Technicolor Commemorates Nine Decades of Growth, Leadership and Innovation in Hollywood with 90th Anniversary Celebration.

CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Significant Milestone Heralds Key Achievements, Marks Evolution of Company from Inventor of Color Film Processing to Global Service Provider to the Media and Entertainment Industries

Reinforcing its leadership position as the preferred provider of services to the media and entertainment industries, Technicolor, part of the Services division of Thomson (Euronext Paris:18453) (NYSE:TMS) and the company that revolutionized the motion picture industry with the introduction of color film processing, announced today it is officially celebrating its 90th anniversary this week.

From its humble beginnings in its first film lab in a Boston railway car, to its current stature as a diversified global entertainment services leader, Technicolor's legacy as the trusted partner to major Hollywood studios continues to evolve as it pioneers the most advanced methods of delivering visual entertainment through film, digital, video and optical technologies. Today, Technicolor is the world's foremost processor of motion picture film, the largest manufacturer and distributor of DVDs, and a leading provider of production and postproduction services to film studios and cable and television networks.

"As Technicolor marks its 90th anniversary, the company is deeply proud of its extensive international growth, technological innovation, and contributions to the ongoing evolution of visual entertainment," said Lanny Raimondo, chief executive officer of Technicolor and senior executive vice president of Thomson. "Throughout Technicolor's nine decades of operation, the company has partnered closely with entertainment industry leaders to consistently create compelling film and television productions in new and exciting ways. This commitment to collaboration and innovation, the hallmarks of Technicolor's achievements, will not change. As a result, Technicolor, backed by its parent company, Thomson, will continue to deliver cutting-edge service and solutions to its customers on a worldwide basis, while maintaining the same standards of quality, technology, and leadership that have made the company what it is today: the preferred provider of services to the media and entertainment industries."

"Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow"

To commemorate its 90th anniversary, Technicolor introduced "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow." The newly-revised book, authored and updated by noted entertainment industry journalist and historian Fred E. Basten, charts the illustrious nine-decade history of the world-renowned entertainment services provider, Technicolor. Self-published by the company, and distributed by Easton Studio Press through CDS Books, "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow" is available online at http://www.technicolor.com, and at booksellers nationwide, for $59.95. The new edition also features a special introduction by famed Hollywood director, Martin Scorsese, who shares his earliest memories of seeing a film in Technicolor.

"My first memories of movies are in Technicolor," said Scorsese, award-winning director and author of the foreword to "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow." "'Duel In the Sun' was the first picture I ever saw, and it's never left me -- reds, blues, greens, yellows, deep blacks, lustrous golds -- everything is primary, and everything is alive. It may be garish, it's certainly unreal, and it's far from subtle, but it's alive. Alive... To me, that's Technicolor."

"'Glorious Technicolor' chronicles the history of this company, and its many contributions to motion picture film, in a fascinating way," said Raimondo, who authored the preface to the book. "Our 90-year history is a tremendous achievement, and a testament to our commitment to continually forge ahead as a leading provider of services to the media and entertainment industries."

The 90th anniversary edition of "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow" is a 280-page, coffee-table-size book offering an insightful, behind-the-scenes glimpse into nearly a century of entertainment history. The book features more than 300 photographs from studio archives and Technicolor's private collection, and it provides a detailed overview of the birth of the entertainment industry and how it grew to become the giant it is today.

Historical Overview of Technicolor

Beginning in 1915, when Technicolor founder Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus developed and introduced the two-color process for motion pictures, the company's contributions to the film and entertainment industry have been unmatched. In the 1920s, Technicolor developed the first two-color feature film, "The Toll of the Sea," an adaptation of "Madam Butterfly." The film was a critical success and garnered the attention of Hollywood heavyweights, including D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks, who would later use Technicolor in their film projects. Another milestone for Technicolor was its work on the 1932 animated feature, "Flowers and Trees," the first full-color production from The Walt Disney Company and the first Disney feature to win an Academy Award(R). As Kalmus and Technicolor continued to refine the motion picture color process, movie studios turned to the company for all of their film processing needs. Such legendary films as "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone with the Wind" would not have been as impressive to Hollywood and movie-going audiences without Technicolor's involvement. In 1939, Technicolor was honored with a Special Academy Award for its contributions in successfully bringing three-color feature production to the screen for "Gone with the Wind."

Technicolor's legendary film processing capabilities continued to expand on a global basis as the company opened facilities in London in 1936 and Rome in 1955. "Color by Technicolor" became an industry standard and a familiar phrase to moviegoers worldwide. Today, Technicolor continues to support the motion picture industry with a full array of pre-production, production, and postproduction services. The company is now the leading processor and distributor of film release prints to theatres around the world. In 2004, Technicolor processed more than five billion feet of film in support of films such as "The Incredibles," "Million Dollar Baby," "Shrek 2," "Ray," and "The Aviator."

Part of Technicolor's resilience has been its ability to help the entertainment industry transition to new technology formats. For example, in 1981, the company entered the video duplication market, and led the development of the home entertainment industry with the duplication, packaging, and distribution of VHS tapes. During the 1990s, Technicolor ushered in the next transition by entering the optical manufacturing industry with a full breadth of turnkey services for CD and DVD manufacturing, custom packaging, and distribution. Today, Technicolor has the capacity to produce over 1.5 billion DVDs and 300 million CDs annually through its major manufacturing facilities in Camarillo, Calif.; Guadalajara, Mexico; Cwmbran, Wales; Piaseczno, Poland; Schifflange, Luxembourg; and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.

The most significant event for the company in the new millennium occurred in December of 2001, when Thomson Multimedia of France completed its acquisition of Technicolor for $2.1 billion. Funded by its new parent company, Thomson helped Technicolor enter the digital era by providing the resources to acquire broader service sets in more geographies, and assume a leadership role in the development of digital technologies. Consequently, Technicolor has added digital postproduction services to its growing list of capabilities. Technicolor's digital intermediates enable filmmakers to fine-tune the looks of their work through digital color correction. Another digital technology is high-definition dailies, which allow filmmakers to view footage deployed digitally to HD screening rooms anywhere in the world. Technicolor also pioneered the digital cinema business by providing, installing, and maintaining digital cinema systems worldwide. To date, Technicolor has managed and distributed over 100 digital cinema titles representing more than 300,000 digital presentations worldwide.

In 2005, due to customer demand, Technicolor expanded once again by adding secure and fully-managed services for electronic content distribution over IP networks for telecom and online retail customers. In addition, Technicolor added state-of-the-art channel origination centers and end-to-end broadcast services that support 24x7 broadcast channels.

For a more detailed corporate history of Technicolor, please visit the Technicolor Press Room at http://www.technicolor.com/cultures/en-us/about/press/, and then click on "Press Kit Materials" to access the Technicolor corporate history document.

"Glorious Technicolor" Review Copies, Press Kit Materials, and Media Interview Requests

Print, broadcast, and online media outlets interested in receiving review copies of and printed press kit materials for "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow," as well as arranging interviews with author Fred E. Basten, may contact Technicolor Public Relations Specialist Season A. Skuro at 805-383-3245, or by e-mail at [e-mail]. Press kit materials for "Glorious Technicolor: The Movies' Magic Rainbow" are also available online at www.technicolor.com/cultures/en-us/home/glorioustechnicolor.htm. The supply of review copies is limited, so requests will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Technicolor 90th Anniversary Media Interview Requests

Print, broadcast, and online media outlets may arrange 90th anniversary-related interviews with key Technicolor spokespersons, including Technicolor Chief Executive Officer Lanny Raimondo, Cammie King Conlon (stepdaughter of Technicolor founder Dr. Herbert T. Kalmus, and childhood actress who portrayed Bonnie Blue Butler in "Gone with the Wind"), and Sheigh Crabtree of The Hollywood Reporter, by contacting Technicolor Public Relations Specialist Season A. Skuro at 805-383-3245, or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Technicolor 90th Anniversary Press Kits and B-Roll

Technicolor 90th anniversary printed press kit materials and b-roll may be obtained by contacting Technicolor Public Relations Specialist Season A. Skuro at 805-383-3245, or by e-mail at [e-mail]. Technicolor 90th anniversary press kit materials are also available online at http://www.technicolor.com/cultures/en-us/about/press/.

About Thomson -- Partner To The Media & Entertainment Industries

Thomson (Euronext Paris:18453) (NYSE:TMS) provides services, systems and technology to help its Media & Entertainment clients -- content creators, content distributors and users of its technology -- realize their business goals and optimize their performance in a rapidly-changing technology environment. The Group is the preferred partner to the Media & Entertainment industries through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, RCA, and Thomson brands. For more information: http://www.thomson.net.

About Technicolor

Headquartered in Camarillo, California, Technicolor is part of the Services division of Thomson (Euronext Paris:18453) (NYSE:TMS). Along with being the world's largest film processor, Technicolor has evolved to become the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of videocassettes, DVDs, and CDs, a leading provider of production, postproduction, and visual effects services to film studios and cable and television networks. On an annualized basis, Technicolor processes more than five billion feet of motion picture film, and has the capacity to produce over 1.5 billion DVDs, 330 million videocassettes, and 300 million CDs. The company is also a principal developer and supplier of services for comprehensive, end-to-end digital cinema distribution, channel origination and broadcast playout, and cinema advertising. Technicolor serves an international base of entertainment, software, game manufacturing, promotional, direct marketing, OEM, and corporate customers with its manufacturing and postproduction facilities worldwide. Major Hollywood clients include The Walt Disney Co., DreamWorks SKG, New Line Cinema, Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Software publishing clients include Microsoft, Vivendi Universal Games, Electronic Arts, and Atari. For more information: http://www.technicolor.com.