Framestore CFCs thriving film department has a new senior producer. Sandra Scott joins the company from Industrial Light & Magic, where she produced vfx work for projects such as THE MUMMY, MISSION TO MARS and PLANET OF THE APES.
Mac gamers can now get in on the SPIDER-MAN 2 fun as thanks to Aspyr Media, Inc. now shipping SPIDER-MAN 2: THE GAME, FOR MACINTOSH. Licensed by Activision, SPIDER-MAN 2: THE GAME, FOR MACINTOSH was developed by Ryan C. Gordon, who has previously worked with Aspyr Media on SHREK 2: THE GAME.
The SecondCity.com have announced the winner of this year's ShortCuts Film Festival. Taking the prize were Lee Lanier and Jeffrey Dates of Boulder City, Nevada for their animated film DAY OFF THE DEAD. Lanier and Dates will receive a scholarship for one term of the Second City Writing Program, and the opportunity to officially present their project to executives at Sony Pictures Television and the William Morris Agency.
Toon Boom Animation Inc. has appointed two new resellers in China and Korea. As part of its new distribution strategy in Asia, Dison Computer Graphics & Image Company Ltd. will now take care of Toon Boom's products throughout Mainland China, while CS M&C Technology Inc. will do the same in Korea. Both Dison and CS M&C will also provide first-line support to Toon Boom's local customers within the same time zone and language.
SPY-HUNTER producers Adrian Askarieh and Chuck Gordon have obtained the feature rights to Midway's PSI-OPS videogame, reports VARIETY. The producers hope to secure a director and pitch the project to various studios by the beginning of September. The story follows a psionic agent who has had his memory erased that must infiltrate a band of rogue agents who were in training with him.
THE NINE DOG CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, produced by Earthworks Entertainment, will have its Christmas 2004 premiere on the Disney Channels in Germany, Italy and in all of Asia, with further international TV deals expected shortly and a deal for the U.S. market is in the works.
NINE DOG CHRISTMAS stars nine extraordinary stray dogs who overcome tremendous odds to help Santa bring the spirit of Christmas to children all over the world when the reindeer flu threatens to ground Santa's sleigh. James Earl Jones narrates the family musical adventure story.
As part of the release of YU-GI-OH! THE MOVIE, Warner Bros. Pictures handed out one of four new YU-GI-OH! trading cards to people who attended the film. Like the same type of promotion for the original POKEMON movie, fans were hot to get their hands on the collectibles. However, two fans in Chino, California took it to a criminal extent. The two posed as Warner Bros.
Top Cow has licensed the TV rights to comic WITCHBLADE to Japanese studio Gonzo Digimation (BURST ANGEL). The 26-episode series will not chronicle American hero Sara Pezzini, who gains superhuman powers from the mythical witchblade, but instead will star a Japanese policewoman who finds the ancient weapon. The Japanese series will be geared for more of an adult audience than it has been in the States.
Omation Studios, a division of O Ent., has installed 100 seats of SOFTIMAGE|XSI software to serve as the primary 3D production environment for its upcoming animated feature film, THE BARNYARD, written, directed and coproduced by Steve Oedekerk, Omation Studios and O Ent. The film, which offers a glimpse into the hidden world of what barn animals do when humans aren't looking, is currently in production with an extensive team of CG artists, animators, compositors and modelers using SOFTIMAGE|XSI software to bring an entire cast of singing and dancing characters to life.
HP introduced groundbreaking new software at SIGGRAPH 2004 that allows customers in graphics-intensive fields such as engineering and graphic design to collaborate with teams across geographically dispersed regions in realtime.
When MARY POPPINS comes to DVD for the third time on Dec. 14 in a special 40th anniversary edition from Buena Vista Home Ent., it will boast a brand new 2D-animated short, THE CAT THAT LOOKED AT A KING, produced by DisneyToon Studios. It's based on an original story by Poppins author P.L. Travers about the magical nanny.
Taffy Entertainment, the new business unit of Mike Young Productions (MYP) has launched its brand new licensing division to be headed by veteran licensing specialist Eric Stein as vp of licensing.
Stein is a former licensing exec with Lucasfilm and MGM/United Artists and the founder of consulting firm Eric Stein Entertainment (ESE). Topping on his agenda is to develop and implement the licensing strategy and program for the companys groundbreaking 3D, CGI-animated character-comedy PET ALIEN.
It looks like the heavy vfx duties on the new WAR OF THE WORLDS feature from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks will be done by vfx supervisor Dennis Muren and Industrial Light & Magic, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Steven Spielberg is directing the remake of H.G. Wells novel with Tom Cruise set to star in the pic stet to shoot in November 2004.
Fred Basset, star of the famous comic strip by Alex Graham syndicated in 20 countries will star in his very own television series to be produced and distributed worldwide by VGI Entertainment Ltd.
VGI, an independent U.K. producer, distributor and licensor of childrens programming, said it is delighted to be involved in such a landmark project and will be working in close consultation with Arran, Grahams daughter who continues to be very much involved with the daily comic strip.
Dont be expecting a POWERPUFF GIRLS knockoff if you tune into Craig McCrackens latest 2D creation, FOSTERS HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS, which debuts Aug. 13, 2004 at 7:30 pm on Cartoon Network with a 90-minute feature. Witty observations on present-day life, relationships and trends are woven in with a wild/colorful assortment of oddball characters in this mostly adult comedy.
Ronald Shusett, co-creator of the ALIEN film series, and comic-book specialist Daniel Alter have optioned the feature-film rights to the sci-fi title MEGACITY, which Alter discovered at the recent Comic-Con International in San Diego, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. MEGACITY will be published by Devil's Due via an arrangement with the Korean entity Studio Ice.
Academy Award-winning writer Frank Pierson, has been re-elected to his fourth term as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences by the organization's board of governors. Four other incumbent officers were returned to their posts as well.
Pierson, a governor representing the writers branch of the Academy for the past six years, was first elected to the Academy presidency in 2001. According to Academy by-laws, the 2004-05 term will be the last consecutive term he can serve in the office.
Kaydara Inc., and Alias announced from SIGGRAPH 2004 the forthcoming release of MOTIONBUILDER 6, the newest version of the company's award-winning character animation software. This comes on the heels of the recent news that Alias has signed an agreement to acquire Kaydara.
When the purchase closes (which it is expected to within two months), then MOTIONBUILDER will be rebranded Alias MOTIONBUILDER.
Dan Castellaneta will be awarded this year's Primetime Emmy Award for animation voice over performance for his work on THE SIMPSONS as the dysfunctional family patriarch, Homer, Homer, as well as Krusty the Clown, Grampa Simpson, Groundskeeper Willie, Barney Gumble and Mel.
Ben Kingsley has been signed to play the vampire Kagan, the evil ruler of an army of bloodsuckers, in the film adaptation of the videogame BLOODRAYNE, opposite Kristanna Loken (TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES), the ASSOCIATED PRESS reported. The film chronicles the adventures of a half-vampire, half-human in 18th-century Romania who has the super strength of a monster countered by the emotions of a person.
Project postponements have freed up actor Tom Cruise and director Steven Spielberg to team up again in the re-make of H.G. Wells THE WAR OF THE WORLDS for a fast track investment for DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures.
Cruise had been set to work on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3 until a delay while Spielbergs untitled project on the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics has also been pushed back. Cruise and Spielberg collaborated successfully on MINORITY REPORT.
VFXWorld and AWN are at the SIGGRAPH Conference in full right now. VFXWorld's editor Bill Desowitz is walking the convention floor, checking out all that is new in the world of technology and visual effects. As for new articles on VFXWorld, continuing in the SIGGRAPH mode, we have an article from Mary Ann Skweres about Dr. Paul Debevec's pioneering 3D works as well as his newest short, THE PARTHENON, which premiered at SIGGRAPH 2004's famed Electronic Theater. As well, we have an article from J.
TELETOON's 2004 fall lineup schedule features 12 new animated series including six TELETOON original productions and six acquired series. Ten series return with new episodes including two TELETOON original productions and eight acquired series. In addition, TELETOON will have five world television premieres and five Canadian television premieres. TELETOON is Canada's first and only animation station with shows for all ages.
Venture to have your sides hurt from laughing in Cartoon Networks new late night offering for its Adult Swim block, THE VENTURE BROTHERS. Back by popular demand since the pilot aired Feb. 16, 2004. The series, created by Jackson Publick III and produced by Noodlesoup Prods. in New York City, premiered as a series Aug. 7 and now has its own weekly timeslot on Saturdays at 11:00 pm.
Apple announced at SIGGRAPH 2004 it has begun shipping Motion, the revolutionary new application that delivers high-performance, realtime motion graphics design. Motion offers the creative freedom and power for artists to deliver stunning, professional quality results, quickly and intuitively, with realtime previews, procedural behavior animation and integration with both Final Cut Pro(R) HD and DVD Studio Pro(R) 3, all at a breakthrough price of $299.
