Tagged With: Animated

Pop singer George Michael has been courting controversy in the U.S. and across the pond with the animated video for his latest single "Shoot The Dog," which features less-than-flattering caricatures of President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Spanish production companies MSL and Grupo Trimagen have recently signed a joint venture agreement to create animated programming. The new international company, MSL-TRIMAGEN, will develop, produce and market a wide range of animated series and feature films. The company is currently working at the head offices in Madrid and Barcelona on several projects, including BUNNIBAL, a 26 x 13-minute animated series currently in pre-production.

London's Mill Lab has been commissioned by BBC Interactive (BBCi) to create a new interactive game for SO, BBCi's Website for teens (www.bbc.co.uk/so). Based on the "Magic 8-Ball" game, ASK THE DJ was formulated by Mill Labs James Stone and John Sunter, and allows players to "ask the DJ" yes or no questions. This cool game, set in a nightclub, features a female house DJ and a male devil DJ who are battling each other for control of the turntables. The player chooses the style of music that gets played, from death metal to house, thereby deciding who wins and who gets kicked off.

Santa Monica, California-based Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL) has produced and animated "Hershey's Really Big 3D Show," a feature-length original production showcasing 3D animation and presented in wide-screen 3D High Definition format with glasses and digital projection. The 40-minute show runs daily at Hershey's Chocolate World, located in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The show begins with a glimpse into the history of Hershey's chocolate and its advertising, with a lecture on the history of chocolate by the animated D. P. Quigley.

Disney/Pixar's MONSTERS, INC., has usurped SHREK to become the second highest grossing animated film of all-time (behind only Disney's THE LION KING). The film has earned $504 million to date, comprised of $253 million in domestic box office receipts and $251.2 million in international box office receipts, where it has set records in Japan ($59.1 million, the most successful U.S. animated film ever), England ($53 million), Mexico ($20.1 million) and Spain ($13.5 million). Commenting on the announcement, Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said, "MONSTERS, INC.

The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) organization held their 49th MPSE Golden Reel Awards banquet on Saturday, March 23, 2002 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California. The Golden Reel Awards acknowledge the year's best work in the various areas of sound editing. Winning the award for Best Sound Editing - Music, Television Animated Series was Michael Geisler and BadaBing BadaBoom Productions, Inc. for their work on THE CRAMP TWINS, a Sunbow Entertainment/TV-Loonland and Cartoon Network UK co-production.

Representing their first sale to Japan, TV-Loonland has sold the home video and DVD rights of the animated series LITTLE GHOSTS to Japanese home entertainment corporation TDK. The show has also been sold to Indonesian agent PT-NAINA, who will distribute all rights of the series to buyers in the Asia Pacific region. Australias public broadcaster ABC Australia is currently airing LITTLE GHOSTS and will be launching the series on home video through their subsidiary ABC Video in spring 2002.

On March 24, 2002 at the brand new Kodak Theater inHollywood, California, the Academy of Motion PictureArts and Sciences announced the winners of thisyear's Oscars. For the very first time, an award wasgiven in the category Best Animated Feature, and thewinner was DreamWorks SHREK. Taking home the prizefor Best Animated Short was Pixars FOR THE BIRDS. Another animated film was represented when Randy Newman won the Oscar for Best OriginalSong for the MONSTERS, INC. theme If I Didnt HaveYou.

The Krok International Animated Film Festival, St. Petersburg to Moscow, Russian Federation.

Wednesday, August 14 - Friday, August 23, 2002

Entry Deadline: Wednesday, May 15, 2002