Montreal: Post-production company Global Vision of Montreal and Deluxe Laboratories of Toronto have announced a strategic alliance to build, equip and operate a state-of-the-art film laboratory. The lab will be located in the high-tech Angus Technopole complex in north central Montreal and will start operations by May 1.

Deluxe will provide management, engineering and operations expertise to the new ‘front-end’ laboratory, but is not a shareholder. Other engineering and equipment suppliers to the project include Photomec and Kodak.

Film processing is an important new direction for Global Vision and will provide increased competition and service in this market serviced by only one commercial motion picture processing facility.

The lab’s Photomec machines will process 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm and Super 35mm film formats.

A privately held company founded in 1989, Global Vision offers a wide range of film and video post-production services including editing, film-to-tape transfer (Spirit, Quadra Vision) and ntsc/pal conversion. The company has offices in Montreal and New York.

Deluxe Toronto is one of the country’s leading film and tv post-production companies offering services such as motion picture laboratory processing, audio editing and mixing, mostly in long from, picture editing and telecine transfer. At least two new Quebec movie projects are currently being processed by Deluxe in Toronto, including the third installment of the Melenny Productions box-office hit franchise Les Boys iii.

With independent film and tv production at record levels, an estimated $800 million this year, one service industry veteran told Playback Montreal immediately needs another major film lab. He says Global Vision/Deluxe’s entry into the market will benefit producers who originate programs on film as well as stimulate competition with Covitec, which operates the city’s only commercial motion picture laboratory.

Covitec was acquired outright in mid-October by California-based Technicolor for approximately $60 million. Management at Technicolor has said it is studying the feasibility of constructing a new motion picture laboratory in the near future, but didn’t confirm a location preference. *

-www.wired-vision.com

-www.bydeluxe.com