Pictorion das werk Invests in Düsseldorf Film Location

Archive notice: This article was originally published on January 10, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.

Pictorion das werk GmbH is strengthening the feature-film processing area at its Düsseldorf branch. As part of the location’s expansion, the existing film scanner is being replaced by a latest-generation Imagica film scanner, while a Thomson Spirit Datacine is being installed in parallel. New in the Düsseldorf portfolio is the area of data grading.

A Baselight 4 system from Filmlight will in future be used for the colour correction of feature films and high-resolution advertising films.

The results of image processing can be viewed and approved immediately on a screen via the calibrated JVC D-ILA-HD2K projector. The data is then recorded out according to the settings made. With this new development, Pictorion das werk is responding to demand, particularly from the film industry. In addition to financing technical expansions, the investment volume of around 1.5 million euros also includes the costs of construction measures through which the usable area of the branch is being expanded.

Branch Manager Michael Brink emphasises the dual orientation of the Düsseldorf works branch: “Our experience in the feature-film sector benefits our advertising clients, and our experience in the advertising sector helps us with our feature-film projects.” With the technical expansion, the final step toward a continuous HD workflow has now been completed, one which not least is increasingly being requested by clients from advertising: “We can now process projects entirely in HD from the first step through to creation of the broadcast copy, regardless of the film format in which a client recorded their film.” According to the respective project requirements, the film material can be transferred to HD in real time via the Thomson Spirit Telecine or scanned at a resolution of up to 4K on the Imagica scanner. Once the rough cut has been completed, the “Selected Takes” are processed in the Baselight system. Colour correction is then carried out directly in the edited version, which was previously not possible in this way.

Michael Brink: “This new way of working enables the customer to see their colour correction directly in the order of the approved cut.

The process thereby becomes more transparent and faster for the customer. This approach saves time and thus protects the customer’s budget”.