AWN Headline News

The Academy of Art College in San Francisco has hired animator Lisa Mullins as the animation lead for their Computer Graphics and 3D Animation department. Mullins has experience working in 2D, stop-motion and computer animation, and has worked in commercials, television, games and film. Her feature credits include HOLLOW MAN, DINOSAUR and SOUTH PARK THE MOVIE. After a stint at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, Mullins freelanced on projects for Vinton Studios and Wild Brain.

Los Angeles-based entertainment company channelzero will be attending MIPCOM with the pilot episode of their animated series SOSOPHIE. The short entitled "Dead Dog Double-Dare," is a co-production between channelzero, Atomic Cartoons, SMEC Media & Entertainment and Hacienda Post. SOSOPHIE is an action series that is described by its creators as THE SIMPSONS meets THE DUKES OF HAZARD. SOSOPHIE debuted at NATPE in January 2002.

DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg will be the first recipient of the newly established "Tex Avery Animation Award" at the 2002 Hollywood Film Festival, to be held in October in Hollywood, California. The award is named for legendary animator Tex Avery, who began his animation career in 1932 at Walter Lantz and went on to work at Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna Barbera. The award will be presented annually to honor an individual or group who have nurtured and advanced the art form of animation through outstanding contributions in the creative and/or technical arenas.

Durango Film Festival

Durango, Colorado, USA

Saturday, March 01 - Sunday, March 09, 2003

Entry Deadline: Wednesday, November 01, 2002

After 22 years of retirement, Ray Harryhausen has teamed with Los Angeles-based stop-motion studio Screen Novelties, Intl. to complete a new short film entitled THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. Originally begun in 1952 as part of his MOTHER GOOSE series, the project was shelved when Ray's career began to take off. He had always intended to finish the film and now, fifty years later, Harryhausen, along with Mark Caballero and Seamus Walsh of Screen Novelties, Intl., have completed the project.

Production agency CeMEDIA (Central European Media Workshop) has added Hungary's FirkaFilm to its production network and named it "First Base Studio" for the CeMEDIA production pipeline. Firka will control the overall production process and subcontract to other CeMEDIA member studios. Under contract with Varga Studios, Firka has provided animation services for an ANGELINA BALLERINA special and most recently completed the animation for 5 episodes of the series MR. BEAN. CeMedia will be at MIPCOM to distribute nearly 50 hours of animation provided by their European member studios.

comedycentral.com, MAXIM magazine and Combe Incorporated have joined forces to produce "The Maxim Player Generator Game." MAXIM magazine licensed its name to Combe, makers of the Just For Men brand of hair color, to help promote a new hair color line aimed at young adult men. To market the new brand, the companies turned to comedycentral.com to provide an online animated game. Glenn Ginsburg, vice president, interactive sales for Comedy Central, said, "Combe was looking for innovative ways to market both a new product and product category to a young male demo.

Maya 4.5, the seventh major release of Alias|Wavefront's popular Maya 3D animation software is now available for the Windows, IRIX and Linux operating systems, with Maya Complete 4.5 for Mac OS X available on September 23, 2002. Maya 4.5 boasts a number of major technological developments such as Maya Fluid Effects and modeling improvements, the largest collection of API enhancements since version 1 and version parity with Maya Complete 4.5 for Mac OS X.

Yet another animation player has struck out on his own. Following the news last week of former TV-Loonland head of programming John Bullivant forming his own company to create and develop character based projects, UK animation scriptwriter Alastair Swinnerton has announced he has left Skryptonite, the animation production company he co-founded five years ago. Swinnerton has now set up a new company called BA20 Entertainment in order to develop and market animation properties in a style similar to that of LEGO's BIONICLE, which Swinnerton helped create.

Uli Meyer Studios has completed the first commercial for the international launch of Cookie Crisp cereal for client Cereal Partners and agency Saatchi & Saatchi. Studio founder Uli Meyer designed the mascot for the cereal, a wolf named Chip, as well as creating the original artwork for the packaging and directing the commercial. The 30-second spot follows the hapless and hungry Chip as he tries various ways to steal Cookie Crisp cereal from two children. The spot mixes both 2D and 3D animation.

The big-budget special effects films have officially been taken over by low budget indies at the box office. With no new release blockbusters in sight, the well-reviewed comedy BARBERSHOP took the number one spot with $20.6M. In second for the second weekend in a row was MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, adding $10.7M and crossing the $100M mark. In third was another indie, ONE HOUR PHOTO, which earned $8.6M after expanding into wide release. The thriller, which stars Robin Williams, has earned $14.5M to date. Last week's number one SWIMFAN, sank to fourth place, with $6M and a cume of $19.6M.

France Animation is launching two new childrens animated series at MIPCOM 2002. TAMA & MELODY (not to be confused with 4Kids' TAMA and FRIENDS) and SPACE DJS, both aimed at the 8-12 year old set. TAMA & MELODY (52 x 13-minutes) is a cross-cultural series based on the book PEAU ET VENT by Marie Félicité Ebokéa. Adapted for screen by Claire Paoletti, the series is seen through the eyes of two musical children, an African boy named Tama and a western girl called Melody, both aged 12. The show explores the encounter between the two cultures.