VTR Group Announces 'Centres Of Excellence' On Rebranding As Prime Focus UK

VTR Group plc has released details of the progress it is making to re-position as a global post production market leader, following the recent purchase of VTR and high-end visual effects and CG animation boutique Clear by Prime Focus, the Mumbai-based post production group in July.
VTR plc will be re-named Prime Focus UK plc, to reflect the global nature of the new business, with the company’s 37 Dean Street and 58 Old Compton Street premises becoming “centres of excellence” for talent and technology in visual effects, CG animation, telecine and digital intermediate (DI), and broadcast editing.
“We are building a powerhouse facility, based on creatively-led centres excellence, that will enable us to develop new opportunities in the entertainment business across the world,” said Namit Malhotra, Managing Director, Prime Focus and chairman of VTR plc. “When integrated with our highly cost-competitive resources in Bollywood, we will provide the scale and ability to handle even the largest and most complex film and television projects.”
The strong historical associations that each divisional name has for their respective businesses will be retained as follows:
Clear: As previously announced, the new visual effects division, combining the visual effects and CGI facilities from Clear, VTR and The Hive will occupy and will be rebranded as Clear, with Simon Huhtala as managing director. Huhtala will continue to work as a visual effects artist and supervisor.
VTR: The telecine and DI division, incorporating the telecines from VTR, VTR Digital Cinema and Blue, will also be housed within 37 Dean Street, and will be named VTR to reflect the company’s history and pedigree in telecine, colour grading and DI, with day-to-day management being handled by Neil Lane.
The branding and “feel” for Clear and VTR is in the latter stages of planning and design, with building work on 37 Dean Street scheduled to be complete by mid-November.
TMR: Installation of TMR’s encoding, digital asset management operations and digital restoration for video and sound and a group MCR, will soon completed in the basement at 58 Old Compton Street, where Blue is located.
Blue: Blue’s newly installed set of six Avid are now fully operational at 2 Bourchier Street, with the installation of an additional seven Avid suites at its 58 Old Compton Street premises to be completed next week. Blue’s sound studios will soon be upgraded to incorporate Dolby 5-1 surround sound. Simon Briggs, previously MD of The Hive, is now Managing Director of Blue.
The names of 'K<POST' and United Sound & Vision will be retained, and these businesses will continue to operate as normal.
As part of the consolidation of premises, VTR’ s 64 Dean Street will be disposed of as soon as its move into 37 Dean Street is complete. The group is also in the process of disposing of its 76 Old Compton Street and 54 Wardour Street premises.
VTR also confirmed that Paul Tracey, Managing Director of VTR plc, has left the company to be replaced by Neil Lane who was formerly Operations Director of VTR plc.
(SP)