Salsa sales strong
Paris, France-based Salsa Distribution has sold several animated series to the international market.
All AWN Content
Little Company making big deals
One-year-old Gloucester, U.K.-based The Little Entertainment Company (LEC Ltd.) has two new series, Magical Mystery Merlin and Charlie Marmalade. The companys first two animated shows have recently secured broadcast spots on BBC (Little Monsters) and ITV (Billy).
GLC opts for buddy system
New York-based GLC Productions is seeking partners for a computer-animated series called The Buddy System. The pilot episode, titled The Third Ticket portrays a couple of hockey fans at a game, one of whom, to the disappointment of his buddy, invited his girlfriend. Animation was produced on SGI machines with Alias|Wavefronts PowerAnimator and Maya software. The Third Ticket is also being screened as a short film at festivals such as the recent Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.
Interactive TV gets animated
Copenhagen, Denmark-based Interactive Television Entertainment is launching several new interactive game shows, including two that will incorporate animation, based on the concept used for the series Hugo the TV Troll. Tush Tush will use real-time motion-capture animation to allow viewers to interact with the program via the Internet and telephone. Yo-Yo, developed with Los Angeles-based Dream Entertainment, will offer animated carnival-type games linked to video games which viewers can play simultaneously on consoles in their homes.
Fairwater launches WWW shorts
U.K. company Fairwater Films has a new series of animated interstitials for the international market, titled World Wide Webley. The 52 one-minute shorts depict the adventures of the title character, a spider, in cyberspace, covering such topics as electronic mail and Internet etiquette.
Monster animating “Arcade”
Dublin, Ireland-based Monster Productions, an animation studio and distribution company formed in 1995 by former management and artists from the Don Bluth studios, has acquired the rights to produce a television series based on 7th Levels video game Arcade America. Monster is also currently distributing the 13-episode animated series The Storykeepers, while seeking co-production partners for several other animated projects including an animated feature film based on Jack and the Beanstalk, a series called Kwiatkowski based on detective nov
Chung Designing For Samsung
Korean company Samsung Entertainment Group is launching a new animated series for adults called "Alexander." Peter Chung, creator of "Aeon Flux," is designing the characters for the fantasy-adventure show, which is set in 4th Century B.C. Macedonia, and is based on the novel "Alexander's War Chronicles" by Hiroshi Aramata. The executive producer is Haruki Kadokawa, the producers are Masao Maruyama and Rintaro, and the supervising director is Yoshinori Kanemori. Animation is being produced at Mad House in Japan. Screenmusic Studios in Los Angeles will handle post-production.
Kids + turns one
One year ago, CANAL + Distribution launched KIDS + to handle international sales of its more than 800 hours of children's programming. Kids + has since sold programming to Italy's Disney Channel Italy and RAI, Germany's Super RTL, Ireland's RTE, Switzerland's Television Suisse-Romande and France's France 3. Kids +'s new animation being launched at MIPCOM this year includes a feature-length version of "Trouble With Sophie," as well as new episodes of "Fennec" and "Blazing Dragons."
Varga charging ahead with Don Quixote
Budapest, Hungary-based Varga Studio is working on a new, stop-motion animated special, "Don Quixote de La Mancha," based on the classic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. The 30-minute program has been in development for two years, and is now being co-produced with S4C, HBO America and BBC for Spring 1999. The stop-motion materials used--metal skeletons with rubber and clay heads--were developed by studio founder Csaba Varga, who will assume the role of director for the first time since his 1993 short, "Beasts."
Pokémon Hits The World
New York-based 4 Kids Entertainment is bringing the popular Japanese animated series "Pokémon" to the international market. The show started in U.S. syndication in September, and is signed to appear on Italy's MediaSet network, Australia's Channel 10, Mexico's Televisa, Canada's YTV and Brazil's Globo TV.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Australia, Europe, North America, South America
Nelvana greens "Redwall"
Nelvana Limited has greenlit production on 13 episodes of their new animated series, "Redwall" based on the book series by Brian Jacques. The show is about the legends of a mythical medieval abbey populated by woodland creatures. Nelvana co-CEO Michael Hirsh said, "It has all the elements of a medieval fairy tale."
BKN starting conspiracies
Bohbot Kids Network (BKN) is launching the animated series "Roswell Conspiracies--Aliens, Myths and Legends" for a Fall 1999 U.S. debut and BKN affiliate debut in 2000. It's unusual format will be comprised of 20 one-hour episodes that can also be split into 40 half-hour episodes. With a production budget of U.S. $850,000 per episode, the show is described as Bohbot's most ambitious children's series to date. The science-fiction show, based on the concept that a NATO Alliance was formed to seek out and destroy alien trespassers, is aimed at kids aged 7-13.
"Voltron" returns
World Entertainment Events is introducing a new animated series to the international market. "Voltron: The Third Dimension" debuted in September in over 180 U.S. markets. The 3D computer-animated show is based on the original "Voltron" cartoon made in the 1980s. The first 26 episodes of the new series were produced by Mike Young Productions ("Prince of Atlantis") and Netter Digital Entertainment ("Babylon 5").
Max & His Special Problem - A Review
Jerry Beck reviews a very special Nickelodeon Oh Yeah! Cartoons! short, Max & His Special Problem by Dave Wasson. Includes a Quicktime movie.
William Kentridge, aux antipodes du cartoon
Cette fresque anim, patiemment bie au fil des ans sous la forme de sept courts mrages d'animation, s'helonne de 89 aujourd'hui. Elle est l'oeuvre de William Kentridge...par Philippe Moins.
Tenth Annual Conference of the Society for Animation Studies at Chapman University (August 12-16, 1998)
Keith Bradbury describes the Tenth Annual Conference of the Society for Animation Studies, which was held at Chapman University from August 12-16, 1998.
My Hiroshima
As India enters the nuclear arms age, the Hiroshima Festival invited a group of Indian animators to the famous Japanese city. One of the delegates, Prakash Moorthy, was moved to action.
On A Desert Island With....Commercial
A survey of people related to this issue's theme of independent animation and commercials, answering, 'What ten films would you want to have with you if stranded on a desert island?
Here's A How de do Diary: July
The fifth installment of Barry Purves' production diary as he chronicles producing a series of animated shorts for Channel 4. An Animation World Magazine exclusive.
Dig This! Rebecca Moses Brings Animation Into Fashion
Animation World Magazine takes a jaunt into the innovative and remarkable: this month we look at fashion designer Rebecca Moses' animated film, The Discovery of India.
Bud-Weis-Er: Computer-Generated Frogs and Lizards Give Bud a Boost
As Karen Raugust explains, sometimes companies get lucky and their commercials become their own licensing phenomena. Anheuser-Busch has such a hit on their hands with their beloved CGI Frogs and Lizards
Selected Licensing Programs Inspired by Advertising Campaigns
From the California Raisins to Li'l Penny, sometimes companies get lucky and their commercials become their own licensing phenomena.
Animation in Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Start and an Abrupt Stop
In the shadow of Zagreb, animation in Bosnia and Herzegovina never truly developed until soon before the war...only to be abruptly halted. Rada Sesic explains.
SIIARA: An Archive for the Animated Medium
Located in the south of England, this new archive, SIIARA, strives to preserve and make available animation information, art work and final films. John Southall explains.
Balancing Commercials and Personal Work: Three Directors Speak
Jonathan Hodgson, Aleksandra Korejwo and Bill Plympton, all commercial and independent directors, relate how they feel about the contrasts between directing commercials and their own independent works.
