Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
  US: Diana Lee  
  UK: Liam Stacy  
  JAPAN: Toshihide Miyata  
  Germany and all other countries:  Joachim Heller  

MAXON AWAITS "OPEN SEASON"

Sony Pictures Imageworks uses MAXON software for the Sony Pictures Animation/Columbia Pictures release of "Open Season"

Newbury Park, California, USA, October 13, 2006 - MAXON's CINEMA 4D and BodyPaint 3D were called upon by the visual effects and character animation artists at Sony Pictures Imageworks to create the classic cartoon look and feel of "Open Season." MAXON software was used by texture artists, matte painters and look dev artists on every frame of film, from characters to rocks in this first offering from the Sony Pictures Animation.

Homage was paid to famous background artist Eyvind Earle and his unique style that captured the hearts of a previous generation of animation fans. According to Apryl Knobbe, digital paint lead, Imageworks artists choose the painstaking path of digitally hand painting every element to achieve this classic look. MAXON software was called into service to accomplish this and resulted in all characters, matte paintings, props, hard surface environments, vehicles, some trees, rocks, cliffs and bunnies being completed with this 21st-century nod to traditional animation.

"MAXON software possesses an acceptable learning curve for artists at any level. Its powerful and customizable 3D paint tools have made it easy to integrate in the rest of our show pipeline and have resulted in (BodyPaint 3D) becoming the facility-supported tool for digital paint here at Imageworks," observes Knobbe.

In Sony Pictures Animation's first feature film, the animated action adventure comedy Open Season, the odd are about to get even. Boog (Martin Lawrence), a domesticated grizzly bear with no survival skills, has his perfect world turned upside down when he meets Elliot (Ashton Kutcher), a scrawny, fast-talking mule deer. When Elliot convinces Boog to leave his cushy home in a park ranger's garage to try a taste of the great outdoors, things quickly spiral out of control.

Relocated to the forest with open season only three days away, Boog and Elliot must acclimate in a hurry. They must join forces to unite the woodland creatures and take the forest back! Columbia Pictures presents A Sony Pictures Animation Film, Open Season, starring Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Gary Sinise and Debra Messing. The film is directed by Roger Allers and Jill Culton. The co-director is Anthony Stacchi. The screenplay is by Steve Bencich & Ron J. Friedman and Nat Mauldin. The screen story is by Jill Culton and Anthony Stacchi from an original story by Steve Moore and John Carls. The film is produced by Michelle Murdocca. The executive producers are John Carls and Steve Moore. The co-producer is Amy Jupiter. The imagery and animation is by Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. The songs are by Paul Westerberg, and the score is by Paul Westerberg and Ramin Djawadi.

Open Season was released nationwide in the USA by Columbia Pictures on September 29, 2006.

More information and trailers: www.sonypictures.com/movies/openseason

About Sony Pictures Imageworks
Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. is an Academy Award® winning, state-of-the-art digital production studio dedicated to the art of visual effects production and character animation. Imageworks' production environment facilities four diverse pipelines including live action visual effects and character work, Imagemotion™ performance capture, all CG animation and Imageworks 3D steroscopic. The company has been recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with Oscars® for its work on SPIDER-MAN® 2 and the CG animated short film THE CHUBBCHUBBS!, as well as nominations for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, SPIDER-MAN®, HOLLOW MAN, STUART LITTLE, and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Imageworks continues to raise the level in the visual effects and character-animation industry, becoming a major force by providing leading edge technology to its world-class artists.