ANIMAX BEGINS PRODUCTION ON CATCHING KRINGLE, 35MM ANIMATED SHORT FILM FOR JELLYMAN PRODUCTIONS

Holiday-themed short starring Danny DeVito, John Rhys-Davies and Larry King to be completed by Christmas 2003

Los Angeles, CA - April 17, 2003 - ANIMAX, a leading animation and multimedia production studio, announced today that it has begun production on Catching Kringle, a 35mm animated short film for Jellyman Productions. The holiday-themed short features the voices of Danny DeVito and John Rhys-Davies with a cameo by Larry King. The 15-minute long film is being animated in 2D using Flash, USAnimation and traditional hand techniques. A release date of November 2003 has been set.

ANIMAX was selected for this project based on the Company's proven expertise in using Flash for film- and broadcast-quality animation. Jellyman Producer Adam Himoff said, "There were several studios to go to when we were looking to produce Catching Kringle but ANIMAX was the obvious choice due to their experience and flexibility when it came to the production. Plus, creatively, we just meshed."

A Heart-Warming Yuletide Tale

Catching Kringle is a family-friendly action/adventure film about the not-so-distant future of Christmas, when suburban America has become so home-security obsessed that Santa Claus is forced to turn his elfin crew into a paramilitary unit just to deliver his gifts. When General ("Naughty") Norman Needham declares Santa to be a national security threat, catching Kringle gets personal, and a rookie elf must help an incarcerated Santa rectify a 50-year old mistake, and in the process, rediscover the spirit of Christmas.

Catching Kringle features the voices of award-winning actors Danny DeVito (Heist, L.A. Confidential, Get Shorty) and John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings trilogy, Indiana Jones), as well as a cameo by CNN host Larry King. The film, produced by Jellyman Productions team Adam Himoff and Andrea Stern, is being directed by Jeff Wadlow (winner, 2002 Chrysler Million Dollar Film Festival - www.chryslermdff.com) and was written by Mr. Himoff.

Innovative Combination of Animation Techniques

ANIMAX is using Macromedia Flash MX as a platform to combine traditional hand animation techniques with digitally manipulated images to produce the 2D character and effect animation. Using Toon Boom's USAnimation, the animation is then colored and composited and additional camera movements and effects are added. "We have a very interesting and eclectic mix of technologies at work on Catching Kringle," commented Tim Jones, Vice President of Production at ANIMAX, "but ultimately it is all aimed at allowing the artistry, not the technology itself, to shine through."

Ready in Time for the Holidays

Catching Kringle will be exhibited at domestic and international film and animation festivals leading up to and following the 2003 holiday season. The team has a feature length version of the animated short in active development as well as several other animated projects in the pipeline.

About ANIMAX

Founded in 2001, ANIMAX is an award-winning full-service animation and multimedia production company. ANIMAX has produced animation for clients including Disney Channel, 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros.; interactive entertainment for F3 (www.weaverbeaver.com) and MGM; and e-learning applications for Peachtree Software and StudyDog, for whom ANIMAX recently completed production on over 80 minutes of animation, gaming and e-learning programming. In addition to Catching Kringle, ANIMAX has several TV shows in active production and development. ANIMAX is headquartered in Los Angeles with sister production facilities in Vancouver, Canada and Kiev, Ukraine.
www.ANIMAXentertainment.com

For more about ANIMAX, contact Michael Bellavia, 310-559-9651x225,
mbellavia@ANIMAXent.com

About Jellyman Productions

Jellyman Productions is an independent production company specializing in the creation, development and production of original, story-driven TV and film properties. Focusing primarily on animated media, Jellyman works with independent artists and animators to produce high-quality animation via a range of traditional and innovative techniques. Jellyman began operations in January 2003 with its first production: Catching Kringle, a holiday action/adventure. Jellyman was founded by writer/producer team Adam Himoff and Andrea Stern.

For more about Jellyman Productions, contact info@jellyman.com.