9 Story Ent., the Emmy and Gemini award-winning animation company, has added Natalie Osborne to its growing executive team. In her new role as evp of business development, Osborne will lead the effort to grow international distribution and the companys portfolio of intellectual properties. A 10-year vet, she worked with some of the worlds top media companies, including NBC Universal in London, where she specialized in childrens and family programming.
BlueArc Corp. announced that Starz Media, the animation studio behind EVERYONE'S HERO, benefited from the Titan storage system, equipped with more than 100 terabytes, to deliver more than 1,450 individual shots.
ELEVATION, a new spot for General Motors out of Deutsch, Los Angeles, serves as an excellent example of how a television commercial can convey a complex brand message using great visuals alone. While the voiceover in elevation conveys basic information regarding GMs new 100,000-mile warranty program, the spot says so much more.
The 2D-animated CURIOUS GEORGE arrives on DVD Sept. 26, 2006 (Universal Studios Home Ent., $29.98). Everyone's favorite inquisitive little monkey meets The Man in the Yellow Hat in the jungle, and then proceeds to gets in the kind of mischief fans of the beloved illustrated book will recall. Directed by Matthew O Calllaghan, CURIOUS GEORGE features the voice talents of Will Ferrell (The Man in the Yellow Hat), Drew Barrymore, David Cross and others.
Bonus features include:
* Jack Johnson music video with sing-along feature* 15 deleted scenes
X-MEN: THE LAST STAND strikes on DVD Oct. 3, 2006 (Fox Home Ent., $29.98). Director Brett Ratner takes over from Bryan Singer in the third installment of the popular mutant hero franchise. Featuring new recruits The Beast and Angel, the X-Men, led by Professor Charles Xavier, battle once and for all with Magnetos Brotherhood to stave off world domination. THE LAST STAND stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen. Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Patrick Stewart and Kelsey Grammer.
Autodesks 3ds Max and Maya were used extensively on this season's line-up of films. Using 3ds Max and Maya, digital artists created sophisticated 3D content for the live-action films TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY and WORLD TRADE CENTER, and also shaped the 3D-animated EVERYONE'S HERO and THE ANT BULLY.
Research and Markets has published the Asian Animation Industry: Strategies, Trends and Opportunities 2006 (www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c42556) report.
14th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated FilmStuttgart, GermanyApril 26- May 1, 2007Deadline: December 1, 2006
The Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film is one of the largest festivals for animated film in the world and the biggest one in the German-speaking area.
The five competitions focus on the artistically challenging genre of animated film. Filmmakers and production companies are invited to enter films in one of the following sections:* International Competition
Byron Bay Film Festival Byron Bay, AustraliaFebruary 9-17, 2007Deadline: October 14, 2006
The BBFF 2007 festival will run Feb. 9-17, 2007. The theme for BBFF 2007 is looking to the future and the festival aims to explore the possibilities of filmmaking and related technology. In tune with the theme, BBFF is particularly looking for entries from films full of animation or visual effects or which are high-definition.
Toronto-based Portfolio Ent. Inc. has upped Aron Dunn from development exec to manager of creative development. In his new role, Dunn will over see the acquisition of new intellectual properties and shepherd them through the development process. He will also explore the extension of all brands across multiple delivery platforms including web, mobile and game applications.
The first ever symposium on Animation and Visual Effects to be held in Wellington, New Zealand, called AnimfxNZ, will be launched Nov. 4-5, with the Visual Effects Society (VES) as a partner.
We were thrilled to be invited by Positively Wellington Business to play a role in this exciting event, said Eric Roth, exec director of the VES. This will be an opportunity for Los Angeles and the rest of the world to see first hand all the cool things that New Zealand is up to.
Paramounts JACKASS: NUMBER TWO debuted at the top of the box office chart with $29M for the weekend ended Sept. 24, 2006. Debuting in second place with $10.5M was JET LIS FEARLESS from Rogue Pictures (with vfx from Menfond Electronic Art & Computer Design Co.). Last weeks winner, GRIDIRON GANG, from Sony Pictures, slipped to third place, picking up $9.4M for a two-week cume of $26.9M. MGMs FLYBOYS (with vfx from Double Negative) bowed in fourth with $6M.
Oscar-winning sound designer Gary Rydstrom, who moved over from Skywalker Sound to Pixar to direct animation, has helmed the animation studios latest short, LIFTED, about a bumbling alien student who attempts his first-time abduction of a slumbering farmer. The five-minute short will have its world premiere Oct. 12, 6:00 pm, at the Chicago International Film Festival at Columbia College.
Rydstrom, a Chicago native, will deliver a 90-minute presentation covering the pre-production of LIFTED, screen the film and discuss his education and career.
After nabbing James Camerons long-awaited AVATAR, Weta Digital is on the rise again: Twentieth Century Fox has chosen the Oscar-winning New Zealand studio to oversee vfx duties on THE FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Character actor Doug Jones (PANS LABYRINTH, HELLBOY and HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY) will provide performance capture work in the creation of Marvel Comics Silver Surfer in much the same way that Andy Serkis portrayed Gollum and King Kong.
The 2006 Cartoon d'Or has been awarded to Joanna Quinn of the U.K. for her short, DREAMS & DESIRES: FAMILY TIES. The hysterically funny 2D short with its reality show camera angle point-of-view is sweeping international animation contesta, racking up wins at Ottawa and Cartoon Forum this past weekend, as well as three awards at Annecy and two at Zabreb earlier this year.
The 30th Ottawa Intl Animation Festival came to a close on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2006, with the awarding of its prizes. The jury consisting of Konstantin Bronzit, Rob Coleman and Jeff Scher awarded the Nelvana Grand Prize for Best Independent Short Animation to Joanna Quinns DREAMS & DESIRES: FAMILY TIES, which previously in the year won three awards at Annecy.
The Grand Prize for Best Commissioned Animation went to FedEx STICK, directed by Framestore New Yorks David Hulin, which also won the prize for Promotional Animation.
Kyra E. Reppen, the former head of NickJr.com and creator and architect behind the recently launched ParentsConnect brand, has been named svp/gm of NeoPets, the largest and fastest-growing youth community on the Internet. In her new role, Reppen will lead and manage all day-to-day operations, creative direction and business strategy for NeoPets, which is based in Glendale, California.
NBC Universal has tapped Atmosphere Visual Effects again for the third season of SCI FI Channels BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, consisting of 20 one-hour episodes. This marks the third consecutive season that Atmosphere has provided visual effects for the series.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS - SEASON 4, VOL. 1 (Paramount Home Ent., $36.99) featuring the first 20 episodes of fourth season arrived on DVD earlier this month. The popular Nick animated series, continuing the nautical nonsense at Bikini Bottom with SpongeBob, Patrick and all their pals, arguably contains a decline in quality with the departure of creator Stephen Hillenburg. However, its still SPONGEBOB and a must have for fans of the witty series.
Bonus features:* Original Uncut Animatics For Fear Of A Krabby Patty and Dunces and Dragons
Softimage Co. announced the worldwide availability of SOFTIMAGE|CAT v. 2.5, the popular plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max software. The SOFTIMAGE|CAT software is a complete character animation system with a unique toolset allows artists to animate quickly in a flexible environment. Part of Avids recent asset acquisition of Character Animation Technologies Ltd., SOFTIMAGE|CAT version 2.5 is the latest update to the newest member of the Softimage suite of character production tools, and is currently deployed in the game development, film and post industries.
Jetix Europe announced today (Sept. 22, 2006) that Michael Lekes has resigned from his position as svp of programming for personal reasons. He leaves the company at the end of September after four years service. Jetix Europe actively seeking a replacement to take over the leadership of its content division as soon as possible.
Award-winning animation vet Tony Leondis will direct Exodus Film Groups CG-animated feature comedy, IGOR, which will be distributed by The Weinstein Co.
Leondis credits include Disneys HOME ON THE RANGE, DreamWorks THE PRINCE OF EGYPT and THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, and DisneyToon Studios KRONKS NEW GROOVE and LILO & STITCH 2: STITCH HAS A GLITCH.
Atom Ent. has opened the first NewsGames channel (www.addictinggames.com/newsgames.html) at the fast-growing online games destination, AddictingGames, and will develop dozens of new titles each year plus promote the best user-generated games that mock the most popular headlines and cultural topics of the day.
The Kids WB! 2006-2007 programming slate kicks off on Sept. 23, 2006, on The CW Network, the new broadcast network launching this month. It features four new, original shows and the return of four established hit series on the Saturday morning schedule.
Following the record-breaking success OF PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST, Walt Disney Pictures has initiated another movie project based on a Disneyland ride: The Jungle Cruise, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
SMALLVILLE showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar are in talks to write JUNGLE CRUISE, an adventure movie and potential franchise that is being produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman through their Mandeville Films label.
The ride was one of the 22 original attractions when the park opened in 1955.
