Sneak Peek Stars Wars: The Force Unleashed...

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"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" is being developed by LucasArts, Dark Horse Comics, Lego, Hasbro, and Del Rey Books, as a video game, tie-in novel , action figures, comic book, reference book and role-playing game supplement.

All materials are scheduled for release, August 26, 2008.

Nominees For The 2nd Annual Elan Awards...

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The Producers of the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts announced the Final Nominees for their 2nd Annual Elan Awards this morning at a press/industry conference, attended by West Coast animation/digital media industry players, at the Sutton Place Hotel.

The categories for Electronic Game Categories ranged from Best Console Game to Best Art Direction.
This year’s awards show will be Hosted by Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts, February 15th.

Holly Carinci, Founder, Producer CAEAA/The Elans

And the nominees are...

Nominee Presenter, actress Anna Cummer, "My Little Pony/Monsterbuster"

ANIMATION CATEGORIES

1. BEST FEATURE LENGTH ANIMATED PRODUCTION

1. Barbie As The Island Princess/Rainmaker Animation
2. Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow/Rainmaker Animation
3. Max Steel: Countdown/Rainmaker Animation

2. BEST ANIMATED PRODUCTION (Television Series)

1. Carl Squared/ Portfolio Entertainment INC
2. Class of Titans/Studio B
3. Edgar & Ellen/Bardel Entertainment
4. Starveillance/Cuppa coffee Studios

3. BEST ANIMATED SHORT SUBJECT

1. Yyellow Sticky Notes/Jeff Chiba Stearns
2. Clancy With The Puck/ Studio B

4. BEST DIRECTION in a FEATURE LENGTH ANIMATED PRODUCTION

1. Barbie As The Island Princess/Rainmaker Animation
2. Barbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow/Rainmaker Animation
3. Max Steel: Countdown/Rainmaker Animation

5. BEST DIRECTION in an ANIMATED TELEVISION SERIES

1. Carl Squared/Portfolio Entertainment INC
2. George of the Jungle/Studio B
3. Ricky Sprocket/Studio B
4. Ruby Gloom/Nelvana LTD

6. BEST MALE VOICE OVER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE OR TELEVISION PRODUCTION

1. Lee Tockar "George of the Jungle"/Studio B
2. Louie Chiurillo "Johnny Test"/Cookie Jar Entertainment
3. Stewart Stone "Carl Squared" Episode 32 "Superstar"/Portfolio Entertainment INC

7. BEST FEMALE VOICE OVER IN AN ANIMATED FEATURE OR TELEVISION PRODUCTION

1. Emily Hampshire "Carl Squared" Episode #29 "Carl SuperSized"/Portfolio Entertainment INC
2. Maryke Hendrisk "Johnny Test"/Cookie Jar entertainment
3. Julie Lemieux "Wibur: Wilburs Birthday"/Mercury Filmworks
4. Tabitha St. Germain "Ricky Sprocket"/Showbiz Boy Voicebox Productions/Studio B

8. BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE

1. Bruno and the Banana/Bunch Cuppa Coffee Studios
2. Carl Squared Episode 32 "Superstar"/Portfolio Entertainment INC

11. BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN OR ART DIRECTION

1. Edgar & Ellen: Crushed/Bardel Entertainment
2. George of the Jungle: Naked Ape Man/Studio B
3. Max Steel: Countdown/Rainmaker Animation
4. Weird Years: Pipes/Mercury Filmworks

12. BEST WRITING IN AN ANIMATED PRODUCTION

1. Carl Squared Episode #44 "Doomsday"/Portfolio Entertainment INC
2. George of the Jungle: Beetle Invasions/Naked Ape Man Studio B
3. Ricky Sprocket Showbiz Boy: Screen Kiss/Double Crossed Studio B
4. Storm Hawks Age of Heros/Nerd Corps Entertainment

BEST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED PRODUCTION (Television Series)

1. American Dad/Fuzzy Door Production
2. Death Note/VIZ Media
3. Dogstar/Media World Pictures
4. Family Guy/Fuzzy Door Productions

Nominee Presenter, actor Torrance Coombs, "JPOD"

ELECTRONIC GAME CATEGORIES

1. GAME OF THE YEAR

1. Assassin’s Creed/Ubisoft
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces/Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate/Electronic Arts

2. BEST CONSOLE GAME

1. Assassin’s Creed/Ubisoft
2. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Scarface/Radical Entertainment
4. Skate/Electronic Arts

3. BEST PC GAME

1. Company of Heroes/Relic Entertainment
2. War Hammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade/Relic Entertainment
3. Power Rangers: Super Legends/Disney Interactive

5. BEST SOUND DESIGN

1. Crash of the Titans/Radical Entertainment
2. Need for Speed ProStreet/Electronic Arts
3. Skate/Electronic Arts
4. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games

6. BEST ORIGINAL MUSICAL SCORE

1. Assasins Creed/Ubisoft
2. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Company of Heroes/Relic Entertainment
4. War Hammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade/Relic Entertainment

7. BEST CHARACTER

1. Commander Shepard (Mass Effect)/Bioware/Microsoft Games
2. Crash Bandicoot (Crash of the Titans)/Radical Entertainment
3. Death Jr. (Science Fair of Doom)/Backbone Entertainment
4. Tony Montana (Scarface)/Radical Entertainment

8. BEST ART DIRECTION

1. Assassin’s Creed/Ubisoft
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts/Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate/Electronic Arts

9. BEST HANDHELD GAME OF THE YEAR (psp, ds, etc...)

1. Chicken Little: Ace in Action/Disney Interactive
2. High School Musical Sing It/Disney Interactive
3. Socom U.S. Navy Seals: Tactical Strike/Slant Six Games
4. Sonic Rivals/Backbone Games

10. BEST GAME DESIGN OF THE YEAR

1. Assassins Creed/Ubisoft
2. Mario Strikers/Next Level Games
3. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
4. Skate/Electronic Arts

11. BEST MOBILE/CASUAL/ARCADE GAME OF THE YEAR

1. Skate/Electronic Arts Mobile
2. Candace Kane's Candy Factory/Gnosis Games

12. BEST WRITING FOR A GAME PRODUCTION

1. Company of Heroes/Relic Entertainment
2. Company of Heroes: Opposing Forces/Relic Entertainment
3. Mass Effect/Bioware/ Microsoft Games
4. Scarface/Radical Entertainment

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION IN GAMING

1. Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts/Relic Entertainment
2. Mass Effect/Bioware/Microsoft Games
3. Skate/Electronic Arts
4. War Hammer 40,000 Dawn of War: Dark Crusade/Relic Entertainment

INTERNATIONAL VIDEO GAME OF THE YEAR

1. The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar/Turbine, Inc.
2. Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction/Insomniac Games, Sony Computer Entertainment America
3. Crysis/Crytek/Electronic Arts USA

Nominee Presenter, Jessica Parker Kennedy, actress "Another Cinderella Story"

STUDENT ANIMATION AND ELECTRONIC GAME CATEGORIES

1. STUDENT ANIMATED OR MOTION GRAPHIC PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR

1. Legend of Boruta Emily Carr Institute Bartosz Nowakowski
2. Swing Vancouver Film School Estaban Azuela
3. Turntale Emily Carr Institute Kora Kosicka
4. Duelity Vancouver Film School Marcos Ceravolo, Ryan Uhrich

2. STUDENT GAME OF THE YEAR

1. Bloom Vancouver Film School Boring Games; Project Manager: Adrian Audet
2. Chamelio Vancouver Film School Chad Sehn, Dave Malmberg, Jefferey Chang, Kayo Wildman
3. Foamzilla Vancouver Film School Johan Eickmeyer, Mark Barazzuol
4. Seas of Europa Vancouver Film School Scott Riesterer, Jordan Ivey

3. BEST ORIGINAL SOUND DESIGN/MUSICAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED PRODUCTION OR GAME

1. Le Building Vancouver Film School Doug Woods
2. Climber Vancouver Film School Jessica Lemes da Silva
3. Snowman Vancouver Film School Steve Bigras
4. Hatched The Art Institute of Vancouver Kevin Webb

4. BEST Student ART DIRECTION - GAME PRODUCTION

1. Hydro School of Interactive Art and Technology(SIAT) SFU Yohei Shimomae, Scott Ko, Darrell Yeo
2. Introspect The Art Institute of Vancouver Team Leader- Mitchell Lagran
3. Patchwork Playgrounds Vancouver Film School Jimmy Steorts, Sean Bosshardt, Brian Chong, Tom Munro
4. Seas of Europa Vancouver Film School Todd Agnello, David Bowring, Diego Rodriguez,Ryan Stancl

5. BEST STUDENT ART DIRECTION - ANIMATED PRODUCTION

. 8 Emily Carr Institute Jeff Simpson
2. A Modelling Reel Vancouver Film School Julianna Kolakis
3. Manso Sinistra Emily Carr Institute Kate Lee
4. The Legend of Boruta Emily Carr Institute Bartosz Nowakowski

6. BEST STUDENT WRITING FOR AN ANIMATED OR GAME PRODUCTION

1. Catnip Western School of Interactive Art and Technology(SIAT) SFU Cody Church, Mohammed El Eryan, John Pang
2. Documentary Vancouver Film School Lawrence Chung
3. For You My People Emily Carr Institute Jose Pablo Gonzalez
4. The Legend of Boruta Emily Carr Institute Bartosz Nowakowski

7. READY TO ROCKET

1. Bartosz Nowakowski Emily Carr Institute
2. Karl Schmidt, Alex Ting School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT)
SFU
3. Diego Rodriguez Vancouver Film School
4. Matt Alder VanArts

Lauren Mote, HollywoodNorthReport, PoivreMedia.Ca

screencaps c. 2008- Michael Stevens/SneakPeek.Ca

EA Explores "Dead Space"...

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Electronic Arts explores "Dead Space" a new comic book series prequel to their upcoming 2008 game release, about a deep space mining colony that unexpectedly pulls an ancient alien life force from the rock...

McFarlane Toys With "Halo"...

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Canadian artist/toy manufacturer Todd McFarlane and Microsoft continue to collaborate producing action figures based on video game series "Halo", with this new 'Tan Spartan Soldier' in 'EOD armor'...

Peter Griffin Hosting Elan Game Awards

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The Producers of the Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts (CAEAA) along with their Event Partners Ernst & Young, Electronic Arts (EA), Autodesk, N-GAGE by NOKIA, and the Government of British Columbia have announced Seth "Family Guy" MacFarlane as Host for the 2nd Annual Elan Awards Show, February 15th, 2008 at The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts.

"I am extremely excited to be hosting the 2nd Annual Elan Awards," said MacFarlane, creator, executive producer and the voice of 'Peter Griffin' on the hit animated TV series "Family Guy".

"I am, of course, heavily involved in animation, and gaming seems to be the wave of the future. But most of all, I’m excited to purchase inexpensive prescription drugs and smuggle them back into the United States ."

"It’s obvious that he’s the perfect Host for our awards show especially given the industries we honour, Animation and Video Gaming, and it’s these industries that we owe the idea of inviting Seth to Host, " said Holly Carinci, producer of the Elan Awards.

"We’re just so happy and not a little relieved that he accepted! It’s not easy finding the right Host for two different industries and we’ve certainly got that with Seth.”

Seth MacFarlane began his career studying animation and design at the Rhode Island School of Design, where he created the animated short film "The Life of Larry," which later became the inspiration for "Family Guy". "Family Guy" was picked up by FOX in 1998, and MacFarlane went on to receive an Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance. In 2002 he received an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for "Family Guy".

MacFarlane also serves as co-creator/executive producer/star of the FOX animated series "American Dad", entering its fourth season.

The Elan Awards, which awards the talent behind the burgeoning professional Video Gaming and Animation industries, as well as the raw talent (students) coming from Digital Art Educational Institutions, began in its first year as a Canadian-only Awards show but added International “Best of” categories for all three of these industries for their second production of the show. Participation exploded after only one year into an enormous network of Video Game, Animation and Digital Art Schools worldwide who were eager to participate.

"We are quite taken aback by the enthusiasm of so many countries outside of Canada to participate in this show." said Carinci.

"We believe that this early World wide Industry participation in the Elans is positive indication of our mandate in establishing Canada as the World centre for Video Gaming and the celebration of Canada ’s incredible contribution to the world in Animation and the educational Institutions behind the future talent in both phenomenal industries. In short, we are looking to one day soon produce the Oscar-equivalent for both Animation and Video Gaming. Having a host the caliber of Seth MacFarlane and worldwide participation in what is only the second show, the future looks very bright."

The 2nd Annual Elan Awards will be held in Vancouver , British Columbia , Canada at The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts and their Official Hotelier The Sutton Place Hotel, Vancouver (one of only two AAA Five Diamond Hotels in all of Canada ).

Backing their efforts are supporters of the Elans which includes Alexander Holburn Beaudin & Lang LLP, Seven Group, Annex Pro, Foundation 9/Backbone Entertainment, Radical Entertainment, Next Level Games, slant six games, Studio B Productions, Mercury Filmworks, Action Pants, Atomic Robot Games, Blue Castle Games, Voicebox Productions, Western Imperial Magnetics, 90 Degree Software, David Kaye Productions, Raven Tales, Selkirk College, The Art Institute of Vancouver, Emily Carr Institute, Sheridan College, Vancouver Film School, School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SFU), University of Washington Department of Communications, BC Film, Vancouver Economic Development Commission, Tourism Vancouver, BC Innovation Council, as well as Uniglobe Advance Travel, FedEx, Paramount Limousines, Chloe Angus Designs, Moore’s Clothing for Men and the Awards Auditing firm, Buckley Dodds & Assoc.s...

Custom Color Tattoos!

Happy 2008 From Vancouver...

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