Pixel Underground, a SIM Group company, has completed a major facility expansion that includes the addition of a cinema-style 4K grading theatre. The new construction, which also includes a 4K online finishing suite, places the company at the leading edge in color grading and finishing services for motion pictures and television.
The new 4K theatre features a DaVinci Resolve color grading system; a Sony 4K, DCI-compliant digital projector; a 14-foot projection screen and a Flanders 55-inch evaluation-grade monitor in a cinema environment that can accommodate groups as large as 15.
“Many feature and television productions today shoot in 4K or higher,” said president Marc Bachli. “Pixel Underground is one of few facilities in Toronto where directors, cinematographers and producers can review their work in 4K during postproduction sessions. In our theatre, they can see their work at full resolution and get a true indication of focus, sharpness, grain structure and other attributes. That is a big benefit. We’re bringing 4K to the mainstream feature and television market.”
The 4K theatre will facilitate further collaboration between Pixel Underground and other SIM Group companies, including sound specialist Tattersall Sound & Picture and workflow specialist Bling Digital. “This move represents a significant step towards our goal of creating a comprehensive, world-class, postproduction offering,” said SIM Group CTO Chris Parker.
The 4K theatre includes 5.1 surround sound, with acoustical design and engineering support provided by Ed Segeren, technical director of Tattersall Sound & Picture. The theater is designed to function as a stand-alone facility with its own kitchen and other client services features.
The adjacent finishing suite features an Avid Symphony Nitris with Nuke and AfterEffects compositing also available. The suite shares a common network with the grading theatre to facilitate collaboration and the seamless sharing of projects and elements.
Construction of the new facilities spanned four months. Pixel Underground conducted extensive tests of the projection system to assess its ability to accurately display media from cameras made by Arri, Sony, Canon and other manufacturers.
Pixel Underground has recently completed projects for NBC, A&E, Scripps Network, Discovery (Canada and U.S.), National Geographic, BBC, Shaw and Chorus.
