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FilmLoop Introduces Visual Communications Network Amid Broad Industry Support

Posted on: Monday, 19 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

DEMOFALL 2005, HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., Sept. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- FilmLoop, Inc. today unveiled a Visual Communications Network that enables people to broadcast, find, and communicate using digital content. For businesses, FilmLoop is a real-time connection that extends brands direct to consumers' PC desktops. For individuals, it's a unique way to instantly express oneself, voice a perspective, or share images with friends, family, or the general public.

"Our goal is to establish a new method of communicating via the Internet," said Prescott Lee, CEO and co-founder of FilmLoop. "We have developed a technology that is free for consumers, instantly gratifying, and very cool. This is an exciting new frontier for consumers and businesses alike, and we're very lucky to be leading the way."

A loop is a dynamic string of images that scrolls across a user's desktop. Loops can be created for commercial or personal use and updated at any time with new content. All loop members can see the updates instantly and loops can also be linked to online information including websites and blogs. The network is based on a client-server architecture that provides real-time, bi-directional communication to users' desktops. The player is free and the installation is one click.

Loops make it possible to: -- Broadcast. Using FilmLoop, businesses can broadcast images, news, product updates, and sales promotions to their customers. Example: The World Picture Network will broadcast daily images with editorial captions from hundreds of photographers based around the world, covering news, sports, entertainment and feature stories. -- Find. Users can specify personalized, specific searches. FilmLoop will create a loop from the search results and will keep the loops automatically updated. Example: FilmLoop users will be able to build loops from searches of popular auction, dating, real estate and job search sites. -- Communicate. FilmLoop sets a new standard above current web-based methods for distributing photos. It enables users to drag and drop photos into loops, instantly propagating to the desktops of everyone in the loop, whether it's one, ten, or a million people. Example: Send a loop of the soccer game to other parents and have them add their photos. Now instead of just your 10 photos you have 50 photos of the entire game. A complete story from different perspectives.

"FilmLoop is the most exciting technology that I have seen since Macintosh," said Guy Kawasaki, managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, member of the FilmLoop board of directors, and former chief evangelist of Apple Computer, Inc. "In the past twenty years I have evangelized many great products but nothing has been easier or more fun to evangelize than FilmLoop."

Advertisers, Partners, and Content Providers Already in the Loop

FilmLoop will be supported by high-quality, photographic ads and a rich choice of entertaining content. FilmLoop has already received a broad level of advertising commitments from leading companies including HP, Nestle Purina, Hallmark's Picture People, and TBS, a Time Warner Company.

"TBS is focused on innovative ways to reach and engage our target audience," said Richard Turner, senior director for TBS interactive marketing. "We see FilmLoop as another vehicle through which we can increase brand awareness, drive tune-in and reinforce TBS in the minds of millions of consumers as television's 'very funny' leader."

Advertisers can take advantage of FilmLoop's demographic and content-based targeting capabilities to run specific ads, sponsor content, or create their own loops. The possibilities to attract and engage a highly-targeted audience are endless.

"FilmLoop offers a fresh and creative way to market within consumer-generated content and consumer interests," says Phil Guarascio, lead executive, Marketing and Sales for the NFL and former VP of Corporate Marketing and Advertising for General Motors. "The unique viral nature of FilmLoop offers advertisers a rare combination of consumer interaction and scale to create real impact."

In addition, FilmLoop offers access to a wide range of compelling content spanning arts and entertainment to news and sports headlines. FilmLoop currently has agreements with some of the nation's top content providers including: AutoSpies.com, iStockphoto, Photo Marketing Association International, Photobucket.com, Primedia's Action Sports Group (publishers of Surfing Magazine, Skateboarder and Powder among others), Reef, Twentieth Century Fox, and the World Picture Network.

"WpN represents over 500 of the world's best photojournalists in 71 countries. In this fast world of demanding media we were quick to recognize the value of distributing our images instantly over FilmLoop with the benefits of its real-time, universal updates, ease of use and visual integrity; Brilliant," said Seamus Conlan, founder & chief operating officer of WpN-WorldPictureNetwork.

FilmLoop signed a partnership with Photobucket.com to ensure rapid growth. Photobucket is one of the largest photo hosting sites having received more than 12M unique visitors last month. Photobucket members will be able to easily convert their web photo albums into loops.

"As the fastest growing and largest online image hosting company, Photobucket is quick to appreciate breakthroughs in photo sharing. We have millions of members who link their photos to blogs, social networking sites, message boards and auctions. We believe our members will leap at the chance to "loop" their Photobucket album with a single click. We are proud to team up with FilmLoop," said Alex Welch, CEO and founder, Photobucket.com.

About FilmLoop Inc.

FilmLoop Inc. is a privately held Visual Communications Network company located in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 2004, FilmLoop Inc. is launching its flagship product FilmLoop, later this year. FilmLoop is the brainchild of founders Kyle Mashima, former VP of Strategy and Acquisitions, Adobe Systems, Inc., and Prescott Lee, former CEO, eCircles.com. FilmLoop raised $5.6 million in February, 2005, from two Silicon Valley venture capital firms: GlobeSpan Capital Partners and Garage Technology Ventures.

FilmLoop Inc.

CONTACT: Erin Olsson of Blanc & Otus, +1-415-856-5115, oreolsson@blancandotus.com, for FilmLoop, Inc.

Source: PRNewswire

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