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Film ANIMATIONWorld

Fresh From the Festivals: November 1999's Film Reviews

Within the world of animation, most experimentation occurs within short format productions, whether they be high budgeted commercials, low budgeted independent shorts, or something in between. The growing number of short film festivals around the world attest to the vitality of these works, but there are few other venues for exhibition of them or even written reviews. As a result, distribution tends to be difficult and irregular. On a regular basis, Animation World ...

Animation ANIMATIONWorld

On a Desert Island with ... Bob Clampett

Robert Clampett was born in San Diego, California on May 8, 1913. From the beginning, as is evident from the list of his favorite films, he was intrigued with and influenced by Douglas Fairbanks, Lon Chaney, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, and began making film short-subjects in his garage beginning when he was about 12. In 1930, Leon Schlesinger was so impressed with one of Clampett's 16mm films, he offered him an assistant position at Harman-Ising Studio.

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Animation ANIMATIONWorld

The Career Coach: Hanging Tough When Looking for Work

"You'll never make it in this business, so you might as well get aregular job at a bank or something." If you are still reading, that'sgood because you are going to hear that a lot, whether you're new in thebusiness or a veteran. From anyone, anywhere, anytime. If you havepersistence and drive you will make it in this business...

Headline News

THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL tops US boxoffice

Newly released Warner Bros.' THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, with visual effectsby Hollywood, California-based K.N.B. EFX Group, Inc., topped the USweekend boxoffice with an estimated $15.1 million. The film is a remake ofthe 1958 William Castle horror film that starred Vincent Price. BuenaVista's THE SIXTH SENSE, with visual effects by DreamQuest, finishedeighth, grossing an estimated $3.2 million for a total of $259.8 million;and the American version of Hayao Miyazaki's PRINCESS MONONOKE, which is

November Headline News

Bill Plympton and Larry Lauria will be appearing at the Savannah Film Festival

The Savannah College of Art and Design will host animators Bill Plymptonand Larry Lauria during the week of November 8, 1999 at the Savannah FilmFestival in Savannah, Georgia. On Monday, November 8, Bill Plympton willtalk about "Life as an Independent Animator and Filmmaker" at 11:00 am inthe City Lights Theater. Plympton will discuss his work and show footagefrom past and recent works. On Friday, November 12, Larry Lauria will givea "Character Design Workshop" at 9:00 am in SCAD's Trustee Theater. Lauria,

Headline News

Disney announces Goofy, Winnie The Pooh, Belle, and Inspector Gadget videos

Buena Vista Home Video is releasing new videos featuring Goofy, Winnie thePooh, Belle, and Inspector Gadget early next year. WINNIE THE POOH, AVALENTINE FOR YOU! is due January 11, 2000 on VHS for US$14.99. In thevideo, which premiered last year as a television special, Pooh and hisfriends are afraid that Christopher Robin has been bitten by a Smitten whenhe becomes interested in a girl. They search the Hundred Acre Wood for thelove bug, hoping it will bite him again and cure his lovesickness. BELLE'S

Headline News

Disney's TARZAN is coming to home video

Disney's TARZAN premiers on video and DVD on February 1, 2000, and a TARZANCOLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD will be released on March 21, 2000. TARZAN willfeature the "Strangers Like Me" music video by Phil Collins, and the DVDwill be DVD-ROM-enabled (with internet links) and loaded with excitingextras for all the family, including a never-before-seen recording sessionby Phil Collins and guests, a Read-Along, a Trivia Game, various sneakpeeks and many other features. Spanish and French versions of the video

Headline News

Simon & Schuster releases MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY CD-ROM

Simon & Schuster Interactive has released a MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY CD-ROM.Based on the best-selling MISS SPIDER'S TEA PARTY children's books by DavidKirk, the CD-ROM recreates the spectacular, colorful imagery that hasthrilled children and critics alike. The CD-ROM allows children to assistMiss Spider in throwing a tea party through eight fun games that providevaluable learning experiences. The activities are designed to help kidsincrease color, sound, and shape identification, enhance coordination and

Headline News

MAGIC CAMERA lends their magic to James Bond

Shepperton, England-based The Magic Camera Company has produced 92 digitaleffect shots for the 19th James Bond film, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. One ofthe effects sequences done by Magic involves Bond (Pierce Brosnan) andChristmas (Denise Richards) hurtling through miles of unused oil pipelineon board a service Rpig' (a trolley-like vehicle used to safety check theinside of the pipeline) while chasing another one. Shooting the tunnel as aminiature was not a viable option, so Magic Camera was given the task of

Headline News

Academy announces scientific achievements Oscar list

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Scientific and TechnicalAwards Committee has announced nineteen scientific or technicalachievements to be considered for 1999 Academy Awards. The Sci/Techcommittee selected the achievements for their outstanding impact on themotion picture industry, and although this is just an initial list (the 19products/developments will undergo vigorous investigation by the committeebefore being short-listed for nomination), it is exciting news for many in

Headline News

Improv gives animators the power to orchestrate

Improv Technologies, Inc., a New York-based software development company,announced that their flagship product, Orchestrate3D, will be shipping inMarch 2000. A beta version of the tool, which is designed to improvework-flow by allowing artists to reuse animated content to 'orchestrate'new animations, will be available in December. The initial release is beingdeveloped for Maya, 3D Studio MAX, and SOFTIMAGE|3D only, and will besolely available for Windows NT. However an IRIX version is planned for

Headline News

Warner Bros. announces ANIMANIACS feature on video

On December 21, 1999 Warner Home Video will debut the first feature-length,fully animated Animaniacs movie, STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS ANIMANIACS:WAKKO'S WISH. WAKKO'S WISH will be the flagship offering in the first waveof the Warner Bros. Family Entertainment "Century 2000 Collection," whichwill bring audiences 11 Family Movie Favorites. WAKKO'S WISH will feature10 original songs created specifically for the movie. The film begins inthe little village of Acme Falls -- where the once-cheerful and prosperous

Online Headline News

MTV Networks Online announces Nickelodeon Online

Viacom's MTV Networks Online has announced the formation of NickelodeonOnline, a new Internet-only company that combines several already existingNickelodeon Web sites, as well as some new sites. Leading the new companyis Nickelodeon veteran Taran Swan, who has been named senior-vice presidentof the new company. Swan will report directly to Fred Seibert, president ofMTV Networks Online and Chairman of Nickelodeon Online. Prior toNickelodeon Online, Swan was the General Manager for Nickelodeon Latin

Animation Headline News

Aardman signs four picture deal with DreamWorks

DreamWorks SKG, the company behind THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, and distributor ofPDI's ANTZ, has expressed their pleasure with Bristol, England-basedAardman Animations' forthcoming CHICKEN RUN by signing the Peter Lord/DavidSproxton/Nick Park company to a four feature deal. DreamWorks isdistributing the clay animated CHICKEN RUN, set to be released June 23,2000, in the US. CHICKEN RUN, which is described as THE GREAT ESCAPE withchickens, is being co-directed by Peter Lord (ADAM, WAT'S PIG) and Nick

Animation Headline News

Disney Forms The Secret Lab

Dream Quest Images, the visual effects division of The Walt Disney Companysince 1996, will join creative forces with Disney's in-house FeatureAnimation computer graphics unit to form a new entity called The Secret Lab(TSL). The Secret Lab, which will be based at Feature Animation's Northsidefacility in Burbank, California, will provide state-of-the-art CGIcharacter animation and visual effects for a variety of the Studio'slive-action projects in addition to producing computer-animated features.

Events Headline News

Bill Plympton around the world!

Bill Plympton has updated his appearances page. In the next months, hisfilms will be appearing in various festivals and other events around theworld. Bill will be attending the events scheduled at the Columbus Collegeof Art and the Savannah Art Institute, as well as the Mystery and Noir FilmFestival and Campione Noir, both in Italy. Also, the storyboard of Bill'snext feature "Mutant Aliens!" -- expected in late 2000 -- is being releasedas a comic book! The French version is already available at the

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