EXHIBIT 99.18

Burbank, October 3, 2001
                                                          5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Company Press Release

                    Settlement Among Creditors of Matthews

     Matthews Studio Equipment Group (the "Company"), which filed for bankruptcy
in April, 2000, announced today that on September 19, 2001, the United States
Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, San Fernando Valley Division,
approved a Settlement and Compromise Agreement among the Company and its
subsidiaries (collectively, the "Matthews Group"), the Official Committee of
Creditors Holding Unsecured Claims (the "Unsecured Committee") and The Chase
Manhattan Bank, as agent for PNC Bank, N.A., Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., CIBC, Inc.,
Michigan National Bank and The Chase Manhattan Bank (collectively, the "Bank
Group").

     As of September 19, 2001, the Matthews Group had disposed of most of its
assets and does not conduct any business.  The assets that remain consist
principally of a receivable of approximately $1.5 million owed by Vitec DC
Holding Corp. to Duke City Video, Inc. (a Matthews Group company) pursuant to an
Asset Purchase Agreement, and potential preference actions with respect to
approximately $6.9 million of pre-bankruptcy payments made by Duke City Video,
Inc.  The Bank Group has asserted against the Matthews Group claims totaling not
less than $60 million and a lien on all assets of the Matthews Group, including
the $18.9 million in cash that remains available for distribution to creditors
of the Matthews Group.  Prior to September 19, 2001, the Bank Group had received
in excess of $14 million from the Matthews Group.

     The Settlement Agreement provides that the Bank Group will receive all cash
available for distribution to the Matthews Group's creditors, except for:
$550,000 to be remitted to allowed unsecured creditors of the Matthews Group;
$600,000 to satisfy allowed priority claims; $250,000 to satisfy allowed
operating expenses and the Matthews Group's professional fees incurred from and
after August 1, 2001; $375,000 to satisfy allowed administrative expenses
incurred or accrued before August 1, 2001; and $75,000 to fund the Unsecured
Committee's professional fees in prosecuting general unsecured non-priority
claim objections and the Unsecured Creditors' Committee's costs and fees in
administering distributions to holders of general unsecured claims.  The
Settlement Agreement also provides that the Bank Group's lien against the assets
of the Matthews Group will not be disputed.

     The bankruptcy cases of two Matthews Group companies, Duke City Holdings,
Inc. and Duke City Video, Inc. (collectively, "Duke City"), will remain open to
permit Duke City to pursue amounts owed by Vitec DC Holding Corp. and


potential preference actions. Except for the Duke City preference actions, the
Matthews Group will not pursue any other preference actions. Amounts collected
by Duke City from Vitec DC Holding Corp. and from preference actions will be
distributed to the Bank Group and to allowed unsecured creditors of the Matthews
Group.

     Shareholders of the Company will not receive any cash or other assets of
the Matthews Group.

     Once distributions are made and general, unsecured claim objections are
completed, it is anticipated that all bankruptcy cases filed by the Matthews
Group, other than the Duke City bankruptcy cases, will be dismissed and there
will be no further activities on the part of any Matthews Group company (other
than Duke City).

     This press release includes certain forward-looking statements in reliance
on the "safe harbor" provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995.  Any such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks
and uncertainties.  Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated
in any such forward-looking statements.

     Matthews Studio Equipment Group had been in the business of supplying
traditional lighting, grip, transportation, generators, camera equipment,
professional video and audio equipment, automated lighting and complete
theatrical equipment and supplies to entertainment producers through its
worldwide distribution network.

_____________________



Matthews Studio Equipment Group, Burbank
818/525-5200
Ellen Gordon