Union VFX
Union VFX is an independent, BAFTA-winning visual effects studio founded in 2008, headquartered in Soho, London with a Montréal sister office, delivering end-to-end VFX services for feature films and television for directors, production companies and global streamers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Union VFX does
Union Visual Effects Limited is an independent visual effects studio founded in 2008 by Adam Gascoyne and Tim Caplan, headquartered in Soho, London, with a sister company in Montréal providing additional production capacity. The firm delivers end-to-end VFX services for feature film and television productions, including pre-visualization, on-set supervision, CG environment creation, digital matte painting, crowd simulation, FX simulation (water, fire, particles), compositing, and final delivery. Its technical stack comprises industry-standard software (Maya, Nuke, Houdini, Arnold, ZBrush, Mari, Golaem, 3DE) paired with proprietary pipeline workflows, Lidar scanning for environment capture, and TPN-audited security infrastructure that supports remote collaboration with major studios.
Union operates a project-based B2B services model, billing production companies, studios and streaming platforms on a per-project basis with fees determined by shot count, complexity, scope and timeline. Distribution is direct-enterprise: the studio is engaged by directors, production companies and streamers for individual productions, secured through creative relationships, competitive bids, reputation and showreel. Customers span Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+, BBC, Pathé, Working Title Films, Scott Free Productions, and Left Bank Pictures, with marquee director relationships including Danny Boyle, Martin McDonagh, Stephen Frears, Roger Michell, Guy Ritchie, and Yorgos Lanthimos.
The studio is recognized for seamless 'invisible effects' that integrate CG work into live-action without drawing attention, and is increasingly delivering more ambitious CG and FX work for both director-driven features and high-end episodic television. It won the 2024 BAFTA for Special Visual Effects on Poor Things and has additional credits across Oscar-, BAFTA- and Golden Globe-nominated productions including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (4 Golden Globes, 9 BAFTA and 7 Oscar nominations). It is independently owned with no external parent or institutional investment disclosed, and continues to operate from its two London-Montréal footprint serving global productions.
Union VFX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Union VFX
- Legal name
- Union Visual Effects Limited
- Website
- https://unionvfx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Union VFX is an independent, BAFTA-winning visual effects studio founded in 2008, headquartered in Soho, London with a Montréal sister office, delivering end-to-end VFX services for feature films and television for directors, production companies and global streamers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Union VFX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visual Effects Services for Film and Television
- NAICS
- Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX) (MPAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services (MPAHABAA), VFX Pipeline, Tools & Workflow Engineering (Automation, Asset/Shot Tracking) (MPAHABAH)
Keywords
Where Union VFX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Union VFX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Visual Effects Services: Project-based visual effects services for feature films and television productions. Union provides end-to-end VFX services including pre-visualization, production supervision, and final compositing. Revenue is generated through contractual project fees based on shot count, complexity, and production phase involvement.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Union VFX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Union VFX provides end-to-end visual effects services for feature film and television productions, specializing in seamless invisible effects, digital matte painting, CG environment creation, crowd replication, compositing, and FX simulations. The studio operates project-by-project, typically serving as sole VFX vendor on director-driven films and high-end episodic television. Revenue is generated through negotiated per-project contractual fees based on shot count, complexity, and production phase involvement.
Product overview
Union VFX is an independent, BAFTA-winning visual effects studio that provides creative VFX services for feature film and television productions. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Soho, London with a sister company in Montréal, Union does not offer a productized software platform but rather delivers visual effects work as a service studio. The company specializes in seamless invisible effects and increasingly ambitious CG & FX work across director-driven films and high-end episodic television. Their work spans multiple genres and includes complete VFX packages, digital environments, compositing, crowd replication, set extensions, and complex FX simulations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visual Effects Services for Film and Television End-to-end visual effects production services delivered to feature film and high-end episodic television productions. The offering spans pre-visualization, on-set production supervision, CG environment creation, digital matte painting, crowd replication, FX simulations (dust, fluid, snow, water, fire, particles), set extensions, prosthetic enhancements, limb removals, rig removals, de-ageing, and final compositing. Projects are scoped per shot count and complexity, typically with sole or lead VFX vendor engagements alongside A-list directors.
Quantifiable outcome
- BAFTA Award for Special Visual Effects on Poor Things; shortlisted for 96th Academy Awards Best Visual Effects
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Union VFX
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Union VFX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Union VFX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- UK Screen AllianceminorUnion is a member of UK Screen Alliance, the trade association that represents the VFX industry in the UK.
- ACCESS:VFXminorUnion is a member of ACCESS:VFX, a movement actively pursuing and encouraging inclusion, diversity, awareness and opportunity within the UK VFX, animation and games industries. Lucy Cooper is a founding Director.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Union VFX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Milk VFX: UK-based independent VFX studio of similar scale, focused on prestige film and high-end television. Directly comparable to Union on size, London base, episodic VFX specialization, and blue-chip client roster (Marvel/Netflix/HBO work).
- BlueBolt VFX: Independent London-based boutique VFX studio with comparable headcount and similar focus on prestige drama and feature VFX (notably on projects like The King, The Personal History of David Copperfield). Directly comparable on craft-led positioning.
- One of Us: London-based independent VFX and post-production studio of similar scale, serving film and episodic television clients including Netflix, HBO and BBC. Closely comparable on size, geography, and service offering.
- Lola Post Production: UK independent post-production and VFX facility with similar London footprint and feature/TV client base. Directly comparable as a craft-led boutique competing for the same prestige and episodic projects.
- Nvisible VFX: London-based independent VFX studio of similar scale, working across feature film and high-end television. Comparable positioning as a boutique vendor competing for episodic and prestige feature work.
- Clear Film: UK VFX studio with overlapping craft capabilities (compositing, invisible effects) and a similar boutique positioning. Notably connected to Union through co-founder Adam Gascoyne's prior tenure.
Broad incumbents
- Cinesite: Mid-to-large VFX and animation studio with London and Montréal offices — directly comparable on geographic footprint and episodic VFX capability, but broader portfolio across feature, TV, and streaming.
- DNEG: One of the world's largest VFX and post-production houses with global offices (London included) and Academy Award-winning work. Competes with Union for premium feature and episodic commissions at materially greater scale.
- Framestore: Global VFX leader headquartered in London with deep prestige-film credentials (Gravity, Blade Runner 2049). Competes with Union on feature episodic VFX and serves many of the same directors and streamers.
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm-owned global VFX leader with London office, working across blockbuster features and prestige episodic (The Mandalorian, Andor). Sets the upper-bound benchmark for VFX scale and capacity that Union is benchmarked against.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Union VFX social profiles
Digital presenceUnion VFX compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Union VFX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Union VFX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Union VFX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Union VFX 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 Union VFX
What does Union VFX do?
Union VFX provides end-to-end visual effects services for feature film and television productions, specializing in seamless invisible effects, digital matte painting, CG environment creation, crowd replication, compositing, and FX simulations. The studio operates project-by-project, typically serving as sole VFX vendor on director-driven films and high-end episodic television. Revenue is generated through negotiated per-project contractual fees based on shot count, complexity, and production phase involvement.
Is Union VFX a public or private company?
Union VFX is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Union VFX founded?
Union VFX was founded in 2008. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Union VFX based?
Union VFX is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Union VFX make money?
One revenue line is on record: visual Effects Services.
Who are Union VFX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Milk VFX, BlueBolt VFX, One of Us, Lola Post Production, Nvisible VFX and Clear Film. Broad incumbents are Cinesite, DNEG, Framestore and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
Does Union VFX have an API?
No public API is recorded for Union VFX.
What industry is Union VFX in?
Union VFX's product category is Visual Effects Services for Film and Television. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHABAB, VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX), with a secondary code of MPAHABAA, VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services. Its NAICS code is 51219 and its SIC code is 7812.