Framestore Will Shutter Vancouver Studio Citing ‘Industry-Wide Slowdown In Content Production’

Vfx producer Framestore has announced that it will shut down its Vancouver studio, effective July 5.

In a statement provided to Cartoon Brew, the global vfx giant attributed the shutdown to an “industry-wide slowdown in content production following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023.” It further added that the “decision has nothing to do with the team’s creativity or commitment, which is always outstanding.”

Framestore, which employs roughly 3,000 workers according to its website, continues to operate studios or offices in London, Montréal, Los Angeles, New York, Mumbai, and Melbourne. Its 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 facilities were formerly part of Method Studios, which Framestore acquired in 2020 and integrated into its own operation.

Here is the full statement about the Vancouver closure that Framestore provided to Cartoon Brew:

Framestore has made the difficult decision to close our studio in Vancouver, effective from the 5th July 2024. The industry-wide slowdown in content production following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023 has led to the need to consolidate our global footprint for Film & Episodic work across our other studios.

We understand the impact of this decision and wherever possible we will offer positions in our other sites to those affected. Alongside this we will also keep some colleagues to support the slate of projects going through our other studios in 2024 and 2025.

The Vancouver team is incredibly talented and has produced exceptional work over many years. This decision has nothing to do with the team’s creativity or commitment, which is always outstanding; it is only a reflection of the market conditions. Our recruitment team will help our Vancouver colleagues to try and find new work, reaching out to industry contacts.

Framestore will continue to offer our Film & Episodic work from our Studios in London, Montréal, Melbourne, Mumbai, New York and Los Angeles.

The company declined to provide any further details, such as the number of workers who would lose their jobs as a result of the Vancouver studio’s closure.