Imax new home one-stop shop

Santa Monica locale to include edit bays, screening rooms

By DAVE MCNARY

HOLLYWOOD -- Imax Corp. has moved all of its Los Angeles operations into new facilities at the Lantana Center in Santa Monica.

“This new building brings all of our Los Angeles-based personnel under one roof,” said Imax co-CEOs Brad Wechsler and Rich Gelfond. “It also makes it easier for filmmakers to make large-format movies by having (the most modern facilities) available to them.

About 80 employees will occupy the site at 3003 Exposition Blvd. The facility contains three screening rooms and also includes an 11,000-square-foot negative and film storage vault as well as rooms for negative cutting, film cleaning and photoguarding services. Equipment includes an optical printer, scanners and two Avid bays.

The Toronto-based company, which dominates the giant-screen business, has been looking to form partnerships with studios similar to its alliance with Walt Disney Co. for a four-month exclusive run of “Fantasia/2000.”