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Series Headline News

Oh Davey! Davey & Goliath Return To The Airwaves

According to an AP report, plans are underway to revive DAVEY & GOLIATH, the '60s stop-motion animated series created by Art and Ruth Clokey, with production scheduled to begin shortly on a brand new 26 x 15-minute series featuring young Davey and his talking dog pal Goliath. A one-hour Christmas special is also in the works. The special may premiere as soon as 2003, with the series scheduled to debut in 2004. DAVEY & GOLIATH made a recent comeback in a sly 30-second spot for Mountain Dew, directed by Wreckless Abandon Studios for BBDO/NY.

Spot Headline News

Curious Pictures Sets Up Remote Control Duel For Nickelodeon

Curious Pictures director Noble Jones combined live-action and special digital effects to produce MATRIX-inspired acrobatics and effects in a 45-second spot for Nickelodeon. "Remote-Trix" features a brother-sister duel over the remote control. As they each fight for control of the TV, the siblings tumble through the air, glide over furniture and walk across walls until they finally halt in mid-air, both gripping the remote in a CG-created freeze-time effect. The spot echoes both THE MATRIX and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON with its stylish, martial-arts inspired effects.

Headline News

Neo And Trinity: Coming To A Toy Store Near You

McFarlane Toys and Warner Bros. Consumer Products have joined forces to create action figures based on Warner Bros. Pictures' highly anticipated second and third installments of THE MATRIX Trilogy -- THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, both slated for release in 2003. Action figures based on the films will debut in conjunction with each film's release. McFarlane Toys is working closely with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to determine which characters will become action figures.

Headline News

Nickelodeon Buys Out Noggin; Enters Into Production Deal With Sesame Workshop

Nickelodeon has bought out the other 50 percent of educational network Noggin from joint venture partner Sesame Workshop, pending customary regulatory approvals. Financial details of the buyout were not disclosed. The channel will be operated and managed by Nickelodeon, with Noggin general manager Tom Ascheim continuing to oversee the networks day-to-day operations. Ascheim will report to Herb Scannell, president, Nickelodeon, TV Land and The New TNN.

Animation Headline News

Cartoonist Union Gets A New Name

IMotion Picture Screen Cartoonists, Local 839 IATSE will now be known as The Animation Guild. The union, which represents animators, designers, technical crafts and story people in the animation field, has been known by its former name (or the acronym MPSC) for over fifty years. But effective with its approval by the IATSE general executive board on July 23 and the Local 839 membership on July 30, 2002, the union will now official be known as The Animation Guild and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE.

Headline News

Charlex Adds Senior Designer And Producer To Staff

Senior designer John OCallaghan and producer Danielle Amaral have joined the in-house creative team at New York-based digital effects and production house Charlex. Both were most recently with ATTIK NY, where OCallaghan served as a lead designer and Amaral supervised production and post-production. OCallaghan was a senior designer and studio manager at ATTIK NY, where he created conceptual designs for broadcast as well as directing live-action.

Mainframe Headline News

Mainframe Animates New Spider-Man TV Series

Vancouver, Canada-based Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. will provide the CGI animation production for Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (CTDT) Family Entertainment's new animated series, SPIDER-MAN, slated to premiere on MTV in winter 2002. According to Mainframe, this new incarnation of the Spider-Man series, featuring Peter Parker as a college student trying to juggle school, work, relationships and being a super hero, will feature CG animation processed to have a classic animation look, combining bright, abstract colors and including a realistic neon lit city.

Effects Headline News

New VFX House Opens

Strega Imaging, a new visual FX and motion graphics design company, has opened its doors in Universal City, California. Partners and co-creative directors Colin Cheer and Michael Jackson gained their industry experience from their previous work on an eclectic array of projects. Cheer, an illustrator and designer, was involved in the early days of the desktop publishing revolution, and in 1997 he was recruited to head the 3D effects team at 525 Studios, working on effects for the series THE OUTER LIMITS along with other film and video projects.

Headline News

Hornet Welcomes Blue Sky Alum Christopher Scollard

Design, animation and visual effects studio Hornet, Inc., has added veteran director and visual effects supervisor Christopher Scollard to its New York commercial roster. Scollard's current work for Hornet includes directing spots for Mattel via Foote Cone & Belding Worldwide, as well as two game openers that the New York Jets will use during the upcoming football season. Scollard noted, "Because Hornet is a small company that is growing, it provides a unique opportunity for me. I had that opportunity once at Blue Sky.

Headline News

Andrew Adamson To Helm Live-Action The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

Andrew Adamson, co-director of SHREK, has been hired to direct a live-action feature film adaptation of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. Producer Walden Media partnered with The CS Lewis Company to option the entire seven-part fantasy book series THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, of which THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE is best-known. Writer Ann Peacock (A LESSON BEFORE DYING) will adapt the screenplay. The film does not yet have a distributor, but Walden hopes to have it in theaters by mid-2004. SHREK marked Adamsons feature film directing debut.

Studio Headline News

Stan Winston Studio And Midway Join Forces To Create Aliens

Stan Winston Studio and software publisher Midway Games Inc. have teamed to create an action-adventure videogame for next-generation consoles. The game, currently in development, is tentatively titled AREA 51 and is scheduled to ship in 2004. Stan Winston Studio will serve in a lead creative capacity in the development of the main alien enemies for the game, which takes three distinct characters on individual and cooperative missions in an attempt to unlock the extra-terrestrial mystery behind the titular Nevada desert locale.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network UK Signs Major Programming Deal With Warner Bros.

In a considerable licensing deal, Cartoon Network has acquired over 600 half-hours of programming from Warner Bros. International Television Distribution to air on Cartoon Network UK. "In a fiercely competitive market, this is a major boost for Cartoon Network. With these titles added to our formidable library plus other Cartoon Network productions, co-productions and acquisitions, we have an unbeatable line up," said Finn Arnesen, vice president of programming, acquisitions and development for Cartoon Network, Europe.

Headline News

Nate Hopper Joins Sony Pictures Animation As VP, Creative Affairs

Sony Pictures Animation heads Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox have made the first executive hire for the newly created division. Nate Hopper, former VP of production at Twentieth Century Fox, has been named vice-president of creative affairs for Sony Pictures Animation. In his new position, Hopper will work closely with writers and directors in developing the companys CG animated features.

Kids Headline News

Fox Kids Europe Chairman And CEO To Step Down

Fox Kids Europe (FKE) has announced that chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz will leave FKE at the end of his employment agreement on November 23, 2002. In the remaining period, Kreiz will continue supporting the integration of certain FKE operations into majority shareholder The Walt Disney Company. Kreiz has successfully managed FKE since its inception in 1997. He led the expansion of FKE across Europe and the Middle East and during his tenure FKE initiated a successful IPO on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange.

Disney Headline News

Disney Composer Buddy Baker Dies At Age 84

Buddy Baker, a 29-year Disney veteran who composed the musical scores for nearly 200 Disney feature films, television shows and theme park attractions, passed away from natural causes on Friday, July 26, 2002, at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. He was 84 years old. Baker first came to the Disney Studio in 1954 and went on to compose music for such popular television shows as DAVY CROCKETT and THE MICKEY MOUSE CLUB. His theatrical credits include the featurette DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND, plus memorable scores for the three original WINNIE THE POOH offerings.

Headline News

Miramax Television Unleashes Tokyo Pig On ABC Family

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, August 6, 2002 at 12:00am

Anime and pigs is the winning combination for Miramax Television's kids' TV debut. TOKYO PIG, an anime comedy produced by Miramax in association with SME Visual Works, Inc. will debut on ABC Family September 14, 2002. TOKYO PIG follows the adventures of nine-year-old Spencer and his magical pet pig, Sunny. When paired with Sunny, Spencer discovers he has the ability to make whatever he imagines come to life. Each week the duo embarks on a new adventure and Spencer tries to keep his stray thoughts from running wild and turning his life upside-down.

Headline News

The Syndicate Gives Mr. P Personality In Two Spots For Pringles

Pringles and Procter & Gamble wanted to liven up its advertising, so agency Grey/Worldwide commissioned visual effects company The Syndicate to bring the mustachioed brand icon, Mr. P., to life in two spots, one employing a mixture of 2D and 3D animation, the other an all-CG production. In "Where's Your Head At," the titular Basement Jaxx song is the score for three roaming teens who munch on Pringles while Mr. P. sings along to the chorus from his home on the Pringle's package.

Framestore Headline News

Framestore Helps Dinos Go Wild In Volvic Spot

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, August 6, 2002 at 12:00am

Framestore CFC, best known for their dino-myte creations for the BBC mini-series WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, was recently called upon to complete another prehistoric project, although this time not on such a large scale. In "Jog," the latest spot for Volvic water, conceived by agency WCRS and directed by Who? for Great Guns, a bored caveman chucks a rock at a sleeping Tyrannosaurus Rex, and a chase begins. The dinosaur pursues the caveman, who artfully dodges the jaws of the enraged beast until the T-Rex finally collapses face first in a river, exhausted.

Future Headline News

Future Animators Of The Future 3rd Annual Animation And Video Show

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, August 6, 2002 at 12:00am

Future Animators Of The Future 3rd Annual Animation And Video Show.

Boston and New York, USA.

Thursday, October 10 - Wednesday, October 30, 2002.

Entry Deadline: Friday, August 30, 2002.

Headline News

AtomFilms to Launch Digital Cable Channel

AtomTelevision, a new joint venture between Internet short film provider AtomFilms and Global Media Holdings, has announced it will launch a digital network in early 2003 using its extensive library of short films and animation titles. As part of AtomTelevision's debut, the company is announcing the launch of its VOD (video-on-demand) initiative, Atom on Demand.

Disney Headline News

Disney Earnings Down; Warnings On Fourth Quarter Revenue

Despite the strong box office performance of recent hits LILO & STITCH and THE ROOKIE, The Walt Disney Company has reported lower than expected earnings for the quarter and nine months ended June 30, 2002. Referencing the downturn in the international and domestic travel and tourism industry as well as the economy as a whole, Disney cited in particular the drop-off of attendance at its domestic theme parks and resorts, and the lack of television advertising dollars at the ABC television network.

Brazil Headline News

Anima Mundi 2002 Award Winners

Anima Mundi has announced the winners for its 2002 festival, which took place from July 12 - 21, 2002 in Rio de Janeiro then moved to São Paulo, Brazil from July 24 - July 28, 2002. The festival is the major animation festival in South America and includes a wide range of open activities, including workshops, lectures and exhibitions. A full list of winners is below.

ANIMA MUNDI 2002

AWARDS BY THE PUBLIC JURY in RIO DE JANEIRO

BEST FILM:

Animation Headline News

Pow Wow Adds New Talent To Roster

Pow Wow Productions recently added five new animation directors to its roster: illustrator Sheila Aldridge; Tim Biskup, art director/designer for Cartoon Network's TIME SQUAD, and creator of his own short FREDDY SEYMORE'S AMAZING LIFE for Nickelodeon; David Brewster, supervising animator for feature films including OSMOSIS JONES, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO and THE PRINCE OF EGYPT; John Corbitt, illustrator and cartoonist whose work has appeared in TIME Magazine and the Chicago Tribune; and Miles Thompson an illustrator and painter who has worked on the animated series DEXTER'S LABORATORY and JOHNNY

Visual Headline News

Signs Appears At Number One

All signs pointed to big money at the box office this weekend, when M. Night Shyamalan's latest thriller took the top spot, besting AUSTIN POWERS: GOLDMEMBER and scoring August's highest non-sequel debut in history. SIGNS, with visual effects by ILM, was number one with a $60.3M debut. GOLDMEMBER was second, dropping off 56% from its first weekend, but still earning a strong $30M for a two-week total of $140M. The third and fourth spots were held by two new releases, the Dana Carvey starrer THE MASTER OF DISGUISE with $17M and MARTIN LAWRENCE: LIVE with $7.5M.

Media Headline News

Producer Dudley Johnson Signs On With B1 Media

Design studio B1 Media has added producer Dudley Johnson to its recently launched production division. Johnson, a former assistant producer, technical writer and product specialist at Disney Interactive, will be writing and producing for B1. While at Disney Interactive he helped produce the CD-Roms CINDERELLAS DOLLHOUSE, YOU CAN FLY! WITH TINKER BELL and PRINCESS MAGICAL DRESS UP. Johnson previously wrote for the NBC sitcom DIFFERENT STROKES, and was a co-producer, executive story editor and writer for the ABC series WEBSTER.

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