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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 post-production 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, post-production offering,” said SIM Group CTO Chris Parker. “Shows can now benefit from Tattersall, the city’s best sound post facility, Bling’s best-in-class dailies workflow and Pixel Underground’s 4K picture finishing.”  

The 4K theatre includes 5.1 surround sound, with acoustical design and engineering support provided by Ed Segeren, Technical Director of Tattersall Sound & Picture, a SIM Group company. The theater is designed to function as a stand-alone facility with its own kitchen and other client services features. “It’s a cozy environment,” observed Vice President Marcus Valentin. “We want our clients to be comfortable, whether their project takes a day or several weeks.”

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. “We are committed to staying ahead of the curve,” said Bachli. “Everything is top notch.”

Pixel Underground has recently completed projects for NBC, A&E, Scripps Network, Discovery (Canada and U.S.), National Geographic, BBC, Shaw and Chorus.

About SIM Group
Backed by Toronto-based investment firm Granite Partners, the SIM Group is a leading supplier of production equipment, workflow and post-production solutions, with offices across the US, Canada and China. Our diverse services can be utilized on any production at any stage. In Canada, our offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax service grip and lighting from PS Production Services and can be complemented with SIM Digital cinematography and playback equipment for any production’s needs. Bling, Chainsaw, Pixel Underground, Tattersall Sound and Picture and Post Factory NY provide an array of services from dailies, to online and offline editing, to final color/DI and visual effects, to sound editorial and mixing. Bling’s services, which include a comprehensive workflow solution, are offered at all offices across the US and Canada, as well as off-site service through POD (Post on Demand). Chainsaw’s full-service facility in Hollywood provides creative editorial and extensive finishing services with some of the top colorists in the industry. Rounding out the family of companies are Pixel Underground, a Toronto-based post-production company, and its associated service, StationEX, which provides physical and file-based media fulfillment and encoding/distribution services, Tattersall Sound and Picture, a provider of sound editorial and mixing for motion pictures and television and Post Factory NY, one of the East Coast’s top independent post-production facilities. For more information, visit simgroup.com