CelArt for the Masses

A N I M A T I O N F L A S H

Tuesday, October 21, 2003 Volume 08, Issue 30
________________________________________________________________________

The Animation Flash E-mail Newsletter

an Animation World Network publication

****Industry News Headlines****

Business
1. SONY PICTURES PLANNING 300 LAYOFFS TO CUT COSTS.
2. TARGET LAUNCHES KIDS & ANIMATION DIVISION.
People
3. MARATHON UPS MICHEL.
4. SWALLOW PROMOTED AT UNIVERSAL'S PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY.
5. R!OT MANHATTAN STAFFS UP TO MEET HD DEMANDS.
6. ZAPARA MOVES FROM ZOIC TO EDEN FX.
7. WILD BRAIN TAPS ANIMATION SUPERVISOR FARELL.
8. JAKKS PACIFIC NAMES RUSSO INTERNATIONAL SALES SVP.
9. GRIFFIN JOINS IN FUNIMATION SALES.
In Passing
10. ANIMATION DIRECTOR URBANO DIES AT 94.
Film
11. FIREDOG ON FAST FILM PRODUCTION TRACK.
12. DPS TO CG ANIMATE HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER.
13. VIDEOVISION ENT ACQUIRES AFRICAN ANIMATED SKY KINGDOM.
14. HORROR REMAKE TAKES CHAINSAW TO KILL BILL.
Television
15. AQUAKIDS PADDLES ONTO FRENCH TÉLÉTOON.
16. NEW ZEALAND GETS FIRST HOMEGROWN ADULT ANIMATION.
17. SOUTH PARK PLANS GAY OLD TIME ON COMEDY CENTRAL.
18. EVANS RECASTS ADULT ANIMATION IN KID NOTORIOUS.
19. VH1 LOOK INSIDE SOUTH PARK, PREMIERES ILL-USTRATED.
Internet & Interactive
20. VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES RELEASES GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION
EXODUS.
21. SEGA ROLLS OUT BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG.
Home Video
22. NOODLESOUP, JOHNSON GROUP PUT FRESH SPIN ON FAIRY TALES.
23. A TREASURE TROVE OF INDIANA JONES ON DVD.
24. GET TAKEN, SPIELBERG-STYLE, ON DVD.
25. GOING FULL THROTTLE ON DVD WITH CHARLIE'S ANGELS.
Licensing
26. YU-GI-OH! BATTLES PLAQUE WITH NEW TOOTHBRUSHES.
27. JAKKS PACIFIC LANDS MUCHA LUCHA TOY LICENSE.
28. NEW LITHO HONORS MEL AND NOEL BLANC.
Education
29. CARTOON NETWORK AND ARTS & KIDS TEAM TO GET KIDS INTO ART.
Technology
30. ARTBEATS OFFERS EXPANDED STOCK FOOTAGE LIBRARY.
31. DISCREET RELEASES 3DS MAX 6.
32. NEWTEK & EYEON EXTEND LIGHTWAVE 3D/DFX+ COMPOSITING.
33. TURBO SQUID ANNOUNCES UPGRADE TO CEBAS' FINALRENDER STAGE-1.
34. POWER BOOLEANS 2.5 RELEASED FOR 3DS MAX/VIZ.
35. MENTAL IMAGES ACCELERATES DEVELOPMENT OF REALITYSERVER WITH $6
MILLION INVESTMENT.
AWARDS
36. HACKETT, EDNA & LILLIAN DISNEY & FLEISCHER BECOME DISNEY
LEGENDS.
37. SAFO ANNOUNCES 2003 WINNERS.
38. MACHINIMA AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED.
Call for Entries
39. DEADLINE FOR BRITISH ANIMATION AWARDS NEARING.
Events
40. ARTIST NETWORKING AT AHA! ARTISTS GATHERINGS.
41. WIA/LA GENERAL MEETING: STARTING AN INDEPENDENT ANIMATION
STUDIO.
42. PGA HOSTS DIGITAL ANIMATION PRODUCERS: FROM PENCILS TO PIXELS.
43. UPCOMING EVENTS IN ANIMATION.
Upcoming Films
44. UPCOMING THEATRICAL RELEASES.

****SUBMIT YOUR NEWS!!!!****

If you have news, review materials, events or other items of interest
for the Animation Flash send it to: Sarah Baisley or Bill Desowitz,
Animation Flash, 6525 Sunset Blvd., Garden Suite 10, Los Angeles, CA
90028 USA.
E-mail: editor@awn.com; or Fax: 1-323-466-6619.

****Industry News****

Business

1. SONY PICTURES PLANNING 300 LAYOFFS TO CUT COSTS.
With declining profits this year in entertainment and electronics,
Sony Corp. has ordered Sony Pictures Entertainment to layoff as many
as 300 employees throughout its key business groups at the Culver
City, California-based studio, including Sony Pictures, both domestic
and international TV units and Sony Pictures Digital, the LOS ANGELES
TIMES reported. The layoffs, which have already begun, could save as
much as $75 million a year. Last week, Sony Pictures' 73-year-old
chairman John Calley announced his retirement.

2. TARGET LAUNCHES KIDS & ANIMATION DIVISION.
London-based Target Ent. Ltd. has moved into the kids and animation
market with a new division, which launched its new catalog at this
year's MIPCOM Junior 2003. In addition to international sales across
its portfolio of high quality drama and formats, Target's licensing
and merchandising division is flourishing (started October 2002) and
the company has firmly established itself in the competitive U.S.
market with the opening of its New York office in January 2003. A
partnership with CSS Stellar and its sister companies has enabled
Target to move from a distribution into a rights management company.

Alison Rayson, ceo of Target Ent., said, "Becoming a rights
management business enables us to help both our producer and
broadcaster clients. A key part of this repositioning involves our
move into children's live action and animation. We are delighted to
have a slate that includes gems from producers like Varga, Happy
Life, Absolutely, Screentime and Optical and are confident that our
kids shows will be as successful as our drama and entertainment
formats have been.'

Target has already signed up major properties for its new portfolio,
and is working with leading producers to exploit brand potential of
thee intellectual properties. Part of the launch included MEG AND
MOG, a kids series based upon the Penguin books which have sold more
than three million copies since they originated over 25 years ago;
P.E.T. DETECTIVES, an exciting live action/adventure/mystery series
from Screentime Communicado, which chronicles the lives and
adventures of three "gifted" individuals and their aunt, as they
wrestle with spirits and tackle extraordinary beings; and ANIMAL
SCHOOL, a witty animation series produced for the BBC, where all
sorts of animals attend animal school to learn how to behave like
their parents and their parents before them.

In September 2002, entertainment, sports management and marketing
company CSS Stellar bought a majority stake in Target.

The new partnership has proven very successful and allowed Target
(www.target-entertainment.com) to offer fully integrated global
rights management involving CSS Stellar and other companies within
the group. These include Peters Fraser Dunlop (PFD) Europe's leading
talent and literary agency and The GEM Group (sponsorship).

People

3. MARATHON UPS MICHEL.
Paris-based Marathon has promoted David Michel from creative director
to svp of animation. He will be responsible for new business
development, especially North American activities. Michel will also
continue exec. producing Marthon's flagship series, MARTIN MYSTERY
and TOTALLY SPIES, which he co-created with fellow exec. producer
Vincent Chalvon-Demersay.

Michel has also been writing some of the episodes and has developed
all in-house animated series since he joined Marathon in 1999, as
well as establishing a brand identity for these productions along
with Chalvon-Demersay and artistic director Stephane Berry.

Michel came to Marathon from Fox Kids France where, as a programming
exec, he helped create the channel's programming policy and on-air
branding, which he started before the channel's launch in fall 1997.
He joined Fox Kids as a research manager doing ratings analysis,
created in-house focus groups for programs and did on-air promos
tracking.

Marathon was founded in 1990 by Olivier Brémond and Pascal Breton. In
1999, Chalvon-Demersay joined the Group in order to develop animation
production. Marathon International, which was also created in 1990,
is the Group's international sales division; it distributes both
Marathon's programs and acquisitions from other producers around the
world. Thórunn Anspach heads this company. For more information,
visit www.marathon.fr.

4. SWALLOW PROMOTED AT UNIVERSAL'S PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY.
Universal Pictures has promoted John Swallow to evp of production
technology. He will continue to report to presidents of production
Mary Parent and Scott Stuber. Swallow was named svp of production
technology for Universal in January 1998, having first joined the
studio in Nov. 1996 as vp of production technology. Over the years,
he has been responsible for supervising the production technology for
such films as THE GRINCH, THE MUMMY, THE MUMMY RETURNS, THE LOST
WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and OCTOBER SKY.

Parent and Stuber said, "Over the years, John has proven to be an
increasingly valuable and valued member of our team, just as
technology has proven to be as important to the production of
seemingly low-tech movies as A BEAUTIFUL MIND and SEABISCUIT as it is
to effects-driven films like THE HULK and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS. His
expertise is unparalleled in the field, and we're very happy to
announce this well-deserved promotion."

Before joining the studio in an official capacity, he worked for two
years as effects producer on DRAGONHEART. Prior to that, he was exec
producer for Pacific Data Images, creating effects for such films as
HEART AND SOULS, CARLITO'S WAY and THE RIVER WILD, as well as the
EARTHQUAKE attraction and Hitchcock Pavilion at Universal Studios
Florida. From 1983 to 1992, he was vp of production for Apogee
Prods., a company responsible for some of the visual effects work on
such films as GHOSTBUSTERS II, DIE HARD 2 and COMING TO AMERICA.

5. R!OT MANHATTAN STAFFS UP TO MEET HD DEMANDS.
Responding to the rapid growth in its visual effects and high
definition divisions, R!OT Manhattan has boosted its staff through
several key personnel moves. Luis Ribeiro has been promoted to the
newly created post of exec producer, and Susan Giattino to business
manager. Ribeiro previously held the title of sr producer; Giattino
was production manager. Additionally, the company has hired Angela
Botta as sales representative and Colleen Garvey as producer.

R!OT Manhattan has enjoyed an upswing in demand for visual effects
design for commercials, particularly those involving fashion and
beauty clients such as Clairol, L'Oreal and Pantene. Additionally, it
has been providing high definition video finishing services for an
increasing number of theatrical releases, including spots for Diet
Coke, EstZe Lauder, Intel and Cover Girl.

"We've had a very good year in commercial work and, having recently
completed a renovation, are well positioned for the future," said
R!OT Manhattan managing director Connie Griffin. "We have assembled a
very strong team and are focused on doing what we do best."

In his new role, Ribeiro will provide hands-on, operational oversight
for all post-production work at R!OT Manhattan. He will supervise
bidding, ensure that deadlines are met, act as the chief liaison
between clients and the studio's artistic staff, and see that quality
standards and artistic expectations are not only met but exceeded.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas, Austin in
1998, Ribeiro began his career with R!OT Manhattan (then Manhattan
Transfer, prior to its acquisition in 2000 by Ascent Media). He has
served as an assistant producer in the company's design department
and as a visual effects producer before being promoted to sr producer
for visual effects last year.

Giattino will oversee all financial operations. She has been on
staff at R!OT Manhattan for three years and previously held the
position of visual effects producer. Prior to that, she served for
six years as business manager at Blue Rock Editorial, New York. Her
background also includes operational and production posts with Sound
One and Editel, both in New York.

Botta joins R!OT Manhattan from a sales post with the design and
visual effects house Black Logic, New York. A graduate of Arizona
State University, she began her career as an assistant producer with
ABC in Phoenix. She has also worked in sales and marketing capacities
with Miramax and New Line Cinema. She will focus on extending R!OT
Manhattan's client base among New York advertising agencies.

Garvey formerly served as an exec assistant and producer at Imaginary
Forces, the Los Angeles design studio. She previously spent two years
in a similar role at R!OT Manhattan's sister facility, R!OT Santa
Monica. She began her career with Ogilvy & Mather, New York. At R!OT
Manhattan, she will serve as a producer for editorial sessions.

R!OT Manhattan is located at 545 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
For more information, contact Dana Locatell at (212) 907-1208.

6. ZAPARA MOVES FROM ZOIC TO EDEN FX.
Multi-Emmy Award winner Chris Zapara (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER) has
been named a supervising visual effects artist at Eden FX, having
recently worked as a 3D supervisor at Zoic Studios. He produced
models, animation and vfx for the finale of the hit show. Before that
he was a 3D supervisor with Area 51 (2000-2003), where he produced
animation and vfx for DUNE and CHILDREN OF DUNE, for which he
received Emmys.

Hollywood-based Eden FX (www.edenfx.com), formed in 2000 by
co-presidents John Gross and Mark Miller, provides vfx for STAR TREK:
ENTERPRISE, NAVY: NCIS and HOMELAND SECURITY.

7. WILD BRAIN TAPS ANIMATION SUPERVISOR FARELL.
Matt Farell (the MATRIX trilogy) has signed on with Wild Brain as CG
animation supervisor. With more than 10 years of industry experience
and renowned for his character and creature animation, Farell will
not only supervise the animation unit but will also oversee pipeline
issues and r&d.

"Matt's style is conducive to driving character nuances, which keeps
the story moving along," said Andrea Mansour, Wild Brain's head of
commercials. "And nothing should take away from the big picture.
Matt's work raises the bar in terms of our capabilities as a CG
character animation shop, and his experience will help us as we
continue to expand Wild Brain's 3D talent pool."

Early on, Farell worked for Boss Films before moving to Warner
Digital, animating A LITTLE PRINCESS, BATMAN FOREVER, ERASER and MARS
ATTACKS! He then moved to Sony Pictures Imageworks, where he worked
as a digital artist on CONTACT, STARSHIP TROOPERS and GODZILLA. He
then held the title of animation supervisor at Manex Entertainment
for the MATRIX films.

Farell's commercial work at Boss and Digital Domain includes spots
for Crest, Dodge Neon and the Bud Frogs. He graduated from Columbia
University in Chicago, where he studied film, animation, computer
graphics and fine arts.

Founded in '94, San Francisco-based Wild Brain Inc.
(www.wildbrain.com) is an award-winning animation studio that
develops and produces content for the global film, TV, commercials
and interactive markets.

8. JAKKS PACIFIC NAMES RUSSO INTERNATIONAL SALES SVP.
Carmine Russo has been promoted to svp of International Sales JAKKS
Pacific Inc., a leading multi-brand company that designs and markets
a broad range of toys and leisure products.

Russo, formerly coo of Toymax International Inc., joined JAKKS
Pacific as svp of research and development, following the acquisition
of Toymax by JAKKS in 2002. At JAKKS, Russo has worked to integrate
Toymax's toy and seasonal lines into JAKKS' operations. In addition,
Russo has been actively working to expand JAKKS' TV games line and to
develop JAKKS' NASCAR-branded radio control vehicles.

Beginning in 1994, Russo was responsible for Toymax's product
development and overseas manufacturing and sourcing. He also was
charged with maximizing pricing and distribution efficiencies for
Toymax's international sales of its brands.

Prior to Toymax, Russo spent eight years at toymaker Buddy L, known
for their steel trucks, pool products and winter toys, as svp of
operations, responsible for overseas sourcing, manufacturing and
distribution. Earlier, Russo lived in Hong Kong and was mg of HG
Toys, where he oversaw all Hong Kong operations, including sales,
manufacturing and distribution for the seasonal products company.

"Carmine Russo's experience in sales, product development, overseas
sourcing and distribution is exactly the mix we've needed to manage
our International business," commented Jack McGrath, svp of
operations, JAKKS Pacific. "His strong relationships with existing
international customers, as well as with factories throughout the
world, will drive the growth we believe we can achieve."

JAKKS Pacific, based in Malibu, California, is a multi-brand company
that designs and markets a broad range of toys and leisure products
sold under various brand names including, Flying Colors, Road Champs,
Remco, Child Guidance, Pentech, Trendmasters, Toymax, Funnoodle, Go
Fly a Kite and Color Workshop. The company also participates in a
joint venture with THQ Inc. that has exclusive worldwide rights to
publish and market World Wrestling Ent. videogames. For further
information, visit www.jakkspacific.com.

9. GRIFFIN JOINS IN FUNIMATION SALES.
To support the evolution of its home video sales department,
FUNimation Prods. Ltd. has brought aboard Larry Griffin as sr
national sales manager. Griffin, formerly the west coast regional
sales manager for Pioneer Entertainment USA, brings more than 15
years of home video experience to FUNimation. He is known for his
expertise in the anime industry, which will assist FUNimation as the
company continues to increase its dominance in the growing anime
market.

Griffin will report to FUNimation's recently announced director of
sales for the home video division, Tony Vandeveerdonk, who is another
new addition in FUNimation's enhanced sales department.

FUNimation Prods. Ltd. is a full-service brand management company
with in-house production, licensing, Internet, marketing and home
video sales and distribution divisions. In addition to BLUE GENDER,
FUNimation also produces DRAGON BALL Z and YU YU HAKUSHO. For more
information visit www.funimation.com.

In Passing

10. ANIMATION DIRECTOR URBANO DIES AT 94.
Veteran animator and director Carl Urbano died on October 16, 2003 at
the age of 94. Starting in 1931, he worked for Winklers, Van Beuren,
Harman-Ising, MGM, Hugh Harman, John Sutherland and Hanna-Barbera. He
was awarded the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists Golden Award in
1981.

In the second half of his career, Urbano, along with Ray Patterson
and a few others, formed the directing backbone at the Hanna-Barbera
studios for nearly three decades, working on such programs as
CHALLENGE OF THE SUPERFRIENDS, POPEYE, SCOOBY-DOO, POPEYE and CASPER
specials.

Services will be held Sunday, October 26, 2003 at 3:00 pm at Pierce
Bros. Valley Oaks Memorial Park, 5600 Lindero Canyon Road in Westlake
Village, California 91362, (805) 495-0837.

After the services there will be a gathering of friends and family;
details will be announced at the service. AWN will bring you more
information as it becomes available.

Film

11. FIREDOG ON FAST FILM PRODUCTION TRACK.
Firedog LLC has started pre-production in Los Angeles on its $2
million independent, animated feature film, FIREDOG, with principal
production to be carried out at Camp Chaos Studios. Aaron Henry and
Eric Treibatch of Ent. Consulting Group and Scott Duthie will
produce, Clifford Matthews will exec produce original screenplay by
Glen Stephens to be directed by Duthie.

Scout, the canine star of the story, is separated as a puppy from his
rural farm home during a fire. Hector, a fast-talking chicken,
accompanies Scout on his adventures as he finds his way to the Bronx
in New York and is adopted by a fireman's son. Having grown into
adulthood and trained as a Firedog, Scout must overcome his phobia of
fire in order to save the young boy's father from a devastating,
inner-city blaze.

Tom Arnold, Lauren Bacall, Tom Berenger, Danny Bonaduce, Beverly
D'Angelo, Tony Danza, William Katt, Michael Madsen, Rudolf Martin,
Nia Peeples and Dan Roberts compose the primary voice over cast. Most
have already laid down their voicetracks for the film.

"We saw a great opportunity to produce a franchise that would appeal
to children all over the world," said Matthews. " The script has all
of the necessary elements to make for a new children's classic- a
heroic main character and his eccentric sidekick in a storyline with
both excitement and humor."

The production's digital pipeline, a combination of proprietary
technology and off-the-shelf 2D and 3D packages, will be utilized to
deliver the film on an approximately six-month production schedule.
No distributor has yet been tapped.

FIREDOG is the first of three 2D/3D animated children's feature films
from the producing team that are slated to enter production in the
next 18 months. The projects in development are in the same budget
range and will star comparable A-list talent. The films will be
marketed to international buyers and for domestic TV, cable, and
direct-to-video distribution.

The picture is privately funded by an investment group in Texas via
Matthews. For more information contact Aaron Henry, at the Ent.
Consulting Group in Los Angeles via tel. (310) 689-7396, or e-mail
aaron@ecg-la.com.

12. DPS TO CG ANIMATE HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER.
Digital Production Solutions (DPS), the animation unit of IDT Media,
has entered into a production services agreement with German-based
Berlin Animation Film (BAF) as the sole animator of HAPPILY N'EVER
AFTER, a computer-animated feature that reworks classic Grimm Bros.'
fairy tales. The feature will utilize DPS' Global Animation Studio,
its worldwide network of satellite animation facilities, and is
scheduled for theatrical release in late 2004. The film's voice
talents include Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie
Prinze Jr., George Carlin, Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn and Patrick
Warburton. Paul Bolger will direct from an original script by Robert
Moreland. Rainer Soehnlein is exec producer. SHREK and SHREK 2
producer and Vanguard Films principal John H. Williams will produce.
Michael Algar is the line producer.

HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER tells the story of the world of fairy tales
turned upside down. When the scales of good and evil tip towards the
evil side, Cinderella, The Prince, The Seven Dwarfs, and assorted
Fairy Godmothers battle the forces of fairy tale evil, led by Frieda,
the Empress of Evil, to bring it back in balance.

"HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER is the perfect vehicle to showcase DPS'
animation capabilities," boasted DPS president Morris Berger. As part
of the agreement, DPS will perform animation services on the film
including, modeling, rigging, texturing, color, location
construction, 3D workbook, lighting, effects, rendering and
compositing.

"DPS' unique global network allows it to deliver high quality
computer graphic animation work at lower costsS," added Vanguard
president Williams.

In March 2003, DPS acquired rights to STARPOINT ACADEMY and CHAR,
both Gene Roddenberry creations. STARPOINT ACADEMY is presently in
production. In May 2003, DPS acquired a controlling interest in Film
Roman, the animation company well known for its production work on
THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL and other popular broadcast television
programs. In July 2003, DPS entered into a partnership agreement with
Vanguard Animation to co-produce and co-own all Vanguard properties
Vanguard has a deal a place with Disney to complete 4 CG features.
The first film, VALIANT, is presently in production. Recently, IDT
Media announced it has a binding letter of intent to acquire a
controlling interest in Mainframe Entertainment.

IDT Corp., through its IDT Telecom Inc. subsidiary, is a
facilities-based, multinational carrier that provides a broad range
of telecommunications services to its retail and wholesale customers
worldwide.

13. VIDEOVISION ENT ACQUIRES AFRICAN ANIMATED SKY KINGDOM.
Videovision Entertainment has acquired worldwide distribution rights
to THE LEGEND OF THE SKY KINGDOM. The film is the first animated
feature produced in Africa and created using a method dubbed
Junkmation, which employs found junk to create characters and sets.
The film tells the story of a group of children who escape a cruel
orphanage and embark on a quest to find the fabled Sky Kingdom. Roger
Hawkins directed the film with Phillip Cunningham producing and
Minali De Silva handling art direction. Videovision has been taking
SKY KINGDOM around the festival circuit with a world premiere at the
Montreal Film Festival and an African premiere at the Durban
International Film Festival.

Videovision is a multi-faceted entertainment business based in Duran,
South Africa. The company produces and distributes film and video
attractions to a worldwide audience via theaters, video, cable and
television. For more information, visit http://www.videovision.co.za/.

14. HORROR REMAKE TAKES CHAINSAW TO KILL BILL.
New Line's TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake upended Quentin Tarantino's
KILL BILL VOLUME 1 from the top of the box office chart, scoring $28M
for the weekend ended Oct. 19, 2003. With vfx by Centro Digital
Pictures Ltd. and K.N.B. EFX Group Inc., the Miramax film declined
nearly 44% in its second week, picking up $12.4M and $43.2M to date.
Debuting in third place was Fox's courtroom thriller, RUNAWAY JURY,
which tagged $11.8M. Paramount's THE SCHOOL OF ROCK was right behind
in fourth, with $11M and a three-week total of $54.8M. Clint
Eastwood's MYSTIC RIVER, meanwhile, catapulted from 17th to fifth
place in wide release. The moody Warner Bros. mystery wracked up
$10.4M for a two-week cume of $13.5M. MGM's talking dog fest, GOOD
BOY! (courtesy of Jim Henson Prods. with vfx from Rainmaker Digital
Pictures), collected $8.9M for sixth place, and now has a two-week
total of $25.7M). The Coen Bros.' screwball comedy with George
Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, netted $6.5M
for Universal in its sophomore outing at number seven (with vfx by
Rhythm & Hues), giving it $22.7M. MGM's OUT OF TIME fell to eighth
with $4M and a cume of $35.2M. Boy Wonder Visual Effects worked on
this action/thriller. Disney's Diane Lane romancer, UNDER THE TUSCAN
SUN, hit the ninth spot with $3.3M for a $33.6M take. Universal's THE
RUNDOWN, starring The Rock, sunk to number 10 with $2.7M and a
disappointing cume of $44.5M. Rhythm & Hues has vfx bragging rights
on this one. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com.

Television

15. AQUAKIDS PADDLES ONTO FRENCH TÉLÉTOON.
France Animation has signed a deal with Télétoon in France for new
series AQUAKIDS. Produced by leading Korean animation company
Cinepix, the 26x26 show features a state-of-the-art, dynamic 3D
animation style for kids 6-12 that combines kids, robots and
underwater adventures.

Set in the near future, the series is based in a fantastic world
where humans live at sea and where every child has a cuddly little
pet robot that can transform into a powerful diving gear.

One day, three kids and a friendly archaeologist go to an underwater
quest to discover the secret of a lost civilization. During their
adventures, they make new friends but also encounter monsters,
pirates and a cruel, evil mastermind who wants to rule the world.
Their courage and sense of friendship helps them to overcome any
problem while having fun at the same time.

Lionel Marty, head of sales and acquisitions at France Animation,
which has the distribution rights to the series for French-speaking
Europe, said: "We are delighted to continue our excellent
relationship with Télétoon and are confident that kids will love the
exciting adventures of the AQUAKIDS."

Established in 1984, FRANCE ANIMATION, a new subsidiary of Antefilms
Production, has become one of Europe's leading production and
distribution companies for youth programs. An active supplier, France
Animation has a sales catalog with more than 1,200 half hours sold in
more than 100 countries, and has become one of the top distribution
companies in the domain of youth entertainment.

16. NEW ZEALAND GETS FIRST HOMEGROWN ADULT ANIMATION.
Toon Boom Technologies' Opus is the software chosen by Firehorse
Films to produce New Zealand's first primetime adult animated series,
a non-PC satire called BRO'TOWN.

Written and performed by the multi-talented comedy troupe, the Naked
Samoans, BRO'TOWN chronicles the schoolboy misadventures of four
Auckland teenagers growing up in the big city. "It's the first show
of its type in New Zealand and I think viewers are going to love
seeing an animated Aotearoa with all its diverse cultures and
communities," said Oscar Kightley, one of the Naked Samoans.

TV3's associate director of programming Kelly Martin said the network
was thrilled to finally have BRO'TOWN in production. " We loved the
idea of an animated Oscar and Co. from the moment we heard it," said
Martin, and expects it "to be the SIMPSONS of the South Pacific." The
series is expected to screen on TV3 next year.

Elizabeth Mitchell, founder of Firehorse Films, based in Auckland,
New Zealand (www.firehorsefilms.co.nz), and producer of the series,
managed against the odds to put together the financing, the creative
and the production team. "Doing the first series in-house, and having
the creative control that comes from being all under one roof was a
must for BRO'TOWN," said Mitchell. "Toon Boom showed us how we could
keep creative control, keep the quality high and keep the cost down."

Toon Boom Technologies Inc. provided the software and production
pipeline for the entire project, while Adimex of Sydney, Australia,
provided the hardware and field integration.

Based in Montreal, Canada, Toon Boom Technologies (www.toonboom.com)
is a world-leading supplier of animation solutions for businesses and
individuals. With a presence in more than 75 countries, Toon Boom
Technologies provides a complete suite of high-performance animation
solutions and services to creators and producers of animation,
including USAnimation, Toon Boom Studio and Toon Boom Studio Express.
Founded in 1994, Toon Boom Technologies offers a 100% vector-based,
resolution independent and multi-layer software system with
multi-format output to HDTV, Film, DVD, Imax and Macromedia Flash.

Adimex (www.adimex.com.au) is Australia's leading digital media
production tool distribution company. Based in Sydney, Australia,
Adimex imports and distributes a broad range of market-leading
solutions for broadcast video, DVD, streaming media and iTV. For many
years, the company has provided world-class product marketing and
support for the products it represents and has developed a strong
reseller network throughout Australia and New Zealand.

17. SOUTH PARK PLANS GAY OLD TIME ON COMEDY CENTRAL.
SOUTH PARK is back with eight new episodes with a blatant attempt to
ride the coattails of all the new hit shows with a fashionable queer
sensibility, as Comedy Central proclaims SOUTH PARK is gay. Cartman,
Kyle, Stan and Kenny continue to wreak havoc in their small mountain
town when all-new episodes begin airing on Wednesday, October 22 at
10:00 pm on Comedy Central. Now, they'll be doing it with more flair
and style.

In the first episode, entitled "South Park Is Gay," the whole town
celebrates the new, hip metro sexual craze. Everyone is suddenly hot
to be gay! Cartman, Stan, Kyle and Kenny are in fierce competition to
see who can be the gayest, while Mr. Garrison responds with, "If
straight people are gonna steal our culture, then us REAL gays are
just gonna have to step it up a notch!"

In its 7th season, satirizing American life, the SOUTH PARK boys take
on Rob Reiner and the anti-smoking hysteria and explore the issue of
the elderly and their apparent vendetta against farmer's markets.

Launched in 1997, SOUTH PARK remains the highest-rated series on
COMEDY CENTRAL. SOUTH PARK repeats Fridays at 12:00 am, Saturdays at
10:30 pm and 2:00 am and Sundays at 11:00 pm.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are co-creators and exec producers of the
Emmy-nominated SOUTH PARK, with Anne Garefino also serving as exec
producer.

18. EVANS RECASTS ADULT ANIMATION IN KID NOTORIOUS.
Watch out Spike TV as Comedy Central delivers what should ultimately
satisfy its favorite male demographics with Robert Evans as his
animated self in KID NOTORIOUS, premiering Wednesday, October 22,
2003 at 10:30 pm on COMEDY CENTRAL. It offers loads of sex, sleaze,
drugs, raw language, guns, violence, racial slurs and political
satire with an arresting graphic style and sophisticated writing just
made for adult men and ladies who like to ride rough with the boys.

KID NOTORIOUS is a series of Evans' real-life and fictional
adventures as he charms Hollywood, battles global corruption and, of
course, always gets the ladies.

In the debut episode, entitled "Hip-Hop to the Godfather," revenge is
on Evans' mind when Sharon Stone drops out of his next film to pursue
"Sharon Stone's Vagina," her version of the "Vagina Monologues."
After an erratic driving incident lands Evans in jail, alongside
members of two rival street gangs, Evans avoids marrying one of
cellmates with the spin inspiration to take the rapping hoods to
Broadway as stars of his next, greatest idea, an updated rendition of
THE GODFATHER featuring an all hip-hop cast to open on the same night
as "Sharon Stone's Vagina."

Evans voices himself, figuring no one else could capture his style.
Other characters featured in KID NOTORIOUS include English, the
archetypal butler, voiced by Evans' real-life butler for the past
decade, Alan Selka, along with his feisty housekeeper, Tollie Mae,
voiced by Niecy Nash (RENO 911!). The most arresting one is his
adorable black kitten, Puss Puss, who delights in terrorizing the
butler while playing adoringly up to its master Evans. Puss Puss
passes up catnip for the human kind, taking a hit off a bong or
rolling a doobie for Evans as they lounge under the sheets, while
they recover from an escapade.

What sets this toon off from other primetime animated fair is the
adult design of the characters, props and backgrounds. The look is
far more sophisticated than shows intended for adults, unbelievably
achieved in Flash entirely in-house by Central Prods., a production
company that Comedy Central set up in Burbank, California. Movements
are jumpy and rough, but the style, color and light reflections off
polished surfaces gives it a 2D/3D effect.

Joining Evans as exec producers on KID NOTORIOUS are Alan Cohen and
Alan Freedland (KING OF THE HILL), and Brett Morgen (THE KID STAYS IN
THE PICTURE). Comedy Central's Jim Sharp and Angela Howard serve as
execs in charge of production.

Animation credits include producers J. Michael Mendle, Monica Mitchel
and supervising directors Cullen Blaine and Pete Michels. Art
direction is by Jerry Richardson. Michael Q. Ceballos is character
design supervisor and Marice F. Morgan II supervises backgrounds.
Lead animators are Alx S. Meza and Dave Markowitz, Storyboard artists
include Brian Tribble, David Steel and Deke Wightan. Paul Dalder is
on board as editor while Mark Douglas is post-production supervisor.
Marc Bonilla handles the music and Jeff Danna did the main title
music. Deballos and Richardson did the original main character
design. Casting is by Dawn Hershey.

Evans is best known for his illustrious career as head of Paramount
Pictures and indie producer at the studio, where he was responsible
for such successes as CHINATOWN, THE CONVERSATION, THE GODFATHER, THE
GODFATHER II, ROSEMARY'S BABY, TRUE GRIT, LOVE STORY, HAROLD AND
MAUDE, SERPICO, MARATHON MAN, URBAN COWBOY and POPEYE. He recently
produced HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS, starring Matthew McConaughey
and Kate Hudson.

Future episodes will include Evans losing his treasured home,
Woodland, to French President Jacques Chirac in a poker game and
making movie deals with Hollywood's A-list, while saving the world
from mass destruction.

Of interest is the closing credit card on the series with the
warning: "Celebrity voices are impersonated but not Robert Evans, who
is voiced by Robert Evans, who may or may not have slept with your
wife. Program may contain coarse language and or adult situations and
or childish situations."

19. VH1 LOOK INSIDE SOUTH PARK, PREMIERES ILL-USTRATED.
VH1 presents a night of animation with the premiere of VH1 GOES
INSIDE: SOUTH PARK and the original new series, VH1's ILL-USTRATED, a
half-hour animated sketch comedy show which unleashes the forces of
satire on popular musicians, bands, pop icons, divas and all things
pop culture.

VH1 GOES INSIDE: SOUTH PARK kicked off the animated double-header
premiering on October 17, 2003 at 9:00 pm. This one-hour special
celebrates the animated series that took America by storm with its
unique blend of off-color humor, politically incorrect takes on taboo
subjects, sharp-tongued cast of misfit characters and rough-edged
cutout style animation simulated on high-end computers. GOES INSIDE
will feature unforgettable moments from the series and revealing
interviews with its creators, writers, producers and celebrities, all
sharing insider stories and personal memories about this landmark
show. Interviews include Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators,
writers and voices behind the show, Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran, Bob
Saget and numerous others.

Immediately following is VH1's first foray into animation with the
original series VH1's ILL-USTRATED at 10:00 pm, when three new
episodes will air consecutively. This animated series is loosely
based on the cartoons found at CampChaos.com, the home of infamous
NAPSTER BAD!, a series of cartoons spoofing Metallica's lawsuit
against Napster during the summer of 2000. Some of the celebrities
spoofed in the premiere episode include Michael Jackson, Christina
Aguilera, Tommy Lee and President George W. Bush.

The first episode features Jackson at home with his animals, another
explores his dancing abilities and the third parodies TAXICAB
CONFESSIONS where Jackson is the driver and Robert Black is the
passenger. The first episodes also take an animated look at Aguilera
on the road, the real Dr. Phil, Bjork, Tommy Lee and Joan Rivers. The
second episodes punches up Bush's attempts to read a speech on world
hunger. Other featured artists include David Lee Roth, Ozzy and Kelly
Osbourne and Guns N' Roses.

Viewers can log onto VH1.com to learn more about VH1's ILL-USTRATED.
Check the site and local listings for replays of these two programs.

VH1 GOES INSIDE: SOUTH PARK is exec produced by Jay Scharer. VH1's
ILL- USTRATED is exec produced by Kim Rozenfeld and Julio Kollerbohm.

Internet & Interactive

20. VIVENDI UNIVERSAL GAMES RELEASES GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION EXODUS.
Vivendi Universal Games will ship GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION
EXODUS, the sequel to the award- winning PC realtime strategy game
for the PC, to North American stores in the second quarter of 2004.

GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION EXODUS combines the fast-paced action
and stunning graphics of an action game, with the tactical thinking
of a realtime strategy game. The videogame focuses on tactical combat
with minimal time spent on resource management. Instead of harvesting
resources and building bases, the game keeps the action hot and heavy
by immediately rewarding players for accomplishing objectives.
Additionally, the unique multiplayer drop-in mode allows players to
instantly join an ongoing game at any time, for any length of time.

This latest version chronicles the ongoing conflict between the
Northern Star Alliance and the Terran Empire. Having lost the war in
space, the NSA retreats to their homeworld and forces the Terran
Empire to engage in a savage war of attrition on the ground. As a
commander in the field, players can command a task force consisting
of infantry, tanks, artillery and aircraft alone in the single player
campaign or with other players via LAN or Internet.

"New players, fans of the original game and action fans alike will
find GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION EXODUS right up their alley," said
Philip O'Neil, svp of sales and marketing, Vivendi Universal Games.
"We've made sure that casual gamers will be able to join an ongoing
battle quickly and easily, while experienced fans will have more
advanced gameplay options and powerful level editor at their disposal.

"By building on our experiences from the original Ground Control and
listening carefully to our fans, we have designed an action-packed
gaming experience that will surpass anything ever seen before on the
PC. We can't wait to show gamers the end-result," said Martin
Walfisz, ceo of Massive Ent.

Developed by Massive Ent., GROUND CONTROL II: OPERATION EXODUS
features the best 3D graphics engine in the RTS genre, allowing for
outstanding graphics with incredible levels of detail. For more
information, check out www.groundcontrol2.com/.

Massive Ent., located in Malmo, Sweden, is a leading developer of
games and interactive entertainment products for a worldwide market.
Its world acclaimed PC game GROUND CONTROL, launched in 2000, and
established Massive Entertainment as one of the most innovative
developers in the real time strategy genre. In 2002 the company was
acquired by Vivendi Universal Games (VUG) as one of only two
development studios outside North America.

Headquartered in New York, Vivendi Universal Games (www.vugames.com)
is a global leader in multi-platform interactive entertainment. A
leading publisher of PC, console and online-based interactive
content, Vivendi Universal Games' portfolio of development studios
includes Black Label Games, Blizzard Entertainment, Coktel, Fox
Interactive, Knowledge Adventure, Sierra Entertainment and Universal
Interactive. Through its Partner Publishing Group, VUG also
co-publishes and/or distributes interactive products for a number of
strategic partners, including Crave Entertainment, Interplay,
Majesco, Mythic Entertainment and Simon & Schuster, among others.

21. SEGA ROLLS OUT BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG.
SEGA of America Inc. recently released BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT
EGG, a new platform game exclusively for the Nintendo GameCube.
Developed by the creator of SEGA's world-famous SONIC THE HEDGEHOG
series, BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG challenges players to solve
puzzles, complete missions and defeat powerful bosses throughout
massive, fantastical environments with the help of magical eggs.

The first all-new platform character from Yuji Naka and Sonicteam
since the SEGA Saturn era, BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG is the
story of a young boy on a mission to save the world from the clutches
of the evil Crow King who threatens to rule with an everlasting
night. Gamers must learn to harness the powers of a legendary rooster
suit and control magical eggs to restore light to the land.

"Yuji Naka and Sonicteam has once again created a groundbreaking
gaming experience filled with colorful worlds and one-of-a-kind
characters," said Shinobu Toyoda, evp, SEGA of America. "BILLY
HATCHER'S offbeat and engaging gameplay offers something for gamers
of all ages this fall and into the holiday season."

BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG challenges gamers to solve puzzles,
fight enemies, and ultimately hatch magical creatures that enhance
their abilities. Players will find the fast action and unique
elements that they expect from Sonicteam titles as they explore
themed, mystical environments on their quest to save the kingdom of
Morningland. The adventure also includes hidden characters, and a
four-player split-screen feature with cooperative and competitive
gameplay modes.

BILLY HATCHER AND THE GIANT EGG is rated "E" for everyone and is
available at retailers in America for an MSRP of $39.95.

SEGA of America (www.SEGA.com) is the American arm based in San
Francisco of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corp., a worldwide leader in
interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The
company develops, publishes and distributes interactive entertainment
software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC,
wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and
Sony Computer Ent. Inc.

Home Video

22. NOODLESOUP, JOHNSON GROUP PUT FRESH SPIN ON FAIRY TALES.
Noodlesoup Prods., an animation studio moving up the ranks in New
York City, and The Johnson Group, a rapidly growing independent
production firm in McLean, Virginia, are developing FRESH SPINS, a
direct-to-video children's series featuring a modernized animated
version of favorite fables and fairy tales.

FRESH SPINS is an original concept created by Noodlesoup founder and
children's author Jeffrey Nodelman, and is one of 20 original
projects that his studio has in the development pipeline. Noodlesoup
will produce and design the animation with a unique style and color
palette geared toward kids. The pilot episode is scheduled to debut
in the spring of 2004.

The stories are hosted by a 3D-live action puppet, an alien DJ
spinning his way through the cosmos in a spaceship. Each episode will
integrate a strong musical component, creating a catchy
song-and-dance appeal, under the musical direction of Rashida Jones
with lyrics from Grammy winner Seth Friedman. Prolific children's
screenwriter David Stern is onboard to write the series.

Noodlesoup and The Johnson Group will serve as exec producers for the
series, while The Johnson Group will provide principal financial
support for the pilot. The partnership with Noodlesoup is an effort
by The Johnson Group to expand its slate of projects to include
innovative programming that "makes a positive difference in the lives
of those who experience them," according to founder Robert M. Johnson.

Founded in 2001, Noodlesoup Prods. is a full-service animation
studio, located in the heart of Times Square in Manhatten. The studio
creates original content in addition to providing production services
for the entertainment and advertising industries. The studio is
producing THE VENTURE BROS series for the Cartoon Network,
commissioned after the successful debut of the pilot in February
2003. which aired in February 2003. For more information, please
visit www.Noodlesoup.net

The Johnson Group is an award-winning media company that produces
television reality series, broadcast documentaries, theatrical films,
live performances and events, and corporate communications media. For
more information, please go to: www.thejgroup.com.

23. A TREASURE TROVE OF INDIANA JONES ON DVD.
With great fanfare, the INDIANA JONES trilogy comes to DVD Oct. 21,
2003 (Paramount Home Entertainment, $49.95) in a handsome four-disc
set. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (now bearing the INDIANA JONES AND
THESmoniker), INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES
AND THE LAST CRUSADE have never looked or sounded better at home.
They've been digitally cleaned up by Lowry Digital Images and
remastered by THX. And the extras on disc 4 are like archaeological
treasures. They include "Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy," a new
exhaustive behind-the-scenes glimpse into the production of each
film, containing new interviews with George Lucas and Steven
Spielberg and rare archival footage from the Lucasfilm vaults,
including a screen test between Tom Selleck and Sean Young and all
sorts of on-set banter.

Plus there's "The Light and Magic of Indiana Jones," which recounts
Industrial Light & Magic's groundbreaking vfx before the advent of
CGI. Included are animatics of the fiery RAIDERS climax and a previs
of the famous mine car chase, in which models were shot with a 35mm
Nikon still camera on little railroad tracks in an underground cave
set made out of aluminum foil. Technicians explain their creative use
of miniatures, matte paintings and morphing in pulling off the famous
stunts and chases.

24. GET TAKEN, SPIELBERG-STYLE, ON DVD.
The Emmy Award-winning TAKEN, produced by DreamWorks Television and
exec produced by Steven Spielberg, was Sci Fi Channel's highest rated
program ever. The 10-part miniseries comes to DVD Oct. 21, 2003 in a
lavish five-disc set (DreamWorks Home Entertainment, $89.95).
Spanning 50 years of habitual alien abductions among three American
families, TAKEN expands on many of the themes Spielberg first
introduced in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, obviously with a
stronger emphasis on family.

Among the informative extras are "The Cast of Taken," in which
Spielberg discusses his long-standing interest in UFOs and abductions
and how he worked with screenwriter Leslie Bohem to develop the
miniseries; "A New Reality: The Visual Effects Team," which explores
how co-producer and visual effects supervisor Jim Lima and his
talented team created the alien characters; "A Singular Vision: The
Directors," which recounts how Spielberg selected the 10 directors
and how they each approached the material; "Time Warp," which
documents the cultural and social changes that occurred throughout
the storyline and how the production team captured the essence of
each era through subtle visual mimicry; "Inside Taken" which reveals
the making of the miniseries as a secret history of the second half
of the 20th century.

25. GOING FULL THROTTLE ON DVD WITH CHARLIE'S ANGELS.
The highly anticipated DVD release of CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE
streets Oct. 21, 2003 in both theatrical and un-rated versions
(Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, $27.94). Directed once again by
McG and starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, the
sequel capitalizes on more creative stunts, sexy costumes and a
pulsating soundtrack.

The un-rated DVD, however, does not include an alternate version of
the film, but, rather, additional footage and special features,
including such featurettes as "Pussycat Dolls," containing a profile
of Robin Antin's erotic dance troupe; "Rolling with the Punches,"
which focuses on training, choreographing, rehearsing and filming the
fight scenes; "XXX-treme Angels," which details the Angels and
Moto-Cross scene; along with "Full Throttle Jukebox," a menu-driven
list of the soundtrack songs. Clicking on a song gives the viewer a
short clip of McG and music supervisor John Houlihan talking about
how and why the song was used. Then the viewer is connected to the
scene where that song belongs.

Other special edition features include: McG's telestrator commentary,
in which the director illustrates his points a la John Madden during
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL; a featurette on the filming of the Hansen Dam
sequence; a featurette on the filming of the opening montage; and
such DVD-ROM features as CHARLIE'S ANGELS: ANGEL X ONLINE GAME and a
link to the CHARLIE'S ANGELS animated shorts.

Licensing

26. YU-GI-OH! BATTLES PLAQUE WITH NEW TOOTHBRUSHES.
Personal Products Co. and 4Kids Entertainment have struck a licensing
deal to bring the YU-GI-OH! characters to REACH brand toothbrushes
and toothpaste.

Toothbrushes will feature such characters as Yugi, Kaiba and various
monsters. The special toothpaste flavor for the YU-GI-OH! promotion
will be mint berry. The manual brush will retail at $2.39, the
toothpaste for $2.29 and the power brush for $4.99. The manual
toothbrush and toothpaste will be available at drugstores, discount
stores and supermarkets in October 2003. The power toothbrush will be
on shelves at Wal-Mart in November 2003, and available nationally in
March 2004.

Brought to the U.S. from Japan by 4Kids Entertainment, YU-GI-OH! is
based on a popular manga series. The story begins when Yugi's
grandfather gives him an ancient Egyptian puzzle called the
"Millennium Puzzle." When Yugi pieces the puzzle together, he
unexpectedly receives a powerful alter ego -- Game King.

Headquartered in New York City with international offices in London,
4Kids Entertainment Inc. is a global provider of children's
entertainment and merchandise licensing. For further information,
visit www.4KidsEntertainment.com.

Personal Products Co., a division of McNeil-PPC, Inc., develops,
produces and markets oral health, women's health and sanitary
protection products.

27. JAKKS PACIFIC LANDS MUCHA LUCHA TOY LICENSE.
Warner Bros. Consumer Products has awarded the Master Toy License for
MUCHA LUCHA! to JAKKS Pacific Inc, which plans to develop products
including action figures, play sets, role play and plush. JAKKS
expects to present the initial line at the Fall Mass Market Expo in
New York in October 2003, with shipping to begin spring 2004.

Jennifer Richmond, svp of JAKKS Pacific, said, "We look forward to
creating a collectible toy line for MUCHA LUCHA! that captures the
humor and appeal of the comedy-adventure animated property. Based on
the success of MUCHA LUCHA! after its first season, we believe kids
are connected to the characters of the show and will want to collect
and play with the toy line."

Karen McTier, evp, domestic licensing for Warner Bros. Consumer
Products, said, "We are excited to have JAKKS Pacific develop toys
for the dynamic and creative MUCHA LUCHA! property. The humor and
wide appeal of MUCHA LUCHA! offer many options for a wide range of
toys."

The one of the first all-Flash animated series for broadcast
television, MUCHA LUCHA! follows Rikochet, Buena Girl and The Flea as
the train at The Foremost World Renowned International School of
Lucha hoping to someday become great masked wrestlers.

Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Co., is
one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations.

JAKKS Pacific Inc. is a multi-brand company that designs and markets
a broad range of toys and leisure products. The product categories
include: action figures, arts & crafts activity kits, stationery,
writing instruments, performance kites, water toys, sports activity
toys, vehicles, infant/pre-school, plush and dolls. For further
information, visit www.jakkspacific.com.

28. NEW LITHO HONORS MEL AND NOEL BLANC.
Mel Blanc, the master of multiple animated stars such as Bugs Bunny
and Porky Pig, is being honored, along with his son, in a
limited-edition lithograph featuring Warner Bros. characters that
Blanc helped make famous.

The poster-size "Passing the Baton: A Tribute to Mel and Noel Blanc"
lithographs are numbered, signed and will be personalized by his son,
Noel Blanc, who continues his father's legacy. Produced by Warner
Bros. for Great American Ink, the lithos cost $495
(www.cartoongallery.com).

Mel Blanc died in 1989, but made his mark on voice acting decades ago
with Bugs Bunny's signature "Eh, what's up, Doc?" Porky Pig's
stuttering "Th-th-that's all, f-f-folks" and the distinctive
"Meep-Meep" of the Road Runner, amongst many. Blanc successfully led
the fight to get voice actors onscreen credit for their work. Up
until his battle, studios preferred to maintain a sense of mystery
and magic surrounding the character voices.

The lithographs are companion pieces to the top-selling memorial
commemorative lithograph produced when Mel Blanc died titled,
"Speechless." It shows the cast of Blanc animated characters in
mourning, standing with heads bowed in front of an empty microphone.

Education

29. CARTOON NETWORK AND ARTS & KIDS TEAM TO GET KIDS INTO ART.
Cartoon Network and The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation
announced the launch of 'cARToon netWORK ARTWORK,' a partnership
designed to get children involved with the arts, and discover
connections between all art forms. Workshops will be designed and led
by artists from different fields including Richard E. Grant, Siobhan
Davis, Quentin Blake and Benjamin Zephaniah. Cartoon Network and Arts
& Kids will work on a number of high-profile projects, beginning with
a showcase event on October 24, 2003 and culminating in an
exhibition of the children's artwork in the spring half-term holidays
at a to-be-named London gallery.

Richard Kilgarriff, vp and head of channels Cartoon Network
commented: "I'm very excited about this collaboration. Kids' natural
affinity with cartoons will engage them in this project, introducing
them to new ways of thinking and the world around them."

The series of workshops will break cartoons down to their component
parts -- movement, music, acting and writing. The first workshop for
'cARToon netWORK ARTWORK' will involve 6-year-old children from
Lewisham school drawing movement under the guidance of Quentin Blake
and the Royal Academy of Arts, with the movement provided by Siobhan
Davies and her dancers.

Colin Tweedy, ceo of Arts & Business said: "The arts are not an
optional extra for young people. Arts & Kids works in partnership
with businesses, artists and arts organizations to let new
generations experience the dynamic and creative world of the arts at
a very formative stage of their lives. We are delighted to be working
alongside Cartoon Network on this exciting project to help realize
the vision of HRH The Prince of Wales. Thanks to the committed
support of Cartoon Network children will be able to work alongside
world-class artists and explore their creative talents, have fun and
maybe develop a passion for the arts. Arts & Kids will make the arts
available to as many young people as possible, help businesses become
more successful and bring better resources to the arts."

The Prince of Wales Arts & Kids Foundation is a new initiative of
Arts & Business, the U.K. organization that encourages effective
partnerships between business and the arts. Arts & Kids was set up in
response to HRH The Prince of Wales's vision that every child and
young person in the U.K. should have the opportunity to engage
directly with the arts.

Cartoon Network U.K. is Turner Broadcasting 24-hour channel dedicated
to animation. It has been the most popular commercial channel for
kids 4-9 in the U.K. since its launch in 1993. For more information,
visit http://www.cartoonnetwork.co.uk.

Technology

30. ARTBEATS OFFERS EXPANDED STOCK FOOTAGE LIBRARY.
Artbeats has announced the expansion of its royalty-free stock
footage library. The new collections include high-quality images that
include: Chicago Aerials, Mountain Peaks, Middle East, Rural
Lifestyles, Sharks, Winter Lifestyles and Winter Scenes.

"Artbeats is one of the first royalty-free stock footage companies to
offer underwater imagery of sharks and HD aerial footage of Chicago,"
said Phil Bates, president of Artbeats. "Our library is constantly
growing and these new collections demonstrate Artbeats' continued
commitment to providing our customers with stunning and hard to
obtain footage of fascinating subject matter."

Artbeats footage is available in HD-1920x1080, D1 NTSC-720 x 486 or
D1 PAL-720x576 resolutions. All standard and high-definition products
are licensed royalty-free for all uses including broadcast, feature
film, multimedia and Internet. The files are delivered in Apple
QuickTime format encoded with Photo JPEG at a high quality setting
and frame rate of 30fps. The footage is largely sourced from 35mm
film and most Artbeats titles are available in NTSC or PAL format for
Macintosh and Windows. Pricing for Artbeats NTSC and PAL collections
range from $229-$699 and HD collections range from $799-$899. For
more information, visit artbeats.com.

31. DISCREET RELEASES 3DS MAX 6.
Discreet has begun shipping 3ds max 6 software, the latest version of
its award-winning professional 3D modeling, animation and rendering
package. This release offers significant advancements to existing
core features as well as new functionality developed in cooperation
with customers such as SEGA Corp.

"This new version of 3ds max 6 focuses on a blend of customer-driven
refinements, new features, and application stability-reinforcing its
legacy as the 3D solution with the breadth and productivity to
deliver the job from start to finish," said Paul Lypaczewski, gm of
Discreet and evp, Autodesk, Inc.

New features in 3ds max 6 software include an advanced schematic view
for complex scene management; integrated mental ray 3.2 renderer; a
new event-driven particle system; reactor 2 stuntman dynamics;
unmatched design workflow with Autodesk solutions through .DWG
import/export with ObjectARX support; vertex painting; enhanced
modeling and skinning tools; HDRI support; performance optimizations
designed in conjunction with Intel Corp.; and extensive focus on
enriching the reliability of existing features. The release also
incorporates a new CD-ROM complete with software from strategic
partners such as Criterion Software RenderWare Visualizer, Bionatics
EASYnat, Okino Computer Graphics PolyTrans OpenFlight and ArchVision.
The software is available for $3,495.

Discreet (www.discreet.com) provides award-winning solutions designed
for digital media creation, management and delivery-across all
disciplines from film and television visual effects, color grading
and editing to animation, game development and design visualization.
Discreet is based in Montreal, Quebec and is a division of Autodesk,
Inc, a world leading design and digital media creation, management
and distribution company.

32. NEWTEK & EYEON EXTEND LIGHTWAVE 3D/DFX+ COMPOSITING.
NewTek Inc. announced that the special offer combining LightWave 3D
with eyeon's DFX+ professional compositing package has been extended
up to the date LightWave [8] is released. Currently in the beta test
phase and expected to ship in the fourth quarter of this year,
NewTek's LightWave [8] includes enhancements in dynamics, character
animation, modeling workflow and tools, animation workflow, texturing
tools and more. Since announcing and previewing LightWave [8], NewTek
has offered purchasers of new or upgrade seats of LightWave a free
electronic update to [8] when it ships, and also eyeon Software's
professional compositing application, DFX+, a $995 value, with Module
1 - Visual Effects, a $495 value, and Module 4 - 3D Tools, a $295
value, at no additional charge (a total value of $1785).

Steve Ross, president of Abeq Studios, who recently saw a demo of the
new version of LightWave in Toronto, said, "It was amazing to see
some of the innovative additions to LightWave [8] in action. The
stills on the NewTek Website don't do the new features justice. To be
honest, I was thinking of waiting for the next version before
upgrading my LightWave [7.5], but after seeing the demo for [8] I'll
be getting mine sooner rather than later."

NewTek's LightWave, winner of a 2003 Primetime Emmy Engineering
Award, combines a state-of-the-art photo-realistic renderer with
intuitive and powerful modeling and animation tools, and is used
worldwide as a complete 3D production solution for broadcast
graphics, games, print, web and visual effects for film and
television. Version [8] adds hard body dynamics to LightWave's suite
of physical simulations tools, and enhances soft body dynamics with
more intuitive controls and more versatile performance. The character
animation system is improved with faster inverse and forward
kinematics, a more powerful and flexible control system, and the
ability to apply LightWave's dynamics to the skeletons of character
or object meshes. Modeling workflow has been enhanced and a suite of
new modeling tools added.

"We're very excited about bringing a new generation of LightWave to
our users," said Andrew Cross, NewTek svp of engineering. "Both
broadcast and film production have tighter deadlines and budgets than
ever with even higher standards for output quality. LightWave 3D
version 8 provides a more efficient workflow and the tools to allow
artists to meet their client's demands on time, on budget and with
great results, whether producing a station I.D. or convincing visual
effects for the latest blockbuster film."

LightWave 3D Overview:
* World-class rendering
* Fast, versatile Modeler
* Powerful scripting language
* Character Animation tools
* Particle Effects
* Expressions
* Numeric entry (and math in input fields)
* Unlimited points and polygons per object
* Unlimited images
* Unlimited surfaces
* Easy import of Illustrator data
* Easy integration with other effects production tools

LightWave 3D [8] Includes:
* Improved workflow in Layout and Modeler
* Rigid Body Dynamics
* Improved Soft Body Dynamics
* Faster IK, FK
* Bone Dynamics
* More powerful and flexible character animation controls and tools
* Improved character setup workflow
* New Particle System Tools
* Animatable UV coordinates
* Improvements to LScript scripting language and to the API

Purchasers who would prefer to receive upgrades in package form with
printed manual and CD rather than in electronic form will be able to
purchase a Convenience Upgrade option for $99, directly from NewTek.
For more information on the items offered and to purchase direct from
NewTek, visit: www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441,
overseas callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider
of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools,
including VT[3], LightWave 3D and Aura Video Paint. NewTek launched
the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the
legendary VT.

33. TURBO SQUID ANNOUNCES UPGRADE TO CEBAS' FINALRENDER STAGE-1.
Turbo Squid has announced the release of cebas' Service Pack 1 (SP1)
for finalRender Stage-1, a Discreet Certified 3ds max Plug-in. SP1 is
a free download and provides the following to finalRender Stage-1
users:

* Completely re-designed Distributed Rendering system which gives the
user additional control over their render nodes and can handle large
scenes far more efficiently.
* Adds a new fR-Matte/Shadow material type to give users the ability
to do special compositing effects with Stage-1 output.
* Provides Level of Detail controls to the fR-Image Global
Illumination engine to let users control the density of the GI
solution based on distance within their scene, resulting in faster
rendering of large vistas as fewer GI samples are taken for objects
in the far distance.
* Users can now click in the rendering window when rendering with
Stage-1 and tell the renderer which bucket should be rendered next.
* General speed and performance enhancements and fixes.
* Fully compatible with Discreet's 3ds max 6, as well as 3ds max 4, 5
and Viz 4.

Edwin Braun, founder and president of cebas, GmbH worked with Turbo
Squid and Discreet to deliver SP1. "SP1 provided us with an
opportunity to go beyond normal V1.0 bug fixing. We took this
opportunity to really enhance the product. Global Illumination has
evolved to significantly increase quality and speed, with control
over the LOD. The Distributed Rendering system was completely
re-designed and fully supports 3ds max 6."

"The cebas team has really outdone themselves with this service
pack," said Beau Perschall, vp of publishing at Turbo Squid. "After
such a successful initial release, other developers might have taken
a break. But cebas decided to listen to their users, who are very
vocal about what they wanted, and immediately set about expanding
their technology. They went to great lengths to provide many
requested enhancements to finalRender Stage-1, and I feel have
further strengthened a very robust product."

As part of the Discreet Certified 3ds max Plug-in Program, Discreet
and Turbo Squid work together to select third party solutions that
bring value to 3ds max artists. These plug-ins are subjected to
stringent testing procedures defined by Discreet to ensure each
plug-in works well with 3ds max software and other Discreet Certified
3ds max Plug-ins, which are backed up by an online support system
implemented by Turbo Squid. For more information on Discreet
Certified 3ds max Plug-ins visit: www.turbosquid.com.

Founded in January 2000, Turbo Squid is dedicated to the management
and distribution of digital assets and other relevant content for 3D
and 2D designers and creative professionals. Turbo Squid provides a
global market for digital assets by enabling individual and corporate
users to list, promote and sell their content to users around the
world. In 2003 Turbo Squid was named as the exclusive publisher and
worldwide distributor for the Discreet Certified 3ds max Plug-in
Program. Turbo Squid is a privately held company with financial
backing from Advantage Capital Partners, The Eastman Kodak Company
and Intel Capital.

Hiedelberg, Germany-based cebas Computer GmbH is a developer of
advanced 3D software for 3ds max and other 3D applications. More info
is available at www.cebas.com.

34. POWER BOOLEANS 2.5 RELEASED FOR 3DS MAX/VIZ.
nPower Software has released version 2.5 of Power Booleans for 3ds
max / viz, including 6.0 of 3ds max. Power Booleans 2.5 also
introduces new functionality, and provides bug fixes for reported
problems. The popular Power Booleans plug-in extends 3ds max with
powerful, accurate and fun polygonal Boolean operations. Power
Booleans is powered by POPLib, a powerful polygonal modeling kernel
from IntegrityWare.

Power Booleans makes 3D modeling easier with features such as dynamic
Boolean operations. With dynamic Booleans, you can manipulate
Boolean operations on the fly, and watch the Boolean being performed
right before your eyes. Interactively sculpt your model by moving
Boolean operands dynamically, while viewing the result in realtime.

In addition to the regular help files, they've added context based
quick help to the Power Booleans dialogs.

Power Booleans 2.5 sells for $195. Registered Power Booleans
customers can upgrade to version 2.5 free of charge. Power Booleans
is available for purchase at the nPower Software on-line store
(www.nPowerSoftware.com/store.html), and through various resellers
throughout the world. A free 30-day evaluation copy can be
downloaded from the nPower Software Website at www.nPowerSoftware.com
.

nPower Software LLC was founded seven years ago by IntegrityWare Inc.
(www.IntegrityWare.com) to market proprietary technology in the
end-user graphics plug-in market.

35. MENTAL IMAGES ACCELERATES DEVELOPMENT OF REALITYSERVER WITH $6
MILLION INVESTMENT.
mental images has just completed a $6 million investment round led by
ViewPoint Ventures and another large international private equity
investor to expand its product offerings to include the 3D
collaboration platform, RealityServer. The transaction was managed
by ViewPoint Capital Partners. The company will also expand its U.S.
operation in San Francisco.

Based on the same fundamental technologies used in mental images'
Academy Award-winning software mental ray, RealityServer addresses
the need of many industries for secure, server-based collaboration
with high-quality, photorealistic images of 3D content. For example,
engineers can use it to access physically correct pictures of
computer-aided design (CAD) data, planners can alter 3D models of
buildings and urban space and kids can play online games-all from any
web-connected PC, PDA or cell phone without any special software or
"client" system. RealityServer takes full advantage of 64-bit
processing power and advanced graphics chips. While authorized users
may access original 3D models, their data never leave the server,
providing the highest levels of security and intellectual property
protection.

RealityServer can be integrated with existing or new Web-based
software applications in a wide range of markets, including: remote
maintenance and repair; online training and product support;
collaborative product design and content creation; medical imaging;
interactive online gaming/entertainment; and e-commerce.

The second generation of RealityServer will be developed at an
accelerated pace during the next 18 months and will provide extended
scalability for very large and possibly heterogeneous computing
environments, support for interaction with additional data formats
and sources and enhanced functionality.

One of the key benefits for developers is being able to easily create
applications on top of RealityServer that permit the dynamic
generation and secure distribution of accurate, up-to-the-second
visual information to users on any network-enabled device. The end
result is a unified RealityServer workflow that will permit thousands
of users to simultaneously access the original unmodified 3D data and
to interactively collaborate with other users from anywhere in the
world.

The RealityServer platform provides essential features that are
required for building applications and Web application services,
including:

* Fully interactive and collaborative interaction with 3D design
content that is guaranteed independently of the front-end device
capabilities without requiring custom plug-ins or players.

* Proprietary content and data is protected and efficiently managed
in one central, secure environment.

* Each solution is massively scalable across multiple commodity
hardware platforms and operating systems with regard to data
complexity, performance, image quality and number of simultaneous
users.

* RealityServer software developer kit eases integration into larger
corporate environments and solutions.

* Customers and developers can enhance and extend the system at every
level through a comprehensive extensible environment with well
documented programming interfaces and reusable source code examples
for key system components, all based on industry standard languages
and protocols.

"Remote visual interaction with accurate 3D content is central to
more and more business processes," says Rolf Herken, founder, ceo and
cto of mental images. "By delivering the results interactively within
seconds of a request or instantaneously, RealityServer applications
will change the way 3D content is created and used. We are looking
forward to expanding mental images' market reach with the support of
our new investors. We have seen solid growth in our core products and
expect the demand for RealityServer to accelerate in such markets as
aerospace, automotive, product design, telemedicine, retail and
on-line entertainment.''

"mental images has a strong market position," added Christian
Janson-Euterneck, md of ViewPoint Capital Partners. "Its unique R&D
assets, solid product portfolio, long-standing customers, and clear
perspective on how to leverage its technology into new and larger
markets make us pleased to participate in mental images's future
growth."

To date, mental images' patented technologies and products are
distributed primarily as the integrated rendering and (in some cases)
modeling software components of leading digital content creation and
CAD programs, such as Maya, Softimage|XSI, 3ds max and 3ds viz,
SolidWorks and CATIA. In addition, mental images works directly with
some of the world's largest and most demanding end-users of 3D
visualization to develop customized solutions. More than 130
Hollywood movies have been made with mental ray, including MATRIX
RELOADED, HULK and TERMINATOR 3.

mental images GmbH (www.mentalimages.com) is a privately held company
based in Berlin, Germany, with a subsidiary in San Francisco,
California. Founded in 1986, mental images is a recognized
international leader in providing rendering software to the
entertainment, computer-aided design, scientific visualization,
architecture and other industries that require sophisticated images.

Awards

36. HACKETT, EDNA & LILLIAN DISNEY & FLEISCHER BECOME DISNEY LEGENDS.
The Walt Disney Co. recognized 11 honorees as 2003 Disney Legends for
their "creativity and imagination" in a ceremony held Oct. 16 at
Disney Legends Plaza on the studio lot in Burbank. Disney vice
chairman Roy Disney presided over the induction ceremony, which has
honored 163 individual talents since 1987, beginning with actor Fred
MacMurray.

The 2003 Disney Legends honorees are as follows:

* Tutti Camarata - Music -- Tutti supervised recordings of more than
300 Disneyland Record albums, including those featuring Disney stars,
such as Mouseketeer Annette Funicello, for whom he developed her
distinctive "Annette" sound. He joined Disney in 1956 when Walt
Disney decided to create an in-house label. Camarata helped co-found
Disneyland Records, better known today as Walt Disney Records, and
while there first began experimenting with classic Disney animated
films, including BAMBI, DUMBO, CINDERELLA, MARY POPPINS and others,
putting story, music and dialogue to long-playing vinyl record albums.

* Edna Disney - Founder -- Wife of company co-founder Roy O. Disney,
Edna lent her support to The Walt Disney Co. even before its 1923
inception. During the early years, Edna frequently assisted with
office work at the fledgling studio, and, along with Walt's wife,
Lillian Bounds Disney, helped ink-and-paint animation cels.

* Lillian Disney - Founder -- While Lillian, wife of company
co-founder Walt Disney, worked behind the scenes to support its
growth, her most celebrated contribution is the naming of a certain
animated character. Lillian was responsible for the name "Mickey
Mouse." Before she was married, Lillian worked at the fledgling
studio as a secretary and "inker" of animated cels.

* Orlando Ferrante - Imagineering -- During his 40 years at Walt
Disney Imagineering (WDI), former vp of engineering, design and
production, Ferrante helped create magical Disneylands around the
world. From Walt Disney World to Disneyland Paris, his keen
administrative and planning skills served him well when orchestrating
the combined efforts of inspirational artists, engineers, production
and installation teams creating Disney theme parks.

* Richard Fleischer - Film - Fleischer, son of legendary animator Max
Fleischer, served as the director of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA in
1954, one of Disney's most ambitious live-action films.

* Floyd Gottfredson - Publishing -- Gottfredson, who penciled
Mickey's daily comic strip beginning in 1930, played a major role in
getting Disney's then new character, Mickey Mouse, known throughout
the world by producing the daily strip. Gottfredson was first hired
by Walt as an in-between artist working on the SILLY SYMPHONY
animated shorts.

* Buddy Hackett- Film -- Actor and comedian Buddy Hackett has been
called one of America's funniest and most inventive comics. At
Disney, he left his comedic mark on such smash hit feature films as
THE LOVE BUG, in which he played the wacky, mystic sculptor Tennessee
Steinmetz, and THE LITTLE MERMAID, in which he provided the voice of
Scuttle, the daft seagull.

* Buzz Price - Imagineering -- Research economist Price helped Walt
Disney handpick the optimum locations for Disneyland in 1953 and
Disney World in 1963, among other projects. A month prior to his
death in 1966, Walt personally appointed Price to care for one of his
most prized projects, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in
Valencia. CalArts was to be a unique educational concept that would
"cross fertilize" disciplines in art, design, music, dance, film,
video and theater.

* Al Taliaferro- Publishing -Taliaferro joined Disney in 1931 as an
assistant to Gottfredson, inking the Mickey Mouse daily and Sunday
comic strips. When Donald Duck made his grand debut in the SILLY
SYMPHONY Sunday comic strip series, he was drawn and inked by
Taliaferro.

* Ilene Woods - Voice - The title voice of the animated feature
CINDERELLA, Woods was chosen from a field of nearly 400 hopefuls for
the role.

37. SAFO ANNOUNCES 2003 WINNERS.
On October 19, 2003, the Ottawa International Student Animation
Festival (SAFO 03) announced its winners. An international jury
selected winners in seven categories from 72 films. CalArts student
Jean-Jacques Villard took home the top honors with the Nelvana Grand
Prize for his film SON OF SATAN. Turku Arts Academy of Finland
garnered the Grand Prize - Best School for exhibiting a high level of
consistency and diversity in its show reel.

Best First Film went to THE STONE OF FOLLY by Jesse Rosensweet (Sweet
Thing Production/National Film Board of Canada) for "its
interpretation of a medieval misconception and its intelligent and
atmospheric execution." LE FAUX PLI by François-Xavier Lepeintre,
Antoine Arditti and Audrey Delpuech of France's SUPINFOCOM took home
the National Film Board of Canada Award for Best Graduate Film for
"its personal use of 3D computer animation to create a truly original
and absorbing world." Best Post-Secondary/Undergraduate Film went to
CATS by Chris Choy of CalArts for its "excellent sense of timing and
visual impact in the telling of a cats' rebellion."

Best High School Film was awarded to WHAT! by Rocco Pisano, (a recent
graduate of Chicago's Willowbrook High School), for its "raw energy,
inventiveness and pure expression of individuality." The Best
Children's Film was split between two films, PAZ EM JACAREZINHO
(PEACE IN JACAREZINHO, SHANTY TOWN) made by various students from
Brazil and JOEY'S ADVENTURE by Rachel Everitt of Scotland. Both films
were cited for "the children's mature articulation of personal
situations, and in appreciation of their optimism while confronting
difficult issues."

The 'Gouda Special' Award was presented to Pallas Bane of the U.S.
for her film, THE BIG CHEESE, and an honorable mention for the
funniest educational film was given to American animator Kurt Nellis
for his graduate film, PROPER URINAL ETIQUETTE.

In addition, honorable mentions were presented to CROUCHING NINJA,
HIDDEN SNOWMAN by Aidan O'Hara of Canada, CRIMENALS by Gregory Araya
representing USC, HÔTEL DU PHARE by Tugdual Birotheau representing
ENSAD of France and HOW TO COPE WITH DEATH by Ignacia Ferreras of the
U.K.

Jury members included the head of the NFB's French animation studio
Marcel Jean, self-taught corrupt-collage American filmmaker Martha
Colburn, Palm d'Or winning filmmaker Oscar Grillo of Britain and Ink
Tank producer and animation professor Richard O'Connor from New York.

SAFO, run by the Ottawa International Animation Festival, is a
biannual event celebrating young filmmakers. The first student
animation festival in the world, the Ottawa festival provides a
supportive venue for young animators to showcase their work away from
larger festivals where it is often over-shadowed by big-budget studio
entries. For more information about the festival, call (613)
232-8769, email: info@animationfestival.ca or go the festival's
Website at www.awn.com/ottawa/safo03.

38. MACHINIMA AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED.
The Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences has announced the
nominations for the 2003 Machinima Awards, which showcases the best
in films created in a realtime virtual 3D environment, known as 3D
game engines. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on October
25, 2003 at the American Museum of the Moving Image in New York as
part of the Machinima Film Festival.

The non-profit organization advocates and promotes Machinima as a new
artform with the awards and festival as an event to assist in this
mission. The full-day festival, sponsored by NVIDIA, AMD and the
American Museum of the Moving Image, will showcase Machinima
technology, presentations and screenings. Admission to the event is
free. More information can be found on both the Academy's site
(www.machinima.org) and the Museum's Website (www.movingimage.us)

Below is a complete list of the nominees:

Best Picture
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
AVATARA - Donato Mancini, Canada
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
BOUNCER PLEASE - Stardate: Nighttime, U.K.
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Direction
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
HERO - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA
LOVEDEATH - David Kaplan & Dan Torop, USA
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Virtual Performance
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
COMMON SENSE COOKING - The ILL Clan, USA
HERO - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Visual Design
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
THE BATTLE OF XERXES - Artemis Software, USA
SAFETY KIDS - XLT & Chanticleer Films, USA
THE TOURNAMENT - Friedrich Kirschner, Germany
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Sound
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
THE BATTLE OF XERXES - Artemis Software, USA
DRAGONS - Stardate: Nighttime, UK
HERO - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Writing
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
THE BATTLE OF XERXES - Artemis Software, USA
DRAGONS - Stardate: Nighttime, U.K.
GODS AND FATHERS - Ike Sainoi, Germany
PORTAL - G4 TV, USA

Best Editing
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
HERO - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA
LOVEDEATH - David Kaplan & Dan Torop, USA
THE OUTCOME - Joe Falcione, USA
OWNED - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA

Best Technical Achievement
ANNA - Fountainhead Ent., USA
COMMON SENSE COOKING - The ILL Clan, USA
LUCKY MAN - James Hamer-Morton, U.K.
OZYMANDIAS - Strange Co., Scotland
THE TOURNAMENT - Friedrich Kirschner, Germany

Best Commercial/Game Machinima
HALO 2 - Microsoft/Bungie, USA
PORTAL - G4 TV, USA
SAFETY KIDS - XLT & Chanticleer Films, USA
TRON 2 - Buena Vista Games & Monolith Prods., USA
IN THE WAITING LINE - Ghost Robot/Fountainhead Ent., USA

Best Independent Film
BLOOD GULCH CHRONICLES - Red Vs. Blue, USA
BOUNCER PLEASE - Stardate: Nighttime, U.K.
DIE WALTONS - Rodrigo Olmos & Axel Schmidt, Germany
HERO - Magnus Walterstad & David Munroe, Germany/USA
OZYMANDIAS - Strange Co., Scotland

Call for Entries

39. DEADLINE FOR BRITISH ANIMATION AWARDS NEARING.
5th Annual British Animation Awards
London, U.K.
March 19, 2004
Deadline: November 30, 2003

The 5th Annual British Animation Awards will relocate to a new
central London showcase, The Shaw Theatre, Bloomsbury. Previously it
has taken place at the National Film Theatre on London's South Bank.
The awards, a bi-annual celebration of the best British animation
talent, will feature five new categories- Best TV/Film Graphics, Best
Music, Best Use of Sound, Best Comedy and a new Writer's Award,
bringing the total number of awards categories to 19, covering a wide
range of British animation production, from mainstream entertainment
to the experimental cutting edge, from student films to commercials
and pop videos. Many British Animation Award winners have gone on to
enjoy further success; Michael Dudok De Wit (Craft Award, Best
Scenario & Best Short Film (U.K.) BAA 2002) went on to win an Oscar
for his film FATHER AND DAUGHTER; Susie Templeton (Best Student Film
BAA 2002) won a BAFTA for her film DOG; Chris Shepherd (Best Comedy
Series for People's Britain) went on to make short Film DAD'S DEAD
which has enjoyed critical acclaim; Michel Ocelot's KIRIKOU ET LA
SORCIÈRE (ex-æquo Best European Feature Film BAA 2002) has gained a
U.K. theatrical release. For more information contact e-mail:
info@britishanimationawards.com or Web:
www.britishanimationawards.com.

Events

40. ARTIST NETWORKING AT AHA! ARTISTS GATHERINGS.
AHA! Artists Gatherings
Santa Monica, California, USA
October 25, 2003

Artists Helping Artists (AHA!) and THE CREATIVE LINE magazine will be
holding an AHA! artists gathering. This AHA gathering is free. The
meeting is a safe space where artists, musicians, writers, arts
educators and community arts leaders can make new contacts and share
and align their creative visions and projects. It's a meeting where
artists get connected up to other artists and leaders and become part
of a coordinated team of visionaries, dreamers and doers. The event
takes place from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Bergamot Cafe, Bergamot
Station Arts Center, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica, California.
Ask for Artists Helping Artists meeting. For more information, call
(310) 828-4001.

41. WIA/LA GENERAL MEETING: STARTING AN INDEPENDENT ANIMATION STUDIO.
WIA/LA General Meeting: Starting An Independent Animation Studio
Hollywood, California, USA
October 30, 2003
Deadline: October 28, 2003

WIA/LA will be presenting "It Sounds Crazy, Doc, But It Might Just
Work!: Starting An Independent Animation Studio." A panel of indie
artists will discuss how they have survived. The panelists are:
Antonella & Roland - Animanto, Dave Molina - partner - Creative
Capers, Ashley Postlewaite - exec producer - Renegade Animation,
Kaye Robinson - exec producer - Friendly Feeling and Tom
Tataranowitcz - studio head - Tom T. Animation. The discussion will
be moderated by Sarah Baisley - AWN, ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE. Doors
open at 6:30 pm with the event starting at 7:00 pm. It will take
place at Klasky Csupo, 6353 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Attendees must
RSVP by October 28 by calling (310) 535-3838. Members will be given
seating priority. Admission is free for members, non-members $10
donation.

42. PGA HOSTS DIGITAL ANIMATION PRODUCERS: FROM PENCILS TO PIXELS.
Digital Animation Producers: From Pencils to Pixels
Glendale, California, USA
November 6, 2003

PGA New Media Council presents a panel discussion titled "Digital
Animation Producers: From Pencils to Pixels." The focus will be on
key issues in digital animation production including the state of the
business, producer credit issues and the production process for
digital animation from pitching to distribution. Obie Scott Wade,
president ObieCo. Entertainment, will lead the discussion. In
addition to developing HOWDY FROM TEXAS at Warner Animation and
creating JULIUS & FRIENDS with Paul Frank, Wade served as a writer on
the BABY LOONEY TUNES and is writing and directing AL ROACH: PRIVATE
INSECTIGATOR, a digital film noir pilot for The Turner Classic Movie
Channel. Panelists include Aron Warner, producer of the Academy
Award-winning blockbuster SHREK; Bill Damaschke, head of creative
production DreamWorks; Graham Walters, producer FINDING NEMO; Carolyn
Soper, vp of production for Walt Disney Feature Animation; Loren
Smith, producer at DPS/Film Roman Inc. on KING OF THE HILL; Steve
Galloway, development head for TOKYOPOP; Eric Mahady, art and
technical director for Universal's upcoming animated 2D/3D combo VAN
HELSING; and Ramsey Naito, producer on the Academy Award-nominated
CGI film, JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS. Networking and cocktails begin
at 7:30 pm with the discussion beginning at 8:00 pm. The event will
take place at DreamWorks Animation Studio, Campanile Theater, 1000
Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201. No charge to active PGA
members, $20 to guests accompanied by active PGA members and $40 to
non-members and inactive PGA members. Checks can be made payable to
"Producers Guild of America."

43. UPCOMING EVENTS IN ANIMATION.
Search AWN's expansive Calendar of Events section for a list of
animation and visual effects events spanning into the year 2004. Find
out about all the places where you can see the hottest toons or
showcase your own work at http://events.awn.com.

Upcoming Films

43. UPCOMING THEATRICAL RELEASES.
Want to know what's hitting your local movie house this weekend, or
what your favorite director is working on? Then go online to
http://releases.awn.com and check out AWN's new Upcoming Theatrical
Releases' database to find out the release dates for the forthcoming
feature animated and special effects flicks!

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Animation news written and compiled by AWN.com editor Sarah Baisley.
Visual effects news written and compiled by VFXWorld.com editor Bill
Desowitz.
Additional news written by managing editor Rick DeMott.
Publishers: Dan Sarto and Ron Diamond.

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Copyright 2003 AWN, Inc. No part of this periodical may be reproduced
without the written consent of Animation World Network.

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Send news, review materials, events, or other items of interest to:
Sarah Baisley or Bill Desowitz
Animation Flash
6525 Sunset Blvd., Garden Suite 10
Los Angeles, CA 90028 USA
E-mail: editor@awn.com; or Fax: 1-323-466-6619.

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Visit the Animation World Network Website, which includes Animation
World Magazine in both HTML and Adobe Acrobat Editions.

http://www.awn.com/mag

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