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AWN Headline News

Effects Headline News

Gnomon Workshop Offers Six New Digital Training DVDs

The Gnomon Workshop announced six new digital titles. The latest batch includes ZBrush, V-Ray, MEL and a title that takes you from a concept design illustration to a 3D render. This series of releases brings new titles from Chris Nichols and legendary artist Meats Meier, and introduces effects artists Kevin Mannens and Mark Lefitz to The Gnomon Workshop.

Game Headline News

Ubisoft Ships America's Army: Rise of a Soldier & Heroes of the Pacific

Ubisoft announced that AMERICAS ARMY: RISE OF A SOLDIER for Xbox and HEROES OF THE PACIFIC for PS2, Xbox and PC have shipped to retail stores.

Ubisoft and the U.S. Army worked together to develop AMERICAS ARMY: RISE OF A SOLDIER. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to the vast military expertise of the U.S. Army, Ubisoft created the most authentic military console game to date by incorporating true-to-life character progression via an all-new Career mode. The PlayStation 2 version is projected to ship in Q1 2006.

Headline News

Nickelodeon’s “Ha-Ha Holidays” to Spread Chuckles and Cheer

Nickelodeon is set to wrapped up laughs for the holidays with a primetime slate of Ha-Ha Holidays specials. Nicks airwaves will glow with an eerie-turned-cheery spirit when Danny Phantoms THE FRIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS premieres on Dec. 6 (8:30 p.m. ET/PT; encoring Dec. 17, 19 & 25).

Headline News

Blue Sky Hosts Hurricane Auction

To help those who were devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Blue Sky Studios is hosting an auction of original concept art from their two recent films ICE AGE and ROBOTS. The auction will be held through eBay, and all of the proceeds from the auction will go to the Red Cross or the American Humane Society. The auction will run from Dec. 9-19, 2005. For more information, visit www.blueskystudios.com/auctions.

Headline News

Mummy Director Returns to When Worlds Collide Remake

MUMMY director Stephen Sommers has returned to Paramount Pictures and Steven Spielbergs remake of WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, according to VARIETY. Sommers will write and direct the film with Spielberg producing. Sommers was first attached to the project in April then dropped out to helm Fox's A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM. But he left MUSEUM in September. Alli Shearmur is overseeing for Paramount.

Headline News

Fantastic Four Sequel Gets Story & Frost

20th Century Fox has announced that director Tim Story and writer Mark Frost will return for the FANTASTIC FOUR sequel, VARIETY reports. The studio has set July 4, 2007, as the release date. Avi Arad, Bernd Eichinger and Ralph Winter will produce.

Stars Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis are expected to return, having signed options for a potential trilogy. However, Julian McMahon, who played villain Dr. Doom, will not return.

The original film grossed $154 million in the U.S.

Software Headline News

Autodesk Introduces Linux-based Toxik

At the Digital Media Festival in Sydney, Australia, Autodesk Inc. launched its Toxik visual effects software running on the Linux operating system. Toxik software enables teams of digital artists to collaboratively realize feature film visual effects ideas, and is already available on the Windows operating system. With the introduction of Toxik software running on Linux, film studios and post-production facilities have more options for the back-end infrastructure and administration of their digital film pipelines.

Animation Headline News

Peter Jackson Alters Animation Credit on Kong

At last week's press junket in New York City, director Peter Jackson admitted that he changed the animation credit for Christian Rivers and Eric Leighton on KING KONG. Originally, the duo responsible for overseeing the masterful creation of the CG gorilla (with Rivers handling previs and MoCap) was given the credit: "Animation Designed & Supervised by," which appears in the production notes. However, Jackson requested that they be acknowledged as the animation directors in the end credits.

Headline News

Goblet of Fire Still Has Box Office Heat

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE continued to lead the box office for the weekend ended Dec. 4, 2005, despite a 63% decline after the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday, racking up another $19.8M. The fourth entry in the hugely successful Warner Bros. franchise (with vfx from Double Negative, Framestore CFC, MPC, ILM, Cinesite, Animal Logic, The Orphanage, BUF and Rising Sun) has a three-week cume of $229.2M.

Dreamworks Headline News

DreamWorks Animation Banks on Lew Coleman as New President

Lewis Coleman, a DreamWorks Animation board member and former vice chairman and cfo of Bank of America, has been named president of DreamWorks Animation.

Coleman, reporting to DreamWorks Animation ceo, Jeffrey Katzenberg, will lead the company's efforts with Katzenberg and coo Ann Daly, as it continues to produce two computer-generated animated movies per year and expands its business activities in direct-to-video movies, a growing licensing business, Broadway musicals and live entertainment. All execs who previously reported to Katzenberg will now report to Coleman.

Animation Headline News

Wallace & Gromit Leads Annie Nominations

ASIFA-Hollywood has announced the nominees for the 33rd annual Annie Awards, which will take place Feb. 4, 2006, in Glendale. WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT led the list of nominees with 16, including Best Animated Feature. The film also swept the Feature Voice Acting category with nods for Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Sallis and Nicholas Smith. DreamWorks MADAGASCAR came in second with nine nominations.

Game Headline News

Calabazitaz Animates Spike TV “Video Game Awards 2005” Promos

Spike TVs upcoming telecast of the Video Game Awards 2005 ceremony is being promoted on the cable channel with a duo of animated TV spots in which videogame characters slug it out for bragging rights in the gaming world. The two-hour special premieres on Dec. 10, 2005, at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

Headline News

Setup Machine 2 Auto-Rigging Plug-In Released for Maya

Anzovin Studio Inc. has introduced The Setup Machine 2 for Maya, an all-new version of its automated character rigging plug-in for Autodesks Maya. The Setup Machine 2 for Maya is priced at $99 (single license). Store links, sample rigs, and demo movies are available at: www.anzovin.com/TSM2Maya.

The Setup Machine 2 for Maya enables Maya users to easily and quickly rig a wide variety of CG characters for film, television and game animation. It installs a high-quality control rig and applies accurate skin weighting to human, animal and creature models.

Work Headline News

Cartoonist, Brady Campaign Release Gun Violence Animation

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has added an animated featurette to its "Shoot First Law" website. The animation offers award-winning artist Mark Fiores take on the Florida law, which took effect Oct. 1 and allows people to use deadly force in public. The animation is available for viewing at www.shootfirstlaw.org.

Headline News

Criterion Pictures Inks Non-Theatrical Deal for Nelvana Home Ent. Toons

Nelvana Home Entertainment and Criterion Pictures have set a five-year agreement for the non-theatrical distribution of titles from Nelvanas library of animated programming.

Criterion Pictures picks up distribution rights to ANATOLE (episodes 1 to 26), BABAR (episodes 1 to 78), THE BERENSTAIN BEARS (episodes 1 to 40), CORDUROY (episodes 1 to 13), FRANKLIN (episodes 1 to 78), LITTLE BEAR (episodes 1 to 52) and ELLIOT MOOSE (episodes 1 to 13), with other titles under consideration.

Headline News

Elastic Rights Snaps Up Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs for Iberia

Madrid-based Elastic Rights (ER) has snapped up pre-school toon, HARRY AND HIS BUCKET FULL OF DINOSAURS, for distribution across all platforms in Spain and Portugal (except free TV.

The 52x12 animated series, aimed at kids 2-5, is co-produced by CCI Ent. (Canada) and Collingwood OHare (U.K.) in association with Silver Fox Films (U.K.). Based on the best-selling books by British author Ian Whybrow, the enchanting series follows the adventures of five-year-old Harry and his toy dinosaur friends, which come to life when no one else is watching.

Studios Headline News

Pang Brothers Enter The Darkness

Platinum Studios and Blue Star Pictures have signed a deal with directors Danny and Oxide Pang to direct the upcoming feature film, THE DARKNESS, based on the popular comicbook published by Top Cow Prods. Inc. Platinum Studios will finance 50% of the production. Platinum, Blue Star and the Pang Brothers are jointly looking for a writer.

Henson Headline News

Jim Henson Co. Draws Up Tattooed Map

The Jim Henson Co. has hired Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley to adapt Barbara Hodgson suspense novel THE TATTOOED MAP, VARIETY reports.

Henson Co. principal Lisa Henson previously produced the Fox/Regency film HIGH CRIMES, which Zeltser and Bickley wrote. Janet Yang, who also produced HIGH CRIMES, will produce the film along with Henson. The company purchased the rights to the book and has hired the screenwriters with its own funds.

Disney Headline News

E. Cardon Walker, Disney's Former Corporate Leader, Dies

E. Cardon "Card" Walker, who led The Walt Disney Co. for nearly a decade and a half following the death of co-founder Roy O. Disney, passed away at his La Canada, California home on Monday, Nov. 28, 2005, at the age of 89.

Animation Headline News

Pendulum Helps Midway Pimp their LA Rush Cinematics

San Diego-based 3D animation studio, Pendulum, recently completed cinematic work for the MTV/Midway Games co-developed interactive property, LA RUSH. Nearly 16 minutes of fully 3D CGI cinematic cut-scenes introduce the viewer to the games key characters and story. LA RUSH is the sequel to Midways hit racing title, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH. Along with a huge selection of signature and real-world cars, the game also features the crew from West Coast Customs of MTVs popular PIMP MY RIDE television series.

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