FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NewTek, Inc., Announces New Training Tour Stops

“Next Dimension” now extends the best in LightWave 3D® Training to Six New Cities

San Antonio, Texas -- October 30, 2002 -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced new stops for the Next Dimension Training Tour in six cities in the US. The series of affordable two-day training seminars on 3D animation, visual effects and graphic design will come to Raleigh NC and Jacksonville FL in November 2002, and to Houston TX, Denver CO, San Antonio TX, and Tampa FL in early 2003. Class instructors will vary from location to location, but will include Keyframe Magazine editor Lee Stranahan, FX and Academy Distance Learning director Larry Shultz. Complete information and signup instructions are available on the NewTek.com website.

“The classes are a great success, getting rave reviews from attendees,” said Jim Plant, CEO and president of NewTek, Inc. “Demand for these classes from other users has enabled us to add new dates and locations. The response is gratifying, and we’re committed to helping our users get the most from LightWave 3D® with quality training.”

The two-day classes cover both basic and advanced techniques for modeling, character animation, motion graphics, and much more. Tour participants will also receive a variety of training materials covering the topics taught in the classes and additional techniques, including a CD loaded with 33 Quicktime video tutorials, extra software, and a DVD with entertaining videos and informative interviews with some of the top LightWave® users in the world. The classes and instructional materials have something to offer any LightWave® user, beginner to expert.

“I took the 2-day course taught by Lee Stranahan and Graham Toms earlier this year, and it was a great experience,” said Policarpo Wood, a visual designer from Austin, TX. “They opened my eyes to a lot of the power that is under the LightWave® hood, and the $199 price tag didn't chew anything out of my breakfast, lunch, or dinner and a couple beers budget for the weekend. I'd definitely recommend the NewTek Next Dimension Tour with Lee and Larry...and be sure to go there armed with questions. Lee likes a good challenge!”

Pricing and Availability:
The NewTek Next Dimension Tour two-day training is priced at $199. For complete information and to sign up now, see http://www.newtek.com/nextdimension (NewTek’s tour page will link to LearnLightwave.com for registration). The NewTek Next Generation Training tour is being held in conjunction with the NewTek Product Showcase Tour, a free event on the first evening at each stop where attendees can learn about the exciting NewTek product line, including VT[2] and LightWave® [7.5].

Tour Co-Sponsors
Worley Laboratories is dedicated to producing advanced software for 3D rendering, and has developed plug-ins such as Sasquatch, a hair and fur rendering system for LightWave®, and the new G2 plug-in which adds amazing new control to lighting and rendering. Tools from Worley Labs are in use at major studios all around the world, and LightWave® [7.5] ships with Sasquatch Lite. For further information see http://www.worley.com.

Dynamic Realities has created such popular tools for LightWave 3D® as Impact (a rigid body dynamics and physics simulation system), Pyro (a flame and smoke simulator), Napalm (an advanced particle system) and Nature FX (which creates oceans, rainbows and other natural phenomena). For further information see http://www.dynamic-realities.com.

NewTek Next Dimension Training Tour Instructors
Lee Stranahan has helped thousands of people worldwide learn desktop video and 3D animation for more than a decade. His professional experience includes work as a writer, director, producer, visual effects supervisor, and effects artist. He’s also an award winning photographer and the Editor in Chief of Keyframe magazine.

Larry Schulz is an experienced LightWave® artist and trainer with extensive 3D credits in games, film and television, including work at Foundation Imaging and Netter Digital. Larry is the Director of Distance Learning at FX Academy, and has taught at schools in California and New Mexico.

Graham Toms is an accomplished artist in both traditional and CG forms, a former NewTek staff artist and evangelist, and a former instructor at the Disney Institute in Orlando, FL.

Next Dimension Training Tour Schedule:

November
2-3 Orlando, FL
4-5 Miami, FL
7-8 Jacksonville, FL
9-10 Raleigh, NC
12-13 Richmond, VA
14-15 Philadelphia, PA
16-17 New York, NY
19-20 Boston, MA

December
4-5 Kansas City, MO
7-8 Albuquerque, CA
10-11 San Diego, CA
12-13 Los Angeles, CA
14-15 San Francisco, CA
17-18 Seattle, WA
19-20 Vancouver, BC, Canada

January
11-12 Houston, TX
25-26 Denver, CO

February
1-2 San Antonio, TX
8-9 Tampa, FL

About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including the VT®, LightWave 3D® and Aura. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary VT®. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent film and television projects using NewTek software include We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart's War, Driven, A.I., Oscar®-nominated Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine, Black Knight, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The 6th Day, Jurassic Park III, Behind Enemy Lines, X-Men The Movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Director's Edition DVD, Pitch Black, Dracula 2000, Star Trek: Enterprise, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, The Family Guy, Ally McBeal, Dune: The Miniseries, Dawson's Creek and Family Law. Recent game titles include Deus Ex, Serious Sam I and II, Twisted Metal: Black, Civilization III, Unreal, Quake 3 Arena, Moto Racer World Tour, Giants for PS2, Baldur's Gate II, EverQuest, Planescape: Torment, Dead To Rights, and Escape From Monkey Island. Contact NewTek at 5131 Beckwith Blvd, San Antonio, TX, 78249. Phone: 210-370-8000, fax: 210-370-8001, website: http://www.newtek.com.

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