R!OT Santa Monica and 525 Studios to join forces

Santa Monica, CA (November 2, 2001)—R!OT Santa Monica willmake significant additions to its staff over the next six weeks as thecompany integrates key artists and support personnel from 525 Studios.In tandem with the plan, 525 Studios will curtail operations, effectiveby year’s end. Both R!OT Santa Monica and 525 Studios are membersof the of Liberty Livewire Pictures Group.

The move is designed to take better advantage of the artistic staffcurrently working at 525 Studios. “525’s greatest asset isits artists,” says Liberty Livewire Pictures Group presidentLarry Chernoff. “They have a remarkable history and haveconsistently done exceptional work. To continue achieving at thehighest possible level, artists need to have access to the best toolsand be supported by a strong infrastructure. Our choice was either toinvest significant new capital into 525 to prepare it for the future,or relocate the key talent to a place where the tools andinfrastructure already exist. Given the positive synergies that wouldbe created, and the current business environment, the choice wasobvious.”

Chernoff notes that R!OT Santa Monica has a fully developedinfrastructure for HD and Digital Data post production, as well asrobust resources in visual effects production, computer animation andinteractive media production. Adding similar resources to 525 PostProduction would have been redundant, Chernoff says, and not in thebest interests of the company, its staff or its clients.

525 Post Production is known for its work in music videos andcommercials while R!OT is involved in the commercial and feature filmmarkets.

“We welcome those artists and employees of 525 that will beentering into the R!OT family, and feel a special kinship with themsince most of them are known to us and familiar with our staff members.We will do everything in our power to make them and their clients feelat home here,” says R!OT Santa Monica managing director RichardCormier. “This makes us a stronger studio and is in line with ouron-going commitment to be the most creative studio in thebusiness.”