DPS (Europe), Farnham, England; June 22, 2000 - The chickens are running, and Digital Processing Systems Inc. (TSE - DPS) was there to help! Aardman Animations used over 35 DPS Perception Video Recorders (PVR's) with DPS AniMate software as their main video-assist tool during the production of CHICKEN RUN.

An animated adventure comedy, CHICKEN RUN, directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park, is the story of a group of chickens who make a desperate bid for freedom before they can be fried, filleted or fricasseed. Leading the flock are a British chicken named Ginger and an all-American rooster named Rocky. Together they prove that chickens are anything but, as they engage in a daring and spectacular escape.

The cast will feature the voices of Mel Gibson, Julia Sawalha, Imelda Staunton, Jane Horrocks, Miranda Richardson and more. The screenplay, by Karey Kirkpatrick and Jack Rosenthal, is based on an original story by Nick Park and Peter Lord.

DreamWorks will distribute the film in the United States and in most international territories outside Europe. Pathé will distribute the film in Europe. The film will be released in late June 2000 in the UK and US. Worldwide release dates will follow shortly.

DPS AniMate is a custom software package developed by DPS especially for Aardman, and allows stop-frame animators to build up animations quickly and easily. Several other companies, such as Cosgrove Hall Animations in Manchester, have now used DPS AniMate on the DPS PVR platform to create animation series for television.

Aardman have over 70 DPS AniMate PVR systems, and have recently acquired dpsReality-based AniMate systems for future work. Neil Baker, Production Systems Engineer at Aardman Features said, "The DPS AniMate-based systems have been an invaluable aid to the animators. A video-assist system is an essential part of the process, saving animators from having to 'work blind' - not seeing their work until film has been developed, and allowing moves to be refined prior to committing them to film. We have been working with DPS since 1994, beginning with the Amiga DPS Personal Animation Recorder, and plan to continue this relationship as we move into the next feature films."

Mark E. Burton, President and CEO of DPS, said, "DPS is very pleased to have been involved in this production. Aardman are pioneers in the field of stop-frame animation, and we hope to continue development of animation and video assist systems with them."

DPS AniMate for the DPS Perception Video Recorder and DPS Hollywood Video RecorderÒ is available immediately, with the version for dpsReality scheduled for release in Q3 2000. An enhanced version, DPS AniMate Assist Ô, is slated for release near the end of this year.

About DPS
DPS designs, manufactures and sells innovative hardware and software products that facilitate the creation, manipulation and dissemination of broadcast-quality video and audio content. In both of the Company's two business segments, Broadcast and Post Production, DPS provides powerful, flexible solutions that lead the world in terms of price/performance. DPS Broadcast products are used by major television networks, television stations, cable companies and telecommunications companies throughout the world. DPS Post Production products are used by professionals worldwide for film and video post production, corporate, educational and industrial videos, multimedia presentations, video game development, animation, compositing, special effects, Web video streaming and DVD authoring. For the latest information concerning DPS and the Company's products, please consult the DPS website: www.dps.com.

About Aardman
Aardman Animations, founded in 1972 by David Sproxton and Peter Lord, is widely recognized as the world's leading model animation studio. It houses the talents of many young directors producing animated television series, short films, feature films and TV commercials. Aardman Animations has received seven Oscar® nominations, most recently in 2000 for Humdrum, and have won three times (Creature Comforts, The Wrong Trousers and A Close Shave). In 1998 Aardman expanded and acquired new studio premises on the outskirts of Bristol, where Chicken Run, the first of a series of feature films, was produced. Alongside its production work Aardman has a busy rights and licensing department responsible for managing the character brands it creates, including the well-loved Wallace and Gromit. Imagination, innovation and integrity are at the heart of Aardman's work. For more information on Aardman Animations and their projects, see the Aardman website: www.aardman.com.

Copyright 2000 Digital Processing Systems Inc. All rights reserved. DPS, the DPS logo, DPS AniMate, DPS AniMate Assist, Perception Video Recorder, PVR, Personal Animation Recorder, Hollywood Video Recorder and dpsReality are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Processing Systems Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. DreamWorks, Pathé, Aardman.

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