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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Capcom Releases Mega Man Powered Up For PSP

Capcom released MEGA MAN POWERED UP for the PSP. The original MEGA MAN, which was originally released on the Nintendo Ent. System, undergoes a complete transformation in MEGA MAN POWERED UP. The title features a totally redesigned look and feel, combined with new gameplay options. MEGA MAN POWERED UP is rated E for everyone by the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) and is now available at retailers across North America.

Film Headline News

Brain Zoo Taps André Bustanoby as VFX Supervisor

Brain Zoo Studios has hired former Stan Winston exec producer and visual effects supervisor André Bustanoby to supervise visual effects at Brain Zoo Studios as part of an expansion into film and TV while continuing to serve the interactive entertainment client base.

Bustanoby brings 12 years of film and television visual effects experience to the Brain Zoo team, having worked on such high-profile projects as TITANIC, FANTASTIC 4, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW and, most recently, EIGHT BELOW.

Headline News

Brer Rabbit Hip-Hops on DVD

It may not be SONG OF THE SOUTH, but THE ADVENTURES OF BRER RABBIT (Universal Home Ent., $22.98) is as close as were going to get to Uncle Remus famous tales on DVD for a while. This 2D animated direct-to-DVD from Universal Cartoon Studios, Cuckoos Nest Studios and Wang Film Prods. offers a modern, musical retelling of the clever and mischievous Brer Rabbit, as he outwits Brer Fox, Brer Bear and the rest of the Brer critters. Byron Vaughns directs an all-star lineup that includes Wayne Brady (Brer Wolf), Nick Cannon (Brer Rabbit), Danny Glover (Brer Turtle), D.L.

Film Headline News

Looney Bin Wins Animation Prize at Ann Arbor Film Fest

The Ann Arbor Film Festival wrapped up its 2006 event on March 26, 2006 with the awarding of its prizes. The Chris Frayne Award Best Animated Film went to MARVELOUS KEEN LOONEY BIN by Lizzi Arkana. Moreover, David Chais FUMI AND THE BAD LUCK FOOT won the Prix DeVarti Funniest Film award. In honorable mentions, Bruce Alcocks AT THE QUINTE HOTEL was a recipient. For a complete list of winners, visit www.aafilmfest.org/.

Headline News

SAG Toons In More Residuals For Cable VO Actors

SAG and industry producers have tentatively come to terms on a new basic cable animation contract, which increases residual payments by 20%, reports the trades.

Word came down on Monday the same day that negotiating resumed on a separate live-action basic cable series contract. SAG has already mentioned a strike if they dont get an acceptable raise in residuals.

Both contracts were last negotiated 16 years ago when cable TV was a relatively new.

Textures Headline News

Naked Sky Ent. & Allegorithmic Announce Deal to License ProFX for RoboBlitz

Naked Sky Ent. announced that it has licensed Allegorithmic's ProFX procedural texture authoring and rendering system for its upcoming title ROBOBLITZ, expected to be one of the first Unreal Engine 3 titles to ship on Xbox 360 Live Arcade and the PC.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network Brings Animated Shorts Back To The Cinema

Cartoon Network UK is bringing animated shorts back as a way of promoting its TV brand. This seven-figure campaign is Cartoon Networks single largest ever marketing initiative.

From April, in a national campaign negotiated by MediaCom, major kids films at Odeon (Carlton Screen Advertising) and Vue (Pearl and Dean) cinemas will be preceded by six-minute Cartoon Network shorts which will receive an estimated 20 million admissions per year.

Concept Headline News

d'artiste: Concept Art Entry Deadline Nears

The entry deadline to submit work to Ballistic Publishings D'ARTISTE: CONCEPT ART is April 3, midnight GMT. D'ARTISTE: CONCEPT ART is the fourth title in the D'ARTISTE DIGITAL ARTISTS Master Class series. D'ARTISTE: CONCEPT ART features the community's leading digital artists demonstrating their techniques and approaches. More than just tricks and techniques, d'artiste delves into each artist's overall approach, their choice of subject matter and what inspires them.

Headline News

Pixel Farm Ships PFClean, Goes ‘MacTel’

The Pixel Farm, a company focused on innovation in the field of high-end digital post-production, has released PFClean1.5. Since its release in 2005, PFClean has already been adopted by a growing number of DI and post-production facilities worldwide including, Hollywood Intermediates, Ollin Studios and Hungarian Film Labs.

Headline News

King Kong Conquers DVD

Peter Jacksons KING KONG, which took the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for Weta Digital, roars onto DVD March 28, 2006 (Universal Studios Home Ent., $30.98) in a two-disc special edition loaded with extras.

The DVD, featuring collectable original package artwork specially designed by the artists at Weta Digital, offers an informative inside look into the creation of the films two cinematic worlds: Skull Island and 1933 New York City.

Headline News

Animated Planet of the Apes TV Series Bows on DVD

As part of the limited edition, 14-disc PLANET OF THE APES: THE ULTIMATE DVD COLLECTION ($179.98) that streets March 28, 2005, Twentieth Century Fox Home Ent. offers for the first time the animated TV series, RETURN TO THE PLANET OF THE APES.

From the Oscar-winning creators of THE PINK PANTHER (David H. DePatie & Friz Freleng) comes this high-concept cartoon from 75 populated by familiar characters from the PLANET OF THE APES films and live-action TV series, including Cornelius, Zira and General Urko .

Headline News

Nick Park Gets National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award Nod

The National Cartoonists Society has announced this year's nominees for the Reuben Award. The Reuben winner, as well as the winners in all the NCS Division Awards, will be announced at the 60th Annual Reuben Awards Banquet in Chicago on May 27, 2006.

Film Headline News

Mukta Arts & Film City Open Film School in Mumbai

Subhash Ghai's Mukta Arts and Film City have launched the Whistling Woods Intl. film school on the Film City campus in Mumbai, reports VARIETY. The school will begin classes in July and has a teaching staff that includes Bollywood actors Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, helmers Ghai, Shyam Benegal and Aruna Raje.

Film Headline News

ThinkFilm Says What The F—k to New Doc

ThinkFilm has acquired worldwide rights to FUCK, a doc featuring animation done by Bill Plympton. Directed by Steve Anderson, the film takes an in-depth look at the expletive, featuring appearances by Drew Carey, Billy Connolly, Alanis Morrisette and Ice-T.

ThinkFilm will release the film, which made waves at the South by Southwest film fest, later this year, followed by a run on Showtime.

"Everything about the way we advertise, publicize and even discuss this film requires us to be thoughtful, original and fresh," said Mark Urman, Think's distribution head.

Animation Headline News

Hacker Attack Brings Down Animation Websites

By Joe Strike | Tuesday, March 28, 2006 at 12:00am

At the tail end of 2005, a computer hacker calling himself "the Persian Fox" began attacking hundreds of U.S. websites, including scores run by animation companies.

You keep abusing, Islams almighty Prophet with disgusting and disgraceful cartoons using excuses of freedom of speech reads the onscreen message (including the misplaced comma) that replaced the sites regular content. The majority of sites hacked, however, have no connection to the recent uproar over Danish cartoons belittling Islam and the Prophet Muhammad.

Dark Headline News

SCI FI Channel Premieres Original Miniseries Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King

The SCI FI Channel is premiering the original two-part, four-hour hour fantasy/adventure miniseries, DARK KINGDOM: THE DRAGON KING, with Part I on March 27, 2006, and Part II on March 28 at 9:00 pm. Based upon the epic tale that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS, the miniseries rebroadcasts Part I on March 28 at 6:57 p.m. and Part II the same night at 11:00 p.m., as well as on March 29 at 1:00 am and 7:00 pm

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