Spontaneous Combustion has designed, directed, produced and edited a 30-second spot for Estee Lauders new skin refinisher, Idealist. The commercial started with a wire-rail globe spinning and changing into a square, triangle and back to a sphere then finally revealing the new laser technology from Estee Lauder.
Rainbow Studios, a creator of digital entertainment, announced its acquisition of Motional Realms, the developers of the ReelMotion real-time simulator that uses physics and collision detection to animate vehicles and objects realistically. By simulating the underlying physics, ReelMotion allows animators to animate any type of two or four-wheeled vehicle, a variety of aircraft and other objects.
The Chinese Administration of Radio, Film and Television has instituted a new regulation cutting the airtime of imported cartoons. Starting on June 1, TV networks in China must air six Chinese toons for every four imported ones. Before the new rule two-thirds of the cartoons broadcast in China were from foreign soil and with their domestic production only reaching 6,000 minutes (roughly 272 twenty-two-minute episodes) a year there is little for Chinese programming to choose from.
Raymond Eugene "Gene" Portwood Jr., a one-time Disney animator and the co-creator of the ground breaking computer game, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?, has passed. On July 17, 2000, Portwood died of a heart attack in the Windsor, California convalescent center, where he was staying to recover from a stroke 18 months earlier. He was 66 years old. In 1950, Portwood skipped college and went directly to work at Disney. He eventually helped draw scenes for LADY AND THE TRAMP, SLEEPING BEAUTY and CAPTAIN HOOK.
Bankruptcy officials are investing Digital Entertainment Networks (DEN) possible fraudulent below-market sale of assets and executive salaries. As reported in the LA TIMES, court-appointed officials are investigating allegations that three weeks prior to filing for bankruptcy, DEN sold off assets to insiders far below market price.
Icebox.com has signed a deal to transform its STARSHIP REGULARS into a live-action series. The show chronicles the lives of ordinary men and women aboard a military spaceship. The animated short will nod at Icebox and Showtime on August 11, 2000. REGULARS was created by Icebox co-founder Rob LaZebnik (co-exec producer of THE SIMPSONS), who will produce the live-action show. After the first five Webtoons air on Icebox, the next installment will be broadcast on Showtimes site, www.sho.com. The first episode of the TV series will debut next June.
A Look At How And Why Packaged Gaming Companies Are Adding On-line Elements To Their Business Plans
So you want to get into this Internet game? Two of AtomStudios' animators, Kwesi Ako Kennedy and James Dalby, not only tell you how, but offer tips for success.
AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.
Ian Boothby, co-writer of Casper's Haunted Christmas, gives us some insight on the pitfalls and joys of writing for CGI.
Pulse Entertainment has signed a deal with Paris-based digital post-production company, Exmachina, which will have the French post house resell Pulse technology to developers, designers, agencies and corporate clients in Europe. Exmachina first utilized the Pulse software to create a Web character, Akinia, who helps on-line gamers solve riddles in a treasure hunt. "We are making Pulse technology one of the cornerstones as we build our Web business," said Pierre Noizat, general manager of Exmachina.
Flash is the leading tool for Internet animation, but there are a few other options for production and augmentation. Here industry leaders reveal their secrets from high tech 3D software to good, old-fashioned talent.
Jacquie Kubin looks at how and why packaged gaming companies are adding on-line elements to their business plans.
Think Web tools are restrictive creatively? Think again! Chris Lanier, creator of Wildbrain's Romanov, explains why, in the vein of comics, they are actually a source of freedom.
Our August issue, Internet And Compuer Animation, features a
number of special articles. In the Internet animation section we
feature a theoretical look at what might have happened if animation
legends such as Tex Avery had the freedom of the Internet at their
disposal. Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman sends that one our way.
Plus, we have professionals currently working in the
Internet animation field give you tips on the latest equipment and
With the demise of Cardiff ancient history, the U.K.'s animation crowd is springing back to life with a number of lively new events. Andrew Osmond takes a closer look at this year's activity.
Chelsea, Massassuchetts-based Indimi, Inc., an Internet company that
operates several top-rated consumer sites, is looking for 2D PIXEL
ART ANIMATORS who have some emphasis on character animation and
experience working with Web-based constraints...
Since their first 3D CGI television show, the groundbreaking Reboot, Mainframe Entertainment has been producing quality children's television. Don Perro goes for a tour and finds they are working on more than television now.
The M.P.S.C. Local 839 IATSE, the labor union for screen cartoonists
and CGI artists and technicians in southern California, has updated
their AWN page with the July 2000 edition of their newsletter, "The
Peg-Board," and with the American Animation Institute's fall semester
catalogue...
Recently Canada has been at the center of controversy and mixed reports of success, scandals and damage control. Chris Robinson offers us an updated look at the animation scene.
The 5th International Animated Film Festival/I Castelli Animati will
take place in Genzano, Italy, October 4-8, 2000. I Castelli Animati
highlights animation in all its forms from commercials to features
films. The international competition features the following prizes:
grand prize "I Castelli Animati," special jury prize, best debut
short film, best European short film, audience prize, the Fabrizio
Bellocchio prize and best non-narrative short film. The Italian
This year's SIGGRAPH keynote address was given by scientist, inventor and visionary Ray Kurzweil, who discussed "The Human-Machine Merger: Why We Will Spend Most of Our Time in Virtual Reality in the 21st Century." Sound farfetched? Then take a look at Eyetronics' ShapeSnatcher demonstration.
After having announced the entries for the Independent Film
Competition, the Ottawa 00
International Animation Festival has
released the selections for the Panorama section - Commissioned,
Canadian and Computer categories. For a complete list of competitors,
please visit the Ottawa 00 Web site. The competition will take place
September 19-24, 2000 with the awards ceremony being held on Sunday,
Renowned drawing instructor Glenn Vilppu continues with his second installment discussing techniques for sketching on location.
Working on a production that is taking place on three different continents? Need to see that footage today? Need more rendering horsepower to boot? Then you need to meet WAM!NET, a real production service solution. Stephanie Argy explains.
