Walt Disney's Touchstone Pictures has hired director Gregor Jordan (BUFFALO SOLDIERS) to rewrite and direct the adaptation of John Christopher's THE TRIPODS TRILOGY, reports VARIETY. Disney has had the properties rights since 1997 and both Darren Lemke and Terry Hayes have written scripts based on the series.
Well, we kick off a new year at VFXWORLD with the topic of previsualization. The first in the series this month is Alain Bieliks look at the previz work that went into brining Jean-Pierre Jeunets WWI set romance epic, A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT, to the screen.
Disney/Pixars THE INCREDIBLES and Sonys THE POLAR EXPRESS are among the seven films. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is considering for Achievement in Sound Editing for the 77th Academy Awards.
The films in consideration are listed below in alphabetical order:
THE AVIATORCOLLATERALTHE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
The Producers Guild of America included the animated feature, THE INCREDIBLES, amongst the nominees for its best picture award announced today. The other finalists this year for the Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year kudos are THE AVIATOR, MILLION DOLLAR BABY, FINDING NEVERLAND and SIDEWAYS. The awards will be presented at the Guild's annual awards dinner at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Jan. 22, 2005.
We are compiling a Pitch Guide for publication in January.
The summer blockbusters continue to roll out on DVD with Warner Home Videos release of TROY ($29.95) on Jan. 4, 2005.
Continuing our special event specific Flash Newsletters, we will be publishing special editions for both NATPE and MIP-TV. The NATPE market is fast approaching and our editorial and advertising staff are gearing up for the NATPE-specific Flash Newsletter series. Here are the dates for the publications.
NATPE Flash NewslettersJanuary 12January 19
MIP-TV Flash NewslettersMarch 23March 30April 6
LevyMann Entertainment, the creator and producers behind the childrens animated series, ITTY BITTY HEARTBEATS, have teamed up with new licensee partners Franco Manufacturing, Baby Boom Consumer Products, Wiesner Products and Waterbury Garments for several new lines of itty bitty products.
These new licensees add to their deals in place with StudioWorks Ent. (Ventura Video), Fruit of the Loom and Penguin Books, which is releasing three new ITTY BITTY HEARTBEATS titles.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
This week in AWN's Forums, members post examples of simple animation invoices for others to reference.
5th Annual Game Developers Choice AwardsSan Francisco, California, USAMarch 7-11, 2005Deadline: January 14, 2005
Forest Film Fest 2005Portland, Oregon, USAMay 15, 2005Deadline: May 14, 2005
Telluride IndieFest 2005Telluride, Colorado, USAAugust 31 - September 4, 2005Deadline: May 31, 2005
Telluride IndieFest showcases the best independent films and screenplays in the world and does not require films to 'premiere' at its event. The event limits films and screenplays to 1,000 entries. ALL selected artists will have the opportunity to have their entry presented to some of the most-respected Hollywood talent agencies, production companies and film distributors. For more information, visit tellurideindiefest.com.
DIC Entertainment (DIC) has inked additional deals for its all-new tween entertainment and lifestyle property, TROLLZ. There is now approximately 35 licensees in the U.S. and Canada secured for the 2005 launch.
Pamela Kaufman has been promoted from svp, Nickleodeon marketing to evp, marketing and worldwide promotions, expanding her responsibilities to include strategic planning of worldwide programming launches as well as global partnership deals.
"Pam Kaufman is one of the most successful marketers in the entertainment industry," said Nickelodeon TV president Cyma Zarghami, to whom Kaufman will continue to report. "Her consumer marketing and property management skills have raised the creative bar for the entire industry and have turned our TV properties into gold."
Light House, in partnership with Screen West Midlands, and animation companies Screenburn and The CharacterShop in the U.K., are launching a new initiative to provide work placement opportunities for talented new animators with these regional animation companies.
Legendary comics and graphic novel artist and writer Will Eisner died Jan. 3, 2005, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, at the age of 87, following complications from quadruple heart bypass surgery, reports Bob Andelman, author of the upcoming authorized biography, WILL EISNER: A SPIRITED LIFE.
A comics artist since the 1930s, Eisner was the first to use "silent" balloonless panels to show characters' emotions by focusing attention on their accentuated facial expressions.
Intergraph Corp. has shipped SmartPlant 3D 5.0. The new version delivers many enhancements for structural modeling and design, 3D model exportation, global worksharing and system support. Intergraph's current customers, including some of the world's largest owner/operators and engineering companies, drove the development of SmartPlant 3D 5.0. The software provides the capabilities needed to design and maintain process, power and marine facilities and keep them "as-built" throughout the life cycle.
ADV Films announced the release of NOIR, RAHXEPHON and FULL METAL PANIC! in high definition throughout 2005. Through the use of Windows Media High Definition Video (WMV HD), movies can now be viewed on computers with DVD drives, as well as on many new set-top DVD and digital media players, with amazing quality and resolution up to six times higher than that of today's standard DVDs.
Rick Sands has been named as the new president/coo of DreamWorks SKG. In his new post, Sands will primarily be responsible for overseeing the management of day-to-day operations of the private company, reporting directly to principal partner David Geffen.
Curious Pictures announced that it has joined forces with Grand Large, the Paris-based commercial production company, and will be working with Grand Larges new award-winning French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, director and writer of AMELIE and A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT.
Grand Large has a compelling group of feature directors, and I am really excited about them and their work, said David Starr, exec producer/marketing director for Curious Pictures. If there is one director that I have always wanted to work with, it is Jean-Pierre Jeunet.
THX Ltd. announced that it will be demonstrating a new visual equalization (EQ) technology for videogame consoles at CES. The technology was created to enhance how gamers experience the visual quality of games content played on their favorite console. Demonstrations will be available to the public at booth # 20533 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center during regular exhibit hours.
Digital-Tutors announced the worldwide availability of its highly anticipated "Maya Intermediate: Female Android Modeling" training kit -- the latest release in a series of industry leading training resources for digital artists. In more than seven hours and four discs of comprehensive training methods, "Maya Intermediate: Female Android Modeling" guides users through the technical and artistic process of modeling a female android.
Warner Bros. Pictures' THE POLAR EXPRESS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE again set new records for an IMAX film by amassing more than $5.45 million from Dec. 26 through Jan.1, making it the highest grossing week in IMAX's history.
TV-Loonland recently announced sales of seasons II and III of its TV series, THREE FRIENDS AND JERRY, as well as the half-hour 3D Christmas special, DONNER, to Jetix Germany (formerly Fox Kids Germany).
