Answering the growing demand for animation production facilities in Germany, Animagix Media AG has opened four new studios to offer computerized digital ink, paint, special effects and camera compositing services for traditional 2-D animation. Located in Berlin, Hamburg, Bottrop (near Cologne) and Munich, the new locations will help the company expand its services into 3-D animation by the end of 2000.

Animagix’ new facilities are pretty booked already. Right now a TV feature is finished that will be spun off into a 24 x 24-minute animated western series called Winnetoons. Both the feature and the toon series, targeting a family audience, are based on the popular German novels by Karl May (outside of Europe, the series will be offered under the title WesToons).

The flick’s executive producer is Hamburg based ASL-Animationsstudio Ludewig GmbH in association with ARD member network SWR and a film fund from Kaufbeuren-based Victoria Media Group. ARD will televise the movie, but has not yet set an air date. International distribution will be handled by Monaco-based MS International.

The next product Animagix will work on is a 75-minute animated feature entitled Little Polar Bear, which goes into production in September. A spin-off series (13 x 24 minutes) is slated for production in 2000. The project is produced by Berlin’s Rothkirch Cartoon Film and Warner Bros. DB