Smith Micro Streamlines Animation Production for Studios and Professionals with New Anime Studio 11

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., May 27, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Productivity and Graphics group of Smith Micro Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMSI) today announced the latest version of its Telly Award-winning Anime Studio® software, designed to streamline production for studios and professional artists who create complex animations. The new Frame-by-Frame feature of Anime Studio 11 lets artists switch between traditional animation techniques and more automated bone-rigging techniques, making it faster and easier to achieve different effects without switching tools. New and enhanced drawing and painting features provide a natural feel and raster-like characteristics with life-like results.

"With Anime Studio 11, we're able to combine the best of rigging and frame-by-frame work, allowing two different animation worlds to finally touch each other with great results. Working in teams is easier and more powerful than ever before. Plus, artists can now create powerful rigs and effects that were extremely difficult or impossible with other tools. I love the simplicity of the new features - they're clean and incredibly deep," said Victor Paredes, renowned artist with Flourfilms.

Key Features of Anime Studio 11

• Frame-by-Frame – allows artists to immediately switch between bone-rigging and a frame-by-frame workspace for authentic, precise and life-like animation results.
• Layer Referencing – propagates changes from one design layer to all related layers, even across multiple documents, improving accuracy and saving significant time for team-based productions.
• Animated Shape Ordering – extends the ability to quickly and easily rearrange shapes anywhere within an animation timeline rather than adjusting each full frame independently.
• Enhanced Tools and Brushes – Freehand drawing is now simpler and more realistic with new automated Merge Strokes, a Smoothing option for round, smooth shapes, and a more efficient Blob Brush for simple shapes. The new Color Points tools lets artists blend colors together in new ways, while Merged Alpha and Drift Angle brushes offer a more natural and pleasing look and feel.
• JSON File Format – support for Java Script Object Notation (JSON) file format provides faster file processing and more flexible asset tagging within files, making it easier to exchange and manage related assets across workgroups. Backward compatibility with older versions of Anime Studio is retained, as well as compatibility with MotionArtist® file formats.

A full list of features and enhancements is available here: Anime Studio 11

"For movie studios and other animation production houses, speed to market is critical, so we've focused our development of Anime Studio 11 on making it faster and easier for professional artists to work more efficiently in groups, while allowing each artist to use the tools that suit their individual styles and unique vision," said Fahim Niaz, Director of Product Management for Smith Micro Software. "We're extremely proud that Anime Studio has earned a reputation of being both simple and powerful to use, with results worthy of global recognition, including an Oscar nomination for 'Song of the Sea,' produced in part with Anime Studio."

"We used Anime Studio for a number of elements in 'Song of the Sea', including various efx elements, several vehicles, animated backgrounds, and four underwater scenes that were fully-animated with Anime Studio. These were long characters, like whales, swimming in camera-panning scenes, and using Anime Studio allowed us to animate the scenes quickly and efficiently. Our director could instantly see the scenes in full color, in almost exactly the final look, enabling him to make editing choices prior to final composite. We are really looking forward to incorporating Anime Studio 11 into future productions," said Jeremy Purcell, Assistant Director, Cartoon Saloon.

Pricing and Availability

Anime Studio Pro 11 is available for $299.99 and Anime Studio Debut 11 for novice artists is $49.99. Detailed product, pricing and upgrade information is available here.

About Smith Micro's Productivity and Graphics Group

The Smith Micro Software Productivity and Graphics Group produces award-winning software that inspires consumer creativity and enables efficiency. The group's creative suite of programs provides artists of all skill levels – from novice to professional – with the tools to illustrate, animate and create 2D and 3D art. Some of the Productivity and Graphics Group's award-winning creative and utilities products include Poser, Anime Studio, Manga Studio and StuffIt. For more information, visit: http://my.smithmicro.com/

Safe Harbor Statement:
This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, forward-looking statements relating to the company's financial prospects and projections, the company's ability to increase its business, and the anticipated timing and financial performance of new products. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements are new and changing technologies, customer acceptance of those technologies, fluctuations or cancellations in orders from customers, new and continuing adverse economic conditions, and the company's ability to compete effectively with other software companies. These and other factors discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, could cause actual results to differ materially from those presented in any forward-looking statements. Smith Micro assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this press release.

Smith Micro and the Smith Micro logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Smith Micro Software, Inc.  Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Smith Micro and any other company. 

PRESS INQUIRIES:
Suzanne Runald           
Smith Micro Software, Inc.
+1 (949) 362-5800
[email protected]   

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SOURCE Smith Micro Software, Inc.

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