Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • McGowen to Head Kids’ WB! on The CW

    Betsy McGowen, who has served as senior exec at Kids’ WB! since its inception in 1995, has joined The CW as senior VP and general manager of Kids’ WB! on the newly minted network, a joint venture between Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. McGowen will report to Dawn Ostroff, who will become president of entertainment for The CW, which launches as a fifth network this fall.

    McGowen will oversee all series development, current programming and scheduling, as well handling branding, image and marketing for Kids’ WB! on The CW. Prior to the appointment, she served as senior VP and general manager of Kids’ WB!, overseeing all programming and marketing aspects for the leading children’s block. Since starting at Kids’ WB!, she held the top marketing position and eventually worked he way up to senior VP of marketing.

    Before The WB, McGowen worked as a freelance writer, producer and editor for such clients as FOX and the Disney Channel. From 1992-1993, she was a staff promo writer and producer for FOX Kids Network, and previously worked as an offline/online videotape editor at NBC and FOX.

    The CW will offer a six-night, 13-hour primetime lineup running Monday through Friday nights from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. (ET/PT), and Sundays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (ET/PT). Outside of primetime, the network will program for Sundays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. (ET/PT) and will host a Monday-Friday afternoon block from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. (ET/PT). In addition, a five-hour Saturday morning animation block will air from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. Altogether, the network will program 30 hours a week over seven days.

  • Disney Characters Stamped Again

    The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled a new set of postage stamps depicting the romances between select Disney animated characters. Featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse; Lady and the Tramp; Belle and the Beast; and Cinderella and Prince Charming, the ‘Art of Disney: Romance’ stamps were dedicated during the kick-off of the 13th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort. They will be available to postal patrons nationwide on April 22.

    ‘We decided to take our cue from one of the most celebrated couples of all time’Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse,” says Jo Ann Feindt, VP of Great Lakes Area Operations for the U.S. Postal Service. In her dedication speech, Feindt revaealed that another set in the Art of Disney series will be released next year.

    Joining Feindt in unveiling the stamps was Al Weiss, president of worldwide operations for Walt Disney parks and resorts, along with some Disney characters featured on the self-adhesive, 39′ stamps.

    Walt Disney’s relationship with the U.S. Postal Service began in the summer of 1918 when he sorted and delivered mail in the Chicago Post Office. He would later make Mickey Mouse a postal employee in the 1933 short Mail Pilot. The achievements of the animation pioneer were first recognized on a stamp in 1968. That particular issue featured a parade of children representing many nations surrounding a portrait of Walt Disney.

    ”The Art of Disney: Friendship’ stamps were issued in 2004, featuring Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and a host of other Mouse House favorites. The set was followed in 2005 with the release of ‘The Art of Disney: Celebration’ stamps that coincided with the company’s anniversary. For each stamp set, Postal Service art director Terrence McCaffrey teamed with Disney artist Peter Emmerich and creative director Dave Pacheco to create the designs.

    To see ‘The Art of Disney: Romance’ stamps and collectors items, visit the online Postal Store at http://www.usps.com/shop. Custom-framed prints of original stamp art are available at http://www.postalartgallery.com.

  • Moviegoers Game for Silent Hill?

    Horror has been on a roll at the box office lately, but fright flicks based on video games don’t have such a good track record, considering the performance of director Uwe Boll’s House of the Dead and Alone in the Dark, and Universal’s Doom. Sony is hopeful that Silent Hill will be the exception as it releases the film in nearly 3,000 theaters across North America today.

    Based on Konami’s successful video game franchise that started in 1999, Silent Hill is directed by French helmer Christophe Gans (Brotherhood of the Wolf) and co-written by Roger Avery, who wrote Pulp Fiction with Quentin Tarantino. The surrealistic spook fest plays out like a nightmare as a mother searches for her troubled daughter in a deserted town haunted by evil spirits and strange creatures.

    Featuring visual effects by BUF, Luma Pictures, Mr. X Inc., MOKKO Studio, C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures, Intelligent Creatures Inc., Frantic Films and Invisible Pictures, Silent Hill is getting high marks from Genre aficionados for its inventive visuals and unconventional storytelling style. General audiences may be put off for the same reasons.

    Silent Hill is a strong contender for the top spot this weekend, which also sees the debut of 20th Century Fox’s political thriller, The Sentinel, and Universal’s American Dreamz, which rolls out in only 1,500 theaters. MTV has posted a 10-minute sneak peak at Silent Hill online at http://media.putfile.com/MTV-Sneak-Peak—Silent-Hill.

  • Hedge, X3, Scanner Bound for Cannes

    Organizers have released the lineup of flicks to be screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, naming the DreamWorks Animation feature Over the Hedge and 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: The Last Stand among the official selections. Both of the eagerly awaited movies will screen out of competition, along with Richard Linklater’s A Scanner Darkly and the controversial September 11 dramatization, United 93. The fest is slated for May 17-28.

    Cannes ’06 will open with director Ron Howard’s adaptation of the best-selling Dan Brown novel, The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks. Linklater, whose rotoscoped Philip K. Dick adaptation, A Scanner Darkly, opens nationwide on July 7, also has a film in competition with Fast Food Nation. Based loosely on the popular non-fiction book of the same name, the drama features an ensemble cast including Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Greg Kinnear and Luis Guzman.

    Directed by Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas helmer Tim Johnson and Curious George Scribe Karey Kirkpatrick, Over the Hedge is based on the popular comic strip by Michael Fry and t. Lewis. The film stars Bruce Willis as the voice of a Raccoon who convinces his turtle pal, voiced by Gary Shandling, that the new housing development encroaching on their habitat is actually a goldmine. Other notable stars lending their voices to the pic include Steve Carell, William Shatner, Thomas Hayden Church, Nick Nolte, Eugene Levy and Wanda Sykes.

    By all indications, X-Men: The Last Stand is a dark third act for the popular, vfx-laden film series based on Marvel Comics characters. Director Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, Red Dragon) took the helm of this installment, in which lines are drawn between mutants when a cure for mutations is discovered. Frasier star Kelsey Grammer joins the returning cast at Dr. Hank McCoy/Beast. The film features visual effects work by MPC, Soho VFX, Weta Digital, Cinesite, Framestore CFC, Rhythm & Hues and Kleiser-Walczak.

    For a complete list of official selections and more details on the 59th annual Cannes Film Festival, go to www.festival-cannes.fr.

  • SIGGRAPH Submissions Record High

    ACM SIGGRAPH today announced that it has received a record number of submissions for the Computer Animation Festival to be held in conjunction with the 2006 edition of SIGGRAPH. The 33rd international conference and exhibition of computer graphics and interactive techniques will take place July 30 through August 3 in Boston, Mass.

    The number of submissions for 2006 was up 25% from the previous year. From a field of 726 entries, the Computer Animation Festival jury selected 97 projects, including 38 student films for their exemplary use of computer-generated imagery and animation, and compelling storytelling.

    “From across the globe, the word is out that the Computer Animation Festival is one of the premier venues for showcasing artistic and technical talent in the film world,’ says Terrence Masson, the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival chair from Digital Fauxtography Inc. “The bar of excellence has risen even higher and this year’s crop of accepted pieces is diverse, thought-provoking, and technically superb.”

    This year’s Best of Show is One Rat Short, a film by Alex Weil from the U.S. The short follows a New York City rat who discovers love, danger and fate during as journey from his gritty world to the interior of a futuristic laboratory. Masson comments, ‘This piece immediately stood out to the Jury for many reasons. The film’s emotional tone, cinematography and technical realization all melded wonderfully into a simple yet touching short film. Repeatedly, the two lead characters transfixed our gaze with extreme close-ups, and we instantly wondered what they were thinking. Our ability to clearly empathize with the main characters’ desires is one of the film’s single greatest achievements.’

    An extimated 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents are expected to descend upon Boston for SIGGRAPH 2006. Registration for the conference and exhibition is open to the public. For more information on the SIGGRAPH 2006 Computer Animation Festival, go to http://ls.siggraph.org/t/562345/19674900/49172/0/.

    Special Jury Honors

    458nm

    Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, Tom Weber

    Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg

    Germany

    The romantic story of two mechanical snails that find each other under the moonlight.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘The initial submitted artist’s description in no way prepared us for the stunning impact of this film. The grace, beauty, and power conveyed with such humble subjects are only more appreciated upon multiple viewings. Intricate details and subtle animation build layer upon layer of simple elegance.’

    Fog

    Emilio Ramos

    Spain

    An old man spins a nostalgic story about the village’s flying sheep bringing the town to a brief moment of prosperity

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘An original and very personal work that is absolutely beautiful in so many ways. The combination of such originality with overall technical excellence makes the piece quite memorable. The look, the storytelling, and the facial animation of the main character specifically are all completely brilliant. A film truly meant to be watched multiple times.’

    The Building

    Eric Riewer

    France

    The setting is an apartment building where a colorful grandmother bangs on a wall in complaint of the neighbor singing loudly while taking shower.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘The set up, payoff, and comic timing make this one of the most humorous films this year. Another example of great design, animation and gag all coming together in a superb, technically tight edit. A hilariously funny piece.’

    King Kong ‘ New York Minute

    Chris White

    New Zealand

    Watch New York grow before your eyes.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘A brilliant, behind-the-scenes demonstration of a mind-boggling and complex sequence. Much of the vast volume of visual effects work done today fails to impress because we’ve seen it all and we’ve seen SO much of it. ‘New York Minute’ is so stunning that we are reminded just how much thought, time, and effort go into producing today’s visual effects feature film work.’

    Into Pieces

    Guilherme Marcondes

    Brazil

    Have you ever had the feeling things don’t fit in?

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘Short, simple, hilarious, and brilliant. One of many examples of outstanding short film-making without 3D elements. This year, we specifically requested more 2D animations because there maybe a misconception that SIGGRAPH is all about 3D ‘ this is clearly not the case. The fresh look of this film, the comic timing, and tight animation makes it a very clear favorite.’

    Delivery

    Till Nowak

    Germany

    An old man lives a lonely life under the dark shadows of industrial smog. One day he receives a mysterious package which gives him the ability to change his environment.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘A perfect example of the power of storytelling. Using computer graphics to illustrate this simple fantasy world is truly the filmmaker taking advantage of the medium.’

    Robin Hood Flour

    Richard Rosenman

    Canada

    It is a holiday evening and the main characters (Andrew and Elizabeth) are being interviewed at their dining room table. They are furiously busy wrapping gingerbread cookies in gift boxes. The table shows various gift-wrapping accessories, the freshly baked cookies (complete with handwritten names), a glamorous candle ornament, and a kitchen cloth with the Robin Hood logo. The cold winter setting outside contrasts the warm dining room lighting inside and helps develop a cozy holiday atmosphere.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘One of the best examples of character animation in the entire show. Absolutely tight timing with wonderfully subtle eye movements, voice talent, staging, character design, lighting, set dressing, and much more. In fact, the piece was so well received that we put two separate spots in the show ‘ one in the Electronic Theater and one in Animation Theater.’

    My Date from Hell

    Tim Weimann and Tom Bracht

    Germany

    The Devil has grown mild-tempered and a bit fat in his old age. He does not like Hell anymore and wants to find a suitable mate to start a new life. Naturally, he starts his search by posting personal ads in the local newspaper, reviewing dating videos, and meeting various women on blind dates. Find out if the Devil can find the true woman of his dreams.

    Comments from Computer Animation Festival Chair:

    ‘Great character development makes this film stand out and easily sustain itself even though it is 14 minutes long ‘ by far the longest piece accepted this year. The film has absolutely everything ‘ great character and set design, cinematography, and brilliant attention to detail. An incredible accomplishment by a handful of students from the Filmakademie Baden-W’rttemberg.

  • ParticleIllusion is Too Hot Not to Handle

    The award-winning particleIllusion software from developer wondertouch was employed by New York-based visual effects house Extreme Digital Prods. to illustrate the effects of global warming for the new HBO/Lovett Prods. documentary, Too Hot Not Too Handle: A Global Warming Primer. The software was used to create smog, water evaporation, air pollution and images of the Earth spinning with plumes of greenhouse gas rising from the surface.

    Set to debut on HBO on April 22 (Earth Day), Too Hot Not to Handle is described as a cautionary guide to the effects of global warming in the United States. The doc features leading scientists from such esteemed educational institutions as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford discussing such subjects as the greenhouse effect, hurricanes, snowpack, hybrid vehicles and alternative power.

    Extreme Digital used particleIllusion to create a majority of the visual effects on the documentary and noted its that workflow efficiencies were crucial to the studio being awarded the role of graphics and animation provider. ‘Because of the immediacy required to turn around the samples, using a 3D particle program was out of the question,’ says Extreme Digital founder Vincent MacTiernan. ‘Having used particleIllusion on a number of high-profile projects I was confident I could quickly generate a 3D image of Earth that included their request for photorealistic smoke and smog elements.’

    Extreme Digital artists accessed particle Illusion’s preset effects to give the look of water evaporating into space. ‘These shots required us do many test runs,’ says MacTiernan. ‘Having access to the extensive particleIllusion library, we were able to speed up the overall workflow and quickly dial in the subtle, yet elegant, look the producers required.’

    St. Louis, Mo.-based wondertouch has seen its particleIllusion used on such

    feature films as North Country, Stealth, Wedding Crashers, Sin City, The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl in 3D and Fantastic Four, as well as the television series Battlestar Galactica, JAG and Navy/NCIS. wondertouch software products are available directly from wondertouch. Additional information can be found at www.wondertouch.com.

  • Asterix Scores in France

    M6, the animation company behind the new animated feature Asterix and the Vikings, informs us that the film has enjoyed a successful theatrical debut in its native France. So far, the pic has sold approximately 491,328 tickets with 606 prints in circulation.

    The numbers for Asterix in France are looking really good for a European animated release. While Hollywood imports tend to do better, Disney’s The Wild has only seen around 105,613 tickets sold across the country with 498 prints making the rounds. However, Asterix has its work cut out for it in catching up with Ice Age: The Meltdown. The highly successful sequel from Fox Animation and Blue Sky has 863 prints out and has sold around 1.3 million tickets since its French debut.

    It has been a good year for French animation. The top animated film in the country is Kirikou and the Wild Beasts from directors B’n’dicte Galup and Michel Ocelot. The traditionally-animated film has sold more than 1.4 million tickets to date, but don’t expect to see it in U.S. theaters any time soon since prudish American audiences aren’t quite ready for naked natives in their animation.

  • Frank Miller’s 300 Marching to PSP

    In addition to a major motion picture on the way from Warner Bros. Pictures, fans of the Frank Miller graphic novel, 300, can look forward to a handheld videogame based on the property. Warner Bros. Interactive Ent. and developer Collision Studios teamed up to create 300: March To Glory for Sony’s PSP, which will hit retail in conjunction with the film’s 2007 release.

    The game promises to carry on the the style and feel of 300 movie, which is directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn Of The Dead). Like Robert Rodriguez’s adaptation of Miller’s Sin City, 300 employs live-action photography integrated with virtual environments to create a surreal world. The story revolves around the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. Effects for the film are being created by Animal Logic, Hybride Technologies and Hydraulx.

    In 300: March To Glory for PSP, players take on the role of King Leonidas and use their sword, spear and shield to lead soldiers in a battle to determine the fate of western civilization. Players can fight both solo and in a phalanx alongside fellow Spartans.

    A production blog, video journals, concept art and additional information about the upcoming Warner Bros. movie can be found at http://300themovie.warnerbros.com.

  • Academy Comes Alive with Animatronics

    The more realistic computer-generated imagry became, the more it looked as if the art of animatronics was a dying breed. However, the process of puppeteering creatures has also improved to the point that it is routinely used alongside 3D animation with seamless effect. It’s no wonder the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has chosen to honor the craft with a special exhibition featuring such iconic film characters as Aslan, Yoda, Mr. Tinkles, Audrey II and Mighty Joe Young. ‘It’s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film’ will be open to the public on Friday, May 12, in Beverly Hills.

    The Walt Disney Co., Amalgamated Dynamics Inc., Eric Allard, Rick Baker, Dave Barclay, Lyle Conway, Richard Edlund, Ray Harryhausen, Robert Short and Phil Tippett are among the industry lumnaries contributing to the exhibit. The Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery will showcase numerous models, maquettes and animatronic creatures and their mechanisms, accompanied by video clips of the final product. Meanwhile, the Grand Lobby’s installation will focus on the extensive character design process with concept drawings, storyboards and photographs from the workshops and sets where the characters are built and operated.

    ‘Animatronics have played a key role in creating some of film’s most memorable and beloved characters. We are excited to be a part of this exhibit giving the public a rare opportunity to see their favorite creatures up close,’ says Brian Henson, co-CEO of The Jim Henson Co., which will exhibit characters from such films as The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.

    Other films represented in the exhibition will include Jurassic Park, 102 Dalmatians, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, An American Werewolf in London, Beetlejuice, Cats & Dogs, Doctor Dolittle, Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Harry and the Hendersons, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Little Shop of Horrors, Men in Black II, Robocop 2, Spider-Man 2 and Star Wars: Episode V ‘ The Empire Strikes Back.

    “It’s Alive!: Bringing Animatronic Characters to Life on Film” will be on display through Sunday, August 20, at the Academy. Gallery viewing is open Tuesday through Friday for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekends from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call (310) 247-3600.

  • Autodesk’s Inferno Blazes for Linux

    Autodesk Inc. has announced the launch of its Academy Award-winning Discreet Inferno visual effects system for the Linux operating system. Designed to enable digital artists in broadcast facilities, post-production houses and film studios to deliver top-quality moving imagery, Inferno boasts a robust creative toolset for high-speed compositing and advanced graphics. The system is also renowned for its interactivity, allowing digital artists to explore visual concepts with their clients in real time.

    “With the Discreet Inferno system’s rich toolset on a high-powered, multi-core Linux workstation, users will benefit from even faster processing speeds and greater interactivity,’ says Martin Vann, VP of Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment Division. ‘For customers who create demanding visual effects with multiple layers and heavy data sets, the Discreet Inferno system on the Linux workstation can offer up to five times the performance (per CPU) of previous SGI platforms such as the Onyx 2.”

    Inferno has been uses extensively in such blockbuster feature films and television productions as Warner Bros.’ Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and CBS’ CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as well as numerous Super Bowl commercials and television channel branding packages.

    After successfully debuting a Linux-based configuration of Inferno 6.5 exclusively for the Japanese market, Autodesk is expanding the offering worldwide on IBM dual-core AMD workstations, which will begin shipping this month. The Discreet Inferno system is already available on the IRIX operating system. Inferno for Linux-based workstations will be available in addition to the currently shipping version of Discreet Inferno on the SGI Onyx 350 Visualization System. Additional information on Autodesk Discreet systems can be found at www.autodesk.com/me. For information on configurations and pricing, contact Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment Division at 800-869-3504.

  • VES Fest Set for July 7-9

    The Visual Effects Society has chosen July 7-9 to host the 2006 Festival of Visual Effects. This year the event moves from the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, Calif. to the landmark Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Restored and renovated by the American Cinematheque, the Egyptian actually houses two theaters, the 650-seat Lloyd E. Rigler theatre and the 83-seat Steven Spielberg theatre, both of which will be used for the fest.

    “Each year, the festival has grown in scope and number of attendees,’ says VES exec director Eric Roth. ‘This venue shows how much the VES has expanded as well as the visual effects industry’s continually increasing influence on the business of films, animation, games and television.”

    Presentations on tap for this year’s Festival of Visual Effects will focus on summer blockbusters including Warner Bros. Superman Returns and Poseidon, as well as Disney/Pixar’s highly anticipated Cars and television fan favorite Smallville. Panels, special screenings and other events are in the planning phase and a full lineup of activities and participants is expected to be announced by May 15.

    The Visual Effects Society was formed in 1997 in response to the explosive growth in the vfx industry. The professional, honorary society is dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences and applications of visual effects, and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community and promoting industry recognition.

    The 2006 Festival of Visual Effects will be open to the public. Information on buying festival passes or tickets to individual events will soon be available at the official website, www.visualeffectssociety.com, or by contacting the VES office at (310) 822-9181 or info@visualeffectssociety.com.

  • Malaysian Animation Gets Boost

    The Malaysian Government is getting serious about promoting animation production and is even developing its own intellectual properties. Through its agency, MDC (Multimedia Development Corporation), the government is developing and funding an animated TV series based on the life of Saladin, the 12th century Kurdish warrior who united the Muslim world and defeated the Crusaders to reclaim Jerusalem.

    Malaysian animation and audio companies have been tapped to produce the series, which the government hopes to distribute worldwide and may take to this year’s MIPCOM in October. The project is part of a national agenda to give the local toon industry a leg up in the global market.

    Animation companies are being considered to create a pilot and perhaps 13 episodes of the Saladin series, which promises to stir up some controversy since it focuses on a historic Islamic hero who outsmarts and defeats Christian European invaders in the Middle East. An official trailer for the show has been posted at www.saladin.tv. The promo features animation created by local toon house Silver Ant. Creative Voice Ent. completed the audio work, including the original music score, sound design/effects, recording and mixing, and also wrote the English-language script.

  • Meet the Robinsons Trailer Online

    Despite rumors of some major reworking going on, Disney has released a first look at its upcoming CG-animated feature film, Meet the Robinsons. The sci-fi comedy is based on the William Joyce book, A Day with Wilbur Robinson, and tells the story of Lewis, a 12 year-old genius inventor who meets a mysterious boy from the future named Wilbur Robinson. The two travel forward in time and spend a day with Wilbur’s eccentric family, who will rely on Lewis’ sharp mind for survival.

    Directed by Stephen J. Anderson (Journey Beneath the Sea, Toto Lost in New York), the film marks a departure from Disney’s recent animated fare as it focuses on human characters and offers a storyline that strays from the animal-buddies-on-an-adventure formula. Toon fans are also eager to see more animation inspired by Joyce, who created the popular preschool series Rolie Polie Olie and influenced the design of Fox Animation/Blue Sky’s feature film, Robots. Helmer Anderson is a veteran Disney artist and story man whose credits with the studio include Brother Bear, The Emperor’s New Groove and Tarzan.

    Meet the Robinsons is slated for release on March 30, 2007. You can check out the first trailer at http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/robinsons/index.html.

  • Thundercats Roar to DVD

    Fans of the 1980s Rankin & Bass animated series about super-powered feline/human hybrids can now pick up Thundercats: Season 2, Volume 1 on DVD. The Six-disc set features the first 34 episodes of the second final season of the cult favorite. There doesn’t appear to be any digital remastering here, and the extra features leave something to be desired, but the nostalgia factor alone should help this one move off shelves.

    In the Thundercats series, the planet Thundera is destroyed by evil forces, forcing the inhabtants to flee in escape vessels. The lone surviving crew lands on Third Earth, where and their ship crashed there. Soon they made friends with various groups in the area and they built a fortress to defend against the centuries-old evil of Mumm-Ra and the mutants that wiped out the rest of the Thunderans. The second season unfolds with a series of multi-part episodes with continuing storylines as Thunderan leader Lion-O struggles to protect his clan with the help of his Sword of Omens.”

    Bonus features on the DVD are pretty much limited to a nine-minute featurette on the show’s music, which includes an interview with series composer Bernie Hoffner and several producers. There’s also a music video of the show’s theme song as performed by pop group The Rembrandts, who are best known for their theme song for the hit NBC sitcom Friends. The Warner Home video Release lists for $64.92.

  • Bandai Calling Kid Movie Makers

    Young Power Rangers devotees have been offered a chance to make their own short movies to compete a $5,000 scholarship. The “What Happens Next?” contest sponsored by toymaker Bandai America asks kids to provide an ending to a short, stop-motion action film made using Power Rangers Mystic Force action figures and accessories. Entries are being accepted through June.

    Kids can go to www.GetPowerized.com to view the action sequence, portrays a classic confrontation between good versus evil and features the Spring lineup of Power Rangers Mystic Force action figures and vehicles in battle against the relentlessly attacking Evil Space Aliens. Viewers are then encouraged to finish the story using animation and other video/computer tricks, and their films will be posted online so other fans can vote for their favorites at the end of each month. Three finalists will then go on to qualify for the cash scholarship prize. Voters are also entered into a sweepstakes to win Power Rangers DVDs and other prizes.

    “The GetPowerized.com movie is not only an imaginative way to showcase our product line, it closely resembles how our fans like to play out the adventures that they see on their favorite TV show,” says Matt Golding, director of marketing for Bandai America Inc. “This contest is a great way for them to capture all the fun and excitement that they have with their Power Rangers toys on camera for the chance to win a great cash prize. And since today’s kids are so much more tech savvy, we’re really looking forward to seeing all the entries and how imaginative they are.”

    Power Rangers Mystic Force, the 14th season of this popular boys’ action franchise, debuted in February of 2006 and airs 25 times a week on ABC Kids and the Jetix action block on ABC Family and Toon Disney. The “What Happens Next?” contest is open to children under 8 years old and ends on June 30th. For further information and rules, go to www.GetPowerized.com.

  • NVIDIA Debuts Notebook GPUs for XHD Gaming

    NVIDIA Corp. today unveiled the new NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 series of graphics processing units (GPUs), which are designed to give gamers extreme high-definition (XHD) gaming experiences on notebook PCs. The GeForce Go 7900 GTX GPU is the new NVIDIA flagship GPU for XHD graphics performance, while the GeForce Go 7900 GS GPU promises to deliver superior gaming performance in slimmer performance notebooks.

    “At XHD screen resolutions of 1680×1050 and 1920×1200, games have up to 65% more image detail than games viewed on common 1024×768 notebook screens,” notes Jeff Fisher, senior VP of the GPU Business at NVIDIA. “These powerful GPUs are designed to blaze through games at extreme HD resolutions with state-of-the-art 3D graphics effects. The result is a greatly enhanced level of realism and immersion for gamers on the go.”

    The new GeForce Go 7900 series of GPUs feature a high-performance 3D architecture built for Microsoft Windows Vista, the industry’s first operating system to require a dedicated GPU to realize its full potential. The GPUs are now available for order from industry leading notebooks partners such as Dell and Toshiba. Other partners that plan to ship soon include ABS, CyberPower, Falcon Northwest, Gateway, Hypersonic, iBuyPower, Velocity Micro, Vicious PC and Voodoo PC in North America, as well as AJP, Evesham, Gericom, Multirama, Plaisio, and XS2 in Europe. For more information about the NVIDIA GeForce Go 7900 series of GPUs, or to see a current list of notebooks based on these new products, go to www.nvidia.com.

  • VU Games Flying with Eragon

    What started out as a self-published fantasy yarn by a teenage author has become a best-selling book series and an eagerly awaited feature film property for Twentieth Century Fox. Now video game rights for Eragon have been snatched up by Vivendi Universal Games (VU Games), which plans to release versions for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and Sony PSP in November, just prior to the film’s release.

    Based on Christopher Paolini’s novel about a young dragon rider, the Eragon game is being developed by Stormfront Studios for consoles and PC, while Amaze Ent. is handling the title for handheld platforms. The console game will involve a combo- and magic-based combat system and dragon flight-based action. Meanwhile, the combat RPG for Nintendo DS will offer touch-screen spell casting and a dual screen attack mode while gamers sharpen their magic and dragon-riding skills in unlockable mini-games. GameBoy Advance players can look forward to a story-driven, turn-based RPG with nine playable characters and weapon forging and potion crafting, while the PSP version delivers four-player aerial combat with 12 unlockable arena game modes.

    Fox and VU Games will be at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles in May to premiere exclusive footage from the game and the movie, which will star Edward Speleers, Jeremy Irons, John Malkovich, Djimon Hounsou and Robert Carlyle. The film is slated for release on December 12. For more information on the game, go to www.eragongame.com.

  • Namco Seeks Pac-Man Champ at E3

    The Center for Disease Control may want to quarantine the Los Angeles Convention Center next month because there’s a chance we may see a resurgence of Pac-Man fever at the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of wireless games and content, announced that it is hosting a series of Pac-Man tournaments at the show, which takes place May 10-12.

    In a little vintage arcade fun, gamers will compete for prizes and bragging rights in tournaments consisting of two rounds’a qualifying round and a final challenge. During the daily qualifying rounds, contestants will go head-to-head on mobile phones to see who can earn the highest score. Three qualifying rounds will be held each day and are open to all who want to enter. The day’s six highest scorers will then qualify for the daily final challenge.

    Those who advance to the final challenge will face a ‘sudden death’ playoff on a classic Pac-Man arcade machine, trying to rack up as many points as they can with just one life. All of the final challenge contestants will receive prizes including a Pac-Man Champion t-shirt. The daily winner will receive a gift basket of Pac-Man toys, shirts, and other products available exclusively from ClubNamco.com, Namco Networks’ new retail site.

    Each day of the E3 expo, contestants can enter the tournament at the Namco Networks booth (#600, South Hall). The qualifying rounds begin at 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The daily final challenge will be held at 3 p.m.

  • 4Kids Ent. at Home on Ellen’s Acres

    4Kids Entertainment Inc. has been named exclusive worldwide licensing agent for Animation Collective’s new preschool series, Ellen’s Acres. The company will manage all marketing, promotions and licensing initiatives for show, which is expected to run weekday mornings on Cartoon Network beginning in September. 4Kids will then launch a merchandise licensing program in 2007.

    Created by Animation Collective CEO Larry Schwarz, Ellen’s Acres is a preschool comedy about a 5-year-old girl named Ellen, who uses her imagination to have adventures with her feather duster and her radial tire in the hotel owned by her parents.

    ‘Ellen’s Acres is all about play and we could have no better partner than 4Kids Entertainment to bring Ellen’s world of imagination to children,’ says Schwarz. ‘This deal also deepens our successful relationship with 4Kids beyond Kappa Mikey and YoMonkeys.’

    4Kids Entertainment also serves as the worldwide licensing, marketing and promotional agent for Kappa Mikey, which airs on Nicktoons Network in the U.S. and will debut later this year on Nickelodeon channels worldwide, and YoMonkeys, a yoga-inspired series for children.

    Animation Collective’s other original television series include Leader Dog and Tortellini Western for Nicktoons Network. In addition, Schwarz served as producer of Wulin Warriors for Cartoon Network and the first season of The Incredible Crash Test Dummies for 4KidsTV. Animation Collective is also the largest provider of original content for KOL, America Online’s kids channel, and Red, its teen channel. The studio’s AOL series, Princess Natasha, has expanded to the tube on Cartoon Network and will be released later this year as a book series from Little, Brown Books and a comic book series from DC Comics.

  • Zula Patrol Back on the Beat

    The Zula Patrol, a CG-animated series that airs on public television stations nationwide, has gone back into production for another 26 half hours. The show’s second season will introduce youngsters to even more aspects of science and astronomy, including space stations, the planets, how Earth’s Moon was formed, climate, plate tectonics, glaciers, mountains and volcanoes.

    Created and exec produced by Dr. Deborah Manchester, Ph.D. The Zula Patrol centers on a colorful, curious and enthusiastic group of space travelers that includes stalwart Captain Bula, Professor Multo, hot-dogging space pilot Zeeter, space pet Gorga and twin flying scouts Wizzy and Wigg. Each week the gang takes kids on an educational roller coaster ride across the Universe.

    The Zula Patrol is written by the Emmy-nominated team of Cydne Clark and Steve Granat, whose credits include Disney’s Doug, Disney’s 101 Dalmatians and Dennis The Menace. The show’s science consultant is Judith Lederman, Ph.D, director of teacher education for the Illinois Institute of Technology, math and science education, and president of the Council of Elementary Science International.

    Working closely with planetariums, museums, astronomers and other science consultants, the makers of The Zula Patrol conclude each episode with a quick recap on science and astronomy directly related to the action in the show. For more information on the series, go to www.zula.com.