This Week’s Animation Trivia Quiz for March 21, 2005
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AWN Headline News
British Director Confirmed as X3 Helmer
20th Century Fox has confirmed rumors that British helmer Matthew Vaughn has been hired to direct X-MEN 3, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Avi Arad, Lauren Shuler Donner and Ralph Winter will produce. Zak Penn and Simon Kinberg have written the script. Hugh Jackman has already signed on to reprise his role as Wolverine and the studio is in talks with Ian McKellen, Halle Berry and Patrick Stewart. The film is expected to start lensing in mid-July and will hit theaters May 26, 2006.
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for March 21, 2005
This week in AWN's Forums, a junior member wants to know is it worth pay $20,000 for a one-year diploma?
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Triplets of Belleville Wins Top Genie Award
Oscar-nominee THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE won the Best Film prize at the 25th Genie Awards, Canada's top film award, which was held on March 21, 2005, in Toronto.
Seamless visual effects drama HEAD IN THE CLOUDS, starring Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz and Stuart Townsend, directed by John Duigan, took home the most awards for the categories of editing, costume, score and cinematography.
In the animation front, Chris Landreths Oscar winner RYAN won for animated short.
Lions Gate Starts Up 3D FOODFIGHT! With Threshold
Formed less than a month ago, Lions Gate Family Entertainment has announced it will co-produce FOODFIGHT!, the 3D animated film from Larry Kasanoff's Threshold Animation Studios, slated for a fall 2006 release.
Currently in production, FOODFIGHT! takes place in a supermarket that comes to life when the customers and employees have gone home. Some of the stars cast to provide voices are sisters Hilary and Haylie Duff, who are starring together in the upcoming MATERIAL GIRLS.
Scooby-Doo Movies & Flintstones Third Season on DVD
Warner Home Video brings THE BEST OF THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MOVIES, retailing for $64.92 (SRP), and THE FLINTSTONES: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON, retailing for $44.98 (SRP), to DVD in four-disc deluxe sets, which streets on March 22, 2005.
Jay Jay The Jet Plane Launches 32-city Air Show Tour
TV promotion and marketing takes to the skies as a hit childrens television franchise, JAY JAY THE JET PLANE, launches a 32-city tour designed to entertain young children and families at air shows and aviation festivals across the United States, it was announced by PorchLight Entertainment Inc. and the Fun Events Co.
James Neal Named VP, Programming, Disney Channel UK
Walt Disney Branded Television has promoted James Neal to vp, programming, Disney Channel UK, responsible for leading the programming teams for Disney Channel, Playhouse Disney and Toon Disney. Neal will also oversee the program planning of general entertainment channel abc1.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Micro-Series Comes to DVD
The Emmy Award-winning STAR WARS: CLONE WARS Volume 1 comes to DVD on March 22, 2005, from Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. The Cartoon Network 2D series produced & directed by Genndy Tartakovsky (SAMURAI JACK, DEXTERS LABORATORY) follows the exploits of heroic Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and a legion of Jedi Knights as they fight against the forces of the Dark Side during the calamitous Clone Wars of Star Wars legend.
Apax to Buy HIT Entertainment for $934 Million
On March 21, 2005, HIT Entertainment Plc. agreed, to take a £489.4 million ($934 million) cash takeover offer from U.K. venture capitalists Apax Partners.
HIT, the kids entertainment company behind such characters at BOB THE BUILDER, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE and BARNEY THEPURPLE DINOSAUR, made the announcement as it revealed disappointing financial results for the six months ending Jan. 31.
CG Academy Releases New MAXScript Fundamentals DVD
CG Academy has just released a second 3ds max training DVD in its MAXScript Fundamentals 2 series. Borislav Bobo Petrov continues his exploration of the wonderful world of MAXScript. In this DVD Petrov applies MAXScript to many real-world tasks where doing things by hand would be slow and laborious, bringing to bear the power of MAXScript on the masses of objects, lights and materials found in a typical 3dsmax scene.
Digital-Tutors Releases Fundamentals of Photoshop: 3D Texturing
Digital-Tutors has announced the much anticipated FUNDAMENTALS OF PHOTOSHOP: 3D TEXTURING training kit the latest release in a library of industry leading training resources for digital artists of all expertise levels. In more than three hours of training methods, users have the opportunity to bring their 3D models to life and add incredible realism.
!mpossible Pictures Promotes & Adds To The Team
!mpossible Pictures has promoted editor James Frazier to director of operations and welcomes a new addition, designer/editor Heather Arment, to the team.
James has been an integral part of the company and our clients have expressed enthusiasm seeing him move to the next level in handling day-to-day operations, said Steve Urbano, !mpossible Pictures vp/director. Heather makes a terrific addition to our team with her great energy and originality. Shes one-of-a-kind and brings unique experiences in design, filmmaking, and editing.
TWC Adds Three New Directors
Continuing to grow its directorial roster, Thomas Winter Cooke has signed two of the U.K.s best young commercial directors, Seamus Masterson and Elliot Hegarty, as well as well known documentarian and commercial filmmaker Martin Brierley, for exclusive representation in the U.S.
Canadians: Don’t Miss Gemini Deadline!
The 20th Annual Gemini AwardsToronto, Ontario, CanadaDecember 2005Deadline: April 11, 2005
Superman Returns Begins Shooting
Principal photography is underway in Sydney, Australia on Warner Bros. Pictures highly anticipated SUPERMAN RETURNS. The film is scheduled to shoot in and around Sydney, Australia through mid-August 2005 and will be released by Warner Bros. Pictures on June 30, 2006.
Send Your Flicks to Seoul Cartoon & Animation Fest
Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival - SICAF 2005Seoul, South KoreaAugust 11-16, 2005Deadline: April 30, 2005
Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF), the most popular festival in Asia, celebrates the art of cartoons, animation and derivative multi-contents. The event consists of three parts the convention and exhibition, business market and animated film festival.
Animax Hosts Production Contest
Budding animators will stand a chance to see their story come alive on Animax! announced today, the Q & T Storyboard Competition organized by Animax Asia the first-ever 24-hour Japanese Animation Channel and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will give animation talents a regional platform to showcase their work.
Comic The Darkness Coming to Gaming Shelves
Majesco will publish the videogame adaptation of the popular comicbook series, THE DARKNESS, for release in 2006. Starbreeze, the acclaimed development studio behind the top-selling videogame, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ESCAPE FROM BUTCHER BAY, will develop the best-selling Top Cow comic.
Bird, Lucas & Katzenberg Shine at ShoWest
STAR WARS creator George Lucas was presented with the Galactic Achievement Award at the closing night ceremony of ShoWest 2005, March 17, 2005, in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel. Lucas, whose sixth STAR WARS movie, STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH, opens May 19, acknowledged the one-time special honor while Animation Director of the Year honor was given this year to Brad Bird, director of THE INCREDIBLES.
In Event, Visual Effects, Event, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe
Ring Two Double Delight for DreamWorks
DreamWorks THE RING TWO more than doubled the originals opening, debuting in top spot with $35.1M (vfx by Rhythm & Hues), about the same take as last weeks No. 1, ROBOTS which held well in second place, posting $21M for the 3D-animated feature from Fox/Blue Sky for a two-week take of $66M.
Avid Technology to Acquire Pinnacle Systems
Avid Technology Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Pinnacle Systems Inc. in a cash and stock transaction of about $462 million. The combination will provide Avid with immediate presence in consumer video and expand its professional broadcast offerings. The acquisition is subject to satisfying a number of closing conditions, including shareholder and regulatory approvals, and is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2005.
Star Wars: Clone Wars Returns with Five New Chapters
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS returns with five new 12-minute chapters on Cartoon Network beginning March 21, 2005, and will air nightly at 7:00 pm through March 25, as well as broadcast all five new chapters back to back on March 26.
Cdigix Acquires Disney, Turner Films for Online
Cdigix, an online movie and music service for college students, has inked its first studio content deals, acquiring movies and TV shows from the Walt Disney Co. and Turner Broadcasting, reports VARIETY.
With distribution deals with 21 colleges and universities, Cdigix will offer Disney films including THE INCREDIBLES and THE VILLAGE once they enter the video-on-demand. In addition, it will have programs from Disney-owned ESPN like WORLD SERIES OF POKER.
The Turner deal will see Cartoon Networks Adult Swim programming enter the Web.
Veteran Animator/Producer Hal Seeger Passes Away
Veteran animator and producer Hal Seeger passed away on March 13, 2005, at the age of 87. Seeger started in animation as an assistant animator at the Fleischer Studios. He also served as a ghostwriter for Bud Counihan's BETTY BOOP comicstrip. In the late 1950s, he started Hal Seeger Prods., in New York City, specializing in television commercials. In the early 1960s, his studio created cartoons for syndication and Saturday morning television, including a KoKo The Clown revival OUT OF THE INKWELL, ABC's THE MILTON THE MONSTER SHOW and BATFINK.
