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Spot Headline News

Quiet Man and Grasshopper Recognized for ‘Images’ Spot

New York-based visual effects company Quiet Man and its design-savvy sister Grasshopper were recognized recently at the Film Preservation Honors event for their work on IMAGES, a :30 spot that debuted during the Golden Globes telecast in January 2005. Martin Scorsese is the Honorary Chair of the organization and presented at the event.

The design and animation for the spot came to life with Mindy Dubin of Grasshopper at the helm. IMAGES traces the evolution of pictures that have astounded us over time, compiling portraiture, early photography and high-speed photography.

Spot Headline News

Sahara Tops Sin City

Paramounts actioner SAHARA (with vfx from Cinesite and Double Negative) debuted with $18M for the weekend ended April 10, 2005, good enough for the top spot, beating out Robert Rodriguez SIN CITY, last weeks headliner. The visually provocative and stunning adaptation of Frank Millers graphic novels which debuted in the top spot last week collected $14M for Dimension Films in its sophomore outing.

Headline News

Tarari Joins Boxx’s ‘Ultimate Swag Bag’ Promotion

BOXX Technologies Inc., has added Tarari The Acceleration Co. to the growing list of partners in the Ultimate Swag Bag promotion, celebrating NAB 2005 by giving back to the digital content and video community with the ultimate swag for digital creativity. As a top sponsor, Tarari will contribute a Tarari Encoder Accelerator for Windows Media valued at more than $13,000.

Headline News

Mummy Maker Molds When Worlds Collide Remake

THE MUMMY helmer Stephen Sommers has been tapped by Paramount to write, direct and produce a remake of George Pals 1951 sci-fi film WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, reports VARIETY. Sommers Co. partner Bob Ducsay will also produce. Paramount co-president Tom J Jacobson is shepherding the film. The original flick followed a small group of humans set into space to stop a runaway planet from colliding with the Earth.

Headline News

Anderson Gets Crazy for Romero Flick Remake

Brad Anderson (THE MACHINIST) is in talks to remake George A. Romero's THE CRAZIES for Paramount Pictures, according to the trades. Paramount-based Penn Stations Michael Aguilar and Dean Georgaris are producing. Romero will receive an exec producer role. Ally Shearmur and Andrew Haas will oversee the film for the studio. Scott Kosar (2005s THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, THE MACHINIST) is penning the screenplay. The 1973 flick was set in a Pennsylvania town where the military tries to contain a killer man-made virus.

Work Headline News

Famed Animation Designer Hazelton Dies

On April 6, 2005, animation designer/comic strip artist Gene Hazelton passed away at age 85.

Hazelton was born in 1919 and by his teens was assisting cartoonist Jimmy Hatlo on the popular newspaper panel, THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME. In 1939, he took an entry-level job at Disney, where he worked his way from gag-man to animator. His most notible work at Disney was animating the goat kids and cherubim in FANTASIA and several sequences in PINOCCHIO.

Television Headline News

MGM Names New Senior Management Team

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. confirmed that a consortium comprised of Sony Corp. of America, Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Comcast Corp. and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners completed its acquisition of the company. With the finalization of the deal, MGM also revealed several key senior management appointments.

Disney Headline News

Disney Channel Picks Up 2nd Season of Higglytown Heroes

Disney Channel has ordered a second season of San Francisco's Wild Brain Prods. the learning-focused Playhouse Disney hit HIGGLYTOWN HEROES, a CG-animated, song-filled series. In 2004, the show (daily, 8:00 a.m.) was the second highest rated original Playhouse Disney series, averaging a 3.7 rating among kids 2-5.

Headline News

4Kids Lands Anime Series Kappa Mikey

4Kids Ent. Inc. has acquired the worldwide licensing rights to Animation Collective's animated action comedy television series, KAPPA MIKEY. Through the agreement with Animation Collective, 4Kids will manage the marketing, promotional and licensing initiatives of the series on a global basis. KAPPA MIKEY is expected to launch on Nicktoons in the U.S. and on Nickelodeon International channels across the globe in 2006.

Licensing Headline News

Shalek to Stock Up PorchLight Consumer Products in New York Office

Licensing and merchandising industry veteran Caren Shalek is joining family entertainment company PorchLight Ent. as svp, consumer products with the mandate to build an expanded consumer product representation business focusing on childrens and family brands.

Headline News

DIC Promotes Jedd Gold To Marketing VP

DIC Ent. (DIC) has promoted Jedd Gold to vp of marketing. In his new position, Gold will oversee all marketing and promotional initiatives for DIC, including marketing strategies for the company's brand properties STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE and the upcoming release of TROLLZ. He will be responsible for creating and executing multi-layered retail and consumer campaigns, including advertising, promotions and publicity. Gold will manage the efforts of DIC's internal marketing team and outside vendors.

Media Headline News

Richard Cormier Forms Digital Media Consulting Service

Richard Cormier, former vp of the post-production studio Nice Shoes and managing director of the creative boutiques Guava and Freestyle Collective, has formed a consulting service named Richard Cormier Consultants. Cormier will provide strategic and long-term planning guidance to companies involved in digital media production, post-production and distribution. He has wide expertise in such areas as workflow, digital asset management and electronic distribution, as well as in studio management, restructuring and growth.

Films Headline News

Annecy Selects Films

The Annecy International Festival of Animation (June 6-10, 2005) has announced its list of productions in competition.

The five feature films selected are Konstantin Bronzits ALOSHA POPOVICH I TUGARIN ZMEY (Russian Federation), Uzi Geffenblads BLAND TISLAR (Sweden), Priit Tenders FRANK AND WENDY (Estonia), Aron Gauders NYÓCKER! (Hungary) and Stefan Fjeldmarks TERKEL I KNIBE (TERKEL IN TROUBLE) (Denmark).

The 42 shorts chosen for competition are:* A BUCK'S WORTH by Tatia Rosenthal (U.S.)

Headline News

Sci-Fi Museum Inducts Spielberg & Harryhausen Into First Hall of Fame Class

The Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame (SFM) has named film legends Steven Spielberg and Ray Harryhausen, along with writer Philip K. Dick and artist Chesley Bonestell, as inductees into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. The class of 2005 will be honored during the first-ever induction ceremony at the Hall of Fame's new home at the Science Fiction Museum on May 6, 2005.

Digital Headline News

Digital Jesters Strikes North American Distribution Deal With Take-Two

Digital Jesters, a videogame publisher based in England, announced that it has reached an agreement with Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. to distribute PC games in America and Canada.

Digital Jesters was formed by ex-members of CDV in September 2003 and has since published more than 12 PC titles in the U.K. and parts of Europe. The games that are part of the agreement will be the first titles Digital Jesters has published in the U.S.

Headline News

Imagi Locks Top Talent for Cat Tale Voice Cast

Imagi Services has announced the voice talent for its upcoming feature CAT TALE. LORD OF THE RINGS star Sean Astin will voice lead character Rover, a cat who grows up in Dogtown by accident and returns to Catopolis to find his roots. Elisha Cuthbert (TVs 24) is Cleo, the feline daughter of a wealthy kitty litter baron and Rovers romantic interest. Stanley Tucci (THE TERMINAL) is Simon, the arrogantly ambitious kitty litter exec who vies for Cleos affections.

Media Headline News

Classic Media Gets Major Monetary Backing

Classic Media Inc. announced that Spectrum Equity Investors, along with existing investors led by Pegasus Capital Advisors, have agreed to recapitalize Classic to fund future growth and acquisitions. Under the terms of the recapitalization, Spectrum has invested $75 million of equity and arranged a new $100 million senior debt facility for Classic, provided by banks led by J.P. Morgan. Spectrum Equity will become majority owner and join the Classic Media board along with the existing investors and management, which includes Random House Ventures.

Million Headline News

Make Way for Garfield 2

Fox is revisiting the lasagna-loving orange cat Garfield in a sequel to GARFIELD: THE MOVIE, which will be directed by Tim Hill (MUPPETS IN SPACE), reports VARIETY. John Davis will produce through his Davis Ent. label. No word on whether the first film stars Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt will return or whether Bill Murray will again voice the fame fat cat.

Hill was a writer on Nick Films' SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE and along with Tim Rubiner, created the short-lived Warner Bros. CG TV series GAME OVER.

Headline News

Osborne & Madhusudhanan To Open Toon House in India

Weta Digitals Barrie Osborne is partnering with LORD OF THE RINGS visual effects artist N. Madhusudhanan to co-found sister animation and sound effects/post-production studios in India, according to VARIETY. Osborne and Madhusudhanan are talking with several conglomerates including Tata, Birla, computer software firm Infosys and outsourcing company Wipro to team on the venture. Tata and Birla have film divisions and Tata has long wanted to get into the animation biz. The duo is looking at sites in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore for the studios.

Headline News

Iridas Releases FrameCycler Digital Daily System 3.5

Iridas, a leader in direct-from-disk playback technologies, announced the release of FrameCycler Digital Daily System (DDS) 3.5, the most powerful edition yet of its uncompressed daily playback application. FrameCycler DDS 3.5 is built on Iridas new multi-platform architecture and is the first high-end facility review software to run on Mac, PC and Linux.

Headline News

STEELE Helps Petco Magically Bond With Pet Pampering Customers

Pet retailer, Petco Inc. tapped STEELE to bring out the Pet in PETCOs employees in a series of four spots airing nationally. Looking for a creative way to bond employees with its pet loving customers, PETCO and its agency, The Phelps Group, relied on STEELE to create the illusion of employees interacting with life-sized pet products to prove their hands-on knowledge and passion for pets and those who love them.

Film Headline News

DreamWorks Gives Perfume to Domestic Audiences

DreamWorks Pictures has pacted with Germany's Constantin Film to acquire the domestic distribution rights to the new thriller, PERFUME, based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Suskind.

Set in 18th-century France, the story of murder and obsession centers around a man who, strangely lacking any scent of his own, has a unique talent for identifying smells, which he uses to create the world's finest perfumes. His gift leads to obsession when he turns to murdering young women on the verge of womanhood in order to capture their aroma.

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