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AWN Headline News

Headline News

AGEIA’s PhysX Processor Available for Interactive Gaming

AGEIA Technologies Inc., a pioneer in hardware-accelerated physics for games, announced the availability of its PhysX processor, the first physics processing unit (PPU) designed to power pervasive realtime physics in PC gaming. With immediate availability from the worlds leading gaming system and personal computer manufacturers Alienware, Dell and Falcon Northwest, the AGEIA PhysX Accelerator brings true physics interaction on a massive scale to serious gamers for the first time.

Film Headline News

IDT’s Yankee Irving Now Everyone’s Hero

IDT Ent. has announced that its changing the title of its first CG feature YANKEE IRVING to EVERYONES HERO. The family comedy, originally directed by the late Christopher Reeve, features a voice cast led by Rob Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Dennehy, Raven-Symone, William H. Macy, Mandy Patinkin, Robert Wagner, Richard Kind, New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, Jake T. Austin, and the late Dana Reeve, one of the films exec producers. The film will be distributed through 20th Century Fox and will open nationwide on Sept. 15, 2006.

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk to Offer MotionBuilder 7.5

Autodesk Inc. has announced Autodesk MotionBuilder 7.5 character animation software. Designed to tackle the challenges of working with motion capture, the software features realtime productivity tools to realize ideas for sophisticated 3D characters in next-generation game pipelines. Autodesk MotionBuilder caters to a broad range of users, from independent digital artists to large-scale production studios.

Production Headline News

Softimage Announces SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.1

Softimage Co. confirmed the latest update to the companys flagship character production software, SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.1. This release offers a range of new features designed to simplify deployment and asset exchange for customers working on next-generation game titles and vfx in mixed pipelines. Feature updates include native COLLADA 1.4 support, enhanced asset exchange with other applications and hundreds of other customer-driven enhancements.

Imax Headline News

V for Vendetta Posts Strong IMAX Opening

V FOR VENDETTA: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE debuted with impressive box office results this past weekend. The digitally re-mastered IMAX DMR release of V FOR VENDETTA from Warner Bros. Pictures opened in 56 North American IMAX theatres, grossing an estimated $1.36 million during the three-day period between March 17 and March 19 for a per-screen average of $24,341.

Disney Headline News

Chicken Little Hatches on DVD

CHICKEN LITTLE, the first all 3D-animated feature from Walt Disney Feature Animation, makes its DVD bow March 21, 2006 (Walt Disney Home Ent., $29.99). Directed by Mark Dindal and produced by Randy Fullmer (THE EMPEROR�S NEW GROOVE), and featuring the voice talents of Zach Braff (Chicken Little), Garry Marshall (Buck Cluck), Joan Cusack (Abby Mallard) and the late Don Knotts (Mayor Turkey Lurkey), CHICKEN LITTLE takes its inspiration from the classic Goofy shorts, particularly in the heroic baseball sequence.

Animation Headline News

NaturalMotion Debuts endorphin 2.6 at GDC

NaturalMotion Ltd. announced that it will debut endorphin 2.6, the newest version of the companys award-winning 3D animation software, at the 2006 Game Developer Conference (GDC), booth 1136. With new network licensing, improved adaptive behaviors, enhanced pipeline integration and improved character editing features, endorphin 2.6 boasts a powerful suite of tools that allow animators to create realistic, fully interactive 3D character animation for games, films and broadcast production.

Game Headline News

Richard Allen Garriott Feted for GDC Award for Lifetime Achievement

Richard Allen Garriott, exec producer, NCsoft North America, will be honored with this years Game Developers Choice Award for Lifetime Achievement. The gaming pioneer is best known for his monumental game series, ULTIMA. Garriott, known in the industry as Lord British, will be recognized for fueling the presence of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) in the mass market. The 6th annual Game Developers Choice Awards ceremony will held on March 22, 2006, at the San Jose Civic Auditorium.

Headline News

New South Park Episodes Kick Off With The Return of Chef

It may have gotten a little hot in the headlines for Issac Hayes, voice of Chef on SOUTH PARK, with the actor's recent protests over a religious themed episode, but the 10th season of politically incorrect series serves up the triumphant homecoming of school chef, Jerome McElroy in the episode, "The Return of Chef," airing on March 22, 2006, at 10:00 pm on Comedy Central.

Headline News

GDH & Goldman Sachs Team on Toon Fund

Japanese animation firm GDH is setting up a $43 million content fund with the Japan office of Goldman Sachs, reports VARIETY. GDH will issue share warrants to Jupiter Investment, a local Goldman Sachs affiliate. Goldman Sachs will sequentially consider investing in a content fund to be run by GDH Capital, a GDH group company, and GDH.

The fund will give production financing for animated content in TV, direct-to-video, features and online games, targeted at international audiences.

Disney Headline News

Disney’s Circle 7 Shutters, Lay Offs To Come

With rumors swirling since the Pixar purchase, Walt Disney Co., on March 20, 2006, shuttered its Circle 7 unit, which was dedicated to producing sequels to Pixar films.

A company spokesperson said, Due to changes in our animation business, a substantial number of artists and staff from Circle 7 will be moving into Walt Disney Feature Animation. For those artists without a Feature Animation assignment, we will be assisting them in finding new employment.

Headline News

PROMAX Awards Deadline Fast Approaching

PROMAX&BDA 2006New York, New York, USAJune 20-22, 2006Deadline: March 26, 2006

PROMAX&BDA 2006 is dedicated to advancing the role and effectiveness of promotion, marketing and broadcast design professionals in the electronic media. The event features various awards and sessions to keep professionals up-to-date on the latest trends and technology. For more information, visit www.promax.org/main.asp.

Animation Headline News

VooDooDog Gets Nanny to Seoul

London based VooDooDog, run by David Z.Obadiah and Paul and Noel Donnellon, have been selected for the official competition in the commissioned films category at the Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival with the end credit sequence they created for the Working Title/Universal Studios film NANNY MCPHEE.

The sequence directed by Irish animator Paul Donnellon was nominated at the British Animation Awards and also won the silver medal at the New York Festivals recently.

Series Headline News

Turntable Timmy to Turn Up as Hip Hop Online Cartoon

Childrens author, Michael P., and illustrator, Doug DUG1 Cunningham have teamed with startup animation house, Rebel Static, for a groundbreaking new hip hop cartoon based on the critically acclaimed childrens book, TURNTABLE TIMMY (Last Gasp Publishing).

Headline News

FOX Orders More Simpsons and King of the Hill

Fox Broadcasting Co. has ordered two additional seasons of THE SIMPSONS and one additional season of KING OF THE HILL. This gives viewers 19 seasons of THE SIMPSONS, through 2007-2008 while Mike Judges KING OF THE HILL is picked up for its 11th season.

Having debuted on Jan. 14, 1990, THE SIMPSONS reigns as the longest-running primetime series currently on television. Considered a cultural institution and popular icon, THE SIMPSONS will celebrate milestone 400 episodes in May 2007.

Headline News

boujou bullet PXC Announced

Pixel Corps, the global guild for aspiring and professional digital craftsman, and 2d3, a leading developer of professional 3D camera matchmoving software, announced boujou bullet PXC, a limited version of boujou bullet 2. With a scaled down image support function, boujou bullet PXC includes many of the same helpful features found in boujou bullet 2, including automated tracking, matchmoving and a comprehensive wizard-based help.

Headline News

NVIDIA, Havok to Demo First GPU-Powered Game Physics Solution at GDC

NVIDIA Corp. and Havok will demonstrate a physics effects solution that runs completely on a graphics processing unit (GPU) an industry first at this year's Game Developer Conference (GDC) in San Jose, California (March 21 through 24).

Studio Headline News

V For Vendetta Explodes Box Office

Warner Bros. V FOR VENDETTA (with vfx by Cinesite, Double Negative and Baseblack) turned out to be one of the better openings for a graphic novel adaptation, with a smashing $25.6M to lead the box office for the weekend ended March 19, 2006. Paramounts FAILURE TO LAUNCH (with vfx by Lola Visual Effects) slipped to second in its second week, posting $15.6M for a cume of $48.2M. Following in third was Buena Vistas THE SHAGGY DOG (with vfx from Tippett Studio and Stan Winston Studio), which barked up another $13.3M for a two-week cume of $35.6M.

Anime Headline News

AWN Seeks New Anime, Gaming & Int’l Writers

AWN is issuing a call for new freelance writers. Specifically, we need individuals who have knowledge of anime, videogames and the international market. If youre interested, e-mail a brief introduction, your resume and a writing sample for consideration to Sarah Baisley at editor@awn.com.

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for March 20, 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.

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