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AWN Headline News

Universal Headline News

Universal & Mattel Form Worldwide Marketing & Distribution DVD Alliance

Universal Studios and Mattel today (April 11, 2006) announced an unprecedented, multi-picture, multi-year alliance for worldwide marketing and distribution of feature-length DVDs. This will commence with a new fall release for Mattels hugely successful Barbie Ent. franchise and a first-ever, feature-length movie for the successful Polly Pocket! brand.

Headline News

South Park 7th Season Now on DVD

SOUTH PARK: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON is now available on DVD, featuring 15 episodes of wonderfully disturbing events such as metrosexual exploration and forced Mormonism. The compilation was released via COMEDY CENTRAL Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent. is available in U.S. stories and is also available at www.shop.comedycentral.com.

Comedy Headline News

Comedy Central & IFILM Launch Test Pilots Broadband Development Deal Contest

Comedy Central is partnering with IFILM to launch," Comedy Central's Test Pilots," an online competition in search of the next big broadband show. Would-be show creators will get the opportunity to submit one to five-minute pilots to comedycentral.com with the winner receiving a development deal on Comedy Central's broadband channel, "MotherLoad." Live action, animation, sketch or hidden camera any format is acceptable.

Special Headline News

Ambiguously Gay Duo & Fellow Saturday TV Funhouse Shorts Special Slated

NBCs SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE presents a special BEST OF compilation featuring SATURDAY TV FUNHOUSE shorts by acclaimed comedian Robert Smigel on April 29, 2006, from 11:30 pm to 1:00 am on NBC. The special will be hosted by THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO. Ace and Gary (voiced by Stephen Colbert and Steve Carell).

It will feature new material starring the subtly homoerotic superheroes performing an SNL monologue as well as interacting live with the current cast throughout the show.

Star Headline News

Winnie The Pooh Receives a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

In conjunction with the release of the fully re-mastered POOH'S GRAND ADVENTURE THE SEARCH FOR CHRISTOPHER ROBIN on Disney DVD April 11, 2006, Winnie The Pooh receive his Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This being the characters 80th Anniversary the unveiling will take place at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.

Animations Headline News

Court Used Animations May Create Jury Bias

A study from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign presents the argument that computer animation uses in court cases to re-create incidents may present a biased view depending on which side created the simulation, reports ScienceDaily.com.

Headline News

Sci-Fi Boys Doc on DVD

Released to coincide with the release of Peter Jacksons KING KONG, THE SCI-FI BOYS (Universal Pictures Home Ent., $29.98, a Best Buy exclusive) is a documentary that pays homage to the lasting influence of Forrest J. Ackerman (FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine), Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen. Written, produced and directed by Paul Davids (production coordinator and writer for THE TRANSFORMERS animated series), THE SCI-FI BOYS recounts how the generation of moviemakers inspired by the aforementioned trio and has made its mark as sci-fi filmmakers.

People Headline News

Radium Creates ‘Product People’ Party for Target

Production house Radium lent its CG and visual effects expertise to create a high-energy street-party themed spot, PRODUCT PEOPLE, for Target, a client of Peterson Milla Hooks, Minneapolis.

Directed by Spaz Williams (THE WILD), with Radiums creative director Jonathan Keeton, the spot features Target store products that merge with each other to form dancing party people. PRODUCT PEOPLE is the first in a series of Target spots Radium will produce this year with Peterson Milla Hooks. It debuted April 2.

Studio Headline News

DAZ Launches Developer Program with DAZ Studio 1.3

DAZ Prods. Inc., announced the first release of the DAZ Studio Software Development Kit (SDK) with the latest version of its free digital art software, DAZ Studio 1.3. By exposing the majority of the DAZ Studio API, the DAZ Studio SDK enables third-party developers to completely integrate their own technology directly into DAZ Studio. With this digital 3D art market now open to third-party developers, the growth potential for a variety of new DAZ Studio features, tools and plug-ins is tremendous.

Reel Headline News

Pharos Capital Invests $8 Million in Reel FX

Pharos Capital Group LLC of Nashville and Dallas, has invested $8 million in Reel FX Inc. Based in Dallas, privately held Reel FX provides computer-generated 3D animation and visual effects in the broadcast, feature film, computer and videogame and advertising industries. The company also specializes in the development, production and brand management of family-friendly programming and has a number of active projects including feature films, television and direct-to-DVD series.

Headline News

ATI Offers New FireGL V7350 and FireGL V7300 Professional 3D Accelerators

ATI Technologies Inc. announced that its next generation FireGLTM V7350 and FireGLTM V7300 workstation graphics accelerators have been certified by HP as a part of the company's thorough testing process to ensure a more stable and reliable experience for workstation customers. As the industry's first one gigabyte (1GB) graphics accelerator, the FireGL V7350 is ideally suited for CAD, DCC, imaging and visualization users working with extremely large datasets.

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for April 10, 2006

Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. Check out the latest installment from quizmaster Karl Staven, an accomplished independent animator and head of the Animation Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Brown Headline News

HIT Ent. Now Property Owners of Wobbly Land

London-based HIT Ent. has acquired the worldwide rights to WOBBLY LAND, a unique childrens property from Irish production company Brown Bag Films.

Created by Cat Little, the WOBBLY LAND story is set in a "fuzzy felt" world, a topsy turvy place that looks like a soft, bouncy play mat and where trees squeak when you hug them and houses are connected together by slides. The series celebrates play and encourages children to use their imagination to entertain and express themselves.

Production on the 26x5 series is due for completion in spring 2007.

Animation Headline News

Toonz Animation Becomes the Largest Toon Boom Harmony Installation in India

Emmy-award winning Toon Boom Animation Inc. announced that Trivandrum-based Toonz Animation India has become the largest Toon Boom Harmony installation in India. Preparing for the production of several in-house projects, Toonz is planning to explore Harmony�s wide array of capabilities to create traditional and cut-out animation in a fully integrated production pipeline.

Festival Headline News

DIY Book Festival Wants Your Indie Comics

2006 DIY Book Festival Los Angeles, California, USAOctober 7, 2006Deadline: September 25, 2006

The 2006 DIY Book Festival will host its fifth annual program celebrating the success of independent authors and publishers.

The DIY Book Festival will consider self-published or independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, photography, art, comics, 'zines, fan fiction, poetry and e-books published on or after Jan. 1, 2004.

Headline News

Aardman Draws Buyers To A Town Called Panic

Aardman Animations has secured new broadcast sales for animated series A TOWN CALLED PANIC at MIP-TV 2006. ABC TV Australia and Nicktoons Network U.S. have picked up all 20x5 episodes of the series, which made its international debut at MIPCOM last year. It previously sold to Nickelodeon U.K.

Headline News

Icon Animation’s Vitaminix Snapped Up By International Broadcasters

Barcelona-based Icon Animation has signed a raft of programming deals at MIPTV 2006 for its edu-tainment series VITAMINIX (www.vitaminix.tv). Panama free TV channel TV7 (Corp. Medcom), UEA cabsat channel E-Junior, TV Andorra and Digiturk in Turkey are the latest broadcasters to sign up for the animated healthy eating show aimed at kids. In addition, Icon Animation has signed an output deal with Al Sayyar Art Prod. for the Middle East and 33x26 animated series MIMI & MR. BOBO.

Kids Headline News

National Geographic Kids Sets Toot And Puddle Into Production

National Geographic Television & Films (NGT&F) Kids Programming and Production unit has commenced production on the made-for-DVD animated special, TOOT & PUDDLE: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, also available to domestic and international broadcasters as a one-hour format. Based on Holly Hobbies TOOT & PUDDLE franchise and animated by Grand Slamm Childrens Films, TOOT & PUDDLE: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is scheduled to launch during the 2006 holiday season.

Friends Headline News

Friends and Heroes Set to Debut This Fall

After three years in the making, the animated family action-adventure FRIENDS AND HEROES is due for delivery in September 2006.

Set in the turbulent times of the Roman Empire, FRIENDS AND HEROES follows the adventures of Macky, Portia and their friends across the ancient world and right to the heart of the Empire: Rome. As they fight for freedom, justice and even survival against the might of the Roman Empire, they become friends and then, in turn, heroes.

Game Headline News

Justice League Heroes Website Launched

Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. has launched the new JUSTICE LEAGUE HEROES site www.justiceleagueheroes.com.

The highly anticipated Xbox, PS2 and PSP game features the all-time most popular super hero group from the DC Comics universe including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter and Zatanna.

Headline News

Verizon Makes V CAST Deals with Turner & AtomFilms

From CTIA Wireless 2006 in Las Vegas, Verizon Wireless has announced content deals for its V CAST service with Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) as well as AtomFilms.

For the Turner deal, V CAST customers can view content from Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on their V CAST-enabled phones.

Headline News

Edgar & Ellen TV Series & Specials to Debut on Nicktoons

Worldwide pranksters Edgar and Ellen are leaping from the pages of their Simon & Schuster book series to Nicktoons Network. Beginning this fall, EDGAR & ELLEN holiday specials will air on Nicktoons Network celebrating back to school, Halloween, Winter Holidays and Valentines Day. On April Fools Day, the EDGAR & ELLEN TV series will debut.

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