Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Atomfilms, Curious Pictures Roast Cheney

    As vice president of the United States Dick Cheney celebrates his birthday this week, AtomFilms and Curious Pictures have released Chicks With Dick, a new animated short that reveals the truth behind the events of 2/11/06’the day Cheney shot his buddy in the face during a hunting trip. The animaton can be viewed exclusively on AtomFilms.com. The direct URL is Chicks.AtomFilms.com.

    Developed by AtomFilms Studio and the Curious Pictures directing team known as Ugly Pictures, Chicks with Dick has our fearful VP joining forces with a team of fluffy, heavily armed baby chicks to save the world. The film opens with Cheney hunting rabbits and quail with his friend, Harry. Upon opening a quail trap, Cheney discovers the Chicks, a flock of adorable, yet lethal, baby chickens. Cheney and the Chicks join forces to seek out truth, justice and the American way’after first shooting Harry in the face. The short is written by Peter W. Nelson and produced by Kate Treacy.

    Rohitash Rao and Abraham Spear formed Ugly Pictures in 1995. Rao is a former ad agency art director, commercial director and creative director at cable network SCI-FI Channel, and Spear is a photographer, director, DP and former heavy metal musician. In July of 2005 they signed with animation and mixed media production company Curious Pictures and have directed TV spots for Sprite, Trident and Woolite, as well as a series of web shorts for VW.

    ‘Chicks with Dick’ was produced by shooting nearly every element’from the backgrounds to the chicks themselves’as digital stills. Spear shot exteriors in upstate New York, while actors dressed in hunting outfits were shot in a variety of poses, actions and angles to give the filmmakers a variety of images to animate. Stock imagery was then used for other elements, including the heads of the Cheney and Harry characters. Additional imagery was created by Curious Pictures animators Matt Smithson and Daniel Oeffinger, and all the digital elements were brought into After Effects for compositing and animation.

  • Gertz to Head Rainmaker Animation

    Canadian digital entertainment company Rainmaker Ent. has announced the formation of its new Rainmaker Animation division, an outgrowth of last year’s acquisition of computer animation studio Mainframe. Animation veteran Paul Gertz will serve as the exec VP of the unit.

    “Structuring Rainmaker in this new way gives the industry a clear picture of our company’s vision going forward,” says Rainmaker Ent. CEO Warren Franklin. “With this new division, Rainmaker Animation, along with our other two divisions’Rainmaker Visual Effects and Rainmaker Post’we will be able to join forces to maximize our clients’ creative vision and cost-saving efforts, and still pursue a wide variety of creative and service projects within each division.”

    “Combining Rainmaker’s CG talent and high-end infrastructure with the Mainframe team creates a world leader in the sphere of animation,’ adds Gertz. “I look forward to working closely with Warren and the entire group as we continue to build a company that is dynamically poised to participate in all aspects of animated features and content creation, in addition to continuing the company’s leadership in the direct-to-DVD and television markets.”

    Gertz’s numerous executive and creative jobs include stints at Lucasfilm, Hanna-Barbera, Turner Feature Animation, Global Digital Creations and the Vancouver Film School. He served as exec producer on 20th Century Fox’s animated feature Titan, A.E., and produced Warner Bros.’ Cat’s Don’t Dance and Fox’s The Pagemaster.

    As previously announced, Brian Moylan will serve as managing director of Rainmaker Visual Effects and Barry Chambers will maintain his duties as president of Rainmaker Post.

    Rainmaker is based in Vancouver, Canada and also maintains an office in Los Angeles, Calif. The company’s animation unit is currently at work on Zixx, a cartoon series developed by Alex Raff’ of Savi Media and Debbie Nightingale of The Nightingale Co., in association with YTV. Also on plate is an animated sequel to the Jerry Lewis comedy The Nutty Professor and several projects for Mattel. Rainmaker Visual Effects in Vancouver is working on a number of films, including the Will Ferrell comedy Blades of Glory and various episodes of HBO’s Rome. Rainmaker Post continues work on Showtime’s The L Word, The CW’s Smallville and SCI-FI Channel’s Stargate Atlantis. For more information, go to www.rainmaker.com.

  • Loonatics Served by Williams

    Having dominated at the recent Australian Open, international tennis superstar Serena Williams is taking on the animation world by voicing a role in an upcoming episode of Warner Bros. Animations’ Loonatics Unleashed. The installment, titled “Apocalypso,” will premiere on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 8 a.m. (ET/PT) during the Kids’ WB! programming block on The CW Network.

    In the episode, the Loonatics attempt to vacation on a tropical island, only to discover that it’s been colonized by a race of beautiful, powerful women called the “Apocazons,” led by Queen Athena (Williams). When Lexi is invited to visit their “women only” temple, she discovers that the Apocazons have some devious plans for the planet and its men, and has to find a way to warn the rest of the Loonatics.

    William previously voiced an animated likeness of herself for an episode of FOX’s The Simpsons, but this is the first time she has helped create an animated character. The top-ranked U.S. female tennis player says her love of animation and some obvious typecasting made the job easy. “The character was described as being tall, strong, beautiful’so I guess that’s how I got the role,” she jokes. “I liked bringing my own character to the role. I’ve always thought of myself as a princess, but Athena is a queen. So I had to work it a little.”

    Over the course of her career, Williams has won eight Grand Slam titles, including three Australian Opens, two each at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Her prowess on the court has made her an international celebrity and has led to guest roles on ER, The Division, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, My Wife and Kids and The Bernie Mac Show.

    Loonatics Unleashed is exec produced by Sander Schwartz and produced by Ron Myrick for Warner Bros. Animation. More information on this and other shows in the Kids’ WB! lineup can be found at www.KidsWB.com.

  • It’s Officially Splitsville for Aardman and DreamWorks

    Bristol-based Aardman Animations has officially severed ties with DreamWorks Animation. The entities announced today that they have prematurely dissolved their five-picture deal after making just three animated features together. The news comes in the wake of disappointing box office for their latest effort, last year’s CG-animated Flushed Away.

    “I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with Peter Lord, David Sproxton, Nick Park and the Aardman team for almost ten years and highly respect their storytelling and filmmaking talents,” DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg says in a statement. “Today, DreamWorks Animation is focused on producing two computer animated movies per year, with a full film slate laid out into 2010. While I will always be a fan and an admirer of Aardman’s work, our different business goals no longer support each other.”

    The two toon camps first teamed up for the 2000 clay-animated pic Chicken Run, a promising start that yielded more than $100 million at the domestic box office. The second effort, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, was an overseas hit and went on to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature of 2005 despite lackluster ticket sales in North America.

    With Flushed Away, Aardman adapted its signature stop-motion style to CG, but is likely to go back to plasticine characters following this brief venture into computer animation. Aardman co-owners Peter Lord and David Sproxton comment, “We’ve enjoyed a hugely successful and creative relationship with Jeffrey and DreamWorks Animation, but both companies are aware that our ambitions have moved apart, and it feels like the right time to move on. Aardman has an ambitious slate of feature film projects in development and we will announce our future production and distribution plans shortly.”

    For the time being, DreamWorks Animation will stick to developing its own concepts and is looking to its star franchise to come through once again with Shrek the Third, which will be trumpeted into theaters on May 18. The pic will be followed by the Jerry Seinfeld comedy Bee Movie, with Kung Fu Panda kicking in for 2008. The studio is also at work on a sequel to the 2005 hit Madagascar for 2008.

    Aardman continues to produce several stop-motion and CG-animated series, including BBC’s Shaun the Sheep, Creature Comforts (CBS will debut the U.S. version of the series this spring) and two CG-animated co-productions with Decode Entertainment, Chop Socky Chooks and Planet Sketch. In addition. studio heavyweights Nick Park, Steve Box and Peter Lord all have animated feature films in the early stages of development at the studio.

  • Open Season Unloads on DVD

    Following a successful theatrical run, Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature, Open Season, has been unleashed on home video today. The title arrives on standard and Blu-ray DVD, complete with an array of extra features including an all-new animated short titled Boog and Elliot’s Midnight Bun Run.

    Open Season features the voices of Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, Billy Connolly, Jon Favreau, Patrick Warburton and Jane Krakowski in the tale of a couple of unlikely forest friends who rally all the other animals to turn the tables on unsuspecting hunters. The film is directed by The Lion King helmer Roger Allers, along with Jill Culton, whose credits include Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc., and Anthony Stacchi, who counts Antz among his various credits. The filmmakers built the pic around the unique humor of In the Bleachers cartoonist Steve Moore, who serves as exec producer along with John Carls.

    ‘As you know, with animated films there are so many talented people who work on them and so much prep work, years of it, that no one ever sees,’ Culton tells us. ‘And so we made sure there was a lot of good bonus material. For me, it’s about getting a chance to really show off all the artists who worked so hard on the project.’

    Culton, Allers and Stacchi provide feature commentary on the disc, which also includes deleted scenes, a Wheel of Fortune Forest Edition game, a music video for the Death Ray song ‘I Wanna Lose Control,’ behind-the-scenes featurettes, a photo gallery, storyboards, the ‘Ring Tails’ cartoons originally created for cell phones, a multi-angle breakdown of the river sequence, a ‘Voice-a-Rama” activity in which the viewer can select from a number of different accents for the characters and a featurette titled Inside the Animals Studio, with commentary presented as if the characters were real actors discussing their experiences during the shooting of the movie. There’s also a sneak peek at Sony Animation’s next feature, Surf’s Up!

    In the new short, Midnight Bun Run, Boog and Elliot risk life and limb when they break into an Airstream trailer for some fresh-baked bearclaws. And while the film is an add-on intended to bring extra value to the DVD, its actually has its roots at the genesis of the project. Culton explains, ‘This is kind of a little insider tip, which is a lot of times you do a test sequence in storyboards with the voices you really want to cast and, if it goes over well with the studio, that test sequence becomes the template for the tone and everything in the movie. This sequence was originally titled ‘Breaking and Entering’ and it was the very first sequence we ever recorded with Martin and Ashton, and one of the first sequences boarded by our head of story, David Feiss. It really captured the tone and the studio greenlit it based on this one sequence.’

    The ‘Breaking and Entering’ scene was ultimately dropped from the film, but it remained a favorite among the crew. ‘When we had the opportunity to do a short we kind of resurrected that very first sequence, so it means something even more to the people who worked on it than the general public,’ Culton notes.

    Tracy Garvin, who handled all the DVD extra features, tells us the disc has three hidden Easter eggs that offer behind-the-scenes glimpses but won’t offer any clues. She also says she’s very excited about the film being presented on next-generation DVD technology. ‘This movie on Blu-ray looks spectacular,’ she boasts. ‘If you want to show off the technology, this will definitely be the standard. You can just see every little hair and can almost feel it brushing against you. There’s a production artwork photo gallery that looks incredible. You’ll want to take your TV and make it the frame for art in your living room.’

    Open Season is available in both widescreen and full-screen special editions and lists for $28.95 on standard DVD and $38.96 on Blu-ray DVD. Those who purchase the widescreen version through Amazon.com will also get an exclusive DVD of Sony Pictures Imageworks’ Academy Award-winning animated short The Chubbchubbs!.

  • KISS, Platinum Team for Comics

    Comic-book company Platinum Studios Inc. has signed a deal to make comics with KISS Catalog Ltd., the billion-dollar merchandising empire created and managed by rockers Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the band KISS. The entities have formed a new worldwide entertainment company dubbed the KISS Comics Group, which is devoted to bringing the KISS characters to numerous platforms including print, mobile, Internet, film, television and licensed merchandising.

    “We have been talking with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley about doing something together for years and when Gene approached me with the idea of creating the KISS Comics Group co-venture, we knew we could build something massive,” says Platinum Studios founder and chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. “With more than 4,000 KISS fan sites worldwide supported by cross generations of fans, we have a built-in global audience for the KISS Comics Group.”

    “Paul Stanley and I are personally involved in all day-to-day decisions and we are looking forward to extending the KISS legacy, images and sound to our fans around the world,” comments KISS front man Gene Simmons.

    “As the iconic KISS characters have continued to evolve far beyond our beginning in rock music, we have always looked for the ideal situation for a KISS comic book outlet that was as far-reaching as we originally conceived and intended,’ adds KISS co-founder Paul Stanley. ‘Platinum fills that slot perfectly.”

    The KISS property has been licensed by comic-book companies in the past, but this is the first time the group will be producing its own comics based on the leather-clad and heavily made-up characters created for their stage act. The first title, KISS 4K, will tell the story of how Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and the other band members were transformed from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits. Platinum says it will be the world’s largest comic book, retailing for $50. A limited-edition preview book, character merchandise and mobile comic art are currently available online at www.KissComicsGroup.com. All merchandise will launch simultaneously in the U.S., France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

    Signatures Network and Dell Furano will be handling worldwide licensing for KISS Comics Group and for KISS 4K on behalf of the co-venture. Characters from Platinum Studios’ vast library will also appear in the KISS books.

  • Nick Debuts Virtual World

    Nickelodeon today launched Nicktropolis, a kid-targeted virtual world that will allow visitors to engage in a variety of web-based activities. Akin to Linden Labs’ online community Second Life, Nicktropolis offers youngsters the opportunity to interact with other kids or Nickelodeon characters in real time, and also has a function where members can create their own personalized 3D rooms. The launch follows on the heels of the BBC’s announcement of plans to create its own virtual kids’ environment dubbed CBBC World.

    Kids can now log onto http://www.nicktropolis.com to enter an immersive 3D environment where they can watch video from Nick’s vast library of programming, play games, have fun with popular TV characters and safely communicate through controlled chat. Visitors assume an avatar that they design and personalize, choosing from an array of hairstyles, skin tones and clothing styles. Once a user selects a destination form four main areas, his or her avatar appears in that particular environment. Kids can set up their own personal spaces at Nickname Lane, check out a collection of Nickelodeon property-branded rooms at Nicktoon Boulevard, enjoy non-branded content at Downtown Nicktropolis and visit The Pier for gaming experiences.

    ‘Virtual worlds like Nicktropolis are part of our strategy to bring immersive, relevant entertainment experiences to our audiences wherever they are, and to build communities around our content across every kind of platform,” says Judy McGrath, chairman and CEO of MTV Networks. “The virtual worlds we’ve been building across our networks give the fans of our brands the high level of interaction they want with one another, and with the content itself.”

    Nicktropolis is MTV Networks’ latest move in serving its audiences through original online and wireless content. Over the past two years, the company has acquired such expansive community and gaming assets as NeoPets, AddictingGames.com, Shockwave.com, Harmonix Music Systems, GameTrailers and Xfire. For it’s college-aged audience, MTVN picked up RateMyProfessors.com and Y2M, and has also added user-generated content, short-form video and networking destinations including IFILM, AddictingClips.com, Atom Films, Quizilla, MTV Flux, The Click from The N and Nick’s own ParentsConnect.

  • Execs Upped at Fox Animation, Blue Sky

    Led by the worldwide box-office bounty provided by the animated feature Ice Age: The Meltdown, Twentieth Century Fox enjoyed its most profitable year to date in 2006, and now some execs who played key roles in that success have been promoted. Hutch Parker has risen to the post of vice chairman, overseeing both 20th Century Fox and Fox Animation. Vanessa Morrison will be the new president of Fox Animation, while at animation house Blue Sky Studio Brian Keane has been upped to chief operating officer and chief financial officer, and Bruce Anderson to general manager. In addition, Emma Watts and Alex Young have been appointed co-presidents of production at Fox.

    “A central management tenet at Fox is that talented people get the chance to move up,’ say Fox Chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. ‘We ourselves, and the majority of our senior staff, have benefited from this philosophy. We are gratified that these gifted executives now continue that tradition.’

    Parker previously held the title of president of the 20th Century Fox division, which took in more than $2 billion dollars at the box office worldwide with movies released in 2006. He joined Fox in 1995 as senior VP of production, and was named president of production in 1999. His new responsibilities include overseeing Fox Animation, which will be run by new president Vanessa Morrison.

    Morrison replaces Chris Meledandri, who left Fox to set up his own family entertainment shingle at Universal Pictures. A 12-year Fox production veteran, Morrison has supervised a number of CG-intensive and family-oriented films, including the Garfield, Dr. Doolittle and Cheaper by the Dozen series. The rest of the staff at Fox Animation, including VP John Cohen, will continue in their roles.

    Over at Academy Award-winning Blue Sky Studios, general manager and chief financial officer Brian Keane will settle into his new position as chief operating officer, while continuing to serve as chief financial officer. Bruce Anderson, who is currently serving as an associate producer on Fox Animation’s Horton Hears a Who, will continue to work on the film as he takes on the duties of general manager for the studio.

    Emma Watts and Alex Young respectively guided the vfx-heavy pics Night At the Museum and X-Men: The Last Stand to more than $400 million in worldwide box office receipts. As co-presidents of production for 20th Century Fox, they will report to Parker as they oversee a slate of upcoming films that includes Live Free or Die Hard and Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer.

    In related news, Debbie Liebling has been promoted to president of production for Fox’s new genre label, Fox Atomic, reporting to Peter Rice. As exec VP of Production at Fox, she shepherded production of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, a low-budget film that has grossed more that $250 million worldwide on the road to an Oscar nomination. Liebling joined Fox in 2002 after serving as chief programming exec for Comedy Central’s original shows and co-producing for the feature film South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut. She has also worked as an exec at MTV and at Nickelodeon.

  • Bejuba! Hires New Distribution VP

    Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos has been named VP of distribution for production and distribution company Bejuba! Ent. Reporting to company president Tatiana Kober, she will assist with the development of Bejuba!’s sales strategies while also working to develop and implement plans that will expand new and existing business opportunities.

    Pechels de Saint Sardos most recently served as vice president of program distribution for Classic Media. Based in New York, she will be directly responsible for Bejuba!’s international sales of television, home entertainment, digital, publishing and licensing & merchandising initiatives.

    ‘I am extremely pleased to have Sandrine join the company,’ says Kober. ‘Her extensive background in program distribution and development are invaluable. She will be an asset to the company’s growth and I look forward to working with her in expanding Bejuba’s! program library as well as securing new and exciting strategic co-production partnerships.’

    Prior to joining Classic Media, Pechels de Saint Sardos was senior director of business development and sales for Sunbow Ent., New York, and remained with the company through its Sony Wonder and TV-Loonland transitions. There, she was responsible for international sales efforts of the Sunbow catalog, and also established the strategic direction for the company’s creative slate of programming, bringing projects from development into co-production and production.

    Bejuba! Ent. focuses on bringing production partners together, closing gap financing and helping to implement distribution initiatives. The company currently distributes such internationally recognized properties as The Amazing Adrenalini Brothers for partners Pesky and Studio B Prods., and The Likeaballs for Animated Adventures and Pictures. In the works with partners Snowden Fine and Studio B is Ricky Sprocket-Showbiz Boy, an animated series slated to debut this year on Nickelodeon.

  • EA Chicago Taps Softimage for 3D Pipeline

    Electronic Arts’ Chicago studio has partnered with Softimage Co., a subsidiary of Avid Technology Inc., to dbuild a 3D game development pipeline built on SOFTIMAGE|XSI software. The 3D modeling and character creation package will be used to create high-definition games for next-generation consoles.

    Softimage XSI is built on a unique Gigapolygon core, which is designed to manage the 64-bit, high-polygon-count 3D characters and environments needed in HD games. According to Softimage, the XSI-powered workflow will enable game development professionals at EA Chicago to collaborate on complex projects and raise the bar in creating realistic game experiences.

    “EA Chicago is working with Softimage on this effort to explore new technologies to develop a new generation workflow model,’ says Scott Cronce, VP and chief technology officer, worldwide studios for EA. ‘Both companies are excited about the opportunity and expect this project to generate efficiencies in pipeline speed and iteration.”

    ‘Our mutual goal is to create a workflow model that benefits the artist and we’re pleased that EA Chicago is adopting cutting-edge solutions from Softimage to work with its internal technology,’ adds Marc Stevens, VP and general manager for Softimage. ‘We look forward to seeing the amazing content and, ultimately, the games that EA Chicago creates utilizing this newly developed workflow.’

    One of the largest game producers and publishers in the world, Electronic Arts is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. and markets its products under the brand names EA SPORTS, EA, EA SPORTS BIG and POGO. In fiscal 2006, the company posted revenue of $2.95 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA Chicago has produced a number of hit titles including the EA SPORTS Fight Night series and the soon-to-be released Def Jam: ICON.

  • Hertzfeld Has Top Short at Sundance

    Animation was well represented at the 2007 edition of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. This year’s award winners were announced over the weekend and Don Hertzfeldt’s Everything Will Be OK emerged as the top short film. Last year’s Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking aslo went to an animated submission, Adam Parrish King’s The Wraith of Cobble Hill.

    In Everything Will Be OK, a series of dark and troubling events force a guy named Bill to reckon with the meaning of his life-‘or lack thereof. Written, directed, animated and photographed by Hertzfeldt, the 17-minute film blends color and black-and-white to tell the story in Hertzfeldt’s signature minimalist style.

    Hertzfeldt earned an Academy Award nomination for his 2000 animated short Rejected, which employed stick figures to represent bad ideas for TV commercials. His other shorts, The Meaning of Life, Billy’s Balloon, Lily and Jim, Genre and Ah, L’Amour have been festival staples and cult favorites over the years. In 2004, Hertzfeldt and partner Mike Judge received an Annie certificate of merit at for The Animation Show, a touring festival of short animated films that is now entering its third season.

    Last year, the Sundance Jury Prize in Short Filmmaking went to Adam Parrish King’s stop-motion black and white film, The Wraith of Cobble Hill (tied with Carter Smith’s live-action Bugcrush).

    In addition to the live-action competition, Everything Will Be OK was up against Alex Weil’s SIGGRAPH 2006-winning CG creation, One Rat Short. The other animated films in competition this year were Destiny Manifesto by Martha Colburn, Dreams and Desires–Family Ties by Joanna Quinn, Duct Tape and Cover by Yong-Jin (Gene) Park, Golden Age by Aaron Augenblick, Paulina Hollers by Brent Green and Phantom Canyon by Stacey Steers. To see a complete lit of Sundance 2007 winners, go to http://festival.sundance.org/2007.

  • Academy Screens Oscar Shorts

    The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen all ten Oscar-nominated short films in the animated and live-action categories on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Hosted by Academy Award-winning producer-director Taylor Hackford, the Shorts! program will feature onstage discussions with those nominated filmmakers that are available.

    The animated shorts to be screened are The Danish Poet by Torill Kove, Pixar’s Lifted from director Gary Rydstrom, Disney’s The Little Matchgirl by Roger Allers, Maestro by Geza M. Toth and fox Animation/Blue Sky Studio’s No Time for Nuts from directors Chris Renaud and Michael Thurmeier.

    On the live-action side, the program will feature Binta and the Great Idea by Javier Fesser, Eramos Pocos by Borja Cobeaga, Helmer & Son by Soren Pilmark, The Saviour by Peter Templeman and West Bank Story by Ari Sandel.

    The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and seating is unreserved. Free advance tickets are necessary for admission. There is a two-ticket per person limit. Tickets will be available Feb. 1 at the Academy’s ticket office at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For ticket ordering information, call (310) 247-3600 or go to www.oscars.org/events.

    The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2006 will be presented on Sunday, Feb. 25, at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center. The ceremony will be televised live by ABC starting at 5 p.m. (PST).

  • Black History Gets Animated

    BrainPOP, a leading producer of animated educational films, is celebrating Black History Month with more than a dozen animation shorts detailing the history of the African American experience and honoring such luminaries as civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., writer Maya Angelou and baseball great Jackie Robinson. The shorts are being offered free of charge at www.brainpop.com throughout the month of February.

    Other animated shorts featured on the BrainPOP site for Black History Month will focus on civil rights activist Malcolm X, musician Louis Armstrong, Brown vs. Board of Education, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War and Apartheid. A special mini-site including all Black History Month topics can be accessed from the BrainPOP home page.

    Founded in 1999 by Avraham Kadar, M.D., BrainPOP has built an archive of nearly 600 animated educational movies. Starring the popular Tim and Moby characters, the shorts cover such core curriculum subjects as science, English, social studies and math, but also tackle current-event topics such as stem cell research, terrorism, SARS, tsunamis and Avian Flu.

    Approximately twenty-five percent of schools in the United States currently subscribe to the BrainPOP service. Millions of students regularly watch the movies and exchange messages with the animated characters, who lead them through related activities on the BrainPOP web site. To view the films and find more information about the company, go to www.brainpop.com. BrainPOP en Espanol is available at http://es.brainpop.com, and BrainPOP Junior can be found at http://www.brainpopjr.com.

  • Lazlo Gets Special in February

    Fans will get a glimpse of what life was like at Camp Kidney before a certain Brazilian monkey arrived when Cartoon Network debuts Where’s Lazlo?, the first hour-long movie based on the hit animated series Camp Lazlo. The special presentation will debut on Sunday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m., following a marathon of favorite episodes that kicks off at 9 a.m. In addition, brand new installments of the show will air every Friday evening in February leading up to the premiere.

    From the mind of Joe Murray, creator of Rocko’s Modern Life, Camp Lazlo centers on Lazlo, a monkey who wreaks good-natured havoc on Camp Kidney and its uptight head counselor, a moose named Scoutmaster Lumpus. Adding to the fun is Patsy Smiles, cute mongoose who threatens to steal Lazlo’s heart. The Cartoon Network original series debuted in July of 2005 and has been one of the cable outlet’s top ranking shows.

    In Where’s Lazlo? our primate hero helps a big scary bear remove a pinecone from his nose, he sets into motion a series of events that will change the lives of the bean scouts forever. While Lazlo is on his journey of self-discovery, a nostalgic Raj and Clam recall life at camp before and after Lazlo arrived to stir things up. Cartoon Network says we can look forward to a grand adventure involving a runaway train car, a freaked out Indian elephant, a barely intelligible pygmy rhino and a certain busboy at a restaurant that serves nothing but beef.

  • Spoofing FX Pics Pays for Epic

    Taking aim at such vfx-heavy blockbusters as Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, X-Men: The Last Stand and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe paid off at the box office as the 20th Century Fox comedy Epic Movie debuted in the top spot over the weekend. The spoof raked in an estimated $19.2 million, besting three new releases and a host of Oscar-nominated films rolling out in wide release.

    Epic Movie is written and directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, veterans of the Scary Movie franchise. Like last year’s Date Movie, this latest installment branches out from horror to skewer a whole different genre, one characterized by films like Superman Returns, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the Harry Potter series. The film stars Kal Penn (National Lampoon’s Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj) and Jayma Mays (TV’s Heroes), and features appearances by Carmen Electra, Fred Willard, Crispen Glover, David Carradine and Kevin McDonald, among others. Visual effects were provided by Digital Dimension and Pixel Magic.

    Despite a pervasive marketing campaign, Universal’s action flick Smokin’ Aces had to settle for second place, taking in around $14 million over the weekend. CIS Hollywood contributed effects work to the ensemble piece starring Jeremy Piven, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Andy Garcia, Alicia Keys, Jason Bateman and Common.

    In its sixth week of release, Fox’s Night At the Museum continues to sell tickets. The vfx-laden comedy-adventure picked up another $9.4 million (est.) to drop just one notch to No. 3. To date, the Ben Stiller vehicle has grossed approximately $216 million domestically and nearly $392 million worldwide.

    Sony’s Jennifer Garner romantic comedy Catch and Release debuted at No. 4 with just $8 million, while Sony Screen Gems’ Stomp The Yard earned an estimated $7.8 million, tumbling to No. 5 after opening at No. 1 last week. MGM’s romantically charged werewolf pic, Blood and Chocolate, opened in 1,200 theaters and took in around $2.1 million for a 15th-place finish. Framestore-CFC handled the wolf’s share of effects on the pic.

  • Atmosphere Brought to Babylon 5

    Visual effects work has begun on Babylon 5: The Lost Tales’Voices in the Dark, a new direct-to-video feature from Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Television. Work is being done by Vancouver’s Atmosphere Visual Effects with the studio’s Andrew Karr serving as VFX Supervisor. The movie will feature two all-new stories written and directed by J. Michael Straczynski, the creator of the original, Emmy Award-winning Babylon 5 series. Doug Netter also returns as exec producer.

    Voices in the Dark is set on an immense space station built by the Earth Alliance in the 2250s. There, the crew of Babylon 5 is charged with maintaining the peace among the various alien races by providing a sanctuary where grievances and negotiations can be worked out among duly appointed ambassadors. Aside from its diplomatic function, Babylon 5 also serves as a military post for Earth and a port of call for travelers, traders, businessmen, criminals and Rangers. The story picks up several years after the events of the TV series, and follows several of its major characters in new adventures. Returning cast members include Bruce Boxleitner as President John Sheridan, Tracy Scoggins as Captain Elizabeth Lockley and Peter Woodward as Galen.

    Introduced to television audiences in 1993, Babylon 5 continued for five seasons and enjoyed nine successful years in broadcast and cable syndication, spawning five feature length movies’The Gathering, In the Beginning, Thirdspace, River of Souls and A Call to Arms‘as well as the limited series Crusade.

    ‘The original Babylon 5 series was a truly groundbreaking show,’ says Atmosphere VFX producer Jeremy Hoey. ‘It heralded the beginning of the CG revolution in television visual effects. At Atmosphere, we feel tremendously privileged to have been chosen to continue that proud tradition. We’re already hard at work creating what we hope fans will agree are truly exciting, cutting-edge visual effects.’

    Atmosphere is no stranger to sci-fi, having created effects for NBC Universal’s Battlestar Galactica, MGM’s Stargate: Atlantis, USA Network’s The 4400 and SCI FI Channel’s Andromeda. Other credits include Disney’s Air Buddies, New Line’s Chestnut and Hallmark’s Last Days of Planet Earth. More information on the company can be found http://atmosphere-vfx.com.

  • GDC Keynotes Announced

    This year’s Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco will feature keynote addresses from Phil Harrison, president of Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios, and Shigeru Miyamoto, senior managing director of Nintendo and general manager of Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development. The conference will be held March 5-9 in San Francisco.

    Harrison will deliver the Wednesday, March 7 address at 10:30 a.m. Titled ‘Game 3.0: Developing and Creating for the 3rd Age of Video Games,” the speech will explore what ‘always on’ means for both the game development industry and consumers, and which innovative products and services will help content developers define and shape the meaning of the term ‘Game 3.0.’ In addition, Sony Computer Entertainment’s Worldwide Studios will demonstrate some exclusive insights into its development of products and services that will help define future growth in the video game market.

    Sony formed Worldwide Studios in September of 2005 to unify its regional product development operations under a global structure and appointed Harrison to lead the organization. Working closely with the studios in Japan, Europe, North America and Polyphony Digital, Inc., he is responsible for setting the global product strategy and managing development operations of 14 studios in five countries. Harrison also serves as a corporate exec and representative director of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, and exec VP of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

    Miyamoto will deliver his address, ‘A Creative Vision,’ on Thursday, March 8 at 10:30 a.m. Perhaps the world’s most recognized video game developer, he has created such industry icons as Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong and Nintendogs. In addition, he has been the behind-the-scenes engine of innovation for many other notable Nintendo breakthroughs. His speech will reveal how a singular creative vision drives his work, not only in terms of his world-renown software, but also in generating key technologies, including the Nintendo DS and Wii gaming systems.

    Often called one of the fathers of modern video gaming, Miyamoto was employed by Nintendo (then a Hanafuda manufacturer) as an artist in 1980 and was given the task of designing one of their first coin-operated arcade games. The resulting title, Donkey Kong, was a huge success and the game’s lead character, Jump Man (a.k.a. Mario), has become Nintendo’s mascot. In 1998, Miyamoto became the first person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame.

    Highlights of the week-long GDC conference will include the Independent Games Festival, the Game Developers Choice Awards, GDC Mobile, the Serious Games Summit, Game Connection, the Graphic Impact Gallery and the Video Games Live Concert. These entertaining and informative events will offer industry insiders a chance to network, exchange ideas and perhaps shape the future of the interactive entertainment industry. More information can be found at www.gdconf.com.

  • Majesco Plays Toon-Doku Puzzle Game

    The latest puzzle craze to sweep the globe is getting a cartoon twist in Majesco Ent.’s Toon-Doku for Nintendo DS. Developed by Dragon’s Den Unlimited, the game will offer picture-based puzzles in addition to traditional Sudoku number mind-benders when it ships this April.

    Toon-Doku features 250 different images gamers can place on the board to complete each puzzle. A deep Edit Mode lets budding artists create their own customized pieces for play or trade with friends. In addition to three multiplayer modes, the game includes a ‘Distraction System’ that lets players block portions of their opponent’s board to thwart their progress in competitive matches.

    “Toon-Doku is the answer for Sudoku fans looking for something different and younger players looking for a less intimidating puzzler,” says Ken Gold, VP of marketing for Majesco. “The combination of pictures and unique multi-player features adds several new dimensions to one of today’s most popular brain games.”

    More information on Toon-Doku and Majesco’s other products can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com.

  • BBC Builds Virtual Kid Space

    British broadcaster BBC announced that it is creating CBBC World, an online environment where kids can create their own avatars and interact with TV characters and other kids in a virtual world akin to Linden Labs’ decidedly adult playground known as Second Life. The site will be designed with safety in mind and is scheduled to debut online this summer before the full launch in the fall.

    “This kind of cross-platform broadcasting is becoming the norm for people who have been born into the digital world,’ says a BBC spokesperson. ‘It will give children a chance to move around a safe, secure world where they can not only interact with familiar characters but have an opportunity to make that world a more fascinating place with their own imaginations.”

    Unlike Second Life and other persistent virtual reality realms, CBBC World won’t have chat rooms or allow users to create new areas. It will also forgot the financial aspects of those other models, where users buy and sell property online. Kids will instead participate in games, watch video clips, listen to music and create their own content to share.

  • Foundry Brings Heat to NAB

    London-based visual effects developer The Foundry is heading to the National Association of Broadcasters’ NAB 2007 in Las Vegas with new products including Furnace 4 for Shake and Tinderbox for Combustion. The company will set up shop in booth SL14413 in the south hall of the convention center during the event, scheduled for April 14-19.

    Furnace 4 is the latest update in a popular suite of more than 30 image-processing tools, many of which automate time-consuming processes in the creation of digital visual effects. The development team responsible for Furnace will be honored with a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

    Tinderbox is a widely adopted suite of more than 70 creative visual effects for After Effects that will soon be available for artists running Combustion on Windows. The Foundry’s activities at NAB will include demonstrations of Tinder, Furnace and Keylight on a range of host platforms including Autodesk Media and Entertainment Systems, After Effects and Shake.

    The Foundry develops and markets plug-ins on a range of host applications, including After Effects, Autodesk Media Entertainment Systems, Apple’s Shake and Avid|DS. The company now also licenses its image processing technology to third parties, and has used its influence to drive the development of an open standard for visual effects plug-ins known as OpenFX.