Sirius Thinking, Ltd. has hired Sharon Lerner as senior vice-president ofcreative development and animation producer for the new series BETWEEN THELINES, a series for children that is scheduled to premiere on PBS in April2000. Lerner was one of the first ten people hired by Children's TelevisionWorkshop to create SESAME STREET, and was, until recently, thevice-president and publisher of the Random House Children's Media Division.
The soundtrack for Willis O'Brien's stop-motion masterpiece, KING KONG, isbeing released by Turner Classic Movies Music/Rhino Movie Music. Composedby Max Steiner, the collection includes music cues from the 1933 RKO film'smost memorable moments, featuring a nearly 25-minute suite consisting ofpreviously unreleased material. The liner notes includes an introduction byDanny Elfman (of the band, Oingo Boingo, and composer of many soundtracks,including EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BATMAN, and SLEEPY HOLLOW), and notes by
Warner Bros. Consumer Products has awarded Trendmasters, Inc., a toydesigner and manufacturer, the master toy license for Cartoon Network'sanimated series including THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, DEXTER'S LABORATORY and COW& CHICKEN. In addition, Trendmasters has also secured the master toy rightsfor Cartoon Network's classic characters including Yogi Bear andSnagglepuss. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Trendmasters,Inc. has the rights to produce toy related merchandise including toy
Infogrames and DreamWorks will release ANTZ for Game Boy Color this fall inthe US. Based on the animated film, the game will star the famous ant Z, aninsecure little bug who has high hopes of finding Insectopia, a mysticalworld where food is plentiful and all insects live in peace. ANTZ allowskids to jump into the action. Ant-oriented hazards presented to theminiature heroes include acidic termites, out-of-control water droplets,gum-soled shoes and, the sun-filled, magnifying glass. Infogrames is a
Beginning July 2, star characters from Nickelodeon's popular BLUE'S CLUESand RUGRATS shows, "character breakfasts" featuring Woody Woodpecker,Spiderman, and other world-famous cartoon stars are part of the fun plannedfor kids this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood. "Blue's Clues Live"follows the format of the children's television show. Guided by cluessupplied by "Blue," kids solve puzzles, play games, and sing songs alongwith Blue. "Woody Woodpecker's Clubhouse" features a themed playground
Disney's TARZAN, based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs character, finishedfourth, grossing an estimated $11.3 million at the US weekend boxoffice tobring its total to $129.5 million. This puts it on the list of 100top-grossing films of all-time in North America. It has already surpassedDisney's previous animated feature, MULAN, which grossed $120.5 million.Warner Bros.' WILD WILD WEST, with digital effects by ILM, finished second,grossing an estimated $16.7 million for a total of $76.4 million; STAR WARS
Given the fact that TARZAN OF THE APES, Edgar Rice Burroughs' first Tarzannovel, has already spawned innumerable sequels in both print and movieform, it should be no surprise that Disney already has plans for a sequelto its very successful TARZAN. Decisions regarding whether the sequel willbe theatrical or direct-to-video, as well as who will direct it, have yetto be announced.
Workout your character voices July 10, and every second Saturday of themonth, at Aliso Creek Productions in Burbank, California, USA. Directed byMJ Lall, voice over actor, coach, and producer, you'll read scripts byWomen In Animation writers, and do voice-to-picture workouts for WIAartists. Voice over artists, writers, and artists are encouraged to attendand participate with samples of their work. Call Aliso Creek to register at(818) 954-9931.
MTV Films and Paramount Pictures has signed creator Eric Fogel to write,direct, and produce a CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH feature. The feature will bebased on the TV series which premiered on MTV in 1998, and features clayanimated caricatures of celebrities who fight each other in wrestlingmatches. Bouts have pitted Marilyn Manson against Charles Manson, HillaryClinton against Monica Lewinsky, and Richard Simmons against DavidLetterman. Before CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH, Fogel directed a short film, THEMUTILATOR, and another MTV series, THE HEAD.
Full Sail, an animation school in Florida, has hired Rita Street as ChiefEditor of Full Sail's Platinum Creative Department. She will be in chargeof advertising copywriting, editing Full Sail's magazine, GET IN!, abi-annual which is about Full Sail and getting a job in the animationindustry in general, plus writing copy for Full Sail's web-site which willre-launch with a new look in September. Street was formerly Editor in Chiefof FILM AND VIDEO in Los Angeles.
India-based Graphiti Multimedia has completed a :20 spot for Wimpy's FastFood (New Delhi, India). The spot features a jolly and plump animated manwho entices viewers by wielding his fork around live footage of a Wimpy'scheeseburger and fries. Graphiti used Cambridge Animation Systems' Animosoftware. Puneet directed for production company Chaitra Leo Burnette(Delhi).
Long-withheld due to a legal snag, this fall MGM Home Entertainment will bereissuing YELLOW SUBMARINE. This release will restore YELLOW SUBMARINE toits original English release length, which is said to be three and a halfminutes longer than the US release, restoring the "Hey Bulldog" sequencethat was cut for reasons of length for the original Amercian theatricalrelease. MGM/UA's new transfer is said to be bright and colorful, without atrace of the film dirt and scratches that mar the earlier video release.
The five members of rock band Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, vocals; Joe Perry,guitars; Brad Whitford, guitars; Tom Hamilton, bass; and Joey Kramer,drums, have teamed with Walt Disney Imagineering to create a high-speedthrill ride for Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, called Rock'n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. It debuts this summer at Disney-MGMStudios. The indoor roller coaster features a high-speed launch of 0-60 mphin 2.8 seconds, three inversions, rock-concert lighting and a specially
Affiliated with the World Science Fiction Convention, the North AmericanScience Fiction Convention which takes place in Anaheim, California, August26 - 29, 1999, is held whenever the WSFC is outside of North America (as itis this year in Australia). The convention includes hundreds of authors,artists, and filmmakers as speakers; an art show; a dealers room; films;costume competition; dances; parties and more. The film competition acceptsentries in 16mm and VHS (NTSC only), to be judged by a panel of working TV
The WIA Writers' Seminar Group meets Thursday, July 8, 7:30 pm at SabanEntertainment, 10960 Wilshire Blvd. at the corner of Midvale in LosAngeles, California, USA. Brian Casentini from Saban Development will beguest speaker. He'll discuss the development process at the Fox FamilyChannel, pitching, and what you should include in a presentation bible.Admission: $5 at the door. RSVP required to Jean Wright at 818-360-8321.
An Evening with the Professionals meets every third Thursday of themonth. This is a studio field trip series which brings the audienceinto a different studio each month to talk to industry professionals abouta topic that changes monthly. The topic for July 17 (7-9 pm) is, "Whatwriters should know about producers." It is hosted by Rhythm & Hues, andthe speakers include Ken Roupenian (Producer at Rhythm & Hues), KareyMaltzahn (2D/Post Exececutive Producer at Rhythm & Hues), Lynne Southerland
The ABC network, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., has ordered asix-hour miniseries based on the first two installments of James Gurney'sfantasy book series, DINOTOPIA which is about a world in which humans andhighly-evolved dinosaurs live together in harmony. With the exception ofStephen King projects THE SHINING and STORM OF THE CENTURY, DINOTOPIA marksABC's biggest miniseries time commitment since 1988's 30-hour WAR ANDREMEMBRANCE which starred Robert Mitchum. Some sources estimate the cost at
Hollywood, California-based Gnomon, a school for visual effects, hasexpanded their offerings of short-format classes. Designed both for currentworking professionals and individuals wanting to get into digital effectsand animation, these seminars and workshops are between a hour-and-a-halfand six hours long. Courses include Intro to 3D Concepts, Color Theory forMovies, Integrating 2D and 3D CGI, Maya 2.0: Dynamics, Maya 2.0: Fur,Resume Workshop, Interviewing and Negotiating Skills, and Math for
Dream Quest Images, the feature film visual effects division of The WaltDisney Company, has wrapped production on more than 300 visual effectsshots for INSPECTOR GADGET, Walt Disney Pictures' live-action version ofthe '80s Saturday morning cartoon. The film follows the escapades ofInspector Gadget, the bumbling bionic detective, played by MatthewBroderick and his nemesis, the villainous Claw, played by Rupert Everett.The film is directed by David Kellogg and produced by Jordan Kerner, Roger
Eddie Murphy has rejoined the voice cast of Fox's Will VintonStudios-produced comedy, THE PJS, after angrily walking out on the showwhen Fox decided to hold it back for midseason rather than giving it a sloton the fall schedule. Murphy, a co-creator of THE PJS who has provided thevoice of lead character Thurgood Stubbs, had already recorded eight of nextseason's 22 episodes before he walked. Producer Imagine TV used Murphysound-alike Phil Morris for two episodes, but it's undetermined whether
* ARTWORK: LIMITED EDITION AUTOGRAPHED PRINTS FROM YURI NORSTEIN's "Tales of Tales" and "Hedgehog in the Fog." Each print, made in Russia from the drawings Norstein used to develop his characters, is hand signed by Norstein. Most of the proceeds from sales will go to help finance the ongoing production of "Overcoat," Yuri Norstein's famous work in progress, which he began after completing "Tale of Tales" in 1978, and is based on a famous story by Nikolai Gogol. This is a very limited offer, with the print value at $100.00.
DreamWorks SKG, the Hollywood film studio co-founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, pulled out of a deal to build a new $250 million studio on July 1, 1999 because it could not reach a financing agreement. DreamWorks said it was unable to reach a financing deal that "makes good business sense." The closely held company also cited rising construction costs and tougher financing terms due to the rebound in the Los Angeles real estate market. Last year DreamWorks signed a deal with developer Playa Capital Co.
The Walt Disney Co. and former Disney head executive Jeffrey Katzenberg have settled a lawsuit for undisclosed terms, thus ending a months long public trial. Since it began in April, the trial has produced many headlines as Katzenberg sought to secure from Disney two percent of future income derived from all movies, TV shows and merchandise made while he was studio boss from 1984 to 1994. Katzenberg estimated his share of the bonus, which was part of his employment contract with Disney, to be anywhere between $382 million and $580 million in court filings.
Fox Family Channel has named Nancy Redford Vice President of Programming and Development. Redford will oversee day-to-day management and adminstration of live-action and animated daytime programming and development for Fox Family. She will also serve as production executive on several children's series coming up this fall, including JELLABIES and WEIRD OHS. Redford had been Associate Vice President of Programming and Development for Fox.
PDI (Pacific Data Images) has hired Jennifer Thomas as Executive Producer of PDI's Commercial Division. Most recently, Thomas completed an entirely PDI produced international live-action/CG package for Pepsi. Prior to joining PDI, she produced KFC's "The Little Colonel" campaign. She was also part of the visual effects team on WHAT DREAMS MAY COME. Thomas began her career nearly fifteen years ago in traditional cel animation with Ray Seti at New York-based Sunflower Films.
