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Big Stage Partners With VIDiGREET

Los Angeles-based Big Stage Entertainment, a USC spinoff developing avatar technology, announced a new effort to provide its technology to third parties. Big Stage said it has created BackStage, which will offer its 3D face modeling technology to clients and partners. The firm said that it has signed on fellow Los Angeles startup VIDiGREET as its first client. VIDiGREET--a provider of funny, short greeting card videos--will use Big Stage's technology to allow users to send personalized video greetings. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed. The new deal means that users on VIDiGREET will be able to insert themselves into the firm's funny video postcards. Big Stage is venture backed by Mission Ventures, Selby Ventures, and the Tech Coast Angels; the firm's technology was developed at the University of Southern California. VIDiGREET is an online video greeting service started by Jeff Gorman, who created Michael Jordan's first Nike TV commercial, several award-winning SUperbowl commercials, and was formerly at Chiat/Day.