It's full speed ahead as 'talent distillery' Vodka Capital and partner Secuoyas lead up to MIPCOM after a summer of much progress and major excitement around their
project.  Only introduced during April's MIPTV, the vibrant animated 52 x 11' 3D kid's musical series has already gone in to pre-production.
 
The Jelly Jamm team has now expanded with fantastic new talent, including multi-emmy nominated head writer, Kevin Strader (Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr, PBS, Sesame Street, HBO Family, Jim Henson), joining Vodka Capital executive producers, Victor M. Lopez (CEO Vodka Capital, former CEO and partner at Zinkia Entertainment) and David Cantolla (Zinkia founder and Pocoyo co-creator and co-director).  A crew of seasoned illustrators, animators and programmers from leading Spanish animation productions have also jumped on board.
 
The expert team is now in pre-production at brand new Spanish animation studio '737 Shaker'.  Formed by Madrid-based ' Secuoyas', the leading interactive agency will be using the studio for a range of animation projects alongside Jelly Jamm.

Since MIP TV Jelly Jamm has already signed co-production deals with TVE, Bandai and Big Picture.  Leading independent record label, Elefant Records, has signed as musical partner, with Guille Milkyway (Yo Gabba Gabba) as head musical writer. With music being a core component of the project, advanced conversations with various major international record labels are also currently taking place.

Vodka Capital's Victor M. Lopez says:  "Given current overall market conditions, we feel incredibly fortunate that, in less than 9 months since we introduced Jelly Jamm to the market, we have been able to advance the project into pre-production.

"It's a testament to potential of the Jelly Jamm brand, and the commitment from our partners that we have so swiftly reached this stage.  I have no doubt that MIPCOM will once again prove invaluable towards furthering our progress, and creating even more excitement as we run up to the start of full production in January 2010".
-ends-

Editors Notes & Synopsis:

Secuoyas and 737Shaker
 
Secuoyas is an award-winning (BAFTA, PROMAX, BIMA - nominee) Spanish interactive entertainment company that jointly developed Jelly Jamm alongside Vodka Capital.  Secuoyas has now created 737Shaker as a spin-off to produce Jelly Jamm and other 2D/3D animations projects.  737Shaker currently has some of the top creative and technology animation talent in Spain and is getting ready to employ 60+ as Jelly Jamm moves into full production in 2010.
 
Vodka Capital

Vodka Capital's core mission is to identify, structure financing and provide strategic management for developing audiovisual entertainment brands with clear international and cross-platform potential. Acting as co-producer/partner, Vodka Capital plays an active role on both the creative and business elements of a project during all phases of development, production and exploitation.
 
Vodka Capital projects will include Animation and Live Action TV series, Children's' TV series, Animation projects, Videogames, Online games and Web content.
 
Currently, apart from Jelly Jamm, Vodka has launched a lifestyle entertainment brand with Fernando Alonso (www.fasterinside..com), a new Spanish videogame company and serves as strategic partner for RTVE's kids internet portal (www.rtve.es/infantil).
 
 
Jelly Jamm
 
Aimed at a 4-6 year age group, Jelly Jamm is a lively 'musical comedy' about discovery, friendship and adventure on the magical planet Jammbo; the origin of music in the universe.
 During development the project will be rolled out across all platforms including TV, music, toys, DVDs, merchandising, videogames, books and a fantastic state-of-the-art online world.
 
Jelly Jamm Synopsis

Science is almost always right. The force of gravity, the speed of light, ice-creams that melt in the summer.  But, what is all that about there being no sound in Space?  How can that be when there is a jamming groove flowing around every corner of the Universe?
 
We know the answer: There's a party on Jammbo.

Jammbo is a remote planet covered with craters, with holes like Swiss cheese, where there is no place for noise or silence.  Jammbo is the origin of music in the Universe; a place with a constant groove where animals, plants and even the wind express themselves through music.  This is the magical setting where five friends (Bello, Ongo, Rita, Mina and Goomo), brought together by their passion for music, are constantly embarking on all sorts of fun adventures.

Technical Information:
- Format: 52x11´
- Genre:  Musical Comedy
- Target: 4-6
- Technology: 3D CGI
 

The Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) gets ready to launch three new series at MIP COM.
 
The line up includes 26 brand new episodes of the popular live action comedy series Lockie Leonard. Currently in post production the series will screen on the Nine Network in 2010.
 
After an Endless Summer, Lockie Leonard and his family are back for another series of mayhem,
laughter and the occasional tear. Just when Lockie thinks he's got it all sussed out, everything
changes. That's the thing about the future - it just happens. But as long as Angelus has the best
waves Lockie has ever seen, why would he want to be anywhere else?
 
The second series of Lockie Leonard will feature the trademark wit, physical humour, emotional depth and acute observations of the first series, again guaranteeing entertainment for children and their parents, alike. The series will be accompanied with a range of entertaining cross platform content.
 
Post production is nearing completion for the highly anticipated 13 part historical drama My Place. The series is being produced by the award-winning Australian filmmaker, Penny Chapman and is to air on the ABC early 2010. Based on the classic Australian picture book by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, My Place takes its audience back into the past, depicting the history of one piece of land in Sydney through the eyes of the children who lived there.
 
The epic television series starts in 2008 with Laura's story, an indigenous girl trying to find a way to 'own up' to her mistakes, at a time when the Prime Minister is trying to do the same with her mob.
 
Spanning 13 episodes over a period of 120 years, My Place traces the growth of a Nation from 1888.  Each episode transports viewers back 10 years, immersing them in the history and culture of Australia at the time.
 
The series will also include an interactive and informative website that allows users to walk through the three dimensional recreation of the My Place house and watch it change from generation to generation of children.
 
Also new to the ACTF catalogue is SLR Production's 13 episode animation series Deadly. Deadly is an action packed, humorous, scary, bizarre and highly entertaining series that will appeal to kids everywhere.
 
The ACTF has global distribution rights for all three series.
 
 

9 Story to Launch International Sales at MIPCOM 2009
 
For Immediate Release:
 
(TORONTO) - (September 28 2009) -- Leading production and distribution studio, 9 Story Entertainment has secured a commission from YTV in Canada for the production of their proprietary series Almost Naked Animals.. Based on the popular website of the same name, created by Noah Z. Jones, the animated series (52 x 11 min) is scheduled for a fall 2010 premiere.
 
The all-new Almost Naked Animals is an irreverent, fast-paced series featuring free-spirited animals in their underwear that run a beach-front hotel like kids at a summer camp - and do their best to make each day more fun than the last. Lead dog and hotel manager, Howie, who has the attention span of an 11-year old in a video arcade, heads the dysfunctional but extremely humorous ensemble cast.
 
"We are very excited to be commencing production on Almost Naked Animals. We spent a great deal of time in development, ensuring the characters, the pacing and the tone of the show was precise.  It is extremely gratifying to see our work come to fruition and the end result is this high-quality, curiously funny animated property," said 9 Story Entertainment's CEO, Vince Commisso. "YTV is the perfect home for this uniquely entertaining series and its memorable characters. The network's audience is certain to love the off-beat adventures and vivid animation. We also see strong potential for the series in the international marketplace and look forward to introducing our newly completed promo at MIPCOM in October."
 
 
 
About 9 Story Entertainment:
Founded in 2001, 9 Story Entertainment is an award-winning production and distribution company dedicated to delivering the most loved children's properties internationally.   Producers of such popular shows as Peep and the Big Wide World and Survive This, 9 Story has delivered over 200 half hours of television content. Led by executive producers Vince Commisso and Steven Jarosz, who have more than 25 years of combined specialized industry experience and leadership, the 9 Story team includes Executive Vice-President Natalie Osborne, heading up international business development and Vice President of Development, Liliana Vogt. With 70+ employees and full production and distribution capabilities, 9 Story is a leader in the amazing and magical world of youth entertainment. www.9story.com

About YTV:
Seen in over 10.5 million homes across Canada, YTV is a leading entertainment brand for kids. As a major force in kids' television, YTV offers great programming for kids and families with hit Nickelodeon series, blockbuster movies and original Canadian programming. YTV reaches kids online at YTV.com and in local communities with the travelling road show WOW!. Visit www.ytv.com.
 

Sandman Animation Studio will introduce three new animated TV concepts -- 'My Pet', 'Odd Bod' and 'Little China' -- at this year's MIPCOM and MIPJunior.

The shows cover three different age categories, and with each show having a different format, 2D, Flash and 3D. So far each project has won awards at the Shanghai Animation Festival but will debut in Europe this year.

'My Pet' tells of Emily's dream to find the perfect pet and the reality. The 52 x 11 minute episodes have already sold to SMG Shanghai and Beijing Yo-Yang, and have proved extremely popular with their cut-out styled 2d animation and educational format.

'Odd Bod' tells the story of a crazy little man on a mission to save the world. The 52 x 11 minute episodes are a very fast action, slick comedy produced in Flash. Odd Bod also won best pilot at the Shanghai Animation Festival last year and the series is now ready to debut in Cannes at MipJr this year.

Sandman Animation will also be showing it's pilot show of 'little China', again another winner at the Shanghai Animation Festival, taking home the Crystal Star award for it's beautiful animation and tradition concepts. The stories follow the theme already estabolished in the comic strip of the same name produced in the UK. The show will be completed in a mix of 2d and 3d.

Sandman Animation Studio has long been involved as an overseas animation studio working on projects like 'Horrid Henry' and the BAFTA award winning 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' and in the past 2 years has begun production on many of it's own productions.

Meet Sandman Animation at booth 14.29

WWW.SANDMAN.ME

Leading Italian Broadcast Network To Air Fantasy Action Series Based On Popular Xbox 360 Video Game

 Beginning Today!

 

Paris, France, September 14, 2009 - VIZ Media Europe (VME), an affiliate of San Francisco-based VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), which specializes in managing the development, marketing and distribution throughout Europe of Japanese animated entertainment and manga (graphic novels), has announced that the BLUE DRAGON animated series will premiere on Italia Uno, one of Italy's leading broadcast networks, beginning today. Episodes from the first and second season of BLUE DRAGON will air three times a week as part of the network's regular animated programming. 

 

Mediaset/RTI owns and operates Italia Uno and is Italy's leading commercial broadcaster with more than 9.9 million viewers and a total audience share of nearly 40 percent. VIZ Media is the master licensor for the television, home video and non-video game merchandising rights for BLUE DRAGON in the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Mediaset's launch of BLUE DRAGON follows Cartoon Network Italy's broadcast of the series which began last April.

 

BLUE DRAGON is a fantastic adventure story of magical Shadow powers, flying air fortresses, and unbounded heroism! Brought together by fate, Seven Soldiers of Light must awaken the Shadow within themselves in time to overcome a despotic power and bring peace to their land. Their ensuing journey through a rich fantasy world is also an internal journey to awaken the great power within each of them. Journey with them into the world of BLUE DRAGON!

 

The video game "BLUE DRAGON" debuted on the Xbox 360 entertainment system, and was developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi (the creator of Final Fantasy) and features characters designed by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling DRAGON BALL series of manga (which is published in North America by VIZ Media and featured in SHONEN JUMP Magazine).

About VIZ Media Europe, S.A.R.L. (VME)

Headquartered in Paris, France, VIZ Media Europe (VME) is an affiliate of San Francisco-based VIZ Media, LLC. VME specializes in managing the development, marketing and distribution throughout Europe of Japanese animated entertainment and graphic novels (manga). VME handles some of the most popular Japanese manga and animation properties from initial production, through television placement and distribution to merchandise licensing and promotions for consumers of all ages. Current VME animated properties include BLEACH, BLUE DRAGON, DEATH NOTE, HAMTARO, HONEY & CLOVER, KEKKAISHI, KILARI, M.A.R NEURO, A PENGUIN'S TROUBLES and ZOIDS GENESIS.  Contact VIZ Media Europe at 9, avenue de l'Opéra, 75001 Paris, France Phone +33 1 72 71 53 53; Fax: +33 1 42 96 97 36; and web site at www.vizeurope.com.

NEW YORK, September 14, 2009 - An epic battle between science and nature has begun! Massiverse, Inc., a new media development company that creates original and interactive transmedia properties, is announcing their exciting first property: Dragons Vs Robots. Sci-fi meets fantasy in this unique world designed for kids ages 9 to 14, where futuristic robots and mythical dragons battle for control over the planet Earth. Today Massiverse gives a first look at the vast Dragons Vs Robots universe at http://www.dragonsvsrobots.com, where a free battle game and manga series have been unveiled.
 
Dragons Vs Robots was conceived by entertainment writer and producer M. Raven Metzner, whose credits include the prime time television series Six Degrees for Touchstone/ABC, and seasoned media and technology executive Jesse Soleil. Spanning over 200 years and three generations of future history, the Dragons Vs Robots narrative involves a devastating energy crisis that leads to the rise of powerful robots and the reawakening of ancient dragons. The source of their conflict is Protium, a rare energy resource that serves as a life force for both dragons and robots. Humans, who also need this precious substance to resolve the energy crisis, must choose their allegiance- and so the battle lines are drawn.
 
Massiverse defines transmedia as integrated narrative storytelling that uses traditional and emerging mediums to develop a long-term personal relationship between customers and a brand. Dragons Vs Robots is the first of several original transmedia properties planned by the company. In addition to the battle game and manga series launching today, the Dragons Vs Robots saga will also be told through a trading card game, novels, animated webisodes, and a full-length feature film, providing multiple entry points for engagement and revenue. Plans are also in the works for a toy line.
 

Autodesk and Parallels Team to Support Mac Virtualization for AutoCAD,
AutoCAD LT, Autodesk Inventor Professional, 3ds Max and Revit Software

SAN RAFAEL, Calif., Sept. 24, 2009 - Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), a
leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software, and
Parallels, a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software,
announced that they have signed an agreement to make Parallels Desktop for
Mac Autodesk's preferred Mac virtualization software.

Autodesk will now support use of AutoCAD software, AutoCAD LT software,
Autodesk Inventor Professional software, Autodesk 3ds Max software,
Autodesk 3ds Max Design software and the Autodesk Revit software platform
for building information modeling (BIM) on Mac OS X via Parallels Desktop.
Autodesk added official support for these products on the Mac via Boot Camp
earlier this year.

"Autodesk customers are increasingly working with both Mac and Windows, and
have asked us to support Mac virtualization," said Chris Bradshaw, Autodesk
chief marketing officer. "Today we are pleased to welcome Parallels as a
partner and Parallels Desktop as our preferred Mac virtualization software.
This is the latest step in Autodesk's ongoing efforts to support our
customers on the Mac, who will now be able to use some of our most popular
2D and 3D design, engineering and entertainment software alongside Mac OS
X, in addition to the five native Mac applications we currently offer."

"Parallels Desktop for Mac enables over two million users to run
Windows-based applications seamlessly and simply on their Mac," said
Serguei Beloussov, chief executive officer of Parallels. "Autodesk has a
long history of creating innovative and industry-leading software for
design, engineering and entertainment, and we've heard many requests from
customers interested in using their Autodesk applications with Parallels.
We are delighted to partner with Autodesk to help make this software more
broadly available to the Mac community."

With the launch of the Autodesk Alias family of software for Mac OS X
earlier this year, Autodesk now offers five native Mac OS X applications
for the entertainment, multimedia and design industries, including Autodesk
SketchBook Pro, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox and Autodesk Stitcher
Unlimited software. For more information about Autodesk Mac support, visit
http://www.autodesk.com/mac.

About Parallels - Optimized Computing
Parallels is a worldwide leader in virtualization and automation software
that optimizes computing for consumers, businesses and cloud services
providers across all major hardware, operating systems and virtualization
platforms. Founded in 1999, Parallels is a fast-growing company with 700
employees in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please
visit www.parallels.com.

About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design and engineering
software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and media and
entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982,
Autodesk has developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital
Prototyping solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they
are real. Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to
visualize, simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design
process to save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For
additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.
# # #

GDC Austin Returns October 5-8, 2010, to Continue Discussions on the Evolution of Online Games



AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2009 Game Developers Conference® Austin (GDC Austin) drew to a close last week on Friday, Sept.18, marking the 7th successful year of the conference, bringing together visionary speakers and keynotes covering the evolving landscape of online games, iPhone games, independent development and more. The main conference focused on connected games ranging from addictive and accessible social network games, to ambitious and expansive massively multiplayer online games (MMOs).

The Independent Games Summit and iPhone Games Summit opened up the conference to a thoughtful investigation into the frontiers of indie game development and the exciting interactive and commercial potential of the iPhone software platform. The opening days also played host to summits dedicated to the art and craft of Game Writing and Game Audio.

This year's event welcomed more than 130 lectures, panels, keynotes, and roundtable discussions, presented by 230 industry-leading speakers, and a bustling expo floor. All told, the event exceeded expectations for the year; GDC Austin played host to 2,650 verified attendees, while the expo floor attracted 80 participating exhibitors and sponsors showcasing up-and-coming game technology and software.

Leading the conference was a lineup of visionary keynote speakers, each forging new territory in connected gaming. Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley opened the proceedings on Wednesday, offering a detailed discussion on the successes and challenges of creating Free Realms, a massively connected online world designed for mass market audiences, including younger children. Thursday welcomed Blizzard co-founder Frank Pearce and World of Warcraft production director J. Allen Brack, who provided insight into the massive undertaking of maintaining a hugely popular MMO encompassing more than 11 million paid subscribers. The closing day of the conference presented the final keynote, with forward-facing Playfish COO and co-founder Sebastien de Halleux discussing the rich potential of the social gaming space to allow developers to take advantage viral distribution and microtransaction-based business models, and address an audience of non-conventional gamers.

"GDC Austin was a success both in terms of the turnout and the quality of the discussions led by our talented speakers and panelists," says Izora de Lillard, GDC Austin event director. " The advisory board and the entire GDC Austin team is especially proud of the expertise and quality of content we secured this year. We are already looking forward to the new trends and new content we will be exploring next year."

For more information on GDC Austin, please visit the official website: www.GDCAustin.com.

About the Think Services Game Group
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz and other Gamasutra Network websites, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® Europe, the Game Developers Conference® China, the Game Developers Conference® Canada, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media
Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

(Cannes - September 2009): Adding more fun and excitement to their growing catalogue, Foothill Entertainment is bringing a fresh and extremely hilarious new series to MIPCOM. Created by Simon Hodgkiss of SphDigital, UK, Raz & Benny (78 x 7') is a comedy adventure series featuring two little mice who are best friends.

 

What's more fun than a mouse on a big mission? How about TWO mice on a BUNCH of BIG missions?!

is the ultimate buddy comedy with a healthy dose of dazzling hijinks and death-defying stunts; it is the tale of two little mice whose ambitions are bigger than their brains, but whose good luck is as endless as their friendship. Whether posing as international spies, high-speed racecar drivers, scuba-diving submarine rescuers or expert explorers in the deepest jungle, inseparable Raz and Benny consistently beat the odds, ready for their next adventure. "This adorable series is animated in the most sophisticated CGI available and is a real treat to watch for the whole family," says Jo Kavanagh-Payne, President of Foothill. "Raz and Benny explore so many different worlds and truly open the imagination to infinite possibilities."  

 

Impressively talented Simon Hodgkiss is a computer graphic veteran in the UK and has been involved with CG animation for the past 15 years; his broad experience in high-end production, along with new technology, has allowed the action-packed TV series to come alive in a way that was never before possible. "Since Raz and Benny's worlds are viewed from a mouse's perspective, a lot of detail is needed in order to make them exciting and inviting to children," says Simon Hodgkiss, Founder and President of SphDigital, UK. "Foothill understands the hard work and quality of detail of this series and I know they are the best company to represent this project."

 

SphDigital, UK will be partnering with Foothill on this series. At the 2009 MIPCOM market, the parties are seeking co-production and pre-sale opportunities for this dialogue-free celebration of physical fun, choreographed chaos and visual delight!

 

Founded in September 2000 by former DIC Entertainment executive vice president of business and legal affairs, Gregory Payne and Jo Kavanagh-Payne, former Link Television Entertainment, Inc senior vice president of U.S. operations, Foothill specializes in the co-development and distribution of children's and family entertainment programming. Their Company is based in Santa Barbara, California.

 

# # # #

TV and licensing deals signed for new show

 

Barcelona, 23 September 2009: Imira Entertainment, Spain's leading production and distribution company specialising in youth programming, is heading to BLE and MIPCOM with a bouquet of TV, publishing and home entertainment deals already signed for new show Sandra the Fairytale Detective. The show has recently launched on TF1 achieving excellent ratings and a 50% share of 4-10 demographic.

 

The new deals include television sales to Nickelodeon Asia for Pay-TV rights for South East Asia, Noga Communications for cable and satellite and VOD right for Israel. Home entertainment rights have been snapped up by Tribanda in Spain and TF1 Video in France with DVDs set to launch in Spring 2010, in conjunction with a set of four storybooks published by Roca Editorial.  Imira Entertainment will be at BLE seeking further licensing and merchandising partners with an emphasis on back to school products and stationery, board games and giftware.

 

This Autumn Imira Entertainment is launching a dedicated Sandra the Fairytale Detective website which will invite fans to join a community of fairytale detectives, with an online library to promote reading. Kids can become the heroes of their own interactive fairytales, modify the classic tales they know and order a printed book version of their own story. In addition, in-keeping with the character Fo's gluttony in the series, the website features Fo's Kitchen Corner, where he gives out recipes promoting healthy eating in a fun and entertaining way.

 

Sandra the Fairytale Detective is a 52x13' Flash animated series produced in HD for 4-8 year olds and co-produced with TVE and DQ Entertainment. The series already airs on Disney Channels in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and India as well as TF1.

 

Christophe Goldberger, Head of Distribution and Marketing at Imira Entertainment said: "We've had a fantastic response to the show from buyers and licensees alike. The series was a hit on TF1 from the outset and we're looking to build on this success with the roll out of home entertainment and published products. With BLE and MIPCOM approaching, our aim is to sign further worldwide sales and consolidate the presence of the brand with deals for further product lines." 

 

Sandra the Fairytale Detective is an adventure series combining magic, mystery and humour. Sandra is a ten year old girl who turns detective when she travels to the Land of Once Upon a Time, a parallel world where classic fairytale characters live. What happens if someone steels Cinderella's glass slipper? Or if the Prince kisses Sleeping Beauty but she doesn't wake up? Sandra the Fairytale Detective springs into action!

The 3D animated feature film will be released on a minimum of 1500 - 3D and 2D screens - in North America, 1^st Quarter 2012

 

 

LOS ANGELES / SAN ANSELMO, CA - September 22^nd 2009 -  CritterPix Studios, the Northern California 3D animation content company today announces distribution agreements with Promenade Pictures and American Cinema International for its planned 1^st 3D animated feature movie, OLLIE THE OTTER.

 

The distribution partnerships underscore the success of the companies' award winning 4 minute short film, OLLIE & THE BAKED HALIBUT - in 3D, where at the Cannes Film Market and the Toronto International Film Festival Ollie The Otter and his zany friend, The Baked Halibut, along with the crazed villain, Sushi Sam, successfully barbequed distributors for the 3D feature where the heartfelt family tale swims further to sea with little Ollie taking on a vain great white shark and tattooed swordfish, all to keep his family happily frolicking in the kelp and distributors counting big receipts. 

 

OLLIE & THE BAKED HALIBUT - in 3D, was Directed by long time writer and CritterPix Studios CEO, Kelly Alan Williamson, and Co-Directed by Ricardo Curtis.  Curtis was previously Head of Story on Twentieth Century Fox's HORTON HEARS A WHO and he'll do the same for the OLLIE THE OTTER animated feature in 3D, with Williamson Directing.  "Our short film shows we can make delightful 3D entertainment for 1/7^th the cost, compared to what the big studios spend," said Williamson. "Promenade and American Cinema International are hard working distributors and are a perfect fit for us."

 

"As soon as I saw this project and more importantly, the reaction of the many international distributors, we knew this would win world wide," said American Cinema International President, Chevonne O'Saughnessy.

 

Promenade Pictures President, Cindy Bond added, "We were attracted to the script over a year ago.  Then CritterPix delivered the award winning short which we feel is a great work-in-progress and gives us the confidence that they will deliver a high quality feature."      

 

About CritterPix, Inc.

CritterPix, Inc, (CritterPix Studios), is an animation studio that combines original stories and 3D computer generated artistry for enlightening entertainment to thrill kids and adults alike. The Northern California studio will leverage its wholly owned content, time saving 3D technical innovations, and outsource animation production to top studios in Canada to maintain quality, yet dramatically lower costs.  www.critterpix.com.

 

About Promenade Pictures, LLC

Promenade Pictures - Founded by Chairman/CEO Frank Yablans, former President of Paramount as well as former CEO and Co-Chairman of MGM/United Artists, President/COO Cindy Bond and EVP Ron Booth, pioneers and producers of films in the faith-based market, Promenade Pictures specializes in the worldwide production, marketing and distribution of family entertainment that celebrates the positive endeavors of the human spirit.   Based in Santa Monica, California, the Company combines Hollywood's most talented artisans with inspiring stories, original works and adaptations, to bring the world life affirming motion pictures.  www.promenadepictures.com

 

About American Cinema International

American Cinema International (ACI)- Founded in 1999 by CEO George Shamieh, former owner of PM Entertainment and President Chevonne O'Shaughnessy. ACI creates, produces & distributes films throughout the world as well as television programming and mini-series.  The company handles all aspects of marketing and distribution for both its own internally developed motion pictures and acquired pictures. ACI represents domestic and international sales for its own slate and third party products. www.aci-americancinema.com

 

 

The Family Friendly Comedy to Headline The Fremantle Corp.'s Roster of Children's Programming at Mipcom 2009
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
TORONTO (September 21, 2009) - The Fremantle Corporation heads to this year's MIPCOM with the new animated movie, The Last Flight of the Champion.  The ninety-minute comedy/adventure film follows the young crew of the last Cosmic Marshal ship, The Champion, as they journey through the galaxy to bring fairness, justice and safety to all inhabitants.
 
According to The Fremantle Corp.'s principal director, Irv Holender, "We are hoping to take 'Last Flight' from a feature to a long form series depending on how well it performs at the markets.  We will be looking for merchandising opportunities as well."
 
The Last Flight of the Champion is a tale of a peaceful galaxy, protected by a fleet of powerful space ships called the Cosmic Marshals.  It is a time of hope and renaissance as a galactic society stands at the peak of technological advancement and community cooperation.  But with no evil in the galaxy, there was no need for the ships and they were decommissioned or destroyed one by one.  This comedy/adventure story takes place a thousand years later as the galaxy has steadily isolated itself, and the evil tyrant, General Disdain and his Shocktroopers have risen to power.  Without the Cosmic Marshals to protect the galactic society and with the planets no longer as unified as they once were, there is only a small militia of peace cadets to stand between Disdain and total galactic domination.  The young crew of the last Cosmic Marshal ship, The Champion, will fight to restore safety in the galaxy.  Produced by Omnipulse Entertainment.
 
About The Fremantle Corporation
Since 1952, The Fremantle Corporation has been a respected distributor and producer of high quality and high-profile programming for all markets and media worldwide.  The Fremantle Corporation produces, acquires and distributes the full range of series, specials, movies and specialty programming that has become a staple for leading broadcast and digital networks throughout the world.  The Fremantle Corporation is located on the Internet at www.fremantlecorp.com.
 
# # #
 

Ridgewood, NJ  September 21 2009, The 2009 Adweek Event Buzz Award for best integration of a brand into an existing event goes to The Giddy Gander Company's brand The Wumblers for their Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest held at Six Flags Great Adventure July 4th, 2009.  

Thanks to their co-sponsors at The National Watermelon Association, Pathmark Supercenters, The Florida Watermelon Association and Sweet Mama Produce, the first ever Six Flags Great Adventure watermelon seed spitting event was a huge success!  Contestants vied for the title of champion seed spitter and two preliminary winners went on to compete in the grand finale for the overall title on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.  With the help of Charlie Browns Restaurants and country superstar LeAnn Rimes, The Giddy Gander Company was able to offer additional exciting prizes to go along with free watermelon for all who took part in this exciting day.

This event is just one of many fun and educational initiatives that has created buzz for The Wumblers brand.  Proceeds from this event were donated to Tuesday's Children as a means to reinforce the importance of "giving back" in children's eyes.  Coupled to that lesson and this event was the parallel launch of The Wumblers virtual watermelon seed spitting iPhone app, iSeedSpit!, which allows the fun and learning to continue 365 days a year.

Heidi Schwartz, VP of Business Development states, "This Buzz Award has motivated us to keep creating events, contests, promotions and grass root marketing efforts that compliment the overall educational philosophy of The Wumblers brand, which is to bring a sense of global and social consciousness to the forefront of every child's mind.  We thank Adweek for their recognition and appreciation of our work!"

The Buzz Awards celebrate the best in brand/media integration campaigns that catch fire, brilliant product placements, innovative use of a medium for a promotion, and branding efforts that invade the pop-culture consciousness.

Please visit www.wumblerpatch.com to further assist us in this goal and start Wumbling alongside The Giddy Gander Company and Mark Sanchez as a new educational initiative begins to launch!

Framestore's Commercials team are very pleased to welcome new addition Simon Gosling, who has recently joined the company as Senior Producer.

Simon Gosling brings almost 20 years of experience to his role as Senior Producer at Framestore. During that time he has worked as Head of New Business and Senior Producer at The Moving Picture Company, Managing Director at Cut+Run and set up a music and sound design company, 2110.

Simon has in depth knowledge in the realm of effects supervision, compositing and 3D animation. He has post produced films for the World's leading brands, including Adidas, Toyota, Barclays, Proctor & Gamble, Kelloggs, BBC, Sony, Guinness and Hasbro.  He wrote, and for 6 years conducted, both the APA and IPA lectures on post-production and editing, for their Masterclass courses.

Says Helen Stanley, Managing Director Commercials, "Over the years I have known Simon, I have always admired his industry knowledge, tenacity and charm. I am really pleased he decided to join our production team as a senior producer - he compliments greatly our existing talent."

Toronto, September 21 2009 - Cutting-edge independent production company, Chocolate Liberation Front (CLF), is underway with its first major development project since forming just a few months ago and already has in place a creative team of international developers, animators and writers working on the project.

 

The World of Infinite Curiosity is a far-reaching multiplatform project for family audiences, which is currently in development as a triple-A videogame with funding from Telefilm Canada and Screen Australia. In line with CLF's philosophy to think about properties across all platforms, CLF is also exploring The World of Infinite Curiosity as a prime time television series.

 

The World of Infinite Curiosity, an original property developed by CLF, is a fantasy world based on the incredible imagination of an 11-year-old boy with foundations in the astonishing inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.

 

CLF's high-calibre team of acclaimed industry specialists includes C.O.R.E Digital, which is creating the artwork. The Toronto-based creator of digital visual effects and animation for feature films and television has a string of credits including Resident Evil: Apocolypse, X-Men, Lucky Number Slevin and The Tudors. Naomi Janzen is story developer on the project. She is a TV writer-producer with more than twenty years working in L.A, Toronto and Vancouver and her credits include 7thHeaven and cult hits such as Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, La Femme Nikita and Highlander.

 

Working on the development of the game are Tony Reed, MD of Reed Interactive (Command and Conquer, Fallout 1 & 2, Earthworm Jim and several Star Trek titles); Adrian Crook, an award-winning producer of triple-A videogames and entertainment across numerous platforms (The Outfit); and Morgan Jaffit, one of Australia's brightest stars in the game development sector with game design credits on Happy Feet, Teen Titans and Chaos Theory.

 

CLF's creative team, including of Dan Fill, Frank Verheggen, Shawn Bailey and Natalie Verheggen are working in close collaboration with these international experts.

 

Dan Fill from CLF says: "The richness of story arc, animation assets and art direction make this an absolutely perfect cross-over as a television property.  Having a feature-quality animation studio and a top television writer working on at the earliest stage of game development is adding a level of sophistication and depth to the game. This is easily the most exciting property I have worked on."

 

The World of Infinite Curiosity is a fantastical place of imagination and invention that exists only inside the head of an incredibly imaginative boy named Decklin.

 

He has dreamed up this strange land of creatures, impossible flying machines and architecture - an exciting escape where you are free to do anything and be anything. This fusion of Decklin's own day-to-day experiences, his recent studies of Leonardo da Vinci's codices and dark images from the past that haunt him unleash a world where anything is possible.

2009 Game Developers Conference(R) China Government Supporter Gains Traction



SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- China's State Commission Office for Public Sector Reform (SCOPSR) has issued a notice clarifying the responsibilities of various state organizations in the regulation processes concerning animation, online gaming, and the cultural market in China. According to this notice, the Ministry of Culture (MOC) is now responsible for the management of industry bases, project development, conferences and trade fairs, and market oversight for the animation and online gaming industries. The MOC is the official government supporter of GDC China presented by Think Services, a division of United Business Media, taking place at the Shanghai International Convention Center, October 11-13 of this year.

The notice also clarifies that, under the unified oversight of the MOC, the General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) is responsible for pre-approval of online game publication, but once a game is released online, it enters the full jurisdiction of the MOC. GAPP's department of technology and digital publishing is responsible for approving publication of licensed online games from overseas rights holders, while the MOC is responsible for approval of all other imported online games.

"The announcement of this new reform is a major stride for the Ministry of Culture and China," said Meggan Scavio, GDC China event director. "The GDC is proud to be the officially endorsed professional game event by the MOC in China 2009. We fully support the MOC and know that under their direction, China will see a more rapid growth in the adoption of international games which ultimately leads to more opportunities, exchange of technologies, and overall growth for the Chinese game industry."

For more information on the 2009 Game Developers Conference® China, please visit www.gdcchina.com.

About the Think Services Game Group
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz and other Gamasutra Network websites, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® Europe, the Game Developers Conference® China, the Game Developers Conference® Canada, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media
Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

Brazil's Top Decision Makers, Producers and Broadcasters Available to Discuss Country's Production Expertise, Tax Incentives and
Upfront Financing at the
MIPCOM Accelerator Matchmaking Event - Brazil is Open for Business! at the Brazilian Pavilion in Cannes
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
São Paulo, Brazil - September 18, 2009- - October 2009  - Brazilian  TV Producers (BTVP) has set MIPCOM 2009 to announce the latest developments in Brazil's new Open for Business program which promotes the Brazilian production community's capabilities, expertise and generous new sources of audiovisual funding that are unique in Latin America.
 
MIPCOM attendees involved all genres of programming for traditional, new and emerging broadcast and delivery platforms are invited to set appointments for the MIPCOM Accelerator Matchmaking Event - Brazil is Open for Business!, scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, 2009, at the Brazilian Pavilion, Level 01, Booth 02.41.
 
"Our new Open for Business program is Brazil's way of telling the rest of the world that Brazil is open to everyone's business," said Jacques Bensimon, Senior International Strategic Consultant at Brazilian TV Producers. "Not only is Brazil bursting with tremendously creative production and business talent, we can offer creative and efficient business incentives that will make your next co-production with Brazil a success."
 

Co-Distribution Partners Atlantyca Entertainment and Moonscoop Productions Secure A Line-Up Of European Broadcast Agreements
 
For Immediate Release:
 
(Milan, Italy) (Paris, France)  (September 18, 2009) - Co-distribution and production partners, Atlantyca Entertainment and Moonscoop, have secured a slate of international broadcast deals with leading broadcasters for their new animated series "Geronimo Stilton" (26 x 22) including TV2 Norway, MTV 3 Finland, Nickelodeon Northern Europe International picking up the rights for Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland. In Iberian markets, Turner's Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Boing Channels have acquired the series for Spain with sales also signed with RTP and Canal Panda in Portugal. The announcement was made jointly by Marie Conge, SVP International Sales and CPG, Moonscoop and Luana Perrero, Sales Manager, Atlantyca Entertainment.
 
Based on the popular children's book series of the same name, Geronimo Stilton, the series, will debut on the Nickelodeon Channels as early as this month in Belgium and the Netherlands with an additional roll-out in November in Denmark and Sweden.  Pre-sold to Radio Canada, Rai (Italy), and M6 (France), the series saw its first premiere on Rai, last week.

 
Following this sales success, a Christmas DVD release is scheduled for Spain and Benelux, and  Giochi Preziosi, who hold the master toy licensing rights for the series for Europe,  will roll-out the first of the Geronimo Stilton series-based toys in Spain and Portugal to accompany the series premiere.
 
 
"It is truly exciting to be coming to MIPCOM with such an impressive lineup of Western European broadcasters who recognize the worldwide appeal of the adventurous Geronimo Stilton character," said Atlantyca Entertainment Sales Manager Luana Perrero.
 
Marie Conge, SVP International Sales and CPG added: "The combination of animated series, books and toys is a winning combination for buyers, as these deals show, and our strategy is to build the global presence of the character across these three areas."
 
The new TV series centers on the life and adventures of the famous Geronimo Stilton - head of a veritable media empire, erudite mouse, and klutz extraordinaire, and Benjamin Stilton, his fearless young nephew. Geronimo, an intellectual mild-mannered mouse, finds adventure always knocking at the door, launching them into capers in New Mouse City or exotic locales around the world.
 
Geronimo Stilton has also been pre-sold to Radio Canada, Rai (Italy), and M6 (France)
 
The Geronimo Stilton animated series is co-produced by Atlantyca and Moonscoop and is now its final stages of production. Based on the popular children's chapter book series of the same name, the new show is scheduled to be fully completed by this month. The series also boasts a European toy licensing deal already in place with leading international toy company Giochi Preziosi.
 
***
 

Editorial, Animation and VFX Now Under One Roof
 
 
Miami, FL / September 14 2009.  Miami's postproduction scene has a new power team. 
Hernán Menendez has completed construction of the new offices of TheCutClub! at
Lava Studio, the established animation and vfx boutique. "This opportunity came at the
perfect time for both companies," says Menendez. "Together we form one of the strongest
post houses in the Southeast. We have already combined our years of experience and
expertise for important new clients. With everything happening on-site, including color
correction, we have achieved great results on a very demanding schedule." Lava's
President Robert Kirkpatrick adds, "Hernán is an independent, original talent with a loyal
following, and TheCutClub! is a vital addition to our postproduction mix. With our existing
alliances with Company 3 and Moving Forward Studios, I can confidently say Lava
Studio offers Miami's best options for color correction, animation, vfx, and now creative
editorial."
 
Menendez launched TheCutClub! in 2007 after successful stints at Wild Child and
Chemistry in New York, and Circolo Miami.  He has crafted landmark spots for national
brands and has recently wrapped his second feature film, "Sin Ella" directed, written and
produced by Jorge Colón.
 
Now in its tenth year, Lava Studio has grown into a leading source for inspired
advertising, broadcast design, and feature film effects.  The two companies share a
spacious creative environment in the heart of Miami's advertising and post community,
and have several more projects set on their fall schedule.  
 
 

The Family Friendly Comedy to Headline The Fremantle Corp.'s Roster of Children's Programming at Mipcom 2009
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
TORONTO (September 21, 2009) - The Fremantle Corporation heads to this year's MIPCOM with the new animated movie, The Last Flight of the Champion.  The ninety-minute comedy/adventure film follows the young crew of the last Cosmic Marshal ship, The Champion, as they journey through the galaxy to bring fairness, justice and safety to all inhabitants.
 
According to The Fremantle Corp.'s principal director, Irv Holender, "We are hoping to take 'Last Flight' from a feature to a long form series depending on how well it performs at the markets.  We will be looking for merchandising opportunities as well."
 
The Last Flight of the Champion is a tale of a peaceful galaxy, protected by a fleet of powerful space ships called the Cosmic Marshals.  It is a time of hope and renaissance as a galactic society stands at the peak of technological advancement and community cooperation.  But with no evil in the galaxy, there was no need for the ships and they were decommissioned or destroyed one by one.  This comedy/adventure story takes place a thousand years later as the galaxy has steadily isolated itself, and the evil tyrant, General Disdain and his Shocktroopers have risen to power.  Without the Cosmic Marshals to protect the galactic society and with the planets no longer as unified as they once were, there is only a small militia of peace cadets to stand between Disdain and total galactic domination.  The young crew of the last Cosmic Marshal ship, The Champion, will fight to restore safety in the galaxy.  Produced by Omnipulse Entertainment.
 
About The Fremantle Corporation
Since 1952, The Fremantle Corporation has been a respected distributor and producer of high quality and high-profile programming for all markets and media worldwide.  The Fremantle Corporation produces, acquires and distributes the full range of series, specials, movies and specialty programming that has become a staple for leading broadcast and digital networks throughout the world.  The Fremantle Corporation is located on the Internet at www.fremantlecorp.com.
 
# # #
 

(September 21, 2009 - Toronto, Canada) - Nelvana Enterprises will feature the following properties at MIPCOM from October 5 to 9, 2009, in Cannes, France:

 

BEYBLADE:  Metal Fusion -- The spinning top toy phenomenon is making a much anticipated return with 51 new episodes set to debut next year. The series is co-produced by Nelvana and Japan's d-rights and there will be a revamped toy line. For boys 8-12. (51 x half hour episodes)

 

Babar - and the Adventures of Badou

Viewers will meet King Babar's eight-year-old grandson, Badou, and his friends in the latest chapter of this classic series set in the exotic backdrop of Celesteville. The series is a Canada-France co-production from Nelvana and TeamTO, with confirmed broadcasters TF1 in France and YTV in Canada. For kids 4-7. (26 x half-hour episodes/52 x 11 minute stories)

 

Detentionaire

A pilot is in production from Nelvana Studio in partnership with TELETOON about a teen falsely accused of pulling off a high school prank and being sentenced to one full year of detention. For kids 6-12.

 

Meet representatives of Nelvana Enterprises at MIPCOM at Booth N6.04.

Allows Global Users to Meet in Real Time to Collaborate On Frame-Accurate, Synchronized Video Playback

Hamburg, September 18, 2009--Optix, Hamburg, has launched Goviso™, an easy-to-use online service that allows artists, producers and customers in a production environment to share media and interact with each other.  According to Attila Levai, president of Optix, Hamburg, software installation is not required; Goviso™ runs inside any web browser with a current Flash player.

"Goviso™ lets users collaborate or work individually," said Levai. "The aim is to keep the user productive and focused on his or her project.  It's no longer necessary to send small video clips or attempt to describe revisions via email."

Goviso™ allows the user to meet with his or her client or team members in real time and be certain everyone is on the same page and reference a specific frame in a video clip without skipping a beat. The service provides frame-accurate, synchronized video playback across all participants' browsers regardless of their geographic location.

An invitation to anybody, anywhere in the world to the private Goviso™ online screening room allows participants to view full-screen, high-quality video. Notes and Whiteboard functionality allows attendees to annotate directly on top of the area within the video frame that is relevant for discussion.

Along with the video playback, Notes and Whiteboards are also shared in real-time with attendees. A single user can leave notes for others to "pick up" later.

Employing its built-in archive and asset management system, users can upload video clips to a Goviso™ project and compile different play-lists for different audiences.

"By facilitating the entire production process, Goviso™ allows users to focus on their project and forget about the time-consuming and often expensive task of distributing their moving pictures for view and approval," stated Levai.

For more information, go to http://goviso.com/

About

 

Optix Digital Pictures is a multi-disciplined, full-service post-production facility, with its head office located in Toronto, Canada and its affiliate located in Hamburg, Germany. Founded in 1996, Optix developed into a leading source for visual effects, animation and broadcast design services, expanding its portfolio to cover a wide range of project genres including, TV series, Feature Film, Documentary, Commercial, and Music Video.

 

As part of its commitment to providing integrated solutions for complex production needs, Optix continuously acquires the latest technologies in order to provide the highest level of quality and the most efficient workflow paths.

 

The boutique-style environment includes comfortable suites, cappuccino bars and lounge areas, designed to enhance the creative process while catering to the needs of production.

 

Emphasis is placed upon maintaining an impressive offering of editorial and artistic talent. The combination of creative individuals, with a solid team of service-oriented support staff, ensures that Optix clients achieve both an exceptional product and a wonderful post-production experience.

 

WINTER PARK, FL, September 18, 2009 - Full Sail University (www.fullsail.edu) is proud to announce that Web Design & Development Bachelor of Science Degree student, Bryan Berger, was recently selected as a finalist in the Application Development Category of the 2009 Adobe Design Achievement Awards for developing the application, zFlick (www.zflick.net), a desktop Flickr application. Berger will be attending the awards ceremony held in Beijing, China at the end of October.
 
Having a passion for design and code, the 22 year-old Berger decided to attend Full Sail University and enrolled in the Web Design & Development Degree Program. This 21-month Bachelor of Science Degree educates students in the areas of industry-standard disciplines including: interface design and usability, web standards, Flash/ActionScript 3.0, client side scripting, server side scripting and mobile device deployment.
 
Created by Berger during the Deployment of Flash Projects course, the cross-platform application zFlick, enables users to bring Flickr to their desktops and works on the principle of providing users with the most unique and interesting images. Because the application was designed with an easy-to-use interface that contains numerous tools including: auto-updating, drag-n-drop saving, and direct access to the Flickr pages of each image, zFlick was selected by Adobe to appear on the Adobe AIR Marketplace website.
 
 "The implementation of a real-world education is a key asset to the foundation that Full Sail University has built our curriculum upon," said Bill Bain, Program Director of Web Design and Development at Full Sail University. "We take pride in the ability to provide our students with the tools necessary to enhance their talents. Watching Bryan excel in the area of study that he loves is both an honor and a testament to the motivation and drive our students possess."

About Full Sail University:

Since 1979, Full Sail University, located outside of Orlando, FL, has been an innovative educational leader for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. With over 32,000 alumni, graduate credits include work on OSCAR®, Emmy® and GRAMMY®-winning projects, best-selling video games, and the #1 grossing U.S. concert tours. Full Sail's 190-acre campus and online education platform proudly welcomes over 7,000 students from 50 states and 65 countries.
 
Full Sail currently offers a total of 25 degree programs including: Associate of Science Degrees in Graphic Design; Bachelor of Science Degrees offered in Computer Animation, Digital Arts & Design, Entertainment Business, Film, Game Art, Game Design, Game Development, Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Music Business, Recording Arts, Show Production, and Web Design & Development; and Master of Science Degrees in Education Media Design & Technology, Game Design, Entertainment Business, and Internet Marketing; and a Master of Fine Art in Media Design.

Full Sail was most recently named the 2008 "School/College of the Year" by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. The university has also been previously named: The Harvard of Game Schools by Tips & Tricks Magazine; one of the top three New Media Schools by Shift Magazine (alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University); one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs in the world by Electronic Gaming Monthly; one of the Best Music Programs in the country by Rolling Stone Magazine; one of the Best Music Business Departments in the Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide; and one of the Best Film Programs in the country by UNleashed Magazine.

For more information about Full Sail, please visit www.fullsail.edu.
 

Holland Animation Film Festival presents an international competition for web animations. HAFFTube is our official channel within YouTube, and that's where it all happens. Machinima, Flash, Brickfilms, this competition is open for all animation films available online. Go to  www.haff.nl and submit your film for this unique digital competition!

>> Deadline for entries: 15 October

The web competition is already in full swing. We have reached our set limit of 50 films, and the official voting starts from Monday 21 September. Films will be voted out by the HAFF-staff to create possibilities for new entries. So submit your film and fight for a place in this competition now! After the deadline, 15 October, an international jury of filmmakers selects the winner out of the final 50 titles. The winner will be announced at the opening ceremony of the Holland Animation Film Festival at 4 November 2009.

Check www.haff.nl  for more details. We hope to see you at HAFFTube soon!

Newest Series Acquired by Cartoon Network U.S. and TELETOON Canada
 
NEW YORK (September 17, 2009) - 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE:KDE) will present the newest chapter of its popular fantasy adventure series, "CHAOTIC: SECRETS OF THE LOST CITY," to international broadcasters at MIPCOM next month.  The series' new season, produced in HD and traditional cel animation by 4Kids Entertainment, will take audiences to an exciting new level within the Chaotic game experience.  Twelve new half-hour episodes will be available beginning in September 2009, bringing the series to a total of 78 episodes in the Chaotic saga.
 
Chaotic has caught on across North America, with the TV series airing up to ten times a week in both the U.S. on Cartoon Network, Disney XD and TheCW4Kids, and across Canada on TELETOON.  The brand has also captured the attention of kids worldwide, with the program currently broadcast on Gulli TV (France), RTL2 (Germany), Disney XD UK, Rede TV (Brazil), RTBF (Belgium), SIC (Portugal), MNet (South Africa), TEN Network (Australia), ABS-CBN (Philippines), Kids Central (Singapore), Canal+ Cyfrowy (Poland), Children's Channel (Israel) and Digiturk (Turkey) among others.
 
The international rollout comes as "Chaotic: Secrets of the Lost City" has just been acquired by Cartoon Network in the U.S. and by TELETOON in Canada for the 2009-10 television season.
 
Viewers will brace for a slew of shocking secrets and radical revelations as Chaotic returns with an all-new action pack of adventure, with more awesome Creatures and incredible BattleGear than ever before in "Secrets of the Lost City."  As Perim's tenuous tribal alliance is shattered, a startling discovery leads to the most momentous event in Chaotic history.  And while Chaotic's                                                                   mightiest warriors clash over the power of time itself, one burning question remains:  who will uncover - and ultimately master -- the Secrets of the Lost City?  
 
At MIPCOM, 4Kids Entertainment will be based at Booth R32.24.
 
About 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.
 
With U.S. headquarters in New York City, regional offices for its trading card business in San Diego, California and international offices in London, 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE) is a global organization devoted to the creation, development, production, broadcasting, distribution, licensing and manufacturing of children's entertainment products.
 
Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, 4Kids produces animated television series and films, distributes 4Kids' produced or licensed animated television series for the domestic and international television and home video markets, licenses merchandising rights worldwide to 4Kids' owned or represented properties, operates Websites to support 4Kids' owned or represented properties, and produces and markets collectible trading card games.  Additionally, the Company programs and sells the national advertising time in the five-hour Saturday morning children's TV block known as TheCW4Kids on The CW television network.
 
Additional information is available on the www.4KidsEntertainment.com corporate web site and at the www.4Kids.tv game station site.
 
 

            Let the battle against cavities begin! Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE), the global licensing and merchandising arm of the television network, has partnered with Colgate-Palmolive Company to bring the popular Bakugan brand to the oral care category.  
            Now young 'Battle Brawlers' everywhere will be able to bring their favorite Bakugan characters to their bathroom sinks. CNE's new partnership with Colgate-Palmolive, the world leader in oral care, will produce a full line of children's manual and electric toothbrushes and toothpaste in the U.S., its possessions and territories,  and CARICOM.
            "This first-time partnership with Colgate gives us a tremendous opportunity to expand our product offering for Bakugan, one of the market's fastest growing brands, to this category alongside a major industry leader," said Christina Miller, Senior Vice President, CNE.  "Leveraging the popularity of Bakugan among its young fans, we look forward to making our debut in the oral care category."
            As the exclusive U.S. licensing agent for Nelvana and Spin Master Ltd.'s breakout toy brand, CNE has proudly entered its second year of retailing the Bakugan brand in the U.S. The Bakugan consumer products program is led by a top-selling toy line from Spin Master Ltd., while additional categories include apparel, accessories, publishing, home entertainment, consumer electronics, sporting goods and more.
            New Bakugan-branded oral care products will be available at major retailers nationwide beginning this holiday season. Catch the latest season of the Bakugan animated television series, entitled Bakugan Battle Brawlers: New Vestroia, on Cartoon Network, Monday through Friday, 6:30 - 7:00 A.M. (ET/PT) and on Saturday, 11:00 - 11:30 A.M. (ET/PT). Bakugan Battle Brawlers: New Vestroia is a co-production from Sega Toys Ltd., Spin Master Ltd., Nelvana Enterprises Inc., TMS Entertainment, Ltd., and Sega Corporation, with animation by TMS Entertainment, Ltd.
###
 
About Cartoon Network Enterprises:
Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) is responsible for building consumer products and merchandising programs for a wide range of brands by securing and supporting long-term licensing partnerships across all categories. As the global branding and merchandising arm of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim, the division manages the consumer product programs for the networks' award-winning original programming, brands and characters including Ben 10, The Secret Saturdays, Chowder, The Marvelous Adventures of Flapjack, Adult Swim and more. CNE also serves as a third party licensing agent through strategic partnerships with Nelvana Enterprises and Spin Master for the award-winning Bakugan brand, CAKE Entertainment and Fresh TV for the hit Total Drama franchise and the PGA of America for the youth marketplace.
 
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families.  Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
 
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
 
 
About Colgate-Palmolive Company
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate-Palmolive sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, Elmex, Tom's of Maine, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet.  For more information about Colgate-Palmolive's global business, visit the Company's web site at www.Colgate.com.
 
 
About Nelvana Enterprises:
Nelvana Enterprises is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., 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 Spin Master Ltd.
A multi-category children's entertainment company since 1994, Spin Master® has been designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing consumer products for children around the world and is recognized as a global growth leader within the toy industry. Spin Master is best known for such popular brands as boys action phenomena Bakugan Battle Brawlers™, 2008 Toy of the Year winner Air Hogs® Aquadoodle™, Tech Deck™, and Moon Sand™.   The company has also marked an entry into children's media with the launch of Spin Master Entertainment, a division focusing on the design, development and production of television and other media properties.  Spin Master employs over 600 people with offices in Toronto, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Hong Kong and Mexico. For additional information please visit: www.spinmaster.com.
 
 
About Sega Toys:
SegaToys Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. and a toy company of design, manufacture, marketing and selling of edutainment toys, character licensed toys and interactive electronics products including POO-CHI™, Advanced PICO Beena™, O-CHA KEN™(Tea Dog), idog™ series, Brain Trainer™, HOME STAR™ and Grand Pianist™.  The company was founded in 1991 and is based in Tokyo, Japan. More information about SegaToys can be found at www.segatoys.co.jp.
 

The Number One Online Destination for Anime and Asian Entertainment with
Japan's Leading Movie Studio Brings a Poignant Story to Fans Worldwide

San Francisco, CA (August 17, 2009) -- Japan's leading movie studio Shochiku
brings the delightful and poignant anime SKETCHBOOK to Crunchyroll anime
members and fans in North America starting September 17th at 6pm PDT.  More
information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com <http://www.crunchyroll.com>
.

SKETCHBOOK was originally created by Totan Kobako and is directed by
Yoshimasa Hiraike, written by Mari Okada with character designs by Isao
Sugimoto,. SKETCHBOOK is a tale of rediscovering beauty in the rustic and
one young girl's desire to seize the moments of life through her sketches.

This title will be available to all Crunchyroll fans and members residing in
the U.S., American Samoa, U.S. Minor Outlying Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam,
Virgin Islands, and Canada.

Using Visual Effects to Build Dramatic Tension in Mystery Thriller

TORONTO: September 16, 2009...  Whiteout, which opened in theatres this weekend, includes 415 shots completed at Mr. X, one of Canada's leading creative visual effects houses. Set in Antarctica, the mystery thriller was directed by Dominic Sena and stars Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale plays a US Marshall who must solve a murder with just days to go before the start of the six-month winter, during which travel to or from their remote base will be impossible. As the lead facility on the project, Mr. X defined the look and feel of the film by creating set extensions and augmentations, which transformed shooting locations in Quebec and Manitoba into the menacingly beautiful landscape of Antarctica.

"The primary challenge was to create the illusion of being there," said Dennis Berardi, founder of Mr. X and VFX supervisor on the film. "The narrative is very much driven by the harsh conditions in Antarctica and the imminent arrival of winter. The director wanted us to make the environment, the bitter cold, and the threat posed by winter real for the audience."

Along with the Antarctic landscapes, the artists at Mr. X did set extensions for the research station, built a CG Otter aircraft, added various atmospheric effects, and killed off a villain, recreating the character entirely in CG for the shot. One of the greatest challenges, however, was the great winter storm at the heart of the story.

"It's difficult enough to create a sense of scale and dimensionality, never mind drama, when all you have to work with is white on white!" explained Berardi. "Dominic wanted the storm to feel like a creature, embodying the threat that it represents for the characters. The storm design was a challenging and fascinating task for us."

The studio used the particle system in Houdini for the storm. "As we worked on it, we made some interesting discoveries," said Berardi. "For example, the particle system had to be sized carefully relative to the background plates. If it was too big, it had the effect of 'miniaturizing' the mountains and they would look like little models as the storm sweeps in. We noticed a similar effect if the storm moved too quickly."

Live-Action/CG-Animated Movie Presentation Earns Best-Ever Kids & Boys Ratings:
Boys 6-11 (12.2) - Kids 6-11 (9.3) - Kids 9-14 (7.5) - Kids 2-11 (7.4) - Boys 2-11 (9.4)
SCOOBY-DOO! Also Ranks #1 of All-Time with Network Delivery of Viewers 2+, Kids 2-11, Kids 6-11, Kids 9-14
Boys 2-11 & Boys 6-11
 
Scooby-Doo and the teen gang of mystery-solvers invoked supernatural delivery and ratings strength Sunday night when Cartoon Network premiered the original live-action movie special SCOOBY-DOO! THE MYSTERY BEGINS (7 p.m., ET/PT), setting all-new records as the most-watched telecast in Cartoon Network history, according to preliminary overnight data from Nielsen Media Research.  The live-action and CG-animated film delivered 6,107,000 with viewers age 2+ and became the #1 telecast in network history with kids 2-11 (7.4 / 3,032,000), kids 6-11 (9.3 / 2,296,000), kids 9-14 (7.5 / 1,831,000), boys 2-11 (9.4 / 1,978,000) and boy 6-11 (12.2 / 1,538,000).
A co-production of Warner Premiere and Cartoon Network, SCOOBY-DOO! THE MYSTERY BEGINS reveals the never-before-told story of how the Mystery Inc. gang first joined forces to solve a suspicious haunting at Coolsville High.  Teachers and students alike accuse Fred, Velma, Daphne and Shaggy of playing a spooky prank.  Suddenly, the school athlete, the science fair-winning brainiac, the drama beauty and the school misfit must band together to clear their names.  With Shaggy's newly adopted dog Scooby-Doo tagging along, the mismatched quartet soon discovers they have more in common than they originally thought. Warner Home Video will release SCOOBY-DOO! THE MYSTERY BEGINS on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def Combo Pack on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The live-action cast features Robbie Amell (Life With Derek, True Jackson) as Fred, along with Kate Melton as Daphne, Hayley Kiyoko as Velma and Nick Palatas as Shaggy.  Frank Welker, a member of the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! voice-cast, provides the voice of Scooby-Doo.  SCOOBY-DOO! THE MYSTERY BEGINS is directed by Brian Levant (Snow Dogs, The Flintstones), produced by Brian Gilbert (Wrong Turn) and written by Daniel and Steven Altiere (Dr. Dolittle: A Tinsel Town Tail, Gym Teacher: The Movie). 
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic entertainment for youth and families.  Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
 

Online Media Distribution Giant and Leading Animation Production Studio
Continue Stream of Osamu Tezuka's 1970's Classic Anime Title

San Francisco, CA (September 15, 2009) --Crunchyroll and Tezuka Productions
hold a winning hand as they collaborate to bring Osamu Tezuka's award
winning original 70's manga/anime classic BLACK JACK episodes 14-28 to
Crunchyroll Anime Members and fans worldwide starting today, September 15,
2009 at noon PST.  More information can be found at www.crunchyroll.com
<http://www.crunchyroll.com> .

BLACK JACK was directed by Makoto Tezuka (Osamu Tezuka's son) and is
considered one of the top three most famous manga titles by the world famous
manga-ka and anime producer that won the 1st Kodansha Manga Award for the
shonen category in 1977.

"With the continued partnership with Tezuka Productions, fans are in for a
real treat with episodes 14-28 of Osamu Tezuka's BLACK JACK," states Rob
Pereyda, Crunchyroll Senior Director.

Crunchyroll already streams the initial BLACK JACK episodes (1-13) of this
series.

This title will be subbed and available in the following territories U.S.
and its respective territories & Canada.

London, 15^th September, 2009. Ludorum plc, a leading specialist in the creation of global children's IP, announced today the appointment of Maureen Taxter to the newly-created position of Senior Vice President, US Consumer Products, based in New York.

Taxter is a licensing industry veteran with over 25 years experience in building and managing entertainment brands.  She has held senior positions within globally recognised companies such as Jim Henson Productions, Hasbro and Viacom contributing to some of the world's most successful kid's brands including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, The Muppets, Playskool and more.

During her ten-year tenure at Viacom, Taxter led development of Nickelodeon's first successful consumer products brands, growing Rugrats and Blue's Clues into $1 billion franchises. She subsequently oversaw Brand Management, Retail and New Business Development for the $4 billion licensing division responsible for Nickelodeon, Noggin & Comedy Central consumer products.

Reporting directly to Ludorum COO, Charlie Caminada, Taxter will be responsible for all Ludorum's commercial operations in the US working across Ludorum properties and in particular, the CGI animated series for pre-schoolers, Chuggington which is to air on the Playhouse Disney programming block in the United States beginning Spring 2010.

Commenting on the appointment, Charlie Caminada, COO, Ludorum said: "We are delighted to welcome an executive of Maureen's calibre to Ludorum.  Maureen's appointment comes at an exciting time in our company's life and her knowledge and experience will be invaluable as we expand our activities in the US."

Taxter commented - "I am thrilled to be joining Ludorum to build and drive the company's brands and operation in the US.   Chuggington has had considerable success to date worldwide and I look forward to working with such an experienced team to launch this great new kid's property here in the US."

Fans Compete Online to Win PlayStation®3, 40" LCD HDTV, Blu-rays & DVDs

in conjunction with Sept. 29 release of next DC Universe Animated Original Movie

 

BURBANK, CA - Sept. 11, 2009 - Fans can further immerse themselves in the multitude of DC Super Heroes and villains in the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie by participating in the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Virtual Collector Card Sweepstakes. Starting September 11, 2009, the sweepstakes involves an active search for special codes on the film's Facebook and MySpace pages, Twitter updates and the film's official website, and entrants will be eligible to win a Sony PlayStation®3, a 40-inch LCD HDTV, and a Blu-ray or DVD of the film, which will be released by Warner Home Video on Sept. 29, 2009.

 

Sweepstakes entry begins through an application on the Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Facebook fan page (http://apps.facebook.com/supermanbatman) and the search extends through the film's official website, MySpace page and Twitter updates. Entrants can find daily codes to be entered into the Facebook application. With each code, the entrant will be rewarded with one additional sweepstakes entry and two virtual collector cards. Entrants will unlock gateways to greater prizes - exclusive content from the film, including video clips, wallpaper and images - by completing groups of card collections.

 

The Superman/Batman: Public Enemies Virtual Collector Card Sweepstakes features an unique interactive component amongst fans that allows entrants to trade virtual cards so they can help each other complete their collection sets and continue to advance toward  unlocking the exclusive content.

 

Fans will appreciate the added bonus of artistic detail within the virtual collector cards themselves as each depicts a character from the 100+ DC Super Heroes and villains that appear in the film. From Superman and Batman to Captain Atom and Power Girl to Solomon Grundy, Starfire and Metallo, the Collectors Cards include 33 different characters displayed across 40 individual, beautifully-designed virtual cards. An additional 10 bonus cards depict classic graphic novel images from the DC Comics archives.

Two Free Maps Available September 17 for PLAYSTATION®3, Xbox 360® and Games for Windows®
Redwood City, Calif. - September 14, 2009 - Eidos Interactive Ltd. and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced the Insane Night Map Pack, a free downloadable map pack for the critically acclaimed Batman: Arkham Asylum™ action adventure title. Beginning September 17th, the Insane Night Map Pack will be available from PlayStation® Store, Xbox® LIVE Marketplace, and Games for Windows® LIVE Marketplace, and offer gamers two new Challenge Maps to hone their FreeFlow™ Combat skills and test their Invisible Predator™ prowess.
 
In the 'Totally Insane' FreeFlow Combat map, players' will be tested to their fullest as scores of escaped lunatics bear down upon BATMAN as they make their escape through the asylum's secure records facility. These fast-moving foes will challenge all but the most practiced players, with quick reactions and expert timing needed to fend off wave upon wave of insane inmates, bent on taking down the DARK KNIGHT. In the 'Nocturnal Hunter' Invisible Predator map, players take on a wholly different approach, practicing their predatory skills to remain in the shadows, utilizing the Arkham watchtowers and Batman's arsenal of gadgets to gain the upper hand on The Joker's army of goons patrolling below.
 
The Insane Night Map Pack will be available from September 17th for PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, and the soon to be released Games for Windows® LIVE edition.
 
In Batman: Arkham Asylum, developed by Rocksteady Studios and based on DC Comics' Batman license, the Dark Knight takes on his greatest challenge yet when he becomes trapped with all of his most dangerous villains inside the insane asylum of GOTHAM CITY - ARKHAM ASYLUM! Since its release, Batman: Arkham Asylum has garnered the acclaim of gamers and critics alike, achieving an average score of 92 from reviews around the world*, earning it a Guinness World Record for 'Most Critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever.'

Batman: Arkham Asylum is rated "T" for Teen and is available for PLAYSTATION3 and Xbox 360 for the suggested retail price of $59.99.  It will also be available for Games for Windows LIVE at retail outlets for the suggested retail price of $49.99 on September 15, 2009.  For more information, please visit www.batmanarkhamasylum.com.
 
*Compiled by Metacritic.com, one of the web's best resources for critical information about film, video, games, books and television.
 
About DC Comics
DC Comics, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world and home to such iconic characters as SUPERMAN, BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN and the SANDMAN. These DC SUPER HEROES and others have starred in comic books, movies, television series (both animated and live-action) and cyberspace, thrilling audiences of all ages for generations.  DC Comics' Web site is located at www.dccomics.com
 
About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.
 
About Eidos Interactive Ltd.
Eidos is the creator of some of the world's leading videogame properties, consisting of several development studios including Crystal Dynamics, IO Interactive, Beautiful Game Studios, Eidos Game Studios, Eidos Hungary and Eidos Montreal, plus sales and distribution offices in Europe and the US. The Group has a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: Tomb Raider™, Hitman™, Deus Ex™, Championship Manager™ and Just Cause™. Eidos is a wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

Just Cause, Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Hitman, Championship Manager, Eidos and the Eidos Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Eidos Interactive Ltd. All rights reserved. SQUARE ENIX is a trademark or a registered trademark of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other territories. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 

Ben 10 Debut from Existing Partners at Market Week
 
 
Making a splash in the home furnishings market, Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) kicked off the Home Fashion Products Association's New York Home Fashions Market today with a series of announcements for two of its industry leading boys' brands.  As the exclusive U.S. licensing agent for Nelvana and Spin Master's Bakugan, CNE has signed RoomMates, a division of York Wallcoverings, as the brand's newest partner, while existing partners Franco Manufacturing and The Northwest Company unveil new products at the semi-annual show.  The group also announced that it is actively seeking partners in the room décor category for its evergreen Ben 10 franchise, while existing partners Jay Franco and RoomMates set new products for the brand for spring 2010.
RoomMates will launch a series of wall decors featuring some of the brand's most popular characters in spring 2010, when it will join existing partners Franco Manufacturing (bedding, beach towels and bath accessories) and The Northwest Company (throws and throw/pillow gift sets) in the home furnishings category for Bakugan, with a range of new products also launching at the same time.
Bolstering its roster of home furnishings partners for its hit Ben 10 brand, CNE enters New York Home Fashions Market actively seeking room décor partners.  These new partners will join Jay Franco (bedding, beach towels and bath accessories) and RoomMates (wall stickers and wallpaper murals), which will be showcasing new products during the market week.  
"Instrumental to our brands' continued success at retail is having the right mix of fresh product and categories," said Christina Miller, senior vice president of CNE.  "The addition of RoomMates along with an all-new product range puts us in a great position to continue to grow and cement Ben 10 and Bakugan as two of the industry's leading boys' brands."
 

New software for DeckLink, Intensity and Multibridge models is available for
download now!

Milpitas, CA, USA -- August 31, 2009 -- Blackmagic Design Inc. today released
a new software installer for its Multibridge, DeckLink and Intensity products
that adds full support for the new Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. This new software
release also includes support for the highly popular editing solution, Final
Cut Studio 3.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard enables Blackmagic Design customers to migrate to
the next generation of 64- bit processing for the Mac. This new software provides
a smoother and more fluid experience that editors and compositors using Blackmagic
Design products will love.

"Our close development relationship with Apple has enabled Blackmagic Design
to take full advantage of the many exiting new features in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow
Leopard from the very first day of its release," said Grant Petty, CEO. "Our
customers demand high performance workstations and Mac OS X 10.6 dramatically
improves speed and responsiveness of creative workstations, so we expect rapid
adoption by video professionals."

This new software update supports all Blackmagic Design's, Multibridge, DeckLink
and Intensity editing products when used on Intel based Mac Pro systems.

Availability
Multibridge 7.2.6, DeckLink 7.2.6 and Intensity 3.2.6 software installers are
available for download now from the Blackmagic Design web site at www.blackmagic-design.com/support/.

About Blackmagic Design Inc.
Blackmagic Design Inc. manufactures the world's highest quality video editing
products, converters and routers for the post-production and television broadcast
industries. The Multibridge, DeckLink, Intensity, Videohub and HDLink family
of products have revolutionized the post production industry and made HDTV and
film editing more affordable. Founded by the world's leading editors and engineers
from the post production industry, this knowledge is constantly fed back into
our products. Blackmagic Design has operations in the USA, United Kingdom, Japan,
Singapore, and Australia. For more information, please check www.blackmagic-design.com.
###

Paris, Monday, 14 September 2009
 
A 26 half-hour HD CGI series developed by Method Animation in co-production with the US's Marvel Animation, Iron Man: Armored Adventures will be making its small-screen debut across the world in 2009.
 
PGS have taken Iron Man: Armored Adventures, based on the popular Marvel Super Hero, Iron Man, to the international marketplace, and the series is set to air back on screens all over the world this year including; Nicktoons (USA), Teletoon (Canada), ABC (Australia), France 2 (France), Rai Gulp (Italy), Jetix (UK, France, Spain, Nordics, Eastern Europe and Latin America), Globo (Brazil), Televisa (Mexico), CTC (Russia), Cartoon Network (Asia) and Orlando Kids (Ex-Yugoslavia).
 
Iron Man: Armored Adventures centers on teenager Tony Stark, heir to a billion-dollar corporation. Tony lives a life of luxury, free to pursue his chief interests - seeking extreme thrills, solving scientific mysteries and creating mind-boggling inventions. But everything goes horribly wrong when a tragic accident robs Tony of his father and nearly costs him his own life. Now dependent on his own impressive technology for survival and dedicated to battling corruption, Tony must reconcile the pressure of teenage life with duties of a Super Hero. Inside his remarkable invention - an armor-plated suit - Tony Stark is geared for high-speed flight, high-tech battles and high-octane adventure!
 
Philippe Soutter, MD of PGS Entertainment said, "This brilliant series presents Iron Man as a teenager, which appeals to an even wider range of broadcasters worldwide. With the strong ratings which the show generated from its premiere airings in the USA, UK, Australia and Canada, we are very enthusiastic about presenting Iron Man: Armored Adventures to the broadcast marketplace Cannes in October."
 
Eric S. Rollman, President of Marvel Animation added, "Iron Man: Armored Adventures is a vital part of Marvel's Iron Man brand as it broadens the dimensions of the characters by making them more accessible to a younger audience while respecting the core characteristics for the hard core fans.  The incredible visuals and high quality CGI production in this series are a rare treat for any viewer and the ratings support that enthusiasm."
 
Aton Soumache, Chairman and CEO of Method Animation commented, "It has really been an honor to produce a show based on such an iconic character. We worked hard to deliver the very best superhero to the screen - pushing the boundaries of HD CGI to create a high-octane show packed with truly breathtaking action sequences. We are looking forward to following its continued success."
 

Axis3 Plans November 2009 Release of New Heathcliff and Funny Face Applications for iPhone
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
NEW YORK - (September 14, 2009) - FitzRoy Media has awarded worldwide gaming rights for Heathcliff and Funny Face to San Diego-based Axis3 Apps in an agreement that gives Axis exclusive rights to develop and distribute games and applications for iPhones; it was announced by Fitz Roy Media CEO Hamp Hampton.
 
As part of the four-year agreement, Axis plans to release the first games this fall with the November 2009 debut of Heathcliff and Funny Face applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Both games will be available for download through iTunes.
 
"The new deal with Axis will play a key role in Fitz Roy's strategy to extend these iconic brands to our target audience of children, tweens and young adults, with innovative and fun applications from a company that is known for creating games that are immediately embraced by this all-important demographic," said Hampton.
 
"We are very excited to have secured the rights to two classic properties that are poised for success with new generations of adults and children in the 21st century," said Axis3 Apps President AJ Shaker. "I grew up with both Heathcliff and Funny Face. I am confident these properties will attract strong followings across all platforms given the technology and gaming innovation we have available now."
 
Created in 1973 by cartoonist George Gately, today's Heathcliff comic strip is written and drawn by Peter Gallagher, who took over the comic strip in 1998 after apprenticing with his uncles, George Gately and John Gallagher. Targeting an adult and tween audience, the new Heathcliff will focus on comedy set against a hip, club-music sound.
 
Funny Face, the new animated television series, presents the wry, high-spirited adventures of Loud Mouth Lime, Jolly Olly Orange, Goofy Grape and their fruit-flavored pals. The series combines memorable characters, slapstick action, smart comic dialogue and the exquisitely designed and executed animation that is a signature of Renegade Animation (Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi, The Mr. Men Show).

Media Contact: Sabrina Propper, President  RPiPR: 818.515.5798; spropper.rpipr@gmail.com
 
About Axis3 Apps
 
Axis3 Apps is a Southern California-based game developer specializing in the design and publishing of dynamic, high-quality applications for the emerging worldwide mobile market. Axis3 Interactive is the parent company of Axis3 Apps and Axis3 Studios, its console game development branch.
 

About Fitz Roy Media LLC

Fitz Roy Media (FRM) is a media property development company specializing in children's entertainment created for a variety of new and emerging media platforms including mobile, Internet and interactive broadcast TV. FRM's flagship property, Heathcliff (created in 1973 by cartoonist George Gately)  the new comic strip is written and drawn by George Gately's nephew Peter Gallagher and is being developed for multiple mediums. FRM's other key branded properties include "Daktari Park,"  "Secret Wings," "Funny Face" and "Out of My Mind," a new series for tweens that combines live-action with animation.
 
Led by CEO Hamp Hampton, founder of The Mercer Group LLC, and formerly with  Honest Entertainment, the licensing/marketing firm behind the hit children's properties Angela Anaconda, Pepper Ann and Fido Dido, the top management team boasts more than 75 years of combined specialized industry experience. COO Terrence McCarthy is an award-winning technology and integrator consultant who founded Neoteric, Inc., a leading workflow, directory and messaging integrator, and a veteran CTO, CFO and management consultant clients including Price Waterhouse Coopers, Road Runner, American Airlines, UNICEF, Hitachi, Novell, Motorola and IBM.
 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - September 14, 2009 - Marc Schwartz, Managing Partner at Fluid, the New York-based editorial, original music and visual effects studio, announced today that Laura Relovsky will become Executive Producer of Fluid's editorial staff which includes Robin Burchill, Greg Letson, Scott Philbrook, John Mallerman, Karama Brown, Jim Rubino and lead designer Wes Waldron.
 
In making this announcement, Schwartz stated, "Laura brings years of experience and contacts to Fluid.  So many of our projects now involve multiple divisions here at Fluid (edit, music, sound design, graphics, production, interactive, etc.) and I think Laura will enjoy the ability to bring a lot more than editorial to the table for her clients."
 
Relovsky is an 18-year veteran of the advertising postproduction industry.  Prior to joining Fluid, she served as Executive Producer  at Mad River (New York, NY) for fourteen years, producing work for Canon, Vaseline, Levis, Tostitos, Nike, ESPN, Miller Lite, NFL, Amstel, Heineken, MTV, and Coke, and working with agencies such as BBDO, O&M, Y&R, JWT, W+K and Hill Holiday.
        
Of her new position Ms. Relovsky said, "Joining Fluid is the next logical step for me. I was immediately drawn in by the atmosphere, the people, and the vast array of talent contained within the company's walls.  To me it represents what the new model for the postproduction industry will be. Yet they've been doing it for years! Not only am I energized and thrilled to be working with such a great editorial team, but being able to collaborate with such accomplished composers, visual effects artists, and interactive designers, all under one roof, is more than I could have hoped for.  It is an exciting time and I hope that I can add to the creative texture with my experience, ideas, and industry relationships."    
 
Earlier in her career, Relovsky co-founded Progressive Image Group (New York, NY) with Editor Tim Sherry, and served as Business Manager and Producer at Vito DeSario Editing (New York, NY).
          
A Rutgers (Newark, NJ) graduate with a bachelor's degree in communications and English literature, Relovsky currently lives in Glen Ridge, NJ with her daughter, Olivia.
 
About Fluid:
 
Fluid, innovators in creating a collaborative of original music, editorial, design and interactive resources, was launched in the fall of 1998 by founding partners Composer/Executive Producer David Shapiro, Composer Andrew Sherman, and Managing Partner/Executive Producer Marc Schwartz, and today boasts a staff of 35. With its recent partnership with Crush + Lovely, the company has extended its reach into interactive web design and development.
 

FLUID is headquartered at 532 Broadway, 5th floor, New York, NY 10012; phone (212) 431-4342; fax (212) 431-6525.  Visit the FLUID website at www.fluidny.com For more information, or to see a reel, contact Jessica Millington, Kristen Bedard or Lori Youmans.
 
 

Japanese Entertainment Giant present Koihime Musou!

San Francisco, CA (September 12, 2009) -- Enter the world of the Han Dynasty
as up and coming Japanese Anime distribution company, Marvelous
Entertainment Inc., and the number one (1) online destination for Anime and
Asian Entertainment, Crunchyroll, are set to stream the action
packed/comedic/fantasy fan-favorite KOIHIME MUSOU (episodes 1-4; subbed) to
Crunchyroll Anime Members and fans worldwide starting today, Saturday;
September 12, 2009 at 5:00 pm PDT.  More information can be found at
www.crunchyroll.com <http://www.crunchyroll.com> .

Inspired by the classic Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms",
KOIHIME MUSOU was originally launched as an adult visual novel and PC
strategy game and grew in such popularity that it branched off into a
Playstation(R) 2 game title as well as into a series of manga books as well as
the highly popular and well received Anime.

"We're very excited to be able to work with Marvelous again and have the
opportunity to showcase another fantastic title like KOIHIME MUSOU," states
Crunchyroll Brand Manager Mr. Keith Kawamura, "Marvelous produces so many
amazing shows, like SCHOOL DAYS, HAPPINESS and KONO AOZORA WO YAKUSOKU NI,
we obviously can't wait to launch it."

This title will be available in subbed formats and available in
all territories, except the following: Japan, France, Belgium, China,
Luxembourg, Andorra, Monaco, Taiwan and Hong Kong

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Jordan Mechner, game designer, programmer, screenwriter, and creator of the widely acclaimed Prince of Persia franchise will deliver a keynote address at the 2009 Game Developers Conference China. GDC China presented by Think Services, a division of United Business Media, will take place at the Shanghai International Convention Center, October 11-13 of this year.

Mechner's keynote address will explore the success of the Prince of Persia series which was first released in 1989 as well as his own success as a game designer, programmer, and finally director and screenwriter. Following the release of seven chapters of the series, Mechner wrote the script for the film version of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Mike Newell. The movie will be released by Walt Disney Pictures in May of 2010.

"We are so excited to welcome Jordan to the stage in Shanghai," said Meggan Scavio, GDC China event director. "He has a great story to share with the audience from a game design, artistic, and storytelling perspective; as well as the business acumen to succeed in maintaining a strong brand, building commercial success, and further transitioning games to film."

Mechner's first hit game was Karateka (1984), written while he was still an undergraduate at Yale University. Prince of Persia, released in 1989, was noted for its fluid animation of human figures. Both titles were published by Broderbund. In 1993, he formed Smoking Car Productions, an entertainment software development group based in San Francisco. In 2003, Ubisoft released the fourth installment of the Prince of Persia saga, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, on which Mechner collaborated as writer and game designer. Mechner today divides his time between writing screenplays, graphic novels, and designing video games. He also wrote and directed two award-winning documentaries, including Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story. He is writing the screenplay for a film adaptation of Michael Turner's Fathom starring Megan Fox. He is collaborating with artists LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland on a new graphic novel to be published by First Second Books in 2010.

Mechner joins a prominent lineup of GDC China speakers including Kelly Snapka (Art Director, Volition, Inc.), Todd Coleman (Co-Founder, Wolfpack Studios Inc.), Chris Ulm (CEO, Appy), Billy Hsu (CEO, DJL Worldwide), Mack Growen (GM, Playfish China), Brad MacDonald (Art Director, Large Animal Games), Tony Chen (Online Business Development Manager, Take Two Asia), Simon Carless (Publisher, Gamasutra.com and Game Developer Magazine), and several more. The GDC China early bird rate ends Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

For more information on the 2009 Game Developers Conference® China, please visit www.gdcchina.com.

About the Think Services Game Group
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award-winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz and other Gamasutra Network websites, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® Europe, the Game Developers Conference® China, the Game Developers Conference® Canada, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com

--Digital Production Studio Showcases Expertise in Complex Mechanical
Imagery for Audi A4 2.0 TDI e--

Venice, CA‹September 11, 2009‹Digital Domain has teamed up with longtime
collaborator Carl Erik Rinsch and his German production company Markenfilm
on a :45 TV commercial for Audi, via Hamburg, Germany-based ad agency
Kempertrautmann. The digital production studio designed a highly complex --
yet ethereally beautiful -- visual device that represents Audi's new
tagline, "Efficient-Technology, intelligently combined." The spot titled
"Intelligently Combined" showcases the Audi A4 2.0 TDI e and first aired
Sept. 4th 2009 in Spain and will roll out across Europe.

"Intelligently Combined" opens on a minimalist museum space. Hanging in the
middle of the spacious room is a clear glass cube divided into multiple
sections like a Rubik's Cube puzzle. Various automobile parts are encased
within the sections, which begin to rotate and shift, releasing pistons,
gears, bolts and other parts from their compartments. They drop and fall
into place with other Audi parts, joining together to form the fully
realized Audi A4 2.0 TDI e featured at the end of the spot ‹ the only
live-action portion of the otherwise entirely CG commercial.

Directors and agencies have long tapped Digital Domain for its expertise in
modeling and animating highly complex, detailed and photo-real mechanical
imagery. However the team -- led by Visual Effects Supervisor Jay Barton --
still faced the creative challenge of designing and orchestrating the
complicated movements of the cube, which had to build an Audi piece by
piece as the puzzle was "solved."

Berlin, 3.9.2009. After the resounding success of the first KUKI Festival in 2008, the 2nd International Short Film Festival for Children and Youth Berlin has really grown! With more than 740 entries from all over the world, the KUKI team has put together a strong festival programme of exciting, funny and imaginative short films.

It all kicks off at the fabulous opening ceremony on Sunday 1 November at 3pm at Filmtheater am Friedrichshain - our festival cinema this year. The opening screening will feature a selection of competition films as well as the premiere of the film "Through the Big, Fat Wall" (WT) made during the children's filmmaking workshop "Kinder machen Kurzfilm!".

The film-packed festival week is sure to please audiences of all ages: There are five competition programmes for children aged 4+, 6+, 10+, 12+ and 14+. While all films are screened in their original language, professional actors will dub each of the programmes up to 12+ inclusive in German, live.

This year we have created a programme especially aimed at kindergarten children! The KUKI school programmes continue to inform and inspire with short documentaries, foreign language programmes and short films addressing the theme of The Wall and Borders (to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall). Pupils and teachers are encouraged to participate in open discussions after every screening with attending filmmakers.

The documentary programme Take a Look at the World reveals the diversity of children's lives from different parts of the planet and the foreign language programmes What's up? and ¿Qué onda? expose school classes to a variety of natural dialects with films shown in their original versions from English and Spanish speaking countries.

And KUKI's musical now too! At a special teenage event, a selection of the latest music videos will be shown on a big screen and followed up by an after-show party with the girl-band Maiden Monsters (www.maidenmonsters.com) and DJ Vossi (VoPo Records, RockBar Magnet, RockAG Lido).

For those who feel creatively inspired by the animation films seen at the festival, we have the TRICKBOXX from KI.KA. The TRICKBOXX is like a mini animation studio where everyone is welcome to try their hand at making an animated film. It will be located in the cinema foyer throughout the festival week.

The festival finale will take place when both the children's and youth juries announce their respective competition winners at the 25th International Short Film Festival Berlin Awards Ceremony on 8 November in Kino Babylon

PRESS RELEASE

Berlin, 3.9.2009. After the resounding success of the first KUKI Festival in 2008, the 2nd International Short Film Festival for Children and Youth Berlin has really grown! With more than 740 entries from all over the world, the KUKI team has put together a strong festival programme of exciting, funny and imaginative short films.

It all kicks off at the fabulous opening ceremony on Sunday 1 November at 3pm at Filmtheater am Friedrichshain - our festival cinema this year. The opening screening will feature a selection of competition films as well as the premiere of the film "Through the Big, Fat Wall" (WT) made during the children's filmmaking workshop "Kinder machen Kurzfilm!".

The film-packed festival week is sure to please audiences of all ages: There are five competition programmes for children aged 4+, 6+, 10+, 12+ and 14+. While all films are screened in their original language, professional actors will dub each of the programmes up to 12+ inclusive in German, live.

This year we have created a programme especially aimed at kindergarten children! The KUKI school programmes continue to inform and inspire with short documentaries, foreign language programmes and short films addressing the theme of The Wall and Borders (to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall). Pupils and teachers are encouraged to participate in open discussions after every screening with attending filmmakers.

The documentary programme Take a Look at the World reveals the diversity of children's lives from different parts of the planet and the foreign language programmes What's up? and ¿Qué onda? expose school classes to a variety of natural dialects with films shown in their original versions from English and Spanish speaking countries.

And KUKI's musical now too! At a special teenage event, a selection of the latest music videos will be shown on a big screen and followed up by an after-show party with the girl-band Maiden Monsters (www.maidenmonsters.com) and DJ Vossi (VoPo Records, RockBar Magnet, RockAG Lido).

For those who feel creatively inspired by the animation films seen at the festival, we have the TRICKBOXX from KI.KA. The TRICKBOXX is like a mini animation studio where everyone is welcome to try their hand at making an animated film. It will be located in the cinema foyer throughout the festival week.

The festival finale will take place when both the children's and youth juries announce their respective competition winners at the 25th International Short Film Festival Berlin Awards Ceremony on 8 November in Kino Babylon.

Evergreen will be presenting a brand new series from Wyvern Images in Hungary at the upcoming MIPJunior following discussions in Budapest between Wyvern's Gabor Koltai and Evergreen's Steve Walsh and Alan Rudoff.

"When Gabor showed me the animation I knew that Evergreen had to acquire the distribution rights. TipTop's a 3D series for very small children with bright colours, delightful and very original  characters and simple everyday stories." said Steve Walsh.

"We have no real experience of the international marketplace, but we intend to make lots of animated shows, so we were delighted when Steve and Alan came to Budapest to visit the studio and advise us on how best to proceed. We are very happy to know that our show will be in such good hands at MIPCOM and beyond." Said Wyvern's Gabor Koltai.

'TipTop' is a 26 x 6' animated series aimed at tiny tots narrated in English by a single voice to facilitate the making of foreign language versions.

 

 

Christina Miller has been promoted to senior vice president of Turner Sports Strategy/Marketing/Promotions and Cartoon Network Enterprises.  In this role, Miller will continue her oversight of Cartoon Network's Consumer Products and Home Video business in the United States, which includes global licensing partnerships and merchandising strategies and retail business development for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim properties.  Miller's added duties will include responsibility for overall management and direction of Turner Sports strategy, marketing and programming, including overseeing relationships with league partners, Turner networks and their digital extensions.
 
Miller will relocate from New York to Atlanta.  She will continue to report to David Levy, president of sales, distribution and sports for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., and to Stuart Snyder, president and chief operating officer, Animation, Young Adults and Kids Media Group.  With her new role, Miller will additionally report to Lenny Daniels, executive vice president, chief operating officer, Turner Sports.
 
"Christina's strategic approach, along with her reputation in the industry and her supportive leadership style, will be a perfect complement to the Turner Sports team," Daniels said.  "Christina was instrumental in our recent golf deal, which created an important kids' licensing partnership between Turner and the PGA."
 
Previously vice president of CNE, Miller joined Turner in 2005 and was responsible for the division's first global, multi-property, strategic partnership, which brought the entire Cartoon Network portfolio of toys to the marketplace.  Most recently, she was a key player in making CNE the PGA's licensing agent in the youth marketplace.  CNE, in this new role, 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.  The deal provides an opportunity for CNE to deepen its commitment to the youth market and continue to build successful consumer products programs in this space.
 

Developed in Close Collaboration with VFX Industry Guru,
Mark Christiansen

Wilmington, NC - September 10, 2009 - Digieffects,® a developer
of popular visual effects software plugins, today announced that
Camera Mapper is available for purchase. Camera Mapper, a
plugin for Adobe After Effects, allows you to simulate a 3D
scene from 2D stills or footage. It allows you to isolate one
or several objects in your footage, project these objects on a
separate layer and pull that layer out of the background,
creating the visual illusion of the object floating in front
of the original footage.

According to Robert Sharp, President of Digieffects "camera
mapping is a key part of compositing applications such as Nuke,
and while you could do this natively in After Effects, it would
be only at the expense of some complicated workarounds that
cost time and lack important capabilities."

Camera Mapper was developed in close collaboration with Mark
Christiansen, author of The After Effects Studio Techniques
books, and industry veteran who has worked on several feature
films including Avatar, Pirates 3, All About Evil and The
Day After Tomorrow.

(September 10, 2009) - Nelvana Enterprises and The Clifford Ross Company are pleased to announce that TF1 Licences has been appointed as the representative agent for the Babar brand in France and other European territories such as Belgium and The Netherlands, effective immediately.

 

TF1 will play a major role in creating synergies between the merchandising program and the broadcasting of the new 3-D series Babar - And the Adventures of Badou set to launch on TF1 in France in Fall 2010/Spring 2011. The series is now in production from Nelvana Studio and TeamTO in association with The Clifford Ross Company and 26 episodes (52 x 11 minute stories) are in the works. Playhouse Disney France is pre-buying the series to air in a second broadcast window. It will debut in North America on YTV in Canada. TF1 Licences will be the licensing agent for the property in France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Monaco, Andorra, Dom-Tom and French-speaking Switzerland.

 

The series will introduce King Babar's eight-year-old grandson, Badou, a "one-elephant stampede", bursting with a sense of adventure. He laughs often and has inherited his grandfather's daring spirit, often plunging into a situation (or a hidden passage way or unexplored temple) fully confident that he can handle whatever he finds. To see his grandson rushing so enthusiastically into the world makes Babar feel as if he is discovering it anew for himself. Viewers will also meet a cast of new characters offering kid-friendly views of palace intrigue and comic jungle adventures. 

Evergreen Entertainment has acquired distribution rights to the new season of 'Shapes', the pre-school series from Peach Blossom Media in Singapore. Production has recently started with delivery of the 39 x 7' episodes due towards the end of 2010.
 
"We are delighted with the sales of the first season. Deals have been concluded in the last few weeks in Indonesia, India, Slovenia and Ukraine with several other countries close to signing and we expect a really good response from buyers at MIPJunior" said Managing Director, Steve Walsh.

An episode of Series 1 will be  showing at MIPJunior with other available on Evergreen's stand H4:35.

Toronto, ON - August 5, 2009 - On Wednesday, 22 July, EWL Media, a content creator and distributor, launches its new website.  The new site,www.ewlmedia.com, features a comprehensive online catalogue, image gallery, promotional trailers, promotional flyers and up-to-date news about the company's sales and acquisitions activities.

The site was designed by Rob Bowyer, of Bowyer Advertising - www.bowyeradvertising.com and developed by Marco Fernandez of Mayhem Arts -www.mayhemarts.com, following many months of research and consultation with EWL Media's staff. Marco notes that developing the site "posed several interesting challenges as we had to develop a site that would be intuitive to all possible scenarios a user may encounter, while maintaining an appealing and user-friendly environment."

Over the coming months, the site will be enhanced and build out as EWL Media continues to develop and acquire new content for its production slate and distribution catalogue.  Lynnette Lanning, VP, Operations, is "delighted that all the hard work over many, many months has finally resulted in EWL having a strong web presence that will speak to producers and broadcasters alike.  The internet is an incredible information and communication tool.  Now, our producers will be profiled on the site and broadcast buyers can regularly check to see which of our new acquisitions    fits into their schedule."

For Patricia Scarlett, the VP, Content, the new website is "an important tool that will be used to promote existing and new content and also give our producers and opportunity to see first-hand how their programs are being promoted.  Further, as our producers become familiar with each other's work, there'll also be opportunities for them to collaborate in co-productions.  We are all so excited about what lies ahead for EWL Media."

EWL anticipates that the site will attract new producers who are seeking representation for their films as well as new content buyers.

For additional information about EWL Media, contact Patricia Scarlett at patricia@ewlmedia.com or call her at (905) 726-2213.

About EWL Media

EWL Media is an innovative Canadian content creator and distribution company with offices in Toronto and Montreal.  The company co-produces indie features and documentaries that entertain, inform and inspire.  EWL's content catalogue includes travel, lifestyle and children's programs as well as documentaries and indie features.

Now in its ninth year, the Festival seeks films and videos that communicate an awareness and deep appreciation of cultural diversity, individual self exploration and eco-humanitarianism

SANTA CRUZ, CA, September 9, 2009 - The Santa Cruz Film Festival (SCFF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit film arts organization, announces the call for entries for its ninth season, May 6-15, 2010. SCFF is committed to showcasing new moving image art from around the globe and presenting this creative work to residents and visitors in California's Greater Monterey Bay Area.
 
Films and videos of all lengths and formats completed after January 1, 2009, are eligible for submission and consideration including Narrative, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, Student, and Youth-produced works. 
 
Submit online or download the application from the Festival's website at http://www.santacruzfilmfestival.org/2010_callforentries.html.  The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2010, with an early bird discount for entries postmarked by November 15, 2009.  Discounted entry fees are also available for works submitted by Santa Cruz and Monterey County filmmakers, students, and youth filmmakers (under 18).
 
Honoring today's most creative independent filmmakers, SCFF will present Audience Awards for Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, International Film, Short Narrative, Short Documentary, Animated Work, Experimental Work, Student-Produced Work, Youth-Produced Work, and Locally-Produced Work.  Jury Prizes are awarded in the Narrative Feature, Documentary Feature, and Emerging Filmmaker categories.
 
The Festival is proud to continue its partnership with the EarthVision Environmental Film Festival.  SCFF commits a portion of its programming to raising environmental awareness and bringing key environmental issues to the forefront. The films represented in the EarthVision Environmental Film section are the works of passionate individuals who have documented crucial environmental problems and the attempts to solve them.  Their work embraces a broad spectrum of environmental situations that are explored from diverse points of view.  The EarthVision Environmental Film section includes audience awards in a number of categories and includes the EarthVision Environmental Film Jury Prize.  Visit http://www.santacruzfilmfestival.org/earthvision.html for more information.
 
Director of Programming Julian Soler commented, "As the Festival continues to grow and after a surprisingly successful 2009, we look forward to receiving and considering work from the best and brightest filmmakers in the world.  The quality of work we see continues to improve and we are excited to begin the process of building another fantastic program for 2010."
 
ABOUT THE SANTA CRUZ FILM FESTIVAL
Since 2002, the Santa Cruz Film Festival has celebrated innovative and original filmmaking in and for the Greater Monterey Bay community.  Over the past eight years, SCFF has screened over 1,000 independent films and videos including over 160 locally-produced works to nearly 90,000 enthusiastic and dedicated film lovers. 
 
Whether fact or fiction, commercial or avant garde, live action or animation, the Santa Cruz Film Festival celebrates the diverse art of talented filmmakers.  SCFF presents artists who create films and videos in all genres from around the world in one of the most thought-provoking, entertaining, fun-filled, educational regional film festivals in the country.  The Festival has been proud to not only showcase new creative talents, but to also provide an experience where filmmakers, musicians, performers, artists and the community can come together to share their art and ideas and to have an enlightening and fun time.
 
The Santa Cruz Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  The tax identification number is 30-0053845.  Donations are tax-deductible.  Visit our website for more information at http://www.santacruzfilmfestival.org/
 

The world's greatest color correction systems and film restoration products from
DaVinci
are now part of Blackmagic Design's family of high quality post production tools!

IBC 2009, Amsterdam, Netherlands - September 10, 2009 - Blackmagic Design today
announced the purchase of all assets of DaVinci Systems LLC. This purchase means
Blackmagic Design will now offer DaVinci Resolve DI color correction systems
and DaVinci Revival film restoration products for sale worldwide.

DaVinci Resolve working with stereoscopic 3D and 4K, and DaVinci Revival film
restoration will be demonstrated at IBC 2009 at the DaVinci booth 7.D08.

Since 1984 DaVinci have been, and continue to be, the standard in post production.
There are thousands of colorists worldwide who understand the performance, quality
and workflow of DaVinci color correction systems. DaVinci is the name behind
more feature films, television commercials, documentaries, episodic television
production and music videos than any other grading system.

DaVinci Resolve is unique in supporting more real time color correction than
any other system. This advantage is because DaVinci Resolve is not limited by
the computer it's running on. DaVinci Resolve is based on a cluster of computers
with high performance GPU cards, so all processing is always real time.

www.StopMotionMontreal.com

From the charm of Gumby, to the wild adventures of Wallace and Gromit, through the zaniness of Jake Skelington in The Nightmare before Christmas, we have all fallen under the magical spell of characters brought to life by stop-motion animation! Laboriously created
by artists moving puppets in tiny increments while recording one image at a
time, each short sequence can represent many hours of painstaking attention
to detail. Time consuming? Definitely! But the result can be mesmerizing and
possess near universal appeal.Frequently used in television and feature
films, stop-motion animation has recently experienced a resurgence. Despite
this, getting their work screened can still be a huge struggle for many
artists. This is why we have decided to celebrate and encourage the efforts
and talent of the many people working in this unique art form. We are
actively seeking stop-motion animated films to screen in the first edition of the
festival on October 24 and 25, 2009. Please refer to
www.StopMotionMontreal.com  for the entries section to answers the many
questions you might have concerning eligibility, dates,and accepted formats.
Once you have decided to enter your film in the festival, download a
submission form, fill it out, and send it along with your film. Deadline for
film submissions is: September 30, 2009. Come and join us! It is a great
opportunity to jump on the bandwagon!

Weesp, The Netherlands (8 September, 2009) - BIG BOCCA Productions is proud to announce for its action-adventure property, Huntik: Secrets & Seeker, a new prestigious apparel licensee in the UK: Blues Clothing.

 

Blues will be developing and manufacturing an extensive range of Huntik themed children's outwear, leisurewear, swimwear, underwear and nightwear.

 

The apparel will begin to roll out in September 2010.

 

This new deal comes in addition to a comprehensive UK licensing program composed of Huntik trading card game as well as the mastertoy line from Upper Deck launched this year. In 2010, some new products will be released such as a Huntik monthly magazine, a full line of Huntik mini collectible figurines and Huntik sticker albums from Panini, a Huntik DS title will be developed by Rainbow Media as well as the DVD by E1 at the beginning of the year.

 

"We are extremely proud to have secured our agreement with Big Bocca and look forward to developing exciting 'Huntik Secrets & Seekers' apparel collections" said Patrick Bailey, Commercial Director of  Blues Clothing Limited.

 

"Securing key licensing categories with market leaders will help us achieve massive exposure at retail and we are pleased to partner with such a highly renowned apparel licensee in the UK", said Marie-Laure Marchand, Managing Director of Big Bocca Productions.

NEW YORK (September 9, 2009) - YTV Network, a leading Canadian kids' broadcaster, has agreed to add the latest version of the Yu-Gi-Oh! program franchise - "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds" -- and the animated comedy adventure series "Gogoriki" to its 2009-10 television season lineup.
 
The arrangement will bring the first season of "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds" (52 x 30') to the YTV Network (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds represents the ninth season in the successful "Yu-Gi-Oh!" saga).
 
"Gogoriki" (35 x 30') is an ensemble comedy adventure series that has been creatively adapted by 4Kids Productions from the long-running Russian TV series known as "Smeshariki."  The 4Kids adaptation is characterized by witty stories, clever dialogue and kid-identifiable characters, all brought to life with top-shelf voice talent.
 
"4Kids and YTV have enjoyed a terrific and successful programming relationship throughout the decade as evidenced by YTV's acquisition of over 1,200 episodes of 4Kids-offered content," said Brian Lacey, Executive Vice President, International, 4Kids Entertainment.  "We're proud to once again work with YTV this time to offer Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds and Gogoriki to YTV's audience."
 
In the U.S., "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds" airs on Cartoon Network, with the original "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Gogoriki" series airing in TheCW4Kids block on the CW television network.
 
Internationally, the "Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds" series' lineup of broadcast licensees includes CITV (UK), Network Ten (Australia), AB Group (France), Mediaset (Italy), RTL2 (Germany), VAS (Spanish Speaking Satellite /Latin America), TV2 (Denmark), Digiturk (Turkey), Children's Channel (Israel) and MBC (Middle East).
 

GDC Austin to Provide Insight From 2D Boy, Nexon, Bioware Austin and Others Into the Dramatic Changes in Online Games Over the Past Year and What to Expect for the Future




SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Game Developers Conference® Austin (GDC Austin) features lectures, panels and roundtables for developers looking to release successful titles in the bourgeoning connected gaming space. This year's conference includes sessions from notable online developers at Nexon, Bioware Austin, 2D Boy, Zynga, CCP Games and many others. Presented by Think Services, GDC Austin returns with three days of main conference content focused on connected games, online games, virtual worlds, and social networking game play and four two-day summits -- the Game Writers, Game Audio, iPhone Games and Independent Games Summits. The event takes place at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas September 15-18, 2009. Conference goers wanting to take advantage of pre-registration discounts should register online by September 11.

This year's GDC Austin features three visionary keynotes from industry pioneers at Sony Online Entertainment, Blizzard Entertainment, and successful newcomer Playfish that address the technical knowledge and business advice necessary to create successful virtual worlds, massively multiplayer online (MMO) titles, and social networking games. Four days of deep-dive sessions cover topics including designing games for non-traditional gamers, developing secure and profitable monetization systems, and leveraging the strengths of social networking platforms to make innovative games.

Featured sessions include:
The Cat and Mouse Game of Fraud - Speaker: Arthur Chu (Fraud Manager, Nexon), Einar Hreidarsson (Team Lead-Customer Support, CCP Games)
Twist, Touch & Travel: Harnessing the iPhone's Unique Features - Speaker: Glenda Adams (President & Lead Programmer, Maverick Software)
Beyond the Finish Line of Shipping an Indie Game - Speaker: Ron Carmel (Co-Founder, 2D Boy)
Wizard101 - Lions and Tigers and Ninja Pigs, Oh My! - Speaker: J. Todd Coleman (Creative Director, KingsIsle Entertainment)
Going from Free to Pay in Free-to-Play - Speaker: Min Kim (Vice President, Nexon America Inc.)
The Loner - Speaker: Damion Schubert (Lead Combat Designer, Bioware Austin)
The Social Gaming Tipping Point - Speaker: Brian Reynolds (Chief Designer, Zynga)
Facebook: Is the Cake a Lie? - Speaker: Blake Commagere (Independent Game Developer)


"With the number of connected game developers, titles, and players continuing to grow, attending GDC Austin is more important than ever," says Izora de Lillard, event director at Think Services Game Group. "The sessions will provide key insights into current and future business opportunities in games ranging from free-to-play casual games, viral Facebook apps, epic MMO adventures and those we haven't imagined yet in this evolving category of games."

Learn more about the complete listing of speakers and sessions for GDC Austin 2009 at www.GDCAustin.com.

About the Think Services Game Group
A core provider of essential information to the professional game industry, the Think Services Game Group offers market-defining content, and drives community through its award winning lineup of print, online, event and research products and services. These include Game Developer Magazine, Game Developer Research, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, GameCareerGuide.com, WorldsInMotion.biz, GameSetWatch.com, GamesOnDeck.com, SeriousGamesSource.com, the Game Developers Conference®, the Game Developers Conference® Austin, the Game Developers Conference® Europe, the Game Developers Conference® China, GDC Mobile, the Game Career Seminars, the Independent Games Festival and Summit, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. To learn more, visit www.tsgamegroup.com.

About Think Services, a division of United Business Media
Think Services connects specialized communities worldwide using educational events, consulting, training, certification, membership, and innovative media. Providing comprehensive opportunities for people to learn from, network with, and inspire each other, Think Services builds strong brands and works within communities to foster a unique affinity with its products and services. The division's flagship products include the Game Developers Conference, the Webby Award-winning Gamasutra.com, Game Developer magazine, the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), and HDI. Think Services is a subsidiary of United Business Media, a global media and marketing services company with a market capitalization of more than $1.6 billion. To learn more, visit www.think-services.com.

We are seeking your help in soliciting independent animators and their work!
GameX Animation Festival, presented by Creative Talent Network
GameX Animation Festival Call for Submissions

Send in your short animated film today and have your work seen by thousands of animation fans!GameX (Games & Media Expo) in Philadelphia, PA, U.S. presents its debut GameX Animation Festival, screening in the GameX Theater on Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24.

Featured films include \"La Main des Maîtres,” an instant steampunk classic directed at Georges Méliès School in France, plus a sneak peek screening of \"War of the Worlds: Goliath\", a 90-minute animated steampunk epic sequel to the classic novel by H.G. Wells, due out in 2010.

Want to have your animation in our show? Get it on a DVD and send it off! There is no entry fee for the festival, but space is limited. We are looking for short animated films based on video games, comic books, sci-fi, horror or fantasy or steampunk genres.!

Deadline for mailed film entries is Monday, October 5. If your film is accepted, you will be contacted by October 15 and your film title and names of director, producer and writer will be included in our print program and theater signage. To learn more online, visit us at http://gamexpo.us/expo/animationfest.  

GameX is an NBC-supported game consumer and pop culture event, expecting more than 20,000 attendees.Kind regards,Fiona CherbakVP, Business DevelopmentGameX, the Games & Media ExpoOfc: 512/553-0963

THE "SCOOP":  VIZ MEDIA EUROPE LICENSES RECENTLY GRANTED

 

THE "PROPERTY": BLUE DRAGON

As seen on TV, the BLUE DRAGON series is based on Microsoft's BLUE DRAGON Xbox360 game, developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator Final Fantasy, and features character designs by Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling DRAGON BALL series of manga. The anime series debuted in Japan on TV Tokyo on April 7, 2007 and is produced by Studio Pierrot.

 

THE "PLAYERS":

Licensor: VIZ Media Europe, S.A.R.L.

Headquartered in Paris, France, VIZ Media Europe (VME) is a subsidiary of San Francisco-based VIZ Media, LLC. VME specializes in managing the development, marketing and distribution throughout Europe of Japanese animated entertainment and graphic novels (manga).VME handles some of the most popular Japanese manga and animation properties from initial production, through television placement and distribution to merchandise licensing and promotions for consumers of all ages. Current VME animated properties include BLEACH, BLUE DRAGON, DEATH NOTE, HAMTARO, HONEY & CLOVER, KEKKAISHI, KILARI, M.A.R NEURO, A PENGUIN'S TROUBLES and ZOIDS GENESIS.  Contact VIZ Media Europe at 9, avenue de l'Opéra, 75001 Paris, France Phone +33 1 72 71 53 53; Fax: +33 1 42 96 97 36; and web site at www.vizeurope.com.

 

Licensing Contact Information:  VIZ Media Europe

Pascal Bonnet / pascal.bonnet@vizeurope.com

 

Public Relations Contact Information: VIZ Media Europe

Evelyn Dubocq, Senior Director, Public Relations/ Evelyn.Dubocq@viz.com

VIZ Media/VIZ Media Europe

 

THE "LICENSEE": Edibas

Headquartered in Turin, Italy, Edibas Collections is an international company with its core business being collectible products targeting children aged between 6 and 15. Innovation, which has always been the strength of Edibas, leads in 2001 to the introduction of Lamincards (cards printed on transparent PET plastic material), now well known as a trendsetter on the European market. Edibas offers traditional products such as sticker albums, 3D mini figurines and trading cards based on main international brands and properties. Contact Edibas Collections at Strada Settimo 407, 10156 Torino, Italy, Phone +39 011 2979773, Licensing contact marco.gallo@edibas.com

 

Licensee Contact Information:

Marco Gallo, Licensing and Marketing Manager

marco.gallo@edibas.com / Tel. +39 0112979773 - x105 / Fax. +39 0112732343

 

THE "PRODUCTS": The following products have been licensed: 

Lamincards, calendars, posters, small collectible figures

 

THE "TERRITORY": The following territory/territories include:

Italy

 

THE "CATEGORIES"

The following category/categories pertain to the license that has been recently granted:

Kiosk products

Birthday Bash for World Renowned Dog Behaviorist and Famous Pup Also Celebrates the World Premiere Movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins airing on Cartoon Network

and September 22 release on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack

 

Cartoon Network Makes Donation to Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation

 

40,000 Snausages® Scooby Snacks for Dogs Donated for Duo's Birthday Celebration

 

Zoinks! Cesar Millan and Scooby-Doo have turned 40!  The world renowned dog behavior specialist and beloved iconic cartoon character celebrated turning 40 together at their very own birthday bash today at the East Valley Animal Shelter in Van Nuys, Calif.  Also sharing in the festivities were some of Cesar and Scooby's favorite dogs available for adoption at the shelter, Los Angeles Councilman Tony Cardenas, children from Van Nuys Recreation Center's "Off-Track Enrichment program" and the cast of the upcoming movie Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, a co-production of Warner Premiere and Cartoon Network.

The film premieres on Cartoon Network on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT, and Warner Home Video will release the film on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack on Tuesday, Sept. 22.

In honor of Cesar Millan and Scooby-Doo's 40^th birthday, Cartoon Network presented a donation of $10,000 to the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, supporting the foundation's efforts to increase the number of dog adoptions each day.  Currently, there are millions of dogs available from adoption shelters and rescue organizations across the nation hoping for a second chance and a permanent, new home. 

The cast of the film - Robbie Amell (Fred), Kate Melton (Daphne), Hayley Kiyoko (Velma) and Nick Palatas (Shaggy) - and Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins producer Brian Gilbert also joined the festivities to help celebrate the birthdays.

"I'm so happy to be celebrating my 40^th birthday with an icon like Scooby-Doo.  And I'm thrilled to use this celebratory moment to promote the importance of giving dogs a second chance and adopting them from local shelters or rescue groups," said Cesar Millan.  "Many thanks to Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Consumer Products for contributing to the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation and for supporting our continued efforts to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home shelter dogs."

"When we discovered that both Cesar and Scooby were reaching this exciting milestone around the same time, we couldn't resist the opportunity to bring the two of them together for a celebration that would not only be fun, but also honor the great work of the Cesar and Illusion Millan Foundation," said Stuart Snyder, President and COO, Turner Animation, Young Adults & Kids Media.

"Scooby-Doo and Cesar Millan have played vital roles in helping kids relate to animals in a compassionate, empathetic way.  I am proud they have chosen to celebrate their birthdays right here in one of the city's animal care centers and are talking to our kids about pet responsibility," said Councilman Tony Cardenas. 

Los Angeles, CA - (September 8, 2009) -- On Friday, August 28, audiences were introduced to Eddie, a unique, animated spokesperson for Nissin Chow Mein who was brought to digital life via a rich collaboration between advertising agency Dentsu America and digital production company Zoic Studios. The commercial features the voice of preeminent actor James Hong (Blade Runner, Mulan, Kung Fu Panda).

To view the spot please visit: http://www.zoicstudios.com/#/creations/latest/118-nissin-noodle/

Dentsu America approached Zoic Studios as a creative partner to develop the animated Eddie character and oversee the commercial's production as a whole. Working from the agency's written character biography and general photo references, Zoic Studios hired key designers who produced distinctly different pencil sketch approaches that were then honed in collaboration with Dentsu America's creative team.

Meanwhile, Zoic Studios vetted Craig Tanimoto of Bully Pictures for his comedy acumen to direct the live action portion of the commercial while Zoic Studios' Loni Peristere assumed the responsibility of creating the endearing performance of "Eddie" as Director of Animation.

Once the general look and feel of Eddie was decided, digital production began. Zoic Studios VFX Supervisor Les Ekker attended the voice-over performance by James Hong and video was taken of the session so that Image Metrics (Benjamin Button) could extract the facial animation thereby providing an organic and realistic baseline from which to build authentic looking lip synch and delivery. Hong's face, neck and hands were photographed using a custom camera with a polarized lighting rig built by Zoic's Ekker and CG Supervisor Andy Wilkoff to capture the incredible detail and texture needed to produce surface and subsurface texture for realistic, lifelike skin. Other key details, like hair and clothing movement and aesthetics were created with simulations held up to rigorous scrutiny and exacting production standards.

With a custom, adaptive pipeline that can handle immense projects including episodic and feature film, Zoic was able to develop a realistic character with surrealistic proportions, and oversee the live action integration along with in house VFX editing and final Flame finish.  Zoic was also responsible for animating the Nissin signature logo at the end of the spot.

"This was an amazing opportunity on a number of fronts," says Zoic Studios EP/Producer Erik Press. "We poured our passion and knowledge into developing an iconic animated spokesperson for the world's leading noodle-maker, while overseeing the production and end logo design. It worked all sides of the Zoic brand and we loved every minute of it!"

Fan Crush Network Launches the Premiere and First Internet Dating Network
Dedicated to Uniting Anime Fans

Los Angeles -- September 8, 2009 -- The Fan Crush Network
(www.fancrushnetwork.com <http://www.fancrushnetwork.com> ) has launched the
beta version of its premiere Anime genre-themed online dating network
dedicated to uniting fans with similar interests worldwide ... OTAKU CRUSH.
For more information, please visit:  www.otakucrush.com
<http://www.otakucrush.com> .

"OTAKU CRUSH is an exciting on-line dating site that connects anime and
manga fans and is a great online source of news, reviews and interviews,"
states OTAKU CRUSH representative Austin Brown, "Why waste time with other
dating sites when you can find someone to share a NARUTO DVD marathon with.
It truly is a site for the fans by the fans."

Current OTAKU CRUSH members and fans such as Evan Okada, states "OTAKU CRUSH
is a totally "rad" site! I can keep in touch with all my friends and make
new friends, and possible dates, along the way!    Membership is free.  You
can't beat a deal like this!"

With membership numbers increasing daily, it is clear that anime and manga
fans are eager to connect with other fans "who speak the same language".
Current interviews include an exclusive interview with one of the Anime
Industry's favorite American Voice Actor Kyle Hebert (who was a recent
recipient of a coveted SPJA Industry Award for the category of Best Voice
Actor-English), Kari Wahlgren and Brina Palencia.  OTKAU CRUSH also allows
members to browse profiles by interests including directors, writers and
artists. Other features include a "who's online" feature, instant messaging,
mail, and a very user-friendly interface.

Montreal, September 1st 2009 - Today, the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS) unveiled the speakers who will give talks at the 6th edition of this event, to be held next November 16th and 17th at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel in Montreal. MIGS' mission is to offer high quality content for its participants, and the 2009 program looks better than ever!
 
Over 80 European and North American speakers will join the five keynote speakers for conferences and roundtable talks. Here are a few examples, but visit the MIGS website <http://www.sijm.ca/2009/>  if you would like to see the complete list:
 
Business Track:
 
-      Jeff Goodsill, Vice President and General Manager, Tencent Boston, Planning for Success in the Chinese Game Market;
-      Warren Currell, CEO, Sherpa Games Inc., Pitching your Game Title or Development Services: Best practices;

Artistic Track:
 
-      Jakub Dvorsky, Game developer, Amanita Design, Machinarium - hand-made robots
-      Randy van der Vlag, Lead 2D artist, Big Blue Bubble, Big Worlds on Small Screens;
 
Design Track:
 
-      Ken Rolston, Lead Designer, Big Huge Games, A Narrative Designer's Toolkit;
-      Scott Rogers, Creative Designer, THQ, Everything I Learned about Level Design, I Learned From Disneyland;
 
Production Track:
 
-      Dorian Kieken, Development Manager, BioWare, What is a Living Plan and How Can We Achieve It;
-      Paul Winterhalder, Senior Manager, Playbrains, Building Your First Console Downloadable - What You Need to Know;

Techno Track:
 
-      Jacques Deveau, Program Manager, Audiokinetic, Dynamic Audio Mixing for Games - Strategies for Interactive Sound Mixing;
-      Liko-Paul Pinsonnault, Software developer, Artificial Mind and Movement, The Art of Dying | Where Animation Meets Physics


The final program will be available at the end of September. For additional information, sign up to receive our newsletter at www.sijm.ca <http://www.sijm.ca/> .
 
 
About MIGS



MIGS was created in 2004 to serve members of the video game industry which employs over 6,700 people in Quebec. It targets the transfer of knowledge and expertise, raises the international profile of the Quebec gaming industry abroad, and cultivates information exchange and communication within industry stakeholders. With its high quality and specialization, MIGS impacts many different fields from artistic creation and techniques to design, without forgetting of course production, programming and serious games.
 

MINNEAPOLIS (September 3rd, 2009) - It's not every day that CRASH+SUES animators and visual effects artists get to rebuild and enhance the Great Wall of China, the Parthenon and the Pyramids of Giza, but they recently had the opportunity to skillfully manipulate these wonders of the ancient world in a trio of inventive spots for Bridger Steel.
 
The campaign's three 15-second spots from Flying Horse Communication/Bozeman, Montana, first introduce the landmarks as they look today with stock footage of the Great Wall's crumbling stone, the Parthenon's long-faded marble beauty, and the Pyramids' eroding sandstone.  The voiceover then asks what these architectural icons would look like if they had originally been crafted of steel.
 
CRASH+SUES FX team 3D tracked, rotoscoped, keyed and composited new CG elements into selected iconic scenes.  A pan of the Chinese landscape reveals a tower fortress built of steel.  A wide shot of the Acropolis shows the hill capped by a shining steel Parthenon. And a pull back on the Egyptian desert finds a gleaming steel pyramid nested among its sandstone counterparts. "Isn't your home worthy of steel?" asks the voiceover.  "Bridger Steel - Create Lasting Beauty."
 
The spots are part of a long-term growth plan for Montana-based Bridger Steel and a key component of a major rebranding effort by Flying Horse Communications.
 
"It's been fun to see the broadcast campaign come to life," says agency creative director JC Estensen who worked with CRASH+SUES previously, when he was based out of Minneapolis.  "These spots are the first Bridger has done of this caliber.  CRASH+SUES was as excited about them as we were - and their team developed and shared some innovative ideas with us throughout the campaign's evolution.  It's been an absolutely fantastic creative partnership."
 
CRASH+SUES CG artist Matt Sattler modeled and textured photorealistic steel representations of the Great Wall guard tower and the Parthenon in Autodesk's Maya. He then exchanged those files with Flame artist Adam Celt to animate and composite into the hero shots.  Sattler provided color, specular highlights, reflections, and normal mapping passes, which gave Celt the ability to relight scenes with maximum interactivity in client-supervised sessions.  Celt created the pyramid entirely in Flame, adding shadows and reflections.
 
Dealing with the various stock footage elements posed a challenge as the scenes had been shot with different lenses and on an array of prosumer-format cameras, which the FX team was tasked with tracking and matching. Several scenes required sky replacements, and Sue Lakso color corrected numerous passes in order to match scenes taken from differing times of the day and seasons to achieve a more uniform and seamless look.

Smoke artist Mark Anderson also contributed to the compositing, performed the online, and finished the spots with an animated end tag created by Sean Hall in Maya and After Effects.  CRASH+SUES also provided 4K renders of the 3D models to be used for print ads and billboards.
 
"Part of our goal with the Bridger campaign is to get across the idea that steel can be warm, inviting and beautiful in addition to long lasting," notes JC Estensen.  "Not many people think of steel as a design element, but it can be a striking design aesthetic.  Working with CRASH+SUES on the spots really raised the bar.  It's why I'm comfortable calling on them time and again."
 
CRASH+SUES is an award-winning post production company specializing in the seamless integration of FX, animation, motion design, color correction, creative editing, finishing and multimedia services.  For additional information, contact executive producer Donna Drewick at 612.338.7947 or visit their website:  crashandsues.com.
 
CLIENT/PRODUCT: Bridger Steel:  Creating Lasting Beauty broadcast campaign  CATEGORY:  3x :15 broadcast spots, plus print and billboard            
TITLES:  The Pyramids; The Great Wall; The Parthenon. AD AGENCY:  Flying Horse Communication/Bozeman, Montana:  CEO: Mike Gold; CD/AD/ COPYWRITER/PRODUCER: JC Estensen; ACCOUNT MANAGER: Gareth Gold.  FX + POST HOUSE:  CRASH+SUES/Minneapolis: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Donna Drewick; ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Stephanie Szeremeta; COLORIST: Sue Lakso; JR COLORIST: Matthew Jensen; ONLINE EDITOR: Mark Anderson; ONLINE ASSISTANT: Matthew Kroese; FLAME ARTIST: Adam Celt; CG ANIMATOR:  Matt Sattler; ANIMATOR: Sean Hall. STOCK FOOTAGE: Corbis; Getty Images /AUDIO POST COMPANY: Peak Recording/Bozeman: ENGINEER: Gil Stober.   MUSIC: Snap! Music Pro/Bozeman:COMPOSERS: DJ Hofer, Paul Durham.
 

Anaheim, California (September 8, 2009) --  The Society for the Promotion of
Japanese Animation (SPJA) announces Mr. Michael Lattanzio as President and
Chief Executive Officer for the organization that oversees the nation's
largest Anime and Manga convention Anime Expo®. More information can be
found on the website www.spja.org <http://www.spja.org> .

Mr. Lattanzio is a dynamic and innovative executive who has held leadership
roles with top caliber companies such as Universal Studios, Inc, Universal
Studios Japan, NBC Universal, and Westfield, LLC. He has earned a BS degree
in Business Management and has also attained an MBA in Executive Management.
"I look forward to working with an energetic Board of Directors, a talented
managerial team, passionate staff and volunteer members, and all affiliated
Anime and Manga entities.  I plan to build on past successes and lead this
extraordinary organization to new heights.  The Society for the Promotion of
Japanese Animation has certainly made a name for itself attracting millions
of Anime and Manga enthusiasts.  We will continue to deliver at the highest
level, globalize our brands, establish new partnerships, and be recognized
by the Anime and Manga population as the leader in our industry," states Mr.
Lattanzio.  

As Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Lattanzio will oversee the strategic vision
of the SPJA, day-to-day operations, and the development of Anime Expo®-the
nation's largest Anime/Manga convention that serves to foster trade,
commerce and the interests of the general public and animation/comics
industry.

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.

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.

Toronto, London 8 September 2009. DHX Media is launching a dedicated licensing division to exploit content internationally from its three production subsidiaries, Decode Entertainment Inc., Halifax Film and Studio B Productions. DHX Licensing will build on the global success of its television brands to extend their reach into consumer products, while DHX's distribution subsidiary DECODE Enterprises will continue to handle international broadcast sales.

 

The division will be headed by Beth Stevenson, Executive Vice President, Production and Development, DECODE Entertainment, and managed by Polly Beel, Director, Marketing and Licensing, DHX Licensing.  DHX Licensing's slate will incorporate well-loved properties, Franny's Feet, Animal Mechanicals, Bo On the GO!, dirtgirlworld and Kid vs Kat, as well as third party content currently represented by DECODE Enterprises such as Grandpa In My Pocket. New non-television content includes Beer Goggles and Gaia Nathan.

 

DHX Media's President and COO Steven DeNure said: "The launch of DHX Licensing is a major part of our drive to manage and exploit kids' brands across a number of revenue-generating opportunities. Licensing and merchandising as well as interactive is a big part of this, it will build on the significant international broadcast presence of our television brands, as well as allow us to expand into the development of merchandising-led properties."

 

Seoul based animation producer and distributor, Iconix Entertainment has sold its preschool property Chiro to NHK in the Japan. 

 

Launching on NHK from end of October, the 52 x 5 minutes CGI animation series follows  the amusing world of three little square chicks and their animal friends. The series premiered on Educational Broadcasting System, a terrestrial public broadcaster in Seoul where it became one of that year's top three rated shows.  The award winning show gained international recognition in Europe when it picked up the Audience Award at Cartoons on the Bay for the best infant series and was recently awarded the best animation TV series of the year by the Minister of Culture and Tourism in Korea.

 

Satoshi Ootani, NHK's Senior Producer of Program Production Department, who picked up "Chiro", comments : "I watched Chiro during 2008 MIPjunior.  After I was screening hundreds of titles for 2 days, many of them were just vanishing from my memory but, Chiro hit me with strong impressions. I think that is because of 1)adorable shape of the characters which make the show very unique, 2)secondly, I was impressed by high quality of CGI and 3)most of all, good character descriptions and stories which mirror exactly our children's behaviors and thoughts in 2 to 5 years old." 

 

Together with NHK, "Chiro" will be also showing on TV3 in Spain, DR in Denmark from fall of this year.  Mikyeong Jung, Director of Iconix Entertainment says "It is very exciting moment to have NHK on board and it will gear up sales of Chiro in further Asian and Europe countries." 

VANCOUVER - Bardel Distribution has secured a broadcast deal for its newest CG series, Zeke's Pad with Cartoon Network Latin America.  "We're thrilled to be expanding to a truly international audience for Zeke's Pad", says CEO, Delna Bhesania.  "Teenagers trying to take control of their destiny and the world around them is an appealing theme for kids anywhere.  With Zeke and the power of his pad, it definitely takes it to the next level, allowing hilarity to ensue!"  Zeke's Pad will premiere on Cartoon Network Latin America in early 2010.

 

Zeke's Pad was produced as an official co-production between Bardel Entertainment Inc., Leaping Lizard Productions Inc., and Avrill Stark Entertainment PTY Ltd.  The animated series features 14-year-old Zeke Palmer, skateboarder and artist extraordinaire, who has an electronic drawing pad that is totally WIRED.  Mysteriously wired.  Somehow, it makes Zeke's drawings come to life.  So extreme things can happen, but for every action, there is a reaction, and things just never turn out the way Zeke had imagined.... Ever.

 

The program has been pre-sold in English Canada to YTV and to Channel 7 in Australia and ZDF in Germany.  It has also been sold to Radio-Canada in French Canada and Canal+ Family in France.  The series is distributed through Bardel Distribution Inc. in North and South America, the UK and Eire, and through Studio 100 Media in the rest of the world.  The program was funded through the Canadian Television Fund, The Shaw Rocket Fund, and the Independent Production Fund, and development for the project was funded through the Canadian Television Fund, Telefilm Canada, the COGECO Program Development Fund, and British Columbia Film.  Additional information on the program can be found on its website, www.zekespadinfo.com.

Channel to Simulcast High Fantasy Epic Based on the Legendary
Nahoko Uehashi's Novels

San Francisco, CA and Tokyo, Japan (September 4, 2009) --Crunchyroll and
Media International Corporation (MICO) partner to bring the epic fantasy
anime BEAST PLAYER ERIN, based on the novels by legendary fantasy writer
Nahoko Uehashi, to Crunchyroll. More information can be found at
www.crunchyroll.com/erin.

BEAST PLAYER ERIN (ERIN) commences on Crunchyroll September 4, 2009 with
episodes 1-4 starting at 5:00 pm PST.  Then on Sunday (9/6/09) at 3:00 am
PST, Crunchyroll will begin simulcasting the streaming of the 34th episode
(most current) of the show.  Additional prior catalog episodes of the title
will start streaming in subsequent weeks. This title will be available in
the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand,
Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Malaysia,
and the Philippines and will be subtitled in English.

"ERIN is the kind of program that can really thrive digitally," states Rob
Pereyda, Crunchyroll's Vice President of Licensing. "With a broad, clean
appeal and the hook of the highly popular fantasy genre, ERIN will be an
extremely important focus title for us."

"We are excited about the prospect of finding new audiences through digital
distribution," states Hideaki Sakamoto, Executive Manager at MICO. "We hope
that through Crunchyroll and its partners, ERIN will play well to fantasy
fans everywhere."

BEAST PLAYER ERIN broadcasts Saturdays at 6:25PM (JST) on NHK E, and will be
available to Crunchyroll's Anime Members twenty-four hours after its
broadcast in Japan, with a general Crunchyroll release one week later. This
will be MICO's first simulcast anime over the internet. In addition to
Crunchyroll's own website, BEAST PLAYER ERIN will be available through the
Crunchyroll network, including Crunchyroll's brand-new Facebook application,
and more.

Tickets Now on Sale to Highly Anticipated Anime Event with Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look at the "Regeneration" of the Storyline to be Simulcast in More than 430 Select Movie Theaters Nationwide on September 24th
 

NCM Fathom and Bandai Entertainment team up again for Eureka Seven - Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers, a futuristic tale straight from Japan about mankind vs. the machine, in a special one-night event on Thursday, September 24th at 7:30 p.m. local time. This unique theater event (English dubbed) will feature an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Eureka Seven - Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Loversat studio BONES ("Sword of the Stranger" and "Fullmetal Alchemist") as well as never-before-seen interviews with several English voice actors including Johnny Bosch (Renton) and Stephanie Sheh  (Eureka), audio director Tony Oliver (Robotech, Gurren Lagann) and director  Tomoki Kyoda who explains the bold new vision and the "regeneration" of the Eureka Seven storyline.

Tickets for this special event are available at www.FathomEvents.com and participating theater box offices. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the website (theaters are subject to change).

For almost half a century, mankind has battled a mysterious organism from space called "EIZO."  In 2054, Renton, a young soldier, boards a fighter aircraft battling "EIZO." The young soldier heads for the battlefield with a dream: to rescue his childhood friend, Eureka, who was kidnapped eight years ago.  Fate, however, brings tribulations to test the young love between Renton and Eureka as the final battle with "EIZO" approaches.

Exclusive to this in-theater event is an interview with director Kyoda who explains the creative choices made while working through the production of Eureka Seven - Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers. Audiences will hear about the unique challenges the audio director faced while creating the English-language version and see how it was recorded at Bang Zoom Entertainment - one of the premiere U.S. recording studios for anime recently featured on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." Other voice actors interviewed for - and appearing in - this event include Crispin Freeman (Holland), Kate Higgins (Talho) and Kari Wahlgren (Anemone).

"We are delighted to be working with Fathom again to create another amazing event where U.S. moviegoers will get a chance to see this film as it was meant to be seen-on the big screen," said Robert Napton, director of marketing for Bandai Entertainment.

Eureka Seven - Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers appears on the big screen in high-definition with Cinema Surround Sound in more than 430 select AMC Entertainment Inc., Celebration! Cinema, Cinemark Holdings, Inc., Cobb Theatres, Georgia Theatre Company, Goodrich Quality Theatres, Hollywood Theaters, Kerasotes Showplace Theatres, Marcus Theatres, National Amusements and Regal Entertainment Group movie theatres, as well as El Raton Theatre (Raton, NM) and Palace Cinema 9 (South Burlington, VT) through NCM's exclusive Digital Broadcast Network - North America's largest cinema broadcast network.

"Fathom has experienced great success providing U.S. anime fans with their only chance to see this type of programming on the big screen," said Dan Diamond, vice president of NCM Fathom. "Eureka Seven - Good Night, Sleep Tight, Young Lovers is another opportunity for us to team up with Bandai Entertainment and bring this highly anticipated event to fans who enjoy experiencing anime as communites, all in the comfort of their local movie theater."
About National CineMedia, Inc.
NCM LLC operates the largest digital in-theatre network in North America through long-term agreements with its founding members, AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings Inc. (NYSE: CNK) and Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), the three largest theatre operators in the U.S., and through multi-year agreements with several other theatre operators. NCM LLC produces and distributes its FirstLook pre feature program; cinema, lobby and online advertising products; comprehensive meeting and event services and other entertainment programming content. NCM LLC's national network includes approximately 16,800 screens of which approximately 15,500 are part of the company's Digital Content Network (DCN). NCM LLC's network covers 171 Designated Market Areas(R) (49 of the top 50). During 2008, approximately 660 million patrons attended movies shown in theatres currently included in the network (excluding Regal Consolidated Theatres). National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 41.5% interest in and is the managing member of NCM LLC. To learn more about National CineMedia Inc., please visit the company's website at www.ncm.com.

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. Additional company and product information is available through our website at www.bandai-ent.com.

 
# # #
 

Summer Social, CAPE Panel Series Sponsored by Sony Pictures Entertainment
and More From Leading Asian and Pacific Islander Non-Profit Entertainment
Organization

Los Angeles -- September 3, 2009 -- The Coalition of Asian Pacifics in
Entertainment (CAPE) Foundation, Inc., a non-profit arts and entertainment
organization, announces its activities for the month of September 2009 which
includes the Summer Social, CAPE Panel Series Sponsored by Sony Pictures
Entertainment and more.  For more information, please visit:
www.capeusa.org.

The "CAPE LAST CHANCE SUMMER SOCIAL" will be held on, TONITE, September 3rd
from 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm at one of Hollywood's hottest social scenes-H.wood
Lounge (1738 N. Orange (cross street Hollywood).  This social is the place
to be to mix and mingle with old friends while making new ones in a light
and fun atmosphere.  Connect over hors d'oeuvres, music and drinks at this
elegant and eclectic Hollywood hot spot.  Admission is FREE.  This event is
open to all current CAPE and non-CAPE members.

Ever wondered how to navigate your film through the Hollywood studio system?
How to raise independent money?  How to cobble together enough favors to
shoot a micro-budget film?  Bring your questions and learn from seasoned
veterans as the CAPE Panel Series Sponsored by Sony Pictures Entertainment
presents "HOW DID THIS MOVIE GET MADE?" will be held September 26th from
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm at the Korean Film Council (KOFIC-5509 Wilshire Blvd.; Los
Angeles, CA 90036).  This event is free to all current CAPE members and is
$25 for non-CAPE members (waived with paid membership at event).  ADDED
BONUS!  Warner Bros. executive and studio producer Dan Lin (Lin Pictures)
will discuss the upcoming highly anticipated film SHERLOCK HOLMES starring
Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Rachel McAdams, and show exclusive new
footage!

All events and event restrictions are subject to change and cancellation
without notification. More events and CAPE member screenings information can
be found at www.capeusa.org.
CAPE's Board of Advisors include distinguished executives and artists such
as Ang Lee, John Woo, Terrence Chang, Dean Devlin, Warrington Hudlin, David
Henry Hwang, Lou Diamond Phillips, Richard Sakai, B.D. Wong, Chris Lee,
Fritz Friedman, Janet Yang and Teddy Zee.
About CAPE Foundation, Inc.                    Founded in 1991 in Los
Angeles, the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) is a
non-profit organization dedicated to advancing diversity and cross-cultural
awareness by actively educating and promoting Asian Pacific Americans for
key artistic and leadership roles in the entertainment industry.
With chapters in Los Angeles and New York, CAPE reaches thousands of studio
and independent film executives, television network executives, film,
television, and recording producers, publicists, below-the-line talent,
actors, writers and directors. CAPE serves as one of the most important
meeting places for Asian Pacific Americans in the entertainment industry.
The executive board meets monthly.
More information can be found at http://www.capeusa.org.

Los Angeles, September 3, 2009 -- The Visual Effects Society (VES), the world's premiere visual effects organization, announced today that it will work with ReelSurfer, an innovative video search and interaction system, to power the video components of its members site.

The Visual Effects Society website will provide access to current and archived high-quality panels and awards ceremonies' videos. The site will utilize ReelSurfer indexing and search technology to allow its members to find specific portions of video content by typing basic search terms. Users can then use custom ReelSurfer interaction features to communicate with other VES members through these educational videos.

ReelSurfer is an interactive video system that allows consumers to find specific parts of digital media through simple text search. Employing a unique combination of digital data processing and voice-to-text recognition, ReelSurfer can process large video archives or long-form content and allow it to be consumed in its most usable form: short, relevant segments. Rather than wasting time searching through hours of video or finding irrelevant results, users quickly uncover the crucial "30 seconds" that they actually need.

"The VES is very excited to bring a brand new level of interaction for our members with our digital video content," stated Eric Roth, Executive Director at VES. "The ability to search for specific segments of video will greatly increase the educational value of all of our videos. As always, the VES Society embraces technology innovation and is excited to make this happen."  

President of Production at Legendary Pictures and ReelSurfer advisor, Bill Fay described the ReelSurfer-VES partnership as "an important step forward in the evolution of digital video and technology. ReelSurfer provides much needed functionality and increases the value of the VES's online video, and the VES again takes the lead as an integrator of innovative technology."

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Milan, September 2nd, 2009 - Giochi Preziosi and Marathon Media, a Zodiak Entertainment
Company, are glad to announce that, starting from the 30th of September to the 1st of October,
Gormiti will invade the Grand Hall at Olympia in London. Gormiti will storm Brand Licensing Europe
for the second year in a row with a dedicated Gormiti booth (#410). New contents, new characters
and new details on the astonishing second season of the 52 x 26' TV series: Gormiti - the Lords
of Nature Return, will be unveiled during the show.
 
The licensing program has now hit the 200 deals mark worldwide, with the new astonishing toys
collection driving the whole program: and all the new toys and characters are coming to shelf,
starting from Italy this Fall and in 2010 in the rest of Europe. 
 
Gormiti licensing program is now fully supported by local agents appointed for all European
countries: Mediaset (Italy), Marathon Media (France), TLC (UK and Germany), Benelux 
Gormiti - the Lords of Nature Return, the 52 x 26' Giochi Preziosi & Marathon co-production,
already airs on Mediaset in Italy with terrific audience scores since autumn 2008; Gormiti TV
series will hit the screens starting from fall 2009 in France (M6 and Canal J for 2010), Germany
(RTL2), UK (Nick Toons), Greece (Alter Channel), Turkey (Digi Turk), Israel (Noga) and in the
Middle East (MBC). Further broadcasters will be announced in the next months.
 
International TV and video sales are handled by Zodiak Entertainment.
Licensing and merchandising is managed by Marathon Media in France and Giochi Preziosi in
the rest of the world, through a network of local agents.
 
 

Disney XD rockets to #1 kids' commercial channel with boys on launch day
 
Disney XD, the UK's first kids' TV channel primarily focused on boys, launched on Monday (Aug 31) with record viewing figures, beating competition from 25 other kids' channels to become the second most watched by boys.
 
The boy driven, girl inclusive channel, which replaced Jetix in 8.4 million satellite and cable TV homes in the UK, recorded a staggering 150% year on year increase in viewers compared to Jetix for the August Bank Holiday 2008, and a 50% higher day share1  than the best ever achieved by its predecessor.
 
Disney XD, which launched simultaneously online, proved a hit with surfers as well as viewers, attracting over half a million British kids to take the Disney XD Ultimate Gaming Challenge via miniclip in the first week prior to launch.
 
The Bank Holiday launch featured blockbuster family movies "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Meet the Robinsons," and the premiere of brand new live action series, "Aaron Stone," which achieved a 9.7% share of boys and double the audience of the best ever premiere on Jetix.
 
Boel Ferguson, General Manager for Disney Channels UK & Ireland, said: "The viewing figures for Disney XD's launch back up what boys in the UK had told us, that up until now there hasn't been a channel made for them. Disney XD set out to change that and early indications show we're on the way to achieving our goal of becoming the number one entertainment destination for boys in the UK."
 
-Ends-
 
 

1 September 2009, Oxford, UK: Vicon, developer of motion capture and image
understanding systems, for the Entertainment, Life Science and Engineering
industries, has today announced that boujou 5 is now available for
purchase. boujou is the industry leading matchmoving software, famed for
its established ease of use and automation.

Phil Elderfield, Product Manager at Vicon said: "The interest in boujou 5
at Siggraph this year was phenomenal. The feedback we've had so far has
been great - I'm confident it will be our most successful boujou release to
date."

Some exciting new features that existing boujou users have been eagerly
anticipating include:
o    New Automatic Sequential Solver. Previous versions of boujou took the
entire shot into account before delivering a  solve. Now, it can look at a
single frame at a time, which not only enables the user to intervene, it
can make the entire process much faster
o    A fully functional Graph Editor, which lets the user manually adjust the
camera data and, if necessary, resolve. boujou 5  also provides the ability
to lock valid sections of solve data or sections which are known to be
correct, which animators can then use to improve other areas of the shot
o    The Reference Frames feature allows users to import still images taken
with any camera and use them to assist in a solve

Customers can purchase boujou 5 from 31st August 2009. The software
installer will be available to download from the 7th September 2009. For
more information, please visit www.vicon.com/boujou

Santa Monica, CA (September 1, 2009) - Film, television and commercial visual effects company Entity FX announced today that it has completed visual effects for the final sequence of the motion picture "The Final Destination."  Directed by David R. Ellis and distributed in the U.S. by New Line Cinema, the film is the fourth movie in the popular horror-thriller franchise, which deals with the chance of cheating death.

"The Final Destination" raises the stakes by being the first in the series to be released in stereoscopic 3D.  Entity FX was hired to complete the climactic end sequence of the movie, creating a number of completely synthetic shots with fully CG characters linked up in stereo space (left eye and right eye) with real actors seen earlier in the sequence.

Entity FX used a variety of tools to complete the project, including Autodesk Maya for 3D modeling and animation and The Foundry NUKE for compositing and image effects.  

Individuals contributing to Entity FX's work included Mat Beck, Senior VFX Supervisor; Brian Harding, VFX Supervisor; Daniel Rucinski, VFX Executive Producer; Ellyn Lewis, General Manager, Entity FX; Trent Smith, Creative VFX Producer; Jack Liburn, Associate VFX Producer/Coordinator; Rob Reinhart, Lead Compositor; Dave Franks; Stereoscopic Imaging Compositor; Rik Panero, Stereoscopic CG Lead; Junji Hirano, Mike (Pharoah) Barrett, Andreas "AJ" Hester, John Sparks, Leslie Conover, Andrea Shear, Manny Wong, 3D Artists; Viet Nguyen, Systems Engineering; and Nate Smalley and Aaron Leichter, Data I/O.

Fans' favorite Luthor voice reunites with Tim Daly & Kevin Conroy as seminal roles

in all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie for distribution Sept. 29

 

 

As villains go, Clancy Brown has covered the gamut of wicked characters across every medium with sinister perfection - but never is his evil expertise so evident as when he steps behind the microphone as the voice of Lex Luthor. Brown reprises his benchmark role as the focal point of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, the next entry in the popular series of DC Universe animated original movies.

 

Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation will present the all-new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies on Sept. 29 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 on Sept. 29.

 

The film may be called Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, but this is a tour de force for Lex Luthor - and Brown's intonations captivate during every moment Luthor is on screen. In the film, Luthor has been elected President of the United States, and he uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his "partner in crime," Batman. Superman and Batman must unite to stave off the pursuit of heroes and villains alike, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor's devious plot to take command of far more than North America.

 

Voicing Lex isn't Brown's only upcoming starring role. Fans will get a healthy dose of Brown on large and small screens in the coming months as he appears in both the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street and in the Matt Damon vehicle The Informant!, as well as starring in

ABC's primetime law office drama, The Deep End.

 

Brown was cast as a villain in his very first theatrical role opposite Sean Penn in Bad Boys, and then forever sealed his place in fantasy villainy as The Kurgan in Highlander. Before playing an immortal, though, Brown etched his name in cult classic history as Rawhide in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8^th Dimension.

 

Beyond Highlander, Brown is regularly recognized from his standout performance as Captain Hadley in The Shawshank Redemption, as the centerpiece of HBO's Carnivale as Brother Justin Crowe, and to fanboys across the planet as gung-ho Sgt. Zim in Starship Troopers.

 

While he has voiced nearly 500 animated episodes and films, Brown is best known by the younger audience as Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants. He is widely recognized as the quintessential Lex Luthor in Superman: The Animated Series and Justice League/Justice League Unlimited, and he has scored kudos for his voicing of Mr. Freeze in The Batman, George Stacy/Rhino in The Spectacular Spider-Man, Long Feng in Avatar: The Last Airbender, Captain Black in Jackie Chan Adventures, and Mister Sinister in Wolverine and the X-Men. His voice credits, to list just a few, include roles in Phineaus and Ferb, Ben 10: Alien Force, Kim Possible, Duck Dodgers, Teen Titans, Buzz Lightyear of Star Command and Gargoyles.

 

Brown made his TV debut in an episode of the The Dukes of Hazzard, and has since been seen in primetime guest appearances and recurring roles on series as varied as Law & Order, ER, Lost, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Practice, The Outer Limits, Tales from the Crypt and China Beach.

 

Want a treat? Pause for a moment to recall Clancy Brown's patented voice for Lex Luthor. Suave. Smooth. Villainous. Now, as you read the Q&A, imagine that voicing uttering each of the answers. And enjoy ...

Street Fighter & Voltron Series Coming to Syfy Channel, iTunes, Xbox Live, PlayStation Store
 
September 1, 2009. Macomb, MI. Eagle One Media announced today details of an agreement with Starz Media's Manga Entertainment to make animated motion comic productions of Street Fighter, based on the CAPCOM video games, and Voltron: Defender of the Universe, based on the worldwide popular anime TV series, available for broadcast and digital download distribution. Both motion comic series will be broadcast on the Syfy Channel over several weeks beginning September 28th during Manga's popular Ani-Mondays programming block. Following the Syfy broadcasts, the motion comic episodes will then be made available for purchase with Starz Digital Media's distribution partners by digital download through outlets including: iTunes, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Store.
 
Animated motion comics utilize the storyline and dialog from existing published comics and with the addition of voice-over, special effects, music, and animation, creates a fast paced video adaptation for the viewer to enjoy through various medium.  Previously, Eagle One Media's animated motion comics had only been available for purchase on DVD.  Aside from its animated motion comics based on Street Fighter and Voltron: Defender of the Universe, Eagle One Media has also produced such content based on The Terminator and the Micronauts properties.
 
About Eagle One Media
 
Eagle One Media, Inc. (www.eagleonemedia.com), a multi-media company, produces animated motion comics based on well-known, globally recognized, licensed properties for the retail market. The company has recently released animated comic DVDs based on CAPCOM's video games series Street Fighter, the anime classic television series Voltron: Defender of the Universe, the blockbuster sci-fi film The Terminator, and the world-wide popular toy line of the Micronauts. Eagle One Media also releases feature length "family friendly" animation features on DVD for the retail market such as Dragon Blade: The Beginning - the world's first 3D computer animated martial arts feature film from action director Stanley Tong. And Dragon Hill, the GOYA Award winning and European hit animation film from Milimetros Studios. In digital download, the company also makes comic books from numerous publishers available for download through its website store.
 
About Starz Digital Media
 
Starz Digital Media, an operating division of Starz Media, LLC, is responsible for all digital and on-demand distribution of library content from Overture Films, Anchor Bay Entertainment, Starz Originals from Starz Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment. Through a range of distribution and marketing partnerships with multichannel video providers, Internet distributors and wireless operators worldwide, Starz Digital Media makes its content available under numerous business models including download-to-own/electronic sell-through, video-on-demand, pay-per-view, subscription video-on-demand and ad-supported streaming. The division also programs and supports numerous ad-supported broadband channels and develops games and gaming-related content from many of its properties for distribution worldwide.
 
About Manga Entertainment
 
Manga Entertainment Ltd (www.manga.com), a division of Starz Media, LLC, is an entertainment company specializing in the production, marketing and distribution of Japanese animation for theatrical, television, Internet, DVD and home video release worldwide. Manga Entertainment content is marketed and distributed for television by Starz Media, in traditional home video outlets by Anchor Bay Entertainment, and across digital platforms by Starz Digital Media through its various online video and gaming platform partners. Starz Media (www.starzmedia.com), a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide, is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to Liberty Capital Group.
 

It's time for South East Asia's BIGGEST event celebrating all things related to Japanese animation and popular culture.

(Singapore, September 1st, 2009) - The organizers of Anime Festival Asia 2009 (AFA09) are excited to announce the region's most impressive festival targeting fans of Japanese animation and popular culture. Taking place at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre (Halls 403 and 404) from 21st to 22nd November, AFA09 will incorporate a one-day business conference, Animation Asia Conference 2009 (AAC09) held on 20th November at the same venue.

ANIMATION ASIA CONFERENCE 2009

The one day business conference aims to help develop and nurture a regional IP ecosystem by tapping on renowned speakers and talents from Japan and the region, with an IP 360° Content Conference focused on three themes: Create, Manage and Engage. Speakers will provide in-depth knowledge and expertise on how brands and marketers can work with content from Japan to connect with the digital generation of youths who seek to be entertained and engaged.

"The new Animation Asia Conference will provide an opportunity for international businesses and animation-related companies and organizations to network and learn from the best in the business. We are confident that Animation Asia Conference 2009 will grow to become a "must-attend" conference for directors, producers, creators as well as brand marketers, agencies and students. Our ultimate long term goal is to build and nurture a sustainable IP ecosystem for Singapore and the region," said Anthony Kang, President, Dentsu Singapore and Co-Chairman of AFA09.

AFA09 will span over 5,000 sqm of space where highlights confirmed so far include the Akiba Town Marketplace, Anime Blockbusters, Kids Land, Regional Cosplay Championships, Moe Moe Kyun Maid Café, an AFA Exclusive Specialty Shop, and live acts straight from Japan.