The Jim Henson Co. has selected the honorees of the newly established Jim Henson Honors, an annual program that acknowledges organizations, individuals or products that reflect the core values and philosophy of Jim Henson and the company he founded in 1955.
The Studio Ghibli Museum in Japan will debut three new short features from Hayao Miyazaki. Starting Jan. 3, 2006 and running until March 13, the three films will screen in the museums Saturn Theatre.
Animazoo UK has opened a new motion capture studio on the south coast city of Brighton, in the U.K.
Already attracting a stream of international visitors, the studio offers users the latest motion capture technology with expert operators to ensure projects run smoothly. Using state of the art Gypsy systems, the studio can handle applications that are impossible with traditional studio based optical systems.
Seoul, South Korea-based Gravity Co. Ltd. announced that it has decided to invest 1 billion Japanese Yen in "Online Game Revolution Vol. 1," an investment fund organized in Japan. "Online Game Revolution Vol.1," with a total proposed investment size of 10 billion Japanese Yen, has an investment objective of investing in companies that develop online games in Japan. Movida Investment Inc., an affiliate of SoftBank Group, will operate the fund as the general partner of the fund. Several Japanese and Korean developers of online games, including CJ Internet Corp.
VFXWORLD finishes off 2005 with a look at the latest trends in digital acting and CG environments.
South West Screen, Skillset and Bristol-based Aardman Features are hosting a unique masterclass for animation professionals. Experts from Aardman and DreamWorks will show 2D and stop-frame animators how their skills can be transferred to CGI.
As Aardmans principal animator, Loyd Price who is part of the masterclass team, says The masterclasses are about taking animators on a journey.
DreamWorks has secured the North American rights to TYPHOON, the most expensive Korean film ever made, reports VARIETY. The budget for the film is listed as $15 million, but it is rumored to have cost several million more.
The multi-language film was produced by South Korean major CJ Ent. The K.T. Kwak directed film follows a modern-day pirate planning a massive attack on North and South Korea.
IGN.com has unveiled its extensive picks for the best games, movies, DVDs and comics of the year.
When the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced last month that it will award a new category of the Emmy Awards for original programming created specifically for non-traditional viewing platforms, it was overwhelmed by response from the creative community.
NBC Universal Television Studio has completed a new, two-year overall production deal with writer/producer Ronald D. Moore (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE) to develop various projects for the studio.
Moore's new deal allows him to continue as one of the show-running exec producers of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA for NBC Universal's SCI FI Channel. Moore's development plans are expected to skew toward SCI FI programming.
D2 Software Inc., a subsidiary of Digital Domain Inc., is now shipping v4.5 of Nuke, the high-end compositing system built by artists, for artists, was and recently used by Weta Digital on KING KONG.
Buena Vista Games shipped more than two million units of the multiplatform videogame, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, to retail outlets in North America and Europe. It was released in conjunction with the epic film from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media, which debuted Dec. 9, 2005, in theaters.
The wolf makes peace with the lamb this holiday season in a new campaign from PUMA. Award-winning Version2 VFX/Design and editor Dave Herman were called on once again by director Andrew Zuckerman to execute the clever spots, which are an extension of ongoing creative for the client.
Kodak Digital Cinema and REAL D announced that the companies have formed a strategic alliance to roll out digital 3-D cinema throughout Australia. Installation of digital 3-D cinema systems will be complete in time for the country's upcoming premiere of Disney's CHICKEN LITTLE in 3-D starting Jan. 1, 2006.
From an inviting ice castle to a thawing waterfall, many of the holiday season's movies were shaped with Autodesk Inc.'s media and entertainment software. Leading post-production facilities, including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and The Orphanage, relied on Autodesk's systems and software to realize their wildest wintry ideas.
Carmike Cinemas Inc., the third largest national movie theater chain, has signed a deal with Christie/AIX for the installation of up to 2,300 Digital Cinema projection systems throughout the U.S. With this agreement, Carmike and Christie/AIX will begin installing 2K DCI-compliant DLP Cinema projectors. The rollout is scheduled to begin in January 2006 and to be completed by Oct. 31, 2007.
Ubisoft revealed that its critically acclaimed game of the year contender, PETER JACKSON'S KING KONG: THE OFFICIAL GAME OF THE MOVIE features an un-lockable, exclusive alternate ending in which players can save the giant ape from his cinematic death, pilot an airplane and discover Kong back home on his native Skull Island. The game, rated "T" for Teen, based on Universal Pictures' release, KING KONG, from three-time Academy Award winner Peter Jackson, is positioned to be the top-selling title for the holiday season and is currently available nationwide.
HP introduced a first-of-its-kind collaboration studio for simulating face-to-face business meetings across long distances, brought to life in partnership with DreamWorks Animation SKG.
The HP Halo Collaboration Studio enables people in different locations to communicate in a face-to-face environment in realtime. Whether across a country or across the world, users are able to see and hear one another's physical and emotional reactions to conversation and information as it is being shared.
British music channel Fuse is set to debut its first animated TV series, EMPIRE SQUARE. The show follows three foul-mouthed characters Rabbit, Hooks and Tourette's-afflicted wannabe rocker Richie. The trio always gets into strange get-rich-quick schemes while trying to obtain rock stardom.
BioWare Game Writing Contest World Wide WebFebruary 27, 2006Deadline: January 30, 2006
BioWare is holding a contest to find talented writers to help develop its award-winning roleplaying games. BioWare's director of design James Ohlen and assistant director of design Kevin Barrett have agreed to make the process of submitting work as easy as possible for writers looking to work for BioWare.
International Project CompetitionJune 7-9, 2006Deadline: February 15, 2006
The 10th edition of the International Project Competition at Annecy 2006 is now open. Around 120 short film or TV production projects were in competition in 2005 for 12 cash prizes. This mine of independent creation has been evolving and intensifying its support to young authors, since 1997. The competition is open to any animated short film or TV production project (TV special or series) irrespective of the genre and techniques used.
Winners will receive:
Imaginaria Film Festival Conversano, ItalyAugust 1-7, 2006Deadline: April 30, 2006
Crest founder and Digital Asia chief Shyam Ramanna recently launched Digital Asia School Of Animation in Mumbi, India in association with Meteor Films Satyam Bansal, reports NewKerala.com.
DASA is located in Lokhandwala, Mumbai with courses in virtual reality, animation, game design, film editing and mobile gaming. Its headquarter is situated in Bangkok.
Bill Buckley joins Bakers Man as chief marketing officer for its family of companies, including Bakers Man Prods., Bakers Man Technology Group, Bakers Man Ent. Group, TrueLight Ent. and Image Quest Studios.
Buckley will develop and oversee the marketing, sales and media relations efforts and, in addition to enhancing existing relationships with key entertainment accounts in theatrical, home entertainment, music and platform games, he is tasked with positioning Bakers Man solutions in a more integrated fashion.
Looking for something to delight girls for the holidays, try the Warner Home Video (WHV) releases, ATOMIC BETTY VOLUME 1: BETTY, SET, GO! and ATOMIC BETTY VOLUME 2: BETTY TO THE RESCUE! DVDs.
