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Film Headline News

Where's My Shorts? Chess, Mosquitos, Italian Astronauts And Lip Service

We've started compiling information about new short films for our AWN readers, appropriately titled "Where's My Shorts?" Lest we get too jovial, each week, we'll provide a brief compilation of new short films premiering during that week, either at a festival, exhibition, screening or online. They could be gems, they could be industrial effluent, we hazard no guess. However, we can tell you that the works are supposedly "new," which gives us hope that someone, somewhere is doing something besides lying around their den, eating Cheetos and cleaning their ears with a pencil.

Studio Headline News

R!Ot Studio Expands To New York

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

Santa Monica, California's R!OT, a creative digital studio, announced that New Yorks Manhattan Transfer, a part of the Livewire Television Group, became R!OT Manhattan. The company will form a synergistic relationship with the original R!OT, also a Livewire Television Group company, sharing their pools of talent and technical resources to serve the global needs of the advertising, film and television industries. Along with changing its name, the Manhattan studio will undergo a refurbishing that will include physical upgrades and high level additions to its creative staff.

Headline News

Maurice Sendak’s Little Bear Captures Toronto Sun

The 2001 Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children, held April 20-29, 2001 in Toronto, Canada, has announced its winners. Canadas MAURICE SENDAKS LITTLE BEAR: THE LITTLE BEAR MOVIE took home the Toronto Sun Animation Award, an audience award given to the favorite animated feature or short film. Directed by Raymond Jafelice, MAURICE SENDAK'S LITTLE BEAR: THE LITTLE BEAR MOVIE follows Little Bear as he meets a new friend named Cub, who has become separated from his parents.

Animation Headline News

Global Animation Holdings Names CEO

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

David Forbes, former executive vice president of Orion Pictures Corp. and president of MGM/UA Distribution Company, has been named CEO of Global Animation Holdings, whose family of companies includes Los Angeles-based Spectrum Studios and Manila, Philippines-based ImagineAsia and VirtualMagic Asia. Forbes assumes the new post immediately.

Headline News

Paramount Launches Tomb Raider Website

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

Paramount Pictures announced the launch of its new TOMB RAIDER Website, a full-screen cinematic experience that brings movie fans directly into Lara Croft's world. The feature film opens in U.S. theatres on June 15, 2001. The site uses iPIX technology, allowing visitors to explore 360 degree panoramas of the sets and locations from the movie.

Million Headline News

Macromedia Posts Yearly Revenue and Income Gains

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

In a May 2, 2001 announcement, Macromedia reported fourth quarter and fiscal year results for its software business. For the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2001, revenues were $89.1 million as compared with revenues of $86.4 million reported in the same quarter a year ago. Pro forma net income was $8.4 million, or $0.15 diluted earnings per share during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001, compared to pro forma net income of $16.8 million, or $0.30 diluted earnings per share in the same period a year ago.

Media Headline News

Stan Lee Media CEO Accused Of Shareholder Fraud

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

In an about face to his January 2001 sworn declaration, former Stan Lee Media vice president Stephen Gordon issued a Further Declaration in a Los Angeles Superior Court action which retracted and corrected previous allegations made by Gordon against Stan Lee Media co-founder Peter Paul, as well as detailed a series of new accusations of fraud and libel against Stan Lee Media CEO Ken Williams.

Headline News

Nickelodeon Salutes Moms With Soul-Stirring Mother's Day Fare

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, May 8, 2001 at 12:00am

New holiday adventures of THE WILD THORNBERRYS and poignant favorites of RUGRATS and HEY, ARNOLD! will sweeten the Mothers Day mix on Nickelodeon. Moms the word on Nickelodeon, May 10 - 13, 2001 when a quartet of live-action and animated series will sing her praises with all-new and favorite offerings. Episode premieres will chronicle the life-saving Mother's Day exploits of filmmaker Marianne in THE WILD THORNBERRYS ("Gem of a Mom," Thursday, May 10 at 8 pm; repeats May 12 at 6:30 pm and May 13 at noon).

Headline News

Head Gear Animates for Sesame Workshop

Head Gear Animation creative partners Steve Angel and Julian Grey have begun the creation of five minutes of animation for SESAME WORKSHOP. Working with Frank Campagna and Lisa Annunziata of the New York-based international division of SESAME STREET, the Head Gear directors will create original stories that fall within the SESAME STREET curriculum goals. Angel and Grey will develop their own pieces, but they have contracted directors Drew Lightfoot, Neil Burns and Isaac King to round out the five minutes.

Headline News

Garner and Lockwood Go Commercial at PDI/DreamWorks

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 12:00am

Michael Garner and Laura Lockwood have been named producers at PDI/DreamWorks commercial division, transitioning from the companys feature animation division after their completion of work on SHREK. Immediately following his work as production supervisor for the SHREK character development department, Garner began work for the commercial division, jumping directly onto the production of a Kool-Aid spot shooting in Australia.

Kids Headline News

Charlex Creates New Nick Ids

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 12:00am

New York digital effects studio Charlex has finished work on a new 60-second ID spot for Nickelodeon, which began airing April 21, 2001. Featuring a kinetic montage of Nick shows turbocharged with special effects and set to a zany classical score mixed with house beats and sound effects, the Because We Can themed spot showcases the networks entire range of programming in a mix of live-action, animation and effects.

Headline News

Loose Moose Lunchables for Oscar Mayer

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 12:00am

London-based animation studio Loose Moose has recently completed work on a 30-second stop-motion spot for Oscar Mayer Lunchables. Titled Make Your Own Fun, the commercial combines stop-motion animation and CGI to portray a young boy, Dillon, and his dog, Bumpy, who unintentionally wreak havoc in their quest to invent things. The spot used puppets and sets made by Artem Models and Effects. Loose Moose used Maya to create the high-speed look of the hall corridor. Other effects done by Loose Moose included hundreds of thousands of CGI sprinkles that get jet-fanned onto a brownie.

Headline News

Beckmann Voted One Of Top 25 Women Of The Web

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 12:00am

Animator Patricia Beckmann was voted one of the top 25 Women of the Web by the San Francisco Women on the Web chapter (www.sfwow.org), a San Francisco-based grassroots, non-profit organization providing networking and professional development opportunities for Bay Area women in the Internet, hi-tech and new media industries. This year's Women of the Web awards recognize the achievements of women who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of technology and to the advancement of women in technology-related fields.

Headline News

Stanford University Launchs Stanford Academy For New Media

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, May 6, 2001 at 12:00am

Stanford University is offering a new program called the Stanford Academy for New Media. The academy is offering week-long sessions in 3D Modeling/Animation, Web Design and Digital Video, beginning July 2, 2001. The program is for artists, educators, and high school and older students. In addition to the current offerings, the school will be adding a Maya OSX track later this summer taught by several well-known 3D artists. For more information, visit newmedia.stanford.edu.

Star Events

Northeast Supercon

By Guest (not verified) | Saturday, May 5, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: May 5, 2001

Northeast Supercon is one of the country's foremost comic book, sci-fi/fantasy, toy and collectible conventions. The event features celebrity guests, a charity auction, sci-fi trivia contests, acting and modeling auditions, a costume contest and much more. For role game players, the conventions will offer various tournaments, including Magic the Gathering, Star Trek, Star Wars & other CCG & RPG games. Tickets will sell for General Admission: US$14 (1 day), $25 (2 days) and VIP Reserved Seating: $85 (1 day). The celebrity banquet is $95 per person.

Animation Events

Direct Animation Workshops And Screenings

By Guest (not verified) | Friday, May 4, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: May 4, 2001

WigglyWorld presents a full week of great works of direct animation (cameraless filmmaking). Guest curator, direct animator and instructor Devon Damonte has been making direct motion picture graphics on 16mm and 35mm film for fifteen years. WORKSHOPS include: Saturday, May 5 and Saturday, May 12: Hand-Made Animation Workshop, an in-depth, hands-on two-part workshop exploring practical methods for experimenting with hand-made film; and Tuesday, May 8: Navigating The Festival Circuit - How can media artists make sense of the ever-increasing numbers of film festivals?

Events

The Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design Graduation Show

By Guest (not verified) | Friday, May 4, 2001 at 11:00am
Begins: May 4, 2001

The Industry Preview screening of ECIAD's animation works will take place May 4, 2001 from 7 - 9 pm in the South Bldg. Lecture Theater (room 328), 1400 Johnston St., Granville Island, Vancouver, BC, Canada, Tel.: (604) 844-3800; or E-mail: lbishko@eciad.bc.ca. Time Base, a presentation of new works by graduating ECIAD students of the School of Media Arts, will be screened on May 9 - 10, 2001, 7 pm, at Tinseltown Cinemas, 88 W. Pender St., Vancouver, BC, Canada. Animated works will be screened on May 10.

Film Headline News

Sedelmaier Switches To Digital

After a successful 10-year run, J.J. Sedelmaier Productions -- producer of the animated favorites BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD, THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO, THE X PRESIDENTS, FUN WITH REAL AUDIO and dozens of commercials -- has tossed out its film stock for digital technology. "It's not like we haven't been using digital techniques for years now," said Sedelmaier. "We've used Virtual Magic (formerly USAnimation) for some time, but now we won't be using film in-house, not even for pencil tests.

Company Headline News

Tigar Hare Expands

By Dan Sarto | Friday, May 4, 2001 at 12:00am

Tigar Hare Studios has expanded its corporate offices into a new 5,000-square-foot, 20 workstation digital facility in Sherman Oaks, California. The company has also expanded its operations internationally through the establishment of a Flash division in Malaysia and an affiliation with Shanghai Digital Studio in Shanghai, China. The companies in Malaysia and China offer an additional 100 workstations and a real-time optical motion-capture system. Tigar Hare has arranged the alliance with China to create 3D animation at lower costs for U.S. producers.

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