Technicolor Closing Valley Film Lab

Technicolor is closing its film lab in North Hollywood, a reaction to more theaters using digital equipment rather than film prints. Nearly 400 employees are employed at the facility, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed with the state Employment Development Department. The notice was received on Nov. 30. The company is in discussion with union representatives about what will happen with the employees and there is the possibility that some could be rehired. The closure of the lab will likely be phased out over the next few months as Technicolor’s lease runs until June, said company spokesperson Season Skuro. The lab is located on Lankershim Boulevard adjacent to the Universal Studios lot. It develops negatives for studio and independent films, dailies and trailers. Technicolor also has facilities in Burbank and Hollywood. “We are gong to continue to have a front end presence to provide our full service offering to our customers,” Skuro said. Mark R. Madler