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After
steel and IT, Indian companies are also emerging as major players in
the field of post-production and visual effects in Britain, catering to
Indian filmmakers shooting in Britain and to Western movie firms.
Britain's
engagement with the Indian film industry is on several fronts: regional
authorities offering tax incentives and local facilities, sylvan
locations for shooting, and providing a developed pool of local
manpower.
Indian films too have woven diaspora themes in
storylines, which enhance their marketability among the large Indian
population outside the country.
Keen to leverage the
India-Britain engagement in films, television, broadcasting and
advertisements, major Indian companies are catering to Western clients
in London and exploiting the cost advantages of having large facilities
and operations in India.
One such Indian post-production and
visual effects major is Prime Focus, an award winning company that has
enhanced the viewing experience of blockbusters such as 'Dhoom' and
'Guru'. It acquired controlling stakes in two British post-production
companies, VTR and Clear Productions, in 2006.
Amit Gupta,
director (Corporate Development) of Prime Focus, told IANS: "Technology
in India is far better than in most countries. We are already working
with several Indian filmmakers such as Yash Raj Films and Mukta Arts
and are now better placed to cater to their needs in Britain."
After
acquiring VTR and Clear Productions, Gupta said Prime Focus had emerged
as a major player in the 500 million pound post-production and visual
effects market in Britain. The company was handling the requirements of
two major Western films scheduled for release shortly.
After
acquiring the two companies, Gupta said their managements were merged
and key positions were held mainly by Indian professionals. The
companies are on course to return profits due to a leaner management
structure and exploiting the benefits of transferring clients' work to
facilities in India.
The company employs over 500
'techno-creative artistes' in Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad and 230
more in London. Its clients include major television broadcasters in
Britain as well as major advertising companies and filmmakers,
including British Asian professionals such as Gurinder Chaddha, Gupta
said.
With state-of-the-art equipment and expertise, Gupta
added, Prime Focus offered a comprehensive spectrum of services ranging
from visual effects, digital film lab (digital intermediate,
high-resolution film scanning and film recording), telecine, editing,
motion control and high definition production.
Its full service
capabilities empower filmmakers, ad filmmakers and television producers
with the latest tools and techniques to refine their work in the
post-production and production environment.
Indo-Asian News Service
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