VDI MultiMedia Hires Larry Birstock To Run HDTV Division

VDI MultiMedia (NASDAQ: VDIM) announced the hiring of Larry Birstock as the company's new Senior Vice President of Post-Production and High Definition Television (HDTV) Services. Birstock, an industry veteran with more than 16 years of experience, joins VDI from Four Media Co. (4MC). In this newly created position at VDI, Birstock will be responsible for build-out and management of the company's studio post-production services and HDTV division. This business unit will provide a full range of film transfer, editing, digital restoration and conversion services, primarily to major motion picture and television content owners. VDI plans to open a state-of-the-art HDTV center at its Burbank, California, facility in mid-2000. Donald R. Stine, VDI's Chief Executive Officer, commented, ""HDTV has quickly become the mastering standard for domestic content providers, and VDI is proud to have Larry leading the charge for us in this exciting new business opportunity. ""His wealth of knowledge and his relationships in our industry will allow us to develop this business with the highest level of quality and credibility. Larry has an excellent reputation among our industry's largest clients for partnering with them in the development of their digital television strategies."" For the last four years, Birstock has been Vice President of Sales for 4MC's Anderson Video post-production facility, located on the Universal Studios lot in Universal City, California. Previously, Birstock was Vice President of International Sales for AllPost Inc., in Burbank, where he spent significant time in Europe establishing relationships and researching growth potential in the European markets. Prior to AllPost, he was Vice President of Sales for Sunset Post in Hollywood, California. Birstock has experience in both film and video, and has concentrated his efforts in the sales of editing, film transfers and international conversions. Birstock commented, ""I am pleased to join VDI at this exciting time. VDI has a reputation for delivering quality services at an excellent value. VDI's expansion into Digital and High Definition services makes perfect sense. The DVD and High Definition markets have grown dramatically over the last two years, and VDI has many longstanding relationships with the industry's largest players."" He added, ""My goal is to build VDI's business quickly and in partnership with our clients. We have already begun developing what I believe will be the strongest team in the industry."" About VDI MultiMediaVDI MultiMedia is one of the largest providers of video and film asset management services to owners, producers and distributors of entertainment and advertising content. VDI provides the services necessary to edit, master, reformat, archive and ultimately distribute its clients' film and video content, including television programming, spot advertising, feature films and movie trailers. The company provides worldwide electronic distribution, using fiber optics, satellites and the Internet, through its Broadcast OneÆ network. The company delivers commercials, movie trailers, electronic press kits, infomercials and syndicated programming, by both physical and electronic means, to hundreds of broadcast outlets worldwide. VDI's interconnected facilities in Los Angeles, California; New York, New York; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas and San Francisco, California provide service coverage in each of the major US media centers. Clients include major motion picture studios such as Universal, Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, Paramount, MGM and Warner Bros., and advertising agencies TBWA Chiat/Day, Saatchi & Saatchi and Young & Rubicam.