DMA Dances In The Sky With Delta Airlines Ad
Director Tony Caio and DMA Animation have created a campaign for Delta Airlines' new entertainment programming. The in-air series is a collection of animated shorts featuring a 3D microphone that introduces each video channel. Each short is a comic spoof of movie genres from comedy to romance. Landor Associates, Delta's branding agency, worked in collaboration with DMA and Caio to create the WorldFest winning shorts.
Digital Film Snatches Opening For New Guy Ritchie Flick
Digital Film @ The Moving Picture Company has completed the opening title sequence for LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS-director Guy Ritchie's new gangster film, SNATCH. The titles, created by Digital Film and designed by So, a division of Picasso Pictures, depict the main characters in the movie. Spinning and strobing images, glimpses, flashes, quick cuts, flipped images, jump frames and freeze frames were added to create a hard-edged look for the opening.
Computer Cafe Creates F/X Maze For Radio Shack
Santa Maria-based Computer Cafe has created the computer animation for a new spot for Radio Shack. "Topiary" is part of Radio Shack's ongoing campaign featuring Hall of Fame American football player Howie Long and actress Teri Hatcher. Computer Cafe formed the massive garden maze in which Long and Hatcher appear. The celebrities were shot on stage with several green covered set pieces, which were replaced with photorealistic computer animated greenery. Computer Cafe created the 3D hedges using Lightwave 3D software and used Digital Fusion to do the compositing.
Spazzco Nets 3 Toon Deal With Cartoon Network Online
Spazzco, a San Francisco-based animation studio, has signed on to produce three original Web Premiere Toons for Cartoon Network Online. TIME-E-LAPSE will uncover the dos and donts of time travel. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF MY DOGS HEAD answers the question what is my canine thinking? THE BICKLESHNOTZ COUNTY FLYING CLUB recalls the exploits of some of the worlds most outlandish aviators. Sam Register, vice president/creative director of Cartoon Network Online, said, "Spazzco has a real understanding of classic cartoon production.
Animation Stock Ticker For Wednesday, September 6, 2000
AWN's stock ticker features the most prominent publicly traded companies in the world of animation. AWN, Inc. makes available certain financial information from third party information providers. AWN does not give advice in any such fields, and has not reviewed, and in no way endorses the validity of such data. This information is provided solely as a means to keep our readers informed of the market performance and trends of certain companies. AWN strongly suggests that one seek advice from a competent professional regarding any investment or financial issues.
Union Urges Members To Vote Down New Deal
The negotiating committee for Los Angeles Motion Picture Screen Cartoonist Union Local 839 has recommended that its 2,000 members vote down the new three-year pact with the studios. On a vote of 12-1, Local 839 cited problems with the negotiating process, unequal salary increases, artist testing, credit placement, late payments to freelancers and the definition of writers.
French Authorities Kill Imagina
French authorities, through INA (Audiovisual National Institute), have pulled their support of Imagina, the foremost European visual effects event. For 19 years, Imagina has served as the testing ground for new talents and technologies in Europe. In the past few years the event has drawn over 1,300 participants and 5,000 visitors. A group has been formed to save the festival. Anyone who wishes to sign the petition can on the Web.
Pop.com Closes Up Shop
On Tuesday, September 5, 2000, Pop.com laid off roughly 65 of its 80 person staff. Without additional comment the company released this statement: "Although the Internet continues to represent an exciting creative opportunity for us, the market has shifted dramatically since our original announcement, resulting in this being a less viable business for us. We will retain a small staff to support our creative endeavors.
Shockwave Moves From Toons To Games
After making big content deals with stars like Tim Burton and David Lynch, Shockwave.com has decided to change its focus from big celebrity toon deals to interactive games. Shockwave receives most of its hits in its game section. As part of the new move Shockwave has laid off 20 employees in its San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Production on content in the works, such as programs from Oscar-winning producer/director James L. Brooks and game show host Ben Stein, will continue until the lay off becomes effective in October.
F/X Flicks Fade At The US Box Office
With the special effects-light fall schedule starting, the top two spots were claimed by newcomers BRING IT ON and THE ART OF WAR, leaving THE CELL holding on to third. The stylized shocker, with primary visual effects by Toybox, grossed US$9.68 million, bringing its cume to $33.75 million. Meanwhile, SPACE COWBOYS continues to orbit around the top with a stop in fourth this weekend. After four weeks in theatres, the wrinkled space wranglers, with primary visual effects by ILM, lassoed another $6.51 million, raising its cume to $63.71 million.
Sideshow Motion Design Livens Up Olympic NBC Coke Ads
Sideshow Motion Design has created 81 20-second promotional spots for NBC and Coca Cola to highlight the Summer Olympic Games. The ads utilize still photos of over 40 athletes in a moving fashion evocative of gold photo albums. Jie Shen designed and directed the commercials. "Our client, NBC, saw the importance of collaborating with Coke and wanted to do something with still photography and bring it life with an emotional wallop," said Sideshow president Scott Mantel. "This campaign shows Jies talents off beautifully.
Wildlife & Fugitive Creates New World For Sketchers
Wildlife & Fugitive director Jay Torres created an amusement park world of rides using Sketcher shoes. Torres placed live-action kids inside shoes that served as the cars of the rides. "We had to shoot each element, be it the live kids or the stop-motion shoe elements separately," said Torres. "Since the amusement park wasnt meant to be realistic, we tried to create more of a surreal environment by using a combination of still frames, live-action and 3D animation. Its definitely a new look and a way to come up with ideas that fit into certain budget limitations.
The Cell Gains Steam Over US Holiday Weekend
With the live-action comedy, BRING IT ON still claiming the #1 spot, New Lines THE CELL jumped up a spot to second in the U.S. box office charts over the Labor Day holiday. The serial killer mind trek, with primary visual effects by Toybox, grossed another US$9.1 million, raising its cume to $46.4 million. Also moving up a slot to third, SPACE COWBOYS showed that old guys have box office pull with a gross of $8.3 million. The aged astronauts, with primary visual effects by ILM, have wrangled up a total of $74.2 million thus far.
Pop.com Deal With iFilm Bursts
In a snap, Pop.coms intended purchase by iFilm has crackled and faded by the wayside. No one at either of the two companies would comment on the negotiations. An iFilm memo to employees read, "As you know, we have been in discussions with Pop.com. Those discussions have ended and have not resulted in a transaction. The companies will continue to enjoy many overlapping shareholding and personal relationships." Whether or not some of the other suitors for the troubled Website will come knocking is yet to be known.
The September Issue Of Animation World Magazine Is Now On-Line!
For feature films Martin Goodman is taking a look at this summer's
hits and misses. Gerard Raiti is figuring out why some cartoons don't
work as live-action adaptations and others do. Amid Amidi is
profiling feature films that have been released outside of the big
studios' theatrical machine. Plus, for a look into the Japanese
feature film market, resident expert Fred Patten is going to outline
the lay of the land of the rising sun. Plus, Larry Lauria speaks with
New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors, Visual Artists And More...
San Francisco, California-based When In Doubt Productions, Inc. is
looking for a 2D ANIMATOR/MOTION GRAPHICS for a hot-cool fusion of
storytelling, poetry, performance, music, drama and animation
project. . . Austin, Texas-based Digital People is looking for a 3D
ARTIST/ANIMATION MANAGER and a 3D ARTIST/ANIMATOR. . . Portland,
Oregon-based Will Vinton Studios, a leading animation studio
specialized in CG and stop-motion character animation, is looking for
Steamboat Software's Jig V1.0 Now Available
Steamboat Software's rendering software Jig v1.0 is now available for
sale or evaluation...
Animation Foundation Presents Animator Of The Month: Eric Armstrong
Animation Foundation interviews Eric Armstrong, Animation Director at
Sony Pictures Imageworks. In the interview, Eric gives his insights
and thoughts about the role of the animation director, facial
animation and much, much more. An AWN affiliate,
is an Internet-based portal providing information about advanced
animation techniques and assisting student animators in developing
Plympton's Comic Of The Week
Plympton's new series of comics extracted from the comic book,
"Sleazy Cartoons of Bill Plympton," is for ADULTS ONLY...
This Week's Animation Trivia Quiz
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia
Quiz...
Store Specials: Short Animations By Larry Jordan, Hey Good Lookin', Cartoongate!
Facets Video's fantastic animation inventory has been added to the
AWN Store! Over 3,000 new videos available worldwide! From popular
Disney titles and the Peanuts to surrealist animation from Eastern
Europe, from action-packed Japanese anime to animation created with
paper cutouts, sand, clay, puppets and computer technology, the
Facets Whole Toon Catalog is now available in the AWN Store. Betty
Boop, Fritz the Cat, Tex Avery, Looney Tunes Classics and more
Toon In: Web Animation Guide For Friday, September 1, 2000
Toon In is AWN's guide to what's new on the Net. This week's installment features an intriguing Webisode of sfON, a brand new Bill Plympton Flash toon, a humorous rant by Sister Randy 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 1, 2000!
Locomotion.com Brings Latin Language To The Net
Locomotion, a primetime cable animation network for young-adults, has now launched Locomotion.com, broadcasting animation to fans in English, Spanish and Portuguese. The site will initially produce three of its own series entitled EL SANTOS, TEEVY and RUDO BY NIGHT. SANTOS is based on the cult comic strip from Mexican artists Jis and Trino. TEEVY from British artist Robert Ramsden follows the illogical world of Teevy. From Australians Eddie Mort and Lili Chin, RUDO follows the crazy adventures of a wrestling night school. In the future Mort and Chin will work on three more series -- DR.
Electronic Arts Land Coveted Potter Rights
Electronic Arts (EA) has sealed the deal with Warner Bros. to give them the exclusive interactive rights to the HARRY POTTER book series and film franchise. No financial details were released. EA has the key Internet gaming rights which could bring POTTER games to America Online, where EA is the exclusive programmer of their game section. EA worldwide studios president Don Mattrick will work with author J.K. Rowling, film director Christopher Columbus and executive producer David Heyman on the game titles.
DreamWorks’ Unlaunched Pop.com May Merge With iFilm
If Spielberg cant succeed on the Web who can? This is the question that has been buzzing around the long delayed launch of DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainments Webcaster Pop.com. On Wednesday, August 31, 2000, Netcaster iFilm.com confirmed that it is in final negotiations to merge with Pop. No details of the merger have been announced but Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is overseeing the deal. Allen and his Vulcan Ventures injected US$50 million into Pop in its beginnings. The billionaire is also one of the chief investors in iFilm.
