marc Pitre for Cohen. Dan Lin and Jess Rosenthal are overseeing for the studio.

Film Headline News

Weinstein Co. to Take 'Igor' to Int'l Territories

The Weinstein Co. will represent all international rights to the CG-animated feature comedy, IGOR, from Exodus Film Group. IGOR is being produced by John D. Eraklis and seasoned animation exec Max Howard, who has collaborated on such animated blockbusters as THE LION KING, ALADDIN, SPACE JAM and THE IRON GIANT. The Weinstein Co. will distribute the film in North America and will begin selling the international territories at the Cannes Film Festival.

Headline News

WB Int’l TV Dist, Ups Andrew Shipps to Marketing SVP

Warner Bros. Ent. 14-year marketing and publicity vet Andrew Shipps has been upped to svp, marketing, Warner Bros. Intl TV Dist. (WBITD) to direct the studio's international television marketing team plus develope and supervise the implementation of global marketing strategies for its content offerings in the international television marketplace. He will oversee campaigns for original series produced by Warner Bros. Television, Telepictures Prods. and Warner Bros.

Toon Headline News

Toon Boom Releases Workout Series

Toon Boom Animation Inc. has released the Toon Boom Animation Workout Series. Touching on all aspects of animation creation, the Toon Boom Animation Workout Series is a dedicated program of exercises designed to help users develop the techniques and skills necessary to get the most out of the Toon Boom product family.

Headline News

Andrea Marozas New Warner Bros. Ent. Theatrical Corp. Com. SVP

Andrea Marozas has been named svp, corporate communications, theatrical, Warner Bros. Ent. responsible for providing communications support on a worldwide basis to the companys global theatrical operations (production, distribution, marketing and executive), including overseeing trade, consumer and business press as they pertain to filmmakers, production deals, industry issues and trend stories.

Headline News

X-Men: Last Stand Sneak Peek to Premiere Online

There will be a seven-minute clip from X-MEN: THE LAST STAND (opening May 26, 2006, from Fox) going live tonight (May 12, 2006) at midnight EST exclusively at www.dell.com/x-men.

Also on the site is access to a sweepstakes to win Dells XPS X-MEN: THE LAST STAND Collectors Edition computer system. The system, based on a next-generation XPS gaming desktop, is custom painted with images from X-MEN: THE LAST STAND. It is valued at about $10,000. Entries for the sweepstakes will be accepted through June 18.

Headline News

Digital-Tutors Releases ‘SyFlex in Maya’ Training

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of USING SYFLEX IN MAYA, a comprehensive guide to the learning the fundamentals of SyFlex and creating realistic simulations using the fast and powerful technology developed by Syflex Llc. Containing more than four hours of project-based training, USING SYFLEX IN MAYA provides artists a unique approach to learning the capabilities of SyFlex. A limited time offer is also included with the training DVD, allowing artists to save 10% on a license of SyFlex through June 10, courtesy of Syflex Llc.

Interactive Headline News

Gene Hackman, Laurence Fishburne to Participate in Dirty Harry Videogame

Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. and Clint Eastwood announced at E3 that Gene Hackman and Laurence Fishburne will provide their voice and likeness in the upcoming videogame based on the DIRTY HARRY film franchise. Hackman will portray Police supervisor Al Bressler and Fishburne will play Reverend Carlton Clay opposite Eastwood as the legendary Dirty Harry Callahan in the game on next-generation consoles.

Brickyard Headline News

Compositing Artist Jimi Simmons Joins Brickyard VFX

Artist-owned-and-operated visual effects company Brickyard VFX has hired compositing and visual effects talent Jimi Simmons. A multiple Emmy Award nominee, Simmons brings to the Brickyard VFX team extensive visual effects experience, including work for Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Philip Kaufman, Spaz Williams, Mark Dippé and other notable film, music video and commercial directors. A resource for both Brickyard VFX Atlantic and Brickyard VFX Pacific projects, he will be based in Boston.

Headline News

Booth Babes and Gamers In Force at E3

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) for the gaming industry started out with many industry announcements happening about Los Angeles, trying to eclipse the thunder of the opening day, Wednesday, May 10, 2006, at the L.A. Convention Center.

Nintendo unveiled its Wii home console, Sony shocked gamers and analysts with a $499 (20GB) and $599 (60GB) retail price for its PlayStation 3 and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said his company's Xbox 360 next-gen console will beat the competition with more units to market.

Dreamworks Headline News

Activision to Open Facility on DreamWorks Animation Campus

Activision will be opening a dedicated studio facility on the DreamWorks Animation campus in Glendale, California, following on the heels of their strategic alliance. The move, which establishes an unprecedented level of collaboration between a Hollywood studio and a videogame company, will facilitate simultaneous co-development between DreamWorks' 3D-animated features and Activision games based on those films.

Artists Headline News

Gnomon Workshop: Live! Set for June 24-25

The third Gnomon Workshop: Live! will take place June 24-25, 10:00 am -7:00 pm, Sound Stage 15, next door to the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, 1015 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 90038.

The cost is $125. Purchase tickets online and bring a printed copy of your order confirmation and valid driver's license to the event. Please do not select shipping options, as they will not be issuing a printed ticket. Gnomon recommends reserving early.

Headline News

Journey 3-D Starts Shooting in June

Walden Media and New Line will begin production on JOURNEY 3-D in Montreal in June, casting Josh Hutcherson (RV, ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE) opposite Brendan Fraser, reports VARIETY.

Hutcherson will portray the nephew of a geologist (Fraser) who stumbles upon a mystery with strange creatures while on an expedition.

Headline News

Picture Mill Delivers Explosive M:i:III Opening

After a jolting first scene, Picture Mill was asked to create an energetic title sequence that reminds the audience of the excitement of the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise. Driven by a new rescoring of the classic Lalo Schifrin theme, the short sequence makes a bridge between the raw energy of the shocking first scene, and a scene that takes place several weeks earlier. The final sequence is a combination of high-speed fuse photography and 3D credits, seamlessly merged in a barrage of sparks, heat and fire.

Imax Headline News

Poseidon Opens in IMAX

POSEIDON will be released in IMAX theaters worldwide on Friday (May 12, 2006), in addition to conventional theaters. Poseidon is the second IMAX DMR film release from Warner Bros. Pictures in 2006, in a series of five scheduled for the year. It represents the 10th collaboration between IMAX and Warner Bros., including the IMAX original films NASCAR 3D: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE and DEEP SEA 3-D: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE.

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