RE:Vision Effects has released ReelSmart Motion Blur Pro version 3.0, a major upgrade to the popular Shake plugin set. ReelSmart Motion Blur (RSMB) automatically tracks every pixel in a sequence and blurs based on calculated motion.
Randy Wells joins Miramax Home Ent. as vp of home entertainment, responsible for handling the companys day-to-day marketing of its home entertainment product for both Miramax and Dimension titles, including theatrical and direct to DVD titles. Wells will be based out of Miramaxs Los Angeles office and reports to sevp of home entertainment Jeffrey Fink.
Oregon3D Inc., The Academy for Digital Arts & Sciences, will be holding a two-day open house scheduled for July 20 and 21, 2004. Technology presentations will focus on game development and design/visualization applications.
Oregon3D's Game Development Day: July 20, 3:00 to 7:00 pmPresenters from Turbo Squid, RTzen, Right Hemisphere and other guest speakers will explore the tools and techniques used to create today's top-selling videogames.
Framestore CFC recently completed digital effects work on a new three-spot campaign for BT, highlighting the company's Customer Care program. St. Luke's was the agency on SNOW, FOOTBALL and SOUNDS with Outsider films as the production company. SNOW and FOOTBALL were directed by Dom and Nic with Nick Gordon helming SOUNDS.
MillTv recently completed the effects work on the BBC drama-documentary, THE FIRST OLYMPIANS, which looks at the equipment of early athletes and looks at the recently found remains of an early Olympic participant. MillTv was brought on board to digitally re-build the ancient site of Olympia, complete with games and crowds.
Academy and Emmy Award-winning director Jeff Brown has signed an agreement for exclusive representation with Tag Team Films in Los Angeles, an industry leading producer of kids and toy commercials. Brown, on staff at Rocket Films, New York City, for the past 10 years, has directed well over 100 toy spots, many involving very young children, including work for Fisher-Price, Hasbro, Tyco and Playskool.
4Kids Entertainment Inc. is offering two exciting new Japanese anime series to the global marketplace: TOKYO MEW MEW, a drama action series targeted to girls, and boys action/adventure series, F-ZERO.
MEW MEW (52x30) follows the adventures of five teenage girls who possess the powers of endangered animals and battle aliens who threaten mankind. These very contemporary teen girls are multi-taskers who accomplish all of this while juggling their time with homework and boys.
Vancouver-based Bumblz Media, Inc. launches its computer-animated preschool series BUMBLZ with its first direct-to-home video release, BUMBLZ, CLUBHOUSE FRIENDS. The company established an e-commerce site to handle sales of the video at www.bumblz.com.
Papa John's International Inc. continues its pizza and entertainment campaign with the introduction of four new DVDs and its featured specialty pizza during the month of July - the Barbeque Chicken and Bacon pizza. Along with the new flavor, customers may choose the JR. SCENE IT? game or one of three DVD movies - THE BEST OF ROCKY & BULLWINKLE AND FRIENDS, DURANGO KIDS or WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S II.
Chris Nee, writer of the I Can Sign" - "The Sign for Friend" episode of LITTLE BILL that airs on Nickelodeon, won the $10,000 HUMANITAS Prize for Children's Animation today, July 8, 2004, during a luncheon ceremony at the Universal Hilton Hotel, in Universal City, California. Nine winning writers, representing a diverse slate of work, won these prestigious prizes and $115,000 were awarded in eight categories for film and television writers whose work "entertains and enriches the viewing public."
Codemasters has appointed Ken Johnston, as its worldwide marketing director. Johnston will direct the brand evolution of the companys key gaming titles, including COLIN MCRAE RALLY, TOCA RACE DRIVER and OPERATION FLASHPOINT, as well as direct the introduction of the companys new properties into the market.
Fox has signed three of four members of the superhero team that will headline the studio's FANTASTIC FOUR feature, reports VARIETY. Taking the lead of Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic will be Iaon Gruffudd, who played Lancelot in KING ARTHUR. THE SHIELD star Michael Chiklis will play Ben Grimm/the Thing and Chris Evans (NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE) is set to play Johnny Storm/the Human Torch.
Producer Tony Adams and Marvel Comics are negotiating a deal to bring Spider-Man to the stage as a musical, reports VARIETY. Reportedly Neil Jordan of CRYING GAME fame would pen the script with music by U2's Bono and The Edge. LION KING stage director and FRIDA film helmer Julie Taymor would take the director's seat on the project.
The Hollywood Post Alliance is presenting the 2004 Summer School Program, a tutorial on post-production. The program will run from July 23 - 24, 2004. The workshop will kick off on July 23 with drinks and hors doeuvres at 6:00 pm followed by as case study on SPIDER-MAN 2 at 7:00 pm.
In a special window from July 8-15, 2004, fans of CLONE WARS will be able to purchase hand-painted animation model sheets of Yoda at StarWarsShop.com. The new image features the final Yoda character model set against a fine art Giclèe that depicts drawings from the original Yoda model pack developed by series artist Paul Rudish and series creator Genndy Tartakovsky. Gicleé (zhee-clay) is a digital fine art printmaking process wherein millions of ink droplets stream onto canvas or high-quality stock paper.
As part of its 25th Anniversary celebration, ESPN has brought back some of its classic SportsCenter promo spots, featuring a new animated character named Reph, which was produced by J.J. Sedelmaier Prods. The commercials, which won numerous creative awards, were created by ESPN's longtime agency, Wieden + Kennedy. The Reph characters helps viewers know they're watching a classic spot by fruitlessly attempting to get into the ESPN vault. The character was designed by J. J. Sedelmaier, who produced and directed the animated segments.
Samsung has unveiled a uniquely designed 3D Game Phone that uses the company's established clamshell design that includes a joystick. The game phone (SCH-V450), which comes installed with three games, such as ZIOGOLF (golf game) and METALION (shooting game), allows users to get a full 3D mobile gaming experience heard through dual speakers.
Activision's North American Publishing unit has shipped more than two million units of its SPIDER-MAN 2 videogame timed to the theatrical release of the feature film. The game lets players experience what it's like to be Spider-Man as they web sling from buildings, dive from rooftops to the streets and scale the heights of Manhattan. Players will be able to engage in various missions inspired by the action of the film. The game is available for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC.
Cartoon Network has acquired JUNGLE TALES, an animated series produced by Delhi-based Moving Picture Company India Ltd. The 3D show is a contemporary adaptation of stories from the PANCHATANTRA, a well-known collection of animal fables.
In an effort to help its local industry produce another global sensation, the Japanese government is offering financial support to cash-strapped animation houses, reports THE JAPAN TIMES.
Anime imports into the U.S. has grown from 23 in the 1980s to 42 in the 1990s and has already reached 40 during the four years through 2003, according to a survey by the government-affiliated Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). The organization also found that the anime market in the U.S. is worth $4.36 billion, which is 3.2 times the value of Japanese exports of steel products.
Palisades Toys has announced the release of the first series of action figures based on the FAIRLY ODDPARENTS. Series 1 includes fully articulated action figures with episode specific accessories, and each figure is packed with Wanda and Cosmo in one of their many disguises. The figures will sell for $14.99.
The Timmy Turner figure includes a Goldfish Bowl with Nightstand, Baseball, an Enchanted Microphone, a Crimson Chin Comic Book, Eddie the Gerbil, and a FAIRLY ODDPARENTS logo figure stand, plus, Wanda and Cosmo in their signature Goldfish disguises.
National Geographic Television & Films (NGT&F) Kids Programming and Production unit has optioned the acclaimed childrens book series, ADVENTURES IN COLOR, to develop and produce an animated television series.
NGT&F is working with Emmy Award-winning animation director/producer Ron Myrick and the original author/designer Tony Porto plus his team creative firm Three Communication Design (3CD) to develop this unique multimedia series.
A while back, Bruce Shutan profiled Atomic Visual Effects of South Africa for VFXWORLD. Spurred by a letter to delve further into South Africa's thriving 3D community, Shutan recently interviewed several other vfx and animation studios and various artists to discover why Cape Town is on the verge of becoming the next Sydney, Australia.
