American Cinematographer - December 2013 - 96

Post Focus

I

Chainsaw Launches Feature-Film Division
By Iain Blair

Branching out from its roots in television, Hollywood post
house Chainsaw recently opened a division that focuses on feature
films. The new facility, located at 940 N. Orange Dr., features a 4K DI
theater, a FilmLight Baselight grading system, a Christie CP4220 4K
digital projector and a 20' screen. The theater is directly linked via 3G
video over fiber and fiberoptic networking to the main Chainsaw
facility, giving filmmakers access to editorial, compositing, visual
effects and other related services.
According to Steve Purcell, Chainsaw's general manager, the
company has also beefed up its talent roster, which at press time
included post producer Annalise Kurinsky, who serves as director of
the feature-film division, colorist John Persichetti and finishing editor
Jon Pehlke. Kurinsky and Pehlke were formerly at Santa Monica post
house New Hat, where their recent credits included the feature The
Call, and Persichetti was formerly a senior colorist at Sony Pictures
Colorworks, where his recent credits included the feature This Is the
End.
Chainsaw's new facility "is a really client-friendly room," notes
Persichetti, "and what's great is that it's an all-4K room. Real-time 4K
grading is where the industry is going now." A fan of the Baselight,
he notes, "I've used the Resolve and the Lustre, which are both good
systems, but my preference is for the Baselight. I've never felt limited
by it; it's a very powerful system."
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December 2013

4K projection in the DI suite is equally important, he adds.
"Cinematographers want to see their images at full resolution, and
we have that capability whether they shot on film, Alexa, Red or
Sony," says Persichetti.
Founded 17 years ago by Emmy-winning editors Bill
DeRonde and Mike Polito, Chainsaw has built a reputation for
finishing network specials and variety shows, including the Academy
Awards telecast. "We continue to service TV productions, including
episodic series, with two Baselight color bays," notes Purcell. "So
many TV directors and cinematographers are crossing over into the
feature world, and this expansion enables us to grow with those
clients."
For Kurinsky, the move to Chainsaw was "perfect timing. Jon
[Pehlke] and I plan to continue the great relationships we established
with filmmakers at New Hat, and bring them over here. Our 4K
capability is already getting a lot of attention."
Persichetti notes that the prevalence of digital capture means
"it's more and more important for the colorist to get involved early
in the process. In the old days, the timer would typically only get
involved at the end, but now cinematographers are testing lots of
digital cameras and workflows to get the looks they want, and they
need to see the results on the big screen."
At press time, Chainsaw's feature projects included the indie
The Librarian, directed by Juan Feldman and shot by Salvador Vallo.
For more information, visit www.chainsawedit.com.
●

American Cinematographer

Photo courtesy of Chainsaw.

Chainsaw's
feature-film
facility in
Hollywood
boasts a 4K DI
theater
outfitted with
a FilmLight
Baselight
grading
system.
http://www.chainsawedit.com
American Cinematographer - December 2013

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