Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Alias Offers MotionBuilder Pro Platinum Membership

    Membership has its privileges. That’s the message being put across by Alias as it extends its successful Platinum Membership program to all MotionBuilder Pro users. Benefits include early access to software updates, upgrades, live and online support and licensing flexibility.

    "Since our membership programs launched ten months ago, we have heard time and again how our Platinum Members using other Alias software are taking advantage of the membership to minimize downtime, learn more about the products and create exceptional CG conten," says Cristi Hawtin, global memberships manager at Alias.

    Alias says it designed the MotionBuilder Pro Platinum Membership program on feedback received from its global customer base. Among the requests granted is a hotline service that provides access to Alias product support specialists 18 hours per day on weekdays and 12 hours per day on weekends (support hours for Asia-Pacific customers vary with each local reseller).

    Customers will also receive 24-hour online status tracking of hotline cases and no-charge, fast license relocations, offering the freedom to change hardware or operating systems as needed without significant downtime. In addition, the online support service includes a discussion forum and an extensive and searchable database of question/answers, tech notes and best-practices documentation.

    Platinum Members are also offered special promotions and discounts on regular training services and tools designed to increase proficiency in working with Alias software.

    Pricing for Alias MotionBuilder Pro Platinum Membership starts at $699. Alias says the fixed annual fee allows members to better predict and control the costs associated with upgrading their software and using learning and support services. For more information on Alias MotionBuilder Pro Platinum, go to www.alias.com/services.

  • Majesco Hails Taxi Driver

    First Brando, then Pacino and now De Niro. As EA’s The Godfather and Vivendi Universal’s Scarface make their way to game consoles, Majesco today announced that it s developing a video game based on Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning 1976 classic, Taxi Driver. Scheduled to ship in the spring of 2006, the title will commemorate the gritty film’s 30th anniversary.

    Taxi Driver the game is being developed by Papaya Studio Through a licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products (SPCP).

    Ken Gold, VP of marketing for Majesco, says the Taxi Driver game will stay true to the spirit and style of the original film. "Compelling and powerful, the movie ensnares viewers in the seedy urban world of New York cabbie Travis Bickle, and we hope to do likewise with our game,” he comments.

    Written by Paul Schrader and released in 1976, Taxi Driver is a gritty, disturbing, film classic, featuring some of Hollywood’s finest actors, including Robert DeNiro, Jodie Foster, Harvey Keitel, Cybill Shepherd and Peter Boyle, in a brutally compelling portrayal of alienation and psychoses.

    Majesco is taking on another big-screen heavyweight with the highly anticipated JAWS Unleashed, in which players get to be the shark. In a reverse move, the company’s BloodRayne vampire franchise is set to become a feature film starring Terminator 3’s Kristanna Loken and directed by game-to-film specialist Uwe Boll (House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark). Majesco also recently announced that horror maven Clive Barker will oversee development of Demonik, a game that will be re-purposed for the screen.

    Additional details and game play features for Taxi Driver will be released at a later date. More information about Majesco’s entire product line, including the eagerly awaited Advent Rising, can be found at www.majescoentertainment.com.

  • IFC Greenlights Toon Series

    The Independent Film Channel (IFC) is throwing its hat into the TV animation ring with a new series from actor Bob Balaban, according to Daily Variety. The cable network is also resurrecting the cancelled FOX adult puppet series, Greg the Bunny.

    Writer/director/producer Balaban, who appeared in Christopher Guest’s improvisational films, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, will reportedly bring a touch of Guest’s style to Hopeless Pictures, an animated show about a dysfunctional independent film studio. Fellow Guest favorite Michael McKean will voice the troubled studio boss.

    IFC has apparently commissioned a series of five- to 12-minute film parodies starring hand puppets Greg the Bunny and his pal, Warren the Ape. Created by Dan Milano, Spencer Chinoy and Sean Baker, the show will be produced by Moxie Pictures.

    Debuting Aug. 19, the new shows will air on Fridays during a one-hour block starting at 10 p.m.

  • More Tutenstein for Jetix Europe

    PorchLight Ent.’s Emmy award-winning animated kids’ show, Tutenstein, will be unwrapping more ancient mysteries for Jetix Europe. The broadcaster has ordered an additional 13 half-hour installments for delivery in 2006, bringing its number of available episodes to 39. As with the first 26 episodes, Jetix Europe has also acquired free TV distribution rights for Europe and the Middle East.

    Tutenstein centers on a 3010-year-old boy-mummy-Pharaoh who is brought back when lightning strikes his sarcophagus in a modern-day museum. The once powerful king believes he is the supreme ruler of the world and schemes to take his rightful place with the help of Cleo, a hip, 21st-century 12-year-old girl and Luxor, his faithful feline servant. The series combines ancient Egyptian mythology with contemporary, urban humor. PorchLight’s production team works closely with Dr. Peter Lacovara, an Egyptology consultant who makes sure the historical content is authentic.

    In addition to heading up production on Tutenstein‚ Los Angeles-based PorchLight (www.porchlight.com) holds all TV rights in Asia, Africa and Canada, and the free TV rights in South America. It also holds the worldwide video and licensing rights, excluding North and South America where Discovery communications represents the Pay TV, video and licensing rights.

    PorchLight has produced the award-winning animated PBS children’s series, Jay Jay The Jet Plane and Adventures From the Book of Virtues, as well as animated long form movies The Night Before Christmas: A Mouse Tale, The Haunted Pumpkin Of Sleepy Hollow and The Christmas Dinosaur. In addition to Tutenstein, the company’s current production slate includes the animated series Four Eyes for France 3 and Nickelodeon Asia.

    Tutenstein can be found on the web at www.tutenstein.com and www.discoverykids.com.

  • Ogre Sales Under Par for DreamWorks

    DreamWorks Animation SKG announced its first quarter financial results during an investor conference call on Tuesday, noting that DVD and VHS sales of its CG feature, Shrek 2, failed to meet expectations. The studio says its $121 million increase in revenue over the same period last year is largely due to the success of Shark Tale, which did better-than-expected box office and sold 12 million units on home video during the quarter.

    Shrek 2 sold 35 million home video units by end of the first quarter. Despite that success, DreamWorks says it overestimated in projecting earnings for the blockbuster. "As a result, revenue earned by our distributor from Shrek 2 was less than costs incurred by our distributor, resulting in DreamWorks Animation recording no revenue from Shrek 2 other than licensing and merchandising in the first quarter," said DreamWorks CFO Chris Leslie.

    Leslie noted that the studio doesn’t expect to record meaningful revenue from Shrek 2 until the fourth quarter of this year, when holiday sales kick in. However, she said the title is expected to continue generating retail sales, especially when Shrek 3 hits theaters an the direct-to-video spinoff, Puss In Boots, arrives in stores. The first Shrek film sold roughly 50 million copies on video and DreamWorks expects Shrek 2 to eventually surpass its predecessor on that front.

    At present, DreamWorks Animation is focused on Madagascar, which hits 3,700 domestic theaters on May 27. The studio expects the film to benefit greatly from the historically box office-friendly Memorial Day weekend and a lack of family film competition during the following weeks.

    DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg commented, "With Madagascar, I think you’ll see that we’ve raised the bar for CG animation. Our team has made some remarkable breakthroughs by creating a world full of life-like animals with a level of detail not previously possible." He went on to boast, "For me, personally, I feel this might be the most visually complex and stunning animated movie made to date." The title is scheduled to arrive on home video in November.

    Also getting released this year is the DreamWorks/Aardman collaboration, Wallace and Gromit and the Curse of the Wererabbit, which comes out in October. However, the studio doesn’t expect to record any revenue from the film in 2005 since its distributor will not have fully recouped theatrical marketing costs by year’s end."

    Ann Daly, DreamWorks Animation’s chief operating officer, said Wallace and Gromit is two-thirds of the way finished and anticipates completion by July. She also mentioned that the studio will be showcasing portions of the film this week at the Cannes Film Festival.

  • Animated Conan Feature Gets Started

    While the proposed live-action sequel, King Conan, remains in celluloid limbo, the muscle-bound, barbarian comic-book hero created by Robert E. Howard is set to crush his enemies and see them driven before him on home video. New Line Home Entertainment has acquired all North American distribution rights to Conan: Red Nails, a new animated feature being overseen by Swordplay Ent.

    Slated for release on DVD and VHS in the fall of 2006, Conan: Red Nails will combine 2D and 3D animation to bring one of Howard’s most famous stories to the screen. When Conan and pirate queen Valeria are betrayed in battle, they flee across harsh desert and jungle terrain to discover the mystery and danger of a lost city. Becoming embroiled in a feud between the city’s factions, Conan must triumph over dragons, demons and a host of human and magical foes to end the war and win Valeria’s love.

    The pic is being directed by animation veteran Victor Dal Chele, whose TV credits include Spider-Man, Ghostbusters, The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest, Butt-Ugly Martians and Robocop: Alpha Commando. Dal Chele is working from a screenplay by writer/producer Steve Gold.

    Also contributing to the production is key concept designer Michael Kaluta, a alegendary illustrator who has been associated with Conan and other Howard properties for more than thirty years. In addition, Mark Schultz (Cadillacs & Dinosaurs), who recently illustrated The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian: Volume 1 for Ballentine/Del Rey Books, will add additional concept designs, as will leading fantasy painter and book cover artist Donato Giancola. Comic-book and video game artist Greg Horn will also be contributing artwork for the project.

    Jonathan Bogner will produce Conan: Red Nails alongside Gold. Exec producers are David Schwarcz, co-founder of Swordplay Ent.; Peter Sederowsky, chairman of Paradox Ent., which owns Conan Properties International LLC.; Frederik Malmberg, exec director of Conan Properties International LLC; and Patricia Gillum (Miracle Dogs). Nicholas Temple is onboard as co-exec producer.

    International sales company Cinema Management Group (CMG) will be taking Conan: Red Nails to the Cannes Film Festival in hopes of setting up international pre-sales.

    Conan Properties International is developing the live-action Conan feature film with Warner Bros. Studios. Arnold Schwrazenegger was originally attached to reprise the role, but his involvement is unconfirmed at this time. Summer 2007 is being floated as a possible release window.

    As Conan nears his 75th birthday, online gaming house Funcom is also preparing to launch the MMOG title, Age of Conan.

  • Navarre Completes FUNimation Buy

    Navarre Corp., a publisher and distributor of home entertainment and multimedia software products, has officially acquired all general and limited partnership interests in Fort Worth, Texas-based anime licensor/distributor FUNimation Prods. and The FUNimation Store Ltd. Navarre paid approximately $100.4 million in cash and 1,827,486 shares of unregistered Navarre common stock. The sellers could also receive up to $17 million in cash to be paid over five years if FUNimation achieves certain agreed upon financial goals during that period.

    With such properties as Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Yu Yu Hakusho, Case Closed and Fullmetal Alchemist, FUNimation has 15 titles airing on broadcasters such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and PBS Kids. In addition to television, the company leverages its proprietary licensed content into various revenue streams including home video, toys, video games and trading cards.

    FUNimation, which netted $29.8 million in 2004, also engages in third-party marketing, sales and distribution agreements with such content providers as 4Kids Ent., Nelvana, Alliance Atlantis, Chorion, WGBH, Cookie Jar Group, Porchlight Ent. and Mainframe Ent. Since the beginning of the year, the company has signed product license agreements for the properties Noddy, Winx Club, Akira Kurosawa’s Samurai 7 and My Dad the Rock Star, and inked a co-production agreement with skateboarding icon Tony Hawk.

    Navarre chairman and CEO Eric Paulson comments, “The FUNimation transaction validates Navarre’s corporate strategy, which focuses on continued growth and content ownership through licensing while continuing to leverage our distribution assets.” He notes that FUNimation president Gen Fukunaga and exec VP Daniel Cocanougher will remain with the company as part of Navarre’s management team.

    Fukunaga adds, “FUNimation will benefit from Navarre’s state-of-the-art retail distribution capabilities and Navarre offers FUNimation a capital structure to pursue new product opportunities and business initiatives.”

    To complete the transaction, Navarre entered into a $165 million credit facility with GE Commercial Finance.

    Along with the acquisition comes a subtle name change for FUNimation Prods. The company will now be known as Funimation Ent.

  • DisneyToon Studios Aids Habitat for Humanity

    While they have more experience building animated features, the executives, filmmakers and animators at DisneyToon Studios are picking up hammers and paint brushes to help Habitat for Humanity to build a home for a needy family in Glendale, Calif. The good will work started today and will continue through Friday, May 13, between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 noon.

    The DisneyToons crew is working on one of four 1200 square-foot houses on a 112,500 square foot lot on S Pacific Avenue in Glendale. Each two-story house will have 3 bedrooms and 1 bath, as well as a 1.5 KW Solar electric system on the roof.

    The homes will be constructed largely with donated materials and will be sold to qualified low-income families. The families have been selected and each is now working to complete 500 hours of “sweat equity” on the construction sites.

    DisneyToon Studios, a division of Walt Disney Pictures and Television, recently produced the theatrical release, Pooh’s Hefalump Movie, which arrives on home video on May 24. The studio’s Tarzan II will hit stores on June 14, and Lilo and Stitch Part 2: Stitch Has A Glitch will be released on DVD and VHS on Aug. 30.

  • MegaMan Jacks into Latin America

    Manga and animation licensing/publishing company VIZ Media is taking its hit cyber crime fighting action series, MegaMan NT Warrior, to Latin America. Beginning late spring/early summer 2005, the 52-episode animated show will air on TV Globo in Brazil, Televisa in Mexico, America TV in Peru and n Venevision in Venezuela.

    MegaMan NT Warrior premiered in the U.S. on Kids’ WB! in May of 2003. Based on the best-selling MegaMan Battle Network video game from Capcom, the show takes place in the year 200X, where virtually all technology is linked to a central computer system. The show centers on Lan, a tech-savvy fifth grader, and his NetNavi (Net Navigator), the blue-suited, virus-fighting MegaMan. Lan and his friends interact with a rapidly progressive technology where hackers and high-tech computer crimes threaten their lives and the entire universe. Only by working as a team can they thwart the evil Mr. Wily and his chaos-causing Net crime organization, World Three.

    "These Latin America TV deals are a great opportunity to enhance exposure for MegaMan NT Warrior in a rapidly growing part of the world," says Dan Marks, VP of international, VIZ Media. "We are excited to build on the success of the Jetix broadcast in Latin America by partnering with these strong terrestrial broadcasters."

    The latest pickups follow recent European TV deals with SIC TV in Portugal and Vlaamse Media Maatschappi in Belgium. VIZ Media also recently announced that a MegaMan NT Warrior promotional campaign with Frito Lay will reach consumers in 23 countries.

    Kids’ WB! has picked up a third season of MegaMan NT Warrior and will begin airing 30 all-new episodes this spring.

  • Fox Extends American Dad, Creators

    Based on the high ratings the new animated series, American Dad, has received since premiering on May 1, Twentieth Century Fox TV reportedly wants more from the show and its makers. According to Daily Variety, the broadcaster has raised the episode order from 13 to 19 and signed series co-creators Mike Barker and Matt Weitzman to a two-year, seven-figure development deal.

    Barker and Weitzman, who previously wrote for Fox’s Family Guy, teamed up with that show’s creator, Seth MacFarlane, to develop American Dad. Under the new deal with Fox, the two will continue to serve as showrunners on the series as they develop and produce new programs for the network.

    In addition to Family Guy and American Dad, Weitzman and Barker wrote for NBC’s short-lived CG comedy series, Father of the Pride. They told the trade, however, that their development efforts will not be limited to animation.

  • Student Academy Awards Nominations Out

    Some familiar names popped up as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced the finalists for the 32nd annual Student Academy Awards competition. A total of 29 students from 18 colleges and universities made the cut and will have their films judged by Academy members as they vie for gold, silver and bronze medals and the accompanying cash prizes of $5000, $3000 and $2000.

    The finalists in the Animation category are:

    9 by Shane Acker, University of California, Los Angeles

    Cold War by Gong Myung Lee and Brian Garrigan, School of Visual Arts, Ney York

    Frog by Christopher Conforti, School of Visual Arts

    Le Vieil Homme et Les Poissons by David Bokser, Savannah College of Art and Design, Gerogia

    Things That Go Bump in the Night by Joshua G. Beveridge, Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, Fla.

    To a Man with a Big Nose by Cecilia Aranovich, Santa Monica College, Calif.

    Up by Larry McMahan, Columbia College, Chicago, Ill.

    Welcome to My Life by Elizabeth Ito, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia

    Ito’s hand-drawn look at the secret life of monsters, Welcome to My Life, was a runner-up in Animation Magazine’s annual Student Awards competition and Acker’s dark, CG animated fantasy short, 9, was recently named Best of Show in the Computer Animation Festival at SIGGRAPH, taking place July 31 through Aug. 4 in Los Angeles, Calif.

    To reach this stage, students competed in one of three regional competitions. Each of those regions was permitted to submit to the Academy up to three finalist films in each of the four categories. The Student Academy Awards will be presented during a ceremony on June 12.

  • TV Toons Abound on Home Vid

    The floodgates have been opened for animated TV series coming to DVD and VHS this week as a few new favorites and a pair of classic cartoon shows hit retail shelves. Ed, Edd n Eddy: Volume 1, Kim Possible: So the Drama and Ninja Scroll: The Series Ultimate Collection are joined by Hanna-Barbera’s Wacky Races spin-offs Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines: The Complete Series and The Perils of Penelope Pitstop: The Complete Series.

    Ed, Edd n Eddy: Volume 1 features six episodes from the Cartoon Network show produced by series creator/exec producer Danny Antonucci at aka Cartoons in Vancouver. Bonus materials include a pair featurettes titled Club Ed: The Rules and Regulations and Plank’s Perspective, a "My Best Friend Plank" music video, character bios and an episode of Cartoon Network’s Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy titled "Nursery Crimes.” The Warner Home Video release carries a suggested retail price of $14.97.

    Following TV premiere last month, The Disney Channel original movie, Disney’s Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama, infiltrates the home video market with an extended edition featuring deleted scenes, two music videos and "Gorilla Fist," a never-before-seen episode of the series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle. The movie finds our red-headed cheerleader heroine with her head in the clouds when by the new guy at school asks her to the Junior prom. Meanwhile, her jealous sidekick, Ron Stoppable, learns that Kim’s rocket scientist dad has been kidnapped by the evil Dr. Drakken and its up to him to mount a rescue mission. The Buena Vista release lists for $19.99 on DVD.

    Ninja Scroll The Series Ultimate Collection comes as a four-disc set featuring all three volumes (13 episodes) of the anime show animated by world-renowned Japanese toon studio Mad House. A limited edition version, packaged in a collectible tin and featuring an original action figure, has already sold out. The regular version lists for $59.95 from Urban Vision Entertainment.

    It’s off to the races with Dastardly & Muttley in Their Flying Machines: The Complete Series. This three-disc set includes all 17 episodes of the classic 1968 Hanna-Barbera series, along with commentary by animation veterans on two episodes, a collectible animation cel replica and the featurettes The Vulture Squadron’s Greatest Misses and Dastardly & Muttley’s Spinoffs: What Wacky Races Wrought. Released by Warner Home Video, the set carries a suggested retail price of $34.98.

    Another thing Wacky Races has wrought is The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. Now the complete 1969 series is tied up in one neat package featuring 17 episodes, commentary by voice cast and animation veterans, a collectible animation cel replica and the retrospective featurettes The Players in Peril and Penelope Pitstop’s Spinouts. The Warner Home Video release lists for $34.98.

  • Appleseed Sown on Disc

    Having enjoyed a successful limited U.S. theatrical run back in January, the anime feature Appleseed arrives on home video today. Released by Geneon Ent., the sci-fi film is based on the manga by Masamune Shirow (Ghost In The Shell) and directed by Shinji Aramaki (Bubblegum Crisis).

    Appleseed is set in the year 2131, after most of the world has been devastated by war. The story chronicles the battle between mankind and bioroids, a race of cybernetic pseudo-clones designed to aid humans in domestic capacities. But when ideologies flare and aggression rises to the surface, the thin veneer of peaceful coexistence is shattered.

    Combining 2D character animation and 3D motion-capture technology, the film’s unique look was dictated by director Aramaki and producer Fumihiko Sori, whose credits include CG animation work on the Hollywood blockbuster, Titanic.

    A two-disc, deluxe limited collector’s edition is available for $49.98 and features steel case packaging, a making-of featurette titled Birth of 3D Live Anime, design archives, a conceptual art gallery, character profiles, mechanical notes , Japanese and U.S. trailers and a Briarios action figure. The standard collector’s edition incudes everything but the action figure and lists for $29.98.

    Also available is a single-disc version with audio commentary by Aramaki and producer Sori, crew profiles and Geneon previews. This version carries a suggested retail price of $19.98.

    Appleseed, the first film to fall under the new Geneon Films umbrella, is set to become a trilogy. The film’s Japanese creator, Micott & Basara, has teamed with Los Angeles-based Axis Ent. to co-produce a pair of sequels and a television series based on the film. A live-action feature film may also emerge from the partnership.

  • Critter FX Grace Aquatic, Stripes, Alone Vids

    Stop-motion and CG animation bring a number of bizarre and more familiar animals to the screen in three of today’s feature film home video release. If you missed them in the theater, now’s your chance to see Wes Anderson’s latest quirk fest, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou, Warner Bros.’ talking animal pic, Racing Stripes, and Lions Gate’s horror video game adaptation, Alone in the Dark.

    The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou stars Bill Murray as a depressed oceanographer who attempts to connect with his long-lost son (Owen Wilson) during a mission to hunt down the giant shark that killed his partner. The film also stars Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Michael Gambon, as well as aquatic creatures brought to life through stop-motion animation under the supervision of The Nightmare Before Christmas director Henry Selick. Extras on the single-disc version include commentary by Anderson on select scenes, deleted scenes, interviews with cast and crew and behind-the-scenes footage. Also available is a two-disc Criterion edition with ten deleted scenes, interviews with the screenwriters and composer Mark Mothersbaugh, an Albert Maysles documentary titled The Life Aquatic–A Movie, the video journal of an on-set intern and Seu Jorge’s musical performances of David Bowie songs. Released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, the single-disc lists for $29.99 and the Criterion edition for $32.99.

    Racing Stripes stars Malcolm in the Middle’s Franky Muniz as the voice of an abandoned zebra who has grown up thinking he is a racehorse. With the help of his barnyard pals, Stripes overcomes his physical differences and gets a shot at his dream of competing in a big race. A number of celebrities lend their voices to the animal characters, and David Spade and Steve Harvey show turn up as a pair of CG-animated horseflies that shoulder good deal of the comic material. Featuring visual effects by Hybride, Digital Dimension and Digiscope, the film was directed by animator-turned-helmer Frederik Du Chau (Quest for Camelot), who provides commentary on the DVD. Other bonus features include a virtual comic book titled The Racing Stripes Prequel, a never-before-seen alternate ending, an outtakes reel, a How to Make Animals Talk featurette, acting class with the animals and their trainers, deleted scenes, Buzz and Scuzz’s Flying Fiasco Challenge and a look at the film’s music with Sting and Bryan Adams. The Warner Home Video DVD can be picked up for $27.95 or less.

    Alone in the Dark may have accurately described the few who went to see Christian Slater’s latest film in theaters. However, the home video market should be kinder to this monster movie based on Atari’s video game of the same name. Featuring a heaping helping of digital animation and other visual effects by Toybox, the film centers on a paranormal detective (Slater) whose investigation into the mysterious death of a friend leads to a showdown with demons worshiped by an ancient culture. Tara Reid, Stephen Dorff, Frank C. Turner and Mathew Walker also star. Director Uwe Boll (House of the Dead) lends commentary to the DVD, which lists for $27.98.

  • Golden Blaze Ignited on Disc

    Capitalizing on the success of the superhero genre, Warner Home Video today released the all-new animated feature, The Golden Blaze. Blair Underwood, star of Bill Cosby’s Nick at Nite animated series, Fatherhood, lends his voice to this story of two African-American boys whose schoolyard rivalry spirals out of control when a freak lab accident endows their fathers with superpowers.

    The Golden Blaze is set in the small suburban community of Quaint Valley, where comic-book fanatic Jason Fletcher vies to complete his collection before class bully Leon Tatum beats him to it. Things get really interesting when Jason’s dad, a bumbling scientist, has an accident in the lab and takes on powers similar to those of Jason’s favorite superhero, The Golden Blaze. But every superhero needs a super villain and Jason soon learns that Leon’s dad, Quaint Valley’s richest and most powerful citizen, has acquired the abilities of Quake, The Golden Blaze’s archenemy.

    The film also features the voices of Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile, Daredevil), Sanaa Lathan (Alien vs. Predator, Out of Time), Neil Patrick Harris (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle, MTV’s Spider-Man) and Khleo Thomas (Walking Tall, Holes).

    DVD bonus materials include a feature titled Static Sketch, which shows young animators how the animated series Static Shock was created.

    The Golden Blaze was produced by Urban Ent.’s Michael Jenkinson (Undercover Brother) and Nichelle Protho, and directed by Bryon E. Carson. The 85-minute feature is available exclusively on DVD and caries a suggested retail price of $19.98.

  • Cannes to Fete Lucas

    Star Wars creator George Lucas will be honored for his career in film with the prestigious “Trophy of the Festival” at the 58th Cannes Film Festival. The honor will be bestowed aboard Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 on Sunday, May 15, the same day Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith screens out of competition.

    The Trophy will be presented to Lucas by Thierry Fremaux, artistic delegate of the Cannes Film Festival, and Veronique Cayla, the fest’s general manager.

    Lucas will join the ranks of such previous honorees as Ken Loach, Max Von Sydow, Melanie Griffith, Philippe Noiret, Jeanne Moreau, Sean Penn, Alain Resnais, Gong Li and Gregory Peck. The ceremony will be preceded by a Lucas tribute film directed by Gilles Jacob, president of the Cannes Film Festival.

    The final film in Lucas’ beloved space saga, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith opens in theaters worldwide on Thursday, May 19. Following on the heels of two tepidly received prequels, Sith has been garnering positive reviews, heightening anticipation among the franchise’s rabid fans. And while the entry signals the end of the big-screen adventures in a galaxy far, far away, Lucas recently announced plans to produce both a CG-animated TV series and a live-action show based on the property.

  • Roy Disney Sues Walt Disney Co.

    Dissatisfied with the process by which The Walt Disney Co. selected a new CEO, former company chairman Roy E. Disney and business partner Stanley P. Gold today filed suit against the studio and certain members of the Board of Directors in Delaware Chancery Court. The suit alleges that the Board misled shareholders in order to get incumbent Board members re-elected at the 2005 meeting, and to keep Disney and Gold from running an alternate slate of directors.

    In addition to The Walt Disney Co., the suit names incoming CEO Bob Iger, outgoing Mouse House topper Michael D. Eisner and Board members Judith L. Estrin, John S. Chen, Aylwin B. Lewis, Monica C. Lozano, George J. Mitchell and Leo J. O’Donovan. Gold and Disney accuse the defendants of fraud and breach of the duty of disclosure.

    Following the announcement of Eisner’s decision to step down with the expiration of his contract, The Walt Disney Co. publicly announced a "bona fide" search for a new CEO. The suit claims, however, that the Board had only Iger in mind the whole time and failed to effectively consider external candidates. It also points to The Walt Disney Co.’s refusal to let Disney and Gold review books and records documenting the CEO search.

    Disney and Gold are asking the court to void the 2005 directors election and hope to compel the company to hold another election for directors after full and fair disclosure of all material facts about the CEO selection process.

  • Robotboy Assembled on Toon Boom Opus

    French animation studio Alphanim has chosen Toon Boom Opus to anchor the production pipeline for its new series, Robotboy. The 52 13-minute episodes are being co-produced by Cartoon Network Europe and France 3, with animation duties divided among LuxAnimation in Luxemburg, Emation in Korea and Monigotes in Spain. The 2D show is intended to air in prime time in the U.S.

    Tapping into the classic Pinocchio mythology, Robotboy centers on a powerful battle robot who dreams of becoming a real boy. To keep his destructive powers from falling into the hands of evil genius Dr Kamikazi, Robotboy’s creator sends him far away to live with his number one fan, Tommy Turnbull. Now it’s up to Tommy and pals Gus and Lola to protect the world’s most powerful fighting machine from the clutches of Dr Kamikazi and his mutant clone armies.

    “Opus enables us to maintain a high level of quality throughout the entire production process and facilitate the production coordination between all parties involved," says Jean-Pierre Quenet, director of operations at Alphanim.

    "With the scanning, animation, ink-and-paint and compositing shared among Emation, Monigotes and LuxAnimation, we needed to use a robust, reliable and high-performance tool.”

    In addition to Opus, Toon Boom’s lineup of animation products includes Toon Boom Studio and Harmony, a new solution for digital and paperless animation production. Toon Boom also offers consulting and training services dedicated to increasing animation production efficiency and quality. The company’s client base Nelvana, Klasky Csupo, Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, Universal, Mercury Filmworks, Wild Brain, King Camera, Cromosoma and Lanterna Magica.

    For more information on Toon Boom and its products, go to www.toonboom.com.

  • Perforce Takes On Digital Content Creation

    Perforce Software Inc. today announced the upcoming release of Perforce SCM 2005.1, the latest version of its software configuration management system. The update will enable users to preview multiple versions of an image and promises to increase productivity for users in the field of digital content creation.

    Perforce SCM tracks and manages source code and digital asset development for software and game production environments. New features available in version 2005.1 include a thumbnail viewer that allows digital artists to quickly and easily distinguish differences between an image they are modifying and any version stored in the Perforce repository.

    "Perforce has a strong reputation among software developers," says Perforce president and chief technology officer Christopher Seiwald. "The thumbnail viewer now makes Perforce the obvious choice among digital artists. The viewer, combined with our recently released integrations with Autodesk’s 3ds max, Adobe’s Photoshop and Alias’s Maya, brings SCM to digital content creation."

    The built-in thumbnail viewer provides a small version of each revision of an image stored in Perforce, as well as a scalable preview pane so that users can see any version at a larger size without opening the file. All major image file formats are supported and a plug-in API is available for custom and proprietary formats.

    Among the studios to integrate Perforce SCM into their pipelines is BioWare, developer of the award-winning PC role-playing game Neverwinter Nights. "Since our adoption of Perforce, almost every aspect of our development process has become linked to Perforce," notes Trent Oster, project director for BioWare’s technology architecture group and producer of Neverwinter Nights. "A stable, high-performing source code and digital asset repository is key to managing the massive amounts of data required for current and next-generation games, and Perforce delivers on all counts."

    Perforce version 2005.1 will be available to licensed users later this month. Interested developers can download and evaluate Perforce free from the Perforce Software web site without obligation for a 45-day trial. This offer includes free technical support during the evaluation period. A free, fully functional, two-user version is also available from the web site. End-user licenses, including one year of support and maintenance, start at $750 per seat with volume discounts available. For more information, go to www.perforce.com.

  • Clive Barker Goes Demonik for Video Game

    Acclaimed horror novelist/screenwriter/director Clive Barker (Hellraiser, Candyman) is set to helm Demonik, a next-generation video game for publisher Majesco and Tiger Hill Ent., a production company co-founded by action film director John Woo (Face/Off, MI:2). The third-person action franchise is set to launch for next-gen consoles in 2006, and is also being developed as a feature film to be written and directed by Barker.

    Barker will oversee the story, character designs, cinematics and voice talent for the game. “Demonik will be an intense gaming experience," he says. "I’m having a lot of fun enriching the game’s mythology and polishing the characters till they shine. And, of course, adding a little bit of Barker darkness. Demonik promises to be a game that you will play with clammy palms.”

    “Clive is known for creating great and horrific villains," adds Brad Foxhoven, president and co-founder of Tiger Hill. "In the game, you get to play the villain, and in the movie, you will be terrified by him.”

    Demonik will be Barker’s second game effort, having previously launched the successful title, The Undying, through his own company, Dogfish. The new game is being developed by Terminal Reality, the studio behind Majesco’s hit BloodRayne series. In addition to the game and movie, there have been discussions about a graphic novel and limited-edition statue to coincide with the game launch. No release date has yet been set for the film.

    Barker’s production company, Seraphim Films, is in pre-production on The Midnight Meat Train and The Plague through his Midnight Picture Show horror label. Other projects in development include The Thief of Always, Tortured Souls, Damnation Game, Dread, Weaveworld and Coldheart Canyon.

    Santa Monica, Calif.-based Tiger Hill Ent. has four games in production, and is currently working on bringing Nintendo’s Metroid game franchise to the big screen with Woo at the helm.