Technicolor promotes Sarnoff to new leadership role

Technicolor visual effects and animation chief Tim Sarnoff is getting a big promotion.

The French entertainment and media technology company announced that Sarnoff will head the company’s new production services group, effectively overseeing all of Hollywood’s Technicolor operations, including the main office on Sunset Boulevard, as well as facilities at Paramount Pictures and in Burbank.

Sarnoff’s group combines two previously separate units -- creative services and digital productions -- and will represent all visual effects, post-production, animation, and digital cinema distribution worldwide.

“I’m excited for the expanded role and opportunity to lead an organization which is world-renowned for its creative talent, standards-setting technology and operational excellence,” Sarnoff said in a statement. “By aligning our services to offer a more holistic approach, we are creating efficiencies that will better serve the needs of our customers.”

ON LOCATION: Where the cameras roll

A former president of Sony Imageworks, Sarnoff was tapped by Technicolor in 2009 to head its visual effects, animation and games businesses.

Technicolor also announced that Claude Gagnon, who had been head of the creative services division, is taking on the role of senior vice president, content solutions and industry relations. Gagnon will lead Technicolor’s technology initiatives in support of the creative community and consumer electronic licensees in the areas of color science, high dynamic range and sound.

One of the world’s largest suppliers of film prints, Technicolor has been transitioning to the digital era of entertainment by closing its film processing labs as more movies are shot digitally and a majority of theaters convert to digital projectors.

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