Animated stars resident filmmaker Ian Kelly (BEING IAN), and the funny Frenchman in underpants, Yvon Ducharme (YVON OF THE YUKON) will be hosting two hours of their favorite episodes on Canada Day, Friday, July 1, 2005. With original animation created by Studio B Prods. in collaboration with YTVs On-Air Promotions department, these two characters host the BBQ blowout from Ian Kellys backyard Canada Day party, with all the barbecue fixings and even some fireworks.
A new site has launched on the Net called Urbaniacs.com, which allows Net surfers to create, train and enhance their own funky superheroes. Urbaniacs are a group of silly superheroes that fans get to create by combining different body parts together to form their own Urbaniac. By picking a different head, torso and legs, members increase their might, mojo, defense and health. Different combinations also give the new Urbaniacs a mix of powers such as Boogie Finger, Ice Scream and Tribal Storm.
From Paramount Home Ent. and MTV Networks comes THE REN & STIMPY SHOW SEASONS THREE AND A HALF-ISH on DVD, featuring 29 cartoons from season 3 and some from season 4. Creator John K. and the original animation team give commentary on 11 of the episodes. In addition, for the first time, Ren and Stimpy will comment on THE REN & STIMPY SHOW. The three-disk set is in Dolby Digital 2.0 and sells for $38.99.
Friedman 3D, will be starting a new semester on July 5th, 2005. Instruction will be provided in award-winning Alias Maya from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Friday. There will be an additional class offered in Adobe After Effects that runs from 3:00-6:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The cost for classes is $75 and $25 respectively, plus a $25 registration fee. Those collecting unemployment benefits from EDD may qualify for collecting those benefits while a full-time student at Friedman 3D.
Friedman 3D, will be starting a new semester on July 5th, 2005. Instruction will be provided in award-winning Alias Maya from 8:00am to 3:00pm Monday through Friday. There will be an additional class offered in Adobe After Effects that runs from 3:00-6:00pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The cost for classes is $75 and $25 respectively, plus a $25 registration fee. Those collecting unemployment benefits from EDD may qualify for collecting those benefits while a full-time student at Friedman 3D.
Grammy-nominated Hollywood singer/actress Robie Lester, who was the singing voice behind Eva Gabor in THE ARISTOCATS and THE RESCUERS, died June 14, 2005, of cancer at St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank at age 75.
Discovery Kids is kicking off Independence Day in the U.S. with a sparkling new schedule on July 4, 2005, when the READY SET LEARN! commercial- and sponsor-free programming block will become READY SET SUMMER! featuring a special summer lineup that devotes the entire block each day of the week to a single series.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
This week in AWN's Forums, a poster celebrates his year anniversary on the AWN Forums with a thank you to other members. Another member wants the skinny on Indian animation schools. A member from Germany needs some help and advise. More people discuss MADAGASCAR. In addition, more members post their thoughts on other members work. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!
Corner Stone Pictures and OBX Capital Group have formed a new joint venture, Corner Stone Animation. The new company will operate as a subsidiary of Corner Stone Pictures in Sherman Oaks, California.
National Geographic Channel (NGC) selected Animetrics 3-Dimensional face imaging software to make the EXPLORER: "Search for Adam." (NGC's) signature series EXPLORER: Search for Adam premiered June 26 at 8:00 pm with a rebroadcast on June 29 at 2:00 pm and July 2 at 7:00 pm. It features renowned scientists as they follow the genetic DNA trail of mans ancestors in a quest to solve one of the greatest questions of all time was there actually an Adam, an ancient man that all men today are descended from?
The Letterman Digital Arts Center (LDAC), the new home of Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic and LucasArts, located in the beautiful 23-acre campus in San Franciscos Presidio, had its grand opening on June 25.
Disney Digital 3D, a brand new three-dimensional digital experience in movie theaters, will be launched with the release of the studios first 3D-animated feature, CHICKEN LITTLE, on Nov. 4.
In collaboration with Disney, Dolby Laboratories plans to install its Dolby Digital Cinema systems in approximately 100 high-profile theaters in 25 top markets that will present the 3D film with special glasses. Industrial Light & Magic, meanwhile, will render the movie in 3D with new proprietary software so it can be played on Dolby Digital Cinema servers in theaters.
Warner Bros. BATMAN BEGINS (with vfx from Double Negative, MPC, Rising Sun Pictures and BUF) continued its box office reign for the weekend ended June 26, 2005, grabbing $27.5M and a two-week cume of $122.5M. Sonys BEWITCHED (with vfx from Sony Pictures Imageworks) bowed in second place with $20.1M. However, it wasnt enough to prevent the overall domestic box office from slumping for the 18th consecutive week.
Collision Ent. and Firm Films have teamed up to turn videogame MAX PAYNE into a feature film for 20th Century Fox, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Collision Scott Faye and Firm Films topper Julie Yorn are producing with Abandon Ent.s Karen Lauder serving as exec produce. Fox exec Robbie Brenner will shepherd the film for the studio.
Disney has secured domestic distribution rights to BLADE TRINITY director David Goyers next project, THE INVISIBLE, reports VARIETY. Goyer will helm the picture for Spyglass Ent., who picked up the project from DreamWorks, where Goyer became attached. Production is set to start in September in Vancouver.
Spyglass will finance the entire film and retain all the international rights. Any rights that Spyglass cannot sell will go to Disney. Spyglass bought the remake rights in 2002.
The WAR OF THE WORLDS graphic novel from Best Sellers Illustrated is in development for television by producer Richard G. Murphy.
"This is an entirely fresh take on WAR OF THE WORLDS, which focuses on how a diverse group of New Yorkers fights back against the Martians," said Murphy, whose credits include UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN and TIMECOP.
Tor Books has teamed up with SCI FI Channel to bring readers the finest new voices in science fiction and fantasy. Each month, one Tor title will receive the SCI FI Essential stamp of approval, which will appear on the spine and cover of the book. Tor and SCI Fi will partner on live author chats on SCIFI.COM, and sample chapters and sneak peeks of upcoming books in the program on the site www.scifimonthlypick.com.
Paul Giamatti (SIDEWAYS), David Hyde Pierce (FRASIER) and Molly Shannon (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) will lend their voice talents to SCI FI Channel's AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD. Currently in production, this humorously quirky animated pilot is slated to premiere in 2006.
Paul Winchell, a ventriloquist, inventor and children's TV show host best known for creating the voice of Winnie the Pooh's animated friend Tigger, died on June 24, 2005, in his sleep at his home in Moorpark, California. He was 82.
Actor John Fiedler, whose distinctive high-pitched voice brought life to Winnie-the-Poohs Piglet, died on June 25, 2005. He was 80.
Fiedler began voicing Piglet in the Oscar-winning short WINNIE THE POOH AND THE BLUSTERY DAY in 1968 and continued up until his death. His other animation roles included Porcupine in THE FOX AND THE HOUND, Sexton Mouse in ROBIN HOOD, Deacon Owl in THE RESCUERS and a small role in THE EMPERORS NEW GROOVE.
Animation World Network and VFXWorld are proud to announce that we are a special media sponsor for the Visual Effects Societys eDIT 8. Filmmakers Festival in Frankfurt, Germany, Oct. 9-11, 2005. We will be sponsoring eDward VI, a young filmmakers contest and awards which celebrates the work of talented artists under the age of 30. Filmmakers from all over the world participate each year, creating 30-second films based on the given theme.
This week in the Theatrical Release Database, we have more than 20 updates.
According to a recent POCKET GAMES readership research study conducted by videogame magazine publisher Ziff Davis Media Game Group, portable gamers are shifting to an older and more diverse demographic segment than it has been historically. POCKET GAMES readers are now 20 years old on average, and 13% of the readership is female compared to 9% in 2003.
Twentieth Century Fox and Canal Plus will co-finance BABYLON A.D., a big-budget futuristic thriller to be directed and written by GOTHIKA helmer Mathieu Kassovitz, reports VARIETY.
Inspired by Maurice Dantec novel BABYLON BABIES, tale is set in the near future where genetic manipulation occurs. In the book, a mercenary charged with bringing a young woman from Russia to Canada learns that she has been infected with a synthetic virus, which could wipe out all humans on Earth.
