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Santa Monica, California-based Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL) has produced and animated "Hershey's Really Big 3D Show," a feature-length original production showcasing 3D animation and presented in wide-screen 3D High Definition format with glasses and digital projection. The 40-minute show runs daily at Hershey's Chocolate World, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The show begins with a glimpse into the history of Hershey's chocolate and its advertising, with a lecture on the history of chocolate by the animated D. P. Quigley.

Topping the box office for the second weekend in a row, THE SCORPION KING, with visual effects by Centropolis FX, took in $17.6M for a two-week total of $60.8M. However, THE SCORPION KING should be on the look out for SPIDER-MAN, who will no doubt dominate the box office next weekend, when it debuts on May 3rd. Psychological drama CHANGING LANES took second place again this weekend, earning $9M with $44.6M to date. Two new releases took third and fourth place with weak debuts.

A four-part seminar examining the art of visual effects will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences beginning April 30, 2002, at 7:00 pm. The series will continue for three additional Tuesday evenings - May 7, 14 and 21 - and will feature participants who have garnered 25 Academy Award nominations among them. Each session of "The State of the Visual Effects Arts" will focus on a specific area of the visual effects field and will be moderated by Jamie Price, who created the visual effects for THE TIME MACHINE and BICENTENNIAL MAN.

Animation and digital effects company SimEx Digital Studios has again teamed with ad agency Leo Burnett/Chicago to create a new spot for Kelloggs Frosted Flakes Cereal. SimEx was responsible for completing 2D and 3D animation, compositing and editing for the 30-second spot titled "One Giant Kick," which features Tony the Tiger performing some moves on a soccer field. The spot shows how Tony goes from a tired tiger to a feline full of energy after eating a bowl of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.

A group of comic book classics have arrived on home video this week, including BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, X-MEN: EVOLUTION and JUSTICE LEAGUE. The feature-length debut of JUSTICE LEAGUE has DVD Extras including special DVD-ROM features and is available on DVD for a suggested retail price of $19.98. Additionally, the Caped Crusader swoops onto shelves with four new DVDs, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES -- THE LEGEND BEGINS, BATMAN & MR.

Washington, DC's Capital Children's Museum is looking for a VIDEO EDITING/DOCUMENTARY INTERN . . . Sunnyvale, California's Clay Pixel Studios is looking for a COMPUTER ANIMATION ENTREPRENEUR . . . Cornerstone Animation Inc. is looking for an EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT. . . Beit Shemesh, Israel's Digital Production Solutions is looking for a 3DSMAX ANIMATOR . . . Port Monmouth, New Jersey's Dream Balloon Productions, Inc. is looking for a 2D CHARACTER ANIMATOR and an ANIMATION BUDGET DIRECTOR . . . HyperGalaxy, Inc. is looking for a SALES REPRESENTATIVE . . .

Visit all of AWN's Discussion Forums to stay in touch with the animation community! This week, hot forum discussions include the on-going debate about rotoscoping, MONSTERS, INC. vs. SHREK and information about copyrights and licensing. Over in Show and Tell, check out "Rebel Without A Claus," plus demo reels and portfolios posted by Forum users. Don't miss the Animation Flea Market, where you'll find a Lightwave 6.5/Aura 2.0 bundle with the 7.0 upgrade and an inside Lightwave 7.0 book for sale. Visit all of AWN's Forums.

Once again, a cast-off from The WB has found a home on Cartoon Network. First CN picked up BABY BLUES and now they've nabbed MISSION HILL, a series about the quirky inhabitants of the titular fictional neighborhood. The show will debut on Sunday, May 5, 2002 at 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT) during Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's block of animation aimed at adults 18-34. MISSION HILL originally aired on The WB in the U.S. during the 1999-2000 TV season. Cartoon Network has acquired all 13 episodes, seven of which have never been aired in the United States.

Paul Condolora has been named vice president and general manager, Cartoon Network New Media. In this capacity, he is responsible for Cartoon Network's rapidly growing U.S. interactive content initiatives, including the network's Internet sites, www.CartoonNetwork.com and www.adultswim.com, as well as working with Turner Network Sales on the expansion of network and character brands to emerging interactive technologies such as wireless, broadband and interactive television. Condolora previously served as vice president, business development and new products for Cartoon Network Online.