UCLA Anderson School of Management has launched a new Entertainment and Media Management Institute, to expand and enhance its long-standing Entertainment Media Program. The new Institute in Los Angeles will bring together industry pros, MBA students and faculty researchers to exchange and embrace new ideas for managing and thriving in the face of transforming entertainment and media business models.
ESC Ent., formed by Warner Bros. in 2001 to work on THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS and function as an in-house vfx facility, slashed its staff on Friday the 13th and is going on hiatus.
Ad agency Young & Rubicam, New York, and Sony have teamed up with Trollbäck & Company to brand some of Sonys newest products, including the Wega HD Television, DVD Handycam camcorder, thin-bodied T1 Cyber-Shot Digital Camera and Network Walkman. The series of end tags, featuring animated illustrations of the various Sony products and the tagline Like No Other, recently began airing not only in conjunction with TV spots, but independently from them.
Target Entertainment Ltd. expands is rights management business, appointing John Eastaff to the newly created position of director of marketing and brand licensing. He will head up Targets licensing, home entertainment and marketing activity as well as oversee the branding of the companys expanding slate of properties. He will also identify opportunities for newly acquired properties across various genres, which will be a key role as the company expands its rights management business.
Animation production company Red Kite makes its foray into theatrical-release animation, launching Red Kite Films with a major new feature-length film NOCTURNA. The film is a collaboration with Filmax Animation (Spain) and Animakids (France), set for theatrical release at Christmas 2006.
Another SIGGRAPH has come and gone, and the buzz was generally positive in Los Angeles about the mix of exhibitors, exciting new toys and comfortable size. You can read all about it in our VFXWORLD overview later in the week along with Rick Baumgartner's take next week on the Electronic Theater and Emerging Technologies exhibition, and what The Pixel Priestess observed.
Sony Pictures Animation has put its second CG-animated feature into production, SURFS UP, a documentary-style look at penguin surfing, co-directed by Ash Brannon (TOY STORY 2) and Chris Buck (TARZAN), slated for a 2007 release.
Unlike the buddy comedy, OPEN SEASON, directed by Jill Culton, which will have a very graphic and squash-and-stretch design, SURFS UP will contain a much more natural approach.
Telefilm Canada will sponsor the International Tête-à-Tête at the Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF), a series of one-on-one meetings designed to foster co-production activity and international sales. In association with the festivals Trade Forum, this initiative offers the occasion for Canadian industry players to discuss projects face to face with international producers, distributors and sales agents during private half-hour meetings.
This week in AWN's Forums, a member is trying to find rare animated shorts from Tim Burton. Another member asks what is the best scanner for 2D animation. Another thread is looking for members' favorite animated shorts to increase their toon knowledge. Several junior members continue to ask for software and school recommendations. Additionally, members continue to discuss Craig McCracken's new series FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS.
BBC Three Series ContestWorld Wide WebMarch 1, 2005Deadline: September 1, 2004
BBC Three is giving animators a chance to turn their animated short into a new television series. The network is looking for distinctive visual style, strong stories and appeal to BBC Three's 24- to 35-year-old audience. The overall winner will get their film screened on BBC Three and funding to develop a series of their animation.
Converse Film FestivalWorld Wide WebSeptember 21, 2004Deadline: September 21, 2004
Converse/Chuck Taylor is hosting a film competition to support emerging artists. For more than 90 years, Converse has stood for creativity and originality and now it wants to know what that means to artists by asking them to express themselves.
A study shows large percentage of online gamers choose their PC/Mac for online play, while 10% are strictly mobile-based gamers. The NPD Group's recently released report, "Online Gaming: The Consumer Perspective for PC and Video Games," finds the overwhelming majority of today's 13-to-44-year-old gamers have the ability to play games online and a good portion are taking advantage of it, mostly on the PC.
Disney Pictures has released the date for Andrew Adamson's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, reports the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. Fans will be able to catch the film Dec. 9, 2005. In addition, Sony Picture Imageworks has been hired to do 400 effects shoots for the film, whose main f/x house is Rhythm & Hues. New Zealand's Weta Workshop will create the makeup prosthetics for all of the creatures.
Ian McKellen has signed on to voice for the magical character Zebedee in Pathe's feature version of THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT, reports VARIETY. The cast already includes Robbie Williams, Jim Broadbent, Ray Winstone, Kylie Minogue and Bill Nighy. The CG flick is set for a U.K. release in February 2005. The original TV series was created in the late 1960s by Serge Danot, and was later adapted into English by Eric Thompson.
The Iranian animation film THE HOLE by Vahid Nasirian and produced by the Experimental and Documentary Film Center took home the second prize in the international competition section at the 19th Odense International Film Festival, which was held from August 4-9, 2004 in Denmark. The juvenile jury gave its prize to LOVE TRICYCLE by Andrew Goode (Australia).
ADV Films, the #1 producer-distributor of anime in the U.S., has announced its slate of releases for Aug. 17, 2004. Titles include NURSE WITCH KOMUGI: A VACCINE FOR HUMANITY! Volume 1, EL PARAÍSO DE HELLO KITTY: KITTY LINDA and MUTANT X: SEASON 2, DISCS 5-6 as well as a new AniMini collection.
Pixar has announced RenderMan for Maya, a new rendering solution based on Pixar's award-winning rendering technology. The RenderMan for Maya plug-in, which is entering beta testing soon, will be available on computers running Mac OS X or Windows XP. It will be priced at $995.
RenderMan for Maya enjoys complete integration with Maya. Just switch your renderer to "RenderMan" and automatically render everything in your Maya scene, including Maya materials, Maya particles and Maya fur.
With THE THREE MUSKETEERS (Disney DVD, $29.99, Aug. 17, 2004) Mickey, Donald and Goofy become Musketeers in their feature debut in this DVD premiere from director Donovan Cook. The pals do Dumas to the familiar musical strains of Tchaikovsky, Strauss and Beethoven, as they try to rescue Minnie from Pegleg Pete. And with this release Buena Vista Home Ent. launches Disney's FastPlay, a new patent pending technology that allows viewers to experience all of the DVD without the services of a remote.
![LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/small_featured/public/image/featured/15639-lightwave-8-training-edition-announced.jpg?itok=0kuQb9Tn "LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced")
![LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/tiny_featured/public/image/featured/15639-lightwave-8-training-edition-announced.jpg?itok=Z3ExfYAF "LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced")
NewTek Inc. announced the LightWave [8] Training Edition, a special offer that provides more than $400 in training materials free to new LightWave 3D purchasers. By special arrangement with the publishers New Riders, Wordware Publishing and Kurv Studios, purchasers of new licenses of LightWave will be able to receive six books, four training videos and the DVD KAZE: GHOST WARRIOR, which includes extensive extras on how the independent CGI film was produced.
Comic book entertainment company Platinum Studios will team up with First Family to produce the Platinum Studios graphic novels MEET THE HAUNTEDS and SPACED for half-hour television series and direct-to-DVD premiere movies.
First Family head Dean Valentine, the former president of UPN and of Walt Disney Television, Touchstone Television and Walt Disney TV Animation (the only Disney exec to ever supervise all three divisions), will exec produce both projects along with Platinum chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and First Family exec Scott Imergut.
Bratz, the #1 fashion dolls in America, are struttin their stuff and flauntin their fashion on VHS and DVD in the newly released BRATZ: THE VIDEO STARRIN & STYLIN from Fox Home Entertainment and MGA Entertainment. Packaged in an ultra-hip, hot pink vinyl purse, the DVD and VHS flaunt the film, one rockin music video, specially created outtakes and even a deleted scene.
This week the Theatrical Release Database we have more than half a dozen date changes. With MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3 getting a new director and later release date, star Tom Cruise and director Steven Spielberg have moved forward with their rendition of WAR OF THE WORLDS. Production delays have pushed off the release dates for X3, X4, THE RING 2 and THE WILD. DAREDEVIL might not see a sequel, but Elektra will get another shot at the big screen sooner than you think.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
Warner Home Video has announced that it will release a 10-disk MATRIX collection in December. THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION will include the trilogy, THE ANIMATRIX and 35-hours of bonus material as well as a Neo bust and 80-page book.
The disks include:* THE MATRIX - containing a new digital transfer of the film with two new commentaries* THE MATRIX REVISITED
