Deluxe Announces Strategic Agreement With Technicolor During Transition From Film to Digital

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. announced today that it has entered into a groundbreaking, new agreement with Technicolor, Inc. that will ensure continued high quality customer service during the motion picture industry's transition from 35mm film to digital. With digital cinema projectors becoming ubiquitous in North America and film volumes declining, Technicolor will subcontract its 35mm bulk release printing business to Deluxe in North America.  In addition, Deluxe will subcontract its 35mm print distribution business in the U.S. to Technicolor.  In London, as a result of digital image capture overtaking film capture, Deluxe will subcontract its 35mm/16mm original color negative processing business to Technicolor.  Deluxe will provide 35mm bulk release printing at its Denham and other European facilities.

Beginning this week, Technicolor will place its 35mm release print orders with Deluxe's film laboratories in Hollywood and Toronto on behalf of its customers.  With this new arrangement, Deluxe will provide printing services in North America for all the major Hollywood studios.  

Technicolor will begin servicing Deluxe's U.S. 35mm release print distribution needs in September 2011 and  Deluxe's U.K. 35mm/16mm original color negative processing needs at Technicolor's Pinewood facility starting next week.  

"Today's agreement with Technicolor is the result of significant changes in our industry enabled by new digital technologies causing the rapid transition from film to digital," said Cyril Drabinsky, President and CEO of Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.  "This agreement will help maintain a high consistency of service for our customers through the remaining life of film," adds Drabinsky.

Deluxe has been processing film since 1915 and until the last few years was known primarily as a film laboratory.  Today the bulk of its business is in digital services and technologies.  Today's announcement is a further step in Deluxe's transformation into a leading post-production and digital services vendor to the entire entertainment industry.

About Deluxe

Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., is a 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, multi-platform development, marketing services and asset management.  They include motion picture film processing and printing; EFILM® and Company 3® digital intermediates; post production and subtitling services; titles design and digital VFX; DVD compression, encoding and authoring; digital cinema services, and 2D to 3D conversioning. Laboratory and post production facilities are located in North America, Europe, and Australia. Deluxe Digital Studios offer home entertainment services in North America, Europe and India. For more information, please visit www.bydeluxe.com.

SOURCE Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.