American Cinematographer - December 2008 - 88

The lab’s prep area (above) offers a clear view of the processing machines (below). Michael Jackman, the facility’s vice president and general manager, notes, “We think of this as our little hospital, and the negative is our patient.” that meets or exceeds federal environmental guidelines. “We’re building on the backbone of over 90 years of photochemical processing and looking into the future,” he continues. “Deluxe has not stopped developing technology for photochemical film processing. Movies are still predominantly shooting on film and commercials are, too. Television is moving more quickly to digital capture, but I don’t think film is going to totally disappear. Even on the release-printing side, it’s not going as fast as everyone thought!” Release printing is not a major part of Deluxe New York’s business. Though the facility’s Bell + Howell printer can “bang out 10, 15 or 20 prints, we’re not doing 100 or 1,000 release prints here,” says Jackman. “Deluxe Toronto is probably one of the largest release-printing facilities in the world; they can pump out 10 million feet of print a day. We’re doing one print at a time.” The film-processing lab was the first service Deluxe New York got up and running, in May, followed by telecine in June and DIs in July. As of September, the facility had four features going through the lab and telecine, plus a television project, some commercials and some trailers. “We’re at capacity in terms of telecine, and our DI suite is booked up through the first couple of months of 2009,” says Jackman. “The lab can certainly handle more work.” Media-management services is the next item on Jackman’s agenda, with future expansion of other services to be determined based on observable needs. “I think another DI space will be required pretty soon,” he says. “We wanted to prove the business, and DI rooms are expensive.” So far, there are no plans for Deluxe’s effects division, CIS Hollywood, to set up shop in New York, or for a move into the scale of sound-mixing stages provided by Deluxe Toronto. But Jackman does see an evolution in how the various Deluxe facilities can be integrated through “fiber-connectivity.” He explains, “Say I have a DI in New York. I’ve got a guy who can conform reel one in London; I’ve got another guy in Sydney who’s dust-busting on reels two and three; and a guy in Vancouver is pre-timing reels five and six. We’re not there, but that’s where we’re heading.” For the immediate future, the projected staff for Deluxe New York is 50 employees, and among the key hires are manager of operations Terra Bliss, a former senior producer with EFilm Hollywood; Russ Robertson, another Deluxe West Coaster imported to take on the job of vice president, sales; and chief engineer Emery Anderson, who designed the facility’s technology platform. Lab manager Tony Landano is a 20-year veteran from Magno-Lab, and Nolan Murdock, vice president of frontend services, helped develop the Panavision Genesis during his years at Panavision. What Jackman brings to the company is “a background as an end user of these services. I don’t have to put myself in the client’s shoes because it’s where I come from. When I first took the job, an acquaintance said, ‘Welcome to the other side of the purchase order!’ But I don’t see there being another side; we’re as perfectly aligned with the filmmakers as any member of the crew. We’re part of the process, and we can improve the finished product. We’re part of the film community, not just servicing the film community.” I 88 December 2008

American Cinematographer - December 2008

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