Digital Media FX News Archives

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Monday - October 29, 2001
- Chuck Jones Timber Wolf
- Steve Jobs: "Pixar Creates Original Stories"
- Release Charts: Animated, Anime, and FX DVDs
- News Link of the Day - Family Appeal

Chuck Jones Timber Wolf
(by digitalmediafx.com) Last week Digital Media FX announced the online Warner Bros. Flash series by Chuck Jones titled Timber Wolf. Here is additional information on the series, in which the second episode premieres today (click here).

In each three-to-five minute episode, Thomas T. Wolf and his cohorts slip, skip and stumble through adventures and predicaments, including Earl the Squirrel's insistence on collecting a $100 bounty for Thomas' tail, a herd of sheep that becomes a little too amorous toward Thomas and Thomas' misadventures in babysitting. And, among all of this bucolic bliss, there's just one catch, involving the utterance of "Timber" and a slew of falling trees...

Jones, who created "Timber Wolf," helped bring to life scores of animated characters during the Golden Age of animation, including some of Warner Bros.' most famous Looney Tunes characters - Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Pepe Le Pew, Elmer Fudd and Porky Pig. He has been actively involved with animation for more than 60 years, has won four Academy Awards, is the recipient of the Director's Guild of America's Honorary Life Membership and is the only director to have two animated shorts in the United States National Film Registry ("What's Opera Doc?" and "Duck Amuck").

"Timber Wolf" was created by Jones, then developed by Executive Producer, Co-Writer and Supervising Director Stephen Fossati, producers Philip Vaughn and Jeff DeGrandis and director Steven Dovas in the spirit of Warner Bros.' classic Looney Tunes shorts, with the same Jones attention to character, humor and believability.

"I created Thomas (Timber Wolf) years ago, but he was in hibernation and it took a man like Stephen to uncover him sleeping soundly in a hospitable, hollow tree," recalls Jones.

The series runs for 13 weeks. Today marks the start of week two.

"It is a great privilege to have had the opportunity to help bring these stories and these great new Chuck Jones characters to life and to have worked with so many talented, enthusiastic and dedicated people in doing so," said Fossati.

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Steve Jobs: "Pixar Creates Original Stories"
(by digitalmediafx.com) In a possible jab at DreamWorks, Pixar CEO Steve Jobs has said that Pixar focuses on original stories versus buying past works like some other companies. The exact comment, made to the LA Times, is as follows:

"To date, we haven't bought fairy tales or Harry Potter," Jobs said. "We came up with original story ideas inside of Pixar and made them into movies... Every film has had a story crisis. It's a necessary part of the process."

DreamWorks recent Shrek hit was based on a book as is several of its upcoming animated productions. DreamWorks also put the release of the Shrek 2-Disc DVD up against the launch of Monsters, Inc. this Friday. So far, Pixar seems to be winning the media war with extensive coverage of Monsters, Inc. appearing in magazines, newspapers, and on TV. Early reviews of Monsters, Inc. have been very positive and the attachment of the first Star Wars: Episode 2 trailer is also likely to boost the film's initial box office performance.

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Release Charts: Animated, Anime, and FX DVDs
(by digitalmediafx.com) Here are new animated, FX, and anime DVDs hitting store shelves tomorrow. The only odd one is Shrek, which is actually being released against industry standard this Friday to "compete" with Monsters, Inc. theatrical release.

Pixar 15th Anniversary Gift Pack (animated)
Robotech - Masters - Legacy Collection 4 (animated)
The Amazing American Animation Archive, Vol. 1 (2001 - animation)
Muppets From Space (1999 - FX)
Robotech - A New Threat (Vol. 7) (1985 - animation)
Robotech - Revelations (Vol. 8) (1985 - animation)
Tekkaman Blade II - Complete Collection (1994 - anime)
Shrek 2-Disc DVD (2001 - animation - being released Friday)

Amazon.com is now accepting pre-orders for the Osmosis Jones DVD. Click here.

If you haven't yet ordered the Snow White DVD (availability will be limited), click here.

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News Link of the Day - Family Appeal

According to the Chicago Sun-Times:

"Once upon a time there was an animation studio named Pixar that teamed up with a megaforce in the movie industry--Disney--to create the first feature film animated entirely by computer.

The year was 1995 and the film was "Toy Story." A new film genre was created and a duel began between Disney/Pixar and DreamWorks to create computer animated blockbusters..."

Click here for the full story.

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