|
Digital
Media FX News Archives
Note:
Digital Media FX content is legally ©copyright 2001 and may
not be republished or rewritten without the expressed written
consent of Digital Media FX and/or proper crediting and linking.
Thursday
- November 15, 2001
- Xbox Officially Enters Console
Competition Arena
- Harry Potter Set
For Record Number of Theaters
- Writers Guild Challenges
Nickelodeon Again
- News Link of the Day
- Filmmakers Send Messages with Legos
 Xbox
Officially Enters Console Competition Arena
(by digitalmediafx.com) Microsoft is about to take a huge
hit in an attempt to take a huge chunk out of the video game console
business. Today Xbox went on sale nationwide with some stores
opening at just after midnight to sell units. Because Xbox costs
more to produce than the sale price of $299, industry analysts
predict that Microsoft will incur up to $2 billion in losses before
realizing a profit from securing a corner of the video game marketplace.
Microsoft set aside a massive $500 million to help promote its
new gaming system.
On
Monday, Xbox will face competition from Nintendo, which is launching
its new GameCube system; finally getting away from cartridges
in favor of CDs.
Sony
isn't making any major moves to combat the two new system launches.
Many estimated that Sony might cut the price of its Playstation
2 unit, but the company has no plans of doing so and believes
that Playstation 2 will outsell Xbox and GameCube this holiday
season.
Xbox's
launch marks one of the first times that a console has premiered
first in America instead of Japan. Select games available now
include Shrek, NASCAR Thunder 2002, Arctic Thunder, Amped: Freestyle
Snowboarding, NFL Fever 2002, AirForce Delta Storm, Cel Damage,
The Simpsons Road Rage, and Kabuki Warriors.
> Return
to the top of page
Harry Potter
Set For Record Number of Theaters
(by digitalmediafx.com) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone opens tomorrow in a record number of theaters and on
a record number of screens. The two and a half hour FX-filled
movie will open in 3,672 theaters while playing on over 8,000
screens. Some theaters are even holding showings at midnight with
some of those showings already sold out! Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone should easily break all box office records
this weekend including highest opening day gross, highest Saturday
gross, highest Sunday gross, and highest opening weekend ever.
Some of this, however, could come at the expense of Monsters,
Inc. which has enjoyed a huge box office showing since opening
November 2 and will now see most of its kid crowd migrate to Harry
Potter.
Initial reviews
for Harry Potter were highly positive but have since quickly melted
as a number of mixed to negative reviews start hitting media outlets.
"The
book was better--richer in mood, in thrilling melodrama, in joy--than
director Chris Columbus' meticulous, stolid film," says Time
critic Richard Corliss. He further calls much of the action "often
stodgy, humorless" and refers to the reaction shots as "clumsy".
> Return
to the top of page
Writers
Guild Challenges Nickelodeon Again
(by digitalmediafx.com) The Writers Guild of America, west
(WGAw) has launched an advertising campaign to ensure that Nickelodeon
Animation Studios adheres to the standards of the International
Council of Toy Industries (ICTI) Code of Business Practices or
the Fair Labor Association (FLA) Workplace Code of Conduct in
the licensing and manufacturing of toys and other merchandise
based on two Nickelodeon animated characters SpongeBob SquarePants
and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
"Nickelodeon
has built its global success based on the premise that it is a
network that cares about children," said Victoria Riskin,
President of the WGAw. "Neither Nickelodeon nor its licensee
JAKKS Pacific of Malibu has responded to the guild's request to
sign the ICTI or FLA codes of conduct which prohibit forced labor,
child labor and require respect for the rights of employees to
be represented by a union. According to JAKKS Pacific's Annual
Report, it 'contract[s] the manufacture of most of [its] products
to unaffiliated manufacturers located in China.' We are very concerned
that this is one more example of the company refusing to respect
basic standards of fair treatment for employees. Last month, Nickelodeon,
a subsidiary of Viacom, refused to honor a secret-ballot vote
by its animation writers in favor of WGA representation."
"During
the upcoming holidays, Nickelodeon will release Jimmy Neutron:
Boy Genius in movie theaters and launch an advertising campaign
for toys, clothing and other merchandise, continues Riskin. "We
sincerely hope Nickelodeon will honor the spirit of the season
by signing the codes of conduct, requiring their licensees to
do the same and by coming to the bargaining table to negotiate
a fair contract for the benefit of Nickelodeon writers and their
children."
The Writers
Guild has been engaged in a dispute with Nickelodeon Animation
Studios in trying to secure bargaining representation for several
writers.
> Return
to the top of page
News Link
of the Day - Filmmakers Send Messages with Legos
According to the New York Times:
"...That's
right: Lego. The brightly colored plastic blocks that snap together
to create all manner of shapes have inspired a niche world of
filmmaking called brick films. Lego directors like Mr. Weychert
use the traditional technique of stop-motion animation, shooting
the film frame-by-frame and moving the figures between shots to
create the illusion of motion..."
Click
here for the full story. (free registration may be
required to view article)
> Return
to the Top of the Page
> Click
Here for a Printable Version of this Page
> Return
to November News Archives
> Return to Today's
News
> Return to
the Digital Media FX Front Page
|
