'BloodRayne': Taking a Stab at ‘Vampire Vision’
Mary Ann Skweres discusses CGI vampires on BloodRayne with director Uwe Boll and vfx supervisor Doug Oddy.
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South Park Going Mobile
For the first time ever SOUTH PARK and CHAPPELLES SHOW will be available on mobile phones beginning January 2006
"These deals further represent Comedy Central's multi-platform strategy to deliver content anywhere, anytime," said Michele Ganeless, evp/gm, Comedy Central. "We are committed to giving our audience quality programming beyond the boundaries of television. With the mobile launch of SOUTH PARK and CHAPPELLE'S SHOW, two of the top-rated shows on our network, Comedy Central is leading the charge in the wireless entertainment content arena."
2006 International CES
Begins: January 5, 2006
The International CES is center stage for the interaction of digital content, technology, media and delivery. More than 100,000 industry professionals-retailers, manufacturers, content providers, government leaders, corporate buyers, financial analysts and journalists are expected to attend each year. For more information, visit www.cesweb.org.
2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)
Begins: January 5, 2006
The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the world's largest annual tradeshow for consumer technology. Manufacturers, developers and suppliers of consumer technology hardware, content, technology delivery systems and related products and services attend and exhibit at the event. Attendees come from more than 110 countries. More than 100 sessions with the industry's leading speakers help attendees discover the newest trends, strategies and profit opportunities in the consumer technology industry.
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for January 3, 2006
This week in AWN's Forums, members share some Flash tutorials. Theres a thread about drawing the body. A post looks a whats ahead in the next year for members. Others are still debating the importance of animation history knowledge. A junior members asks how critical is it to pick the right school? Members are chiming in on what they think is some really bad animation. Another member asks what is the correct method to render animation. Others continue to post their work for members to check out.
12 Scholarships in International Art Program
Transart Institute announced that 12 scholarships, amounting to $40,000, have become available to students of its low-residency Master of Fine Arts program for the academic year 2006/7. Eight scholarships of $2,500 each will go to students of merit and four scholarships of $5,000 are available to candidates from East Europe and new EU-member countries.
Application deadline for the academic year 2006/7 is April 1, 2006.
News Corp. Ups Jeremy Philips to EVP/Office of the Chairman
News Corp. has promoted Jeremy Philips to EVP/office of the chairman and will focus on acquisitions and strategy across the company and will oversee Internet investments. He will continue to report to News Corp. chairman/ceo Rupert Murdoch.
Philips, 33, will also join the company's executive management committee.
Prior to joining News Corp., Philips was vice-chairman of ecorp Ltd., and worked at Citigroup and McKinsey & Co.
Vivendi Universal Games Acquires High Moon Studios
Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) has acquired leading independent developer, High Moon Studios. Under terms of the agreement, VU Games will retain High Moons team of more than 100 development professionals, as well as rights to the studios intellectual properties. John Rowe, president/ceo of High Moon, will continue to manage the studio from its state-of-the-art facility located in Carlsbad, California.
Sony Focuses on Future of Entertainment at CES 2006
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES Booth # 14200), Sony will be focusing on four "pillars" or categories of entertainment to highlight its moves into the future of entertainment. The company will announce new products and strategies as it pertains to high definition, digital cinema, videogaming and e-entertainment, during the conference in Las Vegas, running Jan. 4-7, 2006.
MFORMA Releases Call of Duty 2 Mobile Game
MFORMA announced that it has released Activision Inc's. CALL OF DUTY 2 to mobile users everywhere. A sequel to MFORMA's CALL OF DUTY mobile game of 2004, one of the most successful mobile games of all time, CALL OF DUTY 2 is the mobile version of Activision's critically-acclaimed CALL OF DUTY 2 game.
In Interactive, Games, Interactive | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America
PGA Announces First Producer of the Year for Animation Noms
For the first time, the Producers Guild of America has issued nominations for Producer of the Year Award Animated Film. The list of five is a list of the top performing animated features of 2005. Box office champ MADAGASCAR from DreamWorks earned Mireille Soira a nod. For Disneys CHICKEN LITTLE the nominee was Randy Fullmer. Foxs ROBOTS Jerry Davis, John C. Donkin and William Joyce were all nominated. For Warner Bros. CORPSE BRIDE, the nominees are Tim Burton and Allison Abbate.
Indian Studio Boasts 12 Seconds of Animation Per Day
Bangalore, India-based Ittina Studios boasts that its employees are producing 12 seconds of animation a day, reports THE BUSINESS STANDARD. U.S.-based studios like Pixar and DreamWorks expect their animation artists to produce no more than 3-5 seconds per day.
Warner Home Video Announces Hi-Def DVD Titles
Warner Home Video announced its initial HD DVD and Blu-ray offerings at CES 2006, now underway in Las Vegas.
Rendercore Extends Virtual Renderrack Promotion
Rendercore Inc. has extended its promotional offer of unlimited use pricing model. Though Virtual Renderrack was only launched in December 2005, it was highly successful and generated a lot of requests from clients for the promotional offer to be extended. This promotion is available to those who purchase unlimited solution from Jan. 4-6, 2006.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, South America
endorphin 2.5 Review: Advancing a Middle Ground in Character Animation
Upon the sad news of Wendy Jackson Halls passing, Animation World Network collected the thoughts of the community in tribute to her career in animation.
'Brava' Castelli Animati!
Barbara Robertson flies to Genzano, Italy, for the I Castelli Animati festival and says bravo to what she found there.
This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for January 3, 2006
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
In Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Pixar: 20 Years of Animation opens at the Science Museum, London
Begins: January 4, 2006
'Pixar - 20 Years of Animation' will be opening at the Science Museum in London on April 1st 2006. The exhibition is an exclusive look at how Pixar creates their most memorable characters and stories through over 250 original artworks and memorable immersive experiences. But be quick - the exhibition is only at the Science Museum for 10 weeks before it travels to Tokyo! To celebrate the exhibition, the Science Museum will be holding a series of events where visitors can talk fact to face to animation and visual effects experts.
Digital Musings From the Editor:
VFXWORLD finished 2005 with a Q&A with ILMs Scott Farrar about their challenging contributions to THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, including the uncommon sharing of digital assets with Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks.
In Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Scannell Ankles MTV & Nick; Zarghami to Lead New MTVN Kids & Family Group
Herb Scannell has stepped down as vice chairman, MTV Networks, and president, Nickelodeon Networks to pursue other business opportunities, triggering a restructuring of the Nickelodeon Networks management structure.
HIT Ent. Expands Global Licensing Crew
HIT Ent. Ltd. (HIT) London announced a raft of new agent appointments to represent its properties across the world. "This marks a major shift in gear for HIT as we reinvigorate our licensing business in all key markets," said Peter Byrne evp of International at HIT. "It's all part of a major refocus of the company and our aggressive expansion drive into international territories."
Urbaniacs Blasts Off with Kickin’ New Games
Urbaniacs.com has launched two new Flash games ROOF RUCKUS and BALLIN.
In ROOF RUCKAS, players must control Blast-off Rocket Captain as he leaps from building to rooftop collecting special treasures, which aid him along his journey. Making things more difficult for the super duper hero is henchmen lurking on various rooftops just waiting to send him crashing to the ground below.
Talks Begin on Produce New Futurama Episodes
FUTURAMA producers are in talks with 20th Century Fox TV to bring back the animated series from SIMPSONS creator Matt Groening and SIMPSONS vet David X. Cohen, reports VARIETY. The studio declined to comment on the negotiations, but it is said that the initial order would be limited and the episodes would not necessarily air on Fox, where the final new episode aired in Aug. 2003.
Disney Animated Shorts & TV Series Coming to iTunes
The Walt Disney Co. will now offer additional programming from ESPN and ABC Sports, ABC Ent. and Touchstone Television, ABC Family, ABC News, Buena Vista Television, Disney Channel and SOAPnet, as well as content produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation on the iTunes Music Store (www.itunes.com).
Beginning later this month, Disney Channel will provide episodes of the animated series KIM POSSIBLE and THE PROUD FAMILY. In addition, the libraries of ABC Ent. and Touchstone Television will sell the popular 1970's Saturday morning SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK vignettes.
TCM Offers Chance to Win Ultimate Hayao Miyazaki DVD & Book Sweepstakes
In January 2006, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will honor one of Japan's most celebrated filmmakers, Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki. For this celebration, which coincides with the director's 65th birthday, TCM has created The Ultimate Hayao Miyazaki DVD & Book sweepstakes with partners Buena Vista Home Ent. and VIZ Media to provide anime fans with the chance to win the definitive collection of Miyazaki's work, including a variety of books, graphic novels and collection of DVDs, featuring Hayao Miyazaki's latest theatrical release, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE.
