Two Tomatoes' Berkner Mixes Live Footage With Animation

BERKNERVISION: Independent singer/songwriter Laurie Berkner has been generating a lot of excitement in the kids' area this year. Now, she's about to make a leap into video.

Filmed at one of Berkner's standing-room-only New York concerts in 2000, Laurie Berkner's Video Songbook is a 38-minute video that utilizes animation along with live concert footage. It contains 11 songs, including three unreleased tunes. Berkner's CD catalog comprises Choc-o-lot in My Pock-o-lot, This Hat, and Song in My Tummy.

The $12.98 video will be released on Berkner's New York-based Two Tomatoes label, which is distributed by Rounder Kids. The street date is Sept. 4.

Berkner began her recording career when the parents of her preschool students insisted that she record some of her original songs for posterity. Now, she says, "they've requested a video." Berkner was more than happy to take on the challenge: "After three CDs, I thought it was time to try something new."

Not content simply to tape a concert, Berkner came up with the idea of the songbook device and decided to incorporate animation and sound effects.

"Laurie truly excels in her live performances," says Rounder Kids marketing coordinator Patti Casey. "We're hoping this video will continue to help spread the word."

Rounder Kids will promote the video release in the first online edition of its monthly newsletter, starting in September. "We'll run an editorial on Laurie in the newsletter," Casey says. "And we'll work with retailers as far as co-op ads."

Berkner's been on tour since May and recently appeared at Chicago's prestigious Old Town School of Folk Music. She's scheduled to make her network debut July 24 on the Today show.

COUNT TO THREE: Pokémon 3: The Movie hits stores Aug. 21 via Warner Home Video, with a suggested retail price of $22.96 on VHS and $24.98 on DVD; both versions have a minimum advertised price of $14.95.

Promotional partners for the title are trading-card company Wizards of the Coast, Sundown Vitamins, and Nintendo.

Wizards of the Coast will offer an exclusive Pokémon trading card, available inside specially marked videocassettes and DVDs. In addition, there's also a free giveaway for the Pokémon lenticular Unown decode device.

Sundown Vitamins will kick in a $3 coupon good toward purchase of the video. The coupon will be packaged in more than 300,000 bottles of its Pokémon Children's Vitamins.

Another $3 rebate will be inserted in nearly 2 million copies of Nintendo's Pokémon Crystal Gameboy game. In addition, Nintendo is running a sweepstakes called Unlock the Mystery of Pokémon Crystal, which will offer the video as a prize.

Warner sister company Kids' WB! will offer the video as a prize during the August sweeps, with a full week of dedicated exposure.

Warner Home Video's advertising campaign is designed to reach kids ages 6-11 and their parents through TV ads on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, Kids' WB!, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Fox Family Channel, TBS, and TNT; print ads in People, Disney Adventures, Nickelodeon, and DC Comics; and online promotions through AOL Kids, America Online, and CartoonNetwork.com, as well as ads on such broadcasters as Radio Disney.

DOGGIN' IT: Two new Clifford the Big Red Dog videos from Scholastic will bound into stores July 24 under Artisan Home Entertainment's Family Home Entertainment imprint.

The new titles, Clifford's Schoolhouse and Clifford Tries His Best, are each priced at $12.98.

A $2 coupon toward purchase of the video will be offered inside the Clifford the Big Red Dog CD-ROM, as well as through Scholastic's Clifford & Company Continuity Club. Plus, from July 24 to Dec. 31, Radisson Hotels will offer a rebate coupon entitling consumers who stay one night to a second night free. The rebate will be packed inside each of the Clifford videos.

THREADING THE NEEDLE: Things That Go Puff in the Dark is the latest in the "Threads" video series from Everland Entertainment.

According to Deonne Beron, promotions and Internet marketing manager for Nashville-based Everland, the company has mailed a videoclip highlight reel it dubs "a V-lite" to 20,000 consumers as part of the advertising campaign for Puff. The V-lite includes a $2 coupon toward the purchase of the video, which is currently distributed to the Christian market. Approximately 200,000 instant-win cards are being given away at retail, awarding video discounts, plush toys, videos, books, and more.

The first installment in the "Threads" line, A Pond Full of Pigs, charted for 28 weeks in the top 20 of the Christian children's video chart published by ChristianScan, a division of SoundScan.

ON YOUR TOES: Kultur Video has released what might be the first instructional ballet video not aimed at females.

Ballet for Boys is taught by instructor Richard Gladstone, formerly of the U.K.'s Royal Ballet School, and is priced at $19.95 on VHS.

While targeting ballet specifically to boys may seem like too much of a niche market, a Kultur spokeswoman says the art is gaining popularity among males: "There are approximately 450 ballet schools specifically for boys, where they're trained separately from girls. Kultur is doing a direct mailing to these schools."

In addition, the popularity of the Universal Pictures film Billy Elliott may also stir up young male interest in the dance. The spokeswoman says, "We're hoping that Billy Elliott fans might be influenced enough to want to pick up this video."



Assistance in preparing this column was provided by Emily Meyer in Chicago.