Blur Studio

What Blur Studio does

Blur Studio is an award-winning, privately held CG animation and visual effects production studio founded in 1995 by Tim Miller and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The studio produces high-end 3D computer graphics, animation, VFX, and cinematic content for the video game, film, streaming, and themed entertainment industries. Its work spans cinematic trailers and in-game cut scenes for video game franchises (Call of Duty, League of Legends, Valorant, Gears of War, Warframe, Elder Scrolls, and the Exodus franchise), VFX and production support for the Sonic the Hedgehog film franchise, original animated anthology series for Netflix (Love, Death + Robots across four volumes) and Amazon Prime Video (Secret Level), and stereoscopic 3D media for theme park rides. The company employs 101-250 staff and is co-owned by founders Tim Miller and Dave Wilson.

Name

Blur Studio

Legal name

Blur Studio Inc.

Website

https://blur.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Blur Studio is a privately held CG animation and VFX production studio founded in 1995, producing cinematic trailers, game cutscenes, film VFX, and original anthology series for enterprise clients including Netflix, Amazon, Riot Games, Activision, and Sega.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation and VFX Production Services

NAICS

Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA), Real-Time Content & Engine Services (Unreal/Unity, Real-Time Rendering Pipelines) (MPADAHAH), VFX & Motion Graphics (CGI, Compositing, 2D/3D) (MPAAAMAC)

Keywords

• Animation production services
• CG cinematics production
• VFX studio services
• Game trailer production
• Feature film visual effects

Headquarters

HQ city

Culver City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Production Contracts: Blur Studio generates revenue through fixed-fee or negotiated project contracts to produce cinematics, trailers, VFX, and animation for video game publishers, streaming platforms, and film studios. Revenue is project-specific and non-recurring in nature, sourced from clients including Netflix, Amazon, Riot Games, Activision, Bethesda, Sega, and others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blur Studio is an award-winning animation and VFX production studio that produces high-end computer graphics cinematics, trailers, feature film VFX, commercials, theme park ride media, and original streaming IP for entertainment franchises. Services span video game cinematic trailers and cutscenes (Call of Duty, League of Legends, Valorant, Gears of War, Elder Scrolls, Warframe, Exodus), feature film VFX (Sonic the Hedgehog), and co-produced original streaming series (Love, Death + Robots on Netflix, Secret Level on Prime Video).

Product overview

Blur Studio is an award-winning animation and VFX production studio founded in 1995 by Tim Miller. The company offers a portfolio of production services spanning game cinematics and trailers, feature films, commercials, and original intellectual property. Their original IP includes the thirteen-time Emmy-winning Netflix anthology series 'Love, Death + Robots' (Volumes 1-4) and Amazon Prime Video's 'Secret Level' anthology series celebrating gaming culture. For game industry clients, Blur produces high-end cinematics for franchises including Call of Duty, League of Legends, Valorant, Gears of War, Elder Scrolls, Warframe, and the Sonic film franchise. The studio is recognized for pushing boundaries in animation, combining live-action, stylized CG, and in-engine production using tools like Unreal Engine 5.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Love, Death + Robots (Streaming Anthology Series) Thirteen-time Emmy-winning Netflix animated anthology series featuring diverse animated shorts across genres and animation styles, co-produced by Blur Studio with Netflix as distributor.
• Secret Level (Streaming Anthology Series) Amazon Prime Video animated anthology series celebrating video game culture through 15 original episodes from gaming franchises, co-created with Amazon Studios and produced using Unreal Engine 5.
• Sonic the Hedgehog Film Franchise Production Services VFX and production support services for the Sonic the Hedgehog feature film franchise, including development, pitch, and on-set production, with Jeff Fowler directing both films and Tim Miller as executive producer.
• Game Cinematic Trailer and Cutscene Production Services End-to-end CG cinematic production services for AAA video game publishers including trailer campaigns and in-game cutscenes; delivered for franchises such as Call of Duty, League of Legends, Valorant, Gears of War, Elder Scrolls, Warframe, and Exodus, leveraging UE5 in-engine production for visual parity with final game assets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Love, Death + Robots has won 13 Emmy awards across four volumes and multiple Annie Awards, VES Awards, and MPSE Golden Reel Awards.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amazon Studios / Prime VideocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2024Blur co-created Secret Level with Amazon Studios, featuring 15 original episodes based on gaming franchises. It was Prime Video's largest debut for a new animated series ever. Episodes were produced using Unreal Engine 5.
• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2019Blur Studio co-produces Love, Death + Robots with Netflix, which serves as both production partner and global streaming distributor. Blur leads production with global artists contributing episodes. The series has won 13 Emmy awards across four volumes.
• Riot GamescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing CG trailer campaign partnership spanning League of Legends (cinematic anthem 'Warriors 2020', Wild Rift reveal) and Valorant (sixth collaboration for Episode 6). Multiple years of consistent creative work.
• Activision / Infinity WardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur collaborated with Infinity Ward to produce cinematic cut scenes for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (2022), producing 23 minutes of 2019 campaign content and 33 minutes for the 2022 sequel.
• Sega / Original FilmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur developed, pitched, and sold Sonic The Hedgehog from the ground up alongside Sega and Original Film. Tim Miller is executive producer; Blur's Jeff Fowler directed both Sonic films. Blur provides VFX and production support.
• Archetype EntertainmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur supported Archetype Entertainment in the announcement of their new AAA Sci-Fi Action-Adventure RPG franchise EXODUS at the 2023 Game Awards, producing announcement trailers.
• The CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur contributed to the premiere of Gears of War: E-Day with a trailer made in Unreal Engine 5, using assets players will see in the game to maintain visual parity with The Coalition's work.
• Digital ExtremescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur worked with Digital Extremes to create a visually rich Warframe trailer for the game's biggest expansion, emphasizing emotion and character, in collaboration with Hammer Creative.
• Bethesda / ZeniMax Online StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur produced a three-part campaign for The Elder Scrolls Online: Elsweyr expansion and trailers for Skyrim (Greymoor expansion), introducing new characters and stories for ZeniMax and Bethesda.
• Warner Bros. / DC Entertainment / ThinkwellminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur collaborated with Thinkwell, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. to create media-based rides at Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, including Batman Knight Flight (motion vehicle dark ride) and Justice League: Warworld Attacks! (trackless ride with branching paths).
• Epic Games / Unreal EnginecoreTechnology or IntegrationBlur uses Unreal Engine 5 for cinematic production, working with the same in-game assets used by game developers. Epic Games featured Blur's Unreal Tournament episode of Secret Level in a spotlight article, and Tim Miller appears at Epic events.
• David FinchercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDavid Fincher co-created Love, Death + Robots alongside Tim Miller and serves as executive producer on the anthology series. He directed the Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Can't Stop' episode in Volume 4.
• Jennifer Yuh NelsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJennifer Yuh Nelson serves as Supervising Director for Love, Death + Robots (starting Volume 2), the first solo female director of a major animated feature (Kung Fu Panda 2). She also directed 'Spider Rose' in Volume 4.
• Respawn / EAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur handled all aspects of the Titanfall 2 commercial including design, live-action, editorial, VFX/compositing, color and output, collaborating with Respawn and EA. Respawn provided in-game models and reference for CG pilot and Titan characters.
• Hammer CreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlur worked with Hammer Creative alongside Digital Extremes to create Warframe's biggest expansion trailer, with emphasis on emotion and character.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Psyop: Psyop is a boutique creative studio specializing in commercials, game cinematics, and stylized CG animation for entertainment and brand clients. It directly competes with Blur Studio for AAA game trailer work, high-end commercial campaigns, and stylized animation projects.
• Unit Image: Unit Image is a French game cinematic and animation studio producing trailers and in-engine cinematics for AAA game publishers. It directly competes with Blur on high-end AAA game trailer and cutscene projects.
• Axis Studios: Axis Studios is a UK-based animation and VFX studio producing game trailers, cinematics, and episodic content for publishers and streaming platforms. It overlaps with Blur on AAA game cinematics and stylized animation.
• Elastic: Elastic is a high-end motion design and title sequence studio producing broadcast, streaming, and brand work. It is comparable to Blur on the stylized, design-driven side of its portfolio (e.g., title sequences, brand-driven streaming work) and competes for similar premium creative projects.

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): ILM is the largest global VFX and animation house, with deep film, streaming, and game cinematic capabilities across Lucasfilm/Disney and external clients. It competes with Blur on large-scale VFX feature work and episodic streaming production.
• Framestore: Framestore is a major UK-based VFX and animation studio serving film, episodic, brand, and immersive entertainment clients. It overlaps with Blur on cinematic VFX, streaming series production, and themed entertainment media.
• Weta FX: Weta FX is a New Zealand-based VFX and animation studio renowned for high-end film and streaming work. It competes with Blur for premium VFX feature and streaming series contracts.
• DNEG: DNEG is a global VFX and animation services company serving feature film, episodic, and gaming clients. It directly competes with Blur on large-scale VFX bids and animation-heavy streaming projects.
• Digital Domain: Digital Domain is a Hollywood-based VFX and animation studio serving film, episodic, gaming, and immersive clients. It overlaps with Blur on cinematic trailers, VFX features, and streaming series production.

Emerging players

• Buck Design: Buck is a design-driven animation and motion studio working across brand, gaming, and entertainment. While not a direct AAA cinematic competitor, Buck overlaps with Blur on stylized game-related and streaming campaigns and represents a comparable boutique creative scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/therealblurstudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blur-studio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Blur Studio