Animation Magazine Press Box: June 2009 Archives

AGE™: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS VIDEO GAME HITS STORE SHELVES WORLDWIDE TODAY

By Editorial on June 30, 2009 11:21 AM | No TrackBacks

Activision and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Deliver an Exciting New Game Where Kids Control Their Favorite Sub-Zero Heroes in an All New Adventure

Santa Monica, CA - June 30, 2009 - It's time for gamers around the world to embark on an all-new incredible adventure with their favorite sub-zero heroes in Ice Age™: Dawn of the Dinosaurs from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox Licensing). Based on the highly anticipated 3-D animated feature from Twentieth Century Fox, which debuts worldwide on July 1, the game allows players to command their favorite movie characters, including Sid, Manny, Diego, Scrat and the relentless one-eyed Dino hunting weasel, Buck, and venture into a mysterious underground world of dinosaurs, while solving puzzles and platforming through more than 15 exciting levels.

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs allows kids to play as some of their favorite movie characters on their own, or, for the first time in the series, with their family and friends in multiplayer mini-games," said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Family game night will take on a whole new meaning as you compete in hilarious challenges like Sloth Throw, Dino Targets and Sloth Chase using your Wii Remote™ or gamepad."

"The Ice Age franchise is so successful because the characters are extremely engaging and the story is fantastic - two elements that are perfect for a video game," said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President of New Media for Fox Licensing. "This game is fun for the entire family and will provide hours of entertainment."

Continue reading AGE™: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS VIDEO GAME HITS STORE SHELVES WORLDWIDE TODAY.

GURU STUDIO HIRES JANICE JACOBS, PRODUCER EPISODIC + FILM

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:20 AM | No TrackBacks

Toronto, Canada June 29, 2009. guru, the internationally renowned award-winning animation studio is pleased to announce the addition of Janice Jacobs to the team. Janice is stepping in to the role of producer for their episodic + film department.

Janice comes to guru with over 20 years experience as a producer, production manager and line producer for animated CGI feature films, television series, long and short format programming for broadcast and commercials. Some notable experience includes the Weinstein Bros. feature film Outlander, Disney's 3D animated feature The Wild, Peter and Jane, Return to Neverland and popular children's series, Franklin, and The Magic School Bus.

Frank Falcone, Creative Director of guru studio, comments, "Janice possesses tremendous attention to detail along with the ability to manage demanding and complex productions. She will be a great asset to guru at a time when we are expanding into multiple series productions, including our own in house content."

Continue reading GURU STUDIO HIRES JANICE JACOBS, PRODUCER EPISODIC + FILM.

CRUNCHYROLL STREAMS TWIN OF BROTHERS, THE NEW HEAVEN SWORD AND THE DRAGON SABRE, INHERITOR OF KUNG FU, THE DEADLY SWORD AND WAR OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE FROM TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND MARTIAL ARTS THEATER COLLECTION TITLES

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:19 AM | No TrackBacks

Asian Celebrities Li Qi An, Yeung Tak Cheong, Cheng Dodo, Ng Cheuk Hai, Lai
Mei Han, Mao Huafeng, Shiu Mei Ki, Raymond Lam, Ti Lung, Tang Chui Man,
Leila Tong, Leung Chiu Wai, Wu Ting Yan, Yeung Yi Appear on the Number One
Online Destination for Anime and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 29, 2009) -- Crunchyroll and Tai Seng Entertainment
streams more new dramas and kung-fu action titles on the number one (1)
online destination for anime and asian content ... Crunchyroll! More
information can be found at
http://www.crunchyroll.com/publisher/TAI_SENG_ENTERTAINMENT.

Titles that are/will-be-shortly streaming for free on the highly popular and
legal site include:

·      TWIN OF BROTHERS (episodes 1-21)
·      THE NEW HEAVEN SWORD AND THE DRAGON SABRE (episodes 1-20)
·      INHERITOR OF KUNG FU
·      THE DEADLY SWORD
·      WAR OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE

These titles are available to all Crunchyroll fans and members residing in
the U.S., American Samoa, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and
Virgin Islands.

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL STREAMS TWIN OF BROTHERS, THE NEW HEAVEN SWORD AND THE DRAGON SABRE, INHERITOR OF KUNG FU, THE DEADLY SWORD AND WAR OF THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE FROM TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND MARTIAL ARTS THEATER COLLECTION TITLES.

Director Tarsem Teams Up with Zoic Studios to Converge Fantasy and Reality for Mountain Dew's new "Level Up or Die" Spot.

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:17 AM | No TrackBacks

Los Angeles - (June 29, 2009) -- The Mountain Dew / World of Warcraft cross-promotional spot brought together some all-star players to handle these iconic brands. The production would be executed by Radical Media lead by esteemed director Tarsem Singh. With the vision of the spot being solidified, the team now had to worry about execution. Based on Blizzard's recommendation, BBDO reached out to Zoic Studios to handle the visual effects and animation. Having recently completed projects for Saboteur and Killzone 2, Zoic Studios was hip to the challenge of plunging World of Warcraft game characters into a live action setting.

What begins as a mild-mannered moment in a grocery store checkout becomes a havoc-filled battleground. Tension builds as two women approach the checkout counter with different flavors of Mountain Dew's new drink 'Game Fuel'. As they notice that they are buying different flavors, one character prepares for an attack. The first swing of the sword triggers the transition from humans to Orc and Night Elf. As the spot progresses, the characters wildly battle through the grocery store, knocking over shelves and displays.

Zoic began by modifying the Blizzard designed assets to account for visual needs and technical requirements of the project. Then, using stunt performers at motion capture studio House of Moves, Zoic shot the action sequence needed for the 'Level Up or Die' faceoff. Zoic's 3D team created animation for the character's facial expressions and applied dynamic simulation for the costumes and hair, transforming the stylized beings into "living" creatures. These multilayered characters were then given to Zoic's 2D team for final compositing and interactive effects integration.

All of this work was done with the collaboration from legendary director Tarsem, who helmed the project with "incredible knowledge about all aspects of the process and a clear and compelling vision for the spot," comments Zoic Creative Director/VFX Supervisor Les Ekker. "The fact that the process flowed so smoothly is a tribute to his vision and expertise. It was cool to be able to work with him on such an entertaining project."

"Level Up or Die" can be viewed here: http://zoicstudios.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=bac7e1bac6f4ac8c5c2eeec316f81776

Continue reading Director Tarsem Teams Up with Zoic Studios to Converge Fantasy and Reality for Mountain Dew's new "Level Up or Die" Spot..

Keyframe Digital Creates VFX Inventory for Sci Fi Channel's "Warehouse 13"

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:16 AM | No TrackBacks

Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON, June 29-- Digital animation and visual effects studio Keyframe Digital Productions has been tapped by Universal Media Studios to create visual effects for the new Sci Fi Channel supernatural drama "Warehouse 13," according to Keyframe co-founders Clint Green and Darren Cranford. The show's first season will be comprised of 11 hours produced by Universal Cable Productions and shot in Toronto.
The series is set to debut July 7.
Keyframe will perform all visual effects work, including on-set supervision with Green serving as visual effects supervisor and Cranford as director of visual effects. Executive producers are Jack Kenny and David Simpkins. Mark Winemaker is producing. Mark Stern is the executive VP of original programming for the Sci Fi Channel.

Continue reading Keyframe Digital Creates VFX Inventory for Sci Fi Channel's "Warehouse 13".

NEW NVIDIA GPU-ACCELERATED PLUG-INS DRAMATICALLY BOOST PERFORMANCE FOR ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE 4 USERS

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:14 AM | No TrackBacks

Wide Range of Plug-ins Offered at Discounted Pricing for NVIDIA Quadro Customers

SANTA CLARA, CA-June 29, 2009- Professional videographers face continuous pressure to deliver high quality work under tight deadlines. To ease that burden and enable greater levels of creativity, NVIDIA today announced the availability of GPU-accelerated plug-in solutions for Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) users, optimized to run on a wide range of NVIDIA®® Quadro®® graphics solutions. NVIDIA is offering exclusive discounts of up to 50 percent on plug-ins from Elemental Technologies, Boris FX, Red Giant Software and proDAD when purchased at NVIDIA.com.

Among the plug-ins being offered is the NVIDIA CUDA™ architecture-based Elemental Accelerator 2.0 for Windows from Elemental Technologies (MSRP $499 discounted to $249). By leveraging the CUDA parallel computing architecture, this new plug-in offloads H.264 video encoding to the Quadro GPU, enabling Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 users to experience a performance increase of up to 11X when compared to CPU-only video encoders. Now available on a range of Quadro GPUs, Elemental Accelerator 2.0 supports the creation of Blu-ray DVDs and web content using Flash. In addition, NVIDIA and Elemental Technologies are bringing accelerated H.264 video encoding capabilities to Mac Pro users for the first time with the new Elemental Accelerator 1.2 for Mac OS X running on the Quadro FX 4800 for Mac.

Continue reading NEW NVIDIA GPU-ACCELERATED PLUG-INS DRAMATICALLY BOOST PERFORMANCE FOR ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE 4 USERS.

Luxology Unveils Community-Based Asset Sharing Website for modo

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:13 AM | No TrackBacks

New Content Sharing Site Allows Artists to both Create and Contribute

SAN MATEO, Calif. - June 29, 2009 - Luxology® LLC, developer of modern, artist-focused 3D software, has created a new asset sharing Web site that serves as a participatory content-sharing portal and learning resource. Users are now able to upload and download Presets of all kinds as well as exchange associated usage tips and techniques with other artists. Introduced concurrently with the recently released modo® 401 software, the custom-developed site provides modo artists with an easily accessible online resource for content re-utilization.

The new asset sharing Web site is an extension of the streamlined workflow in modo 401 that facilitates the re-use of assets throughout the content creation process. Users can browse through the site's visual interface to select Presets such as realistic surface materials, 3D meshes, profile curves, animation assemblies and professionally designed lighting environments, which can all be utilized in modo 401. Artists and designers can also upload images and other assets to the site in order to share them with the rest of the modo community. To facilitate asset re-use, the site allows searches by category, popularity or by keyword search.

"With this new sharing mechanism, we are offering modo users the collective talent, experience and creative output of the entire modo user base," said Brad Peebler, president and co-founder of Luxology. "Artists will now be able to quickly find Presets that make their scenes come alive as well as upload and store their own Presets. The site was developed specifically to fit the needs of the modo user community and integrates seamlessly with the rest of our Web site."

Continue reading Luxology Unveils Community-Based Asset Sharing Website for modo.

Galaxy Heads for Success with DVS Technology

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:10 AM | No TrackBacks

Thanks to a trend-setting 4K workflow, the renowned Belgian Audio Studio Galaxy has successfully established itself in the field of post production. Various DVS systems enable Galaxy to efficiently and easily realize film projects.
Hanover/Brussels. By integrating CLIPSTER®, DVS-SAN and SpycerBox into its infrastructure, Galaxy has gained maximum flexibility. CLIPSTER®, DVS's multi-faceted DI workstation, plays a significant role in the new workflow. Galaxy not only uses CLIPSTER® for ingest and play-out of film data but also for mastering, conforming and quality control. All steps in the DCI mastering process can easily be performed with CLIPSTER®. Galaxy has said goodbye to time-consuming transfer processes. Viewing the finished DCP directly in CLIPSTER® allows Galaxy's editors to control its quality quickly and simply.
DVS-SAN, utilized as a central storage system, enables Galaxy to reliably store and efficiently manage content in one location. Several workstations can access large amounts of content simultaneously. Integrated with RAID-6 technology, DVS-SAN provides dependable protection for Galaxy's sensitive data.
DVS's SpycerBox functions as near-line storage allowing various workstations direct access to content. Even large projects can be stored at the same time, equipping Galaxy with utmost storage flexibility. In addition, Galaxy also uses SpycerBox as a backup solution for its film projects before being saved on magnetic tape. SpycerBox was simply integrated into the existing infrastructure as a result of its numerous connectivity options.
The innovative content management software Spycer® has proved the ideal solution for Galaxy to effortlessly manage the material for various projects. Spycer® enables high-speed copying processes as well as searching and editing of image data and its metadata.

Continue reading Galaxy Heads for Success with DVS Technology.

BRIAN GOLDNER, PRESIDENT & CEO OF HASBRO, TO DELIVER KEYNOTE AT MIPCOM 2009

By Editorial on June 29, 2009 11:08 AM | No TrackBacks

Paris, 29 June 2009 - Brian Goldner, President and CEO of toy and game giant Hasbro, Inc. will deliver a keynote speech at MIPCOM, the world's entertainment content market, on Tuesday 6 October 2009.

Entitled "Becoming a Branded Play Company" Brian Goldner will outline how Hasbro has evolved into a $4 billion leader in children's and family leisure time entertainment products and services, notably through its many ties with the film, TV and video game sectors.

Digital gaming is a leading theme of MIPCOM's conference programme, which focuses on rethinking traditional media to win the battle for the digital living room. Brian Goldner's keynote illustrates the three key themes that run across the MIPCOM Conference this year: Rethinking Production; Games2TV2Games and Connected Entertainment.

With its flagship brands (Transformers, G.I. Joe, Littlest Pet Shop, Nerf, Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Playskool and My Little Pony), Hasbro has transformed the way leisure time is structured, allowing consumers access to entertainment when and where they want, thanks to the wide variety of formats on offer.

Brian Goldner will share his vision for Hasbro's joint venture with Discovery Communications, announced in May, that creates a television network and website dedicated to high-quality children's and family entertainment and educational content built around Hasbro brands. The keynote will add perspective on the company's increasing involvement in movie production (Transformers, which grossed $700 million worldwide in 2007, and this summer's releases Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra-- Brian Goldner served as Executive Producer on both Transformers films and Producer on the G.I. Joe film.), and in the video game sector, notably through its alliance with Electronic Arts, giving the publisher exclusive world rights to create digital games across key platforms including mobile, Internet, PC and consoles, based upon Hasbro's properties.

Super WHY Set to Make a Super Splash in the UK!

By Editorial on June 27, 2009 11:39 AM | No TrackBacks

Pre-school brand Super WHY adds to its momentum in the UK

Bulldog Licensing looks set to add to the licensing programme for innovative pre-school property Super WHY after the brand received plenty of attention from UK licensees at the recent Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas.

In the US, Super WHY has rapidly built an impressive fan base of kids and families - and an eagerly anticipated toy line from Learning Curve has just launched at Toys"R"Us. On Saturday June 13, every Toys"R"Us store in the country played host to an exclusive Super WHY Play Day event, packed with storytelling, reading-focused games, activities andfree gifts. The coast-to-coast celebration introduced an outstanding initial assortment of learning and role-playing items, books, puzzles, and games inspired by the popular series and its mission of helping kids learn to read - and learn to love reading.

Super WHY is the only preschool property created to teach kids the fundamentals of reading through interactive storybook adventures. The award-winning animated series is also proving to be a huge hit on Nick Jr in the UK, regularly bringing in more than 150,000 viewers and peaking at over 230,000; the show is stripped across Nick Jr.'s weekday schedule at a prime 6:30pm slot.

Continue reading Super WHY Set to Make a Super Splash in the UK!.

OOGIELOVES CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD BULLYING

By Editorial on June 27, 2009 11:23 AM | No TrackBacks

Goobie, Zoozie & Toofie Embrace LOVE OUR CHILDREN USA's Crusade to STOMP Out Bullying with Public Service Campaign

June 23, 2009, NEW YORK -- Love Our Children USA announced today its partnership with Kenn Viselman presents..., creators of the latest children's sensation The Oogieloves, to appear in a public service announcement for the campaign to STOMP Out Bullying, an initiative of Love Our Children USA.

The Oogieloves join celebrities Demi Lovato, JoJo, Brittany Snow and Naturally Seven in a national campaign to end childhood bullying. The three Oogieloves, Goobie, Zoozie and Toofie, help to extend the national campaign to reach even further to preschool and early school-aged children, helping to break the cycle of bullying before it even starts.

Other celebrities and those in the entertainment and sports industries who have supported STOMP Out Bullying include: Elton John, Bette Midler, Ellen Degeneres, Sugarland, John Cusack, Donny and Marie Osmond, Ashleigh Banfield, Dancing With The Stars, Live With Regis and Kelly, The View, truTV, "In The Heights", the NJ Nets and more.

Continue reading OOGIELOVES CAMPAIGN TO COMBAT CHILDHOOD BULLYING.

NANDO COSTA'S NERVO BECOMES NANDO@BENT

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:53 PM | No TrackBacks

International award-winning Creative/Director Nando Costa, founder of top industry leading design and animation studio Nervo, has teamed with Portland-based Bent Image Lab to form, NANDO@BENT. Costa brings his entire Nervo shop to BENT, including creative partner Linn Olofsdotter. Costa, age 30, will become the fourth partner of BENT which includes: Co-Founder/EP Ray Di Carlo, Co-Founder/Director Chel White, and Co-Founder/Director David Daniels.

The Brazilian-born Costa brings a sprawling portfolio to BENT that includes everything from branding efforts, commercials, broadcast TV, photography, and a range of expertise that will completely reshape BENT into a true one-stop content creation studio. "BENT has consistently evolved since our founding in 2002, and joining forces with Nando is just one more move forward," stated Di Carlo. "His branding expertise, acute eye, and unparalleled experience in motion graphics will further complement our existing range of animation services."

Daniels added, "Nando is re-defining the future of motion graphics with every job he does. He takes immense joy in all his work, especially design, and that's a gift that will germinate throughout the character and story-telling traditions of this studio, thus strengthening everyone around him."

Continue reading NANDO COSTA'S NERVO BECOMES NANDO@BENT.

Autodesk Software Breathes Life into "Little Krishna" Animated Series First Indian Production Acquired by Nickelodeon

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:50 PM | No TrackBacks

San Rafael, Calif., June 22, 2009-Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) today
announced that one of India's leading animation studios - BIG Animation, a
Reliance ADAG Company - used Autodesk Maya software to animate the magical
worlds of the new "Little Krishna" animated series. The company relied on
the Autodesk Smoke and Autodesk Flame systems for finishing and final
output of the 13-episode program. "Little Krishna" is a joint production
between The India Heritage Foundation and BIG Animation, and marks the
first time that Nick International (Nickelodeon) has acquired a series
produced in India.

"The best animation talent in India has grown up using Autodesk Maya,"
explained Ashish SK, CEO of BIG Animation. "Since Maya is our 3D platform
we're able to recruit the industry's top artists. Maya is our lifeline for
production. As well, product interoperability and the excellent support we
receive from Autodesk are some of the main reasons we continue to rely on
Maya, Smoke and Flame."

Continue reading Autodesk Software Breathes Life into "Little Krishna" Animated Series First Indian Production Acquired by Nickelodeon.

Magnificent Seven - CINEMA 4D Rides Off With Seventh Macworld/MacUser Best 3D App Award

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:48 PM | No TrackBacks

CINEMA 4D Remains UK's Most Awarded App On The Mac

LONDON -- June 22, 2009 -- It was a trophy bonanza for CINEMA 4D at the Macworld awards held in London on June 18, 2009. MAXON's flagship 3D software - regarded as the easiest to use all-purpose professional 3D tool - won 'Macworld Best Animation and 3D Product 2009.'

The win makes CINEMA 4D by far the most awarded 3D app on the Mac in the UK. CINEMA 4D has now rounded up no less than seven of the UK's biggest Mac awards: Macworld Best 3D App in 2003, 2006 and now 2009; and MacUser Best 3D App in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2007.

The nominees for the award of Best 3D App were: CINEMA 4D, Autodesk Maya 2009, Autodesk ImageModeler 2009, Boris Continuum Complete 6, and Carrara 7 Pro.

In handing CINEMA 4D a third Macworld award, the magazine drew attention to CINEMA 4D's leading support for the Macintosh platform, full range of features, and arguably the app's greatest weapon: its superior ease of use.

Continue reading Magnificent Seven - CINEMA 4D Rides Off With Seventh Macworld/MacUser Best 3D App Award.

ANIME EXPO® LAUNCHES AXBACKSTAGE 2009

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:30 PM | No TrackBacks

Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Launches Official Convention
Video Coverage Site With New Videos in Anticipation of Upcoming Event

Anaheim, California (June 21, 2009) -- Anime Expo® 2009 launches the
convention's official video coverage site, AXBackstage, of the nation's
largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles
Convention Center. More information can be found on the website
www.axbackstage.org.

AXBackstage launches with new videos in anticipation of this year's
convention. In addition to daily video coverage, AXBackstage will be a
source for daily photo images, electronic versions of the convention's daily
newsletter, maps, updated daily schedules and much more!

Anime Expo® 2009 Official Guests of Honor include Hiroyuki Imaishi, Daisuke
Ishiwatari, Yun Kouga, Yosuke Kuroda, Moi dix Mois, Toshimichi Mori,
Toshiyuki Morikawa, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Atsushi Nishigori,
Satoshi Nishimura, Takashi Okazaki and Kari Wahlgren.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.axbackstage.org.

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® LAUNCHES AXBACKSTAGE 2009.

July at the NFB Mediatheque

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:14 PM | No TrackBacks

NFB 70th anniversary commemoration continues with screenings,
workshops and free digital film access all summer long

Toronto (June 18, 2009) - The summer fun never stops at the National Film Board of Canada's Mediatheque, with a July programming lineup offering exclusive activities for all ages and interests. From animation aplenty and films both short and long, to weekly camps for kids and free access to unique digital viewing stations, the NFB continues to entertain and educate well into its 70th year. The NFB Mediatheque is located at 150 John Street, in the heart of downtown Toronto - the perfect destination for visitors to Toronto and 'staycationers' alike.

Weekend Animation Workshops and Screenings
Every Saturday from July 4 to August 29
10:30 am - 12:30 pm: Can't Sit Still workshop for kids 3 to 5
12 noon - 2:30 pm: Animate This! workshop for kids 6 to 13
12 noon - 12:30 pm: FREE family animation screening
Each week's program highlights a different theme, animation technique and screening series, so a brand-new experience is guaranteed every time. From 3D clay to pixilation and paper cut-outs, there's always something to discover.

Summer Daydreams Animation Camps
Week-long sessions from July 6 to August 21, 9 am to 4:30 pm
These dynamic, hands-on themed camps offer kids 8 to 16 the chance to explore their creativity and learn stop-motion animation techniques. Working in teams, they create their own original film for a big screen premiere at the NFB Cinema.

July 6 to 10: The Day I Joined the Circus (ages 8 to 13)
July 13 to 17: The Day I Went Back in Time (ages 8 to 10)
July 27 to 31: Une journée sur Mars (in French - ages 8 to 13)
August 10 to 14: The Day I Found the Attic (ages 11 to 13)
August 17 to 21: The Day My Dreams Came to Life (ages 12 to 16)

Continue reading July at the NFB Mediatheque.

HUNTIK: SECRETS & SEEKERS ON TV IN AUSTRALIA

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:08 PM | No TrackBacks

Weesp, The Netherlands (17 June, 2009) - BIG BOCCA Productions is proud to announce the TV launch of its action-adventure property, Huntik: Secrets & Seekers on Network 10 in Australia. The new series Huntik: Secrets & Seekers (52X1/2hr), is an original action adventure property, created by Iginio Straffi, the author of the Winx Club, and developed through a partnership between Big Bocca Productions, leading animation studio Rainbow S.p.A., and production company m4e AG. The Huntik: Secrets & Seekers animated series has been co-produced with Rainbow S.p.A. in Italy.

NETWORK 10 and SOUTHERN CROSS have committed to Seasons One and Two of Huntik: Secrets and Seekers (52X1/2hr) and have launched the series in Australia on May 28th 2009. The show is currently airing on Monday to Friday at 7 am.

This broadcast is backed up by a massive TV campaign from Upper Deck, our trading card licensee, with a min of 180 commercials running over 4 weeks on Network 10. A similar campaign has started on Southern Cross with 160 commercial spots as of June 1st 2009.

Upper Deck as main trading card partner has released the first products on March 20th and will be increasing the market coverage drastically. In store player demonstrations will be organized to teach kids how to play the games starting in June 09 and a rule reward program will encourage players to learn the game and potentially become judges themselves!
Huntik demonstration and beginners tournaments will be held at Supa Nova Pop Culture Expo Sydney in conjunction with Dark Moon Fair. Supa Nova Expo gathers the worlds of science-fiction, pulp TV/movies, toys, console gaming, trading cards, animation/cartoons, fantasy, comic books, entertainment technology, books, music, sport, internet sites and fan-clubs into one big roof.
Later on, in September, Upper Deck will be releasing the Huntik toy line to all major retailers. The toy line will display fully articulated action figures of the main characters and titans shown on the series.

Continue reading HUNTIK: SECRETS & SEEKERS ON TV IN AUSTRALIA.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BRUCE TIMM PRAISES CHARACTER DESIGNER JOSE LOPEZ AND SCREENWRITER ALAN BURNETT FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO "GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT"

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 3:03 PM | No TrackBacks

Animation legend Bruce Timm puts the spotlight on character designer Jose Lopez and screenwriter Alan Burnett for their other-worldly creations on Green Lantern: First Flight, the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies from Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation.

Warner Home Video will distribute the all-new film - as a special edition 2-disc DVD, a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, as well as single disc DVD - on July 28, 2009. The action-packed movie will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download day and date, July 28, 2009.

Timm, the executive producer on Green Lantern: First Flight, has been the driving creative force behind many of Warner Bros. Animation's modern-day successes, elevating DC Comics' canon of super heroes to new heights of animated popularity and introducing generations of new fans to the characters via landmark television series and made-for-DVD films. The latter task includes the creation of the current series of DC Universe animated original movies, which have drawn critical acclaim and further whetted the public's appetite for comic book entertainment with the release of Superman Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, Batman Gotham Knight and Wonder Woman.

In the midst of producing several more films for the DC Universe series, Timm paused briefly to offer praise for two of the key players in the production of Green Lantern: First Flight - character designer Jose Lopez and screenwriter Alan Burnett.

Submitted for your journalistic needs and reading pleasure, this week's short Q&A with Bruce Timm regarding Green Lantern: First Flight ...

Continue reading EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BRUCE TIMM PRAISES CHARACTER DESIGNER JOSE LOPEZ AND SCREENWRITER ALAN BURNETT FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO "GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT".

MOI DIX MOIS TO ROCK ANIME EXPO® 2009 AS OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 2:55 PM | No TrackBacks

Malice Mizer Front Man, Mana, to Attend Nation's Largest Anime and Manga
Convention

Anaheim, California (June 17, 2009) -- Visual kei fans get ready for a
musical explosion as Moi dix Mois rocks Anime Expo® 2009 as an official
Guest of Honor for the nation's largest anime and manga convention held July
2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be
found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

Moi dix Mois is a sound project headed by Mana, the consummate guitarist and
leader of Malice Mizer which is on indeterminate hiatus. In addition to
writing music and lyrics, Mana does all of the computer programming and
arrangements for his songs. Mana's strikingly electrifying and
unprecedented musical creation is the result of his remarkable talent to
combine the diametrical opposites, such as the classical and the
avant-garde, the elegant and the delirious, or the creative and the
destructive.

Continue reading MOI DIX MOIS TO ROCK ANIME EXPO® 2009 AS OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR.

Announcing the "Vue 3D Environment Competition 2009"!

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 2:40 PM | No TrackBacks

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED AT SIGGRAPH 2009!

June 15, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, maker of the leading solutions for natural 3D environments, in association with Maxon, Pixologic, 3D Total, 3Dconnexion, Cornucopia3D and 3D World Magazine, today announced the fourth edition of the "Vue 3D Environment Competition", designed to showcase the capabilities of 3D technology for CG environments.
Any version of Vue - including the Pioneer and the Personal Learning Edition (PLE) which are available at no charge- can be used to enter the competition (standalone or in combination with any other 3D application).
Judging will be based solely on the quality, realism and artistic merit of the entries, not on the version of Vue used to create them.
With 8 prestigious judges representing the different fields of the 3D Industry, this competition is a unique chance for anybody to see their work exposed to the eyes of industry experts, as well as winning a complete 3D toolkit (over $11,000 worth of prizes).

Continue reading Announcing the "Vue 3D Environment Competition 2009"!.

CCP CEO to Deliver Keynote Address at 2009 Game Developers Conference Europe

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 2:15 PM | No TrackBacks

Hilmar Petursson to Inspire Continued Industry Growth in Europe

BERLIN, June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Hilmar Petursson, Chief Executive Officer of CCP, one of the world's largest independent game developers, will deliver a keynote address at the 2009 Game Developers Conference Europe entitled, "CCP: Winning the War". GDC Europe will take place August 17-19, 2009 at Cologne Congress Center East in Cologne, Germany, bringing together top talent from across the globe to meet, exchange ideas and showcase some of the recent advances in video games and supporting technology.

In his address, Petursson will discuss CCP's rise to success from relative obscurity and how the small Reykjavik-based studio overcame the stigma of producing a niche product that's now one of the largest massively multiplayer games (MMOGs) in the world: EVE Online. As a testament to the industry's potential for growth despite widespread economic turmoil and as an inspiration for up-and-coming independent studios, Petursson will give an exclusive first look at the company's latest project, which is currently in pre-production.

"GDC Europe is gearing up to be one of the industry's most essential events. I am honored to have this opportunity to share some of the valuable lessons CCP has learned with such a prestigious audience," said Hilmar Petursson.

Appointed CEO in January of 2004, Petursson has led CCP's explosive growth in terms of size and influence, including the company's expansion into Asia and North America. Earlier this year, CCP announced plans for an extensive global expansion of the company, reflecting the global uptake of MMOGs and as evidenced by EVE's ongoing prosperity.

To learn more about this keynote, and the up-to-date speaker and session lineup for GDC Europe visit: www.gdceurope.com.

Continue reading CCP CEO to Deliver Keynote Address at 2009 Game Developers Conference Europe.

ELECTRIC RAIN RELEASES SWIFT 3D v6.0 FOR WINDOWS AND MACINTOSH

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 1:53 PM | No TrackBacks

Flagship 3D animation software for Adobe Flash adds powerful modeling and texturing tools, improved lighting and scene development capabilities and huge performance increases

Boulder, CO - June 8, 2009 - Today Electric Rain presented Adobe® Flash® designers with a new version of its popular Swift 3D® software. Swift 3D version 6.0 adds exciting capabilities to enhance its already robust feature set, enabling 3D designers of all levels to introduce 3D to their projects with minimal effort and no limitations. With the addition of Boolean operations, advanced texturing and bump mapping, PaperVision3D v2.0 export, 5x increases in rendering speed, and support for cloning and arrays, there is something for everyone in this release.

Electric Rain's intuitive and easy-to-use Swift 3D is already the de-facto application for designers exporting vector and raster-based 3D animations to Adobe Flash, as well as to video and common vector-based formats, such as Adobe Illustrator® and EPS. Initially a pioneer in the 3D-to-vector world, Swift 3D is now accepted as a highly-capable and versatile 3D authoring application, while maintaining its reputation as the marquee tool for producing vector-based 3D content for Flash.

"The feature set we're releasing with V6 brings Swift 3D into line with much more expensive 3D tools on the market," said Mike Soucie, CEO of Electric Rain. "And it does so without sacrificing the approachability designers have grown to appreciate with our applications. V6 builds upon the legacy of the Swift 3D product line and we have gone to great lengths to continue to add powerful modeling, texturing and export capabilities that rivals the power found in high-end 3D applications while maintaining a designer-friendly workflow. Besides that, Swift 3D is rendering really fast now!"

Continue reading ELECTRIC RAIN RELEASES SWIFT 3D v6.0 FOR WINDOWS AND MACINTOSH.

Cartoon Network Enterprises Knows the Secret to Its Success, Adding New Launch Partners for The Secret Saturdays

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 1:34 PM | No TrackBacks

Hybrid Tees and Random House Join Mattel, D3Publisher and Warner Home Video as Launch Partners for
Hit Fantasy-Adventure Series with Products Rolling Out at Retail this Summer


                The secret is out: Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) has assembled an impressive team of launch partners for the upcoming consumer products debut of the hit fantasy-adventure series, The Secret Saturdays. The licensing and merchandising arm of the kids' cable network announced today that Hybrid Tees and Random House will join Mattel, D3Publisher and Warner Home Video, to round out a robust, fully-immersive consumer products launch for the popular Cartoon Network original series that will launch at retail starting this summer. Hybrid Tees will create a line of boys
t-shirts and sweatshirts drawing upon the main characters and Crypids made popular in the series, with product launching in time for this holiday season across all tiers of retail. Additionally, building on an existing relationship with its Del Ray Manga imprint, a full publishing program featuring chapter books, activity books and a Cryptid field journal will be released by Random House.
                "There is a great deal of excitement and anticipation surrounding the retail launch of The Secret Saturdays this summer," said Christina Miller, vice president, CNE. "Our strategy for the brand was to create an immersive program that gives fans the true Saturdays' experience to battle, collect and discover and with the partners we have on board, we have done just that."
As master toy partner for The Secret Saturdays, Mattel, Inc. will manufacture, market and sell a wide range of toys inspired by the new series, including action figures, playsets, role-play items, and more. Available at mass retailers starting this summer, key items in the line include:

Continue reading Cartoon Network Enterprises Knows the Secret to Its Success, Adding New Launch Partners for The Secret Saturdays.

GORMITI - THE LORDS OF NATURE RETURN conquers the international market

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 1:31 PM | No TrackBacks

Marathon announces new sales in Europe and in the Middle East

Gormiti, the 52x26' animated series adapted from the famous Italian toy figures, is on its way to make a big splash on the international market.

Launched on the market at the end of 2008, Gormiti - the Lords of Nature Return is a Marathon Media and Giochi Preziosi coproduction for M6, Canal J and Mediaset.

Deals are already closed in Germany (RTL2) and in the UK (Nick Toons), as well as in Greece (Alter Channel), in Turkey (Digiturk), in Israel (Noga) and in the Middle East (MBC).

In addition, negotiations are in their final stage in the UK (terrestrial), Spain and Latin America.

Created by Leandro Consumi, the GORMITI universe is a hit boy property with huge growth worldwide. 100 million Gormiti figurines have already been sold, mainly in Europe. They are designed by Giochi Preziosi Group, the Italian market leader and one of the four biggest worldwide players in the development, production and distribution of toys and products aimed at the youth market.

The series is packed with a successful cocktail of magic, epic tales and comedy. GORMITI follows the everyday lives of four kids entering a magical dimension called Gorm, where they transform into superpowered creatures. Alongside with peaceful elemental monsters known as Gormiti, they battle to defeat evil fire fiends with huge egos, who cause natural disturbances in the Gorm with terrible consequences in the real world as well.

This series is broadcast on Mediaset in Italy since autumn 2008 with terrific audience scores (more than 1 million viewers per episode), and will hit the screens in the rest of the world in fall 2009.

International TV and video sales are handled by Marathon International.

Program and merchandising are handled by Marathon Media in France and Giochi Preziosi in the rest of the world.

MARATHON GROUP

Marathon Group is France's #1 audiovisual group, created from the fusion of French audiovisual leaders such as Marathon, Marathon Media, Télé Images Kids, GTV, Adventure Line Productions and KM Production. Present in all areas of television and a major player on the international market, Marathon Group's main successes include Dolmen, St-Tropez, Totally Spies!, Monster Buster Club, Atomic Betty, Street Football, Ford Boyard, Koh Lanta, Lea Parker, The Dominici Case, Jury Duty, Nature's Babies, the Untamed collection, etc.

Marathon Group is part of Zodiak Entertainment, a leading group in the International media industry that coordinates Italian publisher De Agostini's production and distribution activities for television and new media. Zodiak Entertainment is formed by 30 successful international companies including 5th Element, Adventure Line Production, Broadcasters, Bullseye, Diverse, Dixi Media, GTV, Jarowskji, Lucky Day, Kanakna, KM Productions, Magnolia, Marathon, Marathon Media, Mastiff, Mast Media, Polska, NeoNetwork, Palm Plus, Quadrio, Red House, Social Club Productions, Sol, Telealliance, Tele-Images Kids, T&T Broadcasters, Yellow Bird, YS Film...
In 2008 Zodiak Entertainment's revenue totalled more than €400 million.

THQ SIGNS MASTER LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH EMERGENT

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 1:29 PM | No TrackBacks

THQ Leverages Gamebryo and Gamebryo LightSpeed to Create Their
Next Generation Line-Up

CALABASAS, Calif. - June 3, 2009 - Emergent™ Game Technologies today announced that THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) has signed a master licensing agreement for the use of Emergent™ development products, including Gamebryo® and Gamebryo LightSpeed™. The deal will allow THQ's internal and external developers to effectively create high-quality titles for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ video game system and PC.

"We were impressed by Emergent's approach of providing a single development environment that we can use to create any title on our product schedule," said Roy Tessler, senior vice president, production and worldwide studios, THQ. "Their technologies will allow us to reduce the time we spend in redundant recreation of core technology. Through rapid prototyping and rapid iteration, we can build better games with less risk by redirecting development resources to allow our designers to concentrate on innovating original game play."

"THQ's new license for Emergent's development tech speaks to one of the main advantages of using Gamebryo and LightSpeed, which is the ability to quickly integrate game specific custom tech," said Scott Johnson, president, Emergent. "Once developers and publishers realize they can spend their time on creating better entertainment and minimize risk by having the ability to create games in all genres and popular platforms on the same core development engine, they choose our technologies again and again."

Continue reading THQ SIGNS MASTER LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH EMERGENT.

TECHNOLOGY GIANTS CISCO AND LG MORPH PRODUCT INTEGRATION IN TRANSFORMERS WITH $10 MILLION OF EXPOSURE

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 12:53 PM | No TrackBacks

Philadelphia, PA, June 26, 2009-- Cisco Systems and LG had approximately $10.2 million of combined broadcast exposure in the summer blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," according to Front Row Analytics, a leading firm that specializes in conducting analyses for product placement in TV and film, sporting and entertainment events, and venue naming rights.

Cisco, a leader in technology services and LG, a world class consumer electronics company, showcased their products with 1 minute and 47 seconds of on-screen exposure. According to Front Row Analytics' estimation, the value of cumulated on-screen exposure is $10,203,724 million. This value was derived by using a metric developed from the overall theater viewers, exposure time and the value attributed to each viewer.

"The product integration in 'Transformers' is an unobtrusive way for Cisco and LG to continue showcasing their products to a mass audience, proving that they are the leaders in their industry," said Eric Smallwood, Project Management Vice President for Front Row Analytics.

The opening of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" received a box office estimation of $60.6 million.

Continue reading TECHNOLOGY GIANTS CISCO AND LG MORPH PRODUCT INTEGRATION IN TRANSFORMERS WITH $10 MILLION OF EXPOSURE.

GAMERSGATE AND INDIE GAME PUBLISHER ROCKIN' ANDROID TEAM UP TO DIGITALLY DISTRIBUTE INDIE TITLES

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 12:52 PM | No TrackBacks

NEW YORK - June 26, 2009- GamersGate, a leading platform for digitally
distributed PC games, today announced a distribution deal with indie
videogame publisher Rockin' Android. GamersGate will offer a lineup of
localized indie videogame titles officially licensed from Japan. The first
title available will be the Japanese fan-favorite hybrid shoot'em up,
fighter SUGURI, scheduled for availability at the end of June. Additional
titles from Rockin' Android will soon follow.
"I'm thrilled with this partnership," said Rockin' Android President Enrique
Galvez. "The rock solid reputation and wide-reaching, user-friendly
platform of GamersGate will tremendously help to expose some of Japan's best
indie PC games to an even wider global audience."
"We have always placed a high importance on offering high-quality indie
titles," said Theodore Bergquist, CEO of GamersGate. "Rockin' Android has
made a name for itself by finding some fantastic indie titles and brining
them to market. We're very pleased to help deliver these titles to the
GamersGate community."
For more information, please visit www.GamersGate.com
<http://www.gamersgate.com/> and follow @GamersGate on twitter.
About SUGURI:
Experience the rush of battle as you wage intensive aerial duels in the
fan-acclaimed SUGURI, one of the most unique hybrid shooter/fighter titles
ever created by Japan indie game developer Orange Juice. Showcasing
beautifully rendered designs, innovative weaponry, rapid-fire combat
gameplay action and a cool techno-trance soundtrack, SUGURI is a must-have,
must-play indie game.
About GamersGate:
GamersGate is a leading digital distribution platform creating easily
accessible gaming experiences for gamers worldwide - anytime, anywhere.
Viewed as a strong contender in the digital download arena, GamersGate
continues to redefine the download industry and future strategies including
the launch of several accompanying services and comprehensive tools, in
addition to an aggressively growing product portfolio from a wide range of
internationally recognized publishers. http://www.gamersgate.com.
About Rockin' Android:
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Rockin' Android is a newly formed
electronic entertainment publisher specializing in doujin videogames and
online downloadable games that feature a combination of highly stylized
anime visuals and stunning character designs with easy-t-follow interface
controls. Rockin' Android launched in 2009 with the PC game release titled
SUGURI PERFECT EDITION as well as with downloadable games, including titles
such as GUNDEMONIUM, FLYING RED-BARREL-A DIARY OF A LITTLE AVIATOR-,
GUNDEMONIUM and CHELSEA AND THE SEVEN DEVILS. More information can be found
at www.rockinandroid.com <http://www.rockinandroid.com/> .

SESAME WORKSHOP EXPANDS ITS HEALTHY HABITS INITIATIVE

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 12:47 PM | No TrackBacks

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. Baltimore, MD. June 26, 2009. - Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, announced a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to support Sesame's Healthy Habits for Life initiative. The initiative aims to inform family child care providers on how to integrate healthy nutrition and physical activity into daycare setting that serve preschool children, as well as inform their parents and caregivers about the same topics. The announcement was made today at the National Association for Family Child Care's (NAFCC) Annual Conference.

At the present time, there is limited research on how English- and Spanish-speaking family child care providers, can include healthy habits for young children as part of their daily routines in ways that will have a long lasting impact. In response to this fact, and as an integral part of the initiative, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is supporting Sesame Workshop to conduct an innovative impact study for a typically underserved community. The study, in both English and Spanish, will evaluate the guide's effectiveness and impact of integrating Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life messages and strategies into family child-care settings and with parents.

Instilling healthy practices in children at an early age is one way to combat the alarming rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. Early care and education providers have a unique opportunity to encourage and model healthy habits in their programs. Thirteen thousand bilingual Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life: Child Care Resource Kits will be distributed through the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC) in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee, areas with great need and strong networks of family child-care providers.

Continue reading SESAME WORKSHOP EXPANDS ITS HEALTHY HABITS INITIATIVE.

Dimension 3: stereoscopic 3D sets foot in the Paris area!

By Editorial on June 26, 2009 12:46 PM | No TrackBacks

Sèvres, June 26, 2009 - From June 2 to 18, 2009, the international forum on 3D images invited professionals and the public to gather, reflect, learn and play in a series of 3D events in France's department of Seine-Saint-Denis.
The professional forum, held from June 2 to 4 at Pantin's Centre National de la Danse, has just concluded on a very successful note. Providing a unique meeting point around 3D, unmatched across the world in terms of scope and represented markets, Dimension 3 has caught the attention of professionals from all over the globe. As for the Festival Dimension 3, it carried on until June 18!

Full house for the professional Forum
Held in Pantin's Centre National de la Danse, the professional forum was attended by 1120 visitors from 25 different countries (up 200 % from the 2008 edition). Countries represented included India, Germany, Singapore, Turkey, Finland, Korea, Thailand, South Africa, Canada, the United States Dimension 3 was able to unite all players in the 3D industry with 38 exhibitors, each a leader or prescriber in their own field. Some 50 speakers, from France and abroad, shared their experiences, reported on their advancements and presented their latest 3D technologies. Another highlight of the Forum was the 3D workshop for projectionists, organized in partnership with Doremi Cinema and Volfoni, involving 40 attendees.
This edition's success confirms Dimension 3's ability to earn a reputation as a must-attend event for all branches involved in 3D: shows & events, cinema, TV, science & research, design, marketing & communication, mobile devices, video games

The world's largest 3D film festival!
This year, Dimension 3 Festival allowed the public to see premiere screenings of Henry Selick's Coraline, Bruce Hendricks' Jonas Brothers, or Pascal Vuong and Ronan Chapalain's Sea Rex Starting June 2, professionals as well as the public could discover an incredibly rich 3D program.
The mobile festival, ended on June 18, features 18 screenings in 3D organized in 5 towns in the area. That is over 12 hours of film, including 8 national or international premieres! (feature films, documentaries, rides, series, short films)

Dimension 3's 2009 edition is a complete success, confirming the International Forum on 3D Images as a leading event in the field of stereoscopic technologies!

BREAKTHROUGH ENTERTAINMENT'S FISHTRONAUT DEBUTS AT #1 ON DISCOVERY KIDS IN LATIN AMERICA

By Editorial on June 25, 2009 12:41 PM | No TrackBacks

Animated Series Most Watched in Prospective Timeslots

TORONTO (June 25, 2009) - During its first week of broadcast on Discovery Kids Channel in Latin America, Breakthrough Entertainment's Fishtronaut was rated the most-watched kids' TV show for the 4-to-11 demo during its 11:30AM-12:00PM and 7:30-8:00PM timeslots. The announcement came today from Nat Abraham, head of distribution.

The animated series premiered on the channel on April 20, 2009.

"We are thrilled at the response to this fresh new series," said Kiko Mistrorigo, Executive Producer/Co-founder at TV PinGuim. "Fishtronaut offers children a unique perspective on friendship and caring for the environment that is also entertaining."

"Fishtronaut is a breakout hit for Discovery Kids in Latin America," added Mr. Abraham "and we have no doubt that the international momentum will continue."

A charming, fun-filled animated series, Fishtronaut follows a secret-agent fish as he goes on slimy, furry and gooey adventures with his best friends, Marina and Zeek. Created by TV PinGuim's co-founders, Kiko Mistrorigo and Celia Catunda, the series explores the world's many mysteries above and below water as the friends find solutions to environmental dilemmas.

The series is produced by Brazil-based TV PinGuim in association with Discovery Kids Channel in Latin America and is distributed by Breakthrough Entertainment.

About Breakthrough Entertainment:
Toronto-based Breakthrough Entertainment Inc. (BEI) is the distribution arm for Breakthrough Films & Television, Breakthrough Animation and Partners in Motion, as well as third party independent producers. As one of Canada's largest television distribution companies, BEI has licensed programs to major broadcasters in over 200 territories. With a catalogue of over 2100 half-hours of programming, BEI handles distribution as well as worldwide pre-sales, co-productions and third-party acquisitions. On the Web, the company is located at www.breakthroughfilms.com.

WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS UNVEILS WORLDWIDE LICENSING PROGRAM FOR SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

By Editorial on June 25, 2009 11:43 AM | No TrackBacks

-- Sixth installment of the beloved film series storms into theaters Wednesday, July 15 --

Burbank, Calif., June 25, 2009 - Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) has enlisted a prominent collection of global licensees to capture the magic of the eagerly anticipated upcoming feature film, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Hitting theaters Wednesday, July 15, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment and latest chapter in the wildly popular film series from Warner Bros., which has licensees worldwide gearing up to support the most successful entertainment franchise of all time.

In support of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, an array of products will be available at retailers nationwide, including Hot Topic stores, as well as at www.WBshop.com.

NECA, Inc. and Corgi International Limited, the global master toy partners for the Harry Potter franchise, will create a spellbinding line of products in support of the upcoming feature film release. Additional key licensees include Mattel, with Scene It? Harry Potter 2nd Edition and Noble, for wands, chess sets and high-end sculpts; additional global licensees include: Panini, DeAgostini, Hasbro, Rubie's Costume Co., Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, Artbox Entertainment, Gentle Giant, Giant Merchandising, Jibbitz, BioWorld Merchandising Inc., Andrews McMeel Publishing and Tonner Doll.

"Harry Potter is a fan favorite and has captivated audiences for years," said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "The franchise's global influence allows top licensees the opportunity to create imaginative and innovative product lines that convey the magic of Harry Potter."

The enchantment begins Wednesday, July 15, 2009, when Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince storms theaters nationwide. The sixth installment of the highly successful film franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince reunites Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), as they prepare to battle Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Directed by Harry Potter veteran, David Yates, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince also returns key characters including Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon), Professor Snape (Alan Rickman), Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and introduces Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent).

Continue reading WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS UNVEILS WORLDWIDE LICENSING PROGRAM FOR SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE.

The LA Film School's Cintiq Lab Facilitates Creative Expression and Equips Computer Animation Students with "Real World" Skills

By Editorial on June 25, 2009 11:41 AM | No TrackBacks

When visitors walk into the brand new Wacom® Cintiq® lab at the Los Angeles Film School, they might think they have stumbled onto H.G. Wells' time machine. In the middle of the room is a stairway to an elevated platform that is illuminated by spotlights. Twenty-six desks surround the platform, with futuristic-looking Wacom Cintiq 21UX interactive pen displays atop each one and large flat-panel monitors are mounted on the walls.

The lab is home to the Los Angeles Film School's new Computer Animation program, which enrolled its first class this year. Appropriately, it was designed on a Cintiq in Autodesk Maya by the program's dean, Bobby Milly. Formerly a senior character modeler at Electronic Arts, Milly wanted to create a classroom where students could learn animation techniques on Cintiqs from the start. He included the raised platform for models in drawing classes and the wall-mounted monitors to display an instructor's animation techniques for the whole class.

"The Cintiq was a core element of the lab from the beginning," Milly says. He regards it as the future of animation production, both because of its artist-friendly digital workflow and the green solution it represents.

Continue reading The LA Film School's Cintiq Lab Facilitates Creative Expression and Equips Computer Animation Students with "Real World" Skills.

PGA OF AMERICA AND TURNER SPORTS EXTEND AND EXPAND MEDIA AGREEMENTS THROUGH 2019

By Editorial on June 25, 2009 11:40 AM | No TrackBacks

Turner's Cartoon Network Enterprises Named Youth Licensing Agent
To Focus on PGA's Presence Among Youth Fans

The PGA of America and Turner Sports have extended their broadcasting and interactive media agreements covering the PGA Championship, PGA Grand Slam of Golf and PGA.com through 2019. The new agreement between the two organizations will also expand to include licensing, with Turner's Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) serving as the PGA's licensing agent in the youth marketplace. In addition, Turner and the PGA will collaborate on a number of new media and consumer marketing initiatives to increase awareness and brand recognition of The PGA of America among key audiences, as well as introduce new, younger audiences to learning, playing and following the game.

For each PGA Championship, TNT will continue to provide comprehensive television coverage for the Thursday and Friday rounds, as well as early coverage for the final two rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Turner will also provide complete coverage of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, which is the hardest event to qualify for in the game. Additionally, Turner will continue its management of PGA.com, the official Web site of the PGA of America.

CNE, in its new role as licensing agent, will use its strengths to create an extensive consumer product and retail program for the PGA with the youth marketplace through a range of licensing agreements and co-branding partnerships across all product categories. This new product line will increase the PGA's presence with the next generation of fans and also broaden the PGA's scope of retail offerings.

Continue reading PGA OF AMERICA AND TURNER SPORTS EXTEND AND EXPAND MEDIA AGREEMENTS THROUGH 2019.

TELETOON GETS TOTALLY STOKED* FOR THE SUMMER

By Editorial on June 24, 2009 11:36 AM | No TrackBacks

Toronto - TELETOON is hitting the beach this summer as tomorrow, June 25, the channel broadcasts the world premiere of Stoked, the sun-soaked new tween comedy from the creators of 6TEEN and Total Drama Island. June 25 also marks the start of the TELETOON Get Stoked Tour, visiting ten locations across Canada featuring TELETOON trivia, prizes and a chance for visitors to get truly stoked on a surf board simulator. Meanwhile on teletoon.com, launching June 27, the Get Stoked Contest offers kids the chance to win a family trip to Orlando, Florida along with weekly Stokedprize packs.

Stoked follows a group of teens from across Canada who arrive at Sunset Island, B.C. for a summer of sun, sea, sand and most importantly surf. Working at a luxury resort they find that their plans for an endless summer of surfing might not be all that they hoped when, instead of a surfer's paradise, they find a tacky tourist resort with rude guests, a run-down staff house and itchy, hideous uniforms. The show premieres on Thursday, June 25 at 7 pm ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes. New episodes will air throughout the summer on Sunday nights at 7 pm ET/PT beginning July 3.

Viewers can also get Stoked on teletoon.com. Episodes one and two of the show will be available for streaming from June 25 with new episodes going online every Thursday, letting fans get all of the surf action four days before the episode airs on TELETOON. Exclusive Stoked games, wallpaper, icons and a Stoked music player, featuring the soundtrack of the show will roll out on teletoon.com throughout the summer.

Continue reading TELETOON GETS TOTALLY STOKED* FOR THE SUMMER.

Big Stage Entertainment Unveils Big Stage Studio. Teaches Others How to Create and Publish Original Programming to BigStage.com Starring the Digital You

By Editorial on June 24, 2009 11:30 AM | No TrackBacks

Free, Registration-Only Service is Targeted at Production Studios, Advertising &
Marketing Agencies and Other Creators of Innovative Visual Programming

LOS ANGELES, CA -- June 24, 2009 -- Big Stage Entertainment, Inc., the
leading platform for consumer projection of self into digital life, today announced
the opening of Big Stage Studio, a free and easy-to-use online training and
support environment for content creators looking to develop and publish original
programming to BigStage.com. Users can then insert their animated 3-D
likeness, called an @ctor, and share the personalized result via email and social
networks like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.
To become a Big Stage Studio partner, register for approval at
BigStageStudio.com. Upon acceptance, partners are granted full access to
educational videos depicting how to Big Stage-enable content. Users of leading
3-D graphics and animation tools can quickly learn the steps necessary to mask
and motion-track the facial images in stills and video. Big Stage's @ctor
technology can then seamlessly map the animated, 3-D facial models it creates
for consumers into the action.
"Big Stage Studio is our initial response to the demand from studios, agencies
and other content sources to @ctor enable their material for widespread
distribution over the social web." said Jonathan Strietzel, Big Stage co-founder
and Chief Creative Officer. "The process is straightforward for digital artists
using high-end graphics tools like Maya and Photoshop. In the future, we'll make
it truly simple for average consumers to visit BigStage.com and @ctor-enable
their own photos or videos for free."

Continue reading Big Stage Entertainment Unveils Big Stage Studio. Teaches Others How to Create and Publish Original Programming to BigStage.com Starring the Digital You.

Brickyard Filmworks completes FX work on "The Proposal", adds veteran executive and creative talent

By Editorial on June 23, 2009 11:28 AM | No TrackBacks

Marc Sadeghi, Former Orphanage EVP, Joins Brian Drewes, Geoff McAuliffe and
Dave Waller as Partner in Brickyard Filmworks

Santa Monica, CA and Boston, MA (June 23, 2009)- Brickyard Filmworks has
completed 320 VFX shots on Disney's hit comedy "The Proposal," starring
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, which opened worldwide on June 19. The
year-old company, founded by Brian Drewes, Geoff McAuliffe and Dave Waller,
(of commercial shop Brickyard VFX) has added a new partner - film industry
veteran Marc Sadeghi (formerly Executive Vice President at The Orphanage).

Sadeghi explains: "Brickyard VFX possesses a wealth of creative and
technical horsepower, a stellar reputation in the commercial effects realm,
and a history of client confidence. With global shifts in feature
production as well as the economic challenges faced by facilities today,
Brickyard aims to leverage its geographic advantage to net some of the work
that seems to float offshore. With offices in both Boston and LA,
Brickyard is in the unique position to offer generous Massachusetts State
film tax incentives while maintaining a close level of interaction with our
clients"

Continue reading Brickyard Filmworks completes FX work on "The Proposal", adds veteran executive and creative talent.

Ignition Entertainment Racks up Nine 'Best of E3' Awards; Muramasa: The Demon Blade and The King of Fighters XII Defeat Perennial Favorites

By Editorial on June 23, 2009 11:26 AM | No TrackBacks

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - Ignition Entertainment, a relative newcomer to the bustling videogame industry, is now among the most honored game companies of the year. Ignition's lineup of breakthrough games including, Muramasa: The Demon Blade, The King of Fighters XII and Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny stood out among hundreds of highly-anticipated video game titles and swept up nine 'Best of' awards at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2009.

Muramsa: The Demon Blade took the Wii and action game categories by storm with its revolutionary take on the classic 2D side scroller and artistically rendered characters, enemies, fight sequences and deep and extraordinarily detailed environments. Muramsa: The Demon Blade blew away stiff competition, including perpetual powerhouse Nintendo, and won:
·         Three Best Wii Game of E3 2009 awards from G4 TV, GameSpy and GameFocus.ca
·         Three Best Wii Game of E3 2009 runner-up awards from IGN, GameSpot and 1UP
·         Two Best Artistic Design of E3 2009 awards from IGN and GameSpy
·         Best Action Game of E3 2009 from IGN
·         Best Platformer of E3 award from GameSpy

The King of Fighters XII, the latest installment in the storied The King of Fighters series, continues the epic martial arts showdown and reemerges with a complete graphical overhaul with 22 gorgeous hand-drawn 2D characters. The King of Fighters XII won:
·         Three Best Fighting Game of E3 2009 awards from IGN, GameTrailers.com and GameFocus.ca
·         Finalist in the Best Fighting Game of E3 2009 category from GameSpot, 1UP and GameSpy

The North American debut of the revered weapons-based game Samurai Shodown: Edge of Destiny didn't go unnoticed, notching up nominations for Best Fighting Game of E3 2009 from GameTrailers.com and GameFocus.ca.

ArtVPS enjoys great success with first software release

By Editorial on June 23, 2009 11:25 AM | No TrackBacks

Pre-release debut of Shaderlight rendering plug-in for 3ds Max hits over 800 downloads in its first two weeks

Since entering the software market on 1 June 2009 ArtVPS has notched up over 800 downloads of Shaderlight 0.1, the pre-release version of its interactive Shaderlight rendering plug-in for 3ds Max, the leading 3D modelling tool from Autodesk.

Shaderlight 0.1 delivers significant productivity and creativity improvements over traditional ray-trace rendering engines. Until now a typical workflow for 3D artists and designers would involve spending time creating preview renders before sending the image off to render. Any last minute changes would mean starting the entire process again, an iterative and time-consuming approach which eats into project timelines and inhibits creativity.

Shaderlight is much more that a real-time preview tool, it enables visualisation specialists to change key elements of a full resolution image at any stage of the rendering process without having to re-render, improving efficiency and project turnaround. Users are not only able see the progressive refinement of a scene when objects or camera angles are altered but can also make interactive changes to materials, environments, lights and textures (the MELT elements) on full quality 3D images. Additionally, a new approach to global illumination (GI) enables light, colour and intensity to be updated on screen without the need to re-render.

Continue reading ArtVPS enjoys great success with first software release.

JOAN GANZ COONEY CENTER REPORT IDENTIFIES VIDEO GAMES AS A POTENTIAL ALLY IN CHILDREN'S HEALTH

By Editorial on June 23, 2009 11:24 AM | No TrackBacks

Recommends New Tech Strategy to Address Health and Educational Needs

New York and Washington, June 23, 2009 - As the President and Congress seek to reform the health care system and address the glaring gaps in our nation's educational performance, the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop released a report today that specifies how increased national investment in research-based digital games can play a cost-effective and transformative role. The report Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children's Learning and Health provides recommendations for the media industry, government, philanthropy and academia to harness the appeal of digital games to improve children's health and learning. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio, it was unveiled today at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

Children as young as four are immersed in a new gaming culture, but many parents, educators and health professionals, concerned over violence, sexual content and reports of addiction, do not consider games to be a positive force in children's lives. Based on a synthesis of market and scientific research and interviews with industry and academic leaders, the report addresses this critique. It offers a new framework to use games to help children learn healthy behaviors, traditional skills like reading and math, and 21st century strengths such as critical thinking, global learning and programming design.

The report focuses on the vital connections that games and digital media can make in promoting children's potential. Among the promising games reviewed are Sesame Street's Color Me Hungry, featuring the Muppet Cookie Monster and Dance Dance Revolution, a mass-market game used in hundreds of schools nationwide. These efforts are helping young children learn about nutrition, healthy habits and exercise. The report highlights the role that games have played in other sectors, such as in transforming military training regimens, and how academic centers like MIT's Education Arcade and non-profit labs like the Institute of Play are pioneering R&D for educational video games.

Continue reading JOAN GANZ COONEY CENTER REPORT IDENTIFIES VIDEO GAMES AS A POTENTIAL ALLY IN CHILDREN'S HEALTH.

JIMJAM TAKES TO THE SKY WITH AIR NEW ZEALAND

By Editorial on June 22, 2009 3:56 PM | No TrackBacks

London, Monday 22 June 2009: Global pre-school channel JimJam, a joint venture between HIT Entertainment and Chellomedia, today announced a deal with Air New Zealand to provide an exclusive bespoke pre-school children's channel for young air travellers.

The initial one year deal will see JimJam providing 120 minutes of new programming for transmission every three months on Air New Zealand's international services. Passengers will have the option of non-stop viewing or tailoring their own schedule on a programme by programme basis.

Wayne Dunsford, General Manager, JimJam said "We're delighted to announce this significant new platform for the JimJam brand. We are very much looking forward to growing our partnership with Air New Zealand and are pleased to provide high quality entertainment for the many younger passengers on board."

Continue reading JIMJAM TAKES TO THE SKY WITH AIR NEW ZEALAND.

ENTER THE DRAGON ... THE LEGEND CONTINUES! CRUNCHYROLL STREAMS EVEN MORE STAR STUDDED TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND MARTIAL ARTS THEATER COLLECTION TITLES

By Editorial on June 22, 2009 11:21 AM | No TrackBacks

Asian Celebrities Michael Chan Wai-man, Chan King Fung, Ng Cheuk Hai, Sit
Hoi Ki, Andy Lau Tak Wah, Bruce Le, Ti Lung, Chan Yuk Lin, Au Yeung Pui San,
Chen Sing, Delon Tam, Miu Kiu Wai, Leung Ka Yan, Bolo Yeung, Yeung Yi Appear
on the Number One Online Destination for Anime and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 22, 2009) -- Crunchyroll and Tai Seng Entertainment
streams new dramas and kung-fu action titles on the number one (1) online
destination for anime and asian content ... Crunchyroll! More information can
be found at http://www.crunchyroll.com/publisher/TAI_SENG_ENTERTAINMENT.

Titles that are/will-be-shortly streaming for free on the highly popular and
legal site include:

·      THE ACADEMY (episodes 17-32)
·      THE RETURN OF THE CONDOR HEROES (episodes 26-50)
·      KUNG FU EMPEROR
·      THE INVINCIBLE KILLER
·      THE YOUNG BRUCE LEE

These titles are available to all Crunchyroll fans and members residing in
the U.S., American Samoa, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and
Virgin Islands.

Continue reading ENTER THE DRAGON ... THE LEGEND CONTINUES! CRUNCHYROLL STREAMS EVEN MORE STAR STUDDED TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND MARTIAL ARTS THEATER COLLECTION TITLES.

Luxology Launches modo 401 with New Rendering and Animation Features

By Editorial on June 19, 2009 3:27 PM | No TrackBacks

Leverage Deep Functionality Improvements in the Fourth Major Release of modo

SAN MATEO, Calif. - June 19, 2009 - The rapid evolution of modo took another leap today as Luxology® LLC announced the immediate availability of its latest 3D content creation software, modo® 401. With a focus on rendering and animation enhancements, modo 401 delivers a wealth of new features and innovative workflows, which enable users to easily model on top of existing geometry, see changes in their scene immediately from the radically improved Preview renderer and efficiently re-use assets throughout the content creation process. These new features benefit customers in a broad array of disciplines such as architectural visualization, product design, game development and advertising image production.

"modo 401 continues our emphasis on making the 3D creative process as fluid as possible for designers and artists," said Brad Peebler, president of Luxology. "This new version is packed with improvements and is clearly our biggest upgrade of modo to date."

Rendering
Rendering enhancements include caustics, dispersion, blurry refraction, volumetric lighting and Pixar-patented deep shadows. The new Instance Replicators allow dense amounts of surface detail like welds, rivets, trees and barnacles to be rendered with trillion polygon detail. Light linking and support for multiple environments provides precise control over how each part of a scene is individually lit. modo 401 also supports stereoscopic rendering and will render on up to 32 cores across a network of 50 workstations.

Animation
Animation improvements in modo 401 include inverse kinematics, dynamic parenting, channel constraints and modifiers. modo's new animation capabilities facilitate the creation of sophisticated rigs in modo 401 that can be driven with a few simple inputs. For example, a tank model can be rigged to track and turn accurately across undulating terrain while maintaining realistic tread and wheel movement. Pre-built animation assemblies provided with modo 401 allow users to apply animation to their models automatically.

Workflows
Optimized artist workflows are another essential element of modo 401. Artist feedback during modeling and other operations is enriched with a deeply threaded Preview renderer that boasts extremely rapid updates and progressive rendering capability. modo 401 boosts artist productivity by facilitating the re-use of assets throughout the content creation process. modo 401 ships with over 1,500 pre-built assets including profile curves, realistic surface finishes, fur presets, 3D props, vegetation, animated rigs and professionally designed lighting environments that light a scene in two mouse clicks.

"These pre-built assets in modo offer us a way to get to final quality more quickly," said Gary Fitzgerald of DesignworksUSA. "modo also allows us to capture and re-use our own design assets for greater efficiency."

Continue reading Luxology Launches modo 401 with New Rendering and Animation Features.

Emmy-Award Nominated Artist J. John Corbett Joins Brainstorm Digital Visual Effects Studio July 6

By Editorial on June 19, 2009 3:24 PM | No TrackBacks

(New York) June 19, 2009--Emmy-award nominated title designer and
visual effects artist J. John Corbett will join Brainstorm Digital's
New York studio July 6th where he will continue his innovative and
industry-leading work in title design, graphic design and visual
effects.

Corbett comes to Brainstorm Digital from Big Film Design, where he was
a Designer/Director creating title designs and visual effects for
feature films as well as for broadcast, cable and all forms of digital
media. In 2004 he was part of the team nominated for a Primetime Emmy
in the category of Outstanding Main Title Design for: "Angels in
America" (2003). His many credits include 30 Rock (title design), Burn
After Reading (VFX and titles), and Revolutionary Road (VFX). His
advertising work includes Canon Digital Rebel "Impossible" (visual
effects) and Kmart television campaign graphics (2004). He has worked
with directors such as Joel and Ethan Coen, Mike Nichols, Spike Lee,
Jim Jarmusch, and Robert Altman.

"We are very excited to have an artist of John's caliber join our
team," said Glenn Allen who heads Brainstorm Digital with co-founder
Richard Friedlander. "His fresh and innovative style is an excellent
match and will allow us to expand the range of services we currently
offer to our clients to include visual effects for commercials and
outstanding title design."

Continue reading Emmy-Award Nominated Artist J. John Corbett Joins Brainstorm Digital Visual Effects Studio July 6.

WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND WASHINGTON SHOE COMPANY WEATHER THE STORM WITH FASHION RAINWEAR FEATURING DC COMICS HEROES AND SCOOBY-DOO

By Editorial on June 18, 2009 3:22 PM | No TrackBacks

All-new Collection to Include Rain Boots, Slickers and Umbrellas

BURBANK, Calif., June 18, 2009 - Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP), on behalf of DC Comics, announced today that it has entered into a partnership with Washington Shoe Company, leading manufacturer of footwear and fashion raingear, to launch a new collection of rainwear for Kids and Juniors under Washington Shoe Company's Western Chief and Chooka brand names. The upcoming product lines will feature beloved Warner Bros.' characters Scooby-Doo and DC SUPER HEROES, including BATMAN, SUPERMAN, SUPERGIRL and WONDER WOMAN, among others.

The initial product rollout highlights the CAPED CRUSADER himself, with BATMAN-inspired rainwear that merges action and functionality to transform any child into the ultimate hero. The all-new rainwear incorporates a number of Batman's classic gadgets and combines rain jackets and special BATMAN boots in order to recreate the legendary BAT-SUIT. The line features glow-in-the-dark logos, perfect for action-adventure role-play.

"Washington Shoe Company is an industry leader and the perfect partner for such a fun collaboration," said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. "Furthermore, the DC Comics Super Heroes and Scooby-Doo are iconic characters that are beloved by kids all over the world and lend themselves perfectly to their own line of active rainwear."

Continue reading WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND WASHINGTON SHOE COMPANY WEATHER THE STORM WITH FASHION RAINWEAR FEATURING DC COMICS HEROES AND SCOOBY-DOO.

Terrence Dwyer Joins Post Logic Studios as Director of Audio/Supervising Re-recording Mixer

By Editorial on June 18, 2009 3:10 PM | No TrackBacks

Hollywood, CA (June 18, 2009)--Leading post-production facility Post Logic
Studios, a division of Prime Focus Group, announced today it has brought
Terrence Dwyer on board to its Hollywood facility as Director of
Audio/Supervising Re-recording Mixer. Dwyer is an industry veteran with
over three decades experience as an audio mixer and sound designer. He
joins Post Logic from Wild Woods, where for the last 12 years he worked on
top reality television shows including "Survivor," "Fear Factor, "Kid
Nation," "American Gladiators," "Wipeout" and, most recently, "Dating in
the Dark."

"We are extremely pleased to be working with Terrence," commented Larry
Birstock, CEO, Post Logic Studios. "He has a great deal of talent and a
wealth of expertise, and has worked on some of the biggest and
longest-running shows in reality television. I know he will be an enormous
asset to the development of Post Logic's audio facilities."

Prior to his position as chief engineer and supervising re-recording mixer
at Wild Woods, from 1994-1997, Dwyer worked as a re-recording mixer at
Telemation on reality projects such as "How'd They Do That?" and "U.S.
Customs Classified." In 1977, Dwyer founded Indian Hill Audio Video, an
audio post facility catering to music and video production clients, which
he ran for over 15 years. In 2001, Dwyer received his first Emmy Award for
outstanding sound mixing on "Survivor," and went on to garner three
additional nominations. In 2008, Dwyer received his second Emmy in the news
and documentary category for "Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime
Experience."

"I am thrilled to be joining Post Logic Studios," said Dwyer. "It's a
beautiful facility with incredible staff and everything in place that I
need to build a great mixing facility. This is the perfect opportunity to
build a better mousetrap."

About Post Logic Studios
A leader in digital intermediate and feature film restoration, Post Logic
Studios is a part of the Prime Focus Group family, an integrated global
network of visual effects and post-production companies servicing clientele
around the world with technologically advanced facilities in Hollywood, New
York, London and India. With access to hundreds of talented visual effects
and 3D artists from within Prime Focus Group, Post Logic has continued to
expand into new and emerging arenas within the post-production realm,
providing unmatched digital intermediate, digital mastering, editorial
assembly, restoration, visual effects and audio post production services to
feature film and television clients from its flagship Hollywood facility
and Manhattan-based satellite, Post Logic Studios N.Y. For more
information, please visit www.postlogic.com or call 323-461-7887.

CAKE ADDS LIVE-ACTION TO THE MIX

By Editorial on June 18, 2009 2:59 PM | No TrackBacks

CAKE Entertainment is marking its strategic move into producing live-action with today's announcement of a live-action/CG hybrid tween comedy pilot for a series called Cartoon Gene (26 x 30"), co-produced with Galakids and TELETOON Canada. The move sees CAKE build on their existing experiences in this area, and reinforce their established position as a meeting place for a growing family of producers of high-end children's content.

Cartoon Gene follows the extraordinary life of a teenage human boy who has extra random cartoon DNA. "It's a metaphor for adolescence, lending a hightened empathy for the viewer." says Tom van Waveren Partner & Creative Director, CAKE. Gene's Mum is a computer-generated action game star, whilst his dad is a computer geek. As he hits puberty, his 'cartoon gene' kicks into action and his human body literally erupts in a variety of cartoon-like reactions under different circumstances. In addition to co-producing the series' pilot - in association with TELETOON, CTF, Shaw and Rocket Fund - CAKE will also be distributing it to the international marketplace. Cartoon Gene is a Galakids original concept created by Louis Fournier and Natalie Dumoulin and directed by Adam Weissman (I Carly/Zoey 101/Drake & Josh).

CAKE has also recently taken on the worldwide distribution rights to a live-action Irish series from Telegael, Aifric (26 x 30"), four times winner of best kids drama at the Irish Film and Television Awards. Aifric is a thirteen year old girl whose parents have made the fatal mistake of moving to a small village from the city. The comedy drama deals with the big issues facing all young teens, as a 13-year old girl tries to navigate her way in a new and smaller world where her weird and wacky family stand out in a big way.

Continue reading CAKE ADDS LIVE-ACTION TO THE MIX.

Prove You're Gundam at Anime Expo® 2009 with Bandai and American Cosplay Paradise!

By Editorial on June 18, 2009 2:51 PM | No TrackBacks

June 17, 2009 (Cypress, CA) - Bandai Entertainment and American Cosplay
Paradise are proud to celebrate the US release of MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 at
Anime Expo® 2009 in Los Angeles (July 2 - 5, 2009; Los Angeles Convention
Center; http://www.anime-expo.org) with a costume contest! If you have a
costume from GUNDAM 00, this is something you don't want to miss. Interested
participants can enter the contest at
http://www.acparadise.com/acp/contests.php. Users will vote for their top
five favorite entries!

The top five entries will be invited as guests to the GUNDAM 00 Focus Panel
featuring director Seiji Mizushima, writer Yosuke Kuroda, and Yun Kouga.
They will then choose the 1st and 2nd place winners. Prizes include a
complete set of Gundam 00 Season 1 and more!

About Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Mobile Suit Gundam 00 is the latest installment in the long running
franchise and takes place in the year 2307 A.D. When fossil fuels have been
completely depleted and humanity has turned to solar energy to maintain its
way of life, the controlling nations of the solar power find themselves at
war with more impoverished countries. These sun-deprived countries threaten
the promised land of God, which leads to the formation of a group called the
Celestial Being, whose purpose is to end war and unite humanity through the
use of four Gundam mech. The series is directed by Seiji Mizushima whose
past credits as a director and storyboard artist include Fullmetal
Alchemist, Evangelion, and Appleseed: Ex Machina.

About Bandai Entertainment
Bandai Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings (USA)
Inc. and the premier distributor of Japanese animation on DVD and
programming for television broadcast in North America. Titles include The
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Escaflowne, Ghost
in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gundam Seed Destiny, My Hime, and many
more.

About American Cosplay Paradise
Founded in 2000, American Cosplay Paradise (ACP) serves as an extensive
database for cosplayers, people who dress up in costumes. Members contribute
pictures of their costumes, which are sorted by series and character for
easy searching. ACP also offers live photo and video coverage of conventions
across the US, and works exclusively with industry partners in using
cosplayers to promote anime, manga, and videogame titles. More information
can be found at its website (www.acparadise.com)

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 - July 5, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website www.anime-expo.org.

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property - Anime Expo®. More
information can be found at its website (www.spja.org).

eyeon Software Launches Fusion 6.0

By Editorial on June 17, 2009 2:56 PM | No TrackBacks

Open Release Candidate of Award-Winning Compositing Application Now Available

Toronto: June 17, 2009 ... eyeon Software Inc. announced that the highly- anticipated Fusion™ 6.0 node-based compositing application is now available as an Open Release Candidate. The award-winning compositing application has been a mainstay of the visual effects industry for over 20 years. Optimized for the latest processing and graphics card technologies, Fusion 6 offers significantly improved performance, along with a host of new features and capabilities, including full support for stereoscopic content, Region Of Interest/Domain of Definition (RoI/DoD), interface refinements, expanded 2D and 3D toolsets, and more.

Significant portions of the code for Fusion 6 have been re-written for the new generation of multi-core processors. A new GPU core for accelerated performance and GPU-based production quality floating-point rendering has been added.

"The new GPU renderer in Fusion 6 is all about power," said Eric Westphal, Product Manager Europe for eyeon Software. "Processing-intensive tasks such as depth-of-field and motion blurring are a breeze on the new graphic cards. This breaks rendering times down tremendously, giving artists a new level of creative freedom."

The application also features a new colour matrix tool, expanded spline-smoothing tools, and enhanced spline controls. Building on underlying GPU-optimization, Fusion 6 offers support for concatenated 3D LUTs and an all-new material system, which allows users to build their own custom shaders.

"Not only do we get new tools like ColorMatrix and CG shaders, we get dramatic changes to the underlying workflow that will save us thousands of clicks and hundreds of hours of rendering," said Chad Capeland, Director of R&D at Anatomical Travelogue. "The unification of 2D and 3D views with a common UI and ViewShaders is impressive.　It's really exciting to see so much changing in　the application.　It even launches faster!"

Continue reading eyeon Software Launches Fusion 6.0.

NICKELODEON ASIA LAUNCHES"CHINATOON

By Editorial on June 17, 2009 11:07 AM | No TrackBacks

Cable TV's 1st Weekly Programming Block To Showcase Original
Chinese Animation To Thirteen Countries Across Asia

For Immediate Release
BEIJING, June 17, 2009 - Nickelodeon announced today that it will launch ChinaToon, a 1-hour branded block dedicated to showcasing original Chinese animation. Debuting July 5th on Nickelodeon Asia, ChinaToon will premiere with two acclaimed animation series, Creative Power Entertaining Co., Ltd's Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf and Zhejiang Zhongnan Group Animation Video Co., Ltd's Magic Wonderland, broadcast to 13 territories across Asia.
As the premier original Chinese animation block created by an international broadcaster, ChinaToon becomes the first region-wide platform for Chinese animators to showcase their programming to vast audiences across the region.
"Chinese animation is gaining immense popularity and critical recognition internationally. ChinaToon will be the vehicle to bring this unique animation genre to a wider audience," said Indra Suharjono, Executive Vice President and Managing Director for MTV Networks South East Asia and Greater China. "We are proud to introduce ChinaToon and its exciting lineup of Chinese animation programs as new members to Nickelodeon's family of top-rated programs that kids of all ages in Asia love," she added.

Continue reading NICKELODEON ASIA LAUNCHES"CHINATOON.

CARSON-DELLOSA PARTNERS WITH THE WORLD OF ERIC CARLE FOR CLASSROOM DECORATIVES

By Editorial on June 16, 2009 2:49 PM | No TrackBacks

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Bulletin Board Set To Be Released July 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

GREENSBORO, N.C. - (June 16, 2009) - Carson-Dellosa Publishing, Inc., a leading provider of premium quality standards-based learning resource solutions, has secured rights to produce an entire line of The World of Eric Carle branded classroom decoratives featuring the renowned author/illustrator's collage style illustrations from his award winning picture books.

In honor of the 40th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one of the best selling children's books of all time, Carson-Dellosa will release the first classroom decorative product, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Bulletin Board Set, this July.

Featuring the very same illustrations that have endeared young readers for decades, the new bulletin board set displays the adventures of The Very Hungry Caterpillar for the entire classroom. From the caterpillar's birth in the moonlight to its first taste of an apple and ultimate metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, the bulletin board set represents this classic story from beginning to end as it teaches the days of the week, counting, nutrition and more with over a dozen pieces of Eric Carle's artwork.

Continue reading CARSON-DELLOSA PARTNERS WITH THE WORLD OF ERIC CARLE FOR CLASSROOM DECORATIVES.

ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES AFRO SAMURAI MANGA-KA AS OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR

By Editorial on June 16, 2009 2:46 PM | No TrackBacks

Okazaki to Attend Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (June 12, 2009) -- Anime Expo® 2009 is extremely proud to
announce "AFRO SAMURAI" creator Mr. Takashi Okazaki as an official Guest of
Honor for the nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5,
2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on
the website www.anime-expo.org.

Mr. Okazaki is a successful Tokyo-based illustrator, painter, graphic
designer and manga writer who has found success internationally-providing
illustrations for the "Spider-Man 2" DVD and illustrating a limited edition
comic insert for the "BLADE III" Original Sound Track CD and for his
original manga "AFRO SAMURAI" which has been adapted into a successful
animation series by GONZO, each of its first two seasons becoming the #1
selling anime program in the US in 2007 and 2009.

Takashi Okazaki joins other Anime Expo® 2009 Official Guests of Honor
Hiroyuki Imaishi, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yun Kouga, Yosuke Kuroda, Toshimichi
Mori, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow, Atsushi
Nishigori, Satoshi Nishimura and Kari Wahlgren.

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.axbackstage.org.

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime
News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC,
Central Park Media and The Right Stuf, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian
TV, Animation Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine, Anime News Network and UTB
Hollywood.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 - July 5, 2009 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property - Anime Expo®. More
information can be found at its website www.anime-expo.org.

ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES SPJA INDUSTRY CONFERENCE PANELS

By Editorial on June 15, 2009 2:44 PM | No TrackBacks

Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Brings Together Industry Experts
and Professionals for Key Note Engagements and Panels

Anaheim, California (June 15, 2009) -- The industry comes together as Anime
Expo® 2009 and the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation announce
the key note speakers and panel topics for the 2009 SPJA Industry Conference
held during the nation's largest anime and manga convention, Anime Expo®
2009, July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information
can be found on the website www.anime-expo.org.

This year's key note speakers include Austin Osueke-CEO/Publisher. eigoMANGA
(July 2, 2009; LP3; 11:00am), Shawne Kleckner-President/CEO, Right Stuf,
Inc. (July 3, 2009; LP3; 11:00 am) and Kun Gao-CEO, Crunchyroll (July 4,
2009; LP3; 11:00 am). Key points regarding the state of the digital, anime
and manga industries will be addressed during these key note engagements.

Industry Conference panel include the following topics:

· Making Mangas and Animes into Hollywood Features (July 2, 2009; LP3;
11:30 am)-Top panelists involved in many of the biggest manga and
anime-to-live-action Hollywood feature deals, experts in this field will
talk about the advantages and pitfalls of this challenging task of
maintaining the manga creator's vision while making a successful movie or TV
project that translates into those mediums.

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES SPJA INDUSTRY CONFERENCE PANELS.

Prominent Central Florida Based Digital Agency, Purple, Rock, Scissors, Founded by Full Sail University Graduate

By Editorial on June 12, 2009 2:35 PM | No TrackBacks

WINTER PARK, FL, June 12, 2009 - Full Sail University (www.fullsail.edu), an award-winning entertainment media institution located near Orlando, FL, is proud to recognize graduate, Bobby Jones, founder of the Orlando based digital agency, Purple, Rock, Scissors (www.purplerockscissors.com), which specializes in the areas of visual design, web development, and marketing strategy.

In 2002, Jones founded the agency Hydra Studio. The business began growing rapidly, not only in client base, but also in number of employees. Currently, the staff doubles in size each year and is primarily comprised of programmers and designers, with nearly half the staff made up of Full Sail graduates. This growth, along with the expansion of their services and current evolution of the industry, led to the rebranding of the company as Purple, Rock, Scissors.

As a local leader of web based solutions including: social media, visual design, interaction design, web development, search engine marketing (SEM), and motion graphics, Purple, Rock, Scissors strives to facilitate the growth of their clients online brand by infusing creativity with consumer compatibility. With this approach, they have built a clientele comprised of both local and national companies including: Coca Cola, Home Depot, EMI, Sony BMG, Orlando Museum of Art, and the award-winning Asbury Park, which received a national Gold Addy.

"During my time at Full Sail, I gained the education needed to build a successful business based on imaginative creativity and applied technical knowledge, which are fundamentals being taught in each of Full Sail's degree programs," said Bobby Jones, Founder and CEO of Purple, Rock, Scissors. "Looking forward, I'm excited for the future of the agency, and as an employer, I'm eager to work with graduates of Full Sail's Web Design and Development program to further our success in the Central Florida area and around the globe."

The agencies most recent local project is for the Downtown Development Board, which includes the creation of a community based social networking site that will help attract businesses, visitors, and locals to check out all that the downtown Orlando area has to offer. After submitting their proposal for the project, Purple, Rock, Scissors was selected from over twenty five other applicants to begin this endeavor in May 2009.

Continue reading Prominent Central Florida Based Digital Agency, Purple, Rock, Scissors, Founded by Full Sail University Graduate.

Frantic Films VFX Battles John Woo's 'Red Cliff'

By Editorial on June 11, 2009 2:32 PM | No TrackBacks

Epic Chinese-Language Film Features Massive Naval Battle Sequence
Comprising 2,500 Boats Populated with an Army of 70,000

Hollywood, CA (June 11, 2009)-Award-winning VFX studio Frantic Films VFX, a
division of Prime Focus Group, has contributed a number of visual effects
shots -- including one of the film's key naval battle scenes-for the John
Woo-directed epic, "Red Cliff." The most expensive Chinese-language picture
ever made, "Red Cliff" is a co-production of China Film Group, South
Korea's Showbox Entertainment, Taiwan's CMC Entertainment group and Japan's
Avex Entertainment, and hits Asian and European theaters in Jan. 2009.

"Red Cliff" is based on the historic Battle of Red Cliffs and other events
during the end of the Han Dynasty and immediately prior to the period of
the Three Kingdoms in ancient China. The film stars such Asian heavyweight
talents as Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Fengyi and many others. In
Asia, the film premieres in theaters in two parts clocking in at four and a
half hours. The first part was released in July 2008 to huge critical
acclaim and box office success, while the second half -- on which Frantic
Films VFX worked -- releases in Asian theaters in January 2009. In Europe
and the US, the two parts of the movie will be condensed into one two and a
half hour film. Release date for the US has not yet been set.

Continue reading Frantic Films VFX Battles John Woo's 'Red Cliff'.

Stan Lim Joins Troika Design Group as Art Director

By Editorial on June 11, 2009 2:29 PM | No TrackBacks

Brings Wealth of Experience as a Creative Lead on Film Titles, Commercials,
Environmental Designs and Network Branding Packages

Hollywood, CA (June 11, 2009)‹Troika Design Group announced that Stan Lim
has joined the strategic branding and design agency as art director, where
he'll play an important role guiding creative on projects within Troika's
collaborative environment. Lim comes to Troika from Imaginary Forces, where
he developed a reputation for artistic rigor, strategic thinking and a
fresh design approach qualities that will soon be put to use on upcoming
work for Troika clients such as ABC and Fox.

"Everyone knows Troika as one of the most established and well-regarded
branding agencies in the industry," said Stan Lim, art director, Troika
Design Group. "This of course was a huge factor in my joining the team, but
what's equally exciting are some new developments taking shape at Troika
that I'm thrilled to be a part of."

Continue reading Stan Lim Joins Troika Design Group as Art Director.

Atlantyca Entertainment Secures Licensing Agreements with Top Italian Manufacturers to Produce Geronimo Stilton Games and Merchandise

By Editorial on June 10, 2009 2:25 PM | No TrackBacks

Editrice Giochi Expands Renewal Deal for Board Games
La Nuova F.A.R.O. to Produce \ Edutainment Toy Products, Furniture, and Accessories

For Immediate Release:

(Milan, Italy)(June 10, 2009)--Italy-based Atlantyca Entertainment has secured licensing agreements with two of Italy's top game manufacturers to produce new games and ancillary products for its famed Geronimo Stilton Classic brand. Atlantyca, the original rights holder on the award-winning international kids' brand, manages all licensing in Italy for the classic Geronimo Stilton kids' chapter book series brand as well as worldwide publishing.

A reflection of a very long standing relationship together, leading (Italian) board game publisher Editrice Giochi has signed a renewal deal to develop new updated games and original games for the Geronimo Stilton classic brand. A re-stylized version of the popular "Scrabble" and "Pictionary " are set for a Christmas 2009 release.

In addition, a further agreement was signed between the two companies to produce dedicated board games for Geronimo Stilton's spin-off brands, the popular fantasy book stories Kingdom of Fantasy and character spin-off Tea Sister.

"Editrice Giochi has an outstanding track record for delivering high-quality and innovative products." We have had a long-history with them and are thrilled to be able to continue a relationship which has had enormous success with such a recognized name in the kids game industry," said Maria Giovanna Gurrieri, Director of Licensing. "This new deal complements our long-term objectives for the brand globally and we look forward to working with them in developing new and refreshed game concepts which are certain to be a hit for all Geronimo fans, old and new!"

The historic La Nuova F.A.R.O. toy company based in Omegna, Italy, known for its extensive line of edutainment toy products, has signed an agreement to produce children's play furniture, accessories, creativity games, arts and crafts all based on the famous Geronimo Stilton character. The products are set for a debut at retail this fall, just in time for back to school.

"La Nuova F.A.R.O. is a perfect fit for our classic brand. We are proud to be working with a company whose reputation for quality products made in Italy matches the reputation of the imaginative and endearing Geronimo Stilton character," said Gurrieri.

Continue reading Atlantyca Entertainment Secures Licensing Agreements with Top Italian Manufacturers to Produce Geronimo Stilton Games and Merchandise.

Kate Blank Joins Breakthrough's Sales and Distribution Arm

By Editorial on June 10, 2009 2:24 PM | No TrackBacks

TORONTO (June 10, 2009) - Toronto-based distribution company, Breakthrough Entertainment has brought in Kate Blank as its new sales executive. The announcement was made today by Nat Abraham, Head of Distribution.

Ms. Blank will be responsible for sales in the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa.

"As Breakthrough Entertainment's wide range of programming continues to increase so does our expansion into international territories and markets," said Mr. Abraham. "Kate's experience, track record and international contacts will make her an invaluable asset to our team and our strategic growth."

Most recently Ms. Blank was a sales executive at Sullivan Entertainment where she handled international sales and worked with broadcasters including NHK/Mico in Japan, Seven Network in Australia, YLE in Finland, TV2 in Denmark and EBS in Korea.

Ms. Blank will be attending the upcoming Discop market, June 16-19, in Budapest. Breakthrough Entertainment will be located at table #30.

FUTURAMA" RETURNS TO PRODUCTION WITH AN INITIAL ORDER OF 26 NEW EPISODES TO PREMIERE MID 2010

By Editorial on June 10, 2009 2:23 PM | No TrackBacks

Emmy Award-Winning Animated Comedy Series Confirmed To Run On COMEDY CENTRAL;
Broadcast Network Run Also Possible
--------

            NEW YORK, June 10, 2009 -- 20th Century Fox Television, the animation powerhouse that brought "Family Guy" back from the dead five years ago, has done it again: Matt Groening and David X. Cohen's brilliantly subversive animated sci-fi comedy "Futurama" will return to production on 26 new half-hour episodes more than six years after the series aired its last original episode. The move comes on the heels of the series' blockbuster performance on DVD and on COMEDY CENTRAL; the announcement was made today by Twentieth Century Fox Television Chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden, and David Bernath, senior vice president, programming for COMEDY CENTRAL.
            "Futurama" was a staple of Fox's Sunday night animation block from 1999 to 2003 before ceasing production on original episodes. In June 2006, COMEDY CENTRAL acquired the rights to the existing 72 episodes of the series, which the channel began airing in January 2008, and four recently-produced extended length "Futurama" adventures: "Bender's Big Score," "The Beast with a Billion Backs," "Bender's Game" and "Into the Wild Green Yonder," which enjoyed enormous success both on COMEDY CENTRAL and in DVD release. This new deal marks the show's return to episodic series production on original episodes. "Futurama" becomes only the second series in the history of the medium to go back into production based on the strength of its DVD sales and repeat airings on cable.
            The new episodes will be available in mid 2010 to be shown on COMEDY CENTRAL. Twentieth Century Fox Television retains the option to license the original runs of the new episodes to a broadcast network.

FIFI FORGET-ME-NOT WILL NOT FORGET JEANS FOR GENES DAY THIS YEAR

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:21 PM | No TrackBacks

- FIFI BECOMES OFFICIAL PRE-SCHOOL AMBASSADOR FOR
JEANS FOR GENES -

Jeans for Genes and Chapman Entertainment, the creators of Fifi and the Flowertots, officially announce denim, dungaree-wearing, Fifi Forget-Me-Not, as the 2009 pre-school ambassador for Jeans for Genes Day on Friday 2nd October.

Jeans for Genes Day is an annual fundraising day in October when millions of children and adults across the UK make a small donation to wear their jeans to work or school. The money raised on Jeans for Genes Day funds vital care and support for children and families affected by genetic disorders, and research into the causes and cures of these conditions.

There are more than five thousand genetic disorders that we currently know about and whilst many of these conditions are extremely rare, research has shown that over half of all childhood deaths are related to a genetic disorder.

Caroline Sharp, Head of Strategic Communications, Jeans for Genes says: "Nurseries and parents with young children are key supporters of the charity so we're thrilled to have Fifi on-board to promote Jeans for Genes Day 2009. With the help of Fifi and her friends we can encourage many more people to take part in the Day and raise vital funds to help change the world for children with genetic disorders."

Greg Lynn, Managing Director, Chapman Entertainment comments: "Fifi is the number one pre-school brand for girls in the UK and we are pleased to work with Jeans for Genes to raise awareness and funding for such a good cause. Fifi loves to wear her denim outfits and we hope she can encourage pre-schoolers across the country to join in the fun on 2nd October for Jeans for Genes Day!"

Fifi and the Flowertots stars the voice of Jane Horrocks as denim wearing Fifi Forget-Me-Not. The hit series launched in 2005 and has become a firm favourite with pre-schoolers across the country. Developed by Bob the Builder originator and designer and developer of Roary the Racing Car, Keith Chapman, the beautifully constructed programmes have brought to life a series of wonderful characters who inhabit an enchanting garden filled world. The fabulous tales of Fifi and the Flowertots have an organic and responsible feel without losing that unstoppable air of fun and games.

Tune in every 'Flowertot Friday' to see the new third series of the popular pre-school programme on Five's Milkshake! at 8.00am, with old favourites appearing weekly on Nick Jr at 2pm and 9.30pm and 6.15pm at weekends.

For more information on Jeans for Genes Day, visit www.jeansforgenes.com. To find out more about Fifi and the Flowertots, please go towww.fifiandtheflowertots.com.
-Ends-

Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF Teams Up with New Broadcasters in Latin America

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:20 PM | No TrackBacks

Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF, the wildly popular kids' TV series, continues to wrestle its way through Latin America, announcing today that it has picked up a new team of broadcasters. TWF will be hitting the airwaves on Cadena Tres in Mexico, RedeTV! in Brazil, Telemundo in Puerto Rico, América TV in Peru, Televisora Hondurena in Honduras, Red Uno in Bolivia, and Ecuavisa in Ecuador. TWF has already found success in Latin America on Cartoon Network, where it will continue to air.

Thumb Wrestling Federation is produced by New York based Animation Collective and distributed in Latin America by Televix Entertainment. With four seasons completed and a fifth season currently in production, TWF has quickly become a global brand, airing on Cartoon Network in the US, BBC in the UK, and YTV in Canada.

"Over the four seasons of Thumb Wrestling Federation that are currently airing, we've seen that the more kids are exposed to the property, the greater their demand for it is," said Larry Schwarz, CEO of Animation Collective and creator of TWF. "These additional broadcast partners will enable us to connect to more fans across Latin America."

The series also airs on Cartoon Network feeds throughout Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. TWF consumer products, ranging from toys to tshirts and socks to sticker albums, are already available in multiple territories, and will be making their way to Latin America this year.

About Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF
The live-action, short-format comedy series is a thumb-sized view of a fictional sports league. With larger than life wrestling personalities, thumb on thumb contact, and two wacky commentators, TWF brings to life the battle between the Mighty Dexteras and the evil Sinistras, a classic good versus evil showdown between 56 original characters. The short-format segments include one-minute wrestler bios, 45-second gags, and three-and-a-half-minute thumb wrestling matches. Viewers can also go to www.thumbwrestlingfederation.com to play games, design their own characters, view exclusive content, and post their own artwork.

About Animation Collective
A leading independent creator of children's entertainment in the U.S., Animation Collective has original content in more than eighty countries and in over fifteen languages on platforms including television, broadband, wireless, books, games and consumer products. Proprietary productions include: Kappa Mikey, MTVN and Nickelodeon's first global acquisition for Nicktoons Network and Nickelodeon; Three Delivery for Nicktoons Network, YTV, Canal+ Family, Nickelodeon Australia, and the BBC; Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF for Cartoon Network in the U.S., Asia, Australia and Spain, YTV and the BBC; and Ellen's Acres for Cartoon Network, TVO, Al Jazeera and ABC TV Australia. Work-for-hire productions include Speed Racer: The Next Generation for Nicktoons Network and Lionsgate Entertainment; Eloise in Africa (direct to video) for HandMade Films and The Incredible Crash Dummies for 4KidsTV. Animation Collective is the largest provider of original content for KOL, America Online's kids channel and Red, its teen channel. Larry Schwarz, the company's founder and CEO, is the creator and executive producer of all its original series.

IMAGE METRICS' FACIAL ANIMATION PUTS THE "BOOM, BOOM, POW" IN NEW BLACK EYED PEAS MUSIC VIDEO

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:18 PM | No TrackBacks

Face Rigging and Animation Fuses Life with Technology for Lead Singers
will.i.am and Fergie in Video Produced by Anna Joseph

LOS ANGELES - June 10, 2009 - Image Metrics, the leading provider of facial animation services and technology to the entertainment industry, has animated futuristic faces of the Black Eyed Peas in the recently released video of lead single, "Boom Boom Pow," from the upcoming album, The E.N.D. Motion Theory, producers of the video, turned to Image Metrics to animate the stars' faces into fluid and metallic alter-egos that add an elegant digital edge to the look of the video.

"The 'Boom Boom Pow' music video evolved significantly as we refined our ideas and developed new techniques, so it was crucial to have a supportive partner like Image Metrics to help us deliver the project on time and on budget," said Mark Kudsi, co-director of the video. "Since Image Metrics doesn't require markers or makeup to produce facial animation, we were able to use footage directly captured from our original shoot, eliminating any lost time from shooting separate effects shots. With the facial animation Image Metrics produced, we were able to achieve the balance of realism and digitalism we wanted for the video."

Continue reading IMAGE METRICS' FACIAL ANIMATION PUTS THE "BOOM, BOOM, POW" IN NEW BLACK EYED PEAS MUSIC VIDEO.

CRUNCHYROLL CONTINUES KADOKAWA TUESDAYS WITH THE LAUNCH OF NEW TITLES-NEVER GIVE UP, SLEEPLESS TOWN, INUGAMI AND ST. JOHN'S WORT

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:13 PM | No TrackBacks

New Titles from Kadokawa Pictures USA on the Number One Online Destination
for Anime and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 9, 2009) -- "Kadokawa Tuesdays" continue on
Crunchyroll with tales of mysterdy, drama, action and the supernatural with
the launch of NEVER GIVE UP, SLEEPLESS TOWN, INUGAMI and ST. JOHN'S WORT.
More information can be found at:
http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Kadokawa_Pictures_Collection
<http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Kadokawa_Pictures_Collection> .

These "Kadokawa Tuesdays" titles are available at 12:00 pm PST today, for
FREE, to all fans and members in the U.S., Canada, American Samoa, United
States Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Island regions.

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL CONTINUES KADOKAWA TUESDAYS WITH THE LAUNCH OF NEW TITLES-NEVER GIVE UP, SLEEPLESS TOWN, INUGAMI AND ST. JOHN'S WORT.

Autodesk Flare: New Visual Effects Software Adopted Around the Globe

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:11 PM | No TrackBacks

San Rafael, June 9, 2009 - Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has announced that
its new Autodesk Flare visual effects software - launched just one month
ago - has been licensed by five post-production companies across three
continents. Flare is a creative companion to Autodesk Flame and Autodesk
Inferno visual effects and compositing software.

Autodesk's visual effects systems have been used to create groundbreaking
entertainment, including Emmy-award-winning television programs and
miniseries such as "John Adams," "Mad Men," "Dexter" and "Entourage."
Autodesk solutions were also used to create Academy Award winner for Best
Visual Effects "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"; animated movies such
as "Monsters vs Aliens," "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" and "Waltz With
Bashir" and many of the most popular 2009 Super Bowl commercials such as
Budweiser "Fetch," Pedigree "Crazy Pets" and General Electric "Scarecrow."

"Autodesk Flare is designed to help our Flame and Inferno customers expand
their businesses and handle more projects," said Autodesk Media &
Entertainment digital entertainment vice president, Stig Gruman. "As a
software-only offering, Flare provides a cost-effective avenue to develop
the next generation of creative talent and is a key building block for more
productive post-production pipelines."

Continue reading Autodesk Flare: New Visual Effects Software Adopted Around the Globe.

CRUNCHYROLL IMPLEMENTS AKAMAI TO ENHANCE DYNAMIC DIGITAL EXPERIENCE OF CONTENT TO ITS CUSTOMERS

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:08 PM | No TrackBacks

Leading online anime distributor inks deal with Akamai to raise the bar for
its users and members

San Francisco, CA (June 9, 2009) -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM),
the leader in powering rich media, dynamic transactions and enterprise
applications online, today announced that Crunchyroll, an online video
service and community that offers full-length episodes and movies of
Japanese anime and Asian entertainment, has implemented Akamai's Media
Delivery solution to increase the speed and quality of its video delivery to
users worldwide while still provide the highest quality of security
available online for content holders of both simulcast and non-simulcast
titles. Akamai is delivering all of Crunchyroll's online video, including
some titles offered in High Definition (HD) streaming online. More
information can be found at: http://www.crunchyroll.com.

Akamai has been pioneering HD video streaming on the Internet for years and
content owners are quickly seizing the opportunity to bring HD content
online. Global publishers and content owners now see the value derived from
delivering online video content in the highest quality possible, including
longer viewing times, more repeat visitors and the ability to attract
premium advertisers.

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL IMPLEMENTS AKAMAI TO ENHANCE DYNAMIC DIGITAL EXPERIENCE OF CONTENT TO ITS CUSTOMERS.

E-on Software Releases Vue 7.5 and Ozone 4.0 Personal Learning Editions!

By Editorial on June 9, 2009 2:06 PM | No TrackBacks

LEARN THE LEADING SOLUTIONS FOR PROFESSIONAL 3D ENVIRONMENTS AT YOUR OWN PACE
June 09, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, maker of the leading solutions for natural 3D
environments, today announced the immediate availability of the Personal Learning Editions (PLE) of
its solutions for professionals, Vue 7.5 xStream, Vue 7.5 Infinite and Ozone 4.0.

Vue 7.5 Personal Learning Edition
Vue 7.5 xStream and Infinite are the industry-leading solutions for the creation, animation,
rendering and integration of natural 3D environments for film, broadcast and architectural
visualization.
While Vue Infinite is a standalone application, Vue xStream operates seamlessly inside of 3ds Max,
Maya, LightWave, Cinema4D and Softimage|XSI.
The Vue 7.5 PLE is a fully functional version of Vue 7.5 xStream/Infinite. With the PLE, users can:
- Create complete projects,
- Save their work and export to other applications,
- Render stills and animations without size/length limit,
- Experience Vue's power directly inside Max/Maya/XSI/LightWave/Cinema4D,
- Learn at their own pace (the PLE never expires)!

Continue reading E-on Software Releases Vue 7.5 and Ozone 4.0 Personal Learning Editions!.

NHK Program Wins Best of Interactive Program Award at Banff

By Editorial on June 8, 2009 2:03 PM | No TrackBacks

TOKYO, June 9, 2009 - The winners of the Rockie Awards were announced at the 30th Banff World Television Festival held in Alberta, Canada. NHK's children's program "BITWORLD-Rescue Toya!" received a Rockie Award in the Immersive Entertainment category which awards interactive and cross-media TV Shows, ad campaigns, or games that demonstrate excellence in the concept, creation and delivery of narrative based participatory content. The program was also selected for the Best of Interactive Program Award which is given to the best program of all submissions in the interactive categories.
Best of Interactive Program Award
Rockie Award in Immersive Entertainment category
BITWORLD-Rescue Toya!
(NHK 2008, 35 min. x 1)
This is a new type of the live entertainment program that proceeds simultaneously on TV and on the Web. The setting is when a boy named Toya leaves Bitworld to rescue Hoomomon but is caught in Xavi's evil trap. Children from all over Japan join forces to rescue Toya. Can they save Toya? Can Toya save the Hoomomon? It all depends on the children's ability to solve the puzzles through the Internet game.

Past wins by NHK at Banff
-The Cyborg Revolution (NHK)
Rockie Award in Popular Science & Natural History Programs (2006)

-Four Wings and a Prayer (Primitive Entertainment Inc. in association with: Filmes a Trois, NFB, NHK)
Rockie Award in Wildlife & Natural History Programs (2008)

About NHK
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) is Japan's sole public broadcaster. Funded entirely by receiving fees from Japanese households, it has a reputation for impartial, high-quality programming. Through its five nationwide TV channels, NHK reaches about 50 million households. Reflecting long experience with HDTV, it makes 90% of its major programs in HDTV. Most of NHK's programs are made available internationally through its affiliate MICO (Media International Corporation).
www.nhk.or.jp/english/

PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES "THE DIGITAL 25: VISIONARIES, INNOVATORS AND PRODUCERS OF 2009"

By Editorial on June 8, 2009 2:02 PM | No TrackBacks

Leaders in Digital Entertainment Honored at the Produced By Conference

PRODUCED BY CONFERENCE, Sony Pictures Studios (June 8, 2009) - The Producers Guild of America (PGA) has announced "The Digital 25: Visionaries, Innovators and Producers of 2009," an honor which recognizes individuals and teams that have made the most significant contributions to the advancement of digital entertainment and storytelling over the past year. The announcement was made by the PGA's New Media Council at the inaugural Produced By Conference at Sony Pictures Studios.

"The Digital 25: Visionaries, Innovators and Producers of 2009" were not ranked - the list was announced in alphabetical order. The honorees, listed alphabetically by company, then by last name, are:
•    Sandy Climan, Steve Schklair, Jon Shapiro, & Peter Shapiro, Co-founders - 3ality Digital
•    Jeff Bezos, CEO - Amazon (Amazon Kindle)
•    Steve Jobs, CEO - Apple computer (iPhone)
•    Henry Selick, Creator/Director - Coraline
•    Alex Albrecht & Kevin Rose, Co-founders - Diggnation
•    Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO - Dreamworks Studios
•    Mark Zuckerberg, CEO - Facebook
•    Seth MacFarlane, founder - Fuzzy Door Productions
•    Jason Kilar, CEO - HULU
•    Roger Guyett (Visual Effect supervisor), Mike Sanders (Digital Supervisor) and Steve Sullivan (CTO) - Industrial Light & Magic
•    Evan Spiridellis & Gregg Spiridellis, Co-founders - JibJab
•    Jason Goldberg & Ashton Kutcher, Co-founders - Katalyst Media
•    Yair Landau, Founder - Mass Animation
•    Tom Anderson & Chris DeWolfe, Co-founders - MySpace
•    Fred Seibert, Creative Director - Next New Networks
•    Shigeru Miyamoto, Video Game Designer - Nintendo
•    James Cameron, Chairman and CEO - Lightstorm Entertainment
•    Ed Catmull (President), Pete Docter (Director of Up), John Lasseter (EVP, Creative), Jim Morris (GM & EVP, Production), Andrew Stanton (Director & VP, Creative) - Pixar Animation Studios
•    Laura Michalchyshyn, President/General Manager - Planet Green
•    Jonathan Kaplan, Founder - Pure Digital
•    Jim Jannard, Founder - RED digital Cinema
•    Sam Houser, founder/director - Rockstar Games
•    Philip Rosedale, Co-founder - Second Life
•    Jack Dorsey, Biz Stone & Evan Williams , Co-founders - Twitter
•    Steve Chen & Chad Hurley, Co-founders - YouTube

Continue reading PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA ANNOUNCES "THE DIGITAL 25: VISIONARIES, INNOVATORS AND PRODUCERS OF 2009".

CRUNCHYROLL CONTINUES STREAMING TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND ADDS THE MARTIAL ARTS THEATRER COLLECTION

By Editorial on June 8, 2009 2:00 PM | No TrackBacks

Leading Content Provider and Distributor of Asian Motion Pictures and
Television Adds More Content on the Number One Online Destination for Anime
and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 8, 2009) -- The number one (1) online destination for
anime and asian content, Crunchyroll and Tai Seng Entertainment continue
streaming the remaining episodes of last week's launched highly popular
modern drama and launches three (3) new titles from the "Martial Arts
Theater" collection. More information can be found at
http://www.crunchyroll.com/publisher/TAI_SENG_ENTERTAINMENT.

Titles that are/will-be-shortly streaming for free on the highly popular and
legal site include:

·      LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES
·      THE DUKE OF THE MOUNT DEER
·      THE SECRET OF TAI CHI
·      SECRET OF THE CHINESE KUNG FU
·      THUNDER KICK

These titles are available to all Crunchyroll fans and members residing in
the U.S., American Samoa, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and
Virgin Islands.

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL CONTINUES STREAMING TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT DRAMAS AND ADDS THE MARTIAL ARTS THEATRER COLLECTION.

CARTOON FORUM, EUROPEAN ANIMATION'S ANNUAL EVENT, LANDS IN NORWAY

By Editorial on June 8, 2009 1:57 PM | No TrackBacks

§    Producers from across Europe will present 63 projects totalling 320 hours of animation and a 155 million EUR budget

§    European animation co-productions continue to gain ground

§    France, Spain, the UK and the Nordic countries present the most projects

Rogaland county in southwest Norway is preparing for the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Cartoon Forum, the annual European rendez-vous to support the co-production, financing and distribution of animation series for television and new media platforms.

From September 22-25 the world of animation will be watching the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes, where producers from across Europe will present the latest generation of European animation series.

This edition of Cartoon Forum will once again be defined by the diversity and quality that sets apart European animation. Of 63 projects presented, 28 are co-productions from two or more countries, confirming the increasing importance of co-productions to develop animation projects across Europe.

Together, the 63 projects contain 320 hours of animation and a total budget of 155 million EUR. France has held on to its leading role with 17 projects followed by Spain and the UK with 12 and 7 respectively. The Nordic countries continue boosting their presence on the European animation stage with 5 projects from Norway, 3 from Denmark, 2 from Finland and 1 from Sweden.

Projects developed in 2D slightly surpass those made in 3D (41% vs. 37%), while projects directed to children between 6 and 9 years old once again make up the majority with 39%. Also worth highlighting is European producers' increasing use of crossmedia formats so that content can be used on Internet, mobile phones or videogames in addition to television screens.

In addition to the presentation of these projects - the main focus of the event - Cartoon Forum Rogaland will also host the Cartoon d'Or 2009 awards for best European animated short film, a prize that has helped promote new sector talent since it was created. The Cartoon Tributes for television - which elects the best producer, broadcaster and investor/distributor of the year - will also be awarded at the event.

Since its creation in 1990, Cartoon Forum has been revered as a springboard for the production of European animation series. Organized by the European Association of Animation Film - CARTOON, the event has helped support European animation both within Europe's borders and abroad. Over 300 projects, with a total budget of more than 1 billion EUR, presented at Cartoon Forum have secured their financing.

With its beautiful landscapes and thousand-year old heritage, Rogaland county will be an ideal setting for this event, which has garnered a reputation as an excellent place to strengthen business relationships in the animation sector. This will be the first time the Cartoon Forum is held in Norway and the fourth time it lands in Nordic countries after the Kolding (Denmark, 2005), Gotland (Sweden, 2000) and Suomi, Turku (Finland, 1995) editions.

The main partners of Cartoon Forum 2009 are the EU MEDIA Programme, the cities of Stavanger and Sandnes, the Ministry of Culture and Church Affairs, the Norwegian Film Institute, Nordisk Film & TV Fond, Innovation Norway and NRK.

TV-Loonland and Gulli TV commission two new Seasons of animated comedy series RAYMOND - Further worldwide deals signed

By Editorial on June 8, 2009 1:55 PM | No TrackBacks

Munich/London, 8 June 2009 - Following successful worldwide sales of the first Season, TV-Loonland and French broadcaster Gulli TV have commissioned a further two brand new Seasons of the hit animated comedy series RAYMOND. This sharp and quirky series is produced by Paris based production company Everybody on Deck, the addition of 52 hilarious new episodes of 7 minutes will complement the existing 26 episodes of the show.

Indeed, the series continues to attract broadcaster interest worldwide with most recent sign-ups being Cartoon Network Japan, Sweden's N°1 commercial Broadcaster TV4 and International Francophone Channel TV5 Monde scooping up broadcast rights for airing in Europe, North Africa, the Orient, Asia, the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The odds may be stacked against him, but Raymond just never gives up! Being a somewhat strange-looking, super self-conscious, and a natural born worrier can make life pretty complicated for an eight-year old - but his gentle quirky nature and wry sense of humour make Raymond both truly unique and totally irresistible.

Olivier Dumont, Managing Director at TV-Loonland: "We are thrilled to support Everybody On Deck in this new venture with the commissioning of not only one but two new Seasons of RAYMOND. With a greater number of episodes we expect sales to grow even more strongly as broadcasters can rely on a steady stream of episodes to fuel strong ratings."

The first season has already been placed with major broadcasters including Canal + and Gulli TV in France, ABC Australia, DR TV Denmark and MNET in South Africa.

TV-Loonland holds worldwide rights for the show targeting kids aged 7 to 10 years.

Top UK animators in export push during World Trade Week UK

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:52 PM | No TrackBacks

A delegation of top UK animation companies looking to expand internationally will showcase their work at the world's biggest animation industry event this week, as part of a government initiative to encourage exports.

The delegation includes Bournemouth University, whose students have already worked on feature films like Shrek and Lord of the Rings, alongside the likes of the Bafta award winning Pesky Productions.

The government's international business development body UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) is supporting the mission to the International Animation Film Festival in Annecy in France.

Annecy will be attended by nearly 200 buyers who are on the lookout for the next big name in animation, as well as hundreds of recognised and emerging creatives, producers, service providers, broadcasters and distributors.

The push coincides with World Trade Week UK, a Government initiative to encourage exports, running from 8th to the 12th June.

UKTI Chief Executive Sir Andrew Cahn said:

"Britain is a world leader in animation. We have internationally renowned expertise across sectors from short film animation, like the Wallace & Gromit series, to the computer generated visual feature film effects showcased in the Harry Potter films.

"Creative industries make a huge contribution to the UK economy, as well as to our culture. This is something that we need to support, and I am delighted that UKTI is helping these companies attend the Annecy Festival. This is the place where animators meet key players in TV, film and advertising and it throws up lots of export opportunities.

"World Trade Week UK is all about exporting which is immensely important for the UK economy. We are very much looking forward to seeing what comes out of this event."

The delegation of 20 British companies has received financial support from UKTI and South West Screen.

South West Screen's chief executive, Caroline Norbury said:

"The South West is known for its thriving animation industry so we're delighted to be involved with such an important event. Attending international markets like Annecy is vital for companies of all sizes - especially in a sector where the UK leads the world, like animation.

"Our partnership with UKTI means we are able to offer support to more companies than ever before to attend this event and we hope that the festival produces some useful new leads for all the companies attending."

GAINAX AND ANIPLEX PRESENTS THE US PREMIER OF GURREN LAGANN THE MOVIE -CHILDHOOD'S END- AT ANIME EXPO® 2009

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:49 PM | No TrackBacks

U.S. Debut of Film to Appear at Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention
Over the 4th of July Weekend

SANTA MONICA, CA (June 4, 2009) - Aniplex announces a partnership with
GAINAX to present the US Premier Screening of GURREN LAGANN the MOVIE
-Childhood's End- at Anime Expo® 2009 the nation's largest anime and manga
convention occurring over the 4th of July week (July 2-5, 2009) at the Los
Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found at
www.gurren-lagann-movie.net/gurren/
<http://www.gurren-lagann-movie.net/gurren/> and www.anime -expo.org.

GURREN LAGANN THE MOVIE - CHILDHOOD'S END - was re-created from the hit
Japanese anime TV series "Gurren Lagann" for theatrical release in Japan and
was broadcasted in the US in 2008 on the SciFi Channel. GURREN LAGANN the
MOVIE -Childhood's End- is the first of two (2) films in which the title's
sequel is currently on theatre screens in Japan.

GURREN LAGANN the MOVIE -Childhood's End- is directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi,
written by Kazuki Nakashima, Animation production by GAINAX (Neon Genesis
Evangelion and FLCL) and shares the creative staff from the franchise TV
series.

Continue reading GAINAX AND ANIPLEX PRESENTS THE US PREMIER OF GURREN LAGANN THE MOVIE -CHILDHOOD'S END- AT ANIME EXPO® 2009.

FilmTecknarna Launches Creative Studio in New York

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:48 PM | No TrackBacks

NEW YORK, NY - June 4, 2009 - FilmTecknarna (www.FilmTecknarna.com), the
legendary storytelling and design house based in Stockholm and serving
commercial clients all over the world, recently announced the company's
expansion to the United States. Under the direction of Executive Producer Bill
Hewes, the initial FilmTecknarna offices will house a full studio in New York
City within the next year, significantly strengthening the company's presence
in the U.S. market. The company will be repped stateside by Judy Wolff (East
Coast), Hilly Reps (Midwest), Reber Covington (West Coast) and Hesty Reps
(Canada).

FilmTecknarna is known for its groundbreaking work, including music videos for
Madonna ('Music') and Franz Ferdinand ('Take Me Out'), high profile ad
campaigns (Absolut, BMW, Boddingtons, Ikea, McDonald's, Hummer, Southern
Comfort) and short films ('Lies,' directed by Jonas Odell, won the Special
Jury Prize for Best International Short Film at this year's Sundance film
festival).

"We have looked forward to deepening our presence in the States for some years
now," says Lars Ohlson, who co-founded FilmTecknarna (with classmates Jonas
Odell and Stig Bergqvist) and now serves as the company's CEO. "We love to
tell compelling stories through unique design, and feel we can do it more and
better by expanding our presence into the US market."

Continue reading FilmTecknarna Launches Creative Studio in New York.

ZDF Enterprises INKS BRAND LICENSING REPRESENTATION DEAL WITH FremantleMedia Enterprises

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:46 PM | No TrackBacks

ZDF Enterprises secured a deal today at the Licensing International Expo with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) under which the latter will represent the new kids' television property The Elephant Princess. Sylvia Brucker, Director Merchandising for ZDF Enterprises brokered the deal with Diana M. Dieckmann, Vice President Licensing, Germany, Eastern, Central & Southern Europe, Fremantle Licensing Germany,. The deal underscores an already successful relationship between the companies as FME represents and has secured licensing deals in publishing, apparel and beauty for H2O: Just Add Water on behalf of ZDF Enterprises.
The Elephant Princess is a 26 x 26 minute fantasy programme with cool kids, special powers, and fun magic for a captivating blend of humour and drama, fantasy and realism. FME will be managing the licensing program in Eastern/Central/Southern Europe across key categories including publishing, retail, apparel, beauty, confectionary, accessories, and interactive.
Produced by multi-award winning Australian producer Jonathan M Shiff, The Elephant Princess premieres in Germany on ZDF and Kika in May 2009. Shiff also produces the hit programme H2O: Just Add Water which won the 2009 Logie Award and was nominated last year for an AFI (Australian Film Institute). The program has been a major success for broadcaster ZDF, distributor ZDF Enterprises (the TV rights have sold to 143 territories worldwide) and licensor FME. Shiff's other successes include the BAFTA winning children's programmes Ocean Girl and Thunderstone and AFI-winning shows Cyber Girl and Wicked Science.
Dieckmann commented on the deal, "I'm really looking forward to working even more with ZDF Enterprises and to expanding our portfolio of children's titles following our recent successes in this genre. The Elephant Princess is a fantastic show with many licensing opportunities."
Sylvia Brucker, Director Merchandising of ZDF Enterprises adds: "We are delighted to further strengthen our partnership with Fremantle Media Enterprises. We are convinced that The Elephant Princess will follow in the successful footsteps of H2O: Just Add Water."

Continue reading ZDF Enterprises INKS BRAND LICENSING REPRESENTATION DEAL WITH FremantleMedia Enterprises.

Cartoon Network Enterprises and Hot Topic Cook Up Chain-Wide Exclusive for Two Tasty Comedy Brands - Chowder and Flapjack

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:44 PM | No TrackBacks

Exclusive Partnership Features Apparel from Now and Zen and Accessories from Loungefly,
Based on Two of Cartoon Network's Hit Original Series

Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) and Hot Topic are serving up a chain-wide retail exclusive for two of the network's top-rated original comedy series, Chowder and Flapjack. The recently-launched program features juniors t-shirts and fashion tops from Now and Zen, the brands' previously-announced apparel partner, as well as a full range of all-new accessories from Loungefly, including totes, key chains and buttons. The two brands, which are featured in Cartoon Network's popular HAR HAR THARSDAYS comedy block on Thursday nights, will be highlighted at all Hot Topic retail locations nationwide as well as on HotTopic.com.
"Hot Topic has been a great long-term partner for Cartoon Network and has had tremendous success launching new programs in the specialty market," said Christina Miller, vice president, CNE. "Chowder and Flapjack are two brands with unique and charming characters that are great fits for the Hot Topic customer, and we're excited to launch this program and build on our success in this space."
Created by C.H. Greenblatt, Chowder chronicles the magical misadventures of a young chef's apprenticeship in the fantastical city of Marzipan where each day is filled with surreal situations and avoiding one disaster after another. During its first season run on Cartoon Network, Chowder was the network's #1 prime-time program among kids 6-11 and boys 6-11 and reached more than 11.5 million kids during its 13 week run, according to Nielsen Media Research. Additionally, with new episodes debuting on Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), the series is the main course to the network's HAR HAR THARSDAYS which airs from 7:30 - 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) each week and provides kids with destination viewing for their favorite comedy series.

Continue reading Cartoon Network Enterprises and Hot Topic Cook Up Chain-Wide Exclusive for Two Tasty Comedy Brands - Chowder and Flapjack.

Michael Madsen voices a different species as Kilowog in Green Lantern: First Flight

By Editorial on June 4, 2009 1:40 PM | No TrackBacks

Perennial movie tough guy Michael Madsen provides the voice of Kilowog, the enforcer with a heart, in Green Lantern: First Flight, the next DC Universe animated original PG-13 movie coming to DVD on July 28, 2009.

Madsen has been cast as the heavy throughout his busy career, gaining widespread acclaim as Mr. Blonde in Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. His lengthy list of credits include roles in films like The Natural, Thelma & Louise, both volumes of Kill Bill, Wyatt Earp, Free Willy, Die Another Day, and Donnie Brasco. He drew rave reviews for the hit cable television series Tilt as poker player Don "The Matador" Everest.

In Green Lantern: First Flight, Madsen brings to animated life the brawny alien character Kilowog, trainer of all Green Lantern recruits. The role should register positively within the fanboy realm, where Madsen has been popular in films such as Sin City and the Species franchise.

Madsen might truly be the hardest working man in show business. According to IMDB, Madsen has 10 films due out this year, and more than two dozen films currently in various stages of production. And while Green Lantern: First Flight was far from Madsen's first voiceover performance, it was his initial foray into feature length animation. Madsen has acted as narrator for several filmed projects, as well as being a vocal presence on some of Sony's best-selling games, including Grand Theft Auto III and Driv3r.

Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new Green Lantern: First Flight in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download day and date, July 28, 2009.

Madsen offered some surprising, honest answers following his recording for Green Lantern: First Flight, providing his thoughts and recollections of acting, the oddities of fan perceptions, sibling rivalries, pumping gas for the stars, and his cleanest definition of Kilowog's favorite word, "poozer."

Please read on ...

Continue reading Michael Madsen voices a different species as Kilowog in Green Lantern: First Flight.

Sam Raimi's Latest Horror Film Taps I.E. Effects

By Editorial on June 3, 2009 1:38 PM | No TrackBacks

Post Facility Delivers Key VFX Shots for Drag Me to Hell
Culver City, CA: June 3, 2009... Director Sam Raimi and visual effects supervisor Bruce Jones recently turned to Culver City-based I.E. Effects to deliver key visual effects sequences for Drag Me to Hell. The horror film, which opened May 29, tells the story of a woman who is subject to a supernatural curse and features stunning visual effects sequences.

David Kenneth, visual effects producer and founder of I.E. Effects, explained that the facility handled some 35 shots in total. "The project called for a lot of character design and animation. We were honored with creating the CG monster for the film - the Lamia," said Kenneth. "Shots like these typically go to much larger facilities, but our previz was so well received that they awarded us the finishing work."

Aaron Kaminar, I.E. Effects' visual effects supervisor and lead artist on Drag me to Hell, explained that "the most challenging shots were the monster scenes, and the sequence in Christine's bedroom. This is a horror movie, so the pacing of the story moves from long, slow sequences, which build suspense, to very fast, impactful moments. While you only see the monster for in brief flashes, those few frames are some of the film's more memorable moments."

Continue reading Sam Raimi's Latest Horror Film Taps I.E. Effects.

GUERILLA FX CREATES ANIMATIONS AND ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS FOR ABC NEWS' "EARTH2100"

By Editorial on June 3, 2009 1:35 PM | No TrackBacks

30 PLUS MINUTES OF ANIMATION ENHANCE TELEVISION EVENT

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - June 03, 2009 - Is our species on an inexorable, suicidal path to extinction? Are we rapidly approaching the end of civilization as we know it? Are we past the point of no return? Experts warn that unless we change course the "perfect storm" of population growth, resource depletion and climate change could wreak havoc on planet Earth. In order to plan for the worst we must anticipate it, and "earth2100," ABC News' unprecedented two-hour television event, which aired in primetime on June 2, 2009 and was hosted by ABC journalist Bob Woodruff, explored possible consequences of human inaction on current and impending issues that threaten our planet.

With 30 plus minutes of animation created by Guerilla FX, projections by leading scientists, historians and economists, a simulated global summit on climate change, audience generated web submissions and some stock footage, the special educated viewers on the state of dystopian Earth in 2015, 2050 and 2100.

Guerilla FX (GFX), the New York-based visual effects, production, post finishing, design and interactive house, designed and executed over 30 minutes of animation from thousands of original illustrations. Sometimes the illustrations stand alone, but often they are animated in combination with footage and still photographs, creating a stunning animated future.

Continue reading GUERILLA FX CREATES ANIMATIONS AND ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS FOR ABC NEWS' "EARTH2100".

BANDAI AMERICA SIGNS ON AS WORLDWIDE TOY LICENSEE FOR MOONSCOOP'S NEW PRESCHOOL SERIES CHLOE'S CLOSET

By Editorial on June 3, 2009 1:32 PM | No TrackBacks

LICENSING EXPO, LAS VEGAS - JUNE 3, 2009 - The MoonScoop Group, one of the leading worldwide family entertainment companies, announced today that it is entering into a worldwide licensing agreement with leading international toy company Bandai America Inc., to become the global toy licensee for the exciting new animated preschool TV series "Chloe's Closet." The deal provides Bandai America with the rights to create certain toys, activity sets & crafts, role-play toys and dress-up sets based on the series, which is scheduled to premiere in early 2010.

"Chloe's Closet" (52 x 11') follows the fun-filled adventures of an adorable, imaginative little girl named Chloe who discovers magical new worlds while playing dress-up in her closet. With each new costume Chloe tries on, she is swept up in a fantastical journey with her best friends, including her constant companion, a security blanket named Lovely Carrot. Chloe's exploits also encourage the audience to celebrate how delightful it is to be a little kid embarking upon a fabulously fun and fearless, anything-can-happen journey.

"We believe 'Chloe's Closet' has the potential to be the next great preschool brand," said Mark Schaffner, Executive Vice President, Toys for Bandai America. "Girls want to be more than princesses and in Chloe's world, she can be an astronaut, a race car driver, a jungle explorer, and much more, creating endless opportunities for toys, dress-up and arts and crafts, as kids seek to extend the fun of these adventures with Chloe and her friends."

Continue reading BANDAI AMERICA SIGNS ON AS WORLDWIDE TOY LICENSEE FOR MOONSCOOP'S NEW PRESCHOOL SERIES CHLOE'S CLOSET.

TV-Loonland appoints new Sales Manager

By Editorial on June 3, 2009 1:30 PM | No TrackBacks

Munich/London, 03 June 2009 - TV-Loonland has appointed Barbora Sopkova as Sales Manager for TV & Home Entertainment distribution. Based out of our London office, Barbora will take up her new post with immediate effect.

Barbora joins TV-Loonland from Classic Media Inc (formerly Entertainment Rights) where she previously held the position of Territory Manager for Central & Eastern Europe. Reporting to Loonland´s Head of International Distribution, Justine Bannister, Barbora will be responsible for driving TV and Home Entertainment sales of Loonland´s extensive portfolio within Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, Benelux, Greece, Turkey, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia (excl. Japan).

Additional responsibilities include working together with Loonland´s Head of Licensing & Merchandising, Bernd Conrad, on the placement of licensing agents for the key brands in the aforementioned territories.

Justine Bannister, Head of International Distribution, commented: "We are absolutely delighted that Barbora is joining us at TV-Loonland. She has extraordinary talent and proven skills and will be a valuable addition to our sales force. We are confident in her ability to increase revenue considerably for all of our key and catalogue titles across all of these territories.

Barbora Sopkova added: "I am thrilled to be on board at TV-Loonland and look forward to be representing their diverse portfolio, with shows suitable for each business partner across all territories. From sweet pre-school animation to hilarious Manga shows, TV-Loonland's creativity and dynamism in producing new and innovative shows will ensure that the group continues to grow and develop as one of the leading players in the animation business."

Barbora will be attending DISCOP EAST in Budapest, Hungary from 16th until 19th June (please come visit her at stand B 28).

REAL JAPANESE ROCK ARRIVES IN THE U.S. WITH SUMMER MUSIC TOUR FEATURING J-ROCK TITANS ... VAMPS

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 1:27 PM | No TrackBacks

Mercer Street Music America Brings Celebrated J-Rock Group Formed by
L'Arc-en-Ciel Front Man HYDE and Oblivion Dust's Guitar Virtuoso K.A.Z
Launches the VAMPS Live 2009 U.S. Tour

Los Angeles, California and Tokyo, Japan (June 2, 2009) -- Mercer Street
Music America is launching the VAMPS LIVE 2009 U.S.A. TOUR, a live concert
tour for all lovers of great Japanese music, on both U.S. coasts beginning
this July and ending in early August for three and a half weeks of radical
and psychedelic rock and roll starring J-Rock legends HYDE (L'Arc-en-Ciel)
on vocals and guitar and K.A.Z (Oblivion Dust) on guitar. Success in the
U.S. music scene a long standing passion of HYDE's, this VAMPS LIVE 2009
U.S.A. TOUR has been in planning even before VAMPS inception a year and a
half ago. You can see evidence of HYDE's forethought in the upcoming
release of VAMPS self-titled debut album which contains a numerous songs all
in English. Don't miss VAMPS LIVE 2009 U.S.A. Tour. Tickets are available
via Ticketmaster (www.ticketmaster.com <http://www.ticketmaster.com> ) and
Live Nation (www.livenation.com <http://www.livenation.com> ). More
information can be found on the VAMPS official website at www.vampsxxx.com
<http://www.vampsxxx.com> .

Continue reading REAL JAPANESE ROCK ARRIVES IN THE U.S. WITH SUMMER MUSIC TOUR FEATURING J-ROCK TITANS ... VAMPS.

ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES EARTHIAN, YOUSEI JIKEN, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 AND LOVELESS MANGA ARTIST/CHARACTER DESIGNER AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 1:26 PM | No TrackBacks

Manga Illustrator and Character Designer Yun Kouga to Attend Nation's
Largest Anime and Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (June 2, 2009) -- Revered manga artist, Ms. Yun Kouga, is
announced today as an official Anime Expo® 2009 Guest of Honor for the
nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los
Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website
www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

Ms. Kouga debuted as a manga artist in 1985 and has worked on notable titles
such as "Earthian" and "Yousei Jiken", she has also garnered international
praise and acclaim for her current series "Loveless". Ms. Kouga is also the
character designer for the highly popular anime MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00.

Ms. Kouga joins Hiroyuki Imaishi, Daisuke Ishiwatari, Yosuke Kuroda,
Toshimichi Mori, Toshiyuki Morikawa, Morning Musume, Yasuhiro Nightow,
Atsushi Nishigori, Satoshi Nishimura and Kari Wahlgren as official Anime
Expo® 2009 Guests of Honor.

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES EARTHIAN, YOUSEI JIKEN, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 00 AND LOVELESS MANGA ARTIST/CHARACTER DESIGNER AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR.

CRUNCHYROLL TO STREAM KADOKAWA PICTURES USA TITLES A LUSTFUL MAN, ALL MIXED UP, THE INUGAMI FAMILY AND THE QUIET DUEL TODAY

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 1:25 PM | No TrackBacks

New Titles from Kadokawa Pictures USA Collection on the Number One Online
Destination for Anime and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 2, 2009) -- Kadokawa Pictures USA continue to stream
new titles from the Kadokawa Pictures USA Collection on Crunchyroll with
tales of insatiable pursuits of love, mystery, horror and drama. More
information can be found at:
http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Kadokawa_Pictures_Collection
<http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Kadokawa_Pictures_Collection> .

These Kadokawa Pictures USA titles are available at 12:00 pm PST today, for
FREE, to all fans and members in the U.S., Canada, American Samoa, United
States Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Virgin Island regions.

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL TO STREAM KADOKAWA PICTURES USA TITLES A LUSTFUL MAN, ALL MIXED UP, THE INUGAMI FAMILY AND THE QUIET DUEL TODAY.

HIT ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS WITH PLEASURECAST ON NEW 'THOMAS TOWN' ATTRACTION IN JAPAN

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 1:23 PM | No TrackBacks

2 June 2009, International Licensing Show Las Vegas - HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent producers and rights owners of children's entertainment and Pleasurecast, the Attractions division of Bandai Namco Group, a leading attractions operator in Japan, are set to launch the country's first Thomas Town attraction in Shinmisato.

Located within a brand new shopping centre adjacent to Shin-Misato Station, Thomas Town Shinmisato is approximately 45 minutes from Tokyo Station. Thomas Town has five themed zones including English Market Place that serves as the heart of the attraction and is the main zone for themed events such a mini-live stage shows and carnival events. This fully immersive experience also offers children the special use of Thomas & Friends currency to pay for rides and games throughout Thomas Town.

Thomas Town Shinmisato will also feature:

Attraction Zone that will feature a Thomas & Friends dark ride and a Cranky play structure.
An Educational and Craft Area with a library and activity area for boys and girls.
Café and Museum that offers a quintessentially English setting for mothers to relax.
A Thomas Retail shop including exclusive Thomas Town merchandise and imported product.

Continue reading HIT ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS WITH PLEASURECAST ON NEW 'THOMAS TOWN' ATTRACTION IN JAPAN.

CRUNCHYROLL PARTNERS WITH NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST ASIAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTOR AND CONTENT PROVIDER TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:42 AM | No TrackBacks

Leading Content Provider and Distributor of Asian Motion Pictures and
Television Series to Stream on the Number One Online Destination for Anime
and Asian Entertainment

San Francisco, CA (June 1, 2009) -- The number one (1) online destination for
anime and asian content, Crunchyroll, strikes a deal with North America's
largest asian entertainment distributor and content provider, Tai Seng
Entertainment, to begin streaming their highly popular modern dramas, kung
fu series, celebrity shows and beauty pageants starting today. More
information can be found at
http://www.crunchyroll.com/publisher/TAI_SENG_ENTERTAINMENT.

Titles that are/will-be-shortly streaming on the highly popular and legal
site include:

·      LEGEND OF THE CONDOR HEROES
·      THE DUKE OF THE MOUNT DEER
·      CHISEEN
·      MISS HONG KONG PAGEANT 2008
·      MR HONG KONG CONTEST 2008

Continue reading CRUNCHYROLL PARTNERS WITH NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST ASIAN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRIBUTOR AND CONTENT PROVIDER TAI SENG ENTERTAINMENT.

ArtVPS launches Shaderlight heralding new age in interactive rendering

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:41 AM | No TrackBacks

New Shaderlight rendering plug-in for 3ds Max enables fundamental changes to be made to key image attributes at any stage in the rendering process

ArtVPS has made Shaderlight, its revolutionary new interactive rendering technology, available for free download. Shaderlight promises to deliver massive productivity and creativity improvements over traditional ray-trace rendering engines. Shaderlight 0.1 is a plug-in for 3ds Max, the leading 3D modelling tool from Autodesk, and is free to download at www.artvps.com. Early adopters of the technology will be encouraged to help shape the software by becoming part of the Shaderlight online community (www.artvps.com/content/discuss) and providing valuable feedback during the key final phase of product development.

Shaderlight is a physically based ray-trace renderer that for the first time enables 3D artists and visualisation specialists to make changes to key image attributes at any stage of the rendering process - even on production quality images - without having to restart the render. Providing a greater level of creative freedom than traditional rendering techniques, Shaderlight enables users to not only see the progressive refinement of a scene when objects or camera angles are altered but also allows them to make interactive changes to materials, environments, lights and textures (the MELT elements) on full quality 3D images. Shaderlight also includes a new approach to global illumination (GI), which enables light, colour and intensity to be updated on screen without the need to re-render.

"As a CG artist I often have to work with clients who have no real idea of how long even the slightest change to an image can take to re-render," says Olaf Finkbeiner, CGI operator at Mainworks GmbH Germany and a member of the Shaderlight Product Steering Committee. "The ability to make changes to materials or environments on a final image would save us days of re-rendering and in this industry time is money."

Michael Lawson, CTO at ArtVPS adds: "This is an exciting time for everyone at ArtVPS. After 18 months of hard work we are delighted to launch Shaderlight 0.1. Shaderlight stands to fundamentally change the way 3D artists and visualisation specialists go about generating images. At the heart of the development has been the user's experience and we believe that the time and cost savings that Shaderlight will bring are invaluable in terms of improving efficiency and project turnaround. CG professionals need never compromise on the quality of their final output again."

Shaderlight 0.1 is available now as a free download from www.artvps.com, where users can also share feedback, both with each other and with the ArtVPS development team.

Ends.

Spike Spencer to Voice the Character of Shinji in EVA 1.0

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:41 AM | No TrackBacks

LOS ANGELES, CA (PRWEB)- May 29TH - It has been announced that Spike Spencer is to revise his role as the voice of the character Shinji in the English dubbed version of Evangelion 1.0.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, as the film is officially titled, is a 2007 Japanese animated film written by Hideaki Anno. It is the first of four films released in the Rebuild of Evangelion, a tetralogy based on the original anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. Hideaki Anno wrote the first movie and is the general director and manager for the entire project. It was produced and co-distributed by Anno's Studio Khara in partnership with Gainax.

The English voice project was completed late last year in 2008 and was kept under wraps by FUNimation studios in Dallas, Texas. The dubbing was done under the guidance of veteran Director and Voice Actor Mike Mc Farland and stayed true to the concepts and character of the original series. The official announcement was made at Anime Boston over the Memorial Day weekend. Spike made his own personal announcement at the Animazement convention in North Carolina the same weekend to loud cheers of support and excitement. FUNimation's website currently lists November 10, 2009 as the film's release date.

The plot is an adaptation of episodes one through six of the original series containing some new or omitted scenes, some with newly-available 3D CG technology. Hideaki Anno himself called it a "faithful remake of the original series". The next in the series is Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance. No word has been given as to whether Spike will continue to be the defining voice of the uber emotionally distraught lead character, and he probably couldn't tell you if he was, but it is hoped that he will continue on in subsequent parts of this series.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone received the 2008 Tokyo International Anime Fair award for anime of the year and Anno received best director. The film was also nominated for Animation of the year at the 2008 Japan Academy Prize. The film also won the Harayasa Tōkaimura Award at the 7th Annual Japanese Otaku Awards on January 5, 2008.

ABOUT SPIKE SPENCER: An accomplished actor, Spike Spencer has worked onscreen with such notable stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Frank Langella, Tia Carrere, and Scott Glenn.

In the realm of voice acting he has voiced hundreds of episodes of Anime including Evangelion, Spriggan, Nadesico, Mar, Pre Tear, Code Geass 2, Buso Renkin and Bleach as well as numerous video games including World of Warcraft-The Burning Crusades, Tales of Vesperia, Trauma Center, Steambot Chronicles, and Star Ocean 2. Spike has lent his voice to many radio and television commercials and campaigns.

Spike is also an author/screenwriter and is in pre-production on his first feature film that he scripted, "Dwindle Down." Learn more about Spike at www.worldospike.com and at www.myspace.com/spikespencerfrickingenius.

ANIME EXPO® 2009 PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS FOR HOTELS

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:39 AM | No TrackBacks

Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Provides Updated Information for
Hotel/Shuttle Wristband Policy

Anaheim, California (May 29, 2009) -- To better serve attendees within the
Anime Expo® 2009 room blocks, several hotels have lowered their room rates
just for individuals that are registering within official convention hotels
for the nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the
website at www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

Individuals that have already confirmed rooms at these hotels within the
official Anime Expo® 2009 room blocks will automatically receive these
discounts for the lower room rates.

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® 2009 PROVIDES ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS FOR HOTELS.

MICHEL MONIER, NEW INTERNATIONAL LICENSING DIRECTOR AT BRB

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:36 AM | No TrackBacks

BRB Internacional has the pleasure to announce the incorporation of Michel Monier as its new International Licensing Director. Under his supervision and in coordination with the Co-production and Sales Department, the development of style scripts, agent selection and contract management in the multinational sphere, among other duties, will be carried out. Michel comes to BRB with a thick merchandising dossier from many outstanding companies -- Toei Animation, The Licensing Company and Carrere Group, just to name a few - and will be formally be named to his new post at the upcoming Licensing Show in Las Vegas and at Brand Licensing Europe in London.

Michel Monier will head BRB's international licensing team with the firm intention of amply developing the company's catalogue in different countries. In fact, he is already working on boosting the performance of several properties, among them:
The Secret Life of Suckers: the avant-garde cartoon series offering an original X-ray of life itself, starring Art Toy dolls living in cars.
Iron Kid: Currently being aired in open-broadcasts in the US as Eon Kid and a sure bet for strong licensing possibilities because of its success in so many different countries.
Bernard: the famous polar bear who has just come out with his third TV season at the same time that his first TV movie and a stereoscopic feature film for theater viewing with 3D glasses are in the works.
The Imp: The most diabolical animated series on TV whose evil protagonist is bent on flooding every nook and cranny the world over with merchandising.
Angus& Cheryl: The blow-you-away slapstick comedy determined to fill the world with colors - happy blues and pinks - and sounds, like the ones in videogames.

For more information:
Yolanda Muñoz (PR - BRB Internacional)
E-mail: Yolanda@brb.es Ph. + 34 91 77 11 400, + 34 91 77 11 497

BRB Internacional: An international company founded in Spain with more than 35 years experience in the production, distribution and licensing of high quality television programmes. BRB's animated series have been seen around the world, and characters such as David the Gnome, Dogtanian and Willy Fog are widely recognised as classics since back in the '80s. Currently BRB is producing innovative and branded series through the development of its Catalan studio Screen 21 using the latest techniques in design and CG technology - including such successful brands like Bernard, Iron Kid, The Imp, Angus&Cheryl, Papawa, Khuda-Yana or The Secret Life of Suckers. In the field of licensing, the company manages aside of all BRB's titles an impressive catalogue which includes the Cartoon Network's properties for Spain and Portugal (The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's, Ben 10, Bakugan, ...), MGM (Pink Panther), Storm Hawks (Nerd Corps), Dibo and other brands like, Death Note. For more information, see: www.brb.es

BRB TO PRESENT NEW "BERNARD" AT DISCOP 2009

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:35 AM | No TrackBacks

Third season of successful cartoon series -- with first TV movie in the works -- now available

BRB International will attend next month's DISCOP in Budapest with a few new twists in its catalogue. Among them are the new adventures of the most famous polar bear on TV: first, the smash hit TV series Bernard is set for its third season and, second, our amiable buddy will premiere his first TV movie My friend Bernard which will also come out in a special DVD edition.

The third season of Bernard consists of 52 episodes starring the most original bear on TV, always trying to stay in shape by exercising, putting himself to the test in an attempt to live a healthy life with a balanced diet. The complete series, featuring the misfortunes of our friendly protagonist who travels around the world without a clue about the rules governing anything, is available in two formats, which also allows for the grouping of these 3D Hi-Def side-splitting sketches without dialogue into thematic blocks.

Already a TV phenomena on a global level, Bernard just keeps on being added to catalogues belonging to major companies in over 50 countries around the world: Al Jazzera in the Middle East, Soyuz in Russia, HBO in Eastern Europe, Canal Once, in Mexico, Canal Futura, in Brazil, MTV en New Zealand and U TV in Rumania are just some of the most recent. Now, the series' creators are immersed in the production of a spectacular TV movie titled My friend Bernard in which Bernard and the young Sam - a shy young lad who's afraid of just about everything - are going to have the funnest adventure of their lives.

FUNimation Entertainment, Toei Animation, Shueisha and Fuji Television Announce Online Simulcast of One Piece

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:34 AM | No TrackBacks

Anime Leaders to Stream Episodes of Popular Anime Series Immediately Following Japanese Television Debut

Flower Mound, Texas - May 28, 2009 -- FUNimation® Entertainment and the Japanese powerhouse consortium of producer Toei Animation Co., Ltd., publisher Shueisha, Inc. and broadcaster Fuji Television Network, Inc. have entered into an agreement giving the American anime leader exclusive rights to the U.S. and Canadian online simulcast of the studios' signature animated series "One Piece".

Starting Saturday, May 30th at 9:00 p.m. CDT, just one hour after airing in Japan, FUNimation and the consortium will stream the first, free, professionally-produced, accurately English-subtitled "One Piece" series episode beginning with episode 403 via the official One Piece website www.onepieceofficial.com followed soon thereafter by FUNimation partner sites.

Each new episode of the current season will be rolled out weekly as "One Piece" continues its Japanese television run.

In addition, beginning Thursday, May 14th FUNimation will stream episodes from the Sabaody Archipelago Saga story arc starting with episode 391. FUNimation will also offer both its produced uncut, English-tracked and English-subtitled adaptations of the hugely successful series beginning with the first episode.

Continue reading FUNimation Entertainment, Toei Animation, Shueisha and Fuji Television Announce Online Simulcast of One Piece.

ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES LEGENDARY JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:33 AM | No TrackBacks

Legendary Seiyuu Toshiyuki Morikawa to Attend Nation's Largest Anime and
Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (May 28, 2009) -- Anime Expo® 2009 will be the place to
be this fourth of July weekend as legendary and world re-known Japanese
voice actor (seiyuu) of Anime and video games, Toshiyuki Morikawa, is
announced as one of the official Anime Expo® 2009 Guest of Honor for the
nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los
Angeles Convention Center. More information can be found on the website
www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES LEGENDARY JAPANESE VOICE ACTOR AS AN OFFICIAL GUEST OF HONOR.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES A GAME FRANCHISE BASED ON THE LORD OF THE RINGS LITERARY AND FILM LIBRARY AND FIRST FRANCHISE TITLE "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: ARAGORN'S QUEST"

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:32 AM | No TrackBacks

FRANCHISE PLANS INCLUDE GAMES ACROSS MULTIPLE GENRES AND PLATFORMS

Burbank, Calif. - May 28, 2009 - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced a long-term partnership with The Saul Zaentz Company and New Line Productions, Inc. for literary and film rights to develop and publish games based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As part of the game franchise, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment will publish multiple games across many genres designed to appeal to a wide range of unique gamers, including hard-core RPG fans and families. The first game will be The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, a new third-person action adventure videogame offering an authentic gameplay experience based on The Lord of the Rings that all ages can play together on Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PlayStation®2 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system in Fall 2009.

"The Lord of the Rings franchise is world renowned for its captivating adventures, and we are creating new experiences in the game space designed to appeal to a wide array of consumer tastes from core to casual," said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is the first of many different types of games we will be developing with the film and literary rights. It is also the first game allowing kids and their families to interact in their favorite locations and stories from The Lord of the Rings with accessible gameplay."

"We are looking forward to continuing The Lord of the Rings' amazing legacy with new videogames that capture and expand upon elements from the trilogy," said Fredrica Drotos, Business Affairs, The Saul Zaentz Company. "The first title with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, is set in a colorful, action-filled rendition of Middle-earth that will appeal to new and dedicated fans."

Continue reading WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES A GAME FRANCHISE BASED ON THE LORD OF THE RINGS LITERARY AND FILM LIBRARY AND FIRST FRANCHISE TITLE "THE LORD OF THE RINGS: ARAGORN'S QUEST".

eyeon Fusion used extensively on Dragonball: Evolution

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:31 AM | No TrackBacks

Toronto: May 28, 2009... Fusion, the award-winning compositing application from eyeon Software, played a key role in creating the visual effects for Twentieth Century Fox's Dragonball: Evolution, directed by James Wong.

Winnipeg-based Frantic Films VFX contributed 334 visual effects shots to the film, with VFX supervisors Chad Wiebe and Mike Shand overseeing the work from the company's Vancouver and Winnipeg facilities, respectively.

According to Wiebe, "Frantic has had a working relationship with eyeon Software for nearly 10 years. I've been here nearly that long and have used Fusion almost exclusively. Fusion works really well from a production standpoint. It enables artists to share tools and ideas among multiple offices. Tools from within a Fusion comp can be copied out in an XML format, and sent through email to quickly share ideas."

Dragonball: Evolution is based on the　popular Japanese comic book series created by Akira Toriyama, whose work spawned best-selling graphic novels, video games, and a phenomenally successful television series.　 The　live-action adventure centers on a team of warriors, each of who possesses special abilities. Together, they protect Earth from a force bent on　dominating the Universe and controlling the mystical objects from which the film takes its name.

Continue reading eyeon Fusion used extensively on Dragonball: Evolution.

DECODE ENTERPRISES BOOSTS PRESCHOOL SLATE WITH MORE ANIMAL MECHANICALS

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:30 AM | No TrackBacks

Top-rating Halifax Film-produced series commissioned for Season III
and home entertainment deal signed

Toronto, 28 May 2008. Leading kids and family entertainment specialist DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., is set to bolster its slate of dynamic preschool entertainment following a CBC commission for an additional 15x11' episodes of Animal Mechanicals from DHX production subsidiary Halifax Film.

In further deals, DECODE Enterprises has scored a home entertainment deal with Phase 4 Films for English and French-speaking Canada with launch set for Fall this year, and TG4 Ireland joins a number of major international broadcasters airing the series, picking up Seasons I and II (40x11').

Animal Mechanicals is one of CBC's top-rating preschool shows and also scores high ratings around the world on Disney Channels in the UK and Asia; Radio-Canada, Discovery Latin America, Romania's HOP, EBS in Korea; Al-Jazeera Children Channel and Prava I Prevodi, who acquired the title for Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro. DECODE Enterprises will be at the Licensing Show in June looking to build on the television success by extending the brand into licensing and merchandising.

Continue reading DECODE ENTERPRISES BOOSTS PRESCHOOL SLATE WITH MORE ANIMAL MECHANICALS.

NELVANA ENTERPRISES UNLOCKS TY'S TOY BOX IN CANADA

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:28 AM | No TrackBacks

Online Marketplace to Open in Fall 2009

(May 27, 2009 - LICENSING EXPO - Las Vegas, Nevada) - Corus Entertainment Inc.'s Nelvana Enterprises and Ty's Toy Box, a Brand Performance company, have teamed up to open a one-of-a-kind branded online retail marketplace in Canada. Set to launch this fall, the retail website, www.TysToyBox.ca, will be a complement to Ty's Toy Box successful U.S.-based site, but will focus exclusively on merchandise featuring characters from shows that air on Corus Kids' Treehouse and YTV channels, including The Backyardigans and Max & Ruby.

Under the agreement, the site will sell merchandise based on Nelvana Studio productions, as well as from other content partners whose shows broadcast on Treehouse and YTV, such as Nickelodeon (The Backyardigans) and Chorion. Like the Ty's Toy Box U.S. site, which offers over 10,000 TV and movie character licensed products that are often hard to find at other retail locations, the Canadian site will list merchandise by brand for quick recognition and easy accessibility by shoppers. Items for sale will include toys, home furnishings, stationery, apparel and giftware.

"This deal represents the first time that Ty's Toy Box has offered an online retail experience in Canada under one all-encompassing television brand," said Mark Northwood, Vice President, Worldwide Licensing, Nelvana Enterprises. "The agreement will exemplify our various partnerships as products will be sold from different content partners who have recognized the benefits of strategically aligning themselves with Corus Kids in Canada in areas such as merchandise licensing, home entertainment and live stage shows."

"When it comes to children's television entertainment in Canada, there is no better content partner than Corus, and we are thrilled to be working with them to launch our retail presence in Canada," said Ty Simpson, CEO of Brand Performance, parent company for Ty's Toy Box. "This partnership will leverage Corus' expertise in children's licensed character products and our unique knowledge and capabilities in building brands and retail programs online to create the largest kids online marketplace in Canada."

About Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. The company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, CosmoTV, VIVA, Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

About Ty's Toy Box, LLC
Ty's Toy Box, LLC (www.TysToyBox.com) is a leading multi-channel e-tailer of licensed character brands, specializing in the creation, management, marketing and fulfillment of comprehensive, dedicated marketplaces that carry the full breadth of officially licensed product available for each brand. One of the Brand Performance companies, TysToyBox.com has been responsible for launching breakthrough entertainment brands and cultural favorite classic characters online via its toy and merchandise stores, becoming a leading e-tail destination for character fans worldwide. Currently, TysToyBox.com features such popular brands as Yo Gabba Gabba™, Super Why!™, Curious George™, Wow Wow Wubbzy™, Care Bears™, Ben 10™, Barney™, Caillou™, Max & Ruby™ and others. For more information, visit the corporate site at www.BrandPerformance.com

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E-on Software Ships Vue 7.5

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:27 AM | No TrackBacks

ADDS V-RAY COMPATIBILITY, PLANETARY RENDERING, CAMERA MAPPING, CLOUD ALPHA

May 27, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, maker of Vue, the leading solutions for natural 3D environments, today announced the immediate availability of Vue 7.5 xStream and Vue 7.5 Infinite, the company's latest release of its professional solutions for the creation, animation and rendering of natural 3D environments.

E-on software also released a Vue 7.4 update for all Vue 7 products (including Esprit, Pro Studio and Complete, its products for artists). This update adds new functionality to Vue 7 and is available at no cost for all Vue 7 users (the complete list of improvements and new features is available at
www.e-onsoftware.com/update).

New features of Vue 7.5

Vue xStream and Vue Infinite are the company's professional solutions for the creation, animation and rendering of natural 3D environments. While Vue Infinite is a standalone application, Vue xStream operates seamlessly inside of 3ds Max, Maya, LightWave, Cinema4D and Softimage|XSI. Specifically designed for graphics professionals, these products combine a multitude of cutting edge features that easily integrate into existing production pipelines.

Continue reading E-on Software Ships Vue 7.5.

2009 Design Scholarship Challenge Announced

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:26 AM | No TrackBacks

Aspiring graphic designs students compete for $25,000 tuition scholarship and a chance to work on a DC Comics marketing campaign

Aspiring graphic designers have until June 8 to submit entries to the "2009 Design Scholarship Challenge" to compete for the national prize, an opportunity to work with DC Comics on an upcoming marketing campaign for "Absolute Justice" and a $25,000 tuition scholarship to one of the sponsoring design schools. Hopefuls should submit entries to one of the schools which are: the 11 International Academy of Design & Technology (Academy) campuses, located in Chicago, Detroit, Las Vegas, Online Campus, Orlando, Sacramento, San Antonio, Schaumburg (IL), Seattle, Nashville, and Tampa; as well as Brooks Institute, Brown College, Collins College, and Harrington College of Design.

The first round of judging will be conducted by a panel of faculty and employees at each local campus and winners will be selected by June 19, 2009. The final round will be conducted by a national panel including representatives from DC Comics. The National Winner will be announced in July at San Diego Comic-Con 2009.

"A local winner will be selected from each campus and all 15 will receive a $5,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice plus a three-day, two-night expense-paid trip to San Diego to attend Comic-Con 2009 where the national winner will be named and will receive an additional $20,000 tuition scholarship to the sponsoring school of their choice," said Tom McNamara, senior vice president, Art & Design group of Career Education Corporation. "This is an opportunity to experience the real world of graphic design with all of its challenges. The entry requirements are demanding, but the rewards will jump start the education and future careers of several talented students."

The contest is open to legal residents of the United States who will graduate from high school or receive a GED between January 1, 2006 and July 31, 2010. The contest application, along with detailed instructions is available at www.visualdiner.com. See rules for full eligibility requirements. Void where prohibited.

Participants must submit original designs for a print and an online advertisement for the "Absolute Justice" graphic novel, full of some of the most popular DC Comic characters, along with a completed detail sheet which includes a short inspiration statement. Local winners will receive a second creative brief and specifications for an as yet-to-be released DC Comics publication and must present a second set of a print and an online advertisement to a panel of judges at Comic-Con 2009. In addition to the finished print and online advertisements, local winners must also submit a binder on their design process including a written summary of people contacted for information about the project and the advice they provided, sketches, illustrations, photographs or digital images of the project as it evolved from concept to completion, a summary of influences on your entry and a written summary of your overall concept.

"This is more than a scholarship competition," McNamara said. "It's an opportunity to gain experience and exposure in the world of graphic design and to test your hand in a rewarding and exciting line of work.

DePaul Student Films to Shine on the Big Screen

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:25 AM | No TrackBacks

Digital Cinema Festival Moves to Historic Portage Theater

DePaul University's College of Computing and Digital Media will present the
fourth annual DePaul Digital Cinema Premiere IV Film Festival on Friday, June
5, at Chicago's historic Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave. Featuring
the best in student filmmaking, the program is free to DePaul students,
faculty and staff ($10 for other filmgoers) and will screen narrative,
experimental, music-video and documentary pieces.
Being held for the first time at the 1,321-seat Portage Theater, the festival
will showcase nearly a dozen of DePaul's best student-produced films. To
view highlights and clips from previous year's festivals, visit the School of
Cinema and Interactive Media on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/r2kt5h.
DePaul's Digital Cinema program represents a convergence of cinema,
technology, animation and gaming. The groundbreaking program offers two
bachelor's degree and two graduate degree tracks, while allowing students to
explore the multiple formats of visual storytelling that are available to artists
in the digital age.

The School of Cinema and Interactive Media is part of DePaul's College of
Computing and Digital Media (CDM). With 1,898 master's-level students and
1,260 undergraduate students currently enrolled, DePaul's CDM is one of the
largest of its kind in the nation and has evolved in the past two decades into
an interdisciplinary college with a broad range of innovative programs. In the
past three years, alone, more than $1.3 million has been invested into state-
of-the-art labs, facilities and specialized equipment for the college.

For more information on the DePaul Digital Cinema Premiere IV Film Festival,
including a list of films, call (312) 362-8714. For more information on digital
cinema and other digital arts majors at DePaul, visit http://www.cim.depaul.edu">www.cim.depaul.edu.

YOSUMIN! LIVE FOR XBOX LIVE ARCADE AND YOSUMIN! FOR WINDOWS PC AVAILABLE TODAY

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:24 AM | No TrackBacks

LOS ANGELES (May 27, 2009) - Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America announced today that both Yosumin!™ LIVE for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Yosumin! for Windows PC are now available globally via Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and Windows PC content digital distribution sites including STEAM® and Big Fish Games®.

Yosumin! LIVE and Yosumin! are the latest renditions of the innovative puzzle game Yosumin, previously released only for the Japanese market. Players must give a colorful panel of yosumin a sweeping glance, locate a square or rectangle with four corners of the same color and click on the corresponding yosumin to make them disappear. Enjoy an engaging puzzle-game experience just by following these simple rules.

While the basic rules and system remain the same, the latest releases include unique modes specific to each platform version. In the Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 version, players can compete against the computer or with friends, and when online, with other players around the world. In the Windows PC version, players can collect pieces of stained glass as they clear the puzzles in the "Yosumin! Adventure mode," enjoying the best of both the puzzle and item-collecting experiences.

A free trial version is available for both platform releases.

FITZ ROY MEDIA APPOINTS U.S. LICENSING TEAM FOR SLATE OF CHILDREN'S PROPERTIES

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:23 AM | No TrackBacks

Leading Industry Veterans Jonathan Breiter and Jennifer Zivic to Represent
Fitz Roy's Hottest Kid Properties: Funny Face, Heathcliff and Secret Wings

Jon Rosenberg to Represent Properties to Publishing Industry
Richard Oren Will Lead Promotional Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEW YORK - (May 27, 2009) - Fitz Roy Media announced today the appointment of Jonathan Breiter and Jennifer Zivic, two of the industry's most respected licensing and merchandising executives, as the designated U.S. licensing agents for the company's slate of children's properties. Breiter and Zivic will launch their representation of Fitz Roy's newest kid franchises including Funny Face, Heathcliff and Secret Wings at the 2009 Licensing International Expo in June.

Also added to the team are leading publishing industry executive Jon Rosenberg, who will represent Fitz Roy's slate of properties exclusively throughout the publishing industry and veteran development executive Richard Oren, who will be the exclusive agent handling promotional opportunities.

"Breiter, Zivic, Rosenberg and Oren undoubtedly comprise a team of highly regarded industry leaders whose depth of experience and expertise in the kids business would be difficult to match. We are extremely proud of our new association and look forward to their sage guidance in maximizing the potential for our proprietary children's brands," said Fitz Roy Media CEO Hamp Hampton.

Continue reading FITZ ROY MEDIA APPOINTS U.S. LICENSING TEAM FOR SLATE OF CHILDREN'S PROPERTIES.

4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT AND MIRAGE STUDIOS ANNOUNCE "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 4-D DARK RIDE" FOR SCIFANTA'S NEW SOUTH KOREA THEME PARK

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:22 AM | No TrackBacks

INNOVATIVE RIDE CREATOR/DESIGN TEAM OF
3DBA AND FALCON'S TREEHOUSE
SPAWN TURTLES ATTRACTION

New York (May 27, 2009) - 4Kids Entertainment (NYSE: KDE), the diversified children's entertainment and media organization, and Mirage Studios, licensor of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, have approved the development and construction of the first-ever theme park ride for the popular property, which is "Shell-ebrating" its 25th anniversary this year.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4-D Dark Ride" - an exhilarating, multi-dimensional Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles experience - will re-invent how fans experience the brand when the ultimate attraction for SciFanta's new Incheon, South Korea-based indoor theme park opens in April, 2011. The multi-sensory elements and vivid details of this project promise to make it a unique, truly immersive experience for park attendees.

4Kids and Mirage will work with 3DBA, the location-based organization which develops and delivers innovative attractions and entertainment experiences to theme parks, science centers, shopping malls and other entertainment venues, along with Falcon's Treehouse (FTH), a recognized leader in the successful development of intense, highly scalable personalized emotional experiences. FTH and 3DBA have collaborated to create such imaginative, compelling and award-winning rides/attractions as Splash Battle, 4-D Dark Ride, CircuMotion™, Flying Theater, and the state-of-the-art 4-D Game Theatre.

The Turtles' attraction builds on 4Kids Entertainment's successful live entertainment experience which, to date, has centered around successful nationwide regional mall tours and multi-character live shows.

Continue reading 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT AND MIRAGE STUDIOS ANNOUNCE "TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES 4-D DARK RIDE" FOR SCIFANTA'S NEW SOUTH KOREA THEME PARK.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Continues Italian Expansion

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:20 AM | No TrackBacks

Yu-Gi-Oh's popularity in Italy continues to grow with new licensees on board

Yu-Gi-Oh!, the smash hit kids franchise from 4Kids Entertainment International, is increasing its presence in Italy with a series of new deals.

After launching in Japan in 1999, Yu-Gi-Oh! has captivated children across the globe. 17 million video games have been sold to date worldwide and over 18.1 billion Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards have been translated into seven languages and sold in 51 countries worldwide - approximately six million 6-8 year olds collect and play the trading card game across the globe.

The franchise has proved extremely successful in the Italian market. On TV, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX season 3 continues to air Saturday mornings on Mediaset's Italia 1, which has also acquired the first season of the new Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's series. Set in Domino City, transformed into a futuristic metropolis, 5D's feature duelists battling it out on motorcycles or 'Duel Runners', in a new form of dueling called 'Turbo Duels' - hi-octane contests in which the winners and losers are no longer separated by skill and strength, but by speed.

The brand is equally popular with licensees and new deals include an apparel license with Linea D to include T-shirts, sweatshirts, underwear, jeans, towels, jackets, and shoes, whilst Giochi Preziosi has been signed up for back-to-school and stationery. A new toy line is due to launch in Fall '09 from Upper Deck, which will include a range of products guaranteed to delight Yu-Gi-Oh! fans - such as action figures, wrist card holders and Duel Runners.

"Yu-Gi-Oh! is hugely popular in Italy and its success shows no signs of abating," said Sandra Vauthier-Cellier, Managing Director of 4Kids Entertainment International. "The brand is absolutely red hot at the moment and the arrival of 5D's is adding to the excitement surrounding it."

FROM BUBBLE BOBBLE TO SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2, SIX CLASSIC TAITO TITLES ANNOUNCED FOR NINTENDO PLATFORMS

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:19 AM | No TrackBacks

TAITO Delivers Fan-Favorites to Nintendo DS and WiiWare This Summer and Beyond

LOS ANGELES (May 27, 2009) ―TAITO Corporation (TAITO), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., announced today that it is bringing six addictively fun, classic titles to Nintendo's WiiWare™ service and Nintendo DS™ in the coming months. These all-new sequels and revamps of fan-favorites will provide endless fun for the entire family this summer and beyond.

Launching first is BUBBLE BOBBLE Plus! for WiiWare, now available for download. The hit arcade game BUBBLE BOBBLE has been adapted for home and handheld consoles alike since its 1986 release, but now for the first time the game offers a four-person multiplayer mode and a global ranking system with BUBBLE BOBBLE Plus!.

In addition, TAITO will be releasing BUST-A-MOVE Plus!, Rainbow Islands™: Towering Adventure! ™ and ARKANOID Plus! for WiiWare. With a total of 135 all-new stages and a two-person multiplayer mode, BUST-A-MOVE Plus! provides non-stop bubble-popping entertainment, while Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! invites players to continue the adventures of Bubby and Bobby as they use Rainbow Magic to climb the tower through exciting new vertical stages. ARKANOID Plus! is the newest addition to the ARKANOID legacy and more addictive than ever before. An old-school classic with a new and colorful twist, players can even test their ARKANOID Plus! mastery against others via the two-player battle and co-op modes.

TAITO will also be offering two new releases for Nintendo DS: SPACE BUST-A-MOVE and Space Invaders Extreme™ 2. SPACE BUST-A-MOVE is a new adventure for iconic heroes Bub and Bob, who battle intergalactic bosses in order to save the galaxy. The game offers improved graphics, customization options, intense multiplayer competition and mini-games for an exhilarating puzzle-solving experience. Also set in outer space, Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a follow-up to the hugely popular SPACE INVADERS EXTREME released last year. A must-have follow-up for arcade fans everywhere, Space Invaders Extreme 2 offers an enhanced battle system, a challenging new time attack mode and an expanded gameplay progression that goes beyond Fever Time to SUPER FEVER TIME!

Please see below for product details:

Continue reading FROM BUBBLE BOBBLE TO SPACE INVADERS EXTREME 2, SIX CLASSIC TAITO TITLES ANNOUNCED FOR NINTENDO PLATFORMS.

FUNimation Entertainment Introduces Fruits Basket Virtual Goods

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:18 AM | No TrackBacks

There.com Now Offering Virtual Clothes and Accessories Based On Hit Anime Series

FLOWER MOUND, Texas - May 27, 2009 - FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Navarre Corporation, today announced that the anime leader is launching its first virtual goods in the popular 3D social virtual world There.com.

FUNimation Entertainment joins a host of companies, such as Coca-Cola and NBC, to offer virtual and real world merchandise which There.com members can purchase for their avatars. Members can outfit their virtual alter-ego in Fruits Basket yoga pants or tote bag or they can purchase a limited-edition autographed lithograph for their There.com home.

Members can also click through to e-commerce sites to buy the real world version of many of these goods.

"We love that Fruits Basket can inspire There.com inhabitants to add a little flair to their avatars and profiles and create a vibrant, virtual world influenced by anime," says Adam Zehner, Director of Acquisitions and Licensing at FUNimation Entertainment.

"Virtual goods continue to be increase in popularity with our members," said Michael Wilson, CEO of There.com. "We're pleased to add FUNimation Entertainment to the growing list of partners that offer our members an avenue for self-expression, both in There.com and in the real world."
Items from other FUNimation distributed anime series will appear in There.com later this year.

About Makena Technologies, Inc.
Makena Technologies is the parent company of There.com, a fully interactive, 3D online virtual world where members can customize and create their own 3D character, meet and hang out with friends in real-time using voice and text chat, build their own virtual homes, participate in events ranging from car races to paintball to fashion shows and even create and sell their own virtual items. There.com is a safe and exciting "PG-13" environment for ages 13 and up that has something to offer nearly anyone. Makena Technologies has offices in San Mateo, CA and Laguna Beach, CA. For more information, visit http://www.there.com.

About FUNimation Entertainment
FUNimation® Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corporation, is the leading company for home video sales of Japanese animation in the United States. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, internet, and home video sales and distribution. For more information about FUNimation Entertainment and its brands, visit www.funimation.com.

Trinigy Expands North American Operations

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:17 AM | No TrackBacks

Trinigy sharpens its focus on North American video game market, and appoints experienced middleware executive to head up sales

AUSTIN, TX, - May 27th, 2009 - Trinigy, an industry leading 3D game engine provider with over 100 licensees and offices in Germany and Austin, TX, announced today the expansion of its North American operations as a result of increased demand for its Vision game engine in the US and Canadian video game markets.

Trinigy, which in the past month has signed deals with JoWood Productions, Spellbound Entertainment, Nitro Games and MunkyFun, has experienced enormous interest and a number of commitments from developers and publishers in North America. To meet the growing demand for its technology, Trinigy has moved to larger offices in Austin, TX to accommodate the increase in necessary engineering, support and sales staff.

Trinigy has also appointed David Ripka as director of sales and business development for North America. Ripka is a veteran sales and middleware executive with extensive experience in the games industry. Before joining Trinigy, Ripka served as sales executive at two other middleware companies: Emergent Game Technologies and Criterion.

Continue reading Trinigy Expands North American Operations.

LINCOLN BUTTERFIELD TAPS WELL-KNOWN COMIC BOOK ARTIST AND ILLUSTRATOR MIKE VOSBURG TO INK RIP, M.D. GRAPHIC NOVEL

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:15 AM | No TrackBacks

Burbank, CA - May 27, 2009 - On the heels of signing its publishing deal with Fantagraphics, Lincoln Butterfield Animation has secured one of the industry's preeminent comic book artists to ink its new RIP, M.D. graphic novel. Mike Vosburg, whose multifaceted background is steeped in horror and fantasy projects, has been tapped to work on the edgy, teen-targeted series.

Vosburg will work closely with veteran animation producer Mitch Schauer, who not only created RIP, M.D., but is writing and penciling the book as well. A graphic novel that spins a comical tale about the real-life problems of monsters, RIP, M.D. follows the adventures of Ripley Plimpt, an ordinary boy whose life turns upside-down when he discovers that monsters are not only real, but are also in need of his unique services.

"As Mitch began to conceptualize RIP, M.D., Mike was a natural choice," said Michael Lessa of Lincoln Butterfield. "Having worked with Mike in the past, I knew that his background, artistry and sensibilities would be the perfect fit to complement Mitch's pencils. Mike also brings his own witty touch that is sure to enhance our monster story's already playful edge."

Mike Vosburg's illustrious career has included several years of work for Marvel and DC before branching into the fields of animation, advertising and film. He has produced artwork for the LA Museum of Tolerance, has drawn the entire run of cover inserts for the HBO Tales from the Crypt series, and won an Emmy as director on the HBO animated series Spawn. Vosburg has done music video storyboards for such notable artists as Eminem, Marilyn Manson and Gwen Stefani. Most recently, he storyboarded The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian and Journey to the Center of the Earth. Vosburg continues to create and produce his own comic book graphic novels Lori Lovecraft and Retrowood.

"It's a delight to be involved in a project that is a charming mixture of childhood whimsy in a noir setting," said Vosburg.

RIP, M.D. is part of Lincoln Butterfield's growing catalogue of animation properties with the potential for multiplatform extensions. Other titles include the tween properties TAN and NIT: Neighborhood Investigation Team, and mature titles Venture Probe and When in Rome.

About Lincoln Butterfield Animation
Lincoln Butterfield Animation specializes in content development across multiple platforms. The versatile, independent studio prides itself on its 90 years of collective animation production experience. Having produced award winning animated TV series for North America, Asia and Europe, the company's core team consists of co-founders Robert Hughes (director, Disney's Phineas and Ferb) and entrepreneur Joseph Walker, along with Mitch Schauer (creator, The Angry Beavers) and producer Michael Lessa (Nickelodeon/Berlin Animation Film). Lincoln Butterfield draws on its relationships with talented writers, artists, directors and technical experts worldwide to develop multi-platform animation properties that combine sophisticated humor with intelligent characters and storytelling. In addition to delivering high-quality content for the broadest possible audience, the company may be hired to provide innovative concept and design services. For more info, visit: www.lincolnbutterfield.com.

EMMY AWARD WINNER ALAN BURNETT OFFERS INSIGHT TO THE WORDS BEHIND GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT, THE NEXT DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL FILM COMING TO DVD JULY 28, 2009

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:13 AM | No TrackBacks

Four-time Emmy Award winner Alan Burnett departs from a 17-year stint in the Batcave to establish intergalactic justice as the screenwriter for Green Lantern: First Flight, the next DC Universe animated original PG-13 movie coming to DVD on July 28, 2009.

Burnett, who began his animation career at Hanna-Barbera Studios with Super Friends in 1981, has been the single most consistent active figure in bringing the Batman's legacy to animation since 1991 - when he began scripting episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the Emmy®-winning production widely considered a pivotal moment in American animation.

Burnett's stellar talents have merited four Emmy Awards, three Annie Awards and two Humanitas Prizes. His work within the Batman realm includes as a series producer on Batman and Superman and Batman Beyond, and most recently as supervising producer and story editor for Warner Bros. Animation's award-winning series The Batman. He has remained active in crafting the words behind numerous DC Comics projects, both animated and in comic book form. In the direct-to-DVD arena, Burnett co-produced and co-wrote the animated feature film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, was supervising producer and writer for Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman, and served as producer on the feature-length Batman Beyond: Return of The Joker. He also served as movie story editor and the writer of the anchoring segment of the DC Universe animated original movie, Batman Gotham Knight.

Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new Green Lantern: First Flight in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download day and date, July 28, 2009.

Burnett, the primary story editor for Warner Bros. Animation, took a little time to offer his views on his humbling beginnings in comics, the influences of Alfred Hitchcock and Woody Allen, and the simple one-line pitch behind the screenplay for the first-ever feature length Green Lantern film. Without further ado, here's a Q&A with Alan Burnett

Continue reading EMMY AWARD WINNER ALAN BURNETT OFFERS INSIGHT TO THE WORDS BEHIND GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT, THE NEXT DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL FILM COMING TO DVD JULY 28, 2009.

TAITO RELEASES SUPER PUZZLE BOBBLE AND COOKING MAMA AS WORLDWIDE LAUNCH TITLES FOR NOKIA OVI

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:11 AM | No TrackBacks

LOS ANGELES (May 26, 2009) - TAITO Corporation (TAITO®), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd., today announced that action puzzle title Super Puzzle Bobble® and cooking action game Cooking Mama® will be available today at the launch of Nokia's mobile phone software sales channel by Ovi®.

TAITO has been working with Nokia in connection with mobile phone content distribution programs since the earliest channels launched in 2002, and the launch date release of Super Puzzle Bobble and Cooking Mama by way of Ovi is the latest example of TAITO's long-standing support.

Popular since its initial arcade release in 1994, home console editions of the Puzzle Bobble series have shipped more than a million units worldwide. While the game's mechanics are simple--link three or more identical bubbles to clear them from the screen--a great degree of skill and strategy (banking shots off walls, erasing several bubbles at once, etc.) is required to gain a truly high score. It is this depth that is the secret of Puzzle Bobble's enduring appeal. Super Puzzle Bobble for Ovi includes both a 50-level Round Mode and the potentially endless, random-bubble generating Challenge Mode, allowing players to choose their play style according to their preferences.

Continue reading TAITO RELEASES SUPER PUZZLE BOBBLE AND COOKING MAMA AS WORLDWIDE LAUNCH TITLES FOR NOKIA OVI.

ANIME EXPO® ANNOUNCES GURREN LAGGAN DIRECTOR AND CHARACTER DESIGNER AS 2009 GUESTS OF HONOR

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:11 AM | No TrackBacks

Celebrated Talents Imaishi and Nishigori to Attend Nation's Largest Anime
and Manga Convention

Anaheim, California (May 26, 2009) -- 12th Animation Kobe Director Award
winner, Hiroyuki Imaishi and 7th Annual Tokyo International Anime Award
recipient, Atsushi Nishigori, are now announced as official Anime Expo® 2009
Guests of Honor at the nation's largest anime and manga convention held July
2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. More information can be
found on the website www.anime-expo.org <http://www.anime-expo.org> .

After graduating from Tama Art University, Mr. Hiroyuki Imaishi, was hired
as an animator for the Gainax Company, Limited. His first work was the
animation that many critics considered a social phenomenon NEON GENESIS
EVANGELION. Since then, Mr. Imaishi has worked on storyboards and as art
directors for such hit anime series as HIS AND HER CIRCUMSTANCES and FLCL.
Mr. Imaishi made his directorial debut with the OVA DEAD LEAVES. Mr.
Imaishi has also worked on RE: CUTEY HONEY and TENGEN TOPPA GURREN LAGGAN
franchise. Mr. Imaishi was also the recipient of the 12th Animation Kobe
Director's Award.

Continue reading ANIME EXPO® ANNOUNCES GURREN LAGGAN DIRECTOR AND CHARACTER DESIGNER AS 2009 GUESTS OF HONOR.

Prendergrast takes latest film 'News!' to Annecy

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:09 AM | No TrackBacks

Two seconds left on the clock, Prendergast shoots from way down town and... IT DRAINS! What a shot! Dee Pee Studios are into the play offs!

That bit of superfluous basketball commentary there, serves as a perfect analogy for the latest Dee Pee Studios film 'News!'

Director Darcy Prendergast, aka 'the clay prince' had two months bare in the schedule. Of course, any normal person would fill a two month gap with relaxing yoga classes, movie marathons, and a trip to Indonesia to cap it all off. But after watching Darcy's films, it's quite evident this kid is anything but normal. In fact, judging by his body of work, one could say he is clinically insane.... Mentally deranged at the very least. The latest offering News! is undoubtedly, further evidence.

Of course, now you're confused as to why Dee Pee Studios are into the 'play-offs' as the analogy states. They made a film- big deal... That's why we have Baz Lurhman. Well yes a film was made - in under two months which is quite an achievment for a 5 minute clay animated film, but it's the location of premiere which is the proverbial '3-pointer' from way down town.

News! has been selected for the prestigious Annecy Festival International Du Film d'Animation, one of 80 short films selected from nearly 2000. In past years, greats such as Tim Burton and Matt Groening have graced the festival with their presence - this year being no different, with Wallace and Gromit creator, Nick Park, Nightmare before Christmas director Henry Sellick, and Australia's own, Adam Elliot in Attendance.

"This year is pretty much a clay s animators wet dream" says Prendergast

This is the second time Prendergast has been selected, previously chosen for the award winning, and downright insane film, 'Ron the Zookeeper', a film about the last male grey panda in existence... Who just so happens to be impotent. Given the 'guns blazin' approach of News! it has also been selected for the special 'politically incorrect' category, which Ron the Zookeeper closed in 07.

So by now you're wondering what the hell News! is about. I don't know, Darcy said he doesn't really know either, but he did attempt to summarize.

"Gee... Annecy required a synopsis too, hard things when to write when your film has no point. Essentially it's a film about the breakdown of a news team, a surreal mix of South Park and Napoleon dynamite- politically incorrect with a lacking narrative. Although the official synopsis is: If you like burning cars, pet worms or cowbells, then this is the film for you"

Uh huh.

"Why Annecy chooses my bizarre creations, I don't know. Nor do I care. I'm heading back to the worlds biggest animation festival, to party at a French Palace, on a beautiful crystal blue lake, filled with paddleboats, at the foot of the Swiss alps. Life is good, why question it?"

Darcy Prendergast and his team continue to make weird little films, from their creative hub/ business 'Dee Pee Studios' in Melbourne. More can be found at Deepeestudios.com

OSCAR WINNER CHRIS LANDRETH'S LATEST ANIMATED SHORT GOES TO ANNECY AND THE WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:07 AM | No TrackBacks

Toronto, May 26, 2009 - The National Film Board of Canada is proud to present the world premiere of Chris Landreth's The Spine, a bold new film whose dazzling artistic style pushes the limits of animation. Landreth's latest is the eagerly awaited follow-up film to Ryan, his 2004 Oscar winner for best animated short. From the same creative team that produced Ryan, The Spine is entirely computer animated and features the voices of Gordon Pinsent and Alberta Watson. The Spine uses bizarre but strangely believable imagery to tell the story of an ordinary married couple whose lives are in turn tragic, absurd and beautiful. It premieres at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival (June 8-13) in Annecy, France and will have its North American premiere at the World Wide Short Film Festival (June 16-21) in Toronto, Canada.

For The Spine, Landreth joins forces again with producers Steve Hoban (Copperheart Animation), Mark Smith (Copperheart Animation) and Marcy Page (National Film Board of Canada), who had collaborated with him to make Ryan. The Spine is a poignant story of redemption that takes us into the relationship between a man and a woman trapped in a spiral of mutual destruction. Dan and Mary Rutherford, married 26 years, sit unhappily in a couples' group counselling session. Angela, another troubled participant in this group, wonders why their marriage has become so lopsided, so twisted. But when Mary leaves Dan, he undergoes a beautiful transformation. What will happen when she returns? Director and scriptwriter Landreth has created an insightful and daring look at the ways individuals evolve, adapt and break.

Viewers can go to www.NFB.ca/thespine for Landreth's blog. Also on the site are clips from the making of the new film as well as Landreth's previous short film, Ryan.

Continue reading OSCAR WINNER CHRIS LANDRETH'S LATEST ANIMATED SHORT GOES TO ANNECY AND THE WORLDWIDE SHORT FILM FESTIVAL.

KONTENTREAL TAPS SUPERFAD FOR CLINTON CLIMATE INITIATIVE FILM

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:05 AM | No TrackBacks

New York, NY - (May 26, 2009) -- Superfad is excited to have contributed design graphics and titles for a new film by kontentreal for the Clinton Foundation. With the world's population on the rise and more people moving to cities, President Clinton describes a bold new project that will set the global standard for communities striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to below zero in "Climate Positive."

The film can be viewed here: http://superfad.wiredrive.com/l/p/?presentation=d869ed03d3098ba89765ac333c604f7b

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation, recently announced a global program developed in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), called the Climate Positive Development Program. The program will support the development of large-scale urban projects that demonstrate cities can grow in ways that are "climate positive." Climate Positive real estate developments will strive to reduce the amount of on-site CO2 emissions to below zero.

Continue reading KONTENTREAL TAPS SUPERFAD FOR CLINTON CLIMATE INITIATIVE FILM.

Target closes eastern and central European deals in run-up to Discop

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:04 AM | No TrackBacks

- Children's programming and formats a priority at the market -

London: Target Entertainment Group is exhibiting at this year's Discop, where it will build on a raft of recent sales to broadcasters and licensing companies in eastern and central Europe.

Deals include a package of factual, factual entertainment and comedy hours to Russia's Red Media for use on its platform of channels, plus sales to a range of Polish broadcasters.

A deal has just been finalised with BBC Poland for the UK and US versions of long running, makeover show Ten Years Younger, while MTV Poland has acquired series one of the US dating show Next, produced by Lighthearted Entertainment for MTV in the US. In addition, Polsat Play has bought Rabbit Film's action packed travel and adventure show Madventures (10x30'), which has also been acquired by TV3 Hungary.

On the drama front, fellow Hungarian broadcaster DUNA TV has bought Caught In A Trap, produced by Target-owned Greenlit Rights for ITV, and Element Film's one-off, Little White Lie.

Continue reading Target closes eastern and central European deals in run-up to Discop.

ELASTIC RIGHTS BRINGS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ENTERTAINMENT'S ANIMATED SERIES "TOOT & PUDDLE" TO SOUTHERN EUROPE

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:03 AM | No TrackBacks

The entertaining and heart-warming animated children's series, "Toot & Puddle," is travelling to Southern Europe, through a deal between Elastic Rights and National Geographic Television International that gives the Spanish Integrated Brand Management Company all Free TV, Home Video and Licensing and Merchandising rights for the show in Spain and Italy and all Free and Pay TV, Home Video and Licensing and Merchandising rights in, Portugal, Greece and Turkey.

The preschool series, "Toot & Puddle," is based on the best-selling books by Holly Hobbie and follows the adventures of a pair of loveable piggy pals, as they explore and engage with the world around them. The series combines adorable and appealing characters with culturally rich story lines while focusing on friendship and encouraging exploration and adventure by piquing kids' natural curiosity about the world around them. The series is made up of 26, 22 minute episodes.

This delightful series, which has already been sold to more than 20 territories around the world has made an impressive debut: it was the highest-ever rated series premiere on Noggin in the US in November last year, and is a top rated show on commissioning broadcaster, Treehouse TV in Canada as well as Nickelodeon Australia and Nickelodeon Germany.

Toot & Puddle has been produced by Canada's Mercury Filmworks, in association with National Geographic Kids Entertainment.

Fisher Price has created a toy line for the property that has already been launched in the US during Christmas 2008.

Animation agency turns consumer concept into TV campaign for Feel Good Drinks

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:01 AM | No TrackBacks

LONDON, UK - MAY 22, 2009 -- Innovative soft drinks company, The Feel Good
Drinks Company, recently commissioned Loose Moose to turn a stop-frame
animation created for them by one of their consumers into a national TV
campaign. To see the spot, and 'making of' film, go here
http://www.youtube.com/user/LooseMooseProds

De Montfort final year graphics student, Debbie Hulme, first
came to the drinks company's attention, when she submitted a
short stop-frame animation for the brand as part of the YCN
(Youth Creative Network) creative awards program last year.

In response to the brief of 'spreading feelgoodness', Debbie's
animation featured loveable little plasticine gnomes, who
discover 'feelgoodness' in bottles of Feel Good Drinks. The
Gnomes proved such an instant hit with the company and
consumers, the brand decided to feature them in their
upcoming TV campaign.

Continue reading Animation agency turns consumer concept into TV campaign for Feel Good Drinks.

TOMY CORPORATION'S NARUTO™ SHIPPUDEN: NINJA COUNCIL® 4 FOR NINTENDO DS™ GOES GOLD

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:00 AM | No TrackBacks

Saga for the First Time on the Nintendo DS

LOS ANGELES - May 21, 2009 - TOMY Corporation today announced that the next installment in the hit Ninja Council series, NARUTO™ Shippuden: Ninja Council® 4, has gone gold and will be available at retail outlets nationwide on June 2 for Nintendo DS™. NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 allows dedicated franchise fans and new Naruto fighters alike to experience the NARUTO Shippuden storyline for the first time on the handheld device with a host of playable characters sporting their updated NARUTO Shippuden looks and wireless multiplayer battles for up to four players.

"NARUTO Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 will allow DS owners the opportunity to experience the Naruto storyline for the very first time through the game before it actually airs on television," said Laura Yoshioka, director of consumer software at TOMY Corporation. "An all-new storyline, brand-new modes and non-stop battles are just a few of the features that make this title a classic action-adventure game."

Continue reading TOMY CORPORATION'S NARUTO™ SHIPPUDEN: NINJA COUNCIL® 4 FOR NINTENDO DS™ GOES GOLD.

WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES A HYBRID OFFERING FOR PLAYSTATION®3: GAME and FILM IN ONE PACKAGE WATCHMEN: THE END IS NIGH AN ACTION-PACKED GAME AND WATCHMEN: DIRECTOR'S CUT

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 8:00 AM | No TrackBacks

Episodic Street Brawler Based on 'Watchmen' Film
available in Multiple Formats for All Gamers

Burbank, Calif. - May 21, 2009 - Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has announced that the Watchmen: The End is Nigh videogame, based on the Watchmen film, will be offered in a retail Blu-Ray Hi-Def game and film hybrid, as well as additional retail and downloadable formats in North America. Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2, the second of two long-form, episodic action games will be released in conjunction with the Blu-ray Hi-Def and DVD of the Watchmen: Director's Cut in July 2009.

Providing Watchmen fans with a variety of purchase options, the game will be offered in the following formats.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience is an innovative, retail Blu-ray Hi-Def game and film hybrid which will include Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 and the Watchmen: Director's Cut on Blu-ray. This new cut of the action-packed blockbuster includes an additional 25 minutes of footage not seen in theaters only available on Blu-ray and DVD. The two-disc collectible set will also feature exclusive artwork in a premium package. The game will be playable on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system which can also play the Blu-ray disc of Watchmen: Director's Cut.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Parts 1 and 2 will now be available for the first time as a single game available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Watchmen: The End is Nigh Part 2 will be available for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for PlayStation®Network.

Continue reading WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES A HYBRID OFFERING FOR PLAYSTATION®3: GAME and FILM IN ONE PACKAGE WATCHMEN: THE END IS NIGH AN ACTION-PACKED GAME AND WATCHMEN: DIRECTOR'S CUT.

Cartoon Network Gets Real

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:59 AM | No TrackBacks

Four Alternative Live-Action Series Debut in June Along With Total Drama Action

Cartoon Network unveils four new live-action alternative series this summer as part of its "CN Real" block of programming. Wednesday nights, starting June 17, is the destination for thrills as two new half-hour unscripted series follow real kids on real adventures with the debut of The Othersiders at 8 p.m. (ET, PT), followed by Survive This at 8:30 p.m. (ET, PT). Then let the games begin on Saturday, June 20, with two game shows featuring kids competing for some serious cash. BrainRush, the only game show that takes place entirely on a roller coaster, premieres at 8 p.m. (ET, PT) followed by an explosive new competition series Destroy Build Destroy at 8:30 p.m. (ET, PT).
Also premiering on Cartoon Network this summer is the animated reality parody Total Drama Action, the latest in the Total Drama series franchise. A whole new twist on Cartoon Network's #1 series of 2008, Total Drama Island, Total Drama Action premieres Thursday, June 11, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT).

Continue reading Cartoon Network Gets Real.

Brickyard VFX Completes a Slam-Dunk for the NBA Finals

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:58 AM | No TrackBacks

Campaign for Goodby Silverstein Marries CG and Archival Live Action Footage
to Create Stunning Portrayals of Historical Basketball Moments

Santa Monica, CA (May 21, 2009)--Artist owned-and-operated bi-coastal
effects boutique Brickyard VFX completed work on the ad campaign for the
2009 NBA Final Championship Series beginning May 19 via agency Goodby
Silverstein & Partners. Entitled "Elevated Moments," the four-spot campaign
was directed by longtime Brickyard collaborators Jonathan Dayton and
Valerie Faris of Bob Industries, and features NBA superstars Larry Bird,
Kobe Bryant, Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal. The campaign first
broke on May 10, and will continue to air throughout the 2009 championship
season.

Continue reading Brickyard VFX Completes a Slam-Dunk for the NBA Finals.

MUSEUM OF COMIC AND CARTOON ART FESTIVAL June 6 & 7 2009

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:57 AM | No TrackBacks

NEW YORK (May 2009) - The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA is pleased to announce the 2009 MoCCA Festival, taking place the weekend of June 6-7. As comics, graphic novels, and animation continue to be embraced by an ever-expanding audience, garnering critical and commercial success, the MoCCA Festival must expand to accommodate the growing interest and is now bigger than ever. The annual two-day event attracts thousands of comic art lovers to experience its programming, which this year will feature John Green, Tom Hart, Charles Hatfield on Jack Kirby, Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Tom Kaczynski, Dave Roman, Frank Santoro in Conversation with Gary Panter, Seth, Dash Shaw, Raina Telgemeier, Adrian Tomine, Marion Vitus, and more. Not to mention the hundreds of exhibitors from around the world, graphic novel signings, the Klein Award presentation, and dozens of artists creating sketches of their most famous characters.

The MoCCA Festival, held each June since 2002, offers a unique venue to experience comics, mini-comics, web comics, graphic novels, animation, posters, prints, original artwork, and much more. Each year, the Festival invites dozens of established and emerging creators, scholars, and other experts to participate in a two-day slate of lecture/discussion panels on a variety of comics and cartoon topics. Exhibitors include Jessica Abel, Buenaventura Press, Comics Bakery, Evan Dorkin, Drawn And Quarterly, Evil Twin Comics, Fantagraphic Books, First Second Books, Hardcomics, Cheese Hasselberger, Hope Larson, Mad Ink, Tara McPherson, NBM Publishing, Pantheon Books, Picture Box, Topshelf, Ken Wong, Jerry Moriarty, and many others.

MoCCA is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2009 Klein Award is legendary cartoonist, Jerry Robinson, well-known as the creator of Batman's arch foe, the Joker. The Klein Award is given annually to acknowledge significant contributions to the field of comics and cartooning and is named after MoCCA's founder, Lawrence Klein. Past winner have included Jules Feiffer, Art Spiegelman, Roz Chast, Neal Adams, Gahan Wilson, Alison Bechdel and Bill Plympton.

Continue reading MUSEUM OF COMIC AND CARTOON ART FESTIVAL June 6 & 7 2009.

D3PUBLISHER ANNOUNCES BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: VILGAX ATTACKS FOR XBOX 360™, Wii™, PLAYSTATION®2, NINTENDO DS™ AND PSP® SYSTEM

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:56 AM | No TrackBacks

Popular Videogame Series Based on Cartoon Network's Hit Televison Series,
BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE, Returns this Holiday Season with an All New Intergalactic Adventure

LOS ANGELES - May 19, 2009 - D3Publisher announced today that it will bring BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: Vilgax Attacks, the latest game in the multi-million unit selling Ben 10 videogame franchise based on Cartoon Network's hit television series, BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE, to Xbox 360™ game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™ system, and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system. In an original storyline developed exclusively for the game, Ben and the Omnitrix will journey to outer space and distant never-before-seen planets for the first time ever in the series. As in the show, Ben will use 10 of his alien forms and their special powers to battle his greatest enemy, Vilgax, and an extreme team of fearsome foes in an effort to thwart a grand scheme to conquer the universe one planet at a time. BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: Vilgax Attacks is slated to ship to retail outlets across North America in fall 2009.

"The best of the Ben 10 franchise is rolled into one big adventure in BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: VILGAX ATTACKS, showcasing eleven playable characters as well as favorite enemies, allies and locations from throughout Ben's world," said Kim Motika, vice president of worldwide sales and operations, D3Publisher. "With an original storyline, BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE: VILGAX ATTACKS will take players on an intergalactic journey in never-before-seen alien home worlds that is sure to please both fans of the television series and videogames. "

Continue reading D3PUBLISHER ANNOUNCES BEN 10 ALIEN FORCE™: VILGAX ATTACKS FOR XBOX 360™, Wii™, PLAYSTATION®2, NINTENDO DS™ AND PSP® SYSTEM.

SUPERFAD'S DUREX PROJECT GETS IT ON WITH CLIO GOLD & SILVER

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:54 AM | No TrackBacks

The 2009 CLIO Interactive Jury awarded Superfad a Gold CLIO Statue for Durex "Get it On" at the gala awards presentation in Las Vegas on May 13th. The spot was then awarded a Silver Clio for Animation at the TV/Cinema Awards the following evening.

The Durex film, featuring three energetic condom balloon animals, was recognized for both its creativity and viral success. The award-winning project can be viewed via the Superfad website here: http://www.superfad.com/player.php?project=251&item=566

"We are all really excited to receive the CLIOs! I mean, who would have guessed?" says Superfad Creative Director Rob Rugan. "We always thought this spot was going to be cute, but in order for it to work, we knew we had to go all the way. But then we also had to know when to pull...(pregnant pause)...back. I guess it all just came together. In the end, we are stoked about the award and would like to thank the agency, our balloon animal clown, the CLIO judges, and the smooth stylings of Barry White."

Neil Huxley Joins Frantic Films VFX as Art Director and Motion Graphics Supervisor

By Editorial on June 2, 2009 7:52 AM | No TrackBacks

Hollywood, CA (May 14, 2009) -- Frantic Films VFX, a division of Prime
Focus Group, announced it has brought on board award-winning Art Director
and Motion Graphics Supervisor Neil Huxley. Huxley's experience working in
feature film titles design and motion graphics sequences -- he recently
completed the opening title sequence for Zack Snyder's "Watchmen" and was
lead art director for motion graphics on Neveldine/Taylor's upcoming movie
"Gamer" -- is already being put to use on a high-profile stereoscopic 3D
feature film project currently in the Frantic Films production pipeline.

Said Chris Bond, President & Creative Director, Frantic Films, "I've been
closely following Neil's career for years. In addition to being an
immensely talented designer, Neil has a deep knowledge of visual effects
and as a live-action filmmaker himself, understands every aspect of the
production process. He's passionate, a perfectionist and a natural leader
-- qualities I look for in anyone who joins the Frantic team."

Continue reading Neil Huxley Joins Frantic Films VFX as Art Director and Motion Graphics Supervisor.

CLASH OF THE TITANS! ANIME EXPO® 2009 ANNOUNCES 3RD ANNUAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS FINALISTS

By Editorial on June 1, 2009 1:21 PM | No TrackBacks

Six (6) Final Bands to Duke it out Live at Nation's Largest Anime and Manga
Convention

Anaheim, California (June 1, 2009) -- Fans of Japanese anime music are in for
a treat as six (6) highly talented bands meet for the final round and
compete LIVE for the ultimate championship title of the 3rd Annual Anime
Expo® 2009 Battle of the Bands Champion at the nation's largest anime a