Big Slate Of November Animation And Special Effects DVD And Video Releases
Here is a viewers guide to the notable animation and special effects releases on DVD and VHS for the month of November, 2001:
November 2
SHREK
Here is a viewers guide to the notable animation and special effects releases on DVD and VHS for the month of November, 2001:
November 2
SHREK
The London Effects & Animation Festival (LEAF) in London, England Tuesday, November 13 - Thursday, November 15, 2001 is hosting a special Web Forum on Thursday afternoon, November 15 2001, from 2 pm to 5 pm, which will be chaired by AWN's Dan Sarto. Featured sessions will look at the technological developments driving animation work, the tools available for Web-based work and a panel discussion on the future of animation on the Internet. Representatives from Toon Boom, MediaPEGS and Pepper's Ghost will be participating.
This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include: Japanese Animation: Anime And Its Influences: Wednesday, November 14, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA and eDIT 2001: Sunday, November 11 - Tuesday, November 13, 2001, Frankfurt am Main, Hessen Germany.
Each week, Animation World Magazine offers new articles, special features and theme-based coverage of the art, craft and industry of animation. New this week:
- Speaking For Zimself: A Conversation With Jhonen Vasquez Martin"Dr. Toon" Goodman invades the mind of Jhonen Vasquez, the creator of Invader Zim, to discuss Zim, Jhonen's ideas and inspirations, and the ups and downs of producing his first animated series.
If you enjoyed reading the book on-line and would like to own a copy of the manuscript, an Acrobat PDF copy is available...
Gaffney, South Carolina's Animink Incorporated is looking for a WEB DESIGNER . . . Toronto, Ontario's Chuck Gammage Animation is looking for a COMPOSITOR . . . Chertsey, Surrey's Electronic Arts, an entertainment software company, is looking for a CHARACTER ANIMATOR . . . Glendale, California's Excel Media Group is looking for an AGENT/REPRESENTATIVE . . . Sydney, Nova Scotia's Helix Digital Inc. is looking for a PRODUCTION ASSISTANT . . . Moorpark, California's Paradox Development is looking for ANIMATORS proficient in 3DS MAX . . .
The MPSC Local 839 IATSE, the labor union for screen cartoonists and CGI artists and technicians in southern California, has created an all new Website hosted by Animation World Network...
Toon Boom Technologies Inc., has released Toon Boom Studio for Mac OS X Version 10.1. Toon Boom has optimized the performance of its software to fit to Apple's OS X upgrade. The free beta update installer, available for download at www.toonboomstudio.com, provides users with Toon Boom Studio's complete desktop application for Web productions. Based on feedback from participants, the beta update for Mac OS X Version 10.1 will be released in November and will be free for licensees of Toon Boom Studio.
Thirteen is the lucky number for Oscar hopefuls in the Animated Feature category. The November 1, 2001 deadline has come and gone, and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences spokesperson John Pavlik told AWN thirteen applications for the Animated Feature Film Award were received. While Pavlik admitted that a couple of the films might have some eligibility problems, the Academy has enough applications to begin the screening process for qualification.
The 3DO Company has finished the fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 2001 in line with expectations. Revenues were $9.9 million, compared to $20.2 million reported for the second quarter of last fiscal year. The net loss for the quarter decreased by 42% to $9.7 million, or $0.20 per share, compared to a loss of $16.7 million, or $0.45 per share in the same quarter last year. The company recorded an adjustment to the second quarter of the prior fiscal year, which resulted in a reduction of $1.8 million of revenue and $0.5 million in cost of sales.
MoCap systems manufacturer Motion Analysis Corporation has hired Jeff Thingvold as VP of application engineering and Napoleon Hambrick as VP of new media sales for North America, South America and Japan. Focusing on the new media animation sector of the motion-capture industry, Jeff Thingvold will coordinate the development of all software tools and incorporate customers' current and future needs into software technology designs. Prior to joining Motion Analysis Corporation, Jeff was the chief technology officer at Lambsoft.
The newly released feature film 13 GHOSTS is a state-of-the-art remake of the classic William Castle horror film about a family that inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle, only to find the house is inhabited by a presence that has the new occupants trapped in their dream home. They eventually realize the house is a riddle, which may contain the key to their salvation. 175 special effects shots were created by visual effects lab Cinesite for the film. "The house is a very contemporary space," says Mike Fink, Cinesite's senior visual effects supervisor on the film.
STVDIO Media, an American-run animation house based in Hong Kong and specializing in 2D character animation, has been awarded a grant by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council to develop THE FENG SHUI DETECTIVE. Based on characters from author Nury Vittachi's book, a bestseller in Australia and Hong Kong, the animated version has already generated interest from regional media companies. The FENG SHUI DETECTIVE follows the adventures of a Chinese feng shui expert and his Australian teenage girl assistant who travel across Asia assisting the police with their investigations.
The new SHREK game for Microsoft's Xbox game system features character contributions from Emmy winning producer/director, Todd McFarlane. "We are really excited about Todd's character contributions," said Vincent Bitetti, CEO of TDK Mediactive. "The twisted and quirky personalities that he incorporated into the game characters are a perfect match for the unique and irreverent humor of the game." Todd McFarlane collaborated with TDK Mediactive and developer Digital Illusions to create new, exclusive characters for SHREK for Xbox.
On Monday, October 29, 2001, MTV Networks announced a worldwide restructuring plan resulting in 450 lay-offs, approximately 9% of its full-time staff. The departments most significantly affected are the online divisions and MTV Animation. The once separate online operations will be integrated with the television businesses meaning staffers for the online division will be moved out of their current location at 770 Broadway and merged with the television operation in midtown Manhattan. This move represents the majority of the staff cuts.
Disney has announced plans to close The Secret Lab, the visual effects unit of its Feature Animation group. The Secret Lab was formed two years ago, emerging from Oscar-winning effects house Dream Quest Images, which was founded in 1979 and became a division of Disney in 1996. In a VARIETY report, Walt Disney Feature Animation president Thomas Schumacher stated that The Secret Lab is no longer actively seeking outside contracts. However, he also said, If the studio comes to me and says heres a movie that we have a special demand for, then fantastic.
The Walt Disney Company has completed its previously announced acquisition of Fox Family Worldwide, Inc. from Haim Saban and Fox Broadcasting Company. The acquisition closed on October 21, 2001 with a final purchase price of $5.2 billion, including approximately $2.9 billion in cash and the assumption of $2.3 billion in Fox Family. Michael D.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences final deadline for entry forms looms large for the Animated Feature and Animated Short categories. This is the first year for the highly anticipated Animated Feature film category and as of Tuesday, October 30, 2001 the Academy had received five applications. It requires eight eligible films to activate a category, so if you have an animated feature film that is eligible, get in those applications! The deadline for completed applications for both animated feature and animated short films is November 1, 2001.
Orlando animation production company A&S Animation, Inc., has produced a series of animated bible story shorts called A MESSAGE FROM GOD. Created by Emmy Award winning producers J&B DiFrancesco, the shorts will be included in Raven Moon Entertainment's new video release called GINA D'S KIDS CLUB. Based on the DiFrancescos concept of having two animated kids telling bible stories, Mark Simon of A&S Animation, Inc. developed and produced the three one-minute shorts telling the stories of Moses and the Ten Commandments, David and Goliath, and Adam and Eve.
Renegade Animation has produced a new 30-second spot for Target and agency The Design Guys, Minneapolis to promote the store's Halloween items. Directed by Darrell Van Citters, He's Not a Freak, features an assortment of ghosts, ghouls, monsters and demons preparing for Halloween. A skeleton swallows a piece of candy (which drops straight through his rib cage) and a witch decorates her spooky mansion using the wrappings from a friendly mummy in place of crepe paper. The Design Guys based the commercial on characters created by Sarah Nelson of Werner Design Werks.