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CBS and The Electric Sheep Company Partner to Create First Machinima Advertising Promo for Major TV Series

CBS uses Second Life’s virtual world to develop a machinima (machine+cinema) Super Bowl XLI Pre-game promotional spot for Two and a Half Men

New York, NY - February 06, 2007

The Electric Sheep Company, a leading creator of virtual world content, has teamed up with CBS Television to create the first on-air machinima promotion for a major television network series. The 20 second spot for Two and a Half Men aired during the pre-game special for Super Bowl XLI on Sunday, February 4, 2007 on CBS. Machinima (machine+cinema) is 3D film-making within a virtual environment where computer-generated images are captured in real-time, using live ‘avatar’ actors.

The promotional spot, recorded in high-definition (HD), was ‘filmed’ inside Second Life, an online virtual world, and features avatar representations of Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer as their characters in Two and a Half Men, Charlie and Alan Harper. Accompanying their avatar replicas was a voice-over with the Two and a Half Men stars’ real voices. The spot was shot live, just like a real commercial, by Matt Dominianni and Frank Dellario of the ILL Clan, a division of The Electric Sheep Company. The script, jointly developed by The Electric Sheep Company and CBS, features Alan Harper exploring the potential of the virtual world, while brother Charlie Harper enjoys some female company and champagne – just as he does on the TV series.

“This is the first time that footage filmed in a virtual world and avatar actors have been used to promote a prime-time network TV program,” said Sibley Verbeck, CEO of The Electric Sheep Company. “This shows machinima is coming of age as a new digital medium. Machinima appearing in a Super Bowl spot is certainly a milestone for the industry and shows that virtual worlds have penetrated mainstream media as a way for major brands to represent themselves.”

“The Electric Sheep Company has now created the virtual face of CBS properties in Second Life, allowing us to reach our audiences in a new and interesting way,” said George Schweitzer, President of the CBS Marketing Group. “We see this as a way for our viewers to join virtual communities, where they can interact and share experiences together, although they may be thousands of miles away.”

In addition to CBS, The Electric Sheep Company has brought many organizations into virtual worlds, including AOL, Reuters, Nissan, Sony, Starwood Hotels and many others.

About The Electric Sheep Company
The Electric Sheep Company is an interactive agency that seeks innovative solutions that combine technology and community to represent organizations in 3D online worlds. Founded in April 2005, The Electric Sheep Company was created to help organizations find ways to use virtual worlds to realize their operational, educational and marketing goals. Customers include AOL, Reuters, Nissan, Sony, Starwood Hotels and many
others. Based in New York, The Electric Sheep Company employs a staff of 50 that works together to meet the development, design and consulting needs of its customers. To learn more about The Electric Sheep Company, visit www.electricsheepcompany.com.

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Executive quote

“This is the first time that footage filmed in a virtual world and avatar actors have been used to promote a prime-time network TV program,” said Sibley Verbeck, CEO of The Electric Sheep Company. “This shows machinima is coming of age as a new digital medium. Machinima appearing in a Super Bowl spot is certainly a milestone for the industry and shows that virtual worlds have penetrated mainstream media as a way for major brands to represent themselves.”

Customer quote

“The Electric Sheep Company has now created the virtual face of CBS properties in Second Life, allowing us to reach our audiences in a new and interesting way,” said George Schweitzer, President of the CBS Marketing Group. “We see this as a way for our viewers to join virtual communities, where they can interact and share experiences together, although they may be thousands of miles away.”

About the company

The Electric Sheep Company is an interactive agency that seeks innovative solutions that combine technology and community to represent organizations in 3D online worlds. Founded in April 2005, The Electric Sheep Company was created to help organizations find ways to use virtual worlds to realize their operational, educational and marketing goals. Customers include AOL, Reuters, Nissan, Sony, Starwood Hotels and many
others. Based in New York, The Electric Sheep Company employs a staff of 50 that works together to meet the development, design and consulting needs of its customers. To learn more about The Electric Sheep Company, visit www.electricsheepcompany.com.

Contact details

CBS Communications Group
Beth Feldman (212) 975-3183 bstoller-feldman@cbs.com

Michelle Homes
LEWIS PR for
The Electric Sheep Company
Tel: (415) 992-4400
esc@lewispr.com

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