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This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes:ASIFA-Hollywood Presents: DePatie-Freleng - The Early Films,Wednesday, May 23, 2001, Burbank, California, U.S.A.; ASIFA-HollywoodPresents: Hollywood Cartoons In Technicolor!, Wednesday, May 30,2001, Burbank, California, U.S.A.; ASIFA-Hollywood Presents: Sex WarsIn Animation, 1926 - 1950, Friday, June 1, 2001, Burbank, California,U.S.A.; ChildArt And Creativity Festival, Friday, June 29 -Wednesday, July 4, 2001, Washington, DC, U.S.A.; Sentiero Corto

Visual effects studio Rhinoceros Effects has recently finished a new spot for health insurance group Empire Blue Cross/Blue Shield and agency Gotham Inc. Titled Beacon, the spot combines photo-realistic CG with live-action camera moves. The Beacon butterflies that star in the spot required deep work in CG, but shooting the live materials was also very important, said director Harry Dorrington. We shot the room using very slow moves, as well as capturing light sources and background textures.

Gnomon School of Visual Effects has announced the launch of Gnomon Online, a Web-based service structured to offer high-quality training in Alias|Wavefront Maya on the Internet. Paid membership will allow viewing of streaming-video tutorials in seven application areas. Gnomon Online membership is $49 per month and gives members access to a growing library of streaming-video tutorials and scene files. The service is going online with an initial three hours and twenty minutes of tutorials.

If you thought Sugar Ray was already a pretty animated band, wait until you see them at CartoonNetwork.com. The Website introduces an innovative extension to its Web Premiere Toons franchise when it premieres an animated music video starring the Lava/Atlantic recording group. The band has been working with Cartoon Network Online to create and produce a video based on their new hit single, WHEN IT'S OVER, from their forthcoming self-titled album, set for release on June 12, 2001. The animated video will premiere exclusively at CartoonNetwork.com on June 4, 2001.

Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology, Inc., has formed a strategic development relationship with Microsoft Corporation to provide professional 3D art tools for modeling and animation for the Xbox video game system. Through this agreement, SOFTIMAGE|XSI animation software and SOFTIMAGE|RTK character middleware will support the creation of Xbox-specific content. "The stunning graphics performance of Xbox is powered by the NVIDIA graphics processing unit (Xbox GPU).

Markus Manninen has been promoted to Deputy Head of FrameStores 3D department. Manninen joined FrameStore in 2000 from Film Tecknarna in Sweden and has since worked on numerous commercials, including British Gas Mexican, BT Cellnets Animation, Shells Whale and Fiats Volcano. He also recently directed campaigns for Cingular Wireless and Richard Burbidge. The company also announced that Paul O'Brien has recently joined FrameStore's Henry team.

Santa Monica, Californias Computer Cafe provided 3D animation and visual effects services for a new spot for Bayer Home Health. Conceived by Chicago agency Euro RSCG Tatham, the 30-second spot promotes Bayer Home Health Total Termite Control system. The spot opens on a man lying in a magnetic resonance imaging system. The machine's scanning bar performs a pass and reveals an interior view of the man's chest. The scene then shifts to the man's home and dissolves to a MRI-like view in which the insides of the home's skeletal structure are plainly in view.

Wild Brain, Inc., in conjunction with The Irv Schechter Talent Agency, announced their representation for commercial work of animator and director David Feiss. As creator, director and animator, Feiss just completed his first Wild Brain campaign for BBDO/NY, a Frito-Lay Cheetos Whirlz spot titled Cool Cat, currently airing, and a Cheetos Mystery Colorz Snacks PSA, which aired on May 7, 2001. Feiss may best be known as creator and director of his own TV series, the overwhelmingly popular COW & CHICKEN for Cartoon Network.