Auckland, NZ (April 16, 2009) -- Massive Software, developer of the Academy Award-winning 3D animation software for AI-driven characters, today announced the appointment of Kevin Mannion as VP Product Strategy and Israel Cooper as Director of Finance.
NEEDHAM, MASS and LOS ANGELES, CA (April 14, 2009) -- Continuing its international expansion of sales operations, independent global distributor Echo Bridge Entertainment has appointed Natalie Yuen to the newly created position of Vice President, International Sales, Asia Pacific, effective immediately. The announcement was made today by Dan March, Executive Vice President, Echo Bridge Entertainment, to whom she will report.
LOS ANGELES (April 14, 2009) -- Toei Animation Inc. has hired Eduardo Lucio as the company's new Latin America Sales Manager, it was announced today by Kanji Kazahaya, Director of International Department of Toei Animation Co., Ltd.
Eric Westphal, Product Manager Europe
eyeon is pleased to announce the promotion of Eric Westphal to Product Manager for Europe. Eric has been an eyeon artist for many years and we are excited to have him as head of our European team. Congratulations Eric! eric@eyeonline.com.
eyeon Welcomes Robert Zeltsch as Product Specialist
Los Angeles -- April 13, 2009 -- Shea Fontana has been upped to Vice President, Children's Programming, it was announced today by Bruce Johnson, company President & CEO. In this new position, her responsibilities will expand to include the development, production and acquisition of all genres of children's programming for PorchLight Entertainment.
Chorion has appointed former Playhouse Disney executive Paula Rosenthal as SVP, creative.
Rosenthal will be responsible for managing a production slate and creating new content. She joins Chorion's senior creative team, working with Diana Manson, EVP creative, and Kurt Mueller, SVP, creative and will report to Mary Durkan, managing director, content.
PorchLight Ent. has appointed Courtney Colman to the company post of CFO and Don Mirisch as SVP.
As the chief financial officer, Colman will be responsible for overseeing PorchLight's finance, accounting, human resources and IT departments. Prior to joining PorchLight, Colman was exec VP of finance at First Look Studios, where she oversaw the finance, accounting and participation departments. Before First Look Studios, Colman held the position of CFO of Lieberman Research Worldwide, a market research company specializing in the entertainment sector.
Los Angeles-based creative studio DUCK has signed director, art director, designer, and animator Mato Atom for representation in the U.S. The Swiss native brings his distinctive style to DUCK -- a dynamic mix of CG, graphics, live action, and imaginative backdrops that position products in unique and interesting worlds.
Production company Nexus have signed Brazilian director, CISMA.
Otherwise known as Denis Kamioka, CISMA, which is Portuguese for a "strong and irrational conviction", has lived up to his adopted name and has a reputation for pushing creative boundaries to their limits. Effortlessly combining what would seem to be polar opposite visual styles, CISMA's creative work speaks a universal language.
Brandissimo! promoted of two executives to better manage the company's continued growth in its online games and virtual worlds business.
Executive Vice President and General Manager Andy Babb was named president. Vice President Josh Fisher was promoted to executive producer and senior vice president of content. Additional promotions and new staff members will be announced in the next few weeks.
The Walt Disney Company announced Friday it will cut 1,900 jobs at its Anaheim, Calif. and Orlando, Fla.-based theme parks, per VARIETY.
Some were direct layoffs and some were positions that will not be filled, affecting mostly managers and salaried employees, not workers in the parks. Among the cuts were 50 executives who accepted a voluntary buyout offered to about 600 people.
Sebastian Sylwan has left Autodesk to join Weta Digital as head of R&D. Sylwan served as Autodesk Media & Ent.'s senior film industry manager since 2007, with particular emphasis in stereoscopic technology. In fact, he wrote the final "Digital Eye" column for VFXWORLD in February: "Stereoscopic 3-D and the Future of Visual Storytelling".
As part of its international expansion, Bigpoint.com, a provider of browser-based online games and one of the top gaming portals, is expanding its management team. In Simon Guild, the Hamburg-based company has hired someone with wide international experience in the media industry.
Los Angeles-based creative production and post studio DUCK is bringing the dynamic four-man directing team of nObrain onboard to complement their existing roster of talent. The Paris-based collective, composed of Directors Sebastien Fourcault, Nicolas Pasquet, Charles Keramoal, and Sylvain Lefebvre, is known for boundless creativity in merging high-energy animation with live-action footage for TV, music videos, and spot work.
Dan Rosensweig has been named president and CEO of Activision Publishing's RedOctane, the business unit which develops the blockbuster GUITAR HERO franchise and soon to be released DJ HERO.
ADi, a Portland-based computer animation company, has added Nancy Hoffman as client relationship lead.
With more than 15 years building and nurturing client relationships for companies such as Creative Media Development and Waggener Edstrom, Hoffman will be charged with bringing ADi’s animation expertise to new clients in high-tech, consumer electronics, medical, consumer packaged goods, and education.
Spin Master Ent., the new entertainment division of Spin Master Ltd., has appointed Jennifer Picherack in the role of exec producer for BAKUGAN BATTLE BRAWLERS.
Based out of Spin Master's Toronto headquarters, Picherack will work with EP Matt Wexler to develop and produce original content for the division. The pair are charged with the company's television and feature film development, production and acquisition activities.
Image Metrics came to GDC to show off its facial animation solutions (with new rigging) and to host a tech talk on its services titled "End Helmet Tyranny" tomorrow from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in room 2000. However, it's also assembled a new team of industry professionals with extensive experience bringing videogames and its technology to market.
At this weekend's ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund announced changes to its Board of Directors. After five years of service as President and seven years on the Board, Chris Staros has stepped down from the organization to devote more time to the growth of Top Shelf Prods. Chris Powell, General Manager of Lone Star Comics, and President Pro-Tem of ComicsPRO, will take over the presidency.
Studio100 Media, a subsidiary of Belgium's family entertainment group Studio100, has appointed Peter Kleinschmidt as Director Marketing, Licensing & Merchandising as of March 2009. Most recently he served as Managing Director for CTM Concept -- TV & Merchandising based in Munich.
Jason Anderson, one of the original FALLOUT design team members, has joined the inXile Entertainment as creative director for a new, unannounced role-playing game (RPG) from inXile. Anderson recently left Interplay, where in his second tenure there served as creative director working on the next generation MMO Project: V13.
Thomson has appointed Tim Sarnoff as president of its Technicolor Digital Productions division. This new division, within the Technicolor Business Group, will focus on the company's expertise in animation, games and visual effects. Its mission will be to develop Technicolor's animation operations in Bangalore and VFX operations in Beijing, as well as under the MPC brand in London, Los Angeles and Vancouver, into centers of excellence and growth.
