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KYOCERA All Access Gives Budding Rock Documentarians a Chance to Create a Rockin' Behind the Scenes Look at Virgin Mobile Freefest
San Diego, CA., July 21, 2009 - Ever wanted to get a taste of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle and be up close and personal with your favorite bands? Kyocera ALL Access, launching today, gives fans ages 16-22 the chance of a lifetime to go behind the scenes at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest music festival to capture the raw emotion of the event and the frenzy surrounding the rock stars. For the fourth consecutive year, Kyocera is the premier sponsor of the event, which will take place August 30 at Maryland's Merriweather Post Pavilion and feature 17 bands, including Weezer, Blink 182, Franz Ferdinand, Public Enemy and more. Kyocera ALL Access winners will collaborate to create their own original rock documentary chronicling the event, which will be seen nationwide.
Teens and twentysomethings ready for all-access at Virgin Mobile FreeFest, one of the hottest concert events of the summer, can submit applications online through August 10 at www.allaccessdocs.com for their shot to capture history on film. No experience is necessary to become a member of the first-ever FreeFest ALL Access crew, just the ability to express why they should be part of this unique experience and their passion for music. In all, 14 youth documentarians will be selected and embedded into FreeFest to create Kyocera ALL Access.
"Kyocera has been a partner of the Virgin Mobile Festival since its inception four years ago and we're especially excited about this year's FreeFest and the opportunity to give back to fans," said Tom Maguire, head of global marketing at Kyocera Communications Inc. "ALL Access is the chance of a lifetime for up- and-coming filmmakers to pull back the curtains of the rock festival and tell candid, compelling stories about today's hottest artists."
The winning "rockumentarians" will be split into four mini-crews, each joined by a professional producer and director. They'll capture every pulse-pounding moment - from center stage to back stage, from the tour bus to the mosh pit. They'll go behind the scenes, interview their favorite bands, meet the fans in the audience, visit the Kyocera Lucky Layoff Lounge, and capture the music "ALL Access" - before and after the lights and reverb fade. Pre-Fest interviews and shots from the morning acts will be edited and shown exclusively on-site for FreeFesters.
"As a band we owe so much of our success to our fans who have been behind us since day one," Said Matt Rubano with Taking Back Sunday, "We're so excited to be a part of Kyocera ALL Access Doc because it gives us a chance to let our fans get a glimpse of our life on the road and it will hopefully give some deserving people a chance to achieve their artistic dreams."
The crews also will be equipped with the Kyocera X-tc M2000 cell phone from Virgin Mobile USA, allowing them to post up-to-the-second, behind-the-scenes photos online - giving fans worldwide an instant flavor of the festival.
"FreeFest is our way of giving back to our customers and to music fans in these tough times," said Ron Faris, Senior Director of Brand Marketing and Innovation, Virgin Mobile USA. "In that spirit of giving, Kyocera's ALL Access is an incredible opportunity for aspiring young filmmakers. And for fans who can't make it to the event, just watching the ALL Access documentary will make them feel like they were in the middle of it all."
Kyocera ALL Access was created in conjunction with Dreaming Tree Films, which specializes in creating hands-on, interactive programs for youth interested in filmmaking. Using the "great equalizer" of music to inspire conversation, Kyocera ALL Access will offer an insider's tour of the unique energy, excitement and drama behind the scenes of Virgin Mobile FreeFest. The Kyocera ALL Access experience gives young movie-makers the chance to express their passion for music and film in a national forum while learning tricks of the trade from experienced pros.
After the bright lights fade and the music and crowds hit the road, the documentarians will fine-tune their footage for its premiere. The final documentary will be cut into about a dozen short webisodes to air online soon after FreeFest with additional distribution to be announced at a later date.
About Virgin Mobile USA, Inc.
Virgin Mobile USA, Inc. [NYSE:VM], through its operating company Virgin Mobile USA, L.P., offers its millions of customers control, flexibility and choice through Virgin Mobile's Plans Without Annual Contracts, with coverage powered by the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile USA also offers unlimited all-in contract plans with advanced devices like the Ocean 2.
More than 90% of its customers report satisfaction. Virgin Mobile USA service recently announced its Pink Slip Protection program*, which provides eligible monthly plan customers who lose their jobs and become eligible for state unemployment benefits free service for up to three months . Its full slate of smart, stylish and affordable handsets are available at approximately 40,000 top retailers nationwide and online at www.virginmobileusa.com/, with Top-Up cards available at almost 150,000 locations.
About Kyocera
Kyocera Communications Inc. (KCI) is the sales, marketing, customer engineering and service headquarters for Kyocera- and Sanyo-branded wireless products and Accessories in the Americas. The company's devices are driving the convergence of telecommunications, broadband and multimedia. KCI was formed in April 2009 through the combination of Kyocera Wireless Corp. and Kyocera Sanyo Telecommunications Inc., two wholly owned subsidiaries of Kyocera International Inc. The former was created when Kyocera purchased QUALCOMM Incorporated's consumer wireless phone business in 2000, while the latter was formed when Kyocera purchased the wireless phone business of Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. in 2008. Based in San Diego, KCI leverages Japan's history of creating advanced consumer technologies around humanism and respect for the environment and blending them with a Western entrepreneurialism and style, resulting in a unique design language and a natural, user-friendly interface. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE:KYO) (TOKYO:6971) (http://global.kyocera.com/), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of fine ceramics (also known as "advanced ceramics"). By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, office-document imaging equipment, solar power generating systems, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cutting tools and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2009, the company's net sales totaled 1.13 trillion yen (approximately US$11.5 billion). Kyocera marks its 50th anniversary in 2009, and the 40th anniversary of its U.S. operations. It is ranked #418 on Forbes magazine's 2009 "Global 2000" listing of the world's largest publicly traded companies.
About Dreaming Tree Films
Dreaming Tree Films specializes in creating national youth creative programs that provide teens with hands-on experiences and allows them to interact with and explore the creative process of filmmaking. Dreaming Tree Films' mission is to nurture creativity, encourage teens to believe in themselves and provide the career insight that will help them grow both as artists and individuals. Our programs break through the Hollywood glam and allow teens to explore different creative mediums such as writing, design, photography, acting, directing, producing, cinematography and film editing. Dreaming Tree Films proudly produces Kyocera ALL Access along with Fresh Films, the nation's top filmmaking competition for teens, NG Docs, a youth documentary film program, and Body by Milk's got noise?, a music video competition where teens produce music videos for R&B superstar Usher. For more information on Dreaming Tree Films please visit www.dreamingtreefilms.com
© 2009 Kyocera. All rights reserved. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation.
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