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Amid Amidi's Recent Posts

Comedy Headline News

Larry Divney named to top post at Comedy Central

By Amid Amidi | Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 12:00am

Comedy Central has promoted advertising executive Larry Divney to president and chief executive. Hereplaces Doug Herzog, who left the channel last month to become chief ofFox Broadcasting. Divney has directed Comedy Central's advertising salessince the network's inception in 1991, and has worked at CNN, MTV and theA&E Network. With Herzog's initiative, the network has found tremendoussuccess with original animated programming like SOUTH PARK, BOB ANDMARGARET and DR. KATZ: PROFESSIONAL THERAPIST.

Disney Headline News

Disney Interactive names new VP of Product Development

By Amid Amidi | Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 12:00am

Disney Interactive has appointed Frank Evers to vice president of product development andproduction. Evers assumes overall responsibilities for the development ofall Disney Interactive products. In this role, he will oversee staffing,long range product planning and the development of policies, processes andquality assurance procedures for product content. He will report to JanSmith, Senior VP and general manager of Disney Interactive worldwide. Priorto joining Disney, Evers was VP of production at Activision, spearheading

Headline News

Scott Pressler joins LoConte Goldman

By Amid Amidi | Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 12:00am

Boston-based LOCONTE GOLDMAN DESIGN hasnamed five-time Emmy Award-winner Scott Pressler to Senior Design Director.Pressler has worked as an independent designer for the last 10 years with anumber of high-profile clients. Pressler was a broadcast designer for NBCSports from 1989-1996. While at NBC, he was the creative director andsenior designer of the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, and designer andcreative director for the 1992 summer Olympic games, Wimbledon '92-'94, NFL

Headline News

Tricky Pictures adds new director

By Amid Amidi | Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 12:00am

Chicago-based TRICKY PICTURES has added Frank Anderson to its roster of directors and will be repped exclusively by the company.Anderson, a 17-year veteran of the commercial production business, hasworked on animation campaigns for McDonalds, Unicef World Fund and Procter& Gamble. Anderson's diverse styles range from "photo-mation," a techniqueemploying cutout photographs animated like stop motion puppets, to pixilation (animating humans frame by frame). "Frank shares our philosophyof integrating a variety of production techniques, manipulating textures

Mattel Headline News

New toy partnership for Mattel and Nickelodeon

By Amid Amidi | Sunday, February 28, 1999 at 12:00am

Mattel and Nickelodeon have partnered to create toys for the Nicktoon series, CATDOG. The two-headed toys hit storesin March '99. The line includes Pull and Pose CatDog ($19.99), a plushstretchable and posable toy; Toon Team Packs ($14.99), six-inch mini-plushdolls with accessories; CatDog Ride-On Bicycle ($10.99), a bicycle for thewacky duo; and Stretchy CatDog ($7.99).

Show Headline News

BOB, THE DEVIL AND GOD are headed for NBC

By Amid Amidi | Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 12:00am

The Carsey-Werner Co., a dominant live-action TV production company having produced shows like COSBY and ROSEANNE, is developing their first animated show. The primetime cartoon, BOB, THE DEVIL AND GOD, is in the early development stages, and will reportedly be picked up by NBC. The show is created by Matthew Carlson (an executive story editor on WONDER YEARS, and creator of the U.S. version of MEN BEHAVING BADLY and TOWNIES). A Carsey-Werner spokesman said that the voice cast will be comprised of James Garner (God), Robert Downey Jr.

Awards Headline News

TV Academy presents student awards

By Amid Amidi | Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 12:00am

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has announced the winners of the 1998 College Television Awards Competition, recognizing excellence in college student film/video productions. Animation awards, sponsored by the Walter Lantz Foundation, were given out in both traditional and non-traditional categories. There will be a black tie Awards Gala on Sunday, March 7, at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, followed by a public screening of the winning entries on Monday, March 8 (see Events below for additional information). The winners are:

Headline News

Teletoon teams up with Chester Cheetah for a special promotion

By Amid Amidi | Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 12:00am

A recent deal between Canadas Teletoon and Hostess Frito-Lay will result in Chester Cheetah hosting CINETOON, an animated feature-length movie which airs on Teletoon the first Saturday of every month, starting March 6. The promotion will celebrate the March launch of the new Chee.tos Shockwaves snack food, and a CINETOON Trivia Challenge will enable viewers to win Sony Playstations and other prizes.

World Headline News

VOLTRON arrives on Canadas all-animation channel, Teletoon

By Amid Amidi | Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 12:00am

World Events Productions has licensed the 3D animated series, VOLTRON: THE THIRD DIMENSION to Teletoon, Canadas all-animation network. The show will make its Teletoon Canadian premiere on Wednesday, March 3. Voltron, based on the popular 80s cartoon, is produced for World Events by Mike Young Productions (THE SECRET GARDEN) and Netter Digital Entertainment (BABYLON 5).

Headline News

MULAN is finally released in China

By Amid Amidi | Wednesday, February 24, 1999 at 12:00am

Disney's Chinese-themed MULAN finally opened in China today on 13 screens in Shanghai. Chinese officials had originally declined to import MULAN when it was released last year because of their dissatisfaction with Disneys release of KUNDUN, a live-action film about Chinese rule in Tibet, two years ago. The timing for MULANs debut was less than favorable, falling on the last day of school childrens winter vacation period. MULAN is scheduled to screen in other parts of China including Beijing, although dates havent been announced yet.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network premieres original Web cartoons

By Amid Amidi | Tuesday, February 23, 1999 at 12:00am

Cartoon Network.com debuted two original interactive on-line cartoon series on February 22. As each cartoon unfolds, users can make choices about which direction the story will take. PINK DONKEY AND FLY, created by pop culture icon Gary Panter, is the unlikely love story between a pink donkey and a fly as they try to keep clear of The Ol' Coot and his troublesome wife, Maw. B. Happy, from renowned underground satirist Mark Newgarden, follows the bluebird of happiness, B. Happy, who wants to rid the world of misery.

Headline News

Author is looking for storyboards to include in upcoming book

By Amid Amidi | Tuesday, February 23, 1999 at 12:00am

Mark Simon is currently writing the 2nd edition of STORYBOARDS: MOTION IN ART, to be published by Focal Press. The author is currently looking for all examples of presentational and production boards from films, TV, commercials, videos, animations and multimedia projects to include in the textbook. In addition, conceptual art, comps and animatics may also be considered for use in the book. Additional information and release forms can be obtained from Mark Simon by e-mailing him at mark@storyboards-east.com or calling (407) 370-2673.

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