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Colorful Career: Gray Ainsworth

May 22, 2008  •  Post A Comment

The player: Gray Ainsworth, senior VP of operations for Deluxe Digital Media
The play: Mr. Ainsworth runs the North American digital-asset arm of film print-maker and post-production house Deluxe Entertainment Services Group, which was founded in 1915 by Fox Film Corp. founder William Fox. In addition to serving as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s technical services department, Deluxe Digital Media does telecines, or the transferring of standard-definition film to high-definition videotape, for “every major studio” in addition to TV networks such as MTV and HBO, Mr. Ainsworth says.
The pitch: Ainsworth leads a staff of 30 people that does about 70 HD transfers a year, with the cost for each job ranging from $35,000 to $80,000. That annual business has doubled in the past few years as a higher percentage of U.S. viewers watches shows on HDTVs. “The demand for native HD content is coming from growth of high-def television and Blu-ray,” says Mr. Ainsworth, who has converted shows ranging from “Stargate Atlantis” to “Green Acres” for MGM. “People are starting to revisit shows that were produced in standard definition.”
The challenges: Soundstage-produced shows of the 1970s and ’80s such as “All in the Family,” entertainment news shows like “Entertainment Tonight” and game shows can’t be converted to true HD because they were originally shot on standard-definition videotape to save money. “Standard-to-high-definition upconversion isn’t really a big growth area,” says Mr. Ainsworth. “There’s no film to go back to.”
Backstory: Mr. Ainsworth, after graduating UCLA, started out as an actor in “low-budget horror movies” and was part of comedy troupe the Groundlings before going into production by taking a job with Cannon Pictures, which made Chuck Norris and Charles Bronson films. Cannon was acquired by MGM, where Ainsworth worked for 15 years and ultimately served as senior VP of worldwide technical services. Three years ago, Ainsworth, 45, joined Deluxe. Raised in Point Reyes Station, Calif., northwest of San Francisco, he’s based in Los Angeles.

24 Comments

  1. Gray, I’m trying to get in touch with an old friend, Judy Gail Ainsworth. If you remember John and Celia Garrett, with children Shannon and Kiersten I would love some information about Judy.
    Would you please respond to the e-mail to let me know that you received it, even if you are not the Gray Ainsworth I remember. My curiousity will be satisfied.
    Thanks, Celia

  2. Gray, I’m trying to get in touch with an old friend, Judy Gail Ainsworth. If you remember John and Celia Garrett, with children Shannon and Kiersten I would love some information about Judy.
    Would you please respond to the e-mail to let me know that you received it, even if you are not the Gray Ainsworth I remember. My curiousity will be satisfied.
    Thanks, Celia

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