The Third Floor
The Third Floor is a founder-owned, Los Angeles-based visualization and animation studio founded in 2004 that delivers Unreal Engine-powered previsualization, postvisualization, virtual production and animation services to major film studios, streaming platforms, game publishers and theme park operators globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Third Floor does
The Third Floor Inc. is a privately held visualization and animation studio founded in 2004 in Los Angeles, operating additional offices in London, Atlanta, Beijing and Canada. The studio provides previsualization (Pitchvis, Previs), technical visualization (Techvis), postvisualization (Postvis) and virtual production services to major Hollywood studios, streaming platforms, AAA game publishers and theme park operators, with a publicly stated roster that includes Disney, Netflix, Amazon Studios, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, HBO, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Paramount, Universal, Legendary, Apple TV+, 20th Century Studios, Lionsgate, Blizzard, Electronic Arts and Wanda Group.
Its core technology is built on Unreal Engine (Epic Games), extended with proprietary tools including the Mercury rendering pipeline, the Cyclops iOS AR virtual production application (available on the Apple App Store since 2024), and the Chimera Microsoft HoloLens AR tool for set visualization. In 2025 the studio released its first fully animated feature film, Predator: Killer of Killers, co-directed by Joshua Wassung and Dan Trachtenberg and streaming on Hulu, marking a transition from a previs-only service provider to a full-scale animation production house.
Revenue is generated through project-based B2B professional services contracts with enterprise entertainment clients, acquired primarily through direct industry relationships maintained by founders and supervisors. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed institutional investment, parent company or public funding rounds, and is led by co-founders Christopher Edwards (CEO), Eric Carney, Barry Howell, Nick Markel and Joshua Wassung (Chief Creative Officer), supported by executive hires including a VP of Finance, Global Head of Production, Global Director of Technology, Director of Talent and Head of Strategic Partnerships. Self-reported industry recognition includes 311 Visual Effects Society nominations, multiple Emmy Awards and other honors across film, television and game cinematics work.
The Third Floor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Third Floor
- Legal name
- The Third Floor Inc.
- Website
- https://thethirdfloorinc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- The Third Floor is a founder-owned, Los Angeles-based visualization and animation studio founded in 2004 that delivers Unreal Engine-powered previsualization, postvisualization, virtual production and animation services to major film studios, streaming platforms, game publishers and theme park operators globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Third Floor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visual Effects & Animation Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Cinematography & Previs/Postvis/Techvis for VFX (MPAHABAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Virtual Production & LED Volume Services (Stage Ops, ICVFX, Real-Time Camera/Tracking) (MPADAHAB), Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)
Keywords
Where The Third Floor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
The Third Floor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Visualization Services: B2B visualization services including previsualization, technical visualization, and postvisualization for film, television, and games. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with major studios and production companies.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
The Third Floor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Third Floor provides previsualization (Pitchvis, Previs, Techvis, Postvis), animation, and virtual production services for feature films, television, games, VR, and themed attractions. Services are delivered using a custom real-time pipeline built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine, and the studio also develops proprietary AR virtual production tools (Cyclops and Chimera) and produces original animated content such as Predator: Killer of Killers.
Product overview
The Third Floor is the world's leading visualization studio offering a comprehensive suite of previsualization and animation services. The core offering consists of Visualization Services (Pitchvis, Previs, Techvis, and Postvis) and Animation Services, both leveraging Unreal Engine. The product portfolio includes proprietary tools such as Cyclops (iOS AR virtual production app), Chimera (Microsoft HoloLens AR tool for set visualization), and the Mercury rendering pipeline. The studio recently expanded into full-scale animation production with its first animated feature, Predator: Killer of Killers. Services span film, television, games, VR, and themed attractions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cyclops: A cutting-edge iOS AR virtual production tool for visualizing VFX components from a handheld tablet or phone, offering multipurpose AR and VCam capabilities.
- Chimera
Products and services
- Visualization Services
- Animation Services
- Cyclops AR
- Chimera
- Predator: Killer of Killers
Quantifiable outcome
- First fully animated feature produced (Predator: Killer of Killers), transitioning from previs to final image production
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Third Floor
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Third Floor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Third Floor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- 20th Century StudiosflagshipCo-development partner for Predator: Killer of Killers, The Third Floor's first fully animated feature. 20th Century Studios and The Walt Disney Company believed in the concept from inception and partnered with TTF to produce the animated anthology film.
- Wētā FXcoreCollaboration on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire visual effects. Careful previs choreography and faithful execution to artistic standards made the collaboration a visual feast on an unprecedented scale.
- Epic GamescoreProvider of Unreal Engine, which powers The Third Floor's real-time animation pipeline. The entire Predator: Killer of Killers film was developed and delivered in real-time via Epic Games' Unreal Engine.
- HulucoreStreaming platform for Predator: Killer of Killers. The animated feature began streaming on Hulu June 6, 2025, representing TTF's first animated feature release.
- Trilith StudioscorePartnership for TTF Atlanta's new Tech Hub office at Trilith Studios, bringing together tech innovators, filmmakers and content creators in a collaborative environment.
- ApplecoreDistribution partner for Cyclops AR application. Cyclops is available on the Apple App Store, allowing The Third Floor to reach a broader audience with its AR virtual production tool.
- The Walt Disney CompanyflagshipPartner through 20th Century Studios for Predator: Killer of Killers. Disney believed in the concept from inception and supported the production of TTF's first animated feature.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Third Floor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Halon Entertainment: Halon Entertainment is a direct competitor offering previs, postvis, and virtual production services for feature films, television, and games. It is one of the few visualization studios comparable in scale and client base to The Third Floor.
- Proof Inc: Proof Inc is a leading previsualization and postvisualization studio serving major Hollywood productions. It competes directly with The Third Floor for the same studio clients and project scopes across film and episodic content.
- Pixomondo: Pixomondo operates virtual production and VFX services with LED volume stages globally, closely mirroring The Third Floor's real-time Unreal Engine workflow and serving the same Hollywood and streaming studio clients.
- Crafty Apes: Crafty Apes is a VFX studio offering previs, on-set supervision, and postvisualization services, comparable in scale and client base to The Third Floor across episodic and feature work.
Broad incumbents
- Framestore: Framestore is a global VFX and creative studio with which The Third Floor co-operates the London office. It offers broader VFX, immersive, and integrated marketing services beyond pure visualization, and is a much larger incumbent.
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): ILM is a Lucasfilm-owned VFX and virtual production powerhouse, listed as a The Third Floor collaborator. It operates at much greater scale across full-service VFX, virtual production, and ILMxLAB immersive content.
- Wētā FX: Wētā FX collaborated with The Third Floor on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. It is a major full-service VFX studio and direct competitor for high-end virtual production work on tentpole franchises.
- Digital Domain: Digital Domain is a full-service VFX and immersive experience studio offering previs through final VFX and virtual production. It competes for studio visualization budgets across feature film and streaming content.
- Method Studios: Method Studios (part of Encore Global) provides VFX, previs, and postproduction services to major Hollywood clients. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping visualization capabilities alongside larger VFX offerings.
- Sony Pictures Imageworks: Sony Pictures Imageworks is a major full-service VFX and animation studio operating at much greater scale. It is a broad incumbent competing for major studio visualization, VFX, and animation production budgets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Third Floor social profiles
Digital presenceThe Third Floor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Third Floor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
The Third Floor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Third Floor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Third Floor
What does The Third Floor do?
The Third Floor provides previsualization (Pitchvis, Previs, Techvis, Postvis), animation, and virtual production services for feature films, television, games, VR, and themed attractions. Services are delivered using a custom real-time pipeline built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine, and the studio also develops proprietary AR virtual production tools (Cyclops and Chimera) and produces original animated content such as Predator: Killer of Killers.
Is The Third Floor a public or private company?
The Third Floor is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Third Floor founded?
The Third Floor was founded in 2004. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is The Third Floor based?
The Third Floor is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Third Floor make money?
One revenue line is on record: visualization Services.
Who are The Third Floor's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Halon Entertainment, Proof Inc, Pixomondo and Crafty Apes. Broad incumbents are Framestore, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Wētā FX, Digital Domain, Method Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks.
Does The Third Floor have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Third Floor.
What industry is The Third Floor in?
The Third Floor's product category is Visual Effects & Animation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHABAK, Virtual Cinematography & Previs/Postvis/Techvis for VFX, with a secondary code of MPADAHAB, Virtual Production & LED Volume Services (Stage Ops, ICVFX, Real-Time Camera/Tracking). Its NAICS code is 51211 and its SIC code is 7812.