Michael Daruty

Senior Vice President, Technical Operations

Michael Daruty was promoted to Senior Vice President, Technical Operations, Universal Studios Operations Group in December of 1999.   He oversees Universal Digital Services, Technical Services, Special Projects, Editorial Facilities, Universal’s global inventory and tracking of the company’s worldwide film and video assets, preservation of Universal’s film archive, stock footage library and the Title Management organization.  Michael reports to Ian Trombley, Executive Vice President Media Distribution Service, which is part of the Media Works organization.

Under Daruty’s direction, the Technical Operations department has greatly expanded its scope, incorporating feature and television post production, video mastering, editorial, duplication, quality control and encoding services.  Daruty was responsible for relocating and centralizing the servicing of all 55 international Home Video territories to Los Angeles, a move that increased operational and economic efficiencies.

Daruty has led Technical Operations through the transition to high definition, implementing a 2K/HD server based tapeless workflow.  He has ensured his department’s quick reaction and adaptability to the latest advances in video, data and digital delivery technology.  He is responsible for the adaptation of a department-wide digital asset management program for the storage and use of subtitling, captioning and audio files, in addition to the worldwide inventory tracking system and migration to a digital asset management system.  Daruty has been instrumental in transitioning to a digital environment, building the foundation for creating digital files that can be utilized in servicing our digital media needs across the enterprise.

Daruty is responsible for building a full service post production facility. This area consists of Administrators, Schedules, Expeditors, Editors, Dub Operators, Telecine, Scanning and Color Correction Operators, Digital Restoration Artists, Engineers, Video Encoders, and Quality Control Operators. Digital Services creates video product for the Technical Services Department, other Studio Divisions and internal and 3rd party production clients.

Michael joined Universal’s Post Editorial Department in 1986.  Since then,  he as assumed responsibility for coordinating the film to tape mastering of Universal’s feature titles for home video and television distribution.  He was promoted to Director, Post Editorial in 1991, and to Vice President, Post Editorial in 1996, before being promoted to Sr. Vice President of Technical Operations.