Search form

All AWN Content

Show Headline News

Howard Stern's Doomsday May Be Dead

UPN may be backing out of its plans to produce DOOMSDAY, a new animated series produced by talk radio host Howard Stern. The show would have chronicled the Bradley family who travel in a motor-home across a post-apocalyptic United States in search of a new home and traditional family values. UPN head Dean Valentine told the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS that the first drafts of the show were "decent, but it wasn't great and if you do this kind of show, a show about the aftermath of nuclear war, it has got to be great.

Effects Headline News

Das Werk Acquires Centropolis Effects

German post-production house Das Werk has acquired Centropolis Effects, the f/x arm of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's Centropolis Entertainment. The deal was for stock. Centropolis Effects will still be based in Los Angeles and Centropolis Entertainment will use the F/X firm for their visual effects needs. The purchase will allow Centropolis Effects to expand into commercials and music videos. President Mark Franco, head of production Aaron Dem and CFO Amir Nasrabadi will continue on in their current posts. Emmerich and Devlin will stay on Centropolis Effects' board of directors.

Headline News

NightWalker Descends Onto Video

NIGHTWALKER "Midnight Detective" descends into video stores on January 9, 2001. The series follows Shido, a midnight detective who is half-human half-vampire, who must hunt down supernatural murderers. Other volumes will arrive in stores later this year; "Prescription for Death" on April 10 and "Eternal Darkness" on June 12. The "Midnight Detective" DVD will be released on April 10, with the "Eternal Darkness" DVD arriving on June 12. The dubbed VHS version will retail for US$19.99 with the DVDs priced at $29.99.

Headline News

Demon Warrior Koji Heats Up Home Video

The erotic anime feature DEMON WARRIOR KOJI will heat up video stores on January 9, 2001. Man-demon Koji, with the aide of a morbid psychic, hunts down a monster hungry for blood. The film is from Toshio Maeda, creator of LA BLUE GIRL, UROTSUKIDOJI: LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND, DEMON BEAST INVASION and NIGHTMARE CAMPUS. The dubbed VHS tape will retail for US$29.99. A dual-language DVD will be available on March 13, 2001.

Headline News

Rhinoceros Tears Up 3M Scotch Tape Spot

Rhinoceros Visual Effects and Design has created photo-realistic scissors and performed the compositing for 3M's Scotch Tear-by-Hand Packaging Tape. In the 15-second "No More Scissors," a fleet of scissors float from their worldly bonds and head into deep space to form a ring around a distant planet, their former users now free to tear fresh tape without them. Rhinoceros project leader/animation director Arman Matin said, "The sheer number of scissors and the data involved made the 3M project a tremendous task to pull off. There were literally millions of scissors to render out.

Headline News

TOPIX/Mad Dog Opens Pool For Thrifty Spot

TOPIX/Mad Dog has completed the digital compositing and clean-up, character animation and synchronization of elements for six 15-second spots and one regional 30-second spot for Thrifty Car Rental. Set against a clean, white background, each of the spots features a different twist or gag, like a duck swimming in a convertible during a rain storm and a car being swallowed by a giant hole. T/MD inferno* artist Marco Polsinelli said, "For "Rainy Day," we proposed to line the interior of the car with a water-resistant foam core and fill it with water.

Media Headline News

Mondo Media Appoints David McCoy To VP Of Advertising Sales Post

Mondo Media has named David McCoy, former vice president of advertising sales for Comedy Central and CNN, as its new vice president of advertising sales. "We are thrilled to welcome David McCoy to the Mondo Media team," said Douglas Kay, president of Mondo Media. "His extensive background and experience in television and cable are vital building blocks to the Mondo Media business model, and we look forward to his expertise for our continued growth and success." McCoy said, "What really excites me about Mondo Media is their desire to create a high value, new model Internet syndication company.

Animation Events

Animation Dreams VI

By Guest (not verified) | Monday, January 8, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: January 8, 2001

Animation Dream VI Exhibit is a showcase of the best work from the students at the School of Visual Arts. The event will contain models, storyboards, cels, background drawings and murals. A reel of award-winning work from recent graduates will also be screened. The exhibit is being curated by animation artists Don Duga, Howard Beckerman and Irra Verbitsky.

Awards Headline News

Sci-Tech Oscar Goes To Pixar

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) announced the recipients of awards for scientific and technical achievement for the year 2000. The Scientific and Technical Academy Awards will be presented on Saturday evening, March 3, at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. An Oscar statuette will be among 17 Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievement to be presented during the ceremony.

Million Headline News

Third Week Atop The US BO For Cast Away

With little new flavor in the U.S. box office this past weekend, CAST AWAY remained on top for a third straight week, with a gross of US$22.22 million. The volleyball friendly film, with primary visual effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks, has collected $141.7 million thus far. Slipping only a slot, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE palled around in sixth, grossing $7.46 million. The llama loving buddy flick has drummed up $62.4 million to date. Keeping its grip on seventh place, VERTICAL LIMIT landed another $5.01 million.

Headline News

Kirch Might Not Bail Out EM.TV

On Friday, rumors surrounding a breakdown in talks between EM.TV & Merchandising AG and possible buyer KirchGroup drove EM.TV's stock to an all-time low. EM.TV's stock closed Friday at 5 euros (US$4.97). Apparently, the talks have broken down over price and a conflict between Nickolaus Becker, chairman of EM.TV's supervisory board, and Dieter Hahn, deputy chief executive at Kirch. As part of the proposed deal, Kirch would purchase a 16.74% stake in the troubled EM.TV. A Kirch spokesman said, "We are still checking EM.TV's books, doing the due diligence, seeing if everything is in order.

Animation Headline News

New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors, Visual Artists And More...

Worthington, Ohio's Big Fish Animation is looking for a 2D ANIMATOR and ANIMATION ASSIST/CLEAN UP to work on a TV pilot for a major network. . . Toronto, Ontario, Canada's Cuppa Coffee Animation, a mixed media animation house known for its organic, hands-on approach to animation, is looking for CREATIVE DIRECTORS. . . New York's Curious Pictures, a commercial animation and effects studio currently expanding into web design, is looking for experienced MAYA TD/MODELERS for freelance work. . .

Events

Noam Markus Mime Workshop

By Guest (not verified) | Saturday, January 6, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: January 6, 2001

Long-time mime teacher Noam Markus is holding an all day workshop for animators on physical theatre movement improvisation. Markus has been teaching, directing and performing mime and physical theatre for over 15 years. He is a graduate of The School of Physical Theatre (Jacques Lecoq method) and is a faculty member of Claude Watson School for the Arts in Toronto. Topics covered will be physical theatre, commedia dell arte, contact improv, melodrama, buffoon, mask and mime.

Pages