In its second week of release, THE MUMMY, Universal Studios' CGI-laced revival of its mummy series remained on top in the weekend US box-office charts, grossing $25.1 million to bring its total to $80.8 million. The primary digital effects for THE MUMMY were created by Industrial Light & Magic. THE MATRIX, another effects driven action film, continues to do well, finishing third and taking in $4.5 million to bring its total gross to $145.1 million.
The School of Visual Arts in New York City will offer a course for credit on "Japanese Animation: History and Style" as part of its Continuing Education program. Instructor Brian Camp, author of several articles about anime, will focus on the recent history and stylistic development of anime, from the pioneering work of Osamu Tezuka in the '60s, to the epic space sagas of the '70s, to the visionary achievements of a host of innovative animators in the '80s and '90s.
Arts Unlimited, a 5-week summer program for children in grades 4-8, has added three animation classes to its arts curriculum. The classes will be taught by Wendy Jackson and will introduce animation techniques such as zoetropes, flipbooks, clay, cut-outs, drawing on film, and pixilation. Jackson will also teach a classin giant puppetry. Additional program offerings include ceramics,calligraphy, computer art, dance, mixed media, music, publishing, and
Angeles with several properties including two that are animated. MONSTER CLUB is an animated series for children featuring the characters of THE MONSTER CLUB. This series will feature fundamental lessons about family, friendship and the environment. RADIO TOONS, which is in development, is an animated series featuring classic radio shows from the 1930's and 1940's as the sound and dialogue tracks. Similar to the highly rated 1970 Rankin Bass TV special THE MAD, MAD, MAD COMEDIANS, it features cartoon renditions of Jack Benny, George Burns, Abbott & Costello, and Bob Hope.
Iwerks Entertainment Inc. continued its improved operating performance infiscal 1999 by reporting revenues of $10,423,000 for the third quarterended March 31, 1999, representing a 133 percent improvement over the sameperiod last year when it reported revenues of $4,483,000. The third-quarternet loss of $389,000, or 3 cents per share, compared favorably with theprior year's net loss of $5,077,000, or 42 cents per share. EBITDA[earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion, amortization and
IBM and Nintendo have announced a multi-year $1 billion technologyagreement to support Nintendo's next home video game console, code-named"Dolphin." As part of the agreement, IBM will design and manufacture aunique 400 MHz central processor featuring IBM's industry-leading 0.18micron copper technology. The chip, dubbed the "Gekko" processor, is anextension of the IBM PowerPC(TM) architecture. It's designed to be morepowerful than those found in any current or planned home video game
Fox Family Channel has named ROB SORCHER head of the newly created positionof Executive Vice President, Programming and Development. Sorcher willoversee all original programming, both current, and in development, forprime time scripted and reality series, specials, and movies, as well asall daytime children's prgramming for the Channel. Sorcher joins Fox Familyfrom Cartoon Network, where he served as Executive Vice President of thenetwork's US division since October 1997. At Cartoon Network Sorcher was a
Evening Sky Productions has named MITCH NADON general and operationsmanager. Nadon will be responsible for the day-to-day management and studiooperations of Evening Sky and The Animation House, its commercial division,and she will also oversee the areas of trade marketing and human resources.Nadon comes to Evening Sky from Toronto-based Spin Productions, where shewas Operations Officer. She has previously worked in production atTVOntario, and in animation production at Nelvana Limited. Evening Sky
On May 8th in San Antonio the National Cartoonists Society held its 51stAnnual Reuben Awards dinner, and two of their awards went to animationcartoonists. This year Chen Yi Chiang, the character designer for Disney'sMULAN, won the Best Feature Animation award, and Danny Antonucci, ofCartoon Network's ED, EDD N EDDY, won for Best Television Animation artist.The NCS was formed by newspaper cartoonists in1946 and over the years havebranched out to encompass other forms of cartooning like editorial
It is rumored that filmmakers Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein aredeveloping a live-action/animation project that would feature Bugs Bunny.Preliminary discussions are said to have taken place for Robin Williams tobe Bugs' sidekick. The story line remains undisclosed, but it's said to beless like WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? and more like ANCHORS AWEIGH, a 1945musical which features a sequence in which Gene Kelly dances withHanna-Barbera's Jerry Mouse. There is also talk of bringing the Tasmanian
The E3 '99 Exposition takes place Wednesday, May 12 - Saturday, May 15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, USA. This year's Exposition will feature over 400 exhibitors displaying new software titles and the latest hardware. Don Tapscott will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, May 13 at 8:45 am about the area of digital economy and the net generation.
Universal Studios Hollywood's TERMINATOR 2: 3D attraction recreates the dark foreboding futuristic world of the Terminator films in a twelve minute long 3-D film. The attraction is a sequel of sorts to James Cameron's TERMINATOR 2, a multi-sensory "virtual adventure." Up to 700 guests at a time can experience TERMINATOR 2: 3D, which is projected by six 70mm Iwerks projectors onto three 23' by 50' screens. This all-new Terminator adventure features the original TERMINATOR 2 cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick.
Newly released THE MUMMY, Universal Studios' CGI-laced revival of its mummyseries, which began with Boris Karloff's 1932 THE MUMMY, and continued inthe 1940s with Lon Chaney, Jr. in such films as THE MUMMY'S HAND, finishedon top in the weekend US box-office charts, grossing $43,369,635--the bestopening this year, the ninth-biggest of all time, and the highestnon-holiday debut in May. The digital effects for THE MUMMY were created byIndustrial Light and Magic.THE MATRIX remained in the top five, finishing
Disney Press has released a package called DISNEY'S ANIMATION KIT by Don Hahn that is intended for ages 8 and up. Priced at $19.95 the package includes the following:
18 pieces of 3-hole punched white paper4 cels1 Blue pencil1 Graphite pencil1 Flipbook featuring Mickey Mouse from "The Brave Little Tailor"1 Blank Flipbook6 non-smudge markers (red, yellow, green, blue, violet, black)1 plastic "peg bar"1 68 page workbook
Shui-Bo Wang's Oscar nominated SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN SQUARE makes its US TV debut Sunday, May 16 at 8 pm on HBO's Signature Channel.
SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN also debuts in Canada on Thursday, May 27 at 9 pm and 2 am ET/PT on Vision TV. It repeats on Friday, May 28 at noon, 8 pm, and 1 am; and on Monday, May 31 at 11 am. It also airs on SCN on Friday, June 4 at 8 pm; and on TVO on Monday, June 7 at 10 pm.
AWN Welcomes its new affiliates: Oregon-based Animation Toolworks, creator of the Video LunchBox, and the Academy of Art College in San Francisco...
Over 50 new articles and hot spot links have been added to the Student Corner this week...
This week's update to the Calendar of Events includes eight new animation-related affairs...
Toon Magazine is here! ISSUE #18 OF TOON MAGAZINE is the most impressive yet...
From the creator of the Animation Blast web site, comes the new issue of The Animation Blast -- the only publication for true cartoon junkies...
This week's special features in AWN's ever expanding store: The Ottawa Festival Catalog, with an Exclusive Stefan Schabenbeck Video...
This week's comic is about a lesson in American Politics...
*Thursday, May 6, 6:30 pm. New York, New York, USA.
Senior Thesis work from students of the Computer Art department of TheSchool of Visual Arts will be exhibited in the Westside Gallery at 141 West21st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The exhibit includes computeranimation, digital video, interactive media, digital fine art, andinstallations. A Portfolio Night and reception will be held May 6, and theexhibit will be on display May 6 to May 24. For more information call
*Friday, May 7th - Sunday, May 9th, Valencia, California, USA.
Students in the Character Animation program at CalArts will screen theirfilms at the Bijou at CalArts, 24700 McBean PKWY, Valencia, California.Open shows: May 7th at 8 pm; May 8th at 7 pm; and May 9th at 1:30 pm and 7pm. Producers Show: Thursday, May 13th at 7 pm. For more information call(805) 253-7818.
*Friday, May 14th, 8 pm. North Hollywood, California, USA.
Students in the Experimental Animation program at CalArts will show theirfilms at the Academy Plaza Theater, 5230 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood,California. For more information call (805) 253-7818.
Read about the teaching philosophy of Jules Engel, CalArts' FoundingDirector of the Experimental Animation Program, in this month's issue ofAnimation World Magazine in "Jules Engel: the Mentor".
