AWN Headline News

Viewpoint Corporation, a provider of digital marketing technologies, has launched the newest version of the Viewpoint Media Player. This latest version showcases Viewpoint's HyperView feature, which enables viewers to expand rich media content beyond the browser window and utilize the entire desktop as real estate for the content. The Viewpoint Media Player allows for the integration and interaction of rich media formats such as Flash, 3D, animation, text, audio and zoomable 2D graphics.

Epic Games, best known for creating the hit games UNREAL and UNREAL TOURNAMENT, has installed a 12-Camera Vicon 8i Real-Time motion-capture system at their development studio in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Vicon 8i optical motion-capture system allows actors to move freely, unrestricted by wires, awkward suits or large body markers. The system can capture multiple actors simultaneously, and with Vicon's million-pixel resolution MCam, motion data is recorded at near perfect accuracy.

* Wednesday, February 6 Sunday, February 17, 2002. Brussels, Belgium.

Entry Deadline: October 31, 2001.

The Brussels Festival showcases feature films, short films, retrospectives, exhibitions, "making of" sessions with several guests and special events like the Cartoon d'Or and La Nuit anime. Preview VHS tapes can be entered and sent (with no entry fee) to the Festival until October 31, 2001. A downloadable entry form is available at: http://www.awn.com/folioscope/FDA2002/Proindexgb.html

The Hughes brothers Jack the Ripper flick, FROM HELL, based on the graphic novel of the same name, took the number one spot this weekend. The thriller, with primary visual effects by Digiscope and Illusion Arts, earned $11.3M in its debut. Last weeks number one film, TRAINING DAY, with primary visual effects by Cinesite, fell to third, still managing a weekend take of $9.5M, raising its cume to $57.5M after three weeks. The Hong Kong action film IRON MONKEY, with primary visual effects by MetroLight, dropped to tenth bringing in $3.2M for a $10.8M gross.

Fox Entertainment Group has teamed with eBay to support Auction for America, the online charity initiative designed to raise funds for the victims, families and communities affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11. The auctions began October 22, 2001 and will continue through the holiday season. All proceeds will be donated to the Twin Towers Fund.

Silver Lining Productions has inked a deal with independent animation company King Rollo Films to develop a new childrens series DENNIS AND THE MONSTERS, based on the Bristish book series. Silver Lining has also entered into an agreement with European animation producer Millimages to develop a holiday special and TV series based on TOOT & PUDDLE, a childrens book series written and illustrated by Holly Hobbie. The series will be geared to young children.

Activision, Inc. has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 fastest-growing publicly held companies in the U.S. Activision, ranked 86th in Fortune Magazine's 2001 "100 Fastest-Growing American Companies," is the only interactive entertainment company to appear on the list. The company's three-year annualized performance ratings were 45% earnings per share, 36% revenue growth and 56% total stock market return.

To present the 2002 Kinder Surprise collection Canadas TOPIX, a commercial computer animation studio, has created 3D character animation for the 30-second spot Action Convention, for Ferrero Canada Ltd. and agency Garneau Würstlin Philip Brand. For those not in the know about this candy treat, Kinder Surprise, launched in Italy in 1972, is a hollow chocolate egg which contains a collectable prize. In Action Convention an animated Kinder Surprise is seen underwater, decked out in a diving bell, as he introduces his collection of toys for 2002.

Microsoft has downsized the capacity of the hard drive on its upcoming Xbox video game console and made it more family friendly. In a REUTERS report, Microsoft confirmed that the drive capacity will shrink to 8 gigabytes (GB) from the previously advertised 10 GB. Microsoft declined to explain why the change was made, only that the change was not due to manufacturing problems. This news comes on the heels of Microsofts announcement that the Xbox will be the first videogame console with a built-in parental control to restrict childrens game play based on ESRB ratings.

Multimedia graphics provider WildTangent is powering DARK ORBIT, an episodic 3D sci-fi shooter game now available on www.shockwave.com. DARK ORBIT transforms the player into the sole survivor of a small mining colony, who must collect the remaining precious few resources and use them to build more firepower. During this exploration, he can also discover new technology that will upgrade his meager mining craft into a high-powered machine of mass destruction. Gamers have access to five large maps and more than a dozen weapons and missiles to research and build upgradeable modular ships.