Rhythm & Hues Studios would like to meet digital artists interested in future employment at our studios. In order to participate you must be a digital artist with 2+ years professional experience. We invite you to attend one of our two lunchtime gatherings:
March 17th - Belmont near Redwood City March 18th - Alameda in the East Bay
New 3D CG feature animation studio, CritterPix Studios, located in San Rafael, California, has secured representation of Hollywood heavyweight attorneys, Jake Bloom, of Bloom, Hergott and Diemer, and also that of Fred Bernstein of Manatt, Philips and Phelps, to land a distribution deal with a studio for CritterPixs first feature project.
Vamsi M. Ayyagari takes a look at what occurred in the 3D industry in Asia and India during 2003.
Marvel Enterprises Inc. has hired David Maisel as president and coo of Marvel Studios. He will work on expanding Marvel's success into new entertainment arenas as well as maximizing the commercial success of Marvel Studios' future feature film releases. Four feature films based on Marvel characters will be released in 2004: THE PUNISHER (Lions Gate, April 16), SPIDER-MAN 2 (Columbia, July 2), BLADE: TRINITY (New Line, Aug. 13) and MAN-THING (Artisan, October).
Vancouver Canada-based Global Mechanic has expanded its operations to the United States in order to serve its increased business in commercial, television production, and independent film work.
P. Jayakumar has been elevated to coo and Tiersa Christine has been moved up to director of production of Toonz USA, the Burbank-based studio's operations in India, headed by president/ceo Bill Dennis.
Zoic Studios has announced that Michael Capton has joined the company as head of CG for the company's commercial division.
Boston-based Viewpoint Studios produced the theatrical, television and radio advertising campaigns for Discovery Channels newest special presentation, NEFERTITI RESURRECTED, which premieres August 17, 2003 at 8:00 pm, with rebroadcasts Aug. 18 at 12:00 and 3:00 am plus Aug. 24 at 10:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Mark Fleischer, grandson of the legendary cartoon mogul Max Fleischer and president of Fleischer Studios, will be presented with the key to Miami-Dade County in Florida at 10:00 am on August 14, 2003. The ceremony will take place at the historic Miami building Fleischer Studios occupied in the 1930s and 1940s. Fleischer was one of the first major businesses to move to the Miami area, producing some of the worlds most beloved animation series and features.
Cosgrove Hall co-founder Mark Hall has followed in his partner s (Brian Cosgrove) footsteps, announcing his official retirement, July 17, 2003, from the company he started 27 years ago in Manchester, England. He helped make the company into one of the most prolific animation studios in the world and a winner of numerous international and national awards including six BAFTAs and three International Emmys.
After premiering at Universal Studio's Hollywood theme park in May 23, 2003, the SHREK 4D attraction opened June 16 at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, continuing DreamWorks' Oscar-winning blockbuster with "OgreVision" animation and "sensory immersion."
THE DIGITAL STUDIO, an iHollywood Forum Inc. summit exploring the impact of digital technologies on film and TV, will be held June 19-20, 2003, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Wyndham Belage Hotel in West Hollywood. Keynote speakers will include Chuck Comiskey, visual effects supervisor for James Cameron's Earthship Prods.; Steve Wright, technical director Cinesite; and Volker Engel, Oscar award-winner for Best Special Effects for INDEPENDENCE DAY.
The animation unit responsible for Disney's DVD-premiere movies such as THE LION KING 2: SIMBA'S PRIDE has been renamed DisneyToon Studios. The new name and logo were officially unveiled on June 5, 2003, at an internal event held at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. The new division, which split from Walt Disney Television Animation in January, is overseen by evp Sharon Morrill, in charge of all aspects of production and development for the Disney Video Premieres and MovieToons produced by DisneyToon Studios. She reports to David Stainton, president, Walt Disney Feature Animation.
310 Studios and Hacienda Post have recently wrapped all post production work on the upcoming direct-to-video 3D feature, BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT, produced by the LEGO Company, Create TV and Film, and Creative Capers Entertainment. Debuting on DVD and home video September 16, 2003, the feature film is based on the successful BIONICLE brand and will be distributed under the Miramax Home Entertainment label via Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
Los Angeles-based Zoic Studios, along with motion-capture specialists at Motion Analysis Studios (MAS) and Nexus Digital Studios, have created the epic effects for the show finale of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, airing May 20, 2003 at 8:00 pm on UPN. Zoic co-founder Loni Peristere has been working closely with BUFFY creator Joss Whedon since the first season. Along with his Zoic Studios and fellow digital effects supervisor Patti Gannon, Peristere and Whedon have been batting around ideas for the historic last episode for months.
S4 Studios a traditional/3D animation design and content creation studio founded in 1999 in the San Fernando Valley, has opened its new studio in the heart of Hollywood. The new facility, located at 1529 N. Cahuenga Boulevard, will allow the growing studio greater access to its core businesses of trailers, network graphics and TV commercials while continuing to develop original content for motion pictures, television, direct to video and online.
David Brown, co-founder and ceo of Blue Sky Studios, passed away April 11, 2003 at the age of 64 in Westchester County, New York. Brown, joined MAGI SynthaVision to lead the newly opened New York sales and production facility. As the industry downsized in the late '80s he helped co-found Blue Sky Productions (later renamed Blue Sky Studios), in White Plains, New York in 1987. In the early years he concentrated on developing an animation language built around ray tracing mathematics. Blue Sky focused on photo realism and character animation.
Walt Disney Picture's gift for the start of spring and a safe film for parents to take their kids to is PIGLET'S BIG MOVIE, opening in theaters across America March 21, 2003. The second ever original animated Pooh feature created for the big screen, it follows in the successful footsteps of the 2001 release of THE TIGGER MOVIE. The Hundred Acre Wood characters have appeared in four previous theatrical featurettes, three Disney Video Premiere releases, four holiday-themed primetime television specials and two TV series.
Paul Golden is onboard at Vinton Studios in Portland, Oregon to spearhead its commercial division as the new president of advertising. Golden's mandate is to encourage the advertising community to turn to Vinton Studios for its variety of abilities including CGI, cel animation, live-action and motion graphics. "I want to correct the general misperception that we're all about clay," said Golden. He also plans to emphasize the individual directors and their unique styles rather than the studio as a whole.
The upfront season has started with Cartoon Network first out of the toon gate as it unveiled its substantial new programming slate for 2003 in New York City. All the networks are embarking upon the annual dog and pony show (upfronts) to attract potential advertisers and sponsors to support their season slates. Highlights include three new series, 20 shorts with Lucasfilm Ltd. and new episodes of returning series that will provide more than 400 new half-hours of programming.
Philip H. Knight, co-founder of Nike, Inc., has become the majority shareholder of Portland, Oregon-based Vinton Studios after making a financial investment in the company. The amount of the investment was undisclosed. In addition, Knight will join Vintons board of directors. "Phil Knights investment and board involvement is a tremendous boost to our strategic plan to take Vinton Studios to the highest competitive level in both entertainment and commercial production," said Vinton CEO and president Jeff Farnath.
Fees if $8 for WIA members and $12 for non-members per session.
Time: 7:30pm Where:Take Refuge Studios 630 Allen Ave., Glendale, CA Special Directions: Allen Ave. is roughly a quarter mile east of Alameda Ave., and you take victory there as you would to EarthSalt Studios. Turn North travel a block and a half and you'll see a commercial building with the name SAI on it, with a wide driveway. Turn into the driveway, go to the back of the building, park and enter in the door with Take Refuge on it. Go up stairs.
Production agency CeMEDIA (Central European Media Workshop) has added Hungary's FirkaFilm to its production network and named it "First Base Studio" for the CeMEDIA production pipeline. Firka will control the overall production process and subcontract to other CeMEDIA member studios. Under contract with Varga Studios, Firka has provided animation services for an ANGELINA BALLERINA special and most recently completed the animation for 5 episodes of the series MR. BEAN. CeMedia will be at MIPCOM to distribute nearly 50 hours of animation provided by their European member studios.
PowerHouse Studios, Inc., a group of affiliated companies in the technology, entertainment, game, healthcare and education industries, has appointed Jay Elliot as CEO. Elliot will be responsible for overseeing the entire PowerHouse operation from its headquarters in Los Angeles. As a member of PowerHouse's Board of Directors, Elliot has recently overseen the acquisition of Agate Technologies, Inc. as well as entertainment development partnerships with Bluetorch Media, Nuvo Studios and Thrilling Entertainment.
SecondSun Entertainment has teamed with Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures to screen its new animated short cartoon, SOMETHING FISHY, together with the film THE MASTER OF DISGUISE, starring Dana Carvey, now in theaters. The 3-minute short, about a little shrimp and his position in the food chain, was produced by SecondSun Entertainment's 3D-animation division, Brainchild Studios, and was directed by Ed Konyha. The film was chosen by Revolution Studios from over 300 short cartoons that were submitted.
