VIZIO and Dolby Recognize Next Generation of Storytellers with Inaugural VIZIO + Dolby Vision(TM) Filmmaker Challenge Award

VIZIO and Dolby Recognize Next Generation of Storytellers with Inaugural VIZIO + Dolby Vision(TM) Filmmaker Challenge Award

Competition Celebrates the Intersection of Cinema and Advancements in Filmmaking Technology

IRVINE, Calif., July 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- VIZIO, Inc. announced today that AFI Conservatory Class of 2015 Cinematographer Todd Sheridan and his film Frontman has been selected as the winner in the VIZIO + Dolby Vision(TM) Filmmaker Challenge, a contest for the AFI Conservatory Film School. Frontman was scored highest out of five finalists by a panel of judges. Clinching the top prize, Sheridan will be honored with the VIZIO + Dolby Vision Cinematography Award and receive $5,000. VIZIO will present the film at the 2016 AFI Film Festival in Hollywood, CA. Along with the other finalists, the film will be re-graded in Dolby Vision and available now for home audiences to stream through VUDU. Each finalist will also receive a VIZIO 65" Reference Series Ultra HD HDR Home Theater Display featuring Dolby Vision technology.

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Established to celebrate excellence in the art of storytelling and advancements in filmmaking, the VIZIO + Dolby Filmmaker Challenge inspired rising cinematographers to showcase their filmmaking prowess. The contest invited second-year Fellows from the AFI Conservatory -- the American Film Institute's renowned film training program -- to submit a three-minute clip of their films. From the pool of entries, a panel of judges selected the top five that best showcased striking visuals, a compelling narrative and the filmmaker's creativity.

"We were blown away by the quality of films submitted to the inaugural VIZIO + Dolby Vision Filmmaker Challenge. The pool of talent, coupled with the ongoing advancements in technology, make this an especially exciting time for the future of cinema," said Lily Knowles, Vice President of Marketing, VIZIO. "Sheridan's use of equipment, scene selection, lighting and storytelling stood out, intimately engaging viewers to bring the short story to life on-screen. Together with Dolby, we're committed to bringing home the cinema experience with unprecedented picture quality advancements so that films like Frontman can be enjoyed the way they were intended by their creators. Congratulations to all of this year's participants for putting forth truly captivating works of art."

The VIZIO Reference Series Ultra HD HDR Home Theater Display collection delivers advanced picture quality technologies that elevate the home viewing experience. Ultra HD, featuring High Dynamic Range with Dolby Vision, transforms the home entertainment experience with dramatic imaging, incredible brightness, contrast and color that brings content to life. In addition to High Dynamic Range, Ultra Color Spectrum provides a wider color gamut enabling impeccable accuracy in every hue and tone, allowing more realistic colors than ever before.

"We're thrilled to have partnered with VIZIO to provide the next generation of storytellers the opportunity to have their artistic vision recognized and enjoyed on a national scale," said Roland Vlaicu, VP, Consumer Imaging, Dolby Laboratories. "The use of Dolby Vision in these five outstanding films will deliver viewers a spectacular home viewing experience by enhancing the visual narrative of the story while preserving the artistic intent of the filmmakers."

Dolby Vision delivers astonishing brightness, incomparable contrast, and captivating color that enables a dramatic visual experience for consumers. It achieves this stunning image quality by leveraging breakthrough HDR and wide color gamut imaging technologies, both on-screen and in specifically mastered content. As a result, Dolby Vision enabled devices deliver images with much greater brightness, and provide much deeper, more nuanced and detailed darks, while rendering a fuller palette of rich new colors never before seen on screen.

Each year, second-year cinematography fellows at AFI have the opportunity to concept, direct, produce, film and edit a visual essay as part of their coursework. This real-life application helps fellows hone their filmmaking skills.

"VIZIO and Dolby have been great partners in celebrating the next generation of filmmakers," said Stephen Lighthill, ASC, Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence: Cinematography, AFI Conservatory. "We're proud of all the Fellows for their ongoing commitment to their craft and congratulate Sheridan for taking the top honors."

To learn more about VIZIO or Dolby Vision visit VIZIO.com and Dolby.com respectfully.

About VIZIO
VIZIO's mission is to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience through our community of connected consumers, advertisers, and media content providers. Through our connected entertainment platform, VIZIO is transforming the way consumers discover and experience media content. Since our founding in California in 2002, VIZIO has built an industry-leading brand and sold over 65 million products, including televisions, sound bars and other devices. VIZIO is a leading CE brand in North America with the #1 unit share in Smart TVs(1) and #1 unit share in Sound Bars(2). VIZIO product leadership is highlighted by a number of industry reviews and awards: the VIZIO P-Series SmartCast Home Theater Displays are the highest-ranked LED/LCD display on CNET in 2016, having received an editors' rating of 4.5/5 stars(3); the VIZIO Reference Series achieved a 2016 Editors' Choice award from Reviewed.com(4); and the VIZIO D-Series earned a 2016 Editor's Choice award from PC Magazine(5). For more information, please call 888-VIZIOCE or visit www.VIZIO.com.



© 2016 VIZIO, Inc. VIZIO, the V Logo, VIZIO SmartCast, Active LED Zones and other terms and phrases are trademarks or registered trademarks of VIZIO, Inc. All other trademarks and logos are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
(1) The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, based on total smart television units sold in the U.S. January - April 2016. The NPD Group/Retail defines a smart television as an LCD TV with apps included
(2) The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, based on sound bar units sold in the U.S., January 2013--May 2016
(3 )Visit cnet.com for the full VIZIO P-Series review, published 5/10/2016
(4 )Visit reviewed.com for the full VIZIO Reference Series review, published 3/18/16
(5 )Visit pcmag.com for the full VIZIO D-Series review, published 3/24/16

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CONTACT: Katie Kotarak, The Brand AMP, T: 949-438-1078, E: katie@thebrandamp.com; or Jim Noyd, Noyd Communications Inc., T: 310-951-3768, E: jim.noyd@noydcom.com

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