Digital move sees historic film lab close


The move to digital will soon see Sir Peter Jackson close an historic 35mm film processing laboratory at Park Road Post Production.

Park Road’s film processing lab dates back to 1941, when it was first established in Wellington as part of the government-owned National Film Unit.

Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh bought the unit in 1999.

Staff have been told that the likely date of closure will be the end of June.

“We have always been incredibly proud of the quality of the Lab. Our rallying cry in recent years as been ‘the last Lab standing’ and this has been true over the past year or so,” said head of marketing Vicki Jackways.

“But unfortunately the shift in digital acquisition and exhibition has meant that this part of our business has now become commercially unsustainable.”

All other parts of the Park Rd business were “very much in operation,” she said.

Recent productions which have used the state-of-the-art facilities at Park Road Post Production include The Hobbit,

The Adventures of Tin Tin, Cirque du Soleil, Emperor, The Orator, Two Little Boys, and Mr Pip.

Jackways said the lab wished to thank all the clients that had used the lab over the years.

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