AWN Headline News

German children's entertainment producer TV-Loonland AG has appointed Celia Holman to the newly created role of head of development for the London office. Holman will be responsible for the development of all TV-Loonland's European-based programming and the maintaining and developing of contacts with independent producers, children's publishers and rights holders. Prior to TV-Loonland, she worked as project development manager for Network of the World (NOW), where she worked with potential children's content partners for a fully converged TV/Web environment.

Susan Armstrong has joined EyeballNYC as a designer. Previously, she served as an inferno* artist and 3D animator for Toronto-based TOPIX/Mad Dog. There she worked on commercials for Coca-Cola, Tylenol, Sega Playdium, as well as music videos for David Bowie, Bare Naked Ladies and Sheryl Crow, among others. In addition, Armstrong worked on such feature films as THE SWEET HEREAFTER and HARRIET THE SPY.

Ascension Technology Corporation will preview their new infrared active-optical motion-capture system, the Ascension ReActor, at the Game Developers Conference in San Jose this month. The ReActor delivers extremely smooth, real-time optical data for a broad range of animation applications at less than half the price of existing systems. ReActor captures the motions of an untethered performer free to spin, kick or jump in a capture area delineated by modular snap-together bars.

pmG (project:messiah Group), the producers of the award-winning project:messiah 3D animation package, have recently revamped the company Website. The re-launch expands greatly on the previous version, adding strong news and informational components, a library of 25 easy to download MPEG-1 sample animations and promotes and sells online the company's full line of products, including project:messiah 1.5, the messiah:studio suite, messiah:animate and messiah:render.

Luxembourg-based Oniria Productions has announced that work has started on RENART, THE FOX, a new computer-animated feature film. RENART will be directed by Thierry Schiel, who has helmed Oniria's nearly completed CGI feature TRISTAN & ISOLDE. Along with Schiel, Sophia Kolokouri will produce the film. RENART, THE FOX, based on the widely-known fable LE ROMAN DE RENART, spells out the hilarious adventures of the cunning Renart, an outlaw who pursues riches to support his children.

The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has announced the nominees for the 28th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards. Leading the toon nominees is CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG with five nominations including three in the voice acting category. Receiving nods for Outstanding Children's Animated Program were ARTHUR, CLIFFORD, DRAGON TALES, MADELINE and THE WILD THORNBERRYS. Nominated for Outstanding Special Class Animated Program were ANGELA ANACONDA, BATMAN BEYOND, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR OF STAR COMMAND, ROUGHNECKS: THE STARSHIP TROOPER CHRONICLES and SHERLOCK HOLMES IN THE 22ND CENTURY.

AWN's Web Animation Guide is the place for what's new on the Net. In this week's installment a new NAPSTER BAD! toon, Elmo Aardvark's Mondo Mini Show debut and a hilarious PSA spoof on Hotwired Animation Express. Plus, 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!"

* Thursday, December 6 Sunday, December 9, 2001. Telluride, Colorado, U.S.A.

Early Entry Deadline: March 31, 2001

* Wednesday, March 21, 2001. Burbank, California, U.S.A.

ASIFA-Hollywood is holding their monthly membership meeting. The event will screen new animations, sneak previews, members' commercials and personal films. Refreshments will be provided and admission is free for members. The event will begin at 7:30 pm. For more information contact ASIFA-Hollywood at: 721 S. Victory Blvd., Burbank, California 91502, U.S.A.; Tel.: (818) 842-8330; or Web: www.asifa-hollywood.org.

* June 2001. World Wide Web.

Entry Deadline: May 31, 2001