MetaCreations Delivers New Tool for Web Advertising

MetaCreations Corp. delivered Headline Studio, a new app for the creation of animated, broadcast-quality Web advertising banners.

The company said Headline Studio contains all the necessary tools in an easily accessible format to quickly create animated GIF banner ads that can be viewed on any browser at multiple bandwidths.

Using the product, the company plans to launch its own ad campaign entitled “Can Your Banner Do This?” The product is available via download here.

Headline Studio is one of the first of a series of MetaCreations products for Web developers, e-commerce site designers and hosting sites.

“Headline Studio is a must-have Web-design tool, as it provides designers with TV-like effects and animation to help differentiate their ads while capturing customer attention,” said John Dearborn, senior vice president of marketing at MetaCreations.

The product allows for video effects such as walk-ins, dissolves and fades to images and text; instant animation previews, GIF file size and bandwidth previews, customizable Web-safe color palettes and unlimited undo. The product is priced at $169. A packaged version for retail distribution will be available in approximately two weeks for an expected average selling price of $199.

MetaCreations is focused on developing and marketing 2D and 3D visualization software for graphic artists and the Web. Products include MetaStream and MetaFlash Technologies.