Digital Musings From the Editor:
VFXWORLD turns its attention this month to the global market perfect timing with yesterdays surprise announcement that Autodesk had just acquired Alias.
VFXWORLD turns its attention this month to the global market perfect timing with yesterdays surprise announcement that Autodesk had just acquired Alias.
Vancouver and Boston-based production company Global has created a new TV series division anchored by three new animation projects: 20 episodes of a new series for PBS and WGBH called FETCH!; three childrens books for the next season of the award-winning PBS series, BETWEEN THE LIONS, produced by WGBH Boston, Sirius Thinking Ltd. and Mississippi Public Broadcasting; and a five-episode original series created by Lincoln Pierce for a new programming block on Cartoon Network.
Global Mechanic recently completed the final commercial in a four-spot campaign for Kelloggs Eggos. Agency Leo Burnett hired Global Mechanic to design the characters, concept the ideas, shoot the product and then animate the spots. The agency creative team really wanted to focus on building a collection of characters each with a different funny personality, said Global Mechanic exec producer Matthew Charde.
Digital Asset Management [DAM], Marketing Operations Management [MOM] and Global Branding Seminar will take place in Beijing. The seminar will feature as keynote speaker and chair person, Michael Moon, who many consider to be the
Los Angeles-based family entertainment company PorchLight Entertainment has been acquired by its senior management and Beringea through Global Rights II, a media, brand and intellectual property rights fund.
Global Mechanic has signed of two new commercial directors to its roster live-action director Mina Shum and animation director Nathaniel Akin.
John Partilla has been named president of Time Warner's Global Marketing group, effective June 14, 2004, and will hold the additional title of svp at Time Warner. Partilla succeeds Michael J. Kelly, who moved in January 2004 to Time Warner's America Online, Inc. unit as president, AOL Media Networks.
Klasky Csupo Animation Studio has launched a mature entertainment arm, Global Tantrum (www.globaltantrum.com). Klasky Csupo ceo Terry Thoren will oversee all business operations. Global Tantrum will target the 18-35 age group and produces TV series, feature films and content for the Internet.
Klasky Csupo principal Gabor Csupo said, "It is refreshing to have a vehicle that expresses such a different creative vision. We hope viewers are entertained by the material, whether in film, television or internet form as we move forward with the Global Tantrum brand."
Artivist Film Festival is dedicated to addressing social, global, political, animal rights and environmental issues through visual arts and music to strengthen the voice of international activist filmmakers and artists as well as raise public awareness and funds for global social causes. It seeks to unite the entertainment industry, the corporate world and non-profit organizations towards a common goal of giving exposure and support to socially aware artivists. For more information, call (310) 712-1222, e-mail: info@ArtivistFilmFestival.org, or visit www.ArtivistFilmFestival.org.
Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games) has appointed Mark J. Halacy to evp, Global Human Resources, overseeing the company's global HR operations across North America, Europe and Asia.
"Mark has led many successful HR development initiatives across large-scale, global organizations," said Bruce Hack, ceo of VU Games, to whom Halacy will report. "He will play an important leadership role at VU Games, as we aim to strengthen our global practices and capabilities."
J. Paul Peszko interviews the artists at Canadian firm Global Mechanic about their works and expansion into the U.S.
The National Screen Institute - Canada, in association with Global Television Network, is hosting the NSI Global Marketing Program culminating at MIP-TV 2004 in Cannes, France. Participants must have a show that has aired on national television and have a project in development to qualify for the NSI Global Marketing Program.
Vancouver Canada-based Global Mechanic has expanded its operations to the United States in order to serve its increased business in commercial, television production, and independent film work.
Cannes, FranceFebruary 1 April 2, 2003Deadline: January 8, 2004
The National Screen Institute - Canada, in association with Global Television Network, is hosting the NSI Global Marketing Program culminating at MIP-TV 2004 in Cannes, France. Participants must have a show that has aired on national television and have a project in development to qualify for the NSI Global Marketing Program.
Entries are needed for RESFEST 2003, an annual, touring, global festival dedicated to showcasing innovative film, music, art, design and technology. Now in its seventh year, the five-day festival showcases the year's best shorts, features, music videos and animation. Programs on tap for the 2003 festival include Off the Map, Cinema Electronica, Videos that Rock, By Design and more.
The KidScreen Summit three-day conference will take place February 25- 27, 2002 at the Universal City Hilton & Towers in Los Angeles, California. The conference offers...
In the first network initiative to unite all its global divisions, Cartoon Network will be airing a 12-hour marathon of fans favorite DEXTERS LABORATORY episodes, selected by viewers from around the world. Viewers can cast their votes now through November 15, 2001 by logging on to their region's Cartoon Network Website. The fan picks will be aired on all Cartoon Networks worldwide on November 18, 2001 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm and will include the winning episode from each country.
Marketing executive Michelle Hagen has joined Global Animation as vice president of marketing & business development. In this position, she will oversee the worldwide client development of Global Animations three principal companies: Spectrum Studios in Los Angeles, ImagineAsia and VirtualMagic ASIA in Manila, Philippines. Hagen comes to Global with 12 years of industry experience, having worked for some of Hollywoods most successful studios.
David Forbes, former executive vice president of Orion Pictures Corp. and president of MGM/UA Distribution Company, has been named CEO of Global Animation Holdings, whose family of companies includes Los Angeles-based Spectrum Studios and Manila, Philippines-based ImagineAsia and VirtualMagic Asia. Forbes assumes the new post immediately.
Jeff Lotman, CEO of Vivid Animation and Virtual Celebrity Productions,
announced that the company has closed operations. "Vivid, which had just
completed its first commercial project, for MasterCard, will no longer
accept commercial projects," said Lotman who has decided to focus all of
his energies and resources on his two-year-old licensing and merchandising
company Global Icons. "Global Icons is growing faster than I had hoped and
the potential is so great that it demands all of my attention at this