Digital Praxis To Help Build New Chennai, India, DI Operation

Specialist digital film consultancy, Digital Praxis, has been hired by Chennai (Madras)-based film lab 'Gemini', a division of Gemini Industries & Imaging Pvt Ltd (Anand Cine Service, Gemini Film circuit Group) to provide technological and creative assistance in building a new DI operation from the ground up, that will be capable of multiple simultaneous mainstream DI film projects for the Southern Indian film industry.
Based in Chennai, India, Gemini aims to build on its existing film lab and camera equipment rental business with the new DI operation.
Planning for the DI operation has been underway for some time, with the first meeting between Gemini technology director Mr P. Satish and Digital Praxis being late 2007.
Equipment decisions have been made over the past few months, with every part of a digital film workflow defined, from scanning to DI workstations and monitoring, visual effects systems to storage, dedicated restoration systems to network infrastructure to film recording.
Tarun Kumar, MD of Gemini, explained: "Having met with Steve during the early stages of planning it was obvious this was someone who could prove of immense value to our start-up DI operation."
The contract Digital Praxis has undertaken is for an initial year to both oversee the build and start-up of Gemini DI, as well as help build the business during its infancy. This includes technical and creative support, an area in which Digital Praxis specialises.
"To be offered the opportunity of being involved in the planning and development of a new DI operation like this is quite amazing. No existing DI infrastructure exists for Gemini, with new premises having to be re-developed to suit."
Gemini aims to be a centre of excellence for new feature film work both within India, as well as internationally, working in any resolution from SD & HD to 2K & 4K and is locating the operation in newly expanded premises within their film lab in Chennai.
Equipment ordered to fulfil the DI needs of Gemini includes multiple Quantel Pablo 4K DI systems, interconnected by Quantel's GenePool with a number of PC-based assist stations running various effects software; Arri film scanner and film recorder; multiple Cine-tal TFT grade one monitors; OmniTek waveform and vector scope technical monitoring systems; ProjectionDesign Cineo32 digital projection.
The first DI project for Gemini is slated for March 2009 requiring a fast build-up and operational training, all of which will be overseen and managed by Steve Shaw of Digital Praxis.
Digital Praxis's involvement with Gemini DI follows on from the success of FutureWorks, Mumbai, a DI facility Digital Praxis has been involved with since January 2007, and included overseeing the DI and acting as lead colourist for recent Bollywood fantasy feature 'Drona'.
Further information is available at: www.digitalpraxis.net.
(KMcA/BMcC)