TORONTO — Sim Group’s (www.simgroup.com) Pixel Underground has completed a major facility expansion that includes the addition of a cinema-style 4K grading theatre and the construction of a 4K online finishing suite. Collectively, the expansion positions the studio for high-end color grading and finishing for motion picture and television projects.
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. The room can accommodate groups as large as 15.
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.
“Many feature and television productions today shoot in 4K or higher,” explains 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.”
“This move represents a significant step towards our goal of creating a comprehensive, world-class, post production offering,” adds 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. The theater is designed to function as a standalone facility, with its own kitchen and other client services features.
The adjacent finishing suite features an Avid Symphony Nitris with The Foundry’s Nuke and Adobe After Effects or compositing. 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 and Canon, among others.
The studio recently completed projects for NBC, A&E, Scripps Network, Discovery, National Geographic, BBC, Shaw and Chorus.