Nulight Studios

What Nulight Studios does

Nulight Studios is a Bristol, UK-based specialist facility providing motion picture film scanning, restoration, remastering, and audiovisual digitisation services to broadcasters, film distributors, archives, animation studios, and production companies. Founded in 2016 by Sam Livingstone and Silja Momsen, the company operates an end-to-end workflow spanning physical film repair and ultrasonic cleaning, high-resolution scanning using the proprietary Golden Eye 4 scanner (8mm to IMAX, up to 6K), automated and manual picture restoration via Digital Vision Phoenix and HS-Art Diamant, audio restoration, technical and creative colour grading on Nucoda and Baselight systems (delivered through a partnership with Films at 59), standards conversion, and DCP mastering. The customer mix is project-based and quote-driven, with marquee engagements including restoration of Sir David Attenborough's early natural history films for the BBC Natural History Unit, Aardman Animation shorts, the Oscar-nominated Sandman in 4K, and night-footage enhancement for Apple TV's Earth at Night In Color, which won Royal Television Society awards in 2021.

The business model is professional services with time-and-materials pricing per project, supplemented by a freemium test-scan offer for animation clients, unit-priced home-movie digitisation, and an emerging subscription-style revenue stream from Virtuoso AI, a generative-AI video editing suite launched in July 2024 under MyWorld Challenge Call funding from Digital Catapult. Virtuoso AI targets natural-history documentary makers with automated object removal (lens dirt, lights, radio collars on animals). The company holds approved supplier status with the BFI, BBC, ITV, and major archives, and operates a free London–Bristol shuttle van service for film transport. With 1–10 employees and a single Bristol facility, Nulight serves an international client roster of 200+ logos spanning Apple TV, National Geographic, BBC, ITV, Aardman, and LUX.

Name

Nulight Studios

Legal name

Nulight Studios Ltd

Website

https://nulightstudios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nulight Studios is a Bristol-based specialist facility providing motion picture film scanning, restoration, remastering, and audiovisual digitisation to broadcasters, film distributors, archives, animation studios, and production companies, with an emerging AI video editing suite (Virtuoso AI).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Restoration Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Photofinishing Laboratories (except One-Hour) (812921), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Restoration & Remastering (4K/8K Scan, Image Stabilization, Dirt/Scratch Removal) (MPADAMAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Color Restoration & Grading for Legacy Content (HDR/SDR Remaster) (MPADAMAC), Video & Home Movie Digitization & Conversion (HSAFAGAC)

Keywords

• Film scanning services
• Film restoration services
• Digital remastering
• Archival digitisation
• Picture restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Scanning Services: Professional film scanning services using Golden Eye 4 scanner supporting formats from 8mm to IMAX at resolutions up to 4K. Revenue is generated on a project basis with quotes provided based on film format, condition, resolution requirements, and scanning technique (best light, one light, HDR).
2. Picture Restoration: Both automated and manual picture restoration services. Auto-restoration uses Phoenix software for common issues; manual restoration handles frame-by-frame repairs for complex damage. Billed as part of scanning packages or as separate services.
3. Sound Restoration: Audio restoration services including digital transfer of magnetic, optical audio formats, with noise reduction for hiss, crackle, and pops. Often bundled with picture restoration or sold separately.
4. Colour Grading: Technical and creative colour grading services using Nucoda and Baselight systems. Technical grading corrects age-related discolouration; creative grading offers precise colour adjustments. Delivered at Films at 59 facilities.
5. Film Remastering: End-to-end digital remastering from original negative tracking through scanning, editing, restoration, grading, and DCP mastering. Complete project-based service for classic film restoration.
6. Archive Licensing Facilitation: Nulight connects clients with broadcasting partners seeking original archive footage. They facilitate introductions that may result in licensing revenue for rights holders, creating a marketplace dynamic.
7. AI Video Editing Tools (Virtuoso AI): Future revenue stream from AI-powered video editing tools. Automated object identification and replacement designed to streamline VFX workflows for natural history documentary makers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Nulight Studios provides professional motion picture film scanning, restoration, remastering, and audiovisual digitisation services from its Bristol facility. It operates the Golden Eye 4 archive film scanner (formats 8mm to IMAX, up to 6K resolution) alongside Digital Vision Phoenix and HS-Art Diamant restoration software, Nucoda and Baselight grading systems, and AI/computer-vision upscaling tools. It also sells physical film repair/cleaning, tape transfer, sound restoration, standards conversion, and a developing AI video editing platform (Virtuoso AI).

Product overview

Nulight Studios is a UK-based provider of motion picture film scanning, restoration and digital remastering services offering a unified end-to-end workflow. The core service portfolio consists of physical film preparation (Repair & Clean), high-resolution film scanning using Golden Eye 4 technology (Film Scanning), tape digitisation (Tape Transfer), digital repair using Phoenix and HS-Art Diamant software (Picture Restoration), audio restoration with ProTools (Sound Restoration), and colour grading via Nucoda and Baselight (Colour Grading). These services culminate in Film Remastering for 4K HDR release and Standards Conversion for multi-platform delivery. The company has recently expanded into AI-powered tools with Virtuoso AI for automated object removal in video editing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Film Scanning

Quantifiable outcome

• 4K and 6K resolution scanning from original film negatives
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Films at 59coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2016Nulight Studios is partnered with award-winning post house Films at 59, known for natural history series such as Planet Earth 2 and The Great British Bake Off. The partnership seamlessly integrates Nulight's scanning and restoration technology with Films at 59's colour grading facilities, including Baselight suite and 2K digital projection. This allows Nulight to offer creative colour grading services and DI suite facilities as part of their end-to-end remastering service.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Colorlab: US boutique colour grading and post-production facility with restoration capabilities serving independent film and TV clients. Smaller-scale direct peer with overlapping remastering/colour grading work.
• Spectra Film & Video: Netherlands-based film and video digitisation/restoration specialist focused on archive, broadcast and cultural heritage clients. Comparable boutique profile, with broader European regional reach than Nulight.

Direct peers

• The Film Preserve: US-based film restoration and preservation company led by veteran restorers, providing scanning, restoration and remastering for studios and archives. Closest US analogue to Nulight in terms of services and client base.
• Cineric Inc. US film restoration and post-production facility offering photochemical and digital restoration for studios, archives and independent filmmakers. Overlaps directly with Nulight's scanning, restoration and remastering services.
• R3store Studios: Italian boutique film restoration and remastering studio serving European archives, distributors and broadcasters with 4K/HDR workflows. Comparable in size, specialisation and client mix to Nulight.
• Roundabout Entertainment: Boutique US restoration and remastering studio specialising in catalogue work for studios and rights holders. Similar boutique profile to Nulight with comparable restoration, scanning and remastering workflows.
• Goldcrest Post: London-based post-production house offering film grading, DI and restoration services to the UK and international film and television market. Overlaps with Nulight's remastering, colour grading and DCP mastering workflows.
• Cinetech: UK film scanning, grading and post-production facility with comparable motion picture restoration, remastering and HDR services targeting broadcasters and distributors. Closest direct competitor in the UK boutique restoration segment.

Broad incumbents

• Hiventy: European post-production group offering film and video restoration, mastering and dubbing across multiple countries. Competes with Nulight for international archive and broadcaster tenders while also serving adjacent content services.
• DeLuxe (Deluxe Media): Global post-production and media services company providing restoration, remastering, localisation and content delivery at scale. Operates a much wider portfolio than Nulight but addresses the same archive/broadcast restoration needs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nulightstudios
• Facebookfacebook.com/nulightstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nulightstudios
• Instagraminstagram.com/nulightstudios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Nulight Studios