Shortly after closing the deal for the purchase of the majority of Vancouver’s Pacific Video, Toronto-based Command Post & Transfer has made the first equipment, staffing and name announcements for its two new Vancouver divisions.

The Pacific Video division, formerly known as Post Haste, is now called TOYBOX West (after Command Post’s Toronto-based toybox post and effects shop), while the Alpha Cine component of Pacific Video will now be known as Alpha Cine Motion Picture Laboratory.

Both companies also have new gear and talent lineups.

Coinciding with the launch of TOYBOX West is the addition of new effects and compositing systems – a Quantel Henry and Discreet Logic Flame – to the shop’s existing editorial and transfer capabilities.

The transfer configuration has also been bolstered with the addition of two new Rank Cintel Turbo 3 telecines, one with DaVinci Renaissance 8:8:8 color correction and one with Copernicus.

Joining the talent pool at TOYBOX West is visual effects designer Dave Robinson, previously with the Toronto TOYBOX operation. Robinson has 14 years of post experience as an online editor and Henry artist.

Also joining the company is Flame artist Vic Harnett, formerly of Vancouver’s Northwest Imaging & FX. Harnett has been a post practitioner for 11 years, working in visual effects, online editing and systems/software design. His credits include work on The X-Files and The Addams Family series as well as feature film and broadcast design projects.

Visual effects producer Joanne Bisley also joins the shop from Northwest, where she was executive producer for long-form and commercial projects.

Command Post president Michael Flanigan says the shop will reflect the orientation of the market toward long-form work, but will also be positioned to service what he says is a newly emerging commercial sector in Vancouver.

‘As we came in,’ says Flanigan, ‘we realized there seemed to be a rebirth in the commercial area and a demand for additional equipment and skills that, although available in the Vancouver market, were not readily available to the commercial market because they were largely occupied by long-form clients. We saw a niche we could fill nicely.’

The Alpha Cine lab is adding two new Triese Negative Processing machines and a FilmLine Positive Processor, almost doubling the previous capacity, with the lab now handling up to 250 feet of film per minute.

The facility is also installing a dedicated 16mm film processor, expected to be up and running by the end of the year, and recently developed and installed a proprietary water filtration system.

In efforts to provide environmentally sound services, the lab uses a Silver Recovery System and an Ion Exchange System to optimize silver recovery and limit wash water emissions. The company calls the facility the most environmentally sound lab in North America.

Jon Robertson will continue to head up the two Vancouver facilities as head of management.

Command Post owns 97% of Pacific Video, a publicly traded company.