Prime Focus to open state-of-the-art New York facility

Prime Focus, the global visual entertainment services company, has announced plans to create a cutting edge new visual effects and post production facility in the West Village, New York City. The opening of the 13,300 sq ft studio at 345 Hudson Street, slated for early summer 2011, marks a major expansion of Prime Focus’ presence on the East Coast, and signals a renewed focus on the New York advertising, broadcast, content services and feature film markets. The Hudson Street facility is being designed as an integrated solution for New York’s production community. In addition to the centerpiece of the new facility - a stereo 3D enabled digital intermediate (DI) theater – the new studio will offer a 5.1 mixing theater, a full complement of offline and online editing suites, 2D vfx suites and 3D vfx seats. The Hudson Street facility will also give clients access to View-D™, Prime Focus’ market-leading proprietary 3D conversion process which has been used on a number of major Hollywood titles, including The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader, as well as the stereo conversion of advertising and broadcast projects. The increased capacity will also allow Prime Focus to double its workforce in New York.

Connected by Prime Focus’ Global Digital Pipeline™, the New York office will work closely with its sister offices in London on advertising and broadcast projects, capitalizing on the opportunity to offer clients on both sides of the Atlantic extended reach and services, and with the Prime Focus Los Angeles and Vancouver offices on VFX and View-D™ projects.

“This expansion of our services, infrastructure and capacity is a natural step for Prime Focus in New York,” said joint managing director Mary Martin. “We pride ourselves on the personal service, comfort and convenience we offer our clients here in New York, and this new facility will allow us to continue to offer this with the addition of a brand new infrastructure and an expanded range of services.”

Martin and joint managing director Anthony Matt will be overseeing the move from Prime Focus’ current offices at 435 Hudson Street, and the recruitment of new talent to support the renewed emphasis on services to the advertising community.

“We have already signed renowned colorist Eric Alvarado, who recently graded Spike Lee’s If God Is Willing Da Creek Don’t Rise for us,” said Matt. “Mary and I are in the process of recruiting other top-level talent to join our existing team, which includes colorist Alex Berman, audio mixer Kevin Wilson and editor Eugene Lenhert.”

Projects recently completed by Prime Focus in New York include Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce for Sony Music Entertainment/ABC, Kinyarwanda for Visigoth Pictures, Vidal Sassoon – The Movie directed by Craig Tepper and Cannonball Run HBO remastering for Blu-Ray release.

“We’ve been planning an expansion of our services in New York for a while, and the timing is now right,” said Simon Briggs, managing director UK, who will have ultimate responsibility for the new NY office. “We have the right building, a fantastic team, and the drive and ambition to make this office a very significant part of our global network.”