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AWN Headline News

Animation Headline News

China to Further Support Its Animation Industry

An official with the Chinese broadcasting regulatory agency told broadcasters and animation producers to expect more domestically produced cartoons to be broadcast and there was support to encourage the play of more animated cartoons during golden broadcasting slots, it was reported by PEOPLE'S DAILY ONLINE.

International Headline News

Former DIC Sales Exec Serves Again German-Speaking & Central Europe

Kerstin Guehne returns to DIC Ent. as vp, International Television & Home Entertainment Sales, overseeing television programming and home video/DVD sales across German-speaking Europe and Central Europe. She will be responsible for DICs extensive catalog of programming and home entertainment product in these territories.

Headline News

Madagascar Leaps to Number One; Sith Sets New Record

Despite the current box office malaise, MADAGASCAR took over the top spot after debuting last week at number three. The computer-animated comedy grabbed $28.1M for DreamWorks to reach $100M for the weekend ended June 5, 2005. Paramounts THE LONGEST YARD held the second spot with $26M and a two-week cume of $95.7M. However, despite falling to third place with $25M, Foxs STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH (with its stunning vfx by ILM) managed to break the $300M barrier at a record pace, with its $300.7M total.

Autodesk Headline News

Rendercore Supports Three New 3ds Max Plug-Ins

Rendercore announced that RenMan client 2.64 is supporting three new Autodesk products: Autodesk VIZ 2006, 3ds Max 6&7 Service Pack 1 and 3ds Max V-Ray 1.47.03.

Autodesk VIZ 2006 features include:* mental ray 3.3 The latest improvements to the most powerful rendering system are included.* Global illumination It automatically captures subtle lighting effects that add depth and realism to images.* Real-world lighting Viz 2006 supports physically based lighting in your scenes.

Headline News

Noga & Pil Animation Launch Just a Minute

Noga Communications and Pil Animation have launched a new 26x2 series, JUST A MINUTE. Noga will be attending Annecy and MIFA with the project.

This animated show provides kids 6-12 with core knowledge in nature, science, architecture and history. Each clip presents at least five interesting facts on any given subject. For example, the program's viewers will learn why it is that Leonardo da Vinci wrote backwards, or why the Food Chain should not be confused with a fast-food joint.

Digital Headline News

Digital Dimension Creates Seamless 3D for Monster-in-Law

Leading visual effects studio Digital Dimension completed several dozen visual effects shots for the recent New Line feature MONSTER-IN-LAW. Seamless composites and digital effects created by Digital Dimension in collaboration with director of photography Russell Carpenter are a perfect fit for the film's gorgeous Southern California look and sets.

Friends Headline News

Warner & DIC Debut First Two Trollz Features

Warner Home Video (WHV) and DIC Ent. (DIC) have announced the release date for TROLLZ VOLUME 1: BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE and TROLLZ VOLUME 2: MAGIC OF THE FIVE, the first two of nine planned movies from the newly launched Trollz property. Both full-length, made-for-video animated movies will be available in stores Sept. 6 and will retail for $19.98.

Headline News

TELETOON Offers Special Father’s Day Programming In June

Its Fathers Day and TELETOON pays tribute to dads everywhere with special daddy dearest programming on Sunday, June 19 including:

* ATOMIC BETTY 9:30 am The Really Big Game/And the Winner Is

In The Really Big Game, Betty and her Dad are competing in a fishing derby with Penelope and her father. But Betty gets called into space, because DeGill has been captured by his old nemesis, the big game hunter, Pontifadora the Conquistadora. Betty must help DeGill in time to return to the fishing derby.

Interactive Headline News

ANIMAX’s Coping with Chemo Wins L.A. Ad Club Award

ANIMAX Entertainment won a Belding Bowl in the interactive category from the Advertising Club of Los Angeles. The Beldings were presented in Hollywood on May 26, 2005. ANIMAX won for the COPING WITH CHEMO website and series of animated webisodes, produced for the Starlight Starbright Childrens Foundation (www.slsb.org/chemo).

The studio competed against more than a dozen other contenders to win one of only two interactive bowls awarded at this years Beldings, with the other interactive Bowl going to giant megashop Saatchi & Saatchi.

Animation Headline News

Being Ian & EarthSea Win Big with Leos

The seventh annual Leo Awards took place on May 27 and May 28, 2005 at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina. The awards honor the best film and television work in British Columbia. The ceremony will be televised on Cable 4 on June 3 at 5:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 11:00 pm and on June 4 at 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm.

The big animation winner was BEING IAN, winning for Best Animation Program or Series, Best Direction/Storyboarding in an Animation Program or Series and Best Screenwriting in an Animation Program or Series.

Headline News

Access Grid to Debut at SIGGRAPH 2005

The Access Grid, new cutting edge technology for users and participants of collaborations, makes its debut at SIGGRAPH 2005, the 32nd International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, July 31-Aug. 4, 2005, in Los Angeles. At SIGGRAPH 2005, the Access Grid supports a global collaborative performance piece, international art panels and multi-site community interaction. This emerging, scalable teleconferencing technology enables interaction between individual desktops, 3,000-person theaters and everything in between.

Headline News

Luma Promotes Nike Basketball in First CG Spots

In its first-ever ad project, Luma Pictures teamed with Wieden & Kennedy and Notorious 24:7 director/vfx artist Brent Bonacorso to create a new series of spots for Nike that compare NBA players to some of the most fearsome forces of nature. Luma, best known for its movie vfx for UNDERWORLD and SKY CAPTAIN, created a series of surreal CG environments, seamlessly melding images of the Serengeti, the Brazilian rain forest and other natural environments with a pro basketball court.

Film Headline News

Time to Enter the Woodstock Museum Free Film & Video Fest

6th Annual Woodstock Museum Free Film & Video FestivalWoodstock, New York, USASept. 2 - 4, 2005Deadline July 20, 2005

This year's theme for the 6th Annual Woodstock Museum Free Film & Video Festival is "Connection. The event celebrates work in features, documentaries, shorts and works in progress. For more information, contact the Woodstock Museum at P.O. Box 73, Woodstock, New York 12498-0073, tel.: 845-246-0600, fax: 845-246-7763 or Web: www.WoodstockMuseum.org.

Animation Headline News

This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for May 31, 2005

Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz. Check out the latest installment from quizmaster Karl Staven, an accomplished independent animator and head of the Animation Department at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Computer Animation Festival Program for SIGGRAPH 2005 was recently announced. Let's see how well you are aware of what's out there at the moment. Each question will give you the film description, all you have to do is choose the correct title.

Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for May 31, 2005

This week in AWN's Forums, an African animator working in India asks for advice on how he should go about returning to his native country to set up a studio there. In the blogging-verse, some are upset with Jib Jab's recent "sell-out" to Budweiser. What do you think? Another member asks how does one get into the direct-to-video market? Members are talking to a new alternative to Flash. A member wants to know what to wear to a job interview. Others are talking about LITTLE BIRDY, MADAGASCAR and REVENGE OF THE SITH. Additionally, more members are posting their work for others to check out.

Dreamworks Headline News

DreamWorks Sued Over Shrek 2 DVD Sales

A proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court in Los Angeles today, (June 2, 2005) seeking unspecified damages from DreamWorks Animation for allegedly misleading stockholders about sales prospects for SHREK 2 DVDs. This is the companys first suit since going public in October 2004.

Headline News

Vizrt Purchases Curious Software

Vizrt Ltd. has acquired Curious Software, effective June 1, 2005. In consideration for the purchase of the shares or assets, Vizrt will pay $5,000,000 in cash to the Curious shareholders. Up to an additional $4,000,000 is to be paid in Ordinary Shares of Vizrt as an earn-out in four quarterly installments upon reaching certain milestones.

Headline News

Cookie Jar Education Acquires Kingsley & Fiesta Brands

Cookie Jar Education has acquired the Kingsley and Fiesta lines of ESL (English as a second language) and SSL (Spanish as a second language) books and education materials from San Diego, California-based Kingsley Publishing, the publisher responsible for the development of the properties.

Headline News

YTV Goes Fairly Odd With Superheroes In June

Canada's YTV will be holding a FAIRLY ODDPARENTS marathon and superhero themed programming block during June.

YTV will air four back-to-back episodes of THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS to honor the beginning of summer vacation, on Thursday, June 23, beginning at 4:00 pm.

Beginning Saturday, June 4, YTV will kick off its month long superhero programming. On June 12, HOLLYWOODS 10 BEST SUPERHEROES will countdown the best movie superheroes in history at 7:00 p.m.

Anime Headline News

Appleseed DVD Sales Surpass Expectations

Geneon Ent. reported that DVD sales of APPLESEED have exceeded expectations with more than 85,000 units sold to date since the titles May 10 release, setting a new standard for anime titles released in North America, and shaping up to be one of the top anime releases of 2005.

Film Headline News

Sapegin Wins At Moondance

Moondance 2005 came to a close on May 15 and handed out its awards. Pjotr Sapegin's acclaimed THROUGH MY THICK GLASSES was awarded the Moondance Columbine Award, which promotes and reflect non-violent conflict resolution, alternatives to violence, or shows why a violent resolution to conflict is counter-productive and inhumane. Being recognized alongside Sapegin for their work on the project were Marcel Jean and David Reiss-Anderson.

Channel Headline News

SCI FI Channel Rings the Start of The Triangle Miniseries Production

SCI FI Channel will start production on the six-hour miniseries THE TRIANGLE this week, in Cape Town, South Africa. Starring Eric Stoltz (PULP FICTION, MASK), Catherine Bell (JAG, BRUCE ALMIGHTY), Michael Rodgers (AUTO FOCUS), Bruce Davison (X-MEN) and Sam Neill (JURASSIC PARK), THE TRIANGLE is helmed by Craig Baxley (KINGDOM HOSPITAL). Hollywood's sci-fi standouts Dean Devlin (INDEPENDENCE DAY) and Bryan Singer (X-MEN) will exec produce with Devlin's Electric Ent. producing.

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