Technicolor To Exit Color Grading Business

[Jon Pais]

“Two months after post giant Company 3 was sold to VFX house Framestore, holding company Streamland Media — the parent of leading audio post facility Formosa Group as well as such companies as Picture Shop and Picture Head — revealed its intent Jan. 14 to acquire Technicolor’s post business for $36.5 million. Expected to close in the first half of the year, the deal is backed by investment firms Trive Capital and Five Crowns Capital.”

“The deal means that Technicolor — a century-old brand synonymous with motion picture color and widely recognized for its contributions to classics like 1939’s The Wizard of Oz — effectively exits the color grading business.”

The Hollywood Reporter

 

[Marc Wielage]

That story was from 2021.

The latest news is that Technicolor is shutting down MPC and The Mill in North America, which will affect the jobs of hundreds of VFX and post-production artists & technicians:

Technicolor to shut down The Mill U.S. on Monday

Technicolor to shut down The Mill U.S. on Monday

POST: Technicolor will reportedly shut down post house The Mill U.S. operations as of Monday February 24, 2025. Details here.

reel360.com

This just happened on Friday, February 21, 2025.

 

[Sandy34]

Sad to see Technicolor stepping away from color grading—another sign of how the industry is shifting. With so many studios outsourcing post-production to cut costs, it’s not surprising. Speaking of outsourcing, I recently came across call center services companies, an interesting approach for businesses looking to streamline operations. It’s a reminder that even in creative industries, efficiency often wins out. Still, I hope smaller boutique grading houses can step up and keep high-end color work alive.