Aura's fast and easy-to-use paint, animation, and compositing capabilities complement the user's toolset for all types of graphics work. Aura is used in projects ranging from the making of compact quick-loading web-graphics to visual effects, animation and graphics in commercials and feature films.

"Aura is perfect for creating an animated film," said independent film-maker and former Westwood Studios game artist Terrence Walker, who used Aura in conjunction with cel-shaded rendering from LightWave 3D in the production of his animated short, Understanding Chaos. Walker adds, "With Aura's real-time preview, I can see what my shots will look like and do accurate timing even though I render at high resolutions. It's fast and easy to use. "

"Aura was the lifesaver and the shot maker," Walker continues. "All compositing was done in Aura. All 2D animation (and there's plenty of it) was done in Aura. A lot of the computer screens and effects, parts of the explosions, background painting... even the "limited cell" work, where only parts of the character move or change such as facial expressions, was done in Aura. I can't even begin to explain the role Aura plays in making this kind of film. There is no show without it."

Fast handling of multiple graphic and video layers in real-time preview is another example of Aura's productivity advantage. Given a multi-layered broadcast bumper and a client with a need for a quick change, an Aura user can update the order of the layers in seconds with a few simple and quick click-and-drag movements, see the result instantly, and be ready right then to go to tape or broadcast. With most other software a user would need twenty minutes to make the change and have the rendered result ready to use.

"We've made major boosts to Aura's already incredible speed and workflow," said Aura Product Manager Sebastien Miglio. "We've also greatly extended the variety of video and graphics hardware that Aura supports, and increased interoperability with other popular production tools, such as After Effects®, Avid Xpress®, and Media 100 Ifinish®."

Features and Improvements
Some of the new features and enhancements in Aura Video Paint [2.5] include:

• NTSC and PAL broadcast monitor display support on wide variety of video capture and playback cards including: NewTek Video Toaster, DPS PAR®, PVR®, Hollywood®, Reality/Velocity®, Matrox DigiSuite® Full, LE, LX and DTV.
• Support for all Windows video hardware such as web cam, digital camera and DV cards.
• Additional flexibility with support of all pressure sensitive tablets, and the extended range of tablet capabilities such as pen altitude, azimuth, finger wheel and ToolsID from Wacom Intuos® tablets.
• Alpha channel support provides the user with the option to select one of five different alpha channel modes in both Import and Export modes, including Pre-Multiply and Non-Pre-Multiply.
• Ability to import Macromedia Flash® (SWF) directly into a layer, and enhanced DirectShow® support for import and export of any Windows®-supported file format.
• Among the new features are more than a dozen new filters, including Bevel, Grain, Glow, Erode, Black and White converter, Bloom, several specialized Blurs, and others.
• Control over filters -- every attribute of all internal NewTek Aura [2.5] filters is individually keyframeable. Aura's powerful pixel tracking tool, noted for the ability to track multiple points across any number of frames, now works across layers.

Pricing and Availability
Aura Video Paint [2.5] is currently shipping for a suggested retail price of 995 Euro + V.A.T. , and the free 2.5 update is available for download on the NewTek website, as well as at NewTek international partners. A free 30-day demo is also available from the website. Aura Video Paint [2.5] runs under Windows NT 4, 2000 and XP Pro, on either AMD or Intel processors. Registered owners of Aura [1.0] can upgrade to Aura Video Paint [2.5] for 295 Euro + V.A.T. Aura Video Paint 2.0 registered owners can purchase a convenience upgrade (Aura 2.5 CD ROM + printed manual ) for 99 Euro + V.A.T.

About NewTek
With headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, NewTek is a leading provider of full-featured video editing, animation and special effects tools including the Video Toaster, LightWave 3D and Aura. NewTek launched the desktop video revolution in 1990 with the release of the legendary Video Toaster. The company's products are used worldwide on projects ranging from home video to feature film. Recent film and television projects using NewTek software include We Were Soldiers, Panic Room, Hart's War, Driven, A.I., Oscar®-nominated Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius, Final Fantasy, Blackhawk Down, The Time Machine, Black Knight, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, The 6th Day, Jurassic Park III, Behind Enemy Lines, X-Men The Movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Director's Edition DVD, Pitch Black, Dracula 2000, Star Trek: Enterprise, Roughnecks: Starship Troopers, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, The Family Guy, Ally McBeal, Dune: The Miniseries, Dawson's Creek and Family Law. Recent game titles include Deus Ex, Serious Sam I and II, Twisted Metal: Black, Civilization III, Unreal, Quake 3 Arena, Moto Racer World Tour, Giants for PS2, Baldur's Gate II, EverQuest, Planescape: Torment, Dead To Rights, and Escape From Monkey Island. Contact NewTek Europe at 17 avenue Leonard de Vinci, Europarc, 33600 Pessac, France. Phone: +33 (0) 557 262 262, fax: +33 (0) 557 262 261, website: http://www.newtek-europe.com