Deluxe Acquires Centro

SYDNEY, Feb. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. announced today that it has acquired Centro Digital Pictures, a leading provider of high-quality VFX, Animation and Post Production services to Chinese and U.S. feature filmmakers based in Hong Kong.   

The Centro acquisition will be integrated into Deluxe Australia's well-established post, animation and distribution businesses, providing a trusted gateway for Deluxe's international customers looking to partner with Hong Kong and Chinese filmmakers.  By bringing Centro into the Deluxe group of businesses, it will also provide access for regional content producers looking to finish and deliver high quality content into North American and European markets.

Centro's feature credits include the pioneering "Storm Riders" which it also produced; Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer"; Quentin Tarrantino's "Kill Bill";  "Mr Popper's Penguins" for 20th Century Fox;Zhang Yimou's "The Curse of the Golden Flower" and Disney's "The Muppets."

"We are very excited about the new opportunities for Centro as we join Deluxe's global organization," said John Chu, General Manager of Centro. "We have a common commitment to delivering the highest possible quality of customer experience."

"As one of the pioneers of digital post production, animation and visual effects in Hong Kong, Centro has brought together a tremendously talented team over the past twenty years to support the Chinese and Hong Kong filmmakers working in the region, said Alaric McAusland, Managing Director of Deluxe Australia. Under John Chu's leadership, Centro has grown to be a leading provider not just for local but international filmmakers as well," added McAusland.

Chu will continue to run the business reporting to McAusland. Centro's talent pool of VFX and animation artists is joining Deluxe as part of the transaction. 

About Deluxe

Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., is the leading provider of a broad range of entertainment industry services and technologies to the worldwide entertainment industry including the Hollywood studios, broadcast/cable/satellite providers, digital distribution, gaming as well as content owners and creators. Services for content creation in features, television and commercials are offered in production, post production, digital distribution, marketing services and asset management.  They include EFILM® and Company 3® digital intermediates; post production and subtitling services; titles design and digital VFX; DVD compression, encoding and authoring; advertising distribution and syndication services; digital cinema services, motion picture film processing and printing; and 2D to 3D conversioning. Post production facilities are located in North America, Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong. Deluxe Digital Studios offers home entertainment services in North America, Europe and India. For more information, please visit www.bydeluxe.com.

About Deluxe Australia

Deluxe Australia is comprised of state-of-the-art film and digital facilities in Sydney and Melbourne offering a complete range of post production services for film and digital post with EFILM® Australia, visual effects and design through Method Studios, and sound mixing at StageOne Sound.

About Centro Digital Pictures

Centro Digital Pictures is recognized as one of Asia's premier animation, visual effects and post-production companies for the film and advertising industries. Located at Hong Kong's Cyberport, Centro's business covers special effects and digital intermediate for feature films, animation and post-production for television commercials, 3-D stereoscopy and the design and creation of large format films for themed-attraction projects.  Centro's 100-member workforce is made up of producers, editors, visual effects supervisors, editors, animators, compositors and programmers whose work have been recognized over and again at Asian and international film and advertising festivals including a BAFTA nomination for best visual effects for film.

SOURCE Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.