Fans Can Insert Their Animated 3-D Faces into Celebrity Photos for a Supporting Role at the Hottest Parties and Events Covered by Splash
LOS ANGELES, CA – Dec. 11, 2008 – Big Stage Entertainment, Inc., a media technology company that lets consumers project themselves photo-realistically into the digital realm, is partnering with Splash News, a leading source of celebrity news coverage, to allow consumers to insert their 3-D faces into photos featuring some of Hollywood’s hottest celebrities for free on BigStage.com and through extensions into partner websites.
Fans interested in putting their faces into the latest paparazzi snapshots with stars like Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, and Shaquille O’Neal can quickly create their animated 3-D @ctor, a realistically animated digital clone quickly generated from a few photos, and insert themselves into free celebrity photos on the BigStage.com Splash News microsite. As part of the experience, fans can further personalize their @ctors with hairstyles, eyeglasses and other accessories. Images starring users and A-list stars can then be easily shared with friends and family through one-click export to social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace, as well as Web embed and email tools.
Partners interested in integrating this innovative celebrity experience into their own websites or mobile experiences can do so seamlessly using Big Stage Entertainment’s BackStage white label product and its PortableYou face integration program.
“Given the worldwide fascination with entertainment icons, combining Splash News’ celebrity photos with Big Stage Entertainment’s unique facial modeling technology is a fun way for fans to get into the celebrity culture phenomenon,” said Jonathan Strietzel, Big Stage Entertainment chief creative officer and co-founder. “Whether you want to see yourself alongside Ashton Kutcher or Jessica Alba, for the first time, fans can now easily place themselves directly into the limelight at BigStage,com.”
“With society’s unquenchable thirst for celebrity images, being able to digitally make fans a part of the scene is a revolutionary feature that we are excited to introduce in partnership with Big Stage Entertainment,” said Gary Morgan, Splash News Chief Executive Officer. “When audiences see their faces flanking or even replacing the stars they love, the sharable experience becomes much more entertaining.”
Getting Started
After signing up for free on BigStage.com, members first need to install the Big Stage Media Player, then simply upload three photos of themselves taken with a standard digital camera to the Web site. Their @ctor is then created within minutes and can be easily accessorized with hairstyles, eyeglasses, shirts, hats, and more, for either a completely realistic or fantasy-driven look. The customized @ctor is then ready to projected into the hottest Splash News paparazzi photos and videos.
Third Party Licensing Opportunities
The Big Stage Entertainment – Splash News celebrity content is available for third parties to offer their own users. Big Stage Entertainment’s BackStage product offers the Company’s 3-D facial modeling technology for partners to use in the creation of rich interactive experiences under their own brands. The PortableYou program offers tools for integrating Big Stage Entertainment’s proprietary facial modeling technology into third-party video games, virtual worlds or Web sites for the creation of accurate, consumer-accessible 3-D head models of any user.
About Splash News
Splash is the leading independent entertainment news and picture agency in the world. Splash brings the hottest, most up-to-date Hollywood stories, videos and photos to millions of people in more than 55 countries around the world on all media platforms. Splash operates out of offices in London, Los Angeles, New York and Florida. For more information, visit http://www.splashnews.com
About Big Stage Entertainment, Inc.
Big Stage Entertainment, Inc. is a media technology company that enables the projection of self into the digital realm. With Big Stage Entertainment products and services, accessible at BigStage.com, consumers can create a fully photorealistic, 3-D, animated @ctor to represent themselves in online communities and insert themselves in digital media, including video clips, flip movies and still images. Big Stage @ctors can also participate in games and entertainment on the Web and mobile handsets. At BigStage.com, anyone can generate a free, animated 3-D @ctor by uploading digital photos of their face for instant placement throughout the digital landscape. It’s The Digital YouTM.
Using Big Stage Entertainment’s BackStage product, business clients and partners can create interactive experiences under their own brands that allow consumers to create @ctors and engage with those brands through personalization of creative content and messaging via video games, mobile devices and on-location kiosks. Big Stage Entertainment’s B2B solutions are the premier vehicles for powering personalized, participative media. Headquartered in South Pasadena, CA, Big Stage Entertainment investors include Mission Ventures, Selby Ventures and Tech Coast Angels. For more information, please visit www.bigstage.com.
Legal Disclaimer: @ctor, BackStage and PortableYou are trademarks or registered trademarks of Big Stage Entertainment, Inc. All other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
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