Sonic Foundry Partners in Development of Screenblast Creation Suite[TM]

Sonic Foundry,[R] Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFO), a leading developer and marketer of digital media and software tools and services, today announced its partnership with Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment Inc. (SPDE) in developing the Screenblast Creation Suite[TM] for Screenblast[TM], SPDE's broadband creativity platform where mass users can create and publish their own music and videos.
Screenblast is the first truly interactive, entertainment service where people gather to share their creative vision and express themselves through Audio, Video, Music, Movies, Animation and Special Effects. A key component of the Screenblast service will be a customized suite of tools that Sonic Foundry has developed in conjunction with Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment. Free versions of the tools can be downloaded directly from the Screenblast site to create and edit audio and video compositions. Advanced versions of the tools will be offered through upgrades to be jointly promoted and distributed by Sonic Foundry and Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.
Rimas Buinevicius, Sonic Foundry Chairman and CEO, said "Sonic Foundry is excited to be part of this revolutionary development which introduces consumers to the power of editing, sharing and distributing rich media over the Internet. Our tools have always been synonymous with the highest quality and best performance. Incorporating the customized Sonic Foundry software into the Screenblast site takes this capability one step further and puts the ease of publishing into all consumers' hands."
"The cornerstone of Screenblast is based upon the empowerment of personal creativity. Sonic Foundry's tools are a key component of that strategy, as they will enable novice and professional users alike to create their own multimedia content and share that creativity with the world," said Mike Arrieta, Vice President of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.
"This relationship with Sonic Foundry is a model of cooperation and collaboration between a software company and an entertainment company," added Yair Landau, President of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.
About Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment
Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment (SPDE), an operating unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), oversees the activities of SPE's digital production and online assets including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Sony Online Entertainment, SoapCity, and all of the studio's online promotional presence. SPDE focuses primarily on three areas: 1) producing and developing visual effects and computer-generated imaging (CGI), digital character animation, and original content for motion picture, television, online and PlayStation audiences; 2) tapping SPE's film and television libraries and its talent relationships to develop new forms of online content, games and interactive programming; and 3) leading SPE's efforts to provide online, open-access video-on-demand, interactive television and the distribution of new forms of digital content and services over the emerging broadband IP (Internet Protocol) networks.