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AWN Headline News

Special Headline News

Gina D's Cuddle Bug Christmas Special Contest Announced

Raven Moon Entertainment has announced it will launch a nationwide contest to promote it's GINA D'S CUDDLE BUG CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, which is scheduled to air Dec. 21, 2003 on PAX Television. The contest will give 20 kids a Free Christmas Cuddle Bug and one grand prize winner and their family a trip to Orlando, Florida to watch a filming of an episode of GINA D'S KIDS CLUB.

Animated Headline News

Gary the Rat Returns to Spike TV

GARY THE RAT, which launched as part of The Strip programming block of adult animated cartoons, returns solo to the airwaves on Spike TV, Dec. 2, 2003 at 11:30 pm and repeats Dec. 7 at 2:30 am. An additional episode premieres Dec. 11 at 11:30 pm and repeats Dec. 14 2:30 am.

Design Headline News

Framestore Nabs Royal Television Society Craft & Design Award

Framestore CFC has received the Best Digital Effects prize at this years Royal Television Society Craft & Design Awards. At the Nov. 17, 2003 event, the company won for its work on the two WALKING WITH DINOSAURS specials THE GIANT CLAW and LAND OF GIANTS. The award was accepted on behalf of Framestore CFC by DINOSAURS team members Tim Greenwood, Darren Byford, George Roper and Sarah Tosh.

Production Headline News

Zinkia Staffing Up For Pocoyó

Madrids Zinkia Ent. is busy signing up top creative talent to start production on its 3D CGI animated preschool property, POCOYÓ. The 52x7 series is being co-produced with Carlton International, for U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV.

Already on board is one of Spains leading 3D animation specialists, Magoga Piñas, who has joined the Pocoyó team. Magoga, has more than a decade of experience in the 3D animation field, working on feature films such as LA GRAN AVENTURA DE MORTADELO Y FILEMON (2003) as well as commercials and graphics.

World Headline News

Buena Vista Acquires Rights To Around the World in 80 Days

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution has acquired the domestic distribution rights to Walden Media's adventure comedy, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, starring Jackie Chan. The film will be released by Walt Disney Pictures as a summer 2004 tentpole.

Effects Headline News

Video Symphony Launches 3D Animation and Visual Effects Course Programs

Video Symphony, a TV, Film and DVD Digital College and Career Center, has launched another in a series of year-long 3D Animation and Visual Effects course programs.

"Today, nearly every movie, TV show and commercial turns to 3D magic and visual effects for everything from dueling spaceships, fiery explosions, and slime-dripping aliens, to animated breakfast cereal, and cars that drive on water, said Video Symphony's president Mike Flanagan.

Disney Headline News

Mickey Mouse Turns 75

Mickey Mouse celebrates his 75th anniversary today as one of the world's most beloved cultural icons. Ever since Mickey debuted in the first synchronized sound cartoon, STEAMBOAT WILLIE, on Nov. 18, 1928, he has remained in our consciousness while also presiding as the face of The Walt Disney Co. around the globe. Today, the company honored Mickey 75th by kicking off 18 months of celebration beginning at Walt Disney World Resort with the unveiling of 75 uniquely designed, 700-pound, 6-foot-tall Mickey statues -- a tribute to Mickey from an impressive group of friends. Chairman/ceo Michael D.

Headline News

DigitalFilm Tree Creates Final Cut Pro for Cold Mountain Editing

DigitalFilm Tree (DFT), a post and design company specializing in Final Cut Pro (FCP) consultation and implementation, collaborated with Oscar-winning editor Walter Murch to pioneer a Final Cut Pro editing workflow for his work on Anthony Minghella's COLD MOUNTAIN, Miramax's Civil War epic starring Jude Law and Nicole Kidman and prime Oscar contender, due in theaters Christmas Day.

Headline News

Peter Pan Flies into AEAF 2003

Industrial Light & Magic's art director Alex Laurent will provide the Australian Effects & Animation festival (AEAF: Dec. 7-10, 2003) an exclusive preview of how the upcoming PETER PAN was brought to the big screen. Australian director P. J. Hogan (MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) is at the helm of the first live-action sound feature based on J. M. Barrie's enduring classic.

Headline News

Boris FX 7 Now Shipping

The world of integrated effects creation just got faster. Shipping immediately for an upgrade price of $199, Boris FX 7 brings high performance directly into the editing environment with new OpenGL acceleration and faster renders. Editors can now experience advanced keyframe control with more than 20 new filters and paint tools for advanced masking and compositing.

Million Headline News

Nemo Passes Fellowship of the Ring in DVD Sales

After only two weeks, Disney/Pixar's FINDING NEMO has sold a record-breaking 15 million units on DVD and another 5 million units on video, reeling in more than $360 million in total home entertainment revenue, according to Buena Vista Home Entertainment. That exceeds the nearly $340 million raked in at the North American box office this year, a record for animated features. In terms of DVDs, NEMO has surpassed THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (14.5 million units).

Animation Headline News

Nasscom Predicts Animation In India To Triple In Two Years

Nasscom, Indias premier information technology body, is betting big on the Indian animation industry, predicting the sector is all set to register an exponential growth in the coming years, according to the BUSINESS STANDARD in a report from its bureau in Bangalore, India.

Star Headline News

Nelvana Sells Carerre’s Rock Star Series To Nick Int’l

Talk about your international cooperation. Corus Entertainments Nelvana (based in Canada) has negotiated a broad deal with Nickelodeon International (based in the U.K.) for MY DAD THE ROCK STAR, a co-production with producer The Carrere Group and broadcaster M6 (both based in France).

Mipcom Headline News

AWN Posts Follow-Up MIPCOM Flash Newsletter!

AWN has posted the final follow-up edition of its special Acrobat MIPCOM Flash newsletter. In response to reader demand, AWN has made it easier for you to get all your important MIPCOM news in one concise place. AWN has published four special MIPCOM newsletters, in Acrobat format. All four high-res Acrobat versions can be downloaded at:

Issue 1 Issue 2

Headline News

Cat in the Hat Pops for Kellogg

Kellogg Company have partnered with Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures and Imagine Entertainment for the promotion of the family film, DR. SEUSS' THE CAT IN THE HAT, which opens in theaters Nov. 21, 2003. As part of the deal, Kelloggs will release for a limited time a CAT IN THE HAT cereal and Pop-Tart.

Digital Headline News

Digital Video Expo West Adds 3 Free Workshops

CMP Media's Digital Video Group announced that its Digital Video Expo West has added three free conference sessions. This 7th annual event is returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center from Dec. 9 - 12, 2003 focused on providing information on cutting-edge tools, techniques and technologies to the professional digital video community.

Entertainment Headline News

Sony Promotes PlayStation 2 With $1M Giveaway

As part of its larger holiday season promotional push, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. will give one lucky consumer $1 million as part of its "PlayStation's Million Reasons to Play PlayStation 2 Combo Pack $1 Million Giveaway." Customers can enter by supplying the serial number from their new PlayStation 2 Combo Pack online at www.us.playstation.com by Jan. 16, 2004. A winner will be randomly chosen on Jan. 26, and presented with a check for a one-time payment of $1 million dollars by the beginning of March 2004.

Spot Headline News

Elf Dwarfs Master

New Line's Christmas satire, ELF (with vfx by Rhythm & Hues and Amalgamated Pixels) won the box office weekend ended Nov. 16, 2003. After two weeks, ELF has grabbed a tidy $70.3M. Fox's Oscar contender, MASTER AND COMMANDER: THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD, debuted in second place with a respectable but certainly not commanding $25.1M.

Ghosts Headline News

A Few Less Animated Ghosts at Disney

Production has been halted on the Walt Disney Co.'s A FEW GOOD GHOSTS at Feature Animation in Orlando, Florida (BROTHER BEAR, LILO & STITCH and MULAN) due to creative differences and subject matter deemed not "universally appealing." The shutdown falls on the heels of recent closures (Paris and Tokyo) and layoffs, including 50 at the Orlando facility.

Circus Headline News

3 Ring Circus Brands Greek Mega Channel

3 Ring Circus, a leading creative branding firm in Los Angeles, California, has re-launched the Mega Channel, the number one rated broadcast television network in Greece. Mega sought to solidify its position as a leader and trendsetter in the Greek market when it retained 3 Ring Circus to develop a new "look" for its re-launch.

CD Maziar Majd and exec producer John Sideropoulos hand-delivered the project and worked closely with Mega's in-house design department for implementation and support at their facilities in Greece.

Marvel Headline News

Marvel Enterprises Creates Marvel Int’l with Appointment of Prez

In an effort to develop the international side of its business, Marvel Enterprises announced the creation of Marvel International and has appointed Bruno Maglione as president. He will be based in London and report to Allen Lipson, Marvel's ceo for all activities other than consumer products where Maglione will report to Tim Rothwell, Marvel's president of worldwide consumer products.

Production Headline News

Jordanian-American Co-Production Tackles Arab/American Tension

Amman, Jordan-based Rubicon, Washington, DC-based Layalina Prods. and Los Angeles-based Fat Rock Ent. have teamed up to create a 13-episode series addressing the cultural gap that exists between the United States and the Arab world. Heading the project will be Rubicon ceo Randa Ayoubi, Layalinas chairman Richard Fairbanks and Fat Rock ceo David Pritchard, who created the series. The project is intended to be a direct-to-DVD production, but will also air on satellite and television broadcast networks both in the Middle East and the U.S. The budget for the project is set at $5 million.

Films Headline News

Jetsons’ Mother Penny Singleton Dies

Penny Singleton, the voice of Jane Jetson and the actress who brought the popular comic strip character Blondie to life in films, died Nov. 12, 2003 at Sherman Oaks Hospital, two weeks after suffering a stroke, at the age of 95.

Singleton was best known on camera for her role as the wife to bumbling husband, Dagwood Bumstead (played by Arthur Lake) in THE BLONDIE series, which had 28 films from 1938 to 1950. The films were based on the cartoon strip, created by Chic Young in 1930, about the misadventures of a small town family.

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