Industry veterans David Gioiella and Mark Littman have launched Mr. Wonderful, a new design and vfx company. The entity is an offshoot of their Northern Lights Post boutique and will cater to high-end broadcast design, feature film and television projects.
Alias introduced Creative Bridge, a services program designed to assist senior business managers and marketing professionals effectively exploit design and engineering data in their efforts to develop branded materials that are visually engaging, product correct, and can be created in significantly less time on increasingly tighter budgets.
Heavenspot, a Hollywood-based full service international design agency, recently completed the interactive website launch for TENACIOUS D IN THE PICK OF DESTINY, a feature film that will be released by New Line Cinema in early 2006 starring Jack Black and Kyle Gass.
The interactive site package includes Flash animation, an original interactive interface, a progressive design aesthetic and high quality Flash video.
FISHEGGS, a motion graphics and design company, has launched in Venice, California. Heading the company is founder/exec director Chris Roe, an award-winning filmmaker and designer who has worked in all visual mediums including film, television, interactive and web.
FISHEGGS comes from Roes last name, which by definition means fish eggs. The company uses its experience and creativity to effectively interpret, visualize and communicate clients ideas to their fullest.
Heavenspot, a full service international design agency located in Hollywood, recently completed an online game design for Watson DG on HUSTLE AND FLOW, a newly released feature film from Paramount Studios.
Catering to the features core youth market and hip-hop audience, the game package includes fresh sound effects, innovative flash interfaces, a progressive design theory and the ability to email your customized ride to a friend.
NPower Software, a division of Integrityware Inc, announced that PowerNURBS 1.0 will officially release on Sept. 15, and is now available for sale.
Michael Burns surveys the U.K. digital design scene for exciting talent, styles and trends.
Renowned digital modeler Zack Petroc (SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW) will teach a five-week course in Digital Sculpting of the Human Form at Gnomon Workshop. This course will run on Mondays from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, beginning Aug. 8 and running through Sept. 5. Those interested can register online, in person, via fax or postal service. For more information call 323/466-6663.
Web Design World is three intensive days of in-depth Web design education. Some of the top experts in the Web field will be on-hand to offer their tips, tricks and techniques on combining strategy and creative design to create Web sites that will captivate your target audiences. With four tracks and two focus days, attendees will learn how to design for usability, master cascading style sheets and XML, optimize Photoshop and more. For more information, visit www.ftponline.com/conferences/webdesignworld/2005/seattle/.
Ryan Church tells Ellen Wolff all about the design challenges of working with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg on two of this summers hottest movies.
Disney has officially announced that its will indeed bring a stage musical version of TARZAN to Broadway next spring, reports VARIETY. The project had been in the development stage for years. No theater has been announced and Shuler Hensley (THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL) is in final negotiations to take on the title role.
Cast size for DISNEY PRESENTS TARZAN will be 34. There will be no out-of-town tryout, and a previously announced workshop for this summer will not take place.
Award-winning digital artist Greg Shultz has launched Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Gasket to serve the commercial, music video and feature markets with a creative collective offering design, visual effects and 2D/3D animation.
Zack Schwartz, who designed this film was a veteran of The Warner, Disney, Screen Gems and UPA Animation Studios. I met him when he taught animation history locally. He told me about this cartoon. Zack had based the design of his film on ancient art. Willougby's magic hat is woven from the hair Delilah snipped from Samson's head. While the design of the film was more than 5,000 years old critics hailed it as a breakthrough in modern design. This film led directly to the birth of UPA. After Zack told me his story I worked on tracking down a print.
The art direction and gags in the new animated new comedy, DISNEYS THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE, from Walt Disney Television Animation, may leave viewers bug-eyed like the design of its insect stars in a series that is quite a departure for the Disney Channel. The show debuted June 17, 2005, at 8:00 pm and now airs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on the channels weekend block at 5:30 pm.
The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, introduced two new DVDs from returning artist Harald Belker, whose titles cover car and prop design for films and games. In addition, Nick Pugh joins the library this month, offering three noteworthy DVDs on design originality, creature design and environment rendering.
Design Festa is Japan's bi-annual, international arts festival. Attendees can meet more than 5,500 artists. The event hosts 2,500 booth exhibitions, performance art, live-music, multi-media work and more. More than 53,000 visitors attended the last event in 2004. The festival will take place at Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall 4, 5, 6 Atrium and Outdoor Exhibition Area. For more information, visit www.designfesta.com.
Broadcast design company CA Square announced the studio completed a network package for the Toon Disney Channel Europe and the Middle East.
CA Squares team of artists provided a unique Toon Disney personality with a look that is full of fun, energy and fantasy showcasing the best of Disney Animation. Its the premise behind Toon Disney Channel, said Disney Channel creative director, EMEA Walter Puschacher.
1st Annual High School Animation and Design FestivalEmeryville, California, USAJune 4, 2005Deadline: May 14, 2005
Expression College for Digital Arts is hosting the first Bay Area High School Animation and Design Festival, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Bay Street AMC Theaters. AMC Theaters will have a screening of work from semi-finalists from 10:00 am to 11:00 am where the winners will be announced. A reception at Expression College will follow.
High school seniors interested in education to enter the videogame development or animation industries are invited to apply for scholarships from The Art institute of California San Francisco (www.aicasf.aii.edu). Students may apply the scholarships toward tuition in the schools bachelors degree programs in Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming or Media Arts & Animation.
The Art Institute of California - San Francisco will highlight a new generation of aspiring designers involved in animation, fashion, interactive media design and videogame art at its Winter Portfolio Show. Bay Area employers, design companies and members of the public are invited to attend the event at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in San Francisco. Nearly 30 students graduating this quarter at either the Associate of Science of Bachelor of Science levels will participate.
The Gnomon Workshop adds to its digital and analog collections this month with eight new titles covering visual storytelling, character design, environment creation and industrial design. Joining the Digital library, the Gnomon Workshop welcomes art director Aaron Sims with his new two-DVD collection on Creature Design. These titles reveal the artist's use of Adobe Photoshop, XSI, DeepPaint3D and ZBrush. Sims, an art director at Stan Winston studios, worked for years designing creature effects make-up with Rick Baker before perfecting his digital skills.
NVIDIA Corp. has opened a new design center in Bangalore, India, continuing NVIDIA's expansion in the Asia-Pacific region.
"India is an exciting market and well-positioned for phenomenal growth," said Jen Hsun-Huang, president and ceo, NVIDIA Corp. "We know from experience that India is home to some of the world's brightest engineers, as many of our top employees today are originally from there. India is strategic to NVIDIA and we are delighted to become a member of the Bangalore community."
High school seniors interested in education to enter the animation or videogame development industries are invited to apply for scholarships from The Art institute of California - San Francisco (www.aicasf.aii.edu). The scholarships, ranging between $5,000 and $25,000, may be applied toward tuition in the schools bachelors degree programs in Media Arts & Animation, Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming.
The judging is over in AWNs latest Character Design Contest. To celebrate Valentines Day, the contest centered on the classic Romeo and Juliet scenario - We revisit the classic theme of forbidden love! Two lovers, either from different families, different clans, different races, even different planets, tempt fate to be together. History says their love is tragically doomed...but maybe, just this once, the fates will be bested!
The entries were judged by Larry Lauria, our long-time Animation Café moderator, distinguished animator and educator.
Peugeot Contours Design is hosting its third car design competition. This year
