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AWN Headline News

Comedy Headline News

Comedy Central Presents All-Access Look at South Park & New Episode

To celebrate the Best of COMEDY CENTRAL Week/Weekend (April 19-25, 2004) the cablenet kicks off the week with GOIN' DOWN TO SOUTH PARK, a special all-access look at the making of the SOUTH PARK series. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone host this special behind-the-scenes peek at the production of the hit series, which features comments from some of the characters voices, including that of Isaac Hayes. GOIN' DOWN TO SOUTH PARK premieres at 9:00 pm on April 19.

Effects Headline News

Alias Brings Out Maya 6 at NAB

Alias, a Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) company, has brought out the next version of its award-winning 3D animation and special effects software Maya 6, featuring hundreds of new features and enhancements requested by Maya users from both large and small organizations working in film, broadcast, game development, digital publishing and visualization markets. These developments can be seen at NAB in Alias suite #S111 at the Las Vegas Convention Center where Maya artists will conduct demos hourly.

Effects Headline News

Apple Shakes Out 3.5 Tools

Apples new Shake 3.5, features new shape-based morphing and warping tools for advanced compositing and new shape shifting special effects, fine-tuned to take advantage of the performance and architecture of the Power Mac G5 and Mac OS X version 10.3 Panther.

Animation Headline News

Softimage Releases XSI V. 4.0

Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc., has released SOFTIMAGE|XSI4.0 - the latest version of the industry's leading nonlinear 3D production environment and has made it available in three distinct configurations at breakthrough prices: XSI Advanced, XSI Essentials, and the new entry-level XSI Foundation. Version 4.0 delivers advanced toolsets, dramatic performance enhancements, and advancements to the core architecture of the software, including new customization, project management and workgroup capabilities.

Home Headline News

Gigantor Creator Dies After Fire in Home

Mitsuteru Yokoyama, the cartoonist behind the classic manga GIGANTOR, passed away April 15, 2004 after suffering burns from a fire in his Tokyo home earlier in the day, reported KYODO NEWS. He was 69. The blaze was reported to police by his younger sister when she discovered his bed was on fire. The cause of the fire has not been determined. His other credits include RED SHADOW, JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT, MASKED NINJA AKAKAGE and SALLY, THE WITCH.

Animation Headline News

A Scanner Darkly Gains Toon Director

Section 8 and A Thousand Words have hired Bob Sabiston as the animation director on Richard Linklater's adaptation of Philip K. Dick's sci-fi novel A SCANNER DARKLY. Sabiston also served as the animation director on Linklater's WAKING LIFE. The animator has directed such shorts as SNACK AND DRINK and ROADHEAD.

Headline News

NVIDIA Makes Three Big Product Announcements At NAB

In conjunction with NAB, NVIDIA has announced the release of Gelato, the first 3D final-film renderer accelerated by industry-standard graphics hardware; the Quadro FX 4000, a professional graphics solution; and Quadro FX 4000 SDI, a workstation-based graphics solution enabling weather, news, sports and virtual-set broadcast as well as video and film post-production.

Dreamworks Headline News

HP Expands Deal With DreamWorks, Cleans Up Classic at WB

HP has announced an expanded relationship with DreamWorks and a new deal with Warner Bros. to clean up the image quality of Technicolor films in Warner Bros. library.

HP and DreamWorks will team on new technologies for off-site animation rendering and remote collaboration. Built on a technology partnership that began in 2001, the collaboration provides DreamWorks Animation with state-of-the-art technology solutions from HP, which will be used on SHREK 2, SHARK TALE, MADAGASCAR and the NBC computer-animated TV series, FATHER OF THE PRIDE.

Headline News

Revenge Pays Kill Bill Vol. 2 Top Box Office

Audiences will pay to see an ass-kicking woman seek vengeance as evidenced by the $25.1M opening box office turned in by Miramaxs KILL BILL VOL. 2 to take the number one spot and best the October 2003 $22.1M opening of KILL BILL, VOL. 1. BILL 2, with vfx by K.NM.B. EFX Group, easily knocked out the competition from Marvel Studios and Lions Gates THE PUNISHER, which debuted in second place with $13.8M.

Headline News

Malkovich Hitches Ride on 'Guide to the Galaxy'

John Malkovich has been added to the cast of THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, Disney's adaptation of the Douglas Adams novel, reported THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Malkovich is set to play religious cult leader Humma Kavula, a character created by Adams exclusively for the long-in-the-making film production. The film is set to start shooting this month in London, with former commercials director Garth Jennings helming.

Headline News

Cleese & Curry Join Valiant Cast

MONTY PYTHON member John Cleese and LEGEND's devilish actor Tim Curry have joined the voice cast of Vanguard Animation's CG feature VALIANT, reported THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Cleese will play an Allied pigeon, trapped behind enemy lines. Curry will lend his voice to one of the baddies on the Falcon Brigade.

Headline News

Groening Gives Simpsons Animated Reality

Matt Groening, creator of THE SIMPSONS, at last gives voice to an animated version of himself on the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding SIMPSONS episode airing April 18 at 8:00 pm on FOX. Groening has often shown up as an image, but this is his first speaking role.

In the episode, Principal Skinner gets cold feet before his pending nuptials so his fiancée, Edna Krabappel, calls off the wedding. Skinner asks Homer for help while Marge tells Edna to keep looking.

Headline News

Wolter to Direct Sales for SignaSys

SignaSys Inc. has promoted Jeff Wolter from western region systems sales manager to director, sales.

Wolter's career in sales management began with non-technology companies, including Phoenix Technologies Environmental Services and Random Snowboards. In 1999, he parlayed his experience into the television technology industry with Media Site and later with Convera, an Intel-backed media management software company.

Headline News

Global Demand Grows for Discreet Systems

Discreet has announced accelerating momentum amongst broadcasters and post-production facilities around the world purchasing Discreet systems to deliver on their standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) requirements. From Madrid to Mumbai, and New York to Los Angeles, broadcasters are relying on Discreet's systems to create sophisticated programming, including graphics, promos, commercials and episodics.

Headline News

Artbeats Releases New Ultra Collections at NAB 2004

Artbeats, an industry leader in royalty-free stock footage for film, video and multimedia professionals, today announced it would release its new Ultra collections at the 2004 National Assn. of Broadcasters Convention (NAB). Featuring captivating slow motion imagery, Artbeats' Ultra collections offer an entirely new perspective to fire, water and motion, and provide some of the most unique royalty-free footage available at this year's NAB.

Visual Headline News

Visual Circuits to Display Mantis MC Video Player at NAB

Visual Circuits will unveil the first multi-channel, high definition video player, Mantis MC, at NAB 2004 in the Focus Enhancements booth, SL3501. Designed around Visual Circuits' Gemini 2 Universal Media Card, Mantis MC integrates 32-bit accelerated graphics with high definition (HD) video, and scrolling text; supporting Multi-Zone playback and offering extreme flexibility in digital media file integration on one or two display channels.

Digital Headline News

Van Helsing Case Study Highlights NAB Digital Cinema Summit

NAB 2004 has joined forces with the Entertainment Technology Center at USC to present a next generation Digital Cinema Summit on April 18 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, highlighted by a case study of the digital tools used on the upcoming VAN HELSING.

The schedule is as follows:

WHAT DO CINEMATOGRAPHERS NEED? (9:30 am - 10:00 am)

Film Headline News

Joe Blow Short Lands Landmark Theatre Run

JOE BLOW, the latest Vinton Studios short film, directed and conceived by Emmy Award-winning director Mark Gustafson, bows at Landmark Theatres starting April 16, 2004 in New York City and LA with wider distribution to follow. The short film will run prior to the steamy drama YOUNG ADAM, starring Ewan McGregor and Tilda Swinton.

Headline News

King of the Hill's Testa Inks 20th Century Fox TV Deal

The King of the Hill co-exec producer Garland Testa has inked an exclusive two-year overall deal at 20th Century Fox TV, it was reported by VARIETY and confirmed by Fox TV. Testa will continue with the animated sitcom, as well as eventually create, develop and produce new projects for the studio under a large seven-figure deal.

Serving HILL for the past three seasons, her episodes include the Annie-nominated "Aisle 8A" and "Chasing Bobby.

Film Headline News

Triplets Of Belleville Animator Joins Sarbakan

Yann Tremblay, one of THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLEs main animators, has joined Sarbakans team as lead 2D animator. Tremblay, who was responsible of the character Bruno the dogs animation in the TRIPLETS, will now supervise the animation on some of Sarbakans upcoming feature projects.

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