Latest news with #NickHolloway
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crews expand containment on Banana Lake Fire
Jun. 5—More seasonal weather this week has aided efforts to wrangle the Banana Lake Fire in Sanders County. The blaze was 25% contained with a footprint of 883 acres Thursday morning, marking a slight reduction in size from previous estimates due to more accurate mapping from crews on the ground. The fire started May 31 in timber about 4 miles north of Plains. The cause remains under investigation. No evacuation orders had been issued, but a few homes were in the vicinity of the fire's south edge. "It's in good shape around those homes, but we're taking extra precautions to get good separation," said Nick Holloway, the public information officer for the incident. Earlier in the week, the fire approach high-tension power lines that run through the area. "It burned pretty close and that was a big concern," Holloway said. "That's a big value at risk." The thick smoke from wildfires can conduct electricity if it gets into the lines, Holloway explained, making firefighting efforts more hazardous. More than 235 firefighters were on the scene Thursday patrolling containment lines and working to secure the perimeter. According to Holloway, the fire experienced a "dirty burn" meaning there are areas of unburned vegetation on the edge. This makes mop-up challenging, as crews must carefully work through thick, uneven debris to find hot spots. Drones were also being used to detect hot spots to ensure areas don't reignite. Other apparatus on the incident included two helicopters, three dozers, 14 engines and 10 tenders. Commuters on Montana 28 were warned to expect reduced speeds due to firefighter traffic. "It's a big hazard when people are whizzing past on a winding road," Holloway said. He also cautioned that fire activity could pick up over the weekend as hot weather and winds return. Gusts up to 20 mph are possible Friday. High temperatures will hit the upper 90s by Sunday and Monday. "We're heading into a hot and dry weekend when it's already hot and dry," he warned.
Telegraph
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Studio behind Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind goes bust in the UK
The visual effects giant behind classics including The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind has collapsed in the UK amid a sharp downturn for film producers. Paris-based Technicolor Group, which was founded in 1915, has filed for administration after bosses failed to find a buyer. The majority of the company's 440 employees in the UK have been made redundant. In a letter to UK staff over the weekend, Technicolor blamed a 'variety of factors' including the post-pandemic recovery, the US writers' strike and a troubled spin-off from its parent company. It said this had led to a 'slowdown in customer orders causing severe cash flow pressures'. The collapse spells the end of an era for one of the world's oldest film companies, which pioneered the technology used in colour films. Technicolor was invented by two former Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors. The company made its first feature film in 1917 and went on to develop hundreds of hits, including Pinocchio, Meet Me in St Louis, Vertigo and Breakfast at Tiffany's. The group acquired a number of major VFX and post-production studios including Soho-based The Mill and MPC, and its more recent blockbusters include the Harry Potter films, last year's Mufasa: The Lion King and the upcoming Mission: Impossible instalment. Special effects and post-production services are a critical component of the film-making process, with most modern films and TV series relying on animation and computer-generated imagery to create scenes that cannot be filmed in real life. Technicolor has also expanded into advertising and gaming, including the Fifa football franchise and Hogwarts Legacy. But Technicolor, which saw its UK losses surge to £52m in 2023 while revenues dropped by 30pc to £87m, has suffered a downturn in its fortunes in recent years amid wider troubles in the film and TV industry. Its collapse comes after lengthy production shutdowns caused by the pandemic and major Hollywood strikes as well as rising labour costs. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020 as it sought to push through a restructuring. It has undergone a number of management changes and Technicolor was spun out of the wider French group, which has since been renamed Vantiva, in 2022. Directors have been in talks with potential buyers for a number of months, including Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds and private equity groups, but a deal has failed to materialise. Technicolor employs 10,000 people worldwide, with operations in the UK, US, France, India and Canada. The appointment of administrators at Interpath Advisory only affects Technicolor's UK operations. However, the group last week said it would shut down offices in the US and has also entered receivership in France. Nick Holloway, of Interpath, said: 'The Technicolor Group has a long and proud heritage, dating back more than a century and whose credits include working on famous films including Disney's Pinocchio in the 1940s, all the way through to more recently, Ridley Scott's Prometheus. 'Unfortunately, the economic headwinds which are affecting companies right across the creative industries have proved too challenging to overcome, which has led to Technicolor's UK business being placed into administration today. 'As we seek to affect an orderly wind-down of the business, we will endeavour to support the company's workforce who have been impacted by redundancy, as well as exploring options to realise the company's assets.'
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Iconic visual effects studio Technicolor begins shutting down operations
The Technicolor Group has begun shutting down operations in multiple countries in bleak news for visual effects artists. The Paris-based visual effects, motion graphics, and animation giant operates brands like The Mill, Moving Picture Company (MPC), and Mikros Animation, all of whose work ranges from 1940's Pinocchio, the Harry Potter films, 2024's Mufasa: The Lion King, to the Oscar-nominated Emilia Perez. In a letter that was sent to UK employees on Sunday, the group said it had been 'experiencing difficulties' due to 'post-Covid recovery, a costly and complex separation from the previous group followed by the writers' strike'. A similar letter was sent to US staff on Friday, part of a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notice, which said that group was shutting down the US offices of The Mill, MPC Advertising, and Mikros Animation, citing 'severe financial challenges'. The letter, first published by Reel 360 News, also stated that operations would close as soon as Monday (24 February). A letter to French workers was also sent over the weekend, which stated that the group had 'applied to the Paris Commercial Court to open receivership proceedings', according to Deadline. Indian media has also reported that Technicolor's Indian employees, around 2,000 in number, have been asked not to report to work until further notice. On Monday, Nick Holloway and David Pike from the advisory firm Interpath were named as joint administrators in the UK. According to reports, the directors at the UK division looked at a sale, but were unable to find a buyer, which led to the 'difficult decision to file for the appointment of administrators', Interpath said in a statement. Administration refers to a legal process where a company unable to pay its debts is placed under an administrator, who will attempt to save the business using various means, like restructuring, selling, or managing its assets. 'Immediately following their appointment, the majority of the Company's activities have ceased. As a result, and with regret, the majority of the Company's circa 440 employees in the UK have been made redundant,' the statement added. 'Unfortunately, the economic headwinds which are affecting companies right across the creative industries have proved too challenging to overcome, which has led to Technicolor's UK business being placed into administration today,' Holloway added. It is still unclear exactly how many will be impacted and in what ways, but with offices in the US, UK, India, South Korea, and Canada, the Technicolor Group employs over 10,000 worldwide. It is equally unclear what happens to projects under progress, like Disney's Snow White and Lilo and Stitch, and Paramount's Mission Impossible – The Final Reckoning under MPC, as well as Paramount and Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 under Mikros. The Independent has reached out to Technicolor for comment. Founded in 1915, Technicolor worked on its first film, The Gulf Between, in 1917. It has gone through multiple restructurings and management changes since it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020. Technicolor Post was sold to Streamland Media for $36.5m in 2021, which merged its operations with all of Streamland's businesses.
