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AWN Headline News

Media Headline News

Central Park Media Becomes First Anime Company To Provide Programming For iPod

Central Park Media announced that it is the first anime company in the world to provide content for Apple's new video-capable iPod. Visitors can now download the first episode of Central Park Media's upcoming ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS at www.centralparkmedia.com/ipod/ as well as view the trailer for KAKURENBO: HIDE & SEEK, scheduled to premiere on a special pre-Halloween midnight broadcast on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, Saturday, Oct. 29, and HAMMERBOY, winner of numerous prestigious awards on both sides of the Pacific.

Series Headline News

Lola & Virginia Joins Disney Channel Italy

In a deal signed at MIPCOM 2005, Icon Animation has signed a deal to bring its animated series LOLA & VIRGINIA (52x11) to Disney Channel Italy, adding to the earlier acquisition of the series by Disney Channel Spain. The series, which is targeted at girls 8-12, has already pre-sold to Nickelodeon Channel Latin America, Disney Channel Spain, RCTV Venezuela and Animania USA.

Headline News

DECODE & Aardman Go Down Under with Planet Sketch

DECODE Ent. is further expanding its presence on Australian public broadcaster ABC, signing a deal for Aardman Animations co-production PLANET SKETCH at MIPCOM 2005.

This deal marks a further commitment to DECODEs programming by the broadcaster, which already airs a number of series including the primetime 2D animation BROMWELL HIGH as well as FRANNYS FEET and THE SAVE-UMS! for pre-schoolers.

Animation Headline News

Cartoon Network Reups MoonScoop’s Code Lyoko

At MIPCOM, MoonScoop announced a new deal that will bring an additional 45 episodes of CODE LYOKO to Cartoon Network. This deal brings the total number of episodes for the show to 97 half-hours. A second season of 26x30 launched last month.

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk Hosts 3ds Max Developers Summit in Orlando

Autodesks 3ds Max core software development team will provide two days of intensive training for game developers as part of Autodesk Universitys annual 2005 confab, with a special session presented by strategic partner Intel Corp. Held at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Florida, from Nov. 29-30, 2005. The 3ds Max Developers Conference will teach users techniques and practices to customize production pipelines, build MAXScripts, efficiently transfer scene data and take full advantage of the open 3ds Max framework.

Headline News

Kingdom Does Heavenly on DVD

KINGDOM OF HEAVEN (Fox Home Ent., $29.98) topped both the DVD sales and rental charts in its first week, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. In terms of rentals, the historical epic gathered an estimated $10.1M, or 21.2% of its $47.M domestic box office take. Ridley Scotts film fared considerably better overseas, earning $163.5M.

Spot Headline News

Fluid’s VFX Provide Answer for Reebok Campaign

Fluid provided the visual effects for a :30 Reebok spot, launching the Answer IX shoe and featuring NBA superstar point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson. Developed through mcgarrybowen (New York, NY), the spot, titled 10 YEARS OF HEART, promotes Reeboks Answer IX shoe with the pump technology that offers the perfect fit by surrounding the foot with an automatic, form fitting air chamber that you can turn on or off as needed. The spot debuted on ESPN nationally on Oct 18.

Headline News

Pixologic Releases ZApp Link Plug-In

Continuing the roadmap to ZBrush 2.5, Pixologic have announced the release of a new plug-in, ZApp Link.

ZApp Link is a free plug-in that extends and enhances ZBrushs texturing and illustration capabilities by automating the connection with programs such as Photoshop, Painter and Illustrator.

Nickelodeon Headline News

THQ Ships First Multiplayer SpongeBob Game

THQ Inc. announced that SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: LIGHTS, CAMERA, PANTS! has shipped for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance and Windows PC. LIGHTS, CAMERA, PANTS! is the first multiplayer game in the SPONGEBOB series.

"THQ's SPONGEBOB-branded videogames have shipped more than 10 million units worldwide," said Kelly Flock, evp of worldwide publishing, THQ. "We are thrilled with the success of the video games and are excited to offer a brand new SPONGEBOB experience that now allows both families and friends to play together."

Films Headline News

Savannah Film Fest To Give Bluth & Goldman Lifetime Achievement Awards

The Savannah Film Festival, presented by the Savannah College of Art and Design, will honor animators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman with Lifetime Achievement Awards in Animation, Saturday, Nov. 5, at the closing ceremonies of the 2005 festival. The duo have collaborated on such films as TITAN A.E., ANASTASIA, AN AMERICAN TAIL and THE SECRETS OF NIMH.

Film Headline News

Déjà Vu! Tony Scott To Direct Deja Vu

It was only two week ago that Walt Disney Studios announced that DOMINO director Tony Scott had stepped down from the helmers chair on the thriller DÉJÀ VU. Now the trades reports that Scott has returned to the film, which seems will be able to film in New Orleans as originally planned. Jerry Bruckheimer is producing will Denzel Washington starring.

Creature Headline News

Eisner to Direct Creature From the Black Lagoon Remake

SAHARA-helmer Breck Eisner has been hired by Universal Pictures to remake CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Gary Ross, whose father Arthur Ross was a writer on the 1954 original, is producing out of his Larger Than Life production shingle. Gary Ross wrote the current version of the screenplay and Tedi Safarian wrote a previous draft.

Animation Headline News

Seneca College Now Accepting Applications

Seneca Colleges Animation Arts Centre is now accepting applications for its January 2006 intake in its one year graduate certificate programs, which include 3D character animation, visual effects for film and television and 3D gaming program. In addition, Seneca offers a three-year undergraduate diploma in animation arts, which provides a solid foundation of 2 years of traditional animation and in their final year students can choose between 3D character animation for film and television or 3D game art and design.

Headline News

Dogstar Joins EM.Entertainment Distribution Portfolio

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

EM.Ent. GmbH, a subsidiary of EM.TV AG, has acquired extensive distribution rights to the comedy animation series DOGSTAR within the free-TV, pay-TV and home entertainment sectors. Geographically, the license extends across the German-speaking region, French-speaking parts of Europe (excluding Switzerland), Spain, Asia (excluding Japan) and Latin America. DOGSTAR is produced by Melbourne based animation studio Media World Pictures Pty Ltd. and consists of 26 half-hour episodes.

Series Headline News

Aardman’s Shaun The Sheep Munches His Way Around The World

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Aardman Animations SHAUN THE SHEEP, a 40x7 series featuring the star of Oscar-winning WALLACE AND GROMIT short A CLOSE SHAVE, is starting its international journey through a raft of pre-sales concluded at MIPCOM 2005.

Commissioned by CBBC for broadcast in 2007, SHAUN THE SHEEP has been picked up by co-producer WDR in Germany and pre-sold to ABC Australia, TVNZ New Zealand, SVT Sweden, DRTV Denmark, NRK Norway, YLE Finland and Minimax in Hungary.

Films Headline News

Spike TV Spends Serious Coin For Six Star Wars Films

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Spike TV has made the biggest film licensing deal in its 22-year history with its purchase of the exclusive rights for all six of STAR WARS films for six-years, reports VARIETY. The serious coin Spike will pay is between $65-70 million, which is about $15 million more than most insiders expected the films to sell for. A bidding war between Spike, NBC Universal's USA Network and Sci Fi Channel and Turner's TBS and TNT drove up the price. Key to the deal is that Spike will have the first network window for REVENGE OF THE SITH in April 2008.

Headline News

Mr. & Mrs. Smith/Firefly Scribes Set Up Sci-Fi Flick at Universal

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Universal has purchased a sci-fi pitch from Simon Kinberg (MR. AND MRS. SMITH) and Brett Matthews (THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: DARK FURY, BIONICLE: THE FEATURE), according to VARIETY. Matthews, who also wrote episodes of FIREFLY, will pen the script. Kinberg will produce with Circle of Confusions David Engel and Lawrence Mattis. Circle of Confusions Jason Lust and David Alpert will exec produce. The plot of the film is under wraps, but its described as what BOURNE IDENTITY did for action movies, this will attempt to do for sci-fi movies."

Headline News

Disney Zaps A Hold on Monstrous Memoirs

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Walt Disney Pictures and Jerry Bruckheimer Films have won the bidding war to purchase Ahmet Zappas upcoming children's book, THE MONSTROUS MEMOIRS OF A MIGHTY MCFEARLESS, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The deal is reportedly worth six-figures.

The book pursues the story of a brother and sister who are descendants of legendary monster hunters on their journey to a far-off castle to rescue their father. Zappa, son of rocker Frank Zappa, illustrated more than 300 monsters for the book. Random House will publish it in August 2006.

Headline News

Albie Hecht’s Worldwide Biggies Pacts with Viacom

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Former Nickelodeon Networks and Spike TV exec Albie Hecht and his new Worldwide Biggies production house have signed a two-year deal with Viacom, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The new firm will create franchise-friendly programming for TV, movies and digital platforms.

"Biggie's mission is to collect and produce franchises with multiplatform potential," Hecht said. "What better place to do it than with the No. 1 network."

Digital Headline News

Digital Domain Hosts Free Storm Training

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Free Storm TrainingVenice, California, USANovember 14-18, 2005Deadline: October 21, 2005

Digital Domain will be offering a free one-week Storm class. This software was used in conjunction with SESI Houdini to create natural phenomena and environmental effects on such films as AEON FLUX, STEALTH, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW and XXX.

Headline News

Being Ian’s Set To Pull Pranks For Another Year

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Vancouvers Studio B announced the delivery of new BEING IAN episodes to YTV. The horror spoof, Scream Because I Know What You Did To That Psycho Last Summer, airs on YTV on Oct. 19, at 6:00 pm ET/PT as part of YTVs Halloween programming.

Headline News

ka-chew! Promotes Hallmark's Hauntington Keepsake Ornament Collection

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Hallmark Channel and its parent company Hallmark Cards have teamed with ka-chew! to create an on-air vignette campaign designed to promote the retailer's "Hauntington U.S.A. Keepsake Collection," a special decorative collection that celebrates the fun spirit of Halloween. The vignette campaign was conceived and developed by Hallmark Channel's Sponsorship Solutions Unit and produced by ka-chew!, which has created two, 30-second spots to air exclusively on Hallmark Channel throughout October. This campaign marks the only on-air promotion that the ornament collection will receive this year.

Film Headline News

Revenge of the Sith Takes Hollywood Film Festival Movie of the Year Honors

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, October 19, 2005 at 12:00am

STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH is the winner of the 9th Annual Hollywood Film Festivals "Hollywood Movie of the Year Award." Director George Lucas will be presented with the award at the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Oct. 24.

"Mr. Lucas is a creative genius, a visionary at its best," said festival founder/exec director Carolos de Abreu.

Headline News

Apple Introduces Power Mac G5 Quad & Power Mac G5 Dual

Apple today (Oct. 19,2005) unveiled its new Power Mac G5 desktop line featuring the Power Mac G5 Quad, providing quad-core processing with two 2.5 GHz dual-core PowerPC G5 processors. All Power Mac G5 models now feature dual-core processors, a new PCI Express architecture and higher performance graphics options including NVIDIA's Quadro FX 4500.

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