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AWN Headline News

Nickelodeon Headline News

WGA Writers Rally Against Nickelodeon - Picket Scheduled

The Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw), representing theatrical and television writers, has filed its third unfair labor practice charge in two months against Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Inc. (a Viacom subsidiary) for allegedly retaliating against employees of animated series who are seeking union representation and coverage by the guild's contract (MBA). The latest charge asserts that Nickelodeon illegally reduced the benefits of writers on the television show JIMMY NEUTRON, BOY GENIUS in retaliation for their activities in seeking WGAw representation.

Home Headline News

Caillou Hits Video In September

Warner Home Video and PBS KIDS Home Video are about to release the first two CAILLOU titles in the U.S. In CAILLOU'S FURRY FRIENDS, Caillou takes his cat Gilbert to the vet, receives some help from the fire department to get Gilbert out of a tree, brings home a stray puppy and befriends a seeing-eye dog. In CAILLOU THE EXPLORER, Caillou heads out to sea with Grandpa, rides the train, visits the farm and learns to use chopsticks with his friend Sarah. The Cinar-produced series has already sold more than 1.2 million videos in Canada since its launch in 1998.

Halloween Headline News

Disney Announces Halloween Haunts For Pooh & Rolie Polie Olie

In celebration of Halloween, Walt Disney Home Video will be releasing two holiday themed WINNIE THE POOH videos and one ROLIE POLIE OLIE title. In ROLIE POLIE OLIE: A SPOOKIE OOKIE HALLOWEEN, Olie and Billie decide to make Zowie's first Spookie Ookie Day one full of frights. In BOO TO YOU TOO!, Pooh and friends get their costumes ready, but Piglet is just too scared to join in. In FRANKENPOOH, the Hundred Acre Woods crew has a howling good time in three scary tales. A SPOOKIE OOKIE HALLOWEEN will sell for US$12.99, while the two POOH videos will retail for US$14.99.

Headline News

Lanier & Dates Team On Day Off The Dead

Animators Lee Lanier and Jeffrey Dates have teamed on the animated short film entitled DAY OFF THE DEAD and have launched the official Website (www.DayOffTheDead.com). The site will detail the film's creation. DAY OFF THE DEAD features computer graphics and follows the humorous day-to-day adventures of souls as they struggle to get through the Afterlife. Lee Lanier is the award-winning animator and director behind MIRROR and MILLENNIUM BUG. Lee served as senior animator on ANTZ and SHREK. He is the founder of the animation firm BeezleBug Bit.

Software Headline News

Realviz Unveils SceneWe@ver

REALVIZ, a leading developer of image processing software solutions, has announced the preview of SceneWe@ver, an application that enables users to view 3D models in Web-based 360° panoramas. Combining technology from REALVIZ' ImageModeler and Stitcher, SceneWe@ver offers multimedia artists, Web designers and Webmasters that use Macromedia Director a complete solution to creating photo-real, 3D environments that export to Director.

Films Headline News

Eyeon & Frantic Films Sign Next-Generation Deal

Visual effects software developer eyeon Software and effects facility Frantic Films have signed a strategic agreement to provide next-generation applications for eyeon's award-winning Digital Fusion product line. Frantic Films in-house programming talent will use the highly optimized modular Digital Fusion architecture on specific production solutions, which will then be incorporated by eyeon into future product versions. "Frantic Films helps eyeon Software return to its roots.

Headline News

LIPSinc Releases AniMeter

LIPSinc has announced of the release of AniMeter, its latest facial animation application for creation of talking digital characters. The software is a metered, batch processing application that uses the pre-recorded voice to generate facial animation data, including lip-synchronization and corresponding speech gestures for 2D and 3D talking digital characters. The product gives animators great results at first pass for automated lip-synchronization, while giving production managers more control over costs on a per project basis.

Series Headline News

WB Dumps Baby Blues 2nd Season

The WB Network has decided not to air the second season of its animated primetime series BABY BLUES. The series was a summer replacement last year and was scheduled for a 13-episode second run. In addition, six-episodes of the series were left over from the first season, leaving 19 un-aired episodes that cost US$15 million to produce. Executives decided to dump the toon due to its already packed fall schedule, which includes 5 new live-action comedies and no animation. The network will write off the series through an accounting rule in relation to its parent Time Warner's merger with AOL.

Cartoon Headline News

Kids Next Door Wins The Big Pick On Cartoon Network

Via viewer votes, KIDS NEXT DOOR, created by Tom Warburton, won Cartoon Network's The Big Pick, making it the network's next series for the fall 2002 season. The show pits five eager 10-year-olds on missions throughout their neighborhood. Warburton currently serves as a director on Cartoon Network's SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY. Ten pilots aired in the Big Pick competition. A total of 221,218 votes were cast during The Big Pick, including more than 50,000 online votes at CartoonNetwork.com. The second place toon was A KITTY BOBO SHOW, while third place went to MY FREAKY FAMILY.

Ratings Headline News

King Of The Hill Scores Best Ratings On Wednesday

The KING OF THE HILL special, which aired on Wednesday at 8 pm, scored higher ratings than in its regular timeslot on Sundays at 7:30 pm. THE SIMPSONS remained the top primetime toon, finishing in 37th place with a 5.2 rating/9 share. FAMILY GUY moved ahead of KING OF THE HILL to place 64th, garnering a 4 rating/7 share. The Wednesday installment of KING carved a 3.6 rating/7 share in the 73rd slot. However, KING on Sunday scored a 3.4 rating/6 share at #75. In 82nd place, FUTURAMA fashioned a 3 rating/6 share. The U.S.

Headline News

Nintendo Delays GameCube Launch

Nintendo has announced that it plans to delay the launch of its next-generation console GameCube, which gives Microsoft's Xbox a two-week leg-up on the highly coveted holiday buying season. GameCube will be released on November 18, where as Xbox is scheduled to launch on November 8, 2000. Nintendo says the move is to meet consumer demand and avoid glitches like Sony had with PlayStation 2 last year. "The change really was to make sure we avoided somebody else's misstep," said Peter Main, vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America.

Million Headline News

Jay & Silent Bob Debuts In Third

With AMERICAN PIE 2 staying a third week in the top spot, RUSH HOUR 2 held tight in second with JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK debuting in third. RUSH HOUR 2, with primary visual effects by Cinesite, took home another US$11.4 million, raising its cume to $183.3 million. JAY & SILENT BOB, with primary visual effects by Digital Research Lab, MetroLight Studios and Tigar Hare Studios, racked in $11.1 million, making it the highest opening for a film from director Kevin Smith.

Headline News

EM.TV Finance Head Steps Down After Less Than A Year In Post

EM.TV & Merchandising's head of finance, Rolf Rickmeyer, is stepping down after less than a year with the German firm. Rumors say that Rickmeyer had various disagreements with Kirch Group, who helped bail out EM.TV from money woes a few months back. Marius Schwarz, head of finance for German exhibitor CinemaxX, will replace Rickmeyer. Prior to CinemaxX, Schwarz oversaw finance at Sat1, the Kirch-owned commercial TV channel. Former Kirch exec Werner Klatten is set to replace EM.TV founder and CEO Thomas Haffa in September.

Headline News

REZN8 Forms Advisory Board

REZN8, a digital design and communications firm, has announced that it has created an advisory board to help guide its business and to facilitate new market initiatives. The advisory board consists of five members from various disciplines who will provide input on strategic advice and direction to Paul Sidlo, founder and CEO of REZN8. Robert Block is co-founder, chairman and CEO of International Communication Technologies Inc. (ICT). His role will include advising on strategic corporate planning, technology developments and communication structuring and negotiations.

Live-action Headline News

Loop Filmworks Creates Experimental Shorts For Noggin

Animation and production house Loop Filmworks has created a series of short films for Noggin, directed by David Chartier. "Noggin came to us with the idea of creating a series of short films told from the perspective of a precocious kid who uses his parents video camera to capture things he's curious about - such as which type of ice cream melts the fastest, and, how many ants could you fit at one time on a lollipop.

Watch Headline News

Mr. X Creates Effects For Default's Wasting My Time Video

Mr. X, Inc. has completed the photo-realistic visual effects, compositing and online conform for Default's first music video, "Wasting My Time." The video was directed by Noble Jones. Wasting My Time is the third collaboration for Mr. X and Director Jones, who recently completed music videos for Doyle Bramhall II and Smokestack's "Green Light Girl" and Sugar Jones' "How Much Longer." The music video starts with a young woman looking at her watch.

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