NewTek's LightWave 3D® Recreates Events for ABC JFK Special

Emmy®-winning Application is Forensic Illustration Tool-of-Choice for Emmy-winning Animator

San Antonio, Texas -- November 20, 2003 -- NewTek, Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading 3D animation and video products, today announced that LightWave 3D®, winner of the 2003 Emmy® Engineering Plaque, was used to create animated forensic illustrations used extensively in the upcoming ABC News special, "Peter Jennings Reporting: The Kennedy Assassination -- Beyond Conspiracy." The special is scheduled to air at 9:00 PM ET on November 20, 2003, just two days before the fortieth anniversary of the assassination. The 3D animation used in the special was created by Dale K. Myers, an Emmy-winning animator who is also an expert on the assassination and author of "With Malice: Lee Harvey Oswald and the Murder of Officer J. D. Tippet." Myers used LightWave to undertake a complete physical re-creation of Dealey Plaza and to duplicate the Zapruder film of the assassination in 3D, with the available data from medical records and other physical evidence taken into account. The result allows the study of the events from any angle and, say sources at ABC News, provides a conclusive demonstration of what occurred on that historic and tragic day in Dallas, November 22, 1963.

"LightWave has been used for precisely depicting real events everywhere from the courtroom to national magazine covers to network news," said Jim Plant, President and Chief Executive Officer of Newtek. "The advantage of LightWave for forensic and infographic illustrators is the speed and accuracy with which they can create and animate real-world elements, and render the final images with complete photographic realism."

LightWave 3D 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 for presentation, film, television, print graphics and the web. LightWave's powerful and flexible modeling and animation systems include support for both the English and metric measurement systems. Support for multiple cameras in a scene provides easy access to any number of points of view. Both the modeling and the animation modules support background images for reference in recreating objects and terrain as well as position and motion.

Meyers finds LightWave to be the tool-of-choice for the illustration of real events for many reasons. "LightWave's modeling tools are superior to anything available in other packages, as many people in Hollywood can attest to," he says. "The ability to superimpose wireframe models over background plates of the Zapruder film (in Layout) was essential to the approach I took. Realtime previews sped up the creation process immensely. Expressions, used to drive the movement of the clothing of both Kennedy and Connally, were essential."

More information on Dale K. Myers' work on the forensic animation of the Zapruder film is available in the profile at http://www.newtek.com/products/lightwave/profiles/DaleMyers/

Pricing and Availability
LightWave 3D [7.5] is available now for Mac and Windows platforms for $1595US. For more information, to locate a dealer or to order see http://www.newtek.com. The LightWave 3D for Print Special Offer is available now through December 31, 2003 in the USA and Canada for $795US, at NewTek authorized resellers, Apple Stores, and Ingram resellers. Mac OSX platform with USB port required for the special offer. For more information on this special offer, see http://www.newtek.com/print.

About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including VT[3]TM, 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 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

--End--

• Video Toaster, LightWave and LightWave 3D are registered trademarks of NewTek.
• VT[3], VT[2], VT-Edit, Aura Video Paint, LightWave Express, VT-CG, VT-Vision VT-Scope, VT-DRR, Tool Shed, Tool Chest, SX-8 and RS-8 are trademarks of NewTek, Inc.
• All other products or brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.