AWN Headline News

Walt Disney-owned companies Touchstone Television Productions and ABCTelevision Group are merging to form ABC Entertainment Television Group.According to ABC Television Group president Pat Fili-Krushel, "The goal inconsolidation is to produce creative results that result in more Disneyproduct on ABC and also allow us to achieve economies of scale." In otherwords, this consolidation will likely result in more Disney-producedtelevision programming appearing on ABC (Touchstone currently has only two

"Shorties" is a series of two-minute animated shorts that re-interpret someof Hanna-Barbera's lesser known, but fondly-remembered characters such asAtom Ant, Jabberjaw, and Wally Gator. The shorts began to air in Junethroughout the day on Cartoon Network during breaks from regularlyscheduled programming. They feature original plots and different animationtechniques for each short, and aim to update these characters with anironic, post-modern twist. Techniques include cel animation, cut-outs,

The CBS Television Network's 1999-2000 Saturday Morning schedule, whichbegins on October 2, includes three returning shows and three new ones, allproduced by Toronto-based Nelvana. The new series are RESCUE HEROES,BLASTER'S UNIVERSE, and NEW TALES FROM THE CRYPT. RESCUES HEROES is about ateam of international emergency response professionals, and is designed tointroduce young viewers to preparedness and safety techniques. BLASTER'SUNIVERSE is based on a series of CD-ROMs from Knowledge Adventure. Set in

Given the fact that TARZAN OF THE APES, Edgar Rice Burroughs' first Tarzannovel, has already spawned innumerable sequels in both print and movieform, it should be no surprise that Disney already has plans for a sequelto its very successful TARZAN. Decisions regarding whether the sequel willbe theatrical or direct-to-video, as well as who will direct it, have yetto be announced.

Sirius Thinking, Ltd. has hired Sharon Lerner as senior vice-president ofcreative development and animation producer for the new series BETWEEN THELINES, a series for children that is scheduled to premiere on PBS in April2000. Lerner was one of the first ten people hired by Children's TelevisionWorkshop to create SESAME STREET, and was, until recently, thevice-president and publisher of the Random House Children's Media Division.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has awarded Trendmasters, Inc., a toydesigner and manufacturer, the master toy license for Cartoon Network'sanimated series including THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, DEXTER'S LABORATORY and COW& CHICKEN. In addition, Trendmasters has also secured the master toy rightsfor Cartoon Network's classic characters including Yogi Bear andSnagglepuss. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Trendmasters,Inc. has the rights to produce toy related merchandise including toy

Beginning July 2, star characters from Nickelodeon's popular BLUE'S CLUESand RUGRATS shows, "character breakfasts" featuring Woody Woodpecker,Spiderman, and other world-famous cartoon stars are part of the fun plannedfor kids this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood. "Blue's Clues Live"follows the format of the children's television show. Guided by cluessupplied by "Blue," kids solve puzzles, play games, and sing songs alongwith Blue. "Woody Woodpecker's Clubhouse" features a themed playground

Workout your character voices July 10, and every second Saturday of themonth, at Aliso Creek Productions in Burbank, California, USA. Directed byMJ Lall, voice over actor, coach, and producer, you'll read scripts byWomen In Animation writers, and do voice-to-picture workouts for WIAartists. Voice over artists, writers, and artists are encouraged to attendand participate with samples of their work. Call Aliso Creek to register at(818) 954-9931.

Full Sail, an animation school in Florida, has hired Rita Street as ChiefEditor of Full Sail's Platinum Creative Department. She will be in chargeof advertising copywriting, editing Full Sail's magazine, GET IN!, abi-annual which is about Full Sail and getting a job in the animationindustry in general, plus writing copy for Full Sail's web-site which willre-launch with a new look in September. Street was formerly Editor in Chiefof FILM AND VIDEO in Los Angeles.

Long-withheld due to a legal snag, this fall MGM Home Entertainment will bereissuing YELLOW SUBMARINE. This release will restore YELLOW SUBMARINE toits original English release length, which is said to be three and a halfminutes longer than the US release, restoring the "Hey Bulldog" sequencethat was cut for reasons of length for the original Amercian theatricalrelease. MGM/UA's new transfer is said to be bright and colorful, without atrace of the film dirt and scratches that mar the earlier video release.

Affiliated with the World Science Fiction Convention, the North AmericanScience Fiction Convention which takes place in Anaheim, California, August26 - 29, 1999, is held whenever the WSFC is outside of North America (as itis this year in Australia). The convention includes hundreds of authors,artists, and filmmakers as speakers; an art show; a dealers room; films;costume competition; dances; parties and more. The film competition acceptsentries in 16mm and VHS (NTSC only), to be judged by a panel of working TV

An Evening with the Professionals meets every third Thursday of themonth. This is a studio field trip series which brings the audienceinto a different studio each month to talk to industry professionals abouta topic that changes monthly. The topic for July 17 (7-9 pm) is, "Whatwriters should know about producers." It is hosted by Rhythm & Hues, andthe speakers include Ken Roupenian (Producer at Rhythm & Hues), KareyMaltzahn (2D/Post Exececutive Producer at Rhythm & Hues), Lynne Southerland