Century III at Universal Studios Florida Chooses RenderBOXX for Groundbreaking Madame Tussauds' 3D Theatre Attraction

LAS VEGAS, April 10, 2000 -- BOXX Technologies, a leading developer of solutions for advanced digital production, announced today at NAB 2000 that Century III at Universal Studios Florida has selected RenderBOXX as the high-end rendering system for its upcoming 3D film production created exclusively for Madame Tussauds', New York.

The show, which will be projected in a 360-degree domed theatre setting, is scheduled to open later this fall at Madame Tussauds' in New York City's Times Square. The Madame Tussauds' project, which is being produced at the Century III teleproduction facility at Universal Studios Florida, combines live-action photography, classic film footage and image generation and simulation to create a full-color 3D show that virtually transports audiences through many of New York's most memorable moments. Audiences will be able to see and hear the show in 360-degrees on a 40-foot domed screen and six-channel stereo surround system.

"Because of the unique nature of the 360-degree projection system, we are required to render 150 frames for each projected second of film," said Vince Pedulla, Century III at Universal Studios Florida. "This requires many more hours of rendering than would normally be needed, and adding the large size of the dome negative to the equation gives us a real rendering challenge.

"We looked at several solutions, from an array of small workstations to large network servers and remote site rendering, however, we required a large processor array in a small number of nodes with immediate feedback capabilities and complete hands-on control of the render process," says Pedulla. "This is exactly what BOXX Technologies provided with RenderBOXX. It makes the project technologically feasible yet still holds it within our budget."

RenderBOXX was developed to meet the production needs of HD, film, video, and digital content creation with an unprecedented combination of power, flexibility, and economy. Using Intel Pentium III processors in a rackmount system, RenderBOXX is available in a variety of configurations to suit the specific needs of any customer.

"By using a RenderBOXX system with a four processor array and high memory capability, we've been able to realize much lower render times than we would using a workstation system," said Pedulla. "And the system is so reliable we are comfortable leaving it running unattended all weekend. We have yet to have a failure due to hardware, which allows us more time for the creative processes."

"In an industry that is so tightly controlled by budgets and deadlines, it's crucial that our customers be able to rely on our technology and systems," says Todd Bryant, president and CEO of BOXX Technologies. "We designed into RenderBOXX the ability to handle the most demanding rendering projects, like the 3D film for the Madame Tussauds' opening," says Bryant. "We're very happy that Century III has chosen RenderBOXX to help meet the challenges that this amazing 3D project presents."

The most recent RenderBOXX 2000 series, which began shipping in January, is a Microsoft Windows NT or Linux-based rendering solution with single or dual Intel 800 MHz Pentium III Coppermine processors. Century III is utilizing the RenderBOXX 4000 series, which features a quad-processor configuration.

See this and other BOXX Technologies advanced digital production solutions in booth number S6066 at NAB 2000 in Las Vegas, April 10 through 13.

About Century III
Century III at Universal Studios Florida is the most complete teleproduction facility in the Southeast and largest studio in the state of Florida. Century III offers a multitude of client services, including film and tape production and post-production, animation, graphics design, visual effects, high definition services, image motion control, DVD, satellite and fiber optics feeds, interactive services, and web site design.

About BOXX
BOXX Technologies, headquartered in Austin, TX, is a leading manufacturer of high-performance, high-bandwidth Microsoft Windows NT and Linux based solutions for the 3D, animation, film, and HD broadcast markets. BOXX's 3DBOXX, RenderBOXX, FusionBOXX HD and the newly introduced CineBOXX, are all complete systems for 3D, rendering, HDTV and digital film playback, respectively. For more information on BOXX Technologies, please visit the BOXX web site at www.boxxtech.com or call toll-free 877-877-BOXX or 512-835-0400 (outside North America).