emuse Enters iTV Design and Production Agreement with Red8 Studios

Reprinted from an emuse press release:

emuse technologies, the creator of Modelstream, the world’s leading multiplatform interactive-television (iTV) application and deployment software, and a leader in successfully building and deploying single-screened interactive advertisements (iAds) worldwide, today announced it has entered into an iTV application design and production agreement with Los Angeles-based broadcast and interactive firm, Red8 Studios.

Red8 and emuse plan to jointly develop several single-screen iTV applications for deployment in the United States (U.S.) as well as internationally, leveraging emuse’s extensive single-screen iTV application production experience and Red8’s creative talent in the U.S. and Asia.

Under the terms of the agreement, emuse will provide the creative team at Red8 with access to the Modelstream multi-middleware iTV authoring software enabling the company to begin developing and refining its capabilities in the production of iTV. The agreement will also provide emuse with access to a highly creative broadcast design team.

"While the iTV industry in the U.S. is presently focused on technical issues such as compliance with platforms and the functional capabilities of set top boxes, we must not forget we are essentially in the business of delivering TV-centric experiences to viewers," said John Bryan, director of operations for emuse.

This partnership illustrates emuse’s dedication and ability to continue building momentum for the emerging interactive television market within the U.S. emuse already has built and deployed an impressive portfolio of worldwide iAd’s and TV applications for many well-known global brands such as Honda, Daimler Chrysler, Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser and the British Government.

The Modelstream suite of products allow creative professionals to rapidly develop and easily deploy iTV applications using a design tool that incorporates features familiar to creative talent working in the design and post production industries building applications for use on U.S. specific middleware such as OpenTV, OpenCable Applications Platform (OCAP), Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) and OnRamp.

"emuse’s authoring tools allow our designers to do what they do best, design for the television screen without being restricted by their ability to understand middleware code. We can literally create interactive television applications in a fraction of the time other authoring tools claim to provide, and exactly in the way we envision them," said Red8 Executive Producer Randy Shiozaki. "The tools are easy to use and allow us to be efficient in the way our clients expect us to be, focusing on quickly and effectively exceeding their expectations. Red8 is very excited about partnering with emuse to build a business for ourselves in designing and developing iTV applications."

The market for interactive television continues to gain momentum in the U.S. Bryan added, "Creative talent must be included at a very early stage of iTV development. We are delighted a television broadcast design firm such as Red8 recognizes the opportunity to develop its service capabilities for iTV applications."