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Digital Headline News

Final Fantasy To Be Released Digitally

On July 11, Columbia Pictures released FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN in digital cinema format in seven theaters. The seven cities that will display the film digitally are: AMC Empire, New York City, New York; Edwards Irvine Spectrum, Irvine, California.; AMC Media 6, Burbank, California.; Cinemark Legacy, Dallas, Texas; Famous Players Paramount, Toronto; AMC Barrington, Chicago, Illinois; and the AMC Van Ness, San Francisco, California.

Headline News

Mongadillo Studios Announces Shawks Video

Mongadillo Studios has announced the July 4th, 2001 home video release of the Web series SHAWKS. This limited edition video features re-mastered digital sound, full frame animation, sheet music for SHC anthems "Check for Gills" and "I Used To Love You," official Shawk Haters Club stickers and behind-the-scenes featurette, including interviews from cast and creators. In addition, Mongadillo has announced the 11th Webisode of SHAWKS has gone live at Shawks.net. The SHAWKS video retails for US$15.

Game Headline News

TDK Mediactive Announces Shrek Kart Title For Game Boy Advance

TDK Mediactive Inc., a global publisher of entertainment software, has announced theyve begun development on a new title for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance system based on the mega-hit DreamWorks film, SHREK. The title, scheduled for a spring 2002 release, will feature characters from the movie in a kart race. "The response to SHREK both as a feature film and video game has been tremendous," said Vincent Bitetti, chief executive officer of TDK Mediactive.

Digital Headline News

WB Online Orders 30 New Installments Of Multipath Superman

Warner Bros. Online has ordered an additional 30 Webisodes of the 3D animated THE MULTIPATH ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN from producer Brilliant Digital Entertainment. The new installments will debut this fall, lifting the total number of Webisodes in the series to 75. In addition to SUPERMAN, WB.com airs Brilliant Digital's XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, CHOOSE YOUR OWN NIGHTMARE and starting this fall, selected animated music videos from such musical artists as Ja Rule, Ludacris, Redman and Lady Luck. Brilliant Digital president Kevin Bermeister said, "Warner Bros.

Special Headline News

Primetime Emmy Noms Announced

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced the 53rd annual Primetime Emmy awards nominations. Nominated for "Animated Program Less Than One Hour" are Nickelodeon's AS TOLD BY GINGER "Hello Ginger," Fox's FUTURAMA "Amazon Women in the Mood," Fox's KING OF THE HILL "Chasing Bobby," Fox's THE SIMPSONS "Homer" and Cartoon Network's THE POWERPUFF GIRLS "Moral Decay & Meet the Beat Alls." The only nomination in the "Animated Program One Hour or More" category was Discovery's ALLOSAURUS: A WALKING WITH DINOSAURS SPECIAL.

Short Headline News

Puppet Short Film and Video Festival

* Puppet Short Film and Video Festival: Sunday, July 22, 2001, Silverlake (Los Angeles), California USA.

The Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry is holding its first Puppet Short Film and Video Festival. See some of your favorites, some oldies, some you've never heard of and have some lovely Japanese food too! Admission is free. The event will run from 7:00 pm to approximately 9:30 pm. Material is not suitable for children. If you are interested in submitting a short for next year, please contact the organizers.

Animation Headline News

Cartoombria 7th International Animation Exhibition

* Cartoombria 7th International Animation Exhibition: Wednesday, November 21 - Saturday, November 24, 2001, Perugia, Italy.

Cartoombria showcases animation from around the world, with a focus on digital and multimedia animation. The festival also holds special events highlighting international schools and training programs on computer animation, new media and Web animation.

Visual Headline News

Spontaneous Combustion Names New Sr Visual Effects Designer

Spontaneous Combustion has added senior visual effects designer Julie Watkins to its roster. Watkins comes to Spontaneous from R!OT Manhattan, where she spent the last two and a half years, as senior inferno* artist creating campaigns and spots for Volkswagen, AT&T, Cingular, NEC, ITT, Nokia, WebMD, Nine Inch Nails, HBO, MTV, Oxygen Channel, TBS, ESPN, CBS and Fox Kids, among others. Her film credits include LOST IN SPACE, LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, THE END, RAZORBLADE SMILE and HOSTILE WATER.

Mainframe Headline News

Mainframe Announces Best Year Ever

Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. has announced its best financial results ever. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, the Vancouver-based company reported earnings of CA$2.4 million or $0.14 per share compared to $0.84 million or $0.05 per share for the year ended March 31, 2000. As expected, Mainframe delivered a total of 50 television episodes (27 episodes of HEAVY GEAR and 23 of ACTION MAN) as well as its first direct-to-video, CASPER'S HAUNTED CHRISTMAS. The firm recorded revenues of $39.9 million compared to revenues of $32 million for the previous year.

Effects Headline News

Italian Visual FX Artist Stefano Trivelli Joins R!OT

Visual effects supervisor Stefano Trivelli has joined the staff of R!OT Santa Monica. To make the move, Trivelli has emigrated from his native Italy where he was co-founder, lead compositor and visual effects supervisor at Ubik Visuals Effects, Milan. Through Ubik, Trivelli designed and executed visual effects for four feature films and more than 100 commercials, including U.S. spots for Jeep, Pennzoil and Celebrity Cruises.

Music Headline News

Toon Musician Holaday Has Passed Away

William Kent "Kenny" Holaday, a musician and artist for feature and television animation for the past 20 years, died on June 22 at his Shadow Hills ranch of complications brought on by a thyroid condition. He was 49 year old. He started his animation career in 1975 as clean-up artist for Hanna-Barbera, and in 1980 moved to Disney Feature Animation in the same capacity. At Disney, he served as a clean-up artist or assistant animator on such feature films as PETE'S DRAGON, THE FOX AND THE HOUND, THE LION KING and TARZAN.

Headline News

Avid Lowers Second Quarter Expectations

Avid Technology, Inc. has announced a lower outlook for its second quarter financial results. As a result of weakened economic conditions globally, revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2001 are projected to be below previous expectations and in the range of US$108 to $111 million. Avid's European video business and the company's worldwide audio business have been most impacted by the slowing economy, with both experiencing reductions in revenue over last year. As a result of the reduced revenue, gross profit will be lower than originally expected.

Headline News

All Warner Bros. Stores To Close

A Warner Bros. spokeswoman announced that AOL Time Warner will close all of its U.S.-based Warner Bros. Studio Stores by the end of October. The move will cut another 3,800 jobs from the mega-firm and is attributed to the company's failure to find a buyer for the troubled chain store. At its peak there were 130 stores worldwide. "We're in a wind-down process," a Warner Bros. spokeswoman said. "Management decided to get out of the owned and operated retail business."

Headline News

Click 3x Creates One-Of-A-Kind Open For One Show

New Yorks Click 3x recently designed and produced a 2-minute video opening for One Show Interactive, a leading awards competition for interactive media design. The video, which kicked off the awards ceremony held recently in New York, features a journey inside the events prized Gold Pencil Award to reveal the creativity within. Conceived by Click 3x creative directors Christine Lin, Eve Lim and Michael Wiehart, the piece opens with a field of animated graphics representing software code and a gold-toned loading bar.

Headline News

Kellogg Makes Powerpuff Pop-Tarts

Cartoon Network and Kellogg have teamed up to create THE POWERPUFF GIRLS Pop-Tarts. The toaster pastries contain "Powberry" filling with lavender icing topped with green, blue, pink and yellow sprinkles. "Kellogg is glad this crime-fighting trio is on our side to help ensure kids have a wholesome, fun breakfast," said Kim Miller, director of marketing for Pop-Tarts.

Headline News

Daz Productions Completes A New Breed Of Animation

DAZ Productions, a 3D figure development studio, has announced the completion for their new animated short A NEW BREED. The 30-second action short was made to highlight the power and versatility of "stock" DAZ models when combined with the tools of Lightwave. The short uses DAZ's Michael and Victoria characters. The short is meant to highlight DAZ's many completed figures, which can save time and provide animators with a limitless number of body and facial types through the use of morph targets.

Game Headline News

Novalogic Announces Comanche 4

Computer developer and publisher NovaLogic Inc. has announced the upcoming release of the highly anticipated fourth installment of the COMANCHE series, based on the U.S. Army's next-generation armed reconnaissance helicopter -- the RAH-66 by Boeing-Sikorsky. COMANCHE 4 is scheduled to hit stores in late 2001. The game allows players to become a Comanche pilot. The helicopter's versatility in reconnaissance, ground attack and air combat roles will be emphasized in the game's all-new missions.

Headline News

Clifford The Big Red Dog Wins Humanitas Prize

Scholastic has announced that its animated series CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG has been awarded the Humanitas Prize for 2001 in the Children's Animation Category. The award was presented to Scholastic for the episode, A NEW FRIEND. We're delighted that the Humanitas jurors have chosen CLIFFORD to receive this wonderful award," said Deborah Forte, executive producer of CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, and an executive vice president of Scholastic Inc. "We have worked hard to tell stories in CLIFFORD that are about diversity and community.

Million Headline News

Independence Day Rains Cats & Dogs At Box Office

Warner Bros.' CATS & DOGS edged out Dimensions SCARY MOVIE 2 for the Independence Day weekend box office crown. The puppy and feline fracas, with primary visual effects by Tippett Studios and Rhythm & Hues, barked up US$21.67 million over Friday-Sunday and $35.72 million since Wednesday. SCARY 2, with primary visual effects by Artist's Asylum, laughed in $21 million over the weekend and $34.5 million since its debut on Wednesday. Steven Spielberg's A.I.: ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE dropped over 50% from its opening gross to take home $14.15 million in third.

Film Headline News

Lil' Pimp Lands Voice Talent

Revolution Studios has announced the stars attached to its Flash animated feature film LIL' PIMP. Bernie Mac, Jennifer Tilly, William Shatner and Carmen Electra have already signed on to voice characters in the film, which is based on the Web series of the same name. Rapper/thesp Lil' Kim is in final talks join the cast as well. The film is scheduled to hit theatres in 2002.

Headline News

Aardman Halts Tortoise vs Hare, Lays Off 90

Aardman Animations has halted work on TORTOISE VS HARE. The Bristol-based studio plans to start production up again in six months after script problems are worked out. Due to the hiatus 90 out of its 172 crew were laid off, but Aardman hopes to rehire them once production begins again. "The characters have got to be fleshed out," Aardman spokesman Arthur Sheriff said.

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