Digital HipHop to Produce Animated 3D Videos

Digital HipHop (www.brilliantdigital.com), has signed a production agreement with The Island Def Jam Music Group to produce interactive animated digital music videos with the label's HipHop artists. Financial details are not available, however, revenues from the associated licensing, distribution and syndication will be distributed between partners Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Island Def Jam and Digital HipHop.

Under the deal, Digital HipHop, which was established as a joint venture studio between Brilliant Digital Entertainment, Russell Simmons and veteran Producer/Director Stan Lathan, will begin production on several soon-to-be-released Island Def Jam titles: Ja Rule, "6 Feet Underground,'' DMX, "Good Girls, Bad Boys'' and Jay-Z, "You, Me, Him and Her''. The videos will be created using Brilliant Digital's b3d production tool suite, and distributed through Brilliant Digital's syndication network.

"Digital Hip-Hop will offer users on the Internet a new level of participation by allowing them to move and interact in a breathtaking 3D environment. The Brilliant Digital technology also allows us to render material at a quality suitable for Broadcast Television,'' said Stan Lathan.

The agreement is part of a push to establish Brilliant's technology within the online music video industry as a distinct genre known as Brilliant Animated Music (BAM). Brilliant will be offering 3D animated music videos with streaming audio, full screen playback and interactivity. The b3d player allows for banner ad revenue as well as e-commerce capabilities within the videos.

The b3d software is currently in beta release and is scheduled for full release in the first quarter of next year.

Digital HipHop was originally a joint venture between 360HipHop and Brilliant Digital Entertainment, prior to the acquisition of 360 HipHop by BET.