AWN Headline News

DigiCel, Inc. has releaseda new version of its 2D animation software FlipBook, with improvedsupport for digital video capture and stop motion animation. Version3.5 features widespread support for digital video capture viaFireWire. A digital video camera and a FireWire port is all usersneed to capture high quality digital images directly into FlipBookfor pencil test and stop motion animation. DigiCel FlipBook also hasthe ability to rotate images 180 degrees during the capture process

Visit all of AWN's Discussion Forums to stay in touch with the animation community! This week, hot forum discussions include careers in Flash animation and the state of 3D animation in India. In The Animator's Desktop, Tony White has posted lesson #7 in his "Making Things Move Well" series. Over in Show and Tell, check out the CG short "Cubism," and "The Fellowship of the Frisbee," an animation project featuring 24 animations in various styles and techniques by 24 Israeli artists, plus demo reels and portfolios posted by Forum users.

Award-winning producer/director Sheldon Lazarus, formerly of Planet24 and BSkyB, has joined Fox Kids Europe N.V. (FKE) as head of FKE'snewly created pan-European special programming department. This newdepartment, the first of its kind for FKE, will centralizedevelopment of entertainment programming for FKE's European networkof channels. As head of special programming, Lazarus will oversee ateam of three and will develop global concepts, targeting localtastes and needs within each territory, using content ranging from

German children's television producer RTV Family Entertainment has received a temporary reprieve from its financial woes in the form of a bridge credit line issued by a banking syndicate. The funds are backed by a letter of credit from RTV's majority shareholder Ravensburger AG, and will enable the floundering company to cover all current and past due liabilities. RTV still needs approximately 4 million Euro (US$3.7M) to continue operations through the end of the year.

GailSchenbaum and Karen DiNoto have joined the Los Angeles-based creativedepartment of Big Idea Productions. Gail Schenbaum has been appointedsenior vice president of creative affairs, responsible foridentifying and developing live-action and animated family featurefilms, direct-to-video and television projects. Schenbaum brings withher nearly 20 years of experience in the film and televisionproduction arena. Most recently she was a producer and creativeconsultant for a number of companies, including Pearson UK,

pasi (philippine animation studio,inc.) has teamed with management consultants VentureslinkInternational and ABC-TV Channel 5 in the Philippines to launch thePASI KARTOON SHOW, which premiered Saturday, June 15, 2002. Theone-hour program will air weekly and is designed to create a localmarket for Filipino-produced animation. The first 13 installmentswill be comprised of a half-hour episode each of KONG, THE ANIMATEDSERIES and BIKER MICE FROM MARS. Later episodes will utilize other

German animation producer RTV FamilyEntertainment has announced that the recent collapse of Kirch Mediaand co-production partner Phenomedia, as well as losses from baddebts with foreign partners, has led to a rapid deterioration of thecompany's financial situation. A May 2002 cancellation of a 5 millionEuro (approximately US$4.7M) credit line from a major Austrian bankhas added to the company's dire financial straits. According to apress release issued by RTV, the company needs between 6 and 7

Do you have a series in production? Are you looking for financial partners? Are you about to sign a co-production contract and need to establish your production budget? Then you should be in Cardiff, Wales, U.K. on June 21st and 22nd for the CARTOON FINANCE Cartoon Master.

Discreet's plasma, a professional animation software for creating 3D content for the Web, is now available. plasma software allows animators to work directly in a 3D space to create high-quality visuals for Web services such as instant messaging, greeting cards and interactive games. plasma features integration with Discreet's 3D and Macromedia's authoring tools including Macromedia Flash MX and Macromedia Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio, making the creation of 2D and 3D Web elements easier. plasma is available now for a suggested retail price of US$650.