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AWN Headline News

Motion Headline News

Vicon Acquires Peak Performance Technologies

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, February 10, 2005 at 12:00am

Vicon Motion Systems has acquired Peak Performance Technologies, Inc., enabling the combined company to expand its market reach, broaden its product range and strengthen the company's technology expertise in the motion capture field.

OMG Group chief exec Julian Morris commented: "We believe that this is an excellent acquisition for the group, bringing expansion into the sports market and video-based motion capture. Peak and Vicon, together, provide a compelling proposition across a wide market and product range."

Headline News

2d3 Ships boujou three

2d3 has begun shipping boujou three, the third-generation of its award-winning professional 3D camera matchmoving software. boujou three is designed for specialist tracking departments working on the most challenging shots, and complements boujou bullet, 2d3s easy-to-use volume tracking solution.

boujou three is built around a range of new technologies and features including:

Animation Headline News

Vanguard Taps Maya Pipeline for Valiant

Vanguard Animation has built its CG pipeline with Maya software from Alias, starting with its feature debut, the 3D VALIANT. This business model will allow them to produce more Hollywood-quality animated features faster, and for a much lower cost than is typical in the industry.

VALIANT releases in Europe on March 25, 2005, and across the U.S. on April 15.

Spot Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

As VFXWORLD turns its focus in February to commercials, music videos and IDs, Tara DiLullo recently spoke with vfx artist Joe Laffey about his attention-grabbing spec spot, X-GAMES SKATEBOARD. The clever, fast-paced, MTV-style :45 spot features the tardy professional skateboarder, Caine Gayle, defying gravity, narrow alleys and city congestion to catch up to his fellow boarders on their X-Games-bound bus in Los Angeles. Laffey TV, the St.

Game Headline News

Don’t Miss the Seattle Video Game Industry Job Conference

Seattle Video Game Industry Job Conference and Resume WorkshopShoreline, Washington, USAFebruary 12, 2005

Seattle Video Game Industry Job Conference and Resume Workshop is taking place in the Seattle suburb of Shoreline at the Shoreline Center. Ten game companies are participating, including speakers from Mobliss, DigiPen (USA) Corp., Monolith Prods., Konami Digital Ent. -America, Sprout Games, Sony Online Ent., TKO Software, Gas Powered Games, Oberon-Media, Microsoft Xbox and Valve Software.

Headline News

LA ACM SIGGRAPH Presents The Process of Making Great Videogames

The Process of Making Great VideogamesWestwood, California, USAFebruary 8, 2005

LA ACM SIGGRAPH is hosting The Process of Making Great Videogames. Attendees will see the latest in videogames and the innovative ways in which they are being made. Presenters from Pandemic Studios, Shiny Entertainment & Electronic Arts will be presenting the latest in the art and science of game development.

Animation Headline News

KAFI 2005 Call For Entries Deadline Near!

Kalamazoo Animation Festival InternationalKalamazoo, Michigan, USADeadline: March 1, 2005

Animation as entertainment, education, employment and art will be in the spotlight when the third Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI) is staged the weekend of May 13 15, 2005, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Call for Entries for 2005 is still open in Studio, Independent, Educational and Student Categories. Therell be more than $15,000 in cash and awards! In the spirit of ASIFA, entry is free. Have your entries postmarked by March 1, 2005.

Animation Headline News

Ottawa Int’l Animation Festival (OIAF) Issues Worldwide Call For Entries

Ottawa Intl Animation FestivalOttawa, CanadaDeadline: June 1, 2005

The Ottawa Intl Animation Festival (OIAF) has issued a worldwide call for entries for its 2005 festival, to be held Sept. 21-25 in Canadas capital. Since there no longer is an Ottawa Intl Student Animation Festival (SAFO), student animators are welcome to submit this year, along with Independent and commercial filmmakers working in a variety of media by June 1, 2005.

Cartoons Headline News

One Week Left to Enter Cartoons On The Bay 2005

Cartoons On The Bay 2005Positano, ItalyDeadline: February 15, 2005

The deadline is a week away to enter Cartoons On The Bay 2005 for the Pulcinella Awards 2005. The 9th International Festival on Television Animation welcomes new animated series, pilots, TV specials, short films, social and educational programs.

Take part in the Pulcinella Awards 2005 and send your programs by Feb. 15, 2005. Regulations and the entry form are available on the festival Website www.cartoonsbay.com and may be sent online.

Special Headline News

Scooby Gang Loves Valentine Mystery In Primetime Special

The Scooby Gang returns to The WB for some heartly laughs and adventures in the half-hour special A SCOOBY-DOO VALENTINE, Feb. 11, 2005, at 8:30 pm. The primetime special also will have an encore presentation during The WBs EASY VIEW on Feb. 13 at 5:00 pm. This brand new program, produced by Warner Bros. Animation, features JC Chasez, from mega-group NSYNC, making a special animated appearance as himself and the star-studded love interest of Shaggys ex-girlfriend.

Headline News

Nancy Fowler Named President, DIC Worldwide Consumer Products

Nancy Fowler (formerly Bassett) moves up from svp to the newly created position of president, Worldwide Consumer Products at DIC. She will expand her role to include actively participating in the acquisition of new childrens properties for the purpose of developing licensing and merchandising programs for DIC.

Mainframe Headline News

Barbie Fairytopia Production Ready for DVD

Canadian CG animation production company Mainframe Ent. and Mattel Inc. are completing production on a new animated feature-length DVD based on Mattels toy line Barbie Fairytopia. Lions Gate Family Home Ent. will distribute the feature, BARBIE FAIRYTOPIA, which will be available in stores March 8, 2005.

Headline News

Emerald Nuts Super Bowl Spot Gets Syndicate VFX

Some people will go to any lengths to avoid sharing Emerald Nuts. In EXAGGERATING DAD (:30), which aired during Super Bowl XXXIX, a father finds himself confronting a unicorn, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny compliments of visual effects from The Syndicate when he makes excuses why his young daughter shouldn't sample his Emerald Nuts.

Software Headline News

Discreet Releases combustion 4 Desktop Compositing Software

Discreet announced combustion 4 software, the highly anticipated upgrade to its visual effects desktop software solution. combustion software for Windows and Macintosh will feature a complete set of sophisticated tools for visual effects creation, including vector paint, particles, effects, animation and 3D compositing tools.

Headline News

No July 4 Face-Off Between War of the Worlds and Fantastic Four

20th Century Fox, which had been planning a Fourth of July-themed launch for FANTASTIC FOUR, has rescheduled the Marvel superhero actioner from July 1 to July 8, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. That cedes the holiday weekend to Steven Spielbergs WAR OF THE WORLDS juggernaut, starring Tom Cruise, with vfx by Industrial Light & Magic, which opens June 29 for Paramount Pictures.

FANTASTIC FOUR, with vfx by Canadas Soho VFX and Spectral Motion, will now go up against Sony Pictures BEWITCHED, with Nicole Kidman and Will Ferrell, and vfx by Imageworks.

Tale Headline News

McRobb and Viscardi to Script Animated Despereaux Feature

Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (the ED TV series) have been brought on board to pen the feature adaptation of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX for Universal Pictures, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Sylvain Chomet (THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE) is directing, while Gary Ross is producing through his Larger Than Life Prods. with partner Allison Thomas.

The project is based on the book, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX: BEING THE STORY OF A MOUSE, A PRINCESS, SOME SOUP, AND A SPOOL OF THREAD, by Kate DiCamillo (BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE). It won the 2004 Newbery Medal for children's literature.

Headline News

Boogeyman Latest Frightener to Lead Box Office

BOOGEYMAN is the latest scary movie to take the box office derby, this time for the weekend of Super Bowl XXXIX ended Feb. 6, 2005. The ScreenGems thriller slashed its way to $19M, killing Universals second place finisher, THE WEDDING DATE, which bowed with $11.1M. Sonys ARE WE THERE YET? followed in third place with $10.6M and $51.2M. Foxs HIDE AND SEEK, last weeks winner, dropped to the fourth spot in its second week with $8.9M and $35.7M.

Animation Headline News

Incredibles Grabs Top Prizes at Imagina Awards 2005

Disney/Pixars THE INCREDIBLES took home the Grand Prix and Best Feature Film prizes at the Imagina Awards 2005, held Feb. 4, 2005, in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The jury panel included RYAN director Chris Landreth, PINOCCHIO 3000 producer Paco Rodriguez, WALLACE & GROMIT producer Michael Rose and SHARK TALE director Vicky Jenson.

The winners were:

Grand Prix Imagina:THE INCREDIBLES (USA)Director: Brad BirdProducer: John Walker (Pixar Animation Studios & Walt Disney Pictures)Feature (9)

Animation Headline News

Latest Animation World Magazine Acrobat Goes Live!

The newest issue tackles the topics of education and training. Karen Raugust looks at how convenience and flexibility make distance learning a viable option for animation. Jim Korkis takes a wonderful historical look at animation training, which began in the studios. Raquel Benitez covers the crucial topic of office politics its the rules that can land and keep you your first job. As well, Marisa Materna looks at training in a totally different world of animation non-entertainment science-based 3D. Anime expert Fred Patten reviews GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE.

Animation Headline News

What's New in AWN Discussion Forums

This week in AWNs Forums, members try to explain anime to moderator Larry L. Theres another thread celebrating the brilliance of Chris Landreths RYAN. Additionally, a post wants opinions on whether the animation industry is booming or busting. Members pick their favorite avatars. New designs keep pouring in for the Valentines Day contest. Members keep giving other members pep talks. Others are reviewing new films and drawings. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

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