Visual Effects in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Demonstrate the Power of Houdini

January 23, 2006- Santa Monica, CA - Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini family of 3D software, today announced that three of the films competing in the visual effects industry "Bake-off" on Jan. 25, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and The Chronicles of Narnia, used Houdini. The Bake-off involves a 15-minute presentation to the Visual Effects Award Nominating committee who will then create the final nomination list for the Visual Effects Oscar® awarded each year by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Highly regarded in the industry, Side Effects Software provides complete solutions that address production complexities and streamline workflow while delivering high-quality visual effects shots. For over a decade, films utilizing Houdini software have earned widespread recognition at the annual "Bake-offs" and dominated the Oscar nomination category in Visual Effects.

With Tim Burton's adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, special care was given to create the chocolate river sequences. This key effect culminated in a dramatic white-water type ride which takes Willy Wonka and the children through a labyrinth of white porcelain tunnels in a boat made entirely of candy. The Moving Picture Company (MPC) created over 70 chocolate river shots using Myrtle software's Five by Five fluid solver integrated into Houdini.

Sony Pictures Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues used Houdini for a number of effects found throughout The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Rhythm & Hues used Houdini to create hero shots such as a Gryphon breaking up into pieces, a Pheonix breaking into flames and the White Witch riding through a wall of fire, as well as traditional effects such as dust and grass getting stirred up on the battlefield. Sony Pictures Imageworks used Houdini for a variety of snow and breaking ice effects in the film. In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The Orphanage used Houdini to create base elements and mattes for the memory threads in the Pensieve sequences.

"It is always great to see Houdini customers recognized by the Academy each year," said Kim Davidson, CEO, Side Effects Software. "We are extremely proud to see Houdini used to achieve such extraordinary visual effects."

About Houdini
The Houdini family of animation software offers digital artists an unprecedented level of power, flexibility and control based on award-winning technology. The comprehensive feature set includes modeling, rigging, animation, particle effects, dynamics, compositing, integrated rendering, and more. All Houdini applications work together seamlessly and are available for the Windows and Linux operating systems. Houdini has been used to create stunning digital animation in blockbuster films, including The Day After Tomorrow, Spider-Man (1 & 2), The Polar Express, I,Robot, Chronicles of Riddick, XMen, X2: X-Men United, the Harry Potter series, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Matrix trilogy, and most recently Sin City, Stealth, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Valiant.

About Side Effects Software
Established in 1987, Side Effects Software is a world leader in the development of advanced 3D animation and special effects software for use in film. Side Effects Software leads the field of procedural animation with its unique, award-winning, Houdini technology. Houdini is used by numerous digital content creation leaders including C.O.R.E., Digital Domain, Disney Feature Animation, DNA Productions, Framestore-CFC, The Orphanage, Rhythm and Hues, and Sony Pictures Imageworks among others.

Elana Altshuler
Kelvin Liu
mPRm Public Relations
ealtshuler@mprm.com
kliu@mprm.com