Animation Flash

 The Animation Flash E-mail Newsletter

                an Animation

                  ****Industry News Headlines****

Business
   1. STONE, PARKER SIGN LANDMARK AD-SHARING SOUTH PARK DEAL.
   2. ANIMATED COPS TO PATROL WEB IN CHINA.
   3. LOONLAND TO DIVEST ITSELF OF METRODOME HOLDING.
   4. BIOSHOCK JOLTS TAKE-TWO STOCK BACK TO LIFE.
   5. SURVEY: CASUAL VIDEOGAME PLAY ENCOURAGED BY PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS.
   6. ZOIC ENTERS NEW ERA WITH FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.
People
   7. NICKELODEON TAPS KATSKY FOR NEW POST.
   8. FRANK GLADSTONE TO TEACH animation FOR IMAGI.
   9. NEW VP SIGNALS NICKELODEON/VIACOM EXPANSION.
  10. DONNA ANDREWS ASSUMES EXEC PRODUCER POST AT STICKY PICTURES.
  11. RAINMAKER ELEVATES MARIANNE O’REILLY TO LEAD VISUAL EFFECTS.
  12. ENCORE HOLLYWOOD BRINGS ON VFX WHIZ BLACK.
Film
  13. POP6 EXPERIMENTING ON ANIMATED GENE-FUSION FEATURE.
  14. MUMMY’S SOMMERS TO DIRECT G.I. JOE.
  15. NO PLACE LIKE MCFARLANE’S OZ FOR WARNER BROS.
  16. KEANU IS KLAATU.
  17. RIDLEY TO PEN LUCAS’S RED TAILS.
  18. STONE TO REVISIT VIETNAM IN PINKVILLE.
  19. DARK HORSE TRAPPED WITH WAR MONKEYS.
  20. MENDES NOW FEMME FATALE FOR MILLER’S SPIRIT.
  21. ANG LEE’S LUST, CAUTION GETS NC-17.
  22. LIVINGSTON INDEED READY FOR TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE.
  23. SUPERBAD STILL ON TOP.
  24. ENTITY FX KICKS IN VFX FOR RUSH HOUR 3.
Television
  25. WEB-BASED NO GOOD TV HEADING TO LATENIGHT TELEVISION.
Commercials
  26. SWAY ADDS CG FLAIR TO SUBARU IMPREZA COMMERCIAL.
Internet & Interactive
  27. SONY ADDS DVR TO PS3; VOD, GPS & IM TO PSP.
  28. AARDMAN REVAMPS WALLACE & GROMIT SITE.
  29. CARTOONNETWORK.COM SETS STICKY RECORD.
  30. AFTERWORLD ANIMATED SERIES DEBUTS ON MYSPACE.
  31. MACHINIMA.COM CREATES MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE SERIES.
  32. ITM BRINGS PRODUCERS AND FREELANCERS TOGETHER.
  33. EA SHIPS FOUR GAMES FOR THE MAC
Home Entertainment
  34. YOUR FRIEND THE RAT SHORT TO ACCOMPANY RATATOUILLE DVD/BLU-RAY.
  35. WHV OFFERS TREASURE TROVE IN LOONEY TUNES 5.
  36. RE-ANIMATED RESURFACES ON DVD.
  37. YOUNG INDIANA JONES TO DEBUT ON DVD.
  38. SECOND MUPPET SHOW SEASON NOW ON DVD.
Books
  39. DISNEY TO PUBLISH HISTORICAL CINDERELLA BOOK.
  40. DAN DARE WILL FLY AGAIN VIA VIRGIN COMICS.
  41. SCHOLASTIC & DK INK INDIANA JONES BOOK DEALS.
Licensing
  42. EDGAR & ELLEN TO RECEIVE MAJOR MARKETING PUSH.
  43. ION MEDIA PLEDGES A HEALTHIER QUBO.
Education
  44. DIGITAL-TUTORS OFFERS NEW TEXTURE PAINTING WITH ZBRUSH 3 TRAINING.
Technology
  45. ASCENT MEDIA AND HP JOIN TO DELIVER DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES.
  46. AUTODESK LAUNCHES PREFERRED INDUSTRY PARTNER PROGRAM.
  47. TURBO SQUID RELEASES FILE SYSTEM FOR TENTACLES 3D PLUG-IN.
  48. FUSION SUPPORTS SPEEDGRADE .LOOK FORMAT.
  49. ACTIVISION SELECTS REALVIZ MOVIMENTO.
Call for Entries
  50. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN STARTS CHITRAKATHA STUDENT animation
      FEST.
  51. ASIFA INDIA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE DEADLINE COMING SOON.
  52. GDC CALLS FOR LECTURE, POSTER SUBMISSIONS.
  53. 2008 SONOMA VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS.
Events
  54. COREL PAINTER X JOINS //ADAPT 2007 AS OFFICIAL SPONSOR OF ART EXPO.
  55. JUNGLE BOOK TO SWING AT EL CAPITAN.
  56. TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TO FEATURE INTO THE PIXEL
      EXHIBIT.
  57. OUR FRIEND THE RAT PREMIERE TO BENEFIT CARTOON ART MUSEUM.
  58. GET YOUR START IN THE VO BIZ.
  59. BRUSH UP ON SCRIPT SKILLS AT DAVID FREEMAN’S BEYOND STRUCTURE
      WORKSHOP.
  60. FACETS KIDS FILM NETWORK LAUNCHES WITH PREMIERE OF “BEST OF THE
      FEST” PROGRAM.
  61. CALARTS TO HOLD HELEN HILL MEMORIAL.
  62. REDCAT HOSTS RE-animation: AN EVENING WITH LEWIS KLAHR.
  63. KIDSCREEN 2008 MOVES TO HILTON NEW YORK.
  64. GDC MOBILE HELD DURING GDC WEEK.
  65. UPCOMING EVENTS IN animation.
Upcoming Films
  66. UPCOMING THEATRICAL RELEASES.

                     ****SUBMIT YOUR NEWS!!!!****

If you have news, review materials, events or other items of interest for
the animation Flash send it to: Editor, animation Flash, 6525 Sunset Blvd.,
Garden Suite 10, Los Angeles, CA 90028 USA. E-mail: editor@awn.com; or Fax:
1-323-466-6619.

                        ****Industry News****

Business

1. STONE, PARKER SIGN LANDMARK AD-SHARING SOUTH PARK DEAL.
In signing their latest deal with Comedy Central, SOUTH PARK creators Matt
Stone and Trey Parker have secured a precedent-making agreement to share
online ad revenues 50-50 with the network. The overall deal worth $75
million will see Stone and Parker overseeing the new online incubator
SouthParkStudios.com, which will develop new ways to exploit SOUTH PARK
characters, as well as develop original IPs. Additionally, the deal reups
the TV series through 2011. The demented duo will see big salary increases,
as well as advances against back-end profits.

“This extension and the formation of the joint venture are the beginnings
of a new era for SOUTH PARK and Comedy Central and a natural evolution of
our long-term and prosperous relationship with Trey and Matt,” said Doug
Herzog, president, MTV Networks’ Entertainment Group. “With the new
partnership in South Park Digital Studios and the creation of the digital
animation studio, we have a tremendous opportunity to truly maximize the
potential of the franchise and the incredible creative talents of Matt and
Trey across every imaginable platform.”

Stone said, “Three more years of SOUTH PARK will give us the opportunity to
offend that many more people. And since Trey and I are in charge of the
digital side of SOUTH PARK, we can offend people on their cell phones, game
consoles and computers too. It’s all very exciting for us.”

Whether this deal will change the landscape of negotiations between
producers and talent over digital rights is yet to been seen; however,
several key factors contributed to this rare deal going through. Due to a
clause in the creators’ original contract, all revenue earned outside of TV
broadcast was considered back-end profit. This has held back Comedy
Central’s parent Viacom from moving the channel’s top-rated show into
cyberspace, mobile and VIDEOGAMEs. However, with the increased desire to
exploit properties on the Net, Viacom was eager to come to some agreement
with their golden boys, who have a 10-year track record of helping build
and helping sustain the growth of the basic cable network.

2. ANIMATED COPS TO PATROL WEB IN CHINA.
The Chinese government announced today that it would use animated beat cops
to patrol 13 of China’s top Web portals in an effort to steer users away
from illegal content, reports THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Starting Sept. 1, 2007,
the cartoon cops will walk, bike and drive across Web surfers’ screens
every half hour, warning them to stay clear of material “the Communist
Party finds politically or morally threatening.” By the end of the year,
the animated warning will appear on all websites registered with Beijing
servers.

Designed by Web firm Sohu, the male and female cartoon characters are meant
to startle users and remind them that the government is monitoring Web
usage. Additionally, if surfers need police assistance, they can click on
the characters, which link to the police authority’s website.

In a statement, the Beijing Public Security Ministry said, “We will
continue to promote new images of the virtual police and update our
Internet security tips in an effort to make the image of the virtual police
more user-friendly and more in tune with how Web surfers use the Internet.”

3. LOONLAND TO DIVEST ITSELF OF METRODOME HOLDING.
TV-Loonland will sell its majority stake in Metrodome, the U.K. film and
DVD company, reports C21 Media. Metrodome confirmed that the board of
TV-Loonland asked the company to “initiate a formal tender process for the
sale of TV-Loonland’s 61.3% stake in the issued share capital of
Metrodome.”

The tendering process is expected to be concluded by the end of September,
subject to approval at TV-Loonland’s annual general meeting in October.
Several parties have already expressed interest in the company.

Simon Flamank, CEO of TV-Loonland and chairman of Metrodome, stated, “This
is the conclusion of the strategic decision taken last year that
TV-Loonland saw its stake in Metrodome as a financial asset. Metrodome is
now a stronger and more focused company and as such it should now look to
attract new shareholders and equity, in order for it to further develop its
business.”

4. BIOSHOCK JOLTS TAKE-TWO STOCK BACK TO LIFE.
On Aug. 21, 2007, the recent strong release of the shooter game BIOSHOCK
helped surge Take-Two Interactive Software shares 8.6%. Take-Two’s stock
had been plummeting of late due to accounting scandals under the previous
management and the delay of its highly anticipated title, GRAND THEFT AUTO
IV. During the course of the day, shares peaked at $15, finally closing at
$14.55. In the past year, the stock has climbed as high as $24.80 per
share.

5. SURVEY: CASUAL VIDEOGAME PLAY ENCOURAGED BY PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS.
PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, today
unveiled the results of the largest survey of players of “casual”
computer/VIDEOGAMEs ever conducted. Among the nearly 7,500 adult
respondents who took part in the survey, nearly a third (31%) indicated
they had children or grandchildren under 18 who played these
family-friendly puzzle, word and simple action games in their home. And of
these 2,298 “family gamers,” 80% said they played casual games with their
children or grandchildren. Conservative estimates peg the casual games
market as comprising more than 200 million people, meaning that more than
50 million casual game players are “family gamers” who enjoy experiencing
the games in the company of younger family members.

Leading survey firm Information Solutions Group contacted 7,487 consumers
and identified 2,298 as “family gamers.” Of those identified as family
gamers, 79% were female and 95% were age 30 or older, figures that closely
reflect the overall casual gamer audience. As many as 44% of survey
respondents identified themselves as mothers of children who play casual
games, and 36% indicated they were grandmothers. On the male side of the
equation, 16% and 6% of respondents identified themselves as fathers and
grandfathers, respectively.

Among adult “family gamers,” 92% overall (and 95% of grandparents in
particular) said that they felt the games provided an opportunity to “bond
with, or better relate to” their children or grandchildren. And fully 70%
of respondents said they see casual games as providing valuable educational
benefits. On a related note, only 28% of adult family gamers indicated they
allowed their children or grandchildren to play “hardcore” VIDEOGAMEs –
with fathers and grandfathers being significantly more inclined to allow
the playing of such games than mothers and grandmothers (37% vs. 25%).

“Casual games span generations and genders in ways that traditional
‘hardcore’ video games never have,” noted Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Stony Brook,
New York-based psychologist and author of the new book ESSENTIALS OF SMART
PARENTING. “This universal appeal, and the ‘G-rated’ content of the games,
makes them a great activity in which the whole family can participate, with
each generation enjoying the games in different ways while also enjoying
the interaction with other family members.”

The average age of the children referenced by parents or grandparents who
took the survey was 10.2 years old, with 65% being age 9 or older and 94%
age 5 or older. Among the children with whom adults said they play the
games, more than half (53%) were boys — suggesting that games with
aggressive, violent and/or explicit content are not the only ones that
appeal to young males, despite long-standing perceptions to the contrary.
Additional survey data pertaining to specific casual game play among
children under 18 will be released soon.

Among adult purchasers of casual games who have one or more children or
grandchildren who play the games in their home, 94% said that at least part
of their game-play interaction with their children or grandchildren was
cooperative in nature — working together to solve puzzles, complete levels
and so forth. In addition, 52% said the game-play with their kids or
grandkids was typically a combination of competitive and cooperative play.
Almost half (48%) of respondents indicated they had multiple children or
grandchildren who played the games in their home. Of those respondents, 88%
described the game-play interaction between the children as at least partly
cooperative, while 12% characterized that interaction as strictly
competitive. “The casual games seem to promote more of a cooperative ‘let’s
work on this together’ type of atmosphere, as opposed to an aggressive,
interpersonal competitive environment,” observed Dr. Arinoldo.

Many of the adults surveyed attributed a wide spectrum of mental benefits
to children playing casual games. Nearly half (47%) of respondents observed
an increase in their child’s level of interest and/or understanding in
spelling, reading, vocabulary, and/or history as a result of casual game
play. Mothers and grandmothers (49% each) observed these benefits more
often than fathers (41%) and grandfathers (38%). Further, these benefits
were observed far more frequently in children 5-12 (about 51.5% of the
time) than in children 13-17 (39% of the time). In keeping with these
observations, 66% of parents and grandparents of children who play casual
games said they would welcome the use of such games in their children’s or
grandchildren’s schools.

Interestingly, while parents and grandparents alike saw benefits such as
such as hand-eye coordination, learning and mental workouts for their
children or grandchildren, parents were considerably more likely to
perceive a reduction in stress levels among their children than
grandparents were. 23% of parents vs. just 6% of grandparents noticed a
correlation between children playing the games and becoming more relaxed.
More than one in ten (11%) survey respondents also said that they purchase
casual games for, and/or play casual games with, a child with a physical or
cognitive disability. The most common benefits cited for children with
disabilities were: skill-building, hand-eye coordination improvement,
positive reinforcement, stronger concentration and increased confidence.

Nearly one quarter (24%) of those surveyed said their children or
grandchildren play casual games daily, with 71% indicating child/grandchild
game-play at least once a week. Nearly all (96%) of respondents said they
limited children’s’ game-playing sessions to two hours or less. (Likewise,
only 18% indicated that their children or grandchildren played the games
more than 9 hours per week.) Weekends (55%) and “after school on weekdays”
(43%) were cited as the most popular times for kids to play casual games,
with 32% also enjoying the games at night before going to bed.

This international research was conducted by Information Solutions Group
(www.infosolutionsgroup.com/) exclusively for PopCap games. The results are
based on online surveys completed by 2,298 respondents randomly selected
between June 15-29, 2007. The audience consisted of 1,645 U.S. and 653
international PopCap.com Website visitors; 483 were men and 1,815 were
women. In theory, in 19 cases out of 20, the results will differ by no more
than 2.0 percentage points from what would have been obtained by seeking
out and polling all PopCap.com users age 18 and over. Smaller subgroups
reflect larger margins of sampling error.  Other sources of error, such as
variations in the order of questions or the wording within the
questionnaire, may also contribute to different results.

PopCap games (www.popcap.com/) is the leading multi-platform provider of
casual games. Based in Seattle, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a
worldwide staff of more than 120 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago,
Vancouver, B.C. and Dublin. Its games have been downloaded more than 350
million times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, BEJEWELED,
has sold more than 10 million units across all platforms.

6. ZOIC ENTERS NEW ERA WITH FIFTH ANNIVERSARY.
With award-winning Zoic Studios celebrating its fifth anniversary this
month on the heels of receiving an Emmy nomination for EUREKA, the company
has also recently completed high-profile spots for BK/Simpsons, Toyota and
Sprite.

Launched by exec producer Steve Schofield, and creative directors Chris
Jones and Loni Peristere, Zoic Studios is a leader in visual effects and CG
animation in the commercials, feature film and episodic television arenas.

The company, which began in L.A., has expanded to Vancouver, and has added
an L.A.-based stage for greenscreen and other specialty shooting.

“The expansion of Zoic means we offer enhanced services and in
geographically advantageous locations to clients wherever they need us,”
said Jones. “It has also made us a better company because we have sharpened
our skill-set and developed a seamless flow of information and
communication to the benefit of both the artists and the clients.”

Throughout the past five years Zoic has garnered awards and acclaim for its
work on such TV episodic programs as BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, ANGEL, CSI:
CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CSI: MIAMI, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and FIREFLY. It
has also contributed to numerous commercials, including spots for Burger
King, Sprite, HP, Mini, PSP, Lexus and Cadillac, as well as feature films
such as SERENITY, PATHFINDER, TALLADEGA NIGHTS and the upcoming ONE MISSED
CALL.

“The future of entertainment is in lockstep with visual effects and
creations in the digital realm,” concluded Peristere. “Our continued
success will come from an ongoing emphasis on entertaining audiences with
the magic of digital storytelling.”

For more info, go to www.zoicstudios.com

People

7. NICKELODEON TAPS KATSKY FOR NEW POST.
Veteran production and development executive Tracy Katsky has been
appointed to the newly created post of SVP of development and original
programming at NICKELODEON, KIDSCREEN reports. Katsky will oversee all of
the station’s ongoing live-action and animation program development,
live-action series production on the West Coast, and new series development
for NICKELODEON and Nick at Nite.

Before joining NICKELODEON, Katsky served as SVP of development for HBO
Independent Productions and earlier was SVP of comedy for Fox Broadcasting.

8. FRANK GLADSTONE TO TEACH animation FOR IMAGI.
Imagi International Holdings Limited has announced the appointment of
veteran animator and teacher Frank Gladstone to provide advanced training
for Imagi’s 400+ artists and animators. Gladstone will teach
university-level courses, to be offered on a quarterly basis, in film
history, cinematography, storytelling and visual language.

Gladstone has been working as a professional animator, producer, director,
writer and teacher for more than thirty years. From 1973 to 1989, he
managed his own Emmy Award-winning studio, Persistence of Vision, Inc.,
producing commercials and educational films, and has since worked for the
feature animation divisions at DISNEY, Warner Bros., IDT/Starz Media and
DreamWorks, where his credits include THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, SPIRIT:
STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, SINBAD: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS, and SHARK TALE.
Prior to his tenure at DreamWorks, Gladstone was a producer at Warner Bros.
Feature animation and manager of training at Walt DISNEY Feature animation,
where he was instrumental in setting up DISNEY’s Orlando and Paris studios.
While at DISNEY, he worked on RESCUERS DOWN UNDER, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,
ALADDIN, THE LION KING, POCAHANTAS and MULAN.

Gladstone has also taught animation, animation history and cinematic
fundamentals at all studio and school levels. He has lectured and taught
various animation and cinematography courses for Industrial Light & Magic,
DISNEY animation, Imagi animation Studios, the University of Southern
California, the University of California at Los Angeles, Stanford
University, DreamWorks animation, NICKELODEON, the University of Miami, and
Art Center College of Design, among many others. Gladstone has generated a
wide range of courses, and helped train hundreds of people who now work in
the animation industry.

“Imagi is a very exciting place to be working today,” Gladstone said. “Not
only are they producing amazingly successful CG animated action films,
they’re doing it with a staff that appreciates both Western storytelling,
as well as those beautifully choreographed visual sequences that Hong Kong
is so famous for.”

9. NEW VP SIGNALS NICKELODEON/VIACOM EXPANSION.
NICKELODEON & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) has announced the appointment
of Arwed-Ralf Grenzbach as Vice President, VIDEOGAMEs, Music and Special
Products. The newly created role signals efforts by NVCP to further advance
its international consumer products business into the rapidly expanding
interactive and music arena. Grenzbach, who is London-based, will report to
Jean-Philippe Randisi, Vice President and Managing Director, NVCP EMEA,
also in London.

Grenzbach is charged with the development of NVCP’s international strategy
to launch, manage and grow the VIDEOGAME, music and special products
business, negotiating licensing deals and supporting a team of locally
based licensees on a day-to-day basis across Asia-Pacific, Europe, the
Middle East, Africa and Latin America.  Responsible for developing new
business opportunities, Grenzbach will seek to leverage NVCP’s assets to
create non-retail-based businesses such as premiums, promotions and special
products.  He will also articulate and implement locally relevant
music-business strategies to exploit the company’s music assets, stories
and brands, channels, properties and third-party content.

Grenzbach joins NVCP from Take 2 Interactive in Germany, where he was
Managing Director from 2004. Prior to that, he held the position of
Executive Vice President, Licensing and Marketing at Greenlight Media, a
production studio in Berlin.

10. DONNA ANDREWS ASSUMES EXEC PRODUCER POST AT STICKY PICTURES.
Sydney-based animation production company Sticky Pictures has announced
that Donna Andrews — a founding partner and producer with the company –
will take over the role of exec producer, effective immediately. Andrews
replaces Tim Brooke-Hunt, who is leaving Sticky Pictures to join the
Australian Broadcasting Corp. as Executive Head of Children’s.

“On behalf of Sticky, I’d like to thank Tim for all his fantastic work and
wonderful guidance over the last five years. We will miss him greatly and
wish him every success in his new role at the ABC,” Andrews said.

Stu Connolly, founding partner and script producer, noted that “it’s a very
exciting time for Sticky — we are mid-production on two short animated
films, and are planning to start production on PEARLIE, a 52×12 animated
series based on Wendy Harmer’s series of books, later this year.”

11. RAINMAKER ELEVATES MARIANNE O’REILLY TO LEAD VISUAL EFFECTS.
Marianne O’Reilly, an eight-year veteran of Rainmaker Visual Effects, has
been elevated from exec producer to president of the burgeoning division.
Previously, Warren Franklin served as president of the division, but was
elevated to CEO of Rainmaker Ent. (parent company of Rainmaker animation,
Rainmaker Post and Rainmaker Visual Effects) last July when Mainframe was
acquired.

In addition, Shauna Bryan has been promoted to head of business development
and Jason Dowdeswell to head of Digital Studio.  Continuing in their roles
will be Dennis Hoffman as head of production, Brian Chacon as head of
production technology, Greg Bosworth as commercial/games exec producer and
Rainmaker UK’s exec producer Roma O’Connor, who oversees the London
operations. Bryan, Dowdeswell, Hoffman, Chacon, Bosworth and O’Connor will
report directly to O’Reilly.

“Marianne has been a key player in the growth of the visual effects
industry in Vancouver and a prominent contributor to Rainmaker’s growth for
almost a decade,” stated Franklin.  She has the skills needed to deal with
the internal structure of a visual effects facility as well as the
experience to engage and retain clients. As Rainmaker continues its growth
curve, we are positioning the Visual Effects division to take advantage of
the global prospects. Marianne’s the perfect person to do this for us.”

“I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to take this company to the next
level and to explore new territories,” added O’Reilly. “We have a very
creative and energetic team at Rainmaker. Working with Shauna and Jason
over the years has been great. They’ve proven their ability to handle the
needs of their new roles. Our entire team is very enthusiastic about
pursuing the goal of Vancouver becoming a larger hub for the international
visual effects industry.”

O’Reilly has been in entertainment management for more than 17 years in
film, television and sports. She began her career at Rainmaker in 1999 as
visual effects producer. Over the years, she worked on such TV productions
as STARGATE SG-1, STARGATE ATLANTIS, DEAD LIKE ME, ANCIENT CLUES and SO
WEIRD. In 2003 she transitioned to film visual effects with GARFIELD.
O’Reilly was named Rainmaker’s exec producer in 2004 and oversaw the
facility’s feature effects work, including ELEKTRA, I, ROBOT, DR. DOLITTLE
3, GARFIELD: A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM, BLADES OF GLORY
and, most recently, the upcoming VANTAGE POINT.

Dowdeswell, who will be responsible for the overall implementation of the
digital and creative aspects of the pipeline, joined Rainmaker in 2002 as
digital production supervisor after gathering more than a decade’s worth of
experience at some of the industry’s most highly acclaimed studios.
Dowdeswell began his career in BC working at CSS Graphic Multimedia
Research Lab, where he honed his animation skills. After moving to Los
Angeles in the early ’90s, he quickly became known for his lighting and
compositing artistry while working at Boss Film Studios, where his credits
included TRUE LIES, SPECIES, OUTBREAK and MULTIPLICITY. He segued to the
newly formed Sony Pictures Imageworks as a digital lead artist on such
features as ANACONDA, STARSHIP TROOPERS, GODZILLA and STUART LITTLE; and
then onto Industrial Light & Magic, as senior digital compositor on STAR
WARS: EPISODE II — ATTACK OF THE CLONES, JURASSIC PARK 3, THE MUMMY
RETURNS and MEN IN BLACK 2.

Bryan, a 15-year industry veteran, was recently Rainmaker Visual Effect’s
senior producer. As the facility’s exec producer on THE DA VINCI CODE,
Bryan was instrumental in setting up Rainmaker’s London facility and
establishing Rainmaker UK. In her previous position, Bryan oversaw the
facility’s largest production to date, the hit comedy BLADES OF GLORY.
Bryan was previously one of the Rainmaker’s visual effects producers, with
such credits as SHE’S THE MAN, MAN ABOUT TOWN, FIREWALL and the upcoming
CASE 39.  Her visual effects credits also include the television movie
EARTHSEA and the series DEAD ZONE.

Recently completed or currently in production at Rainmaker Visual Effects
in Vancouver are NIGHTWATCHING, VANTAGE POINT, CASE 39, HOT ROD, TRICK’R
TREAT, A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, TROPIC THUNDER, SNOW BUDDIES, STARGATE
ATLANTIS, SEARCH AND RESCUE and Vivendi WET; and in their London facility,
GOLDEN COMPASS, INKHEART, FRED CLAUS, VANTAGE POINT, 28 WEEKS LATER, LA VIE
EN ROSE and 1408.

Rainmaker (www.rainmaker.com), headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, is the
largest visual effects and animation company in Canada, with three
divisions: Rainmaker animation, Rainmaker Visual Effects and Rainmaker
Post. Rainmaker also operates a facility in London: Rainmaker animation &
Visual Effects UK Ltd. (Rainmaker UK). Rainmaker animation, with the
inclusion of recently acquired Mainframe Entertainment, creates 3D
animation for the feature film market and is the industry leader in CG
animation for television and direct-to-DVD family entertainment. Rainmaker
Post provides a wide array of post-production services ranging from
traditional film lab processes to the very latest in digital image
processing including HD. Rainmaker also maintains an office in Los Angeles.
California.

12. ENCORE HOLLYWOOD BRINGS ON VFX WHIZ BLACK.
Emmy-winning Visual Effects Supervisor and Flame artist R. Edward Black,
whose skills include on-set visual effects supervision, compositing, visual
effects production, graphic design and animation, has joined Encore
Hollywood. Black will join the visual effects team working on the
television series HOUSE, and will also be available for other television,
feature film, commercial and music video assignments.

Black has previously collaborated with Encore Hollywood, most recently on
music videos for Mariah Carey and Stone Sour. He’s worked with many of the
top visual-effects studios and post houses in Hollywood, and his feature
film credits include THE ADVENTURES OF SHARK BOY AND LAVA GIRL IN 3D and
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (both via RIOT).

Additionally, Black served as Visual Effects Supervisor on the Fox series
GET REAL and the USA Networks series MANHATTAN AZ. In 2003, he was part of
a team that won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects for a
Miniseries, Movie or Special for the Sci-Fi Channel’s CHILDREN OF DUNE. He
is also the recipient of an International Monitor Award for THE JOURNEY OF
ALLEN STRANGE — THE ARRIVAL and a Joey Award for the documentary THE MAGIC
OF BOEING.

Black began his career as an assistant editor with Richard Clark Editorial.
He later joined Adventure Film & Tape and Zoo Production Services, where he
became involved in visual-effects work via Flame and Flint platforms. He
also held a staff post as a Visual Effects Artist and Graphic Designer at
Laser-Pacific in Hollywood before going freelance in 1999.

Film

13. POP6 EXPERIMENTING ON animated GENE-FUSION FEATURE.
Montreal-based Pop6 is producing an animated feature version of Jeff
Amano’s comic book series GENE-FUSION, reports ICv2.com. The comic was the
first title published by Amano’s Beckett Ent. The initial issue was
launched at MIPCOM 2002. Later, Ivan Brandon penned and Neil Vokes drew a
four-issue run. Pop6 hopes to have the film ready for 2008.

GENE-FUSION: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS follows a group of highly trained
athletes called Fusers, who compete with genetically altered animals that
were created by fusing the DNA of three separate creatures together.

Gabriel Benson wrote the script. BATMAN BEYOND and JUSTICE LEAGUE
UNLIMITED’s Shaun McLaughlin is producing. Francois Brisson (Cinar’s LES
EXPLOITS D’ARSENE LUPIN) is the director.

14. MUMMY’S SOMMERS TO DIRECT G.I. JOE.
Stephen Sommers (THE MUMMY) has signed on to direct a live-action feature
version of G.I. JOE for Paramount Pictures, report the trades. The studio
is aggressively looking for a screenwriter and hopes to start production in
February, eyeing summer 2009 for a release.

VARIETY reports that Sommers was hired in the room after pitching his
version of the film to Paramount chairman/CEO Brad Grey and production
president Brad Weston Wednesday night.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Hasbro COO Brian Goldner are the producers
alongside Sommers and Sommers Co. partner Bob Ducsay.

Touted as a mix between X-MEN and JAMES BOND, the latest version of the
G.I. JOE mythology sees the G.I. Joe unit (which stands for Global
Integrated Joint Operating Entity) based in Brussels as a co-ed force using
hi-tech weapons to fight the evil organization Cobra.

15. NO PLACE LIKE MCFARLANE’S OZ FOR WARNER BROS.
Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures have acquired a darker take on
L. Frank Baum’s THE WIZARD OF OZ from SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane and
HISTORY OF VIOLENCE writer Josh Olson. Olson will pen the screenplay while
McFarlane will produce alongside Thunder Road’s Basil Iwanyk. Rick Benattar
(SHOOT ‘EM UP) will exec produce.

Olson and McFarlane will work closely on the story, which will contain
Olson’s more PG vision of the project versus McFarlane’s buxom Dorothy
featured in his Twisted Land of Oz toy line. In the trades, Olson described
the film more as a sequel than a remake.

16. KEANU IS KLAATU.
Keanu Reeves will play the noble alien Klaatu in 20th Century Fox’s remake
of the 1951 sci-fi classic, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, VARIETY reports.
Michael Rennie’s distinct performance in the original is so revered that
finding the right actor to take the role has been one of the chief reasons
the remake has been in development for so long.

David Scarpa has reworked the screenplay, which sees Klaatu arriving on
Earth with an indestructible android and a warning that if Earth does not
stop its warring, the intergalactic planets will be forced to destroy the
blue planet.

Scott Derrickson (THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE) will direct and Erwin Stoff
produces.

Production will most likely start in late fall or early 2008.

17. RIDLEY TO PEN LUCAS’S RED TAILS.
George Lucas has tapped John Ridley (THREE KINGS, UNDERCOVER BROTHER) to
write his pet project RED TAILS, the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, reports
VARIETY. The script will be based on a story by Lucas, who is funding
development via Lucasfilm and exec producing. Industrial Light & Magic will
handle the aerial battles.

The story chronicles the young African-American pilots who broke the color
barrier to become the first black U.S. fighter pilots. The title of the
project refers to the Tuskegee Airmen’s planes’ tails, which were painted
red.

Rick McCallum and Charles Floyd Johnson are the producers.

Lucas sought out Ridley after reading his screenplay L.A. RIOTS, which is
set up for Spike Lee to direct. For research, Ridley recently met with the
surviving pilots at a Texas convention.

18. STONE TO REVISIT VIETNAM IN PINKVILLE.
United Artists is wrapping up talks with Oliver Stone to helm PINKVILLE, a
Vietnam War drama chronicling the events of the 1968 My Lai Massacre,
according to the trades. Bruce Willis and Channing Tatum have already
signed on to star, with Michael Pena in negotiations to join the cast as
well.

Based on a script by Mikko Alanne, the real-life tale will follow Army
general William R. Peers (Willis) as he investigates the slaughter of
women, children and the elderly at the hands of U.S. troops in the village
of My Lai. During his investigation, he speaks with Army pilot Hugh
Thompson Jr. (Tatum), who flew his helicopter between the villagers and
soldiers to stop the killing, and Capt. Ernest Medina (Pena), the CO
responsible for the killings.

UA is trying to secure $40 million for the production, and hopes to start
filming next year. MGM will distribute the film.

19. DARK HORSE TRAPPED WITH WAR MONKEYS.
Dark Horse Indie has tapped Cleve Nettles to pen the script for WAR
MONKEYS, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Mike Richardson is exec
producing.

Based on a story by producer Chris Patton, the horror comedy finds a
janitor locked in an underground military research lab with assassin Rhesus
monkeys.

Nettles is the associate producer of Imagi Ent.’s CAT TALE.

20. MENDES NOW FEMME FATALE FOR MILLER’S SPIRIT.
Frank Miller has cast Eva Mendes (GHOST RIDER) as femme fatale Sand Saref
in his screen adaptation of Will Eisner’s THE SPIRIT, according to THE
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Saref was The Spirit’s teenaged lover until the couple
was ripped apart by the death of Sand’s father at the hands of Spirit’s
uncle.

The cast already includes Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson and Gabriel
Macht (upcoming WHITEOUT). Additionally, MATRIX’s Bill Pope has been hired
to bring the comic-book world to life as the cinematographer.

THE SPIRIT is comic legend Will Eisner’s story of a masked detective
(Macht) believed to be dead and operating out of a mausoleum, fighting
crime in the dark shadows of Central City with his fists, cunning and
ingenious forms of punishment. Jackson will play the villain Octopus, a
meek lab assistant who becomes a murderous crime kingpin in Central City.
Johansson will play another dangerous beauty named Silken Floss.

Eisner’s character first appeared in 1940 and ran for decades as a comic
strip, many of which have been collected and reprinted in hardcover form by
DC Comics in recent years.

Production will take place in New Mexico starting in October.

Producers include Odd Lot Ent.’s Deborah Del Prete and Gigi Pritzker and
Batfilm’s Michael Uslan. Exec producers are Batfilm co-founder Benjamin
Melniker and Steve Maier. Odd Lot’s Linda McDonough and Batfilm’s F.J.
DeSanto are co-producers.

Lionsgate plans to release the film in 2009.

21. ANG LEE’S LUST, CAUTION GETS NC-17.
Focus Features is accepting the NC-17 rating issued to Ang Lee’s LUST,
CAUTION by the MPAA, report the trades. The erotic spy thriller will make
its debut at the Toronto Film Festival, before hitting New York theaters on
Sept. 28, then expanding on Oct. 5.

Adapted by Focus CEO James Schamus and Wang Hui Ling from Eileen Chang’s
short story, the film follows a shy Chinese drama student who is pulled
into a plot to assassinate a Japanese collaborator during WWII. Mr. X is
handling the visual effects on the project.

Though the MPAA has not released its reasons for the rating, it is
certainly due to the film’s sexual content. The lead female character is
described, even in the production notes, as being like Maria Schneider’s
sexually experimental character in LAST TANGO IN PARIS. The film features
various provocative sexual positions, implied oral sex and full female
frontal nudity.

22. LIVINGSTON INDEED READY FOR TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE.
New Line Cinema has tapped Ron Livingston (OFFICE SPACE) to join Eric Bana
and Rachel McAdams in the cast of THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, according to
THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Plan B and Nick Wechsler are the producers and
Robert Schwentke (FLIGHTPLAN) is the director.

Based on Audrey Niffenegger’s novel and adapted by Jeremy Leven and Bruce
Joel Rubin, the story follows a librarian (Bana) who has a condition that
makes him involuntarily time travel. McAdams plays his wife who must deal
with the problem, which threatens their marriage. Livingston will play
Bana’s best friend, a nonprofit attorney.

Filming is set to begin in September in Toronto.

Richard Brener, Cale Boyter and Michele Weiss are shepherding the project.

23. SUPERBAD STILL ON TOP.
Sony’s SUPERBAD pulled in $18M in its second weekend for a cume of $68.6M
to retain the top spot at the box office for the period ended Aug. 26,
2007. Moving up a notch back to second place with $12.4M was Universal’s
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM (with vfx from The Senate, Lip Sync Post and Snow
Business). The third BOURNE has pulled in a four-week take of $185.2M. New
Line’s RUSH HOUR 3 (with vfx from ILM, Halon Ent. and Element FX, among
others) was bumped to third place with $11.7M for a three-week cume of
$108.4M. Debuting in fourth, fifth and six were Universal’s MR. BEAN’S
HOLIDAY ($9.88M), Lionsgate’s WAR ($9.82M) and MGM/Weinstein Co.’s THE
NANNY DIARIES ($7.4M). Fox’s THE SIMPSONS MOVIE settled for seventh with
$4.3M and a cume of $173.3M. Eighth place belong to Paramount’s STARDUST
with $3.8M for a total of $26.3M (boasting vfx from Double Negative,
LipSync Post, Cinesite, The Senate, Baseblack, Machine and Rushes). New
Line’s HAIRSPRAY (with vfx from Intelligent Creatures) was a ninth place
finisher with $3.2M and $107.2M to date. And rounding out the top 10 was
Warner Bros.’ THE INVASION (with vfx from Scanline and others), which
delivered $3M for a two-week cume of $11.4M. Meanwhile, DISNEY/Pixar’s
RATATOUILLE hauled in another $1.1M for a cume of  $199M. Box office
information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.

24. ENTITY FX KICKS IN VFX FOR RUSH HOUR 3.
Entity FX created vfx for RUSH HOUR 3, including 3D backdrops, digital
matte paintings and screen composites that helped back up the action in
several different interior and outdoor locations.

One challenge involved digitally adding a moving elevator to enhance
suspense in an interior chase scene. Elevator elements, as well as the
character of Soo Young (actress Jingchu Zhang), were tracked in to
seamlessly integrate live-shot material with digital matte-painting
elements.

Another difficult operation required adding a convincing sky and feeling of
motion for scenes in which Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker take a
transatlantic flight. With no production plates available, Entity FX
created a 3D clouds environment made from multiple stereo-res 2D
photographs.

“We basically created a movie of 3D clouds from sequenced stills with all
of the perspective information we needed,” said Eli Jarra, vfx supervisor,
Entity FX. “It allowed us to adjust speed and altitude as necessary.”

Entity FX credits on the project include: Mat Beck and Eli Jarra: visual
effects supervisors; Kymber Lim: exec producer; Tricia Pifer: head of
production: Jason Sanford: vfx producer; Brian Petras, Nancy Hyland and Rob
Reinhart: 2D Artists; and Rik Panero: 3D Artist.

Entity FX’s toolset included Autodesk’s Flame & Maya and Adobe After
Effects.

Entity FX is an award-winning visual effects studio specializing in feature
film, television and commercials. With facilities in Santa Monica,
California, and Vancouver, British Columbia, Entity FX delivers a range of
services in previsualization, on-set supervision, virtual backgrounds,
matte painting, environmental effects, compositing, CG animation, specialty
photography and more.

Television

25. WEB-BASED NO GOOD TV HEADING TO LATENIGHT TELEVISION.
Internet phenomenon NO GOOD TV, a mix of uncensored celebrity interviews,
music, sketch comedy, CG animation and puppetry, will be moving to
latenight network television, reports VARIETY. Emmy-winning producer Robert
Morton (LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN, MIND OF MENCIA), Dave Becky and
Michael Rotenberg from 3 Arts Ent. and Endeavor Talent Agency have all
signed on to guide the transition. The series will be hosted by NGTV’s
Carrie Keagan and Shark Firestone, and will continue the programmer’s
policy of creating a fun, relaxed and artist-friendly environment free from
gossip, ambush interviews and paparazzi.

NO GOOD TV has experienced explosive growth since its launch in February
2007. In addition to the uncensored entertainment hub at ngtv.com, NO GOOD
TV has already become the #7 most-viewed partner on YouTube, garnering more
than 65 million clip views in less than six months. The move to latenight
television is part of NO GOOD TV’s ongoing cross-platform expansion.

Commercials

26. SWAY ADDS CG FLAIR TO SUBARU IMPREZA COMMERCIAL.
SWAY studio brings liveliness and precision to the newest Subaru Impreza
commercial titled PEEL OUT, currently airing nationwide. SWAY’s team of vfx
artists utilized a series of high-end animation and photorealistic
techniques to bring life to cars, living room spaces, magazine pages and
people.

The :30 spot, which relied heavily on SWAY’s CG work, features photography
of a young couple as they “peel” themselves from a modern magazine page,
right into the driver’s seat of the sophisticated Subaru Impreza. The car
then races across a table and through a series of flipping magazine pages
into a colorful world of twists and turns.

“We were able to implement multiple groundbreaking techniques for this
project,” said Chris Nichols, visual effects supervisor for SWAY. “Our
advanced level of photogrammetric production methods and simulation tools
allowed this amazing ride to come together in a very graphic and realistic
way.”

For the commercial, SWAY used a combination of hand animation and
simulation to bring life to magazine pages designed by Paul McMenamin at
SPINE. Special magazine rigs affected by wind were created to give accuracy
to each animated page turn.

A more scientific approach was taken while creating the living room
backdrop seen in the opening of the spot. By calculating the exact optical
properties of the materials on a real set, Nichols’ team utilized high
dynamic range imaging (HDRI) to perfectly duplicate the entire space,
resulting in a precise and believable photorealistic living room.

“At SWAY, we have a fresh view on how to produce visually innovative work,”
said Mark Glaser, owner and creative director of SWAY. “Photogrammetry is
not unique to us; however, our combination of experience with this
technique and the advanced tools we have created in-house, make us the
place to call upon to get it done.”

“I’ve worked with CG elements in the past, but I’ve never helmed a project
that was so post-intensive,” said the commercial’s director, Gavin Bowden,
of Plum Prods. “We were looking for a high level of photorealism and the
SWAY team knew exactly what to do in order to produce the perfection that
was needed for this spot.”

Nichols made strategic use of SWAY’s proprietary Driving Simulator software
to create the precise movements made by the Impreza. Instead of using
traditional animation techniques, the Driving Simulator allows SWAY artists
to literally get behind the wheel and drive the car on even the most
challenging CG terrain, providing a more accurate and realistic motion.

A variety of off-the-shelf hardware and software was also used to complete
the spot, including NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics boards, Autodesk
3ds Max for animation, Combustion for graphics, Nuke and Flame for
compositing and V-Ray for rendering.

Culver City-based SWAY (www.swaystudio.com) is one of the top animation,
effects and design studios in North America. SWAY’s proprietary software,
the SWAY Driving Simulator, has been used to create stunning visual effects
and spots for Chevy, Mazda, Pontiac, Subaru, Hyundai, Hummer and Toyota.
This software replicates the performance of any vehicle with complete
precision.

Internet & Interactive

27. SONY ADDS DVR TO PS3; VOD, GPS & IM TO PSP.
At the games Convention today, Sony Computer Ent. Europe (SCEE) made big
announcements on new features added to the PlayStation 3 and PSP.

Added to the PS3, PlayTV is a combined TV tuner and Personal Video Recorder
(PVR), which will be available in the U.K., France, Italy, Germany and
Spain early in 2008, with other PAL territories to follow in due course.
The twin channel TV tuner peripheral and PVR software allow users to watch,
pause and record live TV. PlayTV will also record individual programs or
whole series to the PS3 hard drive for viewing later, or for transferring
to the PSP.

Other features include:

* PlayTV’s two TV tuners are full HD1080P ready.

* Unlike the electronic program guides found on conventional satellite and
cable  services, PlayTV’s EPG is lightning fast, and simple to use with
either PS3’s  SIXAXISTM wireless controller or the BD remote control to
really enhance viewing  pleasure.

* Operating on the widely available Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial
(DVB-T) format, PlayTV uses a seven-day Electronic Program Guide.

* Seamless connectivity with PSP allows you to set recordings, watch live
TV and recorded TV programs remotely on PSP via a Wi-Fi connection (using
Remote Play feature).

“The introduction of PlayTV really will extend the already broad
entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it an exceptionally attractive
proposition for the whole family this Christmas,” said David Reeves,
President of Sony Computer Ent. Europe. “PS3 already provides High
Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movies, music, video, photo album, web
browsing and PlayStation Network support. With the introduction of PlayTV’s
state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 is now the best choice
of home entertainment hub for the whole family.”

Additionally for the PSP, Sony has entered a joint venture with British Sky
Broadcasting (Sky) to offer PSP owners in the U.K. and Ireland the
opportunity to watch video on demand.

The Go! branded video download service will launch in early 2008, and will
be the first official PSP video download service anywhere in Europe. The
choice of programs available will include a diverse mix of Sky content,
spanning sports, entertainment, movies, music and animation. In addition,
Sky plans to work with third-party channel brands and content owners to
create an even more comprehensive service. This is the first time Sky will
offer video content through a non-Sky branded service.

Customers will be able to download their choice of programs direct to their
PSP via a Wi-Fi connection or, alternatively, transfer content that they’ve
downloaded to their PC.

Moreover, Sony unveiled Go!Messenger, the wireless communications package
for PSP, due for release in  January 2008 in the SCEE territories.

Utilizing the very latest in VOIP technology, PSP users can now keep in
touch with each other, for free, from any wireless Internet connection. As
part of a future firmware upgrade, Go! Messenger places a small application
on PSP’s XMB (XrossMediaBar), which can be downloaded separately from the
Web and installed to the Memory Stick, and PSP owners will be able to
instant message each other when connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, using a new
and intuitive on-screen keyboard. By adding a headset, voice chat and voice
messaging becomes possible, and by connecting Go!Cam, the attachable video
camera for PSP, users also have  the ability to make video calls to their
friends and leave fun video and voice  messages.

“With Go!Messenger, PSP is pushing new boundaries, adding unique
communication functionalities to all the existing multimedia experiences,”
said Stephane Hareau, PSP European Marketing Manager, Sony Computer Ent.
Europe. “Enabling more than 8.5 million PSP users across the SCEE region to
communicate with each other, through video or voice chat, truly confirms
the always evolving nature and potential of PSP.”

Go!Messenger has been developed in partnership with BT, one of the world’s
leading telecoms providers.

Another feature of the Go! service will be Go!Explore, the new satellite
navigation package, due for release in the New Year.

Collaborating with market leaders TeleAtlas and NavNGo and utilizing the
very latest in map data and navigation software, Go!Explore is a
state-of-the-art, combined in-car and  pedestrian GPS navigation
application for PSP. Incorporating a GPS receiver and the software UMD
(Universal Media Disc) software containing your chosen maps, Go!Explore
will offer a satellite navigation system at an affordable price.

“Bringing GPS navigation to PSP is simply fantastic and shows again the
unrivalled potential of PSP,” said Hareau. “Developed in collaboration with
key companies TeleAtlas and NavNGo, the market leaders in the map data and
Navigation software industry, Go!Explore offers the best and most
innovative In-Car and Pedestrian GPS navigation experience. With the
ability to use 3D city maps and even 3D landmarks in certain key cities,
GPS on PSP is a totally unique experience.”

Go!Explore supports 11 unique audio languages on every geographic version:
English,  German, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Danish,
Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish. Keeping up with the flexibility and
future-proof nature of PSP, Go!Explore has access to  upgradeable maps &
points of interest (POI) that can be purchased via the PlayStation Network,
and to additional maps, POI, downloads and other WiFi features that will be
made available in the future.

No announcement has been made yet about when these new features will reach
the U.S.

28. AARDMAN REVAMPS WALLACE & GROMIT SITE.
Aardman animations has hired online video solutions firm ROO Group to
re-launch the WALLACE AND GROMIT website (www.wallaceandgromit.com) with
advanced video functionality. This is the first time that video footage of
the British animation series has been made openly available online.

The new website will house a mini player on the homepage, which will link
through to a main portal player with full-screen viewing capabilities. A
significant collection of WALLACE AND GROMIT content will be on offer,
including a series of short films and clips from their classic animations.

Moving forward, the site will also be used to showcase future WALLACE AND
GROMIT material to its fan base.

The content will be free and funded through video advertising. Advertisers
will be able to purchase pre-roll video and banner ad formats directly from
ROO, which will run across the mini player and main video portal.

The video player will be powered by the ROO Video Exchange platform,
delivering full backend hosting, uploading and streaming of video assets,
while allowing Aardman animations to self-manage its video content
strategy.

Tony Martin, SVP ROO Europe, said, “It is great to see a British filmmaker
so keen to open up its content to online viewers and demand for advertising
is expected to be high. ROO will be managing advertising sales on behalf of
Aardman animations, so that they can focus on what’s important to them –
content.”

Paul Deane, head of online at Aardman animations, added, “The ROO player
and ROO’s experience in selling the associated advertising lets us run our
own WALLACE & GROMIT channel for fans to watch anytime. We’re really
excited about it and think fans of WALLACE & GROMIT will love it too.”

29. CARTOONNETWORK.COM SETS STICKY RECORD.
CartoonNetwork.com hit an all-time high in July, with visitors to the site
spending an average of 77 minutes per person according to
Nielsen//NetRatings. Site visitors enjoy full length episodes and clips of
Cartoon Network shows, plus more than 170 free online games based on
popular Cartoon Network characters and shows, including BEN 10 and FOSTER’S
HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS. Also, CartoonNetwork.com ranked 26th among all
U.S. domains in total time spent in July.

The CartoonNetwork.com record comes on the heels of Nielsen//NetRatings’
recent shift in how it reports website popularity. In July,
Nielsen//NetRatings announced that it added the “Total Minutes” and “Total
Sessions” metrics to NetView, its syndicated Internet audience measurement
service. The new metrics, as Nielsen announced, deliver greater perspective
on total engagement across sites, accounting for the time and sessions
spent collectively by all visitors to the site.

“We continue to be inspired by kids and pride ourselves on offering quality
entertainment tailored to their interests,” said Paul Condolora, SVP/GM for
Cartoon Network New Media. “Our strategy to create compelling, innovative
casual games, in addition to on-demand video and user-generated content,
makes CartoonNetwork.com a highly sought-after site with industry-leading
results. We look forward to providing our audience with additional
immersive offerings planned for the second half of 2007.”

CartoonNetwork.com has led its primary competition all year in visitor time
spent online, which is another sign that its key demographic is
increasingly looking for quality entertainment online. The new record of 77
minutes per person beats CartoonNetwork.com’s previous high mark of 71
minutes, which was set on the site in 2004. In addition to leading its
television competitors in the kids space, CartoonNetwork.com topped nearly
all other television network domains in terms of total minutes, bested only
by CNN and the Weather Channel.

30. AFTERWORLD animated SERIES DEBUTS ON MYSPACE.
Santa Monica-based Electric Farm Ent. epic sci-fi animated series,
AFTERWORLD, has debuted on MySpace. With a $3 million budget, the series
will include 130 two-to-three-minute webisodes. The series launched with 10
webisodes and will post new installments daily starting Aug. 27, 2007.

The free series will be supported by ad revenue and has had promising runs
on Afterworld.tv, bud.tv and YouTube.

Electric Farm Ent. was founded by former LIZZIE MCGURIE exec producer Stan
Rogow along with Jeff Sagansky, former head of CBS Ent. and former
co-president of Sony Pictures Ent. and veteran TV and game writer Brent
Friedman.

AFTERWORLD is about life on Earth after an inexplicable global event
renders technology useless and 99% of the population missing. The story
follows Russell Shoemaker, who wakes up in New York after this event and is
compelled to walk to Seattle in the faint hope that his wife and child have
survived. Russell pieces together the complex mystery behind the global
event as he encountering survivors rebuilding society in strange and
surprising ways.

In February, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) signed a
landmark agreement to exclusively acquire all international television,
Internet, digital sell-through, gaming and mobile rights to the series. As
part of the deal, the webisodes were also collected as 13 half-hour
episodes for broadcasters. Those TV episodes have already begun airing on
SCI FI Channel in Australia.

Last week Electric Farm announced a deal with Rosario Dawson to star in and
produce the online live-action/motion-capture animation series, THE GEMINI
DIVISION. The partners hope to spin the series off on TV, feature films and
games.

31. MACHINIMA.COM CREATES MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE SERIES.
EA has teamed with Machinima.com to create a completely original
mini-series based on MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE. Recorded in high-definition
and completely in-game, PATHFINDERS tells the story of the 82nd Airborne
Pathfinders as they go deep behind enemy lines.

The six-episode series reveals the tense moments before each of the major
Airborne invasions represented in MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE. Sent in to
secure drop zones, Pathfinders were called upon to undertake missions that
no other units would even consider. Their actions ensured that Airborne
infantry troops would have a greater chance for survival after bringing the
war to the enemy’s front doorstep.

To create this new series, a team of Machinima artists, writers and
directors are working closely with AIRBORNE’s development team. Once
creative decisions are plotted out, episodes are “filmed” just like a real
movie would be, but completely in the virtual sets of MEDAL OF HONOR
AIRBORNE’s gameplay maps. With actors playing their roles, and a director
using his first person view as a camera, the creative team at Machinima
record the story shot for shot, tracking each other’s motions, playing
their roles as stealthy 82nd Airborne Pathfinders or as lethal Axis
soldiers. Action sequences are meticulously assembled, often times
recording a single shot dozens of times to get just the desired effect.

When everyone’s pleased with their performances, all of the footage is
pulled together and edited into a final movie. Machinima artists add
credits, dialogue and give the episode custom audio mixing, which includes
music from the MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE score, composed by Michael
Giacchino.

The first episode of PATHFINDERS chronicles the recon mission in Adanti,
just minutes before Operations Husky. A MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE demo is
available available for download today.

To view the series, go to www.machinima.com/series/view&id=73.

32. ITM BRINGS PRODUCERS AND FREELANCERS TOGETHER.
ITM Creatives, the artistic division of talent agency International Talent
Management (ITM), has launched a site that allows producers to search for
freelance artists, animators and related technicians by location,
profession and availability. Operating across the three primary
entertainment fields — interactive entertainment, feature films and
television — ITM doesn’t charge the hiring company for using its services
and is committed to charging its clients a reasonable commission as part of
their agency representation.

“Artists and animators are within one of the most abused work brackets
across the entertainment industries,” says Max Meltzer, Principal Talent
Agent for ITM. “This is in terms of pay, restrictive contracts and rates
charged by talent and recruitment agents. Production studios, too, suffer
from the exacerbated rates charged by recruitment companies for these
artists and animators. ITM’s website links producers directly to the
artists, who are well-looked after, legally and in terms of career
development. We’re one of the first talent agencies to operate primarily in
the video games industry and the website is the base where ethical
practices between games studios and talent comes together.”

For more information, visit www.itmcreatives.com.

33. EA SHIPS FOUR games FOR THE MAC
Electronic Arts Inc. today announced that BATTLEFIELD 2142, NEED FOR SPEED
CARBON, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX and COMMAND & CONQUER 3
TIBERIUM WARS are now available to order for Mac users. These are the first
games ever published by EA for Mac OS X. Users can go to the Apple Store
(www.apple.com) to purchase the games.

All games will also be available at Apple’s retail stores nationwide. NEED
FOR SPEED CARBON and HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX are already
in stores and BATTLEFIELD 2142 and COMMAND & CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS hit
store today, Tuesday, Aug. 28.

In HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, licensed by Warner Bros.
Interactive Ent., Harry returns for his fifth year at Hogwarts. Fearing
that Hogwarts’ venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the
return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic
Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to
keep watch over Dumbledore and the students. But Professor Dolores
Umbridge’s ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully
unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form “Dumbledore’s Army” with the
goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the
extraordinary battle that looms against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

NEED FOR SPEED CARBON starts in the city and settles in the canyons,
immersing players in the world’s most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form
of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the
city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block
at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to
Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every
perilous curve.

In BATTLEFIELD 2142, as a new Ice Age depletes the planet’s resources, two
massive multinational coalitions wage a brutal war for the only cause that
matters–survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of futuristic weaponry
and gear, including active camouflage, EMP grenades, and sentry guns, plus
Battle Walkers and vast airborne bases called Titans, you must coordinate
the efforts of your teammates to win the war for Earth’s last fragile
pieces of livable land.

In COMMAND & CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS, the year is 2047. A massive nuclear
fireball explodes high in the night sky, marking the dramatic beginning of
the Third Tiberium War and the long-awaited return of the groundbreaking
real-time strategy franchise. With the corrupt substance Tiberium
blanketing most of the Earth, the infamous Kane is back to lead his
Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense
Initiative (GDI) and the few remaining livable Blue Zones left on the
planet. Only you can stop him.

Further rounding out EA’s portfolio of Mac games is the release of TIGER
WOODS PGA TOUR 08 AND MADDEN NFL 08 in the September/October window.

In addition to these games, other EA titles available for Mac include THE
SIMS 2, THE SIMS 2 OPEN FOR BUSINESS, THE SIMS 2 PETS, THE SIMS 2
NIGHTLIFE, THE SIMS 2 UNIVERSITY, THE SIMS 2 FAMILY FUN STUFF, THE SIMS 2
SEASONS, THE SIMS 2 LIFE STORIES and more.

Home Entertainment

34. YOUR FRIEND THE RAT SHORT TO ACCOMPANY RATATOUILLE DVD/BLU-RAY.
When DISNEY-Pixar’s RATATOUILLE arrives Nov. 6 on DVD ($29.99) and Blu-ray
Disc ($34.99) from Walt DISNEY Studios Home Ent., it will feature the
all-new animated short, YOUR FRIEND THE RAT, with a new adventure starring
Remy and Emile.

Other DVD bonus features include:

* Deleted Scenes - With introductions by screenwriter/director Brad Bird.
* Fine Food and Film: A Conversation with Bird and Thomas Keller - Cuisine
and cinema come together in this behind the scenes look at how master chef
and restaurateur Keller brought his real life expertise to the table.
* LIFTED - In Pixar’s latest short from Gary Rydstrom, Oscar nominated for
Best animated Short Film, a teen alien learns that failure is an option.

Blu-ray Hi Definition bonus features include:

* Gusteau’s Gourmet Game: In this inventive new Java based game, the orders
are stacking up in Chez Gusteau’s kitchen. You must help Linguini by moving
quickly from station to station in the kitchen to prepare the right meal.
If the guests are happy, there just might be time for a delicious bowl of
ratatouille.

* Cine-Explore: An innovative, in-movie Java feature allows viewers to
customize their own behind the scenes experience, which includes animation
briefings, documentary shorts, deleted shots: R.I.P, deleted scenes.

Walt DISNEY Studios Home Ent., a recognized leader in the home
entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company
for Walt DISNEY, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista
product which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc and electronic distribution. Walt
DISNEY Studios Home Ent. is a division of The Walt DISNEY Studios.

35. WHV OFFERS TREASURE TROVE IN LOONEY TUNES 5.
Warner Home Video’s LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION VOLUME FIVE, scheduled
to street on Oct. 30, 2007 for $64.92, will feature a treasury of 60
re-mastered, unedited classic cartoons — including some rarely-seen
shorts, plus more than five hours of incredible special features, including
CHUCK JONES:  EXTREMES AND IN-BETWEENS, A LIFE IN animation, a documentary
focusing on the legendary animator. Bonus features will also include
commentaries by filmmakers, writers, animators, historians, alternate audio
programs and much more.

As previously announced, each of the collection’s four discs is dedicated
to a Looney Tunes character or special theme. Disc 1 pays homage to Bugs
Bunny and Daffy Duck, disc 2 is a collection of wacky takes on classic
fairy tales, disc 3 is devoted to the work of renowned animator Bob
Clampett and disc 4 celebrates some of Looney Tunes’ earliest cartoons.

Among the highlights on disc 1 are BUCCANEER BUNNY, featuring Yosemite Sam
as “Sea-Goin Sam,” ALI BABA BUNNY, TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000, in which Bugs
spends a night in Count Bloodcount’s castle, HOLLYWOOD DAFFY, THE
UPSTANDING SITTER, 14 CARROT RABBIT, BUGS’ BONNETS, A STAR IS BORED, A PEST
IN THE HOUSE, OILY HARE, STUPOR DUCK and THE STUPOR SALESMAN.

Disc 2 includes such classics as BEWITCHED BUNNY, TWEETY AND THE BEANSTALK,
PAYING THE PIPER, RED RIDING HOODWINKED GOLDIMOUSE AND THE THREE CATS,
LITTLE RED RODENT HOOD, A GANDER A MOTHER GOOSE, and many others.

Disc 3 is dedicated to Bob Clampett, the visionary, gifted animator,
producer and director, who, along with Tex Avery, was credited for
developing the irreverent style of animation that set Warner Bros. apart
from other animation studios.  This disc features 15 of Clampett’s
cartoons, including A TALE OF TWO KITTIES, in which Tweety Bird makes his
debut, BUCKAROO BUGS, featuring Bugs Bunny’s second official appearance in
a Looney Tunes cartoon, THE DAFFY DOC, BACALL TO ARMS, CRAZY CRUISE, FARM
FROLICS, HARE RIBBIN’, PREHISTORIC PORKY and THE BASHFUL BUZZARD.

The fourth disc, celebrating Looney Tunes’ early years and featuring
several rarely seen shorts, includes PORKY AT THE CROCADERO, SCRAP HAPPY
DAFFY, PILGRIM PORKY, WISE QUACKS, WHOLLY SMOKE, in which a man named Nick
O. Teen teaches Porky a lesson about smoking, ALPINE ANTICS, EATIN’ ON THE
CUFF OR THE MOTH WHO CAME TO DINNER, MILK AND MONEY, I’VE GOT TO SING A
TORCH SONG, POLAR PALS and several others.

WHV will also be releasing LOONEY TUNES SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION VOLUME FIVE
($26.99), featuring some of the brightest and funniest shorts from the
GOLDEN COLLECTION. Presented on two discs, this DVD set comprises 30
cartoons specially selected for viewers of all ages, plus the featurette
THE LOONEY TUNES GUIDE TO FAIRY TALES. Disc 1 is dedicated to Bugs and
Daffy, while disc 2 contains fairy tales.

36. RE-animated RESURFACES ON DVD.
Cartoon Network’s first live-action feature, RE-animated, which set a
ratings record and bows next month as a new series, OUT OF JIMMY’S HEAD,
was released on DVD Aug. 21, 2007 (Warner Home Video, $14.97).

RE-animated, which scored with kids 6-11 with a delivery of 1.2 million
viewers, is set in a world where seventh-grader Jimmy Roberts has an alien
sister with green skin, his dad acts like a toddler and his mom is an
astronaut. It’s a world where brain transplants are considered outpatient
surgery. So when Jimmy, played by Dominic Janes from ER, collides with a
park trolley at the famous Gollyworld theme park and needs an emergency
brain transplant, Gollyworld doctors decide to give him the frozen brain of
the famous cartoonist Milt Appleday, played by comedy veteran Fred Willard.
Now, wherever Jimmy goes he sees all of Milt’s cartoon creations: Golly
Gopher, Dolly Gopher, Crocco the Alligator and the rest of the Appleday
gang come to life, but only in Jimmy’s (or Milt’s) brain.

Also appearing are Micah Karns as Craig, Jimmy’s best friend; Eunice Cho as
Robin, Jimmy’s crush; Matt Knudsen as Sonny, Milt Appleday’s evil son who’s
trying to steal his father’s brain back from Jimmy; Bill Dwyer as Jimmy’s
Dad; Rachel Quaintance as Jimmy’s Mom; and Rhea Lando as Yancy, Jimmy’s
alien step-sister. Paul Reubens, Tom Kenny, Ellen Greene and Brian Posehn
lend their voices to the Appleday animated characters that come to life
only for Jimmy.

RE-animated is created and written by Adam Pava and Tim McKeon, who were
writers on Cartoon Network’s hit series FOSTER’S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS
and THE LIFE & TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE. New York-based Bruce Hurwit is the
director. RE-animated is a Renegade animation, Appleday Pictures and
Cartoon Network production.

Bonus features include behind-the-scenes footage, outtakes and never before
seen bloopers.

37. YOUNG INDIANA JONES TO DEBUT ON DVD.
The Emmy-award winning series THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES makes
its long-awaited DVD debut on Oct. 23 (VOLUME ONE) from Lucasfilm Ltd., CBS
Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent., with an impressive array of all-new
bonus materials, which allow viewers to dig deeper into the real-life
events behind young Indy’s globe-trotting coming-of-age. THE ADVENTURES OF
YOUNG INDIANA JONES was the first TV series to use digital production,
pioneering processes that would pave the way for George Lucas’ own STAR
WARS prequels.

VOLUME TWO will follow on Dec. 18, with VOLUME THREE scheduled for release
in Spring 2008. The complete three-volume collection will contain 22
feature-length movies and 94 documentaries, interactive games developed by
River Deep, an interactive timeline produced by Terra Incognita Prods. and
an historical overview by noted author and University of Texas history
professor H.W. Brands.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the people and events of history,” said
Lucas, creator of the series that ran on network TV from 1992 to 1994.
“YOUNG INDIANA JONES gave me the chance to explore issues and ideas that
had so much to do with the emergence of the modern age we live in today.”

THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES VOLUME ONE is the first of three
collections of the series. The first 12-disc set includes seven
feature-length episodes as well as 38 in-depth companion documentaries, an
historical overview, an interactive game and an interactive timeline.

The 38 historical companion films are original works from the Lucasfilm
documentary unit, headed by CBS News veteran David Schneider. The
documentaries complement the episodes with insights from scholars,
historians and luminaries from a wide range of disciplines, bringing
remarkable and fresh insight into THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG INDIANA JONES.
They include interviews with Gen. Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger, Gloria
Steinem, Martin Scorsese, Barbara Boxer, James Earl Jones, Hal David and
Deepak Chopra, along with some of the nation’s pre-eminent academics.

A critically acclaimed combination of adventure, romance and history, The
Adventures of Young Indiana Jones was shot in 35 countries and utilized the
talents of the industry’s most distinguished actors, directors and writers,
earning 11 Emmy Awards and 26 nominations over the course of its
production.

“YOUNG INDIANA JONES was one of the most ambitious and complex projects
that had ever been attempted for television, and the result was an amazing
series that showed a completely different side to Indy,” said series
producer Rick McCallum, who also produced the three STAR WARS prequels and
the Special Editions of the original STAR WARS Trilogy. “Over the years,
the fan support for Young Indiana Jones has swelled, and I’m asked about it
everywhere I go. So, I’m really happy that people who grew up with it can
at last have it for themselves, and that a new generation will be able to
discover the brilliant acting, directing, writing and storytelling that has
always been the hallmark of an extraordinary venture.”

The feature-length episodes star Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints, THE
DEAD ZONE) as teenaged Indy and Corey Carrier (Nixon) as 9-year-old Indy.
The cast of guest stars includes Christopher Lee, Vanessa Redgrave, Max von
Sydow, Anne Heche, Lukas Haas, Elizabeth Hurley, Catherine Zeta-Jones,
Jeffrey Wright and Daniel Craig.

THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES films also feature the work of directors Bille
August (LES MISERABLES), Mike Newell (HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE),
David Hare (STRAPLESS, screenplays FOR THE HOURS and DAMAGE), Terry Jones
(MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL and THE LIFE OF BRIAN), Deepa Mehta
(WATER), Joe Johnston (THE ROCKETEER, JURASSIC PARK III), Nicolas Roeg (THE
MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, DON’T LOOK NOW) and Michael Schultz (CAR WASH, TV’s
EVERWOOD). Writers include Rosemary Anne Sisson (UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS),
Frank Darabont (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) and Jonathan Hensleigh (DIE HARD
WITH A VENGEANCE).

The VOLUME ONE breakdown is as follows:

Disc One:
* My First Adventure: While on an archeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of
the Kings, Indy uncovers an ancient mummy and fresh corpse. With the help
of T.E. Lawrence, the legendary Lawrence of Arabia, Indy solves an
intriguing murder mystery only to find himself thrust right back into
danger when he is kidnapped by slave-trading brigands. Dragged on a
terrifying journey across the burning sands of North Africa to the slave
markets of Marrakech, Indy finds that he must rely on his courage and wits
to survive the brutal ordeal.

* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Archaeology: Unearthing Our Past
Howard Carter and the Tomb of Tutankhamun
Colonel Lawrence’s War: T.E. Lawrence and Arabia
From Slavery to Freedom

Disc Two:
* Passion For Life:  The beautiful Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya is the
locale as Indy goes on safari with former President Teddy Roosevelt. When
he becomes lost in the savage African bush, Indy finds that he must fight
for his life against all manner of exotic and dangerous wildlife. Exotic
wildlife of another kind awaits him in Paris when he accompanies a young
Norman Rockwell on a rollicking tour through the bohemian world of Parisian
fine art. Wild parties, wilder women and artist temperament are on full
display as Pablo Picasso and Edgar Degas clash over their contrasting
styles of painting, while painting the town red at a gaudy late-night
soiree.

Disc Three (Passion For Life bonus disc):
* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Theodore Roosevelt and The American Century
Ecology: Pulse of the Planet American Dreams: Norman Rockwell and the
SATURDAY EVENING POST
Art Rebellion: The Making of the Modern
Edgar Degas: Reluctant Rebel
Braque + Picasso: A Collaboration Cubed

Disc Four:
* The Perils of Cupid: In beautiful Vienna, Indy falls for the lovely young
daughter of soon-to-be assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria.
But the course of true love does not run smoothly and he must seek advice
from two of the founding fathers of psychology, Sigmund Freud and Carl
Jung. Romantic complications of another kind turn up in Florence, Italy,
when Indy and his mother meet the great opera composer Giacomo Puccini.
Dismayed to find his lonely mother succumbing to the sensuous charms of the
charismatic Puccini, Indy frantically looks for a way to reunite his
parents and rekindle their love before it’s too late.

Disc Five (The Perils of Cupid bonus disc):
* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Giacomo Puccini–Music of the Heart
It’s Opera!
The Archduke’s Last Journey–End of an Era
Powder Keg–Europe 1900 to 1914
Sigmund Freud–Exploring the Unconscious
Carl Jung and the Journey of Self Discovery
Psychology–Charting the Human Mind

Disc Six:
* Travels with Father: A trip to Russia takes Indy from the opulent palaces
of the aristocracy to the fetid villages of the peasant class when he runs
away from home after an argument with his parents. Joining up with novelist
Leo Tolstoy, the two go on the road, engaging in philosophical discussions
and clashing with colorful Gypsies and ferocious Cossacks. Realizing that
there’s no place like home, Indy rejoins his mom and dad and travels with
his father to an isolated Greek monastery perched high on the peak of a
mountain. The arduous journey, including a harrowing trip in a tiny cage up
a thousand-foot mountainside, brings father and son closer together.

* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Seeking Truth–The Life of Leo Tolstoy
Unquiet Voices–Russian Writers and the State
Aristotle–Creating Foundations
Ancient Questions–Philosophy and Our Search for Meaning

Disc Seven:
* Journey of Radiance: A jaunt through the mystical Far East takes Indy to
the Holy City of Benares where he befriends the lonely and isolated young
leader of the Theosophy movement, Jiddu Krishnamurti. Surrounded by
supplicants and hangers-on, Krishnamurti struggles to have faith in himself
and to fulfill the destiny decreed for him by his worshippers. In the
process he shows Indy just how strong the power of faith can be. Indy’s
mother also learns a lesson in faith and trust when she must rely on some
poor Chinese villagers and their traditional medical techniques to save the
life of her son who lies perilously close to death with typhoid fever.

* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Jiddu Krishnamurti–The Reluctant Messiah
Annie Besant–An Unlikely Rebel
Medicine in the Middle Kingdom
Eastern Spirituality–The Road to Enlightenment

Disc Eight:
* Spring Break Adventure:  Indy and his girlfriend Nancy Stratemeyer, whose
father created the Nancy Drew mystery series, visit the fascinating
laboratory of inventor Thomas Edison. The two must contend with dangerous
German spies as they struggle to keep Edison’s top secret new invention out
of the hands of hostile enemy agents. To keep him from getting into any
more trouble, Indy is sent to visit his Aunt in New Mexico. While there, he
is kidnapped by Pancho Villa and swept up into the Mexican Revolution.
Chaotic, free-wheeling border towns, a WILD BUNCH style train robbery and a
colorful barroom encounter with a young George Patton make for thrilling
entertainment in this action-packed movie.

Disc Nine (Spring Break Adventure bonus disc):
* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Thomas Alva Edison–Lighting up the World
Invention and Innovation–What’s Behind a Good Idea?
The Mystery of Edward Stratemeyer
Wanted: Dead or Alive–Pancho Villa and the American
Invasion of Mexico
General John J. Pershing and his American Army
George S. Patton–American Achilles

Disc 10:
* Love’s Sweet Song: Landing in Ireland right before the Easter Rebellion,
Indy mixes romance and revolutionary politics when he falls for a beautiful
young colleen whose brother is mixed up in the Irish resistance movement.
Across the waters in England he encounters a similar problem when his love
affair with a strong-willed young woman is derailed by her fervent belief
in the women’s suffrage movement and her need for independence. Violent
street brawls, a terrifying Zeppelin raid and a seriocomic dinner party
with Winston Churchill provide plenty of thrills.

Disc 11 (Love’s Sweet Song bonus disc):
* Companion Historical Documentaries:
Easter Rising–The Poets’ Rebellion
The Passions of William Butler Yeats
Sean O’Casey vs. Ireland
Ireland–The Power of the Poets
Winston Churchill–The Lion’s Roar
Demanding the Vote–The Pankhursts and British Suffrage
Fighting for the Vote–Women’s Suffrage in America

Disc 12: (Interactive Disc)
Special Features:
* “Revolution” Interactive Game, based on Spring Break Adventure allows
players to become Indy and make their own decisions based on Indy’s
adventures. As well as entertaining, this game has educational elements.
* Extensive Interactive Timeline that details the history and locations of
Indy’s adventures and previews footage of the companion documentaries.
* Historical Lecture: The Promise of Progress is an exploration of the
people and events of the Industrial Revolution, spanning the late 19th
century to the early 20th century.

CBS Home Ent. manages the worldwide DVD business for the CBS Corp. across
all lines of content including current hits and classic series from the
vast CBS library, as well as new releases from Showtime Video. CBS Home
Entertainment products are released on the CBS DVD label.

Paramount Home Ent. (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corp., a unit of
Viacom, a global entertainment company that produces and distributes filmed
entertainment through the Paramount Motion Picture Group. PHE is
responsible for the worldwide sales, marketing and distribution of home
entertainment products on behalf of various parties, including: Paramount
Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics,
NICKELODEON, MTV, Comedy Central, CBS, PBS and Hasbro and for providing
home entertainment fulfillment services for DreamWorks animation Home Ent.

Lucasfilm Ltd. is one of the world’s leading film and entertainment
companies. Founded by George Lucas in 1971, it is a privately held, fully
integrated entertainment company. In addition to its motion-picture and
television production operations, the company’s global activities include
Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, serving the digital needs of
the entertainment industry for visual-effects and audio post-production;
LucasArts, a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment
software worldwide for video game console systems and PC; Lucasfilm
animation, founded in 2003 to create animated television productions; and
Lucas Licensing, which manages the global merchandising activities for
Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties. Additionally, Lucas Online creates
Internet-based content for Lucasfilm’s entertainment properties and
businesses.

38. SECOND MUPPET SHOW SEASON NOW ON DVD.
Walt DISNEY Home Ent. raised the curtain earlier this month on THE MUPPET
SHOW: SEASON 2 - SPECIAL EDITION on DVD ($39.99). The four-disc set
features all 24 digitally remastered and restored episodes from the 1977
season. Jim Henson’s irreverent characters romp their way through skits,
songs and silliness with such celebrity guest stars as Bob Hope, Elton
John, Peter Sellers, George Burns, Julie Andrews and Steve Martin.

Having aired only twice in the last 34 years, the extremely rare and
collectible “The Muppets Valentine Special” has never been released on home
entertainment before. Muppets creator, the late Henson, lends his voice
talents to Kermit and the Swedish Chef. The legendary Frank Oz speaks for
Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear, with veteran puppet designer Dave Goelz
(FRAGGLE ROCK) as the larynx behind the Great Gonzo.

THE MUPPET SHOW garnered eight Emmy Awards during its 1976 to 1981
primetime run on ABC-TV and produced a series of MUPPET films, including
THE MUPPET MOVIE and THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN.

Bonus features:
* THE MUPPETS VALENTINE SPECIAL starring a young Mia Farrow, Kermit and
some Muppets you might not recognize

* WEEZER AND THE MUPPETS: The music video for “Keep Fishin’” featuring
Weezer backstage at THE MUPPET SHOW.

* The Muppets on the Muppets: Personal and revealing interviews from
Kermit, Gonzo, Rizzo and others.

Books

39. DISNEY TO PUBLISH HISTORICAL CINDERELLA BOOK.
DISNEY Press will publish a new edition of CINDERELLA featuring artwork by
long-time DISNEY designer Mary Blair, PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY reports. The book,
with new text by Cynthia Rylant and illustrations based on Blair’s design
work from the 1940s, is due out this month. DISNEY Press ordered a first
print run of 50,000.

Blair was one of DISNEY Studios’ top artists before turning to children’s
book illustration and other graphic pursuits in the mid-1950s. Her
distinctive style set the tone for such DISNEY classics as ALICE IN
WONDERLAND and PETER PAN, as well as the 1950 film version of CINDERELLA.

The stage was set for the new publication by the great success of John
Canemaker’s 2003 coffee-table book THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR, which
was embraced by critics, film students, and collectors of DISNEYana.
CINDERELLA was conceived as a way to bring Blair’s art to a younger
audience.

Because Blair’s work is highly prized by collectors, some of the original
paintings for CINDERELLA were in private collections. “Certain paintings we
had to borrow,” said Nancy Inteli, executive editor at DISNEY Press.
“However, people are always happy to have their pieces reproduced in this
kind of volume. It increases the value.”

Inteli will plumb the DISNEY archives again for ALICE IN WONDERLAND,
another Blair-inspired book, to be published in fall 2008. There are also
plans to produce a version of DISNEY’s PETER PAN for fall 2009.

40. DAN DARE WILL FLY AGAIN VIA VIRGIN COMICS.
Aviator and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson announced that Virgin Comics
will be bringing legendary superhero Dan Dare out of retirement with an
all-new comic book series.  The monthly series, to be written by legendary
comic author Garth Ennis (PREACHER, THE BOYS, HITMAN, JOHN WOO’S SEVEN
BROTHERS), will premiere in November 2007.

Dan Dare has been an icon since 1950, when stories of his space travel and
galactic battles first captivated postwar baby boomers. His adventures
burst to the forefront of pop culture, selling nearly 1 million copies each
week in the pages of the Eagle comic.

Virgin Comics’ DAN DARE is set in the future, albeit not too many decades
from the present day.  Colonel Dare is still vibrant and courageous — but
now he’s retired.  His retirement is a self-imposed exile, the result of
his disgust with politics and the post-nuclear warfare that has destroyed
North America and much of Asia — leaving the UK as the world’s last
remaining superpower.  Readers familiar with Dan Dare stories will
recognize many of the original cast, including a wiser and more experienced
Digby; the innovative, brilliant and beautiful Professor Peabody; and of
course the enemy of all that is good, the super-intelligent ruler of the
Treens — The Mekon, together with a mix of galactic evil beings.

41. SCHOLASTIC & DK INK INDIANA JONES BOOK DEALS.
Scholastic, DK and Penguin have inked deals with Lucas Licensing to bring
the adventures of Indiana Jones to children’s books in connection with the
May 22, 2008, release of the fourth installment in the INDIANA JONES film
series.

Scholastic is set to publish junior novelizations for the four films. The
first three books will arrive in April ahead of the film’s debut with the
fourth to be released day-and-date with the new feature. DK is publishing a
144-page THE ULTIMATE INDIANA JONES GUIDE, which will cover the characters
of all four films. Additionally, DK will produce a collection of sticker
books. Penguin will bring the world of Indiana Jones to its Mad Libs
series.

Lucas Licensing is in talks with other publishers to make tween-geared
books as well.

Licensing

42. EDGAR & ELLEN TO RECEIVE MAJOR MARKETING PUSH.
Starfarm’s EDGAR & ELLEN is poised to break out in a panoply of
merchandising in the  coming months, according to KIDSCREEN. Port Chester,
New York-based licensing agency Lisa Marks & Associates has lined up a
battalion of licensees and partners for a highly visible campaign that will
begin with a promotion at a major US retailer in September. Among the
rollouts to follow in 2008 are products from Lionsgate (DVDs), Activision
(video games), Ballzout (T-shirts, denim and fleece), Keyser Kosmetics
(bath and body), Recycled Greetings (stationery) and a major toy deal with
Sababa Toys.

The push coincides with EDGAR & ELLEN’s transition from a series of shorts
to long form in October. The expanded show will debut on Nicktoons US, and
deals have been signed with broadcasters in more than 40 countries.
Meanwhile EDGAR & ELLEN’s first six-book series has sold more than 425,000
copies, and six more books are scheduled for publication through 2008.

After the initial launch, the eponymous Lisa Marks expects the program to
go even wider in 2009, with second-tier categories including mobile.

43. ION MEDIA PLEDGES A HEALTHIER QUBO.
ION Media Networks announced that it will undertake innovative advertising
and media initiatives for its qubo and ION Life digital networks aimed at
improving children’s health and reducing the rates of childhood obesity in
the U.S.

Children’s entertainment partnership qubo has made a commitment not to air
national advertising that features unhealthy food and beverage choices.
Furthermore, qubo will work with its advertising and marketing partners to
promote the importance of healthy eating and active lifestyles, and will
create storylines in selected episodes of new original content addressing
good eating habits and physical activity.

“We can’t think of a more important goal than to help kids and families
learn about how to lead healthier and stronger lives,” said Rick Rodriguez,
President and General Manager, qubo.  ”Educating families about these
subjects is an important element of the qubo mission and we are excited to
work with our production, marketing and advertising partners to highlight
these important issues on our many different content platforms.”

ION Media Networks has long demonstrated leadership on children’s health
and fitness, including participation in the Task Force on Media and
Childhood Obesity, a government and industry initiative created to examine
the impact of the media on childhood obesity rates and to collaborate on
voluntary recommendations addressing the alarming rise in the number of
obese children.

Education

44. DIGITAL-TUTORS OFFERS NEW TEXTURE PAINTING WITH ZBRUSH 3 TRAINING.
Digital-Tutors announced the availability of TEXTURING WITH ZBRUSH 3, the
latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging
digital artists using ZBrush 3, the award-winning integrated modeling,
texturing and illustration environment developed by Pixologic.
Digital-Tutors has developed a series of training solutions to teach new
and experienced artists the powerful capabilities available in ZBrush 3.
TEXTURING WITH ZBRUSH 3 provides nearly four hours of project-based
training and delivers an array of texturing techniques for use in film,
games and illustration.

“We all love Digital-Tutors at Cinematics, specifically for the structure
of the lessons and materials that are used to facilitate the learning
process,” said Biju Ramachandran, Ubisoft. “I enjoy how the tutorial as a
whole comes together to provide a cohesive and intuitive vehicle for an
artist to start and continue to progress. To top it off, Digital-Tutors is
always keeping up with the latest trends and making sure that there’s
always training available.”

Highlights from TEXTURING WITH ZBRUSH 3 include: importing geometry into
ZBrush, working with morph targets, image-based texture painting,
hand-painting texture maps, sculpting on multiple subdivision levels,
controlling stroke attributes, creating custom alpha brushes, utilizing
layers to localize detail, using stencils for sculpting precise details,
tuning alpha brushes, simulating the effects of weight and gravity,
polypainting techniques, simultaneously painting with depth and color,
painting detail with cavity masking, using ZMapper and displacement
exporter, generating normal and displacement maps, rendering normal and
displacement maps in primary 3D application, new feature overview and
additional lessons developed for artists using ZBrush 3.

Digital-Tutors (www.digitaltutors.com) is an innovator and leader in
video-based training for emerging digital artists. Digital-Tutors maintains
strategic relationships and partnerships with Autodesk, Softimage, Pixar,
Next Limit, Skymatter, Pixologic and Adobe.

Technology

45. ASCENT MEDIA AND HP JOIN TO DELIVER DIGITAL MEDIA SERVICES.
Ascent Media Group (AMG) and HP have announced a strategic alliance to
co-develop, market and deliver enterprise-level services and technologies
that enable studios, content providers and aggregators to archive,
repurpose and distribute media digitally for the multi-channel market.

The announcement formalizes the companies’ three-year collaboration,
through which they have successfully enabled customers, including Sony
Pictures Ent. and Paramount Pictures, to meet growing consumer demand for
entertainment content on broadband, mobile and other digital outlets and
devices. The new alliance will allow the companies to transform the media
supply chain by providing a hybrid solution to address both digital and
physical media requirements. It marks the first formal pairing of a leader
in transaction processing and IT with a leader in media operations.

“The media industry is in the middle of a massive shift from physical to
virtual processes, and a transformational solution is needed that addresses
both,” said Jose Royo, AMG chief technology officer. “When you combine HP’s
leadership and expertise in large-scale transactions with Ascent’s deep
knowledge of media workflows, the result is an extensible platform that
enables media companies to scale their businesses for the digital realm
cost-effectively.”

Since 2004, AMG and HP have been working together to customize solutions
for studios and content distributors based on AMG’s Viia suite of
file-based media services and the HP Digital Media Platform. The combined
service platform enables a company to digitize content once, then store,
manage, re-purpose and distribute it globally in multiple formats and
languages to numerous providers simultaneously — all according to
specified formats and delivery methods. It reduces time-to-market
significantly, facilitates new revenue streams for existing assets, and can
be implemented as a fully outsourced services platform or as individual
managed services.

Under the formal alliance, AMG and HP will co-develop the service platform,
market it to major studios, content providers and broadband portals, and
provide consultation and support services together. HP is the preferred
provider of hardware and software, while AMG provides file-based media
services for ingest, library and order management, content versioning,
metadata transactions, electronic fulfillment, metadata management and
digital rights management. Together, the companies will manage and support
client requirements, and provide integration, specification development,
testing and other professional services.

“The shift we’re seeing in the media industry from physical to digital
processes is as significant as the move to digital transactions by the
finance and securities industry — one of many industries HP has helped
migrate to digital,” said Tom Kuehle, vice president, Digital Content
Services, HP. “By creating a digital ‘vault’ and enabling secure processes
for handling transactions of media companies’ most valuable assets — their
content — HP and Ascent will help maximize those assets in this changing
market.”

To date, the AMG and HP offering has processed more than 90,000 assets,
delivered file-based titles to 50+ broadcast, broadband, and mobile
distributors worldwide and archived more than 9,000 titles for Sony,
Paramount and other customers. Services are centered in AMG’s $17 million
100,000-square-foot Digital Media Data Center, which houses a digital
archive with a petabyte of online and nearline storage integrated across a
global mesh network. In the coming months, AMG intends to launch three
additional network hubs in the Eastern United States, Europe and Asia,
enabling the alliance to take all of a customer’s ingested content from any
of these locations, repurpose it and distribute it electronically
worldwide.

With a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software,
services and IT infrastructure, HP is among the world’s largest IT
companies, with revenue totaling $100.5 billion for the four fiscal
quarters ended July 31, 2007.

Santa Monica, California-based Ascent Media Group LLC is a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Discovery Holding Company, which through its Creative
Services and Networks Services groups, provides creative, digital,
technical media services to the media and entertainment industries. Through
more than 74 facilities in the regions of Southern California, New York,
Atlanta, London and Singapore and at locations throughout the world, Ascent
Media provides effective solutions for the creation, management and
distribution of content to major motion picture studios, independent
producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and
other companies that produce, own and/or distribute entertainment, news,
sports, corporate, educational, industrial and advertising content.

46. AUTODESK LAUNCHES PREFERRED INDUSTRY PARTNER PROGRAM.
To help customers in the manufacturing, architecture, building and
construction markets benefit from the advantages of 3D software,  Autodesk
Inc. has introduced the Preferred Industry Partner Program. The new program
recognizes select third- party software developers for their innovative,
industry-focused solutions. Designated Preferred Industry Partners create
applications that complement Autodesk 3D products and help customers
simulate their ideas early in the design process as well as reduce time and
cost in manufacturing or construction.

The program launches with five software developers awarded Preferred
Industry Partner status in North America and Europe. These inaugural
partners have created products that tightly integrate with applications
such as Autodesk Inventor, Revit and AutoCAD Civil 3D software products,
and add industry-, task- or region-specific functionality, from advanced
mechanical analysis to compliance with local regulations.

The initial partners consist of:
* acadGraph of Germany (AutoCAD Architecture for Project Management)
* CGS of Eastern Europe (AutoCAD Civil 3D for Infrastructure Design)
* hsbSOFT of Belgium (Revit & AutoCAD for Timber Framing)
* INOVA of Eastern Europe (AutoCAD Map 3D Telecom)
* RDV Systems of Israel (AutoCAD Civil 3D for Infrastructure Simulation)

“Worldwide, macroeconomic trends such as the rising cost of energy,
globalization of business and growing need for infrastructure are creating
new opportunities and placing new demands on  manufacturing, building and
construction companies,” said Jim Quanci, worldwide director, Autodesk
Developer Network. “Together, Autodesk and its Preferred Industry Partners
offer best-in-class design solutions that help our customers use 3D digital
models to experience their ideas virtually-and then make them real –
saving time and money for them and their customers.”

Autodesk works closely with Preferred Industry Partners on a range of
marketing and sales activities including channel development support and a
designated Autodesk sales contact; creation of joint marketing materials
and announcements; and a special program logo for use on product packaging
and partner websites. Program participants also receive early access to
alpha and beta versions of Autodesk software, priority service support and
feature requests and gain access to additional co-marketing resources.

The Autodesk Developer Network (ADN) comprises more than 2,700 technology
partners around the world. Preferred Industry Partners extend Autodesk
solutions to meet the industry-specific needs of the design community. For
more information about ADN and Autodesk Preferred Industry Partners, visit
www.autodesk.com/adn.

Autodesk Inc. (www.autodesk.com) is the world leader in 2D and 3D design
software for the manufacturing, building and construction and media and
entertainment markets.

47. TURBO SQUID RELEASES FILE SYSTEM FOR TENTACLES 3D PLUG-IN.
Turbo Squid has launched the File System, the newest addition to Turbo
Squid’s free Tentacles’ 3D application plug-in. Tentacles is a Flash-based
plug-in that integrates the entire Turbo Squid online library and
purchasing process into a variety of popular 3D applications, enabling
users to browse, compare and purchase 3D content (including models,
textures, MoCap data and much more) without ever leaving the 3D
applications in which they are working. Now with the File System within
Tentacles, artists will be able to store, manage and organize all of their
work in one secure, central location on the web giving them an instant
backup for their critical files. In addition, artists will be able to
create their own private online workspaces in order to share designs with
co-workers, fostering a collaborative environment between team members on a
project.

Tentacles is available now for the following 3D applications: Autodesk 3ds
Max (v7/8/9), Autodesk Maya (v7/8/), SOFTIMAGE |XSI (v4.2/5.1/), Cinema 4D
(v9.5). Additional versions of Tentacles for more applications are due out
later this year.

Tentacles streamlines and simplifies the workflow of 3D artists. W