LOS ANGELES, CA, Dec. 17, 2002 — LivePlanet and Miramax today named Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) and Microsoft Corporation as the technology partners for Project Greenlight – the filmmaking contest, feature film, and behind-the-scenes documentary TV series chronicling the challenges of first-time filmmakers living a dream by making their own film. Both Avid and Microsoft will offer technology capabilities and expertise to the project.
“With its state-of-the-art postproduction systems, Avid played a major behind-the-scenes role in the first Project Greenlight, and we are pleased they are joining us again for the second year in a row,” said Chris Moore, co-founder of LivePlanet and executive producer of Project Greenlight. “This year, we are fortunate to welcome another industry leader to the team, in the form of Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 Series, which will enable us to not only show top quality video on our site, but also let the producing team review dailies from the film in digital format over the Web.”
“Project Greenlight gives aspiring filmmakers unprecedented opportunities to fulfill their chance-of-a-lifetime dreams,” said Jonathan Usher, director of the Windows Digital Media Digital Division at Microsoft. “This is a terrific way to apply the cost-effectiveness and the high audio and video quality of Windows Media 9 Series online, on the set and in theaters.”
As with last year’s contest, LivePlanet and Miramax will use its all-Avid postproduction suite to create the HBO documentary series, and the final contest winner will use an Avid® Film Composer® system for editing the feature film, scheduled for release by Miramax in 2003. This year, Avid will also hold a storytelling/filmmaking workshop for the director and screenwriter finalists, and will award special Independent Filmmaker prize packages, featuring its hot-selling Avid Xpress®
DV video editing software.
“We look forward to another successful year working with Avid on Project Greenlight,” said Matt Damon, co-founder of LivePlanet and executive producer of Project Greenlight. “Avid is key in all areas of Project Greenlight – we create the TV series with Avid, we edit the film with Avid, and we even compress video for the website with Avid.”
“Avid shares LivePlanet’s vision to provide a springboard for thousands of independent filmmakers who are the award-winning scriptwriters, directors, producers and editors of tomorrow,” said Steve Gray, vice president of marketing for Avid. “For Avid, Project Greenlight is a unique opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to these independent filmmakers while also working alongside a talented LivePlanet team as they pioneer new forms of entertainment.”
Windows Media 9 Series technology is used in a number of ways for Project Greenlight. During production, the film crew will review dailies with a solution from Sample Digital Inc., powered by Windows Media 9 Series. Project Greenlight will also use the high quality of Windows Media Audio and Video 9 Series technology to encode the film for digital screenings in select commercial theaters. For online viewers, LivePlanet will use Windows Media 9 Series to make Project Greenlight finalists’ submissions available via stream and download from the highly trafficked Web site, www.projectgreenlight.com .
Windows Media 9 Series technology offers a quick, easy and inexpensive solution that enables film directors, producers and studio executives to review and collaborate on time-sensitive “dailies” – footage of the latest day’s shooting – via the Internet. For theatrical distribution, Windows Media 9 Series allows filmmakers and distributors to reduce expenditures while providing high quality audio and video experiences for moviegoers.
More information about Project Greenlight, including contest overview and Official Rules, can be found at www.projectgreenlight.com .
About Project Greenlight
Project Greenlight, presented by Blockbuster Inc., gives aspiring filmmakers access to independent filmmaking through an online community, a film, and a television documentary series. Project Greenlight holds a contest where an amateur writer and an amateur director get to make an original film together. Miramax Films finances production of the film with a minimum $1 million production budget, and releases it in theaters. An HBO documentary series shows the entire filmmaking process, from the selection of the script, through production and editing, to the film’s theatrical run. In addition to the contest, the Project Greenlight community provides a forum for screenwriters and filmmakers to work on their ideas and gain knowledge in a peer-to-peer environment. Blockbuster Inc. is the exclusive presenting sponsor of Project Greenlight.
About Avid Technology, Inc.
Avid Technology, Inc. delivers the solutions that Make, Manage and Move Media(TM). As a recognized digital standard for professionals who Make the world’s media — from video, audio and film to animation, special effects and streaming media — Avid’s products are used to make more television and news shows, commercials, music videos and CDs, corporate/industrial productions and major motion pictures combined than any other nonlinear editing manufacturer in the world. Building on its award-winning heritage, which includes several Emmy® awards as well as an Oscar®
statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design and engineering of the Avid Film Composer system for motion picture editing, Avid is extending its reach by redefining how digital media is shared, stored and distributed. To Manage today’s increasingly rich collection of dynamic media, Avid provides powerful servers, networks and media tools to help customers search files, share media and collaborate on new productions, both locally and globally. Avid’s solutions also empower users to easily Move media, whether on air, over cable or satellite or through the Internet. Like no other media company today, Avid’s end-to-end solutions span the continuum of media creation, management and distribution. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Tewksbury, MA. More information about Avid is available at www.avid.com .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device. If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft’s Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/contactpr.asp . Team> for additional assistance.
About LivePlanet
LivePlanet creates entertainment experiences that break down the barriers between traditional media, new media, and the physical world. LivePlanet calls this new kind of entertainment experience “integrated media.” Ben Affleck, Sean Bailey, Matt Damon, and Chris Moore founded LivePlanet in June 2000. (C) 2002 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Film Composer, Avid Xpress, and Make, Manage and Move Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Microsoft and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Project Greenlight and LivePlanet are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Miramax Films and LivePlanet, Inc.
