A new 13 x 10-minute series being billed as the first CG series from Africa is currently in pre-production at Johannesburg, South Africa studio AnimMate. "The series will be entirely produced by African talent in South Africa," Tanja Botha of Johannesburg-based Animation Africa, which is distributing the series, told C21 MEDIA. "It's a first for Africa.
If you live in the Los Angeles-area, you have the opportunity to see Walt Disneys 1959 classic animated feature SLEEPING BEAUTY in its fully restored, original Technirama 70mm format. Screening exclusively at Hollywood's El Capitan theater, this special widescreen print of the film also features a restored audio soundtrack that takes maximum advantage of the films six-track Stereophonic mix highlighting the film's score, which was adapted from the music of Tchaikovsky.
Dedicated to preserving the art and legacy of Charles M. Schulz, the popular PEANUTS cartoon artist, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center has been opened in Santa Rosa, California. The Museum is near Schulz's studio and across the street from the Redwood Empire Ice Arena (now called Snoopy's Home Ice); the two places where Schulz spent most of the last 30 years of his life.
After seven years with Rhythm & Hues Studios in Los Angeles, Ian Hulbert has joined Toronto-based visual effects and animation studio TOPIX as senior animation director. Hulbert will head the 3D character animation team at the studio, which has created effects and animation for such diverse projects as Atom Egoyan's Oscar-nominated film THE SWEET HEREAFTER, commercials for companies like Coca Cola, Kraft Foods, Chrysler, Budweiser, Discover Card and Post Cereals, and music videos for artist such as David Bowie, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan and Mary J. Blige.
On Friday, August 23, 2002, Playhouse Pictures, one of Hollywood's oldest animation studios, is having a moving sale. Beginning at 7:00 pm, the sale will include 45 years of animation paraphernalia from TV and film. According to ASIFA-Hollywood, vintage animation drawings and cels, background paintings, storyboards, color models, story sketches, cereal boxes, toys and even some animation equipment will be up for grabs. The sale will also be open to the general public on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25.
Game developer and publisher Midway Games Inc. has recently licensed BioGraphic Technologies recently released AI.implant SDK for an action-adventure game in production for next generation platforms. AI.implant is a powerful real-time interactive commercial artificial intelligence animation solution that enables digital content creators to create rich AI character interactions. "We are extremely pleased to have Midway as a partner," said Dr. Paul Kruszewski, president and founder of BioGraphic Technologies.
SimEx Digital Studios has recently completed a specialty venue project for LEGOland, an all-CG animated short based on the newly released LEGO Racers toy line. LEGO RACERS 4D is a high-definition 3D stereoscopic 13-minute short with in-theater special effects featuring Max, a driver for Team Nitro, and Max's nemesis Sever, driver for the Exo-Force Team. Together with six other drivers, Max and Sever bang fenders within a 20 mile-diameter racing stadium called The Drome, which provides Max and the other racers with an endless array of obstacles and landscapes.
For the first time in animation and internet history, the public willbe able to watch an entire animated feature being drawn beforetheir eyes. On Monday, September 16, 2002, Bill Plympton will begin drawing hisnew animated feature, HAIR HIGH, and it will all be done live on theinternet. There will be a camera looking over Bill's shoulder, and from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (EST) everyday you can watch as he single-handedly draws hisnew animated extravaganza. The "ani-cam" will be available at http://www.hairhigh.com. More information to come!
UK-based distributor HIT Entertainment has announced the opening of HIT Entertainment Canada, Inc. Officially launched on August 1, 2002, the Toronto-based office will function under the leadership of vice president Pam Westman, and is comprised of an entirely Canadian staff who are responsible for video, DVD and audio sales and distribution, as well as marketing, consumer products, licensing and broadcast sales for HIT's brands in Canada. "HIT recognizes the importance of having a corporate office in Canada," said Rob Lawes, CEO, HIT Entertainment.
A team of digital matte artists, computer animators and visual effects specialists from R!OT helped to build the first city on the moon for Warner Bros.' latest comedy THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH. The R!OT team prepared a series of digital cityscapes of the lunar metropolis, complete with trains, buses, holographic signage, office towers and a multitude of lunar residents on scooters. The digital shots, including several fly-overs revealing large expanses of the city, appear throughout the film. "It is a city encased in glass," said R!OT lead matte painter Rocco Gioffre.
On Thursday, August 22, 2002, Saks Fifth Avenue and The New York Museum of Radio and Television are sponsoring a preview screening of the new Cartoon Network CG special, THE GROOVENIANS. Starring Dennis Hopper and Paul Reubens and featuring music by Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO fame and members of the B-52s, the show is based on the designs of Pop-Surrealist Kenny Scharf. A special cocktail party and exclusive GROOVENIANS T-shirt signing with Scharf will be held at the Saks Manhattan store (611 5th Avenue) on Thursday, August 22nd from 6:00 8:00 pm.
The Oregon3D Center for Visualization Technologies has added instruction of Alias|Wavefront Maya software to its core curriculum. Starting August 26, 2002, Portland-based Oregon3D will offer its first Maya class, a five-day Maya Basics course. Taught by 3D guru Jason Busby of the tutorial Website 3D Buzz, this course is designed to provide a solid foundation to those new to Maya, and allows beginners to explore more challenging concepts such as modeling, animating, texturing, lighting and rendering.
Thanks to visual effects house ComputerCafe, a miniature zoo and menacing mutant animals are among the new adventures awaiting siblings Carmen and Juni Cortez, who are back in action in SPY KIDS 2: THE ISLAND OF LOST DREAMS. In SPY KIDS 2, a new mission takes Carmen and Juni to a mysterious island where they meet Professor Romero, a genetic scientist who has created the ultimate children's toy, a tabletop zoo featuring miniature penguins, a kangaroo, a lion and an elephant.
Using REALVIZ MatchMover Professional, UK-based visual effects and animation company Clear Ltd. has completed key effects for the music video projects Jamiroquais "Corner of the Earth" and Sugababes' "Round Round." Steve Garrad, producer on both projects, explains how the different elements came together. "For 'Corner of the Earth,' the aim was to create a photo-real representation of the solar system revolving around [lead singer] Jay Kay.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation TriviaQuiz. This week the Animation Alphabet Quiz gets underway with the letter "F" as a random starting point. All answers start with the letter "F." With what film did Disney jump onto Technicolor? What was Paramount Cartoon Studios known as between 1942 and 1956? Robin Hoodlum was the first UPA/Columbia cartoon to feature what character? Good luck...you'll need it!
The Animation Guild, Local 839 IATSE (formerly Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists) has signed a contract with Spaff Animation for work on Disney's upcoming theatrical release JUNGLE BOOK 2, as well as the direct-to-video release LION KING 1 1/2. Long-time animation vet Dave Spafford, who was a lead animator on WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, THE SECRET OF NIMH, OLIVER AND COMPANY, THE FOX AND THE HOUND and many others, runs Spaff Animation, which has provided animation for a wide variety of projects for the past 15 years.
Paul Grimshaw, former executive producer of Industrial Light + Magic Commercial Productions (ILMCP), has joined San Francisco, California's The Orphanage as vice president and executive producer of the commercial and music video division. Grimshaw's mission includes developing the live-action component of the current business unit, with the goal of making the entire division a key player within the industry. Grimshaw will be assisted in this plan by John Benson, the executive producer for The Orphanage in Los Angeles. Benson established the L.A.
For the third year in a row, Cartoon Network will wrap up summer with a weekend-long marathon of original animation. Highlights include the premiere of eight new series pilots, the debut of four animated music videos, a sneak peak at the new series CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR and back-to-back episodes from CN's original animated series. From 8:00 pm (ET, PT) on Friday, August 23, 2002 until 10:00 pm on Sunday, August 25, Cartoon Network will air 50 hours of original animation from series such as DEXTER'S LABORATORY, GRIM & EVIL, COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG, ED EDD N EDDY and THE POWERPUFF GIRLS.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. is developing RISE TO HONOR (working title), an action-adventure game inspired by the cinematic styling of the Hong Kong action movie genre, exclusively for the PlayStation2 computer entertainment system. Sony Computer Entertainment's Foster City Studio will collaborate with action star Jet Li (THE ONE, KISS OF THE DRAGON, LETHAL WEAPON 4, SHAOLIN TEMPLE) on the game, which will immerse players into a series of lethal missions extending from Hong Kong to San Francisco.
LEAF Awards
London, England.
Thursday, October 10, 2002.
Entry Deadline: Friday, August 30, 2002.
AniMadrid 2002.
Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
Monday, December 9, 2002 Sunday, December 16, 2002.
Entry Deadline: Friday, August 30, 2002.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has announced that 2d3's automated motion tracker boujou has been awarded a Primetime Emmy Engineering Award. Cited for its revolutionary impact on the creation of complex visual effects, boujou has made a major contribution to high-profile television productions, music videos and commercials by facilitating the creation of visual effects combining live-action and 3D. DINOTOPIA, BAND OF BROTHERS, Jim Henson's JACK & THE BEANSTALK: THE REAL STORY and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER are among the productions to use boujou's matchmoving technology.
The Emmy Award winners in the Outstanding Voice Over Performance as well as Individual Achievement in Animation have been announced for the 54th Annual Emmy Awards. These juried award categories, which have no nominations, will be presented at the 2002 Primetime Creative Arts Awards on Saturday, September 14, 2002 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.
New this week: The world of wireless animation is sneaking up on many of us, Richard Gorey reviews Howard Beckerman's book ANIMATION: THE WHOLE STORY, Gene Deitch shares his personal letters with E.B. "Andy" White regarding the production of CHARLOTTE'S WEB and more...
In this issue, Pamela Kleibrink Thompson talks with VFX Supervisor Dan DeLeeuw about The Secret Lab's dragon effects for REIGN OF FIRE, and J. Paul Peszko chats with Craig McCracken about THE POWERPUFF GIRLS MOVIE. Also...
