Watchmaker Films, a next-generation motion picture restoration and distribution company based in London’s Soho, has placed an order for an Image Systems’ Golden Eye film scanner. This is the first scanner installation since the acquisition of Image Systems by Digital Vision was finalised last month, writes David Fox.
“I selected the Golden Eye for three main reasons. Firstly the image quality is excellent and the sensor is competitive with the majority of scanners available including the high-end Northlight and Arri. If you did an A and B test with Golden Eye and a high-end scanner it would be difficult to see the difference. Next is the portability, which is a key component of our business model. Finally Golden Eye is archive-friendly so it can handle nitrate and very badly damaged film,” explained Watchmaker Films’ CEO, Mark Rance.
The Golden Eye II film scanner, which will be upgraded to the new Golden Eye III later this summer, will be installed this month and will form the heart of Watchmaker Films’ restoration facility.
This sale “marks a new and exciting era for the company,” said Martin Bennett, Head of Image Systems Media Business Unit. “With a legacy of proven reliability and quality the release of the next generation Golden Eye III scanner heralds a new era of affordable, high resolution film scanning.”
As a combination of Digital Vision and Image Systems, the Media Business Unit now offers: Nucoda and Phoenix image grading and restoration platforms, the Precision touch-screen grading panel, the Golden Eye III and Golden Eye Archiver.
