AWN Headline News

Digital production company noisemedia has been contracted to produce an animated version of a broadcast commercial for Canada's largest beer maker, Molson. The "I Am Canadian" campaign will be syndicated across noisemedia's affiliated Web networks and will coincide with Molson's current broadcast advertising campaign. The company will produce a 30-second and a 10-second spot featuring an original cast of animated characters created by noisemedia's animation division.

Blur Studio has produced a computer-animated intro-movie video for Activisions RETURN TO WOLFENSTEIN CASTLE, the sequel to CASTLE WOLFENSTEIN 3D. The video, presenting the back story to the Wolfenstein saga, will be packaged with the game and will also screen in movie theaters worldwide in fall 2001 supporting the games launch. To accommodate theater screenings, Blur Studio produced the animation for the trailer at film resolution. They also incorporated a high degree of detail and fluid motion. One of the most distinctive features is its un-computer graphic look.

Manga Entertainment Ltd. will release IG Studios BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE on DVD and VHS on September 17, 2001. The story revolves around Saya, a teenaged assassin sent to vanquish the blood-sucking fiends that have concealed themselves among humans at an air force base in Japan. This highly touted film was the best feature winner at the 2001 World Animation Celebration and is Japans first fully digitally-animated feature. The DVD will feature "The Making of BLOOD" documentary, image gallery, original Japanese theatrical trailers and Web links.

Fox aired a special animation night on Wednesday, September 5, 2001 starting at 8 pm featuring two episodes of THE SIMPSONS alternating with THE KING OF THE HILL and FAMILY GUY. The special episodes of THE SIMPSONS airing at 8:00 and 9:00 pm drew the most viewers finishing 64th and 66th with a 4.4 rating/7 share and 4.2 rating/7 share respectively. KING managed to garner a 4.0 rating/7share in its 8:30 time slot placing 67th, and FAMILY GUY, airing at 9:30pm fared the worst of the three shows in the 72nd spot with a 3.8 rating/6 share.

Marketing executive Michelle Hagen has joined Global Animation as vice president of marketing & business development. In this position, she will oversee the worldwide client development of Global Animations three principal companies: Spectrum Studios in Los Angeles, ImagineAsia and VirtualMagic ASIA in Manila, Philippines. Hagen comes to Global with 12 years of industry experience, having worked for some of Hollywoods most successful studios.

CineGroupe Interactive developers have created a PC game prototype based on the childrens tale about a wooden puppet that wants to become a live boy. PINOCCHIO 3001, a third-person puzzle game, is based on an upcoming feature-length animated movie of the same name, which is being developed by CineGroupe Inc., Castelao Productions SNA (Spain) and AnimaKids Productions (France). CineGroupe Interactive, is using NDLs NetImmerse to give the classic story of Pinocchio a futuristic facelift for young gamers.

Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (E&S) has reached an agreement to sell its REALimage business unit, which makes high-performance semiconductor chips for advanced graphics and video applications. The sale is for a maximum value of $12 million, consisting of cash plus future royalties up to $6 million for REALimage technology, other assets and support during a seven-month transition period leading to closing the transaction on April 1, 2002.

Walt Disney Internet Group and Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Limited (Hutchison Telecom) have entered into a cooperative relationship to distribute Disney-branded wireless content under the Disney Mobile brand over Hutchison Telecom's Orange Dualband and CDMA networks in Hong Kong. Available this fall, the Disney Mobile service on Hutchison Telecom will include downloadable content based on Disney's lineup of popular characters, including screensavers, wallpapers, logos, e-cards and ring tones. Orange users will also be able to download the territory's only Disney color content.

Rick Krause has joined BOXX Technologies as president and chief executive officer, replacing former president and CEO Todd Bryant who has assumed the responsibility of chief technology officer. Krause brings with him more than 25 years experience in high technology business development and company team building.

Santa Monica-based R!OT provided visual effects and post-production services for Days of the Week, the latest music video from the Stone Temple Pilots. The studio provided on-set visual effects supervision, telecine, digital matte painting, visual effects production and compositing services for the video, which was directed by Kevin Kerslake of Satellite Films. In the video, Scott Weiland and his band mates play identically dressed, door-to-door salesmen who escape their mundane lives when their car morphs into a space shuttle.

Activision Inc.'s TONY HAWK'S PRO SKATER 2 for Nintendo 64, currently available on North American retail shelves, allows players to skate as the legendary pro skater Tony Hawk, or one of 12 other skaters, and show off their skills in international skate parks including Marseilles, New York, Philadelphia and Skate Street in Ventura, California.