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Monday,
October 23, 2000
New
Animated/Anime DVDs Being Released Tomorrow
Here is a list of animated and anime DVDs being released tomorrow:
X-Men
- Animated Series: The Phoenix Saga (1992)
Sin:
The Motion Picture
Franklin
& The Green Knight (2000)
Dragonball
2-Pack
Cartoon
Noir .
* * *
"The
Simpsons" Museum Exhibit Opens October 28, 2000
As a culmination to a year-long celebration of television's
longest-running primetime sitcom, an exhibit of images and memorabilia
reflecting the legendary status and global popularity of FOX TV's
"The Simpsons," opens at Hollywood Entertainment Museum Saturday,
Oct. 28.
The exhibit,
"The Simpsons: Ten Years Gone," which will run exclusively at the
Museum through Dec. 3, spans "The Simpsons" years between 1992 and
1997, utilizing scores of color animation cels which comprise a
multitude of scenes showing Bart, Homer, Lisa, Marge and little
Maggie in all their outrageous glory.
Opening as a
prelude to the 12th season premiere of a show (Nov. 5), the exhibit's
centerpiece is a 1-foot-by-2 1/2-foot limited edition artpiece called
"Where's Bart," a portrayal of all the characters who have appeared
on "The Simpsons." Another major element is an original color drawing
showing the Simpson family.
The exhibit's
opening will be attended by more than 400 fans flown to Hollywood
from around the world as winners in "The Simpsons Global Fanfest,"
a series of contests and promotions held as part of the celebration
of the show's success. The fanfest began last Jan. 14, when "The
Simpsons" received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front
of Hollywood Entertainment Museum.
"The Simpsons
is a singular show that has carved a historic niche in television
lore, so it makes sense that Hollywood Entertainment Museum would
host this first-ever exhibit of artifacts that represent its pioneering
nature," said Phyllis Caskey, president and CEO of the Museum. "Our
mission is to house and celebrate the best of Hollywood and 'The
Simpsons' comfortably falls into that elite category."
Another facet
of the exhibit will be a display of Simpsons promotion and merchandising
items which have never been available in the U.S., but were used
in international campaigns.
The exhibit
will be on view each week Thursdays to Tuesdays (11 a.m. - 6 p.m.)
at Hollywood Entertainment Museum, 7021 Hollywood Blvd, an interactive
museum that celebrates the film, television, radio, recording arts
and Hollywood the place. Admission is $7.50 for adults; $4.50 for
seniors and students (identification required); $4 for youths age
5-12; and free to Museum members and children under the age of five.
Located one
block east of La Brea Avenue in the Hollywood Galaxy complex, parking
is off Sycamore Avenue and is $2 for two hours with Museum validation.
For more information, call (323) 465-7900.
Tuesday,
October 24, 2000
Toy
Story 2 Problem Not Technicolor's First Animated Foul-up
Technicolor is being deliberately silent about its progress in investigating
how "R" rated clips from High Fidelity got onto
select copies of Toy Story 2 DVDs shipping as part of the
"Ultimate Toy Box" 3-disc set. Despite numerous press
inquiries, Technicolor's only response is "Technicolor will
continue to investigate the cause of the defect and the magnitude
of the problem."
The
magnitude of the problem was first believed to only be Costco stores
in the Midwest, but reports kept coming in from other states, showing
the problem to be nationwide.
The
Toy Story 2 foul-up by Technicolor is not their first mistake
on a Disney animated film. Just last year some people purchasing
Disney's Pinocchio DVD were surprised to find the DVD contained
the movie The Prince of Egypt by rival DreamWorks.
So
why does Disney continue to use Technicolor to do its work in the
midst of two high-publicity problems? Technicolor is the largest
DVD replicator in the world, with the ability to duplicate 175,000
DVDs every day. But quantity apparently isn't always equal to quality
as Disney has now discovered two years in a row.
* * *
Box Office
Results
Here are the Box Office results for last weekend's animated
films:
Digimon
$901,455 ($547 per screen average - 53% decrease)
15th at the Box Office (down from #11 last weekend)
Total to Date: $8.5 Million
CyberWorld
3D
$310,194 ($10,340 per screen average - 4% decrease)
22nd at the Box Office (up from #19 last weekend)
Total to Date: $1.2 Million
Chicken
Run
$206,383 ($451 per screen average - 23% decrease)
25th at the Box Office (down from #21 last weekend)
Total to Date: $106.6 Million
Dinosaur
$121,682 ($481 per screen average - 24% decrease)
35th at the Box Office (down from #34 last weekend)
Total to Date: $137.2 Million
Wednesday,
October 25, 2000
The
Nightmare Before Christmas to be in 72 Theaters
Touchstone Pictures' stop-motion movie, Tim Burton's The Nightmare
Before Christmas, will launch its nationwide reissue with a
filmmakers' panel at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood
on Friday, October 27th, it was announced yesterday by Richard Cook,
chairman of The Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group.
The
film, which was originally released in 1993, is scheduled to return
to 72 theatres across the country for a special engagement beginning
on October 27th. New 35mm prints have been struck for this release
and the sound has been upgraded to include the latest digital formats.
To
help celebrate the film's return, Hollywood's El Capitan will host
an opening night filmmakers' panel discussion, which will include
director Henry Selick, animation supervisor Eric Leighton, animator
Mike Belzer, and assistant art director Bill Boes. The panel, which
will be moderated by Scott MacQueen, Disney's Manager of Library
Restoration, will take place on Friday, October 27th at 7:15 p.m.
preceding the regularly scheduled 7:30 p.m. engagement. Tickets
for this or any performance at the El Capitan are available by calling
1-800-DISNEY6.
Among
the other exclusives being offered at the El Capitan: an exhibit
of props and character puppets actually used in the film, a costume
contest with prizes at the opening night 7:30 p.m. show, and special
treats for all children who come dressed in Halloween costumes throughout
the El Capitan's 10-day engagement.
Tim
Burton's "The Nightmare Before Christmas" follows the earnest but
misguided adventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved
Pumpkin King, as he attempts to take over the Christmas holiday.
Against the advice of Sally, a lonely rag doll who has feelings
for him, Jack enlists three mischievous trick-or-treaters -- Lock,
Shock and Barrel -- to help him kidnap Santa Claus. Jack eventually
realizes his mistake but has to contend with the evil Oogie Boogie
before he can make things right and restore the Christmas holiday.
* * *
Michael Fink
Joins Cinesite
Visual effects guru Michael Fink has joined Cinesite as a senior
visual effects supervisor. Fink's visual effects supervisor credits
span the transition from optical to digital technology, beginning
with War Games in 1982, and including such notable films
as The Seventh Sign, Braveheart and Lethal Weapon 4.
He earned an Oscar nomination for Batman Returns in 1993
and has been lauded for his innovative work on the recent hit
X-Men.
"Mike Fink has
earned the admiration and respect of his peers throughout this industry,"
says Ruth Scovill, president and chief operating officer of Cinesite.
"His experience and talent make him a perfect fit at Cinesite. He
adds more depth to an already creative staff."
Fink is a native
Californian, who studied at the Art Institute of San Francisco and
the California Institute of Arts, in Los Angeles. In 1977, Fink
was working in Los Angeles as a photographer and artist, when a
former classmate brought him onto the crew for The China Syndrome.
When he returned to his solitary studio after five months on that
job, Fink missed the collaborative creative process.
"I was always
interested in technology, especially as it applied to creating images,"
says Fink. "Working on different pictures in a variety of jobs was
a great opportunity for me to learn about new technologies and to
apply my artistic instincts to storytelling with some of the best
practitioners in the industry."
He earned his
first visual effects supervisor credit on War Games in 1982. Fink
was responsible for creating more than 50,000 feet of computer generated
images on film. He subsequently worked on Buckaroo Bonzai and
Project X, and earned dual credits as second unit director
and visual effects supervisor on The Seventh Sign.
Fink led a start-up
venture, Warner Digital Studios, for Warner Bros., in 1995. The
full service visual effects shop had a 150 staff at its peak. They
created visual effects for Batman and Robin, Eraser,
Mars Attacks, Conspiracy Theory and Contact
as well as for commercials and special venue projects.
"Filmmaking
used to be like playing jazz," he says. "There was a clearly defined
structure, enlivened by improvisation. Now, it is more like creating
contemporary music where even the structure is improvised. Digital
technology has given us a lot more freedom. We have extended the
creative process much deeper into postproduction. But, you still
have to understand photography and lighting, so effects shots can
nestle seamlessly with live-action film. You still have to be true
to the look."
Fink is on the
Executive Committee of the Visual Effects branch of the Motion Picture
Academy of Arts & Sciences.
Thursday,
October 26, 2000
Toy
Story Backup Disaster
Several publications, including Newsweek and MSN, reported an interesting
news blurb surrounding Toy Story. It seems that when it came
time to create the Toy Story DVD, Pixar discovered that 12%
of the master footage was missing and no backups had been created.
According to the blurb, "For three months earlier this year,
staffers scoured the system for the toys' missing parts; salvaging
all but 1 percent." John Lasseter has since assured the press
that it has a better backup system in place.
In
other Pixar news, the company's annual shareholder's meeting is
being held today in San Francisco.
* * *
Don Bluth
To Teach Seminars
Don Bluth is going to be teaching animation seminars in both
Los Angeles and Chicago. Called "ToonUp 2000" the 2-day
seminar will spotlight the art of animation.
"I keep
seeing young artists entering the job market somewhat unprepared,
confident that their art college diploma did it for them; end of
story," says Bluth. "But, mastering of any discipline
requires passion, vigilance, and perseverances; it's not a one time
thing. ToonUp 2000 will address the ongoing improvement of your
animation skills with the hope of kicking your virtuosity up a notch
or two."
The Los Angeles
seminar will take place November 4 & 5 while the Chicago seminar
will occur on November 11 & 12. The cost is $400. For more information
or to sign up, call 1-888-363-8343.
***
Dinosaur
Opens in India - Praised in Reviews
According to The Hindu:
"Notable
triumphs in recent years, of the animated motion picture art - like
A Bug's Life and Toy Story (1 and 2) - have signalled
that the old Walt Disney formula is not an exclusive turf any more.
Other creative talents and studios have edged in, at the new computer-assisted
cutting edge of the animation business. The summer of 2000 saw at
least four mainstream American feature-length films, enticing younger
audiences with a canny mix of live action, special effects wizardry
and computer- enhanced animation.
So is Disney
about to become a fossilised dinosaur in its own unique niche? No
way - seems to be its upbeat message. And the studio signals that
it is prepared to match all challengers, pixel for realistic pixel,
with its newest animation product which is called simply: Dinosaur.
The film opens all over India this week..."
Click
here for the full story.
Friday,
October 27, 2000
Monkeybone
Release Date Changed
The release date for Henry Selick's Monkeybone has been moved
from January 2000 to April 11, 2000. The film combines live action,
stop motion, and CGI. The story is about a cartoonist who is transported
to the cartoon world after going into a coma.
* * *
Revisiting
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is back,
opening in 72 theaters across the United States. The 76 minute stop
motion film was originally released on October 15, 1993. In a strange
move, the movie was released to DVD (including a special edition)
just weeks before being re-released to theaters. Normally re-release
of videos and DVDs follow the big screen re-release The Nightmare
Before Christmas made only $50 million at the U.S. Box Office
in its initial release. Even so, it was #1 at the Box Office for
two weeks straight (the first two weeks of November 1993). Disney
claims that the film has developed a strong following since then,
which is one of the reasons it is being re-released
The Nightmare
Before Christmas is rated PG and was nominated for a "Best
Visual Effects" Academy Award.
***
Toy Story
2 Ranks Second for Rental Marketplace
In its first week available, Toy Story 2 managed to become
the second most rented video, bringing in $4.5 million in rentals
for the week. The number one rented movie was Rules of Engagement.
Saturday,
October 28, 2000
Digital
Animation Goes Into Witness Box
According to SMH:
"Revolutionary
digital animation technology, similar to that used in Hollywood
films including Toy Story and Dinosaur, is being tested
in English courtrooms to simulate road accidents.
The first 3D display was used in a coroner's court in Walsall, in
the West Midlands, last week. The technology has been jointly developed
by Nottingham University and the crash investigation unit at West
Midlands Police, using commercially available computer graphics
software, which gives startlingly realistic images.
Mike
Doyle, senior crash investigator with the force, said: 'The idea
is to provide a simple, factual animation to show the court or coroner's
court what happened. We base the reconstructions on scientific evidence.
The police are there to gather evidence and everything that happens
on screen must be directly linked to a provable bit of data'..."
Click
here for the full story.
* * *
Flowerpot
Men Makes a Comeback
According to the BBC, the children's series Flowerpot men, which
was popular in the UK several decades ago, is making a comback.
According to the BBC, "There will be no strings attached to
the pair, as the characters will now be created using computer animation.
Little Weed has also changed her image, sporting sunglasses and
taking on a role as 'earth mother'.
There are over
30 artists working on the production.
Sunday,
October 29, 2000
Animation
Writer Discusses Process
According to Slate:
"What
makes for a good animated show? If we make it, will kids watch?
These are the questions that hang over my work every day. ('Why
don't cartoon writers get residuals?' is also right up there, but
the answer to that is too depressing.)
When
I was a kid, squandering my youth watching every cartoon I could,
from the sublime (anything by Jay Ward) to the ridiculous (Kimba
the White Lion), television had it easy. No cable, no computers,
no video, no PlayStations. In short, no competition. I didn't just
watch Gigantor because I thought it was cool (although I certainly
did), I watched it because it was the only cartoon on at that time.
(By the way, I spent far more time at the library than in front
of the television, as do my own kids, for what that's worth.)
Today,
we can't take our audience for granted..."
Click
here for the full story.
* * *
Daria Video
Game Ships Tuesday
"Daria," MTV's animated TV show is now a PC game. Titled Daria's
Inferno, the game (available Tuesday on PC/Mac for $20) features
the same animation syle and voices from the TV show.
"Daria," which
debuted on MTV in March of 1997, was the only character from MTV's
animated program "Beavis and Butt-Head's" to get her own show. The
series chronicles the experiences of Daria Morgendorffer, a sardonic
teenager blessed with an uncanny ability to turn potential disaster
to her own advantage. Daria lives in Lawndale with her stressed-out,
career-fixated parents, Helen and Jake, and her relentlessly cute
and popular younger sister, Quinn. The students and faculty at the
"progressive" Lawndale High School regard Daria with a mixture of
curiosity, confusion, casual scorn, and -- every now and then --
respect.
The game starts
from outside Lawndale High, where Daria must make her way through
Hell (a.k.a. Lawndale) in order to get the Five Crucial Instruments
of Institutional Education (a.k.a. Ms. Li's stuff). If these five
items can be obtained, Daria has a chance of extinguishing the burning
fires of Principal Li's rage and making it out of the Inferno alive.
Monday,
October 30, 2000
New
Animated Films Coming to DVD Tomorrow
 Here
is a list of animated/anime films being released to DVD tomorrow:
Amazing
Nurse Nanako - Firecrackers
Angel
Cop Collection
Casper's
Haunted Christmas (2000)
Dr.
Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears a Who (Digitally
Enhanced Edition) (1966)
Mickey's
Once Upon a Christmas (1999)
Thomas
& The Magic Railroad (2000 - animated/live action)
The
Year Without a Santa Claus (1979 - Stop Motion)
* * *
Latest Trends
Draw Upon Japanese Anime
According to the Honolulu Star Bulletin:
"Even though
the art of the comic strip was invented in the United States --
along with jazz and baseball -- the hottest buzz in the field for
the last decade has come out of Japan. It's called 'anime,' a Japanese
slang term for animation, and the style is finally catching on in
the United States, after conquering the rest of the world.
In Japan, 'anime'
is a specific term, meaning animated films for television shows.
In America, the 'term is more inclusive, meaning a whole range of
a certain kind aesthetic,' said Milton Streeter, who tutors English
at Hawaii Pacific University..."
Click
here for the full story.
***
William T.
Hurtz Passes Away
On October 14, William T. Hurtz passed away at the age of 81. His
obituary reads as follows:
"William
T. Hurtz, a founder of the trend-setting United Productions of America
animation studio, whose career stretched from Walt Disney in the
1930s to 'Rugrats' in the 1990s, with stops in between for Mr. Magoo,
George of the Jungle and Cap'n Crunch, died Oct. 14 at his home
in Van Nuys, Calif. He was 81.
Hurtz always
struggled to bring a sly, witty spirit to his work, said Claudia
Hurtz, his daughter. 'He fancied himself an actor with a pencil,'
she said.
Hurtz studied
at the Chouinard Art Institute, which later became the California
Institute of the Arts, or Cal Arts, producing many of the greatest
animators in Hollywood history.
He was hired
in 1938 by Walt Disney Studios, where he worked on the dancing mushroom
sequence in the first Fantasia feature, released in 1940.
It was Hurtz,
an active member of the Hollywood Cartoonists Union, who made the
motion in 1941 to go on strike against Disney. The labor dispute
lasted for several months and was credited by many with helping
raise the status and wages of animators in Hollywood.
During World
War II, Hurtz was part of the Film Motion Picture Unit of the Army
Signal Corps, making animated training films at Hal Roach Studios
in Culver City, Calif. After the war, he joined with other former
Disney animators like John Hubley and Steve Bosustow to form United
Productions of America, or UPA, which soon became celebrated for
its fresh, minimalist style and its sophisticated story lines.
In 1959, he
moved to Jay Ward Productions, another fledgling animation studio,
where he worked until it closed in 1984. He became one of the earliest
directors and supervisors on 'The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle,'
'The Adventures of Hoppity Hooper' and 'George of the Jungle.' It
was during this period that he directed more than 300 Cap'n Crunch
commercials."
***
CINAR Signs
Deal to Recover Money
This has not been a good year for Canada's CINAR, which is still
trying to recover from several investigations into the way the company
has conducted business. From trying to pass off US scriptwriters
as Canada scriptwriters to missing money, the company has had it
tough. There were even public barbs exchanged between the CINAR
Board of Directors and CINAR founders.
CINAR last week
released the following statement in regards to recovering money
the board said it had not approved for investments:
"CINAR
Corporation and GLOBE-X Management announced today that they have
reached an agreement on a payment schedule for the remaining monies
still owed by GLOBE-X to CINAR.
This agreement
calls for weekly payments between now and August 17, 2001, aggregating
US$50.9 million. Interest calculated at an annual rate equal to
the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) plus 1 1/2% from September
1, 2000, on the declining balance, will also be paid to CINAR.
CINAR has reserved
its rights in relation to an additional sum of US$12 million transferred
to CINAR in November 1999, which GLOBE-X has accounted for as a
payment in reduction of GLOBE-X's indebtedness to CINAR.
In accordance
with the agreement, CINAR's legal proceedings against GLOBE-X will
be withdrawn."
See the following
Animation Artist stories for more information:
CINAR
Fires It's Founders! (scroll down to second story after clicking)
Fired
CINAR Founders Fight Back
CINAR
Trading Suspended (scroll down to second story after clicking)
CINAR
May Be Target of Acquisition Attempt
CINAR
Discusses Investigation
Tuesday,
October 31, 2000 (Halloween Day)
And
The Winner Is...
The Animation Artist Trick or Treat contest has concluded and there
was one clear winner who scored nearly 1,000 points more than the
second place winner. Congratulations to Jing-Jen Sun, who was diligent
in answering every question throughout the month-long contest receiving
a score of 1,599 points out of a possible 1,600 points. As the winner,
Jing-Jen Sun has won the the special edition DVD of Tim Burton's
The Nightmare Before Christmas. In addition, Jing-Jen Sun will
receive an Animation Artist T-shirt.
Even
though only one prize was being awarded for the Animation Artist
Trick or Treat contest, Animation Artist Magazine is going to send
the second and third place winners a free Animation Artist T-shirt.
Those winners are:
Second
Place (tie)
Bill Fortney, Jr. with 600 points
"Frail" with 600 points
Third
Place
Brandon B. with 531 points
Congratulations
to all the winners and everyone who participated. Each of the trivia
questions and correct answers will be posted this weekend.
* * *
Box Office
Results for Animated Films
Here are the Box Office results for last weekend's animated
films:
Digimon
$332,195 ($347 per screen average - big 63% decrease)
19th at the Box Office (down from #15 last weekend)
Total to Date: $9 Million
CyberWorld
3D
$221,941 ($7,398 per screen average - 28% decrease)
24th at the Box Office (down from #22 last weekend)
Total to Date: $1.5 Million
Tim
Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas
$175,022 ($2,431 per screen average - first release week)
28th at the Box Office
Total to Date (includes original release): $50.17 Million
Chicken
Run
$135,414 ($345 per screen average - 34% decrease)
30th at the Box Office (down from #25 last weekend)
Total to Date: $106.8 Million
Dinosaur
$75,861 ($397 per screen average - 38% decrease)
39th at the Box Office (down from #35 last weekend)
Total to Date: $137.3 Million
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