In a significant development for the UK film production industry, Deluxe Laboratories is to cease 35mm/16mm original colour negative processing at its two London area facilities. As of Sunday evening (24 July), this colour negative processing work in the UK will be subcontracted to Technicolor’s Pinewood facility.
Until now, Deluxe undertook 35mm/16mm original colour negative processing at two facilities in the London area – one situated in Soho and the other in Denham, adjacent to Deluxe’s 35mm bulk printing facility.
While 35m/16mm processing in the UK will now be carried out by Technicolor at Pinewood, Deluxe customers will still be able to utilise its locations in Soho and Denham to drop off and pick up film. Digital media services including telecine, 8mm original colour negative and 35mm/16mm original black/white negative processing will remain in operation at the Soho facility. The company will also continue to provide 35mm bulk release printing at its Denham and other European facilities, and will continue original colour negative processing services at its other European facilities in Spain and Italy.
The changes are said to reflect an overwhelming trend in favour of many new feature projects being shot on digital formats. “We have seen a dramatic shift from film to digital capture on UK productions,” confirmed Ken Biggins, managing director, Deluxe Europe. “This agreement will help us to maintain a high level of customer service as the industry moves to new formats.”
The UK announcement follows hot on the heels of the news of a strategic agreement that will see Technicolor subcontract its North American 35mm bulk printing business to Deluxe, while Deluxe subcontracts its 35mm print distribution business in the US to Technicolor.
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