The 10th British Academy Children's Film and Television Awards in association with Time Warner were held on November 27, 2005 at the London Hilton.
The Animation Award went to THE LITTLE REINDEER from Millimages UK and CiTV. The Pre-School Animation Prize went to Nickelodeon UKs PEPPA PIG.
SCI, the computer games company that owns Lara Croft, along with the TOMB RAIDER franchise, has begun talks with Paramount Pictures to venture forth with a third installment in the movie franchise, reports The Business Online. Angelina Jolie is expected to return as Lara Croft, the English archaeologist/adventurer. The previous two movies have grossed more than $450 million at the box office.
Director Tim Burton and star Jim Carrey are partnering for BELIEVE IT OR NOT!, an action/adventure loosely based on Robert Ripley, reports the trades. Alphaville's Jim Jacks and Sean Daniel will produce alongside Ken Atchity and exec producer Chi-Li Wong. Richard Zanuck, who worked with Burton on CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BIG FISH and PLANET OF THE APES, is also in talks to produce.
Actor Pat Morita, best known for his iconic role as martial-arts master/handy man Mr. Miyagi in THE KARATE KID franchise, has died, reported the AP. He was 73.
There were conflicting reports regarding the cause of death. His daughter Aly Morita stated he died Nov. 24, 2005, of heart failure at a Las Vegas hospital; while longtime manager Arnold Soloway said he died of kidney failure at a hospital where he was awaiting a transplant.
Baraka Post Production was appointed by Miami-based advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky and Outsider director James Rouse to provide pre-production expertise, on-site location advice, post production and 3D animation effects for a series of five commercials for Slim Jim.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
This week in AWN's Forums, a high school freshman wants some advice on whether to take drawing classes over intro to animation courses.
Comedy Central recently launched its first broadband-optimized video channel "COMEDY CENTRAL MotherLoad," offering exclusively new original series and content from classic Comedy Central shows such as Robert Smigel's TV FUNHOUSE. To view "MotherLoad" go to www.comedycentral.commotherload.
Irving Ludwig, former president of Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, and one of the most respected and innovative executives in theatrical film distribution, passed away at his home in Santa Monica, California, from natural causes on Nov. 26. He was 95-years -old.
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE topped the box office for the second consecutive week during the five-day Thanksgiving holiday period ended Nov. 27, 2005. 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) added $81.3M for a total gross of $201M.
Innoventive Software, Llc. announced that its previsualization and storyboarding software, FrameForge 3D Studio, is now available for Windows fully localized in French with a French Installation and Getting Started Manual included.
Instead of David Beckham, the first 3D football animation produced in Singapore has the likes of characters with nicknames like Gangsta and Gorilla, reports YAHOO! NEWS SINGAPORE. But the creators of the series at Intense Animation Studios are confident it will score globally.
Produced by a Singapore company, the content will be distributed worldwide on broadband and even television.
The 12-minute pilot will be ready by early 2006 and is part funded by the Media Development Authority to be distributed by broadband and broadcast television.
PBS KIDS Sprout, a new television and online provider of content devoted to preschool children and their parents and caregivers, has appointed Sandy Wax president of the network and Andrew Beecham has joined svp of programming. In addition, Diana Kerekes, vp/general counsel of content development for Comcast Corp., assumes a seat on the PBS KIDS Sprout board of directors after serving as acting gm for the network during its development and launch.
THQ Inc. announced it has been named interactive game licensee for Columbia Pictures' next performance-capture film, MONSTER HOUSE from award-winning exec producers Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. The film is directed by Gil Kenan, produced by Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey and is also exec produced by Jason Clark. THQ's worldwide agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products includes videogames for console and select handheld gaming systems. The MONSTER HOUSE videogames are slated for release in conjunction with the film release in summer 2006.
The Algoma, Canada city council will look into the feasibility of building an adjacent Animation Centre to the Art Gallery Of Algoma, reports LTV.com. Gallery curator, Michael Burtch has championed the idea of a gallery of donated animation cels worth several million dollars from several cartoon series including SUPER DAVE OSBORNE and other successful Canadian productions. A study conducted in March said that a center of sufficient size and scale could draw tourists to the city. Councilor Steve Butland has put forth a resolution to create a task force to help develop a plan for the center.
Annecy award-winner and leading Oscar contender THE MYSTERIOUS GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORATIONS OF JASPER MORELLO has won director Anthony Lucas the Digital Pictures AFI Award for Best Short Animation at the Australian Film Institute (AFI) awards. The event handed out its honors at a star-studded event on Nov. 26, 2005 in Melbourne.
Malin Erixon's seven-minute DEATH BY HEART took home the "Made in Stockholm" award on Nov. 26, 2005, at the Stockholm International Film Festival. The film produced by Ganzanderes Animation was recognized by the jury "for odd but gifted animation which, by a surrealistic touch, mixes expressions and narratives in a free manner." The festival, which featured 160 films from nearly 40 countries, can be visited online at www.filmfestivalen.se/sitelliteroot/index/festival2005.
Electronic Arts and Digital Illusions announced that the expansion pack for the award-winning BATTLEFIELD 2 PC game are now shipping to retail outlets and available via download at www.downloader.ea.com. Powered by the BATTLEFIELD 2 game engine, BATTLEFIELD 2: SPECIAL FORCES brings players into the realm of covert ops with the latest, most technologically advanced vehicles and weapons systems.
The Korea Culture & Content Agency (KOCCA) has set Dec. 9, 2005, to launch the organizations annual DARI Awards ceremony, honoring entertainment executives and companies for outstanding contributions in advancing the culture of Korea within the U.S. market. Created by KOCCA and the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles (KCCLA), the annual DARI Awards (DARI is Korean for bridge) will also showcase work produced by events recipients.
The 2005 DARI Awards recipients are:
Mattel and Lions Gate Family Ent. announced two new 2006 Barbie direct-to-DVD titles, THE BARBIE DIARIES and BARBIE FAIRYTOPIA MERMAIDIA, with LGFE being awarded domestic distribution rights.
A spoof of science-fiction classic STAR TREK distributed free over Internet has become Finland's most viewed movie, REUTERS reports and has reached more than three million viewers in less than two months.
STAR WRECK: IN THE PIRKINNING is a full-length feature (with English subtitles) made by a group of students and other amateur filmmakers on a few home computers to create elaborate special effects on a minimalist budget.
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we finish our focus on gaming, as Jacquie Kubin explores how MoCap is helping to drive the technology for the next-generation of consoles.
Independent Exposure 2006Various LocationsMarch 31, 2006Deadline: March 31, 2006
Steven Spielbergs WAR OF THE WORLDS remake comes to DVD Nov. 22, 2005 (DreamWorks Home Ent., $30). Meanwhile, the 1953 original containing special visual effects by Gordon Jennings was recently released in a remastered special collectors edition (Paramount Home Ent., $14.99). The colors are eye-popping, but the wires have not been digitally removed and are more clearly visible. Extras include the entire Orson Welles radio broadcast.
Peter Jackson has petitioned the Directors Guild of America to give an Animation Directed By credit on KING KONG to the supervisors who helped bring Kong to life, reports David Poland of MOVIE CITY NEWS (www.moviecitynews.com). However, the animators are not identified by Poland. Joe Letteri and Ben Snow served as visual effects supervisors and Christian Rivers directed the MoCap sessions with Andy Serkis.
The DGA has never allowed such a credit before.
