London post-production facility The Sanctuary, an all-HD facility founded in 2002, has purchased a Digital Vision Nucoda Film Master, running on a 17-processor workstation. Gwyn Evans is the colorist.
The Mill in London has purchased a second DV Nucoda Film Cutter effects system. The system has already been used extensively on the BBC's new HD-originated science-fiction drama, Torchwood.

Los Angeles-based International Video Conversions (IVC) Digital Film Center, a Point 360 company, has purchased a DV Nucoda Film Master system equipped with DVO image-processing software, and a Data Conform assist workstation to expand its current DIofferings. Also announced, Simon Cuff has replaced Robert Ekstrà¶m as Digital Vision's president/COO. Cuff will manage DV's worldwide team from its Soho, London office.

NYC-based Cineric, a motion picture film post-production facility, is using its two da Vinci Revival image restoration systems to renew the 1943 romantic comedy The Gang's All Here, having recently finished Stanley Kubrick's 1964 Dr. Strangelove.

Soho-based London Post has re-launched itself as Concrete, combined forces with editor Torquil Dearden, and installed the first Quantel eQ FX system in London. Concrete's eQ FX includes 300 minutes of HD workspace; TimeMagic hardware; and the QColor in-context color-grading package. Berlin-based full service production and post production company, die paten, has purchased a Quantel eQ multi-resolution editing, effects, color correction and deliverables system. The first project is HD charity documentary Ithemba Afrika ("Hope is coming to Africa").

Boutique NYC post-production facility Offhollywood Digital has purchased FilmLight's Northlight pin-registered film scanner, including its custom-designed 16mm and 35mm keycode readers. The Northlight scanner will be the centerpiece of a 4K data-centric infrastructure.

IRIDAS announced the release of SpeedGrade OnSet 2006, which introduces a more streamlined grading workflow and a function for exporting look-up tables (LUTs) for use in other display and DI systems. Also announced is a partnership with Silicon Imaging to develop a new camera workflow for color continuity from viewfinder to DI suite. In Montreal, animation and VFX house Buzz Image Group purchased FrameCycler DDS and a site license of FrameCycler Professional.

Rising Sun Research announced the availability of cineSpace 2.5 Release Candidate (RC). Improvements in color transform accuracy may result in slight differences between some images processed through v2.1 compared with v2.5, says Rising Sun, which advises scheduling the upgrade between productions to avoid problems in the current color pipeline. Also new: each component of the cineSpace suite (equalEyes, cineCube, cinePlugins) can be purchased separately. To upgrade, send an email to: cinespace-support@risingsunresearch.com.

Sohonet, a high-bandwidth private global network, opened its North American headquarters in Santa Monica. Sohonet has been active in Los Angeles for three years through its sales and service representative, Aarmadillo. Current clients include Warner Bros., HBO, FotoKem and Animal Logic. The new offices will also provide marketing, operational and technical support for its sister company Codex Digital, an HD/2K/4K high-resolution media recorder designed for digital cinematography. Aarmadillo continues to provide sales representation for both Sohonet and Codex.

iO Film has moved to a 23,000-square-foot facility in Hollywood. The new site features a 44-seat DI theater with Dolby 5.1 audio, and a smaller, 14-seat DI theater. iO Film's technology includes DV Nucoda Film Masters for color correction, Barco 2K digital projection, Kinoton and Simplex 35mm film projectors, a FilmLight Northlight 2 scanner, and ArriLaser recorders.