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AWN Headline News

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk Honors Winners of FIRST Robotics Competition

Autodesk Inc. honored the winners of the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competition, which took place April 27-29 in Atlanta, Georgia. Autodesk sponsors two design contests as part of the FIRST competition: The Autodesk Inventor Award and The Autodesk Visualization Award. Robert "Buzz" Kross, vp of Autodesk's Manufacturing Solutions division, presented the awards and prizes to six winning teams at this year's event.

Million Headline News

Madagascar DVD Drives DreamWorks Animation 1st Quarter

For the first quarter of 2006, DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. reported total revenue of $60.1 million and net income of approximately $12.3 million, or $0.12 per share on a fully diluted basis, driven primarily by the home entertainment sales of MADAGASCAR. However, this compares to revenue of $167 million and net income of $45.7 million, or $0.44 per share on a fully diluted basis for the same period in 2005. The company ended the period with $505.5 million of cash and cash equivalents.

Television Headline News

Batman, Kong Top Saturn Awards

The 32nd Annual Saturn Awards were presented at a gala affair in Universal City, California on May 2, 2006. The event attracted many of the top producers, directors and actors working in genre entertainment. BATMAN BEGINS and KING KONG each received three Saturn Awards while STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, SIN CITY and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE each received two Saturn Awards.

Kids Headline News

Alliance Atlantis Announces Canadian Licensing Deals for Lunar Jim

Alliance Atlantis International Content Distribution announced that agreements have been reached in Canada with Adorable Kids Inc. to develop sleepwear and underwear and Calego Intl to develop a line of bags, backpacks and other accessories, for its preschool stop-motion animated property, LUNAR JIM.

Animation Headline News

Animated Shorts Scheme Launched at Light House

Last year Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton launched an Animation Bursary Scheme Animated Shorts to nurture and support up and coming animators in the West Midlands region. This year, with the support of Screen West Midlands, the scheme will run again between July and October 2006. Animated Shorts provides production resources, skills development and mentoring for three talented animators from the region.

Software Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

Last weeks NAB, as always, provided a good opportunity to see some of the latest hardware and software innovations in action, and a precursor to more goodies on the horizon at SIGGRAPH in Boston later this summer. You can read the highlights in VFXWORLDS overview at the end of this week. Meanwhile, managing editor Rick DeMott reviews the latest version of FrameForge 3D previs software. And, with Fridays opening of M:I III, Alain Bielik uncovers ILMs challenging CG work on the Tom Cruise action/adventure directed by ALIAS J.J. Abrams.

World Headline News

EA Marks Release of Black & White 2 & 2006 FIFA World Cup

Electronic Arts has marked the release of BLACK & WHITE 2: BATTLE OF THE GODS and 2006 FIFA WORLD CUP.

Developed by UK-based Lionhead Studios, BLACK & WHITE 2: BATTLE OF THE GODS has begun to ship to retail outlets and the EA downloader at www.downloader.ea.com.

Comedy Headline News

Cartman to See Doug Whisperer in South Park Mid-Season Finale May 3

The first half of the 10th season of SOUTH PARK culminates with Cartman's mom realizing she has lost control of her son in an all-new episode titled, "TSST!" premiering Wednesday, May 3, 2006, at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.

The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan, takes on his biggest challenge to date when he signs on to discipline Eric Cartman. Cesar may have encountered his biggest challenge, because Cartman isn't going down without a fight.

Headline News

Geneon Releases Viewtiful Joe, Starship Operators & More on DVD

Geneon Ent. has released VIEWTIFUL JOE VOLUME TWO, STARSHIP OPERATORS VOLUME THREE, SAIYUKI RELOAD GUNLOCK VOLUME ONE and KANNAZUKI NO MIKO SOLAR PRINCESS VOLUME ONE on DVD.

Based on Capcoms wildly popular videogame franchise, the vibrant and fun combination of Japanese and American comic-style character design has ranked #1 in its Saturday timeslot for kids 6-11 and boys 9-14 on Kids WB! since its November sweeps week debut. Featuring character profiles and conceptual images, the VIEWTIFUL JOE VOLUME TWO DVD will sell for $19.98.

Games Headline News

Vivendi Universal Games Becomes Vivendi Games

Vivendi Universal Games announced on May 1, 2006, its new name, Vivendi Games "VG). The name change follows the parent company's announcement on April 20 that Vivendi Universal has become Vivendi. Under its new name, Vivendi Games will compete in all areas of the videogames industry, developing and publishing the highest quality franchises for all gamers.

Film Headline News

Kloos To Oversee Family Films at Constantin

Constantin Film has hired former Bavaria Film producer Reinhard Kloos to shepherd production of family films, reports VARIETY. Kloos will focus on CG films.

He previously headed Bavaria Pictures, a subsidiary of Bavaria Film, where he produced the forthcoming CG-animated URMEL AUS DEM EIS. The film tells the story of a baby dinosaur. Kloos has also worked as a producer in various capacities at Bavaria, Constantin and Studio Babelsberg, where he headed Babelsberg Film.

Shows Headline News

LACDA Opens 2006 Digital Art And Photography Competition

LACDA Digital Art And Photography Competition 2006Los Angeles, California, USAJune 8-July 1, 2006Deadline: May 21, 2006

LACDA announces our juried competition for digital art and photography. Entrants submit three JPEG files of original work. All styles of 2D artwork and photography where digital processes of any kind were integral to the creation of the images are acceptable.

Software Headline News

NVIDIA Offers Two New Gelatos

NVIDIA Corp. is making the process of high-quality rendering affordable with two new versions of Gelato software, the companys premium rendering solution for digital content creation.

The new version comes in two flavors: Gelato 2.0 software, a no-cost version of the renderer that can be downloaded from the NVIDIA website as of today (May 2, 2006), and Gelato Pro 2.0 software, which offers advanced production-grade rendering functionality and comprehensive support, is available for purchase from NVIDIA and authorized regional resellers.

Award Headline News

Ray Harryhausen Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Stop-motion animation legend Ray Harryhausen was given a lifetime achievement award at Universal Studios on April 30, 2006, by a new honorary society of motion picture character designers called Cinerouge.

Harryhausen, 86, who hails from Los Angeles but now lives in England, is on a book tour for THE ART OF RAY HARRYHAUSEN. Paul Davids, director of the new documentary, THE SCI FI BOYS (a Best Buy DVD exclusive from Universal Studios Home Ent.), which was screened at the event, presented Harryhausen with his award.

Films Headline News

Hoodwinked Bows on DVD

HOODWINKED, the 3D-animated indie hit from Kanbar Ent. and The Weinstein Co., which grabbed $52 million at the box office, takes its RED RIDING HOOD twist to DVD (Genius Products, $29.95) on May 2, 2006. Written and directed by Cory and Todd Edwards, HOODWINKED caught on with wit even if its animation wasnt first-rate.

Home Headline News

Special Collector’s Aeon Flux on DVD

The maligned theatrical version of AEON FLUX, based on Peter Chungs animated cult series and starring Charlize Theron, arrived on DVD at the end of April (Paramount Home Ent., $29.95). Slickly directed by Karyn Kusama (GIRLFIGHT) and shot in Berlin, the futuristic assassin story contains vfx by CIS Hollywood, Digital Domain, Hydraulx, Pacific Title Digital and The Orphanage).

Extras include:

* Commentary by Theron and producer Gale Ann Hurd

Season Headline News

Dinosaurs Hatches On DVD

DINOSAURS: THE COMPLETE FIRST AND SECOND SEASONS (Disney Home Ent., $39.99) comes to DVD May 2, 2006. Jim Hensons animatronic nod to THE FLINTSTONES in 91 concerns a stone-age working-class family living in the modern world, and utilizes lots of wry social commentary (characters names are based on petroleum corporations). Created by Michael Jacobs and Bob Young; and directed by Bruce Bilson, and Jeff McCracken.

Disney Headline News

Nightmare to Get Disney Digital 3-D Treatment

On the heels of James Camerons optimistic roadmap for 3-D at last weeks NAB2006, comes news that Disney will reissue TIM BURTONS THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in digital 3-D for a Halloween engagement beginning Oct. 20, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Industrial Light & Magic, which collaborated with Disney last year on the successful 3-D launch of CHICKEN LITTLE, is currently scanning and converting the stop motion classic with the help of Burton and NIGHTMARE director Henry Selick. Appropriately ghoulish glasses are in the works too.

Headline News

Magic Cellar Wins Highest Award At WorldFest

MAGIC CELLAR, the first animated series to be based on African culture, has been awarded the Platinum REMI Award at WorldFest. The award to MAGIC CELLAR was presented in Houston, Texas on April 29, 2006. Present to receive the award were Firdaus Kharas, director and executive producer of Ottawa, Canada and Adeelah Carrim, producer, of Johannesburg, South Africa. The show is a joint venture between Canada and South Africa.

Television Headline News

Jane & the Dragon, John & Michael Get BANFF Playback Nods

The Banff World Television Festival announced the nominees for its PLAYBACK-sponsored Best Canadian Award. As finalists, the 18 Canadian nominees not only stand to win in their own genre categories, but are also vying for the Best Canadian Program title. Nominees will be screened by an independent jury of Canadian television professionals with the winner announced at the 2006 Banff World Television Festival.

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