Animation Magazine

Author: Ryan Ball

  • Warner Bros. Hot for Flash

    The latest comic book superhero to get a lucrative film deal is DC Comics’ The Flash. According to Daily Variety, Warner Bros. has tapped Blade: Trinity director David S. Goyer to write, produce and direct a feature based on the classic crimefighter who can run faster than the speed of light.

    Warner Bros. exec VP of production Lynn Harris will oversee development on the Flash pic, which falls under a development deal Warner Bros. has with Goyer, who also scripted the studio’s upcoming Batman Begins.

    The Flash first appeared in print in 1939. The creation of writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, "The Fastest Man Alive" was born when scientist Jay Garrick inhaled hard water fumes and took on superhuman qualities. In the 1950s, the property was retooled, having police scientist Barry Allen struck by lightning at the same time he was doused in chemicals.

    The comic property was mined for the small screen by CBS in 1990. The clever but short-lived Flash TV series starred soap actor John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen and his speedy alter ego.

  • Incredibles Wins Over D.C. Critics

    Just days after the Los Angeles Film Critic’s Association picked Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles as Best Animated Film of the year, The Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA) has followed suit.

    This is the third year the 23-member group has contributed its list of superlatives to the crowded awards season. The first top toon prize went to Disney’s Lilo & Stitch in 2002, followed by the Disney/Pixar collaboration, Finding Nemo, in 2003.

    Focus Features’ effects-aided Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was the big winner this year. The indie hit starring Jim Carey and Kate Winslet took Best Film, Best Director (Michael Gondry), Best Acting Ensemble and Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman).

    Another big winner is Jamie Foxx, who snagged Best Actor for portraying legendary performer Ray Charles in Ray. Pulling of a stunning coo, the thespian also claimed Best Supporting Actor for starring opposite Tom Cruise in Michael Mann’s Collateral.

    Best Actress went to Imelda Staunton for Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake from Fine Line Features and Cate Blanchett earned a Best Supporting Actress award for playing film icon Katharine Hepburn in Martin Scorsese’s Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator.

    Golden Globes favorite, Sideways from Fox Searchlight, took Best Adapted Screenplay for writer/director Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor. Maria Full of Grace, distributed in the U.S. by Fine Line Features, was named Best Foreign Language Film and Michael Moore’s controversial Fahrenheit 9/11 rounds out the list of winners with Best Documentary.

    WAFCA is comprised of Washington, DC area film critics from local newspapers, television, and radio. Award winners were chosen from among films that opened in the Washington D.C. area between January 1 and December 31, 2004.

  • TELETOON Takes Detour On Info Highway

    Canadian broadcaster TELETOON has launched a website for The Detour, it’s two-year-old, ratings-grabbing adult animation block. Fans of such popular series as The Family Guy, Futurama and Home Movies can now log onto www.thedetour.ca to find program synopses, schedules and descriptions of their favorite cartoons airing nightly between 9 p.m. and 12:30 a.m.

    In addition to program information, thedetour.ca offers the “Crap” section, where visitors can view video clips, play games and send fun, not-so-nice e-cards to their friends. There are other fun timewasters such as the current poll, which asks, “What song should Bender sing at the Planetary Express Karaoke party?” At press time, "It’s Raining Men" was in the lead with 84% of the vote.

    Battery giant Energizer has come aboard as the presenting sponsor of the newly launched site, lending the tagline, “www.thedetour.ca is powered by Energizer Lithium Batteries.”

    “Through www.thedetour.ca, teens and young adults can now access edgier, more irreverent online content from TELETOON,” comments TELETOON’s online media director, Steve Szigeti. “Advertisers are quick to recognize the appeal of this new online opportunity. If The Detour programming block is any indication of the appeal of this sub-brand, thedetour.ca can expect a growing and loyal audience.”

    Due to its adult-aimed content, the site operates independently of the TELETOON site, www.teletoon.com. The Detour on TELETOON also features such edgy animated shows as Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show, Daft Planet, Delta State and underGRADS.

  • MAXON Aids Express Trip to Theaters

    Software developer MAXON dropped us a line telling us about the instrumental role its products had in the creation of Warner Bros.’ computer-generated holiday feature, The Polar Express. Visual effects juggernaut Sony Pictures Imageworks relied heavily on MAXON’s BodyPaint 3D and CINEMA 4D software in bringing Chris Van Allsburg’s award-winning children’s book to the big screen.

    The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis, is the first CG feature in which MAXON and its 3D graphics packages were directly involved. Since its first introduction nearly two years ago, MAXON’s BodyPaint 3D software has become the tool of choice for the texture-mapping artists at Imageworks. CINEMA 4D, a more recent addition, was used by Imageworks matte painters in creating photorealistic, 3D landscapes and environments for the film.

    Ivo Horvat, matte painting supervisor on The Polar Express, comments “MAXON is serious about its artist-oriented philosophy, and they have completely transformed our workflow for 2 1/2D and 3D matte paintings as a result. While the 3D option has always been one we have used in the past, we are now able to output complex shots with a speed I had never seen previously in my experience.”

    MAXON’s products have also been used in the recent feature film releases King Arthur, Spider-Man 2 and Hero, among others. More information can be found at www.maxon.net.

  • Simpsons Hits Homer with WGA Noms

    The Writers Guild of America, east and west, has announced the nominations for outstanding achievement in television and radio writing for the 2004 season. Taking four out of the five noms in the animation category, Fox’s long-running primetime toon, The Simpsons, is favored to come away victorious when the 57th annual awards ceremonies are held on both coasts on Saturday, Feb. 19.

    The Simpsons dominates the animation category with recognition for the episodes "Today I Am A Clown," written by Joel H. Cohen; "Fraudcast News," written by Don Payne; "Milhouse Doesn’t Live Here Anymore," written by Julie Chambers and David Chambers; and "Catch ‘Em If You Can," written by Ian Maxtone-Graham. The only other toon to get a nod in the category is Cartoon Network’s Justice League, nominated for the episode "Starcrossed," written by Rich Fogel, John Ridley and Dwayne Mcduffie from a story by Fogel.

    In a related category, ABC’s effects-filled telepic, A Wrinkle In Time, written by Susan Shilliday and based on the Novel by Madeleine L’Engle, is up for Best Children’s Script. It’s up against Showtime’s A Separate Peace, written by Wendy Kesselman and based on the Novel by John Knowles.

    See the full list of WGA nominees at www.wga.org.

  • Incredibles, Express, Shrek Woo Broadcast Critics

    The Broadcast Film Critics Association has announced the nominees for its 2004 Critics’ Choice Awards, putting Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles, Warner Bros.’ The Polar Express and DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek 2 in the running for Best Animated Feature.

    Disney’s Teacher’s Pet, Nickelodeon Movies/Paramount’s The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie and DreamWorks’ Shark Tale continue to get snubbed as The Incredibles takes the lead this awards season. Director Brad Bird’s CG blockbuster nabbed a total of three Critics’ Choice nominations, including Best Popular Movie, where it’s up against Sony’s Spider-Man 2, Universal’s The Bourne Supremacy, New Market’s The Passion of the Christ and Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Napoleon Dynamite.

    The Incredibles also garnered a Best Composer nod for Michael Giacchino, who’s up against Rolfe Kent for Fox Searchlight’s Sideways and Howard Shore for Warner Bros.’ The Aviator.

    Also earning musical recognition are Shrek 2 and The Polar Express. The Counting Crows’ “Accidentally in Love” from Shrek 2 and Josh Groban’s “Believe” from The Polar Express are competing for Best Song with Mick Jagger and Dave Stewart’s “Old Habits Die Hard” from Paramount’s Alfie.

    In the category Best Family Film (live action), the digital animation-infused fantasy flicks Spider-Man 2 and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban go toe-to-toe with Miramax’s Finding Neverland, Paramount’s Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and Buena Vista Pictures’ hockey pic, Miracle.

    While no animated films were honored with Best Picture nods, Martin Scorsese’s vfx-laden Howard Hughes biopic, The Aviator, is in the running with Finding Neverland, Sideways, DreamWorks’ Collateral, Focus Features’ Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, United Artists’ Hotel Rwanda, Fox Searchlight’s Kinsey, Universal’s Ray and the Warner Bros.’ releases Million Dollar Baby and The Phantom of the Opera.

    To see a full list of 2004 Critics’ Choice nominees, go to www.bfca.org/criticschoiceawards.asp.

  • DIC’s Trollz Spikes Licensee Interest

    Independent children’s entertainment company DIC Ent. has inked deals with approximately 35 licensees in the U.S. and Canada for the 2005 launch of the company’s all-new tween entertainment and lifestyle property, Trollz. The U.K.’s CBBC and France’s TF1 have acquired rights to 26 half-hour episodes of DIC’s Trollz animated series, which will begin airing in 2005.

    DIC has concluded deals for key product categories with leading U.S. licensees, including American Greetings (wall calendars, social expressions, party goods, juvenile Valentines), Baby Boom (cuddle pillows) Deco Pac (decorated cakes), Pan Oceanic Eyewear (sunglasses), Spin Master (READYBED inflatable slumber Bag, READYBED dream zone bean bag chair, slumber bags) and Vending Supply Inc. (vending stickers, tattoos).

    In Canada, DIC has signed licensees such as Adorable Kids (sleepwear), Calego Int’l (bags), Fruit of the Loom (underwear) H.E.R. Accessories (hair accessories), The Home Game (clothing accessories and stationery), N.T.D. Apparel (sportswear and active wear), Pan Oceanic Eyewear (sunglasses), Rubie’s Costume Company (halloween costumes), Spin Master Toys (bedding, room décor) and Total Kids Wear (outerwear and swimwear).

    In April 2004, DIC acquired the worldwide entertainment and licensing rights to the 50-year-old, spiky-haired Troll character from the Troll Co. and is actively re-launching the brand with the help of such high-profile partners as master toy licensee Hasbro, master publishing licensee Scholastic, Warner Home Video, master apparel licensee Mamiye Broz and worldwide wireless content provider One World Interactive.

    DIC’s Trollz brand rollout will begin in the first quarter of 2005 with an elaborate global web community utilizing telephonic applications. The launch will continue with the television series, video releases, consumer products and interactive games, timed to hit shelves in conjunction with back-to-school in the U.S. The international rollout is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2005.

  • Porchlight on for Pooch Baxter

    The 2005 animation development slate at PorchLight Ent. has gone to the dogs with Baxter, a new series what will encourage kids and their parents to discuss, explore and respect the wonders of nature together. The show is created by Gerry Renert, co-creator and exec producer of ToddWorld, which airs on TLC and Discovery Kids.

    Baxter will utilize a curriculum developed by Laurine DiRocco and Linda Rosenblatt of the UCLA School of Education, in association with PorchLight. The series will be produced as half-hours featuring two 11-minute interchangeable segments featuring Baxter, a backyard pup who is always curious and bounding with energy. Baxter interacts with nature like a child, exploring such things as insects, plants, weather, geology and ecology.

    Baxter’s friends include Becky, a rather independent bee with a poor sense of direction, and Upsy and Daisy, two field mice who see their world in very different ways. Twiddle is a cheerful, single dad frog and Amanda is his curious daughter. Rounding out the cast of characters is Lady B, the duchess of lady bugs, who protects her flowers and plants and is constantly on aphid patrol.

    Liz Stahler, former Price Stern Sloan/Penguin Books’ editor for the WEE SING property, collaborated closely with both Renert and childrens’ book illustrator Barry Gott in concept development.

    PorchLight has produced the Emmy Award-winning animated Tutenstein for Discovery Kids and Jetix (formerly Fox Kids Europe), Jay Jay the Jet Plane for PBS, Adventures from The Book of Virtues for PBS KIDS and the animated long-form movies The Night Before Christmas: A Mouse Tale, The Haunted Pumpkin of Sleepy Hollow, and Christmas Dinosaur. The company is in production on Four Eyes for France 3 and the Disney Channel U.K., and a series of direct-to-video releases for educational electronic toy company Leapfrog.

  • Bob The Builder to Debut on PBS KIDS

    The hugely popular preschool series, Bob the Builder, is set to move into a new home at PBS KIDS. In January 2005, the public TV outlet will host the broadcast premiere of never-before-seen-on-TV adventures from the HIT Ent. show.

    The Bob the Builder series presents an engaging world of construction play filled with adventure and positive messages for preschoolers. In each episode, Bob, Wendy and their crew of machines work together as a team, demonstrating the value of a "can-do" attitude, problem-solving and teamwork, The series currently airs during Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. block.

    Produced by HOT Animation, Bob the Builder is and is presented by Connecticut Public Television (CPTV). HIT’s portfolio of internationally renowned children’s brands also includes Barney, Thomas & Friends, Pingu, Rubbadubbers and Angelina Ballerina. In the U.S., U.K. and Canada, HIT also acts as a representative for the popular preschool property, The Wiggles.

  • GTA Steals Top Spike TV Game Award

    The highly anticipated sequel Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from Rockstar Games took Game of the Year at the second annual Spike TV Video Game Awards. Hosted by rapper/actor Snoop Dogg, the awards ceremony was broadcast live from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif. Tuesday evening.

    To claim Game of the Year, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas beat out Microsoft’s hugely successful Halo 2, as well as Vivendi Universal Games’ Half-Life 2, as well as Burnout 3: Takedown from Electronic Arts and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater from Konami. San Andreas also took Best Action Game over competitors Metal Gear Solid 3 and Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden.

    Burnout 3 had to settle for Most Addictive, winning over City of Heroes from Ncsoft, Donkey Konga from Nintendo, Katamari Damacy from Namco and The Sims 2 from Electronic Arts. Burnout 3 was also named The Pontiac GTO Best Driving Game, smoking the Electronic Arts titles NASCAR 2005: Chase for the Cup and Need For Speed Underground 2.

    Halo 2, which raked in a record $125 million during its first day at retail, was voted Best First Person Action Game, trumping Half Life 2, Activision’s Doom 3, Ubisoft’s Far Cry and Atari’s Unreal Tournament 2004. Half Life 2 didn’t go home empty handed, though. The title won Best PC Game, beating Electronic Arts’ The Sims 2 and Activision’s Doom 3 and Total War. It also grabbed Best Graphics from Doom 3, Halo 2 and Ninja Gaiden.

    The battle of the blockbusters was won by Vivendi Universal Games’ The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From ButcherBay, which snatched Best Game Based on Movie from Activision’s Spider-Man 2, LucasArts’ Star Wars: Battlefront and Electronic Arts’ GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.

    The GTA crime spree continued as actor Samuel L. Jackson Ray Liotta (Pulp Fiction, S.W.A.T.) picked up the award for Best Performance by a Human Male. His work in San Andreas was favored over that of Christopher Lee in Goldeneye: Rogue Agent, Hugh Jackman for Vivendi Universal’s Van Helsing, Tobey McGuire in Spider-Man 2 and Vin Diesel in The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From ButcherBay. Brooke Burk took the female lead for her voice role in Electronic Arts’s Need for Speed Underground 2.

    The distinction of Best Fighting Game was bestowed upon Midway’s Mortal Kombat: Deception, which put the smackdown on Def Jam: Fight For New York (Electronic Arts), Dead or Alive Ultimate (Tecmo), Fight Night 2004 (Electronic Arts) and WWE: Smackdown! vs. Raw (THQ).

    Electronic Arts’ Madden NFL franchise, which took Game of the Year last year, was also back with a sequel this round. Madden NFL 2005 was named Best Sports Game. Also nominated were Sega’s ESPN NFL 2K5, Midway’s NBA Ballers, Electronic Arts’ Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 and Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Underground 2.

    Other Spike TV VGA winners are:

    HOTTEST VIDEO VIXEN

    Tina Armstong – Dead or Alive Ultimate (Tecmo)

    Carmen Electra- Def Jam: Fight For NY (Electronic Arts)

    BloodRayne – BloodRayne 2 (Majesco Games)

    Luba Licious – Leisure Suit Larry: Magda Cum Laude (Vivendi Universal Games)

    Rachel Teller (played by Brooke Burke) Need for Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts)

    BEST SONG IN A VIDEO GAME

    Chingy “I Do” Need for Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts)

    Green Day “American Idiot” Madden NFL 2005 (Electronic Arts)

    Jimmy Eat World – “Pain” Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 (Activision)

    Terror Squad -“Lean Back”- Need for Speed Underground 2 (Electronic Arts)

    Will I Am -“GO” NBA Live 2005 (Electronic Arts)

    BEST SOUNDTRACK

    GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (Electronic Arts)

    Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar Games)

    Halo 2 (Microsoft Game Studios)

    Katamari Damacy (Namco)

    Madden NFL 2005 (Electronic Arts)

    BEST GAMING PUBLICATION—FAN FAVORITE

    Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)

    Game Informer Official Playstation Magazine GMR

    BEST GAMING WEB SITE—FAN FAVORITE

    www.1up.com

    www.gamespot.com

    www.gamespy.com

    www.ign.com

    www.shacknews.com

    BEST MILITARY GAME

    Call of Duty: Finest Hour (Activision)

    Conflict: Vietnam (Global Star Software)

    Full Spectrum Warrior (THQ)

    Rome: Total War (Activision)

    Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War (THQ)

    BEST WIRELESS GAME

    CBS Sportsline Baseball 2004 (Mforma)

    Jamdat Sports NFL 2005 (Jamdat Mobile)

    Might and Magic (Ubisoft – Gameloft)

    National Treasure (Starwave)

    BEST HANDHELD

    Astro Boy: Omega Factor (Sega)

    Metroid: Zero Mission (Nintendo)

    Pokemon FireRed Version (Nintendo)

    BEST MASS MULTI-PLAYER GAME

    City of Heroes (NCsoft)

    Everquest II (Sony Online Entertainment)

    Final Fantasy XI (Square Enix)

    BEST RPG

    The Bard’s Tale (InXile Entertainment)

    Fable (Microsoft Game Studios)

    Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne (Atlus Co.)

    X-Men Legends (Activision)

  • Platinum Sends Dylan Dog to The Shop

    Comic book property owner Platinum Studios and talent management firm Relativity Management have chosen The Shop Animation Studios of Vancouver to develop and co-produce a computer-animated feature film based on the Italian comic book series, Dylan Dog.

    Scheduled to start production in March 2005, Dylan Dog: The Fourth Kingdom presents the latest case for Dylan Dog, an investigator of nightmares. Dylan must stop a supernatural serial killer intent on becoming a deity and ruling a new afterlife dubbed "The Fourth Kingdom". If Dylan fails, the love of his life will die and the forces of heaven and hell may unleash Armageddon upon the Earth.

    The Shop’s president and co-founder, Aaron L. Gilbert, is producing alongside Platinum Studios chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh serves as exec producer with Ervin Rustemagic. Relativity is concluding foreign sales components for the film, and discussions are underway with various domestic studios for distribution.

    "The Shop knows how to push boundaries on both style and efficiency–a very rare combination," says Rosenberg. "With The Shop as our theatrical animation partners, starting with Dylan, we have the resources to brand our characters worldwide by utilizing our digital assets for games, licensing and all other media."

    Ian Pearson, co-founder of The Shop, will direct the pic from a script he co-wrote with long-time creative partner Gavin Blair. This is Pearson’s first major creative endeavor since stepping down as the president and CEO of Mainframe Ent., where he was instrumental in the development and production of such award-winning projects as Reboot, Barbie in the Nutcracker, Action Man, War Planets and Weird-Ohs.

    "For years I’ve been trying to find the right character to tell a more mature story using animation and Dylan Dog is the perfect vehicle," notes Pearson "Although it has a lot of humor, Dylan is a much darker animated feature. It will surprise the animation audience."

    Created by Tiziano Sclavi, Dylan Dog, has sold more than 80 million copies worldwide since its debut in 1985. The comic from the Platinum Studios library, is part of Italian publisher Bonelli Editore’s universe of characters, which combined have amassed sales of several hundred million dollars worldwide.

    The Shop Animation Studios (www.shopinc.ca) has created and/or produced award-winning animated projects for such toy companies as Hasbro, Mattel, Bandai and Irwin, and produced animation for ABC, Fox Kids, Fox Family, YTV, Sony, MTV, 4 Kids Ent. and Artisan, among others.

  • Jakers! Toys Farmed Out to Martin Yaffe

    Young fans of the Emmy award-winning preschool series, Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, can look forward to getting their hands on some new toys based on the CG show. London-based Jakers! producer Entara Ltd. has teamed up with toymaker Martin Yaffe to develop the new toyline under its Born to Play brand. The products due to arrive on shelves in the summer of 2005.

    Produced in Los Angeles by Mike Young Prods., Jakers! follows the adventures of mischievous young Piggley Winks and his Irish barnyard friends, Dannan the Duck and Ferny the Bull. The series features a talented voice cast that includes comic legend Mel Brooks.

    Born to Play will initially focus on the three main characters Piggley, Ferny and Dannan, with plush and beanie toys. Other characters, including Brooks’ Wiley, will follow, along with an Interactive farm set, articulated figurines and vehicles, bath toys, roleplay adventure kits and sound items such as "Rock-around Piggley" and "Story-telling Grandpa Piggley."

    Jakers! airs on PBS in the U.S., TF1 in France and BBC in the U.K. The series will make its terrestrial debut in the U.K. this winter.

  • DECODE Develops Nintendo DS Engine

    Canadian children’s and family entertainment specialist DECODE Ent. is extending its gaming technology development with an innovative project for the new Nintendo DS handheld gaming system. Working with Electron Jump, the company is developing an original gaming engine for the DS (Dual Screen). The multiplayer real time strategy engine is part of a prototype that is slated for completion by next September.

    Other interactive initiatives for DECODE include an extension of its factual family show, Be the Creature, produced in conjunction with the Kratt Brothers and TeleQuebec. Using the illicos set-top box system, viewers can read through the Kratt Brothers’ journals, play trivia games and access images from the show.

    In addition to the interactive TV application, DECODE Interactive is extending Be the Creature with a web project developed with assistance from The National Geographic Channel in the U.S., TeleQuebec and CBC. Also in the works are an extensive educational resource and an immersive PC role-playing game based on the show.

    DECODE also has the recently launched Franny’s Feet Online, a Family.ca interactive environment based on the company’s popular preschool series about a young girl who walks a mile in someone else’s shoes in each episode. The animated web project was developed in conjunction with Family.ca, ABC Australia and the Bell New Media Fund.

    Another DECODE show, Angela Anaconda, is being further exploited in the interactive realm with a trio of new deals with SuperRTL. The German broadcaster has signed a three-year renewal license for the Angela Anaconda website and has commissioned a new website starring Angela’s sidekick, Gina Lash. In addition, SuperRTL’s subscription-based site, Toggolino, will get new content developed by DECODE Interactive.

  • Finalists Chosen for Independent Games Festival

    The Independent Games Festival has announced the finalists in the seventh annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) competition. Selected by a panel of industry professionals, game development teams will compete for more than $40,000 in cash prizes. These finalists will exhibit their titles at the Game Developers Conference, to be held March 7-11 in San Francisco. Winners will be announced at the conference’s Game Developers Choice Awards Ceremony on March 9.

    The IGF was established in 1998 by the CMP Game Group to encourage innovation in game development and to recognize the best independent game developers. With more than 78 entries from all over the world, the IGF reflects how global the game development community has become.

    The 10 games selected for the “Open” category are:

    Alien Hominid by The Behemoth of San Diego, Calif.

    Dark Horizons Lore by Max Gaming Technologies of Strongsville, Ohio Gish by Chronic Logic LLC of Santa Cruz, Calif.

    Hyperbol by Iocaine Studios of Yorba Linda, Calif.

    Kisses by DigiPen Institute of Technology of Woodland Hills, Calif.

    Legion Arena by Slitherine Strategies of Epsom, Surrey, U.K.

    Protothea by Digital Builders, Santa Fe of Santa Fe, Argentina

    Supremacy: Four Paths To Power by Black Hammer Game of New York, N.Y.

    War! Age of Imperialism by Donohoe Digital LLC of Castle Rock, Col.

    The 10 games selected for the Web/downloadable category are:

    Creatrix by Ultrafish Games of Los Angeles, Calif.

    Detective Brand Gold by Detective Brand Videogames with Chronic Logic of New Westminster, B.C.

    Global Defense Network by Evertt.com LLC of Kirkland, Wash.

    LUX by Sillysoft of Montreal, Canada

    N by Metanet Software Inc. of Toronto, Canada

    RocketBowl by Large Animal Games of New York, N.Y.

    Rotation by Alter Ego Games Studio of Sammamish, Wash.

    Star Chamber by Nayantara Studios LLC of Charlottesville, Virginia

    Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space by Digital Eel of Kirkland, Wash.

    Wik and the Fable of Souls by Reflexive Ent. of Lake Forest, Calif.

    Games in each category are eligible for six awards–Innovation In Audio, Innovation In Game Design, Innovation In Visual Arts, Technical Excellence, The Audience Award and the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for Independent Game of the Year.

    “The quality of games submitted for this year’s competition showed range and creativity; the selection process gets more difficult each year,” says IGF Chairman Alex Dunne. "We’re pleased to see developers take chances and explore new types of gameplay.”

    To register for the Game Developers Conference and review conference information, go to www.gdconf.com. Press registration is also available at this time. More information about the finalist games can be found at www.igf.com.

  • Incredibles Golden with Globes Nom

    Disney/Pixar’s The Incredibles edged out DreamWorks’ Shrek 2, Warner Bros’ The Polar Express and all other animated contenders with a Best Motion Picture (musical or comedy) Golden Globe nod. Nominations for the 62 Annual Golden Globes were announced this morning. The ceremony will be broadcast live on NBC on Sunday, Jan. 16.

    In its category, The Incredibles is up against the live-action heavy hitters Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind from Focus Features, Ray from Universal Pictures, Sideways from Fox Searchlight Pictures and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera from Warner Bros. Pictures. Sideways leads the competition with seven total nominations, followed by Miramax’s vfx-heavy Howard Houghs biopic, The Aviator, with six.

    Directed by Martin Scorsese, The Aviator is up for Best Motion Picture (Drama), along with Sony Pictures’ Closer, Miramax Films’ Finding Neverland, Lions Gate Films/MGM’s Hotel Rwanda, Fox Searchlight Pictures’ Kinsey and Warner Bros. Pictures’ Million Dollar Baby. Contributing to the extensive effects work in The Aviator are Sony Pictures Imageworks, CaféFX, Digital Backlot, Pixel Playground, Digital Neural Access, Buzz Image Group, and New Deal Studios, all working under visual effects supervisor Robert Legato.

    Shrek 2 and The Polar Express weren’t completely shut out. Both are up for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture–Shrek 2 for "Accidentally In Love" (music and lyrics by Adam Duritz, Dan Vickery, David Immergluck, Matthew Malley and David Bryson) and The Polar Express for Believe (music and lyrics by Glen Ballard and Alan Silvestri) Competing songs are Webber’s "Learn To Be Lonely" from The Phantom Of The Opera, Wyclef Jean’s "Million Voices" from Hotel Rwanda, and the Mick Jagger tune, "Old Habits Die Hard," from Alfie.

    Hollywood legends face off in the race for Best Director–Motion Picture as Scorsese (The Aviator) takes on Clint Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby) and Mike Nichols (Closer). Also in the running are Marc Forster for Finding Neverland and Alexander Payne for Sideways.

    To see the full list of Golden Globes 2005 nominations, visit www.hfpa.org/nominations2005.html.

  • Asia TV, Film Market Posts Record Close

    Asia’s foremost programming market, consisting of Asia Television Forum (ATF), Asia Film Market and Conference (AFMC) and Asia Animation (AAN), closed last week to a record turnout. The three-day event welcomed more than 3,500 participants from 38 countries.

    The nine-story Garden Wing at the Shangri-La Hotel was transformed into an exclusive marketplace where 146 seller companies from 26 countries took up suites to showcase their latest programs. Exhibitors included leading media companies such as Buena Vista Int’l Television, CBS/ Paramount Int’l Television, Lions Gate Ent., NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Television Int’l. According to organizers, 40% of the exhibitors have already re-booked for next year.

    The event also played host to key buyers from across 24 countries including Cambodia, Bhutan, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

    Ed Ng, president of Reed Exhibitions Singapore, the organizer of ATF and AFMC, comments, "We are extremely pleased that ATF-AFMC 2004 was such a success. Over $21 million was transacted over the 3 days, surpassing last year’s $13 million. Another $29 million is expected to conclude in the next six months, and $26 million in the next 12 months. These are clear indications that Asia is playing an increasingly important role in the global media business and AT-FAFMC remains Asia’s most important media marketplace."

    Highlights at the event included Interactive TV (iTV) and a special animation showcase. The mart also featured the ATF Conference, Asia Animation Summit and Conference and the inaugural Media Financing Forum. Financiers from seven countries were able to review 32 shortlisted projects vying for funds set aside for productions by Asian companies.

    Another highlight of the show was the SuperPitches–the ATF SuperPitch for TV programimng and the Animation SuperPitch for animated content. The winner of the ATF SuperPitch was The Legacy of Geoffrey Bawa from Fluid Prods. of Singapore. The winning entry for the Animation SuperPitch, House of Loo from Creative Licence of Malaysia, beat 45 other entries to claim the top prize.

    ATF-AFMC took place Dec. 1-3 at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. The next edition will be held Nov. 30 through Dec. 2, 2005, in Singapore.

  • I, Robot, King Return on Disc

    Androids and hobbits duke it out today with the home video release of 20th Century Fox’s sci-fi thriller I, Robot and New Line Cinema’s extended edition of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. The titles arrive on retail shelves just in time to greet holiday shoppers.

    Loosely based on the classic sci-fi short story collection by Isaac Asimov, I, Robot has police detective Del Spooner (Will Smith) investigating a murder that may have been committed by one of the many highly evolved automatons designed to serve mankind in the year 2035. The unusual investigation eventually takes a more sinister turn as Spooner uncovers a larger threat to humanity. The film was directed by Alex Proyas, whose previous genre ventures include the cult favorites The Crow and Dark City.

    I, Robot’s title character, a robot named Sonny, is completely computer-generated. Just as Weta animated Gollum based on the performance of Andy Serkis for the Lord of the Rings movies, the crew at Digital Domain, which handled most of the Sonny shots, used actor Alan Tudyk as their inspiration. Weta Digital, Rainmaker Digital and Pixel Magic handled the remainder of the film’s 1,000 visual effects shots.

    DVD extra features for I, Robot include commentary by Proyas and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, a making-of featurette and a still gallery. The disc lists for $29.98.

    The Academy Award-winning The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is back on shelves with nearly an hour of never-before-seen footage, a new musical score and a cameo appearance by director Peter Jackson. The new 250-minute version is available as a four-disc DVD set and as a double-cassette VHS pack.

    Included in the 50 minutes of new footage are 300 special effects shots and additional scenes including a final appearance of the evil wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee), Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) being confronted by the Mouth of Sauron, and an emerging romance between Faramir (David Wenham) and Eowyn (Miranda Otto). Extra features will include audio commentaries by Jackson; stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom; composers Richard Taylor and Howard Shore; vfx guru Randy Cook and others.

    The Return of the King extended double-cassette VHS will list at $24.99 and the four-disc DVD boxed set will retail for $39.99.

    There is also a limited collector’s DVD edition featuring a fifth disc containing a 52-minute featurette titled Howard Shore: Creating the Lord of the Rings Symphony—A Composers Journey Through Middle-Earth. Packaged with the release is a hand-painted polystone sculpture of Minas Tirith and its accompanying keep-sake box. This puppy will set collectors back $79.92.

  • Mary Poppins, Fat Albert Hit DVD

    A cinematic classic and a vintage TV favorite are new on home video today as the Mary Poppins 40th anniversary edition makes its way to disc and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids debuts on DVD in time for its 35th anniversary. The Mary Poppins release even features an all-new animated short.

    Mary Poppins is now available as a two-disc set from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. The special edition offers a full list of extra features including commentary by actors Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Karen Dotrice, and composer Richard Sherman, as well as archival recordings from Walt Disney and others involved in the film. There’s also a new 50-minute making-of documentary; the deleted song “Chimpanzo;" A Magical Musical Reunion with Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and Richard Sherman; a sing-along song selection; pop-up fun facts; a set-top trivia game; Dick Van Dyke’s make-up test; a special effects featurette; and analysis of the “Jolly Holiday" and "Step In Time" scenes. Special galleries feature stills, publicity shots, artwork and trailers.

    In addition, Andrews hosts the new animated short, The Cat That Looked Like A King, which is based on an original P.L. Travers story about a magical nanny who moves in with a banker’s family and brings it closer together. Former Duchess of York Sara Ferguson, Tracy Ullman (The Tracy Ullman Show) and David Ogden Stiers (Disney’s Teacher’s Pet) provide voices. The DVD carries a suggested retail price of $29.99.

    Released by UrbanWorks Ent., Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids offers five classic episodes on one disc. Also available today is Fat Albert’s Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection, a special box set featuring more than seven hours of animated fun and a 12-page keepsake companion booklet.

    The Emmy-nominated Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids debuted on CBS in 1972 and aired for 12 consecutive years. Creator Bill Cosby served as the show’s live-action host and also provided for a number of the animated characters, including Fat Albert, Rudy, Mushmouth and Weird Harold. The series tackled real-life dilemmas with humor as it followed a group of young friends growing up in a Philadelphia neighborhood. A new live-action Fat Albert, directed by Joel Zwick and starring Kenan Thompson, will hit theaters Dec. 25.

    The single-disc Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids lists for $14.99 and the four-disc Fat Albert’s Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection carries a suggested retail price of $49.99.

  • Stan Lee Puts Celebrities In Action

    Stan Lee and his POW! Ent. Inc. are joining forces with Celebrities In Action Inc. (CIA) to co-develop and co-produce animated film projects. The joint venture will pit well-known celebrities against characters from other worlds for animated programming and merchandising.

    Celebrities In Action Inc. is an entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes proprietary and licensed entertainment content with a particular focus on animated celebrities. The company’s work with POW! will include animated DVD’s, feature films, video games, apparel and publishing, as well as other consumer products.

    Stan Lee comments, “Having invented countless fictional characters over the years, what a kick it is to be tackling a project as original and unique as creating new personas and storylines for actual, world-famous celebrities. And what a challenge! Imagine making superheroes of people who are already superheroes! This I’m gonna enjoy!”

    Lee, who founded POW! (Purveyors of Wonder) with Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman, will head the artistic and creative aspects of the animated project. Lee is best known for creating such enduring characters as Spider-Man, The Hulk and the X-Men. He is also credited with co-creating Dare Devil, Silver Surfer and hundreds of other characters.

    Stan Medley and Chris Nassif of CIA will head business development and talent management along with Lara Bloom, who will handle celebrity relations. According to Nassif, Lee will be creating approximately 25 characters based on celebrities for the first story. Spin-off projects may then be produced for each character. POW! and CIA are scheduled to commence production in early spring of 2005.

    POW! Ent. is in development on more than 30 projects, including Who Wants to Be a Superhero? the animated series Hef’s SuperBunnies and the toon holiday special, Superhero Christmas.

  • Huevocartoon to Crack Big Screen

    The hugely popular Mexican website, www.huevocartoon.com, is set to hatch its feature film debut, according to Daily Variety. The humor site offers paying customers greeting cards, horoscopes and animated shorts featuring a cast of edgy and irreverent eggs.

    Televisa’s in-house distribution and production company, Videocine, Mexico’s film funding board and other investors have put up cash to help facilitate Huevocartoon’s leap to the big screen. The first feature film will be titled Una Pelicula de huevos (A Film with Eggs).

    Una Pelicula de huevos will center on talking eggs struggling to get by in a world ruled by humans. The website’s adult edge will be toned down for film, which will be aimed at a more general audience. Brothers Rodolfo and Gabriel Riva Palacio, founders of Huevocartoon, told the trade that animation will begin next March for a theatrical bow in 2006. A team of 60 animators is expected to man the production.

    The Mexican toon business is in dire need of a hit. The biz is in the early stages of revival after a 20-year drought. Last year’s big entry, Magos & gigantes (Wizards & Giants) won over critics but failed at the box office, where U.S.-produced animated fare such as Pixar’s Finding Nemo made the biggest splash.