ANIMATION
WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 3.9 - December 1998
Films
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| Antz. © DreamWorks LLC. |
Antz Showz Strong Legz.
After six weeks of US release, DreamWorks/PDI's computer-animated bug pic
Antz saw a rare 20% boost in box office business over the November
6, 7, 8 week-end placing fourth. Despite losing 300 screens and new competition
for the family crowd from the re-release of The Wizard of Oz, the film
grossed $5.56 million in 2,604 theaters bringing the film's cume to $75 million.
MIFED Sets Focus On Animation. The 65th Milan International Film, TV
and Multimedia Market (MIFED) kicked off with a strong focus on animation,
in collaboration with the European MEDIA II program. The six-day event, November
1 -6, included a designated animation market and even an "Animation Day"
on November 3. Scheduled events included a seminar titled Strategy for
the New European Animation Feature Film, and screenings of animated features
such as Michel Ocelot's Kirikou at la Sorciere and Lanterna Magica's
work-in-progress, Lucky and Zorba/The Little Seagull and the Cat. Heading
up these animation initiatives at MIFED was Alfio Bastiancich, one of the
founders of the television conference, Cartoons on the Bay. He said, "As
became clear at a seminar held last June at Annecy, animation continues to
be poorly represented at the three major cinema markets: MIFED, Cannes and
the American Film Market. With MIFED Animation, we aim to develop this new
market by offering an organization structure and services to boost and develop
new business opportunities."
The November 1998 issue of Animation World Magazine focuses on animated
feature films, and includes an article by Chiara Magri about Lanterna
Magica and their feature film work.
Medialab/Cine Groupe Partner. Paris-headquartered motion-capture animation
company, Medialab and Canadian animation studio, Ciné-Groupe, a subsidiary
of Lion's Gate Entertainment, have agreed to a four-year co-production deal.
The two companies plan to co-produce two computer-animated theatrical films
and two TV series. The first project, starting production in December, will
be Pinocchio 3001, a futuristic rendition of the classic tale. The
second project, scheduled to start production in late spring 1999, is titled
Sphinx@Com. Both properties were developed by Medialab, and will be
produced simultaneously as feature films and TV series. Medialab president
Girard Mital said, "The trickle-down success of films like Antz,
as well as the growing number of digital platforms and their respective thematic
channels serves to bolster the demand for similar-looking properties."
The TV series Medialab is jointly-owned by Canal + and Dutch company, NOB.
In July, Fox Family Worldwide, parent company to Fox Kids, Fox Family Channel
and Saban, acquired a 20 percent equity stake in Ciné-Groupe.
The February 1998 issue of Animation World Magazine contains a feature
article on Medialab.
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| Bug's Life. © Disney Enterprises, Inc./Pixar Animation Studios. All Rights Reserved. |
A Bug's Life Is Swarming Everywhere. Here is a look at some of the various marketing items related to Disney/Pixar's massive advertising campaign for A Bug's Life. The movie web site, www.abugslife.com, launched last week complete with Shockwave and QTVR games, behind-the-scenes information on the making of the film, sweepstakes, and the ability to purchase tickets for theaters nationwide. Walt Disney Records released A Bug's Life. soundtrack on November 10 featuring the music of composer Randy Newman (Cats Don't Dance, James and the Giant Peach, Toy Story). Disney Records previously released A Bug's Life Read-Along featuring original vocal talent from the film and A Bug's Life Sing-Along, a collection of bug-themed songs. A Bug's Life and Beyond is a 3 1/2 hour entertainment experience which runs at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre and Entertainment Centre from November 20 - January 3. Visitors can see the movie and afterwards head over to The Bug House consisting of seven rooms of live entertainment, attractions, shows, games and events themed around the movie. As is customary with Disney-released films, a plethora of other A Bug's Life merchandise is already available at nationwide US retailers, like Target.
Note: Readers may contact any Animation World Magazine contributor by sending an e-mail to editor@awn.com.
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