Technicolor Group Announces Launch and Strategic Framework

Technicolor Group has just announced its launch as the new holding company for Technicolor Creative Studios SA’s business activities, unveiling its strategic framework designed to capture emerging business opportunities and pave the way for sustainable growth. Housed within the new Group are MPC, Mikros Animation, The Mill, and Technicolor Games.

The announcement outlined initiatives designed to strengthen the company’s future growth and bolster it financially, including:

• Technicolor Creative Studios SA’s business activities, MPC, Mikros Animation, The Mill, and Technicolor Games, have infused new money into the Group to ensure a moderate level of indebtedness.
• The initiative involved a corporate reorganization under the new holding company, Technicolor Group, without impacting business activities.
• A new growth strategy with a focus on talent, technology, and service expansion.

The announcement outlined recent disruptions and transformations impacting the media and entertainment industry, including:

• New technological developments, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality.
• Shifting consumer preferences and emerging opportunities in new geographical markets.
• The sector-wide impact of the writers and actors strike in Hollywood.
• A new paradigm for content creation and the resulting opportunities.

In this context, the Group notes that internal transformations aim to serve clients better, improve work environments for talent, and optimize its position for the future. The leadership team shared its strategy and plans for implementation.

The Group outlined the following strategy and reasoning in its announcement, with a focus on “Three Pillars: “Talent, Technology, and Service Expansion:”

A people-first business:

• At the heart of Technicolor Group lies a commitment to cultural transformation, empowering its workforce, and fostering innovation. The leadership team is committed to driving a people-centric culture, moving more in line with the Group’s values while enhancing talent engagement and ensuring attraction and retention in a post-pandemic era with renewed vigor. In 2023, the management team has created the scaffolding to overcome the obstacles of the COVID and strike periods and has put in place the growth vectors for the next phase in the media and entertainment industry.
• Bolstered by a fresh purpose and a new set of values – collaboration, transparency, trust, creativity, and passion – Technicolor Group is poised to thrive in the evolving landscape of media and entertainment.

Pioneering innovation and technological advancement:

• Technicolor Group will boost its journey towards pioneering innovative technologies in the creative industry. Managing technological shifts and offering new cutting-edge solutions were always a central hallmark of the Group’s success. Today, new technological advancements like artificial intelligence, machine learning, or virtual and augmented reality are revolutionizing the industry shaping the way entertainment is created, distributed, consumed, and experienced. As Chief Technology Officer, Bill Polson will focus on:
  
  • Prioritizing Technology Platforms -- moving the Group’s production platform to web services.
  • Empowering Artists -- giving artists the ability to work across disciplines and across a larger part of each project and giving them more powerful AI-backed tools.
  • Fostering synergy between Technology and Creative -- introduction of senior technology managers for each business unit to tighten the connection between these two vital aspects, which in turn will drive more innovation.

Expanding horizons and embracing opportunities:

• The Group will be enriching its activities to seize business opportunities.
• The Group will expand its global footprint by investing in regions with burgeoning potential in visual effects. From Europe to the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific, the Group is charting new territories, leveraging India and South Korea as gateways to untapped markets.
• The Group also intends to broaden its expertise and encompass the entire spectrum, including production and pre-production in films, episodic, and animation.
• The Group will elevate its value proposition by expanding its service offering into innovative verticals and emerging business sectors.

A strong leadership team to drive the Group on its journey ahead:

• Technicolor Group benefits from a strong leadership team to navigate the next phase of the Group’s development. Along with seasoned corporate executives, the management team is comprised of industry experts, artists, and technicians in the computer graphics-enabled imagery creation business such as:
  
  • Bill Polson, Chief Technology Officer, steering the Group’s technology strategy and innovative technologies to the forefront of the creative industry.
  • Andrea Miloro, President of Mikros Animation and Chief Business and Strategy Officer Mikros and MPC, developing and growing both Brands.
  • Mark Benson, President of The Mill, building on the creative and innovative reputation of a partner to the world’s leading agencies and brands.
  • Andy Emery, President of Technicolor Games, developing the Group’s gaming business at a time of increasing demand for higher quality graphics.
  • Jean-Paul Burge, Chief Commercial Officer, leading, developing and implementing the Group’s commercial strategies and partnerships.
  • Biren Ghose, Managing Director for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, including Technicolor India, bringing synergy to business activities in this dynamic region.

In the announcement, the Group indicated its plans to gradually move forward under its new framework and eventually transition from a holding company made up of VFX companies in film, advertising, games, and animation to a visual experiences company focused on visual storytelling in all its forms across all geographies.

Source: Technicolor Group

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.