March 2009 Archives

Project:  Lincoln "Light Speed"
Airdate: March 30, 2009
Director: Carl Erik Rinsch/RSA
Ad Agency: Team Detroit
VFX Supervisor: Jonah Hall / Digital Domain

The Concept:
The original spot concept involved shooting a live action car and a lot of
practical effects and then compositing the whole thing and enhancing it
with a small number of 3D effects.  So the scope of the original project
was originally about 10% CG, but because of what DD was able to achieve in
the digital realm, ended up being almost entirely CG and/or CG enhanced in
the final execution.
 
VFX Supervisor Jonah Hall was involved from the early stages of
pre-production and worked closely with the director and agency creative
team to define the spot concepts.  In fact, since Digital Domain's car
pipeline is so well established -- the team has literally completed
hundreds of CG cars for film and television -- the biggest challenge didn't
lie in the execution of the CG and effects, but in defining the look of the
comet light streak that carries through and largely sets the tone for the
entire commercial.
 
The look of the streak evolved through several color and textural
iterations to become the running bright white blast of light that
highlights the car's sleek features.
 
The Production:
The Digital Domain VFX team supervised a practical effects shoot on the
Sony Lot to capture the live-action material. The crew had five cameras on
set, a motion control system, and a buck to shoot the car interior. Digital
Domain then set up what were basically tables with different science
experiments going on -- such as light shows and lasers shooting through
foam that the team used indirectly. So instead of applying these practical
effects directly, Digital Domain built digital effects with these as
inputs, using the effects in combination with CG. The production team shot
the car, Digital Domain rotoscoped it out, color graded and lit it to match
the CG car, and then reinserted the car and created the digital effects
swirling around it.
 
 
PRODUCTION CREDITS:
 
CLIENT:      Lincoln
PRODUCT:      Lincoln MKZ
 
AIR DATE for "Light Speed":  3/30/09
1st BROADCAST LOCATION:  U.S. / FOX, "24" T.V. Series
 
CREDIT LIST:
 
ADVERTISING AGENCY:   Team Detroit / Dearborn, MI
 
Exec. Creative Director:   Greg Braun
Art Director:     Adam Hull
Writer:      Nicholas Flora
Producer:      Mike Stark
Senior Account Manager:   Heather Miller
 
PRODUCTION COMPANY:  RSA Films, Inc. / Los Angeles, CA
 
Director:     Carl Erik Rinsch
Director of Photography:   Claudio Miranda
Executive Producer:    Marjie Abrahams
Line Producer:     Annie Johnson
 
ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS: Digital Domain, Inc. / Venice, CA
 
President of Commercials, Exec. Producer:  Ed Ulbrich
Executive Producer / Head of Production:  Karen Anderson
Visual Effects Supervisor:    Jonah Hall
CG Supervisor:    James Atkinson
VFX Producer:    Chris Fieldhouse
VFX Coordinator:    Stephanie Escobar
Flame Artist:     Pilon Lectez
Flame Artist Assistant   Matt Bramante
Nuke Compositor:    Rafael F. Colón
Nuke Compositor:    Krista Benson
Houdini Artist:     James Atkinson
Houdini Artist:     Jason Mortimer
Digital Artist:     Casey Benn
Roto Artist:     Hilery Johnson Copeland
Roto Artist:    Karin Last
Roto Artist:    David Wu
Roto Artist:    Kanae Morton
On Set Tracker:    Scott Edelstein
Integration Tracker:    Som Shankar
 
EDITORIAL HOUSE:   Final Cut/LA / Santa Monica, CA
 
Editor:      Stephen Berger
Exec. Producer:     Kelly Garcia
 
MUSIC/BAND:    Shiny Toy Guns
 
SOUND HOUSE DESIGN:   Ringside Creative
Location:     Oak Park, MI
Sound Designer:    Jay Scott
 
AUDIO POST/MIX HOUSE:  Ringside Creative
Location:     Oak Park, MI
Mixer:      Jay Scott
 

ULTRA REALISTIC ATMOSPHERES FOR 3DS MAX, CINEMA4D, LIGHTWAVE, MAYA AND XSI

March 31, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, makers of Vue, the leading solutions for natural 3D environments, and creators of breakthrough spectral atmospheric rendering technologies today announced the immediate availability of a free Open Beta of it's upcoming Ozone 4.0 Atmospheric Plugin for 3DS Max, Cinema4D, LightWave, Maya and Softimage|XSI.

Ozone 4.0 implements the Spectral 2 cutting-edge technologies developed by e-on software for the simulation and rendering of atmospheric effects. Ozone 4.0 atmospheres provide an accurately simulated environment that affects all elements of the scenes, and behaves according to nature's rules.

Some of the new features of Ozone 4.0 include:

• Breakthrough Spectral 2™ and Volumetric atmosphere models:

Based entirely on real-world atmospheric behavior, the new Spectral 2™ engine produces ultra-realistic environments with volumetric clouds, accurate light dispersion and natural phenomena such as Godrays. These new technologies realistically model the behavior of our planet's atmosphere to produce all kinds of atmospheric effects.

• Real 3D Clouds:

Highly optimized volumetric cloud layers that you can fly through or easily simulate realistic low-lying fog.

• Super-fast rendering technology:

Despite the staggering complexity of the atmospheric model it features, Ozone 4.0 renders its atmospheric effects at blazing speed, thanks to e-on software's highly optimized technology.

• Animated clouds and sunsets in a breeze:

Users can realistically animate the atmosphere, the clouds and the sun, making their skies spring to life, all in a wink! Simply set the direction and speed of the wind, the rate of change, and render on!

• Extensive library of over 150 predefined atmospheres:

Ozone 4.0 includes presets for all kinds of atmospheric conditions: bright daytime, bad weather, sunrise, sunset, night time, etc. Customize the atmosphere using dedicated tools and the library of over 140 preset cloud shapes.

A complete and detailed list of features is available at:
www.e-onsoftware.com/ozone

Open Beta

Immediately available, the Ozone 4.0 Open Beta is a free, fully functional version of Ozone 4.0.

The application will expire shortly after the beta period. Commercial work is allowed with the Open Beta, provided that users purchase a full license of the product as soon as it is released commercially.

For more information: www.e-onsoftware.com/ozone.

Pricing and Availability

The Ozone 4.0 Open Beta is available in English for Windows XP and Vista (32 and 64 bits) and Mac OS X 10.4 (Universal Binary).

A single license of Ozone 4.0 will work with all compatible applications and renderers installed on the end user's system, without requiring the purchase of any Extra Renderer licenses.

• Ozone 4.0 for Maya works with both MentalRay and Maya software renderers.
• Ozone 4.0 for Max and XSI works with MentalRay.
• Ozone 4.0 for LightWave and Cinema4D works with the native renderer.

Ozone 4.0 will retail at US$295, with upgrades from Ozone 3.0 available for $95 and RenderNode network rendering licenses at $95 per node.

About e-on software

E-on software is the leading developer of high quality solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments. With products specifically targeted for the different market segments, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, education and entertainment industries.

E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e-on software is able to deliver cutting-edge technologies that significantly improve usability and workflow.

E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with a European office in Paris, France.

Visit their website at http://www.e-onsoftware.com.

Network Scores Double-Digit Prime Time Delivery Gains Among All Kid Demos Across 1st Quarter '09
 
Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season Finale, Friday Night Action-Adventure and Thursday Night Comedies
Contribute to Network's Ongoing Ratings, Delivery Momentum Started in 3rd Quarter '08
 
CartoonNetwork.com Beats February Competition for Both Uniques and Time Spent
 
On the heels of its March 25 advertising Upfront presentation, Cartoon Network announced its best 1st Quarter prime time ratings and delivery growth since 1st Quarter 2005, according to preliminary data from Nielsen Media Research.  Boasting significant double-digit gains across all kid demos compared to the first quarter time period last year, kids 2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 prime time delivery increased between 19% and 27%, while delivery of boys  2-11, 6-11 and 9-14 improved between 26% and 34%.  Total day first quarter delivery also advanced across each of the kid demos, earning between 4% and 8% growth vs. the same 2008 time period.  Boys' total day delivery grew between 6% and 14% over the quarter.  The outstanding 1st Quarter performance follows similar overall prime time growth achieved in 3rd and 4th quarters 2008.
Headlining Cartoon network's prime time performance over the winter months was the spectacular season finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (Friday, March 20, 9 p.m.), which scored as the most-watched telecast of the day among boys 6-11 on all television--cable and broadcast--earning an 8.8 rating and delivering 1,094,000 boy viewers.  With triple-digit delivery gains across all kid demos vs. the same time period last year, Star Wars: The Clone Wars was #1 in its time period with kids 6-11 (5.4 rating, 1,310,000 viewers).  The telecast also was the most-watched program 2009-to-date on Cartoon Network with boys 6-11, and the most-watched episode since the series premiere on Oct. 3, 2008 among boys 6-11.
Friday night's action-adventure programming block (7-10 p.m.) scored powerful prime time delivery gains across the quarter.  Led by animated series The Secret Saturdays (8 p.m.), Batman: The Brave & The Bold (8:30 p.m.), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (9 p.m.) and Ben 10: Alien Force (9:30 p.m.), Friday prime time delivery increased 33% among kids 2-11, and 40% among kids 6-11 and kids 9-14.  The Thursday night comedy franchise HAR HAR THARSDAYS (7:30-10 p.m.), which spotlights original animated series Chowder (8 p.m.), The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack (8:30 p.m.), Total Drama Island (9 p.m.) and 6Teen (9:30 p.m.), also helped push delivery increases among kids 6-11 (up 6%), kids 9-14 (up 23%), boys 6-11 (up 2%) and boys 9-14 (up 16%).
Saturday morning's high-octane CRUSHZONE franchise (8 a.m.-12 p.m.) also drew significantly more viewers over first quarter '09 than in first quarter '08.  CRUSHZONE earned 12% overall delivery growth among kids 2-11, 7% delivery growth among kids 6-11 and 8% delivery growth among kids 9-14.
On the digital front according to Nielsen/NetRatings (Feb '09), CartoonNetwork.com posted more Unique Visitors (4.7 million) and maintained the highest Time Spent Per Person (39 minutes) among its competitors.
Highlights of Cartoon Network's 2009 first quarter prime time performance, as well as the quarterly performances of Friday Night's Action-Adventure Programming, each compared to the same 2008 time period include the following:
1st QUARTER 2009 PRIME TIME (Monday-Sunday, 8 to 10 p.m.) vs. the same time period in 2008
·                     Kids 2-11 delivery (816,000) grew by 23%, and ratings (2.0) by 25%
·                     Boys 2-11 delivery (415,000) grew by 6%
·                     Kids 6-11 delivery (562,000) grew by 27%, and ratings (2.3) by 28%
·                     Boys 6-11 delivery (283,000) grew by 14%
·                     Kids 9-14 delivery (414,000) grew by 19%, and ratings (1.7) by 21%
·                     Boys 9-14 delivery (201,000) grew by 14%
FRIDAY ACTION-ADVENTURE BLOCK (Friday, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.) vs. the same time period in 2008
·                     Kids 2-11 delivery (1,006,000) grew by 33%, and ratings (2.5) by 32%
·                     Kids 6-11 delivery (720,000) grew by 40%, and ratings (2.9) by 38%
·                     Kids 9-14 delivery (504,000) grew by 40%, and ratings (2.1) by 40%
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families.  Nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.
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Montreal, March 31, 2009 - The Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS), which smashed several records last year with more than 100 speakers and 1,500 participants, will take place this year on November 16th and 17th, 2009 in a new location: the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel Montreal. Industry leaders who would like the opportunity to speak at the sixth annual Summit can apply until April 24, 2009.
 
Call for Speakers
The Advisory Board, led by Jason Della Rocca, the executive director of the International Game Developers Association is now accepting proposals from top-level professionals in the game industry and affiliated sectors such as film, IT, mobile telephony, etc. In particular, the Advisory Board is keen to accept submissions that reflect the challenges of developing and designing games under the current global conditions.
 
Those interested in participating in MIGS are asked to submit their application no later than April 24, 2009, by completing the online form available at (http://www.sijm.ca/2008/en-call-for-speakers.html).
 
The MIGS conferences and panels last approximately 60 minutes each and include a question period. Six conference tracks will be covered, namely: art, business, design, production, serious games and technology.
 
For more information, please do not hesitate to contact Alain  Lachapelle, MIGS Director (alachapelle@alliancenumerique.com), at 514 848-7177, extension 224.
 
New location
For the first time, the 2009 Summit will take place at the Hilton Bonaventure Hotel Montreal. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Montreal, this unique hotel offers a friendly and personal atmosphere as well as services to please the Summit participants. Also, the Business Lounge participants will enjoy the exclusive and upscale environment.


About MIGS
MIGS was created in 2004 to serve members of the video game industry, which currently employs more than 6,200 people in Quebec. It promotes the transfer of knowledge and expertise, raises the international profile of the Quebec video game industry and cultivates information sharing and dialogue among industry stakeholders. A specialized, top-tier event, MIGS covers a broad range of fields, including artistic creation, design, production, programming and serious games.
 
For more information about MIGS, to register for the event or to sign up for the MIGS Newsletter, visit the MIGS website at www.sijm.ca <http://www.sijm.ca/> .
 
About Alliance numérique
Alliance numérique, Quebec's digital industry network, is dedicated to supporting and accelerating the growth and competitiveness of the industry. Focusing its efforts on private companies and SMBs, it has close to 150 members in the game, eLearning, education and Internet services and applications sectors. For anyone seeking to work with professionals in the field of interactive digital content, Alliance numérique is the gateway.
 
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Santa Monica, CA - March 31, 2009 - Armies of Call of Duty® fans have heeded the call and responded with more than one million downloads of the Call of Duty®: World at War Map Pack 1 from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and developer Treyarch, during its first weekend of availability (March 19-22) on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network.
 
"I'm proud that the team at Treyarch delivered an experience that so many people are enjoying," said Mark Lamia, Studio Head for Treyarch. "We're excited that the success of Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 will continue to drive the popularity of the game's Nazi Zombie mode, competitive multiplayer and chart-breaking success online."
 
"The success of Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 1 speaks to Treyarch and Activision's ability to provide fans with quality content during a time when people want to get the most out of their Call of Duty experience," said Maria Stipp, Activision's Executive Vice President and General Manager of Owned Properties.
 
 
The map pack contains four maps (Nightfire, Station, Knee Deep and Verrückt) and is available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for 800 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®Store for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system for $9.99. Call of Duty: World at War is rated "M" (Mature) by the ESRB for Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore.
 
For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.callofduty.com.
 
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
 
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.
 
 

Oak Park, CA March 31, 2009 -- Digital Film Tools releases zMatte
v3, a full featured blue and green screen keyer for Adobe After
Effects and Photoshop, Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Editing
Systems.

For detailed product information, go to
http://www.digitalfilmtools.com/zmatte/

Digital Film Tools is pleased to announce zMatte v3.0 which adds
four new plug-ins: Color Suppress, Frame Averager, Matte Wrap and
Screen Smoother. In addition, there are many enhancements to the
Keyer as well as the other plug-ins. zMatte also now supports
Apple's fxPlug plug-in format and the Photoshop version sports an
upgraded user interface with new garbage matting features.

zMatte is a full-featured keyer that is the result of our
experience in creating countless successful blue and green screen
composites. Using proprietary matte extraction techniques, zMatte
quickly and simply creates mattes with minimal parameters even if
you are dealing with fine hair detail, smoke, or reflections. It
is easy to use, yet provides the needed tools when faced with
good, bad, or ugly shots -- tools such as multiple matte
creation, automatic spill suppression, sophisticated matte and
edge manipulation, and color correction.

zMatte includes a complete set of keying plug-ins comprised of:
Color Suppress for removing blue or green spill light; DeArtifact
to clean up compression artifacts in DV and HD footage; Edge
Composite to color correct, blur or mix only the edge of the key;
Frame Averager for smoothing out film grain and video noise;
Holdout Composite to matte the usually problematic smoke, fire
and explosions; the zMatte Keyer to handle the heavy keying
tasks; Light Wrap to bring background color into the foreground
element; a Matte Generator used to key images not meant to be
keyed; Matte Repair to fix common matte problems; Matte Wrap for
retaining the definition of the matte edges while creating a
smooth blend of transparency starting at the edge of the matte
changing to fully opaque moving inward; and Screen Smoother to
smooth out unevenly lit blue and green screens.

Created for rigorous production demands by digital artists for
digital artists, zMatte is available for download or purchase at:
www.digitalfilmtools.com at the following prices: Avid Editing
Systems, Adobe After Effects, Apple Final Cut Pro - $395; Adobe
Photoshop - $195; Upgrade pricing is available for existing
zMatte customers.

Digital Film Tools brings together the unbeatable combination of
superior software designers, motion picture visual effects
veterans, video editors and photographers. Add three Emmy Awards
and experience in creating visual effects for hundreds of feature
films, commercials and television shows and you have a recipe for
success.

The company is to announce that the famous polar bear will also make the leap to the big screen as the star of a feature-length film in 3D Stereoscopic
 
BRB Internacional is presenting at the MIPTV in Cannes the third season of its famous animated TV Series Bernard. This third season consists of 52 new Hi-Def 3D episodes starring the curious polar bear and his particular form of comedy - slapstick without dialogue. The new season will be ready for broadcast this year. Also, the series will be available for marketing in two different formats, either by individual episodes or by thematic blocks. Likewise, BRB will be announcing at MIPTV the first full-length film based on the series, to be done in 3D stereoscopic film format (for 3D glasses) and premiered in summer, 2012.
 
This third season of Bernard (52 x 3') continues the funny adventures of the famous polar bear whose proclivity for suffering any kind of situations has garnered him a loyal global following. In this case, our friendly protagonist Bernard is featured trying to keep fit exercising, testing himself to get a healthy life and balanced diet, being obliged to build up a team or pushed to follow the rules... Be that as it may, these 52 new sketches -52 lessons on How Not to practice sports with Bernard- can be grouped with those from the earlier seasons of the TV phenomenon Bernard to form thematic blocks consisting of 39 13-minute episodes each.
 
In addition to the jump to feature-length 3D film in 2012, this year BRB will launch its first TV movie and Special for DVD, My Friend Bernard (1 x 70'). This time, Bernard will have a new co-star: Sam, a shy boy who's afraid of almost everything -those strange shadows in his room at night, that noisy street he has to cross on the way to the school, or, even worst, to meet this small fierce dog-. Now, Sam and Bernard are going to live the funniest adventure of their life.
 
Both the third season of Bernard TV series and the full-length TV film My Friend Bernard are being co-produced by Screen 21, BRB Internacional and RG Animation.
For more information:
Yolanda Muñoz (PR - BRB Internacional)
E-mail: Yolanda@brb.es    Ph. + 34 91 77 11 400, + 34 91 77 11 497
 
BRB Internacional: An international company founded in Spain with 36 years experience in the production, distribution and licensing of high quality television programmes. BRB's animated series have been seen around the world, and characters such as David the Gnome, Dogtanian and Willy Fog are widely recognised as classics since back in the '80s. Currently BRB is producing innovative and branded series through the development of its Catalan studio Screen 21 using the latest techniques in design and CG technology - including such successful brands like Bernard, Iron Kid, The Imp, Angus&Cheryl, Papawa, Khuda-Yana or The Secret Life of Suckers. In the field of licensing, the company manages aside of all BRB's titles an impressive catalogue which includes the Cartoon Network's properties for Spain and Portugal (The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's, Ben 10, Bakugan, ...), MGM (Pink Panther), Storm Hawks (Nerd Corps), Dibo and other brands like, Death Note.  For more information, see: www.brb.es

 

Leading Monthly Manga Anthology In North America Offers
7 Chapters From NARUTO Volume 45 For Free With Special Password Available Only In May Issue
 
March 31, 2009 - VIZ Media announced today that SHONEN JUMP magazine has a special treat for readers--an invitation to read a free preview of the upcoming NARUTO manga Volume 45 (rated 'T' For Teens)-- online at www.shonenjump.com, for a limited time only. These chapters will not run in the magazine and will not be available in graphic novel form until July 2009.
 
The 120-page preview will be available online beginning today through May 5th exclusively at www.shonenjump.com. A preview link appears on the homepage. Visitors must type in the password that appears on page 20 of the May issue of SHONEN JUMP to access the chapters.
 
NARUTO is one of the hottest series from Japan and continues to be one of VIZ Media's most successful manga and animated properties. Back in February, VIZ Media unveiled an accelerated publishing schedule for upcoming editions of the best-selling NARUTO manga series. Between February and April 2009, 11 volumes have been scheduled for publication, moving the series from Volume 34 (February 2009) to Volume 44 (April 2009) before returning to a quarterly release schedule beginning with Volume 45 (July 2009).
 
NARUTO depicts the adventures of a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki who trains to become a ninja, and through his exciting adventures, the young ninja learns the importance of friendship, teamwork, loyalty, hard work, creativity, ingenuity, and right versus wrong. Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country's most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens, and more than 85 million copies to date have been printed. The manga series has captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America. More information on NARUTO is available at www.naruto.com.
 
In NARUTO Volume 45, Sasuke and Naruto find that their powers are ever increasing. Sasuke can now use the Mangekyo Sharingan in multiple ways, and Naruto may have become even more powerful than his fallen sensei Jiraiya! But is anyone powerful enough to stop the ultimate attack as the Pains of the Akatsuki launch their deadly strike against Naruto's home village?

NARUTO animated episodes are also currently available for free on NARUTO.com and through a variety of web-based, video streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including HULU and JOOST. More information on NARUTO is available at www.naruto.com.
 

Renowned 3D Figure Receives Makeover Complete with Unprecedented Morphing and Unmatched Versatility


DRAPER, Utah - March 31, 2009 - Get ready to meet the Girl of your dreams! Adding yet another exciting addition to its immense 3D content library, DAZ 3D today unveils the newest version of its highly popular 3D figure, the Girl 4, complete with customizable body shaping, increased texture map resolution and greatly improved joint rigging. Created from DAZ 3D's celebrated fourth-generation Unimesh™, the Girl 4 is fully compatible with all Victoria 4, Victoria 4 Elite and Aiko 4 head and body shapes, textures and poses, opening more options and new creative possibilities than ever before.

"DAZ 3D is recognized as an industry leader in the development of high-quality 3D models," said Dan Farr, president of DAZ 3D. "I think this is due to our on-going commitment to making timely advancements in our figures that coincide with the needs of our artists. This version of the Girl is no exception. Her updated look and immeasurable compatibilities are sure to make her an even more compelling 3D figure overall."

Originally created by renowned 3D graphics and games artist Kim Goossens, the Girl is considered one of the most famous, and most eye-catching, 3D models in CG history. Coyly compared to a cartoonish version of a sultry 1940's pin-up model, the Girl is used by thousands of hobbyist and professional artists as a muse for magazine and album covers, fan art and the like.

In addition to her vast compatibility with all DAZ 3D models and hundreds of add-on products available in the DAZ 3D online store, the Girl 4 is fully ready to animate within DAZ Studio, Carrara and Poser, and contains an unparalleled variety of body and head shapes due to her ability to make use of existing DAZ 3D Unimesh characters and morphs.

"She looks fantastic," said DAZ 3D user and digital artist Bianca Herborg (aka "SilencertheVampire"). "Now, as a part of the DAZ 3D Unimesh line of figures, the Girl 4 provides so many new creative possibilities. In my opinion, this new and improved Girl model is a huge step forward."


Pricing and Availability
The Girl 4 base product is available for immediate download at the DAZ 3D online store for $29.95. DAZ Platinum Club members may purchase the Girl 4 for $1.99. Corresponding product bundles range in price from $49.95 to $99.95 before sales and discounts.

For a complete feature list, system requirements and links to additional resources, please visit the Girl 4 Web pages.


About DAZ 3D™
Founded in 2000, DAZ 3D is a market leader in 3D software and digital content creation. The company's library of characters and accessories is renowned for its high-quality, versatile and compatible 3D content. DAZ 3D also develops powerful software applications that support its content, including DAZ Studio, a free 3D digital art creation tool, Mimic™ , a lip-synching application, Carrara™ , an all-in-one 3D solution and Bryce®® , a complete 3D environment and animation package. DAZ 3D's products have been used in many professional productions, television shows and print publications. For more information, visit www.daz3d.com.


© 2009 DAZ Productions, Inc. All rights reserved. DAZ and the DAZ 3D logo are Registered Trademarks of DAZ Productions, Inc. All other brand names, product names, service marks or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

Boomerang "Goes Ape" During a 24-hour Salute to Our Famous Cartoon Ape and Monkey Stars
 
                This April 1st, spend a primate-packed day with Boomerang as the commercial-free network celebrates "Ape-Reel Fool's Day."  The big star of the day is everyone's favorite fun-loving (and well-dressed) gorilla, Magilla.  Debuting in 1964, The Magilla Gorilla Show chronicles Magilla's antics in Mr. Peeble's Pet Shop.  This classic cartoon will air in three-hour blocks on Wednesday, April 1, at 9 a.m. (ET) and 5 p.m. (ET), and again overnight at 2 a.m. (ET).
                But not all the animated apes are as amiable as Magilla, as Mojo Jojo of The Powerpuff Girls will prove.  This most evil of apish villains will wreak havoc at 7 a.m. (ET), 2 p.m. (ET) and 10 p.m. (ET).  Other classic cartoons--The Flinstones, Scooby Doo and Top Cat--also will join in the fun with monkey-themed episodes and simian guest stars.
                "Monkeys are essential to classic cartoon comedy," Said Stacy Isenhower, senior vice president of programming and scheduling for Boomerang and Cartoon Network.  "We are going to celebrate the funniest day with television's most loveable-and despicable-animal characters."
Highlights of "Ape-Reel Fool's Day" include:
The Powerpuff Girls, "Monkey See, Doggie Do" - 7 a.m. (ET) - Mojo Jojo is on the loose with his amazing Anubis Head laser that turns people into dogs.  The Powerpuff Girls think they have it under control until they are turned into Power Pups!
 
The Flintstones, "Fred Goes Ape" - 3 p.m. (ET) - A mix-up at the Bedrock pharmacy has Fred taking strange pills that don't help his allergy but turn him into an ape.
 
The Magilla Gorilla Show, "Bird-Brained" - 8 p.m. (ET) - Magilla battles with a parrot that is in the pet store.
 
Boomerang is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s (TBS, Inc.) 24-hour cable/satellite network offering the best in classic animated entertainment.  In partnership with Cartoon Network, the service boasts 75 percent unduplicated programming and is available to cable/satellite operators and their customers in Spanish.  Boomerang's official Web site is located at http://Boomerang.CartoonNetwork.com.
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 97 million U.S. homes and 166 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service now available in HD offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families.  Overnight from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world. 
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Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Announces Registration for
Artist Alley Available Now

Anaheim, California (March 31, 2009) -- Anime Expo® is proud to announce the
launch of its online Artist Alley registration system for the nation's
largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los Angeles
Convention Center.  More information can be found on the website
http://www.anime-expo.org/exhibits/artist-alley/.

The Artist Alley at Anime Expo® is a venue for amateur and semi-professional
artists to celebrate Japanese pop culture through fantastic works of art.
Artists come from all over the country and beyond to share their original
artwork, prints, crafts, clothing, comics and 'zines. Don't miss the chance
to meet and support these amazing artists!
Students from the Manga and Animation Department at NEEC (Nihon Kogakuin
College) <http://www.neec.ac.jp/cie/us/>  will be returning to the Artist
Alley for a limited time during the convention.
Contact the Artist Alley staff in the forums, or by emailing
artistalley@anime-expo.org <mailto:artistalley@anime-expo.org> .
WARNING: It has come to our attention that there maybe
individual(s)/companies that claim to represent Anime Expo® in terms of
sales for Exhibit Hall Booth Space, Program Guide Listing, Program Guide
Ads, Artist Alley Booths, Panel Rooms and others. Anime Expo® is not
responsible for any claims, promises and/or contracts made by these 3rd
party individuals/companies. We encourage all potential convention
participants interested in any aspect of the convention (that especially
involve financial obligations/commitments) to please verify all 3rd party
claims of representing Anime Expo® via phone at 714-937-2994 or via e-mail
at industry@anime-expo.org <mailto:industry@anime-expo.org> . Anime Expo®
will not be held responsible for claims, promises and/or contracts made by
any 3rd party individuals/companies that are not verified in writing by
Anime Expo® to be an authentic representing individual/company for the
convention.
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.AXBackstage.org
<http://www.AXBackstage.org> .

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime
News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC and
Central Park Media, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian TV, Animation
Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine and Anime News Network.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 - July 5, 2009 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property - Anime Expo®.   More
information can be found at its website (www.spja.org <http://www.spja.org>
).

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are
"forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a
number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA's actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation,
product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and
industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of
relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers,
international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its
intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon
any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

###

Nation's Largest Anime and Manga Convention Welcomes All Interested
Volunteers to Join the Family

Anaheim, California (March 31, 2009) -- Anime Expo® is proud to announce the
launch of its online volunteer registration system.  Now volunteering at the
nation's largest anime and manga convention held July 2-5, 2009 at the Los
Angeles Convention Center is easier and better than ever. More information
can be found on the website
http://www.anime-expo.org/registration/volunteer/volunteer-registration/
<http://www.anime-expo.org/registration/volunteer/volunteer-registration/> .

The Anime Expo® Volunteers program is less demanding than regular staffing
positions but still provides lots of benefits. Volunteering is a great way
to see the convention and get a small glimpse of what goes on behind the
scenes. The duties are very easy and the people met could become friends for
life.
Volunteers work in all areas of the convention. Volunteers assist Anime
Expo® staff in these areas:
·     Packet stuffing
·     Line/crowd control
·     Entry/exit monitoring (badge check)
·     Gophering
·     Special assignments

There are three types of volunteers at Anime Expo® 2009: All-Con (All
Convention) Volunteer, One-Day Volunteer and Minor Volunteer.  More details
are available on the convention's official website.
For Volunteer Inquiries, please contact volunteers@anime-expo.org
<mailto:volunteers@anime-expo.org> .
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are also encouraged to view the video
coverage site of the 2008 convention at www.AXBackstage.org
<http://www.AXBackstage.org> .

Red & Black Sponsors include: FUNimation, Silver Sponsors include: Anime
News Network and Digital Manga Press, Patron Sponsors include: COPIC and
Central Park Media, Media Sponsors include: ImaginAsian TV, Animation
Magazine, Anime Insider Magazine and Anime News Network.

About Anime Expo®
Located in Los Angeles, California - Anime Expo®, the nation's largest
anime/manga convention, serves to foster trade, commerce and the interests
of the general public and animation/ comics industry. This event serves as a
key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and
explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the
industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 - July 5, 2009 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. More information
can be found at its website (www.anime-expo.org).

About Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation
The Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA) is a non-profit
organization with a mission to popularize and educate the American public
about anime and manga, as well as provide a forum to facilitate
communication between professionals and fans. This organization is more
popularly known by its entertainment property - Anime Expo®.   More
information can be found at its website (www.spja.org <http://www.spja.org>
).

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are
"forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on
current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and
uncertainties. The Company cautions readers of this press release that a
number of important factors could cause Anime Expo®/SPJA's actual future
results to differ materially from those expressed in any such
forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation,
product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and
industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of
relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers,
international economic and political conditions. The Company may change its
intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon
any changes in such factors, in the Company's assumptions or otherwise. The
Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date
hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

###

The m4e AG subsidiary Telescreen has acquired all media rights worldwide of the Dutch book publishing character PINKELTJE.

Cannes, 31 March 2009 - Telescreen, a leading Dutch Brand Management and Media company specialised in the production, distribution and licensing of kids & family entertainment properties and part of the German m4e Group, has aqcuired the exclusive worldwide IP-rights of PINKELTJE - all related characters and stories - for the adaptation into movies, television, home entertainment, merchandising, internet, mobile phone, audio, book publishing rights (excluding the original books, as owned by copyright holder Unieboek Publishers, The Netherlands), and more. The deal was made between Telescreen and the shareholders of the former rights holder Déjà Vu BV during MIPTV in Cannes. Telescreen acquired 100% of the shares.

PINKELTJE is a fictional character in the size of a human little finger, who has a white beard, wears a blue pointy hat, blue pants and a red shirt. He appeared in 29 books by award winning Dutch author Dick Laan (1894-1973) and in one movie based on a special script. The Pinkeltje Movie was successfully released in 1978. In his home market, The Netherlands, PINKELTJE enjoys a brand awareness of over 99% and has always been considered as a true phenomenon in the life of every child.

Since the first publication in 1939, more than 4,5 million copies of the PINKELTJE books have been sold worldwide and the character is admired beyond the Dutch borders. PINKELTJE is known as 'Pünkelchen' in Germany, 'Petitou' in France, 'Fingerling' in the UK, 'Prik' in Denmark, 'Knøtt' in Norway, 'Vickevire' in Sweden, 'Vikke Vakkaran' in Finland, 'Trítils' in Iceland and 'Pequenu' in Portugal.

PINKELTJE is one of its kind; he can talk to all animals, is adventurous, is always ready to lend a hand, travels a lot, solves mysteries and often ends up in a situation where he might be discovered by humans, his biggest threat.

Telescreen is currently working on the worldwide brand exploitation programme for PINKELTJE, with Benelux, Germany and Scandinavia being the key markets. Sjoerd Raemakers and Theo van der Schaaf, managing directors at Telescreen, commented: "We are very pleased to add PINKELTJE to our portfolio of rights, as we believe that the character has the power to become an international icon and brand with huge potential. We aim to develop a wide span of audiovisual media products in addition to beautiful new merchandsing collections".

Telescreen's plans include the development of an adventurous family entertainment feature film starring PINKELTJE, combining life action and animation in about 75 minutes. "At the moment, pre-development of the feature film is in motion", says Van der Schaaf. "Our production team is actively working on the treatment, synopsis and script, studio selection, character and background design and much more; all for an international release".

Hilversum, 31 March 2009
Telescreen B.V. - Managing Board


Links:
www.telescreen.nl
www.m4e.de

Sony Computer Entertainment America and Its Publishing Partners to Expand Gaming Library to Nearly 1,900 Titles This Year
 
FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced that PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system will be available starting April 1 for $99.99 (MSRP). Since launching in 2000, PlayStation 2 has sold more than 136 million sell-in units worldwide*, making it the most popular system in gaming industry history. PlayStation 2's vast library of games from all genres for all types of audiences will grow to nearly 1,900 titles this year. This breadth and depth of content along with the new price point make the platform a stronger value than ever, particularly for families, casual gamers, and those seeking to maximize their entertainment dollar.
 
"PlayStation 2 set the industry standard for worldwide mass market adoption and is a clear embodiment of Sony's commitment to platforms that deliver 10-year product lifecycles. It's a tribute to outstanding technology, great consumer value and unprecedented development support that we've now been able to do twice what no one else has ever accomplished," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "Demand for PlayStation 2 remains strong throughout the world, and the new $99 price point will bring in new consumers who will discover how PlayStation platforms are an outstanding choice for their gaming and home entertainment needs. Just as PlayStation 2 is delivering on a 10-year lifecycle and helped expand and solidify the DVD format for home entertainment along the way, we believe PLAYSTATION 3 offers the same promise by helping secure the Blu-ray format and delivering unprecedented value as the total home entertainment solution for the next decade."
 
SCEA will continue to support PlayStation 2 system with new titles that appeal to families and casual gamers looking for social entertainment experiences. First-party games such as MLB® 09 THE Show™ and MotorStorm®: Arctic Edge as well as major franchise titles from SCEA's publishing partners demonstrate the continued growth of the platform's library of content. In addition, more than 250 best-selling PlayStation 2 titles have achieved "Greatest Hits" status, providing consumers with plenty of games to choose from at value pricing.

PlayStation 2's impact on the industry is unmatched, as the platform played a key role in establishing the popularity of the most recognized and beloved franchises in history, including Guitar Hero® from Activision, Metal Gear Solid® from Konami Digital Entertainment, FINAL FANTASY® from Square Enix, Grand Theft Auto™ from Rockstar Games, as well as Gran Turismo™ by Polyphony Digital Inc. and Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios titles, including God of War® and Ratchet & Clank®. In recent years, this stellar lineup has expanded to include an extensive list of social games and family-friendly titles such as Buzz! ™  and SingStar®, which have helped usher in new types of consumers into the world of gaming.
 
During its lifespan, PlayStation 2 system not only has pushed video gaming to the forefront of entertainment, but it also introduced the concept of an entertainment system becoming a hub in the living room. PlayStation 2 was the first home computer entertainment system to integrate DVD technology, and the rapid growth of the install base helped establish DVD as the standard optical disc media format worldwide. Featuring both DVD and CD playback capabilities, PlayStation 2 system has served as the entertainment centerpiece in many living rooms.
 
PlayStation 2 remains the most played computer entertainment system on the market, according to a December 2008 report from The Nielsen Company. Last year, PlayStation 2 became the first system in history to reach the 50 million sell-in unit sales milestone in North America, making it one of the most successful technology products ever. PlayStation 2 system was previously available for $129.99 (MSRP).
 
*Sell-in numbers as of the end of December 2008
 
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and PS one® game console, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, the ground-breaking PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and its online and network services PlayStation®Network and PlayStation®Store.
 
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, PLAYSTATION 3 and the PSP system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif., Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
 
Visit us on the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com
PlayStation, PSP and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.  All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
 
"PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION", "PSP", "PS one" and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks and "PS3" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
 

Successful Pre-School Brand to Debut in Japan
London, 31st March 2009: Ludorum plc, a leading specialist company dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing global entertainment franchises and Japan's leading commercial broadcaster, Fuji Television Network Inc., today announce the conclusion of a significant agreement for Ludorum's highly successful pre-school brand, Chuggington.
Today's agreement sees Fuji Television licensing all rights to Chuggington in Japan including broadcast, consumer products, home entertainment and publishing. Fuji Television, which has access to Japan's estimated 50 million TV households, has acquired 52 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington.   The series will make its Japanese debut in summer 2009 with a comprehensive consumer products programme following in spring 2010.
 
Ludorum's agreement with Fuji Television follows the recently announced commission from CBeebies for a further 26 x 10 minute episodes of Chuggington, increasing the total number of episodes available to 78 x 10 minutes.  The series made its UK debut on BBC TWO in September 2008 and launched on CBeebies channel in January 2009.  The Chuggington series has rapidly built a significant following in the UK and is one of the top rating shows on CBeebies.
 
Chuggington has already been sold to over 140 countries around the world.  The series made its German debut on Super RTL in January where it has already achieved significant ratings success.  Chuggington recently launched on ABC in Australia and has quickly established itself as a top rating series in the territory, capturing a 70% share of 0-4 year olds. The series has also made a successful debut on Treehouse in Canada.  Chuggington will launch on France's TF1 on 1st April 2009 and in other key territories around the world throughout the rest of this year.
Commenting on today's announcement, Charlie Caminada, Chief Operating Officer, Ludorum, said: "We are extremely pleased to be partnering with Fuji TV, the leading commercial broadcaster in Japan.  This agreement opens up significant opportunities for Chuggington in the Japanese market and we look forward to working with Fuji in building the brand in this key territory."
Koichi Uchida, Senior Director of Fuji TV's Home Video Department stated:
 
"We are pleased to work with Ludorum plc on Chuggington, which we feel has a very promising future in Japan.  The negotiations between our companies began before broadcasts in other countries, so we are truly pleased to learn of Chuggington's worldwide success.  Fuji TV looks forward very much to building Chuggington into a huge success in Japan."
 
-Ends-
For further information contact: Liz Morris, Publicity Consultant on 0797 112 9035 / liz_morris7@hotmail.co.uk
About Ludorum plc
Ludorum was formed and is run by the former CEO and COO of HIT Entertainment PLC, a company which was subject to a recommended takeover in May 2005 valuing the business at £489 million and which managed a strong portfolio of children's properties including Bob the Builder, Barney, Thomas the Tank Engine, Pingu and Guinness World Records and by the co-founder and former CEO of Learning Curve, International, the company that has the master toy licenses for both Thomas the Tank Engine and Bob the Builder. Ludorum is dedicated to developing, acquiring and marketing intellectual entertainment properties which are appropriate for both the new interactive distribution channels as well as classic linear TV. www.ludorum.com
About Chuggington
Chuggington is a computer generated 3D series of 78 x 10 minute episodes as well as a fully immersive interactive website. The series follows the adventures of Wilson, Brewster and Koko, trainee diesel engines, each with their own unique personality and learning style.  The series is set in a world much like our own with cities, villages and diverse cultures and geography. Entertainment and enjoyment is at the heart of Chuggington, but embedded within each story are important educational and developmental messages centred on learning and social-emotional development. Chuggington is directed by Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA award for her work as a director and writer of Bob the Builder. The property was conceived to seamlessly integrate television, books and interactive view-and-play. Further information is available at www.chuggington.com 
 An innovative on-line program where parents will be able to personalise the site for their children, specifying many parameters including the level of community interaction desired has also been brought to market simultaneously with the TV property. The Chuggington site allows parents to prioritise the developmental and learning issues that they believe are important to their children and presents a truly entertaining and immersive interactive world of Chuggington which is graphically and textually consistent with the world defined by the television series, and which is also uniquely interactive with many of the property's licensed products.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Toronto (March 31, 2009) - Two of Cookie Jar Entertainment's popular preschool series, Noonbory and the Super 7 and Will & Dewitt will debut on top European channels in 2009.
Twenty six half-hour episodes of Noonbory and the Super 7 were recently sold to TG4 (Ireland). Set in the enchanting, colorful world of Toobalooba, a group of energetic "Borys" use their heightened senses, imagination and teamwork to solve everyday problems. The series is set to debut this fall on TG4.
Tiny Pop (UK) has picked up 26 30-minute episodes of Will & Dewitt, scheduled to air this spring. Will, an everyday kid who wants to do it all, is able to jump into new situations with a little help from his best friend, cheerleader and morphing pal, Dewitt (who just happens to be a frog!).
Cookie Jar Entertainment is located at stand 17.01.

About Cookie Jar Group
The Cookie Jar Group is a Canada-based global children's entertainment and education company dedicated to excellence.  Through Cookie Jar Entertainment, the company is a leader in the creation, production, marketing and licensing of evergreen character brands that appeal to kids and families worldwide.  Cookie Jar Entertainment's library of nearly 6,000 half-hour episodes features some of the world's most recognizable brands, including "Strawberry Shortcake," "Caillou," "Inspector Gadget," "The Doodlebops," "Arthur" and "Johnny Test".  The company owns non-character based brands for licensing such as Mommy & Me. Through its pan-European subsidiary, the full-service licensing agency Copyright Promotions Licensing Group, Cookie Jar represents numerous third-party iconic brands. Cookie Jar Group also has a one-third interest in international children's television channel Kidsco. Cookie Jar Education, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, is one of North America's largest providers of supplemental education materials, reaching nearly 2,000 teachers across the United States, through the Carson-Dellosa and HighReach Learning brands.  
###

Embarking on a new creative partnership, Click 3X recently collaborated with MTV to create a show open, packaging, and promos for See You Sunday. Promoting four new shows in their latest block of Sunday programming, the clips incorporate live action footage of high-profile stars with unique hand-drawn animation, explosions, and VFX. To support the shows, Click animated several promos, a :30 opening and cut-down, six bumpers with integrated animation, and two live action bumpers, each playing off traditional images of circus life with high-intensity, parodied versions of classic stunts. The vibrant animation interacting with the live action created by Click 3X adds depth to the storylines, while supporting the style and humor of the shows.

Targeting the young male demographic with a weekly high energy, must-see event, See You Sunday includes Nitro Circus, a daring stunt show starring Travis Pastrana and Johnny Knoxville, Fantasy Factory, showcasing Rob Dyrdek's wild skate-based schemes, College Humor, based on the wildly popular website, and How's Your News, a product of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, which follows five reporters with mental and physical disabilities. The colorful animation helps to build the mood of each piece with outlandish antics such as animated knife-throwing, bananas brandishing chainsaws, and the carnival's tall man upstaging all with his powerful rainbow pee-stream. The :60 promo, Anticipation, features the shows' stars about to perform in a sideshow complete with human cannonball, tightrope skateboarding, daredevil motorcycle jumps, and face-offs with ferocious lions. The additional animated content created by Click 3X artists follow the same themes, showcasing the bizarre but enthralling, reality-suspending sideshow worlds of the carnival grounds with effects and characters that build on the intrigue surrounding the shows.

Commenting on the initial collaboration, Creative Director/VFX Artist Mark Szumski explained, "Harold, Evan, Thomas, Kris, and the rest of the MTV team were an absolute joy to work with on this project. I know this is a cliché, but this wasn't work, this was fun. Tom, Erica, and I were in our creative comfort zone for this job creating seamless visual vfx, creative editorial and subversive, psychedelic graphics. In fact, many of the pieces were actually a result of some organic, on-set brainstorming between our teams." The entire Click team worked extensively with the MTV staff and directors from pre-vis through post, coming up with creative solutions and providing effects expertise on-set and throughout the filming and editorial process. Creative Director/VFX Artist Mark Szumski and VFX Artist/Animator Tom Matheu each spent significant time on set, contributing their expertise. Shot with both Red and Phantom cameras in an enormous area complete with boxcars and a 30 foot ramp, the team was able to effectively capture the action-packed narrative and set the stage for Click's animators to go to work. To enhance and heighten the strange, engaging effects on top of the live action, Click artists also added sky replacements, lighting and fire effects, explosion embellishments, and smoke to the range of shots, using Flame to cleanup and composite the layers of each piece and increase the impact of the shots and animated effects.

Commenting on the collaboration, MTV Design Director, Thomas Berger notes, "I was really impressed by the level of dedication that Click 3X showed in helping bring our twisted vision of psychedelic circus train mayhem to life. There was a great sense of collaboration throughout the project, and their enthusiasm and hard work was second to none."

The See You Sunday block debuted to excellent ratings, helping to secure the crucial target male audience for MTV. EP Connor Swegle notes, "MTV came to us with an amazing concept seeking a creative partner with the ability to collaborate on-set and through editorial, design, and animation. With our involvement so early in the process, we were able to add to the creative flow-this helped create a final product that was successful for the MTV team, the program block, and the network." Given the success of this project, Click 3X has already signed on to three new ventures for MTV, further expanding a vast body of recent work which includes projects across broadcast, feature films, and interactive.

The Creds:

Post/Effects: Click 3X
Creative Director/VFX Artist: Mark Szumski
VFX Artist/Animator: Tom Matheu
Designer/Animator: Erica Gorochow
Managing Director: Jason Mayo
Executive Producer: Connor Swegle
Producer: Christine DoRego

About Click 3X:

New York-based Click 3X produces cutting-edge visual solutions for commercials, feature films, television, music videos, and broadcast clients around the globe. Founded in 1993, Click 3X has become one of the preeminent providers of innovative media content, housed in an environment led by artists, yet supported by one of the most technologically advanced digital studios in the industry. With award-winning design, powerful visual effects, and a visionary animation team, Click 3X has worked on array of diverse highly-recognizable projects, including a series of films from academy-award winning directors like Jonathan Demme and Davis Guggenheim, a recent multimedia package for eight HD Time Warner spots, My Home 2.0, a five episode reality TV series for Verizon Fios, and a long line of recent commercials for major brands such as Sharp, Ford, and Goodyear.

In addition to Click 3X's commercial and film expertise, their interactive design studio, ClickFire Media, specializes in multi-platform, media-rich interactive campaigns. CFM partners with agencies and entertainment industry clients in the conceptualization, design, and development of immersive branded experiences. Through insight and innovation, CFM combines the latest interactive technologies with the best design, video, animation, and live action skills from Click 3X to deliver integrated solutions in the ever-developing media landscape. Haunt is a division that specializes in cutting-edge motion design for music videos, virals, and installations, and has worked with many of the industry's top music talent and directors. Click 3X Entertainment focuses on broadcast branding and design, rounding out the company's expertise for every screen.

MMVW Platform Offers Developers, Digital Entrepreneurs and Corporations New Ways to Profit and Collaborate; Cost-effective Solution Debuting at GDC 2009

SAN FRANCISCO (from GDC) - March 26, 2009 - Providing a brand new venue for game developers, digital entrepreneurs, artists and educators, Avatar Reality Inc., today announced its software development kit (SDK) for the upcoming massively multiplayer virtual world (MMVW), Blue Mars. Premiering at the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the Blue Mars SDK is offered to approved third party developers at no cost and provides access to sample code, assets and test levels, as well as Avatar Reality's Sandbox editor, support wiki and knowledge database.

"Blue Mars brings the costs of 3D online casual game development down to the level of 2D Flash development through our easy to use Causal Games API, LUA script support, and straightforward content creation pipeline that allows developers to bring their assets into the world directly from DCC tools like 3DSMax and Maya," said Kazuyuki Hashimoto, president of Avatar Reality. "We've worked hard to create a platform where independent developers can thrive regardless of their budget. We're excited to work with developers of all sizes to create amazing content and games for audiences around the world."

Blue Mars Third Party Developers will experience an enhanced version of the renowned CryENGINE2 that includes custom hair, skin and cloth shaders in addition to multi-threaded performance optimizations and MMO server integration. In addition, they gain support for in-world micro transactions, subscriptions and game trials for fully customizable business models. Further benefits of the Blue Mars SDK include:

Massive Simultaneous User Support: Unlike legacy 3D virtual worlds, Blue Mars allows content developers to create truly scalable attractions for thousands of simultaneous users per region, eliminating concern of customer restriction limits.


Customizable Development Platform: Blue Mars allows developers to add their own animations, interfaces, game play, avatars and content permissions to their exclusive regions.


LUA Support and Casual Games API: Complex interactivity is easy to create in Blue Mars using LUA scripting and our Casual Games API.


Robust Security and Content Management: IP holders gain control to protect users and brands from inappropriate content, theft and illegal transactions.


Full Asset Pipeline Support for Industry Standard Digital Content Creation: Blue Mars is fully compatible with industry standard creation tools such as Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, along with Flash-based HUD and UI elements, saving developers the time and cost necessary to learn new programs.


StreamBase Complex Event Processing: Real-time analysis of player activity and behavior allows businesses and developers to track user participation and immediately respond to in-world conditions.


Integrated Secure Transaction System: Blue Mars' secure transaction backend supports micro-transactions, pay to play, trial to buy, and subscription services so developers can choose the business model that suits them the best.
Avatar Reality will showcase the Blue Mars SDK at GDC Booth 318CP, March 25 - 27 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco.


Pricing and Availability
Avatar Reality's Blue Mars SDK is now available to a limited number of interested developers. To gain consideration as a registered Blue Mars Third Party Developer, and access to the Blue Mars SDK, interested parties should contact info@avatar-reality.com.

In addition, Avatar Reality is offering a free content preview tool for content creators who would like to see how their work will look within Blue Mars. To download the free content preview tool, please visit www.bluemarsdev.com.

There is no cost for approved developers to obtain the Blue Mars SDK or preview tools. Detailed pricing is available to registered developers under NDA.


About Avatar Reality Inc.
Founded in December of 2006, Avatar Reality Inc. is developing a new massively multiplayer virtual world (MMVW) platform, called Blue Mars, featuring stunning graphics, realistic characters and endless social bonding opportunities. The Honolulu-based company consists of multiple well-known and award-winning interactive entertainment visionaries including Henk Rogers, founder of Blue Planet Software, Blue Lava Wireless and The Tetris Company, and Kazuyuki Hashimoto, former vice president of technology, New Platforms at Electronic Arts (EA) and chief technical officer of Square USA. For more information about Avatar Reality, please visit www.avatar-reality.com.


About Blue Mars
Featuring stunning graphics, realistic characters and endless social bonding opportunities, Blue Mars is the premier new free-to-play massively multiplayer virtual world platform, developed by Avatar Reality Inc. Blue Mars offers game developers, digital entrepreneurs, educators and corporations unique new ways to play, profit, learn and collaborate. Using Blue Mars, businesses are able to develop their own cities, games, digital goods, experiments and social exhibitions for massive worldwide audiences at a fraction of the cost of traditional 3D development. Blue Mars will launch in a limited public beta version in June 2009. For more information about Blue Mars, please visit www.bluemarsonline.com

# # # #

Countdown Begins for the Most-Anticipated Game of the Year
 
Santa Monica, CA - March 26, 2009 - Prepare for the ultimate invasion! The most anticipated game of the year and the sequel to the best-selling first-person action game of all time†, Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 will strike worldwide on November 10, 2009. Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) will release the newest installment in the groundbreaking and record-setting follow-up to the 2007 blockbuster, Call of Duty® 4: Modern Warfare™, that has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide, to date.
 
"Everyone on the team is laser focused on making the most gripping experience we've ever created," said Infinity Ward's CEO, Vince Zampella.  "No detail is too small and every finishing touch imaginable is underway to make Modern Warfare 2 our best ever.  We can't wait for our fans around the world to play starting November 10th."
 
For more information, visit www.modernwarfare2.com.
 
† Based on data from NPD Charttrack and GfK
 
 
About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.
 
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.
 
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as "outlook","will," "could," "would," "might," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes", "may", "expects," "intends," "anticipates," "estimate," future," "plan," "positioned," "potential," "project," "remain," "scheduled," "set to," "subject to," "upcoming" and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements.   Factors that could cause Activision Publishing's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales of Activision Publishing's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Publishing's success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company's ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated. Other such factors include additional risk factors identified in Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.  The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing  and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.
# # #
 

Lunar Jim, the popular, new stop-motion-animated preschool series from Echo Bridge Entertainment, has recently found a home on the pay TV channel, Panda, where it premiered in December 2008 after airing on RTP since February 2008.  Since its premiere, it has been airing 3 times a day from Monday to Friday with amazing results which confirms the tremendous potential of a preschool series that achieved an average share of 55% among children 4-14 during its previous performance on the public Portuguese network RTP 2.  The TV, Home Video and Merchandising and Licensing rights for Lunar Jim are managed by the Integrated Brand Management Specialist, Elastic Rights in Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Lunar Jim is also airing on Boomerang in Spain and Italy and Elastic Rights is in conversations with Free TV channels in both countries.  

Lunar Jim currently airs around the world on CBeebies (UK), BBC Worlwide (Poland) Kika, Kids CBC (Germany), Radio Canada Television (Canada), Discovery Kids Latin America, Discovery Kids Brazil and ABC Kids (Australia).   Other international broadcasters with rights to air the series, include MTV Network (Belgium),  ZDF (Austria), Cyprus Broadcasting Corp (Cyprus), Yleisradio (Finland), Pro Plus (Slovenia), Mediacorp TV (Singapore).
 
In addition, Elastic Rights Portugal has reached an agreement with Big Picture who will bring Lunar Jim DVDs to the Portuguese market this year. 

Lunar Jim follows the adventures of a little astronaut Jim and his friends who live in a tiny village called Moona Luna.  Jim and his friends face each adventure with Jim's rallying cry of "Let's get lunar!" before taking off in one of his many cool space vehicles to explore the Moon.  Lunar Jim transports preschoolers and early learners into an exciting world of discovery, fun and adventure - promoting problem-solving skills through persistence, creativity and cooperation.
 

Pangbourne, UK, 26 March 2009, www.marquisbroadcast.com: Marquis Broadcast, specialist in broadcast workflow studies and software solutions, and SeaChange International, a leading global supplier of high-definition and standard-definition broadcast playout and workflow solutions, will be demonstrating a faster-than-realtime, DNxHD-based workflow solution at NAB 2009 using Marquis' Medway media transfer and format conversion software integrated with SeaChange's new generation BML play-to-air storage servers within an Avid production environment.
 
Visitors to the SeaChange booth (SU12009) will see media files being transferred seamlessly from an Avid Media Composer editing system to the SeaChange server, and played back in native DNxHD. Medway will provide the media highway between the systems, enabling media to move freely without the need for transcoding. The software uses a simple drag and drop GUI to move media files and associated metadata at full network speed without the delays that frequently occur when media is transferred between different hardware and software platforms.
 
"The Medway system seamlessly integrates the nonlinear postproduction environment with the SeaChange play-to-air platform, creating a range of business efficiencies and benefits for our customers as they continue to migrate to tapeless HD production and playout workflows," said Stephane Jauroyou, director of product marketing for broadcast, SeaChange.
 
"Broadcasters want maximum productivity from their processes and need to ensure data is being transferred between systems as fast as possible," said Granby Patrick, CEO, Marquis Broadcast. "By working with leading manufacturers like SeaChange to integrate Medway with their products, we ensure that broadcasters world wide can benefit from the advantages of a cost-effective and highly efficient universal media highway."
 
Designed specifically to meet the demands of the most challenging broadcasting and television production environments, Medway is also suitable for newsroom, ingest, encoding, transcoding, asset management, editing, broadcast automation and finishing systems, and playout servers.
 
Availability
Medway-supported SeaChange servers are available immediately through SeaChange's worldwide distribution network.
 
 

WINTER PARK, FL, March 26, 2009 - In March 1979, Full Sail (www.fullsail.edu) launched its first educational program for the entertainment media industry, an act that allowed the marking of this year as its 30th anniversary. Full Sail University will celebrate this historic milestone on April 20, 2009 with a series of on-campus events, including the unveiling of the Full Sail University Hall of Fame and an inaugural induction ceremony with six selected Full Sail graduates.

Originated as a Recording Arts program, Full Sail was first advertised in the January 1979 issue of Rolling Stone Magazine. Over the last three decades, Full Sail has since grown into a leading Master, Bachelor and Associate degree-granting university offering 20 degree programs, and has graduated over 31,000 alumni. Currently, Full Sail's 190-acre campus and online education platform serves over 6,500 students from 50 states and 65 countries. Full Sail has also become the largest employer in Winter Park, FL, with over 1,400 full-time equivalent employees. Full Sail's economic impact includes an additional 2200 indirect jobs and over a five year period, a projected impact of $2.7 billion dollars to the Central Florida region.

Most recently named the 2008 "School/College of the Year" by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges, the university has also been previously named: The Harvard of Game Schools by Tips & Tricks Magazine; one of the top three New Media Schools by Shift Magazine (alongside the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and New York University); one of the Top Five Game Degree Programs in the world by Electronic Gaming Monthly; one of the Best Music Programs in the country by Rolling Stone Magazine; one of the Best Music Business Departments in the Schools That Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide; and one of the Best Film Programs in the country by UNleashed Magazine.

As recognition of the extraordinary accomplishments of Full Sail and its graduates throughout its 30-year history, the celebration will be held in April, and the Hall of Fame will be unveiled with plans to honor new classes of inductees in the future.

The Hall of Fame, which will be located at the center of Full Sail's campus in Winter Park, FL, will feature a 60-foot mixed media wall featuring video, sound, pictures, and industry credits of chosen graduates. In addition, the site will include artifacts and memorabilia of Hall of Fame inductees.

"I have been privileged to be a part of Full Sail from the time of its inception until today," said Garry Jones, President of Full Sail University. "The vision of this institution has always been to provide world-class education to students who aspire for careers in the entertainment and media industry. As I look back on all this university has become, I eagerly look forward to the next 30 years."

About Full Sail University:

Since 1979, Full Sail University, located outside of Orlando, FL, has been an innovative educational leader offering campus and online degree programs for those pursuing careers in the entertainment industry. With over 31,000 alumni, graduate credits include work on OSCAR®, Emmy® and GRAMMY® winning projects, best-selling video games, and #1 grossing U.S. concert tours.

Full Sail currently offers a total of 20 degree programs including: Associate of Science Degrees offered in Graphic Design, Recording Arts and Show Production & Touring; Bachelor of Science Degrees offered in Computer Animation, Digital Arts & Design, Entertainment Business, Film, Game Art, Game Development, Internet Marketing, Music Business and Web Design & Development; and Master of Science Degrees in Education Media Design & Technology, Game Design, Entertainment Business, and Internet Marketing; and a Master of Fine Art in Media Design.

For more information about Full Sail, please visit www.fullsail.edu.

Munich/London, 27 March 2009 - TV-Loonland has secured a distribution deal for both original and classic content adapted from world famous brands MY LITTLE PONY, TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE. Within the deal TV-Loonland acquired worldwide (excluding USA and Canada) home entertainment rights for the brand new 44-minute MY LITTLE PONY Twinkle Wish Adventure Special, which is currently in production, as well as the original animated TRANSFORMERS "Generation 1" series (98x26') and the G.I. JOE "A Real American Hero" animated series (95x26') and feature animated film (94').
 
The MY LITTLE PONY TWINKLE WISH ADVENTURE special (1x44´), animated in traditional 2D, will feature the new look of the MY LITTLE PONY range, being adapted in animation and introduced to kids for the first time. Once a year, Twinkle Wish, the magical, musical wishing star grants every pony a very special wish. After accidentally turning the wishing star into a missing star, the ponies set out on adventure to bring back Twinkle Wish to Ponyville.  After braving various challenges on their journey the ponies finally discover that friendship can make wishes come true.
 
Capturing the imagination of children and adults across the world for 25 years, the popular and well-loved original animated TRANSFORMERS Generation 1 series (98x26') will again be part of the TV-Loonland home entertainment programming slate. The legendary battle between the AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS began 25 years ago.  The ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, ordinary looking planes, cars and vehicles, suddenly change into mighty robots that wage war against one another.  Two types of TRANSFORMERS factions emerge: the power-hungry, evil DECEPTICONS and the AUTOBOTS who, with help from human allies and leader OPTIMUS PRIME, must use courage and ingenuity to defeat the DECEPTICONS, led by MEGATRON.
 
TV-Loonland has further secured the video rights to the G.I. JOE - A REAL AMERICAN HERO original animated series (95x26') and G.I. JOE animated feature film (94').  G.I. JOE is the code name for a highly trained special mission force whose main purpose is to defend human freedom and world peace. Action, adventure and international intrigue abound as the G.I. JOE team works together to thwart the evil COBRA organizations bent on world domination.
 
Olivier Dumont, Managing Director at TV-Loonland: "We are thrilled to have secured the video distribution rights for such renowned and cherished brands around the world. Given the past success of all three brands and the attention drawn by the upcoming theatrical release of the TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE movies, we expect the series to fly off the shelves".
 

SHEFFIELD, UK (27 March 2009) - LightWork Design, the world's leading
supplier of rendering solutions for developers of advanced 3D computer
graphics software, is pleased to announce that the latest release of
TurboCAD® Pro v16, from IMSI/Design, incorporates new updated LightWorks
functionality.

The new product release was announced earlier this week and rendering
enhancements within the release include LightWorks global illumination,
final gather and ambient occlusion - which facilitates a simpler and
faster creation of more accurate and realistic renderings - as well as the
addition of numerous new material shaders.  David Forrester, Managing
Director at LightWork Design commented, "We are pleased to see the
addition of the latest LightWorks technology within TurboCAD Pro and to
see the real advances that this makes to the product.  We look forward to
seeing more TurboCAD entries within our LightWorks image competition in
the months to come as users take advantage of these improvements."

Bob Mayer, Chief Operating Officer at IMSI/Design added, "LightWork
Design's development and support staff were instrumental in providing
advice and assistance throughout this release.  It was easy to update our
software libraries to the latest LightWorks v7.9 version.  This allowed us
to focus more time and effort on improving our user interface, adding a
style manager with preset lighting conditions, incorporating context
sensitive help, and more.  Customers love the new depth of field, lens
flare, and other post-processing capabilities; the advanced shaders such
as Glossy, Blurred Mirror, and Blurred Glass:  they dramatically reduce
the time and difficulty in setting up a quality render."

LightWorks is now in its 20th year and has been integrated within TurboCAD
since rendering was first implemented a number of years ago.  Over this
time, the product has developed to provide users with greater
photorealistic capabilities and users have produced some outstanding work.


For information about TurboCAD Pro, go to the IMSI/Design  or TurboCAD
websites:
www.imsidesign.com & www.turbocad.com

For more information about all the latest LightWorks news, go to the
LightWorks website at www.lightworkdesign.com


LightWork Design
LightWork Design is the world's leading supplier of rendering solutions
for developers of advanced 3D computer graphics software.  Now in its 20th
year, LightWork Design continues to develop LightWorks to provide
customers with innovative and market-focused solutions for the creation of
powerful and easy-to-use rendering applications.  Renowned for its
physically accurate visualisation of real-world objects and environments,
LightWorks is the ideal choice for applications targeted at the AEC,
Configuration, and Industrial markets.  LightWorks is supplied as a
complete solution which includes the SDK, support, training and
consultancy services, to give customers fast and efficient access to
leading-edge rendering technology, resulting in shorter development cycles,
faster time-to-market for new products, and lower software development
costs.   

LightWorks is the de facto standard for integrated rendering in advanced
3D graphics applications, embedded in over 80 software applications and
used by more than 2 million users worldwide.  

LightWorks - 20 Years of Graphics Excellence.


For more information, please contact:
pr@lightworkdesign.com

or go to:
www.lightworkdesign.com  or www.lightworks-user.com


LightWorks, the LightWorks logo, LWA and LWA-Enabled and the LWA-Enabled
logo are registered trademarks of LightWork Design Ltd.
All other trademarks, images and logos remain the property of their
respective owners.
Copyright of LightWork Design Ltd. 1990-2008, 2009.

CULVER CITY, CA (March 27, 2009) - Sony Pictures Television (SPT) and RelativityREAL, LLC have entered an international distribution deal for entertainment programming produced by Relativity. The deal, where both companies will co-distribute content outside the United States, was announced by Steve Mosko, president, SPT and Tom Forman, CEO, RelativityREAL.
 
"RelativityREAL has approximately 20 series and pilots in various stages of development at broadcast and cable networks," said Forman. "As we foray into the international distribution business, we're thrilled to have a great partner in Sony Pictures Television.  They have the depth and experience to help ensure those projects reach audiences around the world."
 
"Tom has a terrific track record for creating compelling and award-winning light entertainment, and we can't wait to bring his next formats to the international marketplace," said Mosko.
 
RelativityReal expects a significant amount of product to be available within the coming year. Past credits for RelativityREAL principals and partners include: "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" for ABC "Kid Nation" for CBS "Armed & Famous" for CBS "9/11" for CBS "Here Come The Newlyweds" for ABC "High School Musical: Get in the Picture" for ABC "Tuesday Night Book Club" for CBS "Tourgasm: The Dane Cook Project" for HBO and "Family Business" for Showtime.
RelativityREAL, LLC is a joint venture of Relativity Media, LLC and award-winning television producer Tom Forman ("Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"). The company produces unscripted and scripted content for broadcast television, cable, and the internet. CEO Forman has won three Primetime Emmy Awards, as well as an Edward R. Murrow and Peabody Award.

ABOUT RELATIVITY MEDIA, LLC

Relativity Media, LLC  ("RML") is a media and entertainment company which focuses on creating, financing and distributing first class, studio quality entertainment content and intellectual property across multiple platforms, as well as making strategic partnerships with, and opportunistic investments in media and entertainment related companies and assets. At the end of 2008, Relativity Media finalized its acquisition of Rogue Pictures from Universal.  The purchase of Rogue, a company that specializes in the production and distribution of lower-budget films, includes the label's entire library of films, as well as producing deals and more than 30 projects currently in development.  Rogue has had particular success within the horror genre; the first two Rogue releases under Relativity's ownership were both box office successes: The Unborn and The Last House on the Left.
 
To date, Relativity has financed and/or produced over 60 films that have seen wide release and have accumulated $7.4 billion in worldwide box office revenue. Fifty of those films are "Top 10" box office releases from the past two years. Relativity's recent films include Step Brothers, Hancock, Wanted, Burn After Reading, Death Race, The House Bunny, Mamma Mia!, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Pineapple Express, The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor, and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
 
Relativity's 2008 slate included five of the top twelve highest-grossing films of the year; eighteen of the company's films have opened at #1 at the box office, and eighteen of RML's nineteen summer releases landed in the top three highest earners in their respective opening weekends.  The past 34 releases have earned 29 Oscar® nominations, including nods for Frost/Nixon, Atonement, American Gangster, and 3:10 To Yuma.  Twenty-nine of RML's films have each generated over $100 million in worldwide box office receipts.  This past summer, Relativity Media, LLC announced an extensive international distribution program, which included thirteen output deals covering 100+ territories around the world.
 
 
ABOUT SONY PICTURES TELEVISION
 
Sony Pictures Television is one of the television industry's leading content providers.  It produces and distributes programming in every genre, including series, telefilms, theatrical releases and family entertainment around the world and for every platform:   broadcast and cable television, first-run and off-network syndication and digital distribution.  In addition to one of the industry's largest libraries of feature films and television shows, SPT boasts a current program slate that includes the top-rated daytime dramas and game shows, landmark off-network series, original animated series and critically acclaimed primetime dramas, comedies and telefilms.  SPT is also a leader in the field of international television production with over 9,000 hours of programming in 13 local languages in over 30 countries.   To better serve its clients and partners worldwide, SPT maintains offices throughout the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Venezuela and the United Kingdom. SPT's worldwide television networks portfolio is a key strategy in SPE's long-range commitment to the global marketplace, with over 50 networks in more than 130 countries reaching almost 400 million households worldwide.  SPT also creates original content for and manages SPE's premium video website, Crackle.  Additionally, SPT is a part owner of cable channel GSN, FEARnet, the premier horror/thriller website and VOD service, and national media sales company ITN Networks, Inc.  SPT advertiser sales is one of the premiere national advertising sales companies, handling the commercial inventory in SPT's syndicated series as well as in all of SPE's digital businesses in the United States, for Sony Music Entertainment and for the Tennis Channel.  SPT (www.sonypicturestelevision.com) is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company.

Buddy the Dinosaur Appears at MIP-TV to Celebrate
First European Licensing Agreement with Norway's NRK
 
MIP-TV, Cannes, France (March 30, 2009):  The Jim Henson Company and BIG Communications PTE Ltd. (BIG) are pleased to showcase the all-new CG animated series Dinosaur Train at this year's MIP-TV market.  Dinosaur Train is produced by The Jim Henson Company with Singapore's BIG acting as co-producer and with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority.
 
Together at the MIP-TV market to celebrate the launch are The Jim Henson Company's President and COO, Peter Schube, and Sam Ewing, Head of International Sales, New Programming; BIG's Roy Ng, General Manager, and Vincent Lim, Managing Director; and Dr Christopher Chia, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore's Media Development Authority.  Also making his first appearance at MIP-TV to celebrate the announcement is Buddy, the preschool-aged Tyrannosaurus Rex that stars in the series.
 
Further, Schube is pleased to announce that the MIP-TV market has provided the forum to finalize The Jim Henson Company's latest agreement regarding the series with Norway's public broadcaster NRK, who has acquired television broadcast rights for the territory. This new agreement comes on the heels of recently announced broadcast license agreements in Canada with TV Ontario and British Columbia's Knowledge, and the appointment of RC2 Corporation as the global master toy licensee for the series.  Under the multi-year agreement, RC2 Corp.'s Learning Curve Brands will feature a line of preschool products that will debut in the last half of 2010 and bring to life the rich and detailed world of the series.
 
"We are excited to celebrate the premiere of Dinosaur Train with BIG Communications, one of Singapore's leading integrated media companies, and we anticipate that this innovative new series will encourage our pre-school viewers around the world to have fun with Buddy and his dinosaur friends while they learn more about these amazing creatures," comments Schube. "Furthermore, our company is thrilled to take a stand at MIP for the first time in years to showcase our new properties to international buyers."
 
Created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), Dinosaur Train embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills as the audience learns about natural science, natural history and paleontology.  The series is currently in production for 40 half-hour episodes (80 x 11 minute episodes) and will join other top-ranked PBS KIDS® preschool series in fall 2009 including The Jim Henson Company's series Sid The Science Kid, which premiered in fall 2008, and which is also on offer at MIP-TV.
 
Craig Bartlett, Brian Henson, Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford will executive produce. The Jim Henson Company will oversee all ancillary exploitation of the property, including international television and video sales, and worldwide licensing and merchandising.  PBS will handle DVD distribution to consumer and education markets in North America.  UK production and financial support is being provided by Ingenious Media.
 
 
About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 50 years and is recognized worldwide as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics and digital animation. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets (the rights to which are now owned by The Walt Disney Company), Henson is the recipient of over 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Recent credits include "Sid the Science Kid, now airing on PBS KIDS and "Pajanimals", currently seen on Sprout. Features include "The Dark Crystal," "Labyrinth," "MirrorMask," and the recently released direct to DVD "Unstable Fables." Television productions include "Fraggle Rock" and the sci-fi cult series "Farscape." With additional locations in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company is headquartered in Los Angeles on the historic Charlie Chaplin lot, complete with soundstage and postproduction facilities. Independently owned and operated by the five adult children of founder Jim Henson, the Company is also home to Jim Henson's Creature Shop™, a pre-eminent character-building and visual effects group with international film, television and advertising clients, as well as Henson Recording Studios, one of the music industry's top recording facilities known for its world-class blend of state of the art and vintage equipment. The Company is currently in production on 40 episodes of "Dinosaur Train," an animated preschool series teaching concepts of natural science, natural history and paleontology, set to debut on PBS KIDS in fall 2009. The Company's Henson Alternative brand continues to produce "Puppet Up! - Uncensored," a live puppet improvisational show that runs monthly at the Avalon Hollywood. The Company has also announced the creation of Jim Henson Designs, a merchandise collection inspired by Jim Henson's earliest sketches, and The Jim Henson Company: Discoveries, an acquisitions banner that celebrates outstanding third party produced independent film, television and video productions from around the globe embodying the Company's enduring legacy.
www.henson.com
 
About PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO!
PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and outreach programs. With positive character role models and content designed to nurture a child's total well-being, PBS's online and community resources - including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month and reaching 99% of American homes.
 
About BIG Communications Pte Ltd
BIG Communications Pte Ltd is one of Singapore's leading integrated media
company with partners in USA, Canada, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, China
and Korea, and one of Singapore's foremost creators of original HD documentaries
and 2D & 3D animated programmes.
 

    Cannes, France (March 30, 2009) - PORTFOLIO ENTERTAINMENT suits up
for MIPTV with HOOD, an original, cross-platform, half-hour animated
comedy-adventure series about the exploits of a secret global
organization of exceptional teens who don super-charged hoodies to
defend the Earth from all manner of weirdness and danger. Working with
TELETOON Canada to develop the series, Portfolio Entertainment is also
exploring the use of innovative digital content to support and enhance
the super-powered show.
    Howie Shia, Gran Prix winner of the 2007 Tokyo Anime Fair, created
the series and is being assisted by Story Editor Mark Leiren-Young, an
award-winning writer, on the development of the bible and initial
scripts.  HOOD is a fusion of the grand mysteries, recurring rivalries
and comical tragedies of life as an extraordinary teen facing
inconceivable situations.  Portfolio Entertainment anticipates
bringing the HOOD characters to life with a fresh and exciting blend
of animation styles including 2D digital.
    "We are thrilled to be working with our ace partners at TELETOON,"
said Lisa Olfman, President and Co-Founder, Portfolio Entertainment.
"Their eye for quality and courage to champion the incredibly cool
universe Howie and Mark have built in HOOD is simply inspiring."
    "Portfolio has a track record of creating clever comedies and we
think HOOD is an exciting idea with a lot of possibilities.  We're
excited by this show's innovative look and the new spin on the classic
super hero team," said Michael Goldsmith, Director, Original Content,
TELETOON  
    Geared toward tween audiences, HOOD chronicles the exploits of a
mysterious team of hoodie-clad super-teens committed to unearthing,
monitoring and combating supernatural threats.  HOOD agents wear
designer hoodies custom-made to enhance each teen's individual
specialty. Our core team includes Chuck, our latest recruit, who has
recently moved from Montreal to the prairies and is coping with the
change by _über_-crushing on the HOOD's air-borne field commander,
Loona - a beautiful but hard-nosed Californian who barely knows he
exists.  Chuck is quickly initiated into a team which includes Parker,
a hyper-agile _parkour _runner who cut her teeth on the floating
sidewalks of Hong Kong; Plus/Minus a static-charged skateboarder from
the mean streets of south London; and Photocynthia, a solar-powered
Icelandic vegan who can bench press a water bison.  __
    For additional program information and pre-sales inquiries, please
visit Portfolio Entertainment at MIPTV booth 00.01.
    ABOUT PORTFOLIO ENTERTAINMENT INC

    Founded in 1991, Toronto-based Portfolio Entertainment is one of
Canada's leading independent producers and distributors of bold,
award-winning television programs for kids, tweens, teens and adults
including _Chinatown Cops_ the primetime animated comedy about two
self-proclaimed super-cops who dish out their own brand of
ginseng-justice on a nightly basis; the animated comedy _Carl2_ which
follows the day-to-day antics of a teenage slacker and his too perfect
DNA double; and _RoboRoach_, a series that elevates a lowly cockroach
to super hero status.  Portfolio Entertainment's distribution division
has gained access to some of the world's most established broadcasters
as well as emerging new players offering an ambitious catalogue that
consists of more than 1,300 episodes of programming.  Portfolio
Entertainment is located on the Web at www.portfolioentertainment.com.

    ABOUT TELETOON

    TELETOON is where cartoons live - all day, every day. Available in
both English and French in over 7.5 million Canadian homes, TELETOON
brings kids, youth and adults the best in animated entertainment.
TELETOON is also available On Demand and on Mobile TV. Founded in
1997, TELETOON has invested more than 194 million dollars in the
creation, development and production of Canadian content and has
commissioned over 6400 half-hours of original productions. TELETOON
Canada inc. is owned by Astral Media Inc. (50%), and Corus
Entertainment Inc. (50%).
    For further information about Portfolio Entertainment, to arrange
interviews or to request images please contact Davis Public Relations:

Series Marks First Canadian-South African Animation Co-Production
 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
 
TORONTO (March 30, 2009) - Cookie Jar Entertainment's new series, Peter Pepper's Pet Spectacular has been greenlit for production in 2009. This is the first Canadian - South African animation co-production where the work will not be subcontracted outside of either country. The co-production between Canada's Cookie Jar Entertainment, a leading global independent producer of children's entertainment, and Clockwork Zoo, South Africa's biggest animation studio, is scheduled to air on CBC.
 
"We are thrilled to co-produce this wonderful series with Clockwork Zoo," said Toper Taylor, President and COO, Cookie Jar Entertainment. "This marks a great moment in animation and we believe that Cookie Jar's history of making quality children's entertainment along with Clockwork Zoo's creativity and strong presence in South Africa's animation industry will make this a successful series."
 
"We are delighted that the first official animation co-production between South Africa and Canada is with Cookie Jar Entertainment," said Sean Rogers, MD Clockwork Zoo and Executive Producer of Peter Pepper's Pet Spectacular in South Africa. "As such, Peter Pepper's Pet Spectacular is an historical landmark in the growth of the South African animation industry and we hope it will be the first of more future creative collaborations."
 
This charming animated series highlights the notion that each child is spectacular in his or her own special way. Lessons in theatrics, cooperation, and collaboration are told through the pets as they each perform their special acts on stage. Performance and song add magic and music to each spectacular tale, plus each episode features live action footage of real kids with their pets. CBC has picked up 26 half-hour episodes. Cookie Jar CEO Michael Hirsh and President and COO Toper Taylor will be reuniting with Peter Pepper's Pet Spectacular author Betty Paraskevas and illustrator Mickey Paraskevas, who also wrote and illustrated the popular book turned TV series, Maggie and the Ferocious Beast.
 
ABOUT COOKIE JAR
The Cookie Jar Group is a Canada-based global children's entertainment and education company dedicated to excellence.  Through Cookie Jar Entertainment, the company is a leader in the creation, production, marketing and licensing of evergreen character brands that appeal to kids and families worldwide.  Cookie Jar Entertainment's library of nearly 6,000 half-hour episodes features some of the world's most recognizable brands, including "Strawberry Shortcake," "Caillou," "Inspector Gadget," "The Doodlebops," "Arthur" and "Johnny Test".  The company owns non-character based brands for licensing such as Mommy & Me. Through its pan-European subsidiary, the full-service licensing agency Copyright Promotions Licensing Group, Cookie Jar represents numerous third-party iconic brands. Cookie Jar Group also has a one-third interest in international children's television channel Kidsco. Cookie Jar Education, based in Greensboro, North Carolina, is one of North America's largest providers of supplemental education materials, reaching nearly 2,000 teachers across the United States, through the Carson-Dellosa and HighReach Learning brands. 
 
ABOUT CLOCKWORK ZOO
Clockwork Zoo, the largest animation studio in Southern Africa is branching out from creating original programming to high-profile servicing work and co-productions with top international studios. The company has a hugely successful live-action team creating five hours of original programming every week for local public broadcaster SABC. Clockwork Zoo Animation has a team of 40 animators, designers, storyboarders, editors, writers and production staff. Building on the critically acclaimed URBO: The Adventures of Pax Afrika, currently airing its second 52 episode season throughout Africa, the team has three shows: Deadbeats, Lucy and the Nightmares and Banna Banana aimed at different markets around the world. Clockwork Zoo has an office in Brussels to facilitate their co-production and servicing deals. The first of these is Dear Dragon with Wish Films in the UK and Peter Pepper's Pet Spectacular with co-producer Cookie Jar in Canada. The studio also provides animation service work to Paris-based Xilam Animation and Dinamo Productions in Wales.
 

Integrated Brand Management Specialist, Elastic Rights who own the TV and Home Video rights to Entertainment Rights' sitcom The Basil Brush Show™ (78 x 30) in Spain, Portugal and Italy, today announces that Basil will bring new laughs to Portugal where RTP will soon premiere new episodes of the British hit.  RTP has been broadcasting the first two seasons (eps. 1-26) of the live action comedy since December 2007 with excellent results and has just acquired the 3rd and 4th seasons (eps. 27-52).  

The Basil Brush Show™ is an all-time classic on BBC that follows the humorous adventures and comedy antics of the charismatic Basil Brush®,, who lives in an apartment with Stephen, Stephen's nephew Dave and his niece Molly.  Molly and Dave's parents are on a trip around the world, leaving the children the freedom to make their own decisions and be creative in solving problems - which are bound to arise with Basil and Stephen running the house!  With its bold and colourful sets, strong fun storylines and creative use of music, The Basil Brush Show™ excites children of all ages.

In Spain all six seasons of the series have been airing successfully on Cartoon Network since May 2007 and on TVE's La 2 since June 2007.  

Finally, Raisat in Italy has also acquired all 78 episodes which have been broadcast since the series premiered in May 2007.  

Following hot on the heels of the news that CAKE Entertainment has sold Fresh TV Inc's new animated surf comedy Stoked (26 x 22) to Cartoon Network USA, the kids' entertainment specialists have today announced that the show has a double platform with CANAL+ and TPS Jeunesse.
 
Stoked - which was developed and produced by Toronto-based Fresh TV Inc. for Canadian cablenet TÉLÉTOON - is a character-driven animated sitcom about six teenagers who come together one summer to work (and surf) at the world renowned Surfer's Paradise Resort. For twelve weeks they will spend their first summer away from home, work the hardest they ever have, and most importantly have the opportunity to surf on their days off. The series was created and written by Tom McGillis and Jennifer Pertsch at Fresh TV, and is aimed at 8-12 year olds.
 
In addition, CANAL+ and TPS Jeunesse have also acquired Fresh TV Inc's animated reality TV spoof Total Drama Island - CAKE's best-selling property of 2008 - and Total Drama Action, the follow-up series, as part of a package along with Stoked.
 
Genevieve Dexter, Partner & Commercial Director at CAKE, says: "This is great 3 series deal with our valued partners, Canal + and TPS Jeunesse.  Stoked and Total Drama Action are fantastic properties that tap into the tween market really successfully; these deals show that there is a real desire for quality kid's programming that challenges the status quo."
 
Fresh TV Inc's McGillis adds: "This production takes flash animation to new heights with eye-popping water animation and stunning character design. Fresh has also licensed hundreds of surf songs for the show and its website so we can't wait for the series to launch."
 

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 30 /PRNewswire/ -- For all those job-hunters in creative fields who need a strategic edge in the salary negotiation process -- or who simply could benefit from the motivation salary knowledge can provide, Industry Wages Inc. has delivered a powerful new tool. The company has launched the website VFXWages.com (http://www.vfxwages.com) as a free way for these professionals and students to determine the latest information on salaries and hourly wages in their market. Currently VFXWages.com provides pay information for individuals in the visual effects industry, particularly film and television visual effects, gaming, motion graphics, and animation.
 
"We've created a necessary tool for the pursuit of salary equality in this ever-changing job environment," says Aruna Inversin, president of Industry Wages Incorporated and founder of VFXWages.com. "In creating VFXWages.com, we strive to give the community a streamlined way to identify an appropriate wage to expect or ask for in salary negotiations."
 
VFXWages.com is a global tool that will help job-seekers see how they rate among other artists with similar skills and experiences in a particular location. Using the special Wages system, users can graphically compare wages and salaries around the world by typing in a city, state or zip code. Registrants can also obtain information about employment based on job title, company, start date and length of time the position will last.
 
"We use the anonymity of the web with the power of a community to give you the information you need," says Inversin. "This tool allows you to compare yourself to others in your field around the world."
 
The database of wages is normalized to a 260-day year or 40-hour workweek, based on the pay options available for that job. VFXWages.com uses this method because it is the most common way to aggregate wage information among the different methods that film and television studios use to pay their artists.
 
There are three different types of accounts for users. Professional and freelancer accounts feature jobs with salary or hourly paid wages for those particular individuals. Student accounts are perfect for those currently attending any post-secondary schools, or have recently graduated and are looking for work. Company accounts are for recruiters and managers or company owners that wish to take advantage of VFXWages.com's special services to search for and recruit talent.

VFXWages.com is cross-browser and cross-platform compatible. Industry Wages Inc. strives to maintain and deliver a high-quality product; the company spent several months privately testing the VFXWages.com site in beta to make sure the website would guarantee customer satisfaction. Clients can find out about recent upgrades and the latest happenings on the "Latest News" section of the website.
 
About Industry Wages Incorporated and VFXWages.com
 
VFXWages.com was created by visual effects professionals based in Los Angeles who were disappointed with how secretive wages and salaries were in the creative arts industry.
 
Industry Wages is looking to expand its services to other vital industries around the world. For more information about this company or the new website, visit http://www.vfxwages.com.
 
 
 

For Immediate Release

Montreal (March 30, 2009) -  Toon Boom Animation Inc. today announced
two new outstanding innovations: Toon Boom Animate Pro builds upon
Animate's feature set and delivers also 2D-3D integration as well as
scanning options and full compositing capabilities with 50 built-in
special effects. Toon Boom Manager provides full tracking capabilities
to monitor the production progress in real time.

Toon Boom Animate Pro and Manager are integral parts of the new
modularized Harmony Solution which is ideal for creating traditional,
paperless and cut-out animation, all integrated in a network
environment.

As a turn-key solution, the Harmony Solution also includes consultancy
services for implementation, custom training, production assistance
and custom development. Consultancy services play a critical role in
maximizing the benefits of the Toon Boom pipeline from the beginning,
and delivering projects of all sizes within budget and schedule.

"Animate Pro and Manager are great additions to the Toon Boom
offerings and will bring great value to the animation pipeline, no
matter what the animation style or technique is. Ease-of-use,
flexibility and power are certainly guiding the development of our
products, making their adoption and integration in animation studios
of any size the right technology choice," shared Joan Vogelesang,
President and Chief Executive Officer at Toon Boom.

Toon Boom Animate Pro and Manager will be showcased at MIPTV 2009,
Booth C1.05.  

About Toon Boom Animation Inc.
Toon Boom Animation Inc. is the worldwide leader in animation software
solutions. Toon Boom carries user-friendly animation applications for
all and develops new geographies to make the animation community as
global as can be. In that market segment, Toon Boom caters to the
needs of children, home users, creative professionals as well as
students, educators and schools.

As importantly, Toon Boom is fully dedicated to the needs of
independent animators and studios, offering a wide product range from
powerful pre-production tools to leading-edge animation production
solutions. Relying on its extensive expertise in animation production,
Toon Boom provides consulting services in the fields of optimization,
pipeline integration, production assistance and custom development.

In 2005, Toon Boom was granted the Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award
by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its significant
contribution made to the animation industry targeted for television.
In 2006, the IT Federation of Quebec (FIQ) awarded an OCTAS 2006 in
the Multimedia - educational and cultural sector category, for Toon
Boom Studio. In 2007, FIQ awarded an OCTAS 2007 in the Technological
Innovation category, for Toon Boom Storyboard Pro.

Toon Boom's client base ranges from major studios creating Hollywood
blockbuster animated films to individual animators creating their
first masterpieces. Market-leading studios using Toon Boom's products
include Nelvana, Warner Bros., Mercury Filmworks, China Central
Television, Toonz Animation India, eMation, Rough Draft Korea,
Alphanim, Cosgrove Hall, Cromosoma and Enarmonia, to name a few. Some
of the prestigious productions done with Toon Boom's technology
include Les Triplettes de Belleville, Looney Tunes: Back in Action,
The Rugrats, SpongeBob The Movie, Curious George, Go West: A New Lucky
Luke Adventure and Simpsons The Movie.

For additional information, visit Toon Boom at toonboom.com.

Penguins Draws 6.1 Million Total Viewers

Sets New Record as Nick's Most-Watched Animated Series Premiere with Kids 6-11;

 Scores a New Series Best with Tweens

 

NEW YORK-March 30, 2009-Nickelodeon's highly anticipated debut of the CGI-animated series The Penguins of Madagascar (Saturday, March 28, 9:30 p.m. [ET/PT]) ranks as the most-watched series premiere in the network's history, drawing 6.1 total million viewers (P2+).  The half-hour premiere also delivered more kids 6-11 than any other Nick animated series premiere, averaging an 11.0/2.3 million K6-11.  Additionally, it was the best new series premiere performance ever with tweens, averaging a 10.8/2.3 million T9-14. 

 

Highlights for The Penguins of Madagascar premiere include:

 

The Penguins of Madagascar premiere episode "Launchtime" (Saturday, March 28, 9:30 p.m. [ET/PT]) broke Nickelodeon records as the most-watched series premiere in Nickelodeon's history (replacing prior record holder All Grown Up in 2003 with 5.2 million total viewers), drawing 6.1 million total viewers (P2+), up +65% in delivery over last year.
 

The telecast was Nick's most-watched and highest-rated animated premiere with kids 6-11, averaging an 11.0/2.3 million with K6-11, up +51% in rating.

"Launchtime" drew the largest tween audience and rating for a Nickelodeon series premiere, posting a 10.8/2.3 million T9-14, up +54%.
 

Penguins averaged an 8.5/3.0 million K2-11, up +53% and the second most-watched premiere in Nick's history with this demographic.
 

The Penguins of Madagascar delivered the highest rating ever for a show that followed the Kids' Choice Awards, retaining 77% of the KCA audience.
 

A Penguins of Madagascar dedicated mini site, which launched on Oct. 30, 2008, drew 2.4 million unique visitors since its debut, and featured a series of four new mini-games, which garnered 1.5 million game plays (3/12/09-3/30/09).

The Penguins of Madagascar premiere followed Nickelodeon's 2009 Kids' Choice Awards, which set a new record on Saturday, March 28, (8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) as the biggest Kids' Choice Awards to date.  The star-studded telecast drew a record 7.7 million total viewers (P2+) and earned its highest ratings ever among kids and tweens.

 

Nickelodeon will feature two weeks of Penguins primetime premieres weeknights until April 10, at 8:00 - 8:30 PM (ET/PT). The new series, which is co-produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.--and followed Nickelodeon's highest-rated and most-watched Kids' Choice Awards ever--follows the exploits of the beloved penguin brothers from DreamWorks Animation's hit feature films Madagascar and Madagascar 2:  Escape to Africa. Andy Richter (Late Night with Conan O' Brien) and Tom McGrath (co-created the Penguins characters and directed both Madagascar films) reprise their roles as Mort and Skipper from the feature films, and Nicole Sullivan (MadTV) rounds out the ensemble voice-over cast.  The series will move to its regular timeslot on Saturdays at 10:00-10:30 AM (ET/PT) beginning April 18.

 

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 98 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

 

Madrid based Vodka Capital introduces itself at MIPtv with its vibrant animated 52 x 11' 3D series Jelly Jamm.

Created by Spanish companies Secuoyas and Vodka Capital, Jelly Jamm is produced by an expert entertainment team including Victor M. Lopez, ex-CEO of Zinkia (Pocoyo / Shuriken School) and David Cantolla, creator and director of the award-winning series Pocoyo.

Developed from the outset as a multiplatform international kid's entertainment  brand, Jelly Jamm is an innovative and exciting project which, together with its addictive music is gaining rapid international interest.   Aimed at a 4-6 year age group, Jelly Jamm is a lively 'musical comedy' about discovery, friendship and adventure on the magical planet Jammbo; the origin of music in the universe.

 During development the project will be rolled out across all platforms including TV, music, toys, DVDs, merchandising, videogames, books and a fantastic state-of-the-art online world.

Victor M. Lopez explains:  "At last years MIPcom we started informal talks about Jelly Jamm.  Since then there has been a great deal of international excitement around the project and we expect to finalise the first of many deals whilst at MIPtv".

Jelly Jamm is just one of a slate of projects Vodka Capital will be discussing at MIPtv, Lopez says:  "There are a tremendous amount of entertainment branding opportunities in the marketplace.  That said, although a lot of people talk about creating multi-platform projects they are failing to define the right brandable concept that can successfully extent across exploitation windows."

Vodka Capital will be discussing projects including animation and live action tv series, children's tv series, animation projects, videogames, online games and web content.

 -ends

Film and Animation Festival: May 4 - 10, 2009
Awards Ceremony and Gala: Saturday, May 9, 2009
 
The 20th annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards will highlight over
100 films by students graduating from the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department
at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). The program includes screenings of short films, videos and animations; and an awards ceremony and gala with notable presenters from the film industry. This year's Screenwriters Night is a collaboration with the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in which SVA graduating screenwriters will have selected scenes performed live by alumni from the Neighborhood Playhouse. More info. available from: www.sva.edu/dusty.
 
"We are very pleased to have reached the 20th year of the Dustys as we recognize the outstanding achievement of emerging filmmakers, and members of the industry get the chance to see the work of the next generation of some remarkable film and animation talent," said Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at SVA. "We are thrilled with being able to present the full festival at the all-new state-of-the art SVA Theater."
 
Each year, film achievement awards are presented in the following categories: documentary, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, directing and outstanding film.  Animation achievement awards are presented for traditional, stop-motion, and experimental animation. Previous award presenters have included Harvey Keitel, Danny Aiello, Sean Combs, Bryan Singer, Treat Williams, David Koepp, Wes Craven, Griffin Dunne, Bill Plympton, Tom Sito and Ellen Burstyn.
 
2009 Festival Schedule
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8: Screenings*
SVA Theater
333 West 23rd Street, 12 noon - 11pm
Tuesday, May 5: Screenwriters Night
SVA Theater, 6:00pm
Thursday, May 7:  Animation Screenings*
SVA Theater, 7 - 11pm
Saturday, May 9: Awards Ceremony and Gala
Awards Ceremony: SVA Theater, 6pm
                                    Gala: Marquee -  8pm - 11pm
                                    289 10th Avenue, NY, NY 10001
Sunday, May 10: Winner's Circle
SVA Theater, 12pm-6pm
                        
RSVP is required for Screenwriters Night, Awards Ceremony and Gala. For public inquiries regarding tickets, please contact 212.592.2124.  Events marked with an asterisk * above are free and open to the public.                             
 
Screenwriters Night, May 5, 2009, is held in collaboration with The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and The Real Theatre Company. Eleven five-minute scenes by SVA's screenwriting thesis students are set to be performed live on stage, featuring alumni from The Neighborhood Playhouse, the internationally regarded acting conservatory. Screenwriters Night will be directed by award-winning filmmaker John Gallagher, a faculty member at both SVA and The Neighborhood Playhouse, and will be produced by film producers Annie Flocco and Heidi H. Hamelin
 
The 2009 Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards are sponsored by: Nice Shoes, National Board of Review, New York Women in Film and Television, CAVA, Colliers ABR, Eastman Kodak, Future Media Concepts, SCS Agency, Inc, and Animation Magazine.  Screenwriters Night is in collaboration with The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and The Real Theater Company and is in association with CAVA and Final Draft, Inc.
 
The Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards began in 1990 when the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department sought to bring its year-end screenings of student films to a wider audience. With sponsorship, a venue, and the support from the film industry, the event came to life. To pay tribute to School of Visual Arts founder Silas H. Rhodes, the event was named "Dusty" -- after the nickname Mr. Rhodes had as a soldier in World War II.
 
School of Visual Arts is widely regarded as one of the finest art schools in the United States for its innovative curriculum, unparalleled faculty of more than 900 creative professionals and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. Film and animation students at SVA have received accolades and honors from such renowned institutions and organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; National Board of Review and many others. Find more information at www.sva.edu/dusty.
 
School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose. 

Kids Streaming More than
One Million Video Clips Per Week on pbskidsgo.org

Arlington, VA - March 18, 2009 - As a media leader exploiting new technology for educational enrichment, PBS KIDS GO! announced today the expansion of its video player capabilities to include new in-video gaming on pbskidsgo.org (www.pbskids.org/go/video).  Embedded in PBS KIDS GO! popular curriculum-based series, the new games foster greater learning comprehension and enhance the digital experience for early elementary school children. Currently, the PBS KIDS GO! video player offers hundreds of video clips and dozens of full-length episodes, and is streaming more than one million clips each week.

The first series adding the game overlay to online videos include ARTHUR, FETCH! WITH RUFF RUFFMAN, CYBERCHASE and WORDGIRL. THE ELECTRIC COMPANY and other series will feature this new gaming option in the coming months.

"PBS is committed to raising the bar when it comes to developing kids interactive experiences that are fun and educational," said Jason Seiken, SVP of PBS Interactive. "Kids are accessing and using media in myriad ways. As pioneers of this new technology, PBS KIDS GO! is creating an even more immersive and enriching experience for children to further their learning alongside their favorite characters."

"We've combined two of the things that kids love most - great TV shows and cool games - and are thrilled to bring such incredible interactivity to kids whenever they want it," added Sara DeWitt, Senior Director of PBS KIDS Interactive. "As the leader in educational media, PBS KIDS GO! will continue to reach out to this audience with content that will bring learning with media to a new level."   
 
With full screen, closed captioning, Spanish audio, and sharing and voting features, the PBS KIDS GO! video player showcases full episodes, sneak previews and clip highlights from PBS KIDS GO! broadcast properties primarily serving children ages 6 to 8, an audience with limited age-appropriate media choices. With fresh content added weekly, properties include ANIMALIA, ARTHUR, CYBERCHASE, DESIGN SQUAD, DRAGONFLYTV, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, FETCH! WITH RUFF RUFFMAN, MARTHA SPEAKS, MAYA & MIGUEL, POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER, WISHBONE, WORDGIRL and ZOOM.  Additionally, kids can browse by themes, such as "robots" and "Earth Day," and enjoy Web-exclusive content from pbskidsgo.org series including THE GREENS, KRATTS' CREATURES and KIDS WORLD SPORTS.

Available on both Macs and PCs, the PBS KIDS GO! video player is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and is available at www.pbskids.org/go/video. The video player is also available via Web sites of participating local PBS member stations.

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. The PBS KIDS GO! Web site is also home to several PBS primetime companion sites, such as HISTORY DETECTIVES FOR KIDS, JAZZ, and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE'S WAYBACK.

PBS KIDS, for preschoolers, and PBS KIDS GO!, for early elementary school kids, offer all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online and outreach programs. With positive character role models and content designed to nurture a child's total well-being, PBS's online and community resources - including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS KIDS GO! online (pbskidsgo.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS Teachers (pbsteachers.org), PBS KIDS Raising Readers and literacy events across the country - leverage the full spectrum of media, technology and community to build knowledge, critical thinking, imagination and curiosity. Empowering children for success in school and in life, only PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS GO! have earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 356 public television stations, serving more than 115 million people on-air and online each month and reaching 99% of American homes. 
 

Fans Can Watch The Newest NARUTO Shippuden Animated Episode Each Week At NARUTO.com Then Test Their Knowledge To Win Exciting Prizes Including NARUTO Video Games And
A Game Console!

San Francisco, CA, March 25, 2009 - VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry's most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has launched a new watch-and-win contest on its official NARUTO web site at www.NARUTO.com beginning March 27th. Every week, a new NARUTO Shippuden episode (English subtitled) will stream for free on the site and fans are invited to watch and take part in the contest by answering a trivia question about each new installment. The contest runs through September 2009.

Winners will be announced weekly and are eligible for a variety of exciting prizes, from action figures and apparel to video games. Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. sponsors the first 4 weeks of the contest and will award each lucky winner a copy of Ultimate Ninja® 4: NARUTO™ Shippuden, the first video game released in North America based on the NARUTO Shippuden animated series. On the fourth week the company will award one lucky fan a copy of the video game and a PlayStation®2 game console.

Ultimate Ninja® 4: NARUTO Shippuden features several unique game modes allowing players to experience perspectives as different characters in this immersive world of the ninja. The video game combines role-playing and action-platforming elements, telling the story of how Naruto returned to the Hidden Leaf Village after his training with Jiraiya - an original narrative arc that fans won't find anywhere else. Packed with new NARUTO Shippuden characters, as well as updated versions of fan favorites, the game offers a total of 52 playable characters to take into battle and also features the series' trademark one-on-one ninja battles for one or two players.

"This NARUTO Shippuden watch-and-win contest is a unique and fun way for fans to flex their knowledge of each week's new episode to win special NARUTO prizes," says Gonzalo Ferreyra, Vice President Sales & Product Marketing, VIZ Media. "We invite fans to visit the official NARUTO web site, NARUTO.com, regularly over the coming months for more chances to win and updates on future prize sponsors."

Created by Masashi Kishimoto, NARUTO was first introduced in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in Japan in 1999 and quickly became that country's most popular ninja manga targeting tweens and teens and has sold more than 80 million copies to-date. The manga series (rated 'T' for Teens) and animated counterpart (NARUTO rated 'T' for teens, and NARUTO Shippuden rated 'T+' for older teens), is one of VIZ Media's most successful properties and has captivated millions of fans across North America, Europe and South America.

In the NARUTO manga and animated series, Naruto Uzumaki wants to be the best ninja in the land. He's done well so far, but Naruto knows he must train harder than ever and leaves his village for intense exercises that will push him to his limits. NARUTO Shippuden begins two and a half years later, when Naruto returns to find that everyone has been promoted up the ninja ranks--except him. Sakura's a medic ninja, Gaara's advanced to Kazekage, and Kakashi...well he remains the same. But pride isn't necessarily becoming of a ninja, especially when Naruto realizes that Sasuke never returned from his search for Orochimaru. Plus, the mysterious Akatsuki organization is still an ever-present danger. As Naruto finds out more about the Akatsuki's goals, he realizes that nothing in his universe is as it seems. Naruto is finding that he's older, but will he also prove wiser and stronger?

Earlier NARUTO episodes are also currently available for free through a variety of other web-based, video streaming outlets that have partnered with VIZ Media, including iTunes®, HULU and JOOST.  

More information on NARUTO is available at www.NARUTO.com.

About VIZ Media, LLC
Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), is one of the most comprehensive and innovative companies in the field of manga (graphic novel) publishing, animation and entertainment licensing of Japanese content. Owned by three of Japan's largest creators and licensors of manga and animation, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media is a leader in the publishing and distribution of Japanese manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and South Africa and is a global ex-Asia licensor of Japanese manga and animation. The company offers an integrated product line including magazines such as SHONEN JUMP and SHOJO BEAT, graphic novels, and DVDs, and develops, markets, licenses, and distributes animated entertainment for audiences and consumers of all ages. Contact VIZ Media at 295 Bay Street, San Francisco, CA 94133; Phone (415) 546-7073; Fax (415) 546-7086; and web site at www.VIZ.com.

- Booth SL326 -
London, UK. March 26th 2009 - Much has changed at leading VFX software developer, The Foundry, during the last twelve months.  This will be reflected on the show floor at NAB 2009, as the company plays host to a series of exciting 'behind the scenes' demos and product announcements at its booth #SL326 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Continuing the development and support of its Academy Award®-winning compositing and plug-in technologies has necessitated the addition of 15 staff globally. The company now has offices in Los Angeles, a local presence in southeast Asia and has expanded into two additional floors at its HQ in Soho, London.

Blockbuster VFX demos on Nuke: At NAB 2009, The Foundry will let its customers do the most of the talking. Leading visual effects professionals will treat visitors to a series of behind-the-scenes looks at how Nuke was used to great effects on the international blockbusters Iron Man and Watchmen as well as the game World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King.

New Nuke products: The Foundry team will showcase Nuke 5.2, the latest release of its acclaimed compositing software, featuring new pre-comp tools, Python UI and metadata improvements, plus support for 3D LUTs and OpenGL GLSL shaders, video output cards and a RED R3D Redcode format-reader enabling full 32-bit floating point processing. RED Digital Cinema will be represented on The Foundry's booth on 21st, 22nd and 23rd April demonstrating the new RED-to-Nuke workflow.

Visitors can take a look at Nuke 6.0 (due for release in Q3), which promises a new Paint and Roto toolset. The release of 6.0 is set to coincide with the launch of NukePro, a brand new product offering incorporating lens tools, a camera tracker, FurnaceCore and Keylight all in one compositing package. All Nuke 5.2 orders with maintenance taken before the end of NAB 2009 will receive NukePro automatically as it becomes available later in the year, delivering a saving of over $2,500 on list price.


Plug-in developments: The Foundry has reinforced its commitment to the development of industry-leading creative and image-processing plug-ins with the recent appointment of Tom Cowland as plug-in product manager. Brand new products on show at NAB are FurnaceCore for Fusion (also integral to NukePro) and Tinderbox 4 for Nuke.  Future releases planned for later in 2009 include a new keyer for Autodesk and Adobe and some exciting tools for Final Cut Pro.

Ocula 3D stereo toolset: The Foundry is also continuing development of Ocula, its range of stereoscopic plug-ins, with the release of new tools driven by production feedback later in the year. Ocula was used by Digital Domain on a stereo 3D commercial spot for SoBe broadcast to 96million viewers during SuperBowl XLIII, and is currently being put through its paces by Weta Digital on James Cameron's Avatar.

FXGuide and FCP: During NAB 2009 The Foundry is also sponsoring FX Guide's Bar Camp on 20th April at the Renaissance Hotel and is again supporting the FCP Supermeet on the 21st at the Rio Hotel. To attend please visit www.lafcpug.org/nab_2009.html.



About The Foundry

The Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post production. On February 10th 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Sci-Tech Award® to The Foundry's development team for the Furnace image processing suite. The company now has two Academy Award® winning technologies including the high-end compositing system Nuke.

 
The Foundry's products support a wide range of host platforms including After Effects, Autodesk® Media and Entertainment Systems, Avid DS, Baselight, Film Master, Nuke, Scratch and Shake. The company has also driven OpenFX, an open standard for visual effects plug-ins, now broadly adopted by host and plug-in developers such as Autodesk®, Assimilate, FilmLight, Digital Vision, Eyeon Software Inc, Grass Valley, Soluciones Graficas por Ordenador (S.G.O.), Photron, Final Cut Pro and others.

 
The Foundry is headquartered in London, and has offices in Los Angeles. For more information please visit The Foundry's website at www.thefoundry.co.uk, or call +44 20 7434 0449.
 
© The Foundry, its logo and product names are registered trademarks in the UK, USA and and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - March 25, 2009 (GDC Trade Show - Booth 5416-NH) - Image Metrics, the leading provider of facial animation solutions to the entertainment industry, has assembled a new team of industry professionals with extensive experience bringing video games and video game technology to market. Art Santos has been hired as a European sales manager, with Ric Neil and Eric Peterson joining recent hire Gordon Bellamy in the Santa Monica office to improve the Company's developer relations within the video game industry. Dario Ahdoot will focus on developing the company's performance transfer technology into a self-service solution for film and visual effects (VFX) studios. Nick Ramsay and Beau Teora have been named technical account managers, handling client services for Europe and North America, respectively.

"We're pleased to add these new team members' valuable expertise in response to Image Metrics' on going growth, including a new facial animation project for SCEA's 'God of War III' video game and signing Double Negative as our first self-service performance transfer beta client," said Michael Starkenburg, Image Metrics CEO. "Our new team members all possess a deep understanding of the unique workflow challenges our customers face when creating games and visual effects. Their unrivaled experience in helping to develop successful products will enable our customers to tell better stories through believable facial animation."
 
Product Development Team
As software development manager, Dario Ahdoot will lead the Santa Monica product development team, which is focusing on Image Metrics' self-service performance transfer solution that is currently in beta. He was most recently at Vicon/House of Moves for 10 years, where he worked as software development manager for the entertainment market. Ahdoot's ten years of experience working at House of Moves has given him expert insight into how companies are integrating animation into their pipelines, which is a central element of Image Metrics' product development plans.

Image Metrics self-service performance transfer solution, now in beta, will enable select studios to incorporate the power of Image Metrics' facial animation technology into their internal pipelines for increased creative control, cost-efficiencies and production speed.

Business Development Team
Ric Neil is a new director of business development based in Santa Monica. Prior to Image Metrics, Neil was head of production at D2C Games, a casual games startup. He has worked at AMD in the console gaming division, where he managed the technical relationships with the game development studios, and has also led the creative effort behind "NFL Fever" for Microsoft Game Studios. Prior to Microsoft, Neil led the "Madden" and "James Bond" franchise production teams at Electronic Arts.

Eric Peterson also joins as director of business development and is based in Santa Monica. Before Image Metrics, Peterson was president and director of business development at Gizmondo Studios, Inc. Previously, Peterson was the CEO and owner of Fever Pitch Studios/Warthog PLC and one of the founders of Digital Anvil, Inc., which was sold to Microsoft in January of 2001.

Art Santos, Image Metrics' new European sales manager, has more than 10 years of experience helping game publishers, developers and enterprise companies worldwide to bring new technologies to market. He has worked as director of sales with DemonWare in Ireland. He also worked at GameSpy, where he closed deals with top publishers including Activision, Electronic Arts, Take 2, Microsoft, THQ and Ubisoft. Before working at GameSpy, Santos worked on the sales team of Ingram Micro.

Client Services Team
Nick Ramsay joins Image Metrics as a technical account manager for Europe. In this role, he will work closely with Image Metrics clients on all facets of their facial animation projects. Ramsay comes to Image Metrics from Autodesk Media & Entertainment, where he worked as product specialist in software and systems. He has also worked as a 3D animator for video games.

Beau Teora is Image Metrics' new technical account manager for the North American market. Like Ramsay, Teora will assist clients with his deep understanding of current production processes and challenges.  He brings with him expertise in both video game and film production, having worked at Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging, Threshold Animation Studios and Eidos Interactive.

About Image Metrics
Image Metrics provides superior facial animation services to the interactive entertainment and film industries. Developed by a team of computer vision Ph.D.s, Image Metrics rapidly re-creates facial performances without markers or makeup, achieving levels of realism and fidelity that are unparalleled in computer graphics. Image Metrics' solutions enjoy widespread adoption by some of the best-known production studios in the entertainment world, including Digital Domain, Rockstar Games and Sony Computer Entertainment. Image Metrics has offices in Santa Monica, California and Manchester, U.K.

###
 

Madrid and Barcelona based international distribution company, Enjoy, has been selected by BRB to distribute its audiovisual catalogue in Asia, Middle East and Africa. Discop Africa has been the first market where Enjoy has taken BRB catalogue, and more markets such as Miptv, Discop East, BCWW, Mipcom and ATF will follow.

"We are very honored to have been selected by BRB to represent their titles.  BRB catalogue is very complete, covering from library classics well known worldwide such as Willy Fog, The Gnomes and Dogtanian to brand new HD great properties like The Secret life of Suckers, Papawa, Angus & Cheryl and Bernard. BRB is a great company and it is a privilege to work with them", stated Rubén Gil, CEO of Enjoy.

"We love the idea of working with such experienced and fresh marketing team of Enjoy in these markets. They are really talented and make the perfect team to our cool line-up", remarks Carlos Biern - Executive VP-Coproductions & Worldwide Distribution.

Enjoy is an international distribution company that sells Animation, Documentaries and Films. Collaborating with key producers worldwide, Enjoy is the perfect extra sales force that a production & distribution company may need to maximize the sales potential of its catalogue. For more information please visit www.enjoywihtus.com

BRB Internacional is an international company founded in Spain with 36 years experience in the production, distribution and licensing of high quality television programmes. BRB's animated series have been seen around the world and currently is producing innovative and branded series through the development of its Catalan studio Screen 21 using the latest techniques in design and CG technology. For more information, see: www.brb.es

Free Game Development Software Offers Professional Toolset for Game Modding
and Noncommercial Game Development

SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference, March 25, 2009-Autodesk, Inc.,
has announced Autodesk Softimage Mod Tool 7.5 software (formerly
SOFTIMAGE_XSI Mod Tool). This free* 3D modeling and animation package for
aspiring game artists is based on the same professional toolset as Autodesk
Softimage (formerly SOFTIMAGE_XSI). Game studios have used Softimage
software to create hit titles such as "Metal Gear Solid 4" and "Fable II."

"Softimage Mod Tool gives the next generation of game artists access to
professional tools, so they can learn while making their own games or game
mods," said Marc Stevens, Autodesk Media & Entertainment vice president,
games. "Game developers can also use the software to extend the life of a
game by building a community of modders. Game mods can go on to become
commercial games in their own right, and they can be used by developers to
identify talent for recruiting purposes."

New Features in Autodesk Softimage Mod Tool 7.5
o    New learning materials: Softimage Mod Tool 7.5 comes with training
materials from Noesis Interactive. These materials show users how to create
a character and export it for use in Microsoft XNA Games Studio 3.0.

o    New real-time shading API (application programming interface): Softimage
Mod Tool 7.5 supports the Realtime Shader API version 3.0, which helps make
real-time shader development simpler and more flexible. The new version
offers an architecture focused on programmable shaders (GLSL, HLSL) and
file-based effects (CgFX and DxFX). With these capabilities, what game
developers see in Softimage Mod Tool is what they get in the game.

o    Interactive Creative Environment (ICE): ICE is an open, scalable platform
that enables artists to extend the capabilities of Softimage more quickly
and intuitively using a node-based dataflow diagram. Artists can now
quickly create complex 3D effects and tools without writing code.

o    Support for Windows Vista operating system: Autodesk Softimage Mod Tool
7.5 now supports the Windows Vista Business operating system.

Create Compelling 3D Content for Microsoft XNA and Major Game Engines
Softimage Mod Tool 7.5 can export 3D models and animation for use with the
Microsoft XNA Game Studio 3 framework. Fledgling or independent game
developers now have access to a professional toolset for creating original
games on the Microsoft Xbox console or Windows platform.

Users can also download add-ons for content export to Crytek CryENGINE 2,
Epic Unreal Engine 3 and Valve Source game engines. With this professional
3D toolset modders can produce characters and props for their favorite
game.

Commercial Version for Microsoft Xbox Live Community Games Available
Autodesk Softimage Mod Tool Pro 7.5 software is functionally identical to
the Mod Tool, but has an End User License Agreement that allows users to
produce assets for games sold via Microsoft's Xbox Live Community Games.
Autodesk Softimage Mod Tool Pro 7.5 is available only with Microsoft's XNA
Creator's Club Premium membership. For more information visit
http://creators.xna.com.

Availability
Autodesk anticipates that Softimage Mod Tool 7.5 software will be available
in April 2009. For more information, visit
www.softimage.com/products/modtool.

*Free products are subject to the terms and conditions of the end-user
license agreement that accompanies the software.

Autodesk Softimage and XSI are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or
other countries. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong
to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product
offerings and specifications at any time without notice, and is not
responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this
document.

© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved

SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference, March 25, 2009 - Autodesk, Inc.,
(NASDAQ: ADSK) and NaturalMotion Ltd., today announced that the companies
are working to build an advanced integration between their respective
popular game development products - Autodesk Kynapse artificial
intelligence (AI) middleware and morpheme animation middleware engine.

"Animation and AI have become increasingly linked in modern game
development, said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. "Pathfinding
algorithms, for example, require reliable execution by the animation
network; in turn, believable motion requires precise timing and steering by
the AI system."

 "Autodesk and NaturalMotion believe there is tremendous potential to
simplify the interaction between AI and animation for game developers, and
to significantly enhance the user experience," added Marc Stevens, Autodesk
vice president, Games Technology Group.

NaturalMotion's morpheme is robust animation middleware designed to give
developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of
their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview
blends, blend trees and transition graphs in real time. Since its launch in
2007, morpheme has seen rapid adoption in the games industry, including
customers such as BioWare, Eidos, Disney and many other leading publishers.
The latest version, morpheme 2.0, adds natively integrated physics support
for flexible addition and authoring of character dynamics. Morpheme is
designed to integrate with euphoria, NaturalMotion's revolutionary motion
synthesis engine which recently debuted in "Grand Theft Auto IV" and "Star
Wars: The Force Unleashed."

Autodesk Kynapse middleware is a world leading AI solution for games. This
unique, high-performance, AI engine supports 3D pathfinding in destructible
environments, including large-crowd pathfinding in complex terrains. It
also delivers dynamic 3D topology analysis, team co-ordination, and
efficient tools that help automate production. Kynapse has been adopted for
more than 80 AAA titles, including "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning,"
"Fable II," "Alone in the Dark 5," "Crackdown," "Medal of Honor: Airborne"
and "Sacred 2: Fallen Angel." Autodesk also offers Autodesk HumanIK
middleware, a solution for procedural motion adaptation and correction that
helps to enhance existing animation engines.

About NaturalMotion
NaturalMotion Ltd. is a leading entertainment software company with offices
in Oxford (England) and San Francisco (California). The company produces
the widely-adopted animation technologies euphoria, morpheme and endorphin,
used across the game and movie industries by companies such as Rockstar
Games, LucasArts, Disney, Bioware and many others. Backbreaker, the
company's recently announced first in-house game is scheduled for release
later in 2009.

For further information please visit NaturalMotion's website
www.naturalmotion.com

About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, HumanIK and Kynapse are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in
the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or
trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right
to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice,
and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may
appear in this document.

© 2009 Autodesk, Inc.  All rights reserved.

Beverly Hills, CA -- The 82nd Annual Academy Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 7, 2010, Academy President Sid Ganis announced today.

The ceremony will again take place at the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network.

Key dates currently scheduled are:

Tuesday, December 1, 2009:      Official Screen Credits forms due
Monday, December 28, 2009:    Nominations ballots mailed
Saturday, January 23, 2010:    Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT
Tuesday, February 2, 2010:      Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Wednesday, February 10, 2010:     Final ballots mailed
Monday, February 15, 2010:      Nominees Luncheon
Saturday, February 20, 2010:     Scientific and Technical Achievement Awards presentation
Tuesday, March 2, 2010:      Final polls close 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, March 7, 2010:      82nd Annual Academy Awards presentation
# # #

About the Academy

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the world's preeminent movie-related organization, with a membership of more than 6,000 of the most accomplished men and women working in cinema. In addition to the annual Academy Awards - in which the members vote to select the nominees and winners - the Academy presents a diverse year-round slate of public programs, exhibitions and events; provides financial support to a wide range of other movie-related organizations and endeavors; acts as a neutral advocate in the advancement of motion picture technology; and, through its Margaret Herrick Library and Academy Film Archive, collects, preserves, restores and provides access to movies and items related to their history. Through these and other activities the Academy serves students, historians, the entertainment industry and people everywhere who love movies.

For Immediate Release

Spawn Labs Uses MAKO-HD™ H.264 Codec to Enable Real-Time, Remote Access to Game Console Dev Kits From Any Network-Connected Computer

Equipped With MAKO-HD, New Game Developer Suite Gives Game Development Teams Convenient Access to Real-Time HD Game Play Over the LAN or Internet

MONTREAL -- March 25, 2009 -- HaiVision Network Video, the world's leading vendor of high-definition (HD) H.264 TelePresence codecs, today announced that Spawn Labs, based in Austin, Texas, has integrated the MAKO-HD™ H.264 ultra-low-latency codec into the unique new Game Developer Suite place-shifting game server, the first appliance to enable remote HD console gaming from any network-connected computer. Targeted to game developers and publishers, the Spawn Labs appliance uses HaiVision's MAKO-HD codec to provide all team members with real-time access to an HD-quality gaming experience, regardless of their location.

As software engineers, game designers, and artists use game console development kits to build games for high-end consoles, such as the Sony® PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3, Microsoft® Xbox 360™, and Nintendo Wii™, the Game Developer Suite connects to the development kit to provide secure, remote, real-time access for all the distributed members of the team -- designers, artists, developers, producers, executives, and marketing personnel. With flexible remote access to realistic game play with high-quality video, the entire team can participate and collaborate more effectively throughout the product development lifecycle.

"HaiVision has a strong history in the development of advanced video networking technology, and the company clearly has succeeded in optimizing the performance and quality characteristics of its H.264 encoding product," said David Wilson, president and CEO of Spawn Labs. "Both HD quality and very low latency are key in the gaming environment, and HaiVision's MAKO-HD codec really delivers on this combination. The MAKO-HD codec enables realistic game play over the LAN or Internet, and this capability in turn helps game developers to wring more efficiency out of the production chain and thus bring better games to market faster and more cost-effectively."

The MAKO-HD supports up to 1080p HD video with as few as 70 milliseconds of end-to-end latency, providing truly interactive sessions between remote sites with performance that is five to 10 times faster than traditional conferencing codecs and "low-latency" broadcast encoders. The "zero latency" performance of the MAKO-HD codec ensures hand-eye coordination, which requires latency levels below 90 milliseconds, or operation within a blink of an eye, just 100 milliseconds. To achieve the highest quality video given any particular bandwidth constraints and content requirements, the MAKO-HD allows full control over the encoding parameters. As a result, Spawn Labs has been able to configure the codec to meet the specific demands of users within the game development community.

Spawn Labs recently demonstrated the Game Developer Suite at the SXSW Interactive Festival, March 13-17, in Austin, Texas, where the product was one of four finalists in the online video-related technology category of the Microsoft BizSpark Accelerator event.

Complete information on HaiVision products, including recent case studies and application notes, is available at www.haivision.com.       

# # #

About Spawn Labs
Spawn Labs is a pioneer in the market for remote, real-time, interactive access to high-definition video products and content. The company's first set of hardware and software solutions provides remote access to game console development kits to all members of a team -- designers, artists, producers, developers, and testers -- from any network-connected computer. A consumer version of these products will enable users to play their console games and watch their TV and DVR programs from any networked computer. Spawn Labs is a private company headquartered in Austin, Texas.

About HaiVision Network Video
Based in Montreal, Quebec, and in Chicago, Ill., HaiVision Network Video is a private company and a world leader in delivering the most advanced video networking technology and IPTV solutions. HaiVision's products are deployed worldwide within the foremost Fortune 100 companies, in the most rigorous military and defense applications, in healthcare facilities for video collaboration and training, for education and remote learning, in interactive broadcast applications, IPTV, and within the world's leading TelePresence suites. HaiVision distributes its products through value-added resellers, system integrators, distributors, and OEMs worldwide.

Demonstrations of pIllusion AE, Anticipated Plug-in for Adobe After Effects, to Take Center Stage

OVERVIEW

wondertouch™, the award-winning developer of particle effects creation tools for the digital content creation industry, invites members of the press and convention attendees at NAB 2009 - April 20 through April 23 - to stop by the wondertouch booth #SL2529B (located in the Plug-in Pavilion), where it will showcase the range of its particleIllusion™ software product line.

In a challenging economic environment, demand for particleIllusion from digital content professionals continues to expand as a necessary tool that easily integrates into production and post-production pipelines to provide the widest range of particle-based effects and efficient workflow.

TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS

pIllusion AE - plug-in for Adobe After Effects
At its NAB booth, wondertouch will showcase the beta version of its highly anticipated pIllusion AE plug-in for Adobe After Effects. The plug-in affords motion graphics and visual effects professionals working in the film post-production and pre-visualization, commercial broadcast, standard and HD video, and motion graphics industries easy access to the more than 2600 emitters available in the powerful particleIllusion library from within the AE environment. pIllusion AE is designed for use with After Effects version 7.0 and newer.

Pro Projects Volume 1
Pro Projects Volume 1, released earlier this month, will be on display for the first time at NAB. The Pro Projects Volume 1 collection contains five projects designed as animated backgrounds with an abstract graphic look that is geared to motion graphics artists or for those requiring abstract stock clips, digital video backgrounds, or other animated content. Each project is comprised of a collection of particleIllusion 3.0 emitters arranged into logical layers that are combined as a complete ready-to-render package that is completely customizable.

particleIllusion 3.0
particleIllusion 3.0, the company's cornerstone application, is a standalone particle effects application designed as an easy-to-use, low-cost, high performance tool to quickly and simply add particle effects to any image, animation, or video footage. It enables creative professionals to efficiently and easily customize and modify effects, or create entirely new and realistic effects.

particleIllusion features an ever-growing collection of over 2600 different preset emitters such as smoke, fire, explosions, water effects, sparkles, colorful motion graphics effects, and many others. OpenGL hardware acceleration provides real-time (or near real-time) previews of most effects and ultra-fast rendering of final output. Praised for its power, speed and ease-of-use, particleIllusion has become the "industry standard" for the creation of dazzling visual effects. The current version of the software is available on the Windows and Mac OS X platforms.

pIllusion SE
pIlllusion SE is the low-cost introductory version of particleIllusion. The application is built on an older version of the particleIllusion engine, but still enables users to create a huge number of effects.

Pro Emitters
The wondertouch Professional Emitter Libraries (Pro Emitters) for particleIllusion 3.0 is a collection of 12 libraries that each contain 30 emitters thematically grouped to provide sophisticated, ready-to-use, motion graphics-style particle-based effects. The Pro Emitters supplement the already impressive selection of different preset emitters that ship with particleIllusion 3.0, as well as the additional emitters that the company releases free-of-charge each month; arming artists with an impressive variety of effects choices to easily customize particle effects projects quickly and cost efficiently.

wondertouch Booth Location and Hours
wondertouch software demonstrations at NAB 2009 will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas in booth # SL2529B (in the Plug-in Pavilion), located in the South Hall, Lower Level, as follows:

Monday, April 20th: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21st: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22nd: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 23rd: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Additional information on wondertouch can be obtained on the Web at http://www.wondertouch.com.

Santa Monica, CA - March 24, 2009 - When aliens attack, monsters fight back in Activision Publishing, Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Monsters vs. Aliens™, the video game based on the highly anticipated 3D feature film from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA), which will debut on March 27. Starting today, gamers can experience heart pounding action and silly antics as they lead a dynamic team of misfit monsters on a mission to protect earth from destruction.

"Monsters vs. Aliens allows players to control the characters from the film and use their unique abilities to battle alien enemies throughout the game," said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Players invite a friend to grab a Wii Remote™ or controller and join forces at any time to help clear enemies, collect monster DNA and overcome obstacles as their favorite monster heroes."

The Monsters vs. Aliens video game calls players into action to battle against Gallaxhar and his alien robot army. Taking on the roles of The Missing Link, the macho half-ape, half-fish; the gelatinous, indestructible and always hungry B.O.B.; and Ginormica, the 49-foot-11-inch tall woman, gamers team up with the helpful genius Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. and Insectosaurus, the 350-foot tall grub to defeat the alien invaders.  Players master the unique and diverse abilities of each character as they ooze, brawl, skate, puzzle solve, climb, crawl, jump and race through more than 20 levels on Earth and through outer space.

Monsters vs. Aliens was developed for the console and PC platforms by Beenox, Inc. and for Nintendo DS by Amaze Entertainment.

The gameis available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $49.99; the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS for the suggested retail price of $29.99 and Games for Windows® for a suggested retail price of $19.99. The console and Game for Windows versions have been rated "E10+" (Cartoon Violence, Comic Mischief); the handheld game has been rated "E" (Comic Mischief, Mild Cartoon Violence) by the ESRB.

For more information on the Monsters vs. Aliens video game, please visit www.MonstersvsAliensGame.com.

 
About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's website, www.activision.com.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Autodesk Introduces 3ds Max 2010 Software at Game Developers Conference
New Release Offers Innovative Creative Tools, Powerful Scene Management
Capabilities and Enhanced Support for Interoperability and Pipeline
Integration

SAN FRANCISCO, Game Developers Conference, March 24, 2009-Autodesk, Inc.
(NASDAQ: ADSK) has introduced Autodesk 3ds Max 2010 software - the latest
version of its 3D modeling, animation and rendering product - offering
nearly 350 additional features. The 2010 release provides innovative
creative tools: a render-quality viewport display and at least 100 new
Graphite modeling tools. It also offers powerful new capabilities that help
artists manage complex scenes with greater ease and an unprecedented level
of support for software interoperability and pipeline integration.

Artists have used 3ds Max to create numerous award-winning entertainment
projects, such as "Fallout 3," "Prince of Persia" and "Gears of War 2."

"3ds Max 2010 is a feature-packed release that has generated a lot of
excitement in the 3D community," said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice
president, Media & Entertainment. "This version will help artists work
faster than ever before, so they can explore more ideas, push boundaries,
and create stunning work in less time."

Jeff Hanna, senior technical artist at Volition, is a 3ds Max 2010 beta
tester. His favorite new feature in the 2010 release is the xView mesh
analyzer. "3ds Max 2010 software's powerful xView mesh analyzer will make
it easier for us to ensure that every asset our artists create is correct
and game ready," said Hanna. "The xView technology can quickly identify
missing UVW coordinates, overlapping vertices, or open edges, among other
things. With this tool, we won't have to worry about bad game data due to
invalid geometry."

Key Highlights of Autodesk 3ds Max 2010
Innovative Creative Tools
o    A new Graphite modeling and texturing system introduces at least 100
additional creative tools and helps artists explore and more rapidly
iterate their ideas.
o    The addition of render-like effects in the viewport display - such as
soft shadowing, exposure control and ambient occlusion - offers near
photo-real quality for faster decision making.

Powerful New Referencing and Scene Management Capabilities
o    Artists can create robust referencing workflows to help organize complex
scenes more easily by treating multiple objects and scenes as a single
Container object.
o    A new Material Explorer helps to simplify the way artists interact with
objects and materials, making iterations much easier even in highly complex
scenes.
o    The new multithreaded xView mesh analyzer technology helps to
significantly reduce errors by providing in-viewport reporting on several
types of mesh.

Enhanced Software Interoperability and Pipeline Integration
o    3ds Max 2010 is the first animation package to integrate mental images'
powerful mental mill technology. This allows users to develop, test and
maintain hardware-agnostic shaders and complex shader graphs for hardware
and software rendering with real-time visual feedback.
o    Enhanced OBJ support and ProOptimizer technology provide improved
interoperability with Autodesk Mudbox software.
o    Additional support for C# and .NET gives developers the access they need
to customize, extend and integrate 3ds Max into their existing pipelines.

3ds Max 2010 also includes all the features offered in the Creativity
Extension for 3ds Max 2009, released in August 2008. A list of features in
3ds Max 2010 is available at www.autodesk.com/3dsmax.

Videos of the new features in 3ds Max 2010 are available on the Autodesk
YouTube Channel. To learn more about the software, also visit Autodesk's
3ds Max blogs by Ken Pimentel, director of visual communications; Shane
Griffith, 3ds Max product manager; and Louis Marcoux, 3ds Max application
specialist.

Pricing and Availability
Autodesk anticipates that 3ds Max 2010 will be available in English during
spring 2009. The Autodesk suggested retail price for Autodesk 3ds Max 2010
license is US$3,495*. The suggested retail price to upgrade from either 3ds
Max 2009 or 3ds Max Design 2009 to 3ds Max 2010 is $895*. Autodesk
Subscription is available for purchase simultaneously with the product or
upgrade purchase. The Autodesk suggested retail price for Autodesk
Subscription for 3ds Max 2010 is $495* per year.
*International pricing may vary.

About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design software for the
manufacturing, building and construction, and media and entertainment
markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk has
developed the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art Digital Prototyping
solutions to help customers experience their ideas before they are real.
Fortune 1000 companies rely on Autodesk for the tools to visualize,
simulate and analyze real-world performance early in the design process to
save time and money, enhance quality and foster innovation. For additional
information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Mudbox and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or
trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in
the USA and/or other countries. mental mill is a registered trademark of
mental images GmbH licensed for use by Autodesk, Inc. All other brand
names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications
at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or
graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2009 Autodesk, Inc.  All rights reserved.

NEW VUE 7 THEMATIC PACKS AVAILABLE!

March 24, 2009. Beaverton, Oregon: e-on software, maker of Vue - the leading solutions for natural
3D environments, today announced the immediate availability of a new series of products in its Vue
7 line for 3D artists: the Vue 7 T-Packs (for "Thematic Packs"). Vue 7 T-Packs are specifically
designed for physical and download retail and include a Vue 7 Core Application together with a
large collection of thematic content centered on the worlds of Fantasy, Science Fiction or Fairy
Tale.
E-on software also announced that the full Vue 7 Pioneer application is now available free of
charge from cornucopia3d.com.

Vue 7 Pioneer - Create Your Own 3D Worlds, for Free!
Vue 7 Pioneer is derived from the research e-on software makes for Vue Infinite and xStream, its
high-end products for the professional CG market.
As a result, some of the technologies available in Pioneer are also used in recent Hollywood
blockbusters!
"We want to attract new users to the fun world of Vue. We'll be happy if people end up doing this
as a job, after they discovered 3D and Vue with Pioneer!" said Nicholas Phelps, President of e-on
software.
Vue 7 Pioneer is the perfect introduction to the world of 3D. It's available as a 32- and 64-bit
application for Windows and MacOS X, in English, German and French (a Japanese version is
underway). Pioneer is published by Cornucopia3D, a division of e-on software.
Newcomers to 3D and casual artists will find in Vue 7 Pioneer all the landscape-creation tools they
need to easily create and render amazing images of their own 3D worlds.
The product can be extended with 12 optional modules that add specific functionality to the base
application. Thanks to this modular approach, users can progressively upgrade all the way from
Pioneer up to Vue 7 Complete. Vue 7 Esprit, Pro Studio and Complete represent pre-bundled, cost-
effective alternatives to the modular approach of Pioneer.
More information is available at http://home.vue7.com

Introducing the Vue 7 T-Packs

The Vue 7 T-Packs include all the software tools and ready-made content for the creation and
animation of themed 3D images and video clips.
There are 3 different Vue 7 T-Packs: Vue 7 Science Fiction, Vue 7 Fairy Tale and Vue 7 Fantasy.
Each Vue 7 T-Pack includes over $100 worth of exclusive content - 3D virtual sets, models (plants,
pre-animated meshes, etc.), atmosphere presets and more.
The Vue 7 T-Packs are compatible with all 12 Vue 7 expansion modules.
Priced at $49.95, these products are available directly through e-on software's online store, and
will progressively be available through e-on software's international reseller channels.
Vue 7 users can also purchase individual theme packs from www.cornucopia3d.com.

About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of high quality solutions for the creation, animation,
rendering and integration of natural 3D environments. With products specifically targeted for the
different market segments, e-on software provides solutions adapted to every project and budget. E-
on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science,
education and entertainment industries.
E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way
of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources into research and development, e-
on software is able to deliver cutting-edge technologies that significantly improve usability and
workflow.
E-on software is based in Beaverton, Oregon with a European office in Paris, France.
Visit their website at http://www.e-onsoftware.com.

In-Your-Face Content, Reflecting the Pages of this Iconic Graphic Magazine, Now in Development
 
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Titmouse Games announced today its partnership with Kevin Eastman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles co-creator and Editor/Publisher of Heavy Metal Magazine, to create a variety of hard-hitting games based on the publication's most popular properties.  Heavy Metal is the longest running illustrated fantasy magazine of all time and is best known for debuting some of today's most edgy graphic artists.
 
The first project is a sci-fi action title, "Fistful of Blood," an over-the-top action game about an Alien Bounty Huntress who comes to earth in search of the creature that killed her father, only to find herself caught in a blood feud between rival gangs of Vampires and Zombies.  Created by Eastman and longtime collaborator and world-renowned illustrator Simon Bisley (Judge Dredd, Batman, Lobo), FOB was originally serialized in Heavy Metal Magazine before the hardcover collection broke HM sales records in the state and sold additional versions in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Poland.
 
"As demented as it is, I owe a lot of who I am to the wide body of work that both Kevin Eastman and Heavy Metal Magazine have exposed me to," says Aaron Habibipour, Creative Director for Titmouse Games.  "Kevin and I have worked together in the past, and it was a blast.  We want to start Titmouse Games off right, and I can't think of a better way than to pack enough aliens, zombies, vampires, guns, blood, gore, vengeance, and sexy chicks in a game to take down a stampeding elephant."
 
"Having been a lifelong fan of Heavy Metal Magazine I always thought the coolest part was the wide variety of stories that were published in every issue," adds Kevin, "And the chance to work with Titmouse gives Simon and I the chance to bring our Heavy Metal inspired visions to a much wider group of rabid fans!"
 
ABOUT TITMOUSE GAMES
Titmouse Games is an independent video game developer that provides fierce, indie content for consoles, mobile, and more.  Making hard-hitting games from their own original IPs, and hand-picked licenses, the Company strives to "keep-it-real" through the digital distribution of original content that feeds the needs of today's hardcore gamers.

Titmouse Games was introduced to the industry at the Game Developers Conference this year, with its first console Action RPG game, Seven Haunted Seas.  For more information please visit www.titmousegames.com.
 
ABOUT KEVIN EASTMAN
Kevin kicked off his career as co-creator/self publisher of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1984 with a 40 page black and white comic book.  Shortly thereafter parlaying the success of the comic into a #1 animated Saturday morning TV series, three live action films, and the best selling boys action figure franchise of all time.
 
Eastman bought Heavy Metal in 1990, tripled the annual output of magazines, graphic novels, and art books over the next few years, as well as expanding into a massive web presence.  Additionally, he worked hand in hand with Columbia Tri Star to re-release the original Ivan Reitman produced "Heavy Metal: The Movie" which sold 2 million copies on VHS in 1996, went on to produce the top selling "Heavy Metal: 2000" and is currently producing a $50 million 3D Heavy Metal film with Executive producer/director David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Benjamin Button), and the Academy Award Nominated Blur Animation for a 2011 release.
 
Other credits include producing the animated "Highlander: Search for Vengeance," executive producing the upcoming "War of the Worlds: Goliath" animated feature, and adapting his best selling graphic novel "Underwhere" into a CG kid friendly feature fare.
 
ABOUT HEAVY METAL
"In the mid-1970's, while in Paris to set up a French edition of "National Lampoon," publisher Len Mogel discovered a new adult science fiction/fantasy comic magazine, "Metal Hurlant" (Screaming Metal).  Impressed with the concept, a natural for Lampoons cutting edge style, Mogel licensed an American version, and named it HEAVY METAL.
 
The first issue hit newsstands in April 1977, and introduced American audiences to the work of Europe's greatest graphic artists.  A smash hit from its launch, it sold out all across the country, striking a cord with hundreds of thousands of older fans who had outgrown the adolescent output of mainstream comic publishers, but still loved the medium of "sequential storytelling."
 
Heavy Metal Magazine became a magnet for world class comic talent, and in addition to the top shelf European artists and writers such as; Mobius, Liberatore, Serpieri, Gimenez, and Royo, all of the best American creators like: Bode, Corben, Wrightson, Frazetta, and Olivia, found a new outlet for their fantasies.
 
Heavy Metal is the oldest illustrated fantasy magazine in U.S. history, celebrating thirty years of bringing the best graphic storytelling to the world.
 
 

DECODE ENTERPRISES TAKES GRANDPA IN MY POCKET
ON WORLDWIDE TOUR

Sales scored for top-rating series in advance of MIPTV launch

Toronto, London, 24 March 2009. DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., has scored a hat-trick of deals for Adastra Creative's Grandpa In My Pocket following hot on the heels of a second series commission from CBeebies in the UK. Canada's TVO, Australia's ABC TV and Al Jazeera Children's Channel have all scooped up the live-action with special effects kids' show which is currently scoring excellent ratings.

From the moment the series appeared on CBeebies last month it was a hit with the channel's young viewers, their parents and carers with outstanding viewing figures, lively website activity and the regular top spot on the CBeebies iPlayer. Over 2.5 million children have watched Grandpa In My Pocket since it began in February and has the show has averaged 450k per episode and is almost 6% share points up on the 2008 slot average. 

Michael Carrington, Controller of CBeebies said: "I'm so proud of Grandpa In My Pocket, a new series which has quickly established itself as one of our most successful programmes of recent times.  The high ratings are proof that there is a fantastic appetite for high-quality, narrative driven comedy amongst young children.  What I find is unique about Grandpa In My Pocket is its ability to connect with boys and girls of a wide age range - no doubt because it is universally funny." 
Josh Scherba, VP, Distribution at DECODE Enterprises added: "This is a series which is enjoyed by both kids and their parents. It's incredibly well written with great performances and the child and grandparent relationship is acutely observed. The top ratings on CBeebies flag this as a must-watch show and we're delighted to sign up further broadcasters internationally to send Grandpa overseas."
DECODE holds TV, DVD and consumer products rights to the 52x12' series which is developed and produced by Adastra Creative, headed by Mellie Buse and Jan Page, and commissioned by CBeebies Controller Michael Carrington. Made with participation from Finance Wales, Grandpa In My Pocket is CBeebies' first comedy drama commission and features such well-known faces as James Bolam, Susan Jameson, Lisa Goddard, Rula Lenska and Meera Syal.  Sarah Colclough is executive producer for the BBC and Angus Fletcher is executive producer for Adastra.





Grandpa In My Pocket is directed by Richard Bradley, whose many credits in both adult and kids include lead director of the BAFTA award-winning live action series The Hoobs. The special effects for the series are produced by Welsh independent company Dinamo Productions.

Take one energetic Grandpa and his imaginative seven-year old Grandson, Jason Mason. Give Grandpa a magic shrinking cap and watch him turn into the biggest kid of the lot!  He flies out the window in Jason's toy airplane or shoots out the door in his little car, each time on his way to solve a problem and create mayhem along the way.   Grandpa can make himself small enough to hide in all sorts of unsuitable places. He's full of ideas and full of mischief.

The show explores the hugely important grandparent/grandchild relationship and Jason and Grandpa make a great team. Their adventures will be fantastical, touching and bizarre - but always hilariously funny. 



About DECODE Enterprises, a DHX Media Company
DECODE Enterprises is the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd. It handles programme sales for third party producers and for DHX subsidiaries DECODE Entertainment,,Halifax Film and Studio B, which are leading international producers of television programming and interactive content with an emphasis on children, family and youth markets.   DHX Media Ltd. shares trade on both London's AIM exchange and the TSX in Toronto. 
About Adastra Creative is a production company that harnesses the extensive writing experience and expertise of its principals: Mellie Buse and Jan Page, who have over 15 years' experience in children's media. The duo have contributed to some of the best-known and successful kids' brands including Charlie and Lola, The Hoobs, Angelina Ballerina, The Tweenies, Little Robots and Thomas the Tank Engine.  and collaborated with the leading companies in the field. Between them they have contributed to more than fifty kids' television series as writers, head writers, script editors, consultants, creative producers and showrunners. They have won a plethora of awards including Baftas, BAAs, Indies, Talkies and Theatre Awards.
The company is focused on developing high quality kids' programming for all ages across animation and live action, with exceptional storylines and characterisation at its core.

Adastra Creative is also an active consultant, developer, writer and editor of third-party projects.

CUPPA COFFEE SEES DOUBLE NOD TO NERDLAND PILOT

Cuppa Coffee Studios is celebrating what promises to be the "Year of the Nerd" now that the pilot episode of Nerdland has been selected as a finalist at two prestigious animation festivals: the Annecy International Film Festival and Cartoons on the Bay's Pulcinella Awards. This represents the third nomination for the Canadian Studio in the past four years at the Pulcinella Awards, having won previously for Rick and Steve and A Very Barry Christmas. The Studio also won the Grand Prix award at Annecy for Best Educational Film with the pilot for SuperWhy? in 2000.

Nerdland, a 22-minute pilot set to debut on TELETOON Detour this summer, follows the twisted misadventures of a group of pop-culture obsessed nerds who have chosen imagination and individuality over mainstream social acceptance. Drifting between fantasy and reality, this group doesn't just pursue their hobbies - they live them, leading to all kinds of comedic complications. While they don't always share the same interests, they are bonded by their common passion and an uncanny ability to find value in what is considered by others to be trivial.

"A big thanks has to go out to the team at TELETOON who championed the pilot, allowing us to bring it to the world stage to finance the series," said Cuppa Coffee Executive Producer and President Adam Shaheen, adding, "The two nominations will undoubtedly encourage broadcasters to take a special interest as these two festivals not only represent what's current, but also champion creative excellence." Indeed broadcasters are taking notice of the buzz, with Shaheen's MipTV dance card quickly filling up with interested buyers who have pre-screened the pilot online.

For Nerdland Producer Lalitha Poonasamy, the project was a labour of love. "The idea was generated internally by Ted Heeley, one of our puppet makers, and we then started the development process, running with a very small crew and giving each member a lot of creative freedom," she explains. "I couldn't be happier with the results, which, I think, speaks to the passion of the crew and reveals that perhaps there's a little nerd in all of us!"
 
Nerdland debuts on TELETOON DETOUR later this summer.

www.cuppacoffee.com/shows
 

March 23rd, 2009 - For immediate release
 
Vincennes, France - Alphanim re-organises its commercial operations in
Paris. The new organisation sees the company's television and home-
video distribution department join forces with its marketing and licensing
activities, with all rights now managed within an integrated marketing &
distribution team based in Paris. 
 
Cédric Petitpas takes on the role of Director, International Sales, adding
TV and Home Entertainment sales for the US, UK, Spain, Germany and
Latin America to his responsibilities as Vice-President, Marketing &
Licensing. Céline Carenco, becomes Director, International Sales, adding
Canada, Ireland and Italy to her current territories. Marie Landowski joins
in from Dic Entertainment's European office as Marketing Manager
reporting to Petitpas.
 
Christian Davin, Alphanim's Managing Director, comments : "This move
has been designed to strengthen Alphanim's IP portfolio and build global
and integrated brand, sales and marketing strategies. I wish our new
marketing and commercial team a very successful start and achievements
of high results with Alphanim's ever-growing catalogue."
 

 
 
About Alphanim
Founded in February 1997 by Christian Davin, Alphanim (Gaumont Group)
produces and distributes audiovisual and cinema programmes.  Its
catalogue, nearing this year 800 half-hours of quality animation
programmes, confirms Alphanim's position as a European leader in the
industry. Catalogue highlights are GALACTIK FOOTBALL (52x26'),
ROBOTBOY (104x13'), ZOMBIE HOTEL (26x26'), COOKING? CHILD'S
PLAY! (39x8') and SANTAPPRENTICE (52x13').
 

NEW DEALS SIGNED FOR NGTI'S PRE-SCHOOL PIGGY PALS
- Toot & Puddle proves early ratings success -


National Geographic Television International (NGTI) today announces a raft of key new sales for its pre-school animated series Toot & Puddle (52 x 11), launched at Mipcom in 2008.

Recent deals have been finalised with France 5, Cartoon Network Spain, SVT Sweden, TVB Hong Kong, RUV Iceland and Egyptian TV. These new sales join those made previously, which include Nickelodeon in the UK, Germany, Australia and New Zealand, YLE Finland and TV2 Norway.

This delightful series has made an impressive debut: it was the highest-ever rated series premiere on Noggin in the US in November last year, and is a top rated show on commissioning broadcaster, Treehouse TV in Canada, as well as Nickelodeon Australia and Nickelodeon Germany.  

Toot & Puddle follows the escapades of two very different best buddies who share a love of adventure. Toot is a young pig-on-the-go, a globe-trotting adventurer.  He loves to explore and is constantly on the lookout for any new challenge or untried experience.  Puddle is the backyard explorer who, although loves to travel, takes even greater pleasure in finding excitement closer to home.  The show is designed to encourage exploration and adventure, both at home and afar, by piquing kids' natural curiosity about the world around them.  Locations visited include Paris, Tibet, India and Tokyo....but they are equally happy playing in the mud back home in Pocket Hollow.

Toot & Puddle has been produced by Canada's Mercury Filmworks, in association with National Geographic Kids Entertainment. The series has also just been declared the clear category winner for Best Character Animation in Canada's prestigious Elan Awards.

Maurice van Sabben, president of NGTI comments: "Toot & Puddle made an impressive impact when it was launched late last year and I am delighted to say that it continues to go from strength to strength, proving extremely popular with key broadcasters and young viewers alike. With such beautiful animation and timeless stories about travel, adventure and friendship we are confident that this charming series will maintain its broad appeal for many years to come."   


- ends -


About National Geographic Television International (NGTI)
NGTI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Geographic Ventures, the commercial arm of the National Geographic Society.  Based in London, NGTI currently licenses more than 1,700 programme titles to broadcasters around the globe, across a diverse and ever-growing range of genres, including: Natural History; History; Environment; Science; People & Places; Adventure; Current Affairs/Society and Kids.  In addition to licensing programmes produced by National Geographic Television, NGTI also licenses programmes made by some of the world's leading independent producers.

BRB Named licensing agent for DEATH NOTE in Spain and Portugal
 
 THE MERCHANDISING OF THE LATEST ANIME PHENOMENON
"DEATH NOTE" TO SPAIN
 
 
 
Madrid, Spain, March 24. 2009. BRB Internacional, based in Madrid, announced today they will be developing the merchandising about the latest anime phenomenon DEATH NOTE in Spain for the first time. The Spanish company has been chosen by VIZ Media - licensor of this successful anime that has turned into a mass phenomenon in Japan, The United States and France-, as licensing agent of this property for Spain and Portugal. The TV Series DEATH NOTE is a police thriller about a supernatural notebook of death according to which the person whose name appears on it will die shortly. In Spain, the Series is airing through Animax and it will be aired in an open broadcast format soon. Also, Selecta Vision has already launched the DEATH NOTE DVD in Spain.
 
Shonen Jump DEATH NOTE is a suspenseful mystery, inspired by a 12-volume manga series (published in North America by VIZ Media), and follows the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but who is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a strange notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals mysteriously begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to track down the killer. With L hot on his heels, will Light lose sight of his noble goal - or his life?
 
BRB Internacional will manage the DEATH NOTE license in Spain and Portugal aiming at teenagers, young adults and manga fans. To date, the licensing products of this property have had a great commercial success in the countries where it has been launched in several categories: DVDs, video games, action figures, apparel, trading cards, etc.
 
 

PRESS RELEASE:

Gamers in the U.S. Military Score with New
StripesGAMER.com Web Site

WASHINGTON, DC (MMD Newswire) March 24, 2009 -- Stars
and Stripes, independent daily newspaper of the U.S. military
community, and Consumer Solutions Gaming, LLC, of
Houston, TX, have joined forces to provide gamers in the
military with a free online space where they can form teams,
schedule matches, issue challenges and compete
continually in leagues and tournaments. Since unveiling the
beta version of the site (www.StripesGAMER.com) last
September at the New York Games Conference, several
features have been enhanced and new games added. The
official launch on March 24, 2009, will formally retire the initial
beta version.

"Today's military is dominated by Millennial males, many of
them serving in war zones. We're responding to a demand
for gaming news and information that cannot be served
through print products alone," said Tony Haugan, managing
editor of Stripes GAMER, a bimonthly print publication
launched by Stars and Stripes in 2005 for gamers in the
military.

"We see StripesGAMER.com as a rare opportunity to
provide a full-featured site that caters specifically to a unique
and deserving audience-one that includes not only
active-duty military but also veterans and family members,"
said Terry Tognietti, StripesGAMER.com's Executive
Director of Operations and Strategy. "It also provides a
social space for connecting with fellow gamers among family
and friends-and between military branches."

"Stars and Stripes has a mission of service to our military
and their families," said Daniel Krause, international director
of advertising for Stars and Stripes. "Providing news and
information is an important part of that mission-but so is
helping them connect. Many of our military men and women
are serving where videogame news and information is not
readily available. Our goal is to fill that need in a creative and
useful way."

Founded in 1861, Stars and Stripes has long provided the
U.S. military community with independent news and
information, first as a printed newspaper and today also as
an online source. Stars and Stripes publishes five daily
editions, available in print and electronic format, and daily
accomplishes the daunting task of delivering 70,000 copies
to the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. Stars and Stripes'
average daily audience totals about 390,000.

www.StripesGAMER.com is available at no charge and
offers a host of unique features, such as the Insignia Creator
widget for customizing team and player graphics, and
excellent functionality in terms of the ability to set up a match,
create a team, issue challenges and post scores. Unlike
other sites, score history is preserved for as long as the
player or team exists. Several seasons are presently
underway with prizes planned for the winners.

________________________________

Stars and Stripes delivers independent news and information
daily to the U.S. military community worldwide. Editorially
independent of interference from outside its editorial chain of
command, it provides commercially available U.S. and world
news and objective, staff-produced stories relevant to the
military community in a balanced, fair and accurate manner.
_________________________________

HUNTIK with successful launch on RTL II Germany and announcement of 26 new espisodes
 
The animated TV series HUNTIK, which is distributed by m4e AG Germany, makes a successful debut on RTL II, while Big Bocca Productions and Rainbow S.p.A. announce the production of a secound season of 26 epsiodes.
 
 
Gruenwald, 24. March 2009: On Monday, 16. March 2009, the animated TV series HUNTIK, which is distributed by Gruenwald based brand management and media company m4e AG, had a successful launch on RTL II. The action adventures series, produced by Big Bocca Productions and the Italian hit animation studio Rainbow S.p.A., reached a market share of 8.2%* at general audience, aged 14-49 years, ranking clearly above the broadcaster's average rating.
In the target group for boys 6-13 years, HUNTIK reached 60,000 viewers with a market share of 28.7% at the first broadcast, averaging 21% in its first week.
 
In the course of its international success, Big Bocca Productions and Rainbow S.p.A. announced the production of a second season of HUNTIK. After the series was likewise successfully launched in Italy at Rai Due, in the US at CW4Kids and in the UK at Jetix, the production of 26 new episodes received greenlight. The broadcast of season 2 is planned for end of 2010.
 
Since Thursday, 19. March, the series is also available on DVD in Germany. Volume 1 with the first 6 episodes of season 1 was released by m4e Home Entertainment and features bonus materials like the HUNTIK Music Maker by Magix, for producing own HUNTIK songs on PC, or an animated tutorial for the HUNTIK trading card game, which was released on 20. March 2009.
 
The series HUNTIK is an original action adventure property, created and directed by Iginio Straffi, the author of the Winx Club, and co-produced through a partnership between Big Bocca Productions, the leading content creator & animation studio Rainbow S.p.A. and the brand management and media company m4e AG. Magic, mystery, mythology and adventure come together in HUNTIK, a fantastic new adventure property for kids (focus on boys) aged 8-16 years.
 
"The great success of HUNTIK especially in Italy and in the US drove us to conceive and realize the second season. The new episodes of HUNTIK will explore new territories all around the world, travelling through the continents. Our world is so rich of wonderful and mysterious legends belonging to the most important traditions and cultures that we cannot really stop telling our sons through this ambitious animation series", says Iginio Straffi, owner of Rainbow S.p.A. and creator of the world famous animation series of Winx Club.
 
"After HUNTIK caught a great deal of international attention before its international broadcast debut due to being honoured with several international prizes, we are extremely happy that the series now comes up to the high expectations. Through the production start of season 2 we will be able to continue with brand development on a long term basis", concludes Hans Ulrich Stoef, CEO of m4e AG.
 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
THE LAST REMNANT FOR GAMES FOR WINDOWS
LAUNCHES TODAY IN NORTH AMERICA
 
LOS ANGELES (March 24, 2009) - Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, announced today that the Games for Windows® version of THE LAST REMNANT™ has shipped to North American retailers today.
Brought to life by both rising stars and veteran Square Enix developers, THE LAST REMNANT is an epic RPG adventure that was released for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft last holiday season. This Games for Windows version features all-new elements not seen in the Xbox 360 version, such as a speed selection option for battle sequences and the removal of leader unit restrictions when creating unions.
The Games for Windows version of THE LAST REMNANT invites a new audience of players into a lush, real-time fantasy world where they control massive cinematic battles. With a carefully crafted battle system and epic storytelling, Square Enix offers an exciting adventure for all RPG lovers.
Story
In ancient times, mysterious artifacts referred to as Remnants were discovered all over the world. Offering incredible power, they soon came into the hands of the covetous few, and thus was the world's delicate equilibrium shattered. The people were divided into those who ruled and those who were ruled over. War was inevitable. Our story begins a thousand years later...
Rush lives with his sister Irina on the secluded Eulam Island, a place far removed from the ceaseless battle for control over the Remnants which rages on the mainland. However, his peaceful life is shattered one day when he witnesses his sister's abduction by a mysterious group of soldiers. He immediately sets off after them, ill-prepared for the evils of the outside world but determined to find his sister at any cost.
 
Features
A new adventure from Square Enix and the creators of the FINAL FANTASY® series
Innovative battle system that allows for large-scale battles delivered with an unrivalled cinematic intensity
Selective Encounter System allows you to engage the enemy your way, eliminating random battles
New features in the PC version include:
Option to select Japanese or English voice-overs
Unlimited leader units available for placement in unions
Autosave and normal save functions available between consecutive battles
Graphical weapon previews assist players with weapon selection
New allied characters to aid players in battle
Improved character animations
Increased speed of gameplay in battle sequences
 
THE LAST REMNANT is rated M (Mature). Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. THE LAST REMNANT will be available at North American retailers for the suggested retail price of $39.99. The benchmark test and system requirements can be found on the official website at http://na.square-enix.com/remnant.
On April 9, THE LAST REMNANT will also become available for PC users via digital distribution, including through Valve's Steam® platform for digital content distribution.
About Square Enix Co., Ltd. and Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix), with headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, develops, publishes and distributes entertainment content including interactive entertainment software and publications in Asia, North America, and Europe. Square Enix brings two of Japan's best-selling franchises -- FINAL FANTASY, which has sold over 85 million units worldwide, and DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 47 million units worldwide -- under one roof. Square Enix is one of the most influential providers of digital entertainment content in the world and continues to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation.
Square Enix, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. with offices in Los Angeles, California. It handles operations in North America, including development, localization, marketing and publishing of Square Enix titles. More information on Square Enix can be found on the Internet at http://www.square-enix.com.
 
DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. THE LAST REMNANT is a trademark of Square Enix Co., Ltd. in the United States and/or other countries. Games for Windows, Windows, Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from the owner. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
 
 

Venerable VFX Facility Replaces In-House Software "Flipper" with RV to
Streamline Dailies, Real-time Color Correction and Playback in Stereo 3D

San Francisco, CA (March 20, 2009)-Tweak Software, developers of RV, the
image and sequence viewer for animation and visual effects, announced today
that Tippett Studio is integrating RV company-wide as its playback tool of
choice. RV will replace Flipper, the proprietary playback software
developed at Tippett Studio, as the backbone of its VFX digital pipeline.

Tippett Studio was founded 25 years ago and has earned a reputation for
groundbreaking animation and visual effects. The studio has launched a
major initiative to retool its pipeline to accommodate increasingly complex
artistic and technical demands-without disrupting existing workflows.  

"RV is an industrial strength image playback tool, and the only solution
out there robust and customizable enough to replace Flipper," said Sanjay
Das, Chief Technology Officer at Tippett.  "Supporting a proprietary
homegrown playback solution is expensive and not the best use of R&D
resources, but before RV there was no good alternative."

According to Scott Liedtka, VFX Supervisor at Tippett, "Above all, RV is a
tool for artists. It is clean and elegant and adaptable to however you want
to work."

Tippett Studio turned to RV as part of an effort to build the facility's
capacity to handle upwards of 2000 shots per feature.  Other features that
attracted Tippett to RV include:

o    Customization - RV is a very open platform, not a black box application.
It can be modified to integrate tightly with the rest of a pipeline or to
support proprietary workflows.

o    Color Correction-RV does real-time color correction using the graphics
card, and RV's color management is scriptable so a facility can automate
and customize the way images are presented based on scripted rules.

o    3D Stereo-RV has advanced 3D stereo support built in. RV's stereo is
resolution independent, like the rest of RV, so the left/right eyes can be
different resolutions or image formats, and you can zoom, pan, adjust
offset, flip/flop, and swap eyes.

Tippett Studio is currently using RV on "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty
Galore" and will have RV integrated into the entire facility within
three-to-six months.  The facility is currently ramping up for VFX
production on the sequel to "Twilight" entitled "New Moon".

About RV
RV is a real-time, film resolution, high-dynamic-range image and sequence
viewer for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.  The application also includes
native support for stereo 3D.  RV combines a flexible architecture and a
hardware accelerated compositing pipeline with a lean, polished design
tailored to professional digital artists. Free downloadable trial versions
of the software are available upon request at www.tweaksoftware.com.

About Tweak Software
San Francisco, CA-based Tweak Software was co-founded by Jim Hourihan and
Seth Rosenthal in 2007.  Co-founder and director of R&D Jim Hourihan is the
recipient of two Sci-Tech Academy Awards and is best known for developing
Dynamation, the first commercial particle system that was subsequently
incorporated into Autodesk's Maya software. Under the guidance of this
talented team, Tweak Software is uniquely positioned to develop tools that
address real-world production needs of VFX and animation professionals.
For more information, visit www.tweaksoftware.com.