Television
October 8, 2002
The WB's “Birds Of Prey” Gets Amped For Its Debut
(October 8, 2002 – Burbank, CA) - To mark the premiere of its highly anticipated new drama “Birds of Prey,” The WB Television Network today announced the release of a custom “Birds of Prey” "skin" for Winamp, the most popular audio jukebox player. The WB, is also releasing a “Birds of Prey” music visualizer and screensaver created with WildTangent, Inc., to promote The WB’s new drama, which debuts Wednesday, October 9 at 9/8c. “Birds of Prey” stars Ashley Scott, Dina Meyer, Rachel Skarsten and Shemar Moore, and is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Tollin/Robbins Productions based on the popular comic books from DC Comics.
The WB brings its unique visual style to viewers' PC desktops and laptops with the Winamp3 skin for “Birds of Prey,” which joins those for The WB's shows “Charmed,” “Smallville” and “Angel,” takes, enabling computer users to enjoy a customized musical experience that reminds them of their favorite shows with each new track. The “Birds of Prey” skin also features a full-length show trailers and a live New Gotham Update for users who are online that also links visitors to the extensive “Birds of Prey” coverage on TheWB.com.
“Music is the perfect vehicle for promoting our shows to The WB's core audience of people 12-34, and the skins and visualizer provide an unique way for our viewers to customize their music experiences.” said Nancie S. Martin, Senior Vice President, New Media at The WB Television Network. “'Birds of Prey’ is a show our online audience is particularly excited about, and this gives them another way to enjoy it right on their desktops.”
The visualizer, a 3D animated visual featuring “Birds of Prey’s” “Huntress," the secret daughter of Catwoman and Batman, is available free from TheWB.com and Winamp.com. It can be viewed using Windows Media Player, RealPlayer or Winamp, and can also be used as a Windows screensaver.
The visualizer brings the Huntress to life as she leaps off the New Gotham Clocktower to patrol evil lurking in New Gotham’s cityscape below. The 3-D environment, realistic animation and cinematography, created by WildTangent, put viewers right in the action as the camera moves with the character and around the city. Graphic equalizers appear on buildings and beat in time with the music.
"We are thrilled to be working with The WB to promote the new take on the Batman franchise, ‘Birds of Prey'” said Alex St. John, co-founder and CEO of WildTangent. "The Web Driver platform allows The WB to deliver a mesmerizing music video that incorporates the rich visual style of “Birds of Prey” easily and cost-effectively, making the connection between “Birds of Prey” and its tech-savvy viewers even stronger."
WinAmp, a division of AOL Entertainment, supports all popular audio formats, including CD, MP3 and WMA. With more than 57 million registered and 1.6 million daily users, it holds an estimated 65-85% of the desktop music-player market. WildTangent, of Redmond, Washington, is the leading provider of enabling technology and services for online games. There are more than 30 million WildTangent Web Driver client applications in distribution. # # #