Monday, May 7, 2001

 

"Anne of Green Gables" Comes to Animated Life
MONTREAL, May 7, 2001 -- Toronto's Sullivan Animation Inc. chose Montreal's Toon Boom Technologies Inc. to help bring "Anne of Green Gables" to animated life in her first 26-episode series, and now their partnership continues with Anne the Animated Movie.

Irrepressible Anne Shirley, who hates having her braids pulled and pines for the perfect dress with "puffy sleeves," is Canada's favorite heroine, so it seems natural that a Canadian company is producing the show. Sullivan Animation, formed in March 1999, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kevin Sullivan and Trudy Grant's Sullivan Entertainment. To bring Anne to animated life, Sullivan Animation has chosen Montreal's Toon Boom Technologies as its animation software provider and their USAnimation software package.

"Our foray into animation is a natural extension of Sullivan's status as a leading producer of family entertainment," says Kevin Sullivan, President of Toronto-based Sullivan Entertainment. "Anne of Green Gables: The Animated Series" is a half-hour, 26-episode children's series produced with children aged 6 to 10 years old in mind. The series enjoyed tremendous success on TVOntario and is scheduled to air on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the fall of 2001. Sullivan Animation is now in production on Anne the Animated Movie. This HDTV-standard feature is a prequel to the series where we follow Anne's adventures upon her arrival to Green Gables.

"Since our studio is young, it's important to have a system that will provide us with the flexibility to move from television broadcast standards, to HDTV, or feature standards easily," says Christine Davis, Producer of Anne the Animated Movie. "The USAnimation system will allow just that."

"The organizational nightmare of painting and compositing a 26-episode series or a feature film with its countless revisions is kept in check with USAnimation's unparalleled structured database system," says Seamus O'Keeffe, Ink & Paint Supervisor at Sullivan Animation. "I truly believe that we've invested in a system that will allow us to realize the visual quality our productions demand in a time frame that fits our scheduling demands. The Toonboom team is singular in its dedication to meeting its customers' needs."

Based in Montreal, Canada, Toon Boom Technologies Inc. is a world-leading supplier of 2D animation software for businesses and individuals. With a presence in more than 30 countries, Toon Boom Technologies provides a complete suite of high-performance, web-enabled animation tools and services to creators and producers of 2D animation, including USAnimation., USAnimation. Web Edition and Toon Boom Studio. Founded in 1994,Toon Boom Technologies offers a 100% vector-based, resolution independent and multi-layer software system with multi-format output to HDTV, Film, DVD, Imax and Macromedia. Flash.

Toon Boom Technologies' products supply the 2D animation market with digital production tools for market-leader studios such as Klasky Csupo, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, Paramount, MGM, FableVision Studios and Wild Brain. For additional information, visit Toon Boom on the Web at www.toonboom.com

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Quiet Man Makes a Monkey Talk Turkey
NEW YORK, May 7, 2001 -- An old lady is sitting alone on a park bench when an "organ grinder" monkey jumps onto her lap, hands her an envelop filled with money and whispers, "It's me Roger. I came back as a monkey. Come back next Tuesday. I make a killing on Tuesdays."

While Irene would have been better off had Roger bought Conseco insurance, the :30 spot from Fallon, McElliott, NYC, couldn't be more believable than in the hands of visual effects boutique Quiet Man. It first aired April 12. This talking monkey looks highly naturalistic but in the wrong hands, such a project could make a monkey of the designer. Enter Quiet Man 3D designer David Shirk, who got involved in pre-production with a review of camcorder footage of our monkey star. Based on footage of his head, and various side views with an emphasis on his jaw and lower face, Shirk constructed a computer model, with Realviz Image Modeller and Softimage 3D, and later added fur in Softimage 3D.

"We decided to use Softimage 3D because we already had a pipeline to create fur," he said. "Working from two-dimensional photos, we reconstructed a 3D model of the lower part of monkey's face."

Quiet Man has a large menagerie of talking animals to its credit, from parrots to chimpanzees and cows, and each one poses unique challenges for designers. "In the past we've found monkeys to show little expression but this character was highly expressive," noted Shirk. "His face had a very elastic quality, which the Fallon creatives wished to preserve and that proved tricky to accomplish."

At first, the animation of the monkey's mouth appeared too human-like. "The real challenge was to make him talk without spoiling his performance and animal qualities," Shirk added. "The fellow gave an expert performance in the actual location footage and as we replaced his mouth with animation we had to maintain the qualities he had demonstrated on film."

To accomplish this feat Quiet Man technical director Brad Gabe set up a digital "control rig" over the virtual monkey's mouth to enable Shirk to precisely control the animation. "The control rig allowed Dave to create a performance and to make revisions until everyone was happy with the result," said Gabe.

Simultaneously with the production of the performance animation, 3D artist David Bernkopf handled the 3D matchmoving process, taking the basic model of the monkey face and tracking it over the film footage to maintain accurate registration. "It's a very painstaking process to maintain accuracy but it is crucial to the final effect," added Shirk.

Rendering the monkey's face was the final step in the creative process. Here Shirk added color and textures to the computer model and then lighting to match the film. Both are critical techniques because one must achieve a perfect match with the original photography. "We recreated the monkey's entire lower face, from the lower eyelids to the chin. It's actually a larger area than we needed to replace, but this gave compositor Colin Stackpole more latitude in attaching the face over the footage," added Shirk.

The final step in the 3D process was the addition of hair to the shots, which was especially important in one extreme close-up. "With the camera coming in tight, we had to pay careful attention to our star's hair,"said Shirk. "To maintain the realism, I gave him a kind of lumber jack look, with his hair breaking the upper lip and hanging irregular edge to help sell it."

Quiet Man is "a creative problem-solving visual effects company" featuring the Flame compositing skills of Johnnie Semerad. The company has attracted major brands like Pepsi and Nike, and won the four-year-old company some of the industry's top awards, including: Clios, Emmys, American Advertising Awards, Cannes Lions, a Grammy and AICP recognition.

Client: Conseco Project: "Monkey" (:30)
Air Date: April 12, 2001
Agency: Fallon McElliot, NYC
Producer: Nancy Gentry
Production Co. Harry Nash
Director: Frederik Bond

Visual Effects: Quiet Man, NYC
Lead Artist: Dave Shirk (3D)
Flame Artist: Colin Stackpole
Match Mover: Dave Bernkopf
Technical Director: Bradley Gabe
Producer: Dave Moore
Executive Producer: Amy Taylor
Tool Kit Softimage 3D v.3.9.2
Phoenix Metamesh Extreme
Phoenix RealFur v. 2
Photoshop Discreet Inferno

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Bloodied but Unbowed, Danny Antonucci's a.k.a. Cartoon Celebrates Seventh Year
VANCOUVER, B.C., May 3, 2001 -- On April 1, 1994, maverick animator Danny Antonucci flung open the doors of a.k.a. Cartoon in Gastown, Vancouver B.C. Seven years and a string of prizewinning productions later, a.k.a. is still slinging lead.

Antonucci, whose credo has always been "f**k Disney and his g*****n mouse," made a name for his Vancouver shop in its first year with a series of 45 seven-minute episodes of "The Brothers Grunt" for MTV Network in New York. a.k.a. also created a number of award winning commercials for Converse, ESPN, MTV and Levi's to name a few.

Previously, Danny established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the animation world with the creation of the notorious three-minute short "Lupo the Butcher" in 1986. Lupo gathered a substantial cult following: the film has been shown at film festivals around the world and literally helped create the market for an entirely new genre, today's enormously popular "alternative" animation festivals.

Lupo has garnered countless awards, and its impact hasn't been limited to cartoon circles -- for two years the short film closed Guns 'n Roses touring show. In 1998 Danny and the folks at a.k.a. Cartoon had another flash of inspiration -- a kids show about a trio of pubescent boys with nothing in common but their name and an overwhelming lust for jawbreakers. "Ed, Edd n' Eddy" struck a major chord with their search for acceptance and their never ending supply of not-so-successful scams This wildly popular television series is now beginning its fourth season..

"Ed, Edd n' Eddy" achieved success abroad before gaining recognition at home. The series sold and aired to AOL/Time Warner's worldwide Cartoon Network. Already a hit in the US and Europe, "Ed, Edd n' Eddy" finally debuted on Canada's Teletoon Network in September 1999. In 1999 and 2000, "EEE" was the Number One show on Cartoon Network U.K., and during a recent "Ed, Edd n' Eddy" Marathon on Cartoon Network USA a total of 9.9 million different persons tuned in to watch. "Ed, Edd n' Eddy" continues to break ratings records for Cartoon Network. "Ed, Edd n' Eddy" is translated into nine languages (including British Sign Language) and is seen in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and both North and South America. The series has won several prestigious awards, including the US-based National Cartoonists Society's coveted Reuben Award for "Best Television Animation" and the 2000 Leo Award for "Best Director of an Animated Production" (Danny Antonucci).

Named "One of the 15 most successful Canadian television production companies" in the December 2000 issue of Animation Magazine, a.k.a. Cartoon is known internationally as a quality shop that offers cutting-edge creativity. Danny Antonucci was listed among Animation Magazine's "Auteurs who have had an impact on animation during the past 15 years" alongside artists such as Tim Burton and Matt Groening.

Antonucci, despite his renegade reputation, is described as a corrosively honest and loyal manager with old-fashioned values; and a.k.a. is a studio where artists are expected to play a key role in the development of the show.

"At a.k.a. we live by the motto, 'Forget what you¹ve done, and give me everything you always wanted to do,' " says Antonucci.

From day one a.k.a. Cartoon has been committed to producing cutting-edge original work. "We have refused to turn into a service house," Antonucci adds. "We don't churn out crap for someone else. We pride ourselves on original artwork and concepts. We don't compromise. Animation is a handmade art form, invoking soul. Classical animation is about being proud of human error."

a.k.a. Cartoon currently employs a full time equivalent staff roster of 50, including more than 40 artists, a 250 percent increase in staff during the last five years.

What's next for the a.k.a. crew? Currently devoted to making "Ed, Edd n' Eddy", artists are also encouraged to work on their own original ideas to be developed as new series in the future. There are feature-length animated projects in the works, including one starring Lupo and his family. And a.k.a. is re-entering the world of commercials.

"I still love working on commercials, I never want to go away from them entirely," says Antonucci. "It's still animation, it's still filmmaking, and I love that."

Check out a.k.a.'s numerous internet fan sites, including the fabulous, funny and comprehensive Eddzone: http://nav.to/eddzone; and the Brothers Grunt site: http://brosgrunt.virtualave.net/news.html.

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David Forbes, Former Orion Pictures Executive, Named CEO of Global Animation Holdings
LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 2, 2001 -- David M. Forbes, former Executive Vice President, Orion Pictures Corp., and President of MGM/UA Distribution Company, has been named CEO of Global Animation Holdings, whose family of companies includes Los Angeles-based Spectrum Studios, and Manila-based ImagineAsia and VirtualMagic Asia.

The announcement was made today by Jeffrey Harrison, board chairman of the privately held company. Forbes assumes the new post immediately. Since its formation in 1997, Global Animation and its three principal companies have primarily functioned as a provider for a full range of 3D digital animation, optical and magnetic motion capture, digital ink and paint and compositing, and traditional 2D animation services for film, television, the Internet and multimedia. Among the many clients for whom the companies have provided services are DreamWorks, Warner Bros., IMAX, Carsey-Werner, Nickelodeon, and BET.

"We believe that David's vision and leadership ability will enable Global Animation Holdings to achieve its full potential as an animation industry leader," stated Jeffrey Harrison. "We've already made great strides in becoming a respected, high quality animation resource, and we now look to David to expand the company's core business here and internationally, while also developing new avenues in which to grow the company. He brings with him a wealth of proven entertainment industry management experience, extensive industry relationships, and the ability to aggressively market our company as both a service organization and content provider. This, coupled with his keen understanding of the domestic and international marketplace, make him an ideal choice to chart the future growth and success of Global Animation Holdings."

"I am greatly impressed with the foundation that has been laid toward making Global Animation an important force in the animation industry," said Forbes. "With the technologi-cal advances of the last few years making such great inroads in quality and cost effective-ness, and with the Internet giving birth to a whole new world of opportunity with unimaginable potential, there has never been a more exciting time to be in the animation business. The industry is in a technological revolution that will change the course of animation."

"There are a great many extremely talented people at all of our facilities," added Forbes, "and they have developed some of the most advanced technology to be found anywhere in the industry. We will continue to advance the art and are committed to remaining on the cutting edge and to providing the highest quality work for clients worldwide on a very cost effective basis. Spectrum studios, for example, already boasts the most sophisticated digital motion capture capability available for visual effects, with other new and very exciting proprietary software to be unveiled shortly. We also plan to bring on board top creative and technological talent to help support our projected growth."

High on Forbes' agenda is Global Animation's entry into the content development arena, and the production of its own animated product. "We are very interested in forging relationships within the creative community," Forbes continued. "With the full resources necessary to see a project through from script all the way to the final stages of post-production, we are looking to develop alliances and to acquiring and developing original material that lends itself to television programming, direct-to-video movies, webisodic programming, as well as theatrical features. With our extensive facilities, our creative and technical wherewithal, and a development fund in place, we are aggressively seeking partners with whom to develop, produce and distribute a wide range of product."

Global Animation Holdings includes Los Angeles-based Spectrum Studios, a state-of-the-art facility focusing largely on visual effects for feature films and video games, and digital real-time animation for live broadcast, theme park immersive attractions, the Internet and live performance animation. The facility houses a 13,000-square-foot performance stage with both optical and magnetic motion capture systems as well as facial capture systems.

In Manila, Philippines, the company maintains two facilities including ImagineAsia, a state-of-the-art digital animation production studio employing a full-time staff of more than 130 people. A leader in the digital arena, ImagineAsia specializes in 3D animation. Its sister studio in Manila, VirtualMagic Asia (a joint venture with VirtualMagic Animation), provides 2D digital ink & paint services along with compositing, and has worked on such productions as the DreamWorks animated feature Joseph King of Dreams, and the NBC prime time television series God, The Devil and Bob."

From 1993 until joining Global Animation Holdings, David Forbes had his own consulting firm, The David Forbes Company, serving such entertainment industry clients as IMAX Corporation, Lucasfilm, Danjaq, Edward Pressman Films (The Crow), Pacific Theatres, AMC Theatres, the Gallup Organization, Market Cast, Robson Entertainment, and ESPN, among others.

From 1990 to 1992, he was President of Orion Pictures Distribution Company, with full responsibility for all domestic theatrical marketing and distribution. During this time he oversaw the company's rise from 10th position in the industry to a market share ranked third in 1991, the year in which he personally planned the distribution and marketing of Dances with Wolves and Silence of the Lambs. From 1987 to 1990, Forbes was President of MGM/UA Distribution Company, where he was responsible for all domestic theatrical and non-theatrical distribution and marketing, with such major hits as Rainman, Moonstruck, and A Fish Called Wanda, among the films released under his aegis. Forbes previously held a number senior posts in the motion picture industry, including Vice President for Distribution, and Vice President and Executive Assistant to the Chairman at Columbia Pictures, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution for Rastar Films, Director of Marketing Services for Twentieth Century Fox, and in various executive marketing capacities at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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Three Generations of Matte Painters Convene at R!OT
SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 1, 2001 -- R!OT recently hosted a gathering of matte painters whose careers span 50 years of creating cinematic illusions and some of the greatest movies ever made.

Matthew Yuricich, one of the acknowledged masters of the classic style of matte painting, was among the artists who toured R!OT's recently expanded all-digital matte painting department. Yuricich, who applied his craft by painting sets and landscapes onto sheets of glass, began his career on the 1951 classic The Day the Earth Stood Still. He is credited on more than 50 other films including such classics as North by Northwest, Ben Hur and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He retired in 1989.

Rocco Gioffre, one of Yuricich's most accomplished disciples, heads R!OT's matte department. His 20-year career spans the transition from glass painting to the current method where computers are used to extend sets and create rich, 3D environments. Gioffre, who began his career as an apprentice to Yuricich on Close Encounters, has worked on such films as U571, Bicentennial Man, Stuart Little and X-Men.

Michele Moen, a recent addition to R!OT, also began her career painting on glass on the film Blade Runner. She exchanged her easel for the computer in the mid-90s and since then has worked on such films as Bedazzled, Red Planet and this year's Best Picture winner Gladiator.

Representing the current generation of matte artists-artists who have worked solely in the digital realm-were R!OT staff Deak Ferrand (What Dreams May Come, Mystery Men) and Ken Nakada (Nutty Professor 2: The Klumps). Also on hand was another visiting artist, Robert Stromberg, whose credits include The Age of Innocence and The Birdcage.

Matte painting has been a part of filmmaking since the earliest days of Hollywood. The original technique involved placing a sheet of glass between the camera and the scene, with a matte artist painting the glass to cover parts of the set that were not intended to be seen. The artists needed to be highly skilled to make the paintings appear believable when filmed. This form of matte painting had limitations. Most notably, it required the camera to be locked off. Advances in optical printing increased the effectiveness of matte paintings, and the use of the technique grew. By the 1930s, each of the major film studios had its own matte painting department. In the 1950s and 1960s matter painters became stars.

Artists of Yuricich's generation created a new look for matte painting, tailoring their work to the movie and varying their style from extremely realistic to extremely painterly, as the individual film required. The arrival of computers in motion picture production in the 1990s revolutionized matte painting. Artists such as Gioffre and Moen traded their paintbrushes for mice, but the underlying artistry remained much the same. Computer-aided matte painting offered numerous advantages over glass painting. Lighting and color could be precisely controlled and tuned to match live action elements. Artists could also employ an unlimited number of layers. Most significantly, computers enabled artists to create true 3D environments and to introduce movement. This has freed the camera to move within the artificial environment and create a much more satisfying illusion.

R!OT, whose matte artists earned an Academy Award for What Dreams May Come, has assembled the industry's most accomplished and diversely talented matte painting team. Its artists created matte paintings for Pluto Nash, set for release by Castle Rock Entertainment next month. The department is currently working on Queen of the Damned for Warner Bros. and The Scorpion King for Universal.

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Deepend Announces New Online Cartoon Series, "We Are Robots"
San Francisco, Calif., April 27, 2001 -- A new animated series on the web, "We Are Robots," has been announced by the creator, Deepend. The series can be found at www.wearerobots.com.

Episodes spotlight different characters, all of whom have one thing in common: They are robots.

These robots live among people, hold jobs and pursue hobbies. The series is set in present day, yet makes no attempt to explain how these robots came to be or why they live such mundane lives. The first two episodes of the series debut this week. The first of these documentary-style shows stars Sad Robot, a pathetically depressed real estate broker. Episode two features Angrybot, an irate high school music teacher. New robots will be introduced monthly.

Other projects created by San Francisco-based Deepend include "The Booth" and "Stop For a Minute". The company's web site is http://www.deepend.com.

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Production Begins on Animated "Balloonatiks" Series
LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 27, 2001 – “Balloonatiks,” a new comic-action adventure CGI cartoon series, has started production, according to Tony DiIoia, CEO of Animagic Entertainment and creator of the characters.

The series stars five ordinary teenagers who have been transformed into rubberized superheroes and battle the bizarre villains of Hot Air City. The series is being produced by The Krislin Company, headed by Walt Kubiak, veteran animation producer best known as the Emmy-nominated supervising producer of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and as producer of “The Smurfs."

“We have successfully developed a 3-D look that challenges in quality and richness any high-end CGI-produced feature film, while working within the constraints of a typical Saturday morning budget,” said Kubiak.

The first episode will show at MIPCOM, in Cannes, France in October.

“The vibrant animation adds a dimension to the ‘Balloonatiks’ characters that really sets the show apart,” said DiIoia. “I believe the cutting edge CGI animation, the look of the characters and the show’s action and humor will give kids a breakthrough television experience.”

Ray Parker Jr., Grammy award-winner and composer of the Ghostbusters theme song wrote and performed the “Balloonatiks” theme song and will provide music for the series.

The Emmy-Award-winning writing team includes Jack and Carole Mendelsohn, whose credits include “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Muppet Babies.” A “Balloonatiks” book series is being published by Animagic Publishing and will be distributed nationally by LPC Group, beginning in October. A national promotion by T.G.I.Friday’s restaurant chain will kick off in November. The publishing effort is headed by Jay Poynor, president of Animagic and three-time Emmy Award winner as executive producer of the “Garfield” prime-time specials on CBS. Erica Orloff, noted book editor and writer, is the writer of the book series.

Both the television series and books pit the heroic “Balloonatiks” against the evil Dr.Popemoff and his menacing band of henchmen. According to the story line, the “Balloonatiks” spring forth in a science experiment gone awry at a high school chemistry class in Hot Air City. Teenage classmates are mistakenly “gooped” and transform into the Balloonatiks - Flator, Squeeker, Airbrain, Bouncer, Sparky, and Leaky, the laboratory frog.

Judy Price, former vice president of children’s programming at CBS, and a consultant to the production, says, “What’s groundbreaking about the “Balloonatiks” is the human nature of the characters. The computer animation is extremely dynamic and very kid-friendly. I’m excited to see kids’ reactions to the cartoon short. The images are without comparison to anything I’ve seen on television. Kids are really responding to the characters.”

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C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures in X-MEN Evening Hosted by Side Effects Software
Santa Monica, Calif., April 27, 2001 — If you're in the Toronto area May 10, be sure to attend a presentation by C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures and Side Effects Software, where C.O.R.E. representatives will show their work on X-Men using Side Effects' Houdini, the 3D animation software used to create effects in other films such as Hollow Man, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas and The Matrix.

The presentation will be held at Hart House, University of Toronto at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 10. The evening will begin with an hors d'oeuvre reception, followed by a presentation in the second floor Debates Room at Hart House, located at 7 Hart House Circle, Toronto. To RSVP, call (416) 504-9876 or send an email to rsvp@sidefx.com.

Side Effects Software will present new powerful Houdini capabilities including its artist-friendly interface, customizable panels and VEX (Vector Expressions), the intuitive and powerful award-winning integrated Houdini scripting language, and more. Nordin Rahhali, who served as a technical director for X-Men, will discuss C.O.R.E.’s work on the film including the 3D pin-map, from beginning concept to the final shot, including early tests and challenges, and Houdini's role in overcoming them.

Side Effects Software's Houdini is used by numerous digital content creation leaders including: Digital Domain, DreamWorksSKG, Electronic Arts, Namco, Nickelodeon, Rhythm & Hues, Sega, Sony Computer Entertainment and Weta Ltd.

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J.J. Sedelmaier Converts to All Digital
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 20, 2001 -- After a successful 10-year run, J.J. Sedelmaier Productions, creator of animated favorites "Beavis ‘N Butthead" and Saturday Night Live’s TV Funhouse series "The Ambiguously Gay Duo," "The X Presidents" and "Fun with Real Audio," has tossed out its pens and pencils for digital technology for animation tests and inking cels.

“It’s not like we haven’t been using digital techniques,” says J.J. Sedlemaier. “We’ve used Virtual Magic [formerly US Animation] for some time, but now we won’t be using film at all. We used film for pencil tests as recently as last fall, but we now have a system in place that allows us to do everything digitally.”

The system adopted by Sedelmaier and his team is Crater Software’s CTP, a PC-based system for 2D cel animation. “After considerable examination, CTP has worked out best,” says Sedelmaier. “We still have a video camera that we use for some small things, but we now scan 90 percent of our drawings into CTP, which also allows us to e-mail QuickTime movies, and that kind of thing, so it’s worked out very well.”

According to Sedelmaier, the switch has been precipitated by a combination of speed and economics. “There’s simply no way to justify film costs any longer,” he says. “What’s more, the old ways are simply too cumbersome. We had to use messengers to send things to our cameraman in the city. He would shoot it and take it to Technicolor, who would develop and print it. Then we needed another messenger to bring it back so we could cut it, after which we had to send it back to New York to get it transferred to videotape. If there was time coding, there were further expenses. Finally, we had to deal with Federal Express to send it wherever. It was just too much trouble when you consider the alternatives.”

In making the digital switch, the company is likely one of the last in the industry to move completely away from film. “We stayed with film, at least for pencil tests, longer than most,” says Sedelmaier. “A lot of it had to do with the fact that I was doing the editing and track reading, so nobody was particularly eager to do things at which I was already adept. The novelty of cutting film really began to wane in the last few years, however. Some clients had never worked with film, so the whole process seemed archaic to them.”

J.J. Sedelmaier Productions' next project, "The Further Adventures of Captain Linger" for the Cartoon Network, will be produced entirely with CTP. In addition to CTP on PC, the Sedelmaier’s numerous Macintosh computers allow for extensive use of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere, in addition to sending pencil tests via the Internet.

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Gnomon Launches On-Line Maya Training
HOLLYWOOD, April 19, 2001 -- Gnomon School of Visual Effects has announced the launch of Gnomon Online, a web-based service structured to offer high-quality training in Alias|Wavefront Maya on the internet.

Paid membership will allow viewing of streaming-video tutorials in seven application areas. Gnomon Online membership is $49 per month and gives members access to an ever-growing library of streaming-video tutorials and scene files. The service is going on-line with an initial three hours and 20 minutes of tutorials. Each month an additional one to two hours of tutorials will be added, keeping the site -- and membership -- dynamic. Scene files will also be added periodically.

Tutorials cover the following application areas:

Each tutorial is available in three sizes. Members choose which size they want to view based on resolution and download times. For those interested in trying before they buy, the website has a sample 12-minute tutorial on inverse kinematics.

"Our goal for Gnomon Online is to create the best source for quality Maya training on the internet," explains Gnomon’s Director, Alex Alvarez. "As time goes by, we will support other applications: We want Gnomon Online to become a reflection of the Gnomon School."

The instructors for the Gnomon Online are Alex Alvarez and Darrin Krumweide. Alex Alvarez, Director and Founder of Gnomon, is an alumnus of the Art Center College of Design and the University of Pennsylvania. He has a background in illustration using traditional media and computer graphics, having worked for companies such as Malibu Comics and Activision. Prior to Gnomon, Alex worked as an Applications Engineer for Alias|Wavefront, where he was a consultant and trainer for studios in the Los Angeles area. He has been published in 3D Design magazine and on various 3D related sites. Alvarez has spoken at national digital conferences and was one of the first inductees into the E&S CGI Hall of Fame.

Darrin Krumweide, Associate Director of Gnomon, is a graduate of the Art Center College of Design in transportation and industrial design. Before joining the staff at Gnomon, Krumweide served as an applications engineer for Alias|Wavefront and senior animator at Kronos Digital Entertainment. As a professional consultant, his clients included Netter Digital, Warner Bros., Honda, Sega and MCA Universal. He has also taught at Art Center College of Design. Gnomon Online is a division of Gnomon School of Visual Effects, a professional institute specializing in training for visual effects for film, television and games.

Located in the heart of Hollywood, they offer a full curriculum for individuals wanting careers in 3D, professionals in need of specialized training, and custom training for production studios. Courses include introductory to advanced digital 3D and traditional art classes geared toward 3D production. All digital classes are taught on production-level workstations, from either SGI or Hewlett Packard, using Alias|Wavefront software.

The Gnomon curriculum has been approved by the Alliance for Digital Production Trainers (ADEPT) whose members include training managers from studios including Rhythm & Hues Studios, Cinesite, DreamWorks, and Sony Pictures Imageworks.

Founded by Alex Alvarez in 1997, Gnomon is located at 1015 North Cahuenga Boulevard, Suite 5430i, Hollywood, CA 90038. On the Web, they can be found at http://www.gnomon3d.com.

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'Beavis and Butt-Head' Veteran Animates Tom Green's Freddy Got Fingered
LOS ANGELES, Calif., April 13, 2001 -- Emmy-nominated director Chris Prynoski, best known for his visually stunning work on Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and the renegade television hit "MTV Downtown," just completed animation work on Tom Green's highly anticipated feature film Freddy Got Fingered.

Freddy Got Fingered is being released April 20.

Tom Green, the star of "Road Trip" and cutting-edge MTV comic known for his outrageous antics, serves as the new film's writer, director and star. In Freddy Got Fingered, Green plays Gord-a bizarre, twisted animator who desperately wants to succeed and win his father's approval.

Prynoski, highly acclaimed for his edgy, underground style, provides animation that launches Green's skewed creations onto the big screen. MTV veteran Prynoski directed and produced the film's animated seg ment, plus personally illustrated the schizophrenic drawings that Green's character works on throughout the film.

Prynoski's West Hollywood studio Titmouse crafted the film's animation, with coloring and compositing handled by digital effects house VirtualMagic Animation. Post-production house Pacific Title provided the final film output.

After graduating from Manhattan's School of Visual Arts in the mid 1990s, Prynoski made waves with his critically acclaimed animated series "MTV Downtown," winning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program. "MTV Downtown" also took home industry awards that include an Annecy Award and two Cartoons on the Bay awards. Prynoski has also completed television and commercial work for clients such as Nike, Nickelodeon and "Rugrats" animation studio Klasky-Csupo.

Freddy Got Fingered is a Regency Enterprises presentation and a New Regency/MBST production. Twentieth Century Fox releases the film nationwide on April 20th.

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Foundation Imaging Captures Tony Hawk for Sci-Fi Channel Promo
LAKE FOREST, Calif., April 11, 2001 -- Foundation Imaging, a prominent visual effects and animation production company, recently completed a promo for the Sci Fi Channel entitled "I am Sci-Fi ­ Tony Hawk" using the Vicon 8 motion capture system.

The latest "I am Sci-Fi" spot features world-renowned skateboarder Tony Hawk chasing an enemy on a high-tech skateboard through a computer-generated maze. Reminiscent of the Lightcycle Race from the 1982 hit Disney movie Tron, the animated sequence was created using a combination of motion capture and traditional animation. The spot began airing on March 19th.

Foundation Imaging spent a full day capturing various skateboarding moves using the Vicon 8 optical motion capture system in their 5,000-square-foot mo-cap studio.

"With Vicon 8, we were able to accurately capture Hawk's signature skate-boarding style and convey the director¹s vision throughout the CG scenes of the promo," said Dave West, Motion Capture Supervisor, Foundation Imaging. "There is no way that this project could have been completed on deadline or budget using just keyframe animation. Vicon gives us the means to record highly realistic movements for use in our character animation projects."

The entire production of this promo was completed in-house at Foundation Imaging using their model and miniature division, green screen stage, motion capture studio, and animation and visual effects department. In addition to this promo, Foundation Imaging also produced three others for the "I am Sci-Fi" series which featured Virgin Records founder Richard Branson, NBA star Kevin Garnett, and the musician Moby.

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European Junior Animators Award Call for Entries
LONDON, April 10, 2001 -- The Fourth European Junior Animators Award (EJAA) is now accepting entries.

The Award is offered by a partnership of key industry players, including Softimage, Future Publishing and The Finishing School, with the aim of encouraging new animation talent and placing the outstanding candidates in work. In the last three years the judging panel has consisted of industry professionals from Myths and Legends; The Mill; Jim Henson's Creature Shop; Soho 601; Aldis Animation; Psygnosis; BBC Pebble Mill; Cinesite; Red Post Production; 4:2:2; Video Graphics; Tyrell and Skaramoosh amongst others.

The panel will be looking primarily at the pure animation skills demonstrated in submitted showreels, although design integrity, originality, conceptual skills and direction are also factors that will be taken into consideration.

The Award is open to junior animators with some experience of 3D animation (in any 3D package). You are ineligible if you have been employed as a 3D animator for two years or more or if you have a Softimage 3D license in your name already.

All nominations will be expertly judged and winners will receive the prestigious EJAA Award plus an impressive package including a SOFTIMAGE|XSI license, hardware, training from The Finishing School and subscriptions to 3D World and Computer Arts.

Candidate Entry Details
Deadline for entries is 28 September 2001. For an entry form please contact ejaa@bubblesqueak.co.uk or call Bubble & Squeak on +44 (0)20 8877 3372.

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New Episode of Web Cartoon Series "Radiskull & Devil Doll"
April 9, 2001 -- A new episode of the "Radiskull & Devil Doll" web cartoon series called "Candy in Hell" has been released, bringing the total number of episodes in the series to eight.

Creator Joe Sparks says the new edition is "perhaps the most ambitious episode yet." His synopsis: Candy Angel breaks into Hell, and has conflicts with other winged creatures. She meets up with Devil Doll, but something really bad happens.

Sparks says he's "hit some kind of nerve" with the show and that it is seen by well over one million people." For newbies, he suggests if you have not seen the episodes leading up to the new one, that you watch at least Episodes 6 & 7 before you see this one. This story line starts in Episode 3, one of the favorite episodes so far, Sparks says.

To access the shows, go to http://joesparks.shockwave.com. To see only Episode 8, go to http://joesparks.shockwave.com/episodes/e08/index.htm

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EyeballNYC Animates Zyrtek
NEW YORK, April 6, 2001 -- Combining 3D green text animation and live-action, creative boutique EyeballNYC used everyday sounds to phonetically spell out Zyrtek (pronounced zur-tek), the popular allergy medication, and sponsor of PBS broadcasts of Sesame Street.

The 15-second spot, "Sounds," was created in collaboration with ad agency Deutsch, NYC. A tent zipper, an electric mixer and a lawn mower together create the first syllable of the product name, while a skipping record, a game of checkers and a stick against a picket fence creates the second. An accompanying monochrome image and a subtle green 3D text animation created by Eyeball reinforces each telling sound.

"Our job was to integrate text appropriate to each scene," explained eyeballNYC senior designer Susan Armstrong. "Take the electric mixer, for example, the 'zurrr' moves in a circle around the beaters before breaking up into little pieces. We rendered the text in Zyrtek green using Discreet Logic 3D Studio Max, then composited each scene with Adobe After Effects."

Each scene required precise compositing to create the desired effect and to firmly inscribe the product name.

"Using the case of the mixer again, the 3D letters had to travel through the beaters," added Armstrong. "We made sure realistic shadows were cast against the letters when they traveled behind the beaters and that the correct lighting was applied when they emerged."

The EyeballNYC team, including creative director Limore Shur, designer Zac Kinney, 3D artist Stuart Simms, producer Nina Goldberg and executive producer Michael Eastwood, spent approximately one week exploring how the interpretations of the animations would unfold, then another week creating the final spot, which opens and closes broadcasts of Sesame Street on PBS.

Credits Agency: Deutsch, NYC Client: Zyrtec Title: "Sounds" Product: 1 x :15 Production Co: Eyeballnyc Creative Director: Limore Shur Senior Designer: Susan Armstrong Designer: Zac Kinney 3-D Designer: Stuart Simms Producer: Nina Goldberg Executive Producer: Michael Eastwood Agency supplied the live-action.

 

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Uli Meyer Creates 3D Okto the Octopus for Kellogg's

Sandra the Swordfish offers to help Okto to find his favourite variety of Kellogg's Variety Pack under one of the shells

Okto shuffles the shells, while a crab joins in the game

While the semi-naked crab drifts down again, Okto re-shuffles the shells

Okto remembers that he has eight tentacles...

A Smooth Production Everyone involved in the three-month project, from the agency, J Walter Thompson, to the client, Kellogg Company of Great Britain, and naturally, the crew at Uli Meyer Animation, is delighted with the look of the film. Indeed, the agency team was so pleased that there was not a single change or tweak requested at the final edit. It was all over in 40 minutes. Uli Meyer Animation Team: Uli Meyer: Director Jean-Paul Vermeulen: Storyboard Soren Super: Supervising Animator Esther Neslen: Softimage Modeller Michael Hirsh: Art Director Simon Leech: After Effects compositing, assisted by Ron McMinn. J W T project group: Charity Charity: Creative Director Wayne Robinson: Copy Writer Matthew Collier: Art Director Nikki Doherty: Producer

LONDON, April 5, 2001 -- Uli Meyer Animation has just delivered the second in a series of computer animated commercials featuring Okto the Octopus for Kellogg's Variety Packs, titled "Find The Variety".

The first commercial for Okto was a great favourite with children, so Okto's friends, Sandra the Swordfish, The Crab and The Starfish make return appearances in this second spot. An electric eel makes a debut as an improvised aerial for the radio that provides the soundtrack for the 30-second commercial. The script has Okto playing the "shell game" in the galley of an underwater wreck, trying to find his favourite cereal among the eight varieties in the Kellogg's Variety Pack. He is helped (and hindered) by his aquatic chums.

From the outset, Director Uli Meyer decided to avoid a typical "CG look" by using as many hand painted textures as possible. The storyboard by Jean-Paul Vermeulen was animated in Softimage by Supervising Animator Soren Super. Softimage Modeller Esther Neslen used production paintings and textures by Art Director Michael Hirsh to build the wrecked ship that is the main backdrop for the ad. Simon Leech composited the shots in After Effects, assisted by Ron McMinn.

Uli Meyer worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and his studio, Uli Meyer Animation, has produced world class "classical" animation in London for the last nine years.

Uli Meyer Animation started in-house 3D computer animation four years ago. The studio developed "The Lampies" for UK television in 1999. It is now in a second series. The studio provided 15 minutes of animation for Warner Bros' Space Jam in 1996.

The majority of the studio's commercials output has been aired in the U.S.A., however, demand for Uli's animation skills is growing strongly in U.K. and the rest of Europe.

Uli Meyer Animation will be entering the outrageous short Fred Bastard in the Best Pilot category at the Annecy Film Festival in early June.

For more information, visit www.ulimeyer.com/

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DMA Animation Helps The Lone Rearranger Defend Grammar
NEW YORK, April 4, 2001 -- DMA Animation has completed work on "The Lone Rearranger," a tale about a cowboy who rides the range in a quest to correct grammatical errors, using Cambridge Animation's Animo software.

The two-minute shorts, which are featured on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System’s (PBS) new television series, "Between the Lions," are scheduled to air in mid-April. The Lone Rearranger travels from town to town with his trusty sidekick, Russell Upsome-Grub, who has a knack for spotting strange behavior resulting from grammatical mix-ups. With the help of his horse, Hi-Ho, who shines a light on the offensive grammar problems, the Lone Rearranger uses his whip to rearrange the sentence structure and restore order to the town. The group then rides on to the next town, leaving the villagers to wonder, “Who was that banana-nosed, masked stranger?”

DMA used Animo for all ink and paint aspects of the project, says Tony Caio, DMA’s director of animation. “We drew all the original artwork and scanned it into Animo’s Ink & Paint module, which allowed us to view our changes quickly and intuitively,” he says. “We love its throughput in our production process.”

All the characters were rendered out of Animo with an alpha channel and composited in Adobe AfterEffects.

Caio and the DMA creative team developed the Lone Rearranger characters in conjunction with "Between the Lions," a new PBS series designed to teach children ages four to seven how to read. "Between the Lions" is set inside a library, the home of a family of lion puppets who invite playful friends over for intriguing educational adventures. The show, which blends animation, puppets, live action and music, is co-produced by WGBH, the PBS station in Boston, Mass., and Sirius Thinking, Ltd.

DMA’s creative team designs and creates character-driven animation for network television shows, films, national commercials and new media. The studio is best known for its award-winning work in children’s television. DMA’s clients include Nickelodeon, The Food Network, Noggin, Sesame Workshop, ABC, CBS, and King Features.

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Free 3D Multi-Player Game "Prequel" to Atlantis: The Lost Empire
IRVINE, Calif., April 2, 2001 -- Beginning this month, game fans can play a simultaneous online multi-player 3D game introduction to Disney's upcoming animated feature film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire.

Through a partnership with Disney Interactive, GameSpy Industries is enabling the online multi-player component of "Search for the Journal," a specially created free 3D multi-player game "prequel" to Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire June 15th film release.

GameSpy will also host the online multi-player gameplay for "Trial by Fire," the follow-up, expanded retail version of the game launching May 15th, through a custom Atlantis-themed version of its popular GameSpy Arcade (www.gamespyarcade.com). This leading online multiplayer game service delivers online gaming experiences to nearly one million consumers around the world.

The technologies used in the online multi-player gameplay of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire -- Search for the Journal" and "Atlantis: The Lost Empire -- Trial by Fire" are part of GameSpy.net, an infrastructure of software, back-end servers, bandwidth, and network operations personnel that keep games with online features up and running.

For more information, visit www.gamespyindustries.com.

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Pepper's Ghost Animates 30 Minutes for new Comedy-Drama
LONDON, UK, 02 April 2001 -- Kingston-based Pepper's Ghost did 30 minutes of animation and a total of 520 shots for the new comedy drama "Little Big Mouth."

Produced by Pagoda Family, "Little Big Mouth" airs at tea-time on CiTV [Children's ITV] weekdays throughout the UK, from Wednesday 28th March to Thursday 5th April. The series consists of seven separate episodes, each of twenty minutes duration.

"When Pagoda Family asked us to handle the character generation, we knew it would be a major challenge," said Ben Lock, head of digital production, Pepper's Ghost.

About 90 percent of the animation on "Little Big Mouth" required motion capture, for which Pepper's Ghost used character studio 3, the extension to Discreet's 3ds max. Pepper's Ghost also employed Discreet's edit to digitize material and create promotional shots.

"character studio incorporates leading-edge motion capture technology to help facilitate the creation of realistic 3D digital characters, ideal for our purposes on the 'Little Big Mouth' project," continued Lock. "It also enables you to link animation files together and edit them as and when required."