ANIMATION
WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 3.10 - January 1999
Business
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| Pinocchio 3001 and Sphinx@com will utilize the same technology as MEDIALAB'S Donkey Kong Country series. © MEDIALAB. |
MEDIALAB And Cine-Groupe Team Up.
MEDIALAB,
a real-time performance animation production company, and Cine-Groupe, a production
house and distributor of animation, have joined forces for the first time
in a co-production deal that will see two properties, Pinocchio 3001
and Sphinx@com, developed into computer-generated animated feature
films and television series. These projects will be produced over the next
four years using MEDIALAB's proprietary performance animation techniques.
Pinocchio 3001 is a futuristic twist on the classic tale of Gepetto
and his little wooden boy who must learn the difference between good and bad
in order to become a real human boy. Sphinx@com is an adventure series
through time and the Internet that puts a group of modern young heroes into
an oppressive ancient world ruled by Egyptian gods. MEDIALAB's first foray
into content creation and production was in 1996 when they launched the 3D
television series, Donkey Kong Country.
Cinar's Name Change. As a follow-up to our 11/17/98 Animation Flash
story, Canadian-based CINAR
Films Inc. has changed their name to CINAR Corporation (Corporation CINAR
in French) after a Special Meeting of Shareholders approved the change. The
new name better reflects the diversification of the company's business activities
which have expanded beyond the film industry.
Changes For Varga. The Varga Group of Companies, which includes the
Hungarian animation studio Varga Studio and UK-based VARGA tvc Ltd., will
conduct business under a newly formed holding company, Varga Holdings. Varga
Holdings reflects Varga's worldwide expansion in the production of high quality
animation and replaces Eurotoon, the previous holding company for the two
animation studios. Co-founder of Varga Studio, Andras Erkel, was named Chief
Executive Officer of Varga Holdings while co-founder Csaba Varga has been
named Group Creative Director. Varga was founded in 1989 and formed an alliance
in 1997 with John Coates, founder of the British animation studio TV Cartoons
(TVC), to form VARGA tvc. Ltd.
Balmur Acquires A Couple Studios. Balmur Entertainment, a music management
and publishing company owned by singer-performer Anne Murray, has acquired
Evening Sky Productions and The Animation House in an effort to produce original
animated series, live-action family entertainment and music-driven television
specials for global distribution. Evening Sky (headed by David and Mary Corbett)
and Animation House (headed by Bob Fortier) will merge to become a wholly-owned
division of Balmur Entertainment and will operate as Evening Sky Productions.
As a result of the acquisitions, Los Angeles-based Evening Sky will move their
headquarters to the Toronto-based Animation House while maintaining a development
office in LA. Corbett, who is now the President and CEO of the consolidated
Evening Sky, stated, "I am extremely pleased to be part of Balmur Entertainment
Ltd. Balmur has built a worldwide reputation for excellence in the world of
music publishing and the production of first-class television specials. At
the same time, The Animation House is highly regarded worldwide as a leader
in commercial animation production. Our combined forces instantly create a
company of unlimited potential in the significant family television marketplace."
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
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