NewTek Congratulates 2004 Emmy® Visual Effects Nominees!

For the Third Consecutive Year, Seven of Ten Nominees for Special Visual Effects Used LightWave 3D^®

Los Angeles, California -- August 10, 2004 -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today extended their congratulations to the Emmy® nominees in the Special Visual Effects categories for 2004. For the third year in a row, all five nominees in the Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series category, and two nominees in the Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special category (Battlestar Galactica and 10.5) relied on NewTek's Emmy-winning LightWave 3D® as a key tool in their visual effects arsenal.

"Once again, NewTek's LightWave® team is honored that our software has been used by so many talented creative artists to bring incredible visions to the screen, and congratulates these artists on achieving this extraordinary level of recognition," said Jim Plant, President and Chief Executive Officer of NewTek, Inc. "Our commitment is to provide incomparable value and capability for professional CG artists and producers. We designed LightWave to provide innovative and powerful tools that allow them the ability to achieve their visions without compromise, even within the tightest time and budget constraints."

NewTek's LightWave 3D offers one of the most complete professional toolsets in the industry at the most affordable price, and is used worldwide for broadcast graphics, games, print, web, and visual effects for film and television. LightWave combines a state-of-the-art photo-real renderer with intuitive and powerful modeling and animation tools, and is often used as a complete 3D production solution. LightWave also includes a powerful scripting language, API and advanced integration with other popular production tools.

"LightWave has always been our tool of choice because we know we can depend on the results. We get our work done fast, efficiently and on budget every time." said Emile Smith, Visual Effects Supervisor, Zoic Studios. "With the new animation tools and work flow improvements in LightWave [8] we have the opportunity to push the envelope even further. Also, I must say that the renderer is probably one of the best renderers around, and that’s really what it’s all about."

In the last eleven years, nine Emmy Visual Effects awards went to productions that used LightWave as their 3D tool of choice. Both Emmy VFX category winners in 2001, Star Trek: Voyager and Frank Herbert’s Dune, were produced using LightWave 3D, as well as 2001 Oscar® nominee for Best Animated Picture, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. The Emmy-winning tradition for LightWave-powered productions continued with 2002 Series VFX Emmy winner Enterprise: Broken Bow, and then both categories again in 2003, for the series Firefly and the miniseries Children of Dune. 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.

2004 Emmy Special Visual Effects Nominees

Outstanding Special Visual Effects for A Series

Dead Like Me • Pilot • Showtime • Showtime Presents; MGM
     Jennifer McEachern, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Robert Habros, Visual Effects Producer
     Mark Breakspear, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Carmen Pollard, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Colin Liggett, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     David Allinson, Special Effects Supervisor
     Kevin Little, CGI Supervisor
     Nick Boughen, Lead CGI Animator
     Adam de Bosch Kemper, Lead CGI Animator

Star Trek: Enterprise • Countdown • UPN • Paramount Studios
     Ronald B. Moore, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Daniel F. Curry, Visual Effects Producer
     Elizabeth Castro, Visual Effects Coordinator
     Paul Hill, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Greg Rainoff, Lead Visual Effects Animator
     Fred Pienkos, CGI Supervisor
     Sean Scott, Lead CGI Animator
     David Morton, Lead CGI Animator
     Chris Zapara, Lead CGI Animator

Star Trek: Enterprise • The Council • UPN • Paramount Studios
     Art Codron, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Dan Curry, Visual Effects Producer
     Steve Fong, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Greg Rainoff, Lead Visual Effects Animator
     John Teska, Lead CGI Artist
     Sean Jackson, Lead CGI Artist
     Mike Stetson, Lead CGI Artist
     Koji Kuramura, Lead CGI Artist
     Pierre Drolet, Lead CGI Artist

Stargate SG-1 • Lost City Part 2 • SCI FI • MGM Television in association with Double Secret Productions and Gekko      Film Corporation
     Michelle Comens, Visual Effects Supervisor
     James Tichenor, Visual Effects Producer
     Shannon Gurney, Visual Effects Coordinator
     Bruce G. Woloshyn, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Chris Doll, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     James Halverson, Lead Matte Artist
     Craig Van Den Biggelaar, CGI Supervisor
     Krista McLean, Lead CGI Artist
     Patrick Kalyn, Lead CGI Animator

Stephen King’s Kingdom Hospital • Thy Kingdom Come (Pilot) • ABC • Touchstone Television and Mark Carliner      Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television
     James Tichenor, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Shannon Gurney, Visual Effects Coordinator
     Stephen Pepper, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Bradley Mullennix, Lead Visual Effects Animator
     Jeremy Hoey, Lead Matte Artist
     Craig van den Biggelaar, CGI Supervisor
     Kevin Little, Lead CGI Artist
     Simon van de Lagemaat, Lead CGI Artist
     Adam de Bosch Kemper, Lead CGI Animator

Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

Angels In America • Part 2 - Perestroika • HBO • An Avenue Pictures production in association with HBO Films
     Richard Edlund, A.S.C., Visual Effects Supervisor
     Ron Simonson, Co-Visual Effects Supervisor
     Liz Ralston, Visual Effects Producer
     Stefano Trivelli, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Don Greenberg, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Lawrence Littleton, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Michele Moen, Lead Matte Artist
     Steve Kirshoff, Special Effects Supervisor
     Greg Jein, Lead Model Maker

Battlestar Galactica • Night 1 • SCI FI • USA Cable Entertainment
     Gary Hutzel, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Emile Edwin Smith, CGI Supervisor
     Patti Gannon, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Christopher Jones, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Lee Stringer, CGI Supervisor
     Jarrod Davis, Lead CGI Artist
     Kevin Quattro, Lead CGI Animator
     Aram Granger, Lead CGI Animator
     Kyle Toucher, Lead CGI Animator

Dreamkeeper • Part 1 • ABC • Hallmark Entertainment in association with RTL Television Germany
     Nicholas Brooks, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Sophie Leclerc, Visual Effects Producer
     John Spooner, Visual Effects Cameraman
     Ludo Fealy, CGI Supervisor
     Alastair Hearsum, CGI Supervisor
     Eve Ramboz, CGI Supervisor
     Charlie Noble, CGI Supervisor
     Luc Froehlicher, CGI Supervisor
     John Vegher, CGI Supervisor

10.5 • Night 1 • NBC • Pearl Pictures, Jaffe/Braunstein, Argosy Productions
     Lee Wilson, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Visual Effects Coordinator
     Sebastien Bergeron, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Jean LaPointe, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Michael Joyce, Lead Model Maker
     Les Quinn, Lead CGI Artist
     Tristam Gieni, CGI Artist
     Craig Calvert, CGI Artist
     Jordan Benwick, CGI Artist

The Winning Season (A Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation) • TNT • A Rosemont Productions International Ltd. Production
     Craig Weiss, Visual Effects Supervisor
     Deane Boeka, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     Christopher DeCristo, Lead Visual Effects Compositor
     George Garcia, Lead Matte Artist
     Bill Graham, Lead Matte Artist
     Bob Scifo, Lead Matte Artist
     Niel Wray, Lead CGI Animator
     Loren Bivens, Lead CGI Animator

Pricing and Availability
LightWave® [8] Training Edition Special with Electronic Manual is available now at authorized NewTek resellers worldwide for a suggested retail price of $1595US. The LightWave [8] Training Edition Special includes 3 Coupons for $400 in FREE training materials. The training materials include the following books: Inside LightWave [8] - by Dan Ablan, LightWave [8] Killer Tips - by Dan Ablan & Randy Sharp, LightWave 3D [8] 1001 Tips & Tricks, LightWave 3D [8] Texturing - Leigh van der Byl, LightWave 3D [8] Lighting - Nicholas Boughen and CGI Filmmaking: The Creation of Ghost Warrior - Timothy Albee. The training materials also include the following videos: Digital Car Series by Gerald Abraham (Vehicle Modeling - Volume 1 and 2), LightWave 3D [8] - Bone Tools by Larry Shultz and LightWave 3D [8] IK Booster by Larry Shultz. Registered owners of LightWave 3D® [7.5] or earlier are eligible to purchase an upgrade to LightWave [8] for $495US. To locate the nearest authorized reseller or distributor, see our reseller locater at http://www.newtek.com/dealers. For more information on the items offered and to purchase direct from NewTek, visit: http://www.newtek.com or call NewTek Sales at 1-800-368-5441, overseas callers dial +1-210-370-8000.

About NewTek, Inc.
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including VT[3]™, and LightWave 3D®, winner of the 2003 Primetime Emmy® Engineering Award. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster®. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent television and film projects using NewTek software include The Last Samurai, Threat Matrix, Children of Dune, Firefly, Taken, Smallville, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek 10: Nemesis, Matrix Reloaded, Collateral Damage, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Agent Cody Banks, Daredevil, Spy Kids II, We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart’s War, Driven, A.I., Oscar®-nominated Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine and Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Director’s Edition DVD. Recent game titles include Doom III, Unreal Tournament, Serious Sam for XBox, Age of Mythology, Civilization III, Dead to Rights, Baldur's Gate II, EverQuest and Escape From Monkey Island. Website: http://www.newtek.com.

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