Brazil Bans Violent Video Games
Brazil's Justice Ministry has banned six video games it considers too
violent for the public. This ruling comes on the heals of last month's
deadly shooting rampage in a movie theater by a medical student. "The games
are considered violent and [are] affecting people who play them,
particularly children," a ministry spokeswoman said. "As for DUKE NUKEM,
the ministry regulation says its virtual world may have motivated Mateus da
Costa Meira to stage the cinema shooting on November 3 in Sao Paulo." All
Euro-Disney May Not Party Like It's 1999
A strike by union employees at Disneyland Paris may stop the park's rocking
New Year's Eve celebration. Disney played down the chance of a strike,
however local union leader Elena Stanciu warned, "The party'll be ruined,"
citing staff frustration over slow-moving pay talks and dissatisfaction
with a $115 New Year's Eve bonus as the main reasons for the latest threat
of a walk out. Stanciu said seasonal staff were being offered almost four
Metacreations Makes 'Creative' Changes
MetaCreations, a renowned provider of graphics software, recently announced
that the Board of Directors has made the baffling decision of effectively
dropping their range of graphics products to concentrate purely on their
MetaStream technology. This decision comes shortly before the release of
Carrara, MC's "next-generation 3D software for print, video and the Web."
On the third line of their Carrara announcement, MetaCreations stated that
it would continue to support their existing graphics products. However,
TGS Announces Amapi 3D V.5
Template Graphics Software (TGS) recently announced that its modeling and
animation software Amapi, was receiving an upgrade. The new release will be
'officially' announced at the Mac World Expo in January, however, the new
version is available now. It features Dynamic Geometry, which allows users
to edit an object dynamically by changing its outline, profile or basic
structure, through the software's ability to remember the construction
history of the object. The upgrade also has a new Decimation tool, which
3D Studio MAX 3.1 Now Shipping
Discreet recently released a maintenance update to 3D Studio MAX 3 which,
in the coming weeks, will be distributed free of charge to all registered
users of the software. The announcement comes shortly after the company
declared success at clearing well over 100,000 copies, and are reinforcing
their commitment to users by bringing them new features so soon after the
initial release of the software. The update includes data containers for
Quebec Animation Makes Quite A Team
Twenty 2D/3D animation and special effects companies from Quebec, Canada
have formed a union in order to better promote the award winning work done
in the region. Called Quebec Animation, the association is supported by the
Quebec Minister of Industry and Commerce, the Quebec Minister of
Communications and Culture, the Quebec Minister of International Relations,
the Montreal Bureau of Cinema, and the Canadian Service Center in
Multimedia Applications (CESAM). The association sets up a focal point for
Angela Anaconda Marathon
Fox Family's newly picked up ANGELA ANACONDA rings in the New Year with a
14-episode marathon on January 1, 2000. The seven-hour event will start at
7 am and run 'til 2 pm on Fox Family. The show that TV Guide recently named
one of the top ten new kids shows of 1999 regular airs at 1 pm on Saturdays
and Sundays on Fox Family.
FPS Issue #18 now available!
In this new issue #18: Cover Story: "Return to Pepperland" by AndrewOsmond. Features: Multiplying the Monster; Newsreel: What's New inToontown; Festival Watch: SIGGRAPH '99, The Montreal World Film Festival,TDIF '99, SAFO '99, and Animart; Doin' It on the Low End: Painting Frames;Women in Animation: On a Roll: NFB Film Keeps Pleasing Jurys; Short andSweet; Education: Training on the Right Side of the Brain; Cartoons:Spliced; In Progress: Bully Dance, A Monster's Calling and Ho-Ho-Ho;
QAS profiles more animators
The Quickdraw Animation Society web site has been updated...
New additions to AWN's Calander of Events
This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes the World AnimationCelebration in the U.S., and Anima Mundi 2000 in Brazil. The Calendar ofUpcoming Events is a constantly changing reference source for what'shappening around the World of Animation. Use it to stay abreast ofanimation related activities across the globe. If you know of animationrelated events that we don't have listed, send an email with the pertinent
This week's Animation Trivia Quiz: Pioneers in Computer Animation
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz...
Store Special: "Setting Up Your Shots"
"Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Needs To Know,"was written by Jeremy Vineyard, a writer and director based in Los Angeles...
A Closer Look: The Brave New World of Internet Entertainment, Part 2
The past few weeks were marked with announcements regarding companiesbeginning to broadcast animation over the 'net, and this is only going tointensify...
The Acrobat issue of Animation World Magazine is now on-line!
This month Animation World Magazine is taking a special focus on AsianAnimation, especially Japan. Kosei Ono profiles Japanese artist, TadahitoMochinaga, and Gigi Hu introduces us to two of Japan's leading independentfilmmakers. A group of key creative talent from Blue Sky Studios recentlytoured Japan and have provided us with a scrapbook of photos and stories.Andrew Osmond takes an indepth look at the impact Japanese animation ishaving on animation made outside of Japan and we begin the first in a
Job Opportunities for an Academic Director and an Assistant Professor.
The Art Institutes International at San Francisco, a post-secondary,degree granting educational institution, is seeking a qualified candidateto serve as ACADEMIC DIRECTOR for its computer, multimedia and graphicdesign programs...
ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Expo offers new pavilions.
ASIFA-Hollywood will host its 7th Annual Animation Expo on March 3-4, 2000,in Glendale, California...
Ottawa Festival recognizes industry achievements in animation
Ottawa '00 will take place from September 19-24, 2000. The OttawaInternational Animation Festival will recognize industry achievements inanimation with a new competition devoted solely to commissioned works...
Brussels 2000 announces official selection
Each year the Brussels Cartoon and Animated Film Festival programs the'cre de la cre' in international animation...
Flordia-based AARGH! screams for Cold-Eeze
Florida, U.S.-based AARGH! ANIMATION, Inc., one of the largest independentcel animation houses, has produced a series of national spots for Cold-Eezecold medicine that combine live-action with cel animation. The celanimation was directed by Mark Simon and Dave Kallaher of AARGH! Nowrunning and continuing through the cold season, these spots, three :10spots and two :30 spots, are running in heavy rotation on major U.S.networks. The spots feature live-action actors whose sneezes morph theminto animated characters.
Big Anime Flicks Re-Released
Urban Vision will soon re-release Vampire Hunter D and Wicked City. The
classic horror anime D will hit streets January 18, 2000 and Yoshiaki
Kawajiri's hit Wicked City debuted December 7, 1999. Both flicks will be
available in an English Dubbed version for US$19.95 and a Japanese with
English subtitles version for $29.95. Other anime titles coming soon to DVD
are Slayers: The Motion Picture, street date February 8, 2000 for $29.98
and Legend Of Crystania: The Motion Picture, street date February 8, 2000
Disney TV Toon Boss Exits
Disney's television animation chief Charles Hirschhorn has been given theboot. The now former head of Walt Disney Television and Walt DisneyTelevision animation officially exited the position on Wednesday, December8, 1999. It's speculated that Hirschhorn's responsibilities at WONDERFULWORLD OF DISNEY will most likely be taken over by ABC movies andmini-series head Susan Lyne, while his duties for TV animation anddirect-to-video flicks will most likely be folded into the feature
Pokemon 3?
Next summer the third feature installment of the POKEMON trilogy will makeits way to Japanese theatres. POCKET MONSTER: THE LORD OF THE UNKNOWN TOWERwill introduce yet another of those little "pocket things" to kids andmerchandising execs around the world. Kunihiko Yuyama is set to direct thefilm, which will feature a short tentatively titled POKEMON 2000. If in theU.S. or Europe one may ask, whatever happened to POKEMON 2? Well, fear notCharmander chums, the second POKEMON feature, which was released in Japan
Spike & Mike Won't Mellow The Net
"Spike & Mike" fest organizers, Mellow Manor Prods. has teamed up withNetcaster IFilm to bring its twisted toon vault exclusively to Cyberspace.The two year deal will allow Net surfers the chances to see animationshorts only previously showcased at the "Spike & Mike's Classic Festival ofAnimation" and "Spike & Mike's Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation."BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD-creator Mike Judge, SOUTH PARK's Trey Parker and MattStone, TOY STORY's John Lasseter, and the NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS'
Harvey Makes The Net Richer
Harvey Entertainment Company has inked a deal with San Francisco-basedSpunky Productions, Inc., a digital media company, to produce anddistribute Richie Rich Web cartoons. The new toons will be available onboth SpunkyTown.com and the Harvey site. Spunky will adapt early comic bookadventures of the world's richest kid into 2 - 5 minute episodes to startairing during the holiday season. Product tie-ins will be developed by bothcompanies to be sold on both of their Web sites. Dan March, Director of New
Heisman Tackles Web
The Downtown Athletic Club (DAC), presenters of the Heisman Memorial Trophyfor the year's outstanding U.S. college American football player, havecontracted with Lemon Custard Comics, the San Francisco-based computeranimation production house, to produce a Flash-animated comic strip for theWeb to tell the story of the trophy and football in general. The firstinstallment, "The John W. Heisman Story," will run simultaneously onHeismanMemorialTrophy.com and LemonCustard.com. DAC plans to use the Web to
