AWN Headline News
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for April 17, 2006
This week in AWN's Forums, members are discussing their thoughts of Disneys release of THE WILD. Theres a thread discussing animation rates in India. A junior member wants to know when one is ready to go to an animation institution. Theres a new thread trying to work out the conflicts between Animation Nation and the AWN Forums. A member has questions about by a scanner. A junior member has questions for all the CalArts members out there.
Nick Mobile Launches on Sprint Phones
Nickelodeon today (April 17, 2006) announced the launch of Nick Mobile on select Sprint multimedia phones. Nick Mobile on Sprint offers a combination of short video clips, vignettes and music videos. From the Nick Jr. library, music videos are approximately two minutes in length with clips from favorite programs, such as DORA THE EXPLORER, BLUE'S CLUES, THE BACKYARDIGANS, LAZYTOWN and the recently launched Nick Jr. series, THE WONDER PETS!, TV's first operetta for kids.
RE:Vision Effects Releases RE:Map
RE:Vision Effects now offers RE:Map, the ultimate kit of mapping and distortion tools. RE:Vision Effects will be at NAB, booth SL5138 (the plug-in pavilion) to demo the newly released RE:Map and the rest of their products.
RE:Map is comprised of four plug-ins:
Iridas Launches FrameCycler VenueSystem
Iridas has released FrameCycler VenueSystem. The new application offers direct-from-disk playback of digital film content at unlimited resolutions, providing venue theaters and museums with higher image quality, and greater playback precision than video codecs will allow.
BOXX to Unveil APEXX 8 Workstation at NAB2006
BOXX will not only unveil its APEXX 8 workstation for the first time at NAB2006 (April 24-27 at the Las Vegas Convention Center), but will also be giving away three GoBOXX 1400 mobile workstation powered by powered by AMDs Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor.
Sony PCL Goes ‘Hybrid’ With Bluefish444
Sony PCL Inc., a post-production subsidiary of Sony Corp., has launched "Hybrid editing room" combining linear and non-linear editing functionality and utilizing Bluefish444's HD|Lust and HD|Iridium card.
AGEIA PhysX SDK Goes Russian for Gaming
AGEIA Technologies Inc., the pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics for games, has signed pacts with a number of Russian game developers at the recent Russian Developers Conference (KRI). Gaijin Ent., is implementing PhysX SDK into its Dagor game engine, a popular middleware solution for Russian game developers. Gaijin will also provide first-line support for the AGEIA PhysX SDK, an important benefit in the region where English is not widely used.
Scary Easter Record
SCARY MOVIE 4 debuted with the best Easter weekend opening ever $40.2M, for the period ended April 16, 2006. Its also the best opening for the Weinstein Co., which released under its Dimension banner. Meanwhile, Fox/Blue Skys 3D-animated ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN dropped to second place in its third week, picking up another $20M for a cume of $147.2M. Overseas, THE MELTDOWN has garnered another $250M.
Rain Dampens Apocalypto Summer Release
Disney has moved Mel Gibson's Mayan epic APOCALYPTO from late summer to Dec. 8., reports various media outlets. Some say the chief reason is that extensive rain at the South American locations have created production delays that make a summer release unattainable.
The pushback also gives Disney an opportunity to push the film is a clearer field and for award recognition.
Silent Auction to Benefit Animator’s Ailing Son
Cartoon Network Studios is hosting a silent auction to raise money for the family's crisis fund to support the medical care of Nickelodeon animator Paul Sects four-year-old son Fyn, who has been diagnosed with rare form of liver cancer. The art auction, featuring many rare and never-seen animation cells, photographs and other art, will take place on April 20, 2006, at Cartoon Network in Burbank (300 N. Third Street, Burbank, California 91502) from 5:30-9:00 pm. For more info, visit fynstec.blogspot.com/ or www.fynstec.com/.
Frederator To Podcast Public Domain Toons
Frederator Studios has launched ReFrederator (www.refrederator.com), the worlds first daily vintage cartoon video podcast.
ReFrederator will feature classic cartoons from the public domain such as Bugs Bunny, Mighty Mouse, Daffy Duck, Betty Boop, Little Lulu, Porky Pig, Donald Duck and Felix the Cat, as well as fairy tales and musicals. Every 7-9 minute podcast will feature a short-form classic cartoon and promotional packaging and branding from ReFrederator. New episodes will appear daily Monday through Friday, grouped into weekly themes.
Famous Czech Documentarist/Animator Pavel Koutecky Dies
Renowned Czech documentary filmmaker Pavel Koutecky died after falling from a high building under construction in the Prague-Pankrac neighborhood while filming is latest film, reports the public Czech Television (CT). He was 49.
The police spokesman told CT that Koutecky had been reported missing since Friday (April 14, 2006) night. Script editor Alena Muellerova said that Koutecky was shooting a documentary about a young man who climbs high buildings.
India’s Celluloid Dreams Announces CG Life After Death
Mumbai-based film firm Celluloid Dreams announced its involvement the CG feature tentatively titled LIFE AFTER DEATH, reports ANIMATION 'XPRESS.
The project is an outsourced assignment, for which Celluloid Dreams will provide the pre-production, including story, script, storyboards, dialogue, voices, background score and character design. The animation will be done by Chennai-based Red Octane.
Celluloid Dreams is set to complete its part by end of July.
New Animation World Magazine Acrobat Now Online!
The new Acrobat edition of Animation World Magazine is now available for download. This editions theme is Internet and Wireless. Joe Strike looks into the growing opportunities of repurposing content from other mediums on the Internet. Brands still dominate, but a growing number of opportunities exist for animators to sell their content for cell phone distribution. Karen Raugust reports. Christopher Harz examines the international new media market, chronicling its evolutions and revolutions.
Submit Your TV Pilots to NYTF
New York Television Festival 2006New York, New York, USASeptember 12-17, 2006Deadline: July 7, 2006
The New York Television Festival is the first creative festival for the medium, pioneering the movement of Independent Television and constructing a new path for program development. Writers, directors, and producers will be selected from a national and international grassroots search and given the unprecedented opportunity to showcase their originally produced pilots directly to network and cable executives in a festival competition.
Horror Filmmakers Wanted for NYC Horror Fest
2006 New York City Horror Film FestivalNew York, New York, USAOctober 2006Deadline: September 15, 2006
The New York City Horror Film Festival is Americas largest genre film festival. Held yearly at the prestigious Tribeca Cinemas, the NYCHFF prides itself on having the best industry networking, the biggest parties and being the most highly attended and globally recognized genre film festival in America. For more information, visit www.nychorrorfest.com.
Gnomeo Lands at Miramax
After finding an empty garden at Walt Disney Feature Animation under John Lasseters new leadership, GNOMEO AND JULIET, the pet animated project of Sir Elton John, will restart as a co-production between Disney owned Miramax Films and the musical superstars Rocket Pictures.
Sun-Maid Girl Gets CGI Makeover
The Sun-Maid Girl, famous for her red bonnet and for holding a tray of freshly picked grapes, has received a CGI makeover in honor of her 90th anniversary, courtesy of Synthespian Studios, founded by Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak.
This American icon recently took on animated form in nationwide TV commercials, print ads and a newly designed website (www.sunmaid.com).
Steven M. Grossman Exits 4Kids Ent. COO Post
4Kids Ent. announced that Steven M. Grossman, evp/coo and member of the board of directors, has stepped down from the company and from the board. Grossman's responsibilities will be shared among the current members of the senior management team, led by chairman/ceo Alfred R. Kahn, cfo Bruce R. Foster and general counsel Samuel R. Newborn.
AISF Offers New Simulation/Virtual Environs & CG Degrees
The Art Institute of California San Francisco is now offering a bachelors degree program in Simulation & Virtual Environments and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Computer Animation.
Animation Director Brad Case Dies
Animator/director Brad Case died March 19, 2006. He was 93.
His career spanned from 1934 until his retirement in 1999, having worked for Iwerks, Disney, MGM, Lantz, Raphael Wolff, Sutherland, Paul Fennell, Tempo, Calvin Co., Academy, ERA Prods., Hanna-Barbera, Larry Harmon, UPA, Warner Bros., Nicholson, Sanrio, DePatie-Freleng, Marvel, Graz Ent. and New World.
Geneon Ent. Brings Popular Anime Titles To Podcasts
Following its recent success in the portable community with the release of its anime titles on UMD, Geneon Ent. has expanded into the ever-growing world of podcasting. Featuring trailers and television commercials that include the popular superhero series VIEWTIFUL JOE and the gritty samurai series SAMURAI CHAMPLOO, Geneon Ent. will be adding three new podcast streams each week on iTunes, and will soon expand the content to include behind-the-scenes features, sneak previews and exclusive footage only available through the podcast.
SAE Institute Expands in Middle East
Following the tremendous success of courses offered at its Dubai hub, SAE Institute, the largest film, audio engineering and animation training provider in the world, is looking at expanding to other countries in the region.
Marco Bettelli, SAE's Dubai gm, said that the SAE Institute's regional campus at Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) has captured the imagination of aspiring filmmakers, animators and music professionals from around the region and is considering opening branches in Middle Eastern countries like Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
Anger Management Director Says Shazam!
ANGER MANAGEMENT director Peter Segal has been attached to helm New Lines adaptation of the DC comic, SHAZAM!, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Segal also will produce along side Michael Ewing via their Callahan Filmworks.