A group of small businesses have been seeing and hearing for themselves about a development in video technology.

PhotoMotion is the brain child of Dave Foster, managing director of Derwentside's Northpoint Multimedia. It uses still photography, video clips, words and music to produce animated CDs, DVDs or videos, in place of more conventional marketing information.

Andrea McGuigan, Derwentside District Council's marketing advice officer, said: "Smaller companies could never justify the high cost associated with a fully fledged video production as part of their marketing, but with PhotoMotion they don't have that worry.

"This is a very cost-effective visual promotion tool which could have the same impact without exhausting their budgets. It's really exciting and there was great interest during Dave's presentation."

Mr Foster said: "As a small business myself, I know the cost of glossy brochures and leaflets, but this application can do so much more and it can include direct links from CD- ROM for example, to company websites to handle inquiries, check catalogues, availability , anything.

"We live and work in an age of new technology and this can really give companies the edge on their competitors."