Life, Camera, Action! Sony Introduces Premium Subscription Tier for Screenblast/Unveils Enhanced Offerings

Screenblast®, a Sony Pictures Digital Inc. (SPD) company and pioneer in developing unique online service + software offerings for sharing personal media, today unveiled the latest evolution of its online creativity service and announced a new Premium Subscription Membership.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030512/LAM060 )

The newly-enhanced Screenblast service makes it even easier, entertaining and more enjoyable for consumers to create, enhance and share their life moments digitally. Today's announcement leverages an emerging trend in digital media driving entirely new forms of personal communications between friends and family. Screenblast brings to the consumer not only a new, visual platform for sharing their life events in emotionally engaging ways, but also the "extra" ingredients that only the leading global electronics brand and motion picture studio can deliver.

While Screenblast will continue its Free Limited Membership for users, a new Premium Membership tier is now available for the special introductory price of $49.95 annually -- about $4 a month for consumers interested in doing more with their personal media. The Premium Membership subscription will increase to its regular price of $89.95 annually following the promotional period.

"Today, consumers are looking for new avenues of expression and ways to share their lives with friends and family. With Screenblast, Sony Pictures Digital gives the consumer one complete, powerful -- yet easy -- solution for creating, enhancing and sharing their digital media," said Andrew Schneider, SVP and GM of Screenblast. "We want to help consumers more fully explore and experience all that the digital world can offer."

Sony Pictures Digital Networks Executive Vice President Patrick Kennedy added, "Screenblast builds on Sony's heritage of technology, design and innovation. Our vision is to not only enable the consumer to create and enhance their digital media in entirely new ways, but also to share their media across multiple devices."

After registering for either the Free or Premium Membership on the service (the latter designated with a gold star on the site), users can easily upload their digital media files and then:

   -- Drag and drop their digital videos, music and photos into multimedia
      "Create & Share" templates.  Consumers can create a customized video
      or a photo album, personalize a music player, make an online scrapbook
      or journal, or add their personal digital media to an animated game or
      e-card.  While Premium Members access even more themed and general
      templates for projects, all users can choose from Hollywood-themed
      templates, including "Charlie's Angels II: Full Throttle," "Stuart
      Little" and "Bad Boys II."  Premium Members also have the option of
      embedding their customized projects into their own website or blog
      with a simple "cut and paste" of HTML code.

   -- Find even more ways on how to "show and tell" their stories in the
      "Tips & Tricks" area.  Hollywood industry experts -- including
      award-winning directors, cinematographers, film editors, special
      effects artists and more -- contribute "Expert Tips," distilling their
      knowledge and expertise that consumers then apply to their own
      projects.  "Fun Ideas" are succinct, calls-to-action specifically
      designed to inspire the consumer to see their world from a different
      vantage point.  Both the "Expert Tips" and "Fun Ideas" provide the
      consumer with an easy-to-use starter kit.

   -- Premium Members also access a comprehensive "How-To" library -- the
      equivalent of 33+ chapters -- powered by TechTV®, the category-
      defining cable network.

   -- Download "Clips & Effects" to further enhance their digital videos,
      music and photo creations, including more than 1,500 video clips,
      complete music beds, sound effects, music loops, custom illustrations
      and borders.  The exclusive library is culled from the vaults of Sony
      Pictures Entertainment productions, as well as from other
      professionals who contribute music, professional-quality video, still
      images and sound effects that only a Hollywood studio could provide.

   -- Share templates via their own personal URL
      ( www.screenblast.com/your name ), either publicly or privately in
      their own personal gallery.  Members also can store their videos,
      music and photos in their own online storage.

"Screenblast places the consumer's life as the star of their own story. And, with our all-in-one solution, everyone has the opportunity to create and share any moment of their life just how they want," said Schneider.

Screenblast, which debuted in September 2001 as one of the first digital creativity solutions, also features boxed software, Screenblast Movie Studio™ and Screenblast Music Studio™, available at retailers nationwide.

Screenblast Movie Studio lets consumers and videographers capture digital videos -- home movies, web videos, music videos, weddings and corporate events -- then edit them on their PCs. Screenblast Music Studio allows consumers and music hobbyists to create songs and music albums, remix tracks, and score videos. Both feature "one-click" publishing to the Screenblast online service.

About Screenblast

Screenblast leverages its global electronics and motion picture heritage to give consumers everything they need to create personalized digital videos, music and images and showcase them for friends and family in new and entertaining ways.

Screenblast is part of the SPD's Digital Networks division. Sony Pictures Digital Networks is an operating unit of SPD. The division leads the company's efforts to develop and provide new forms of online content, games, interactive programming, open-access video-on-demand, wireless and mobile entertainment to consumers worldwide. Through SoapCity, Screenblast, Sony Pictures Mobile, SPiN, the Advanced Platforms Group and GoPlayTV, Sony Pictures Digital Networks is committed to making information and entertainment available anywhere, anytime on any enabled device. SPD is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. company. For more information, please visit www.sonypictures.com

www.SCREENBLAST.com

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030512/LAM060
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, +1-888-776-6555 or +1-212-782-2840

SOURCE: Screenblast

CONTACT: Liana Miller of eLuminatePR, +1-949-595-4320,
liana@eluminatepr.com, for Sony Pictures Digital Inc.

Web site: http://www.sonypictures.com/

Web site: http://www.screenblast.com/