Focus Features and Rogue Pictures Transition In-House Post Production to Avid DNxHD

Studios Adopt Avid DNxHD to Cut Production Costs and Enable HD Offline Workflows

TEWKSBURY, MA, Jun 03, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) -- Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced that , a motion picture production, financing, and distribution company, and its sibling company Rogue Pictures, have standardized post production workflows on Avid DNxHD® codec -- Avid's high-quality, low-bandwidth HD media format -- to enable HD offline editing and screening during the creative editorial process. Using Avid DNxHD media, post production teams can eliminate the time and cost of a traditional offline to online conform for screenings, while also working with HD image quality. Having qualified Avid DNxHD based workflows, both Rogue Pictures and Focus Features are recommending that post production teams take advantage of the media's pristine HD image quality and massive storage efficiency. Currently, Focus Features is using Avid DNxHD workflows for films including: "25/8," "Untitled Sam Mendes Project," "Milk," "The Unborn," and the upcoming "Taking Woodstock."

"From a creative standpoint, HD image quality allows you to see every detail in a shot -- like a reflection on glass or the subtle nuance of a glance -- which you would never see in standard def, so we wanted to deliver this benefit to all of our post teams by working with Avid DNxHD codecs," said Jeff Roth, senior vice president of post production for Focus Features and Rogue Pictures. "If you can edit offline in HD, it also means fewer fixes or revisions later in the process, which can cut costs for the post process. We can also save up to $70,000 per production by eliminating dubs, HD conforms or extra rental systems required for screenings."

He continued, "When you're managing up to 12 productions at a time, using a standardized workflow streamlines all aspects of post, from purchasing peripherals like monitors and decks to trouble shooting any issues along the way. Having tested the DNxHD workflow, from acquisition to screening to output, we now have plug-n-play post workflows that are the best of both worlds -- they provide the best creative freedom possible for our editorial teams and are also the most cost-effective for our business."

To hear more perspective from Focus Features' Jeff Roth, including insight into what studios should consider when adopting HD workflows, listen to the podcast.

About Focus Features:

Formed in May 2002, Focus Features has quickly emerged as a premier film company, with Academy Award-winning movies including Ang Lee's "Brokeback Mountain," Roman Polanski's "The Pianist," Fernando Meirelles' "The Constant Gardener," Sofia Coppola's "Lost in Translation," Michel Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and Walter Salles' "The Motorcycle Diaries."

About Rogue Pictures

Focus Features' sibling company Rogue Pictures, formed in March 2004, is devoted to producing and distributing high-quality suspense, action, thriller, comedy, and urban entertainment with mainstream appeal and franchise potential. Recent Rogue releases include ' update of "The Hitcher," produced by and starring Sean Bean, Sophia Bush, and Zachary Knighton; and Edgar Wright's "Hot Fuzz," created by the "" team.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid is a worldwide leader in tools for film, video, audio, 3D animation, gaming and broadcast professionals -- as well as for home audio and video enthusiasts Avid professional and consumer brands include Avid, Digidesign®, M-Audio®, Pinnacle Systems®, Sibelius®, Softimage® and Sundance Digital®. The vast majority of primetime television shows, feature films, commercials and chart-topping music hits are made using one or more Avid products. Whether used by seasoned professionals or beginning students, Avid's products and services enable customers to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid received 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. For more information about the company's Oscar, Grammy® and Emmy® award-winning products and services, visit www.avid.com.

Copyright 2008 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Avid DNxHD, Digidesign, Media Composer, Film Composer, Symphony, Nitris, NewsCutter, M-Audio, Pinnacle Systems, Pro Tools, Sibelius, Softimage, and Sundance Digital are trademarks or registered trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

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Contact: Amy Peterson Avid Video 978-640-3448 [email protected]

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