Strong Industry Support Accelerates Technicolor 3D Rollout

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS), through its Technicolor Business Group, today announced support from multiple major motion picture studios for the release of theatrical content presented in Technicolor 3D, a high-quality 3D solution that works with existing 35mm projectors that was announced last month. DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, Paramount, Overture, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and The Weinstein Company are working with the company to deliver content for presentation in Technicolor 3D.

With the continuing success of 3D movies at the box office, 17 3D titles have already been announced for 2010 release, with more expected from several distributors. The studios noted above account for the majority of these titles, including How to Train Your Dragon, Piranha 3D, Shrek Forever After, Despicable Me, Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, Friday the 13^th: Part 2; Guardians of Ga’Hoole, Alpha and Omega, Burst, Oobermind, and Yogi Bear.

Additionally, Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc. has agreed to enter into a marketing and technology arrangement with Technicolor and will provide their customers with the necessary post production and film printing services to deliver Technicolor’s 3D solution. Kodak and FUJIFILM have also announced support of the Technicolor 3D solution and will be working with Technicolor and Deluxe to ensure their film stocks are delivering the highest quality possible for the Technicolor 3D experience.

“The Technicolor 3D rollout substantially increases the 3D theatrical footprint, delivering to studios a larger platform for reaching masses of moviegoers – and thereby increasing the box office for distributors and exhibitors,” said Frederic Rose, Chairman and CEO of Thomson/Technicolor. “Technicolor is thrilled to extend our partnerships with these top studios and other key industry players to address the 3D gap and ensure every exhibitor that wants quality 3D will be able to afford it.”

Numbers show 3D is a driver of ticket sales with 3D engagements outperforming 2D by more than 2-to-1 in attendance and even greater in box office. Prior to Technicolor’s 3D solution, 90 percent of theatre screens in the U.S. were not able to provide a 3D experience to moviegoers. The Technicolor 3D solution will provide a solution to immediately bridge the gap until digital cinema can be more widely rolled out, providing additional screens to advance the medium of 3D to mainstream levels.

About Technicolor 3D

Announced earlier this year, Technicolor has innovated a high-quality, affordable 3D solution that works with existing 35mm projectors. Technicolor puts high quality 3D within economic reach of all theatre circuits, allowing them to complement 2D engagements and benefit from incremental revenue generated from increased ticket sales and ticket sale surcharges. The Technicolor 3D Solution is an opportunity to deploy 3D immediately, without waiting for financing to be available for digital conversion and can not only bridge the gap until such financing can be put in place, but actually help generate the funds required by distribution and exhibition to pay for the conversion.

According to exit polling interviews conducted by independent research firm OTX, moviegoers ranked Technicolor 3D as being comparable to digital 3D cinema technologies.

How the Technicolor 3D Solution Works

The Technicolor 3D Solution employs a propriety “production to projection” system that leverages 35mm (or film) projectors already in use by 90 percent of U.S. and international theatres today to deliver high-quality 3D content to moviegoers. A patent-pending lens system assembles the left and right eye images as the film runs through the projector and delivers a 3D ready image onto a silver screen. The solution works with circular polarized glasses—identical to the ones used for existing digital 3D cinema—to “translate” the film’s content into an image that is perceived by the viewer as being three dimensional. The silver screen can be used for the projection of both Technicolor 3D as well as digital 3D content. The Technicolor 3D Solution can be installed nearly immediately. No build-out or significant modifications of the projection booth are required.

About Thomson

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) is a worldwide leader of services to content creators. http://www.thomson.net.