ANIMATED TEN COMMANDMENTS COMING TO THEATERS.
[FLASH] 09/11/07 Animation Flash Newsletter
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          A N I M A T I O N  F L A S H
Tuesday, September 11, 2007              Volume 12, Issue 24
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         The Animation Flash E-mail Newsletter
        an Animation World Network publication
         ****Industry News Headlines****
Business
  1. KIDSCO CHANNEL LAUNCHES IN CEE.
  2. DISNEY CLOSES ABC1 IN U.K.
  3. TAKE-TWO’S NEW 2K PLAY LABEL TO PUBLISH NICK GAMES.
  4. WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS REVEALED AS BIG GAMERS.
People
  5. YAN CHEN ASSUMES SUPERVISORY ROLE ON IMAGI’S ASTRO BOY.
  6. BONNSTETTER TO BE CG HEAD AT RIOT/NEW YORK.
Film
  7. ANIMATED TEN COMMANDMENTS COMING TO THEATERS.
  8. INDIANA JONES 4 TITLE ANNOUNCED.
  9. TOBEY MAGUIRE GEARS UP FOR ROBOTECH.
 10. TRON 2 GETS NEW LIFE WITH NEW DIRECTOR.
 11. POLANSKI PASSES ON POMPEII.
 12. POTTER BECOMES TOP FILM FRANCHISE.
 13. ROMEO MUST DIE HELMER CONTROLS STREET FIGHTER.
 14. FUTURE FILMS GOES TO PAST FOR VIKING DREAM.
 15. UNIVERSAL LAUGHS WITH JEFF THE IMMORTAL.
 16. TRON MAKER DECODES SOUL WITH IGN HOSTESS.
 17. 3:10 TO YUMA ARRIVES ON TOP.
 18. ORDER OF THE PHOENIX SETS IMAX 3-D RECORD.
 19. POST LOGIC HANDLES HALLOWEEN DI.
Television
 20. HBO ACQUIRES DOC MADE IN SECOND LIFE.
 21. THREE NEW SERIES TO PREMIERE IN 4KIDS FOX FALL LINEUP.
 22. HENSON CO. AND KCET TO TEAM ON BIG IDEA.
 23. AVATAR & LITTLE BILL RETURN TO NICKELODEON.
 24. MARVEL AND SONY TO SPIN MORE SPIDER-MAN.
 25. CUPPA COFFEE’S NERDLAND FIRST TELETOON PILOT PROJECT.
 26. CAPTAIN FLAMINGO LANDS ON JETIX PROGRAMMING BLOCK.
 27. NICK JR UK TO PREMIERE RETOOLED MAGIC ROUNDABOUT.
 28. BACK AT THE BARNYARD TO PREMIERE AS NICK SERIES.
 29. LATV FALL LINEUP TO FEATURE ANIMATED HOMIES SHOW.
 30. LUDORUM UNVEILS CGI KIDS SERIES.
 31. JETIX TO AIR 4KIDS’ CHAOTIC.
 32. PUFF TV CATCHES JAY JAY FLIGHT.
 33. FUTZ! A WRAP FOR 9 STORY ENT.
 34. EVIL GOLDFISH NETS NEW TERRITORIES.
 35. FIREMAN SAM’S DERRING-DO SOON TO BE HD CGI.
 36. PORTFOLIO MAKING DEALS LEFT AND RIGHT.
 37. TIME WARNER DEAL EXPANDS PBS KIDS SPROUT REACH.
 38. CREATIVE DIFFERENCES SPUR SHOWRUNNER TO EXIT BIONIC.
 39. BIONIC WOMAN GAINS FRIDAY CONSULTANT.
Internet & Interactive
 40. WB TO UNVEIL T-WORKS IMMERSIVE ONLINE ANIMATION EXPERIENCE.
 41. 4KIDS.TV RELAUNCHES WITH ALL-NEW FEATURES.
 42. NICKTOONSNETWORK.COM GETS A BOT BOOST FROM STUDIOCOM.
 43. VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH JOOST.
 44. SONY’S CRACKLE TO LAUNCH MOVING TARGETS COMEDY CHANNEL.
 45. GRATEFUL DEAD JOIN ROCK BAND VIDEOGAME.
 46. ASTEROIDS CRASHES ONTO MOBILE PHONES.
 47. EA ANNOUNCES THE SIMS ON STAGE.
 48. HABBO USER TOONS COMPETE FOR HABBOWOOD AWARD.
 49. MAX & MAYA HELP SHAPE UPCOMING KOREAN MMOGS.
Home Entertainment
 50. OPEN SEASON SEQUEL DEBUTING ON DVD.
 51. TOM AND JERRY TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN VOL. 3 DVD COLLECTION.
 52. TRANSFORMERS TO INVADE DVD & HD DVD ON OCT. 16.
 53. STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES TO LAUNCH ON HD DVD.
Licensing
 54. BEN 10 TO GET EXPANDED CANADIAN MARKETING.
 55. GALLEON BRINGS SKUNK FU! & APOLLO’S PAD TO BRAND LICENSING 2007.
Education
 56. EARTHLIGHT LAUNCHES ALL-LIVE REMOTE ANIMATION TRAINING.
 57. DIGITAL-TUTORS OFFERS CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS SERIES FOR MAYA.
Technology
 58. LUXOLOGY SHIPS MODO 301.
 59. LUCASFILM’S DATACENTER TO BE POWERED BY QUAD-CORE AMD OPTERON.
 60. AUTODESK LAUNCHES NEW VERSIONS OF VISUAL EFFECTS & FINISHING
   SYSTEMS.
 61. PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES NEW MOCAP ACCESSORIES.
 62. IO INTERACTIVE GRABS MORPHEME FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT.
 63. AUTODESK LAUNCHES LUSTRE 2008 DIGITAL COLOR GRADING SYSTEM.
 64. HP UNLEASHES NEW WORKSTATIONS.
Awards
 65. CAMP LAZLO & SOUTH PARK EARN ANIMATION EMMYS.
 66. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & NIGHTMARES TAKE VFX CREATIVE ARTS EMMY
   AWARDS.
 67. DIGITAL DOMAIN, ILM, IMAGEWORKS, SIDE EFFECTS UP FOR SCIENTIFIC
   OSCARS.
 68. RACCOON & CRAWFISH WINS MOONDANCE SANDCASTLE AWARD FOR ANIMATION.
Call for Entries
 69. AKBANK SHORT FILM FESTIVAL CALLS FOR ENTRIES.
 70. WORLDFEST-HOUSTON BECKONS.
Events
 71. JUNGLE BOOK PANEL SWINGS AT EL CAPITAN.
 72. SPECIAL HALO 3 PRESENTATION AT //ADAPT 2007 CONFERENCE.
 73. INFINITE CANVAS: THE ART OF WEBCOMICS LAUNCHES AT MOCCA.
 74. DRAGON WARS INVADES L.A.
 75. CARTOON TRIBUTES CELEBRATES DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN ANIMATION.
 76. GNOMON & VES PRESENT STATE OF THE ART IN GAMING WITH EA LA.
 77. NEXT THURSDAY IS WIA’S STORYBOARD PITCH NITE.
 78. LEARN HOW TO ATTRACT THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION.
 79. INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL COMES TO SANTA FE.
 80. WEBBYS BRING OWN STYLE TO FIRST SUMMIT.
 81. WALK LIKE A ZOMBIE TO THE ATLANTA HORRORFEST.
 82. ONE WEEK LEFT FOR INDIEGAMESCON EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DISCOUNT.
 83. LARGEST GATHERING OF BLOGGERS AT BLOGWORLD.
 84. UPCOMING EVENTS IN ANIMATION.
Upcoming Films
 85. 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
            ****Industry News****
Business
1. KIDSCO CHANNEL LAUNCHES IN CEE.
KidsCo, the joint venture channel owned by leading media companies
Sparrowhawk Media, DIC Ent. (DIC) and Corus Ent. Inc.’s Nelvana
Enterprises, goes on air today in Romania, Hungary, Russia, Turkey and
Poland, carried by local cable operators. Deals have also been signed in
Ukraine, where KidsCo will launch next month, and in Asia Pacific, where
viewers will be able to tune in by early 2008.
It is anticipated that the family-friendly, 24-hour, multi-platform channel
will be available in up to 40 territories — including Europe and Latin
America — within the next 18 months. KidsCo utilizes Sparrowhawk’s
state-of-the-art broadcast distribution facility in the U.S. and the
company’s international network of affiliates.
KidsCo features renowned animated and live-action television series and
feature-length movies from independent animation program suppliers DIC and
Nelvana. Among the offerings are DIC’s INSPECTOR GADGET, STRAWBERRY
SHORTCAKE, MADELINE, DENNIS THE MENACE, CARE BEARS and Nelvana’s BABAR,
FRANKLIN, THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN and ROLIE POLIE OLIE.  KidsCo has also
acquired programming from other major children’s content suppliers after
signing deals with Entertainment Rights and TV-Loonland.
2. DISNEY CLOSES ABC1 IN U.K.
Citing problems in getting access to spectrum on the Freeview platform,
Walt Disney Television is closing down entertainment channel ABC1 in the UK
after three years on air, reports C21 MEDIA. A decision has yet to be made
on whether Disney will sell the spectrum or whether it will substitute
another of its channels.
“Since we launched ABC1, we have refocused sharply on the development of
the Disney brand, in particular the Disney Channel, and the growth in the
UK and Europe in the past few years has been phenomenal,” said John Hardie,
exec VP and MD of Walt Disney Television EMEA. He added that, while the
channel had found a strong daytime audience, the difficulties with Freeview
and the focus on Disney branding had led to the decision that “it was best
to move on.”
The launch of the channel in September 2004 marked Disney’s first use of
the ABC brand outside the U.S.
3. TAKE-TWO’S NEW 2K PLAY LABEL TO PUBLISH NICK GAMES.
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. announced the formation of 2K Play, a
new publishing label dedicated to casual gaming. As part of the 2K Play
initiative, Take-Two also announced an expansive new handheld and console
videogame licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, a partnership involving
properties including Nick Jr. preschool television hits DORA THE EXPLORER
and GO, DIEGO, GO!
DORA THE EXPLORER and GO, DIEGO, GO! will be the first titles under the new
2K Play label and will be released this fall in North America.
“We welcome our new partnership with 2K Play,” said Shaul Olmert,
VP/Digital Media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group.
“This is the first time GO, DIEGO, GO! is coming to handheld and console
systems and will mark DORA THE EXPLORER’s debut on the popular Nintendo DS
system. We are excited to welcome 2K Play into our growing family of
innovative digital products.”
2K Play joins leading publishing labels 2K Games and 2K Sports as a new
division in the 2K portfolio. The new label will absorb Take-Two’s Global
Star Software label, including the Carnival Games brand, the Cat Daddy
Games studio and PC games based on the popular DEAL OR NO DEAL franchise.
“The 2K Play label targets the growing market of casual gamers interested
in accessible, high-quality products,” said Christoph Hartmann, President
of 2K. “It will be home to games that are fun and engaging for players of
varied skill types and ages. Our exciting initiative with Nick Jr. will
offer a host of games featuring world-famous brands that appeal to the
family-friendly gamer.”
Additional information regarding the 2K Play lineup of games will be
available in the coming months.
Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. is a
global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive
entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and
PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox and Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS
and Game Boy Advance. The company publishes and develops products through
its wholly-owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play,
and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through
its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two’s common stock is publicly
traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more information, visit
www.take2games.com.
4. WHITE-COLLAR WORKERS REVEALED AS BIG GAMERS.
Tens of millions of “white-collar” workers play casual video games, many
while on the job, according to a survey released by leading multi-platform
games provider PopCap Games. While white-collar workers’ consumption of
casual games at home mirrored the overall casual gamer audience fairly
closely, the survey revealed some surprising facts about the playing of
casual games in the workplace — and the motives behind the activity. With
conservative estimates pegging the casual games market at over 200 million
people, the survey’s representative sample suggests that as many as 80
million white-collar workers play casual games, with nearly a quarter of
respondents saying they play “at work.” Moreover, fully 35% of CEOs, CFOs
and other senior executives said they play while on the job.
The survey identified 2,842 of the respondents as white-collar workers –
employed in management, executive management, sales, accounting, medical,
technical, consulting or administrative capacities. Of these, 98% said they
played casual games at home and 24% said they played during work hours. Of
all white-collar casual GAMERS, 65% indicated they earn $50,000 or more in
annual income (compared to 53% of casual game players overall), 22% said
they earned $100,000 or more per year, and 58% indicated they had a college
degree (compared to 46% overall). 91% of white-collar GAMERS are age 30 or
older, 68% are 40 or older, and 39% are 50 or older.
Of those who said they played during work hours:
* 14% admitted they had played casual games during business meetings or
conference calls, with two thirds (65%) of those saying they did so a least
once a month.
* 61% said they play during lunch or other official break periods.
* 52% said they play “during my work day, when I need a short break.”
* 19% said they play “at the end of my work day, to unwind.”
*11% said they play “at the beginning of my work day before I get started.”
In addition, those who said they played during work hours said they do so
with considerable frequency:
* 53% said they play at work at least once a day.
* 79% said they play at work several times a week or more.
* 84% said they play casual games at work for between 15 and 60 minutes
each day, on average.
* 11% said they played casual games at work for an hour or more each day
As to the effects of playing casual games at work, 84% said they felt “more
relaxed and less stressed out,” and 52% said they felt more confident, more
energetic, more productive and/or more mentally focused.
Compared to white-collar GAMERS overall, those identified as senior
executives indicated a considerably higher frequency of play, including
playing at work:
* 35% of senior executives said they play casual games at work, vs. 23% of
other white collar GAMERS.
* 70% said they play “during work, when I need a short break” — vs. 49% of
other white collar GAMERS.
* 61% said they play once a day or more frequently during each work day,
vs. 51% of other white collar GAMERS.
* 71% said their typical game-play session at work lasts 15 minutes or
longer, vs. 62% of other white collar GAMERS.
Among all white-collar GAMERS (not just those who play at work), when asked
to choose the single most important reason for playing casual games, 72%
chose a reason related to improving their mental state, while 24% chose
“entertainment.” As Cynthia Whitehead, a lawyer from Oakland, California,
puts it, “After a long day of writing laws for formerly communist
countries, the siren song of BEJEWELED will beckon and I’ll find myself
unwinding with a few levels of gem-swapping.”
People
5. YAN CHEN ASSUMES SUPERVISORY ROLE ON IMAGI’S ASTRO BOY.
Imagi Animation Studios today announced the appointment of Yan Chen as Lead
CG Supervisor on the feature film ASTRO BOY. Chen comes to Imagi with over
ten years of experience at Hollywood studios, including Disney and
DreamWorks Animation, and a list of credits that includes DINOSAUR,
TREASURE PLANET, THE MATRIX, RELOADED, SHARK TALE and EVERYONE’S HERO.
The Shanghai-born, U.S.-educated and Hollywood-trained Chen epitomizes the
mix of Eastern and Western sensibilities that has enabled Imagi to
transform Asian anime properties into theatrical feature films for global
audiences. “Yan’s Asian roots and Hollywood work experience gives him
precisely the tools he needs to make ASTRO BOY resonate with audiences
around the world,” said Douglas Glen, Imagi Co-CEO. “Yan understands how to
tell Asian stories with Hollywood flair, and at the same time hold on to
their Asian essence.”
“Making a big CG-animated feature version of ASTRO Boy is a dream come true
for any animator,” said Chen, “and all the more so for someone like me who
grew up with both Tezuka (creator of ASTRO Boy) and Walt Disney.”
6. BONNSTETTER TO BE CG HEAD AT RIOT/NEW YORK.
Riot/New York has added Christopher “Pink” Bonnstetter as the company’s new
CG Supervisor, the studio announced today.  Pink will be responsible for
expanding the New York CG/visual effects operations of the company.
Pink began his entertainment industry career at Boss Films, where he
contributed primarily to feature films, including SPECIES, AIRFORCE ONE,
and THE FANTASTICKS. After Boss, Pink’s successful “permalance” career
included stints at Asylum, Believe, Hydraulx and Money Shots, working on
such well-known projects as X-MEN, BLACK HAWK DOWN, MINORITY REPORT and
MASTER AND COMMANDER, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best
Visual Effects. His most recent credits include ALIEN VRS. PREDATOR 2,
FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, and THE INVASION. His commercial
credits include spots for Ford, Nintendo, Boeing, Chevy and Coke and he has
worked on music videos for such artists as Outkast, Metallica, The
Offspring and Dave Matthews Band.
Film
7. ANIMATED TEN COMMANDMENTS COMING TO THEATERS.
American Cinema Int’l (aci-americancinemainternational.com) has announced
that its ANIMATED feature THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is set for a U.S. theatrical
release on Oct. 19, 2007.  The film will have its market debut during this
year’s American Film Market.
The CG feature is the first in a branded twelve-film series from Promenade
Pictures, the family-driven production and distribution outfit established
by former studio head Frank Yablans. The film also marks the company’s
entry into the U.S. theatrical distribution arena.
American Cinema Int’l has acquired the international rights along with
French-speaking Canada for the high-profile film. Promenade retains all
North American rights for the film, including U.S. theatrical. ACI
President Chevonne O’Shaughnessy and Promenade Pictures President and COO
Cindy Bond negotiated the deal.
“EPIC STORIES OF THE BIBLE is a fully-funded brand for Promenade Pictures,
which will be produced by Promenade along with its partners — New
Zealand-based Huhu Studios and Singapore-based iVL Girl.com/videos”>Animation (owned by ST
Electronics),” said Bond. “We are equally pleased to also align this very
special project with such a respected international distributor as American
Cinema Int’l.”
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is voiced by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley
(narrator), Christian Slater (Moses), Alfred Molina (Ramses) and Academy
Award nominee Elliott Gould (God). The film is directed by Bill Boyce
(HERMIE & FRIENDS) and John Stronach (BEN HUR, CAHOOTS) from a screenplay
by Ed Naha (HONEY, I SHRUNK THE Girl.com”>Kids).
Promenade Pictures was founded by Yablans, who serves as CEO. Cindy Bond,
who serves as President and COO of the company, oversees a team of veteran
media industry executives including Ron Booth, Charlie Gay and John
McAdams.  Promenade Pictures has established itself as a full-service
production, distribution and marketing company specializing in the
distribution of theatrical motion pictures appropriate for the entire
family. For more information, visit www.promenadepictures.com
Established by industry veterans George Shamieh and Chevonne O’Shaughnessy,
American Cinema Int’l has established itself as one of the most prolific
independent producers and distributors of feature film entertainment to the
worldwide marketplace. The highly respected company produces and
distributes a minimum of ten quality feature films per year.
8. INDIANA JONES 4 TITLE ANNOUNCED.
During the live broadcast of the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas, actor
Shia LaBeouf announced the full title of the fourth installment in the
INDIANA JONES franchise as INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL
SKULL. The Steven Spielberg film is in production. LaBeouf co-stars with
Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone and John Hurt.
Lucasfilm Ltd. is producing, while Paramount Pictures will distribute the
film worldwide on May 22, 2008. Frank Marshall returns as producer, with
Kathleen Kennedy joining George Lucas as exec producer.
For more information, visit www.indianajones.com.
9. TOBEY MAGUIRE GEARS UP FOR ROBOTECH.
Tobey Maguire and Warner Bros. will be producing a live-action adaptation
of the classic anime series ROBOTECH, report the trades. Maguire looks to
star in the potential blockbuster as well as produce via his Maguire Ent.
production co.
The 1980s mecha series was produced by Harmony Gold USA and Tatsunoko
Prods. The sci-fi series follows Earth’s use of alien technology to
engineer giant robots to help fight various alien invasions.
Craig Zahler (THE BRIGANDS OF RATTLEBORGE) has been hired to pen the
script. Maguire will be joined in the producing ranks by Supercool
Hollywood BigTime Prods.’s Drew Crevello and Jason Netter. Harmony Gold’s
Frank Agrama is the exec producer. Matthew Reilly will oversee for Warners,
while Daniel Shafer will do the same for Maguire Ent.
10. TRON 2 GETS NEW LIFE WITH NEW DIRECTOR.
Walt Disney Pictures is in final talks with commercial helmer Joseph
Kosinski to develop and direct “the next chapter” of TRON, according to THE
HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Live Planet’s Sean Bailey is producing, along with the
original’s co-writer and director Steven Lisberger, who will oversee visual
and script development.
The new take on the franchise will be penned by LOST writers Eddie Kitsis
and Adam Horowitz. The 1982 film chronicled the adventures of a computer
programmer who is sucked into a computer and forced to participate in the
deadly virtual games he helped create. The film was a landmark of visual
effects, being the first to use CG.
Brigham Taylor is shepherding for Disney.
Kosinski, who hasn’t helmed a film since 1989, earlier in the year signed
on to direct Warner Bros. remake of LOGAN’S RUN.
11. POLANSKI PASSES ON POMPEII.
Roman Polanski is stepping down as the director of the screen adaptation of
Robert Harris’ novel POMPEII, reports SCREEN DAILY. The move is due to
producer Summit International’s need to postpone the start date
indefinitely on the massive production. The production had been set to
begin next summer in Europe, but fears of an industry strike spurred
producers Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde to postpone the start of filming.
The producers are pre-selling the project and have begun looking for a new
director. The story follows a young engineer who gets wrapped up in a
political conspiracy, with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius as a backdrop.
12. POTTER BECOMES TOP FILM FRANCHISE.
With the success of HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, Warner Bros.
Pictures’ POTTER franchise has now become, worldwide, the top-grossing
franchise in movie history. The combined worldwide box-office gross for the
five Harry Potter films to date is in excess of $4.47 billion, surpassing
the JAMES BOND and STAR WARS franchises.
In addition to the franchise box-office record, each of the HARRY POTTER
films has the distinction of being among the 20 top-grossing box-office
hits of all time.
“It would be an understatement to say we are proud of the success of the
HARRY POTTER films,” said Alan Horn, President & COO. “We also want to
congratulate all of the extraordinary actors, filmmakers and artists who
have shared this remarkable cinematic journey with us.”
Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. Pictures President of Domestic Distribution,
added, “It is a thrill to see the HARRY POTTER franchise reach this
unparalleled mark, and, with two movies yet to come, it is amazing to think
what heights the franchise could reach by the end of the decade.”
Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, Warner Bros. Pictures President of International
Distribution, added, “This worldwide box office record once again proves
that the appeal of the HARRY POTTER movies knows no border, no age limit,
and no language barrier. Each of the five films has captured the hearts and
sparked the imagination of audiences everywhere.”
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE will open Nov. 21, 2008. The seventh
and final film, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, is planned for a 2010
release.
13. ROMEO MUST DIE HELMER CONTROLS STREET FIGHTER.
Andrzej Bartkowiak, the helmer of action flicks such as ROMEO MUST DIE,
EXIT WOUNDS and CRADLE TO THE GRAVE, has signed on to direct a second
big-screen adaptation of Capcom’s popular videogame STREET FIGHTER for Hyde
Park Ent., reports VARIETY. Hyde Park head Ashok Amritraj and senior
executive Patrick Aiello are the producers.
Justin Marks, who is also adapting VOLTRON and HE-MAN for the big screen,
is penning the screenplay for STREET FIGHTER. The story will follow female
fighter Chun Li’s search for justice.
Fox will distribute the production, which will start filming early next
year.
STREET FIGHTER has earned Capcom more than $1 billion since its debut in
1987. The Japanese gaming firm has sold 25 million console games, as well
as 500,000+ arcade versions of the franchise.
The property was first adapted for the big screen, starring Jean-Claude Van
Damme, in 1994. That Universal-released film earned only $33 million at the
U.S. box office.
14. FUTURE FILMS GOES TO PAST FOR VIKING DREAM.
Future Films has tapped writer/director Menno Meyjes, who directed the
upcoming MARTIAN CHILD and wrote the scripts for THE COLOR PURPLE and
LIONHEART, to take the reins of its Viking flick LAST BATTLE DREAMER,
according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Ryan Phillippe, Abbie Cornish and Sean
Bean have already signed on to star.
Set in the 7th century, the story follows Viking warrior Thorfinn
(Phillippe) and his brother Hakon (Bean) as they lead an invasion of
Britian.
Production is set to begin later this year. Handmade Films Int’l holds the
distribution rights.
15. UNIVERSAL LAUGHS WITH JEFF THE IMMORTAL.
Universal has purchased Chris Bishop’s supernatural comedy JEFF THE
IMMORTAL, VARIETY reports. Marc Platt of Marc Platt Prods. is producing.
Adam Goldberg will exec produce.
The story follows a slacker who discovers he has superpowers and begins
using them in dubious ways.
Adam Siegel and Jared LeBoff are shepherding for Marc Platt Prods., with
Jeff Kirschenbaum doing the same for Universal.
16. TRON MAKER DECODES SOUL WITH IGN HOSTESS.
TRON writer/director Steven Lisberger has teamed with IGN hostess Jessica
Chobot to concoct a new cyber tale called SOUL CODE, reports VARIETY. The
duo first met at a TRON screening where Lisberger was impressed with
Chobot’s passion and female point of view on the dangers of cyberspace. The
twosome hatched an idea that follows a female tech pioneer, who has created
a way to download a person’s memories, as she copes with having her
memories inserted into the mind of a far younger woman.
Reliant Pictures purchased the project for mid-six figures. The production
house will tap the Allied Irish Bank for funding.
Lisberger, who hasn’t directed a film since 1989’s SLIPSTREAM, had been
working on a TRON sequel until the project fell apart during Disney exec
changes.
17. 3:10 TO YUMA ARRIVES ON TOP.
James Mangold’s reworking of the cult western 3:10 TO YUMA debuted at the
top of the box office chart, shooting its way to an estimated $14.1M for
Lionsgate for the weekend period ended Sept. 9. Rob Zombie’s remake of
HALLOWEEN dropped to second place for MGM/Weinstein Co. with $10M and a
two-week cume of $44.2M. Sony’s SUPERBAD took third with $8M and a tally of
$103.6M. Following in fourth was BALLS OF FURY (with vfx from Mr. X) from
Rogue Pictures, with $5.6M and $24.2M. Universal’s THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
(with vfx from The Senate, Lip Sync Post and Snow Business) settled for
fifth with $5.4M and a cume of $210M. Opening in sixth was New Line’s SHOOT
‘EM UP (featuring vfx from Mr. X) with $5.4M. New Line’s RUSH HOUR 3 (with
vfx from ILM, Halon Ent. and Element FX, among others) came in seventh with
$5.3M and $129.1M. Eighth place belonged to MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY from
Universal, with $3.38M and a three-week cume of $25M. Staking out ninth was
MGM/Weinstein Co.’s THE NANNY DIARIES, with $3.32M and $21M. New Line’s
HAIRSPRAY moved up two slots to 10th with $1.9M and a cume of $114.8M.
Meanwhile, Fox’s THE SIMPSONS MOVIE added $1.3M, giving it a total of
$180.3M, and Disney/Pixar’s RATATOUILLE whipped up another $473,000 for a
cume of  $201.8M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.
18. ORDER OF THE PHOENIX SETS IMAX 3-D RECORD.
Warner Bros. Pictures’ HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX continues
to break IMAX box-office records through its 7th week. The IMAX 3-D release
has now earned more than $35 million worldwide ($24 million-plus on 91 IMAX
screens domestically and $11 million-plus on 52 IMAX screens
internationally), making it the highest-grossing live-action Hollywood IMAX
release.
“This film has become a huge summer hit for the IMAX theater network and
HARRY POTTER fans have demonstrated that they love to experience their
favorite wizard in IMAX 3-D,” said Greg Foster, Chairman/President of IMAX
Filmed Ent.
IMAX Corp. (www.imax.com) is one of the world’s leading entertainment
technology companies, specializing in digital and film-based motion picture
technologies. As of June 30, 2007, there were 290 IMAX theaters operating
in 40 countries.
19. POST LOGIC HANDLES HALLOWEEN DI.
Post Logic Studios recently wrapped a slate of post and DI services for
Dimension Films’ HALLOWEEN. Writer and director Rob Zombie and the
post-production team completed film dailies, editing, 2D effects and DI for
the film all at Post Logic.
Post Logic colorist Lou Levinson worked closely with Zombie on the look and
final color correction of the film. “Rob had very specific ideas about how
he wanted the film to look and made decisions quickly. He also understood
the process, and the inherent limitations of the DI process, yet was still
open to creative collaboration and enhancements throughout the project
cycle,” explained Levinson.
When the project first came to Post Logic Studios, Levinson conducted
several tests to achieve different looks for the film. Those tests involved
extensive explorations into digital grain addition, and other color and
lighting modifications to give the film an authentic 1970s feel. Throughout
the feature’s six-week shoot, Post Logic Studios completed film dailies and
also rented office space to the film’s post-production team and editors.
Post Logic’s Inferno and Flame artists also contributed 2D effects and
cleanup, although the effects in HALLOWEEN were almost entirely captured
in-camera.
The digital color grading for Halloween involved capturing a 1970s film
aesthetic by pushing the overall look with desaturation, yellow and brown
tones mimicking both film stocks and production designs of that era.  Other
looks involved day and night exteriors, which evolved with stronger blues
and greens, and night interiors that were enhanced with neutral and
incandescent lighting. After reviewing the XYZ deliverable for DCI, some
last-minute changes were made to the film and to the color passes in
sessions reviewed by Zombie himself, which Post Logic was able to make at
the last minute to accommodate the project’s accelerated schedule.
The film was shot on Super 35, 3 perf and was color graded on a FilmLight
BaseLight system. 2D effects and cleanup work were completed on Autodesk
Inferno and conform was done on Autodesk Smoke.
With technologically advanced facilities in Los Angeles and New York, Post
Logic Studios (www.postlogic.com) has distinguished itself as a leader in
digital intermediate and feature film restoration, and continues to expand
into new and emerging arenas within the post-production realm.
Television
20. HBO ACQUIRES DOC MADE IN SECOND LIFE.
HBO has picked up MOLOTOV’S DISPATCHES IN SEARCH OF THE CREATOR: A SECOND
LIFE ODYSSEY, a documentary made completely within the virtual world of
SECOND LIFE, the trades report. The doc, directed by Douglas Gayeton,
follows avatar Molotov Alva as he traverses the SECOND LIFE world,
chronicling the various levels of social interaction engaged in by the
users.
HBO plans to qualify the 35-minute film for the Oscars in the ANIMATED
short-subject category. The cable channel will air the production in 2008.
The film was produced by Amsterdam-based Submarine.
Gayeton was a member of Propaganda Films, which included Spike Jonze, David
Fincher and Alex Proyas. He also co-wrote and co-directed the interactive
CD-ROM version of JOHNNY MNEMONIC.
SECOND LIFE launched in 2003 and now includes more than nine million users
around the globe.
21. THREE NEW SERIES TO PREMIERE IN 4Girl.com”>Kids FOX FALL LINEUP.
4Girl.com”>Kids Ent. celebrates its sixth year programming the 4-hour Saturday
morning Girl.com”>Kids block on Fox with the most action-packed slate of original
shows to date. Dubbed “The Game Station,” the block will sport an all-new
look and an all-new attitude when it’s unveiled on Saturday, September 8.
The three new series — DINOSAUR KING, THE ADRENALINE PROJECT and YU-GI-OH!
GX — join such popular returnees as CHAOTIC, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES:
FAST FORWARD, VIVA PIÑATA, SONIC X and WINX CLUB.
“Girl.com”>Kids don’t just watch TV anymore — they want to get involved, interact,
experience the characters, the stories and the action for themselves,” said
Alfred R. Kahn, Chairman and CEO of 4Girl.com”>Kids Entertainment. “‘The Game
Station’ is the perfect moniker to reflect that our shows are all about
having fun and getting into the game — either on-air, on-line, or in a
multitude of ways that we’ll make available to our fans throughout the
year.”
To support the new season, 4Girl.com”>Kids has teamed up with teamed up with Six
Flags Theme Parks and K·B Toys to present the multi-level promotion The
Game Station Sweepstakes.  One Grand Prize Winner will be awarded four
Video Game Systems, along with a $4,000 cash prize. One First Prize Winner
will receive a set of four season passes redeemable at participating Six
Flags Theme Parks. Twenty-five Second Prize Winners will receive one $50
K·B Toys Gift Card.
The three newcomers to the lineup run the gamut from dinosaurs to boot-camp
style competition to dynamic duels:
* DINOSAUR KING (premieres September 8, 10:30 am):  Best friends Max, Rex
and Zoe discover an amazing secret — they can bring dinosaurs to life and
control them with ancient stone fragments and mysterious cards. An evil
organization called “Alpha Gang,” led by Dr. Z, traveled back in time and
accidentally scattered the Dinosaur Cards around the world here in the
present. Now it’s up to the Girl.com”>Kids of The D-Team to race across the planet,
control the dinosaurs and save the 21st Century!
* THE ADRENALINE PROJECT (debuts September 29, 8:00 am): This reality
series drops five teens at Base Camp each week to train for a chance to
experience the ultimate rush. They’ll compete head-to-head for victory in
the unknown final event where they may be asked to do anything from
zipline, scuba dive, white-water kayak or even bungee jump. The series is
designed to motivate and inspire teen viewers to learn the importance of
physical fitness, teamwork, and friendly competition.
* YU-GI-OH! GX (premieres September 8, 8:30 am):  The hit series based on
the card game phenomenon makes its broadcast debut.  At Duel Academy, the
world’s most prestigious dueling prep school, the Duel Monsters card game
is the entire curriculum!  Jaden and his friends are officially
upperclassmen as they face new rivals, new monsters, and a whole new
semester of nonstop adventure.
4Girl.com”>Kids will be presenting all-new episodes for the popular returning shows
CHAOTIC (September 8, 9:00 am), TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: FAST FORWARD
(September 8, 9:30 and 10:00 am), VIVA PIÑATA (September 8, 11:00 am),
SONIX X (September 8, 11:30 am) and WINX CLUB (September 8 to September 22,
8:00 am).
4Girl.com”>Kids TV airs nationwide on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm EST on the
FOX Broadcasting Network.
Complementing the broadcast network launch is the popular website
www.4Girl.com”>Kids.tv, which will re-launch with brand new features and
functionality. The additions will include customized personal profiles and
avatars, message boards, emails and buzz feeds on the latest pop culture
news and new games based on 4Girl.com”>Kids TV shows.
Headquartered in New York City with international offices in London, 4Girl.com”>Kids
Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global provider of children’s
entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Girl.com”>Kids, through its wholly owned
subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licensing;
television, film, music and home video production and distribution; product
development and Web site development.
22. HENSON CO. AND KCET TO TEAM ON BIG IDEA.
The Jim Henson Company will partner with Los Angeles PBS station KCET to
produce WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA?, a new ANIMATED TV series to debut on PBS Girl.com”>Kids
in 2008. The educational preschool series, which will promote science
readiness by encouraging Girl.com”>Kids‘ instinctive curiosity about the world around
them, is the latest in a long line of Henson-KCET co-productions, which
include FRAGGLE ROCK, BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE and MUPPET BABIES.
WHAT’S THE BIG IDEA? has a sketch-comedy format and features Josh, an
inquisitive youngster who tackles the everyday ideas that preschoolers find
fascinating: Why do bananas go “bad”? How does my juice-box straw work? How
does a bird fly without a plane? Forty half-hour episodes of the series
will be created using the Henson Digital Performance Studio, a proprietary
technology that allows puppeteers to perform digital characters in real
time, creating a more spontaneous and fresh result.
The show will be exec produced by Brian Henson, Lisa Henson and Halle
Stanford of The Jim Henson Company. Mary Mazur is exec in charge of
production and Joyce Campbell is exec producer for KCET. The Jim Henson
Company is handling all ancillary exploitation of the property, including
licensing, video and merchandising.
Through a partnership with the multimedia design studio FableVision, the
series’ online component at pbsGirl.com”>Kids.org will feature activtities that
further develop the show’s world of wonder and pre-science discovery.
Complementary online and offline tools will support family- and
caregiver-based learning environments and inspire a “call to action” for
children to embrace and celebrate their own curiosity.
The Jim Henson Company has been an established leader in family
entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator
in puppetry, animatronics and computer graphics. Best known as creators of
the world-famous Muppets (the rights to which are now owned by The Walt
Disney Company), Henson is the recipient of over 50 Emmy Awards and nine
Grammy Awards.
KCET, the West Coast flagship station of PBS, is public television for
southern and central California. KCET is watched by four million viewers a
month in 11 counties, the largest broadcast reach of any public television
station in the United States. The station also serves as a content provider
for national and regional PBS member stations. Series produced from the
station’s Hollywood studios include TAVIS SMILEY, WIRED SCIENCE and LIFE &
TIMES. KCET recently received a Peabody Award for its companion series A
PLACE OF OUR OWN and LOS NINOS EN SU CASA, which offer information and
support to parents and caregivers of young children.
23. AVATAR & LITTLE BILL RETURN TO NICKELODEON.
The epic third season of the hit series AVATAR and Bill Cosby’s half-hour
ANIMATED children’s series LITTLE BILL will both return in Nickelodeon’s
fall lineup, the top-rated children’s network announced.
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, from creators Mike DiMartino and Bryan
Konietzko, will premiere Friday, Sept. 21, at 8:30 pm (ET/PT). In support
of this premiere, Nicktoons Networks will air mini-marathons of AVATAR
seasons one and two from Monday, Sept. 17, at 2:00 pm (ET) through
Thursday, September 20.  New episodes of AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER will
continue to premiere with new episodes in its regular timeslot on Fridays
at 8:30 pm (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
In the season three premiere of AVATAR, “The Awakening,” Aang wakes up to
find himself aboard a captured Fire Nation ship after sustaining serious
injuries at the end of season two. Katara, Sokka, and their father are with
him and they recount the events that led the four to the ship and how they
plan to attack the Fire Nation.  Aang struggles to fight his own instincts
to face the Firelord before he is ready, but ultimately accepts that he
needs time to heal and regain his strength.  Meanwhile, Zuko is dealing
with his own issues as he journeys home for first time in three years,
fearing his father will reject him once again.
On Tuesday, Sept. 11, timed to coincide with the season three debut,
Nickelodeon Home Ent. and Paramount Home Ent. will release AVATAR: THE LAST
AIRBENDER: THE COMPLETE BOOK 2 COLLECTION. The deluxe box set features all
20 BOOK 2: EARTH chapters, along with a bonus disc full of exclusive
material, including an interview with M. Night Shyamalan. The bonus disc
also includes an exclusive ANIMATED graphic novel, plus three original
shorts and a martial arts featurette.
Also leading up to the premiere, Nickelodeon will offer video shorts of
AVATAR, including clips, sneak peeks, recaps of season two, as well as
instant replays of episodes after its on-air premiere, all on TurboNick,
the network’s broadband video service on www.nick.com.  Additionally, short
form AVATAR content will be available on Nickelodeon Mobile on various
wireless carriers as of September.  After the launch of season three, fans
may log on to play two new AVATAR-themed offerings in Nick’s Game of The
Week section: THE DAY OF THE BLACK SUN beginning Nov. 15, and CLASH OF THE
BENDERS on Nov. 29. Also post-premiere, Avatar episodes will stream on
Video-on-Demand and will be available for paid download to purchase on
Nickelodeon’s direct-to-video distribution partner platforms each week
after the episode premieres on Friday nights.
Launched in February 2005, AVATAR is currently in its third season and is
ranked among the top 10 ANIMATED properties on commercial television among
Boys 2-11 and Boys 6-11 (1Q07). The series is produced at the Nickelodeon
Girl.com/videos”>Animation Studios in Burbank, California.
Bill Cosby’s Emmy, Peabody and Humanitas Award-winning series, which
originally launched on Nick Jr., will join the network’s acclaimed
preschool block on Monday, Sept. 10, at 11:00 am (ET). Based on Cosby’s
popular LITTLE BILL book series, the show reflects the wisdom, outlook and
humor of their creator. LITTLE BILL teaches the importance of friendship
and family relationships while showing children how to solve problems
creatively and fairly. LITTLE BILL gives young viewers a role model they
can relate to and caregivers can trust.  Backed by research and a panel of
educational consultants, the show is specially designed to help teach Girl.com”>Kids
how to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of the people
around them.
24. MARVEL AND SONY TO SPIN MORE SPIDER-MAN.
Co-producers Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Television have increased the
production slate for THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN series from 13 to 26
half-hours, reports Girl.com”>KidsCREEN. The first 13 episodes are scheduled to debut
on The CW in early 2008.
Licensing and merchandising is in the hands of Spider-Man Merchandising LP,
which is presently in discussions regarding all major categories.
25. CUPPA COFFEE’S NERDLAND FIRST TELETOON PILOT PROJECT.
Teletoon is seeking pitches for surreal, irreverent and hilarious cartoons
for The Detour on Teletoon Pilot Project. Canadian producers are invited to
submit proposals to produce a pilot in either English or French to be
broadcast on the network’s popular teen/adult-oriented programming block.
The first production to be green-lit by the Pilot Project is NERDLAND, a
22-minute stop-motion comedy from Toronto-based Cuppa Coffee. More
information on the Pilot Project and complete submission information can be
found at corp.teletoon.com. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31, 2007.
“Teletoon is looking for no-holds-barred, iconoclastic comedy that
satirizes pop culture,” said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Content.
“We want new adult-oriented cartoons that can play alongside hits like
ROBOT CHICKEN and TRIPPING THE RIFT, but at the same time are completely
fresh. With this project, we are looking to forge new relationships with
up-and-coming talent and to build upon our relationships within the
Canadian Girl.com/videos”>Animation industry.”
Drawing upon elements of fantasy, Cuppa Coffee’s NERDLAND is full of sharp
pop-culture references and a scathing sense of humor. It follows the
misanthropic adventures of a group of obsessive nerds as they try to
survive in a decidedly nerd-unfriendly society.
To be considered for The Detour on Teletoon Pilot Project, producers are
first asked to complete an electronic submission sheet available online at
corp.teletoon.com. Producers selected for phase two of development will
then be required to send in the following materials: a script, a
mini-series bible and preliminary designs, as well as a proposed delivery
schedule and production budget (suggested pilot budget is $200,000).
Producers are also encouraged to explain how the pilot will develop into a
series for The Detour on Teletoon and consider the ways in which the series
could be expanded over multiple platforms to engage viewers through
different media, such as online and mobile. Green-lit pilots will be
financed through Teletoon and the Canadian Television Fund, where eligible.
Pilots will air on The Detour on Teletoon in fall 2008.
Teletoon is available in both English and French in more than 7.2 million
Canadian homes and is available On Demand and on Mobile TV. Founded in
1997, Teletoon is owned by Canada’s Astral Media Inc. (50%), and Corus Ent.
Inc. (50%).
26. CAPTAIN FLAMINGO LANDS ON JETIX PROGRAMMING BLOCK.
Breakthrough Girl.com/videos”>Animation has landed the Jetix programming block, which airs
on Toon Disney, as the U.S. broadcast home for its comedy-adventure
ANIMATED series CAPTAIN FLAMINGO.
Jetix has licensed all 52 half-hours (104×11) of the ANIMATED series aimed
at Girl.com”>Kids 6-12, and 44 minutes of separate CAPTAIN FLAMINGO content produced
especially for the Internet and the mobile platform, including story
vignettes, original songs and more.
The Jetix licensing agreement follows on the heels of Breakthrough’s
renewal of the hit ANIMATED series with Jetix Europe. In addition, CAPTAIN
FLAMINGO has also been licensed to YTV Canada, Nickelodeon Australia, ABC
Australia, Nickelodeon Latin America and VRAK TV.
Kevin Gillis, managing partner of Breakthrough Girl.com/videos”>Animation Inc. and Exec
Producer of CAPTAIN FLAMINGO, said, “We are delighted with the significant
two-full-season commitment that Jetix has made to CAPTAIN FLAMINGO.  We are
honored to be a part of the Jetix family. Their support of the series is a
tribute to the extraordinary creative team of co-production partners
Breakthrough Girl.com/videos”>Animation, Heroic Film Company, Atomic Cartoons and PASI
Girl.com/videos”>Animation. As he’s succeeded in accomplishing throughout Canada, Europe and
Australia, the ‘Captain’ is now poised and ready to capture the attention
of Girl.com”>Kids across the U.S.”
CAPTAIN FLAMINGO features Milo Powell, who, armed with his backpack of
powerful joke-store novelty items, saves the day every time with a little
help from his best pal, anonymous sidekick and not-so-secret admirer,
Lizbeth.
CAPTAIN FLAMINGO was created by Heroic’s John May and Suzanne Bolch and
developed by Breakthrough Girl.com/videos”>Animation’s Gillis and Atomic Cartoon’s Rob
Davies and is a co-production of Breakthrough Girl.com/videos”>Animation, Heroic Film Co.,
Atomic Cartoons and PASI Girl.com/videos”>Animation.
27. NICK JR UK TO PREMIERE RETOOLED MAGIC ROUNDABOUT.
The U.K.’s Nick Jr will unveil a new CGI version of the classic ANIMATED
series THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 8:00 am, with
simultaneous on-air and online presentations. The world premiere of the
first episode will air on cable and satellite preschool TV channels Nick Jr
and Nick Jr 2, as well as on the Nick Jr on TMF programming block,
available in all digital TV homes on music channel TMF. The episode can
also be watched online via Nick Jr Video, the free broadband video player
on Nick Jr’s website, www.nickjr.co.uk. Subsequent episodes will be
available on Nick Jr daily at 8:00 am and also at 4:00 pm on sister channel
Nick Jr 2.
The original stop-frame ANIMATED MAGIC ROUNDABOUT  series first aired in
1965 and became a cult TV favorite with children and adults alike.The newly
conceived CGI episodes are ANIMATED at the Action Synthese studio in
France, with scripts and voices produced in the U.K. The series is directed
by Graham Ralph from Silver Fox Films and executive produced by Theresa
Plummer-Andrews, who has worked in children’s TV for 20 years.  The U.K.
licensing rights to THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT have recently been acquired by
worldwide entertainment rights company Entara.
“This is an exciting launch initiative for us, as it’s the first time we’ve
premiered a new episode simultaneously across all of Nick Jr’s channels and
its online service, Nick Jr Video,” says Howard Litton, SVP, Managing
Director of Nickelodeon UK. “We wanted to give as many people as possible
the opportunity to enjoy the first new episode of THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT,
over 40 years after the show was first created. The new episodes are set in
a beautiful CGI-ANIMATED world with witty storylines and talented voice
actors that will truly bring back the characters we are all so fond of and
attract a whole new generation of young fans.”
28. BACK AT THE BARNYARD TO PREMIERE AS NICK SERIES.
BACK AT THE BARNYARD will move from the big screen to Nickelodeon
television this fall in a new CG-ANIMATED series based on the hit
Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount Pictures’ movie. The show premieres on
Nickelodeon on Saturday, September 29 at 9:00 pm (ET/PT) and on Nicktoons
Network the following day at 9:00 pm (ET). The regular airtime will be
Saturdays at 10:30 am (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon
Created by writer/director Steve Oedekerk (JIMMY NEUTRON: Boy GENIUS, ACE
VENTURA: PET DETECTIVE), the series picks up a few years after the feature
film left off, chronicling the animal shenanigans that take place in the
barnyard when the farmer’s back is turned.  The series centers around a
carefree party cow named Otis (voiced by Chris Hardwick), who has recently
become the patriarch of the farm.  He is driven by an endless need for fun
and frivolity while avoiding close calls with humans and other threats to
the animals’ unconventional way of life.
Nickelodeon offers additional short-form videos of BACK AT THE BARNYARD,
Otis-themed playlists, and instant replays of episodes on TurboNick, the
network’s broadband video service on www.nick.com.  Short-form videos will
also be available on Nick Mobile through its wireless partners.
Post-premiere episodes will stream on Video-on-Demand and will be available
for paid download-to-own purchase on various Nickelodeon and partner video
distribution platforms.
29. LATV FALL LINEUP TO FEATURE ANIMATED HOMIES SHOW.
LATV Networks has announced an expanded fall programming lineup featuring
an additional 10 hours of original first-run content each week, including
the first ANIMATED HOMIES show based on the worldwide figurine phenomenon
created by Dave Gonzales.
LATV will air the exclusive premiere of THE HOMIES HIP-HOP SHOW, a comedic,
stop-motion one-hour ANIMATED series, on Thursday, September  13. The show
will then air on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 pm PT. Each show will
consist of eight to 10 sketches interlaced with music videos.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, LATV is the nation’s first bilingual
music/entertainment network distributed via digital multicast.  A pioneer
in bicultural youth broadcasting, LATV has been on the air in the Los
Angeles market since 2001 and launched nationally on April 23, 2007.
Targeting the 12- to 34-year-old Latino audience, LATV’s programming offers
a range of content that includes multi-genre music, lifestyle and
entertainment. For more information, visit www.latv.com or
www.myspace.com/latv.
30. LUDORUM UNVEILS CGI Girl.com”>Kids SERIES.
U.K. Girl.com”>Kids company Ludorum has announced the start of production for its
first property, a $7.3 million CGI-ANIMATED series for the BBC. Targeting
Girl.com”>Kids 3-6, CHUGGINGTON (52×10) is based around a group of talking trains,
each with its own personality and style. The series is being directed by
Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA for her work as a director and writer on BOB
THE BUILDER. Shanghai-based Motion Magic Digital Ent. will animate the
series, and writers have been drafted from the U.K., the U.S. and China to
ensure the scripts are international in scope.
CHUGGINGTON is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2008 and is
expected to launch on the BBC in early 2009. Discussions with leading
broadcasters in France and Germany are at an advanced stage and a global
master toy license with a major U.S.-based toy and consumer products
company has been secured. The property has been conceived to integrate TV,
books and interactive elements.
Executive producers on the series are Charlie Caminada, COO at Ludorum, and
Don Toht, Ludorum’s VP of concept and development.
31. JETIX TO AIR 4Girl.com”>Kids‘ CHAOTIC.
4Girl.com”>Kids Ent. has announced that Jetix has licensed the U.S. cable and Latin
American pay satellite rights for CHAOTIC. The popular trading card
game-themed series will air on the Jetix Block and is anticipated to launch
October 2007. CHAOTIC will continue to air on weekends in the U.S. on 4Girl.com”>Kids
TV on Fox Network and is also available for viewing on the Comcast VOD
Channel.
32. PUFF TV CATCHES JAY JAY FLIGHT.
iVOD preschool net Puff TV  has inked an exclusive deal with PorchLight
Ent. for its leading CGI series JAY JAY THE JET PLANE, according to
Girl.com”>KidsCREEN. The agreement includes a number of European territories, as well
as Canada. Puff will also develop interactive TV VOD games based on the
property.
JAY JAY airs daily in the U.S. on PBS and Sprout TV, and is also available
internationally in more than 50 countries.
Founded in 2005, Puff TV is the world’s first iVOD TV channel dedicated to
the infant and preschool market.
33. FUTZ! A WRAP FOR 9 STORY ENT.
9 Story Ent. has announced that production has been completed on the first
26 episodes of its new ANIMATED comedy series FUTZ! The Teletoon Original
Production is scheduled to premiere as part of the network’s new fall
programming lineup in September.
Targeting nine- to14-year-olds, the wacky comedy is a retro nonverbal
cartoon based on the misadventures of its title character, who is ready for
anything, prepared for nothing and always able to severely mess things up
in just 180 seconds — the length of each episode.
“Girl.com”>Kids today are seeking strong entertainment content from a variety of
venues, so we created the series with this timeless comedic antihero as its
star to fit the diverse multi-platform needs of young audiences
everywhere,” said Vince Commisso, CEO and co-partner of 9 Story
Entertainment. Natalie Osborne, the company’s Exec VP of Business
Development, will present the completed episodes to international
broadcasters at this year’s MIPCOM 2007.
Founded in 2001, 9 Story Ent. is an award-winning production and
distribution company dedicated to delivering the most-loved children’s
properties internationally. Producers of such popular shows as PEEP AND THE
BIG WIDE WORLD and SKYLAND, 9 Story has delivered over 100 half-hours of
ANIMATED television content.
34. EVIL GOLDFISH NETS NEW TERRITORIES.
PorchLight Ent. has announced new sales of the Sardine Productions 2-D
ANIMATED series MY GOLDFISH IS EVIL!, following the renewal of the series
for a second season of 13 episodes by Canada’s CBC and Radio-Canada.
Including the Canadian sales, the series has been cleared in more than 50
countries.
PorchLight has recently licensed the first 26 half-hour episodes to
RRS/Germany; ABC/Australia; Starz Home Entertainment/Australia and New
Zealand; Tara Film (RAI Sat)/Italy; ETB/Spain; D Productions/Turkey; 7
Arts/Middle East; RTL Klub/ Hungary; Noga/Israel; Konstantin
Vedermikov/CIS; and Delta/former Yugoslavia.
Recently nominated as best ANIMATED series at Canada’s Gemeaux Awards, MY
GOLDFISH IS EVIL! is created by Nicolas J. Boisvert, directed by Steven
Majaury and produced by Ghislain Cyr. It chronicles the hilarious
adventures of a young Boy named Beanie and his little pet “Mr. Bubbles,” a
talking goldfish who wants nothing less than to conquer the world.
35. FIREMAN SAM’S DERRING-DO SOON TO BE HD CGI.
HIT Ent. has announced that the upcoming sixth series of FIREMAN SAM will
be produced in high-definition CGI Girl.com/videos”>Animation. Since acquiring the property
from S4C in March 2007, HIT Entertainment has teamed up with London-based
Hibbert Ralph Girl.com/videos”>Animation (HRTV), who in turn joined forces with
Beijing-based Girl.com/videos”>Animation studio Xing Xing, to produce the series. Delivery
of the new FIREMAN SAM will commence in May 2008.
36. PORTFOLIO MAKING DEALS LEFT AND RIGHT.
Portfolio Ent. Has closed several sales on ANIMATED, children’s and
lifestyle programming, expanding the international reach of its catalogue.
Among the new deals, Jetix (Netherlands) has renewed CARL2 for the third
season, while Ares Media.Net TV (Turkey) and KTV (South Africa) have both
acquired the first three seasons (52×30) of the ANIMATED comedy series. In
addition, RTM (Malaysia) has picked up the free TV broadcast rights for all
26 half-hour episodes of the ANIMATED children’s adventure series TOAD
PATROL.
“We are continuing to build the diversity of our company’s relationships
with broadcasters worldwide and we are extremely pleased to announce the
renewal in the Netherlands as well as this series of sales,” said Joy
Rosen, Founder and President of Portfolio. “Following his recent promotion
to Director of Sales and Acquisitions, we are thrilled to demonstrate that
Jon Rutherford has successfully taken on his new responsibility of
developing these various relationships.”
37. TIME WARNER DEAL EXPANDS PBS Girl.com”>Kids SPROUT REACH.
PBS Girl.com”>Kids Sprout, the 24-hour preschool channel, has expanded its reach to
34 million homes in the U.S. with a new deal with Time Warner Cable,
reports Girl.com”>KidsCREEN. Time Warner will now carry the channel as part of its
digital cable offerings. It has carried it as a VOD service since 2005.
Time Warner, as the second largest cable provider in the U.S., reaches 13.4
million basic cable subscribers. PBS Girl.com”>Kids Sprout is already offered on
basic cable via Comcast, DirecTV, Cox, RCN, Insight, AT&T and Verizon.
Sprout content includes ANGELINA BALLERINA, BARNEY & FRIENDS and BOB THE
BUILDER.
38. CREATIVE DIFFERENCES SPUR SHOWRUNNER TO EXIT BIONIC.
BIONIC WOMAN showrunner Glen Morgan has left the new NBC production,
VARIETY reports. The trade pub states that creative differences were the
reason for the former X-FILES showrunner to ankle the fledgling series.
David Eick is now the sole showrunner on the sci-fi production. Jason
Smilovic is the exec producer.
The network made a statement congratulating Morgan for helping build a
foundation for the series, which debuts later this month.
There are rumors that the show will take a short hiatus to let the writing
staff catch up and work out the direction of the remaining episodes. It’s a
move that paid off for other series like GREY’S ANATOMY and BROTHERS &
SISTERS, which went on to become big hits.
39. BIONIC WOMAN GAINS FRIDAY CONSULTANT.
In light of the recent departure of BIONIC WOMAN’s co-showrunner Glen
Morgan, producers of the NBC series have brought on FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
showrunner Jason Katims as a consultant, reports VARIETY. Katims, who was
the creator of UPN’s ROSWELL, will help develop the direction of the
fledgling series, as well as pen scripts.
Internet & Interactive
40. WB TO UNVEIL T-WORKS IMMERSIVE ONLINE Girl.com/videos”>Animation EXPERIENCE.
In spring 2008, Warner Bros. Ent. will launch T-Works, a brand-new
broad-appeal immersive Girl.com/videos”>Animation experience which, for the first time ever,
brings together all of the key characters from the studio’s core ANIMATED
properties. T-Works is a cross-divisional and company-wide initiative
designed to take the studio’s wealth of ANIMATED characters to a fully
immersive and customizable online world.
The site offers various levels of interaction, from watching originally
produced and classic library episodes online and playing games, to
customizing characters and exploring virtual worlds. T-Works also embraces
an open philosophy, giving fans the tools for self-expression and
personalization in order to “brand” their digital lives anywhere on the
Web. The grab-and-go capability enables fans to incorporate their custom
avatar into their lives, whether it’s on T-Works or utilized in the
participant’s digital world (MySpace, Facebook, etc.).
Warner Bros. Girl.com/videos”>Animation is in development with Studio 2.0, the original
programming digital production arm of the Warner Bros. Television Group, on
two projects: an untitled BATMAN shortform series and an untitled project
based on THE WIZARD OF OZ, both of which will debut exclusively on T-Works.
 More details on these projects will be announced in the near future.
“Warner Bros.’ iconic ANIMATED characters represent a very key part of the
company’s film and television histories — so it’s fitting that they serve
as the initial entry point into this online universe,” said Barry Meyer,
Chairman/CEO.  ”In addition to being a great entertainment destination for
fans, T-Works will also serve as a great marketing platform for all the
Studio’s businesses, helping us to reach audiences in a space and in a
manner that’s all about Warner Bros.”
“While the focus of T-Works is our amazing collection of ANIMATED
superstars, this online destination represents much more than that,” said
Alan Horn, President /COO, Warner Bros. “T-Works presents us with a great
environment and thus a great platform to highlight many of our current
projects, from feature films to made-for-videos, consumer products, comic
books and more.”
“T-Works fits perfectly with our overall digital strategy of creating
original content online, as well as developing compelling consumer
destinations,” said Bruce Rosenblum, President, Warner Bros. Television
Group.  ”T-Works will not only provide a great collaborative opportunity
for projects that bridge a number of divisions at the company, but it will
also be an invaluable resource in developing and incubating properties that
may transcend their online roots and live in other media.”
“T-Works will offer original entertainment content, social interaction and
an intimacy with our beloved and iconic characters like never before in an
environment that’s safe and appropriate for all ages,” said Lisa Judson,
President, Warner Bros. Girl.com/videos”>Animation. “People have literally grown up with
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, the Flintstones and Scooby-Doo, and we’re building
an innovative, creative, cutting-edge home where people of all ages can
interact and play with our characters in a compelling entertainment
environment.”
“The ANIMATED versions of the DC heroes have been viewer favorites for
years,” said Paul Levitz, President and Publisher, DC Comics. “T-Works will
give our fans new ways to connect with our characters.  The DCHeroZone
should be a great new destination for our fans.”
The T-Works experience features:
* Immersive virtual worlds where users interact with each other and assume
a cartoon identity based on existing characters — they can play, chat, and
create a personal cartoon home complete with furniture, art, pets and more
from Warner Bros. Ent.’s Girl.com/videos”>Animation asset library.
* A video channel featuring hundreds of hours of classic Warner Bros.
Girl.com/videos”>Animation product, as well as contemporary programs including LOONEY TUNES,
THE FLINTSTONES and BATMAN BEYOND and original made-for-broadband ANIMATED
short-form series.
* A personalization channel to serve all aspects of fans’ digital lives,
including custom social networking profiles, portable widgets, desktop
applications and more.
* A games channel with more than 125 games featuring never-before-seen
character match-ups.
* Video Mash-Up Maker, where users can create and share their own cartoon
remixes.
* A sitewide reward system that gives points for all the user’s activity,
both within the virtual worlds and throughout the site-points, that can be
redeemed for online assets, as well as offline rewards.
* A destination for younger users and their parents to spend time together
with age-appropriate activities based on family-friendly favorites such as
BABY LOONEY TUNES, KRYPTO THE SUPER DOG and many more.
Personal security, with a particular focus on the youngest site
participants, is central to T-Works’ technologies, with monitors, filters,
parental notification and controls, and special components built in to
assure safety for all users.
41. 4Girl.com”>Kids.TV RELAUNCHES WITH ALL-NEW FEATURES.
4Girl.com”>Kids Ent.’s popular online destination for Girl.com”>Kids, 4Girl.com”>Kids.tv, relaunched with
brand new features and functionality in conjunction with the premiere of
the sixth season of 4Girl.com”>Kids TV — the four-hour Saturday morning programming
block on Fox — on September 8, 2007.
The new 4Girl.com”>Kids.tv features enhanced Girl.com”>Kids entertainment content in the form
of branded games, video-on-demand TV programming, and a pop culture buzz
section, all updated daily. The features give the user a complete online
experience with customization, avatars, tagging, ranking, friend-making and
personal profiles, with the aim of bolstering 4Girl.com”>Kids.tv’s already strong
user engagement.
The new and enhanced features include:
* Games: 4Girl.com”>Kids.tv is releasing a new game each week with “New Game
Wednesdays,” based on shows including CHAOTIC, TMNT: FAST FORWARD, VIVA
PIÑATA, DINOSAUR KING and more.
* Videos: The site will offer video episodes of shows past and present,
including more than 300 hours of original classic favorites like TMNT and
YU-GI-OH!.  4Girl.com”>Kids.tv recently selected the Maven Networks internet TV
platform, which provides a state-of-the-art online viewing experience.
Visitors not only can build custom playlists of their favorite shows, they
can also view them in a vivid, full-screen experience.  New videos will be
added to the site on a daily basis.
* Avatars, Message Boards and E-Mail: Girl.com”>Kids can personalize their very own
character, which will represent them in all communication and game-playing
activities, using a fun, state-of-the-art avatar engine. Visitors can also
make new friends and chat with them on the message boards system in a safe
web environment that is fully monitored.
* Buzz: New buzz items on pop culture, games, TV, music, movies, sports,
events, products, and more will be posted daily.
There’s also a Rewards Points program where fans can cash in points earned
to customize their avatars with limited-edition items like hair, eyes,
noses, mouths, clothes, decorations, backgrounds, scenes and more. They can
also access exclusive screen savers, wallpapers, videos and games.
4Girl.com”>Kids TV airs nationwide on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm EST on the
FOX Broadcasting Network.
42. NICKTOONSNETWORK.COM GETS A BOT BOOST FROM STUDIOCOM.
Digital agency Studiocom has brought new life — in the form of a spidery
ANIMATED robot — to the website of 24-hour Girl.com/videos”>Animation channel Nicktoons
Network. The new character and its accompanying logo not only change the
experience of users on the site, but also capture the brand attributes and
personality of Nicktoons Network. Although the network was only seeking a
website redesign, Studiocom’s creative team decided to go beyond the
request and create a character that would both connect with Girl.com/videos”>Animation fans
and also act as the interface for the site.
“When presented with the opportunity to create something that would take
NicktoonsNetwork.com to the next level, Girl.com/videos”>Animation fans were top-of-mind,”
said Maurizio Villarreal, Creative Director, Studiocom. “In brainstorming
the options, we wanted to create a dynamic experience that would capture
the essence of Nicktoons Network.  The ANIMATED robot character brings the
Nicktoons Network personality to life in a big way.”
Founded in 1998, Studiocom is a full-service digital agency that creates
innovative consumer experiences, including virtual communities and online
brand-loyalty programs. A WPP company since 2005, Studiocom has developed a
proprietary online multi-player community platform and has been the
recipient of several marketing awards. Studiocom operates independently and
is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in Los Angeles, Boston and
Bogota, Colombia. For more information, visit www.studiocom.com.
43. VANCOUVER FILM SCHOOL ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH JOOST.
Vancouver Film School (VFS), the largest private post-secondary
entertainment arts institution in Canada, announced today that it has
partnered with Joost, the world’s first broadcast-quality Internet
television service, to deliver two channels of unique, award-winning
student work.
VFS will provide two distinct channels on Joost to a worldwide audience:
Girl.com/videos”>Animation & Visual Effects and Drama & Documentary. Both will feature work
created by VFS students during their intensive year at the school. The
channels will launch with a wide variety of films, and the school will be
uploading new content every month.
The Girl.com/videos”>Animation & Visual Effects channel highlights the work of VFS Girl.com/videos”>Animation
& Visual Effects students. In one year or less, students in the 3D
Girl.com/videos”>Animation & Visual Effects, Classical Girl.com/videos”>Animation, Digital Character
Girl.com/videos”>Animation, and Houdini Certification programs complete short films, visual
effects reels with behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and modeling reels
displaying their remarkable digital creations.
Yvette Alberdingk Thijm, executive vice president of content strategy and
acquisition for Joost, said, “Joost brings a diverse range of high-quality
programming to viewers everywhere, on their own schedule. As a new
platform, working with new and emerging talents in the media industry –
like the students at the Vancouver Film School — is a perfect fit for us
and for our audience.”
For more information about Joost, visit www.joost.com. To learn more about
Vancouver Film School, go to www.vfs.com.
44. SONY’S CRACKLE TO LAUNCH MOVING TARGETS COMEDY CHANNEL.
Sony Pictures’ Crackle announced the launch of Moving Targets, a programmed
comedy channel. The channel features work from Jerry Zucker (AIRPLANE!,
NAKED GUN), Girl.com/videos”>Animation innovators Starz and Jennifer Shiman (30-SECOND
BUNNIES THEATRE) and Brian Dalton (MR. DEITY), as well as open submissions
from today’s emerging talent.
“Sketch comedy has been a launching pad for some of Hollywood’s brightest
stars, and with Moving Targets we’re giving content creators the
opportunity to shine, while comedy-hungry audiences get quality programming
they desire,” said Tony Liano, VP of programming at Crackle.  ”Every
generation has had a signature comedy program — LAUGH-IN, IN LIVING COLOR,
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. Moving Targets will be this generation’s.”
“The Internet is an empowering medium, and we want to let artists tell
their stories without interfering with their creative process — you can’t
do that on television,” said Sean Carey, SEVP, Sony Pictures. “We’re giving
the best and brightest talent a forum to showcase their skills, and with
the prospect of pitching their show ideas to top television executives as
the prize, you can be sure they’ll all be bringing their A-game to the
competition.”
Crackle Inc. is a streaming entertainment network dedicated to the
discovery and development of pioneering video creators across a diverse
range of genres. Crackle delivers programmed and customized video streams
to a global audience via a multi-platform, syndication network that
includes Sony devices, IPTV, leading social networks and one-click viral
Web distribution. Visit www.crackle.com/ for more information.
45. GRATEFUL DEAD JOIN ROCK BAND VIDEOGAME.
Harmonix, MTV Games and Rhino Ent. announced a deal that will bring the
legendary band the Grateful Dead to the highly anticipated music videogame
ROCK BAND. The iconic group is making available 18 master recordings from
its diverse catalog as digitally distributed game levels following ROCK
BAND’s release this holiday season. Among the songs available will be the
classic Dead tracks “Truckin’,” “Uncle John’s Band,” “Touch of Grey,”
“Sugar Magnolia” and “Casey Jones.”
“Grateful Dead’s unique fusion of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, and jazz
challenged traditional musical boundaries and pushed the limits of
creativity to produce a signature sound that is undeniably their own,”
stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV’s SVP of Audio, Home Video and Electronic Games.
“With an enormous legion of fans all over the world, Rock Band will give
players a chance to interact with the music of these beloved rock pioneers
and experience what Grateful Dead did best — jam from the depths of their
souls.”
Distributed by Electronic Arts, ROCK BAND challenges players to put
together a band and tour for fame and fortune — all while learning to
master lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. Built on an unprecedented
partnership with artists, record labels and music publishers, the music
featured in ROCK BAND will span the full range of rock music and include
original master recordings from the greatest songs and artists of all time.
“Grateful Dead, with their 30-year career and their timeless music, are the
perfect addition to ROCK BAND,” said Mark Pinkus, Rhino’s SVP of Strategic
Marketing, Custom Product & Sync Licensing. “It’s going to be a blast
playing along to songs ranging from the Dead’s earliest hit ‘Truckin” to
their final hit ‘Touch of Grey.’ I’m confident that ROCK BAND will be
instrumental in introducing Girl.com”>Kids to the magical music of Grateful Dead.”
ROCK BAND is slated for release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for the 2007
holiday season in North America. For more information, visit
www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com. Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS can get a sneak peek at
the game on the U.S. ROCK BAND tour. For cities and dates, visit
www.rockband.com/tour.
46. ASTEROIDS CRASHES ONTO MOBILE PHONES.
Glu Mobile Inc. announced the launch of the classic Atari arcade hit
ASTEROIDS for mobile phones. The original arcade game released by Atari in
1979 is among the most recognized and successful arcade games of all time.
The classic retro space shooter has been reinvented specifically for the
mobile platform, with all-new enhancements, including new themes, bonuses
and gameplay modes, as well as “classic mode,” which gives Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS the
gameplay and graphics true to the original.
“ASTEROIDS captures the timeless energy and addictive gameplay of the
original arcade game, a true reminder of the hours spent at the arcade, but
also gives Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS completely new themes, gameplay and graphics that take
advantage of today’s technology,” said Jill Braff, SVP of global
publishing, Glu. “Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS young and old love retro arcade classics like this
one and people will be pleasantly surprised by the game’s modern depth and
sophistication.”
Features include:
* Option to play the game in classic mode, a mobile reproduction of the
original arcade version — a coup for gaming purists
* New gameplay modes, complete with unlockable themes and power-ups
* New weapons and enhanced graphics and sounds
* New features such as the health meter, which monitors strength and helps
Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS fight longer
* Simple controls to make reliving the Asteroids experience quick and easy
ASTEROIDS is the latest Glu title launched through its multi-year,
worldwide alliance with Atari Inc. and its affiliates. Glu launched the
mobile adaptation of the arcade classic CENTIPEDE in the first quarter of
2007, and SUPER BREAKOUT, Atari’s classic block-breaking arcade game, is
scheduled to debut later this year.
Glu is a leading global publisher of mobile games. Its portfolio of
top-rated games includes original titles SUPER K.O. BOXING!, STRANDED and
BRAIN GENIUS, and titles based on major brands from partners including
Atari, Activision, Konami, Harrah’s, Hasbro, Warner Bros., Microsoft,
PlayFirst, PopCap Games, SEGA and Sony. Founded in 2001, Glu is based in
San Mateo, California and has offices in London, France, Germany, Spain,
Italy, Hong Kong, Beijing and Sao Paulo. For more information, visit
www.glu.com.
47. EA ANNOUNCES THE SIMS ON STAGE.
Electronic Arts Inc. announced the beta launch of THE SIMS ON STAGE, an
interactive online playground for PC and Mac. By visiting
www.thesimsonstage.com, people can immediately start recording karaoke
songs, stories, comedy routines and more free-of-charge. The site offers
accessible tools that make it easy to watch, create and share recordings
with friends, the Sims On Stage community, or the entire online world.
“THE SIMS has long had one of the largest, friendliest and most creative
communities in the world. With the release of THE SIMS ON STAGE, we welcome
a new kind of customer to our way of having fun,” said Studio Head of THE
SIMS Label, Rod Humble. “The world of interactive entertainment is now
broader than ever thanks to new web-based technologies, and we are thrilled
to give you a new way of having fun with THE SIMS ON STAGE.”
THE SIMS ON STAGE will also feature an easy-to-use Movie Mashup that will
allow members to create original movies featuring THE SIMS content made
available exclusively to members of THE SIMS ON STAGE community.
Launching in English, THE SIMS ON STAGE is an entertainment and performance
destination based on the online karaoke community, SingShot Media, that was
acquired by Electronic Arts in February 2007. Visit www.thesimsonstage.com
for more details.
48. HABBO USER TOONS COMPETE FOR HABBOWOOD AWARD.
Habbo announced today the kickoff of the first worldwide Habbowood Digital
Movie Awards 2007. Using the Habbowood MovieMaker tool, aspiring filmmakers
are invited to take the director’s chair and create, star in and share
their own ANIMATED movies in hopes of winning a Habbowood Award. For the
first time ever, after claiming the top prize in Habbo.com, the winning
film will be entered into a global contest against the winners from 18
other Habbo communities around the world to compete for a grand-prize trip
for two to Hollywood.
Available now on Habbo (www.habbo.com) for free, the MovieMaker tool is a
comprehensive editing device that allows users to select from a wide range
of virtual sets, props, special effects and mood music; cast Habbo
“actors;” and script dialogue to build scenes. Up to ten different scenes
can then be combined using the MovieMaker tool to create an ANIMATED film
up to five minutes long.
For the next ten days, the Habbo community, which numbers more than 15
million registered users in the U.S., will select the ten top films through
a combination of page views and scaled ratings. Each day, the Habbo staff
will choose a winner from this top 10 to comprise the final nominees, which
the Habbo community will vote on to select the Habbowood Award winner. The
winner will be announced, and special awards such as Best Director, Best
Writer, Best Actor and Best Actress, will be presented live in the
Theaterdome during the virtual Habbowood Digital Movie Awards gala, on
Sept. 21, 2007, starting at 4:00 pm (PDT)/7:00 pm (EDT).
“The Habbowood Digital Movie Awards will prove that teens can create
imaginative, successful movies, just like their Hollywood counterparts,”
said Teemu Huuhtanen, EVP, Habbo Business and President, North America. “We
are challenging teenagers to write the script, choose the location and
direct the actors in their own movies to create a winning film that will
demonstrate a combination of originality, timing, and artistic flair.”
The U.S. champion will be entered into the first global Habbowood contest
with the winners from 18 other Habbo communities around the world. An
expert panel from the fields of Girl.com/videos”>Animation and visual effects will judge the
competition, including Matt Johnson, VFX supervisor at critically acclaimed
visual effects and digital imaging house, Cinesite; Antti Jokinen,
celebrated director of music videos for Will Smith, Missy Elliott, Celine
Dion and Shaggy; Tim Searle, award-winning 2DTV animator; and Jim Thacker,
editor of 3D WORLD. The global winner will receive a star-studded trip for
two to Hollywood and celebrity status within Habbo communities around the
world.
Habbo.com opened its doors to Habbowood three years ago. Last year, the
hugely popular U.S. movie contest garnered more than 140,000 ANIMATED short
films. On a global level, Habbowood generated more than 700,000 movies last
year.
For more information about the Habbowood Digital Movie Awards 2007 and the
Habbowood MovieMaker, visit www.habbo.com/entertainment/habbowood.
49. MAX & MAYA HELP SHAPE UPCOMING KOREAN MMOGS.
Leading Korean game developers NCsoft, Webzen and Gravity are relying on
Autodesk’s 3ds Max and Maya to deliver some of the most-anticipated
massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs). MMOGs enable millions of
players to simultaneously interact in an online game. Thus, characters,
objects and entire worlds for the AION, HUXLEY and RAGNAROK ONLINE II
upcoming MMOG titles are being shaped with Autodesk products.
“Online games have become a major part of Korea’s entertainment culture,
and Korea is a hotbed for game development innovation,” said Marc Petit,
SVP, Autodesk Media & Ent. “We’ve seen an explosion of massively
multiplayer online games in the past five years. Our clients, NCsoft,
Webzen and Gravity, are raising the bar for MMOGs around the world, and
they’re relying on Autodesk’s 3D software to create award-winning,
lucrative game titles.”
Established in 1997, NCsoft is a leading developer and publisher of online
computer games, with offices in Korea, the U.S., Japan, the U.K., China,
Taiwan and Thailand. Its 1998 launch of the MMOG LINEAGE has attracted more
than 3.5 million subscribers. NCsoft plans to launch AION, a new massively
multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), in 2008. Set within a
mythical world, AION is a story about Angelic and Demonic races confronting
each other and fighting the common threat of a Draconic race. Characters
can move through the sky and use flying tactically to win combat.
Kim Hyung Joon, art director and art team manager at NCsoft, said, “AION is
an ambitious MMORPG in which battles take place everywhere with true 3D
movement. Players can fly on wings to explore beautiful, detailed worlds.
They can also engage in dynamic combat with various styles and
strategies.At NCsoft, we wouldn’t be able to realize our vision for AION
without Autodesk 3ds Max. Productivity and standardized workflows are key
for our 80-artist team. By using 3ds Max, we have an efficient, stable
asset-creation pipeline. As well, the 3ds Max software’s pervasiveness
makes it easier for me to recruit new artists, since there’s a large 3ds
Max talent pool in Korea and around the world.”
Webzen is a global digital entertainment leader with studios in Korea,
China, Taiwan and the U.S. Webzen developed MU ONLINE, Korea’s first-ever
online 3D game. In November 2006, the company began commercialized service
of SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION, which was the first title to incorporate
console-style game mechanics into a classic MMORPG.
Using Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Maya, Webzen continues to develop SOUL
OF THE ULTIMATE NATION and is creating HUXLEY, a massively multiplayer
first-person shooter game. HUXLEY takes place in a post-apocalyptic world
where human beings have mutated and are divided into two opposing races,
Sapiens and Alternative.
Hyun Gyung-up, creative artist of SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION STUDIO at
Webzen, said, “In May 2007, Webzen’s SOUL OF THE ULTIMATE NATION enjoyed a
400,000 simultaneous player record. Our game is renowned for its rich 3D
characters and environments, which we develop using Autodesk 3ds Max and
Autodesk Maya. We’ve standardized our asset creation pipeline on Autodesk
products because of their extensive toolsets, interoperability with one
another and third-party applications and efficiency in handling large
datasets.”
Founded in 2000, Gravity is a global entertainment company that has fuelled
the growth of the Korean online game industry with RAGNAROK ONLINE, the
country’s leading MMORPG. Gravity is using 3ds Max to create RAGNAROK
ONLINE II, which features full-3D graphics and is based on Norse mythology.
Gravity has evolved the bubble emotes found in the original game with
sophisticated character expressions in the sequel title.
Park Young Woo, RAGNAROK ONLINE II producer at Gravity, commented:
“Characters in RAGNAROK ONLINE II were primarily created with Autodesk 3ds
Max. Our goal was to create cute yet extremely expressive and natural
facial Girl.com/videos”>Animations for all characters. 3ds Max enabled us to model, animate
and render ideal characters that retain the cuteness of the original
RAGNAROK anime characters, while delivering livelier expressions and more
convincing social movements.” Gravity is also using 3ds Max on the upcoming
MMOGs REQUIEM ONLINE, PUCCA RACING and W-BASEBALL.
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.
Home Entertainment
50. OPEN SEASON SEQUEL DEBUTING ON DVD.
Sony Pictures Girl.com/videos”>Animation confirmed that it’s making a sequel to OPEN SEASON,
which will debut on DVD. Though the original film only took in a modest
$190 million worldwide, it performed strongly on DVD, warranting a sequel.
The studio hopes to have the project ready for release in 2009.
The new adventure will focus on Mr. Weenie, the domesticated dachshund who
helps the forest animals rebel against the hunters, and Giselle, the female
deer who was the love interest of single-antlered, misfit deer Elliot. Mr.
Weenie was originally voiced by Sony animator Cody Cameron, while Jane
Krakowski (of ALLY MCBEAL) voiced Giselle. There’s no word so far as to
whether the first film’s stars Martin Lawrence, who played the beer Boog,
and Ashton Kutcher, who voiced Elliot, will be returning.
The company said the new Imageworks facilities in India, New Mexico and
Northern California will be involved to some degree in the production.
51. TOM AND JERRY TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN VOL. 3 DVD COLLECTION.
Tom and Jerry return to DVD with TOM AND JERRY SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION VOL. 3
(Warner Home Video, $26.99) on Sept. 11. The highly anticipated third and
final two-disc volume of the Spotlight Collection from the Hanna-Barbera
era contains a total of 35 classic cartoons, 15 of which have been
re-mastered in their original CinemaScope widescreen format.
Shorts include “Love That Pup,” where Jerry is protected from Tom by
menacing bulldog Butch. “Neapolitan Mouse,” where the duo travel all the
way to Italy and meet Topo, an Italian mouse who gives the two a tour of
Naples. “Robin Hoodwinked,” where Jerry and Tuffy head to Sherwood Forest
to help Robin Hood escape from the Sheriff’s jail. “Little Runaway,” where
Jerry discovers a baby seal who’s run away from the circus. While all sorts
of bad things happen to Tom in “Tennis Chumps,” where his racket catches
fire, he’s tangled in the net and swallows a bunch of tennis balls before
he looses the match to Jerry, who wins a trophy. “That’s My Mommy” has Tom
end up as a surrogate mom to a baby duck but not before attempting to eat
the duckling several times. Missing, however, are “Mouse Cleaning” and
“Casanova Cat,” due to “the offensiveness of certain scenes containing
inappropriate racial stereotypes.”
“TOM AND JERRY is one of the most ingenious cartoon series ever created
because of the unique way music and sound are used to convey communication
between the two characters, both of whom never speak,” said Dorinda
Marticorena, WHV VP of Family, Girl.com/videos”>Animation & Sports Marketing. This
characteristic enabled the cartoon to gain popularity across the globe with
generations of audiences who love the series to this day. We are certain
that both fans of great television as well as seasoned Girl.com/videos”>Animation
aficionados will embrace this delightful title as part of their DVD
libraries.”
Bonus features include:
* CAT AND MOUSE: THE TALE OF TOM AND JERRY — The history of one of
Girl.com/videos”>Animation’s greatest teams, from early days to censorship controversies to
award-winning glory.
* “The Karate Guard” — The theatrical short released in 2005 that marked
Joe Barbera’s first return as a writer, director and storyboard artist on
the series since his and Hanna’s original cartoon shorts. This also was the
last Tom and Jerry short Barbera worked on.
Warner Bros. Girl.com/videos”>Animation has been producing award-winning original Girl.com/videos”>Animation
since 1930, when it released its first cartoon, “Sinkin’ in the Bathtub.”
Since then, Warner Bros. Girl.com/videos”>Animation’s characters have set the standard for
innovative, quality Girl.com/videos”>Animation. Producing for network and cable television,
online, home entertainment and feature films both domestically and
internationally, Warner Bros. Girl.com/videos”>Animation also oversees the creative use of,
and production of, ANIMATED programming based on classic ANIMATED
characters from the Hanna-Barbera and DC Comics libraries. Warner Bros.
Girl.com/videos”>Animation is one of the most-honored Girl.com/videos”>Animation studios in history,
garnering a grand total of six Academy Awards, 35 Emmy Awards, the George
Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice
Award, a Humanitas Award, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring
excellence in Girl.com/videos”>Animation).
With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a
Warner Bros. Ent. Co., commands the largest distribution infrastructure in
the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the
largest of any studio, offering top-quality new and vintage titles from the
repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Ent., Castle Rock Ent., HBO
Video and New Line Home Ent.
52. TRANSFORMERS TO INVADE DVD & HD DVD ON OCT. 16.
Michael Bay’s TRANSFORMERS, the third-highest-grossing blockbuster of the
summer, arrives Oct. 16 on DVD ($19.99 for single disc and $39.99 for
Special Edition double disc) & HD DVD ($39.99) from Paramount Home Ent. The
DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures feature, in which ILM ratchets
up hard-body surfaces under the vfx supervision of Scott Farrar, contains a
host of bonus features.
The TRANSFORMERS Special Edition includes commentary by Bay and two docs
exploring the human elements of the film, as well as the CG robot stars.
Presented in multiple parts, “Our World” and “Their War” include segments
with Steven Spielberg discussing his love for the franchise and the early
concept for the movie, the extensive casting process, the training,
consultants and real-world weapons provided by the military to lend
authenticity to the film, the evolution of the robots from Hasbro’s iconic
toy line to big-screen stars, the unique vehicles created for the movie, a
discussion with ILM’s digital artists and more.
The discs go even further behind the scenes with early sketch concepts of
the robots and an in-depth look at the making of the SKORPONOK attack, from
writing and conceptualization through the creation of the stunning visual
effects.
In addition to superior picture and sound and all of the above bonus
material presented in high definition, the HD DVD presentation provides
viewers with a host of web-enabled features, which are accessible through
all connected HD DVD players. These cutting-edge, online features can be
updated, providing consumers with an evolving entertainment experience
months, or even years, after the disc is physically produced. Initial
features include a TRANSFORMERS Intelligence Mode, in which an on-screen
dashboard over the film provides information about the robots and weapons,
their strength levels, character updates and more. Plus, a GPS Locator that
can access a map and GPS coordinates. Paramount’s TRANSFORMERS HD DVD
connectivity capabilities will reveal additional HD DVD exclusive features
at street date and at various time periods in the future.
The HD DVD also includes a TRANSFORMERS H.U.D. (Heads Up Display) that lets
viewers access running text commentary while watching the film and even
view relevant behind-the-scenes footage in a picture-in-picture window.
Additionally, viewers can explore the main robots’ individual details in
high-definition with the TRANSFORMERS Tech Inspector.
Paramount Home Ent. (PHE) is part of Paramount Pictures Corp. (PPC), a
global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.  PPC is a unit of
Viacom, a leading content company with prominent and respected film,
television and digital entertainment brands. PHE is responsible for the
worldwide sales, marketing and distribution of home entertainment products
on behalf of various parties, including: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks
Studios, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy
Central, CBS, PBS and Hasbro and for providing home entertainment
fulfillment services for DreamWorks Girl.com/videos”>Animation Home Ent.
Hasbro is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time
entertainment products and services, including the design, manufacture and
marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional to high-tech.  Both
internationally and in the U.S., its Playskool, Tonka, Milton Bradley,
Parker Brothers, Tiger and Wizards Of The Coast brands and products provide
the highest quality and most recognizable play experiences in the world.
53. STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES TO LAUNCH ON HD DVD.
STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES, SEASON 1 will be released exclusively on HD
DVD on Nov. 20 through a joint promotion with Toshiba America Consumer
Products and CBS Home Ent. This marks the first full high-def launch of
STAR TREK. The 10-disc set offers a combo experience with HD DVD on one
side and standard DVD on the flip side.
As part of the promotion, purchasers of the boxed set and any Toshiba HD
DVD player will get an exclusive, limited-edition Phaser remote control
that will operate Toshiba’s HD DVD players.
“To be part of bringing the pioneering episodes of the landmark STAR TREK
franchise to fans is truly special,” said Jodi Sally, VP of Marketing,
Toshiba’s Digital A/V Group. “Taking advantage of all HD DVD has to offer,
STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES’ will be presented with interactive
capabilities and a level of visual and audio sophistication fans of the
series have never experienced. With this offer fans can also get their
hands on merchandise that will not be available any other way.”
The leading-edge technology in Toshiba HD DVD players will enable
interactive capabilities such as picture-in-picture video commentaries and
the ability to compare visual effects in the re-mastered episodes vs. the
originals.
“Part of the appeal of STAR TREK is the spirit of its characters to embrace
and utilize cutting-edge technology,” said Jeffrey Nemerovski, Vice
President of Business Development for CBS Home Ent.
Meticulously remastered from the original camera negative, each classic
episode is presented in pristine condition with new state-of-the-art
digital visual effects and a new 5.1 soundtrack. Both the DVD and HD DVD
presentations include rare on-set home-movie footage, an inside perspective
on what it took to transport STAR TREK into the 21st century. Showcasing
graphics with a 3D look and feel, the interactive “Starfleet Access” menu
interface will allow HD viewers to activate icons on seven episodes to
provide such features as picture-in-picture video commentaries and an
interactive tour of the Starship Enterprise.
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 CBS
library, as well as new releases from Showtime Video. CBS Home Ent.
products are release on the CBS DVD label.
Toshiba America Consumer Products L.L.C. is owned by Toshiba America Inc.,
a subsidiary of Toshiba Corp., a world leader in high technology products
with subsidiaries worldwide. Toshiba is a pioneer in HD DVD, DVD and DVD
Recorder technology and a leading manufacturer of a full line of home
entertainment products, including flat panel TV, combination products and
portable devices. Toshiba America Consumer Products is headquartered in
Wayne, New Jersey. For additional information, please visit
www.tacp.toshiba.com.
Licensing
54. BEN 10 TO GET EXPANDED CANADIAN MARKETING.
Cartoon Network Enterprises has enlisted Canadian agent Segal Licensing to
beef up its BEN 10 marketing activities in Canada, reports Girl.com”>KidsCREEN. Segal
will pursue licensing and promotional partnerships in a variety of
categories to increase the brand’s visibility and availability in the
region.
BEN 10 products have been available in Canada since the spring, when Bandai
America launched its line. Over the spring and summer, the initial
offerings were augmented by D3 Publishers of America (interactive), SG
Footwear, Pressman (games and puzzles) and Bell Sports.
BEN 10 airs weekly in both English and French on Canada’s Teletoon.
55. GALLEON BRINGS SKUNK FU! & APOLLO’S PAD TO BRAND LICENSING 2007.
Galleon Ent. has set Brand Licensing 2007 as the place to make its hit
Girl.com”>Kids‘ ANIMATED TV property SKUNK FU! and its young adult multi-platform
property APOLLO’S PAD available to licensees.
“The SKUNK FU! franchise has proven to be a hit among Girl.com”>Kids and is rapidly
expanding while APOLLO’S PAD is about to become the next generation of
short-form entertainment for young adults,” said Stephen Green, CEO of
Galleon Holdings plc. “We look forward to more exciting licensing
partnerships at this year’s Brand Licensing.”
SKUNK FU! launched on BBC1 in July 2007 with strong ratings. The ANIMATED
series, airing on weekdays at 3:50 pm and on weekends on CBBC, has already
achieved a 20% market share and is the highest-rated Girl.com”>Kids‘ show in its
timeslot. In addition, the CW has acquired the show for the U.S. to air in
its Saturday morning Girl.com”>Kids WB! Girl.com/videos”>Animation block. The show will air from Sept.
22, at 9:00 am every week.
The licensing of merchandise started this year with a U.K. DVD licensing
deal with home entertainment giant Warner Music Group.
The series has already been sold in 35 territories, including key
territories such as France 5 and Canal J (France), Super RTL (Germany),
RAISAT (Italy), ABC (Australia), TG4 (Ireland), SVT (Sweden) and RTBF
(Belgium), Cartoon Network (Australia/Asia), with deals to be shortly
announced in Norway and Free Television in France among others.
SKUNK FU! (52×13), aimed at Girl.com”>Kids 6-12, follows the adventures of a skunk
accidentally dropped into China by a wayward stork as a child, who has to
learn the ways of kung fu from a wise old Panda to help the resistance
fight against the evil Black Dragon and his army of Ninja Monkeys. Skunk is
a super student but his temerity keeps getting him into dangerous but
hilarious adventures.
APOLLO’S PAD (26×5 and a content-rich website), produced in association
with Sony BMG, takes classic music tracks and, by adding humor and
Girl.com/videos”>Animation, reaches a whole new young audience, 16-24. The property is
comprised of episodes of ANIMATED comedy and a website that provides the
consumer with streaming, user-generated content and premium download
functionality. The first six episodes of the TV ANIMATED series are now in
production. Each episode features two minutes of gag-based comedy, followed
by an ANIMATED music video, which features a classic hit re-recorded to
reach a new audience, produced by Grammy award-winning producer Brian
Rawlings of U.K.-based Metrophonic Studios.
The episodes are set in an ANIMATED live-music venue, called Apollo’s Pad,
where each character is the personification of a music genre. Each episode
follows the adventures of the king of disco dudes, club manager Hudson and
the bunch of music-loving maniacs that work and perform in Apollo’s Pad. In
addition, the launch of APOLLO’S PAD on apollospad.com is set for October
2007.
APOLLO’S PAD was created by Stephen Green and Len Dunne, Managing Director
of Galleon Holdings plc. The comedy Girl.com/videos”>Animation series is being produced by
London-based Good Story Prods., whose writing team includes Chris Brown
(SOUTH PARK, FRIENDS), with Girl.com/videos”>Animation from Canada-based Copernicus Studio
in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while the music is produced by Rawlings, well
known for his chart-topping production work with Cher, Enrique Iglesias and
many others.
Galleon controls worldwide licensing and merchandising rights for both
properties. The company will also be showcasing more properties, such as
THE MYSTI SHOW, which airs on the BBC, HOO HA HOUSE and THE FOMORIAN, at
this year’s market.
U.K.-based Galleon Ent. (www.galleonent.com) owns, develops and manages
entertainment-based intellectual property. It  is a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Galleon Holdings plc (www.galleonplc.com), an intellectual property
company based in the U.K. and is AIM (Alternative Investment Market) listed
on the London Stock Exchange.
Education
56. EARTHLIGHT LAUNCHES ALL-LIVE REMOTE Girl.com/videos”>Animation TRAINING.
Earthlight Pictures has launched a major innovation in Girl.com/videos”>Animation training
with a groundbreaking live-video classroom that closely approximates the
real thing. The unique TelAnimate system came online earlier this year
after two years of development in Santa Barbara, Boise, and at Earthlight’s
current base of operations in Portland.
The new Internet-based system is believed to be the first Girl.com/videos”>Animation
moviemaking training program of its kind.  Avoiding such web artifacts as
avatars, chat, and instruction bulletin boards for assignments and
comments, TelAnimate instead features direct, real-time visual and oral
connections between instructors and classmates via desktop closed-circuit
television throughout the lesson. Teletrainees and instructors are able to
see and hear everyone else in the group; screen smooth-motion examples of
Girl.com/videos”>Animation principles as well as classic studio and off-beat art films; have
one-on-one, face-to-face coaching in the production of the students’ own
Girl.com/videos”>Animations; and — on occasion, for those willing to travel — take field
trips to world-class Girl.com/videos”>Animation studios.
TelAnimate was developed by Earthlight Pictures owner, film/video producer
and writer John Teton, and Michael Ray Allison, an information technology
specialist and digital media artist based in Boise. It builds upon programs
Teton has run at San Francisco State University, Otis College of Art and
Design in Los Angeles, and many other sites, ranging from public and
private secondary schools to Pixar Girl.com/videos”>Animation Studio’s in-house university.
Opening the door to younger students was triggered in 1997 by the requests
of J.J. Villard, then a high-school student in Santa Barbara. Teton
reports, “J.J.’s pleas made me see the need for a forum where aspiring
animators, regardless of age, could access high-quality college-level
training without the time and cost requirements of regular degree
programs.” Villard spent 2_ years in Teton’s programs at Earthlight and
Otis, and later went on to win the top prize in international college
Girl.com/videos”>Animation competitions at Ottawa three years in a row, getting snapped up
by DreamWorks along the way to create storyboards for SHREK 3 and other
features.
Teton sees TelAnimate potentially expanding the horizons of Girl.com/videos”>Animation
itself. “Those who discover in themselves a craving to make ANIMATED movies
are scattered around the world,” he points out, “most of them far from the
few colleges with full Girl.com/videos”>Animation programs and the field’s long-standing
centers of gravity in places like Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Tokyo.
With TelAnimate, we can coach them in this form of magic wherever they are.
Liberating a lot of talent that might otherwise be delayed or stifled
altogether could make some real waves in the Girl.com/videos”>Animation seas over the years
ahead.”
For further information, visit www.earthlightpictures.com.
57. DIGITAL-TUTORS OFFERS CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS SERIES FOR MAYA.
Digital-Tutors has introduced the CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS SERIES, a
four-part training collection, and the latest release in a growing library
of interactive training for emerging digital artists using Autodesk Maya.
The series provides more than 20 hours of project-based training, and
guides artists through the technical and artistic processes of creating
digital humans for use in film and games. Artists will learn time-saving
techniques for organic modeling and establishing anatomical volume and
musculature, refining topology and strategically adding details,
alternative methods for UV mapping and texturing, and fundamental concepts
for photorealistic rendering with mental ray.
CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS 1: VOLUME AND MUSCLE
Highlights include: polygon and subdivisional modeling techniques,
anatomical structure, anatomy concepts, primitive modeling, blocking-in
form, establishing volume, organizing topology, creating edge flow, adding
muscle structure, evaluating proportions, modeling to photographic
reference, re-routing edge loops, strategic use of edge loops, symmetrical
modeling and connecting geometry.
CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS 2: DEFINITION AND DETAIL
Highlights include: polygon and subdivisional modeling, anatomical
structure, anatomy concepts, creating believable likeness, refining edge
flow, strategic use of small detail, hair construction using curves,
sculpting geometry, muscle definition and flow, matching facial features
and characteristics, localizing detail, detailing hands and feet, adding
wrinkles to skin, adding asymmetrical details, matching photographic
reference, creating eyeball geometry, problem-solving common geometry
concerns and optimizing geometry for UV mapping and texturing process.
CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS 3: UV AND TEXTURE MAPPING
Highlights include: making resolution considerations, using UVLayout from
Headus, UV layout in Maya, UV snapshot, using reference images as texture
base, blending multiple images seamlessly, warping textures to fit UV
layout, color correcting texture sections, blending seams, blending between
multiple maps, texturing NURBS surfaces, adding realism to hair with
transparency maps, creating procedural eyes, creating eyelashes with
transparency, troubleshooting common UV concerns and moving details with
Photoshop tools.
CREATING DIGITAL HUMANS 4: SHADING AND RENDERING
Highlights include: fast skin shader in mental ray, sub-surface scattering
techniques, generating sub-dermal maps, generating epidermal maps, creating
shading networks, adding bump maps, adding specularity, scene maintenance,
creating hair strands with Paint Effects, adding digital makeup, creating
lighting setups and understanding the effects of light on skin.
For a full outline and pricing information visit:
www.digitaltutors.com/store/product.php?productid=3374.
A trailer can be seen directly at:
www.digitaltutors.com/digital_tutors/video_details.php?v=978.
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 in the development of the
software and education materials.
Technology
58. LUXOLOGY SHIPS MODO 301.
Luxology announced the immediate availability of modo 301, the newest
version of its award-winning, artist-friendly 3D content creation software.
Available for both Mac OSX and Windows, modo 301 is a milestone release
that features new sculpting and item Girl.com/videos”>Animation, as well as extensive
improvements to its modeling, painting and rendering toolsets.
modo 301 sells for a suggested retail price of $895. modo is sold and
supported by a network of authorized Luxology resellers across the globe.
To purchase modo 301 or learn more about the modo community, including an
extensive gallery of user images, please visit Luxology’s new and improved
website.
Luxology also offers a wide array of modo training videos and other
educational materials designed to enhance the modo learning process for
novice and experienced 3D users. For more information please visit
www.Luxology.tv.
“This release of modo redefines the creative 3D experience,” said Brad
Peebler, President and Co-Founder of Luxology. “Virtually any shape can now
be created, textured and ANIMATED in a single environment; modo 301 invites
experimentation and rewards the artist with new levels of efficiency.”
modo 301 combines a powerful, real-time subdivision surface modeling engine
with an artist-focused set of tools that harness sculpting, painting and
rendering technologies to speed the creation of world class 3D content.
modo is now time-enabled, encouraging designers and artists to explore an
unprecedented range of content creation alternatives as well as produce
finished Girl.com/videos”>Animation sequences from within modo or via motion and deformation
data from other applications. This unique combination of modern workflow
and fused toolsets deliver increased productivity and performance for 3D
artists working in a variety of disciplines including product design,
architectural visualization, packaging design and a variety of
entertainment industries.
Key features include:
* Precision Modeling and Sculpting: modo’s world class subdivision modeler
is further equipped with new snapping functionality and the addition of
true 3D sculpting tools that speed base mesh creation and the creation of
organic surface detail.
* Fluid 3D Painting: Painting is now threaded for superior performance;
paint strokes can be seamlessly applied across multiple images and even
onto multiple UV maps.
* Item Girl.com/videos”>Animation: Properties can be varied over time allowing modelers to,
for example, perfect facial morphs by modeling on a moving face or enabling
designers to walk-through or animate their designs.
* “Unleashed” Rendering: The modo renderer now operates on up to 50
workstations (cross platform) and offers rock solid global illumination and
blurry reflections in ANIMATED sequences.
* Superior Workflow: Artists and designers will enjoy even smoother
workflow in modo due to further refinement of the physical user interface,
which is based on more than a dozen iterations that Luxology conducted with
beta testers from a variety of disciplines.
Based in San Mateo, California, Luxology LLC (www.modo3d.com) is an
independent technology company developing next-generation 3D content
creation software that enhances productivity via artist-friendly tools
powered by a modern underlying architecture.
59. LUCASFILM’S DATACENTER TO BE POWERED BY QUAD-CORE AMD OPTERON.
At the launch of the new Quad Core AMD Opteron processor at Lucasfilm
Ltd.’s Letterman Digital Arts Center (LDAC), AMD and Lucasfilm announced an
expansion of the companies’ relationship focused on building the world’s
most advanced and energy-efficient datacenters for producing digital arts
and entertainment.
AMD Opteron processors, to help create and render stunning visual content
for dozens of major movies, currently power Lucasfilm’s global operations
at the LDAC and in Singapore. Lucasfilm also uses AMD technology to create
digital content for television programs and next-generation interactive
games.
“We look forward to introducing Quad-Core AMD Opteron processors into
production here at LDAC,” said Kevin Clark, Director of IT Operations for
Lucasfilm. “AMD is a great technology partner for Lucasfilm in that they
continue to innovate and push the boundaries of energy-efficient processing
power. We are consistently required to raise the bar by producing
cutting-edge imagery, and AMD’s Quad Core technology has the potential to
make a substantial impact on our capabilities going forward. Coupled with
our requirements of high performance is our desire to become a model of
energy efficiency, and this is in lock-step with AMD’s focus on delivering
powerful yet energy-efficient processors.”
With the introduction of the world’s first native quad-core server
processors, Lucasfilm looks to take advantage of the increased computing
performance while maintaining the same thermal and cooling requirements as
dual-core AMD Opteron processors.
“The Letterman Digital Arts Center forms the epicenter where
next-generation movie-making meets next-generation interactive gaming. No
other studio in the world has this capability or charter,” said Charlie
Boswell, director of Digital Media and Ent. for AMD. “AMD and Lucasfilm
share a vision of enabling the ultimate visual experience for consumers
first by providing artists with technology that supports the creative
process at the speed of inspiration and without hindrance.”
Advanced Micro Devices (www.amd.com) is a leading global provider of
innovative processing solutions in the computing, graphics and consumer
electronics markets.
60. AUTODESK LAUNCHES NEW VERSIONS OF VISUAL EFFECTS & FINISHING SYSTEMS.
Autodesk announced the 2008 releases of the Inferno, Flame and  Flint
visual effects systems, as well as the Fire and Smoke editing/finishing
systems. These new releases are offered on Linux-based PCs, making
Autodesk’s visual effects and editing/finishing products more accessible to
both high-end and mid-range markets. The new releases deliver open file
systems, allowing for improved interoperability with third-party
applications, as well as 100% clip compatibility across the Autodesk visual
effects and editing/finishing pipeline.
Autodesk’s visual effects and editing/finishing systems have shaped
countless award-winning projects, such as the SPIDER-MAN 3, TRANSFORMERS
and FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER, as well as Coca-Cola’s
Happiness Factory and Lexus’ Hydrant commercials. The 2008 product versions
will be showcased at the Autodesk stand (#7-420) during IBC 2007, being
held at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam, Sept. 7-11.
“Autodesk’s new visual effects and editing/finishing releases will create
new workflow possibilities, allowing customers to share media throughout
their facility using either direct-attached storage, storage area network
(SAN) or network-attached storage (NAS) configurations,” said Stig Gruman,
VP of Advanced Systems, Autodesk Media & Ent. “This ability to interoperate
with all technologies present in the post-production facility greatly
enhances collaboration and data management, which in turn, opens up new
markets, including mid-range post production and broadcast.”
In addition, the 2008 releases feature an updated user interface (UI) that
is streamlined across the products, making it easier for artists to switch
between applications. The new UI also provides the user with more tools on
the desktop. Alex Ortoll, visual effects supervisor at Estudios Alcine and
Flame artist, said, “The new 16:9 interface puts many more tools right at
my fingertips, thus greatly reducing the need to dig through layers of
sub-menus. Though it took me a couple of days to build new ‘muscle memory’
on the new layout, speed improvements are now quite noticeable.” Estudios
Alcine recently used Flame to create the epic film THE HEART OF THE EARTH
and is currently working on the feature film OPEN GRAVES in Spain.
New toolsets and workflow improvements:
* New standard file system support improves facility workflow, allowing
systems and third-party applications to instantly share clips without the
need for media duplication, and to work with media natively off a SAN or
NAS storage device.
* Enhanced concurrent workflows between visual effects, editing and grading
are now possible due to metadata handling and Infiniband networking
improvements.
* OpenEXR software support and enhanced Autodesk FBX software support
create powerful interoperability between Flame and Autodesk Maya software.
The visual effects products can now import NURBS objects and artists have
the ability to match their compositions with the 3D department by exporting
camera data, as well as axis positions and 3D point clouds.
* 100% compatibility between Flame and Smoke setups and clips enables
round-tripping of clips and metadata between visual effects and finishing
product lines.
* New multi-layer timeline and audio tools in Flame, Flint and Inferno
improve flexibility and interoperability with Smoke and Fire.
* Redesigned 16:9 user interfaces put more tools at artists’ fingertips.
* New Smoke and Flame user interfaces allow a more intuitive switch from
one application to the other.
* On-screen tool tips have been added to enhance the user experience.
* Enhanced DVE 3D compositing environment in Fire and Smoke delivers more
visual effects power and a look and feel that makes it easier for artists
to switch back and forth between Smoke and Flame. New Expressions toolset
eliminates manual keyframing techniques, allowing artists to quickly create
Girl.com/videos”>Animations.
Also included in these releases are features that were originally
introduced in the 2007 Extension 1 release, previously available only to
Autodesk subscription customers. Autodesk anticipates that its 2008
releases of Inferno, Flame, Flint, Fire and Smoke will be available in
autumn 2007. New 2008 systems will ship on HP 9400 workstations running the
Linux operating system.
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.
61. PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES LAUNCHES NEW MOCAP ACCESSORIES.
Phoenix Technologies recently launched a lineup of new accessories for its
next-generation Visualeyez II VZ4000 Active Optical Realtime motion capture
system.
* New VZSuit — redesigned with new features that will ultimately reduce
operating costs for users.  This is a two-piece stretchable Lycra motion
capture suit that is completely Velcro-compatible (except for the armpit
areas).  This suit is very easy to wear and allows for free unrestricted
acting motions. The VZSuit is designed for quick and easy arrangement of
the LED markers for optimal capture performance.
* New VZGlove — released for users looking for very precise and intricate
motion capture of the fingers.  Made with stretchable Velcro-compatible
fabric on the back side and mesh material on the palm side for sensitive
touch, this glove set allows tiny Velcro based markers to be easily
attached anywhere in order to minimize occlusion and allow the highly
complex finger motions to be captured.
* New SWMarkers (Semi-Wireless Markers) — a new marker system to bridge
the gap between wired and completely wireless SIMarkers.  One wire-pair can
power up to ten SWMarkers, and three wire-pairs can be powered by a single
battery pack — making the SWMarker system almost wireless at a very
attractive price. The markers can also be re-positioned along the wire-pair
to facilitate attachment on a capture subject.
These new accessories have been unveiled to help Girl.com/videos”>Animation companies
conveniently streamline their MoCap sessions and lower their operating
costs.
Phoenix Technologies Inc. (www.ptiphoenix.com) manufactures Visualeyez, a
wide-angle, high speed and high-resolution active-optical 3D motion
tracking system. Other applications include Girl.com/videos”>Animation and visual media,
game development, virtual reality, TV and film effects, biomechanics,
sports performance, gait analysis, human-computer interaction, neuroscience
and much more.
62. IO INTERACTIVE GRABS MORPHEME FOR GAME DEVELOPMENT.
IO Interactive is integrating NaturalMotion’s morpheme into its
game-development pipeline and will be using it to design assets for an
upcoming undisclosed next-generation game title. morpheme is robust
Girl.com/videos”>Animation middleware designed to give developers and animators
unprecedented creative control over the look of their final in-game
Girl.com/videos”>Animation by allowing them to author and preview blends, blend trees and
transition graphs in realtime.
“We chose morpheme as our Girl.com/videos”>Animation engine because we really liked the
visual editor in morpheme:connect,” said Steffen Toksvig, CTO at IO
Interactive. “We had a great experience with NaturalMotion’s support during
our evaluation period and this experience continues to be an ongoing asset.
We believe morpheme is a great fit for our Girl.com/videos”>Animation pipeline.”
“IO Interactive is one of the leading studios in Europe and across the
globe,” said Andy Payne, NaturalMotion’s VP of sales, Europe. “Apart from
creating massive commercial successes, IO Interactive is constantly pushing
the limits of game design and development and we are extremely proud that
they have chosen morpheme as their Girl.com/videos”>Animation engine.”
morpheme consists of two components: morpheme:runtime and morpheme:connect.
morpheme:runtime is a run-time engine optimized for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC,
and ships with full source code. morpheme:connect is a powerful 3D
authoring application that allows animators to graphically author blend
trees and transition logic (based on Hierarchical Finite State Machines),
modify and edit parameters through sliders and view the results in real
time. morpheme is designed as a flexible and open system and does not
require the licensing of any other product. morpheme is also designed to
seamlessly integrate with other middleware and DCC applications.
Copenhagen-based IO Interactive was established in September 1998 and is
now a part of Eidos. IO Interactive develops advanced computer games for
the global market. Using proprietary technologies, IO Interactive products
are represented on all major formats such as PC, Xbox360, PS3 and Wii. IO
Interactive games are widely recognized for their innovative storytelling,
excellent game play and graphics combined with a highly competitive game
technology. HITMAN BLOOD MONEY was nominated for several BAFTA’s in 2006,
including “Game of the Year” and “Artistic Achievement.” IO Interactive’s
upcoming release, titled KANE AND LYNCH: DEAD MEN, is a character-driven
third person action game to be released on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.
NaturalMotion Ltd. (www.naturalmotion.com) is the first company to create
3D character Girl.com/videos”>Animation software based on Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS), a
technology that utilizes Adaptive Behaviors and artificial intelligence to
simulate the human-nervous system. Based on Oxford University research on
the control of body movements, NaturalMotion’s euphoria synthesizes 3D
character Girl.com/videos”>Animation in real time on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, thus
creating unique game moments and previously unachievable interactivity.
NaturalMotion’s other DMS product endorphin creates off-line Girl.com/videos”>Animation an
order of magnitude faster than traditional techniques, and is widely used
in the film and games industries, with customers such as Sony, Giant Killer
Robots, The Mill, Capcom, Namco and Konami. NaturalMotion’s third product,
morpheme, is the industry’s first graphically authorable Girl.com/videos”>Animation engine
designed to give animators full control over the look of their Girl.com/videos”>Animations
in-game.
63. AUTODESK LAUNCHES LUSTRE 2008 DIGITAL COLOR GRADING SYSTEM,
Autodesk has launched the Lustre 2008 digital color grading system. Lustre
has shaped colors and lighting in hundreds of feature films, trailers and
TV shows, including BALLS OF FURY, EL CANTANTE, CHILDREN OF MEN, BABEL,
KING KONG, CANE, PUSHING DAISIES and SWINGTOWN. Lustre 2008 will be
showcased at Autodesk stand #7-420 during IBC 2007, held in Amsterdam’s RAI
Convention Center, Sept. 7-11.
“Around the world, Autodesk Lustre is used to enhance lighting,
cinematography and storytelling in films and TV content,” said Stig Gruman,
VP of Advanced Systems, Autodesk Media & Ent. “Lustre 2008 equips colorists
with even more creative flexibility and includes a new multi-layer
timeline. Colorists can experiment with look creation earlier in the
post-production process. As well, Lustre 2008 offers a better workflow that
leads to faster project completion and ultimately offers greater value for
all types of productions.”
Companies rely on the Lustre system’s advanced creative capabilities, as
well as its cost-effective performance that is made possible through
GPU-acceleration, pipeline flexibility and facility-wide application
interoperability.
Andreas Rostock, managing director at Sonne Postproduction in Denmark,
said, “At Sonne, we’re ready to take on any kind of project, from feature
films to music videos, but we specialize in commercials. We’ve developed a
workflow that gives us the flexibility needed to take on any type of job
and Autodesk Lustre fits well into our process. The new multi-layer
timeline in Lustre 2008 will give us greater workflow flexibility in terms
of how we conform, while the rich grading toolset will allow us to expand
our creative capabilities to deliver a higher-quality product to our
customers.”
Chris Jacobson, colorist at LaserPacific Media Corp., also sees great value
in the Lustre workflow, particularly as it relates to the interoperability
between Lustre and the Autodesk Smoke editing/finishing system. Jacobson
commented: “We can easily share media between Lustre and Smoke with no
time-consuming rendering in between, thanks to Autodesk’s Wiretap
technology. In essence, the editorial and digital intermediate color
sessions can happen simultaneously, making our clients very happy. With a
pipeline like this, you really can be in two places at once. It brings
multi- tasking to a whole new level.”
Highlights of Lustre 2008
New creative tools:
* The new multi-layer timeline gives colorists gestural tools to quickly
create editorial, shot and grade versions of their project. Colorists can
experiment with multiple looks on a single shot, as well as easily applying
a look across multiple shots.
* With the automatic region tracker, colorists can track elements of ascene
faster than ever before. Colorists can specify an image region and Lustre
figures out the rest, automatically analyzing inside the region in order to
apply scaling and rotation to secondary geometries.
Workflow and performance improvements:
* Lustre 2008 supports The American Society of Cinematographers’
ColorDecision List (ASC-CDL). The ASC-CDL was developed to ensure that
images appear the same when displayed in different places on different
platforms. This leads to look consistency across the various stages of
post-production, from on-set look creation to the final grade. Lustre 2008
allows colorists to import multiple CDLs, either as Slope-Offset Power
(SOP) values in an edit decision list (EDL) or as files referenced in the
EDL comments, to which CDL data can be applied on a per-shot basis in the
Lustre timeline.
* The Lustre system’s grading functions now include additional GPU-
acceleration of secondary grading capabilities, including geometry blurring
and inside/outside grading, as well as GPU-accelerated playback for plug-in
effects such as Blur Mix, Print Bleach and Glow.These improvements speed up
the look-creation process.
For a complete list of new features and enhancements in Autodesk Lustre
2008, visit www.autodesk.com/lustre.
Autodesk anticipates that Lustre 2008 will be available in autumn 2007 for
the Microsoft Windows operating system.
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.
64. HP UNLEASHES NEW WORKSTATIONS.
HP has launched three commercial desktop solutions designed to give
businesses a professional edge with entry-level workstation pricing and
“zero-footprint” PCs. The new products, including the HP xw4550
workstation, the HP xw4600 workstation and the HP Compaq dc7800 Business
Desktop PC, pack the power and performance demanded by users of high-end
solutions. HP also introduced new technologies for the HP ProLiant Blade
workstation, which was developed to improve business continuity, data
security and business efficiency for multi-display, multi-workstation
computing environments.
The new workstations deliver optimal power and innovation to meet the
high-end computing demands of small and medium businesses at a fraction of
the cost of competitive offerings, with models starting below $800 from HP
direct. And as one of the smallest, energy-efficient, enterprise-ready
desktops, the new HP dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC features a 46% smaller
form factor than previous models to deliver maximum energy-efficiency and
flexibility, without compromising performance.
Featuring second-generation energy-efficient AMD Optero 1000 Series
processors and professional-class 2D and 3D graphics technologies from
Nvidia and ATI, the HP xw4550 workstation has the scalable power to meet
the optimized computing demands of mechanical engineers, architects,
electrical designers, civil engineers, software developers and other power
users.
With starting prices below $800, the HP xw4550 integrates AMD Direct
Connect architecture, which includes an integrated memory controller and
HyperTransport technology links to accelerate performance of bandwidth and
compute-intensive applications. The HP xw4550 is also Energy Star qualified
to help customers conserve energy and reduce costs.
The HP xw4550 additionally provides system flexibility with six storage
bays, simultaneous support for 32- and 64-bit applications, 4 DIMM slots
and up to 4 GB of ECC memory, providing users with upgradeability features
typically found only in higher-end workstations. The HP xw4550 is backed by
quality HP service and support, with up to five-year limited warranty and
24×7 support options. The HP xw4550 is expected to be available online,
through resellers or through HP direct in October.
Meanwhile, the HP xw4600 workstation combines a choice of next-generation
Intel Pentium Dual Core3, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core 2 Quad, and Intel
Extreme dual- and quad-core processors. The new Intel X38 Express chipset
and next-generation 2D and 3D Nvidia and ATI graphics help enable the HP
xw4600 to affordably support the data-intensive professional applications
used in today’s performance computing environments.
With starting prices below $900,the HP xw4600 incorporates an X38 Express
chipset, with innovations in PCI express interfaces, front-side bus
performance improvements, and support for DDR2 memory up to 800 MHz. The HP
xw4600 also delivers dual PCIe X16 Gen 2 graphics interfaces, delivering up
to twice the performance bandwidth of previous interfaces and providing
support for up to four high-performance 3D graphics displays.
The HP xw4600 additionally features 12 USB ports, seven back, two front and
three internal as well as six SATA interfaces, including one in back,
giving users an outstanding level of add-on flexibility. The xw4600 is also
ENERGY STAR qualified to help customers conserve energy and reduce costs.
The HP xw4600 is backed by dedicated HP service and support, with up to a
five-year warranty and 24×7 support options that can scale to meet customer
needs. The HP xw4600 is expected to be available online, through resellers
or through HP direct in November.
The dramatically re-designed HP Compaq dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC
presents a sleek impression and provides power-efficiency and performance
in a zero-footprint form factor appropriate for businesses of any size. The
HP dc7800 is the smallest PC that is Energy Star qualified in all
configurations while meeting power user requirements and enterprise demands
such as high-level flexibility, enhanced security and manageability.
With a starting price of $695 through HP direct or authorized resellers,
the PC also provides optional enhanced tools such as remote power
management software Verdiem SURVEYOR, which empowers customers to measure,
manage and reduce their PC network’s energy consumption and ultimately the
organization’s carbon footprint.
The HP dc7800 Ultra-slim Desktop PC extends HP’s 7000 Business PC series
providing maximum security, manageability and stability through
best-in-class computing technology, with productivity features such as
standard dual-display support and optional wireless capabilities. Enhanced
security delivered by HP’s Secure Advantage portfolio provides exclusive
full-volume hard drive encryption, while support of Windows ReadyBoost
helps ensure fast start-up of applications and optimizes the overall
responsiveness of the Vista operating system.
The HP Girl.com/arcade/”>Flash module option was designed for maximizing and enhancing
Windows ReadyBoost performance and improves application loading speed by as
much as 50% and a 20% increase in hard drive responsiveness. Available in
the U.S. and worldwide direct from HP or authorized resellers beginning
Sept. 5, the HP Compaq dc7800 PC also comes in Convertible Minitower and
Small Form Factor models and incorporates the latest Intel Q35 chipset and
Intel vPro 10 Processor Technology for added manageability, security and
reliability.
The HP ProLiant Blade workstation solution now supports Nvidia FX1600M 3D
graphics, Intel Xeon 64 bit quad-core processor technology and Red Hat
Enterprise Linux 4 operating environment, enabling new levels of business
continuity, data security and business efficiency for the finance, MCAD,
scientific research and command and control markets.
HP Session Allocation Manager provides enterprise management of user
connections and resources to enable powerful new multi-display,
multi-workstation work environments from any network access location. New
HP Labs compression technology also increases HP Remote Graphics Software
performance by up to 2X, which allows for higher resolution realtime, audio
synched video and 3D interaction. New remote USB capability allows USB
devices to be virtually attached to remote systems with local control and
access.
HP also announced the “Buy One, Get a Year” HP Care Pack. This rebate
allows customers to purchase a four-year, four-hour response HP Care Pack
on an eligible HP Business PC or workstation at the price of a three-year,
four-hour response HP Care Pack after mail-in rebate. The rebate will be
available on purchases made between July 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2007. More
information is available at www.hp.com/buy/onegetayear.
HP (www.hp.com) is among the world’s largest IT companies, with revenue
totaling $100.5 billion for the four fiscal quarters ended July 31, 2007.
Awards
65. CAMP LAZLO & SOUTH PARK EARN Girl.com/videos”>Animation EMMYS.
Emmys for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Girl.com/videos”>Animation were handed out
Saturday night (Sept. 
at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys as part of
the 59th Emmy Awards presentation at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. The
winners were:
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING ONE HOUR OR MORE) (Area
Award: Possibility of one, more than one or, if none has a majority
approval, no award.)
WHERE’S LAZLO? (CAMP LAZLO, Cartoon Network)
* Joe Murray, Exec Producer/Story by/Writer/Director
* Brian A. Miller, Exec Producer
* Mark O’Hare, Supervising Producer/Story by/Writer/Director
* Jennifer Pelphrey, Supervising Producer
* Janet Dimon, Producer
* Brian Sheesley, Supervising Director/Director
* Won Dong Kun, Girl.com/videos”>Animation Director
* Merriwether Williams, Story by
* Russell Calabrese, Timer
* Phil Cummings, Timer
* Lindsey Pollard, Timer
* Swinton O. Scott III, Timer
OUTSTANDING ANIMATED PROGRAM (FOR PROGRAMMING LESS THAN ONE HOUR)
“Make Love, Not Warcraft” (SOUTH PARK, Comedy Central)
* Trey Parker, Exec Producer/Director/Writer
* Matt Stone, Exec Producer
* Anne Garefino, Exec Producer
* Frank C. Agnone II, Supervising Producer
* Kyle McCulloch, Producer
* Eric Stough, Director of Girl.com/videos”>Animation
66. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA & NIGHTMARES TAKE VFX CREATIVE ARTS EMMY AWARDS.
Atmosphere Visual Effects took home the Emmy for “Outstanding Special
Visual Effects for a Series” for SCI FI Channel’s BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (NBC
Universal) season three episode: “Exodus, Part 2.” The award was presented
Saturday night (Sept. at the Creative Arts Primetime Emmys as part of
the 59th Emmy Awards presentation at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A.
In addition, Stargate Digital won for “Outstanding Special Visual Effects
for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special” for BATTLEGROUND (NIGHTMARES &
DREAMSCAPES: FROM THE STORIES OF STEPHEN KING).
The winning creative team for Atmosphere included Jeremy Hoey, lead matte
painter; Tom Archer, lead compositor; Andrew Karr, CGI supervisor; Alec
McClymont, lead CGI artist/animator; and Brenda Campbell, lead compositor.
The winning BATTLESTAR creative team included VFX supervisor, Gary Hutzel;
senior VFX coordinator, Michael Gibson; CG supervisor, Doug Drexler; and
CGI sequence designer, Adam “Mojo” Lebowitz.
“Exodus, Part 2″ featured the dramatic and dangerous rescue of the
colonists from the Cylon-occupied surface of the planet New Caprica and an
eye-arresting, explosive space show down between the Battlestars
“Galactica” and “Pegasus” and Cylon Base Stars, which ends in fiery triumph
and destruction.
“After a decade of being consistently and prominently honored with Emmy
Awards nominations for visual effects,” said Atmosphere principal Jeremy
Hoey, “this is the first time a Vancouver-based show has brought the award
home. We at Atmosphere are proud to share in this award and to take part in
such an outstanding production as BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.”
Meanwhile, the winning BATTLEGROUND creative team included VFX supervisor
Sam Nicholson (from Stargate Digital); VFX supervisor Eric Grenaudier; VFX
producer Mark Spatny (from Stargate Digital); CGI supervisor Adalberto
Lopez; lead CGI Model Maker Michael Cook; lead CGI animator Daniel Kumiega;
lead VFX compositor Megan Omi; lead VFX compositor Ryan Wieber; and VFX
producer Marc van Buuren.
67. DIGITAL DOMAIN, ILM, IMAGEWORKS, SIDE EFFECTS UP FOR SCIENTIFIC OSCARS.
The Scientific and Technical Awards Committee of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 15 scientific and technical
achievements have been selected for further awards consideration, with an
emphasis on fluid and other sim solvers.
The committee has selected the following methods or devices for further
consideration:
* Industrial Light & Magic Water System; ILM
* FSIM-Fluid Simulation Pipeline at Digital Domain; Digital Domain
* The Sandstorm Software System; Sony Pictures Imageworks
* Houdini’s Unified Dynamics Simulation Environments (DOPS); Side Effects
Software Inc.
* Realflow (V.4); Next Limit Technologies
* Prosthetic Transfer; Tinsley Transfers
* Stunt Fire Safety Gel; Fire for Hire
* Pressure Sensor Actuator; Precision Stunt Specialists
* Tiny Fogger; Look Solutions
* Schneider 35mm Image Quality Projection Test Film (CLT-1, CLT-2000,
CLT-006); Schneider Optics Inc.
* Kodak Vision2 Color Negative Films; Eastman Kodak Co.
* Diagnosis and Remediation of High Speed Emulsion Stress Syndrome;
Composite Components Co.
* Joker-Bug - Compact Versatile HMI Lighting Fixtures; K 5600 Inc.
* Technicolor Digital Printer Lights; Technicolor
* Skater Dolly Products Family; P+S Technik GmbH
The list is made public to allow individuals and companies with similar
devices, or claims of prior art, the opportunity to submit their
achievements for review. The deadline to submit additional entries is Sept.
20.
After thorough investigations are conducted on each of the entries, the
committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the
Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.
The Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented at the Beverly
Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills on Feb. 9, 2008.
For more information, contact Awards Administration Director Rich Miller at
310-247-3000, ext. 129, or via e-mail at scitech@oscars.org.
68. RACCOON & CRAWFISH WINS MOONDANCE SANDCASTLE AWARD FOR Girl.com/videos”>Animation.
RACCOON & CRAWFISH, the first 3D-ANIMATED short film created by the Oneida
Nation’s Four Direction Prods., won first place in the Girl.com/videos”>Animation category
at the 2007 Moondance International Film Festival. Moondance is a major
venue for the exhibition and promotion of feature and short films in the
U.S. and one of the leading indie film festivals in the world.
“This is just an exceptional accomplishment for us,” said Ray Halbritter,
exec producer and Nation Representative. “For our first effort to receive
critical recognition, and especially to win at Moondance, is a testament to
the talent of our creative team at Four Directions and to the Nation’s
commitment to excel in all its endeavors.”
In addition to the Moondance win, RACCOON & CRAWFISH took first place in
the professional Girl.com/videos”>Animation category at the Real to Reel Festival in North
Carolina earlier this year. The short also won two Telly Awards and was
screened at the Long Island International Film Festival in July and the
Rome International Film Festival last week. The ANIMATED short also is a
finalist in the Big Bear International Film Festival and California
International Girl.com/videos”>Animation Festival, as well as an official selection of the
Eugene International Film Festival. It will be screened at Great Lakes
International Film Festival, New England Film & Video Festival and the
Chicago International Children’s Film Festival.
RACCOON & CRAWFISH tells an ancient Oneida legend that has been passed down
through countless generations of storytellers. Like many Oneida legends,
this story uses characters from the animal kingdom to point a moral — in
this case, the dangers of boasting and deception.
Call for Entries
69. AKBANK SHORT FILM FESTIVAL CALLS FOR ENTRIES.
Akbank Short Film Festival 2007
Akbank, Turkey
Dec. 3-13, 2007
Deadline: Sept. 15, 2007
Akbank Short Film Festival is organized to encourage the production of
short films. The event is designed to support and inform new filmmakers who
contribute to the national film industry, and introduce various short films
and their makers from different cultures. The festival represents a
platform to discuss short films, and thus contribute to the formation of
new creative ideas in the industry.
The festival includes an International Section, Documentary Section,
Girl.com/videos”>Animation Shorts, Short to Feature, Special Section and Workshops. The
festival also has an out-of-competition selection.
For more information, visit www.akbankkisafilm.com.
70. WORLDFEST-HOUSTON BECKONS.
41st Annual WorldFest-Houston
Houston, Texas, USA
April 11 - 20, 2008
Deadline: Dec. 15, 2007
Founded in 1961, WorldFest is the third-oldest competitive international
film festival in North America. It gave first honors and awards to Steven
Spielberg, George Lucas, Randall Kleiser, Ridley Scott, Ang Lee, The Coen
Brothers, Robert Rodriguez and many more. The festival screens 50-60 new
features and some 100 new shorts, in 35mm and digital video DLP projection
in a large commercial theater complex. The event offers great networking
opportunities, as more than 450 international filmmakers attend, and the
general audience exceeds 25,000 at the 10-day event. There is an awards
gala, parties, Texas BBQ, regatta on the bay, VIP tour of NASA, Festival
Club (no stinkin’ badges required) and six professional production
seminars. The early-bird discount deadline is Nov. 15, 2005. The main entry
deadline is Dec. 15, 2005. For more information, visit www.worldfest.org.
Events
71. JUNGLE BOOK PANEL SWINGS AT EL CAPITAN.
There was a lovely and lively JUNGLE BOOK reunion at the El Capitan in
Hollywood last night (Sept. 6), kicking off an 18-day engagement in honor
of the 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition DVD coming Oct. 2 from Walt Disney
Home Ent.
Veteran Disney producer Don Hahn (THE LION KING, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST)
presided over a panel that included an on-stage reunion of three of the
original voice talents: Bruce Reitherman (voice of Mowgli), Darlene Carr
(voice of Shanti) and Chad Stuart (voice of Flaps the vulture), who were
joined by legendary songwriter Richard Sherman and current Disney animator
Andreas Deja.
Reitherman, the son of Disney animator and JUNGLE BOOK director Wolfgang
Reitherman, said it was a great experience and revealed that the animators
utilized live-action test footage of his mannerisms. Prior to his JUNGLE
BOOK experience, he voiced Christopher Robin in the original WINNIE THE
POOH AND THE HONEY TREE short.
Carr, who is the sister of Charmian Carr from THE SOUND OF MUSIC, actually
dubbed some of the children’s singing voices in the movie. She was under
contract and was approached by Sherman on the Disney lot to demo “My Own
Home.” Disney liked the demo enough to hire her for the role.
Stuart, who was part of the singing duo Chad and Jeremy with Jeremy Clyde,
said it was fun doing a Beatlesque voice. However, Sherman ironically
divulged that Disney nixed the idea of doing the song “That’s What Friends
Are For” (The Vulture Song) as a Beatles parody for fear of being dated.
Instead Sherman and his brother/partner Robert wrote it as a barbershop
quartet.
Deja showed off the brilliant layout work of Milt Kahl, as well as a
striking Frank Thomas pencil test of Baloo (Phil Harris) teaching Mowgli
how to fight and growl.
And Sherman recounted how nervous he was in trying to entice Louis Prima to
record “I Wanna Be Like You,” but footage of the recording session revealed
how much style and energy Prima and his band provided. Sherman concluded
that it was a rare privilege to participate in Walt’s last film.
Beginning Sept. 7, THE JUNGLE BOOK will screen daily at 10:00 am, 12:15 pm,
2:30 pm, 4:45 pm, 7:00 pm and 9:15 pm. Tickets for all performances can be
purchased at the El Capitan box office, online at www.elcaptiantickets.com,
or by calling 1-800-Disney6. Special group rates for parties of 20 or more
are available by calling 1-818-845-3110.
Walt Disney Home Ent.’s two-disc 40th Anniversary Platinum Edition DVD of
THE JUNGLE BOOK features an all-new digital restoration with enhanced
picture and sound, and presents the film for the first time in its original
aspect ratio. The original theatrical soundtrack has been meticulously
restored for this release, and available audio tracks include English
(Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) and Spanish (Dolby
Digital 2.0 Stereo). Among the DVD’s new bonus features are: “The Bare
Necessities: The Making of THE JUNGLE BOOK,” “Disney’s Kipling: Walt’s
Magic Touch on a Literary Classic,” “The Lure of THE JUNGLE BOOK,”
“Mowgli’s Return to the Jungle,” “Baloo’s Virtual Swingin’ Jungle Cruise,”
a glimpse of the film’s lost character, Rocky the Rhino (recreated with
storyboards and original voice recordings by Frank Fontaine), along with
audio commentary, a still-frame gallery and English learning features.
72. SPECIAL HALO 3 PRESENTATION AT //ADAPT 2007 CONFERENCE.
CJ Cowan, director of Cinematics at Bungie Studios, will present HALO 3 at
the //ADAPT 2007 Conference in Montreal on Sept. 27. This will mark the
first behind-the-scenes glimpse following the Sept. 25 launch of the highly
anticipated Xbox 360 game. //ADAPT will take place Sept. 24-28 at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel.
Cowan will demonstrate how a robust pipeline and efficient iteration time
provided the studio with the toolset to create the most polished cinematics
of the entire HALO trilogy: demonstrating its in-house Maya toolset and the
method the studio uses to work with its proprietary in-engine cinematic
tools.
“As a conference geared towards improving our craft, production and
technology, //ADAPT is the perfect venue to talk about how Bungie pushes
all the limits on Girl.com/videos”>Animation in a realtime environment through incredible
support from graphics and tools engineers,” said Cowan.
An estimated 2,500 people from around the world are expected at the
industry’s second annual creative event focused on inspiring and teaching
advanced digital art production techniques for film, visual effects and
videogame development. The program includes more than 40 digital art
masters, an Art Expo, a Theater, a Job Fair and more.
//ADAPT 2007 tickets are currently available with limited seating. Take
advantage of the early bird $100 rebate and the extended promotion of an
additional $50 off the regular price of conference tickets. //ADAPT Call
for Entries welcomes all students, amateurs, professionals and studios to
submit their most outstanding ANIMATED content for the //ADAPT Theater or
digital art for the //Art Expo. For submission guidelines, summary of
events and to purchase tickets, please visit www.adaptmontreal.com.
Bungie Studios (www.bungie.net) has produced games such as the MARATHON
trilogy and the first two MYTH games. HALO 3 concludes the award-winning
action franchise that has grown into a global entertainment phenomenon,
selling more than 14.8 million units worldwide, logging more than 800
million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox Live and spawning action
figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel and more.
Digital 04 Studios, created for artists by artists, is the corporate entity
presenting and organizing the //ADAPT Conference, co-founded by, Jean-Eric
Henault, Emile Ghorayeb and Jonathan Abenhaim. The //ADAPT Conference was
established in 2006 by Digital 04 Studios to teach advanced digital art
production techniques and to promote digital artists worldwide.
73. INFINITE CANVAS: THE ART OF WEBCOMICS LAUNCHES AT MOCCA.
Infinite Canvas: The Art of Webcomics
New York, New York, USA
Sept. 13 - Jan. 14, 2008
The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) is hosting the exhibit
“Infinite Canvas: The Art of Webcomics.” The event brings comics from the
web page to the MoCCA stage and explores three aspects of online comics:
the unique format and design of webcomics, their appeal to niche audiences,
and the transitions between web and print comics.
Curator Jennifer Babcock, who also draws the syndicated webcomic C’EST LA
VIE, explains that webcomics are free of the space constraints and
editorial censorship to which printed comics are often subjected. Webcomics
also provide an outlet for a greater diversity of creators and audiences,
she says, resulting in numerous niche-specific features.
This exhibit incorporates original artwork, prints of finished art, and
digital displays. Featured in the exhibit will be the immensely popular
PENNY ARCADE, PHD, SLUGGY FREELANCE, USER FRIENDLY, DIESEL SWEETIES, MOM’S
CANCER, FINDER, SUPERNATURAL LAW, QUESTIONABLE CONTENT, SOMETHING POSITIVE,
SCARY GO ROUND, ACHEWOOD, NARBONIC, GOATS and MY OBSESSION WITH CHESS by
Scott McCloud, among many others.
The exhibit also includes a new installment of MoCCA’s New York Artist
Showcase, focusing on the NYC members of the webcomics collective
ACT-I-VATE (AIV). The LiveJournal community site act-i-vate.com features
daily installments of in-progress graphic novels from a group of
accomplished cartoonists.
The opening reception will be held Thursday, Sept. 13, at 7:00 pm.
Admission to the reception is $10. The exhibit will be on display until
Jan. 14, 2008.
MoCCA is located at 594 Broadway, Suite 401, between Prince and Houston.
Hours are Friday through Monday from noon to five. Admission is only $5.
Members are admitted free. For more information about the museum or
specific MoCCA events, exhibitions and programs, visit the museum’s website
www.moccany.org or on myspace at www.myspace.com/moccany.
74. DRAGON WARS INVADES L.A.
Dragon Wars L.A. Premiere
Hollywood, California, USA
Sept. 13, 2007
The American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre is hosting the L.A. premiere
of DRAGON WARS. Starring Jason Behr (THE GRUDGE), Amanda Brooks
(FLIGHTPLAN) and Robert Forster (JACKIE BROWN), and written & directed by
Hyung Rae Shim, DRAGON WARS is rumored to be the most expensive Korean film
ever made, a super big-budget giant monster fest with state-of-the art
special effects. Dragon-like creatures from an ancient legend appear in Los
Angeles, scale buildings, flip cars and terrorize the city in search of a
Girl named Sarah. While investigating one of the disaster sites, TV
reporter Ethan uncovers a piece of debris, which directly links him to this
legend. Ethan must realize his destiny as an ancient warrior who was reborn
to protect Sarah from the evil dragons and save the city from total
destruction. Discussion after the film will include members of cast & crew,
with a reception to follow. Special admission prices for this show
(includes reception) are $15; seniors & students, $12; members, $10. For
more information, visit www.americancinematheque.com.
75. CARTOON TRIBUTES CELEBRATES DEVELOPMENT OF EUROPEAN Girl.com/videos”>Animation.
Cartoon Tributes
Girona, Spain
Sept. 19-22, 2007
The Catalonian city of Girona is hosting the second annual Cartoon
Tributes, the European Association of Girl.com/videos”>Animation Film’s recognition of
companies’ contribution to the development of the European Girl.com/videos”>Animation
industry. Created in 2006, the Cartoon Tributes has three categories:
Broadcaster of the Year, Investor/Distributor of the Year and Producer of
the Year. The winners are voted on by the more than 750 participants in the
18th Cartoon Forum, which will be celebrated this year Sept. 19-22 in
Girona.
The Cartoon Tributes, along with the Cartoon d’Or for best ANIMATED short
film, is organized within the framework of the Cartoon Forum, the most
important European event for Girl.com/videos”>Animation for TV and new media such as the
Internet and mobile telephony.
The 15 companies nominated as finalists in the three categories come from
six European countries: Spain, France, Germany, the U.K., Italy and the
Netherlands.
Organized by CARTOON (European Association of Girl.com/videos”>Animation Film) with the
support of the MEDIA Programme of the European Union, the main partners of
Cartoon Forum Catalunya are Generalitat de Catalunya - Institut Catala de
les Industries Culturals (ICIC), Televisio de Catalunya (TVC) and Catalan
Films & TV (CF&TV). The event also has the support of Instituto de la
CinematografÃÂa y de las Artes Audiovisuales (ICAA), Ajuntament de Girona,
MEDIA Antena Catalunya and Universitat de Girona.
For further information, visit www.cartoon-media.be.
76. GNOMON & VES PRESENT STATE OF THE ART IN GAMING WITH EA LA.
The State of the Art Technology in Gaming with EA LA
Hollywood, California, USA
September 20, 2007
Gnomon School of Visual Effects and VES are presenting “The State of the
Art Technology in Gaming with EA LA.” Richard Winn Taylor II, Cinematic
Director, EA LA, will take attendees behind the scenes of the cinematic
sequences in COMMAND CONQUER 3 TIBERIUM WARS. Topics will cover live-action
photography with soft set extensions and graphic stylizations and the
design and production of the HD Maya cinematic sequences.
Habib Zagarpour, Art Director, EA LA, will demonstrate some of the design
considerations for the environment, the physics and the lighting for NEED
FOR SPEED MOST WANTED. He will demonstrate the ICE (In game Camera Editor)
and will briefly demo some other tools being used in previz for game
environments and cinematic sequences.
Lance Powell, Senior Artist, EA LA, will show how a game engine works by
demonstrating how the Unreal Engine was used to make MOHA. He will then
show hi-lights of MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE and talk about some of the design
challenges in the making of a game like MOHA.
A meet & greet will begin at 6:00 pm, followed by the presentation at 7:00
pm.  It will take place at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, 1015 N.
Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, California 90038. This event is free of charge.
RSVP to reserve@gnomon3d.com.
77. NEXT THURSDAY IS WIA’S STORYBOARD PITCH NITE.
WIA’s Storyboard Pitch Nite
North Hollywood, California, USA
Sept. 20, 2007
WIA is again hosting its monthly Storyboard Pitch Nite. Special guest
Melissa Suber, who is working on story for HOODWINKED 2, as well as
illustrating/writing children’s books, will be in attendance. The event
gives artists a chance to pitch their boards and receive critiques from the
crowd. Reserve a spot in the audience or for pitching by e-mailing
jesskreig@gmail.com.
Storyboard Pitch Nite meets from 7:00 to 10:00 pm at the Girl.com/videos”>Animation Guild,
4729 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, California 91602. It is free to WIA
members and $5 for non-members.
78. LEARN HOW TO ATTRACT THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION.
Millennials Conference 2007
New York, New York, USA
Sept. 27, 2007
Digital Media Wire hosts the Millennials Conference, to be held at the
Scandinavia House in New York City on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007. The one-day
event brings together executives and consumer marketers from leading media,
entertainment and technology companies, including Disney, Yahoo!, MTV,
Alloy, XM Satellite Radio, Nokia, Habbo Hotel, Stardoll.com, Major League
Gaming, GGL, and World Series of Girl.com/arcade/”>Girl.com/arcade/”>Videogames to focus on how to connect with
the much sought-after Millennial Generation (those born between 1978 and
2000), who will outnumber both Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers by 2010, and will
become the most significant consumer sector for the media and entertainment
industries.
In addition to the speaking sessions and networking, participants are
invited to a VIP reception at the residence of the Consul General of Sweden
in New York.  Participants also receive MILLENNIALS & THE DIGITAL
ENTERTAINMENT AGE: A SOURCEBOOK FOR CONSUMER MARKETERS, a valuable
collection of practical articles and materials about Millennials authored
by Pete Markiewicz (Co-Author, MILLENNIALS & THE POP CULTURE), Ned Sherman
(CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire), Dave Jaworski (CEO, Passalong
Networks), and a distinguished group of guest contributors.
Event sponsors and media partners include Yahoo!,  Sulake (Habbo Hotel),
Passalong, Consulate General of Sweden (New York),  Stardoll, VictorHouse,
YPulse, 12 to 20, New York-Tokyo, Parks Associates, and NVPR.
For details visit www.millennialsconference.com/ny/.
79. INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE FILM FESTIVAL COMES TO SANTA FE.
4th annual Rivers & Birds Wild Film! Festival
Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
Sept. 28-29, 2007
Wild Film!, taking place at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe,
is produced by Rivers & Birds. Now in its ninth year, Rivers & Birds is an
award-winning, nonprofit conservation-education organization providing
programs to help people realize their interconnection with all life. All
proceeds from the Wild Film Festival benefit Rivers & Birds’ experiential
conservation-education programs for public school children. Rivers & Birds
is teaching the next generation of Earth stewards and, in this spirit, the
2007 Wild Film! festival is being co-produced with the help of the Rivers &
Birds’ Environmental Youth Interns.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for children for the evening feature
films, available at the Lensic box office, 505-988-1234, www.lensic.org,
and $5 per person for the “Shorts for Shorties” program, available at the
door of the Jean Cocteau Theater. For film descriptions, visit
www.riversandbirds.org.
80. WEBBYS BRING OWN STYLE TO FIRST SUMMIT.
WebbyConnect 2007
Laguna Beach, California, USA
Oct. 3-5, 2007
The Webby Awards will bring its trademark flair and style to the staid
world of industry conferences with its first-ever summit. WebbyConnect
offers attendees an opportunity to interact and engage with more than 30
Webby Award winners, Academy members and Internet innovators in fields such
as entertainment, advertising and politics.
The three-day program on the future of the Internet and emerging media
features a diverse roster of speakers, including Internet co-inventor
Vinton Cerf, Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington, MySpace co-founder
Josh Berman, Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, BoingBoing co-editor David
Pescovitz, and AKQA Global Creative Director Rei Inamoto.
The summit will take place at The St. Regis Resort in Laguna Beach, the
only five-star resort in California. For details, visit
www.webbyawards.com/connect.
81. WALK LIKE A ZOMBIE TO THE ATLANTA HORRORFEST.
Atlanta HorrorFest 2007
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Oct. 4-7, 2007
Atlanta Horror Fest is a four-day indie horror festival, which includes
live music and some bloody spectacular special events, including the Zombie
Walk Atlanta. There will also be a horror art show, zombie photo shoot and
a costume contest. The event is held at Lenny’s Bar and the Highland Inn.
For more info on AHF, visit atlantahorrorfest.com.
82. ONE WEEK LEFT FOR INDIEGAMESCON EARLY-BIRD REGISTRATION DISCOUNT.
IndieGamesCon 2007
Eugene, Oregon, USA
Oct. 10-11, 2007
IndieGamesCon, hosted by GarageGames, is the fifth annual conference
dedicated to independent game developers. The two-day conference offers a
chance for indie developers to meet face-to-face with their peers, Girl.com/arcade/”>GAMERS,
and industry professionals to discuss issues, trends, and opportunities in
indie gaming. Activities include round-table discussions led by veterans of
indie game development, an indie musical jam session on Sept. 10th, the
granting of Player’s Choice awards to the most popular games in the
show-off center, and plenty of opportunity to demonstrate and discover new
indie game projects. Check out more info at indiegamescon.com.
83. LARGEST GATHERING OF BLOGGERS AT BLOGWORLD.
BlogWorld & New Media 2007
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Nov. 7-9, 2007
Thousands of bloggers, vloggers and podcasters are set to descend on Las
Vegas for BlogWorld & New Media Expo, the world’s first industry-wide
blogging tradeshow. The inaugural event, to be held at the Las Vegas
Convention Center, with pre-show seminars Wednesday, Nov. 7, will bring
together professional and citizen journalists, entertainment icons,
industry pundits, and popular social communities, as well as Internet radio
and TV producers and podcasters, in the most important assembly of future
new-media moguls.
Designed to help experienced content creators and newbies alike, BlogWorld
& New Media Expo will feature more than 60 seminars, panel discussions and
keynotes. The Expo promises sessions on blogging basics, podcasting, video
blogging, monetization strategies, increasing readership and blog site
“stickiness,” use of RSS (really simple syndication), search engine
optimization, blogging in the political arena, and other topics of interest
to veteran and first-time bloggers.
The conference will host several major blogging communities, including
business, technology, politics, sports, lifestyle and pop culture,
milbloggers, mommy bloggers and godbloggers.
Exhibitors will include blog-publishing software, advertising networks,
affiliate program providers, RSS syndication services, news readers,
aggregators, computer hardware and software companies, Wi-Fi services,
broadband ISPs, web-hosting companies, podcasting services, pro audio and
video recording equipment and blog consultants.
For more information, visit www.blogworldexpo.com.
84. UPCOMING EVENTS IN Girl.com/videos”>Animation.
Search AWN’s expansive Calendar of Events section for a list of Girl.com/videos”>Animation
and visual effects events spanning into the year 2008. Find out about all
the places where you can see the hottest toons or showcase your own work at
