Bully Bros. Post formed in Los Angeles
Bully Bros. Post, a new full-service post and visual effects facility in Santa Monica, California has been opened by Creative Director/Lead Effects Artist Kiki Chansamone and Exec Producer Jason Forest.
Category: Business
Konami Takes Control of Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Cards
Konami Digital Ent. is taking over all operational and business aspects of the YU-GI-OH! TRADING CARD GAME, effective immediately.
KDE will take over distribution and customer support for the YU-GI-OH! TRADING CARD GAME from Upper Deck Ent., KDE's former exclusive distributor of the trading card game.
Entertainment One Acquisition of DHX Grounded
From Kidscreen: It looks like Canadian conglom Entertainment One's deal to purchase fellow Canuck producer and distributor DHX Media, parent company of Decode Entertainment, Halifax Films and Studio B Productions, is off.
th1ng Launches th2ng
th1ng, the mixed media and animation house, has expanded with the opening of th2ng, a new dedicated live action production company concentrating on advertising.
th2ng (pronounced "th2ng two") will be headed by long-standing SoHo producer Hannah Cooper, and anchored by the talents of experienced live action directors including Dan Lumb and only-just signed Simon Cracknell and Stuart Fryer complimenting the roster of eight directors.
Little Airplane Launches Book Division
Little Airplane Productions has launched Little Airplane Books, a new division that will create and produce original books for preschoolers and early readers. Little Airplane Books will be headed by writer, director and producer, Tone Thyne.
Disney Takes Majority Share of Jetix Europe
A subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company has entered into agreements to acquire outstanding shares of Jetix Europe for EUR 11 per share, which will bring Disney's ownership of the pan-European kids entertainment company to approximately 96 percent.
Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Expands to Canada
Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG), one of Europe's oldest independent licensing agencies, is expanding to North America. Kelly Elwood, will head up the Toronto office and report to Katarina Dietrich, CPLG CEO.
CPLG Canada is the Canadian affiliate of the CPLG group of companies, recently acquired by Cookie Jar Ent.
ER Ups North America Chief to Group CEO
From C21Media: Troubled kids firm Entertainment Rights has promoted North America chief Deborah Dugan to CEO of the group, while long-serving commercial director Jane Smith has resigned.
Dugan's appointment comes after former Warner Music chief Nick Philips left the firm on Friday after just nine months in the role.
Brash Ent. Crash Chronicled
The quick rise and fall of Brash Ent., the videogame industry's first Hollywood-style publisher, is documented in an in-depth story on VARIETY.com.
Toei Goes Digital, Adds Postproduction & Sound Stage
Tokyo-based animation and live-action producer and distributor Toei will spend $55 million on renovating and digitalizing their studio, per VARIETY.
The studio, in Tokyo's Nerima Ward, is four-story, 51,161 square feet facility for films, TV and animation production by their group companies. A highlight of the revamp is a new digital postproduction center to process images and sound, including advanced CG and 3-D work.
EA Acquires Korean Online Game Developer J2M
Electronic Arts has purchased J2MSoft, a Korean developer of PC online games. J2M develops free-to-play online games that are monetized through micro-transactions and advertising. Online games created and wholly owned by J2M include RAYCITY, TAAN, and DEBUT, and other properties to be announced.
SpeakeasyFX Expands To Larger Quarters
Animation studio SpeakeasyFX, dedicated to creating CG character animation and vfx for the broadcast, feature film, and commercial industries, has expanded to larger quarters. The SpeakeasyFX team has moved into 2,000 square feet at 222 North Avenue West, second floor, Westfield, New Jersey.
Method, Riot Bunking Together at Ascent
Beginning January 1, 2009, two of Ascent Media Group's boutique visual effects studios, Riot and Method, will unite operations under the Method name, to offer clients unmatched services for the delivery of high-end visual effects for commercials, music videos and feature films.
In Business, Visual Effects, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia
ER Chief Exits After Nine Months
Per C21MEDIA: Nick Philips is leaving troubled U.K. kids company Entertainment Rights after just nine months as its chief executive.
The news was announced to the London stock exchange this morning and followed the news, revealed by C21 last week, that the firm is axing around 22 jobs in an effort to reduce debt and dispose of non-core assets.
Martian Labs Lands In BC
Martian Labs is opening a branch of its award-winning vfx division in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In order to expand and adapt to the increasing demands of their clients, Martian Labs is launching this new office to help support the emerging Hollywood-in-the-north industry.
In Business, Visual Effects, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, North America, South America
Takashi Murakami Opening Studio In L.A.
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami will be opening an animation studio in Los Angeles next summer, according to the LOS ANGELES TIMES.
Called Japan's Andy Warhol, and based in Tokyo, Murakami is known for his oversized anime style and already has a studio in New York. The new studio will operate under Kaikai Kiki, his production and artist-management company. Murakami works in painting and sculpture, film and mass-produced goods all under one company.
Cinar Scandal Could Lead to Criminal Charges
Prosecutors in Quebec are evaluating the possibility of carrying out criminal charges against the founder of Cinar, Ronald Weinberg, and the former senior exec VP Hasanain Panju, according to Radio Canada. This comes after the conclusion of the investigation by the Safety of the Quebec, the national police of Quebec, that lasted five years, who were looking into how $100 million disappeared from the accounts of Cinar.
Smiley Guy Studios To Restruture iThentic
iThentic shareholders, Barna-Alper Productions and iThentic LLC, have announced a strategic partnership and restructuring of the online and mobile video company, which transfers the management of its operations to Web and animation company, Smiley Guy Studios.
Sparx Animation Studio In Paris to Close
French animation and vfx house Sparx will be closing their Paris-based Sparx Animation Studios, per VARIETY. All future projects will be created at its sister animation site in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.
"We've been hit by the shockwaves of the U.S. financial crisis," said Sparx head of production, Thomas Schober. "Since our industry relies heavily on private financing, the crisis has made it extremely difficult for us to get work on long features."
Autodesk's Softimage Takeover Complete
Autodesk has completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Softimage -- a developer of 3D technology for the film, television and games markets -- for approximately $35 million. On October 23, 2008, Autodesk announced it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Softimage from Avid Technology.
A Few Words from Joseph Olin
Joseph Olin is the President of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Just like that Other Academy, on which it's modeled, the AIAS exists to recognize and reward outstanding accomplishments in video games. The Academy is 12 years old, has 15,000 members, and acknowledges the best of the gaming best every year through the Interactive Achievement Awards.
Animfx Day 1: Maori Welcome and Park Road Post
AnimfxNZ 2008 began with a song. A contingent of Maori gathered to perform a 'powhiri', or New Zealand traditional welcome. The foreign visitors and speakers lined up so the kaumatua could determine if they were friends or foes. Thankfully, there were no enemies among them, and the conference was able to proceed.
Monster Launches A New Brand -- Inspire
Monster Distributes Ltd. has recently launched a new division for its inspirational programming. The brand, which will be known as Inspire, will feature inspirational programs for children.
4Kids Reports Q3 2008 Results, Settles Fox Litigation
4Kids Ent.'s revenue in the third quarter 2008 was up about 46 percent, largely due to sales of the CHAOTIC trading cards. The global children's entertainment and merchandising licensing organization also announced a litigation settlement with Fox.
The new settlement agreement means that 4Kids' block of Saturday morning television on the network will end on December 31, 2008, rather than at the end of the 2008-2009 broadcast season in September 2009.
All About The Fuss
Former Goodby, Silverstein and Partners' Creative Director Randy Sotwell has merged with One Man Crime Wave's Jeff Linnell and Exec Producer Julia Scahill to launch a creative production company in San Francisco's Potrero Hill.
Autofuss will officially open on November 20.
