The Complete Effects Solution for Moving Images

NAB Convention, Las Vegas, NV, April, 2000 - Pinnacle Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: PCLE), announced Commotion™ 3.0, the all-in-one solution that combines the power of the paintbrush with intuitive compositing and effects tools to deliver superior performance on the desktop. The product was developed by Puffin Designs, which was recently acquired by Pinnacle Systems, Inc.

"Commotion 3.0 is essentially a whole new product. The paint engine has been re-written from the ground up, the interface has an elegant re-design, unlimited layers were added for compositing and painting, and over 75 effects filters are now built into the product. With built-in plug-in sets from Primatte Keyer, Composite Wizard, and Image Lounge, Commotion 3.0 is the most advanced application for effects and matte creation on the desktop," said Scott Squires, Creative Visionary at Pinnacle Systems, Inc.

The two different versions of Commotion 3.0 are designed to meet the needs of digital video and film artists. Commotion DV introduces the editor working in the DV format to the power of integrated paint, 25 basic effects filters, and compositing for digital video. Commotion Pro includes motion tracking, unlimited resolution, and 50 additional effects filters for video artists who need the most advanced compositing and effects capabilities.

Commotion 3.0 Key New Features

Timeline and Keyframing-Includes full controls for compositing, sorting, and keyframing multi-layer moving images. Users can combine an unlimited number of layers using Adobe Photoshop-compatible blend modes. Additionally, the compositing engine features the highest-quality motion blur available, with pixel-accurate motion blur to achieve the most photo-real rendering of motion.

Composite Previews-Preview and move independent layers with direct controls over, position, scale, and rotation. NTSC and PAL preview output support is included with support for the built-in FireWire™ ports on Apple's G3 and G4 systems or select Pinnacle Systems capture products.

Two-Way Paint-Paint on a clip and see immediate results in the Composite Preview window. Paint can also be applied directly in the Composite view and results will also appear in the clip. All paint tools are WYSIWYG (what you see what you get). Elements can be cloned between layers and frames using Commotion's SuperClone tools, and the brushes are sub-pixel accurate.

Super Cache Disk Playback-SuperCache disk playback extends the RAM playback capabilities of previous versions of Commotion to include playback from disk. Using a suitable RAID 0 disk array, with just two Ultra2 SCSI drives, playback long clips that will not fit into RAM. By combining paint and compositing with disk based playback, Commotion 3.0 improves workflow and delivers the optimal environment for creative work.

Effects Filters-Commotion Pro 3.0 includes over 75 effects filters. Primatte Keyer generates highly accurate mattes by isolating images from any colored background and eliminates spill, corrects imprecise edges, and captures fine details such as hair or image reflections using direct sampling. Composite Wizard filters include automated color correction, blur and feather edges, and the ability to remove unwanted artifacts such as speckles, dust, or holes. Image Lounge includes style tools for great text and motion graphics effects. Included in the set of filters are fractal particle systems to simulate natural elements such as fire, smoke, and water, shadows, displacement, and accurate camera blur.

Pricing & Availability
Commotion 3.0 is expected to ship by the end of May 2000 for a MSRP of $1,995.00. Customers who purchase Commotion 2.2 between now and May 30th will receive a free upgrade to Commotion Pro. Commotion is available worldwide through select resellers. For more information go to http://www.puffindesigns.com.

About Pinnacle Systems, Inc.
Pinnacle Systems' broadcast, desktop, and consumer products provide video professionals and consumers cutting-edge digital video tools to create, store, distribute and view web enabled digital video easier and more affordably than ever before. Pinnacle Systems may be reached on the World Wide Web at www.pinnaclesys.com.

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