Search form

All AWN Content

Media Events

Maximixing Media

By Guest (not verified) | Thursday, September 20, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: September 20, 2001

Media has jumped to the top of the marketing agenda as agencies and advertisers grapple with a barrage of media opportunities that seem to arise on a daily basis.

This conference will stimulate discussion, debate, and give tools and insights to help understanding how to reach the consumer, and how they really interact with media now and in the future.

Features include: Nielsen Media Research

Series Headline News

Fox Family Premieres New Daytime Animated Series

Fox Family Channel is scheduled to debut its new half-hour animated series WHAT'S WITH ANDY? on Saturday, September 22, 2001 and will premiere new episodes daily from September 22-29. The show, inspired by the book series JUST KIDDING, by Andy Griffiths, revolves around Andy Larkin, a kid who is determined to be the greatest practical joker in the world. Cinegroupe is producing 26 episodes of the show for Fox Family.

Friends Headline News

Mondo Media Brings Paul Frank's Characters To Life

Mondo Media has launched its newest Mondo Mini Show, JULIUS & FRIENDS. The show can be viewed exclusively on Sony's just-launched broadband creativity platform, Screenblast (www.screenblast.com). Based on Paul Frank's popular fashion characters and starring the voice of Jason Schwartzman (RUSHMORE) as Julius, the monkey with the wide smile, JULIUS & FRIENDS is an animated series created by artist/designer Paul Frank and content creator Obie Scott Wade of Zeros & Ones, a Los Angeles-based new media company.

Headline News

Nothing Real Shakes Up Ice Age

Blue Sky Studios is using Nothing Real's Shake as the exclusive compositing software for the new animated feature ICE AGE, currently in production. According to Andrew Beddini, compositing lead and lighting technical director on ICE AGE, Shake has been in use at the company since 1999 where it was first used to composite the animated feature, TITAN AE. Beddini explained that at Blue Sky, the overall compositing process is handled by its lighting department.

Awards Headline News

Golden Marble Awards 2-Day Event Shattered By WTC Tragedy

The luncheon awards ceremony for the 4th Annual Golden Marble awards was scheduled to take place on September 11, 2001 but was understandably cancelled due to the terrorist attacks that occurred that morning on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Although the ceremony was cancelled, the awards celebrating excellence in children's advertising were handed out. Leo Burnett was the big winner, taking home a total of seven awards, including one Golden Marble and six certificates of excellence for spots for Nike, Heinz and Nintendo.

Mipcom Headline News

Decode Brings Ollie To Mipcom

Decode Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights to OLLIE, a digitally animated 13 x 21 series targeted at kids aged 7 to 11. The show has already been sold to Teletoon in Canada and is set to premiere on that channel in fall 2002. Episodes will be available for the international market at MIPCOM 2001.

Headline News

YU-GI-OH! Is Introduced Internationally

4Kids Entertainment's YU-GI-OH!, which has already begun airing in the U.S. on Kids' WB!, will be introduced to international broadcasters at this year's MIPCOM. The Japanese anime series follows the adventures of a young boy named Yugi, who morphs into a monster-fighting hero after piecing together the "millennium puzzle" given to him by his grandfather. Additional 4Kids series that will be presented at MIPCOM 2001 include 52 new POKEMON episodes featuring all new POKEMON characters.

Digital Headline News

Universal Digital Communications Gets Spunky

Universal Digital Communications Inc. (UDC), a privately held digital marketing company, has acquired new media content creator and distributor Spunky Productions. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Spunky Productions brings UDC tremendous new media capabilities including their remarkable 2D and 3D animation. This adds a truly unique dimension to the marketing solutions we create and produce for our clients, said Jim Burkhart, President of UDC.

Season Headline News

Simpson's First Season Debuts On DVD

Twentieth Century Fox's THE SIMPSONS SEASON ONE COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD BOX SET will be available in stores on September 25, 2001, and features all thirteen episodes from the show's first season and outtakes from an un-aired version of the first 22-minute episode. Bonus features include original scripts, audio commentaries by Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, writers, producers and animation directors, the original skit from the TRACEY ULLMAN SHOW, early sketches, foreign language clips (mais oui! Homer speaks French!), magazine covers and stills, Easter Eggs and outtakes.

Cartoon Events

The 12th Cartoon Forum

By Guest (not verified) | Wednesday, September 19, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: September 19, 2001

Cartoon Forum is the annual European animation co-financing event, organized by Cartoon Media, the European animation union. The organizers have chosen 84 television projects and 5 Web projects eligible for funding consideration. In addition, the annual Cartoon d'Or prize will be given during the closing session. Five European films will be chosen as candidates based on their award-winning performances at selected European animation festivals. The money given is to finance a new film, suitable for television.

Blogs

SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) (***)

Considered by many as a comedy classic, I found it a bit dated. Film buffs might just want to check it out because of its place in history and others might just want to watch it for Veronica Lake. This slapstick film follows a movie director who is tired of making comedies and wants to make a social message film (which were very popular in the 1930s when this film was made). Due to his privileged life, he decides to head out into the world with 10 cents in his pocket to find trouble. However, the studio determines he's too valuable and sends a busload of people out after him to make sure that he doesn't get himself killed. His adventures often lead back to Hollywood and at the moment when he decides to give up is when he really learns about hardship. It is considered the film that justifies the existence of slapstick in general; making the point that laughter is all that some people have. If you like films with witty banter and people falling down a lot then this is a film for you.

Blogs

MEMENTO (2000) (***1/2)

This is a film for fans of unpredictable films like THE USUAL SUSPECTS and SIXTH SENSE. The most interesting thing about the film is that it runs backwards. You see the end of the film first and then it jumps back fifteen minutes runs forward then jumps back in time before the moment you just watched. This isn't just an exercise in style, but also fits the plot brilliantly.

The film follows Leonard (Guy Pearce, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), who has lost the ability to make new memories. He can't remember what happened 15 minutes prior. However, every memory before his wife was killed and he was hit in the head is still there. He races around trying to find the man who killed his wife. If he doesn't write things down (or tattoo them to his body), he will forget them soon after, even friends Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss, THE MATRIX) and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, BOUND). But when you can't remember who these people are, can you really trust them?

Blogs

JAY AND SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK (2001) (***)

This is a film for fans of director Kevin Smith. Taking the lowbrow MALLRATS approach, Smith crafts one big in-joke for film geeks. He spoofs his own movies as well as Hollywood in general. It's part road movie, part stoner flick, part action movie, and all comedy. How much you laugh really depends on you.

The film follows the adventures of Smith's dimwitted team of Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Mewes and Smith, respectively. Jason Lee's Banky Edwards from Smith's CHASING AMY shows up to tell the hetero life partners that the comic book he created based on them is being turned into a movie. So the twosome race across the country in an attempt to stop Miramax from making the film based on their comic book alter egos, Bluntman and Chronic. Their trip is a meandering one where they partner with four hot female animal rights activists into a monkey-kidnapping attempt. Justice (Shannon Elizabeth, AMERICAN PIE) has a soft spot for the duo, but her partners Sissy (Eliza Dushku, BRING IT ON), Chrissy (Ali Larter, LEGALLY BLONDE), and Missy (Jennifer Schwalbach aka Mrs. Kevin Smith) just want to play Jay and Bob for bigger idiots than they are.

Sega Headline News

Sega Announces New Marketing Divisions, New Group Marketing Director

As part of the company's transition from video game hardware manufacturer to platform-agnostic third party publisher, Sega of America is expanding its marketing organization into two focused divisions -- sports and entertainment properties. Sega will also begin hiring personnel immediately into the expanded marketing organization. To this end, Sega announced the addition of Mike Fischer to the Sega marketing team as group director of product marketing for the entertainment division. Fischer brings more than eleven years of experience in video game marketing to Sega.

Headline News

Westwood/EA HR Director Joins Recruiting Firm

Marilyn Rebman, former HR director for Westwood/EA, has joined Virtual Search, Inc., a game industry recruiting firm. In her new role as recruiter, Rebman will continue to utilize her more than two decades of HR experience in bringing the right person to the right position. Prior to joining Westwood, Rebman owned her own HR consulting firm, working with a variety of clients and established companies to lead their hiring initiatives. Today, however, her focus is clearly on the game industry. "This industry is in a league of its own -- cutting-edge, challenging and fun all at the same time.

Animation Headline News

Reelworks Creates Pinny For Let's Bowl. Reelworks

Animation Studio has created several animated segments for the new comedic series, LET'S BOWL, which began airing August 19, 2001 on Comedy Central. The segments were created using USAnimation and feature a bowling pin character created by Realworks named "Pinny." The program's producers approached Reelworks in the early stages of development about the show's concept: The airing and resolving of personal grievances at a bowling alley.

Time Headline News

THQ And Saban Ship Power Rangers Time Force For PC

THQ Inc. and Saban Consumer Products have announced the release of POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE for PC. Now in its 9th television season, POWER RANGERS is still one of the highest rated TV shows for boys 2-11 according to the Nielsen ratings. POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE for PC and Game Boy Color is now available at retail outlets nationwide. The Game Boy Advance and PlayStation versions will be released this fall. POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE for PC will allow players to assume the role of their favorite hero in a variety of arcade-style games including side-scrolling action and puzzles.

Software Headline News

MIT Licenses Shapesnatcher Suite

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has licensed Eyetronics' ShapeSnatcher software to experiment with what researchers call videorealistic talking humans that would be used in TV, film and games. ShapeSnatcher Suite 3.0 is an integrated software package that transforms an average slide projector and digital camera into a sophisticated 3D scanning and modeling system.

Company Headline News

Pulse Suffers Lay Offs

Pulse, the San Francisco-based 3D media solutions company, laid off an undisclosed number of staff members on Monday, September 17, 2001. While an exact number was not revealed, AWN was told that it was less than 50% of the companys total workforce. The lay-offs were predominately from the administrative sector with some engineering staff also being let go. A spokesperson for the company sees the staff cuts as a positive move for Pulse allowing them a greater ability to reach profitability. The company plans to move toward e-learning, while continuing its current licenses.

Police Headline News

Animator Billy Greene Victim Of Homicide

Award-winning stop-motion animator Billy Greene was found shot dead just outside of his apartment in the 4300 block of Adeline St. in Emeryville, California on September 10, 2001. He was 33 years old. Police say there was evidence the killer tried to remove his wallet, but had fled without it or its contents. His body was found just after midnight. No suspects were seen and no arrests have been made.

Effects Headline News

Primetime Emmy's Rescheduled

Due to the terrorist attacks suffered by the United States on September 11, 2001, the 53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards presentation has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 7, 2001. However, the Emmys for animation and visual effects have already been awarded on September 8, 2001 as previously published here. The winners for individual achievement in animation were Rodney Clouden for FUTURAMA; Curt Enderle and Brad Schiff for GARY & MIKE; and Kyle Menke for INVADER ZIM. The winners in the voiceover performance category were Hank Azaria in THE SIMPSONS and Ja' Net DuBois in THE PJS.

Visual Headline News

Discreet Announces New Products

Discreet, a division of Autodesk Inc., announced a variety of new products at the 2001 International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) held in Amsterdam September 14-18, 2001. Among the new products unveiled to the European community were frost 3, the latest version of Discreet's real-time 3D-broadcast graphics creation and delivery system and combustion 2, the latest version of its paint, animation and 3D-compositing software for Windows and Macintosh platforms. Both products are expected to begin shipping by end-of-year 2001.

Pages