Prasad Film Labs and Barco Unveil World’s Largest HDR Color Grading Facility

Transforming Your Movie Experience

Picture this: You’re watching a remastered version of Steven Spielberg’s ‘ET’ or ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ in an HDR-ready theater. The bright lights from the alien spaceships are so vivid, they make you squint. Or think of the sunrise scene from Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Gravity’—it’s like you’re right there, experiencing it firsthand.

The Power of Collaboration

Prasad Film Labs, based in Chennai, has joined forces with Barco, a tech giant from Belgium. Together, they’ve launched the world’s largest ‘HDR by Barco’ color grading facility at Prasad’s Chennai studio. This is a first for both India and Asia.

What’s in It for You?

Abhishek Prasad Akkeneni, CTO of Prasad Corporation, gives us some insights. Prasad Film Labs was a pioneer in India, adopting Digital Intermediate (DI) technology, also known as color grading. One of their early projects was the Bollywood hit ‘Khakee’.

Color grading is the final touch in post-production. It needs highly skilled professionals who understand color science and film grammar. Prasad’s grading suite uses Barco’s HDR Lightsteering technology. This includes a special HDR Lightbox and LS4K-P HDR Lightsteering projector.

Cutting-Edge Technology

The suite boasts a massive 51-foot screen. It has the country’s longest throw-distance in a DI suite. This setup lets colorists work in a theatrical setting. It’s a huge leap from using regular large-format HD screens.

Post-Production in India

India makes nearly 1,500 films every year. Post-production is a big deal here. The work that goes into major films starring top actors is huge.

Akkeneni shared, “Some of the biggest films of the year take over 300 hours for color grading. Across our three post-production suites in Chennai, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, we work on 30 to 40 features a month.”

Looking Ahead

Color grading is just the start. Barco made another big announcement in May. They signed a multi-year deal with Chennai-based Qube Cinema. The plan is to bring HDR by Barco to premium multiplexes across India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Moviegoers in these countries can expect at least 10 new HDR-ready theaters each year. All locations in the deal will be ready by 2030.

Key Takeaways:

• Prasad Film Labs and Barco have launched the world’s largest HDR color grading facility in Chennai.
• The facility uses Barco’s advanced HDR Lightsteering technology.
• India produces nearly 1,500 films annually, making post-production a major industry.
• Barco plans to introduce HDR technology in premium multiplexes across India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh by 2030.