Jun 21, 2024

Framestore to Close Vancouver Studio, Citing "Stagnation in Industry-Wide Content Creation"

VFX production company Framestore has announced that it will close its Vancouver studio effective July 5.

In a statement provided to Cartoon Brew, the global VFX giant attributed the closure to "the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike and the resulting industry-wide slowdown in content production." It added, "This decision has nothing to do with the creativity and commitment of a team that has always excelled."

According to its website, Framestore, which employs approximately 3,000 people, continues to operate studios and offices in London, Montreal, Los Angeles, New York, Mumbai, and Melbourne. The company's work can be seen in recent films such as Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Bad Boys 4, and IF, as well as series such as Fallout, The Crown, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

The Vancouver facility was formerly part of Method Studios, which Framestore acquired in 2020 and integrated into its own operations.

The following is the full statement regarding the Vancouver closure that Framestore provided to Cartoon Brew:

Framestore has made the difficult decision to close its Vancouver studio as of July 5, 2024. 2023 WGA and SAG-. Following the AFTRA strike and the industry-wide slowdown in content production, it became necessary to consolidate our global base of film and episodic productions into other studios.

We understand the impact of this decision and will offer positions at other studios to those affected where possible. Alongside this, we plan to retain some colleagues to support projects at other studios in 2024 and 2025.

The Vancouver team is incredibly talented and has produced outstanding work over the years. This decision has nothing to do with the creativity or commitment of the team, which has always been outstanding, and is solely a reflection of market conditions. Our recruiting team will continue to assist our Vancouver colleagues in finding new jobs while reaching out to industry professionals.

Framestore will continue to offer film and episodic work from studios in London, Montreal, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York, and Los Angeles.

The company declined to provide further details, including the number of employees who would lose their jobs as a result of the Vancouver studio closure.