TOPIX/Mad Dog puts singer on clouds
Toronto, Canada-based TOPIX/MAD DOG has completed the visual effects forMary J. Blige's music video "All That I Can Say." Shot on location in NewYork City, the dreamscape for the music video integrates live-action, timelapse photography, stock footage, and 3D clouds which were modeled andrendered in 3D Studio Max. Softimage artist Sean Montgomery created andanimated orbs in which Mary and the city are reflected. In addition,TOPIX/Mad Dog composited the singer into scenes featuring Times Square, a
METHOD spins New York
Santa Monica, California-based effects studio METHOD completed the visualeffects for Lauryn Hill's music video, "Everything is Everything."Supervised by senior visual effects artist Alex Frisch, the Method teammade New York City rotate around the Empire State Building like a spinningvinyl record, and one of the city's bridges was transformed into a giantarm that descends from the skies. Method used CGI to create the arm's giantshadow, and Maya software to create all the wide shots of the spinning
Disney classics come to DVD
Although Disney has released a few titles on DVD, including THE NIGHTMAREBEFORE CHRISTMAS and A BUG'S LIFE, they have not released their classics inthe US on DVD, preferring to back DIVX, a DVD competitor that was soldthrough Circuit City retail stores. But now that DIVX is defunct, due tothe lack of consumer support, Disney is embracing DVD. Buena Vista HomeEntertainment will debut nine of Disney's animated features on DVD over thenext four months. Each of the titles will be available for a limited 60-day
THE WALL and SPAWN 3: THE ULTIMATE BATTLE among new DVD releases
Columbia Records will celebrate the 20th anniversary ofthe release of PINK FLOYD's album THE WALL with the release of the film onDVD in October. The film includes animation designed and directed by Gerald Scarfe, who went onto design Disney's HERCULES. The DVD features a new transfer of theoriginal widescreen film, as well as unreleased footage, a remastered 5.1Dolby Digital soundtrack, the 25-minute "making of" documentary THE OTHERSIDE OF THE WALL, and the new 45-minute documentary RETROSPECTIVE, with
Women In Animation presents a program of shorts by women
Women In Animation Shorts Fest I is a showcase for short animated filmsmade by Women In Animation members and other filmmakers from around theworld. This evening's program includes films by Suzanne Franzel (Germany),Jaime Levy (USA), and Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis (Canada). It takesplace Friday, September 10, 7 pm at Santa Monica, California, USA.at SantaMonica College, Academy of Entertainment and Technology, 1440 StewartStreet, (by Olympic and 26th). Admission is free and open to the public.
Scooby-Doo makes appearance at Storyopolis
Bring the family to meet Scooby-Doo and investigate the arts whilelistening to music at Beverly Hills children's bookstore, Storyopolis.Scooby-Doo will be available for photos, and while listening to the KidRhino audio release, SCOOBY-DOO AND THE WITCH'S GHOST (which ties in withthe direct to video title which is due out on October 5), the kids canparticipate in arts and crafts, interactive storytelling, and a raffle withprizes where everyone is a winner. (The participation fee for the arts and
Don't miss the 1999 Portland Creative Conference
Matt Groening, creator of THE SIMPSONS and FUTURAMA, will speak at the 1999Portland Creative Conference. He will join Eugenio Zanetti, productiondesigner for WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, Disney producer Don Hahn, and nationallysyndicated cartoonist John Callahan. The Conference includes speakerpresentations, panel discussions, sneak preview film screenings, an openingnight kick-off celebration, and a closing night wrap party, and runsSeptember 16 through 18 at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts. The
Check out the latest ASIFA San Francisco news!
Visit the ASIFA San Francisco site in the Animation Village and check outtheir latest news. The June and July '99 issues of the newsletter are nowavailable on line with regular columns on: Magazines, Books, National News,Employment Opportunities, Festivals and Events.--> http://www.awn.com/asifa-sf
Check out Stan Winston, Rhythmn and Hues and other production art!
Sci-Fi Station now offers Limited Edition Original Animation Art created byaward-winning animation production studios such as Stan Winston, Rhythm andHues and The Character Shop...
New Web Premier Toons and other Hot Stuff from CartoonNetwork.com!
Here's an overview of what's shaking on Cartoon Network's happening web site:
THIS MONTH'S NEXT BIG THING: New Web Premiere Toons! "Germtown" - Lookthrough the microscope at the wonderful world of germs. What do they do allday anyway? "Saturday Night Fred" - Help Fred and Barney choose what to doon a Saturday night in Bedrock! "The Marshmallow Money Show" - Hang outwith the kids on one city block and click to hear them give "shout-outs" orbreak into rap-style songs!
Cinanima announces their 1999 program!
Cinanima International Animated Film Festival will happen from November8-14, 1999, in Espinho, Portugal. This year, the retrospectives and specialprograms include: a screening of Cinanima '98 winners; a compilation offilms from Portuguese studio Animanostra; a program of Irish films; aretrospective of Dusan Vukotic's body of work (Croatia); video clips fromMTV; and a special program from the ASIFA archives, featuring suchprestigious animators as Norman McLaren, Yuri Norstein, Fedor Khitruk,
SGI appoints new CEO
San Jose, California-based SGI has announced that Robert Bishop has beennamed new chairman and chief executive officer effective immediately. Hesucceeds Richard Belluzzo, who resigned last week to accept at position aMicrosoft Online. Bishop joined SGI in 1986 and was responsible forbuilding its international division. He joined SGI's board of directors in1993 and continued to be an active member of the management team through1995. Prior to joining SGI he had similar responsibilities at Apollo
AtomFilms broadens distribution
AtomFilms, a website devoted to short films, is teaming up with WarnerBros. Online, NBC's Snap.com, RealNetworks, On2.com, Atomic Pop, andStreamSearch. AtomFilms will provide short form entertainment to thesecompany's websites. These Internet companies join Atom's existingdistribution partners that span both online and traditional industries,including: HBO, Sundance Channel, Continental Airlines, Air Canada,Excite@Home, Go Network, Reel.com, Film.com, College Broadcast Network, and
Here's an acting class for animators
Ed Hooks will teach a one-day acting for animators class in San Franciscoon September 25, from 10 am-5 pm. The class will include thinking-emotionconnections, thinking-physical action connections, character analysis,basic acting principles (the scene as a negotiation) and improvisations.Also, there will be discussion of shadow movement, psychological gesture,the "look" of memory, eye contact between characters, the importance ofempathy and how to achieve it. Clips from Charlie Chaplin movies will be
SHELTER FILMS signs TODD FACTOR
New York City-based commercial production company SHELTER FILMS has signeddirector TODD FACTOR. Factor has directed spots for Coca-Cola, Budweiser,and Nice Skate Shoes.
STEAM signs LAWRENCE WYATT
Santa Monica, California-based production company STEAM has signed LAWRENCEWYATT as motion designer/director. Wyatt recently directed "Innerlevel," atheatrical commercial for Los Angeles-based KCRW, a National Public Radioaffiliate.
STEVE BLEVINS joins TIS/MAGNET
STEVE BLEVINS has joined New York-based TIS/MAGNET as seniordesigner/animator. Blevins' duties include designing and creating(primarily 2D) animation for broadcast and the web, art direction, creativedevelopment, and research. Besides free-lancing for Magnet, Blevins hasdone traditional 2D and 3D CGI art and animation for companies such as SanFrancisco-based Wild Brain, New York-based Blue Sky, and Connecticut-based,Ball&Chain.
CYCLOTRON completes end tags for Heineken spots
New York City-based CYCLOTRON has completed a photo-real, CGI end tag for aseries of Heineken spots for creative company Vidal, Reynardus & Moya. Thecommercials are targeted for the US Hispanic market. The 10-second end tagfeatures a frosty cold bottle of Heineken. Cyclotron used Side EffectsHoudini software and wrote proprietary shaders for Renderman. Bruce Gionetwas the CGI supervisor.
Animation World Mag August Acrobat Edition On-line Now!
August is a full month for Animation World Magazine as we delve into thegrowing and constantly changing fields of Computer and Internet Animation.Bob Miller goes one on one with Brad Bird, director of "The Iron Giant."And Karl Cohen interviews Rob Coleman on the making of Star Wars Episode I:"The Phantom Menace." Looking to make your own computer animated short?Mike Amron discusses the cost effective software and set ups available forsuch an undertaking. On the Internet animation side of things Buzz Potamkin
The Ottawa Festival wants to know what you think!
Ottawa festival organizers are asking for your help in determining what you want out of ananimation festival...
BERMUDA SHORTS completes Natwest spot
London-based BERMUDA SHORTS has completed "Rear Window," a spot for Natwestbank. The spot explores the things you can do in the privacy of your homeonce you own the property. The spot includes 2D animated people who sit bya stream, feeding fish, as well as a stop-motion animated man working onhis car. Phil Dale did the stop-motion animation. Run Wrake directed thespot for Agency TBWA.
Don't miss these animation events at MoCA!
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) will host a two monthanimation festival. These are the scheduled events.
Saturday, July 10, 5 pm. John Canemaker will show and talk about a centuryof animation. The event is free.
Saturday, July 10, 8 pm. "The Birth of Walt Disney Pictures' DINOSAUR"presents a behind the scenes look at the work-in-progress.
Thursday, July 15, 8 pm. "The Making of MONSTERS OF GRACE" with JeffKleiser and Diana Walczak will explore the challenges of their
GRAPHITI completes ThumsUp spot
Mumbai, India-based GRAPHITI MULTIMEDIA PVT. LTD. has completed a :20 spotfor ThumsUp soft drink, a Coca-Cola product. In the spot, a mosquito holdsa straw like a microphone and sings a 1970s Hindi love song until theThumsUp hero, played by a live model, squashes the insect. Graphiti usedCambridge Animation Systems' Animo software to composite the three mattelayers -- a highlight layer, a mid-tone layer, and a body shadow layer --making up the mosquito. The 3D environment was created with 3D Studio Max.Sunil Shetty directed the spot.
MIXIN PIXLS creates Warner logo
Santa Monica, California-based MIXIN PIXLS created the opening Warner Bros.logo sequence for DEEP BLUE SEA. The computer animated sequence presentsthe Warner shield flying through the sky. As the logo comes into full view,the sky undulates and the logo goes underwater, and transforms in the logoof Mirage Productions. Harri Paakkonen directed the animation usingAlias|Wavefront Composer and Sapphire Tools.
SIMON GOODCHILD completes his first commercial
SIMON GOODCHILD, recently signed by London-based SHERBERT, has completedhis first commercial, "Colour Screams," a :40 spot for Procter and Gamble'snew washing powder, Vibrant. The agency was Grey Advertising. The spot,which uses abstract shapes and pure color to create a mood of vibrant,non-bleeding color, was designed with Truespace and Adobe Photoshop.
