Framestore

What Framestore does

Framestore is a UK-headquartered visual effects studio founded in 1986 that delivers production, pre-production, and post-production services to the global entertainment and advertising industries. The company operates four service divisions — Film, Episodic, Advertising, and Immersive — supported by specialized offerings including pre-visualization (FPS), performance capture, design studio, art department, and digital signage. Framestore is organized as a private limited company (Framestore Limited) with a US subsidiary (Framestore Inc), employing approximately 3,000 artists and producers across seven global studios in London, Montreal, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Mumbai, and Melbourne.

The studio's core technology stack rests on proprietary rendering and compositing systems, including an Academy SciTech Award-winning Layered Shading System (2026), the FQ Render Farm (2023 SciTech Award), and a Digital Film Compositing System (1995 SciTech Award). Its newer Futon platform, launched in 2026, integrates machine learning and generative AI into the VFX pipeline under dedicated AI leadership. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based fixed-price VFX production contracts with major film studios, streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Disney+, Apple TV), television networks, and advertising agencies, supplemented by colour grading services acquired through Company 3 in 2020 and an original content arm (Framestore Pictures). The studio has won seven Academy Awards, ten BAFTAs, 35 VES Awards, and 15 Emmy Awards, with a customer base spanning every major Hollywood studio and global streaming platform.

Name

Framestore

Legal name

Framestore Limited

Website

https://www.framestore.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Framestore is a UK-headquartered visual effects studio employing roughly 3,000 artists across seven global offices, delivering project-based VFX production for film studios, streaming platforms, television networks, and advertising agencies worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Effects Services

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Simulation & FX Animation (Cloth, Hair, Particles) (MPAHACAH), CG Asset Creation (Modeling, Texturing, Lookdev, Rigging) (MPAHABAE), Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ)

Keywords

• Visual effects services
• VFX production studio
• Creature animation services
• Post-production solutions
• Immersive experience design

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Visual Effects Production Services: Project-based VFX production services for film, episodic television, advertising, and immersive experiences. Revenue is generated through fixed-price contracts for specific projects with major studios and production companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Framestore is a creative studio that produces visual effects and animation for film, episodic television, advertising, and immersive experiences, operating from seven global offices with approximately 3,000 artists and producers. The studio sells project-based VFX services — including creature animation, environments, effects simulation, digital characters, pre-visualization, and performance capture — to enterprise clients such as major film studios, streaming platforms, and global brands, supported by proprietary rendering, compositing, and AI technologies.

Product overview

Framestore is a visual effects studio combining talent and technology to deliver film, advertising, episodic, and immersive experiences. The company operates across multiple service pillars including Film VFX, Advertising VFX, Episodic VFX, and Immersive experiences. The core offering is supplemented by specialized services such as Pre-production (FPS) for pre-visualization, Framestore Pictures for original content production, Design Studio, Art Department, and Performance Capture technology. The company employs approximately 3,000 artists across global offices. Recent innovation includes the Futon AI platform, which integrates machine learning and generative AI into the VFX pipeline, representing the company's strategic push into AI-enabled production workflows. The portfolio spans from photorealistic creature animation (notably polar bears like Iorek in Golden Compass and Paddington) to complex environments for film and TV, interactive advertising, and immersive VR/AR experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Futon: AI platform integrating Machine Learning and Generative AI into the VFX pipeline, launched in 2026 under leadership of Creative Director of AI Theo Jones.

Products and services

• Film VFX Visual effects services for feature films including creature animation, environments, effects simulation, and character creation across all genres, delivered for major film studios such as Marvel, Warner Bros., Universal, 20th Century, and Amazon MGM.
• Advertising VFX Visual effects for advertising campaigns including character animation, compositing, and integrated advertising solutions for global brands and agencies such as Marks & Spencer, ASDA, McDonald's, Waitrose, GEICO, and Ramp.
• Episodic VFX Visual effects for television series including high-end TV drama, streaming content, and episodic programming, delivered for platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, Disney+, and BBC Studios.
• Immersive Experiences VR, AR, and immersive experience creation including digital signage, location-based experiences, and XR content for theme parks, museums, and brands.
• Framestore Pictures Production arm of Framestore for developing and producing original content, operating alongside the studio's VFX service pillars.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 Academy Awards including SciTech awards for proprietary technology
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered key, core and ongoing.

• GEICOkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Framestore partnered with GEICO and The Martin Agency to develop an AI-powered version of GEICO's iconic Gecko mascot for interactive podcast appearances, representing GEICO's shift toward transforming traditional advertising into interactive audience experiences.
• The Martin AgencykeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership with The Martin Agency and Omnicom Media for GEICO's AI gecko project, combining creative agency expertise with VFX capabilities.
• Omnicom MediakeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Partnership with Omnicom Media for GEICO's AI gecko project, enabling the transformation of traditional advertising into interactive experiences.
• iwot StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Joint venture between iwot Studios and Framestore to develop an AI-enabled platform designed to unify asset management and collaboration across multiple media formats (films, TV, video games). Wheel of Time is the first IP to use the platform.
• MetacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2023In March 2023, Framestore partnered with Meta to develop extended reality (XR) production tools for the metaverse and virtual reality environments. This partnership focuses on creating tools that enable production for immersive experiences.
• The Third FloorongoingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrevisualization partner working with Framestore on projects including Paddington Christmas campaigns and His Dark Materials.
• Company 3ongoingTechnology or IntegrationColour grading partner of Framestore, providing post-production colour services for projects including Paddington films.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Method Studios: Global VFX studio with strong advertising and episodic presence. Overlaps directly with Framestore's Advertising VFX division on brand campaigns and high-end commercial work.
• DNEG: UK-headquartered, multi-Oscar winning VFX and animation studio with global delivery across film, episodic and advertising. Competes head-to-head with Framestore on the same marquee film and streaming projects.
• Weta FX: New Zealand-based VFX and animation studio known for high-end creature and world-building work. Competes with Framestore on premium film and streaming projects and shares the SciTech award-winning technology profile.
• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Global VFX and advertising studio with London heritage, serving feature films, episodic and commercials. Directly comparable service mix to Framestore including advertising VFX and creature/character work.
• Sony Pictures Imageworks: In-studio and third-party VFX/animation arm known for feature work and episodic projects. Competes with Framestore for the same Hollywood studio clients on tentpole and streaming content.
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm's VFX division and the global benchmark for feature-film VFX, animation and immersive content. Directly competes with Framestore on tentpole effects, creature work and episodic VFX for the same Hollywood buyers.
• Cinesite: Transatlantic VFX studio with film, episodic and advertising divisions. Direct competitor for mid-to-large film and streaming VFX bids against Framestore's London/Montreal studios.
• Digital Domain: Veteran VFX and virtual human studio operating across film, episodic, advertising and immersive experiences. Directly comparable to Framestore's creature/character and immersive offerings.

Others

• Foundry: Developer of VFX/compositing software (Nuke) used inside Framestore's pipeline. Not a direct competitor but the primary enabling-technology vendor for the VFX category Framestore operates in.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix Animation / in-house content teams: Major client and emerging in-house content producer. Relevant as a buyer-of-last-resort that increasingly integrates post-production capabilities in-house, potentially competing for episodic VFX work that Framestore currently provides.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/framestore
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGkRPUvp4tZXyd4EZUdjrCw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/framestore
• Instagraminstagram.com/framestore
• Facebookfacebook.com/Framestore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Framestore