TRICKY PICTURES completes "Hello Kitty"
Chicago, Illinois-based TRICKY PICTURES has completed "Hello Kitty," a :30spot for Target Stores and Minneapolis, Minnesota-based agency PetersonMilla Hooks. Tricky Pictures used After Effects to composite thelive-action footage and the animated characters. Bruce Alcock directed thespot.
Don't miss THE MAN BEHIND THE MOUSE: THE UB IWERKS STORY
THE MAN BEHIND THE MOUSE: THE UB IWERKS STORY plays for one week atDisney's El Capitan theater. Directed by Ub's granddaughter, Leslie Iwerks,this is a documentary about the man who helped Walt Disney create the firstMickey Mouse films, animating some of them nearly single-handedly, as wellas the Silly Symphony series, and helming his own animation studio. Itfeatures never-before-seen archival footage, photos, previously censoredcartoon clips, and interviews with Roy Disney, Chuck Jones, John Lasseter,
Don't miss this ASIFA-Hollywood Careers in Animation lecture!
As part of ASIFA-Hollywood and Glendale Community College's Fourth AnnualLecture Series on Careers in Animation, Sari Gennis will speak aboutSpecial Effects on Tuesday, October 12 at 7 pm. Sari designed and animatedeffects for the first STAR TREK movie and went on to form her own company,ANIMATRIX, where she has produced and directed commercials, televisiongraphics, and theme park special effects. Since 1987 Sari has specializedin effects animation for feature films, including ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN and
Meet Chuck Jones!
Meet Chuck Jones, guest of honor at the grand re-opening of AnimazingGallery at the art gallery's new location. The gallery is featuring aretrospective of Jones' work, THE ART OF CHUCK JONES, which includesoriginal, vintage animation cels and drawings of the characters he createdor helped define including: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin the Martian, andPepe Le Pew. The gallery is located at 474 Broome Street, between Greeneand Wooster. For more information contact Heidi Leigh at Tel. (212)
Storyopolis celebrates THE KIDS FROM ROOM 402
Children's bookstore Storyopolis celebrates the launch of Fox FamilyChannel's THE KIDS FROM ROOM 402. Meet Fox Family Channel characters andcreator Michael Paraskevas, and see an episode of the show. An exhibit ofart by Michael Paraskevas begins on October 5. Storyopolis is located at116 N. Robertson. For more information Tel. (310) 358-2500. The event takesplace Saturday, October 9, 11 am - 2:30 pm in Beverly Hills, California,USA.
TAIS presents "Recent Films by Toronto Animators
The Toronto Animated Image Society presents "Recent Films by TorontoAnimators," including Arnie Lipsey, Eugene Fedorenko, Rose Newlove, WillyAshworth, Gerry Lagendyk and Patrick Jenkins. This event will be held atCinecycle, 129 (Rear Laneway) Spadina Avenue. Admission is free for TAISmembers, and CN$4 for everyone else. Memberships will be available at thedoor. The event takes place Thursday, October 7, 7:30 pm in Toronto, Canada.
Matita Film Festival announces awards
The 2nd Matita International Animation Film Festival was held September 23- 26 in Guardiagrele, Italy. The jury consisted of Jury President GiulioCingoli (producer and director), Milan, Italy; Piotr Dumala (director,animator, and teacher at the Film School of Lodz), Warsaw, Poland; RuthLingford (director, animator, and teacher at the Royal College of Arts andNational Film & Television School of London), London, UK; Laura Ruggeri(student at the International Academy of Image, Lanterna Magica), L'Aquila,
Nothing Real shakes up Adobe After Effects
Nothing Real recently announced that it will provide a plug-in which willallow Adobe After Effects users to transfer AE projects into their popularcompositing tool, Shake. This plug-in means that After Effects users willbe able to benefit from Shake's powerful manipulation and output features,yet at the same keep the familiarity of the AE environment. Allen Edwards,president of Nothing Real said that, "With the development of a Shaketranslator plug-in for Adobe After Effects, we are confident that we will
NELVANA hires WEIBEL and CALCATERRA
Toronto-based NELVANA LIMITED has appointed IRENE WEIBEL and JILL NEWHOUSECALCATERRA as marketing vice presidents of the company's newly-formedcorporate sponsorship division. They will be responsible for the creationof national corporate advertising opportunities for Nelvana's animated TVprograms. Weible was previously vice president of national sponsorship forWGBH-TV, the Boston PBS affiliate. Calcaterra was previously vice presidentof marketing, licensing and public relations for Santa Monica,
Paramount announces Beavis & Butt-Head, South Park DVDs
Paramount Home Video will release BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA on DVD in the US onNovember 23, 1999. In this animated feature, directed by Mike Judge, andbased on his MTV show, Beavis and Butt-Head tour America. The DVD isletterboxed at 1.85:1 and includes two trailers. The retail price isUS$29.99. The animated feature SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER AND UNCUT,directed by Matt Stone and based on his and Trey Parker's Comedy Centralseries, shows what happens to the South Park gang after they sneak into an
Disney announces BUG'S LIFE Collector's Edition DVD
Disney will release A BUG'S LIFE - COLLECTOR'S EDITION DVD on November 23, 1999. The Disney/Pixarfilm, which crosses the Western THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (a remake of AkiraKurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI) with Aesop's THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER, isabout an inventive ant named Flik who hires what he believes are "warriorbugs" to defend his colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers. Aswith the TOY STORY laserdisc box set, the supplemental features areplentiful:
DISC ONE: THE MOVIE
Puffin announces Knoll Light Factory for Avid
Puffin Designs -- the producers of popular 2D effects tool Commotion - recently announced thatthey will be releasing a version of Knoll Light Factory in Avid's AVXplug-in format. The Light Factory plug-in is already available for AdobeAfter Effects and Apple's Final Cut Pro, however Avid users have yet toexperience the control and precision lighting effects that Knoll LightFactory offers. The Avid version of Light Factory will be available beforethe end of 1999, and will be priced at $295.00 (US). For more information
New Superman cartoons are coming to the Internet
Warner Bros. Online, a division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, and Brilliant Digital Entertainment, an Internet content and tools developer, have announced the formation of a co-production and Internet distribution relationship to launch a co-branded 3-D animation channel, the MULTIPATH MOVIE CHANNEL, on Time Warner's Entertaindom Web site at www.Entertaindom.com.
Monitor Awards calls for entries
The 21st International Monitor Awards, the postproduction and digital media industry's most prestigiousprize, has issued its annual "Call For Entries" in eighteen categories andnine craft areas. Entrants who take advantage of the early entry deadline -December 17, 1999 - will enjoy a substantial discount. The final deadlineis January 28, 2000. The Awards, sponsored by ITS: The Association ofImaging Technology and Sound, which is dedicated to furthering excellencein all fields of film, video and audio electronic production and
WALT DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS promotes OKEN
STUART OKEN has been promoted to the position of senior vice president ofcreative affairs for WALT DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS. Oken joined WaltDisney Theatrical Productions in 1995, and has been closely involved withthe Tony Award-winning stage show, THE LION KING, and Elton John and TimRice's new musical, AIDA, set to premiere in Chicago in December 1999. . .TOM WILLIAMS, a 29-year company veteran and former president and chiefexecutive officer of Universal Studios Escape in Orlando, Florida, has been
WILD BRAIN hires GEORGE EVELYN
San Francisco, California-based WILD BRAIN, INC. has added GEORGE EVELYN totheir directorial staff. Evelyn joins Wild Brain after 17 years at ColossalPictures where he worked with the Trix Rabbit, Betty Boop, and GaryLarson's Cavemen.
CDIS offers Flash seminar
Burnaby, British Columbia-based CDIS is offering a one-day industryintroduction to Macromedia's Flash 4.0 on October 23 from 9 am-4:30 pm.Cost is $225, which includes lunch. By the end of the seminar, you'll knowhow to prepare graphics for Flash, use the interface, sketch and draftideas for animation and interactivity, create symbols and manipulateinstances for actions, combine the final pieces into your own 30-secondanimated banner with sound, and post the final product to the web with FTP.
THE SIXTH SENSE finishes fifth at US boxoffice
Buena Vista'ssupernatural thriller THE SIXTH SENSE, with visual effects by DreamQuest,finished fifth at the US weekend boxoffice, grossing $7,025,098 for a totalof $234,547,781. Other animation-related films in the top 40 include:Lucasfilm's STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE finished 15th with$697,097 for a total of $425,360,285; DreamWorks SKG's THE HAUNTING, withdigital effects by ILM, finished 17th with $350,352 for a total of$90,114,112; The Walt Disney Company's INSPECTOR GADGET, with digital
Fox set to air Halloween special
NIGHT OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN, an hour-long animated special, will air onFox on Thursday, October 28, at 8 pm. Featuring the voices of Luke Perry(BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), William H. Macy (FARGO), and Tia Carrere(WAYNE'S WORLD), the special was produced by Dallas, Texas-based ComputedAnimation Technology (CAT) and Wimberley, Texas-based Locomotion Studiosusing performance (motion-capture) 3D animation. It was written by JohnShirley (THE CROW). The special, like the upcoming Tim Burton film, SLEEPY
HEAVY METAL rough cut comes to DVD!
Columbia-Tri Star Home Video is releasing a collector's edition DVD ofHEAVY METAL which was supervised by Gerald Potterton and released in 1981.Those who bought the laser rot-prone laserdisc that was released threeyears ago will want to purchase this new release even if their LD remainsin pristine condition. The movie is digitally remastered and in widescreen,with anamorphic video. Hopefully, that means it has a new transfer that,unlike the previous widescreen release, does not cut off the top and bottom
IMAX appoints MARY PAT RYAN
Toronto, Canada-based IMAX CORPORATION, which operates a chain of largeformat film theaters, has appointed MARY PAT RYAN to the new post ofExecutive Vice President of IMAX Ltd. and Network Group President. Ryanwill oversee the ongoing development of the Network Group, which is chargedwith ensuring the success of all theatres in the worldwide network of IMAXtheatres and the development of the IMAX brand. Based in New York, Ryanwill have responsibility for all areas of the Network Group including brand
CHEQUEMATE appoints DANIEL R. THOMPSON to board
Los Angeles-based CHEQUEMATE INTERNATIONAL INC., doing business as C-3DDigital Inc., a 3D media company that provides broadcasting andentertainment companies with the technology to deliver 3D entertainment toany standard television 24 hours a day, has appointed media marketingexpert DANIEL R. THOMPSON to the C-3D Digital Board. Thompson is thefounder and head of Hollywood entertainment agency A Creative Group (ACG)which specializes in product placement, promotional advertising, programsponsorships, and distribution.
BARDEL hires CAROLE DUCHARME and DEBORAH REES-LEE
Vancouver-based BARDEL ANIMATION has added executive producer CAROLEDUCHARME and business affairs executive DEBORAH REES-LEE to its businessaffairs department. DUCHARME began her career in the film industry as alawyer specializing in film financing and as a legal advisor fororganizations such as the Quebec Film Classification Board. She moved intothe role of producer with the Paris, France-based company Les ProductionLazennec, negotiating and drafting agreements for international
WALT DISNEY COMPANY names LITVACK vice chairman
SANFORD M. (SANDY) LITVACK has been named vice chairman of the board of THEWALT DISNEY COMPANY. Litvack joined Disney in April, 1991, as senior vicepresident and general counsel, and was promoted to executive vice presidentthe following December. In May, 1992, he assumed the additional duties ofexecutive in charge of human resources. Before joining The Walt DisneyCompany, Litvack was a member of the executive committee and chairman ofthe litigation department of the international law firm Dewey Ballantine.
Rhino releases GO SIMPSONIC WITH THE SIMPSONS
On November 2, 1999 Rhino Records will release GO SIMPSONIC WITH THESIMPSONS, musical selections from the often very musical THE SIMPSONS.Consisting of more than 50 tracks of songs, themes, and underscore music,GO SIMPSONIC not only picks up where its predecessor, SONGS IN THE KEY OFSPRINGFIELD, left off, but also digs deep into the first nine seasons,capturing selections that didn't make it onto the first collection. GOSIMPSONIC also makes available for the first time four never-before-heard
