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MillimeterThomson Expands its European Film and Post Production Operations with Acquisitions of Madrid Film Group
May 10, 2004 12:47 PM
Los Angeles/Paris--- Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), the world leader in integrated solutions (technologies, equipment and services) for the entertainment and media industries, today announced two strategic acquisitions to expand its geographic reach and service offerings for the filmmaking community worldwide. Thomson plans to acquire Madrid Film SL, also known as Madrid Film Group, the highly respected and largest film and post production operation in Spain. In addition, Thomson is acquiring International Recording, a Rome-based company specializing in creating multiple foreign language versions for theatrical and broadcast content, as well as for video games.
With 150 employees and operations in Madrid and Barcelona, Madrid Film Group offers a broad range of photochemical and digital services, including front-end negative processing for feature filmmakers, black & white and color film processing (35mm and 16mm), and feature release printing for 35mm and super 16mm. The labs in Madrid and Barcelona have significant video capabilities, which are able to handle transfer of film to video and digital formats. The Madrid location also offers Digital Intermediates processing services, which complement Technicolor's Los Angeles, New York, and Montreal-based capabilities in this emerging market. Technicolor is one of the world's largest providers of Digital Intermediates services, having been involved in such titles as Pirates of the Caribbean, Seabiscuit, Kill Bill Volume 2, Thirteen, and Scooby Doo 2.
Highly touted as one of Italy's best sound facilities, International Recording has 33 employees and specializes in creating multiple foreign language versions for theatrical and broadcast content as well as video games. IR is a well-established facility with 5 mixing stages, 6 automatic dialogue replacement (ADR) stages and full optical sound track negative and transfer services.
The acquisitions will further expand the geographic reach and service offerings available to the filmmaking community worldwide through Thomson's film and post-production activity. Film and post-production falls within Thomson's Digital Content Solutions Division, which provides a variety of end-to-end digital and analog services and media solutions to content owners and creators under the Technicolor brand. The acquisition of the 80-year-old Madrid Film Group represents the first major European expansion outside of Thomson's existing operations in London and Rome, and expands its presence in the fast-growing Spanish film and post production market. Acquiring International Recording bolsters Thomson's position in the market for foreign language versioning, which has exploded in recent years as motion picture studios, television networks and video game providers increase the number of foreign language versions of their content. Both acquisitions will be integrated into Technicolor's growing sound services capabilities and long-standing lab and post production facilities in Europe following the closing the agreements, expected during the second quarter 2004.
About Thomson
Thomson is the leading provider of technology and service solutions for integrated entertainment and media companies. By capitalizing on and expanding its leadership positions at the intersection of entertainment, media and technology, Thomson provides end-to-end solutions to content creators, video network operators and manufacturers and retailers through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, THOMSON and RCA brands. For more information: www.thomson.net.
Technicolor Entertainment Services (TES), part of Thomson's Digital Content Solutions division, is the number one processor of motion picture film worldwide and a leading provider of creative/post-production, cinema distribution and digital cinema services. With facilities worldwide, TES service lines include:
· Technicolor Release Print Services processes and prints 16/35/65/70 mm formats, dailies, answer prints, intermediates, and trailers.
· Technicolor Creative Services provides production, post-production and post post-production services ranging from film and audio restoration and preservation, in both analog and digital formats, to DVD compression and authoring, VOD encoding, to episodic television and commercial advertising completion.
· Technicolor Cinema Distribution Services provides high-quality distribution and logistics management services for motion picture release prints and advertising collateral through state-of-the-art technologies and an efficient distribution pipeline.
· Technicolor Digital Cinema is the leading provider of a comprehensive suite of digital cinema services and solutions, which include compression, encryption, distribution, storage and scheduling/playback as well as in-theatre management systems, maintenance and support.
For more information: www.technicolor.com.
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