Discreet will unveil new versions of its realtime compositing and visual effects systems, inferno 6, flame 9 and flint 9, at SIGGRAPH 2004, Aug. 10-12, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The new versions offer more creative freedom and tools to simplify tasks. Discreet plans to release inferno 6, flame 9 and flint 9 in fall 2004.
Massive, developer of the premiere 3D animation system for artificial intelligence-driven, crowd-related visual effects is streamlining the generation of arena spectators, crowds moving en masse and large-scale digital armies with breakthrough Ready-to-Run Agents. These pre-built agents can be easily dropped into shots to create 3D character-based crowd scenarios allowing animators to significantly speed up their workflow. The initial agents, debuting Aug.
Sony Pictures Digital Networks has promoted Brad Reinke to svp of sales and marketing and Dave Chaimson to vp of marketing. Both Reinke and Chaimson were part of the Sonic Foundry team, the Madison-based desktop software and service business Sony Pictures Digital Networks acquired in July of 2003, where they spearheaded worldwide sales and marketing efforts for the company.
Josh Hutcherson (THE POLAR EXPRESS) and Jonah Bobo (AROUND THE BEND) have cast in Columbia Pictures' film rendition of ZATHURA, reports VARIETY. Based on the book by children's author Chris Van Allsburg, the story follows two young brothers whose house is launched into space. Tim Robbins plays their father. Jon Favreau (ELF) will direct with Michael De Luca and Bill Teitler producing. Ted Field and Louis D'Esposito will serve as exec producers with Peter Billingsley co-producing. The screenplay was penned by David Koepp. Columbia hopes to have the film in theaters in 2005.
VAN HELSING writer-director Stephen Sommers, along with his producing partner Bob Ducsay, has landed the rights to FLASH GORDON, which the duo will develop for Universal, reports VARIETY. Sommers will write the FLASH screenplay, but has yet to decided whether he will direct. Hearst Corp.'s King Features Syndicate, who owns the rights to the character, have assigned Rick Karo to produce for the company. Overseeing the project for Universal will be vice chairman Scott Stuber and vp of production Dylan Clark.
The Walt Disney Company has unveiled the Disney Dream Desk PC, a new personal computer geared to tap into the growing children market.
"We've traveled a long way since that first Mickey writing tablet hit the market in 1929" said Bob Iger, Disney president/coo. "At the core of Disney is our mission to entertain and enlighten audiences through products that spark the imagination. With the launch of the Disney Dream Desk, a computer designed with kids in mind, we've developed a tool box for children to unleash their imaginations and expand their minds."
Oregon3D Inc., The Academy for Digital Arts & Sciences, is offering an Intro to Urban Simulation course. Scheduled for Sept. 14, 2004, this one-day course offers an introduction to the dynamic field of urban simulation, aimed at students seeking a general overview for a broad range of projects in entertainment, business and government.
In anticipation of SIGGRAPH next week, VFXWORLD focuses on emerging technologies throughout August. We begin on Friday with Mary Ann Skweres' sneak peek at Paul Debevec's latest cutting-edge virtual journey, THE PARTHENON, a short film premiering in SIGGRAPH's Electronic Theater. Using the best archaeological sources available, Debevec digitally reconstructs the famed temple and photorealistically recreates many of the sculptures, revealing a host of new 3D visualization advancements.
AWN and VFXWorld will be attending this year's SIGGRAPH. Make sure to come by and see us. We'll be out in force, including Sarah Baisley, AWN's Editor in Chief, Bill Desowitz, VFXWorld's editor, Rick DeMott, AWN's Managing Editor, Gina Ruiz, AWN's General Manager, publisher Dan Sarto, plus Nicole Feenstra and Tom Roberts from our business development team. We'll be giving away cool free VFXWorld pens and lots of good candy like Snickers and Milky Ways, not cruddy hard candy like you'll get at some other booths. You only get good stuff from AWN and VFXWorld!
e-on software, the leading publisher in natural 3D scenery software, announces the forthcoming release of the fifth iteration of Vue/Esprit, its award winning scenery rendering and animation software for casual and advanced digital artists. Vue 5 Esprit will add a long list of superior realism features for the creation of ultra natural 3D graphics.
Entertainment Rights (ER) is one of the fastest growing independent global media groups specializing in children's and family entertainment, recently recruited three new territory managers to bolster its strong international sales team. These include Gillian Calvert for Scandinavia and Benelux, Karen Vermeulen for Germany and U.K. and Leila Ouledcheikhfor Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.
For the next step in JibJab Media's potential legal problems over its use of Woody Guthrie's song "This Land Is Your Land" in its newest political satire, the company has asked a California district court to declare that it did not violate the copyrights of Ludlow Music, the owner of the tune, reports WIRED.
Macromedia has launched the Macromedia Back-to-School Fall 2004 student promotion. Through Oct. 31, 2004, students may register to win a weekly drawing for a Casio EX-S3 Exilim digital camera and view a new online comicbook at www.macromedia.com/resources/student. Any student, age 14 and older, who purchases Macromedia Studio MX 2004 with Flash Professional by October 31, 2004, may register for a chance to win a digital camera.
Lucasfilm and Dark Horse Comics are teaming up to create a graphic novel based on STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH. Dark Horse and the concept artists behind the film will produce the graphic novel called STAR WARS: VISIONARIES, a collection of 12 tales told by the artists that helped envision the worlds, creatures, technologies and characters of EPISODE III.
FUNimation Prods. has announced its acquisition of the GRAPPLER BAKI and GUNSLINGER GIRL anime TV series. The company has the rights to all 24 episodes of GRAPPLER BAKI, which aired in Japan in 2001. The sports series is based on the manga by Keisuke Itagaki, which is published by Akita Shoten in Japan. Produced by Madhouse in 2003, GUNSLINGER GIRL is a sci-fi action-adventure about a group of brainwashed girls, who have been trained to be professional assassins.
Bandai Ent. has announced it has secured the rights to three new anime series PLANETES, AVENGER and SHIN MEGAMI TENSHI DEVI CHILDREN.
PLANETES is a 26-episode sci-fi series produced in 2003 by Bandai Visual and Sunrise. Set in the year 2075, the hero works on a space station sweeping up space debris and dreams of owning a space ship of his own.
AVENGER is a 13-episode series produced by Bee Train (NOIR). In a bleak future, mankind has been forced to live in deteriorating dome cities and animated "dolls" take the place of children.
The family of THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT composer Solomon "Mbube" Linda has filed a suit against The Walt Disney Co. for the use of the song in the film, THE LION KING, reports VARIETY. The copyright infringement suit, filed in South Africa's Pretoria High Court, is for $1.6 million. Disney has until Aug. 12, 2004 to respond to the claims or be ruled against by default.
Dosch Design is releasing the 3ds max and Maya versions of Dosch 3D: Logo Animations, each containing 25 animated logo scenes. All scenes are optimized and "ready to go" for use in 3ds max or Maya, and include all relevant textures. Because the animations are provided as fully editable scenes, the user is able to adjust output resolution and many other effects and visual parameters. Users can render for the Internet, video (PAL or NTSC), DVD, business presentations or the higher cinema resolution.
The Jim Henson Co. has promoted Kelley Oien Perez from director of childrens television to vp, creative affairs. In her new role, Perez will continue to develop preschool and childrens programming for both television and direct-to-video productions in animated and liveaction formats. She will also work closely with HIT Ent. on pre-school projects for the co-production agreement recently announced by the two companies.
The first of these projects is FRANCES, currently in pre-production and based on the best-selling FRANCES TREASURY series of books.
Adina Pitt has been promoted from director to vp of Acquisitions for Nickelodeon and Nicktoons, Nickelodeon's digital channel for the next generation of animation. Pitt will handle pre-buys and acquisitions for both networks, reporting to Pete Danielsen, svp of programming, Nickelodeon; and Keith Dawkins, vp/gm, Nicktoons.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and Scholastic have agreed to bring DAVEY AND GOLIATH to a new generation of children in the first major publishing deal for the religious, animated property.
DAVEY AND GOLIATH is a classic stop-motion animated television series that aired in the late 1960s and 1970s, starring Davey Hansen and his talking dog, Goliath, and is a property of the ELCA. The church's mission with DAVEY AND GOLIATH is to bring "moral and religious faith-based values to a new generation of children in lively and engaging ways."
Lucasfilm Ltd. has announced that it has established Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, a digital animation studio designed to produce digital animated content, including films, television and games for global audiences. Gail Currey, vp/gm of Lucasfilm Animation, will lead the Singapore-based creative team. The other investors in the venture include EDB Investments Pte Ltd. and Creative Technology Ltd.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. has announced that it will screen a special preview edition of the upcoming FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN at the 61st Venice International Film Festival, September 1-11 in Venice, Italy. The film is a direct-to-DVD CG-animated sequel to FINAL FANTASY VII, one of the best-selling PlayStation videogames of all time. FINAL FANTASY VII ADVENT CHILDREN will be shown as part of "Venezia Digitale," the new digital image category of the festival. Since the product is still in development, a special preview will be screened at the festival.
Caribbean International Film Festival 2004 St. Thomas, USANovember 17 21, 2004Deadline: October 1, 2004
New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF) 2005New York, New York, USAMarch 4 20, 2005Deadline: October 1, 2004
