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AWN Headline News

Online Headline News

Sony’s In-Game Auctions Launch

Station Exchange, Sony Online Ent.s official site for secure in-game player auctions, has officially launched. Station Exchange is going live for EVERQUEST II on two all-new servers (The Bazaar and Shadowhaven). EQII players will be given the option to have their characters moved for free over to the new servers or they can start up brand-new characters there. Players who do not wish to participate in Station Exchange can continue playing on their current servers.

Film Headline News

First Annual Science Fiction Short Film Festival Launched

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival Group (SIFF), announced the launch of the first-annual Science Fiction Short Film Festival, to promote and encourage awareness, appreciation and understanding of the art of science fiction cinema.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for July 18, 2005

This week in AWN's Forums, a member asks Flash so whats so wrong with it? Another member wants to find a good drawing tablet. Theres a thread animation training for preschool kids. A new member introduces themselves to the forums. Another thanks the members for great feedback. Others continue to post their work for review. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Anime Headline News

IMAF Looks For Best In Manga & Anime Talent!

Animators around the world are invited to get started on their entries for IMAFs competition to identify the best in Manga and Anime talent. You have until September 30, 2005 to submit your work for a chance to win a share of the $75,000 prize fund which will be split amongst new, original and talented animators, both professional and amateur.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:Best Character DesignBest StoryboardBest Short Animation

Film Headline News

Miami Int’l Short Film Fest Wants Your Flicks

Miami International Short Film Festival 2005Miami, Florida, USAOctober 24-29, 2005Deadline: September 30, 2005

Miami International Short Film Festivals goal is to bring films to an atmosphere where people can experience cultures from around the world. The festival, dedicated to promote the short film genre, showcases films that run from one to 20 minutes long. Awards are presented in a variety of categories, such as narrative, documentary, experimental, animation and best local Miami production.

Series Headline News

SGM Publishing Prepares To Launch Tutenstein Magazine

PorchLight Ent.s animated series Tutenstein will turn new pages in publishing history as the series about the kid pharaoh of yore catapulted into the present day finds new life as a new childrens magazine under the same name from Turkeys SGM Publishing. The monthly 40-page Tutenstein branded publication will be issued this September.

Animation Headline News

SIGGRAPH 2005 Hosts Full-Dome Animation Theater

The SIGGRAPH 2005 Computer Animation Festival will feature full-dome video projection, a rapidly growing medium of immersive display, at the 32nd International Conference on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques being held July 31 to Aug 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The worlds best full-dome animations from DomeFest 2005 are being shown at SIGGRAPH 2005. The animations produced by students, institution, and full-dome professionals are screened daily on a 9-meter-diameter digital dome assembled specially for SIGGRAPH 2005.

Digital Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

We had a great time at Comic-Con in San Diego last weekend. In terms of movie sneak peeks, the highlight was certainly Bryan Singers SUPERMAN RETURNS presentation, including the marvelous reel showing off several dramatic moments and the filmic retro look (REBECCA in color, as Singer put it), courtesy of the new Genesis digital camera from Panavision. A close second was the climactic KING KONG T-Rex fight sequence, comprised mostly of animatics but exciting and promising, to be sure.

Open Headline News

Will Vinton Exhibit Arrives in Santa Monica

The art and design from Will Vintons Animation Art Collection is now on view at The Art Institute of California Los Angeles from July 11 Aug. 31, 2005. The groundbreaking animation producer/director Will Vinton and his teams have memorable animated characters, such as the California Raisins, the PJs, and the lovable dinosaurs, Herb & Rex. The Artists reception is July 21 and will open to the public at 6:00 pm.

Animation Headline News

NaturalMotion Releases Free endorphin Learning Edition

NaturalMotion Ltd. announced the immediate availability of the companys free endorphin Learning Edition (eLE). Based on the award-winning 3D character animation software endorphin 2.0, the eLE has no time restrictions, includes all relevant product documentation and offers a comprehensive support network via the companys endorphin forum. The software is fully functional; however, it is motion file export disabled and is not to be used for commercial production.

Motion Headline News

Vicon Allows Upgrade with MX Bridge

Vicon, developer of Academy Award-winning motion capture technology, has released MX Bridge, a hardware product that allows previous-generation Vicon cameras to be seamlessly connected to the new Vicon MX architecture. MX Bridge represents a flexible upgrade path and gives users benefits such as grayscale imaging and the ability to mix and match cameras of different types. The MX Bridge is aimed at and priced for current Vicon users who want to move to Vicon MX but need an alternative to a full MX system replacement, or users who are seeking to add MX cameras to an existing pre-MX setup.

Headline News

Iridas Releases SpeedGrade OnSet for Laptop-Based Color Correction

Iridas, which first introduced non-destructive color grading technology in 2003, announced the release of SpeedGrade OnSet, a look creation tool for cinematographers, which provides a means for communicating looks to all parts of the post-production and film finishing pipeline. The new application uses the same .look file format as SpeedGrade DI allowing for direct collaboration between cinematographer and colorist. SpeedGrade OnSet runs on both the Mac and Windows platforms.

Headline News

Realscan 3D Takes 3D Scanning Sky High

Realscan 3D, the next generation in mobile, high resolution, high color, structured light 3D scanning, announced the delivery of eleven scanned animation-ready models for the Disney feature SKY HIGH (opening July 29), which include models for Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston.

"Our digital doubles don't lurk in the shadows like doubles seen in other films," said Frank De Marco, president of Realscan 3D. "Our models are ready for any shot ranging from close-up to long-shot. With Realscan 3D models, directors don't have to compromise..."

Headline News

Konami to Publish Wallace & Gromit Film-based Videogame

Konami Digital Entertainment America will publish the official videogame based on Aardman Animations and DreamWorks upcoming movie, WALLACE & GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. The game offers huge free-roaming gaming environments, inventive action, plentiful gadgets, numerous mini games and humorous visuals that are true to the distinctive look of the film, plus other actions and characters the filmmakers had hoped to include in the feature.

Movie Headline News

Weinsteins, WB Hatch CG-Animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie

The Weinstein Co. and Warner Bros. Pictures will join forces to distribute the first all-CG-animated movie of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The as-yet-untitled picture will be released early in 2007.

Features Headline News

Constantine Comes to DVD

Travel to hell and back when CONSTANTINE blasts onto DVD July 19, 2005, in single and two-disc deluxe editions (Warner Home Video, $29.98 and $30.99). This vivid, cinematic comic book adaptation is an action-packed thriller from DC Comics/Vertigos HELLBLAZER and stars Keanu Reeves (THE MATRIX trilogy) and Rachel Weisz (THE MUMMY). As John Constantine, Reeves fights a new otherworldly foe in a City of the Angels where spirit-world bounds have brokenand all hell is breaking loose.

Imax Headline News

IMAX is the Golden Ticket for Charlie

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE opened to record business this past weekend, reports IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Pictures. The film debuted in a record 65 North American IMAX theaters the widest domestic IMAX opening to date grossing an estimated record of $2.21M over the three-day period ended July 17, for a per screen average of more than $34,000. In addition, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE also set single day box office records with the biggest opening day, Saturday and Sunday for an IMAX digitally re-mastered release.

Animation Headline News

Moto Sakakibara to Direct CG-Animated GON Feature

Moto Sakakibara, co-director of FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN, will direct Sprite Animations Studios first CG-animated feature film, GON. The film, slated for a 2007 release, will be based on Masashi Tanakas widely popular manga series. GON is a comical adventure about a foot-tall dinosaur living in a modern-day savanna. He shares his wit and humor in a subtle but sometimes outrageous way as he takes on beasts 10 times his size, revealing a sense of justice never before seen in the wild.

Game Headline News

Pipelinefx to Unveil qube! 4.0 at SIGGRAPH 2005

Pipelinefx, a leading provider of render farm management software for 3D animation and interactive entertainment companies, will demonstrate version 4.0 of its flagship product, qube!, at SIGGRAPH 2005, being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from July 31 to Aug. 4.

Global Headline News

Global Mechanic Delivers Animation for Kellogg’s Eggo Spots

Global Mechanic recently completed the final commercial in a four-spot campaign for Kelloggs Eggos. Agency Leo Burnett hired Global Mechanic to design the characters, concept the ideas, shoot the product and then animate the spots. The agency creative team really wanted to focus on building a collection of characters each with a different funny personality, said Global Mechanic exec producer Matthew Charde.

Animation Headline News

Daniel Jeannette Named Animation Director on Happy Feet

Daniel Jeannette has been hired by Animal Logic as the animation director on George Millers 3D-animated feature, HAPPY FEET, a musical comedy/adventure about a tap dancing penguin that cant sing.

For HAPPY FEET, Jeannette will be ensuring that the performance arc of the characters from motion capture and animation through to their on-screen presence fulfills Millers creative vision.

Headline News

Polhemus Offers Totally Wireless Tracking System

Polhemus, the industry leader in 6 Degree-of-Freedom (6DOF) motion capture, tracking and digitizing technologies, announced the LIBERTY LATUS (Large Area Tracking Untethered System). This system represents a whole new dimension in tracking technology, one that offers a totally wireless, full 6DOF solution. The system has speed, ease-of-use via an intuitive Graphical User Interface (GUI), and is capable of tracking up to 12 independent markers over large areas at a rate of 94 or 188 updates per second.

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