Digital
Media FX Newsletter
Vol. 1, No. 6 - June 1, 2001
Table of
Contents:
(1) Welcome
Message
(2) Shrek Score Coming in
Mid-July (and Other Shrek Updates)
(3) Princess Mononoke DVD
- U.K. Release Soon?
(4) Atlantis: The Lost Empire
World Premiere on Sunday
(5) EM.TV's Asking Price
for The Muppets is Too High
(6) Top News Stories of the
Past Two Weeks
(7) Sneak Peek: Shrek Interview
with Steve Sobisky
(8) dFX Quick Takes
Welcome Message
Welcome to the sixth issue of the Digital Media FX (dFX) newsletter,
covering the world of animation and visual effects. This newsletter
is published on the 1st and 15th of each month with original animation/FX
content, insider news, and sneak peeks at new dFX features.
This issue
contains some interesting tidbits on Atlantis, Shrek, and The
Muppets, along with a sneak peek at an interview with Steve Sobisky,
who worked on both Shrek and Shrek.com. Enjoy! -- Joe Tracy
Shrek Score
Coming in Mid-July (and Other Shrek Updates)
(by digitalmediafx.com) DreamWorks Records is planning on releasing
the background score to Shrek in mid-July, according to sources
working close to the project. Although an announcement has not
been made public by DreamWorks, Digital Media FX has learned that
a full background score CD, featuring the work of John Powell
and Harry Gregson-Williams, is well underway.
Shrek has
been experiencing mega success at the box office ($111 million
in 11 days) and a few bold analysts are even predicting that Shrek
will challenge The Lion King as the highest-grossing animated
movie of all time.
Are you ready
for a Shrek sequel? DreamWorks is ready and has announced that
it has already started pre-production on Shrek 2. Click
here for more information.
Princess
Mononoke DVD - U.K. Release Soon?
(by digitalmediafx.com) Last month, the U.K.'s BBFC (British Board
of Film Classification) approved bonus material submitted to them
for a Princess Mononoke DVD, meaning that the U.K. may soon see
a DVD version of this classic anime feature. The BBFC is similar
to the United States MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America).
The BBFC has held "exercised responsibilities" over
cinema since 1913 and over video since 1985 (DVDs fall under the
video classification).
The work submitted
by Buena Vista to the BBFC for review was an unnamed bonus segment
that was seven minutes and five seconds in length. Princess Mononoke
(known as Mononoke Hime in Japan) was the creation of respected
anime visionary Hayao Miyazaki who wrote and directed the movie.
Atlantis:
The Lost Empire World Premiere on Sunday
(by digitalmediafx.com) The world premiere for Atlantis: The Lost
Empire will take place this Sunday, June 3, at the historic El
Capitan Theater in Hollywood.
Those in attendance
from the animated movie will include Michael J. Fox, Cree Summer,
Phil Morris, Jacqueline Obradors, Don Novello, Corey Burton, Claudia
Christian, David Ogden Stiers, Florence Stanley, Producer Don
Hahn, Directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, Songwriter Diane
Warren, and Composer James Newton Howard.
Be sure to
visit the dFX "Atlantis is Waiting" Movie Site by clicking
here.
EM.TV's
Asking Price for The Muppets is Too High
(digitalmediafx.com) On March
13, 2001, Digital Media FX reported that EM.TV, which
owns all Jim Henson Productions rights, was looking for someone
to acquire the rights to the popular characters. EM.TV originally
acquired Jim Henson Productions rights when it acquired the company
for $680 million in a stock and cash deal. EM.TV knows it can't
get that much in another sale and has thus lowered the asking
price for Jim Henson Productions to $400 million.
According
to the May 31 edition of the New York Post, analysts say that
even $400 million is twice as much as EM.TV is likely to receive
for Jim Henson Productions. The top companies still in the running
appear to be Disney, Viacom, Nickelodeon, and Jim Henson Productions
management.
Top News
Stories of the Past Two Weeks
(digitalmediafx.com) Digital Media FX is updated 365 days a year
including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. If you don't visit
daily you may have missed some important news. Here is a list
of what we consider the top five news stories (in order of importance)
of the past two weeks, including links to each story.
1.
Maurice
Noble Passes Away at 91 Years of Age
2.
Shrek
Highest Grossing Non-Disney Animated Film - in Only 11 Days!
3.
Mickey Mouse Drawings Don't Save Cartoon
Museum
4.
Spy
Kids Goes Up Against Osmosis Jones in August
5.
Santa
vs. The Snowman Coming to IMAX 3D
Sneak Peek
- Shrek Interview with Steve Sobisky
(by digitalmediafx.com) Digital Media FX has interviewed Steve
Sobisky about his work with Shrek and the Shrek.com Website. As
a reader of this newsletter, you are being given a three-day advance
look at the interview!
Parts of the
interview page are still being prepped for Monday's general public
access to it, so you may see a few changes (like additional pictures)
between now and then. You can access the interview by clicking
here.
dFX Quick
Takes
* On May
21, Digital Media FX opened up an educational and informative
site called "Atlantis is Waiting," which covers Disney's
newest animated feature. To view the site, click
here.
* Digital
Media FX makes it easy for you to track the daily box office
results for Shrek during its mega-blockbuster run. For daily
updates, simply click
here.
* You may
not have been able to attend the recent E3 video game tradeshow,
so Digital Media FX brought the news to you in the following
special
report: Be sure to read about the new Role Playing
Game coming from Disney and Square (who are teaming up for the
game).
Thank you
for being a part of the Digital Media FX team through your daily
visits to www.digitalmediafx.com.
I hope that you've enjoyed this third edition of the Digital Media
FX newsletter and I look forward to providing you with continued
coverage of the animation and visual effects industries.
Best Wishes,
Joe Tracy, Publisher
Digital Media FX - The Power of Imagination
If you are
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All stories
in this newsletter are ©Copyright 2001 by Joe Tracy / Digital
Media FX and may not be reprinted in any form without the expressed
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You will receive a response within 48 hours with whether your
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that must appear with the article.
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