AWN Headline News

On Monday, November 29, 1999, Time Warner launched its new Internetentertainment network, Entertaindom. The new channel is the first on-lineentertainment network produced from a major media company. The channel willoffer a smorgasbord of on-line entertainment, news, and services from Warner'svast vault of branded material. Entertaindom will include entertainmentnews andinformation from "Entertainment Weekly," CNN, Reuters, "Variety" and othersources, including music and TV stories, movie reviews, hit lists and critics'

Famous Technologies has announced that version 1.5 of its stand-alone facialanimation system FAMOUSfaces is now shipping. The program, which is aimed atfilm, broadcast, games and location-based entertainment developers now boastssome amazing new features. The software allows character animators to createrealistic facial animation using one of, or a combination of any of thefollowing input devices: motion-capture, video, puppetry devices, voicerecognition or cluster targetting. New in version 1.5, animators can use the

Varga Holdings, one of Europe's leading animation and special effectsproduction houses, has completed its extensive restructuring. Group CEO Andrs Erkel andGroup Managing Director Jan Sawkins announced Varga Studios has been renamedVarga Budapest Ltd. and Varga tvc Ltd. has been newly named Varga London Ltd,while Varga Commercials' name remains the same. The new structure is Varga'sstrategy to unify the company and create a standard corporate identityunder one Varga logo. In addition, the Budapest and London branches of the company

ROBERT DALY is on deck with the DODGERS. The former Warner Bros. CEO andchairman has purchased 10% of the Los Angeles Dodgers from Fox EntertainmentGroup. According to the October 29, 1999 issue of DAILY VARIETY, Daly willtake over complete control of the team, however he has said that he willconsult Fox before making any major moves. We'll all be looking forward to thatfirst Ted Turner-owner Braves and Dodgers match-up for sure.

We have more information to add to the Pokemon insanity. Last weekend whenPOKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE debuted in theatres, the TV series POKEMON stoleenough kids away for the local movie house to finish #1 and #2 for both weekdays andSaturday morning. The weekday 7am POKEMON averaged a Kids WB! record 4.8rating, 32 share, in kids 2-11, and surprisingly beat all other weekday kids series,morning and afternoon,except for its chief competitor the WB's 4pm. POKEMON.

Those toon titans of TOY STORY 2 crushed box office records over theThanksgiving weekend. The Buzz and Woody vehicle beat the 5-day non-summeropening record set by POKEMON: THE FIRST MOVIE two weeks ago and beat ABUG'S LIFE's record for the largest Thanksgiving weekend gross with a takehome of US$80.5 million. The sequel to the $192 million blockbuster had thefourth biggest five-day total in history. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, withprimary visual effects by Digital Film, Cinesite London, and Magic Camera,

Lovebytes Digital Arts Festival 2000 invites entries of film, video,multimedia and net art to feature in a substantial exhibition of digital work forexhibition in April, 2000. In its fifth year, the festival features amixture of digital art and media including exhibitions, seminars, screenings, speciallycommissioned artworks, alongside workshops and live performances from some ofthe world's most innovative digital sound and multimedia artists. All eventswill be staged in Sheffield's Media and Exhibition Centre. If you produce

WALT DISNEY INTERNATIONAL-LATIN AMERICA gets 11 new executives to helpDiego Lerner, president and managing director of Walt DisneyInternational-Latin America, increase the business opportunities for Disneyin Latin America. The new structure for Disney Latin America will consistsof four territory offices. Walt Disney International-Argentina, based inBuenos Aires, will handle Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay and be headed byLerner. Walt Disney International-Andean Region, based in Santiago de