A N I M A T I O N F L A S H Tuesday, October 28, 2003 Volume 08, Issue 31 ________________________________________________________________________ The Animation Flash E-mail Newsletter an Animation World Network publication ****Industry News Headlines**** Business 1. LIONS GATE BOOSTS HOLDINGS WITH ARTISAN PURCHASE. 2. COMET OPENS VITAMIN CARTOONS FOR SERVICE WORK. 3. STERNWORLD CREATIVE MANAGEMENT OPEN AS NEW REP FIRM. People 4. PLUMMER-ANDREWS STEPS DOWN, CARRINGTON STEPS INTO CBBC POST. 5. SIMENSKY STARTS PBS PROGRAMMING POST NOV. 3. 6. EXEC DIRECTOR ATKIN TO LEAVE VES. 7. BROWN IS NEW CURIOUS PICTURES EXEC PRODUCER. 8. BRODSKY MOVES UP IN NICK CONSUMER PRODUCTS. 9. WB LAUNCHES WIRELESS INITIATIVE WITH DYER AS VP. 10. SESAME WORKSHOP UPS CHANDLER TO VP GLOBAL OUTREACH. Film 11. CHUBBCHUBBS FEATURE MOVES FORWARD WITH SCRIPT. 12. BONHAM-CARTER & FIENNES JOINS WALLACE & GROMIT FEATURE. 13. NOTHING SCARY ABOUT BROTHER BEAR'S ROARING START. 14. MARVEL'S MAN-THING TO HIT THEATERS IN AUGUST. Television 15. RADIO HOST HENDRIE GETS ANIMATED BY CLONE SCRIBES ON FOX. 16. WILD BRAIN & CORSHAM COMBINE ON NATURAL BORN KITTENS. 17. DICK CLARK PRODS. TO TURN LUANN INTO LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES. 18. NICK HANDS OUT ANIMATED HALLOWEEN EPISODE PREMIERES. 19. KISS' PAUL STANLEY PART OF HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS ON THE WB AND KIDS' WB! 20. CYBERCHASE SCARES UP CREATURE FEATURE WEEK ON PBS KIDS. 21. ANIME NETWORKS CAMPAIGNING AT VEGAS COMIC-CON. Commercials 22. OUTKAST LIKES THE WAY MONEYSHOTS MAKES THEM MOVE IN NEW VIDEOS. 23. RADIUM'S MCGOWAN TALKS TRASH IN HIP ANTI-LITTER PSA. 24. VELOCITY DESIGN HELPS HBO SUNDAY SPOTS COME HOME. Internet & Interactive 25. EA'S HARRY POTTER: QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP GAME FOR HALLOWEEN. 26. ROSE BOND LAUNCHES ANIMATED SITE. Home Video 27. A MERRIE, LOONEY DVD SET. 28. MILLENNIUM ACTRESS DEBUTS ON DVD. 29. HULK DEVOURS ON DVD. Licensing 30. DIC CONSUMER LAUNCHES INT'L PUSH. 31. CARLTON TO LICENSE CAPTAIN SCARLET. 32. PLAYMATES & WAL-MART TEAM ON NINJA TURTLES TRAINING DAY. 33. ADRTISTS CD PREMIERES AT WIA LA GENERAL MEETING. Education 34. OREGON3D ANNOUNCES ROAD SHOW AND ONLINE TRAINING. Technology 35. BAUHAUS SOFTWARE SHIPS MIRAGE 1.0. 36. ADOBE ATMOSPHERE UNLEASHES 3D MULTIMEDIA ENVIRONMENTS. Awards 37. BAFTA ANNOUNCES CHILDREN'S FILM AND TELEVISION AWARD NOMS. 38. ANIMATION WRITER MARK EVANIER RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. Call for Entries 39. ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS OSCAR ENTRIES DUE NOV. 3. 40. TAMPERE PUTS OUT CALL FOR ENTRIES. 41. SAN FRANCISCO FILM FEST DEADLINE IN TWO WEEKS! Events 42. WI-FI & ENTERTAINMENT: OPPORTUNITIES IN WIRELESS CONTENT. 43. AHA! ARTISTS GATHERING IN SUNLAND-TUJUNGA. 44. JOHN CANEMAKER HOSTS LACMA MARY BLAIR LECTURE. 45. AHA! ARTISTS GATHERING IN SANTA ANA. 46. UPCOMING EVENTS IN ANIMATION. Upcoming Films 47. 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. LIONS GATE BOOSTS HOLDINGS WITH ARTISAN PURCHASE. Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. has agreed to acquire Artisan Entertainment Inc. for $160 million cash, plus the assumption of $40 million in debt, thus creating a company with more than 8,000 entertainment titles. A Lions Gate spokesman said the acquisition includes the assumption of about $40 million in debt, putting the total value of the deal at slightly above $200 million, plus performance-based compensation. The deal for Artisan, of Santa Monica, California, comes after an extensive five-month auction, which attracted interest from suitors r Marvel Enterprises Inc., Miramax Films and a team led by ex-USA Films chairman Scott Greenstein and buyout firm Thomas H. Lee Co. "We enter 2004 with our strongest theatrical slate ever with franchise properties like DIRTY DANCING: HAVANA NIGHTS (co-produced with Miramax Films) and Marvel's incredible comic book legend THE PUNISHER," said Artisan chief exec Amir in a prepared statement. The proposed acquisition of Artisan is expected to close by the end of the year. It is subject to customary closing conditions, including antitrust regulatory approvals. Under the agreement, Artisan shareholders may receive additional cash based on the performance of certain films as well as other contingent compensation. Vancouver-based Lions Gate's films include MONSTER'S BALL and GODS AND MONSTERS. Artisan's Family Home Entertainment division recently announced that it will be releasing the first computer-animated POPEYE feature, POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN (to be animated by Mainframe) on DVD on Oct. 1, 2004. AFHE represents one of the home entertainment industry's pre-eminent children's and family franchises with a roster that contains some of the most widely-recognized brands in the marketplace, including BARBIE, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, CARE BEARS, RESCUE HEROES, HOT WHEELS and the VEGGIE TALES MOVIE. 2. COMET OPENS VITAMIN CARTOONS FOR SERVICE WORK. Toronto-based Comet Ent. has opened Vitamin Cartoons Inc., an animation services division to provide high quality pre- and post-production services. Vitamin draws upon the skills and experience of some of Canada's most talented artists, Flash animators and directors to offers character, background and prop design, special effects design, stock breakdown planning, storyboards, slugging; X-sheets, color styling, s-reel and pre-layout. Comet Ent. (www.cometentertainmenmt) is one of the fastest-growing content development and production entertainment companies in North America. Comet creates, designs and delivers long and short form animation content for broadcasters and online media. The studio is in production on the animated series presented recently at MIPCOM 2003, TOBY, THE PRINCE OF WHALES and TINGUARO, THE SUN LIZARDS. 3. STERNWORLD CREATIVE MANAGEMENT OPEN AS NEW REP FIRM. Sternworld Creative Management, a new management firm described by its founder as the "William Morris" of creative services," has opened in Venice, California to represents a broad array of clients, including entertainment marketing, advertising, promotion and design firms. Sternworld also represents international marketing specialists, music composers and producers, and a visual effects and specialty production company. Renowned entertainment and brand development exec Andrea Stern said about her new firm, "I have been working in entertainment promotion, marketing and design for many years now, and have been fortunate enough to have developed great working relationships with some of the most talented and versatile creative shops in L.A. and New York. The companies that I am representing feature award-winning writers, designers and branding specialists who are among the best in the business. Their talent and experience is applied across the board in television, commercials, Web and film for both major entertainment and corporate clients. I am thrilled to be promoting their top-notch services, while seeking potential new business opportunities for them." Some of Sternworld Creative Management's initial roster of represented companies includes: Big Fish Marketing Inc. Brand strategists for the Digital Age, Big Fish Marketing and its divisions, Little Pond and FishNet, build powerful brands and craft revenue driving tactics for the world's most valuable media and tech companies, including: Sony, 20th Century Fox, Discovery Networks, Disney and Hallmark Channel. Big Fish Marketing (www.bigfishmarketing.com) just completed an online promotional campaign for the launch of ABC's fall line-up including the new drama series, THREAT MATRIX. The campaign featured an online game, Flash banners and targeted email - Fishcast. The Fishcast is a broadcast-quality full-motion graphics email that builds awareness and drives tune-in. Engine Room Engine Room provides the entertainment industry with a number of valuable services. Dan Schmit, founder of Engine Room, is in high demand by top design firms. As a vfx supervisor and a talented dp, he provides the solutions and production services needed to bring their boards to life. Recently completed projects from Engine Room include a visual effects shoot for COLLEGE FOOTBALL on Fox Sports Net that took place on their fully equipped green screen stage, and a location shoot for Twin Art's promotion campaign for WE's new show DIVA DETECTIVES. Engine Room (www.engineroomvfx.com) is also a visual effects post-production studio providing ongoing vfx services for the shows ROCK ME BABY, THAT'S SO RAVEN, STRONG MEDICINE and HACK. Engine Room is in production on visual effects for Disney Channel's original movie ZENON: ZEE 3 and were responsible for more than 50 CG shots on the feature film, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN. Jacobsrahi Inc.: Jacobsrahi Inc. (www.jacobsrahi.com/live/) is an Emmy Award-winning entertainment advertising, promotion and design company with the experience and resources needed to provide a "turnkey" approach to projects for their impressive list of domestic and international entertainment clients. Some of the company's recent projects include promotional campaigns for the new hit shows THE O.C. on Fox and FX's NIP/TUCK. They are also responsible for the new logo and show open for NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO. The Thomas Cobb Group: Emmy-nominated creative director/designer Thomas Cobb established The Thomas Cobb Group after having a successful run as the co-founder and creative director of Montgomery Cobb. Thomas' extraordinary work can be seen on virtually every television network and cable channel. Through its new relationship with Sternworld, the Thomas Cobb Group (www.thethomascobbgroup.com) has just completed a series of on-air promos for ABC Sports' MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. In addition, the company has also just completed the design and production of the main title sequences for ABC TV's new series THREAT MATRIX, and CBS TV's new series NAVY: NCIS. Currently they are working on the promotion campaign for A & E's BIOGRAPHY COUNTDOWN. TwinArt: Emmy Award-winning creative directors/designers Ellen Kahn and Lynda Kahn founded Twin Art in 1986. The company conceptualizes ideas, builds brands and stylizes pop culture, with a focus on the visual media, including broadcast television and commercials. For its launch, WE: Woman's Entertainment Television turned to Twin Art to design their logo and the network's overall identity. From promotion to interstitial programming, TwinArt is credited with maintaining WE's stylish brand since its inception. Twin Art (www.twinart.com ) is designing and producing the graphics package for the 2003 RADIO MUSIC AWARDS soon to air on NBC, and the main titles for a new Fox TV series, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT. Stern has managed 20-some launches or re-launches of television networks, TV stations, satellite systems and/or cable channels, around the world. Through Sternworld Creative Management, she is now able to match clients with the right creative talent for their projects. From 1999-2002, Stern was the president and founder of Lab903, a motion graphics design firm in Santa Monica. While with Lab903, Stern put her extensive experience in broadcast design and her unique approach to client service to work for a range of clients, including Columbia Tri-Star Television, TBS, Oxygen, the daypart re-design of HGTV, the launch of TV Works (a new channel in Singapore) and the launch of Univision's new domestic network, Telefutura. Previously Stern was a sr. exec producer with branding solutions and design firm Pittard Sullivan, utilizing her acknowledged expertise in network/channel packages in both the international and domestic arenas. Her major clients included SKY Latin America, Discovery Kids/Latin American, Universal, Saban, Columbia Tri-Star International, Paramount and Warner Bros. She also managed show packages and main title projects for a number of well-known television production companies, including John Wells, KingWorld and Carsey Werner. Before working for Pittard Sullivan, Stern was director of accounts for Novocom from 1993-96, where she supervised domestic and international accounts. Stern oversaw the firm's London and Singapore offices and managed accounts in the Far East, Europe and Latin America. Some of the launch and re-launch efforts Stern guided during her tenure with Novocom included BSKYB, STAR, and projects for the World Cup, as well as CBS Evening News, Wharf Cable in Hong Kong, and SBC, Singapore, in addition to a number of show packages for NBC News. Stern was also responsible for Novocom's overall global sales and marketing strategies. Earlier in her career, Stern also had a successful run as a line producer, working on commercials, music videos, film trailers and feature films. Sternworld Creative Management is located at 923 Marco Place, Venice, California, 90291. The phone is (310) 439-1903, and the Website address is www.sternworld.net. People 4. PLUMMER-ANDREWS STEPS DOWN, CARRINGTON STEPS INTO CBBC POST. Theresa Plummer-Andrews, the development exec who has launched scores of animated and live action kids shows, and helped champion European produced animated content, is stepping down as head of acquisitions for CBBC, the children's channel of the BBC. Former BBC executive and Create TV co-founder Michael Carrington has been appointed the new acquisitions chief, according to CBBC controller Dorothy Prior. Carrington returns to CBBC after spending four years as head of television & new media at independent production company Create TV & Film Limited. His position starts in January 2004 and will be working with Plummer-Andrews as she transitions out. "I'm delighted Michael is joining us. This is one of the most important jobs in children's television and it's probably the only role that could tempt Michael away from Create," said Prior. "He has a thorough knowledge of the children's market place and considerable experience of buying and co-producing both live action and animation," Prior continued. "He will be a huge asset to our senior team and I'm confident he will acquire the very best children's programming to complement our home-grown output." Carrington, a co-founder of Create TV & Film in London, is responsible for providing creative, editorial and managerial leadership across the company's programming and new media activities. As CBBC's deputy head of acquisitions from 1993 to 1999, Carrington was responsible for acquiring a wide range of programming, including THE WILD THORNBERRIES (MTV Networks), ROUND THE TWIST IV (Australian Children's Television Foundation) and SWEET VALLEY HIGH (Saban). Carrington also formulated the initial strategy for the BBC's two digital channels, CBBC and CBeebies, in consultation with the then deputy director of television, David Docherty. While at LEGO Media and then Create TV, Carrington helped launched the BBC TV series LITTLE ROBOTS, as well as the 3D home video movie BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT. Carrington said: "I'm very much looking forward to returning to CBBC. This has always been my dream job and while ideally I would have preferred to stay at Create, the offer of one of the top jobs in British children's television is one that I could not turn down." Plummer-Andrews joined the BBC in 1986 as a producer in children's programs and was later promoted to head of acquisitions and creative development for BBC Children's Int'l. Plummer-Andrews has launched many shows and championed working with broadcasters around Europe to champion the creations of many animators and production companies. Recent productions include PINGU, SNAILSBURY TALES, POSTMAN PAT, BOB THE BUILDER, ANDY PANDY, NODDY and BILL & BEN. Plummer-Andrews in 1997 wrote two articles for AWN - check them out to see what the veteran thought about MIP and children's animation. Check out the following stories Plummer-Andrews wrote for ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE: "Surviving MIP: A Buyer's Guide" at: http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=745 "Children's Animation, a Universal Language?" at: http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=809 5. SIMENSKY STARTS PBS PROGRAMMING POST NOV. 3. Children's programming veteran Linda Simensky has been named sr. director of children's programming for PBS, as of Nov. 3, 2003, based at PBS corporate headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. AWN reported on Oct. 9 that she was leaving her post at Cartoon Network to join PBS. Simensky will manage the award-winning PBS KIDS programming block, work with producers, co-production partners and distributors throughout development, production, post-production and broadcast. "With a thorough understanding of every genre in the children's entertainment field, Linda brings leadership and a proven track record of creative product that will further build upon our critically acclaimed line-up on PBS KIDS," said John F. Wilson, svp of PBS programming, to whom Simensky will report. "She is tasked with the challenge of delivering deep educational value throughout the programming while also ensuring an entertaining and engaging platform for kids." Simensky began her career with a nine-year tenure at Nickelodeon in New York City, where she helped build their animation department and launch such popular series as DOUG and RUGRATS. In 1995, she was appointed director of programming of Cartoon Network in Atlanta, Georgia, where she handled scheduling, acquisitions, program operations and development. She was promoted in 1997 to vp of original animation and became svp of original animation in 2001. While at Cartoon Network, Simensky oversaw the development of DEXTER'S LABORATORY, POWERPUFF GIRLS, SAMURAI JACK and other major projects. PBS KIDS provides a nonviolent, noncommercial daily television schedule offering quality entertainment in a safe learning environment for children. PBS, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise, owned and operated by 349 public television stations in the U.S. PBS serves 90 million people each week through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media. 6. EXEC DIRECTOR ATKIN TO LEAVE VES. Tom Atkin told VFXWorld that he will be stepping down as founding exec director of the Visual Effects Society (VES) because he's come to the realization that "the goal is accomplished and there is nothing more that I can do at this level. Now that I've built this organization, it's time to turn it over to the membership to dictate future policies, goals and business plans." Atkin announced last week to the VES membership that he will depart the non-profit organization to seek other entrepreneurial endeavors when his contract is up on July 31, 2004. But that he intends to guide the orderly transition of a new executive board and officers after they are elected in December. "I consider myself the architect of the VES and couldn't be prouder or more satisfied with what I've accomplished and how far the organization has come." In a prepared statement to the members, Atkin reminded them that there were those who said the establishment of the VES couldn't be done. "Now I'm here to report that it has been done." For the past 10 years, Atkin has helped VES become a global presence. Yet for the first three years, he worked out of two residences while still consulting with Sony. It took another seven years for VES to make its mark. During Atkin's reign, VES has successfully launched five festivals of visual effects in the U.S., three festivals in Europe and soon a new festival event in Asia, with three more on the horizon. Also, VES will host its 2nd Annual Awards in February 2004 and recently announced that for the first time a Lifetime Achievement Award is being given to George Lucas. Atkin adds that VES has achieved four of the five goals it first established: Membership growth and development to build a quality base and good benefits; an awards program; festivals; and archives. The final goal, distance learning, using assets to target youth for future storytellers, is still in the works. As for his future plans Atkin said he will consulting with various organizations and businesses, and might get involved in content development. Several business propositions have already been in the offing, and, a few more nibbles have come in since the announcement of his departure. The Visual Effects Society (www.visual-effects-society.org/), founded in 1997, is comprised of distinguished visual effects artists and technologists who are professionally committed to the specialized industry of visual effects. The society provides its members with a platform for communication, education, and recognition of the current and future state of the visual effects industry. Society headquarters are located in Santa Monica, CA. 7. BROWN IS NEW CURIOUS PICTURES EXEC PRODUCER. Meridith Brown has joined Curious Pictures in New York City as exec producer, head of production to supervise all aspects of production at the TV series and commercial production company, reporting to the four partners. She will oversee all aspects of live action, animation and post-production. Brown will also continue as exec producer for Tomato in North America. Curious Pictures has been Tomato Films' production company in the U.S. since 1995. She joined Tomato in 1996 to manage the explosive growth in U.S. television production for the British design collective line, producing its projects and supervising a corps of producers. "We have an increasing range of work going on here; spots, shows, on-air promo and some things that don't fit into the usual categories," said Curious Pictures partner Richard Winkler. "We have recently realized that to watch over it all we needed someone with deep experience, great taste and a calm, grounded style." Previously Brown worked as a producer supporting Curious directors Randy Akers and Chris Harvey. She has also produced commercials for feature and documentary filmmaker Michael Apted, WEST WING director Vince Misiano and commercial director Danny Boyle. "She earns the respect of every agency producer and creative team that she works with," added Curious partner David Starr. "She is extraordinarily production savvy particularly in live action and computer animation which continue to be the two most important techniques for our commercial production. She is also highly respected by the crews that she works with. She enjoys scouting new talent and giving them opportunities. " With her new responsibilities, Brown will no longer line produce. She will oversee a group of staff and free lance producers for commercials and for production of animated television series, CODENAME: KIDS NEXT DOOR on Cartoon Network, WRONG COAST (a new stop-motion series for American Movie Classics) and an animated Mattel television special. For more on Curious Pictures, check out www.curiouspictures.com. 8. BRODSKY MOVES UP IN NICK CONSUMER PRODUCTS. Leigh Anne Brodsky has been promoted from svp to evp of Consumer Products at Nickelodeon, reporting to Jeffrey D. Dunn, president of Nickelodeon Enterprises. "Since joining Nickelodeon in 1998, Leigh Anne Brodsky has grown Nickelodeon's consumer products department from two properties to a dozen with over 15,000 different products," said Dunn. "She clearly understands what the Nick brand means to kids and demonstrates it with products that are 'must haves' by anyone who loves our shows and characters," he said. Brodsky adds Spike TV and Comedy Central to her consumer products portfolio that already includes Nickelodeon's top-rated SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, DORA THE EXPLORER and BLUE'S CLUES. Brodsky's 50-member consumer products department will handle licensing for Spike TV properties like REN & STIMPY, as well as Comedy Central's SOUTH PARK, among other properties still to be determined. An award-winning licensing executive, Brodsky has negotiated major licensing and retail deals with the industry's top brands including Mattel, Fisher-Price, Target, Wal-Mart, American Greetings, Kraft Nabisco and more. Nick Consumer Products has garnered over 30 industry awards, including top licensing and Parent's Choice honors in the toy, video, interactive gaming and apparel categories. Brodsky is also in her second term as an elected board member of the Licensing Industry Merchandising Assoc. and serves on its charity fund-raising committee. A licensing industry veteran for 20+ years, Brodsky began her career at United Media in 1980 where she rose to the level of vp. She was instrumental in building Garfield into a licensing phenomenon and developing a huge demand for Peanuts consumer products. From 1992 through 1996 she was svp, marketing and merchandising at Broadway Video, and directed the worldwide marketing of the company's stable of TV and film properties, including SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE and LASSIE. Prior to joining Nickelodeon in 1998, Brodsky was svp of marketing at Golden Books Ent. Group, where she was responsible for the strategic marketing of all Golden Books' proprietary assets and leveraging them into new consumer products businesses. 9. WB LAUNCHES WIRELESS INITIATIVE WITH DYER AS VP. Warner Bros. Online has officially launched its wireless initiative with the appointment of industry veteran Doug Dyer to the post of vp, wireless, Warner Bros. Online. Under Dyer's direction, Warner Bros. Online will expand its wireless business beyond licensing into developing, producing, publishing and marketing its own content to mobile operators and handset manufacturers. Dyer's newly formed team includes U.K.-based Justin Richardson and Tokyo-based Tomomasa Iwanade. This announcement comes on the heels of a cross promotion between leading U.S. wireless carrier Sprint and the upcoming theatrical release of LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION. The deal marked WB Online's first significant foray into wireless content production, creating everything from original screensavers to custom games. Jim Noonan, svp/gm, Warner Bros. Online, "We are only just beginning to realize our potential in the wireless space. Our extraordinary library and current content have allowed us to establish a strong presence in the space by licensing and now producing original wireless content for promotional purposes and for partners to sell to consumers. With Doug's expertise and vision, we have the opportunity to more fully capitalize on this burgeoning market." Dyer said, "In addition to having access to one of today's richest libraries of existing content, Warner Bros. Online has the creative vision, skills and expertise to build truly innovative and compelling wireless applications. I'm looking forward to working with them to take the company to the next level." The 12-year + veteran most recently founded and ran THQ Wireless, a division of THQ dedicated to publishing and distributing wireless games. While there he built the company into one of the leading wireless entertainment publishers in the world, launching interactive mobile games and services for such brands at THE SIMPSONS, WWE Wrestling and Major League Baseball. Before that, he served in business development for Infogrames (Atari), one of the largest third-party publishers of interactive entertainment software in the U.S. Warner Bros. Online (WBOL) (www.warnerbros.com) provides full-service interactive solutions for Warner Bros. Entertainment subsidiaries and external clients. WBOL offers its clients strategic digital planning, and employs proprietary, next generation technologies in its suite of interactive solutions that include: Website creation and hosting, end-to-end design, animation, game creation, CRM, wireless development and original content. 10. SESAME WORKSHOP UPS CHANDLER TO VP GLOBAL OUTREACH. Donna Chandler has been promoted from ass't vp to vp of Global Outreach for Sesame Workshop, responsible for managing Sesame Workshop's Outreach Initiatives in the U.S., South Africa and Egypt. Chandler will also oversee the creation and management of an outreach program for Bangladesh and Brazil. Most recently, Chandler coordinated international outreach initiatives and supervised the development of new domestic outreach guides and activity sheets, adapted outreach materials for distribution in Afghanistan, and produced a panel discussion for the PBS Ready to Learn Conference. Chandler assisted more than 150 Public Broadcasting stations with educational outreach workshops for parents and childcare professionals and implemented training workshops. Chandler joined the Workshop (www.sesameworkshop.org.) as regional director in 1994 where she oversaw the establishment and direction of the SESAME STREET Preschool Educational Program (SESAME STREET PEP) in 89 public broadcast stations. "Donna works tirelessly for the betterment of children and has devoted her life to championing their needs and potential," said Anne Gorfinkel, exec director, Educational Outreach, to whom Chandler reports. "In her educational efforts around the world, she is a true advocate for children and the people who care for them. From the streets of Brooklyn to the hills of Appalachia to the sands of Egypt, Donna is a recognized leader who forthrightly advances the mission of the Workshop." Previously, Chandler held positions at the Manhattan Borough President's Office and Colony-South Brooklyn Houses. Chandler started as a New York preschool schoolteacher. Film 11. CHUBBCHUBBS FEATURE MOVES FORWARD WITH SCRIPT. Sony Pictures Animation confirms that it is proceeding with feature plans for its Oscar-winning animated short film THE CHUBBCHUBBS!, by Eric Armstrong, along with production of a follow-up short for theatrical distribution next summer. The computer-animated feature about an intergalactic janitor-turned singer that hooks up with the Chubbchubbs to save the universe will be penned by Dan Wilson and Dave Gilbreth (SMART AND SMARTER). A director is still being sought for the feature. 12. BONHAM-CARTER & FIENNES JOINS WALLACE & GROMIT FEATURE. Oscar-nominated actors Helena Bonham-Carter and Ralph Fiennes have signed on to lend their voices to THE WALLACE AND GROMIT MOVIE, reported Channel 4 News. Bonham-Carter will voice new character Lady Tottington and Fiennes will give life to Lord Victor Quatermaine. Aardman Animations will begin production on the film, subtitled CURSE OF THE WERERABBIT, this week for a scheduled 18-month production slate. The film follows Wallace and Gromit as they hunt down a mysterious beast, which has been gobbling up their village's prize vegetables just days before the giant vegetable growing contest. The $50 million budgeted flick will be released in 2005. 13. NOTHING SCARY ABOUT BROTHER BEAR'S ROARING START. While Dimension's SCARY MOVIE 3 debuted in the top spot for the pre-Halloween weekend ended Oct. 26, 2003, scaring up $48.1M, the real story was Disney's BROTHER BEAR platforming in two theaters in Los Angeles and New York. The studio's second to last traditionally animated feature for the foreseeable future growled its way to $291,940, for an astounding per-screen average of $145,970. BROTHER BEAR should have a more formidable gross when it opens wide next weekend. After that the competition gets pretty stiff the rest of November with the likes of Disney's THE HAUNTED MANSION, Universal's CAT IN THE HAT, Warner Bros.' LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION and New Line's ELF. Meanwhile, New Line's TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake came in second place with $14.4M and a two-week take of $50.9M. Sony's RADIO debuted at number three with $13.3M, Fox's courtroom thriller, RUNAWAY JURY, followed in fourth place with $8.4M and a two-week cume of $24M and Clint Eastwood's MYSTIC RIVER held the fifth spot for Warner Bros with $7.7M and a gross of $24.7M. Paramount's SCHOOL OF ROCK dropped to sixth with $6.5M for a total of $63.3M, Miramax's KILL BILL VOLUME 1 (with vfx by Centro Digital Pictures Ltd. and K.N.B. EFX Group Inc.) continued its slide to number seven with $6.3M for a cume of $54M. MGM's talking dog fest, GOOD BOY! (courtesy of Jim Henson Prods. with vfx from Rainmaker Digital Pictures), collected $5M, good enough for eighth place, and now has $32M to its credit. The Coen Bros.' screwball comedy with George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones, INTOLERABLE CRUELTY, netted $3.6M for Universal in its third outing at number nine (with vfx by Rhythm & Hues), giving it $28.2M. Rounding out the top 10 was Disney's romancer, UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, which took in $2.2M for a total of $37.2M. Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com. 14. MARVEL'S MAN-THING TO HIT THEATERS IN AUGUST. Artisan Entertainment has announced that upcoming release on Aug. 27, 2004 of the feature film rendition of Marvel Comics' MAN-THING. Produced by Marvel Studios and Fierce Entertainment in association with German equity fund Screenland Movieworld, the film just wrapped production after an eight-week shoot in Sydney, Australia. Effects pioneer Brett Leonard (THE LAWNMOWER MAN, T-REX BACK TO THE CRETACEOUS) directed the film. Hans Rodionoff (THE HOLLOW) adapted the comic for the screen. Marvel Studios ceo Avi Arad said, "MAN-THING has been an unbelievably exciting project for us. We have always felt that this character's story would translate incredibly well to the big screen as it mixes horrifying action with a truly mesmerizing and frightful anti-hero. Brett is seen as one of the true pioneers in the creation of revolutionary computer-generated and mechanical effects and we now seen first-hand why. His powerful creative vision has helped bring this character to life in a thoroughly compelling manner -- so much that we have decided to fast track it for release next summer, fully confident in its worldwide appeal." Commented Artisan Ent. evp Patrick Gunn, "Uncharacteristic of the typical Marvel characters brought to life on the big screen, MAN-THING brings a chilling component not previously showcased in Marvel comic based films. We feel this film impressively introduces MAN-THING in a manner that will really thrill the viewing public." Based on the cult comic book series, the Man-Thing is a vengeful creature born from the evil and injustices perpetrated against both man and nature. The ensemble cast includes Australian icon Jack Thompson (BREAKER MORANT), New Zealand actor Rawiri Paratene (WHALE RIDER) and newcomers Matt Le Nevez, Rachel Taylor and Steve Bastoni. Television 15. RADIO HOST HENDRIE GETS ANIMATED BY CLONE SCRIBES ON FOX. POLICE ACADEMY: THE SERIES producer Steve Levitan and CLONE HIGH writers Phil Lord and Chris Miller have signed a deal to create, write and exec produce an animated series for FOX, based on Phil Hendrie, the critically-acclaimed KFI-AM talk show host, reported DAILY VARIETY. Hendrie will serve as co-exec producer and main voice talent for the series. The show will follow a small town radio talkshow host who makes it to a bigger market, marries a woman with three kids and moves into a gated community. The show will try to incorporate audio from Hendrie's radio show and some improv. 16. WILD BRAIN & CORSHAM COMBINE ON NATURAL BORN KITTENS. San Francisco-based Wild Brain will co-produce the latest Corsham Entertainment (U.K.) show, NATURAL BORN KITTENS, a 26x30 teenage comedy anime series about four ancient Egyptian cat goddesses posing as teenage schoolgirls. Thrown into a modern world whose inhabitants are even weirder than they are, the kittens react with a combination of bad language and globe-threatening violence. Stylistically, NATURAL BORN KITTENS allows the epic, futuristic feel of traditional anime to explode the conventions of the classic sitcom, according to Corsham co-founder Alastair Swinnerton. Wild Brain (www.wildbrain.com) is an award-winning American animation studio whose client list includes Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, EM.TV and Oxygen. The company's original series include POOCHINI, a European co-production airing globally and debuted in U.S. syndication in fall 2002, and the upcoming VANILLA PUDDING, developed initially with Fox and Egmont Imagination. Corsham Ent., located the Bath Studios complex at Corsham, Wiltshire, was recently set up by Oscar-winning Gary Kurtz, whose long list of producer credits includes STAR WARS and EMPIRE STRIKES Back, British animator Richard Bazley (HERCULES, POCAHONTAS) and writer/producer Swinnerton, who co-created LEGO's multi-platform hit BIONICLE. Other projects on Corsham's slate include ATOMIC MONSTERS with Canada's Context Pictures, and BOLLYWOOD ROAD with Indian studio UTV Toons. For more information call/fax Swinnerton at +44.1935.428.777. 17. DICK CLARK PRODS. TO TURN LUANN INTO LIVE-ACTION TV SERIES. Dick Clark Prods. has acquired the rights to comic strip LUANN to develop it into a live-action TV series. The comic chronicles Luann, a typical teenage girl who encounters the day-to-day horrors of adolescence. Fred Bronson (AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS) will shepard the project with Dick Clark Prods.' Nicole Raffanello and Larry Klein. "I realize that adolescence is a very funny time except when you're in it," said comic creator Greg Evans. "It's a unique phase in life that's troublesome and hilarious at the same time, particularly for girls." Dick Clark added, "It is set apart from others in its genre by its cliffhanging stories, social relevance and the keen character humor displayed not only in Luann's persona but in that of her family and friends as well." The comic strip was created by Evans in 1985 and now runs in more than 400 newspapers. LUANN has been nominated five times for Cartoon of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society. 18. NICK HANDS OUT ANIMATED HALLOWEEN EPISODE PREMIERES. Nickelodeon rattles a five-day chain of Halloween specials for "Shriek Week" -- October 27-Friday, October 31, 2003 -- featuring spooky episodes premieres of THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON, BOY GENIUS, CHALKZONE, DORA THE EXPLORER and MAX & RUBY and a morning-till-night marathon on Halloween Day. The celebration includes an hour of primetime Halloween delights each night, shining a scary spotlight at 8:00 pm (ET/PT) on the likes of JIMMY NEUTRON and CHALKZONE, premieres respectively titled "Nightmare in Retroville" (Oct. 29) and "Pumpkin Love" (Thursday, Oct. 30), as well as frightful favorites THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS/"Scary GodParents" (Oct. 27) and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS/ "Scaredy Pants" (Oct. 28). Each night, Nick premieres of SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH holiday episodes cap off the hour at 8:30 p.m. There are morning treats for tots include the all-new DORA'S "Boo!" in which she and Boots ride a broomstick through the Good Witch's forest (Oct. 29) and to the premiere of "Max's Halloween" on MAX & RUBY in which Ruby coaxes Max to be a Little Prince to her Cinderella for Halloween, but he plans to don a Vampire costume (Oct. 31). Following is a full rundown of Nickelodeon's extensive Halloween lineup (all times ET/PT): Monday, October 27 8:00 pm - THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS /"Scary Godparents" -Timmy wishes everybody's costume were "real and scary." So it goes that everyone in the world becomes the character his or her costume denotes. (repeats 10-31). 8:30 pm -- SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH / "A Halloween Story" - Nickelodeon premiere -- Sabrina faces a frightful dilemma when she must be in two places at once for Halloween. Tuesday, October 28 8:00 pm - SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS /"Scaredy Pants" -- SpongeBob is the easiest scare in Bikini Bottom, but this Halloween he aims to turn the tables and scare everyone at Mr. Krabs' party. (repeats 10-31). 8:30 pm -- SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH / "A River of Candy Corn Runs Through It" -Nickelodeon premiere -- Halloween is a scary night indeed when Sabrina and her aunts try to throw a "normal" party. Wednesday, October 29 10:00 am - DORA THE EXPLORER /"Boo" -- episode premiere -- It's Halloween, and Trick-or-treating Dora and Boots help a cute little monster reach the Monster House as the clock strikes midnight, just in time for a Halloween Party. 8:00 pm - THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON, BOY GENIUS/"Nightmare in Retroville" - episode premiere -Jimmy Neutron desperately trying to reverse the effects of his latest invention, the neutronic monster maker, after he transforms pals Carl and Sheen into a vampire and werewolf for Halloween and they wind up wreaking havoc on Retroville -- monster movie style. 8:30 pm -- SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH /"Good Will Haunting" - Nickelodeon premiere - Halloween turns truly frightful when a demented doll takes charge of the festivities. Thursday, October 30 8:00 pm - CHALKZONE/"Pumpkin Love/Snap's Nightmare" - episode premiere - Rudy uses ChalkZone to sneak his award-worthy "Jill-o-Lantern" to the pumpkin contest, but evil pumpkin-headed rock star Jack-O (voiced by Tim Curry) falls in love with Jill and kidnaps her. (repeats 10-31). 8:30 pm -- SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH /"Phantom Menace" - Nickelodeon premiere - It's Halloween, and Sabrina is having a ghoulish time adjusting to her new job at the coffeehouse. Friday, October 31 -- Halloween Day 9:30 am -- MAX & RUBY/"Max's Halloween" -- episode premiere -- Ruby wants Max to be a Little Prince to her Cinderella for Halloween, but when he dons a Vampire costume for trick-or-treating, she's sure he'll scare Grandma. But it's Ruby who squeals when Grandma answers the door. MAX & RUBY/"The Blue Tarantula" -- episode premiere -- Max gets frightened when Ruby reads the scary story he wanted to hear at bedtime. Ruby assures Max there's no scary blue tarantula hiding in his room, but when Ruby starts hearing strange noises, the tables are turned. 10:30 am -- BLUE'S CLUES/"Blue's Big Costume Party" It's the day of Blue's costume party and lots of silly spooky things are happening. The audience must help Magenta figure out what to wear. And guess what costumes the other friends are wearing. There's plenty of other party games in store for viewers to play as well. 11:00 am - DORA THE EXPLORER /Boo! 12:30 pm -- LITTLE BILL/"The Halloween Costume" -- Bent on being Captain Brainstorm for Halloween, Little Bill is crestfallen when his costume disappears in a mix-up, but when he fantasizes about saving Captain Brainstorm from Tickle Slime, he learns that there's more than one solution to every problem. LITTLE BILL /"The Haunted Halloween Party" - Trick-or-treating frightens Little Bill - what with vampires and skeletons on the loose - and the big Haunted Halloween Party is even scarier. Little Bill conquers his fears and ends up having the best Halloween ever. 1:00 pm - MAGGIE THE FEROCIOUS BEAST/"Trick or Treat" - episode premiere -- Maggie, Hamilton, Beast and Rudy dress up and go trick-or-treating. 3:00 pm -- RUGRATS/"Ghost Story" -- As the Rugrats sit around a battery-operated campfire, Angelica leads the babies in a ghost story about the "scardiest boy in the world" (Chuckie) in a haunted house. RUGRATS /"Candy Bar Creep Show"- Stu and Didi build a haunted house for Halloween, and the Rugrats sneak in looking for Reptar bars and make Grandpa think the place is really haunted. 3:30 pm -- ROCKET POWER/"The Night Before" -- Otto, Sam and Twister agree to sneak out with Eddie, Prince of the Netherworld, for Mischief Night, but they soon realize that vandalism is totally uncool. 4:00 pm -- THE AMANDA SHOW/"Judge Trudy Halloween" - In comedy sketches Judge Trudy (Amanda Bynes) rules backhandedly on two cases regarding Halloween mishaps: A woman who had the audacity to give a trick-or-treater an apple gets her just desserts, as does a man whose house was "decorated" by an egg-thrower. 4:30 pm -- AS TOLD BY GINGER/"I Spy a Witch" -- When Ginger wins the lead in "I Spy a Witch" - a musical rendition of The Crucible - her jealous understudy Miranda takes revenge and center stage by transforming the school statue into a witch and planting incriminating evidence in Ginger's bag. Principal Milty kicks off a campaign to uncover the culprits, and last minute evidence turns Miranda's trick into a treat for the vindicated Ginger. 5:00 pm - U-Pick the Halloween Episode 9ROCKO/DOUG/REAL MONSTERS) 5:30 pm - SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS/"Graveyard Shift" -- Krabs decides that the Krusty Krab will now be open 24 hours a day. He orders SpongeBob and Squidward to work all night on the Graveyard Shift. Squid taunts him by telling a scary tale about the Hash Slinging Slasher, and soon, their paranoia gets the best of them. 6:00 pm -- Mystery Pick Halloween -- CATDOG/"CatDogula" -- It's Halloween, and Cat is costumed as Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii, while Dog dons Count Dogula garb to go trick-or-treating. Dog is bitten by Nosferacho, a Peruvian vampire tick, and turns into a vampire. Then the tick bites Lola, Rancid, the Greasers, Mervis, Dunglap and Randolph. Armed with his garlic lei, Cat heroically fights off Dog, the vampire mob and the Peruvian vampire ticks. 6:30 pm -- HEY, ARNOLD/"Arnold's Halloween" -- On a creepy Halloween night, the neighborhood comes down with alien fever when Arnold and Gerald broadcast a mock radio show, warning of a spaceship landing. 7:00 pm-- RUGRATS/"Curse of the Werewuff" -- On "Hallowmean," the babies get lost in a haunted house, and to make matters scarier, Angelica convinces them they'll turn into whatever their costumes denote and that only she can break the spell -- if they fork over their candy. 7:30 pm - SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS/"Scaredy Pants" 8:00 pm -- THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS/"That Ol Black Magic"-- Timmy "poofs" to Fairy World to give the bad luck anti-fairies a piece of his mind but accidentally lets them all out, unleashing copious amounts of their bad luck on Dimsdale. It's up to Timmy, Cosmo and Wanda to trick the anti-fairies back into Fairyworld. 9:00 pm -- THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON, BOY GENIUS/"Nightmare in Retroville" 9:30 pm -- CHALKZONE/"Pumpkin Love/Snap's Nightmare" 19. KISS' PAUL STANLEY PART OF HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS ON THE WB AND KIDS' WB! The WB offered scary-family-fun during its first-ever all-original Halloween themed programming lineup on October 24, 2003 (8:00-10:00 pm). The WB kicked-off the fright-night festivities with the second original primetime special for the network, A SCOOBY-DOO HALLOWEEN (8:00 pm), followed by BUGS BUNNY'S HOWL-OWEEN SPECIAL (8:30 pm) and the hilarious horrors in THE WB'S OUTRAGEOUS HALLOWEEN OUTTAKES (9:00-10:00 pm). On Oct. 25, Kids' WB! offered a holiday-themed episode of JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES. From Warner Bros. Animation, The WB introduced the second primetime special for the network, A SCOOBY-DOO HALLOWEEN. The animated special is yet another extension of the Scooby-Doo brand, which also includes the Kids' WB! all-original series WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO? In this primetime special, the Scooby Gang heads to the eerie town of Banning Junction to spend Halloween with Velma's aunt (voiced by Julia Sweeney), uncle (voiced by Diedrich Bader) and the very beautiful and equally flirtatious cousin Marcy (voiced by Jenny McCarthy). The gang joins the townspeople in celebrating their renowned "100 Years of Halloween" festivities, including a crowning of the Queen of the Masquerade Ball and an amped out performance by the rock band KISS (with the voice of Paul Stanley). As strange and spine-tingling things begin to happen, a fearful townswoman (voiced by Rhea Perlman) proclaims it is the ghost of Hank Banning, the town's founder and ousted mayor, back to seek revenge on the town that wronged him 100 years ago - as his declared prophecy comes true with signs in the corn fields. While Shaggy (voiced by Casey Kasem) and Scooby (voiced by Frank Welker) anxiously wait to meet KISS and go trick-or-treating for tons of candy, they reluctantly aid Fred (voiced by Welker), Daphne (voiced by Grey Delisle) and Velma (voiced by Mindy Cohn) to reveal who is really behind the Halloween mischief. Additional guest-voice appearances in the special include Stacy Keach, Tom Kenny and Daran Norris. Featuring WBA and Hanna-Barbera classic cartoon characters, Bugs takes on ghosts, ghouls and goblins in this "trick-or-treat" holiday tale, BUGS BUNNY'S HOWL-OWEEN SPECIAL. Off trick-or-treating disguised as a witch, Bugs arrives at Witch Hazel's door. She considers him an enemy and tries to eliminate him with one of her special brews. In the adventures that ensue, Witch Hazel and Bugs try to best each other as the #1 Halloween scare, involving a number of innocent bystanders along the way. Before the night is out, Tweety and Daffy Duck will become monsters, Speedy Gonzales will become Witch Hazel's double and Porky Pig and Sylvester will attempt to fend off the "hare-raising" haunts. Hosted by Anthony Anderson (ALL ABOUT THE ANDERSONS), who is in SCARY MOVIE 3, THE WB'S OUTRAGEOUS HALLOWEEN OUTTAKES one-hour special consisted of bloopers from more than a dozen horror movies, including classics THE EXORCIST, THE HOWLING, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the re-make of WILLARD, and the acclaimed television series The X-FILES. The special also included hidden camera/practical jokes and a hilarious Halloween home video. Now in its fourth season, JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES featured a festive Halloween Oct. 25 at 9:00 am ET/8:00 am PT on Kids' WB! with the holiday-themed episode, "Fright Night Fight" that has all the trademarks of a good Halloween party, complete with costumes, treats...and a few good tricks. The series features action hero Jackie Chan and his team, including Uncle, Tohru and his feisty niece Jade, as they attempt to keep the evil Tarakudo and his weary Henchmen from finding nine powerful Japanese Oni Masks scattered across the globe. In this episode, as Halloween approaches, Paco - protégé of Jackie's good friend El Toro - is determined to have a scarier costume than Jade, so he decides to try on one of the mystical Oni Masks. Not realizing the true powers the mask holds within, he is transformed into the mask's "demon" Paco. He kidnaps Jade, trying to prove he has the most frightening costume for Halloween. Uncle and Tohru mistakenly hand out the chi spell ingredient needed to release Paco from the Oni Mask to a trick-or-treater. They race against time to retrieve the ingredient before "demon" Paco destroys Jackie and the team. JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES is produced by Sony Pictures Television for Kids WB! Jeff Kline, Duane Capizzi, Jackie Chan, Willie Chan, Brian Gersh and Solon So serve as exec producers. 20. CYBERCHASE SCARES UP CREATURE FEATURE WEEK ON PBS KIDS. A special Halloween-themed episode of CYBERCHASE, "Trick or Treat," premiered Oct. 28, 2003 (check local listings) as part of a "Creature Feature" week invading PBS KIDS on PBS. The award-winning PBS series, ARUTHUR, will also dole out five Halloween-themed episodes, airing Oct. 27-31. In "Trick or Treat," Hacker (Christopher Lloyd) shows up at Motherboard Control Central and claims he's reformed; he doesn't want to be a bad guy anymore. He even presents Motherboard with a little robotic frog. Is this a trick or a treat? When no one's looking, Hacker slips the frog into an airduct. Digit (Gilbert Gottfried) and the kids must figure out how it works and stop it before it takes over. Other CYBERCHASE episodes airing during the "Creature Feature" week are "Harriet Hippo and the Mean Green" on Oct. 27, "A Whale of a Tale" on Oct. 29, "Castleblanca" on Oct. 30 and Trick or Treat" will repeat on Oct. 31. Special AUTHER episodes include, "What Scared Sue Ellen?" on Oct. 27, "The Fright Stuff" on Oct. 28, "The Boy Who Cried Comet" on Oct. 29, "Night Fright" on Oct. 30 and "Fernkenstein's Monster" on Oct. 31. CYBERCHASE is produced by Thirteen/WNET New York and Nelvana Ltd. Exec producers are Sandra Sheppard, director of children's and educational programming at Thirteen, and Kristin Laskas Martin, former exec producer of the award-winning MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. Larry Jacobs, former director of MAGIC SCHOOL BUS, is animation director for Nelvana. ARTHUR, produced by WGBH Boston and CINAR, is based on Marc Brown's best-selling books and is one of the most watched children's television programs, with nearly 12 million weekly viewers overall (Source:NTI October 2002 through June 2003). PBS KIDS (www.pbskids.org) provides a nonviolent, noncommercial daily television schedule offering quality entertainment in a safe learning environment for children. PBS is a private, nonprofit media enterprise, owned and operated by 349 public television stations in the U.S. 21. ANIME NETWORKS CAMPAIGNING AT VEGAS COMIC-CON. The Anime Network is taking its "Demand Your Anime" campaign to the 1st Annual Las Vegas Comic Con, Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, 2003 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The first dedicated anime network in the U.S. hopes to tap into the throngs of anime fans that will attend the event to show consumer demand for the network to cable operators. The "Demand the Anime Network" campaign combines a direct mail component targeting cable carriers across the country with a sweepstakes opportunity for consumers to win a 2004 Honda Civic Si. "LVCC invites anime fans to strut their stuff during costume contests with over $15,000 in prizes for the best costumes, said Kevin Corcoran, president of Anime Network. Consumers may pick up entry forms for the "Demand Your Anime" sweepstakes and view the 2004 Honda Civic Si grand prize at the ADV Films/Anime Network booth. The sweepstakes began July 3 and runs through Dec. 4. Entrants may also register online at the network's Website, accessible at www.theanimenetwork.com. The Anime Network is a subsidiary of A. D. Vision, Inc. (parent company to ADV Films and Newtype USA). It launched in North America in late 2002. The network is being marketed to multi-system operators (MSOs) from coast-to-coast as both a stand-alone 24-hour digital network and as a VOD programming offer. Commercials 22. OUTKAST LIKES THE WAY MONEYSHOTS MAKES THEM MOVE IN NEW VIDEOS. Moneyshots recently completed work on two music videos for OutKast's HEY YA! and I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE. Both videos were conceived, produced and edited to play together or separately and have been released simultaneously. HEY YA! features OutKast's Andre 3000 performing all the roles -- lead singer, guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and back-up singers -- for a '60s band called Love Below. The video was shot over two days at Universal Studios on a stage styled and equipped to emulate the look and feel of an old ED SULLIVAN SHOW television stage complete with 60s era television cameras and about 60 teenagers screaming in the audience. Moneyshots consulted on-set with director Bryan Barber and director of photography Crash beginning the first day shooting the audience sequences and various cut-away shots. The second day motion control was shot. Barber wanted to show all the roles Andre was performing in one continuous camera move, with the camera always moving throughout the song. "This is definitely the most ambitious motion control shoot we have ever done and maybe even anyone has done," said Elad Offer, Moneyshots' creative director. "We shot eight takes of three different 4-1/2-minute-long motion control moves. I think the only reason we were able to actually achieve all this in one day was because Simon Wakely and his crew from Camera Control are some of the most experienced motion control crews on the planet." Moneyshots used several flame and combustion workstations to rotoscope Andre out of the many individual passes and then place him back into one master pass, blending and choreographing all the roles. A number of greenscreen segments were also shot to allow Moneyshots to take the performers and place their images into television camera monitors. I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE video underwent an ambitious last minute makeover after the HEY YA! video turned out so well. The initial concept was to shoot OutKast's Big Boi in an old style mechanic's garage where Big Boi arrive to find some hardworking beauties wearing little more than grease and sweat and then to cut away to a New York back-street dance sequence. The final video retained the garage but abandoned the back-street dance sequence for a grand ballroom, Asian martial arts sequence and an African sequence. An old '60s style mechanic's garage was filmed on location in Los Angeles and stocked with vintage cars and scantily-clad women. Moneyshots and director Barber used greenscreens allowing the transportation of Big Boi from the garage to the daydream settings. The new environments have a 2D cut-away look like a live-action diorama. A locked-off camera was used for all shots in order that all elements could later be moved within 3D space, without the corresponding perspective change. Offer said, "We relied heavily on the 3D nature of Discreet's flame. All these 3 dimensional setups were created within flame with very little help from Maya. This saved us a lot of time because we didn't have to go back and forth on the approval process. The same artist could take the shot from conception to delivery. The final result had a 2D cutout feeling, almost like a pop-up up map come to life. We also relied heavily on flame 8's ability to use high-resolution images, which allowed us to be completely free with our CG camera and get really close to objects. Commenting on the digital creation of the grand ballroom using 2D and 3D elements, Chris Eckardt, Moneyshots' exec producer, said, "This was no mere set extension, but an entirely unique and complete CG environment populated with cool artists and hot women strutting their stuff. Stylistically we were doing something more graphical, adding our own little elements to spice up the old rap music video look." Credits include: Director: Bryan Barber Producer: William Green DP: Crash Production company: FM Rocks Editor for HEY YA!: Daviv Checel, Film Core Editor for I LOVE THE WAY YOU MOVE: Mario Mares, Sunset Editorial Visual Effects for Moneyshots: post producer, Amy Russo; creative director/lead inferno, Elad Offer; lead animator/exec producer, Chris Eckardt; art director/Flame artist, Raphael Mosley; Tetsuo Yoshida, Chris Moore and Mark Devlin, Inferno artists; lead compositor, Eric Dehaven; compositors, Christian Pezza, Mitch Paulson and Cathy Gochnour Moneyshots is a full-service visual effects design facility. For more information, visit www.moneyshotspost.com. 23. RADIUM'S MCGOWAN TALKS TRASH IN HIP ANTI-LITTER PSA. Ogilvy PR recently commissioned leading digital effects and design studio Radium to direct and design a hip anti-litter PSA. The PSA is part of the L.A. County Department of Public Works' efforts to inform people about the negative impact littering has on the environment. The :30 spot, CAN IT, shows young people in various outdoor situations -- on a city sidewalk, a park, and public beach -- throwing away garbage into trashcans, rather than in their environment. "Of all the places you can throw something out, a trashcan works best," explains the voiceover. "'Cause everything that's thrown in the street can wash down storm drains and end up in the ocean. So keep our neighborhoods and beaches clean. Can it. To talk trash, call 1 888 CLEAN LA." According to Radium designer/director Tuesday McGowan, the challenge was to take a mundane message -- in this case, not to litter -- and make it vital and interesting, as well as increasing overall awareness. McGowan worked with photographer Mike Martin to shoot three people using digital stills in slow motion for a stop-motion technique. They shot thousands of stills to capture moments of fluid motion, which gave it a unique and signature look. "The idea was to set up scenes of young people in various environments eating or drinking and as they appear to be about to litter -- a trash can suddenly materializes in a 3D cubist transition as we witness the person actually throwing the trash away," McGowan explained. "Our goal was to show the simple and quotidian act of throwing something away as significant." McGowan incorporated the look of the branding identity of the "Can It" campaign by introducing a mint green and red graphic stripe device that follows the individuals through their environments and acts as a visual mnemonic for anti-litter awareness. McGowan collaborated with Radium editor Alan Chimenti to edit the spot, working closely to capture the rhythm of the stop-motion and subtlety of the action. Radium inferno artist/creative director Simon Mowbray created the signature transitions while after effects artist Julie Jang created the line-art animations. The technology utilized by Radium included Avid, Inferno, After Effects, Illustrator and Photoshop. Radium (www.radium.com) is located at 321 11th Street in San Francisco and 720 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 200 in Santa Monica. 24. VELOCITY DESIGN HELPS HBO SUNDAY SPOTS COME HOME. Velocity Design Group in New York City has teamed up again with the creatives at HBO to craft the network's new Sunday night lineup branding campaign, making the network's stars sing the same tune - Mel Torme's rendition of "Comin' Home." The song was selected after an extensive search for one that conveyed the desired mood and message. Scores of tapes were screened at Velocity and HBO to find the longest moments of serendipitous synchronicity. Some of the shots demanded a great deal of finessing and time re-mapping in Adobe After Affects to synch them properly. The process was complex due to the extensive list of characters from THE SOPRANOS, SEX AND THE CITY, SIX FEET UNDER, THE WIRE and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM required to be in the spot. "A project like this isn't for the faint of heart," explained Velocity's president Bryan Fernandez. "It really takes a level of commitment and confidence that only comes from experience. We faced a similar 'can this even be done' situation with HBO's CAST PARTY on-air promo where we rotoscoped more than 50 of HBO's original programming characters into a single party environment." After the COMIN' HOME spot aired, it was so well received that a second version with entirely new clips was immediately put into development. Having already developed a process and procedure to complete the spot, the second spot was an opportunity for Velocity to find even more interesting and impressive synchronicity. Karen Sands was the creative director and Kathy Rocklein was the producer for HBO. Bryan Fernandez and Paul Waszak were the designers for Velocity (www.velocityny.com). Internet & Interactive 25. EA'S HARRY POTTER: QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP GAME FOR HALLOWEEN. Electronic Arts shipped HARRY POTTER: QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP videogame to stores on Oct. 28, 2003, just in time for Halloween. In the game, Harry Potter fans are able to fully experience the magical power, speed and competition of Quidditch, the favorite sport of witches and wizards, for the first time. Developed by EA's U.K. studios, the team behind the worldwide success of the HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE and HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS GAMES, HARRY POTTER: QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP is available on the PlayStation2, Xbox, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC. The magical sport of Quidditch involving two teams of seven players who fly on broomsticks, with four balls in simultaneous play (one Quaffle, two Bludgers and the elusive Golden Snitch) and a unique scoring system. In Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, players can control all the Quidditch positions and high-flying moves. Gamers can choose any one of the four Hogwarts House teams to triumph in the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup before taking a national team to Quidditch World Cup glory. In the international World Cup tournament, players can choose to play for nine different, professional teams, which include the USA, Bulgaria (featuring Viktor Krum), the hard-hitting Nordic Team, England, Japan, France, Germany, Spain and Australia. Sporting their own Quidditch uniforms and unique stadium environment, each nation has different strengths and tactics that lend strategy and depth as players progress through a unique ladder system. Connectivity between the Nintendo GameCube and Game Boy Advance also allows players to trade Quidditch cards and team up together for co-operative gameplay. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is rated "E" (Everyone) by the ESRB and with an MSRP of $39.95 for console platforms and $29.95 for PC and Game Boy Advance. The game's official Website is www.harrypotter.ea.com. 26. ROSE BOND LAUNCHES ANIMATED SITE. Rose Bond, a veteran camera-less animator, has launched a new Website, http://www.rosebond.net. The site, designed by BlueMouseMonkey, contains clips featuring Bond's signature style in direct animation -- films made without a camera by drawing directly on the surface of clear film leader. THE CELTIC TRILOGY DOCUMENTARY clip focuses on Bond's fluid pen in motion. The installation section of the site holds clips representing her emerging interest in public art animated projections. The clip from ILLUMINATIONS #1 provides a glimpse into a groundbreaking new medium for moving image artists. Home Video 27. A MERRIE, LOONEY DVD SET. Finally, the long-awaited THE LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION (Warner Home Video, $64.92) hit DVD on Oct. 28, 2003 with thunderous, anvil-dropping fanfare. 56 classic Warner Bros. shorts, restored and remastered uncut to a bright and shiny Technicolor glory, thanks to the patience and prodding of historian Jerry Beck, who aided in the production of this indispensable four-disc set. While purists are already quibbling about the "erratic" selection (Charles Solomon rightly points out that is slanted a bit too heavily toward Chuck Jones at the expense of Tex Avery, Bob Clampett and Frank Tashlin), please keep in mind that this is merely the first of what could be many, but only if this proves profitable. But the gang's all here, including Bugs, Daffy, Porky, Elmer, Sylvester, Tweety, Taz, Yosemite and Road Runner, barely scratching the surface of a treasure trove of 1,000 shorts. In addition to the cartoons are lots of historical supplements (including audio commentary by Beck, filmmaker Greg Ford or actor Stan Freberg. Plus two docs, one new - IRREVERENT IMAGINATION: THE GOLDEN AGE OF LOONEY TUNES, and one from 1975, THE BOYS FROM TERMITE TERRACE, containing invaluable interviews with Jones and Friz Freleng. There are also 12 new featurettes focusing on various characters, rounding out the set. Disc 1 - Bugs Bunny * Baseball Bugs, Rabbit Seasoning, Long-Haired Hare, High Diving Hare, Bully for Bugs, What's Up Doc?, Rabbit's Kin, Water, Water Every Hare, Big House Bunny, Big Top Bunny, My Bunny Lies Over the Sea, Wabbit Twouble, Ballot Box Bunny, Rabbit of Seville Disc 2 - Daffy Duck & Porky the Pig * Duck Amuck, Dough for the Do-Do, Drip-Along Daffy, Scaredy Cat, The Ducksters, The Scarlet Pumpernickel, Yankee Doodle Daffy, Porky Chops, Wearing of the Grin, Deduce, You Say, Boobs in the Woods, Golden Yeggs, Rabbit Fire, Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century Disc 3 - All Stars * Elmer's Candid Camera, Bugs Bunny and The 3 Bears, Fast and Furry-ous, Hair-Raising Hare, The Awful Orphan, Haredevil Hare, For Scent-imental Reasons, Frigid Hare, The Hypo-Chondri-Cat , Baton Bunny, Feed the Kitty, Don't Give Up The Sheep, Bugs Bunny Gets the Boid, Tortoise Wins By A Hare Disc 4 - All Stars * Canary Row, Bunker Hill Bunny, Kit for Cat, Putty Tat Trouble, Bugs and Thugs, Canned Feud, Lumber Jerks, Speedy Gonzales, Tweety's S.O.S., Foghorn Leghorn, The Daffy Duck Hunt, Early to Bet, Broken Leghorn, Devil May Hare 28. MILLENNIUM ACTRESS DEBUTS ON DVD. Renowned anime director Satoshi Kon's critically acclaimed, award-winning second feature, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS, made its highly anticipated debut on DVD on Oct 28, 2003 (DreamWorks Home Entertainment, $19.99). The movie showcases Kon's starting visual style and unique storyline by seamlessly blending fantasy and reality, memory and perception, into an epic adventure of fate, destiny and the history of Japanese cinema. Following an HD transfer incorporating a meticulous digital clean up of film artifacts, the DVD release marks the first time audiences can view the film in its most pristine representation. In addition, the DVD includes a behind-the-scenes look at the highly innovative creative process involved in bringing this story to life. 29. HULK DEVOURS ON DVD. Ang Lee's controversial, angst-ridden adaptation of the popular Marvel comic, HULK, premiered Oct. 28, 2003 on DVD (Universal Home Entertainment, $26.98). The complex, tragic story aside (the scientific sins of the father are truly visited on the son), there's the more intriguing issue of Industrial Light & Magic's CG work on the Hulk to reconsider. No matter what your views on the aesthetic choices, the technical advances in character animation make the Hulk a marvel to watch. In terms of extras, the DVD includes "The Making of the Hulk," which dissects the film into "ILM," "Cast and Crew," "Stunts & Physical Effects" and "Music." There are featurettes on how "The Dogfight" sequence was put together. You can also view how various illustrators from around the globe create a scene from the film in comic book form; and there's an evolution of the Hulk that explores the metamorphosis of Bruce Banner from comic book to screen. Finally, there's "The Incredible Ang Lee" that pays tribute to the director's hands-on approach, including his donning the motion capture suit to create the Hulk's performance. Licensing 30. DIC CONSUMER LAUNCHES INT'L PUSH. DIC Consumer Products has significantly expanded its licensing/merchandising programs across Europe, Latin America, Australia, Asia, South Africa and the Middle East to gear up for the international launches of kid's entertainment brands, including STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE, MADELINE and SUPER DUPER SUMOS. Under the leadership of DIC worldwide consumer products svp Nancy Bassett, the U.S. re-launch of STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE this year has generated retail sales has exceeded $200 million dollars. DIC is striving for similar success overseas as it prepares to promote toys, apparel, home videos, publications and other categories based on the property and other titles in the DIC library. "DIC has always approached its overall business with a global point of view and sensitivity towards local diversities, and we are thrilled with the company's continued growth as we deliver quality kids' entertainment brands to the international marketplace in the next year," Bassett comments. "We believe our international network of agents is unsurpassed, and with an organized task force in place, DIC anticipates enormous success with our multi-platform properties." Ryan Gagerman, exec director of int'l licensing adds, "We anticipate our international merchandising business to triple next year. That is fast growth, but DIC is prepared." DIC Consumer Products has signed a list of high-profile master toy licensees, including Bandai in Western Europe and Character Options in the U.K. Additionally, the company has lined up licensing agents in more than 40 territories worldwide. Spearheading the international property rollouts will be Super RTL (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), CPLG (U.K., France, Benelux, Spain, Portugal, Italy), Alpha Licensing (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore), Asiana Licensing (Korea), Belief (Japan), Empire Ent. (Philippines), Gaffney Int'l Licensing (Australia, New Zealand), Exim (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Savador, Mexico, Panama Peru), Licensing Dynamics International (Israel) and Nu Metro (South Africa). DIC is negotiating with agents for China and Eastern Europe. 31. CARLTON TO LICENSE CAPTAIN SCARLET. Carlton International announced it would oversee the development of a range of licensed products to coincide with the recently announced remake of the popular 1960s Supermarionation show, CAPTAIN SCARLET. Licensing activity will focus around the revamped cast of characters and vehicles. The Carlton Consumer Division will be handling all video/DVD opportunities as well as a full cross-category range of merchandise led by an interactive deal to be commissioned by show creator Gerry Anderson. Anderson said, "It's all moved on a long, long way since the original puppet series that we created more that 30 years ago. No more strings, no more stilted movement -- in fact, no actual puppets at all. The new CAPTAIN SCARLET will be the ultimate extension of my long held desire to create truly lifelike animation." Gerry Donohoe, md of the Carlton Consumer Division, added, "We are thrilled that Gerry Anderson has chosen to license CAPTAIN SCARLET and produce his new vision of the program and characters for a contemporary audience. We look forward to working with him on this project, which is shaping up to be truly stunning." The series' plot chronicles the futuristic battle between man and a mysterious, invisible alien race, the Mysterons, and their evil agent on Earth, Captain Black. The more dated parts of the series have been updated - giving the multi-cultural Angels more "girl power" and recasting Colonel White's right hand, Lieutenant Green as a woman. The CGI series should be completed mid 2005. Carlton International will be discussing concepts at Brand Licensing London (Stand 834). Carlton International Media Ltd, part of the Carlton Communications group, is a media rights owner and rights distributor for a range of broadcasters and independent producers, including Carlton Television, Carlton Factual, Carlton America and U.S. based Carlton Productions LLC. It is one of the largest rights distributors in Europe. For more information, visit www.carltonint.co.uk. 32. PLAYMATES & WAL-MART TEAM ON NINJA TURTLES TRAINING DAY. 4Kids Entertainment and Playmates Toys presented the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Training Event on Oct. 25, 2003 at Wal-Mart stores across the U.S., to give kids the opportunity to role-play one of their favorite heroes. Kids trained with motion-activated toys that resemble Leonardo's sword, Michelangelo's nunchaku, Donatello's bo staff or Raphael's sai. Upon completing their training, students were declared an "official" Ninja Warrior and the first 250 participants at each store received a certificate proclaiming them a member of Team Green. Jill Will, svp of marketing for Playmates Toys, said, "We are delighted to join Wal-Mart and 4Kids Entertainment to launch this exciting one-day promotional event supporting our TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES line. This event is certain to be a big hit with kids." Playmates Toys TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES toy line and accessories are based on the new TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES animated series airing Saturday mornings on FOX BOX. Playmates Toys Inc. manufactures and distributes a range of girls' and boys' toys, activity and novelty electronic products based upon character-rich licensed entertainment properties. For more information, visit www.playmatestoys.com. Headquartered in New York City, with international offices in London, 4Kids Ent. Inc. is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. 4Kids, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, provides domestic and international merchandise licenses, product development, media buying and planning and Website development. For further information, visit www.4kidsEntertainment.com. 33. ADRTISTS CD PREMIERES AT WIA LA GENERAL MEETING. ADRtists will premiere PLAY IT AGAIN, MOM!, a CD collection of radio plays for children 4-8, at the October Women In Animation (WIA) L.A. General Meeting. Receiving volunteers from WIA writers and voice artists, the project was originally designed to create the CD for entertaining seriously ill and bedridden children. Some of the initial costs were covered by various individuals and the WIA Los Angeles Chapter. To cover the final cost of production and distribution, the CDs will be sold to the public. For every CD sold, one copy will be donated to a children's hospital, school or library. The four original stories will transport a child's imagination on wonderful adventures from the jungle to outer space. The 41-minute CDs will be sold for $16.25 including tax. A limited number of first run copies of PLAY IT AGAIN, MOM! will be available at the WIA General Meeting on October 30 -- 7:30 pm at Klasky Csupo 6357 West Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Additional copies will soon be available for purchase through ADRtists at www.playitagainmom.com. For further information contact Vonna Bowen, ADRtists at (818) 508-1950. Education 34. OREGON3D ANNOUNCES ROAD SHOW AND ONLINE TRAINING. Oregon3D Inc., The Center for Visualization Technologies, announced its first road show and online training classes. The road show and online classes, entitled "The New Features of 3ds max 6," is taught by industry-acclaimed Discreet certified instructor, Gary M. Davis. The two-day courses and four-part series will present an overview of new additions and enhancements to the 3ds max tool kit. Dates and locations for "The New Features of 3ds max 6" courses are as follows: * Vancouver, British Columbia. Nov. 11-12, 2003 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Westin Bayshore Resort & Marina. The course is $499; early discount of $100 if registered by Oct. 28, 2003. * Austin, Texas. Nov. 15-16, 2003 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Radisson Hotel & Suites. The course is $499; early discount of $100 if registered by Nov. 1, 2003. * Four-Part Online Course. Dec. 9, 11, 16 and18, 2003, beginning at 10:30 am PST/1:30 pm EST at www.oregon3d.com. Each class is two hours in length and the four classes comprise a series. The early discount price for the entire series is $159; the early discount price for each individual class is $59, if registered by Nov. 25, 2003. The regular series price is $169 and the regular individual class price is $69. * Free Evolve Online Seminar. Nov. 6, this one-hour seminar will begin at 10:30 am PST/1:30 pm EST and is free to registered participants. In this seminar, participants will see live demos that give an overview of new features in 3ds max 6. Oregon3D, The Center for Visualization Technologies, was created to empower people to learn, access and benefit from visualization technologies. Located in Portland, Oregon, the premier 10,000 square foot facility offers professionals a collaborative learning environment for 3D animation, compositing, special visual effects, editing and more. For more information or to register, call (866) 626-9100 or visit http://www.oregon3d.com. Technology 35. BAUHAUS SOFTWARE SHIPS MIRAGE 1.0. Bauhaus Software Inc. has begun shipping Mirage 1.0, a unified environment for creating animated graphics and special effects. The Mirage environment provides a diverse toolset and a centralized workflow for animated graphics, 2D animation and special effects creation. It was designed for projects of any resolution, ranging from HDTV and film to Web video. Dan Kraus, ceo of Bauhaus, said, "Bauhaus has worked closely with its top clients and professional beta team to develop and deliver this first version of Mirage. Our early adopters are immensely pleased with this product. Mirage is already helping artists take their digital creativity to a new level." Mirage integrates realtime video paint, animation and effects functionalities. Broadcasters will benefit from the speed and ease with which motion graphics can be created, animated and deployed. Cartoon and 2D animators can use Mirage as a unified paint and effects solution, allowing them to sidestep traditional scan/ink/paint workflows. Bauhaus Software provides a free LightWave Viewer plug-in for Mirage 1.0. This allows users to access object texture surfaces and UV maps via the LightWave Hub, and view them as overlays directly in the Mirage Project Window. The overlays serve as a reference for painting or modifying texture images. More 3D software support is planned for the future. Mirage also includes an integrated particle system with fully animatable parameters and 2D alpha collision detection; and a volumetric lighting system, which allows users to create and animate realistic volumetric effects quickly and easily in 2D. Mirage provides proxy loading of incoming clips, making them instantly available. Bauhaus Mirage is available for $895 on Windows XP/2000 and will be available on Macintosh OS/X operating system in late 2003. A demo version of Mirage 1.0 will be available through the Bauhaus Software Website on October 27, 2003. Based in San Antonio, Texas, Bauhaus Software provides professional digital artists with the tools for producing next-generation animated graphics and special effects. For more information, visit http://www.bauhaussoftware.com. 36. ADOBE ATMOSPHERE UNLEASHES 3D MULTIMEDIA ENVIRONMENTS. Adobe Systems Inc. has announced the release of the new, full version of Adobe Atmosphere, a powerful professional authoring tool for creating multimedia rich, interactive 3D environments for the Web and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. With the easy-to-use creation and productivity features in Atmosphere, Web designers and digital document creators - in the arts, e-commerce, entertainment and education - can quickly deliver realistic, high-impact, interactive environments. In these dynamic settings, users navigate and interact with the environment and its multimedia contents, as well as collaborate with each other in realtime. Adobe Atmosphere for Windows XP will be available for purchase via download from Adobe.com on November 19, 2003 for $399. Atmosphere is also available at a special discounted price of $99 for qualified educators. For more details, visit www.adobe.com/products/atmosphere. Atmosphere environments can be viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer on machines running Windows (98SE, ME, 2000 and XP), and within Adobe Reader. Adobe Atmosphere offers new and innovative ways for e-retailers, designers and educators to connect with their clients, partners and students. For example, a ticket vendor is able to build realistic replicas of venues for patrons to explore the arena on their web page and see the exact view from their seats. Architects and designers can quickly build prototypes or publish their existing designs, created in their favorite CAD or DCC application, to the Web. This offers their clients the opportunity to virtually walk around their designs and make real-time design decisions. Publishers can create interactive Adobe PDF eBooks, where children can dive into the illustrations, entering a world where they can interact with the characters and explore the landscape. Repair and assembly manual designers can also bring a truly new dimension to how directions, diagrams and information can be conveyed to the user. "Adobe Atmosphere's strong features and easy-to-use interface make it attractive to the next-generation 3-D multimedia developers," said Omid Moghadam, program manager at the Intel System Technology Labs. "We are excited to be working with Adobe and other members of the 3D Industry Forum to help bring compelling 3D content to a wider audience." Adobe Atmosphere removes the design hurdles and challenges associated with 3D multimedia, allowing users to unleash their imagination and creativity. Atmosphere enables users to easily build dynamic stages, with realistic lighting, motion, sound and animation. Designers can use Adobe Atmosphere to create environments and compose scenes hosting multiple media types, including streaming audio and video, textures, interactivity and imported high-quality 3D objects. Developers can import 3D objects, complete with animations from industry standard 3D tools, such as Discreet 3ds max, or Alias Maya. Users also can select from a library of included objects and JavaScripts, enhancing designs and adding animation and interactivity to the environment. Using advanced radiosity lighting techniques, designers can easily and accurately paint scenes with soft shadows and reflected light. Dynamic lighting at run time also can be added. Special effects such as fog, glare, and directional audio can be quickly choreographed with Adobe Atmosphere. The Havok physics engine - the most powerful physics game engine available for the world's leading game developers - is standard in the Adobe Atmosphere platform, providing full physical simulation, including gravity and friction and adding unprecedented realism to the user experience. Adobe Atmosphere is a complete system for creating and customizing interactive media-rich environments. The family of products for the Windows platform also encompasses: Atmosphere Player, the free Web browser plug-in for viewing and interacting with Atmosphere environments; Atmosphere Player for Adobe Reader, a free download for viewing Atmosphere content embedded in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files; and the free Atmosphere Collaboration Server, which enables realtime interaction and collaboration between users within Atmosphere environments. Founded in 1982, San Jose, California-based Adobe Systems (www.adobe.com), a leader in network publishing, offers a comprehensive line of software for enterprise and creative professional customers. Awards 37. BAFTA ANNOUNCES CHILDREN'S FILM AND TELEVISION AWARD NOMS. The nominations for the 2003 British Academy Children's Film and Television Awards in association with the LEGO Company have been announced. The winners will be announced on Nov. 30, 2003. The Best Animation nominees include ALBIE from Cosgrove Hall Films, Granada International and CiTV; BOB THE BUILDER SPECIAL - A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER from HOT Animation for HIT Entertainment and BBC; BOUNTY HAMSTER from Silver Fox Films, Peafur Productions and CiTV; and PONGWIFFY from Telemagination and CiTV. Two fantasy films and two ecco-conscience flicks took home nominations in the Feature Film category. The films include HARRY POTTER & THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, WHALE RIDER and THE WILD THORNBERRYS. Garnering nods in the Interactive category include BYKER GROVE WEBSITE from BBC Scotland Interactive; FIMBLES WEBSITE from CBBC Online and Novel Entertainment; SMARTSTUFF WEBSITE from Less Rain and C4; and STAR TICKET ACTIVE (INTERACTIVE TV) from Disney Channel U.K. Pre-School Animation nominations went to BOO! from Tell-Tale Productions and BBC2; HILLTOP HOSPITAL from Siriol Productions and CiTV; TINY PLANETS from Pepper's Ghost Productions and CiTV; and YOKO! JAKAMOKO! TOTO! from Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment, HIT Entertainment and CiTV. YOKO! JAKAMOKO! TOTO! also received a writing nomination for Tony Collingwood. In the International category ARTHUR from WGBH Educational Foundation, CINAR Prods Inc. and BBC2 was awarded a nod. Along with LEGO, BAFTA will allow kids to vote for their favorite film. The top 10 list includes: HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, HULK, JUNGLE BOOK 2, LILO AND STITCH, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, MEN IN BLACK II, SANTA CLAUSE 2, TREASURE PLANET, THE WILD THORNBERRYS and X-MEN 2. The British Academy of Film & Television Arts is the U.K.'s leading organization promoting and rewarding the best in film, television and interactive media. For more information, visit www.bafta.com. 38. ANIMATION WRITER MARK EVANIER RECEIVES LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD. The Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America, west (WGAw) presented its sixth annual Animation Writing Award to Mark Evanier at its annual reception, Oct, 23, 2003, at 7:00 pm at 7000 West Third St. in Los Angeles. "There have been significant advancements in the two-plus decades since Mark first made his entrance into the field of animation," said Victoria Riskin, WGAw. "His contributions as a writer and advocate for the medium are immeasurable. This award recognizes those achievements." Craig Miller, chair of the Caucus said, "Mark Evanier has been a mainstay of television animation since the late 1970s. His work as a creator, writer, producer and voice director have always been of the highest order and for that work alone Mark would be more than worthy of this award," said "But when you add to his professional accomplishments all the work he has done on behalf of writers, individually and collectively, he stands head and shoulders above most others in the field. It is with great pride that the Animation Writers Caucus presents its life-career award to him." Currently working for The Cartoon Network on a untitled pilot, Evanier wrote or co-wrote all 121 half-hours of GARFIELD AND FRIENDS and has also lent his talents to DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, SCOOBY-DOO, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN, PLASTIC MAN, RICHIE RICH, THE FLINTSTONES as well as writing for such live-action shows as WELCOME BACK KOTTER, THE LOVE BOAT and CHEERS. He has moderated numerous industry panels about animation writing and voice acting. Founded in 1994, the Caucus assists animation writers and helps to better the circumstances under which they work. By assisting with organizing efforts and by providing shared information, a code of ethics, educational and networking opportunities, the WGAw Animation Writers Caucus (www.wga.org) is working to improve the field of animation. Call for Entries 39. ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS OSCAR ENTRIES DUE NOV. 3. Makers of animated feature films must submit their entry forms and supporting materials to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 76th Academy Awards consideration by Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2003. Filmmakers must submit the entry form that includes the intended award acceptor and signatures of all credited producers and directors. Required a supporting documentation includes a synopsis of the film, cast and credits list and scene stills. Deadline for submitting the film print is Nov. 20. Screenings of the Live-Action and Animated Short Film screenings will start in November. Additional information and rules may be obtained by calling 310-247-3000, ext. 116; sending an inquiry via fax to 310-247-2600; or on the Academy's Website, www.oscars.org. The 76th Academy Award nominations will be announced at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Jan. 27, 2004. Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2003 will be presented on Feb. 29, 2004, from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC beginning at 5:30 pm. 40. TAMPERE PUTS OUT CALL FOR ENTRIES. 34th Tampere Film Festival Tampere, Finland March 3 - 7, 2004 Deadline: December 1, 2003 The Tampere Film Festival has established itself as one of the most prominent short film festivals in Europe. In 2003, it attracted more than 20,000 spectators. For its upcoming edition, the Festival will offer its International Competition, an all-new competition of shorts created by children, the Finnish Competition and various retrospectives. Alongside the Festival's screenings, the International Short Film Market draw professionals and buyers from Northern and Eastern Europe. For more information, visit www.tamperefilmfestival.fi. 41. SAN FRANCISCO FILM FEST DEADLINE IN TWO WEEKS! 47th San Francisco International Film Festival San Francisco, California, USA April 15 - 29, 2004 Deadline: November 12, 2003 The San Francisco International Film Festival, committed to celebrating the art of the moving image, has presented the best in world cinema since 1957. Now, the 15-day festival presents 200 films from 50 countries and reaches an engaged audience of nearly 95,000 with screenings in San Francisco, Berkeley and Palo Alto. The festival highlights current trends in international film and video production with an emphasis on work that has not yet secured U.S. distribution. First features by emerging filmmakers are eligible for the SKYY Prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award and was established in 1997 by the Festival and premier sponsor SKYY Vodka to recognize a director whose film exhibits a unique artistic sensibility. The Golden Gate Awards is the competitive section for documentaries, shorts, animation, experimental, youth-produced, and television works. Juries award cash prizes ranging up to $5,000 in 10 of the 14 categories. The winning short film automatically qualifies for an entry into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Short Film Category. For more information, visit www.sfiff.org/festival. Events 42. WI-FI & ENTERTAINMENT: OPPORTUNITIES IN WIRELESS CONTENT. Wi-Fi & Entertainment: Opportunities in Wireless Content New York, New York, USA October 29, 2003 As wireless takes the market by storm we will address issues such as security, and the explosion of opportunities this technology has created for content providers. As Wi-Fi becomes available everywhere, the content providers are poised to capitalize on this growing market. Speakers will include Gail Whipple, vp global digital media, IBM; Dan Aks, coo Primedia; Jeff Miller, director applied media markets, AT&T and Ben Chodor, ceo, ENT. The panel discussion will be moderated by Alan Brody. The event, sponsored by the Garrigan Lyman Group, will run 7:30 - 10:00 am. For more information, call (212) 624-9110 or (800) 273-2832; or visit www.ibreakfast.com. 43. AHA! ARTISTS GATHERING IN SUNLAND-TUJUNGA. AHA! Artists Gathering in Sunland-Tujunga Sunland-Tujunga, California, USA November 4, 2003 Artists Helping Artists (AHA!) and THE CREATIVE LINE magazine will be holding an AHA! artists gatherings. 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 will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the large community room at the Sunland-Tujunga Library at 7771 Foothill Blvd. 44. JOHN CANEMAKER HOSTS LACMA MARY BLAIR LECTURE. John Canemaker Hosts LACMA Mary Blair Lecture Los Angeles, California, USA November 7, 2003 Animation historian John Canemaker will appear at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art with a colorfully illustrated multimedia presentation: THE ART AND FLAIR OF MARY BLAIR, based on his new Disney Editions book. The 7:30 pm lecture/demo will be followed by a book signing, plus a rare 35mm screening of Disney's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, the 1951 cartoon feature principally art directed by Mary Blair. Using nearly 300 illustrations, Canemaker will describe the art and life of Blair, a prolific and gifted designer/colorist who was one of the few woman artists to reach the top creative rungs at the Disney studio. She profoundly influenced the color and design of many classic Disney animated features, including THE THREE CABALLEROS, CINDERELLA and PETER PAN, as well as theme park attractions, most notably the "It's A Small World" boat ride created for the 1964 New York World's Fair. For more info call: (323) 857-6010; or visit: http://www.lacma.org/art/film/film.htm 45. AHA! ARTISTS GATHERING IN SANTA ANA. AHA! Artists Gathering in Santa Ana Santa Ana, California, USA November 8, 2003 Artists Helping Artists (AHA!) and THE CREATIVE LINE magazine will be holding an AHA! artists gatherings. 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 will take place from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Gypsy Den at 125 N. Broadway Ave in The Artist's Village. Ask for Glenn Horton, Founder of AHA! Phone for the Gypsy Den is (714) 835-8840. 46. 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 47. 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! __________________________________ 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. __________________________________ Copyright 2003 AWN, Inc. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the written consent of Animation World Network. _________________________________ 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. _________________________________ Visit the Animation World Network Website, which includes Animation World Magazine in both HTML and Adobe Acrobat Editions. http://www.awn.com/mag __________________________________ AWN, Inc. Home Page http://www.awn.com Submission of Newsworthy Items: editor@awn.com Advertiser and Sponsor inquiries to: sales@awn.com General Information: info@awn.com To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a blank email to: flash-unsubscribe@awn.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: flash-unsubscribe@awn.com For additional commands, e-mail: flash-help@awn.com |