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AWN Headline News

Headline News

Body Part Images Get A Pulse On The Web

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, June 21, 2001 at 12:00am

Leading 3D Web animation company Pulse has announced an exclusive strategic partnership with Anatomical Travelogue to bring anatomical and biological imagery to the Internet. Under the terms of the partnership, Anatomical Travelogue and Pulse will focus on creating Internet content for the fields of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, medical e-learning, medical technology and sports, and will also collaborate on a Website for HEALTH PROFILES, a TV series that Anatomical Travelogue is currently developing.

Atomic Headline News

Phil Roman And Atomic Cartoons To Co-Produce Atomic Betty

Six-time Emmy-winner Phil Roman and his Studio City, California-based Phil Roman Entertainment company have signed a co-production deal with Vancouvers Atomic Cartoons to develop and produce ATOMIC BETTY, a new half-hour TV series. Phil Roman commented, All of us at Phil Roman Entertainment are excited about our new association with the young, energetic and talented team at Atomic Cartoons.

Entertainment Headline News

Harvey Retains Firm To Explore Investment Opportunities

In an effort to maximize shareholder value, The Harvey Entertainment Company announced on June 18, 2001 that it has retained the investment banking firm of Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin to explore strategic alternatives and opportunities, following the completion of its pending transaction with Classic Media LLC. Founded in 1970, Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin provides a wide range of services including mergers and acquisitions, private placements and other financial advisory services. The firm is ranked among the top 10 financial advisors in U.S. mergers and acquisitions under $500 million.

Reboot Headline News

Infogrames Wins Global License To Develop Reboot Games

Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. has licensed its popular REBOOT animation series to Infogrames, Inc., for development on various interactive game platforms. The multi-year licensing agreement was negotiated by licensing and merchandising veteran Joy Tashjian, president of Joy Tashjian Marketing Group, the exclusive representative for Mainframe's properties, who is also contributing to Mainframe's expansion into the consumer products area through a recently formed strategic alliance.

Award Headline News

Jack Davis Wins Reuben Award As Outstanding Cartoonist Of The Year

Presented by the National Cartoonists Society, the 55th Annual Reuben Awards have taken place in Boca Raton, Florida, the home of the International Museum of Cartoon Art. The three-day event climaxed on May 26, 2001 with the presentation of the Reuben Award to the outstanding cartoonist of the year. Jack Davis, best known for advertising illustration and work in MAD Magazine, is the winner of the 55th Annual Reuben Award, the highest honor in the cartooning profession. The Society also presented the Gold Key/Hall of Fame Award to Arnold Roth for fifty years of cartooning excellence.

Entertainment Headline News

Walking With Dinosaurs Theme Parks Planned

BBC Worldwide Ltd. and Hyper Entertainment Inc. have entered into a major new partnership to develop a WALKING WITH DINOSAURS theme park attraction. Currently in development, the proposed attraction (scalable from 27,000 square feet) will be licensed to theme park operators around the globe, ready for proposed openings in autumn 2002. BBC Worldwide and Hyper Entertainment are also actively seeking sponsorship partners around the world.

Disney Headline News

Schneider Steps Down As Chairman Of The Walt Disney Studios

By Dan Sarto | Wednesday, June 20, 2001 at 12:00am

In an announcement made June 20, 2001, by Michael D. Eisner, chairman and CEO, and Robert A. Iger, president and COO, of The Walt Disney Company, Peter Schneider will step down as chairman of The Walt Disney Studios to start a new Broadway theater production and investment company funded in part by Disney.

Film Headline News

The 29th Annual ASIFA-Hollywood Annie Awards

* Saturday, November 10, 2001, Glendale, California, U.S.A.

Entry Deadline: August 3, 2001

Every year, ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles area-based branch of the International Animated Film Society, honors the best in film, television and Internet animation with their Annie Awards. The award ceremony will take place at the famed Alex Theater in Glendale, California. For more information contact: ASIFA-Hollywood: Tel.: (818) 842-8330; E-mail: info@asifa-hollywood.org; or Web: www.asifa-hollywood.org.

Star Headline News

WIA/LA Celebrates The Career Of Star Wirth

* Tuesday, June 26, 2001, Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.A.

Women In Animation Los Angeles celebrates the career of Star Wirth with a dinner Salon at the Valley Inn in Sherman Oaks on June 26 at 7 pm. Star was head of the Xerox department at Hanna-Barbera for 33 years; she also worked at Warner Bros. The dinner costs $25 per person. For more information: Web: www.women.in.animation.org/LA.

Wednesday Headline News

Place With Traces, A School Of Visual Arts Exhibition

* Wednesday, June 13 Wednesday, July 11, 2001, New York, New York, U.S.A.

New Yorks School Of Visual Arts presents Places With Traces, an exhibition of artwork by Markus Esser, Laura Griffin, Noah Kalina, Elsuko Kamazu and Sam Tufnell, at Eastside Gallery, 214 East 21 Street in New York. For more information: Web: schoolofvisualarts.edu.

Headline News

Spontaneous Combustion Promotes Pillinger To Exec. Producer

Simone Pillinger has been promoted to executive producer at Spontaneous Combustion, the digital studio specializing in design, visual effects and animation for the advertising, broadcast and film industries. Since February 2000, she has served as Spontaneous' senior producer. From 1997 to 2000, she freelanced for a number of firms including Electra Records and ATTIK. Pillinger's commercial credits include AT&T (Young & Rubicam/New York, NY), NFL (NFL Properties Advertising and Design Department/New York, NY), Tropicana (FCB/New York, NY), T.J.

Visual Headline News

Lombardo Named Senior Producer At Cinesite

Dan Lombardo has been named senior producer at Cinesite Hollywood. He will oversee daily operations of the 2D and 3D departments. He previously worked as an executive producer and vice president of production at Computer Film Company (CFC) and Manex Visual Effects. His credits include MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2, ROMEO MUST DIE, ARMAGEDDON, DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, THE FIFTH ELEMENT and THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. He also led the team that earned an Emmy for Best Visual Effects for the pilot episode of EARTH 2.

Headline News

Cambridge Releases Animo 4.0 With Flash Support

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, June 19, 2001 at 12:00am

Cambridge Animation Systems has announced Animo 4.0, the newest version of their flagship cartoon animation system. Available this month from Cambridge and their distributor network, the new version includes a number of new features, greater performance and the ability to output work in Flash format. Animo 4.0 users now can reduce their Flash file output size and optimize their content for the low bandwidth of the Internet through special controls such as disabling filter nodes and disabling animation of any bitmap image.

Headline News

Alias|Wavefront Ships Maya 4

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, June 19, 2001 at 12:00am

Alias|Wavefront has begun shipping Maya 4, the latest release of the companys industry leading 3D animation and visual effects software suite. The new release boasts numerous enhancements and optimizations designed to improve the programs overall ease-of-use and efficiency, with particular focus on rendering, character animation, brush and paint tools and games related functionality. The new release includes enhanced functionality and usability in several key areas. Focused improvements have been made throughout Maya to upgrade the UI and streamline the production workflow.

Series Headline News

Queen Of Cartoons Betty Boop Bops Onto Television

Mainframe Entertainment and Fleischer Studios, Inc. have formed a collaboration that will yield a new television series based on BETTY BOOP, the dazzling "Queen of Cartoons." Mainframe will also be working with Fleischer and King Features Syndicate on launching a significant licensing and merchandising campaign, with a new video series, interactive games and collectible items.

Headline News

Cartman Says Sh@t! On South Park Season Premier

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, June 19, 2001 at 12:00am

Our SOUTH PARK friends will soon join a select group of television pioneers when Cartman says the S word on the first of eight new episodes. The shows fifth season premier is scheduled to air on Comedy Central Wednesday, June 20, 2001 at 10 pm. Other upcoming episodes include Chefs meteoric rise from an unassuming cafeteria cook to international fame and fortune as a culinary expert.In another, very special episode. Cartman gets pubic hair.

Headline News

Spontaneous Combustion Squirts Out Spots For Tropicana

Spontaneous Combustion has created the visual effects for both a 15-second and 30-second spot for Tropicana Pure Premium Grovestand. The spots feature a woman pealing an orange that bursts forth with gallons of juice. Spontaneous Combustion's director of visual effects/senior inferno* artist David A. Elkins said, "Our client wanted the footage to look wetter and juicier to convey just how tasty the product is. In keeping with Tropicana's packaging, we created a clean white background for the shots that were lensed against blue screen.

Million Headline News

Tomb Raider Leaps To #1, Atlantis Takes #2

By Dan Sarto | Sunday, June 17, 2001 at 12:00am

Paramount Pictures TOMB RAIDER leaped into #1 in this weekends box office, taking in an estimated $48.2 million. Disneys ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE debuted at #2, with a respectable, if not spectacular $20.4 million. DreamWorks' CG film, SHREK, continued to post solid numbers, moving down only one notch to #3 with $12.9 million, bringing its five week cumulative to $197.2 million. Warner Bros.' SWORDFISH dropped to the #4 spot with $12.15 million, bringing its two week cumulative to $39.21.

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