AWN Headline News

Film Headline News

THOMAS THE TANK is headed for the Big Screen!

THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD, a live-action/animated feature length film,is scheduled to begin shooting this month in England and Canada. Based onthe TV series THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, the film is a co-production betweenDestination Film, Britt Allcroft Co. and Gullane Pictures. Icon FilmDistribution, the British releasing arm of Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey'sIcon Productions, will distribute the film in the UK. THOMAS THE TANKENGINE began as a series of children's books by the late Rev. Wilbert

Headline News

Women in Animation to hold Annual Meeting and Elections

Women in Animation will hold their Annual Meeting and Elections onSaturday, June 26 at 10:30 am at Gnomon, Inc. Ballots were due by mail orfax on June 18, but can still be delivered in person at the June 26meeting. Gnomon is located at 1015 North Cahuenga Bl., First Floor,Hollywood, CA 90038. For more information call 818-759-9596.

Headline News

Graduate portfolio show set at Art Institute of Los Angeles

* Friday, June 18, 5:30-7:30 pm. Santa Monica, California, USA.

The Art Institute of Los Angeles will present its first portfoliopresentation showcasing graduates' work at their campus located at 290031st Street, Santa Monica. The reception for industry professionals is agreat way to find fresh talent! For more information call Colleen Lynch,Director of Career Services, at 310-752 4700; or e-mail lynchc@aii.edu.

Headline News

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh plans graduate portfolio show

* Friday, June 18, 2:30-6:00 pm. Oakland, Pennsylvania, USA.

The Art Institute of Pittsburgh will present a portfolio presentationshowcasing graduates' work at their campus located at Banquet Hall, 4141Fifth Avenue. The show features computer animation, multimedia, graphicdesign, interior design, and video production. For more information call1-800-275-2470; or 263-6600, ext. 272.

Headline News

Don't miss this Looney Tunes Reunion!

Several artists who worked on the classic Warner Bros. shorts will be onhand at ASIFA-Hollywood's "A Looney Tunes Reunion" on Saturday, June 19, 11am to 2 pm at the Johnny Carson Park in Burbank, California. Scheduled toappear are background designer/director Maurice Noble, animator/directorNorm McCabe, Bob Givens, Pete Alvarado, animator/director Bill Melendez,and Art Leonardi. Bring a pot-luck dish, and be prepared for manysurprises. To RSVP, or for more information, call (818) 842-8330.

Show Headline News

Film Roman announces two more prime-time series

Adding to the recently announced DOOMSDAY, being co-produced with HowardStern, and TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS, being co-produced with Norman Lear, FilmRoman has announced two more prime-time TV shows that it will be taking tothe marketplace this season. THE CABBISONS takes a hard look at today'ssociety through the eyes of a 1970's sitcom family who are typicallyAmerican--except for living in a cab. The Cabbisons travel through theworld in their cab, picking up fictional characters and celebrity fares

Headline News

Oxygen Media announces new personnel

Oxygen Media has named several senior executives to its sales and marketingteam. MARY MURANO, who joins Oxygen as the Senior Vice President forAffiliate Sales, was formerly Executive Vice President, Distribution andAffiliate Marketing at AMC Networks; LAURIE BENSON, who is the new SeniorVice President for Advertising Sales, was formerly Vice President,Advertising Sales of Home & Garden Television; TRICIA MELTON, who has beennamed Vice President for Consumer Marketing, joins Oxygen from the Food

Show Headline News

Portfolio show set at Art Institute of Atlanta

* Thursday, June 17, 11 am - 1:30 pm. Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

A portfolio show and networking meeting will take place at The ArtInstitute of Atlanta at 3376 Peachtree Road NE. The show features computeranimation, multimedia, graphic design, interior design, and videoproduction. For more information contact Diana Graves at (404) 266-2662,ext. 370; or e-mail: gravesd@aii.edu.

Online Headline News

Oxygen signs with Mediaone

Geraldine Laybourne, Oxygen Media's Chairman and CEO, has announced thatOxygen Media has signed a carriage agreement with MediaOne, a domesticcable operator, to distribute Oxygen's cable network. The new Oxygennetwork, which is scheduled to launch on 02/02/2000, will be integratedwith Oxygen's existing online properties to create a "home base" for womenon cable and the Internet. Oxygen's carriage agreement with MediaOne willdeliver Oxygen to over 1 million subscribers at launch. Under the terms of

Headline News

Computer Cafe expands to Santa Monica

Computer Cafe has opened a full service animation studio in Santa Monica,California. The 1400 square foot site, in the heart of Santa Monica's mediadistrict, will be staffed by art director/digital artist Ron Honn, who isrelocating from the company's Santa Maria headquarters, and producerJonathan Stone, who joins the company from Saban Entertainment. Artistsfrom the Santa Maria facility will staff up the Santa Monica studio on aproject basis, and the company will also staff the new site with local

Cartoons Headline News

Rob Davies opens new studio

Rob Davies, a 1999 Emmy nominee for his work on STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS:PINKY, ELMYRA AND THE BRAIN, has recently returned from Warner Bros. T.V.Animation in L.A. to his native British Columbia, Canada to start up a newanimation studio, Atomic Cartoons Inc. Joining Davies is former REN ANDSTIMPY animator and Universal Cartoons director Mauro Casalese, directorTrevor Bentley (Nickelodeon's CAT DOG, Nelvana's NED'S NEWT), and directorOlaf Miller (Sony's LITTLE WITCH). "Our main focus is to assist companies

Headline News

THE BANANA SPLITS return!

THE BANANA SPLITS will return via Cartoon Network Online's Web PremiereToon series in 2000. Produced by Hanna-Barbera and Sid & Marty Krofft, THEBANANA SPLITS ADVENTURE HOUR was originally broadcast on NBC from 1968-70,and the show was repeated throughout the 1970s. Episodes currently airSaturday mornings on Cartoon Network. The live-action variety show featuredrock musician characters in fuzzy animal suits: Fleagle, a beagle; Drooper,a lion; Bingo, a gorilla; and Snorky, an elephant. The foursome would

Headline News

Did DINOTOPIA inspire PHANTOM MENACE?

A bit of controversy has arisen due to the striking similarity between somescenes in James Gurney's DINOTOPIA books and George Lucas' STAR WARSEPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE. The questionable parallels include thatbetween PHANTOM MENACE's royal Naboo city of Theed and DINOTOPIA'sWaterfall City; the trip through PHANTOM MENACE's Naboo's core and asubmarine ride in THE WORLD BENEATH; the celebratory parade at the end ofthe film and several scenes from DINOTOPIA books; and between Jar Jar Binks

Film Headline News

Film Roman announces FABULOUS FURRY FREAK BROTHERS feature

After several weeks of rumors, Film Roman has officially confirmed thatthey are developing an animated feature film based on THE FABULOUS FURRYFREAK BROTHERS, the underground comic book by Gilbert Shelton. THE FABULOUSFURRY FREAK BROTHERS is about three hippie brothers: freewheelingcowboy-hatted Frank; mad-inventor Phineas, and Fat Freddy, as well as FatFreddy's cat, who is described as meaner than Garfield, smarter than Felix,randier than Fritz, and a better mouser than Tom. Mike B. Anderson (THE

Animation Headline News

Collège Boréal looking for a classical animation professor

Ontario Canada's Collège Boréal is looking for a classical animation professor.The purpose of the school's three-year program is to prepare learners to pursue a career in commercial animation, i.e., working in film, TV series, video game, CD-ROM, Web page and advertising production. The program allows the learner to be proficient in

Star Headline News

DeForest Kelley, STAR TREK's "Bones" McCoy, dies

Actor DeForest Kelley, STAR TREK's Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy died Friday,June 10 after an extended illness. Kelley, born January 20, 1920, inAtlanta, Georgia, US, played supporting roles in a number of movies,including THE MAN IN THE GRAY FLANNEL SUIT (1956); GUNFIGHT AT THE O.K.CORRAL (1957), RAINTREE COUNTY (1957), and APACHE UPRISING (1966). STARTREK creator and producer Gene Roddenberry had wanted Kelley to play thedoctor in STAR TREK from the get-go, having worked with him previously on

Million Headline News

STAR WARS falls to second place

STAR WARS EPISODE 1: THE PHANTOM MENACE, the digital effects driven actionfilm from Lucasfilm, grossed $25.4 million to bring its total to $296.7million while finishing second to newly released AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHOSHAGGED ME in the US weekend boxoffice race for the week ending Sunday,June 13. Universal's THE MUMMY, with digital effects by ILM, finished fifthwhile grossing $5.48 million to bring its total to $136.2 million; THEMATRIX, directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, finished seventh, grossing

Animation Headline News

Green Movie looking for animation, layout and storyboard artists

Italian production company GREEN MOVIE is searching for ANIMATION,LAYOUT and STORYBOARD ARTISTS for an upcoming feature cartoon productionwritten by Nobel award winner, Dario Fo. They are looking for freelancersand/or teams and/or companies from Europe, preferably countries nearby orneighbouring Italy. The production period is MAY 2000 - JUNE 2001, and willtake place all over Europe and Italy. The selection process must be over bymid-July 1999, so please hurry. Any queries should be sent to

Headline News

Evans & Sutherland hire Ard and Munshani

Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation has announced the appointment ofRobert H. Ard to the position of Group Executive, Applications, and ShankerMunshani to be General Manager of its Workstation Graphics Division. Ardwill be responsible for the Digital Studio, Digital Theater, and PixelProducts divisions. He will also continue as the General Manager of thePixel Products unit. Ard is a veteran software industry executive. Prior tojoining Evans & Sutherland in 1998 as the General Manager of the Pixel

Series Headline News

Alphanim announces new productions

French production company Alphanim's RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, a series,co-produced with Cinar, about a group of three friends who travel the worldseeking out paranormal phenomena, will begin airing on the Fox FamilyChannel on Wednesday, July 14, 1999. Alphanim, which was created in 1997 byChristian Davin, has announced a number of new television series that arein production or development.

In production:

SPACED OUT is a family sitcom created by P. Colin-Thibert and J.C. Islert,

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