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AWN Headline News

Entertainment Headline News

THQ Signs Homeworld Gamers For New Property Releases

THQ Inc. has entered into a two-property, multi-year publishing agreement with development studio Relic Entertainment Inc., creators of the critically acclaimed real-time strategy (RTS) titles HOMEWORLD and IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES. The first of the two projects included in the agreement is already in development at Relic and scheduled to release in the second half of 2004. More details and the name of this project will be released later this year. "We've identified the RTS category as a strategic imperative for THQ as we begin to compete more aggressively in the high-end PC market," said Jack Sorensen, evp of worldwide studios, THQ, explaining why his company pursued the relationship with Relic, regarded as a leader in the RTS genre. Alex Garden, ceo, Relic said his studio sought a publisher with global brand management expertise and tremendous influence at retail.

Design Headline News

CO-OP Takes Up Residence In Manhattan

Broadcast design industry leaders Paul Newman, Jim Moran and Gary Bonilla have formed CO-OP, a new advertising and design company in New York City that operates as the strategic core of a network of partners with a full range of complimentary creative companies. CO-OP offers its clients brand strategy and brand development through advertising, vertical marketing, business to business communication, direct marketing, interactive, brand design and identity and broadcast design.

Kids Headline News

Hatamiya Made SVP Sales & Marketing For SPTI

Kim Hatamiya has joined Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) as svp, sales and marketing, based in Culver City, California. Hatamiya brings 20 years of experience and extensive expertise in marketing for international television ventures, Internet content and children's television. Hatamiya has launched and managed international channels, including Canal Fox, Fox Kids U.K. and Fox Kids Latin America. She also has in-depth experience with new product launches and business development.

Submission Headline News

HypeFest Extends Late Submission Deadline To May 9

April showers have brought May extensions for HypeFest, which has moved its late submission deadline to May 9, 2003. HypeFest, a new film festival that links independent ideas with commercial creativity, is accepting short films (50 minutes or less), commercials, music videos and promos for its premiere event, which will take place July 25-27, 2003 at Cinespace in Hollywood, California.

Awards Headline News

Studio B Abounds With Awards

Vancouver-based Studio B Productions hit a triple treat of industry honors from the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the Leo Awards and the Alliance for Children and Television's (ACT) Awards for Excellence.

Studio B received an award from the WGC for its original series YVON OF THE YUKON on April 14, 2003. The second season episode, "The Trouble with Mammoths," written by Dennis Heaton, won a Top Ten Award from the WGC, which honors the 10 best Canadian screenplays in the country.

Series Headline News

Eng Upped In MTV Original Programming

MTV: Music Television has promoted Carol Eng to svp of original programming. She will oversee production of shows on the network and will assume increased responsibility in managing the original programming department. Eng is based in MTVs headquarters in New York City and will continue to report to John Miller, evp of series and animation. Eng, an MTV 15-year vet, has produced MTV's signature events such as SPRING BREAK and THE VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS. She transitioned over to the original series dept.

Movie Headline News

Garfield CGI Movie Re-Tabbed For Next Year

Twentieth Century Fox has delayed its plans to release a live-action/CG animated GARFIELD movie from December 19, 2003 to June 2004. Rhythm & Hues is the primary studio doing visual effects on the movie director Peter Hewitt is adapting from the syndicated cartoon strip created by Jim Davis. The story starts as Garfield's owner, Jon, takes in sweet but dimwitted pooch Odie, turning Garfield's perfect world upside down. The lasagna-loving orange tabby tries to get Odie out of his life until the hapless pup is kidnapped by a nasty dog trainer, so Garfield pulls himself away from his beloved barcolounger to get him back. Waiting until June not only gives the effects artists more time to complete the picture, it makes good marketing sense to take advantage of the extra push GARFIELD will be getting as the sarcastic feline celebrates his 25th birthday in 2004. GARFIELD has already been made into a number of 2D animated specials and TV series produced Lee Mendelson Films, Paws Inc. and Film Roman. The comic is read in 2,600 newspapers by 260 million readers around the globe.

Effects Headline News

Maya 5 Now Available

Alias|Wavefront has announced its new Maya 5 can be downloaded immediately by customers on full annual maintenance and registered for eSupport via www.aliaswavefront.com/maya/support, a week before its due to ship, May 1, 2003, for new and upgrading customers. Maya 5 offers enhancements especially helpful for character animation, dynamics and polygonal modeling, and has become more applicable to 2D artists, Web developers and technical illustrators.

Film Headline News

SARS Scares Off Trade Show Attendees To Toronto

The World Health Organization's warning urging travelers to avoid unnecessary visits to Toronto because of the risk of contracting the SARS virus is having some adverse effects upon trade shows there. The Canadian Cable Television Assn. postponed its annual convention, which was to take place April 27-29, 2003. However, the SPROCKETS Toronto International Film Festival is still underway April 24-May 4, 2003. Publicity coordinator Susan Stafford reports general attendance is not down but the industry side was effected. "We have had a few calls from out-of-town visiting industry guests who are managing local travel restrictions and will not be able to join us. Sprockets events are very full and we are looking forward to another great festival for all the children and their families who love cinema," she said. SPROCKETS did have to cancel its Animation Master Class with Loyd Price from Aardman Animations.

Company Headline News

Doran Adds Color to Company 3 New York

Company 3 New York has hired two-time Monitor Award-winning colorist Roger H. Doran for his long-form work Company 3s fastest growing market segment. His recent credits include the HBO series SEX AND THE CITY and THE WIRE. His background also includes music videos and commercials.

Game Headline News

Electrasol Promotion Hopes To Clean Up With Rosie the Robot

Reckitt Benckiser Inc., a leader in household products, recently announced a $22 million national marketing campaign featuring THE JETSONS cartoon characters, to support the launch of the company's new Electrasol Gelpacs an innovative breakthrough in automatic dishwashing detergent. The campaign highlights "Dishwashing made for the 21st Century" with a game featuring Rosie the robotic maid and THE JETSONS family. Promotion marketing agency EastWest Creative developed, designed and is executing promotional support for the game including print advertising, on-pack communications, point-of-sale, direct mail and fulfillment.

The premise of the game is that life in the 21st century is catching up to THE JETSONS' maid, Rosie especially dishwashing. When the Electrosol Gelpacs prove you don't need a robot to get dishes that sparkle, Rosie feels that she is no longer useful and runs away. Consumers help THE JETSONS find Rosie and win "Astro-nomical" prizes in the Electrasol Gelpacs "Find Rosie and Win" instant win game.

Japan Headline News

American Cinematheque Offers 1st Festival of Japanese Anime

The American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood will present the 1st Festival of Japanese Anime from May 2-14, 2003. It features a cross-section of the newest and most challenging work from Japan, including the U.S. premieres of THE CAT RETURNS, the mondo-insane TAMALA2010 A PUNK CAT IN SPACE, the lovely fable PRINCESS ARETE, the long-awaited three-part anthology film MEMORIES, and Miramax Films POKÉMON 5, plus sneak previews of as-yet-unreleased episodes from cult-hit series including CRUSH GEAR TURBO, AURA BATTLER DUNBINE, BRIGADOON, SCRYED, PLEASE, TEACHER, YOURE UNDER ARREST, DNA2, READ OR DIE, RAHXEPHON, PARASITE DOLLS and a very special sneak peak at THE MATRIX-inspired THE ANIMATRIX, with all nine episodes shown for the first time.

Animation Headline News

Now Available for Free Download! AWN's 2003 Global Animation School Directory

By Joan Kim | Thursday, April 24, 2003 at 12:00am

It's finally here! Another AWN exclusive -- AWN's 2003 Global Animation School Directory is your complete, indispensable reference guide to over 550 animation-related schools and educational programs, from 40 countries. This year, we've added more schools, more countries and more program types. A must have resource for anyone considering a future in animation! Over 50,000 people downloaded our previous edition.

Headline News

Spyhunter 2 Sports Transformable Vehicle & Female Agent

Midway Games Inc. will ship SPYHUNTER 2, a high-speed, mission-based, action/combat racing game in fall 2003 for the PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube. The sequel in the saga to save the world from the sinister grip of the global criminal terrorist group, Nostra, features an all-new, extremely powerful and customizable G-8155 Interceptor with new vehicle transformations such as an off-road 4-wheel drive vehicle, an off-road motorcycle and a snow ski. Gameplay includes upgradable offensive and defensive weaponry, as players fend off enemy vehicles set across enormous regions.

Effects Headline News

AEAF Juggles Speakers

There have been some important changes to the Australian Effects & Animation Festival (AEAF) program May 12-13, 2003 at The Australian Center for the Moving Image in Melbourne. Randy Goux, CG supervisor on THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS joins the program to co-present with Greg Juby, digital effects supervisor. Randy takes the place of Jay Reynolds. Randy and Greg will be take attendees through some of the signature visual effects shots created by them at ESC Entertainment in the U.S. in an exclusive preview before the film opens in theaters on May 15.

Headline News

Franny's Feet Keep Tapping In Sales For DECODE

DECODE Entertainment has concluded a number of pre-sales for its illustrative digital 2D animated show FRANNYS FEET. The pre-school series features a little girl whose fantastic feet step into magical adventures when she tries on shoes in her grandfathers repair shop. Commissioned by Channel Five in the U.K. and the Family Channel in Canada, the 13x30 minute show will step onto the schedules at Discovery UK and ABC in Australia. DECODE is seeking licensing partners for all categories.

Software Headline News

NXN Software Fill 3 Key Management Positions

NXN Software, a leading supplier of asset management solutions for the digital entertainment and computer graphics industries, has appointed Ernie Cicogna as its new general manager of U.S. operations, hired Neil Leshner to manage major account sales, and promoted Katja Reitemeyer to director of account management. These appointments support NXN's ongoing expansion into the games, film and simulation markets.

Hanna-Barbera Headline News

Hanna-Barbera Buildings May Be Torn Down

A developer wants to raze the Hanna-Barbera Studios buildings that animation legends William Hanna and Joseph Barbera erected in 1963 at 3400 Cahuenga Blvd. near Universal City, to build shops and apartments. HB preservationists are scrambling to mount a campaign to save what they call is a historic and architecturally significant landmark, while some residents of that neighborhood fear the project would worsen traffic in the Cahuenga Pass.

Entertainment Headline News

Spellbound Entertainment Signs Koala Brothers Deal With Hasbro

Spellbound Entertainment has granted an international toy license for its new pre-school property, THE KOALA BROTHERS, to leading toy company Hasbro Inc. The deal covers key merchandise categories including plush toys, figurines, play sets and Play-Doh. Items will be available in stores next year following the show's premiere on the BBC later this year.

Films Headline News

Moyer Signs With Area 51 Films

Jayson Moyer, a young comedy director, has signed with Area 51 Films in Santa Monica, California for exclusive representation in commercials. Since launching his career two years ago via Believe Media, Moyer has established himself as an original comic stylist through work for such clients as IKEA, Molson and the Sci-Fi Channel.

Home Headline News

Big-Screen Thornberrys Movie Comes To DVD

Take the animated adventures of a family of wildlife documentary filmmakers out in Africa home by way of Paramount Home Entertainment's release of THE WILD THORNBERRYS MOVIE on DVD and home video. The movie, produced by Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon Movies, based upon the hit TV series, features the Oscar-nominated song by Paul Simon, "Father and Daughter" as a music video.

Headline News

Uli Meyer Fashions Frankenred Promo

Uli Meyer Studios in the U.K. recently completed FRANKENRED, its eighth promo for the BSkyB Sky Active campaign featuring Lil Red. This latest spot features a new CGI character Uli who is Frankenreds little helper.

Set in the laboratory of Frankenreds castle, his mobile phone suddenly comes alive as Uli helps download polyphonic ring tones, top-ups and games. Uli receives some electric shocks during the downloads while Frankenred cackles, "My mobile, its alive!"

Headline News

NVIDIA Extends NForce3 Into Pro Workstation Market

NVIDIA recently introduced its NForce3 Pro, a motherboard chipset that is compatible with the new Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) Opteron 64-bit processor. The Opteron processor is significant for AMD because it challenges existing 64-bit CPUs such as the Intel Itanium, especially for the lucrative server market.

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