Search form

All AWN Content

Headline News

Don't miss shadow play version of THE MAHABARATA!

Los Angeles' only resident Wayang Kulit shadow play ensemblepresents an episode of the Indian epic poem, THE MAHABARATA. The event isfree, and takes place Friday, August 20, 8 pm at Occidental College, ThorneHall Patio, 1600 Campus Road in Eagle Rock, California, USA. For moreinformation call (818) 768-7696.

Work Headline News

(Colossal) Pictures closes its doors

(Colossal) Pictures will ceaseoperations on August 31, 1999 after 23 years in business. According to theSan Francisco-based production and design studio, the decision was made inorder to liquidate property and honor outstanding debts. (Colossal) hasfiled for Chapter 11 protection before on May 30, 1996, and emerged frombankruptcy on December 1, 1997. It enjoyed a successful year in 1998,employing a lean work force. However, the beginning of this year saw adownturn in revenue. Financially weakened by the bankruptcy, as (Colossal)

Headline News

Film Roman reports losses

North Hollywood, California-based Film Roman has reported second quarter losses of $266,215, or 3 cents a share, whichis an improvement over the losses for the second quarter of 1998 of$718,439, or 8 cents a share. Revenue for the first half of 1999 increasedby 58% to $27.5 million from last year's first half's $17.4 million. FilmRoman produces Fox's THE SIMPSONS and Warner Bros.' upcoming new series,MISSION HILL (previously known as THE DOWNTOWNERS). In recent months, FilmRoman has been making significant strides to enter the original content

Stop-Motion Headline News

Stop-motion animator David Allen passes away

David Allen, one of a handful of truly great stop-motion animators, died of cancer on Monday, August 16. Hewas 55. Allen's work in commercials includes animating the Swiss Miss andearly Pillsbury Doughboy in the 1960s, and his feature work includesCAVEMAN (1981), Q-THE WINGED SERPENT (1982), WILLOW (1988) and FREAKED(1993). For ten years he had been working on an independent project, afeature called PRIMEVALS. (The film will be finished at Full Moon Studioswhere the film was being animated before Allen's death.) Allen began his

Headline News

Ren and Stimpy creator gives Yogi a makeover

John Kricfalusi, creatorof Nickelodeon's THE REN AND STIMPY SHOW, returns to television with twolong-awaited half-hour specials featuring Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, and theirnemesis, Ranger Smith. In BOO BOO RUNS WILD, Yogi's pal Boo Boo transformsfrom a law-abiding cave dweller to Jellystone Park's greatest menace. Yogimust save his buddy before Ranger Smith stops Boo Boo for good. A DAY INTHE LIFE OF RANGER SMITH follows Ranger Smith on his daily routine as heattempts to enforce ridiculous rules and regulations on Mother Nature.

Headline News

YELLOW SUBMARINE returns to theaters across the US

A newly restored 35mm print of YELLOW SUBMARINE featuring The Beatles willbe shown at theaters across the USA. The film will be showing at thefollowing theaters: The Egyptian in Seattle, September 1-16; BrattleTheater in Boston, September 1-9; Landmark's Nuart Theater in Los Angeles,September 3-9; The Castro Theatre in San Francisco, September 3-15; TheUptown in Minneapolis, September 3-9; The Union in New York, September10-17; The Music Box in Chicago, September 10-16; The Hillcrest in San

Kids Headline News

Don't miss the 1999 Golden Marble Awards

The 1999 Golden Marble Awards show and conference program is a multi-tracklarge-scale event aimed at professionals who are marketing, promoting andadvertising to kids. The conference content will be streamed along threethematic 'tracks': Focus on the Teen Market; Advertising & Promoting toKids; and Licensing, Merchandising and Retailing to Kids. The event takesplace Wednesday, September 8-Thursday, September 9 in New York, New York,USA. For more information contact: Brunico Communications Inc., 366

Animation Headline News

Don't miss these Women In Animation events!

Women In Animation Writers Roundtable. Have voice-over artists read yourscript and give you feedback. You must call and schedule your script tohave it read. The event takes place at the Klasky Csupo studio at 1258 N.Highland Ave. in Hollywood, California, USA on Thursday, August 26, 7-9 pm.For more information contact Sybil Baker by E-mail: scrybble@juno.com, orTel. (626) 798-1523.

The Women In Animation Production Group meets the 1st Monday of each month

Universal Headline News

UNIVERSAL appoints WILLIAM A. SUTMAN

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS has appointed WILLIAM A. SUTMAN as senior vice presidentand chief financial officer. Sutman will be responsible for overseeing allworldwide financial activities for the Universal Studios Group. Sutman mostrecently served as chief financial officer for Universal Pictures. Sutmanjoined Universal in January 1997 from Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, where heserved for three years as vice president of auditing.

Wild Headline News

Wild Brain short becomes TV series

San Francisco-based Wild Brain, Inc. has joined with Munich-based EM.TV &Merchandising to co-produce POOCHINI'S YARD, a 26-episode series based onWild Brain's short, A DOG CARTOON. Wild Brain will manage all creativeaspects of the series which begins production this summer. Distributionrights are planned to be split between domestic for Wild Brain, andinternational for EM.TV. Wild Brain's credits include FERNGULLY 2: THEMAGICAL RESCUE, and current productions THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY &

Headline News

Tony Caio designs Food Network program ID

Tony Caio of New York City-based DMA has designed a new program ID andtitle sequence for The Food Network's "Hot Off the Grill with Bobby Flay."In the ID, a Bobby Flay caricature appears in black tie, and juggles acocktail shaker, slab of steak, shrimp, and a pickle. Stylized stars dancein the background. Dancing pieces of food spin across the screen and circleonto plates, as the show's logo comes back into view, pulsating in apainterly fashion.

Headline News

TOPIX/MAD DOG animates Russell Stover's Pecan Delights

Toronto-based TOPIX/MAD DOG has completed the computer animated :15"Explosion" promoting Russell Stover's Pecan Delights. In the spot, whichwas created with Softimage and Flame, little chocolate men explode thecandies to find the pecan treats inside. Livio Passera and Mark Ainsliedirected the animation. Toronto-based Generator Productions shot thelive-action footage.

Million Headline News

THE IRON GIANT remains in top ten at US boxoffice

It was another rough weekend for Warner Bros.' THE IRON GIANT at the USboxoffice. Directed by Brad Bird, the film finished tenth, grossing anestimated $3.8 million for a total of $12.6 million. Other animationrelated films in the top ten: Buena Vista's supernatural thriller THE SIXTHSENSE, with visual effects by DreamQuest, finished first again, grossing anestimated $26.1 million, which is actually more than last week's $25.8million, for a total of $70 million; Warner Bros.' shark thriller, DEEP

Festival Headline News

Fire guts Ottawa Animation Festival office

A major fire has gutted the Ottawa Animation Festival office and put theoffice completely out of commission. "It looks like a war zone," says ChrisRobinson, Festival Director. "Fortunately, no one was hurt in the fire, butvirtually the entire contents of the office have been destroyed. I believethat we can salvage some things. Fortunately wehave insurance...however, a number of animation cels, our animationvideo/film library, and all sorts of priceless archival materials are

Online Headline News

CARTOON NETWORK ONLINE promotes POLA CHANGNON

CARTOON NETWORK ONLINE has promoted POLA CHANGNON to executive producer.Changnon will manage the Atlanta, Georgia-based team of producers, writers,and technical staff of CartoonNetwork.com, as well as New York-baseddevelopers Funny Garbage, and other developers. Changnon came to CartoonNetwork Online from San Francisco-based Colossal Pictures where she was aproducer. Prior to that she was a creative executive for Nickelodeon Movies.

Headline News

ILM hires ANDY HENDRICKSON promotes DAN MCNAMARA

INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC has hired ANDY HENDRICKSON as director of systemsdevelopment, and promoted DAN MCNAMARA to director of film and editorialservices. Hendrickson returns to ILM after two years, following a stint asthe Director of Computer Systems at San Francisco-based Advanced PathologySystems. In his new role, Hendrickson will be working with the architectureof existing digital infrastructure systems at ILM, as well as shaping thefuture innovations in this area. In addition, he will be primarily

Headline News

DONNA TEGGART joins ALIAS|WAVEFRONT

DONNA TEGGART has joined ALIAS|WAVEFRONT as manager of the global marketingteam. Her primary responsibilities will be to act as the companyspokesperson and to manage the industry and public perception ofAlias|Wavefront and its brands. Teggart was formerly in the publicitydepartment at Side-Effects Software.

Visual Headline News

ITS announces Monitor Awards

ITS, a Vienna, Virginia-based trade association of the post-productionindustry, has announced the winners of the 1999 International MonitorAwards. "The Awards recognize artists who have successfully mastered thesynthesis of creativity and technology. It is the highest recognition foroutstanding production and post-production," says Ruth Roland, Chairman ofthe 20th Annual International Awards. This year's animation related winnerswere:

BEST ELECTRONIC VISUAL EFFECTS FOR FILM ORIGINATED TELEVISION SERIES

Films Headline News

Nashville calls for entries

The 31st Annual Nashville Independent Film Festival 2000 takes place inNashville, Tennessee from June 7-11, 2000. The competition will include newtwo categories, Television Pilot/Episodic Television and Family andChildren's Films, in addition to the already existing features, animation,documentary, short films, and young filmmakers categories. The earlydeadline is December 17, 1999, and the final deadline is February 1, 2000.For more information call (615) 742-2500; or visitwww.nashvillefilmfestival.org.

Disney Headline News

REMEMBERING WALT authors do Disneyland signing

Amy Boothe Green and her husband, Walt Disney Pictures publicist and vicepresident of studio communications, Howard Green, will appear in person tosign copies of their book, REMEMBERING WALT: FAVORITE MEMORIES OF WALTDISNEY, on Saturday, August 21 at The Disney Gallery in New Orleans Squareat Disneyland in Anaheim, California from 1:30-3 pm. For the book, theauthors interviewed more than 100 individuals about their experiences withWalt Disney, including Dick Van Dyke, Julie Andrews, animators Frank Thomas

Headline News

Wallace & Gromit and Bugs Bunny return!

Warner Bros. Home Video is re-releasing the feature length THE LOONEY,LOONEY, LOONEY BUGS BUNNY MOVIE, a collection of Looney Tunes by FrizFreleng. It includes the following Bugs Bunny shorts: KNIGHTY KNIGHT BUGS,SAHARA HARE, ROMAN LEGION HARE, HIGH DIVING HARE, HARE TRIMMED, SHOW BIZBUGS, WILD AND WOOLY HARE, and THE UNMENTIONABLES, as well as CATTYCORNERED (Tweety & Sylvester), GOLDEN YEGGS (Daffy Duck), and THE THREELITTLE BOPS. (Note: Some films may not be complete.) Also from Warner Bros.

Headline News

DAVID MCFARLAND joins FOX FAMILY CHANNELS

DAVID MCFARLAND has been named to the newly created position of vicepresident of Affiliate Sales for FOX FAMILY CHANNELS. McFarland willoversee all aspects of affiliate advertising sales and play an integralrole in developing strategic direction for Fox Family Channels'distribution efforts. McFarland joins Fox from Comedy Central where heserved as director of Affiliate Advertising Sales. Previously he served asregional sales manager for Cox Communications where he was responsible forselling cable advertising.

Headline News

BOXX introduces the first NT-based compositing/editing system for HD

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, August 12, 1999 at 12:00am

BOXX, manufacturer of high-performance, high-bandwidth Windows NT-based systems for 3D, animation, film, and HD broadcast markets, has introduced the first NT-basedcompositing/editing system for HD as well as RenderBOXX, a completely scaleable NT rendering solution. The BOXX suite of solutions, which are designed to increase productivity and performance, include workstations and complete systems for 3D,rendering, film, and HDTV.

Production Headline News

Kaydara launches FiLMBOX version 2.0

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, August 12, 1999 at 12:00am

Kaydara Inc. has announced the launch of FiLMBOX version 2.0, its real-time production system. Incorporating an advanced suite of interactive character animation, motion capture and audio/video tools FiLMBOX v2.0 hosts a variety of new on-line production tools, such as camera tracking, real-time video input/output, and improved character mapping. FiLMBOX v2.0 provides live integration of 3D elements for game, film and TV production into a unified digital environment,

Pages