Today marks the opening of Sim Group Hollywood’s showcase building where Sim Digital, Bling and Chainsaw debut a unique “cameras through post” offering that is the first available in the LA market. With construction completed, the West Coast headquarters, located on the historic Eastman Kodak campus in Hollywood, is fully operational.
”We’ve got everything a production needs under one roof,” says SIM Group Chief Strategy Officer James Martin. “You can prep and test cameras and lenses on the first floor, and the rest of the building can handle every aspect of post from dailies and editorial offices all the way through final color and deliverables. It’s an amazing complex.”
For Sim Digital, this new space represents a substantial expansion of its camera rental business in Los Angeles. SIM Digital offers an extensive inventory of digital camera systems and related gear, ample internal space for camera testing and preparation, and multiple loading docks for streamlined fulfillment. All prep bays have fiber connectivity to the 2nd and 3rd floor where workflow specialist Bling Digital and post production services provider Chainsaw reside. State-of-the-art resources include dailies processing, quality control, editorial finishing, color grading, visual effects, sound mixing and deliverables, as well as a pristine new theatre that includes a 4K Christie projector. The first shows to prep in the new space include “American Horror Story” and “Just Add Magic.”
The new complex has a robust networking and storage infrastructure that includes nearly 1 million feet of fiber and copper cabling and can accommodate productions of all sizes and scope including working in 4K, HDR and beyond. “We’ve built an open pipe that can handle the challenges of today and prepares us for the future. When new technology becomes available, we’ll be able to plug it right in. As the industry moves beyond 4K, we’ll be ready,” says SIM Group President of Post Production and Chainsaw Founder Bill DeRonde.
“The ability to connect a camera prep bay to a dailies system and a final color bay is completely new, and we’re excited by the possibilities. For the first time, a DP can manage the entire image chain on site,” says SIM Group Chief Business Development Officer and Bling Digital Founder Chris Parker. “And, by combining the amazing talent of our three companies, we can push the limits of technology in cameras and post.”
Sim Group Hollywood services all different kinds of projects from scripted and unscripted television, to live events, to features both big and small. Recent credits range from “Game of Thrones,” to “Warcraft,” and “The Academy Awards” to “So You Think You Can Dance.”
About The SIM Group
Backed by Toronto-based investment firm Granite Partners, the SIM Group is a leading supplier of production equipment, workflow and post-production solutions. With offices spanning North America, the SIM Group provides stellar products and services for features such as the recently released “Warcraft,” to the hugely successful “Game of Thrones,” to the Oscar-winning film “Spotlight.” From reality shows including “American Idol,” to blockbusters “Deadpool” and hit series “Mr. Robot,” SIM Group has collaborated with producers, directors, cinematographers, post-production supervisors and studios to bring their vision to life. Toronto and Vancouver provides grip and lighting from PS Production Services and can be complemented with SIM Digital cinematography and playback equipment from any of its offices in Canada, Atlanta and Los Angeles. Bling, Chainsaw, Pixel Underground, Tattersall Sound and Picture and Post Factory NY provide an array of services from dailies, to online and offline editing, to final color/DI and visual effects, to sound editorial and mixing. Bling provides a comprehensive workflow solution in the US, Canada and abroad, as well as off-site service through POD (Post on Demand). Chainsaw provides creative editorial and extensive finishing services with some of the top colorists in the industry. Pixel Underground is a Toronto-based post-production company that also provides physical and file-based media fulfillment and encoding/distribution services, while Tattersall Sound and Picture is a provider of sound editorial and mixing for motion pictures and television. Post Factory NY is considered one of the East Coast’s top independent post-production facilities. For more information, visit simgroup.com
