IBM and Nintendo team up for new video game console
IBM and Nintendo have announced a multi-year $1 billion technologyagreement to support Nintendo's next home video game console, code-named"Dolphin." As part of the agreement, IBM will design and manufacture aunique 400 MHz central processor featuring IBM's industry-leading 0.18micron copper technology. The chip, dubbed the "Gekko" processor, is anextension of the IBM PowerPC(TM) architecture. It's designed to be morepowerful than those found in any current or planned home video game
Fox Family Channel hires Rob Sorcher
Fox Family Channel has named ROB SORCHER head of the newly created positionof Executive Vice President, Programming and Development. Sorcher willoversee all original programming, both current, and in development, forprime time scripted and reality series, specials, and movies, as well asall daytime children's prgramming for the Channel. Sorcher joins Fox Familyfrom Cartoon Network, where he served as Executive Vice President of thenetwork's US division since October 1997. At Cartoon Network Sorcher was a
Evening Sky names Mitch Nadon general manager
Evening Sky Productions has named MITCH NADON general and operationsmanager. Nadon will be responsible for the day-to-day management and studiooperations of Evening Sky and The Animation House, its commercial division,and she will also oversee the areas of trade marketing and human resources.Nadon comes to Evening Sky from Toronto-based Spin Productions, where shewas Operations Officer. She has previously worked in production atTVOntario, and in animation production at Nelvana Limited. Evening Sky
Animators win Reuben awards
On May 8th in San Antonio the National Cartoonists Society held its 51stAnnual Reuben Awards dinner, and two of their awards went to animationcartoonists. This year Chen Yi Chiang, the character designer for Disney'sMULAN, won the Best Feature Animation award, and Danny Antonucci, ofCartoon Network's ED, EDD N EDDY, won for Best Television Animation artist.The NCS was formed by newspaper cartoonists in1946 and over the years havebranched out to encompass other forms of cartooning like editorial
Warner Bros. has three new toon features in the works
It is rumored that filmmakers Barry Levinson and Paula Weinstein aredeveloping a live-action/animation project that would feature Bugs Bunny.Preliminary discussions are said to have taken place for Robin Williams tobe Bugs' sidekick. The story line remains undisclosed, but it's said to beless like WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? and more like ANCHORS AWEIGH, a 1945musical which features a sequence in which Gene Kelly dances withHanna-Barbera's Jerry Mouse. There is also talk of bringing the Tasmanian
E3 takes place this week!
The E3 '99 Exposition takes place Wednesday, May 12 - Saturday, May 15 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, USA. This year's Exposition will feature over 400 exhibitors displaying new software titles and the latest hardware. Don Tapscott will deliver the keynote address on Thursday, May 13 at 8:45 am about the area of digital economy and the net generation.
TERMINATOR 2: 3D has arrived
Universal Studios Hollywood's TERMINATOR 2: 3D attraction recreates the dark foreboding futuristic world of the Terminator films in a twelve minute long 3-D film. The attraction is a sequel of sorts to James Cameron's TERMINATOR 2, a multi-sensory "virtual adventure." Up to 700 guests at a time can experience TERMINATOR 2: 3D, which is projected by six 70mm Iwerks projectors onto three 23' by 50' screens. This all-new Terminator adventure features the original TERMINATOR 2 cast including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick.
THE MUMMY has record debut
Newly released THE MUMMY, Universal Studios' CGI-laced revival of its mummyseries, which began with Boris Karloff's 1932 THE MUMMY, and continued inthe 1940s with Lon Chaney, Jr. in such films as THE MUMMY'S HAND, finishedon top in the weekend US box-office charts, grossing $43,369,635--the bestopening this year, the ninth-biggest of all time, and the highestnon-holiday debut in May. The digital effects for THE MUMMY were created byIndustrial Light and Magic.THE MATRIX remained in the top five, finishing
Disney gives kids an ANIMATION KIT
Disney Press has released a package called DISNEY'S ANIMATION KIT by Don Hahn that is intended for ages 8 and up. Priced at $19.95 the package includes the following:
18 pieces of 3-hole punched white paper4 cels1 Blue pencil1 Graphite pencil1 Flipbook featuring Mickey Mouse from "The Brave Little Tailor"1 Blank Flipbook6 non-smudge markers (red, yellow, green, blue, violet, black)1 plastic "peg bar"1 68 page workbook
SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN SQUARE makes its TV debut
Shui-Bo Wang's Oscar nominated SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN SQUARE makes its US TV debut Sunday, May 16 at 8 pm on HBO's Signature Channel.
SUNRISE OVER TIANANMEN also debuts in Canada on Thursday, May 27 at 9 pm and 2 am ET/PT on Vision TV. It repeats on Friday, May 28 at noon, 8 pm, and 1 am; and on Monday, May 31 at 11 am. It also airs on SCN on Friday, June 4 at 8 pm; and on TVO on Monday, June 7 at 10 pm.
AWN New Affiliates: Animation Toolworks & The Academy Of Art College
AWN Welcomes its new affiliates: Oregon-based Animation Toolworks, creator of the Video LunchBox, and the Academy of Art College in San Francisco...
New This Week In The Student Corner! Over 50 new articles and hot spot links
Over 50 new articles and hot spot links have been added to the Student Corner this week...
New Additions To AWN's Calendar Of Events
This week's update to the Calendar of Events includes eight new animation-related affairs...
Toon Magazine Issue 18 hits the Newsstand!
Toon Magazine is here! ISSUE #18 OF TOON MAGAZINE is the most impressive yet...
The Spring 1999 Animation Blast has arrived!
From the creator of the Animation Blast web site, comes the new issue of The Animation Blast -- the only publication for true cartoon junkies...
In the Store this Week: Stefan Schabenbeck Video, plus New Magazines.
This week's special features in AWN's ever expanding store: The Ottawa Festival Catalog, with an Exclusive Stefan Schabenbeck Video...
Plympton's Comic of the Week: "A Lesson in American Politics"
This week's comic is about a lesson in American Politics...
SOVA senior thesis exhibition
*Thursday, May 6, 6:30 pm. New York, New York, USA.
Senior Thesis work from students of the Computer Art department of TheSchool of Visual Arts will be exhibited in the Westside Gallery at 141 West21st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The exhibit includes computeranimation, digital video, interactive media, digital fine art, andinstallations. A Portfolio Night and reception will be held May 6, and theexhibit will be on display May 6 to May 24. For more information call
CalArts Character Animation student screening to be held
*Friday, May 7th - Sunday, May 9th, Valencia, California, USA.
Students in the Character Animation program at CalArts will screen theirfilms at the Bijou at CalArts, 24700 McBean PKWY, Valencia, California.Open shows: May 7th at 8 pm; May 8th at 7 pm; and May 9th at 1:30 pm and 7pm. Producers Show: Thursday, May 13th at 7 pm. For more information call(805) 253-7818.
CalArts Experimental Animation student screening set
*Friday, May 14th, 8 pm. North Hollywood, California, USA.
Students in the Experimental Animation program at CalArts will show theirfilms at the Academy Plaza Theater, 5230 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood,California. For more information call (805) 253-7818.
Read about the teaching philosophy of Jules Engel, CalArts' FoundingDirector of the Experimental Animation Program, in this month's issue ofAnimation World Magazine in "Jules Engel: the Mentor".
The World of Sid & Marty Krofft comes to video
A boxed set of TV shows made by Sid and Marty Krofft in the 1970's collectsepisodes from thirteen Krofft programs, including the short programs thatwere part of "The Krofft Super Show," and will be released by Rhino HomeVideo on May 18 in the USA. These shows are not animated, but their cheesy"special effects" have a camp appeal for many fans of animation, especiallyfor the children of the Seventies.
Tape 1 (120 mins.) includes:
H.R. PUFNSTUF - "Book, Flute, & Candle" Episode 12. Jimmy finds Freddie The
Macromedia announces revenues increase
Macromedia (NASDAQ:MACR) has announced a 47% increase in revenues for thefourth quarter ended March 31, 1999. Revenues for the fourth quarter were$44,097,000 as compared with $30,012,000 in the same period a year ago.Gross profit increased 44% to $39,867,000 as compared with $27,653,000 inthe fourth quarter a year ago. Net income rose to $7,343,000, or $0.16 pershare, during the fourth fiscal 1999 quarter, compared to net income of$1,991,000, or $0.05 per share, a year ago.
A BUG'S LIFE becomes fourth highest grossing animated film of all time
A BUG'S LIFE, a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar AnimationStudios film, has climbed to $358 million in worldwide box office receiptsto become one of the top-grossing animated films of all time. With itsdomestic gross of $163 million, the film has already become the fourthbiggest animated feature released in the United States (behind THE LIONKING, ALADDIN and TOY STORY). Internationally, A BUG'S LIFE has agross-to-date of $195 million and has set records in the United Kingdom,
Pixar announces new film
A May start date has been set for the production of MONSTERS, INC.(tentative title), a new computer-animated feature to be produced by PixarAnimation Studios under their arrangement with Walt Disney Studios. Thefilm is targeted for release in 2001. MONSTERS, INC. is a comedy set in aparallel world of monsters who live on the screams and fear of children.But because end-of-the-millenium kids are jaded and not easily scared, themonsters' world is in danger of becoming extinct. When one of the monsters,
WATERSHIP DOWN comes to TV
WATERSHIP DOWN, a $10 million TV series of 26 half-hour episodes based onthe novel by Richard Adams and the feature film directed by Martin Rosen,both of which are also called WATERSHIP DOWN, is being produced by Britishindependent Alltime Entertainment and Toronto-based DECODE Entertainment.Beth Stevenson, of DECODE, and Simon Vaughan, of Alltime, are producing;Neil Court, of DECODE, is executive producing with Steven DeNure and MartinRosen. The series will debut this Fall in the UK on ITV and Canada on YTV,
