Natalie Portman and Christine Aylward Launch Web Portal MakingOf.com, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Entertainment Creation

Natalie Portman and Christine Aylward Launch Web Portal MakingOf.com, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Entertainment Creation

Filmmakers share their insight on the art and craft of filmmaking

NEW YORK, April 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Natalie Portman and Chief Executive Officer Christine Aylward launched MakingOf.com (http://www.makingof.com/), a behind-the-scenes Web portal that provides an intimate, fresh look into the process of creating entertainment by the insiders themselves. MakingOf.com went live this morning and was unveiled during a press conference at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

"When friends visit me on film sets, I am always reminded how intriguing and lucky it is to experience filming up close," said Co-founder Natalie Portman. "At MakingOf our goal is to bring that up-close experience to everyone, including the ever-increasing number of self-taught filmmakers, who find audiences for their films using new opportunities for video-sharing online."

MakingOf.com debuted with more than 40 exclusive interviews with leaders in every aspect of filmmaking, from directors Ron Howard (http://www.makingof.com/insiders/media/ron/howard/ron-howard-on-directing-par t-1/3/44), Marc Forster, Michel Gondry (http://www.makingof.com/insiders/media/michel/gondry/michel-gondry-on-directi ng/50/58), and director/writer Don Roos, to casting director Todd Thaler, and more. Additionally, the site launched with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews for films not yet released including Moon and Angels & Demons.

"Consumers are fascinated with celebrities and the entertainment industry, yet so much of what happens in the creation process is a mystery to the people who love and consume it the most," said Co-founder and CEO Christine Aylward. "MakingOf is a centralize hub that aims to change that by acting as a virtual film school, taking users behind the scenes, showing them how movies are created, and giving them an all-access pass to learn from actors, directors, producers, and writers."

How It Works

MakingOf gives users a fresh, unfiltered view of the entertainment industry and provides behind-the-scenes content, exclusive access to industry insiders, and an interactive, entertainment-focused community forum. MakingOf has four main content components:

-- Now Filming offers behind-the-scenes content captured during the
creation process. This includes content from the set of film
productions, interviews, unseen clips, movie trailers, posters, and
photos.

-- Community is an interactive network where participants can engage with
industry experts and fellow fans to exchange ideas, gain knowledge,
and connect. This section will launch over the next several weeks.

-- Insiders includes intimate interviews with industry insiders and
covers everything from screenplay development to movie premieres.

-- The Vault is a behind-the-scenes library from movies no longer in
theaters and includes content from the set of film productions,
interviews, unseen clips, movie trailers, posters, and photos.

MakingOf launched its beta site and will add additional features and content over the next several months.

Management Team

Prior to co-founding MakingOf, CEO Christine Aylward was a strategic consultant working with leading venture-backed start-up companies in industries, including Internet, technology, finance, and healthcare. She also had several film projects in development through her company Augustine Films. Previously, Aylward was Partner, Executive Vice President, and a member of the Executive Committee for Epoch Partners, an investment bank founded by leading venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Benchmark Capital and acquired by Goldman Sachs. Before working at Epoch, she held senior domestic and global marketing and communication roles with leading companies, including Ogilvy Worldwide and Hoffmann-La Roche, where she launched businesses and products domestically and globally.

Co-founder Natalie Portman began acting at the age of 11 and has starred in more than 25 films. She won a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and earned an Academy Award nomination for her role in Mike Nichols' Closer. Portman will next be seen in Brothers, directed by Jim Sheridan. She recently made her writing and directorial debut with a short film for the anthology New York, I Love You. Portman also wrote and directed a short film, Eve, starring Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara and Olivia Thirlby that debuted at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. She is currently developing film projects through her recently formed production company, handsomecharlie films.

Source: MakingOf.com

CONTACT: Nicoletta Ruhl of MakingOf.com, +1-415-896-4606, mobile,
+1-203-500-2031, Nicoletta@makingof.com

Web Site: http://www.makingof.com/

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