Jan Cilliers, a South African-born visual effects artist skilled in Discreet Flame and many other software tools, has joined the team at Click 3x. Cilliers most recently taught digital compositing at Escape Studios' School of Visual Effects in London. Previously, he spent eight months with the New York visual effects house Guava, where he worked on SINATRA: HIS VOICE. HIS WORLD. HIS WAY, a unique theatrical presentation that appeared at Radio City Music Hall last year.
4Kids Entertainment, Inc. will continue the new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES animated series, produced by Mike Young Prods., for a third season of new episodes (26) with TF1 (France), Media Set (Italy), and Fox Kids Europe and Latin America.
In addition, NINJA TURTLES already have renewals with GMTV (U.K.), VTM (Belgium), SIC TV (Portugal), Alter TV (Greece), Childrens Channel (Israel) and DTV (Turkey).
Zoic Studios helped create the illusion of cold via 47 shots in which visible breath is seen in the Fox feature THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, which opens May 28. Working in decidedly warmer temperatures then they were replicating, Zoic's team animated for three months perfecting the extensive breath scenes needed in a frozen New York. The shots were created using Maya, combustion and flame.
Zoic credits:
VFX producer: Raoul Y. BologniniVFX super: Rocco Passionino
Alias announced the launch of its Maya 6 "Evolution of 3D" tour with sponsors HP and NVIDIA. The tour offers a chance for 3D artists and enthusiasts to see the Maya 6 software up close, network with their peers and hear from special industry guest speakers from Alias, PDI/DreamWorks, Amaze Ent. and The Orphanage. For more information and to register for these events or dozens of other Maya 6 events taking place around the world, please visit www.alias.com/events.
Evolution of 3D Tour Details
Continuing its recent growth, Steele VFX has appointed Monique Eissing to the post of Henry artist. Eissing, who has been with the visual effects and finishing studio since 2001, previously served as Mac artist and assistant Henry artist.
"Monique is technically fluent in the art of visual effects," said Steele VFX ceo Jo Steele. "Her progress here has been astounding. Our clients love her subtle attitude, knowledge and willingness to take on any challenge."
U.K. producers group Pact fears the U.K. animation industry teeters on the edge of collapse unless the government invests £50 million ($90 million) over eight years into a rights fund. An initial $10 million is needed to set up the fund, which would eventually sustain itself.
Corus Ent. announced a new partnership with Shanghai Distance Education Group (SDEG), one of the largest developers of educational programming and content in Asia. As part of the agreement, the two companies will develop and exchange programming and will extend Corus' reach into the burgeoning Chinese marketplace.
When J. Walter Thompson Toronto approached Cuppa Coffee Studios to develop a mixed media look for the launch of Ritz's new line of crackers "Mini Ritz SCUBA," Cuppa Coffee combined multiple mediums ranging from live-action actors, stop-motion puppets, 3D particle animation, digital post effects and embellishments, water displacement and watercolor illustrations.
4Kids Entertainment Home Video, in association with FUNimation, will release seven new titles on June 1, 2004. The videos and DVDs include: CABBAGE PATCH KIDS: The Clubhouse (VHS/DVD), TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: Volume 10: Secret Origins (VHS/DVD), YU-GI-OH!: Season 2 Volume 5: Mime Control & Volume 6: Double Duel (VHS/DVD), SONIC X: Volume 1: A Super Sonic Hero & Volume 2: The Chaos Factor (VHS/DVD) and ULTRAMAN TIGA: Volume 3: GUTS Headquarters Under Attack (DVD).
Helen Howells joins Target Entertainment Ltd. as its new director of International Licensing, to manage the licensing of Targets existing properties and identify opportunities for newly acquired properties across various genres, in particular, the international pre-school market. Targets licensing portfolio features key properties including MEG AND MOG, FUNKY VALLEY, THE JELLIES and ANIMAL ANTICS.
Howells was commercial director at 4Kids Entertainment, where she worked on leading brands such as POKEMON, YU-GI-OH! and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.
Los Angeles, California October 22-24Washington, D.C. October 28-30
Deadline: August 1, 2004
National Geographic announces a call for animation entries for the All Roads Film Festival to be held October 2224, 2004, at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles and October 2830, 2004, and at National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The festival will celebrate the works of indigenous and under represented minority culture filmmakers from around the globe.
Visual effects house A52 is the next pick for VFXWorld's Focus On Gallery. Check out more than two-dozen images from the company's work and read up on the techniques and challenges that went into making them. From music videos to commercials, the Focus On Gallery highlights some of the best work coming out of studios both big and small.
If you'd like to be considered for inclusion in the Focus On Gallery, contact Dan Sarto at dan@awn.com.
Visit the Focus On Gallery.
"Comic Book Idol 2" Art ContestWorld Wide WebJune 3 July 8, 2004Deadline: May 27, 2004
1st International Folklore Association Animation Contest of Folktales and FablesIstanbul, TurkeyJuly 7, 2004Deadline: June 25, 2004
All Roads Film Festival Los AngelesLos Angeles, California, USAOctober 22-24, 2004 Deadline: August 1, 2004
Fox Kids Europe N.V. (FKE) has signed an exclusive first look agreement with French animation studio Marathon, for its future childrens animated production output. Under the terms of the agreement, FKE and Marathon will co-develop and co-produce a minimum of three 52-episode series, adding at least 156 fresh, new, half-hour episodes to the programming lineup of FKEs pan- European network of channels.
Fleischer Studios, King Features and SureSource have launched the all-new official Betty Boop online store, accessible at www.bettyboop.com. The store will feature a wide array of Betty Boop merchandise, including fashion apparel, hard-to-find collectibles and memorabilia. SureSource Inc. designed the new online store and will manage store operations in collaboration with King Features and Fleischer Studios.
Animator Emily Hubley has been selected by the Sundance Institute as one of the five filmmakers of the first "class" of Annenberg Film Fellows. As the first participants in the newly established Annenberg Film Fellows Program, the filmmakers will receive extended support over a two-year period to facilitate the creation of their current projects. The other fellows include Aditya Assarat, Sterlin Harjo, Kazuo Ohno and Alex Rivera.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND helmer Michel Gondry has been named as the director of Rudy Rucker's sci-fi thriller MASTER OF SPACE AND TIME, reports VARIETY. As well, Jack Black (SHALLOW HAL) has been tapped to star. French production company Midi Minuit is in negotiations to bring the project to DreamWorks for Walter Parkes and Laurie McDonald (GLADIATOR) to produce. Gondry worked with Midi Minuit on music videos before be crossed over into features. The story follows two mad scientists who discover a way to control reality.
X2 writer Zak Penn is negotiating to script Universal Pictures' SPY-HUNTER feature, reports VARIETY. Recently, the studio announced that action superstar John Woo would direct the film. Set to star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the film is an adaptation of the long-running Midway videogame franchise, which features a spy in a suped sports car set out to defeat a cartel seeking world domination. Chuck Gordon and Adrian Askarieh with Woo and partner Terrence Chang of Lion Rock will produce.
With the next INDIANA JONES flick put on the back burners, Harrison Ford has signed on to star in outer space thriller GODSPEED, which will be produced by James Cameron via his Lightstorm Ent., reports VARIETY. The film is set to use the same 3D technology that Cameron used on his documentary GHOST OF THE ABYSS. Joining Cameron in the producer's chair will be Lightstorm's Rae Sanchini and Jon Landau.
AWN and VFXWorld are giving away one "total access" reserved festival ticket to this year's VES Festival, the best visual effects storytelling platform in the world! The event runs June 18-20, 2004 at The Rafael Film Center, 1118 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901. These reserved tickets, which normally cost $300, give you complete access to the entire three days of presentations and screenings.
This year, there are 8 fabulous presentations that will focus on the process of visual effects and how they bring the vision of the director to life. Highlights include:
For TROY, MPC developed its own crowd simulation software for the battle scenes along with creating a CGI version of Troy, while Framestore CFC conjured a digital Greek armada. After reading Alain Bielik's comprehensive account, you realize just how crucial CGI was to the Wolfgang Petersen epic, as we continue our focus on films this month.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Lions Gate Ent. have entered into an agreement to develop, produce and distribute original animated DVD features based on characters from the Marvel catalog. Under the terms of the arrangement, Marvel and Lions Gate plan to start production immediately on eight original animated projects in either 2D or 3D, with the first title expected to be released by Lions Gate in late 2005.
Every Newcastle Brown Ale bottle cap has a catchy quotation printed on the inside usually with a hint of irony or wordplay. Three :15 commercials were conceived by agency partner VitroRobertson, San Diego and entrusted to New York vfx house rhinofx for execution.
