Hollywood Shuffle.
Heather Kenyon has started as Editor-in-Chief
of Animation World Magazine, replacing Harvey Deneroff. Kenyon joins AWM
from a former post as manager of the production information department
at Hanna-Barbera. . . . Superstar Disney animator Glen Keane has renewed
his contract with Walt Disney Feature Animation, adding another 7 years
to the 23-years he has already been with the studio. Keane will continue
in his role as supervising animator, and is currently working at the Paris
studio, supervising animation on the lead character in Tarzan . . .
. Jeff Segal is leaving his post as a consultant on family/animated entertainment
at The Bubble Factory, to head up TV, home video, and theatrical projects
at Cloud Nine Interactive. Prior to that, Segal worked at Universal Cartoon
Studios. . . . Ann Daly has resigned from her position as president of
Buena Vista Home Video, where she has been for 14 years. It is rumored
that she will head on to DreamWorks SKG's feature animation division. .
. . Christine Panushka has announced plans to leave her faculty position
in the experimental animation department at CalArts in order to head up
the animation department at USC, starting in the Fall. . . .Jodi Nussbaum
has been promoted to vice president of production at Children's Television
Workshop, a role in which she will oversee production on shows such as
Dragon Tales," Sesame Street and Cartoon Network's Big Bag.
. . . Davis Doi has been promoted to supervising producer at Hanna Barbera.
Nick Expands Into New L.A. Home. As part of a five-year, $350 million
investment into original animation, Nickelodeon will double its animation
staff and increase space when the studio shifts its animation operations
from Studio City to a brand new 72,000 square foot facility in Burbank.
Described as a laboratory and playground for animators, the new facility
will be capable of running up to five productions simultaneously, with
175 workstations, a recording facility / Foley soundstage, an archival
animation library and an 80-seat theater. In addition, Mark Taylor, formerly
vice president of animation production for Columbia/TriStar Television,
has been named vice president and general manager of Nicktoons Animation.
As Viacom head Sumner Redstone said in a recent keynote address at the
World Animation Celebration, "the inmates will be running the asylum."
And what an asylum it will be, with a basketball court, a gym, a signature
green slime "Gak" fountain and an artist-designed miniature golf
course. Nickelodeon's new facility, expected to open in early 1998, is
being built on West Olive Street in Burbank.
Calico/Wonderworks Alliance. Chatsworth, California-based Calico
Entertainment has recently expanded its digital effects division and formed
a partnership with visual effects director Brick Price and his company,
WonderWorks. The two companies will jointly provide concept and design,
2D and 3D animation, specialty sets, miniatures and computer motion control
cinematography services. Together their work in digital effects will expand
past their current lineup which includes six motion picture assignments
and several TV projects. The group recently completed digital effects sequences
for McHale's Navy, and Turbo, A Power Ranger Movie.
Selick Options Mad Monkey Comic. Henry Selick, the director
of The Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach
has acquired the film and television rights to Dark Town, a comic
book published by Toronto-based Mad Monkey Press. Selick and his San Francisco-based
Twitching Image production company are in talks with various studios about
funding and distribution for a feature film, while Sam Hamm (who wrote
the screenplay for the original Batman movie) is writing the screenplay.
Based on the 13-issue Dark Town comic book series created by Mad
Monkey president Kaja Blackley, and depicting the story of a man trapped
between two worlds, the film is expected to be a combination of live-action
and stop-motion animation, now a signature style for director Selick. Dark
Town slipped mysteriously under my studio door and into my life as
if it was meant to be," said Selick. "I've never felt that any
project was closer to my sensibilities than this one." Comic creator
Blackley is equally thrilled at the partnership, saying that "Henry
Selick is the only person I would have entrusted Dark Town to. The
fact that he came to me is even more flattering." Fans of stop-motion
will find this news encouraging, as this is the first project announcement
from Selick since his three-picture deal with Disney was broken after James
and the Giant Peach.
DIC Invests In LST, France. Disney-owned DIC Entertainment has
put a major investment into a new Paris-based animation production company,
Les Studios Tex (LST). Appointed to head up the operation is Daniel Schwall,
who joins LST in addition to his responsibilities as CEO of Luxembourg-based
animation studio Digit 352, which he co-founded. LST's first project with
DIC will be 52 episodes of Tex Avery Theater, a co-production of
DIC, French Telcima SA and broadcaster M6. "The presence of this new
animation studio" said DIC president Andy Heyward "will enable
DIC Entertainment to. . . . position DIC programming within France, whose
European content regulations mandate that about one-third of a show's budget
be allocated in France." DIC's interest in LST is about 40%, while
the rest of the studio's capital comes from European investors.
Meacham Road Studio Formed. A
new digital studio called Meacham Road Digital Studios, L.L.C. has been
formed by teleproduction facility managers Scott Kane and Pat Saviano.
Based in Schaumburg, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago,) the studio will handle
computer graphics and 3D animation in addition to linear and non-linear
digital editing, new media work groups, satellite uplinking and sound stage
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Nelvana and Trickcompany Co-Production. German animation studio Trickcompany, and Canadian company
Nelvana recently made an agreement at MIP TV to co-produce two animated
feature films, riding on the success of their current co-production partnership
of the Pippi Longstocking animated series for television. The films
are both adaptations of existing properties. Babar is based on the
classic French books and TV series, while Barbarella is based on
none other than the 1968 live-action cult classic starring Jane Fonda.
Nelvana is the rights holder to both properties, and is seeking additional
partners for the project. Trickcompany has been making a name for itself
with animated features such as Werner-Eat My Dust!!, and Little
Asshole which grossed an impressive $31 million and $20 million, respectively,
at the German boxoffice.
NFBC Expanding Shadbolt Animation. Touched Alive, Stephen
Arthur's one-and-a-half minute animated film, made by animating the paintings
of Canadian modernist painter Jack Shadbolt, is now being recreated in
a longer form film produced by the National Film Board of Canada. The film
was and will be created using digitally-scanned 2-D images of the paintings,
animated in Autodesk Animator Pro.
Anastasia's Coming Of Age. The bulk of animation production
on Fox Feature Animation's debut effort, "Anastasia" is nearing
completion, as was witnessed at a recent Los Angeles press screening and
reception hosted by Twentieth Century Fox. The first 30 minutes of the
film were screened in a compilation of animatics, pencil tests, fully rendered
color sequences and CGI elements, synchronized to a completed soundtrack.
The film's executive producer Maureen Donnelly emphasizes the importance
of storytelling in this "contemporary fairy tale," which interprets
the story of the legendary Russian princess, Anastasia Nikolavna, with
the elements of family, attachment, separation and survival. "Anastasia"
is scheduled to be released in November 97. Meanwhile, Fox's second feature
animation project, "Planet Ice" is already in production, and
directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman will start on a third project (as
yet unnamed) as soon as "Anastasia" is completed.
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Television
MTV Renews Daria. MTV will produce
26 new episodes of Daria, the network's original animated series
spin-off from "Beavis and Butt-head." The series, which premiered
in March, will continue to air on Monday nights at 10:30 p.m., with the
aforementioned new episodes premiering in early 1998.
Perennial'sWitches in Stitches.
Perennial Producing Witches In Stitches. Indiana-based Perennial Pictures is beginning production
on a half-hour animated Halloween special titled Witches in Stitches,
which is described as a Three Stooges on brooms." The special
is being produced in association with Anchor Bay Entertainment, who will
distribute in home video and hold international television rights, while
Sunbow Entertainment will handle domestic (U.S.) television distribution.
Disney TV Offers Training Program. Walt Disney Television Animation
is seeking applicants for their new "Animation Directors Workshop,"
a new program to train animation timing directors. Up to ten animators
will be selected for the ten month salaried positions, which are scheduled
to begin in early June. Disney TV Animation senior vice president Tom Ruzicka
said "With the volume of work now available, there hasn't been a corresponding
increase in the number of qualified animation timing directors." With
this program, the studio hopes to fill in the training gap to meet their
staffing needs for their overseas productions. The intensive collection
of workshops, lectures, screenings and classes will be overseen by Dan
Smith, director of artist recruitment and training. For information about
this program call (818) 754-7261.
Cow & Chicken On A Roll. Cartoon Network has ordered an additional
13 half-hours of the Cow and Chicken animated series. The new episodes
will air on the network in July, along with new episodes of Dexter's
Laboratory, and the new series Johnny Bravo (not to be confused
with "Jonny Quest.") Cow and Chicken was developed out
of a World Premiere Toon produced by Hanna-Barbera and directed by David
Feiss, who has just created another short titled I Am Weasel.
Mondo & Carrere Making Sleeping Beauty. Italian animation
production company Mondo TV and French TV production group Carrere Group
are co-producing a new 26-episode TV series based on the classic Sleeping
Beauty fairy tale by Charles Perraut. The half hour episodes, slated
for completion inn early 1998, are budgeted at $9 million for the whole
series. The agreement was reached at MIP TV in Cannes last week.
DIC Acquires Archie Rights. DIC Entertainment has reached an agreement
with Archie Comics to acquire animation production and worldwide licensing
rights for the evergreen comic characters in the Archie Comics group. Archie,
Jughead, Veronica and Betty will make a comeback in The Archie Mysteries,
a half hour series designed for cable or network broadcast, rather
than syndication. This is not the first adaptation of Archie for animation,
The Archies was produced by Filmation in 1969. DIC president Andy
Heyward says "They are a timeless group, and that's why they are still
around after all this time." Meanwhile, no exploitation of this property
is being overlooked, as Universal is developing a live action feature film
based on the Archie property, while producers Barry and Fran Weissler are
developing a Broadway musical, and there is even talk of a singing group
revival.
Nightmare Ned Premieres On ABC. Buena Vista Television's
new animated series, Nightmare Ned premiered last week on ABC's
Saturday morning lineup. The offbeat, colorful show is produced by Donovan
Cook, creator of Two Stupid Dogs, a series on Cartoon network. Nightmare
Ned will continue to air weekly at 10 a.m. ET and 11 a.m. PT on ABC.
EM And ZDF To Make Tabaluga. German production/merchandising company,
EM Entertainment and public broadcaster ZDF are partnering to produce,
license and distribute an animated series based on the existing German
musical property of a cuddly dragon named Tabaluga. The 26 episode animated
series will be packaged inside a live action/variety show modeled after
The Mickey Mouse Club. Expectations are high for merchandising plans
related to the program.
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Commercials
Flea Circus Gets Curious. New York/San
Francisco based Curious Pictures has signed on to their roster the talents
of New Zealand-based animation director John Robertson and his studio Flea
Circus Films, Ltd, which he founded in 1993. Relocating from Auckland to
Curious' San Francisco studio, Robertson recently completed a 45 second
animated film featuring characters from Nickelodeon's Kablam! series,
and he is currently getting started on a short "art film" for
Cartoon Network's "Animate Your World" campaign. "I don't
want to be limited to one medium," said Robertson, "I like to
do collage, multi-planing, 3D. Curious has offered me an opportunity to
expand my capabilities."
Tom & Jerry Play Tennis. San Francisco-based animation studio
Wild Brain and New York-based ad agency Warwick Baker O'Neill recently
produced two commercials in association with the Tennis Industry Association
and Cartoon Network, which feature classic animated characters Tom &
Jerry playing tennis with live-action kids. Western Images used the Henry
system to composite stock cartoon footage of Tom & Jerry with new green-screen
live action footage.
Designefx' Tricky Elephant.
Designefx Gets Tricky. Atlanta-based
Designefx recently completed Tricky Elephant, a cel-animated commercial
for Leslie Advertising's client, Lance Toastchee Peanut Crackers. In the
30 second spot, an animated zoo elephant performs tricks for a group of
digitally-rotoscoped live actors, in an effort to get a taste of these
peanut crackers. The animation director was David Strandquest.
Curious Pictures' Bob spot for Cartoon
Network.
Curious Animates Cartoon Network's World. Curious Pictures directors Steve Oakes and Dennis Morella
recently completed the first three of their 12 spots for Cartoon Network's
"Animate Your World" public service campaign. Designed to encourage
creative thinking and imagination, the 30 second mixed media spots are
Be a Vacuum Head, encouraging people to open their minds and "suck
up" everything they see, hear, smell and touch, and Put Your Brain
on a Plane, depicting the virtues of daydreaming. A 60 second spot
titled Bob uses stop motion to illustrate different perspectives
on viewing the world around you. The spots featured the creative contributions
of eclectic New York-based puppet/ performance artist Janie Geyser.
Blue Sky's Combat Plus.
Blue Sky Does More Roach Clips. A year after Blue Sky Studio's award-winning animation
of roaches was featured in MTV/Paramount's feature film Joe's Apartment,
the studio has been called upon once again to animate a cast of the creepy
insects, this time for (what else?) a commercial for Combat Plus exterminating
kits. Directed in the style of classic B-movies, the two 30 second spots,
Big Problem and Big Foot feature computer animation composited
over live-action.
Manhattan Transfer's Windmill.
Manhattan Does Diapers.
New York-based production/editing facility, Manhattan Transfer recently
completed animation for a 30 second commercial for Huggies brand diapers.
Windmill, as the spot is titled, features live action composited
with animated effects, created by senior animator Kevin Edwards, animator
Keith Stichweh and particles systems animator Lidija Cukor.
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Home
Video
Manga To Release Ghost On DVD. On July 7, Manga Entertainment
will release Mamouru Oshii's hit Japanese animated feature film, Ghost
in the Shell in the new Digital Video Disc (DVD) format. Touted as
the first Japanese animated feature to be released in this format, the
disc will include a 30 minute bonus program on the making of Ghost in
the Shell, as well as picture files, character biographies and production
notes. Manga will also release a "Special Edition" digitally
remastered VHS version of the film in July.
Manga To Release 2 New Anime Titles. On May 20 and June 24, respectively,
Manga Entertainment will release on home video Street Fighter II V
(another in the popular series of video game-inspired Street Fighter
TV episodes,) and Shadow Skill, director Hiroshi Negishi's martial
arts adventure. Both are $24.95 retail.
CPM Debuts 3 New Titles. New York-based anime distributor Central
Park Media will release three animated films on video in July: Patlabor:
The Mobile Police-Volume 4, The Revenge of the Demon Beast, an erotic
thriller by Urtsukidoji series creator Toshio Maeda, and Black
Jack: Clinical Chart 2, by Japanese animation legend Osamu Tezuka,
creator of Astro Boy. The titles will be available retail for $29.95
(Patlabor and Demon Beast) and $19.95 (Black Jack.)
Disney's Jungle Crazy. Following the release of Sleeping Beauty
in September, Walt Disney Home Video has announced that they will release
The Jungle Book from October 14-December 31, as part of the Disney
Masterpieces collection. Jungle Book, Disney's 19th animated feature,
is the last animated film that Walt Disney personally supervised. The timing
of the Jungle Book release will enjoy riding the promotional wave
of Disney's upcoming George of Jungle live-action re-make, and the
recently released Jungle 2 Jungle with Tim Allen. Meanwhile, production
is getting started on Tarzan, Disney's 37th animated feature. It's
a jungle out there!
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Interactive & Internet
Fox Interactive Debuts Foxtoons Line. In a bold move to buck the industry trend of low-volume
unit sales, Fox Interactive has created FoxToons, a branded line of CD-ROM
games offered at below-standard prices ($14.98 and less). Designed for
children ages three to eight, and based on established literary properties,
the dual-platform Windows/Macintosh CD-ROMS to be released in late May
are Baby Felix Creativity Center, Hello Kitty Creativity Center, Danny
the Dinosaur, and Frog and Toad are Friends.
Theatrix Interactive Finds Sanctuary. San Mateo, California-based
Sanctuary Woods Multimedia Corporation announced that it will acquire all
outstanding shares of privately-owned education software developer Theatrix
Interactive. The terms of the agreement are yet to be announced.
Macromedia Flash Sounds On. Authoring software publisher Macromedia
has released a second version of their vector-based web animation program,
Flash 2.0 (formerly known as Future Splash Animator.) The upgrade, available
for $99., offers full audio interactivity, which enables users to create
synchronized sound tracks to their animations. Macromedia Flash was reviewed
in the March issue of Animation World Magazine, online at http://www.awn.com/magazines/animation-world-magazineissue1.12/toc1.12.html
Sierra Gives Us The Shivers. Washington-based Interactive software
publisher Sierra On-line has released Shivers II: Harvest of Souls,
a new CD-ROM for the teen and adult market. The mystery/adventure game
features elaborate 3-D graphics and animation, as well as an extension
to Sierra's Internet Gaming System (SIGS,) which enables users to interact
and chat while playing the game. Shivers is available for $49.95
for Windows 95 and 3.1.
Activision's Zork-A-Thon. Activision has released The Zork Legacy
Collection of CD-ROMS from their popular series. At a dramatically
low price of $39.99, the package will include four CDs which include the
games Zork Nemesis, Return to Zork, Zork Text Adventures I-III,
Beyond Zork, Zork Zero, and a preview of the new Zork Grand Inquisitor.
Humongous Peddles Putt-Putt Through Time. Seattle-based Humongous
Entertainment (now a subsidiary of GT Interactive) will release on June
1 the latest title in their Junior Adventure series of animated CD-ROM
games for young children. Putt-Putt Travels Through Time is an educational
game designed to interactively teach kids problem solving, memory, creativity
and math skills. This game is available retail for $39.95 on Macintosh
and Windows 95/3.1 formats.
Disney Online's A Family Affair. After investing a one-third interest
in Starwave Corp. two weeks ago, Disney Online has announced that it will
take over the online producer's Family Planet web site and incorporate
it into their own Family.com web site. As they say, if you can't beat 'em,
join 'em. . . . or, in Disney's case, acquire 'em!
WB Renews With AOL. Warner Bros. Online has renewed its contract
with Internet content provider America Online, which will now include cross-promotional
activities linking TV properties with their online counterparts. Kids WB
programming will now feature promotions for the Kids WB AOL site.
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Technology
Curious' Steve Katz Develops Cyclops.
Steve Katz, director of digital production at Curious Pictures, has invented
a real-time camera input device called Cyclops, which is now being manufactured
by Digital Image Design (DID.) The product is a fluid-head tripod and LCD
viewing system that drives the virtual camera in 3D animation systems such
as Alias, Softimage, and 3D Studio Max, replicating traditional camera
operation. Using the software's existing "layered" animation
functions, Cyclops enables animators to create camera moves in real time
(much like a live-action director would) within a previously animated 3D
sequence.
Hong Ying Licenses Pegs Software. In a move to become the largest
digital animation facility in China, Hong Ying Animation Co. ordered 50
SGI workstations and licensed MediaPegs' PEGS animation software. Currently
the software is being used by Hong Ying in production work on 52 episodes
of DIC's The Wacky World of Tex Avery animated series. In addition
to being used for digital ink and paint, the PEGS software package is designed
to facilitate communication between studios and overseas production facilities,
tracking production progress and transmitting status reports via modem
link.
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Festivals & Events
Virtual Humans Conference In June. VR
News and EDS will present a conference called Virtual Humans 2 at the Universal
City Hilton in Los Angeles June 17-19. Sponsored by Silicon Graphics, the
three-day conference is focused on exploring "the way virtual reality
and humanoid technology are becoming part of our everyday lives, from the
medical profession to the military to the entertainment industry."
Events include presentations form experts in the field of 3D computer animation,
motion capture, VRML and artificial life. For registration information,
visit http://www.vrnews.com/vh2.html
Comiccon San Diego. The country's largest comic book convention,
ComicCon International, will be held in San Diego July 17-20. Preceding
the convention will be The Comic Book Expo, a conference for the exchange
of ideas among professionals in the comics publishing, retail and creative
industry. For information visit http://www.comic-con.org.
The Bradford Animation Festival. otherwise known as BAF, will take
place June 6-12 at the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television
in Bradford, England. Competition includes four categories: films by children
(under 16,) by adult (professional,) adult (non-professional,) and experimental.
Prizes have been donated by ASIFA and the festival's main sponsor, Royal
Mail East. Additional programs include workshops, short film compilations,
a special on "The Simpsons," and a retrospective of Ray Harryhausen,
who will be present to host the closing night ceremony. BAF is the only
annual film festival in Britain which is devoted to animation. For information
on BAF, contact l.sutherland@nmsi.ac.uk or call ++ 44 1274-773399 (ext
274.)
Fantoche Festival Call For Entries. The second edition of the Fantoche
International Festival of Animation is scheduled to take place in Baden,
Switzerland, September 9-14. Planned programs include retrospectives of
Piotr Dumala, Jerzy Kucia, Oksana Cherkassowa, Vera Neubauer and Kihachiro
Kawamoto. Films made after January 1, 1995 are eligible for the competition,
and the submission deadline is June 15. For entry forms and information,
visit http://www.fantoche.ch
Williams Masterclass Sells Out, Adds Dates. All 150 registration
spots have sold out in Richard Williams Masterclass which is being held
in San Francisco June 6-8. A new class has been added June 20-22, to be
held at the same location. For more information, visit the masterclass
web page accessible from Animation World Magazine's May issue table of
contents page. http://www.awn.com/mag
MOMI UK Workshops. The Museum of the Moving Image in London will present
several children's workshops on animation and filmmaking during the month
of May. As part of the Moving Magic Workshops held within the exhibition
May 24-30, MOMI will teach children basic techniques of animation filmmaking
and cartoon soundtrack making. This is featured in conjunction with the
"Space Jam Showcase" exhibit featuring original production art
from the Warner Bros. movie Space Jam.
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