Eastman Kodak is pulling the plug on its Cinesite visual effects division in Los Angeles. Cinesite will instead focus resources on its digital imaging division, which handles film mastering and restoration services, sources said. In the meantime, visual effects services at Kodak's Cinesite Europe in London are expected to remain open for business. In fact, Cinesite London recently hired former Mill Film visual effects executives to oversee Warner Bros. Pictures' "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," which is in production. Cinesite Los Angeles is in the midst of completing visual effects work on 20th Century Fox's "X-2." The company has an estimated six weeks to go before the "X-Men" sequel is wrapped, effectively making it the last CG-intensive project the company will handle. Such services as 3-D character animation, 3-D animation effects, 2-D effects, digital compositing, concepts and storyboarding, digital matte painting, wire and object removal and physical effects using models and miniatures are expected to be disbanded altogether. (Sheigh Crabtree) Full story