American Cinematographer - September 2013 - 102

Cooke Expands in U.K.
Cooke Optics has announced that it
will extend its factory and workforce in
Leicester, England, to accommodate the
growing demand for its hand-crafted lenses.
A growing order book for Cooke’s
new range of Anamorphic/i lenses, as well as
continuing demand for the miniS4/i, 5/i and
S4/i ranges, have necessitated the factory
expansion. Cooke will add 300 square
meters, which will house more assembly and
projection facilities as well as an R&D laboratory. A 10-percent increase in the workforce
is also anticipated.
“As the digital-camera revolution
continues, people want the best PL lenses to
tell their stories,” says ASC associate Les
Zellan, chairman and owner of Cooke
Optics. “We’re gratified by the demand for
our lenses, particularly the recent interest
that our Anamorphic/i lenses have garnered,
and have taken these measures to increase
production while maintaining our high standards. Our lenses are all individually handmade in Leicester by a very skillful workforce,
and our customers appreciate the time and
effort that goes into making every lens as
perfect as it can be.”
For additional information, visit
www.cookeoptics.com.
Congo Films Opens
Panama Rental House
Congo Films has opened a rental
house in Panama. Congo Films Panama
offers customers in Central America and the
Caribbean a one-stop rental location for
cameras and accessories, grip equipment,
lighting and electrical gear, and transportation. The camera inventory includes the Arri
Alexa XT Plus and M, the Red Epic and the
Sony F55. In-stock lenses include Cooke 5/i,
S4/i and MiniS4; Arri/Zeiss Master Primes and
Ultra Primes; and Angenieux Optimo zooms.
The facility’s grip offerings include
cranes, jibs, doorway dollies, J.L. Fisher
102

September 2013

dollies, the SuperTechno ST-30, stabilized
heads, aerial mounts and more. On the
lighting front, Congo Films Panama offers
a wide variety of fixtures from Luminys
Systems, Arri, Kino Flo, Dedolight, MoleRichardson, K5600 and more.
Congo Films will host an Open
House at the Panama facility on Oct. 10.
To RSVP, write to panama@congofilms.tv.
For additional information, visit
www.congofilms.tv.
Sim Digital Acquires
PS Production Services
Sim Digital, a supplier of digital
production equipment and post services,
has acquired PS Production Services Ltd.,
one of Canada’s largest rental houses for
lighting, grip, generators, digital cameras
and dolly equipment.
Founded by the late Doug Dales in
1972, PS Production Services serves U.S.
and Canadian motion-picture and television productions through offices in
Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax, and has
more than 130 employees. Since Dales’
death in 2010, the company has built on
his legacy and continued to grow.
“Doug was someone I very much
admired and respected,” says Rob Sim,
president and CEO of Sim Digital. “Both of
our companies came from humble beginnings and through hard work and constant
dedication, we were able to successfully
grow them into what they are today. Our
cultures are very similar, so when this
opportunity presented itself, I couldn’t
think of two companies that better
complemented one another. That thought
was echoed by our management team,
who worked diligently to see Sim and PS
come together.”
Through this acquisition, SIM Digital
gains additional resources, a strong
regional sales network, and experienced
staff. Integration with SIM’s Canadian
facilities will begin immediately.
The acquisition of PS Production
Services follows Sim’s recent acquisition of
Bling Digital, a U.S. and Canadian specialist in postproduction technologies and
workflows, and Master Key Finishing, a Los
Angeles postproduction facility.
For additional information, visit
www.simdigital.com.
American Cinematographer

Cinelabs Finalizes Bucks
Media Acquisition
Cinelabs International, a European
provider of film laboratory services, has
completed its acquisition of Bucks Media
Services in London. The acquisition will build
on the existing operations of Cinelab Romania and Cinelab Greece, which were
acquired from Kodak in 2012.
“The addition of this operation is an
essential stage in our European strategy,”
says Rodrigo Ruiz-Tarazona, CEO of
Cinelabs International. “We can now
provide a Europe-wide, high-quality, reliable
film service. The London business is staffed
by an excellent team of people who care
about their clients, and we are looking
forward to establishing the Cinelab name as
a center of excellence for everyone passionate about film.”
The operation currently provides
color and black-and-white negative and
print processing, but immediate priorities
include increasing capacity and developing
both film- and digital-dailies services and
on-location services. The operation will
continue to support film, commercial and
television clients as well as content owners
who wish to preserve and restore their film
and media archives.
For additional information, visit
www.bucks.co.uk.
Prime Focus Plants Roots
In Beijing
Prime Focus Ltd. has opened a new
office in Beijing, China. The move will bring
the Prime Focus group of companies’ full
array of services — including visual effects,
3-D conversion, animation via its Prime
Focus World subsidiary, technology and
media management solutions via its Prime
Focus Technologies subsidiary, and overall
production and postproduction services
offered within the larger Prime Focus group
— to China.
“We are enthusiastic about the
shared opportunities our expansion into
China brings,” says Namit Malhotra,
founder of Prime Focus. “We have always
recognized the advantages that globalization coupled with intense localization
brings, and have evolved our business strategy accordingly…. I look forward to offering our full suite of creative and technology

http://www.congofilms.tv http://www.bucks.co.uk http://www.cookeoptics.com http://www.simdigital.com

American Cinematographer - September 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of American Cinematographer - September 2013