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AWN Headline News

Final Headline News

Agent Aika: Final Battle Hits Video

Central Park Media is releasing AGENT AIKA: FINAL BATTLE on February 13, 2001. While on vacation, Aiko is seduced by a master manipulator and she must fight to retain her freedom. The film is from the creator of the PROJECT AKO series, Katsuhiko Nishijima. An English dubbed version will sell for US$19.99.

Productions Headline News

ANIMHA Productions Screening Invitation

Based in the Northern Arts Region of England, Animha Productions is an association of artists, writers, animators and filmmakers dedicated to independent film production and animation workshops. Animha invites you to the premiere screening of the Ewanrigg Film Project - a Year of the Artist and Ewanrigg Art Project initiative - showcasing the work of Animha's Dave Brunskill and Debby Akam, together with animations by local young filmmakers. The event will take place on Thursday, March 1, 2001, 7-9 pm. There will also be documentary footage of the project, free mulled wine and a buffet.

Million Headline News

Hannibal/Tiger Slash Records At US Box Office

HANNIBAL, the sequel to the Oscar-winning best picture SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, has slashed U.S. box office records on its way to claiming first place in its debut weekend. The cannibalistic cavalcade, with primary visual effects by Mill Film, ate up US$58 million, making it the all-time highest grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film. The blood-thirsty thriller also claimed the highest opening for a film release in January through April, beating out the re-release of STAR WARS. Still improving after 10 weeks in U.S.

Digital Headline News

New F/X Studio Mr. X Launches

Visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi and Toronto-based TOPIX/Mad Dog's Chris Wallace and Sylvain Taillon have launched Mr. X, Inc., a studio providing computer generated visual effects for feature entertainment. The new partnership will combine TOPIX's artists with Berardi, former visual effects supervisor of Toybox, supplying the ideas and directing. Berardi's F/X supervising credits include THE CELL, FIGHT CLUB, EXISTENZ, KEEPING THE FAITH, SUPERSTAR, THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD, JASON X and BRIDE OF CHUCKY.

Headline News

DRAW!, New How-To Cartooning/Comic Magazine

Debuting in April, TwoMorrows Publishing is launching its new quarterly magazine entitled, DRAW! Edited by Mike Manley, DRAW! is a professional "how-to" magazine for comics artists, cartoonists and animators. The first issue features articles by Dave Gibbons, Jerry Ordway, John Costanza, Shane Glines and many other pros sharing tips and tricks. The magazine will feature demonstrations ranging from penciling and inking techniques to coloring, lettering, storyboarding, Photoshop skills and more. Bret Blevins designed the cover for the first issue.

Production Headline News

New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors And More...

Santa Monica, California's Anthropics, Inc., a computer graphics software company, is looking for a PRODUCTION USER/ENGINEER and a SENIOR PRODUCTION ENGINEER to deliver production material using the company's proprietary software. . . Beverly Hills, California's Batia and Aleeza Hair Salon is looking for a GRAPHIC/WEB DESIGNER to update the salon's Website. . . Woodland Hills, California's BlackMarket Productions is looking for a CHARACTER ANIMATOR for animation short & series pilots. . .

Headline News

Gaming Firm Spawns F/X Studio In North Carolina

North Carolina-based SouthPeak Interactive, a former SAS subsidiary that produced computer games, has spawned Alternate Route Studios, a new F/X house. Originally created to produce proprietary technology that promoted "feature film quality" gaming, SouthPeak transformed into Alternate Route after its core technology was sold off last year. Executive director Susan Ellis said, "We are aiming our sights on national spots and features. As part of a proof of concept, we pitched to produce SAS' first national campaign.

Million Headline News

HIT Makes US Inroads With Barney Buy

London-based HIT Entertainment hopes that the big purple dinosaur named Barney can help pave roads into the States for the company's content. HIT has announced that it will acquire Allen, Texas-based Lyrick Corp., the creators of Barney, for US$275 million. As part of the deal, Lyrick will receive $165 million in new HIT stock and $110 million in cash. HIT hopes that Barney's wide success will help bring attention to HIT animated series such as KIPPER THE DOG, ANGELINA BALLERINA and BOB THE BUILDER, which is already an overwhelming success in the U.K, and made its U.S.

Mattel Headline News

Mattel, Mainframe Bring Barbie To Nutcracker Feature

Mattel has enlisted Mainframe Entertainment to create the first direct-to-video feature starring Barbie. The story will be based on THE NUTCRACKER with Barbie playing Clara. Mattel is investing US$15 million into the 84-minute CGI flick, which should hit store shelves in October. Currently, Mattel is looking for a buyer for an hour-long TV version of the film. New York City ballet-master Peter Martins will choreograph the dance sequences with the London Symphony Orchestra supplying the music. Motion-capture will be used to animate five separate dancers for the flick.

Animation Headline News

Ottawa International Student Animation Festival Calls For Entries

The next International Student Animation Festival of Ottawa (SAFO) will be held October 18-21, 2001. Now in its third edition, the Ottawa International Student Animation Festival provides a dynamic showcase of the most fresh and innovative animation from around the world. The official competition is divided into five categories: High School Student Films; Undergraduate Student Films (Post-Secondary); Graduate Student Films (Post-Secondary); First Film (e.g. Professional/Independent/Co-op Produced Films); and Children's Animation (Under 12 Years Of Age).

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network Hires Veteran Marketing Director

Joanne Barlow joins Turner Entertainment Networks as marketing director for Cartoon Network UK and Boomerang, Cartoon Network's spin-off classic animation network. Her goal will be to bring together all aspects of marketing, offering strong and focused propositions to the partners and audiences of Cartoon Network and Boomerang. Previously, she served as European promotions manager for service station chain Shell. Before joining Shell, she ran her own business designing children's products. "We are very excited to have Joanne onboard," said James Greville, head of Cartoon Network UK.

Creative Headline News

Design Artist Ben Orisich Joins F/X Studio Cyclotron

Ben Orisich has joined Cyclotron, a New York design, production and F/X company, as digital artist/designer. Prior to Cyclotron, 25 year-old Orisich worked for four years at Atlanta-based Click 3X as senior inferno* artist. Orisichs work has won him numerous awards, including the Gold BDA International Design Award (2000) for commercial spots for UPS and retailer Carson Pirie Scott.

Spot Headline News

Miss Jones Weaves Web For AT&T Net Spot

Miss Jones, a design and visual effects commercial company, has created an animated spider for AT&T's new media campaign. In the commercial, a spider weaves a web, which represents the AT&T logo. This spot continues in the same vein as other AT&T spots, "Pop," "Newton" and "Balloon," completed by Miss Jones. Miss Jones' spot director Barnaby Jackson said, "With the other spots we start with the [AT&T] logo, and then transformed it. Here, we recreated the logo. We really let the spider have artistic license.

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