News: NewTek Congratulates 2005 Emmy

For the Eighth Consecutive Year, Nominees for Special Visual Effects Used LightWave 3D®

(Los Angeles, CA - SIGGRAPH – August 1, 2005) NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today extended their congratulations to the Emmy® nominees in the Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series category for 2005. For the eighth year in a row, a number of the nominees relied on NewTek's Emmy-winning LightWave 3D ® as a key tool in their visual effects arsenal. NewTek's TriCaster is also nominated for an Emmy this year, in the category Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for the Creation of Non-Traditional Programs or Platforms.

"Once again, NewTek's LightWave team is honored to see so many talented artists applying LightWave in the creation of awe-inspiring visual effects, and we congratulate these artists on achieving this great professional recognition for their work," said Jay Roth, President of NewTek's 3D Products Division. "We've designed LightWave from the ground up for fast production without compromising quality. The incredible visions that these artists have brought to the screen demonstrate how LightWave's innovative and affordable tools let producers and creators raise the bar on what is possible within the tight time and budget constraints of professional production."

NewTek's LightWave 3D combines a state-of-the-art photo-realistic renderer with intuitive and powerful modeling and animation tools. Known for its fast workflow and ease of use, LightWave also integrates well with other popular production tools for 3D and for compositing, with support for PSD and RLA/RPF files as well as a wide range of other formats. Tools that cost extra in many other professional 3D applications are part of the standard package, including hard- and soft-body dynamics, cloth simulation and fur, and much, much more. LightWave is used worldwide as a complete 3D production solution for broadcast graphics, games, print, web, and visual effects for film and television.

"LightWave 3D is a key factor in our ability to provide the absolutely photo-real visuals that our clients need on time and on budget," said Bruce G. Woloshyn, Digital Effects Supervisor, of Rainmaker Animation and Visual Effects. "We're able to meet the ever-increasing client expectations because the tools don't get between the artist and the vision. Our digital artists are able to rapidly model, texture, light and animate the content, and then LightWave's fast and beautiful native renderer gives us pristine finished imagery for the final shots, on time, every time."

In the last twelve years, eleven Emmy Visual Effects awards went to productions that used LightWave as their 3D tool of choice. From 2000 through 2004, all five nominees (and therefore, the winner) in the series category each year relied on LightWave 3D in their CG effects production. In 2001 and 2003 both Emmy VFX category winners, "Series" and "Movie, Special or Mini-series", were produced using LightWave 3D. Also in 2003, NewTek's LightWave itself received an Emmy Engineering Award for its role as a tool that has allowed talented artists to create a revolution in visual effects for television. In 2004, venturing outside the arena of the VFX categories, the Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Graphic and Artistic Design at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards went to an artist who chose NewTek's LightWave 3D® to produce the forensic animation that was central to the ABC news special Peter Jennings Reporting: The Kennedy Assassination – Beyond Conspiracy.

2005 Emmy Special Visual Effects Nominees

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for A Series

Battlestar Galactica - 33 - Sci Fi - Point of View Productions in association with NBC Universal Television Studio

Gary Hutzel, Visual Effects Supervisor
Patricia Gannon, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
Lee Stringer, CGI Supervisor
Matt Gore, Facility VFX Coordinator
Michael Gibson, VFX Coordinator
Mark Shimer, Lead VFX Animator
Adam Lebowitz, VFX Animator
Dustin Adair, VFX Animator
Gabriel Koerner, CGI Model Maker

Battlestar Galactica - The Hand of God - Sci Fi - Point of View Productions in association with NBC Universal Television Studio

Gary Hutzel, Visual Effects Supervisor
Mike Gibson, Visual Effects Coordinator
Kirsten Meekison, Visual Effects Coordinator
Tom Archer, Supervising Compositor
Brenda Campbell, Lead Composite Artist
Andrew Karr, 3D Supervisor
Daniel Osaki, Lead Model Maker
Adrian Van der Park, Lead Animator
Jeremy Hoey, Lead Matte Artist

Stargate Atlantis - Rising - Sci Fi - Pegasus Productions Inc. produced in association with Acme Shark and MGM TelevisionMichelle Comens, Visual Effects Producer
John Gajdecki, Visual Effects Supervisor
Bruce Woloshyn, Digital Effects Supervisor
Jinnie Pak, Visual Effects Coordinator
Dan Mayer, Lead 3D Animator
Wes Sargent, Lead 3D Animator
Jose Burgos, Lead 3D Animator
Debora Dunphy, Lead Digital Compositing Artist
Chris Doll, Lead Digital Compositing

Pricing and Availability
LightWave® [8] is currently available for Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS X, for a suggested retail price of US$795. Registered owners of LightWave® [7] or earlier may upgrade to version [8] for US$395. In addition to our regular retail price offerings, the following special purchase options are available for a limited time:

LightWave Full seats:
- LightWave [8] full seat, PDF manual, Vue 5 Infinite, free update to v9: $795
- LightWave [8] full seat, printed manual, Vue 5 Infinite, free update to v9: $895

For registered owners of LightWave [7.5] or earlier:
- LightWave [8] upgrade, PDF manual, Vue 5 Infinite, free update to v9: $395
- LightWave [8] upgrade, printed manual, Vue 5 Infinite, free update to v9: $495

For Registered owners of LightWave [8]:
- LightWave 3D v9.0 upgrade with PDF manual and Vue 5 Infinite: $395
- LightWave 3D v9.0 with printed manual and Vue 5 Infinite: $495

Those purchasing any LightWave [8] full or upgrade product offering after August 01, 2005 qualify for a free upgrade to LightWave 3D version 9.0 upon its release. For more information or to purchase, visit: http://www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, overseas callers dial +1-210-370-8000. To locate a NewTek Authorized Reseller link to http://www.newtek.com/dealers.

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