AWN's Web Animation Guide is the place for what's new on the Net. In this week's installment find what toon won AtomFilm's Animation Showdown 2, more holiday specials, a new installment of John K's THE GODDAMN GEORGE LIQUOR PROGRAM and much, much more!
Get your Web Animation Guide here!
Also every week AWN's associate editor Rick DeMott highlights what he thinks is the top new toon in cyberspace in "Rick's Picks!"
Leading experts in their respective fields are here to answer your questions and give you personal advice and insight...
Plympton's new series of comics is extracted from the comic book "Polls Apart - How To Tell A Democrat From A Republican," by Kathy Paton & Bill Plympton...
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz...
January 1997 saw the passing of Louise Beaudet, a person who dedicated her life to helping the animation community define itself. Louise Beaudet was known for her work at the Cinémathèque Quebecoise in Montreal, perhaps one of the only archives where animation is considered a top priority. In her role as curator of the Cinémathèque, she more than helped fulfill that organization's special interest in animation. Louise was passionate about promoting independent animation. She authored a number of historical texts, essays and monographs.
* Thursday, February 1 Friday, February 2, 2001. Middlesbrough, U.K.
* Saturday, February 10 Sunday, May 13, 2001. San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
The Exploratorium is sponsoring a major exhibition entitled "Behind
* Thursday, February 15 Saturday, February 17, 2001. Strasbourg, France.
Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials has created two "Election" spots for General Mills' Cocoa Puffs cereal. "Election: Part I" has Sonny the cuckoo bird campaigning against two other candidates and promising to put real chocolate money in specially packaged Cocoa Puffs cereal boxes. In the second spot, Sonny wins the election and announces that for a limited time chocolate coins will be in all Cocoa Puffs Cereal boxes.
Blur Studio has created a new CGI spot promoting Hasbro Interactive's new CD-Rom game PAC-MAN: ADVENTURES IN TIME. In the spot, Pac-Man is pursued through a maze by a quartet of ravenous ghosts and once cornered he turns toward the camera and leaps through the screen. The ghosts follow Pac-Man into the real world but are stymied when he swallows a "Magic Power Pill." "We went for a styling that was not quite photo-real," said Blur Studio CG supervisor Aaron Powell.
Unbound Studios, an animation and interactive entertainment company, has announced Jill Proctor Ramirez to the newly created position of VP of business development. Proctor Ramirez began her career as a newscaster in Dallas, Texas. Later she held the positions of director of development at Morgan Hill Films/Hearst Entertainment and vice president of development at the Dick Clark Film Group.
Valley Cottage, New York's Southeast Design Co. is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR with 4-5 years broadcast animation experience. . . Santa Clara, California's Believe, Inc., a pre-IPO start-up, is looking for experienced SOFTWARE ENGINEERS who will create, implement and support new features, tools and other improvements in custom software. . . New York's Center for Advanced Digital Applications - New York University, an advanced training facility for animation and visual effects, is looking for PART-TIME INSTRUCTORS with experience in digital production and/or art in a professional environment. .
The iXL Digital Video Group, New York, a graphic design and visual effects company, has added Robin Horlick as executive producer and Doug Dimon as senior visual effects artist. Horlick joins iXL following four years as director of sales/executive producer at Sony Music Studios, New York. During her career in television production she has won an Emmy, Peabody and BDA awards.
Toronto broadcaster CTV has gained the Canadian TV rights for the STAR WARS franchise. The three-year deal gives CTV broadcast rights to EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE and the original STAR WARS trilogy. In addition, the network has purchased the documentaries FROM STAR WARS TO STAR WARS: THE STORY OF INDUSTRIAL LIGHT & MAGIC, A LONG TIME AGO: THE STORY OF STAR WARS and THE MYTHOLOGY OF STAR WARS. PHANTOM MENACE will debut on April 29, 2001 on the same day that the film premiere's in the States on Fox.
Rumpus.com has done it again gaining top Hollywood talent for its online animated features. Frankie Muniz, the star of Fox's live-action comedy MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, will voice the character of Rocky in Rumpus' new THE RED BISON. Also featured in the new film will be Josh Charles (SPORTS NIGHT), Michael Black (ED), and Alexander Chaplin (SPIN CITY).
Disney's initiative to release their new animated feature THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE in Spanish to theaters in Los Angeles has failed. Disney decided to place a Spanish dubbed GROOVE in theaters in 16 Latino communities alongside the English version [AWN 01/02/01]. This effort was the first time that Disney released a film in English and Spanish in the States at the same time. For years Disney has released Spanish dubbed or subtitled prints of their films to theaters that have requested them.
Nickelodeon Latin America and TV Globo have signed a deal that will send Nicktoons to Brazilian airwaves. The two-year deal gives Globo the rights to air Nicktoons on Saturday mornings. Nick has similar deals with Mexico's Televisa and Venezuela's Radio Caracas Television. The cartoons that will air from 7 8 am will be dubbed versions of CATDOG, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS and THE WILD THORNBERRYS.
Cartoon Network Online has promoted Sam Register to the role of senior VP and creative director. Register oversees CartoonNetwork.com's original content and the tie-ins to the cable channel like "Toonami: The Intruder" and "Theater," and has been instrumental in the site's development and growth since its inception. Previously, he served as creative director for Colossal Pictures and Turner New Media.
* Tuesday, May 15 Sunday, May 20, 2001. Turku, Finland.
Entry Deadline: February 9, 2001.
* Thursday, January 11 Friday, January 12, 2001. Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
Larry Lauria will be conducting a "hands on," interactive animation fundamentals and character design workshop. The event is being held at Al Collins Graphic Design School. On Thursday, Lauria will present a talk on "Careers in Animation." The workshop will be held on Friday. For more information contact Jeff Marcus at: Tel.: (800) 876-7070.
* Thursday, January 18 Sunday, January 28, 2001. Park City, Utah, U.S.A.
* Friday, January 19, 2001. Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
The newly formed ASIFA-Colorado is holding a big kick off bash. Chris Robinson, an ASIFA-International board member and the Ottawa International Animation Festival executive director, will present "The Best of Ottawa," a program of international award-winning animation. For more information contact Edward Bakst at: R.M.C.A.D., 6875 E. Evans Ave., Denver, Colorado 80224, U.S.A.; Tel.: (800) 888-ARTS or (303)-753-6046; E-mail: EBakst@RMCAD.edu; or Fax: (303) 694-2314.
* Thursday, August 2 Monday, August 6, 2001. Hollywood, California, U.S.A.
Entry Deadline: March 31, 2001.
At Macworld Expo this week, Electric Image announced that a professional version of its Amorphium real-time 3D sculpting and painting program would start shipping later this month. The new product, Amorphium PRO, builds upon its predecessor's real-time interface, while adding significant new modeling, animation and rendering capabilities that make it ideal for 3D artists, Web animators and graphic designers.
Toms River, New Jersey-based Theme Studios has opened a new visual design studio. The company will focus on the production of graphics, illustrations and 2D3D visuals. Theme currently creates projects for distribution on the Web or in digital formats. For more information contact Robert Breisch at: 882 Salem Dr., Toms River, New Jersey 08753; Tel.: (732) 270-1220; E-mail: design@themestudios.com; or Web: www.themestudios.com.
