NATPE 2002 was a breaking point for the event. Split into two different venues with a steep decline in attendance, some said it was the end...but others just shrugged and did their usual business. How bad is it? Adam Snyder reports.
Animation producer and distributor TV-Loonland has sold three preschool properties LITTLE GHOSTS (39 x 7 min), CONNIE THE COW (52 x 7 min) and HENRY'S WORLD (26 x 11 min), to public broadcaster France 5. The channel, which until recently was called La Cinquième, is recognized for being France's primary broadcaster of preschool programming and for providing its young audiences with television that promotes learning through play. LITTLE GHOSTS is a co-production between TV-Loonland and its subsidiary, UK animation studio Telemagination.
Electric Rain, Inc. has released a special edition of their Swift 3D plug-in line, which includes Swift 3D MAX and Swift 3D LW. This special edition offers an additional rendering format allowing users of Discreet 3ds max and NewTek LightWave 3D to export their scenes to a format that imports natively into USAnimation.
If you haven't already, whet your appetite for Chris Wedge's feature film ICE AGE by visiting its "cool" Website at www.iceagemovie.com. 20th Century Fox and Internet consulting and development firm Genex have partnered on the site, which gives users an introduction to and interaction with the key characters from the film. The ICE AGE site chronicles the adventures of Scrat, a sabertooth squirrel who needs the help of online players to locate acorns, his key to surviving the Ice Age.
In addition to the more than 100 new episodes of original programs that are currently in production for 2002-2003, including 26 episodes each of COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG and ED, EDD N EDDY, JUSTICE LEAGUE (26 half-hours), POWERPUFF GIRLS (20 half-hours), SAMURAI JACK (26 half-hours) and GRIM & EVIL (13 new episodes), Cartoon Network will debut two new series in 2002 and eight new series pilots. The network will also premiere HAMTARO, a popular Japanese series the network recently acquired from ShoPro USA.
The first RUGRATS spin-off series and the TV series debut of the Oscar-nominated feature film JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS will headline five new animated series scheduled to launch on Nickelodeon during the 2002-2003 season. In addition to the RUGRATS spin-off ANGELICA AND SUSIE'S SCHOOL DAZE, and the premiere of THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS, Nickelodeon will also debut the comic tales of DANNY PHANTOM, a ghost-fighting kid superhero, MY NEIGHBOR IS A TEENAGE ROBOT, about, you guessed it, a teenaged robot and MAX AND RUBY, a new series for the Nick Jr. crowd.
The 29th Annual Daytime Emmy Award nominees were announced on March 13, 2002 and Scholastic Productions CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG walked away with five nominations, topping all other animated shows. Close behind was another PBS series, ARTHUR, which tied with The WBs JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES at three nominations each. Nicks DORA THE EXPLORER nabbed two noms including one for Outstanding Children's Animated Program.
John C. Donkin, Blue Sky's associate producer, reminisces on how the studio transformed itself from a small boutique into a major feature film contender.
London-based stop-motion animation production company Loose Moose was responsible for one of the coolest ads that debuted during the Super Bowl - the BRISK iced tea spot featuring a puppet uprising. The companys latest commercial in the six year Pepsi-Lipton BRISK campaign for J. Walter Thompson, New York is a 60-second spot called "DeVito," starring a puppet Danny DeVito and featuring the actor as his own voice talent. Co-stars were the regular cast of BRISK characters including Burgess Meredith, Phil Morris (the "Jackie Chiles" character from SEINFELD) and James Brown.
THE TIME MACHINE, the latest adaptation of H.G. Wells classic sci-fi novel about the futuristic land of the Morlochs, was number one this weekend, earning $22.6M in its debut. The film, with visual effects by Digital Domain and ILM, was directed by Simon Wells (PRINCE OF EGYPT), H.G. Wells great grandson. The Vietnam war drama WHEN WE WERE SOLDIERS, with visual effects by Digital Domain, dropped to second, bringing in $14.2M for $40.5M. Disneys RETURN TO NEVER LAND is still staying well within the top ten in its fourth week earning $4.5M for a total of $41.5M to date and sixth place.
Will Ryan interviews Eric Goldberg regarding his non-influences and just who he considers animation's first, true pioneer.
Marvel's popular comic book character DAREDEVIL will soon come to life on next generation console systems. Interactive entertainment publisher Encore, Inc. has signed an exclusive, five-year, worldwide agreement with Marvel Enterprises, Inc. to publish action-adventure games based on the blind superhero. The game's release will coincide with the December 2002 premiere of the feature film DAREDEVIL starring Ben Affleck.
Microsoft Corp. will provide a one-day tutorial on March 19, 2002 called "Xbox Unplugged," at the 16th annual Game Developers Conference (GDC), March 19 - 23, in San Jose, California. This sponsored tutorial is designed for professionals in the business of creating games, but new to the Xbox. The tutorial teaches developers, artists, sound designers and producers the nuts and bolts of Xbox, and explains how to best harness the capabilities of the video game system.
Becoming an animation producer is no easy task but Gerard Raiti offers a few pointers from the folks at Duck Soup Studios, Renegade Animation and Wild Brain, Inc., on how you can get in the door and start to succeed.
First Alias|Wavefront offers their Maya graphics software for free and now, not to be outdone, Softimage has announced the availability of the SOFTIMAGE|XSI Experience. This free two-CD pack includes the full feature set of the SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.2.0 Advanced system, the complete searchable SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.2.0 Online Documentation Library and a comprehensive video-based training module. The SOFTIMAGE|XSI Experience CD gives unlimited, free access to the company's nonlinear animation system and tools and is available to order from www.softimage.com/experience.
Toon Boom Technologies Inc. has released the Toon Boom Studio Importer (TBSi) for Macromedia Flash MX. TBSi provides integration between Toon Boom Studio and Macromedia Flash MX, resulting in a streamlined workflow for adding interactivity to professional quality 2D animations. And what is this Flash MX you ask? Read on.
Eric Oldrin reviews a new way to create animation for the Web. Toon Boom Studio brings USAnimation's expertise to vector-based animation.
San Diego Asian Film Festival 2002, San Diego, California USA.
Thursday, October 03 - Sunday, October 06, 2002.
Entry Deadline: Friday, June 07, 2002.
Join us at the beautiful campus of DreamWorks Studio and celebrate the women featured in the new book "Great Women Of Film" by Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen with a panel of animation directors:Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt")
Vicky Jenson ("Shrek")
Lorna Cook ("Spirit: Stallion of The Cimmaron")
The Creativity Workshop's goal is to help individuals believe in and develop their creative process through a series of writing and drawing exercises. Whether you are a writer, a business person, a teacher or an artist we can help you discover and nurture your particular way of expression and break through the fears and blocks that inhibit creativity. This internationally renowned intensive workshop brings together people of all backgrounds, cultures, and interests to discover new and exciting tools for generating their creativity and thinking and working in new and exciting ways.
Unique in concept, renowned for execution and treasured by participants, SXSW is an essential event for understanding tomorrow's entertainment industry today.
SXSW Film Festival and Conference,
now nine years old, will present a festival schedule over nine nights largely devoted to independent productions as well as
Each week, Animation World Magazine offers new articles, special features and theme-based coverage of the art, craft and industry of animation. New this week:
- TV Review: "Welcome To Eltingville"
Jerry Beck finds his rightful place in "Welcome to Eltingville," one of Cartoon Network's latest additions to their Adult Swim block.
3Dquest is looking for an ART DIRECTOR . . . China's Amazing Animation Productions is looking for an AGENT/REPRESENTATIVE . . . Ottawa, Ontario's Amberwood Productions is looking for an OVERSEAS ANIMATION SUPERVISOR . . . Mumbai, India's Comptech Computer is looking for a CARTOON ANIMATOR . . . London, UK's Delfin Studio is looking for a SALES REPRESENTATIVE . . . Santa Monica, California's DH Institute of Media Arts (DHIMA) is looking for a LECTURER . . . Glendale, California's DreamWorks is looking for a SOFTWARE DEVELOPER (PERCS). . .
Buzzco Associates latest Flash-animated political cartoon is now featured on their Website. "Sing a Song of Six Pence" is a reaction to the on-going Enron scandal. This latest short is...
AWNs Discussion Forums give you direct access to an unparalleled group of animation industry experts. Don't be shy! Visit the Forums!
Women In Animation International's 2002 Annual Meeting: Saturday, March 09, 2002, Glendale, California USA . . . Women In Animation Writers' Seminar Group: Thursday, March 14, 2002, West Los Angeles, California USA . . . NAB 2002: The Convergence Marketplace: Saturday, April 06 - Thursday, April 11, 2002, Las Vegas, Nevada USA . . . DreamWorks and Storyopolis -- Kid's Animation Workshop: Saturday, May 18, 2002, Los Angeles, California USA . . . Warner Bros. and Storyopolis Present a Scooby Doo Celebration: Saturday, June 15, 2002, Los Angeles, California USA . . .
