iCast Buys Shortbuzz & Lays Off 30
Netcaster iCast, a subsidiary of Internet conglomerate CMGI, has purchased independent short film site Shortbuzz.com. As part of the acquisition, iCast has raised its library to 400 films. On Friday, September 15, 2000, the company, however, laid off 30 employees in its technical and editorial divisions. The Website will replace those positions with new employees with more entertainment experience. iCast VP of public relations told VARIETY, "We know the business we want to be in, and were streamlining. Were not shutting down. In fact, well be stronger as a result.
Pseudo: Another Dotcom Downfall
On Monday, September 18, 2000, Pseudo Online Network closed down its operations, making the newest dotcom downfall. The Website had laid off 58 employees earlier this summer, which was roughly 25% of their workforce. The site originally ran as separate channels with original interactive content, however the Netcaster recently changed to one central channel broadcasting shows from 2 pm to midnight. Pseudo's big claim to fame was their extensive coverage of the U.S. Republican National Convention with 360º camera views of the convention floor.
Quiet Man’s Johnnie Semerad Stains GE Weathermate Ad
Quiet Man founder Johnnie Semerad handled the visual effects on the new GE Weathermate spot. Beneath the glow of fireworks, a group of workers applies GE Weathermate and a competing product to respective halves of the Atlantic City boardwalk. The next morning, the portion treated with Weathermate is ready for the crowds and the competitors half is still wet and fuses a boys sandals to the wood. "The first thing we had to do with the Weathermate spot was add fireworks and enhance the background," says Semerad.
Savannah Film and Video Festival Is The Place For Up-And-Coming Talent
* Sunday, October 29 Saturday, November 4, 2000. Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A.
MIFED Market 2000 Will Focus On New Marketing Straregies
* Sunday, October 29, 2000. Milan, Italy.
MIFED, the Cinema and Television International Multimedia Market, is a leading market for independent audiovisual productions. MIFED 2000 will focus on new marketing strategies to develop alliances and co-productions. For more information contact Elena Lloyd at: MIFED/E.A. FIERAMILANO, Largo Domodossola, 1, 20145 Milan, Italy; Tel.: ++39 2 48012912 48012920; or Fax:. ++39 2 49977020.
More Fluid Motion?
Fluid dynamics has been an emerging technique in CG, with several productions utilizing dynamics in features such as PERFECT STORM and U-571 and several software companies, like Alias and Realflow, are developing fluid software. Is applying dynamics to forestry and foliage, for natural wind and lifelike shadowing effects, the next application to use natural physical dynamics? We'll see. . .
VoiceAnimations Adds Text-To-Speech Feature To E-mail Greetings
MessageBay, Inc.s VoiceAnimations.com has added a text-to-speech feature to its lip-synching animation Website. The new feature allows Web surfers to create Personal Puppetgram e-mails by typing in the text instead of having to use a microphone to add the voices. Visitors can even control the speed, pitch, accent and gender of the selected voice. Then using the VoiceAnimations plug-in, the text is lip-synched to a variety of different animated characters.
After The Dust Settles, Leggy Cowboys Is The Top F/X Flick In The US
With early reports having WHAT LIES BENEATH in fifth, once the dust cleared, SPACE COWBOYS showed its legs with a top F/X flick finish at the U.S. box office. With live-action films ruling the top four, COWBOYS, with primary visual effects by ILM, held its ground at #5 with a gross of US$2.52 million, lifting its cume to $82.2 million. The space spaghetti western has remained in the top ten while the #1 film HOLLOW MAN -- of COWBOYS debut weekend has disappeared quickly. THE CELL finished in sixth despite earlier reports placing it a slot lower.
Nelvana Purchased For $554M By Corus
Corus Entertainment Inc. has announced the acquisition of Nelvana Limited in a cash and stock deal worth CA$554 million (US$372.5 million). Corus will pay 60% of the $554 million in cash and the rest in Corus Class B non-voting shares. "The opportunity to acquire an outstanding Canadian content company with exceptional international credentials presents itself very rarely," said John Cassaday, president and CEO of Corus.
BAFTA Hands Out Awards For Interactive Content
* Thursday, October 26, 2000. London, U.K.
A More Solid Foundation
Foundation Imaging is starting a training facility, Foundation Institute. Though pricey, about US$20,000 a year, the Institute could prove to be a worthwhile endeavor, due to Foundation's numerous production roots. Foundation Imaging created animation for Star Trek, Babylon 5, and the Starship Troopers TV shows. For more information on the school visit their Website at www.foundation-i.com.
Toon In: Web Animation Guide For Friday, September 15, 2000.
Toon In is AWN's guide to what's new on the Net. This week's installment features toon cops gone wrong on WHERE ARE THE TOONS NOW?, a Webtoon by Corky Quakenbush, GODZILLARY and much, much more.
Get your Toon In: Web Animation Guide here!
Every week AWN's associate editor Rick DeMott highlights what he thinks is the top new toon in cyberspace in "Rick's Picks!"
Rick's Pick For Friday, September 15, 2000!
San Luis Obispo Festival Highlights Indie Flicks
* Thursday, October 26 Sunday, November 5, 2000. San Luis Obispo, California, U.S.A.
Second Cartoon Masters Event Will Look At Which Tool For Which Markets?
* Thursday, October 26 Saturday, October 28, 2000. Angoulême, France.
Digital Media Innovations Conference Converges On Ontario
* Thursday, October 26 Saturday, October 28, 2000. Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
International EMMA Awards Is Looking For Your Digital Media Artwork
* October 2000. World Wide Web.
Entry Deadline: September 30, 2000.
Leipzig Fest Celebrates Two Under-Appreciated Art Forms
* Tuesday, October 17 - Sunday, October 22, 2000. Leipzig, Germany.
CMJ FilmFest Highlights The Synergy Between Toons & Tunes
* Thursday, October 19 Sunday, October 22, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.
TDIF Is The 3D Fest For The New CGI Mecca
* Wednesday, October 25 Thursday, October 26, 2000. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Look! Creates Wartime Effects For Pavilion Of Women
Los Angeles-based Look! Effects recently finished 30 visual effects shots for the upcoming Universal Pictures release THE PAVILION OF WOMEN. Based on the novel by Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck, the movie is about a frustrated woman in a traditional Chinese marriage and the American missionary who tries to help her achieve personal liberation. The drama stars Willem Dafoe and Chinese actress Luo Yan, who is also the writer, producer and director of the picture. Look! Effects had to create a sequence depicting Japan's invasion of China in the early days of World War II.
Stan Lee Media Buys Conan Rights
Stan Lee Media has bought the rights to CONAN THE BARBARIAN from Conan Properties Inc. for US$4.3 million in stock. Lee plans to turn CONAN into a Webseries. Currently, SLM is creating two other new Web series: one based off of Gene Roddenberrys STARSHIP and the second about futuristic cops. SLM currently produces Web action series 7TH PORTAL, THE ACCUSER and BACKSTREET PROJECT. Stan Lee Media is a publicly traded Web-based superhero-type content producer, started by comic book legend Stan Lee, the co-creator of SPIDER-MAN and THE HULK.
AlwaysI.com Goes Platinum With Comic Book Production Deal
AlwaysI.com, an independent content destination Website, has signed a production, development and distribution deal with comic book production company Platinum Studios. As part of the pact, Platinum will have a first look option on all of AlwaysIs independent content for development into feature or TV properties, as well as licensing and merchandising. Platinum has a production deal with Miramax/Dimension Films and owns a portfolio of over 1,000 comic book characters.
Alvin & The Chipmunks Owners Sue Universal
On Monday, September 11, 2000, the family that owns the rights to Alvin and the Chipmunks filed a US$105 million lawsuit against Universal Studios, claiming it failed to license products adequately based on the cartoon characters. According to the lawsuit filed in State Superior Court in Los Angeles, members of Chipmunks creator Ross Bagdasarian Sr.'s family claim that Universal executives told them that the studio would make Alvin, Theodore and Simon "a cornerstone" of the company's licensing efforts.
ASIFA-Hollywood’s Annie Nominations Announced
ASIFA-Hollywood, the Los Angeles area-based branch of the International Animated Film Society, has announced the nominations for the 28th Annual Annie Awards. This years competition is a much more difficult field than last years feature sweeping run by IRON GIANT. In the best feature category, FANTASIA/2000, TOY STORY 2, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, CHICKEN RUN and TITAN A.E. will be battling it out for the top prize.
WB’s Baby Blues Gets Second Season Pick-Up
The WB TV network has decided to pick-up its newest toon, BABY BLUES, for a second season. The channel has ordered 13 more episodes of the series, which debuted in late July. The toon has preformed well in a tough Friday time slot for the WB and is one of the highest rated comedies the network has ever had. BABY could serve as the WBs quick replacement series if any of its new live-action comedy series dont work out. BABY is based off the newspaper comic strip of the same name and features the voice talents of Mike O'Malley, Julia Sweeney and Nicole Sullivan.
