DIC Management To Buy DIC From Disney
DIC Entertainments CEO Andy Heyward is set to purchase DIC from owner Walt Disney Co. The deal backed by investment firms Bain Capital and Chase Capital Partners is valued in the nine digits. Disney acquired a majority stake of DIC in 1995 when it purchased ABC/Capital Cities. In 1986, Heyward purchased the toon house from France-based CLT and retained a small minority interest in the firm after ABC/Capital Cities obtained the majority share in 1993. DIC television properties include INSPECTOR GADGET (Disney co-produced a live-action feature version), G.I.
New British Animation On TV
According to the new issue of the trade magazine ANIMATION UK, a range of new TV productions are in preparation in Britain. HAMILTON MATTRESS is a "stop-frame comedy drama" about an Aardvark and his caterpillar companion. The director is Barry Purves, celebrated director of films including NEXT and SCREENPLAY, while the writers are John Webster and Anna Farthing. The film will be made by Harvest Animation, commissioned by BBC1, with global TV/video rights handled by Link and Egmont Animation.
Quiet Man Bounces 3D Chips For Doritos
Quiet Man created the chip bouncing effects in the new Doritos commercial featuring Miami Heat basketball point guard Tim Hardaway. Phalana Dias was the lead visual effects artist on the spot. Entering a corner store, Hardaway is observed by an awestruck young fan, who watches the star purchase a bag of Doritos 3Ds, a new pyramid shaped chip. Following Hardaway into the street, the pair engages in a trick-shot-type competition, using chips instead of basketballs. "For Dorito's 3Ds, the chips were shot on rigs in the studio," explained Dias.
a.k.a Pizazz Passes For Sanatogen Vitamins
a.k.a. Pizazz has rapped on three spots for a new campaign for Sanatogen vitamins. All three spots state that we are all aware by now that a healthy diet is the best way to stay fit, but a vitamin supplement is a reassuring way of maintaining the healthy balance, "Just To Make Sure." "Baby Monitor," "Passport" and "Alarm" were done in a 2D painting style. "Baby Monitor" shows a mother, in spite of the presence of her monitor going to check her child. "Passport" shows a family group going on holiday and the mother constantly checking in her handbag for the passports.
AtomFilms Drives Deal With Volkswagen
AtomFilms and German carmaker Volkswagens U.S. division have sealed a content deal which will send AtomFilms shorts to vw.com. Aardman Animations ANGRY KID will be among the shorts aired on Volkswagens Website. As part of the deal, Volkswagen will be one of the sponsors of AtomFilms upcoming college promotional tour. The deal marks a prime opportunity for AtomFilms to get mass offline exposure for its content and brand.
New Legend Tops The US Box Office
URBAN LEGEND II: FINAL CUT just edged out the impressive release of the directors cut of THE EXORCIST to claim the top spot at the U.S. box office. The teen terror sequel, with primary visual effects by Pacific Title Digital, scared up US$8.51 million. The horror classic, THE EXORCIST, with some creepy new stop-motion animation and digital clean-up by Pacific Title Digital, made an amazing $8.18 million on only 664 screens. Adding 1,062 screens to last weeks 131, ALMOST FAMOUS jumped up to third with a gross of $6.93 million.
Anteye.com Inks Development Deal With HBO
Anteye.com has signed an agreement with HBO, giving the pay cable channel exclusive rights to taking Anteye content to television. "Linking with Anteye helps us to stay in the forefront of talent discovery," said Chris Albrecht, HBOs president of original programming. "HBO will now get the first look at some of the Webs hottest filmmakers." Anteye CEO Matti Leshem said, "Theres no network I would want to be in the business with more.
Disney Puts British Gnomes On Fast Track
A British spec script about two rival gangs of gnome neighbours has been put on the fast track in Hollywood. The trade paper SCREEN INTERNATIONAL reports A GNOME'S STORY, written by Rob Sprackling and John Smith, has been acquired by Walt Disney Feature Animation and Rocket Pictures, the production outfit owned by pop star Elton John and David Furnish. The big-budget project "may use TOY STORY-esque digital effects." Disney has a first-look pact with Rocket, and is funding development on GNOME'S STORY.
Ottawa Awards Top Prize To Ring Of Fire
The 2000 edition of the Ottawa International Animation Festival has come to a close with the announcement of this years winners. The winners were chosen by an international jury, comprised of acclaimed Canadian animator Suzanne Gervais, former ASIFA-Hollywood general manager and critic, animator and teacher Wendy Jackson Hall, Wild Brain co-Founder and creative director John Hayes, renowned Estonian animator Priit Pärn, and the head of the Shanghai Animation Studio in China Jin Guo Ping.
New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors, Visual Artists And More...
Planet X Animation is looking for a 2D/3D ANIMATOR to create 3-10 minute segments of own design or follow a script. . . El Segundo, California-based Inertia Pictures, a growing animation development and production house, is looking for 2D/3D/FLASH ANIMATORS. . . Newark, New Jersey-based Genie Network, a revolutionary entertainment company, is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR MODELER. . .
AWN Launches The Web Animation Guide And The Animation Showcase
Animation World Network announced two new enhancements to its Website yesterday at the Ottawa International Animation Festival...
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...
Store Specials: Computer Animation videos and the Ottawa 2000 festival catalog
- The Ottawa 2000 International Animation Festival Catalog: No need to worry if you are unable to attend this year's Ottawa International Animation Festival. The bilingual festival catalog is now available for sale for $15.
Futurama Gaming Rights Go To Swedish UDS
Scandinavias leading computer and video game developer, UDS (Unique Development Studios), has gained the computer gaming rights to Foxs hit series FUTURAMA. The three-year deal grants UDS the right to co-publish with Fox Interactive FUTURAMA games for all gaming platforms. Fox Interactive will publish the games in North America, while UDS will handle the rest of the world. The first game is scheduled for release in the first half of 2002. This co-production deal for such a well-known TV series marks a first for European gaming companies.
Disney Moves To Hasbro In Light Of Mattel’s Potter Deal
Disney has decided to divide its toy merchandising between rivals Hasbro and Mattel. Disney has had a long licensing relationship with Mattel, which now will only handle their preschool and plush toys, dolls, games and puzzles. Hasbro will handle the more lucrative toys, action figures and games portion of Walt Disney products.
Pi Director Takes On Batman: Year One Feature
PI director Darren Aronofsky is set to helm the newest in Warner Bros. BATMAN franchise, BATMAN: YEAR ONE. Aronofsky will write and develop the screenplay with Frank Miller, writer of the graphic novel BATMAN: YO from which the film will be based. The noir-styled graphic novel was originally published by DC Comics in 1987 and chronicles the trials and tribulations of Bruce Waynes first year as Batman. Aronofsky as director is an interesting direction for Warner to take with the BATMAN movie franchise.
BKN Licenses GoodTimes Library
Cologne-based licenser and children's TV producer BKN International has acquired international TV, video and merchandising rights for New York-based childrens animation production company GoodTimes Entertainments 51 title library. The deal worth US$13 million includes titles such as RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO and MOBY DICK.
Toon Boom Expands Its Presence In India With Sriven Multi-Tech And Dataquest
Hyderabad-based Webtoons India, Sriven Multi-Tech's creative
animation and digital ink & paint facility has partnered with Toon
Boom Technologies to set up USAnimation, the leading vector-based
digital ink & paint and compositing software, at their studio. With
facilities and offices in India, Australia, Canada and the U.S.,
Sriven Multi-Tech Limited (www.srivenmultitech.com) offers expertise
in software development, multimedia content production, digital
The Acrobat 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...
Norrköping, Sweden-based UDS, an interactive entertainment developer,
is looking for a 2D ANIMATOR to create content and animations for
online/wireless and PC games. . . Cambridge, UK-based Kelseus
Limited, a 3D computer graphics software company, is looking for 3D
PROGRAMMERS to join their R&D team. . . San Francisco,
California-based Mondo Media, a successful new media company that
creates, develops, and syndicates animated entertainment, is looking
Transfer Your 3d Skills To The Groundbreaking Xsi Software
Take a 5-day Softimage XSI Essentials course so that you can hit the
ground running with XSI. This course is offered by The Renaissance
Center, Dickson (just west of Nashville), Tennessee, September 25-29,
2000. The Avid Certified Instructor is Olwen Nash, who has worked for
London-based MetroNewMedia (soft3D ATC) and The Finishing School
(European XSI ATC). For more information and registration please
contact: Vona Redden, tel.: (615) 740-5517; email:
vona.redden@rcenter.org; or visit
Rhythm & Hues' Hughes Appointed To Advisory Board Of Digital Hollywood And Dhima
Digital Hollywood, Japan, and DH Institute of Media Arts (DHIMA),
Santa Monica, California, one of the world's largest digital media
institutes, have recently appointed John Hughes, President and CEO of
Academy Award-winning studio Rhythm & Hues, to their advisory board.
John Hughes will provide curriculum advice and deliver periodic
lectures, introducing state-of- the-art technologies to the school
curriculum. For more information, check out the school
Awn Goes To Ottawa In Force!
Ottawa 00 is getting ready to welcome the 'cre de la cre' in
animation next Tuesday, with animators from all over the world --
this year, the festival received 1,300 submissions, from over 50
countries...
Cinanima Announces Their International Jury
After the announcement of their nominees last week, the festival now
presents their jury members for its 24th edition...
