September 1- 10, 2000 News

Friday, September 1, 2000

KimVision Acquired by Grand Slam
Grand Slam Treasures, Inc. today announced that it has acquired 100% of KimVision Holdings, Inc., one of Korea's premier animation service providers.

Past serial cartoon projects by KimVision include: Rugrats, X-Men, Ghostbusters and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Company has also provided animation for commercial projects, such as Frito Lay's Cheetos snacks, Artis shoes and several major Asian food brands. Their special effects projects range from television shows (Robocop) to music videos (Korn) and movies (The Avengers).

KimVision generated revenues of $6.4 million during fiscal year 1999 and projects $20 million in revenues by fiscal year 2003. Its current revenues for 2000 already exceed $10 million.

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Computerized Actors Still A Ways Off
According to the San Jose Mercury News:

"When Angelina Jolie was cast as Lara Croft in the movie version of ``Tomb Raider,'' most gamers applauded the choice; Jolie, they say, has the look and the attitude to convincingly play the star of the popular video game. A handful of fans, however, were nonplussed -- Lara Croft is a sex symbol in her own right and one of the most downloaded faces on the Internet. Why couldn't she play herself?

The answer 'Because she's not real' won't cut it anymore. The busty, butt-kicking Lara Croft is a digital creation, and not even a state-of-the-art one. But with recent advances in computer-generated imagery, filmmakers could develop photo-realistic human characters for the movie. In fact, the upcoming Final Fantasy, set for release in 2001, features a 'human cast' created entirely in the computer..."

Click here for the full story.

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Animation Artist Website Redesigned
Animation Artist Magazine is in the midst of a redesign, with the first portion of the redesign being posted today. Upcoming Animated Films, Screening Room, the Front Page, and News sections were all updated today to reflect the changes. Tomorrow the Features section will be upgraded as well. The full redesign will be completed by the end of next week.

The brains behind the design is Animation Artist reader Khanh Nguyen who is a college student and Web design artist. Several months ago Khanh volunteered his services and the Animation Artist team was impressed with his designs. You'll see more contributions from Khanh in the future.

If you experience any navigation problems with the new design (i.e. "File Not Found" error message), please email the problem to Editor and it will be fixed as soon as possible.

Saturday, September 2, 2000

Voice Over Actor's Just Moo-velous
According to the NY Post:

"Cows, chickens, rabbits, ducks, elephants, baboons - Charlie Adler's resume reads like a census report from the zoo.

But it's not. Adler is a voice-over actor, and these are just some of the cartoon parts he's given life to. But animals are not all that this very animated New York-reared actor does. There have been the more conventional jobs on Broadway, in soaps and on prime-time TV. Oh yeah, and that Smurf gig, too.

Now he can add director to his unusual list of credits. Adler has just directed Susan Sarandon, John Lithgow and Debbie Reynolds in a big-screen "Rugrats" sequel, which takes the kids to Paris, where they encounter a villainess and her henchman (Sarandon and Lithgow)..."

Click here for the full story.

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Inside Animation Redesigned and Updated
Animation Artist Magazine's Inside Animation section has been redesigned and now includes a new feature titled "Inside CyberWorld 3D". The feature takes an inside look into the upcoming CyberWorld 3D IMAX film that hits theaters in just over a month. Inside Animation is a combination of what use to be "Columns" and "Features"

Sunday, September 3, 2000

PencilMan Receives Final Touches
Trimedia, Inc. is almost set to ship PencilMan, the newest addition to the RETAS!Pro family, which allows animators to hand draw their animation directly into the system with a pressure sensitive tablet, creating a truly paperless animation production system.

PencilMan utilizes the Wacom active matrix LCD display tablet to allows artists to hand draw in rough sketches, key animation, and clean-ups, time the animation in the exposure sheet and check it with sound directly on the tablet screen. Once input, the drawings can be modified, transformed, rotated and seen together on a virtual "lightbox". Animated sequences can be then be used with the other RETAS! modules to create fully colored animated scenes with multiple layers, effects, backgrounds and other elements.

PencilMan supports Wacom PL series LCD and Intuos pressure-sensitive graphics tablets on Windows 95/98, NT and Windows 2000 systems. It was recently demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2000 and now just awaits the completion of the user manual before being shipped to users. RETAS software has been used to produce feature films and television series such as Pokémon, Digimon, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Princess Mononoke, Blue Submarine #6 and CYBERSIX.

Labor Day - Monday, September 4, 2000

Pinky and the Brain Goes to Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon has acquired the exclusive television rights to three Emmy Award-winning animated series created and produced by Steven Spielberg and Warner Bros. Animation from Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Animation's "Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky & The Brain" will make its cable television debut on Nickelodeon today, Sept. 4, and will air Monday-Saturday from 6-6:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Nickelodeon has licensed all 78 episodes of "Pinky & The Brain" and "Pinky, Elmyra & The Brain." Ninety-nine episodes of "Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs" will be available to Nickelodeon in spring 2001, and 102 episodes of "Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures" will be available in September 2002.

"I love these characters," said Spielberg. "They are three-dimensional, have very diverse personalities and exude the irreverent humor found in the classic Warner Bros. cartoons."

The three series, executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, were produced and animated by Warner Bros. Animation, headed by Jean MacCurdy, under the creative supervision of Tom Ruegger.

"Pairing Nickelodeon with Warner Bros. Animation and Steven Spielberg is part of our never-ending commitment to present kids with smart, entertaining programming," said Cyma Zarghami, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Nickelodeon. "Because Steven's intuitive understanding of children's tastes and sense of humor is so clearly evident in these shows, they will easily complement our existing programs, which rank as number-one with kids and adults alike."

The three-time Emmy Award-winning "Steven Spielberg Presents Pinky & The Brain" features the exploits of two laboratory mice: The Brain, a would-be world dominator, and his ever-bumbling assistant, Pinky.

"Steven Spielberg Presents Animaniacs," which has been honored with eight Emmy Awards and the prestigious Peabody Award, presents the adventures of brothers Yakko and Wakko, sister Dot and a wild group of original characters in a collection of cartoon shorts, musical numbers and comedy blackouts.

The seven-time Emmy Award-winning "Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures" features a whole new generation of characters: Babs and Buster Bunny at Acme Looniversity, Plucky Duck, Hamton, Montana Max and Shirley McLoon, among others.

Tuesday, September 5, 2000

New and Returning Animated TV Shows
The Los Angeles Times is taking a quick look and new and returning children series, including animated series. Here are a few shows listed:

"Dora the Explorer" (CBS) -- Animated adventure series about a 7-year-old Latino heroine who lives in a computer. Sept. 16. The series began on Nickelodeon in August.

"Little Bill" (CBS) -- Nick Jr. animated series created by Bill Cosby, based on his children's books, about an imaginative 5-year-old boy. Sept. 16.

"Kipper" (CBS) -- Animated series based on the books about a sweet-natured puppy. Sept. 16.

"The Zack Files" (Fox Family) -- Based on Dan Greenburg's book, the animated comedy features a teen who has weird encounters. Oct 21.

"Generation O!" (WB) -- Geared for kids 6 to 11, this animated series focuses on a popular band with an 8-year-old lead singer and kangaroo for a drummer. Moves to Fridays Sept. 15.

"Static Shock" (WB) -- Based on the DC Comic property, this animated series features the first teenage black superhero. Sept. 23.

"Pokemon: The Johto Journeys" (WB) -- This "Pokemon" spinoff follows Ash and his pals and features 100 never-before-seen Pokemon. Oct. 14.

Click here for the full list, which also includes Escanflowe, Pelswick, Cybersix, and Action Man.

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CINAR Trading Suspended!
The problems continue to mount for CINAR, which last week saw the Toronto Stock Exchange suspend its trading.

According to the Montreal Gazette, "The suspension comes five months after the Ontario Securities Commission ordered a trading halt in CINAR shares, issued after the company acknowledged that $122 million was missing and had been invested without board authorization."

"With CINAR, the basis of the suspension has to do with the company's failure to comply with its listing requirements, specifically providing financials," TSE spokesman Steve Kee said.

CINAR is struggling after numerous investigations of the animation company, including tax fraud, began last year. Currently the Board of Directors is also in a struggle with the founders, voting to get rid of them only to have the founders refuse to leave.

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Nelvana Stock Rises on Buyout Speculation
The share price of Nelvana stock has been on the rise after speculation that the animation company will be purchased by Corus Entertainment Inc. Last week, Nelvana reached 52-week new highs on the speculation.

Wednesday, September 6, 2000

More Muppet Toons Released Online
Jim Henson Interactive announced today the next in a series of web-based cartoons with the release of "The Stream" starring Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and his intrepid sidekick, Beaker. The latest MuppeToon continues the series in which the Muppets are exploring their new digs on the Internet at www.muppetworld.com.

In "The Stream," Dr. Bunsen Honeydew attempts to "stream" his lab assistant, Beaker, from Muppet Labs to Paris, France via the Internet. As Beaker is hoisted into the funnel and streamed to the City of Lights, something peculiar happens and Beaker picks up a strain of the Michelangelo virus on the way. Sixty seconds of frenzied activity and hilarious antics ensue as Dr. Honeydew works to save his apprentice from a life spent in the depths of the cyber-verse.

To create the MuppeToons, Henson Interactive utilizes the Henson Digital Performance Studio (HDPS), proprietary technology in which traditionally trained puppeteers exercise their talents in rapid-fire, comedic repartee and physical agility to express the Muppets within a digital milieu. Henson's MuppeToons are powered by Pulse Entertainment's 3D software.

Formed in 1998, Jim Henson Interactive (JHI), a division of The Jim Henson Company, is responsible for the worldwide digital expression of all intellectual properties owned by The Jim Henson Company.

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A Look at the Baby Blues Title Sequence
Renegade Animation recently created the main title sequence for The WB's new primetime animated series Baby Blues. The half-hour comedy, based on the syndicated comic strip of the same name, airs on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. EST on The WB.

The Baby Blues main title, directed by Renegade Animation's Darrell Van Citters, is cel animated in the same style as the show itself and offers a behind-the scenes view of the show as if it were a live action television sit-com. The main characters drive onto the Warner Brothers back lot and follow the family pooch onto a sound stage where the kids play with a camera while other cast members study their lines, get a massage and skate through a wardrobe change.

"We wanted to do something that was conceptually ambitious," said Pete Ocko, executive producer, with Jeff Martin, of the show. "Our take was to play it as if it were a three camera show, with the cast arriving in the studio, playing around on the stage and ending up in a familiar Baby Blues moment."

In creating the opening sequence, Renegade Animation needed to fulfill several divergent purposes:

1) It had to conform to the rhythm of the show's theme song (Bare Naked Ladies' It's All Been Done Before).

2) Provide a hero moment for each of the show's principal characters.

3) Give viewers a clear feeling of the show while being able to remain interesting after multiple viewings.

"It was a tough main title to accomplish because there was so much going on," said Baby Blues producer Karen Miller. "Renegade not only made the concept work and made it work with the song, they also made it so rich that every time you see it you see something new."

The sequence is replete with clever gags that viewers may not pick up on until their third or fourth viewing: A character having a cigarette while studying her lines incidentally sets fire to a chair. A monitor offers a split screen view of four sets and, although the sets are obviously distinct, characters move freely from box to box.

"It was a project where you needed to pay attention to every detail," observed Renegade Animation executive producer Ashley Postlewaite. "Everything had to be just right because the main title is first impression everyone gets of the show.

Thursday, September 7, 2000

Stan Lee a Guest at China Cartoon Banquet
According to the Kansas City Star:

"Spider-Man isn't scaling the Great Wall just yet. But Stan Lee, the legendary impresario of Marvel Comic superheroes, was in Beijing last week as an honored guest at a "friendship banquet" of leading Japanese and Chinese cartoonists and animators.

And he just happened to bring along the president and chief executive officer of Stan Lee Media, a year-old Internet venture that dreams of marketing Lee's latest characters and products to 1.3 billion Chinese residents.

Lee said he had been invited to Beijing by the Japan-Asia Comics Exchange Society of Tokyo and by The People's Daily, which jointly sponsored the banquet and an associated museum exhibition of Japanese animation drawings and Chinese cartoons..."

Click here for the full story.

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Hugo Award Nominees Holds a Few Surprises
Suffering from what many call the "Jar-Jar Effect," George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode 1 was shafted when the Hugo nominees (for science fiction writing) were announced last week, not receiving a single nomination. Meanwhile, The Iron Giant along with The Matrix, Galaxy Quest, The Sixth Sense, and Being John Malkovich were nominated for "Best Dramatic Presentation".

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Superman to Become Series of Video Games
Superman, the legendary super hero, will soon be fighting for truth and justice once again in the video game arena after an agreement among Infogrames Entertainment, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products. The worldwide agreement, which was announced Monday at London's European Computer Trade Show, gives Infogrames the rights to feature the "Man of Steel" in an extensive program of games for all leading interactive gaming platforms including Sony, Sega, Nintendo and others.

The license with DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products allows Infogrames to create games based upon the Superman comic books as well as the Superman Animated series from Warner Bros. Animation. The result will be a series of games offering a variety of stories, themes and sensibilities. The games based upon the animated series will be created specifically for children and young adults, while games created from the edgier style comic book stories will appeal to hardcore gamers and long-time Superman fans.

"Infogrames, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Consumer Products will work together to make sure that every aspect of the Superman games captures the imagination of the gaming public," said Kerri Orders, vice president with Infogrames Europe. "The exciting range of Superman's powers, the richness of his supporting cast, his colorful rogues gallery and his entire universe give us incredible material to draw upon. We intend to use this material to create epic adventures for the Man of Steel that will leave gamers in awe."

Friday, September 8, 2000

SGI to "Power" Walt Disney Feature Animation
SGI has expanded its ongoing relationship with Walt Disney Feature Animation (WDFA) by providing more than 500 Silicon Graphics visual workstations to the studio, including the recently released Silicon Graphics Octane2 visual workstation. The purchase gives WDFA powerful new computing power.

Most recently, Disney utilized a full range of SGI workstations and servers to create digital characters and special effects for such visually driven feature films as Gone in 60 Seconds, Mission to Mars and Dinosaur as well as the upcoming 102 Dalmatians, due in theaters in the U.S. in November.

"SGI has been part of the Walt Disney magic for nearly two decades and will certainly continue to be an integral part of our production activity in the future," said John Carey, vice president of technology, WDFA.

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LightWave 6 to Get Itanium Treatment
NewTek, Inc. announced today plans to develop a native IA-64 version of LightWave 6 for the new Intel Itanium processor. The new Itanium processor, the first implementation of Intel's forthcoming IA-64 processor architecture, will offer a high performance solution for processor intensive applications such as 3D animation.

According to John Thomas, marketing manager of the Digital Media Solutions Division at Intel, "Processor intensive features like [LightWave's] Hypervoxels can take advantage of the Itanium processor's floating point capability, increased performance, flexibility and scalability for large and complex animations."

Saturday, September 9, 2000

Animated Heroes Energize this Fall's Cartoon Landscape
According to the Seattle Times:

"Few things make the first week of school go down easier than the promise of Saturday morning and its cereal-and-cartoon tradition. Summer may be gone, but broadcast TV's new weekend programs give kids at least one good reason to be excited for fall's return.

For the past five years or so, the main contenders for top weekend network were Fox Kids, Kids WB and ABC, whose Disney-created "One Saturday Morning" has succeeded in giving the network considerable gains with young viewers. Kids WB came out on top last season, thanks largely to a heavy "Pokemon" saturation. NBC, meanwhile, went after teens instead of tots with Peter Engel-created confections such as "One World" and "City Guys." CBS farmed out its unsuccessful kid productions to Nelvana Limited, and people still refused to watch.

This fall, everything could change. With 'Pokemon' losing its hold in the marketplace..."

Click here for the full story.

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Final Fantasy Only the Beginning for Square Pictures
Square Pictures has apparently signed a three picture deal with Columbia Pictures that will include more CG animated features in the same style as its upcoming Final Fantasy movie. With Final Fantasy scheduled to hit movie theaters next summer, production on the next film could begin around the same time with the same artists.

Sunday, September 10, 2000

World's "Best Animators" Battle for Bragging Rights
According to the Ottawa Citizen:

"Two short films by a pair of Ottawa animators will be among the competing entries from around the world showcased at the 26th annual Ottawa International Animation Festival.

The festival, to be held Sept. 19-24, is the largest in North America and the second-largest in the world, after Annecy, France. Nineteen Canadian movies will be among the 100 short films, commissioned films, music videos, educational films, TV shows and Internet animations showcased this year.

Festival director Chris Robinson said short, independent films are generally made by students or graduates who have yet to be 'gobbled up' by animation studios..."

Click here for the full story.

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Mickey Mouse in Dark Side of Playland Exhibit
According to the San Jose Mercury:

"Hey, there's Mickey Mouse at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art! Wait a minute. That's not my perky little pal from 'Steamboat Willie.'' This Mickey looks a little mean. This Mickey looks like Michael Eisner's id.

Nice Mickey. Don't hurt me. Here's a dollar. That's how it goes at "The Darker Side of Playland: Childhood Imagery from the Logan Collection,'' perhaps the first show to suggest that there are indeed monsters under the bed, and you might as well get used to it. If Goofy were here, it's likely he'd be a 12-stepper.

But there's nothing goofy about "The Darker Side of Playland,'' a concise culling from the vast private collection of contemporary art..."

Click here for the full story.

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