Part One of a three-part series that describes the steps involved in different specialties of visual effects production, the specific skills required for each specialty as well as what the studios are looking for in a portfolio and demo reel.
Alias|Wavefront has shipped StudioTools 9.7, the company's latest upgrade to its CAID (computer-aided industrial design) family. Through a new filleting tool, StudioTools speeds the process and adds modeling power for rounding edges between adjoining surfaces in the model. By combining this function with StudioTools advanced evaluation tools, such as reflection maps, curvature maps, draft angle evaluation and cross-sections, designers can interactively manipulate the fillet and evaluate results immediately.
The second annual PlanetOut.com Short Movie Awards has awarded NUMB the First Prize in the Animation category. Directed by Dino Alberto and Dave Hughes, this eerily animated short takes you to a land of lost souls with a secret. The film can be viewed at PlanetOut.com, along with all the other winners. Taking home the audience prize for animation was PIKI AND POKO: THE ADVENTURE BEGINS! By Mark Ewert and David Cutler. This highly stylized digital animation follows two Japanese schoolgirls who have a very special bond. PIKI & POKO is syndicated around the Internet by Mondo Media.
San Franciscos Wild Brain, Inc. has promoted BZ Petroff to head of production. In her new position, Petroff will be responsible for developing strategies to strengthen all aspects of the studios various production-related departments. As Wild Brain continues to add to its CG and other technology-based capabilities, BZ will look for ways to incorporate these tools into the studios work in TV, film and interactive production. In addition to her new role as head of production, Petroff is also a dedicated producer. She recently completed work on the new Warner Bros.
French production house Teva announced that LETTERS FROM MY WINDMILL, a stop-motion, 8 x 13 television series and feature film, will be co-produced with the Disney Channel in France. The background models will be made at the Disneyland Europe studios, as part of a tourist attraction. Teva also announced the participation of Tonino Guerra in their feature film project 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Guerra is a famed Italian screenwriter who worked for Michelangelo Antonioni and Frederico Fellini, among others.
Wrigleys Winterfresh chewing gum is getting a new TV campaign that features six spots directed by six different directors showcasing several distinct animation styles. Wrigley and BBDO Chicago developed the creative strategy and led the execution of the creative campaign. San Francisco-based animation studio Wild Brain provided the animation. All spots were scheduled for full rotation as of June 25, 2001. Wrigley has become a champion of breakthrough creative, says Jim Hyman, senior vice president, creative director at BBDO Chicago.
Hollywoods yU + co has designed and produced a graphics package for ANATOMY OF A SCENE, a new original series on the Sundance Channel. The package includes the shows main title sequence. ANATOMY OF A SCENE offers a fascinating view of the filmmaking process by going behind the scenes of a current film to show how a critical scene was made. Sundance Channel intended the main title to reflect this concept. yU + cos solution was to take a finished scene and deconstruct it.
Eve Ehrich has joined ATTIK, the brand communications company, as a senior producer in the New York studio. While production managing a package of promos for ESPN2's TUESDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FIGHTS, which was designed, directed and produced by ATTIK earlier this year, Ehrich was invited to join the company. "I was enjoying the freelance life but an offer to work with a company that is as forward thinking conceptually and creatively as ATTIK was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.
Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Latin America, Inc. has launched its new, 24-hour animation network, Boomerang. "The launch of Boomerang provides characters like Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound, Quick Draw McGraw and Jonny Quest with a new place they can call home," said Barry Koch, vice president of Cartoon Network Latin America and Boomerang Latin America. "Over the last couple of years, as Cartoon Network's programming has evolved, we have had less time to showcase the classic cartoons we all love.
thequality.com, an interactive media production company that creates cross-cultural entertainment, has announced the launch of Europe's first multilingual online 3D movie. Launched on June 25, 2001, HORSES FOR COURSES went live in English, French and Spanish. The fractured fairy-tale has a mythical creature coming face-to-face with the modern world. The film was written in-house and produced using Brilliant Digital Entertainment's streaming 3d animation format, b3d.
To support the release of its new video game WORLD'S SCARIEST POLICE CHASES for PlayStation, Activision and Fox Interactive are launching a multi-million dollar promotional campaign that includes a sweepstakes with a Grand Prize giveaway package worth more than US$50,000. Fans of the game can enter to become a Grand Prize winner of a racing caliber AEM Intercept -- Honda Civic SI, valued at more than $40,000, along with a trip for two to Frank Hawley's Drag Racing School.
Terrytoons. Here was my locale that most interests the animation historians...
London's AGI-UK, a game development company, is looking for an ARTIST/GAMER for computer games. . . Los Angeles, California's Back Alley Pictures, an independent film & Web content creation company, is looking for an ANIMATOR for a mock news show combining animation and live action. This is an unpaid job. . . London, UK's Change Limited, a game company, is looking for a LEAD ANIMATOR with 3D Studio Max and Character Studio experience. . . New York's Curious Pictures is looking for CHARACTER ANIMATORS (traditional and/or Flash) and INTERNS for upcoming broadcast projects. . .
Digital Media World and LEAF 2001 will be held November 13 -15, in London, UK. Launched in 1994, Digital Media World (DMW) has established itself firmly on the calendar of Europe's creative professionals. Whether they are responsible for creating digital content, managing digital assets or delivering digital content over the Web, digital media professionals know DMW showcases the best technologies and celebrates the best creative work through its festival, the London Effects & Animation Festival (LEAF).
If you want to market your company to the best emerging animators from around the world, be sure you have a presence at the Ottawa International Student Animation Festival, October 18 to 21, 2001...
This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes: RMCAD And ASIFA-Colorado Present PJ's Director Sean Burns: Thursday, July 26, 2001, Denver, Colorado USA. Ed Hooks' Acting Class for Animators: Saturday, August 4, 2001 and Monday, August 13 - Wednesday, August 15, 2001, Stanford, California USA. They Shoot Animators, Don't They? An Animation Marathon: Friday, August 10 - Monday, August 13, 2001, London, UK. ASIFA-Hollywood Presents A Book Signing With Leslie Iwerks, Co-Author Of "The Hand Behind The Mouse:" Wednesday, August 22, 2001, Burbank, California USA.
It's time for TAIS annual picnic!
Plympton's new series of comics is extracted from the comic book "Polls Apart - How To Tell A Democrat From A Republican," by Kathy Paton & Bill Plympton...
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz...
This month's Producing Animation excerpt by Catherine Winder and Zahra Dowlatabadi features stories of advice from the pitching room!
Wow! If you haven't checked out the latest games and the newest platforms - you need to...
The legendary June Foray... Will Ryan has just enough time to ask her nine and a half succinct questions before she is off on her busy, busy schedule.
Alias|Wavefront has announced a strategic alliance with mental images, makers of the world-renowned, mental ray renderer. The two companies will work together to develop a mental ray rendering option for Maya. "Image quality is a top priority to CG industry professionals," explained Peter Mehlstaeubler, vice president of product development at Alias|Wavefront. "With this priority in mind, Alias|Wavefront has pursued an aggressive rendering development path, one which will soon be expanded to encompass a mental ray solution.
Ubi Soft Entertainment, an international developer and publisher of interactive games, surpassed its predicted sales growth of 25% for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001. Ubi Soft reported net consolidated sales of US$236 million (259.8 million euros) up 39.4% over the previous year. This growth came in spite of a 5% decline in the video games world market for the same year. Net income for Ubi Soft during the fiscal year decreased to $4.2 million (4.6 million euros). This was attributed to slow sales in the next generation market.
DIC Entertainment has announced the appointment of Brad Brooks as president. Brooks joined DIC in February 2000 to facilitate the management-led buy back of DIC from Disney. He helped raise the necessary capital from Chase Manhattan Bank and DIC's equity partner Bain Capital, as well as negotiated the terms of the deal. Brooks' responsibilities have included hiring several key management personnel, establishing internal systems and procedures, and assessing potential acquisition targets.
