ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610280019
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARTIE ZAD THE WASHINGTON POST
Children often dream of joining their favorite characters in the make-believe worlds they watch on television and in films and videos. Now they can.
Thanks to Kideo Productions Inc., which has just unveiled ``Gregory and Me,'' there is a unique home cassette that allows children to star in their own story.
With the help of a photograph, a digital personalization process transports any child into the video as a fully animated member of the ``Gregory and Me'' cast.
Then the children can watch themselves taking part in the activities of Gregory's bustling world. The featured child appears in both animated and live-action sequences with the puppets, which are Muppet-like characters.
In addition, the audio-personalization process allows characters to address the child by name throughout the video soundtrack.
This new kind of video reflects the talents of award-winning animator Michael Sporn, producer and director Bob Marty and 3/Design Studios Inc., who create the puppets.
The initial episodes, ``See What I Can Do'' and ``My Amazing Animal Adventure,'' list for $34.90, which includes handling. For information, phone 1-800-450-7556. Kideo will mail callers an ordering packet with instructions requiring a photograph of the child and the child's name. The home videos are geared to children from 2 to 6 years old and have a running time of about 30 minutes.
``Gregory and Me'' puppeteers have performed on shows such as ``Sesame Street'' and ``Eureeka's Castle.'' In this series, they enable the children to see themselves doing positive things, prompting them to participate in the story line.
Affirmative themes are strongly reinforced. Gregory and his ``co-star'' also engage in fun-filled activities, singing songs, solving problems and learning lessons about self-esteem, sharing and friendship.
LENGTH: Short : 44 linesby CNB