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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Go From Sewers to Subway

4Kids Ent. Inc. and Subway Restaurants have joined forces to launch a national promotion featuring the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. The seven-week promotion began Feb. 7, 2005 and continues through March 27, 2005, at participating Subway locations in the U.S. and Canada, while supplies last.

Animation Headline News

Download Latest Animation World Magazine Acrobat Edition Now!

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 12:00am

The latest Acrobat edition of Animation World Magazine is now online! This issue tackles TV animation. Karen Raugust delves into how more animation producers are going after the faith-based market. Joe Strike tales a look at the new moves in adult animation. And Chris Panzner looks at the innovative new series DELTA STATE.

Digital Headline News

SMPTE Seminar’s New Dates Announced

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 12:00am

SMPTE Seminar 2005, presented in cooperation with the Entertainment Technology Center at USC and USC School of Cinema-Television, has been rescheduled for March 4-5, 2005. Originally the event was to run in December 2004, but was postponed due to the logistics of the holidays.

Headline News

I, Robot Director Knows Next Supernatural Thriller

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 12:00am

Columbia-based Escape Artists has hired I, ROBOT director Alex Proyas to helm the supernatural thriller, KNOWING, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Originally DONNIE DARKO director Richard Kelly was attracted to direct and Proyas will film off Kellys rewrite of Ryne Pearsons original screenplay. Steve Tisch, Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and David Alper are set to produce.

Disney Headline News

Peter and the Starcatchers To Get CG Treatment

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, February 17, 2005 at 12:00am

Disney Animation has secured the rights to Dave Barry and Ridley Pearsons bestselling children's book PETER AND THE STARCATCHERS with the intent to turn it into a CGI feature, reports VARIETY.

The loose prequel to PETER PAN follows 8-year-old Peter, shipmate Molly and a group of orphaned boy on the ship Never Land as they attempt to recover a trunk of magical starstuff, before the pirate Black Stache gets him hands on it.

Disney Editions published the book in August 2004.

Headline News

BOXX 7300 PCI-Express Delivers the Fastest Company Workstation

BOXX Technologies has introduced the BOXX 7300 series of workstations featuring dual AMD Opteron processors and NVIDIA nForce Professional Media and Communications Processors (MCPs). BOXX 7300 workstations support the upcoming release of Microsoft Windows XP x64, which will provide the ability to run 32- and 64-bit applications simultaneously, taking digital creativity to new levels.

Headline News

CINEMA 4D R9.1 Now Available

3D software developer MAXON has released the first update to its award-winning flagship tool CINEMA 4D R 9. Containing more than 50 new features and many more enhancements, the R9.1 update focuses on data exchange, n-gons, the interface and the material system. The update is freely downloadable from www.maxon.net.

International Headline News

MGM Elevates Sutherland to EVP Int’l Theatrical Distribution & Marketing

MGM Home Entertainment Group, a unit of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. has promoted Ian Sutherland from svp to evp, international theatrical distribution and marketing.

"Ian has done important work overseeing our overseas distribution and marketing efforts in conjunction with our partner, Twentieth Century Fox Intl," said David Bishop, president of the group. "This well deserved promotion recognizes that work."

Headline News

Microsoft Announces Power Cord Replacement for Xbox

Microsoft Corp. announced today (Feb.17, 2005) that it will voluntarily replace the power cords on 14.1 million Xbox consoles worldwide as a precautionary measure and out of concern for consumer safety.

Effects Headline News

Spider-Man and Harry Potter Sequels Lead VES Awards Along With Aviator

It was SPIDER-MAN 2 and THE AVIATOR running neck and neck for the most awards, taking three each, at the 3rd Annual VES Awards Wednesday night, Feb. 16, 2005, but it was HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN that pulled out with the top honor for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Motion Picture at a black-tie gala at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.

Game Headline News

The Art Institute of California - San Francisco Offers Scholarships for Animator

High school seniors interested in education to enter the animation or videogame development industries are invited to apply for scholarships from The Art institute of California - San Francisco (www.aicasf.aii.edu). The scholarships, ranging between $5,000 and $25,000, may be applied toward tuition in the schools bachelors degree programs in Media Arts & Animation, Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming.

Film Headline News

fmx/05 Celebrates 10th Anniversary

fmx, a key event in animation, visual effects, games and other 3D content, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (April 27-30 in Stuttgart, Germany) by continuing to offer a holistic, cinematic and integrated approach to the booming CGI industry. You can see the changes in CGI reflected in the new design for the fmx/05 logo and trailer, based on the clip, Timeless, by Filmakademie graduate student Linus Ewers.

Design Headline News

Valentine’s Day Character Design Contest Winners Announced!

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, February 16, 2005 at 12:00am

The judging is over in AWNs latest Character Design Contest. To celebrate Valentines Day, the contest centered on the classic Romeo and Juliet scenario - We revisit the classic theme of forbidden love! Two lovers, either from different families, different clans, different races, even different planets, tempt fate to be together. History says their love is tragically doomed...but maybe, just this once, the fates will be bested!

The entries were judged by Larry Lauria, our long-time Animation Café moderator, distinguished animator and educator.

Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

When the VES announced that it was bestowing its first George Méliés Pioneer Award on the late Bob Abel, Ellen Wolff, one of VFXWORLDs regular contributors, expressed an interest in writing a remembrance of this frustrated magician turned vfx pioneer. Ellen, who knew Abel quite well and wrote his speeches and SIGGRAPH presentations, wanted to let us know what Bob wouldve thought of such an honor.

Entertainment Headline News

Electronic Arts Endows Faculty Chair At USC School Of Cinema-Television

Bing Gordon, cco/evp and early employee of Electronic Arts the worlds leading videogame publisher, was named the first holder of the Electronic Arts endowed faculty chair at the USC School of Cinema-Television, a rotating position that will be held for one to two years by leading figures in interactive entertainment that will join the Schools faculty as visiting professors.

Headline News

Maya 6.5 Now Shipping

Alias announced the worldwide availability of Maya 6.5, which has been equipped to handle larger datasets by a dual approach; speed improvements in critical parts of the workflow and new tools for efficiently managing very large datasets. Absolute speed improvements have been dramatic in many cases, as Maya performs more efficiently in relation to larger scene sizes. For example, UV manipulations have been benchmarked as being more than 100 times faster in Maya 6.5 compared to Maya 6.

Kids Headline News

Loonatics Leads Kid’s WB! New Fall Season of 3 New Shows & 4 Returns

They were transformed into babies, now they are futuristic heroes as Kids' WB! leads off its upcoming season with LOONATICS, featuring descendants of legendary Looney Tunes characters upholding justice and hopefully the networks high ratings. The new fall schedule for the 2005-2006 television season featuring three new series and four returning hits, striving to broaden audience appeal with dual-gender programs was announced today (Feb.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network Announces Five New Shows, 400 Half-hours at 2005 Kids Upfront

Cartoon Network will air five new animated series, new episodes of returning original series and new acquisitions, adding up to more than 400 new half-hours in 2005, it was announced Feb. 16, at Cartoon Networks Upfront presentation to advertising executives and the media in New York City. The new series are TICKLE U, KRYPTO THE SUPERDOG, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUNIPER LEEM, CAMP LAZLO, IGPX and MY GYM PARTNER IS A MONKEY.

Cartoon Headline News

Midway & Cartoon Network Game On Three Properties

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 16, 2005 at 12:00am

Midway Games Inc. announced that it has signed three publishing agreements with Cartoon Network, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Ent., for videogames based on three of the network's top-rated kids programs: ED, EDD N EDDY, THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY & MANDY and DEXTER'S LABORATORY. Under the terms of the agreements, Midway secures multi-territory rights to develop and publish games for the console, handheld and PC platforms.

Entertainment Headline News

Ubisoft Signs Trollz Videogame License

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, February 16, 2005 at 12:00am

Ubisoft has signed a licensing agreement with DIC Ent. to create videogames based on the new TROLLZ, which features a stylish group of teen friends that grow up in a spectacular world of gnomes, ogres, dragons and magic. The exclusive, worldwide agreement includes interactive games based on the tween entertainment and lifestyle property for all existing game formats.

Games Headline News

Buena Vista Games Names New Director, Business Development & Production

Bob Picunko has been promoted to director, business development and production for Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Co.

Reporting to Michael Ryder, vp of worldwide production for BVG, Picunko will be responsible for strengthening relationships with videogame developers and content creators as well as focus on assessing new game concepts for the company and drive the process of identifying, developing and growing new strategic business relationships with independent developers.

Anima Headline News

Anima 2005/Brussels Announces Winners

Anima 2005, the 24th Animation Festival drew to a close on February 13, 2005, in Brussels with an awards ceremony for Anima 2005's national and international competition. The award winners were chosen by the public, via attendance and voting at the official competition screenings and there were juried categories.

With 13 feature films in competition, Anima reflected Europes important role the boom in animated films.

Anima 2005 Feature Film Grand PrixRENART, THE FOX by Thierry Schiel (Luxembourg)

Prix Be TV Feature Film Prize

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