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AWN Headline News

Film Headline News

Film Roman Announces Quarterly Profit

By Dan Sarto | Monday, May 14, 2001 at 12:00am

Leading independent animation house Film Roman announced increases in revenue and operating income for the their most recent quarter. Company revenue increased by 51% or $6.5 million, to $19.2 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2001 from $12.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2000. The company attributed the increase to the delivery of more fee-for-services episodes and a movie-of-the-week special.

Animation Headline News

Threat Launches New Digital Studio

Threat, a new digital studio providing editing, visual effects, animation and compositing services, has launched in Santa Monica. The company has established itself in a new $5.5 million facility to provide end-to-end post services for commercials, entertainment television, feature films, music videos and new-media.

Imax Headline News

IMAX Corporation Reports First Quarter Results

In a May 11, 2001 announcement, entertainment technology company IMAX Corporation reported its results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2001. The company reported a loss of $0.23 per share for the first quarter before the impact of a previously announced restructuring charge. After the impact of the restructuring charge, IMAX reported a loss of $0.46 per share. The company's comparative results for the first quarter of 2000 were: earnings of $0.06 per share before the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles and a loss of $1.92 per share after such changes.

Million Headline News

Activision Posts Record Gains

In a May 9, 2001 announcement, Activision, Inc. reported fourth quarter and fiscal year results for its interactive entertainment business. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001, net revenues were $620 million as compared with $572 million for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000. Net income for the fiscal year was $21 million, or $0.75 per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $34 million, or $1.38 loss per diluted share reported for last year.

Comedy Headline News

Funny Garbage Launches The New Comedycentral.Com

New Yorks Funny Garbage, a worldwide leader in interactive design and creative content, announced the launch of its redesign for ComedyCentral.com. The new site embodies the high level of engaging entertainment that has made the Comedy Central TV Network a leading popular culture brand for television comedy. Funny Garbage developed the site using Dynamo Control Center with Interwoven TeamSite to create an experience that was modular and flexible enough to support next generation applications like wireless and interactive television, yet still appeal to todays Web surfers.

Company Headline News

Romp.com Shifts Strategy, Abandons Paid Subscriber Model

By Dan Sarto | Friday, May 11, 2001 at 12:00am

After switching to a paid subscription format in March 2001, Internet entertainment company Romp.com has announced a series of strategic changes that reflect the difficulties Web entertainment destination sites continue to face as they seek profitability. In a company newsletter sent out on May 9, 2001, the company announced an end to their unsuccessful paid subscription access format, a refund for all paid subscribers, an end to daily site content updates and a move toward developing branded film and print projects for other distribution channels.

Media Headline News

Harvey Entertainment And Classic Media Amend Sale Agreement

The Harvey Entertainment Company and Classic Media, LLC have amended their prior agreement for the sale of Harveys library of classic characters, including CASPER, RICHIE RICH, BABY HUEY and LITTLE AUDREY, as well as certain contractual rights and agreements which relate to those assets. Signed on March 9, 2001, the prior deal was worth US$16 million plus debts associated with the characters. The parties have agreed to increase the purchase price to US$17 million, to be paid in cash at the closing, plus the assumption of certain liabilities.

Animation Headline News

BLOOP.tv Sci-fi Cartoon Launches Across the Web

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

BLOOP.tv, a syndicated science-fiction Web cartoon series, announced their launch on more than 40 science-fiction, cartoon and general-interest entertainment Websites, including Time Warner Cable's Road Runner networks, GALAXY.tv, BMonster.com, TOONORAMA.com and MEDIAJONEZ.com. According to company founder Steve Conley, BLOOP.tv was created specifically for web distribution with an eye toward the mainstream movie-going audience. The character designs and stories were built with the limitations of web animation in mind.

Headline News

Anime Thriller Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade Coming To Theatres

The English-language version of the anime thriller JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE will have its theatrical release at New York's Cinema Village on June 22, 2001, at the Varsity Theater in Seattle on June 29, 2001 and nationally throughout the summer. A collaboration between two generations of filmmakers, JIN-ROH marries a hard-hearted script by Momoru Oshii, the internationally acclaimed maker of GHOST IN THE SHELL with the vérité direction of Hiroyuki Okiura, assistant to Oshii on GHOST. JIN-ROH's setting is Tokyo - not the Tokyo of the future, but of an alternate past.

Open Headline News

Blur Studio Designs And Produces Open For TLC's Robotica

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

Venice, Californias Blur Studio's broadcast design division recently created a show open for ROBOTICA, The Learning Channel's new 1-hour robot competition series airing on Wednesday nights. Creative director Tim Brown came up with the piece's innovative design, centering on a chrome-plated, flying robot that mounts an aggressive assault on the television screen. Blur Studio concept artist Feng Shu designed the robot character and 3D artist Juan Granja modeled and animated it. Blur Studio also handled the production of the open, composed entirely of photo-real 3D computer animation.

Game Headline News

Fox and Vivendi Team Up in Game Publishing Deal

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

In a three-year worldwide agreement announced on May 2, 2001, Fox Interactive granted Vivendi Universal Publishing (VU Publishing) the exclusive rights to manufacture, market and distribute key titles for PC and next-generation console platforms. Under the agreement, VU Publishing's Sierra studio will co-publish the following action/adventure titles: ALIENS VS.

Headline News

Newtek Taps Jim Plant For Executive Vice President

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

NewTek has named Jim Plant to the newly created position of executive vice president of business and strategic development. NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video, broadcast television and feature films (CHARLIE'S ANGELS, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, X-MEN). "Jim is a proven executive who is very familiar with the video and 3D marketplace," said Tim Jenison, CEO and founder of NewTek.

Design Headline News

Black Logic Signs Designer/Director Alessandro Swainston

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

Attracted by his passion for film and food, and a design aesthetic beyond his years, Black Logic has signed Alessandro Swainston as a designer/director, announced vice president and executive producer Karen Stewart. Black Logic is a comprehensive, creative collaboration company offering full-service visual effects, graphic design, high-end compositing, 2D and 3D animation, and complete live-action production.

Headline News

Michael Porte Joins Click 3x/New York As Managing Director

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

Continuing the vigorous expansion of its presence in New York, the Click 3x Group has hired Michael Porte, the co-founder of Mad River Post, to serve as managing director of its digital studio. The move to Click 3x heralds a return to visual effects for Porte, who previously was a producer at Intercom, CPC and Coast Effects. Porte will supervise all day-to-day activities at Click 3x, New York, with particular emphasis on growing the studio and reinventing its role to suit the future needs of the advertising and broadcast industries.

Spot Headline News

Curious Pictures Spoofs Channel Surfing With Kraft Mac And Cheese

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

New Yorks Curious Pictures has created CHEESE CHANNEL, a 30-second spot for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Chicagos Foote, Cone and Belding ad agency. Switching between several classic daytime TV vignettes, the comic spot blends stock footage and a variety of mixed media techniques, including live-action, stop-motion animation and computer/cel animation. Were proud of the cheese-surfing Kraft Mac and Cheese spot, said Jim Shirreff, art director, Foote, Cone and Belding. The universe of television is condensed to a world of macaroni and cheese.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network And The Three Little Hours Of Fairy Tales

On May 17, 2001, from 9 am to 12 pm (ET/PT), Cartoon Network will air a special presentation of Acme Hour featuring cartoon versions of classic fairy tales. The three-hour special features cartoons based on childhood favorites like LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, THE THREE LITTLE PIGS, CINDERELLA and JACK AND THE BEANSTALK from renowned directors such as Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Robert Clampett. For more information visit CartoonNetwork.com

Effects Headline News

Side Effects Software Announces Free Houdini Training

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, May 10, 2001 at 12:00am

Santa Monicas Side Effects Software has announced new dates for free Houdini introductory workshops and training in Santa Monica, San Francisco and Toronto. In these sessions, artists will be exposed to the power of Houdini, the award-winning 3D animation software package used in such recent blockbusters as Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, X-MEN, HOLLOW MAN and THE MATRIX. This class includes an introduction to the object, SOP (surface operator), material, composite and output editors.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network's Upcoming Bugs Bunny Celebration Largest In Television History

On June 13, 2001, Cartoon Network will air the most complete retrospective ever offered of the wascally wabbit, Bugs Bunny, during the ninth annual JUNE BUGS marathon. Cartoon Network is now the exclusive TV home to Looney Tunes and celebrates by launching its biggest JUNE BUGS celebration ever, a 49-hour marathon which starts at 11 pm (ET/PT) on June 1, 2001 and runs through 12 midnight on Sunday, June 3, 2001. Overall, Cartoon Network will air 176 Bugs Bunny cartoons during JUNE BUGS, including 55 cartoons making their Cartoon Network debut.

Headline News

ART Ships RenderPipe

Advanced Rendering Technology (ART) is shipping its new RenderPipe plug-in for Maya, which offers a seamless interface between RenderDrive and Maya. The plug-in provides Maya users with tightly integrated control and access to RenderDrive's powerful rendering features -- including ultra-fast ray tracing, area lights, depth of field and physically accurate materials libraries -- all from within their Maya application. The new interface, shipping with RenderDrive, supports Maya on Windows NT, IRIX, Linux and Mac OSX, when Maya for the Mac is available.

Studios Headline News

The Third Episode Of Augenblick Studio's 'Shirley Temple' Debuts On Hypnotic

SHIRLEY TEMPLE, the third and last installment of Augenblick Studios' Flash animated DIGNIFIED DEVIL adventure series, premiered Tuesday, May 1, 2001 on Hypnotic. This time: Abandoned and reeking of vomit, gin-soaked Franklin Raine ponders life's mysteries.

You can discover AWN Animator Affiliate Aaron Augenblick's work in the Animation Showcase.

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.

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