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AWN Headline News

Effects Headline News

MASTERSFX Promotes Rebert to FX Producer

MASTERSFX has promoted Dan Rebert to the new position of FX producer. The company is involved in the production of special effects for KINGDOM HOSPITAL, SIX FEET UNDER, STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS, among several others.

Rebert originally joined MASTERSFX in 2000 as art director and shop supervisor. Since joining MASTERSFX, he has worked on numerous projects and continues to explore and develop new effects technology.

Production Headline News

Shuffle Names Bando Exec Producer

Shuffle Inc., an international television commercial production company with offices in Venice, California, and Tokyo, Japan, has named David Bando as its new exec producer.

In his new position, Bando will work with advertising agencies and Shuffle directors on the production of TV commercials worldwide. He will oversee all aspects of television show and TV commercial production, as well as post-production, and will also be responsible for the companys expansion and development of its TV commercial division and overall growth.

Disney Headline News

Disney Board Ponders Eisner’s Future

Board members of the Walt Disney Co. assembled at Disneyland on Monday for an informal two-day retreat to discuss, among other things, whether to renew ceo Michael Eisners contract, which expires in 2006, the LOS ANGELES TIMES reported. CalPERS and other pension funds recently demanded a meeting with the board, which is scheduled for May 21, 2004.

Films Headline News

Cinema Management Group Heads to Cannes with Indie 3D Feature

Edward Noeltner, svp, international distribution and head of sales at Miramax Films, has opened Cinema Management Group LLC (CMG), a new international motion picture licensing, distribution, marketing and sales firm, which will be taking the indie 3D feature HOODWINKED: THE TRUE STORY OF RED RIDING HOOD to the Cannes Film Market. From writer/director Cory Edwards and his writer/co-directors Todd Edwards and Tony Leech, the animated comedy is in post-production with an August 2004 completion date. Maurice Kanbar, Sue Bea Montgomery, Preston Stutzman and David Lovegren produced this Kanbar Ent.

Disney Headline News

Animator Harry Holt Passes Away

Disney and Hanna-Barbera animtor Harry Holt passed away April 14, 2004. He was 93 years old.

Holt first went to work at Disney in 1936 during the hiring ramp up for production on SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS. Trained at the studio, he started out as an apprentice and worked his way helping develop the feature. He would later help design scenes for LADY AND THE TRAMP.

After 20 years at Disney, he moved to Chicago to work in television production and art direction. Later he joined HB, where he worked on THE FLINTSTONES and TOM AND JERRY.

Animation Headline News

Newest Acrobat Edition Of Animation World Magazine Hits Digital Shelves!

Attention all Animation World Magazine readers: the February Acrobat is now live. This month are crack staff of writers tackles the business of animation. All you kids and kids at heart can learn all about what's going down in the merchandising world in Karen Raugust's "Licensing 101" piece. Janett Hetherington profiles veteran toon factory Bardel Animation.

Headline News

Gene Deitch Makes Cover Of Czech Film & TV Society Mag

FITES (fit-ess) The Czech Film & Television Society has written a cover story in their bi-monthly magazine, SYNCHRON on Gene Deitch winning the Winsor McCay Lifetime Achievement Award at last year's Annie Awards.

In addition, Gene has received a nomination for a Harvey Award, the top honor in the comics industry, for his book CAT ON A HOT THIN GROOVE.

Books Headline News

New Books In The Book Corner This Week! for April 22, 2003

In 2003, AWN launched its newest resource site, the AWN Book Corner. Looking for books related to animation, then the Book Corner is the best place for you to visit. Readers can search through tomes dealing with 2D & 3D graphics, animation, applications, cinematography, digital video, entertainment, gaming, history & theory, post-production, programming & scripting and Web & multimedia. You can also browse books by title, author or publisher.

Effects Headline News

Hartwick Tapped to Head New Fox VFX Department

Joe Hartwick, Twentieth Century Fox's president of physical production, has been upped to oversee a new vfx department at the studio, given the high volume of effects-laden event films and the need to shift priorities and streamline costs. Hartwick will not only coordinate the visual effects needs of all Fox films, but also serve as liaison for the effects houses collaborating with them.

Headline News

Boomerang Salutes 'Battle of the Planets' 25th

Cartoon Networks Boomerang will celebrate the 25th anniversary of its U.S. television debut of BATTLE OF THE PLANETS with an all-day special edition of Boomeraction, the networks weekly showcase for animated action-adventure programming. The 24-hour salute starting at 8:00 am April 25, 2004 will showcase newly remastered versions of the landmark series first 16 episodes of the epic interplanetary struggle that inspires five young orphans to join forces to help save the Earth and other planets from malicious invasion.

Movie Headline News

Clifford’s Really Big Movie Sees Wider Territory

Warner Bros. and Scholastic are taking their animated CLIFFORDS REALLY BIG MOVIE on a bigger walk to more theaters on April 23, 3004, rolling out the theatrical to 471 houses across the U.S., following the test openings in several markets in February 2004.

Headline News

Peter Jackson Attached to Lovely Bones

After KING KONG, Peter Jackson and partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are eyeing Alice Sebold's bestselling novel, THE LOVELY BONES, reports VARIETY. Closer in tone to Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES than LORD OF THE RINGS, BONES tells the story of a deceased 14-year-old girl who looks down from heaven to watch her grieving family and find the person who raped and murdered her.

Headline News

Producer Steve Bing Puts $80M Into Polar Express

Independent producer Steve Bing of Shangri-La Ent. has forked over $80 million to co-finance Warner Bros. feature, POLAR EXPRESS, reports VARIETY. Bing will not take a personal producing credit on the film, but the credits will read: "a Castle Rock presentation of a Shangri-La production." Unlike gap financing that must be repaid to an investor, Bing is taking the same financial risk as Warner, who will retain distribution rights worldwide.

Toon Headline News

Toon Boom Studio Version 2.5 for Mac Ready

Toon Boom Animation has launched Toon Boom Studio version 2.5 for Mac OS X, a program used primarily for 2D cartoon animation. Some of the releases new features include sound scrubbing in the Timeline, the ability to draw in Sceneplanning and support for scanning.

Toon Boom's client base ranges from major studios creating Hollywood blockbuster animated films to individual animators creating their first masterpieces.

The upgrade can be purchased online or from a reseller at $ 199.

Headline News

Darren Aronfosky To Direct Watchmen

Darren Aronfosky is being named as the director of WATCHMEN, reports AIN'T IT COOL NEWS. The site says that Aronfosky will tackle the classic graphic novel after he finishes THE FOUNTAIN. David Hayter (X-MEN, X2: X-MEN UNITED) has written the screenplay for the film.

Headline News

Iron Man Gets X-Men Screenwriter

David Hayter (X-MEN, X2: X-MEN UNITED) has been hired to rewrite IRON MAN for New Line Cinema, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Alfred Gough and Miles Millar (TV's SMALLVILLE) wrote the previous draft. The Marvel comic told the story of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who creates an armored suit allowing him to fly and shoot repulsor rays. The comic began in the 1960s and brought Iron Man up against the Viet Cong, however the film will take place in a modern setting.

Drawn Headline News

Gene Deitch Lands Harvey Award Nod

The Harvey Awards, the top honor in comics, has announced this year's nominees. The big news for animation fans is the nomination of Gene Deitch's CAT ON A HOT THIN GROOVE for Best Domestic Reprint Project. This year's ceremony will take place at the new Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art on June 26, 2004 as part of the Third Annual MoCCA Art Festival.

Headline News

NAB Announces 2004 AIM Winners

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) announced the winners of the second-annual Awards for Innovation in Media (AIMs). Attendees at the NAB2004 voted for the technological innovations that best addressed current and upcoming issues in the electronic media industry by boosting efficiency, increasing user flexibility and creativity, and lowering cost.

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