Anchoring the promotional campaign are premiere launch events at family friendly science locations across the country that mirror the themes of the show. These launch events will offer sneak peeks at the widely-anticipated TV series and, through a variety of customized Cat in the Hat activities, entice preschoolers and their families to join in the celebration.

Key screening launch events will take place in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York, San Diego and Washington DC during the Labor Day weekend. In addition, celebrations hosted by PBS affiliates take place from coast to coast throughout September. Details for the major launch events are as follows:

* The Wildlife Conservation Society’s Bronx Zoo in New York City will host a three-day launch extravaganza, featuring an animal-inspired scavenger hunt, screenings of the series’ first episode, a red-and-white-festooned “Cat in the Hat Tree of Knowledge” in the Zoo’s historic Astor Court, costume character appearances, story-time readings from The Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library book series on which the television series is based, and more.

* Zoos and aquariums figure prominently into THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! launch celebrations. The National Aquarium in Washington DC hosts two days of Cat programming on September 4 and 5, complete with screenings and other activities. Also, the Dallas Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, and New England Aquarium in Boston will host events, scavenger hunts and visits from the Cat on Monday, September 6.

Source PBS KIDS

Content will include an initial 51 episodes in 7 DVD releases with Volume 1 available on November 9, 2010, in English, French and Spanish at retail outlets across North America.

BEYBLADE: Metal Fusion, from Nelvana and d-rights Inc., offers a fresh take on the original hit BEYBLADE with new characters competing for dominance with their spinning Beyblade tops, battling against an evil organization, The Dark Nebula. The new series is a unique mix of 2D animation and battle scenes with the tops spinning in CGI animation. It airs on YTV in Canada and Cartoon Network in the U.S. and is set to launch in the U.K., Europe and beyond in the coming year.

The companion toy line is again one of the most popular toys in Japan, selling over 24 million tops and accessories since the 2008 re-launch by Tomy Company, Ltd. Hasbro, Inc. has been appointed the master toy licensee for most international markets outside of Asia and the toy line is already on shelves in Canada and the U.S.

Source Nelvana

Sym-Bionic Titan follows the lives of Ilana, Lance and Octus, three alien teens that crash-land on Earth while attempting to escape an evil General who has taken over their home planet, Galaluna. Ilana, princess of Galaluna, Lance, a rebellious but capable soldier, and Octus, a bio-cybernetic robot, must now blend into everyday life in Sherman, Illinois. Posing as high school students, Lance and Octus work to conceal Princess Ilana from General Modula and his hideous space mutants sent to harm the sole royal heir of Galaluna.

This motley trio makes a real effort to navigate high school life, all while saving the planet and themselves from an onslaught of inter-galactic attacks. When called into battle, Octus activates the sym-bionic defense program and Ilana, Lance and Octus come together to form the spectacular cyber-giant Sym-Bionic Titan.

Fans can go online now to CartoonNetwork.com and play Teenage Warriors, a free action platforming game that takes players into the exciting world of Sym-Bionic Titan. Taking on the role of Lance or Ilana, players can use their unique armor powers to defend the Earth from attacking Mutraddi beasts.

Source Cartoon Network

The friends select their favorite mode of transportation, with Goofy getting the opportunity to ride in Professor Von Drake’s latest invention, the Clubhouse Rescue Truck. The race kicks into high gear, leading the gang on a journey through sandy deserts, snow-covered mountains and lush tropical jungles in search of clues. During the race, Toodles feels unappreciated when the Rescue Truck gets all the praise for helping out, and he sadly leaves the group just when he’s needed most. It is up to Mickey and pals to reunite the team and make it to the finish line.

The special features five new songs – “Rock and Ride and Rally,” “It’s Fun to Go Ridin’,” “Mickey’s Marker Song,” “Goofy’s Rescue Truck Tribute,” and “I’m a Friend, You’re a Friend” – all performed by Mickey and the gang.

“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally” – TUESDAY, September 7
(7:00–7:50 p.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

Source Disney Channel

Earlier this year, Scholastic partnered with the Ad Council on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the First Lady’s “Let’s Move” Campaign to launch a series of public service advertisements that addresses childhood obesity. One series of PSAs features twin ten-year-old siblings Maya and Miguel telling children to the “Take the Maya & Miguel Challenge” as a way to get more physically active and eat healthy.

Throughout Maya & Miguel’s “Move It!” week, the dynamic duo will keep the energy high, with episodes on decorating, getting involved in school activities, playing soccer and other games, helping neighbors, spending time with friends, and planning parties!

“Maya & Miguel” debuted in 2004 and is now in its sixth season on PBS KIDS GO! Designed to present culture and language learning as fun, relevant, and rewarding for all children, the series puts a special emphasis on the Latino population and has established a powerful connection to its audience. The goals of the series are: to promote the value of a culturally diverse society; and to support English language learners through the presentation of language in a natural context with a special emphasis on vocabulary. “Maya & Miguel” is a broad-based Scholastic initiative comprising television and print media, school and community outreach, and dynamic websites.

Source PBS KIDS GO!

Peep! Peep! Cartoon character Thomas the Tank Engine™ fans were treated to quite a sight this morning as Thomas arrived to Brooklyn Bridge Park not by rail, but by sea. To mark the DVD release of the Thomas & Friends Misty Island Rescue from HIT Entertainment and the introduction of the newest Thomas toys from Fisher-Price, Inc. (a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAT)) the companies joined together for a very special sneak preview.

The Misty Island Rescue sneak peek offered the biggest Thomas fans an inside look at the upcoming excitement for this holiday season. In a nod to Thomas, the iconic #1 blue engine, leaving the Island of Sodor for the very first time in Misty Island Rescue, a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine steamed into the park on a barge (just like in the movie) to deliver the first new Thomas & Friends™ toys from Fisher-Price including the Zip, Zoom & Logging Adventure™ Playset, Thomas & Friends™ Shake Shake Bridge, Return from Misty Island Playset and Follow Me Thomas. The new collection features engines and playsets with exciting new action features and tons of interactive play. Following the arrival, play stations offered up the opportunity to experience the new toys and to watch a sneak preview screening of the movie before the DVD officially debuts next month.

Adding to the excitement of the “Misty Island” themed event, Thomas was tugged by The Pegasus, a historic tugboat that participated in both World Wars, and play station activities were hosted aboard the Lehigh Valley #79, a restored 94 year old wooden covered barge. The Lehigh Valley and the life-sized Thomas model were docked at Brooklyn Bridge Park for the day for all visitors to enjoy.

“We’re thrilled to be on board for the first time as the master toy licensee,” said Gina Sirard, Vice President of Marketing for Fisher-Price. “It’s exciting to bring the true essence and magic of Thomas and Misty Island to fans around the world through toys that bring the characters to life.”

Tom and Jerry set out on one of their biggest adventures yet when they visit London to help solve a series of jewelry heists that leave Scotland Yard completely befuddled and a beautiful singer named Red framed for the crimes. However, it’s going to take one of history’s greatest fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes along with his loyal assistant Dr. Watson, to find the real thief.

The renowned crime-fighting team is joined by another world-famous duo, the lovable, ever-squabbling Tom and Jerry. Little do they know that finding clues and cracking the case will be elementary compared to keeping the peace between the raucous cat and mouse as they scamper, scurry, scoot and speed along the streets, alleys and rooftops in the name of justice.

Tom and Jerry’s favorite pals, including Tuffy the mouse, Butch the dog, Droopy and others, round out the motley crew of characters and possible suspects in this brilliant fusion of classic detection and energetic animation.

DVD bonus material includes How to Draw Tom and Jerry – Your favorite cat and mouse made easy through a Professional Illustrator’s step-by-step instructions.

“Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes is an engaging and clever mystery movie that families will enjoy watching together,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. He added, “This film offers classic Tom and Jerry shenanigans presented in an exciting new story that will entertain both new viewers and devoted fans alike. We are proud to continue to bring forth new and exciting Tom and Jerry material such as Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes. This is a must-have title that consumers will want to add to their kids home entertainment libraries.

Source Warner Home Video

While learning about American culture, history and geography, brothers Wilson and Ditch ride in style in their green-powered van, sharing experiences and real world resources for kids ages 6 – 10 and their families as they visit some of the country’s top cities, national parks and attractions. Funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the project for PBSKIDSGO.org includes original online video and interactive games as well as blogs, comics and podcasts posted by the brothers. PBS’ children’s websites, including PBSKIDSGO.org, receives an average of 9 million unique visitors per month and the video players deliver an average of 50 million streams per month.

In the new season, Wilson and Ditch will explore Seattle, Washington; Chicago, Illinois; Sleepy Hollow, New York; as well as Bryce and Zion National Parks in Utah and North Carolina’s Outer Banks. In addition the GoBros will introduce five rockin’ new “city ditties” featuring Los Angeles, Boston, Portland, Washington, DC and Dallas. Two new games also will be added to the site where kids will go, go, go on a race through six states in the “Go Go GoBros” adventure! Players take Ditch for a ride on a cool vehicle and cruise through different locations dodging obstacles along the way to earn smashed pennies! And in “You are Here” kids will be asked questions about the different states the GoBros have visited on their travels. When they answer correctly they’ll get a puzzle piece helping them earn smashed pennies to spend in the Souvenir Shack!

Additional content on the Wilson and Ditch site at http://pbskids.org/wilsonandditch/ includes Wilson’s travel blog, “Apple Pie Picks” (a treasure trove of each destinations local background and fun facts), “Local Chow” (food that is indigenous to the area), “Digging History” (historical facts), and the PBS Parents pbs.org/parents/wilsonandditch/ and PBS Teachers pbs.org/teachers/wilsonandditch/ sites will feature fun educational activities that will help students learn about geography, history, local culture, map skills and much more.

Recent stops on the GoBros exciting cross country adventure have included Flathead Valley, Montana and San Francisco, CA. Still to come this year is the September 9 debut of their visit to Grand Canyon, Arizona.

The Web site continues The Jim Henson Company and PBS’s strong relationship in building curriculum-rich content including the PBS KIDS® Emmy-Award nominated preschool series SID THE SCIENCE KID and DINOSAUR TRAIN. The animated webisodes star Wilson and Ditch (performed by Brian Henson and Paul Rugg) and are brought to life using the Emmy® Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows performers to puppeteer and voice digitally animated characters in real time.

PBS KIDS GO! is an educational multimedia destination specifically designed for early elementary school kids which debuted online at PBSKIDSGO.org and as an afternoon program block on PBS member stations in October 2004. PBS KIDS worked closely with early elementary school kids and industry experts to create this destination for an audience with limited choices for media content that is both fun and educational. With engaging, smart, age-appropriate content and a fun, quirky setting, PBS KIDS GO! empowers kids to discover themselves, define the diverse world around them, explore new relationships and embrace a love of learning. PBSKIDSGO.org hosts sites from all PBS KIDS GO! series alongside unique destinations such as “EekoWorld” – an environment where kids create their own creatures and monitor them in the wild, and “It’s My Life” – a forum for kids to delve into the daily issues of school, family and friends.

Source Jim Henson Company

She-Ra, also known as Princess Adora, is the twin sister of He-Man (Prince Adam) and the lead heroine in the Masters of the Universe® franchise. First introduced in March 1985 in the animated feature film, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword, soon thereafter She-Ra was given a spin-off television series, She-Ra: Princess of Power, which began airing in September 1985.

Since her debut, She-Ra has starred in 93 cartoon episodes, a Christmas Special (He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special), more than twenty Princess of Power book titles, twelve issues of She-Ra comic books and in six quarterly issues of the Princess of Power Magazine.

In each episode of She-Ra: Princess of Power, Adora transforms into her alter ego to fight alongside the Great Rebellion with her trusted steed—a winged unicorn named Swiftwind—for peace and justice on planet Etheria, and to defend Crystal Castle against Hordak and The Evil Horde. In battle, She-Ra uses her magical sword, the “Sword of Protection,” that she can command into other weapons, and that also enables her transformation when she holds it overhead and proclaims, “For the Honor of Grayskull, I am She-Ra!”

To celebrate the 25th Anniversary, Mattel and Classic Media are rolling out commemorative programs. Mattel will release collectibles on www.MattyCollector.com throughout the year, including a She-Ra action figure.

The first season of the Princess of Power series will be released on DVD, She-Ra: Volume 1, Season 1 (20 episodes; $19.93 SRP) and through digital downloads on iTunes (www.itunes.com) and Hulu. In addition, for the first time, the entire series is coming to DVD, She-Ra: The Complete Series 25th Anniversary Edition (93 episodes; $99.93 SRP). The box set will include collectible stickers, an iron-on and an episode guide.
“As the most powerful woman in the universe, She-Ra continues to add her strength to our collector portfolio,” said Scott Neitlich, Manager, Action Play Marketing, Mattel, Inc. “Being able to give fans new collectibles and keeping our heroine relevant after 25 years through new adaptations is a true testament to the iconic stature of She-Ra.”

“One of the original female superheroes, She-Ra combines femininity with strength, and in so doing is a timeless symbol of empowerment for women of all ages,” said Nicole Blake, EVP, Global Marketing & Consumer Products, Classic Media. “Countless male superheroes have been reintroduced to today’s audiences—now, celebrating the 25th Anniversary, is the time for She-Ra!”

Source Mattel

Batman Beyond: The Complete Series centers on Terry McGinnis, an ordinary teenager … until his father is mysteriously murdered. Suspecting foul play at his father’s company, Wayne/Powers Corporation, Terry meets Bruce Wayne and learns of a secret identity hidden for decades. Now too old to don the cape and cowl as Batman, Wayne refuses to help – so Terry does what any brash young kid would do: steal the Bat-suit and take matters into his own hands! Vowing to avenge his father’s death, Terry dons the high-tech suit tricked out with jetpacks, a supersensitive microphone and even camouflage capabilities in search of his father’s assassin. It’s 52 action-packed episodes following the adventures of the partnership between an ex-crimefighter and his apprentice, starring Will Friedle (Boy Meets World) as Terry McGinnis and, reprising his seminal role, Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Bruce Wayne.

Casting throughout the series’ 52 episodes featured award winners from feature films, primetime television and the Broadway stage – from Paul Winfield, Stockard Channing and Seth Green to William H. Macy, Wayne Brady and Teri Garr – not to mention George Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), Dan Castellaneta (The Simpsons), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), George Takei (Star Trek) and Henry Rollins (the front man for the rock band, Black Flag).

An all-star production team was headed by executive producer Jean MacCurdy and producers Bruce Timm, Alan Burnett, Glen Murakami and Paul Dini. Writers on the series included Burnett and Dini, as well as Stan Berkowitz, Bob Goodman, Rich Fogel, Hilary Bader and John McCann.

Included in the beautifully custom designed package is a 24-page, 8” x 12” collectible booklet with the inside perspective and artwork from the vaults especially compiled by DC Comics for this release.

Source Warner Home Video

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! first debuted during CBS’ Saturday morning lineup and became an instant hit. The series follows the adventures of four teenagers, Daphne, Fred, Shaggy, Velma and their lovable but cowardly Great Dane Scooby-Doo, as they solve cases and crimes which usually involve ghosts, monsters or other supernatural forces. The super-sleuth gang always travels to their escapades in their stylish, signature van, the Mystery Machine. High-jinks always ensue, with their investigations resulting in entertaining chase scenes mixed with catchy musical numbers and comedic antics. This hit program spawned several spin-off series, specials, consumer products and live action films.

“We felt this remarkable animation classic deserved to be recognized with a collector’s edition release that is just as special as the series itself,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. He added, “Our goal was to create a collection that would impress and excite Scooby-Doo fans. We anticipate this release to be big hit this holiday season.”

Source Warner Home Video

Pretty Cure follows the adventures of two ordinary girls, Natalie Blackstone and Hannah Whitehouse, as they encounter mysterious creatures from “The Garden of Light”, and are chosen as the legendary warriors known as “Pretty Cure”. Together they must battle an evil force called the “Dark Zone” and save the day.

“Pretty Cure is filled with original and dynamic characters, great storylines and non-stop adventure that is sure to provide hours of entertainment for kids in this vital market,” said Kazahaya.

Mark Eyers, Vice President, Content, Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc. said, “We’re delighted to further expand our relationship with Toei Animation through the Pretty Cure series and we’re sure that this will complement our entertaining line up of kids programming.”

Source Toei

The latest instalment of one of the most successful franchises in movie history, Toy Story 3, follows the ongoing adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends as they are mistakenly sent to a children’s nursery, where they have to fight against the sinister regime of Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear to find their way back home. Featuring voice talents such as Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg and Timothy Dalton the film has been showing to sell-out audiences across the UK since its July release.

The new range from Spearmark features a wide variety of products that are sure to delight Toy Story fans, including a fantastic bright, energy saving LED lamp. This neat lamp, with its large user-friendly on/off button and can be powered by mains adapter or by batteries, making for an excellent portable light that can be taken anywhere and everywhere, perfect for encouraging children to do their homework or reading their favourite book!

Other products in the range include a Rise & Shine sleeptime routine trainer, which is in the shape of a space rocket, a battery operated nightlight, a bedside KOOL lamp, a colour changing mini glitter lamp plus, a number of ceiling shades and a fun 3D lenticular bin. Prices range from £3.99 to £25.00, ensuring that all sales channels are catered for, from discount to premium.

“As expected, Toy Story 3 is proving to be a huge hit and we are very excited about the potential offered by our range. All the products look great on-shelf and are competitively priced too so, we are confident that they will perform extremely well at retail,” says Alex Bloom, commercial director at Spearmark.

Source Spearmark Lighting

“Not many people realize that the Smurfs originally appeared in comics starting in the late fifties,” explains Papercutz Publisher Terry Nantier. “This is a classic of children’s comics that has sold over 50 million books worldwide in many languages.” After an animated movie in 1976, the Smurfs starred in their own Saturday morning TV series on NBC starting in 1981. The series was a blockbuster hit, spawning Smurf-mania and lasting nine seasons. These shows are still running on Cartoon Network’s Boomerang channel, and are also now available on DVD.

An all-new Smurfs movie, combining live-action and computer-animated Smurfs, is now in production and set for release in August 2011. This Sony/Columbia film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays, Hank Azaria, Alan Cumming, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry and George Lopez.

“Papercutz is dedicated to publishing the very best comics and graphic novels for audiences of all ages, and are thrilled to be publishing one of the best-loved series of graphic novels ever created,” added Papercutz Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup.

Source Papercutz

The Year Without a Santa Claus is the beloved 1974 Rankin/Bass stop motion animation television special that tells the story of the year Santa Claus (voiced by Mickey Rooney) decides to skip gift-giving and take a holiday, because he feels the children of the world have forgotten about him. Eager to help, Mrs. Claus (voiced by Shirley Booth) sends two spunky little elves, Jingle and Jangle, to search the world and find people who still believe in old St. Nick. She also enlists memorable characters, Heat Miser and his half brother Snow Miser, to help her bring Santa back to his good mood while she convinces them that Christmas is not just about presents. Jingle and Jangle in the meantime get themselves into quite a bit of trouble when their baby reindeer Vixen is mistaken for a dog and sent to the pound. Santa attempts to rescue Vixen and along the way learns that some people still believe in him. But it’s not until after he receives a letter from a little girl, who writes to him about having a blue Christmas, that Santa jumps back into action and makes his traditional delivery run on Christmas Eve.

Merry-making bonus features include:

* Rudolph’s Shiny New Year — When the baby New Year named Happy goes missing, Father Time (voiced by Red Skelton) asks Rudolph to find him before midnight on New Year’s Eve.

* Nestor the Long-eared Christmas Donkey — Back in the days of the Roman Empire, a small donkey named Nestor who is teased mercilessly about his abnormally long ears, becomes a hero when he is chosen by Mary and Joseph to take them to Bethlehem where Mary gives birth to baby Jesus.

* We are Santa’s Elves – A documentary focusing on the legacy of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass of Rankin/Bass Productions, Inc. the production company known for creating several, memorable seasonal television specials.

* School of Stop Motion – Presents the Chiodo Brothers, modern day masters of stop motion animation as they introduce viewers to their studio and also to their craft via a by-step demonstration aimed at young people.

In the newly re-mastered, deluxe edition of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, for some unexplained reason, letters to Santa Claus are being returned to the children of Junctionville. It seems some resident has angered St. Nick, calling Christmas “a fraudulent myth!” Skeptical Albert Mouse has to be brought to his senses “and let up a little on the wonder why.” How Albert is persuaded to change his tune paves the way for Santa’s jolly return to town – and the joyous finale of the animated fable inspired by Clement Moore’s poem and produced by the merrymaking conjurers of Rankin/Bass Studios. The voice talents of Joel Grey, Tammy Grimes, John McGiver and George Gobel make this festive fable even more fun.

Source Warner Home Video

DC Showcase animated shorts initially appeared as special bonus content on the 2010 slate of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. The 10- to 12-minute films include The Spectre, Jonah Hex and Green Arrow. All three titles will be presented in extended formats along with the first-ever release of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam.

In Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam, Clark Kent’s latest interview subject is street kid Billy Batson. What Clark doesn’t know is that Billy is more than a feisty kid with a lot of heart – he has been chosen by an ancient wizard to represent the good of man as the World’s Mightiest Mortal just by invoking the name of the wizard, “Shazam!” Billy’s powers come none-too-soon, as he also discovers he’s being pursued by a centuries’ old, murderous villain, Black Adam – a foe so powerful, even Superman can’t stop him alone. The all-star cast of Superman/Shazam! The Return of Black Adam is led by Jerry O’Connell (Crossing Jordan) as Captain Marvel, George Newbern reprising his Justice League role as Superman, Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) as Black Adam and two-time Emmy Award® winner James Garner (8 Simple Rules) as The Wizard.

Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday) is executive producer and Joaquim Dos Santos (Justice League, Avatar: The Last Airbender) is director of the first series of DC Showcase titles. Michael Jelenic (Wonder Woman) wrote the 22-minute script

Source Warner

Giant Fireballs, Swirling Clouds, Dust Storms Simulated 10-15 Times Faster Using Groundbreaking NVIDIA Quadro GPU Technology

Paramount Pictures’ latest film, “The Last Airbender,” features extraordinary battle visual effects created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), with the help of NVIDIA Quadro professional graphics technology NVIDIA announced today.

The film, released in theaters on July 2, features dramatic sequences in which characters are empowered to harness the four ancient elements — fire, air, water and earth — and manipulate them as weapons in battle. Giant fireballs, tendrils of water, walls of earth and overwhelming air blasts are a few of the digital simulations created by ILM as part of the film’s 485 visual-effects shots resulting in over an hour of screen time.

Central to achieving many of these sequences was the use of a tool created by ILM called Plume. Plume is both a fluid simulation system and a GPU-based renderer that utilizes the NVIDIA® CUDA(TM) parallel computing architecture. ILM realized dramatic speed increases with Plume by running simulation renders on a 12-machine GPU-based render farm powered by NVIDIA Quadro® FX 5800 professional graphics solutions.

“As with everything in high-end visual effects, iteration was essential,” said Olivier Maury, research and development engineer, ILM. “By working within an NVIDIA GPU-based framework, we saw up to eight iterations each day of complex fire, dust and air simulations. That represents speed improvements of 10-15x over CPU-based simulations. Access to CUDA and NVIDIA GPUs has entirely changed the way we approach a variety of complex visual effects challenges.”

While Plume was initially designed for rendering computer-generated fire, its flexibility led it to also be employed in the creation of air-bending dynamics, ocean mist, smoke and the swirling of clouds. A particularly complex shot depicts the film’s main character, Aang (played by actor Noah Ringer) fighting off hurled streams of fire with gusts of air that push aside the fire and sand particles. It was made possible by two Quadro GPU-driven Plume simulations of carefully directed air streams and fire, interacting with each other.

“Because Plume is accelerated by NVIDIA Quadro GPUs, it’s highly interactive and becomes a tool that relies more on the artist’s eye rather than their technical knowledge,” explained Craig Hammack, associate visual effects supervisor, ILM. “This means you don’t have to understand the underlying algorithms or all of the fine details of how fluid solvers work to drive the detail of a simulation.”

ILM’s primary toolset on “The Last Airbender” included NVIDIA subsidiary mental image’s mental ray® software and Pixar’s Renderman for rendering, Autodesk Maya for animation, The Foundry’s Nuke for compositing, and proprietary tools Zeno and Saber for CG and effects creation. ILM plans to incorporate additional NVIDIA CUDA architecture-based tools into future project pipelines and continues to explore even more new ways to implement GPU-accelerated rendering into its visual effects workflows.

Source NVIDIA

“Dark imagery is an integral part of the Walt Disney legacy. After all, Disney himself was the father of some really chilling moments and characters – think Chernabog from Fantasia or Maleficent as the Dragon or the Evil Queen in Snow White,” said del Toro. “I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of my own adaptation of the original theme park attraction Walt envisioned and that remains- for me- the most desirable piece of real estate in the whole world!”

“Millions of people from around the world visit The Haunted Mansion each year, but no one has ever had a tour guide like Guillermo del Toro,” said Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. “Guillermo is one of the most gifted and innovative filmmakers working today and he is going to take audiences on a visually-thrilling journey like they’ve never experienced before.”

Since August 1969, foolish mortals have dared to trespass on the macabre grounds of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. A hallowed landmark in Disneyland’s New Orleans square, it’s the dwelling place of 999 happy haunts dying to meet new visitors each day. The plantation-style of the mansion’s facade is a sweet deception for visitors. Inside, ghostly doom buggies line the hallways. Since its construction, the mysteries of the mansion have transcended the attraction with stories surfacing about horrifying encounters with the supernatural. Versions of the daunting edifice have been built at other Disney theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and Paris.

Soruce Walt Disney Studios

“Upper Deck is thrilled to be releasing this set of cards featuring Thomas & Friends,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Thomas & Friends brand manager. “It’s our pleasure to join in on all the fun that this No. 1 preschool property brings to the table for youngsters around the globe.”

Targeted to kids between the ages of three and six, the fun, collectible trading cards from Upper Deck will appeal to Thomas & Friends fans of all ages. The premiere installment of Thomas & Friends Collectipak™ is an easy-to-learn activity based on the travels of Thomas and his engine friends on the Island of Sodor. Youngsters will journey around the island with Thomas & Friends and help their favorite engines get back to Tidmouth Sheds.

In future releases of Thomas & Friends trading cards, Upper Deck will launch additional products including stand-up trading cards and sticker trading cards based on the popular preschool property* which is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. The second Thomas & Friends trading card release from Upper Deck is scheduled to hit the market in November 2010.

Thomas the Tank Engine was created by a father for his son in 1945 and today is enjoyed by families in more than 185 territories in over 30 languages through books, DVDs, live family events, on TV, online and in toys. Later this year, Thomas is moving full steam ahead with the debut of an all-new CG animated television series in the U.S. with new friends and new adventures.

“The distinctive engine characters of Thomas & Friends lend themselves perfectly to trading cards, and Upper Deck is the perfect partner to launch this new line,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President, U.S. Consumer Products – Thomas Division, HIT Entertainment. “This is a fun way for kids to collect their favorite engine friends, and we look forward to working with Upper Deck to expand the Thomas & Friends world in this category.”

Source The Upper Deck Company

COMEDY CENTRAL earned nine nominations in the 2009-2010 Primetime Emmy® Awards competition, it was announced today by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS).

Four-time Emmy-winner “South Park,” the adult animation phenomenon, home to Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman, received its tenth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Animated Program. Nominated for “200 / 201,” the show in its 14th season remains COMEDY CENTRAL’s highest-rated show. It too has won the prestigious Peabody® Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

Thirteen-time Emmy-winner (seven times for program and six for writing) “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” the network’s unique news parody series, is nominated this year in five categories: Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series and Chuck O’Neil, singled out for the seventh year-in-a-row for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series.

Two additional nominations came in the Technical Direction category and The Daily Show Ask a Correspondent piece, “The Meaning of Life,” credited to thedailyshow.com, COMEDY CENTRAL Digital. This brings the grand total of Primetime Emmy nominations for the “Daily Show” to 37. The program is also a two-time winner of the prestigious Peabody® Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

“The Colbert Report,” with Stephen Colbert assuming a dismissive, Bill O’Reilly-like persona while commenting on the issues of the day, received three Emmy Award nominations: Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, a category in which it won its first Emmy in 2008, and Director Jim Hoskinson was cited for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Series. The show has been nominated in each of these categories for four years-in-a-row; its total number of nominations now stands at 18. The show has also been honored with the prestigious Peabody® Award for Excellence in Broadcasting.

The Emmy Awards will be presented in two ceremonies. The first, primarily for creative arts categories, will take place on Saturday, August 21, while the balance of the Emmys, primarily for the performing arts, will be announced before a black-tie audience during a primetime telecast (NBC) on Sunday, August 29. Both ceremonies will take place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA.

Source Comedy Central