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Features Headline News

NewTek Releases Lightwave 6.5

NewTek announced late last week that Lightwave 6.5, the new upgrade to their award-winning 3D software, is now available for download from their Website. The new version was originally to be called Lightwave 6.1, but NewTek decided that due to the large array of new features and improvements they would pitch it as a more significant upgrade. "Lightwave 6.0 was a monumental release, and the new architecture it provides has allowed this release to consist of hundreds of features in a relatively short amount of time. Upgrades to follow should be no less significant.

Animation Headline News

Animate In Paradise On A Balearic Islands Retreat

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, December 20, 2000 at 12:00am

The government of Spain's Balearic Islands is organizing a fully paid retreat for animators from around the world to come and hone their craft in Majorca. The attending animators, writers and technicians will have their travel, living and working expenses paid for by the non-profit fund. Moreover, the foundation will invite recognized names in the field to lead seminars and workshops. Projects created during the retreat will screen at Majorca's yearly animation festival ANI.MAR. However, the foundation needs the animation community's support to receive full funding for the project.

Headline News

Cats & Dogs Writing Duo To Pen New Looney Tunes Feature

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, December 20, 2000 at 12:00am

Screenwriters John Requa and Glenn Ficarra have signed a three-picture deal with Warner Bros. that will have the CATS & DOGS writing duo penning the new Looney Tunes feature. Produced by Quincy Jones Media Group and Gerber Pictures, the film will be a live-action/animated feature sending the Looney Tunes crew on a wild road trip. Originally Ken Kaufman, co-writer of Warners SPACE COWBOYS, had been tapped to write the script [AWN 8/23/00]. The new team will be paid a high-six figure amount up front, reaching seven figures after the film is produced.

Headline News

Animation Stock Ticker For Tuesday, December 19, 2000

AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.

Million Headline News

The Grinch Steals Int BO As Charlie's Angels Fades

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and DINOSAUR picked up steam at the international box office as former champ CHARLIE'S ANGELS faded a bit. In Mexico, THE GRINCH made its debut in first with a gross of US$2.29 million. BEDAZZLED fell to second with a ticket take of $1.51 million, raising its Mexican cume to $3.51 million. In fourth, CHARLIE'S ANGELS flew in another $645,425, elevating its Mexican cume to $3.91 million. Rounding out the Mexican top ten, THE CELL captured $48,406 to push its cume to $2.36 million.

Film Headline News

Princess Mononoke Brings Peace To DVD

Hayao Miyazaki's masterpiece, PRINCESS MONONOKE, is arriving on DVD from Miramax Home Entertainment. Hitting stores December 19, 2000, the film follows young warrior Ashitaka's quest to cure a disease that plagues his body and create peace between humans and the forest gods. The DVD features a special production featurette, English-language theatrical trailer and three language tracks in English, Japanese and French. The film will retail for US$34.99.

Magica Headline News

Medusa Etches Deal In Stone To Buy Lanterna Magica

Rome production and distribution company Medusa Films has acquired financially strapped Italian toon house Lanterna Magica. The 20-year-old animation factory will remain under the watchful eye of executive producer Maria Fares and stay in its home in northern Turin. As part of the deal, Lanterna will produce an animated feature each year and an animated TV series for Medusa sister firm Mediaset every two years. Medusa CEO Federico di Chio will serve as president with Lanterna's Guido Manuli and Maurizio Forrestieri remaining in their roles as artistic and creative directors respectively.

Headline News

Dragon Tales Taps Top Licensing Deals

Sesame Workshop and Sony Pictures Family Entertainment have inked two big licensing deals for their PBS series DRAGON TALES. Kellogg USA has renewed its sponsorship of the series. Kellogg will be a strong presence in the advertising and marketing of the show, including positioning in the English and Spanish editions of SESAME STREET magazine and a link swap between Kellogg, Sesame Workshop and PBS' DRAGON TALES Websites.

Headline News

U.S. Primetime TV Ratings For The Week Of December 11-17, 2000

In its last year on CBS, A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS is nothing but a holiday miracle. Airing at 8 pm on Monday, the 35-year old special scored an amazing 10.8 rating/16 share to finish in 17th place for the week. After its Christmas day airing on CBS, the classic holiday special will move to ABC. At #33, THE SIMPSONS took home a steady 8.7 rating/13 share for Fox. KING OF THE HILL placed #58 with a 6.4 rating/10 share. The Sunday 7:30 special broadcast of THE SIMPSONS finished in the 72nd slot with a 5.2 rating/9 share. CBS' Tuesday night Christmas block took the next two toon slots.

Million Headline News

The Grinch Finally Surrenders US Box Office Crown

Falling behind the debuts of the live-action comedies, WHAT WOMEN WANT and DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS surrendered its U.S. box office crown, falling to third. The Who-ville fable, with primary visual effects by Digital Domain, grabbed $13.81 million, elevating its cume to an astounding $213.6 million. Disney's new animated feature THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE made a lackluster debut in fourth grossing $9.81 million. The screwball buddy film could see increased dollars over the upcoming holiday vacation, helped by good reviews across the board.

Digital Headline News

eyeon Software Releases Digital Fusion DFX+

eyeon Software recently announced a major new release of their powerful digital effects and compositing software, Digital Fusion DFX+. DFX+ is a "modular" offering. eyeon has chopped Digital Fusion up into 5 different packages, created a new licensing system and presto their flag ship package is now highly customizable and accessible to all! eyeon also announced that a demo of the software is now available for download from their Website. "If you want to know how a software package performs in the real world, you have to kick the tires and take it for a spin.

Technology Headline News

Phoenix Tools Releases RealFur 2.0

Milan-based Phoenix Tools announced the release of RealFur 2.0 a major upgrade to their fur rendering technology. The new version introduces renders up to 10 times faster than the previous version. The key to this speed is that the old volumetric technology has been replaced with a new geometry-based system that allows artists to render millions of polygons without having to display them in the 3D authoring application. An optimized cylinder, with the given color, transparency and other global material parameters, replace each hair strand at the rendering stage.

Company Headline News

AntEye Closes Its Eyes

AntEye has closed its eyes and its doors. The Los Angeles Netcaster shut down on Friday, December 15, 2000 and laid off its 20 employees. The company decided to finally close up shop after finding a buyer was unsuccessful. Matti Leshem, company CEO, told the DAILY VARIETY, "The party is over. We're shutting for the same reason that everyone else has; the market can't support this kind of company.

Film Headline News

iFilm Lays Off 10% Of Its Staff

iFilm has laid off 15 employees, or 10% of its staff. The move was made to release some pressure on the Netcaster's capital. The cuts were across many divisions and come on the heels of the firm's launching of three new projects the iFilm portal, the relaunch of iFilmpro and an online testing business. In the past year, iFilm has purchased film industry business-to-business services such as Film Finders, the Hollywood Creative Directory, Lone Eagle Publishing and TV Tracker. However, rumors have flourished that the company is backing away from a b2b model and refocusing on content.

Company Headline News

Stan Lee Media Stops Operations

On Friday, December 15, 2000, Stan Lee Media (SLM) stopped operations and laid off "substantially all of its [140 person] staff." The company will keep an executive core to look into possible new directions for the company including selling off the firm's assets. The move comes as a result of the Netcaster's plummeting stock and inability to raise a new round of financing. Early in December, SLM announced it had obtained US$2.2 million as a bridge loan until it could finalize a $40 million financing round.

Headline News

KC Filmmakers Jubilee Celebrates Films From The MidWest & Around The World

* Wednesday, April 4 Sunday, April 8, 2001. Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A.

Entry Deadline: January 10, 2001.

The fifth annual KC Filmmakers Jubilee is a celebration of independent filmmaking. All experimental and animation entries must be 30 minutes or less. A US$1000 prize will be awarded in each category. For more information contact: Tel.: (913) 649-0244; E-mail: kcjub@kcjubilee.org; or Web: http://www.kcjubilee.org/.

Animation Headline News

Discover The Differences Between Animation & Live-Action Writing At WIA Seminar

* Thursday, January 11, 2001. Westwood, California, U.S.A.

The Women In Animation Writers' Group starts up their new Seminar Series at Saban Entertainment, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood at 7:30 pm. Find out the differences between writing for animation and live-action. Learn comedy and gag writing techniques. Fee is US$5. RSVP is required to Jean Ann Wright at: Tel: (818) 360-8321 or E-mail: jjwright@gte.net.

Animation Headline News

The Acrobat Issue Of Animation World Magazine Is Now On-Line!

December's feature articles are based on the themes of location-based entertainment and anime. Karl Cohen is profiling Imax -- is animation's next frontier in peril? Also, Martin "Dr. Toon" Goodman is discussing the past and future of LBE, specifically VR. On the anime side of things Fred Patten is profiling "Vampire Hunter D," the latest anime release to arrive on U.S. soil. Andrew Osmond is interviewing a number of experts and scholars on the stylistic merits of Japanese animation. Be ready to put on your thinking cap before reading this one.

Animation Headline News

New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors, Visual Artists And More...

Vancouver, B.C., Canada's a.k.a. Cartoon, Inc., producers of a television series currently airing on Cartoon Network, is looking for a STORYBOARD SUPERVISOR to supervise an in-house staff of storyboard artists. . . Santa Maria, California's BSR Entertainment Group, a movie production company, is looking for EXPERIENCED LIGHTWAVE ANIMATORS with strong character animation skills. . . Fenton, Michigan's Creative Reign has immediate openings for several ANIMATORS and MODELERS to work on a 3D animated children's movie set for release in 2002. . .

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