Objet Geometries' 3-D Printers Play Starring Role in New Animated Film Coraline

Objet Geometries' 3-D Printers Play Starring Role in New Animated Film Coraline

Market Leading Rapid Prototyping Systems Help Break New Ground in Stop-Motion Animation

REHOVOT, Israel, February 5/PRNewswire/ -- In Coraline, the extraordinary new animated feature film, a young girl
unlocks a mysterious door and enters into an exciting alternate reality.
Truth be told, her magical journey began long before she opened that door
- when the film's creative team broke new ground in animation by applying
3-D printing technology from Objet Geometries Ltd to create many of the
magical stop-motion animations of Coraline's characters and sets.

(Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080514/305187 )

The filmmakers used three of the cutting-edge 3-D printing systems from
Objet - the Eden260(TM), Eden500V(TM) and Connex500(TM) - in the development
and production of the film. Thousands of high-quality 3-D models, ranging
from facial expressions to doorknobs and food spreads, were printed using the
Objet systems, which easily transform CAD (computer-aided design) drawings
into high-quality models in record time and with extreme precision.

"Our 3-D printing technologies enabled the filmmakers to create the most
visually captivating stop-motion film ever made," said Amit Shvartz, vice
president of marketing for Objet Geometries. "Companies that utilize Objet
systems often say that it's 'all about the details,' and that's especially
true with regard to Objet's role in the making of this remarkable movie. Also
of great importance is the fact that Objet technology enabled the creation of
one of the most sophisticated animation films ever in the most cost- and
time-effective way."

Firsts in Movie Magic Made Possible by Objet

From the opening scene through the entire film, movie-goers see startling
animations stemming from Objet technology, particularly in the fluid,
life-like facial animation of the characters. Talented artists at LAIKA used
Objet systems to create hundreds of models with individual facial expressions
that were exchanged on puppet characters to create the illusion of all manner
of actions and emotions, from talking and smiling to laughing and crying.

Marking the first use of 3-D printed replacement faces in a
feature-length film, the character of Coraline had the potential to exhibit
well over 208,000 facial expressions. By comparison, the main character in
the 1993 stop-motion film The Nightmare Before Christmas - by the same
director - had but 800 possible expressions, and was considered a
breakthrough in animation in its day.

Objet was also utilized in the creation of, among other elements, prop
silverware, doorknobs, door hinges and food spreads, and made possible the
first-ever sequence of computer aided stop-motion morphing, a special effect
that seamlessly transforms one image into another. In another first, the
technology also enabled a fire to be created with physical, replaceable
models, and allowed the film-makers to generate vast numbers of
near-identical characters, eliminating the need for computer duplication.

Groundbreaking Technology for a Groundbreaking Film

One of the key advantages available to the filmmakers in using Objet
technology was the capability to print multiple materials, each with
different mechanical and physical properties, simultaneously. Objet's
Connex500(TM) is the only 3-D printing system on the market that can do this.
In addition, Objet's patented PolyJet(TM) and PolyJet Matrix(TM) technologies
enabled the jetting of photopolymer materials in ultra-thin layers that were
cured immediately with UV light, speeding up the production process and
offering unmatchable levels of detail.

"Companies in diverse industries around the globe have embraced our
advanced rapid prototyping technology for the unique effectiveness it
demonstrates in a very wide range of applications," said Adina Shorr, Objet's
CEO. "And now we are thrilled to see the impact of our systems in a
larger-than-life format. Coraline provides dramatic evidence that our
technology can support and foster the most creative ideas."

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080514/305187 )

Coraline is a Focus Features release of a Focus Features presentation of
a LAIKA production in association with Pandemonium. It will be released in
theaters nationwide on Friday, Feb. 6th, and it will be viewable in 3-D in
some locations. Further details on the movie, including trailers and
making-of documentary videos, can be found online at http://www.coraline.com.

About Objet Geometries

Objet Geometries Ltd., (http://www.objet.com), a pioneer in photopolymer
jetting, develops, manufactures and globally markets ultra-thin-layer,
high-resolution 3-Dimensional printing systems and materials that utilize
PolyJet(TM) and PolyJet Matrix(TM) polymer jetting technologies to print
ultra-thin layers.

The market-proven Eden(TM) line of 3-D Printing Systems and the Alaris30
3-D Printer are based on Objet's patented office-friendly PolyJet Technology.
Connex500(TM) is based on Objet's PolyJet Matrix(TM) technology, which jets
multiple model materials simultaneously and creates composite Digital
Materials(TM) on the fly. All Objet systems use Objet's FullCure(R) materials
to create accurate, clean, smooth and highly detailed 3-dimensional models.

Objet's solutions enable manufacturers and industrial designers to reduce
cost of product development cycles and dramatically shorten time-to-market of
new products. Objet systems are in use by world leaders in many industries,
such as automotive, electronics, toy, consumer goods, and footwear industries
in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Japan.

Founded in 1998, Objet serves its growing worldwide customer base through
offices in USA, Europe and Hong Kong, and a global network of distribution
partners. Objet owns more than 50 patents and patent pending inventions.

Contact:

Lynn Kolevsohn, Objet Geometries
+972-8-931-4432
Lynn.Kolevsohn@objet.com

Scott Addison or Sharon Horowitz, gabbegroup
+1-212-220-4444
scott.addison@gabbe.com / sharon.horowitz@gabbe.com

Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080514/305187

Source: Objet Geometries Ltd

Contact: Lynn Kolevsohn, Objet Geometries, +972-8-931-4432, Lynn.Kolevsohn@objet.com; Scott Addison or Sharon Horowitz, gabbegroup, +1-212-220-4444, scott.addison@gabbe.com / sharon.horowitz@gabbe.com

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