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Headline News

Iwerks And SimEx Merger Approved

Iwerks Entertainment Inc. and Toronto-based SimEx Inc., have had their previously announced merger approved by Iwerks shareholders. When the merger is completed, Iwerks will become a wholly owned subsidiary of SimEx Inc. and cease being traded on the OTC Bulletin Board. The merger was expected to close December 28, 2001 but did not, and no new date has been set. Iwerks and SimEx continue to discuss the merger and related activities. Iwerks Entertainment Inc., founded in 1986, is the number one provider of 8/70 Large Format Theater systems worldwide and the industry leader in ride simulation.

Special Headline News

Tron and Atlantis Special Edition DVDs Coming In January!

Here are a few of the notable special effects and animated films being released this month:

JEEPERS CREEPERS - January 8

JEEPERS CREEPERS was a surprise summer hit in 2001. The story of two teenaged siblings running from a flesh-eating monster gets the double-disc treatment from UA/MGM home video. Available on January 8, 2002, the 2-sided DVD features screen-specific audio commentary with director Victor Salva, a 59-minute documentary THE MAKING OF JEEPERS CREEPERS and deleted scenes. Suggested retail price: 2-sided DVD $26.95.

Design Headline News

R!OT Manhattan Grows With New Broadcast Design Hires

As a first step in the companys plan to expand their broadcast design department, R!OT Manhattan has hired Sari Rosen to serve as the broadcast design groups executive producer. Rosen, an Emmy-winner and former executive producer at Attik and Pittard Sullivan, will manage and grow the departments creative team and take a leadership role with client relationships and development. Rosen joins R!OT Manhattan from Attik, where she had served as executive producer of its New York office since last year.

Weekend Headline News

Lord Of The Rings Rules Holiday Weekend

The first installment of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING is shaping up to be a huge success for New Line Cinema. Already benefiting from repeat viewings, the film, with primary digital effects by WETA in New Zealand, continues its number one run, bringing in $56.9M over the five-day holiday weekend for an astounding two-week total of $174.1M.

Animation Headline News

Mill Times Animated For PBS

The hour-long documentary MILL TIMES, premiering on PBS January 2, 2002 at 8:00 pm, uses four animated sequences to tell the story of a small New England community where the first textile mill in America was established. The program is hosted by author and illustrator David Macaulay (THE WAY THINGS WORK) and is based on his book MILL.

Headline News

Alias|Wavefront Ships Mental Ray For Maya

Alias|Wavefront has shipped its recently unveiled mental ray for Maya technology. As an optional plug-in renderer for the Maya 3D software package, mental ray for Maya provides an integrated rendering solution that maximizes the strengths of both products. In addition to this new rendering option, Alias|Wavefront offers mental ray stand-alone licenses for increased interactive rendering speed within Maya as well as for use in batch rendering.

Headline News

Computercafe Drops A Bomb For Impostor

Santa Monica-based effects studio Computercafe created a "living" bomb that is extracted from a human body for the upcoming Dimension Films release IMPOSTOR. Computercafes primary visual effects contribution to the film was the 3D organic bomb featured in three scenes. Because the bomb is found nestled in the chest cavity of a human host, art director Ron Honn, animation supervisor Taron and digital effects supervisor David Ebner designed the device to resemble an internal organ.

Animation Headline News

Job Opportunities For Animators, Compositors, Agents, Instructors And More

New York, New York's Cartoon Pizza is looking for a DESIGN COORDINATOR . . . Tampa, Florida's International Academy of Design and Technology is looking for a MAYA INSTRUCTOR . . . New York, New York's Just 2 Guys is looking for a 3D MODELER AND/OR TD . . . KE Consult | Digital Entertainment is looking for a FLASH EXTREMIST . . . Luxembourg's Oniria Pictures is looking for an ASSISTANT DIRECTOR and a COMPOSITOR . . . SD Animation is looking for a CEL PAINTER . . . Sweden's Starbreeze Studios is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR . . .

Events Headline News

New Additions To AWN's Calendar Of Events

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:- Marco Polo-Return to Xanadu (Academy Awards Qualifying Screenings):Friday, December 28, 2001 - Thursday, January 03, 2002, West Hills,California USA.- Cartoon Movie: Thursday, March 14 - Saturday, March 16, 2002,Potsdam/Babelsberg, Germany.

Series Headline News

Mercury Filmworks Expands To Toronto

Independent animation studio Mercury Filmworks recently opened a full feature and episodic television production facility in Toronto, Ontario. The expansion has nearly doubled the companys studio capacity and increased its talent to 120 employees in Vancouver and Toronto. A deal with Nelvana Limited to work on a 13-episode season of RESCUE HEROES II allowed Mercury the resources to open the Toronto location. Mercury successfully wrapped the RESCUE HEROES II series at the end of October 2001. The series airs on Teletoon in Canada and Kids WB! in the U.S.

Super Headline News

RTV Closes German Broadcast Licenses

RTV Family Entertainment has recently signed licensing deals with German broadcasters Super RTL and ORF. ORF will be picking up THE COUNTRY MOUSE AND THE CITY MOUSE ADVENTURES, the second season of Rolf Kaukas FIX & FOXI AND FRIENDS as well as the series ROTTEN RALPH, which was successfully introduced to Germany in the branded block "Ravensburger TV" on Super RTL. Super RTL acquired the TV licenses for RTVs new animation series GNARFS.

Headline News

Baby Blues Takes A Swim

Baby Blues has been added to Cartoon Network's line up as part of its "Adult Swim" block of programming. Aimed at adults ages 18-34, the animated block airs Sunday and Thursday nights from 10 pm-1 am (ET/PT). Adult Swim's rotating line-up includes SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST, THE BRAK SHOW, HARVEY BIRDMAN, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW, AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE and SEALAB 2021, as well as the animé series COWBOY BEBOP.

Headline News

Opus' Opus

Dimension Films has acquired the rights to develop and produce an animated feature based on BLOOM COUNTYs pantless penguin Opus, with creator Berkeley Breathed attached to write and direct. The project is the first from the newly established first look deal between Dimension and Storyopolis Productions. The character Opus debuted in 1980 in Breatheds BLOOM COUNTY comic strip, and eventually appeared in a series of cartoon collections, as well as children's books, an animated television special, and a line of collectible items.

Kids Headline News

Cherokee Signs With DIC To Promote Liberty's Kids

Apparel brand and licensing company The Cherokee Group has agreed to represent DIC Entertainment's property LIBERTY'S KIDS and engineer strategic licensing agreements for the animated show. LIBERTY'S KIDS, an educational series depicting the events and people surrounding the United States' fight for independence, will debut in the fall of 2002 on PBS. The show will be airing a minimum of five days a week for two years. The series will feature personalities such as Walter Cronkite, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller and Whoopie Goldberg in voice-over roles portraying historical figures.

Headline News

Chuck Jones' Timber Wolf Feels The Spirit Of Christmas

Thirty-five years after his animated classic HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS first aired, Chuck Jones has ventured back into holiday specials with his newest creation Thomas T. Wolf, producing a five-and-a-half minute Christmas special titled "Ohhh! Christmas Tree." The episode, part of Warner Bros. Online's new Flash-animated internet series CHUCK JONES' TIMBER WOLF, is now available for viewing exclusively at www.warnerbros.com. The series' main character is Thomas T. Wolf, a timber wolf with a problem: He is compelled to utter his middle name -- Timber!

Effects Headline News

Caligari fxPak Special Effects Plug-Ins And Programs Now Available

fxPak, a collection of seven third-party special effects plug-ins and programs, is now available for Caligari trueSpace5. Using the new plug-ins like PyroCluster and PrimalParticlesFX, users can create photo-realistic smoke, fire, haze, cloud effects and fly-through animations, as well as particle effects, complex shader effects and other advanced special effects. Regularly priced at US$199, fxPak is available for a limited-time introductory offer of US$99 to trueSpace5 users.

Animation Headline News

The November Acrobat Issue Of Animation World Magazine Is Now Online!

The November Acrobat issue of Animation World Magazine is now online! In this issue, we discuss animation on television. DCDC's Josh Prikryl relates ten years of experience and gives advice about how to produce a successful CGI television show. Gullane president Charles Falzon details the current trends in the animation business. Gene Deitch relates his time at Terrytoons and Heikki Jokinen gives us the real facts from the 2001 Cartoon Forum. Gregory Singer weighs in with his take on WAKING LIFE and Martin "Dr.

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