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    Class-Key Chew-Po Signs Dir. Kovalyov: Co-Helmer Of The Rugrats Movie.

    By SHOOT StaffUpdated:No Comments1657 Views

    By MILLIE TAKAKI

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    Director Igor Kovalyov, who co-directed The Rugrats Movie with Norton Virgien, has signed with Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials, Hollywood, a division of animation studio Klasky Csupo. This is Kovalyovs first representation in the spot arena. He has been on staff at Klasky Csupo, working in the feature (The Rugrats Movie) and TV series (Aaahh!!! Real Monsters) disciplines.

    Kovalyov is a Kiev, Ukraine native and also a co-founder of Moscows influential Pilot School of Animation. His award-winning short films include Hen-His Wife, and the Klasky-Csupo produced Bird in the Window. Both films took grand prize honors at the Ottawa International Festival of Animation.

    As a designer, storyboard artist, animator and director, Kovalyov has been an integral part of Klasky Csupo since co-founder Gabor Csupo brought him on board in 1991. Kovalyovs credits include directing the animated TV series Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, one of the Nicktoons on cable network Nickelodeon.

    Executive producer John Andrews-who teams with exec. producer colleague Liz Seidman to oversee Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials-cited Kovalyovs brand of directing, design and animation as being a complement to the spot divisions directorial roster which also includes: Stig Berqvist, Jim Blashfield, Sally Cruikshank, Steven Dovas, John Haugse, Mike Johnson, Corky Quakenbush, Debra Solomon, and Bonita Versh.

    At press time, Versh was helming a Kraft Macaroni & Cheese spot featuring The Rugrats for Foote, Cone & Belding, Chicago; and Dovas was directing a Levis Dockers assignment for Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), London. The latter is being produced by Class-Key Chew-Po Commercials and came via an informal representation relationship the division maintains with London live-action house Nexus Film. Similarly, Cruikshank recently designed the animation portion of a One to One Cellular spot for BBH, again garnered through Nexus.

    Currently located in six separate buildings throughout the Hollywood area, Klasky Csupo is slated to move into a single Hollywood complex housing all its operations-including Class-Key Chew-Po commercials-sometime in July. The new site is a six-story, 95,000 square foot building that had been home to Mercedes-Benzs Western regional headquarters. Renovation of the facility has already begun; plans call for extensive animation resources, CGI workstations, postproduction facilities and a recording studio.

    The CGI operation is being developed under the aegis of computer animator Adam Bernard who came on board last year (SHOOT, 10/9/98, p. 1). With the completion of The Rugrats Movie, a Paramount Pictures release produced by Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon, digital resources were freed up which are now more readily available for spots. Those resources include multiple CGI seats encompassing SGI and NT platforms.

    Klasky Csupo was formed back in 1982 by graphic designer Arlene Klasky and animator Gabor Csupo, who have built reputations as advocates of artistic experimentation through animation. The studio was the original production house on The Simpsons and also has to its TV series credit Rugrats, Duckman, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and The Wild Thornberrys. Also among Klasky Csupos TV endeavors are the Edith Ann specials. And in fall 98, the studio turned out a home video release for McDonalds that was distributed nationally via the restaurant chain.

    Additionally, theres a sequel to The Rugrats Movie being planned for release in fall 2000. Other Klasky Csupo holdings include the record labels Tone Casualties and Casual Tonalities as well as Klasky Csupo Publishing.

    Category:News



    Gene Hackman Died Of Heart Disease; Hantavirus Claimed His Wife’s Life About One Week Prior

    Friday, March 7, 2025
    Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

    Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a full week after his wife died from hantavirus in their New Mexico hillside home, likely unaware that she was dead because he was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, authorities revealed Friday. Both deaths were ruled to be from natural causes, chief medical examiner Dr. Heather Jarrell said alongside state fire and health officials at a news conference. "Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer's disease," Jarrell said. "He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that's what resulted in his death." Authorities didn't suspect foul play after the bodies of Hackman, 95, and Betsy Arakawa, 65, were discovered Feb 26. Immediate tests for carbon monoxide poisoning were negative. Investigators found that the last known communication and activity from Arakawa was Feb. 11 when she visited a pharmacy, pet store and grocery before returning to their gated neighborhood that afternoon, Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza said Friday. Hackman's pacemaker last showed signs of activity a week later and that he had an abnormal heart rhythm Feb. 18, the day he likely died, Jarrell said. Although there was no reliable way to determine the date and time when both died, all signs point to their deaths coming a week apart, Jarrell said. "It's quite possible he was not aware she was deceased," Jarrell said. Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, said he believes Hackman was severely impaired due to Alzheimer's disease and unable to deal with his wife's death in the last week of his life. "You are talking about very severe Alzheimer's disease that normal people would be in a nursing home or have a nurse, but she was taking care... Read More

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