What SMV does

SMV (legal entity Santa Monica Video, Inc.) is an independently owned post-production services company headquartered at 4100 W Alameda Ave, Burbank, California. Founded in 1982, the company delivers a comprehensive suite of media finishing services to entertainment and corporate clients, including online conform, DaVinci Resolve-based color correction, Dolby Atmos certified audio mixing and sound design, closed captioning and subtitling, master quality control, deliverables mastering, DCI-compliant 2K/4K Digital Cinema Package creation, encoding and transcoding, and legacy tape/film archival and recovery. The company also operates creative space rentals, allowing external teams to rent private edit bays, color rooms, and audio mix rooms within its facility. SMV's customer base spans major studios (Disney, Paramount, Lionsgate, 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures, DreamWorks, Sony), broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Nickelodeon), streamers (Netflix, YouTube), independent filmmakers, corporations, and individual consumers.

The business operates as a project-based professional services model with a published rate card and quote-based pricing. Credit terms are Net 30 from invoice date, with a 1.5% monthly interest charge on overdue accounts and tiered cancellation penalties (50% within 48 hours, 100% within 24 hours). Most projects are completed within 24 hours, with many same-day deliveries, supported by 14 boutique edit booths, dedicated control rooms, Dolby Atmos certified soundstages, and a 12-seat DI theatre. The technology stack is built on industry-standard professional tools — DaVinci Resolve for color, Avid ProTools HDX for audio, Barco/Christie 4K/2K projection, JBL/Genelec monitoring, Stewart screens — rather than proprietary platforms; SMV's differentiation is concentrated in talent, workflow reliability, and integrated facility breadth rather than IP.

SMV has been operating continuously for over 40 years under private, independent ownership. It has no parent company, no disclosed subsidiaries, no recorded M&A activity, no funding rounds, and no public listing. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by industry reputation, direct relationships, referrals from major studio clients, and organic presence (website, LinkedIn, Google Business Profile, Yelp). All services are delivered through the single Burbank facility; no second location, reseller network, or distributor channel is identified in the source material.

Name

SMV

Legal name

Santa Monica Video, Inc.

Website

https://smvcm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SMV is an independently owned, Burbank-based post-production services company serving major studios, streamers, broadcasters, independent filmmakers, corporations, and individuals with color correction, Dolby Atmos audio mixing, conform, closed captioning, DCP, and creative space rentals since 1982.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Post-Production Services

NAICS

Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (512199)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Ingest, Indexing & Proxy/Mezzanine Generation (MPAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Post production services
• Color correction
• Audio mixing
• Closed captioning
• Digital cinema packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Post-Production Services: SMV generates revenue through providing various post-production services including online conform, color correction, audio mixing, closed captioning, QC services, deliverables, DCP creation, encoding/transcoding, tape archiving, and creative space rentals. Services are priced per project or hourly based on rate cards. Most projects are completed within 24 hours.
2. Creative Space Rentals: Rental of post-production facilities including edit bays, color correction rooms, audio mix rooms, and soundstages. Clients can rent their own systems or use SMV's equipment. Flexible rental terms available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMV (Santa Monica Video, Inc.) is an independently owned post-production house founded in 1982 in Burbank, California, delivering finishing services for film, television, streaming, and broadcast clients. Its portfolio spans online conform, color correction, audio mixing and sound design (including Dolby Atmos), closed captioning and subtitling, master QC, deliverables mastering, DCP creation, encoding and transcoding, tape archiving and recovery, and creative space rentals. Services are executed in-house at the Burbank facility with most projects completed within 24 hours.

Product overview

SMV is an independently owned post-production company offering a comprehensive suite of media services since 1982. The core portfolio consists of technical post-production services including Online Conform Services, Color Correction Services, Audio Mixing and Sound Design (with Dolby Atmos capability), Closed Captioning Services (including subtitling and video description), Master QC Services, Deliverables and Mastering, DCP Services for digital cinema, Encoding and Transcoding Services, and Tape Archiving/Recovery and Tape Transfer Services. SMV also offers Creative Space Rentals for clients who need access to private edit bays and audio mix rooms, as well as Ancillary Post Production Services for DVD duplication and film transfer. Most projects are completed within 24 hours with same-day turnaround available. The company operates from Burbank, California and serves independent filmmakers, major studios, broadcast networks, and streaming platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Conform Services EDL-based conforming that takes low-resolution offline edits and reconnects the edited footage to full-resolution versions using reference files, restoring projects to client-specified master resolution.
• Color Correction Services Cinematic color correction and grading using DaVinci Resolve software in Dolby/4K/UHD environments with calibrated monitors, optimizing exposure, contrast, tone, saturation, white balance, and color consistency for theatrical, streaming, and broadcast deliverables.
• Audio Mixing, Sound Design, and Audio Post Production Services Full-service audio post production including sound design, re-recording mix, ADR, voice over, loop group recording, Foley, and Dolby Atmos immersive sound mixing on certified soundstages with Avid ProTools HDX, JBL, and Genelec systems.
• Closed Captioning Services Professional FCC-compliant closed captioning, subtitling, video description, dialogue lists, as-broadcast scripts, and combined spotting lists (CCSL/CDSL) for streaming services, television, and film festivals.
• Master QC Services Quality control evaluation and diagnostics for technical and continuity issues using automated and manual processes with a 3-point grading scale, covering HD, 4K, HDR, and Digital Cinema master formats.
• Deliverables Comprehensive mastering and delivery services for digital and physical formats including DVD/Blu-ray, MPEG2, H.265, H.264, DCP, and legacy tape formats, following DCI guidelines for cinema and broadcast.
• DCP Services Digital Cinema Package creation and mastering following DCI guidelines for 2K and 4K content, including encryption for theatrical screening at arthouse theatres and multiplexes worldwide.
• Creative Space Rentals Rental of private edit bays, color edit rooms, and audio mix rooms with state-of-the-art equipment designed by Emmy award-winning editors, available with flexible terms for content production teams.
• Encoding and Transcoding Services High-speed encoding and transcoding across formats including ProRes, IMF, H.264, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, AVI, MOV, and WMV for digital media management and distribution.
• Tape Archiving, Recovery, and Tape Transfer Services Recovery, transfer, and digitization of obsolete videotape formats (2-inch Quad NTSC, 1-inch Tape, 3/4-inch U-matic, Betacam, VHS, Hi8, DV, HDV) and film formats (8mm, S8mm, 16mm) into modern digital files including ProRes, DVC Pro, XDCAM, and H.264.
• Ancillary Post Production Services Supporting services including DVD duplication and replication, raw media supply (D5, HDCAM SR, HDCAM, Digital Betacam), tape duplication, and film transfer to hard drive, DVD, or Blu-ray.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35 years with zero missed deadlines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Formosa Group: Los Angeles-based post-production services company offering sound design, mixing, picture finishing, and ADR — directly comparable service stack to SMV in the same Hollywood market.
• SIM Digital / SIM Studios: Post-production and production-services company offering dailies, editorial, color, and finishing — directly comparable workflow for scripted and streaming content.
• Light Iron: Burbank/LA post-production house specializing in dailies, color, finishing, and VFX services, now part of Panavision; shares SMV's customer base of major studios and feature/streaming work.
• Picture Shop: Post-production finishing company formed from Technicolor's creative services; offers color, conform, mastering, and DCP services with multiple U.S. locations — a direct competitor for SMV's full-service workflow.
• Harbor Picture Company: LA-based post-production finishing house providing color, online conform, and mastering; directly comparable in scale, geography, and service mix to SMV.
• Roundabout Entertainment: LA-based independent post-production company offering editing, finishing, color, and audio services for film and television; comparable boutique scale and studio-customer mix.
• Sound Lounge: Independent sound post-production facility specializing in mixing, sound design, and audio finishing for film, television, and advertising — directly comparable audio-post offering.

Broad incumbents

• Technicolor Creative Studios: Global post and VFX company (rebranded from Technicolor) operating VFX, animation, and post services at much larger scale; relevant incumbent for color, mastering, and finishing work.
• Deluxe Media: Large-scale global media services company offering mastering, distribution, localization, and post; competes with SMV on DCP and deliverables at higher volume across more geographies.

Regional players

• PostWorks: New York-based post-production facility offering dailies, color, sound, and finishing; same service breadth as SMV but operating primarily on the East Coast — competes for the same studio work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smv-complete-media/about
• Xx.com/smvcm
• Facebookfacebook.com/smvcompletemedia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SMV