What RISE Visual Effects Studios does

RISE Visual Effects Studios is a full-service visual effects facility founded in 2007 in Berlin by Sven Pannicke, Robert Pinnow, Markus Degen, and Florian Gellinger. The company delivers end-to-end VFX production for film and television — from script analysis and bidding through previsualization, on-set supervision, compositing, 3D animation/CGI, FX simulation, character animation, matte painting, digital environments, 3D stereoscopic VFX, and Digital Intermediate advising. Sister company Pointcloud 9 provides high-end LiDAR 3D scanning that feeds directly into RISE's pipeline, while sister company RISE PICTURES produces original film and television content in which RISE delivers the VFX. As of 2026, the studio operates with 260+ artists across five European offices in Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich, Cologne, and London, and is described as one of the biggest VFX studios in Europe.

The technical stack is built on industry-standard tools — The Foundry's Nuke as the primary compositing platform, SideFX Houdini and Autodesk Maya for 3D, Mantra for rendering, and Silhouette and Mocha for rotoscoping/paint — supplemented by proprietary internal pipeline tools and a custom browser-based production management application (React/TypeScript, GraphQL, Docker, GitLab CI) replacing a legacy Python/Qt system. Server and network infrastructure is described as employing techniques found in supercomputing centers, managed by CTO Robert Pinnow.

RISE operates a project-based professional services revenue model. Pricing is negotiated per project based on scope, shot count, complexity, and schedule; no standard pricing tiers are publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, contracting directly with major US studios (Marvel, Warner Bros., HBO, Netflix, Amazon MGM Studios, Paramount, Lionsgate, Sony/Disney) and German production companies (X-Filme, Rat Pack, Constantin Film), with A-list directors (Francis Ford Coppola, Ryan Coogler, Tom Tykwer, Ridley Scott, Mike Flanagan) as key relationship holders. The company is privately held by its four founders with no external institutional investment, private equity, or parent company disclosed in available records.

Name

RISE Visual Effects Studios

Legal name

RISE FX GmbH

Website

https://risefx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RISE Visual Effects Studios is a full-service VFX facility delivering end-to-end visual effects for major film and television studios. Founded in 2007 in Berlin, it operates 260+ artists across five European offices serving Marvel, Warner Bros., Netflix, HBO, and Amazon MGM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Visual Effects Production Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX) (MPAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA), VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services (MPAHABAA), Stereo 3D VFX & Conversion (Stereoscopy, Depth, Reprojection) (MPAHABAJ), Animation Services for VFX (Creature/Character, Crowd, Simulation Support) (MPADAHAF)

Keywords

• Visual effects production
• Film compositing
• 3D animation services
• VFX post production
• Previsualization services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VFX Production Services: Project-based visual effects production services for feature films, TV series, and streaming content. Revenue is earned through bid-based project contracts spanning from script analysis through final delivery and mastering. Services include compositing, 3D animation, FX simulation, matte painting, stereoscopic VFX, and on-set supervision.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

RISE Visual Effects Studios is a full-service VFX facility that delivers end-to-end visual effects production for feature films, episodic series, and television. Offerings span script analysis and bidding, concept art, pre- and postvisualization, on-set supervision, compositing, 3D animation/CGI, FX simulation and rendering, character design and animation, matte painting and digital environments, 3D stereoscopic VFX, and LiDAR 3D scanning, through Digital Intermediate advising and final mastering. Services are contracted on a per-project basis directly with major studios, streamers, and independent production companies.

Product overview

RISE Visual Effects Studios is a full-service VFX facility providing visual effects services from script analysis through mastering. The company offers a comprehensive suite of VFX capabilities including compositing, 3D animation/CGI, simulation and rendering, character design and animation, matte painting/digital environments, 3D stereoscopic VFX, and high-end lidar 3D scanning services. As a service-based company rather than a software product company, RISE delivers VFX work directly to film and television productions rather than offering software products or modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Compositing Core visual effects compositing service that combines multiple visual elements into final shots and matches artificial CG elements to live-action plates, using The Foundry's Nuke as the primary compositing platform. Serves film and television productions.
• 3D Animation / CGI 3D animation and CGI service including modelling, texturing, animation, shader creation, lighting, and rendering using SideFX Houdini, Autodesk Maya, and Mantra, delivered for film and television productions.
• Simulation and Rendering FX simulation and rendering service covering particles, cloth, fire and smoke, destruction, oceans and water, and plasma/lightning effects for film and television productions.
• Character Design and Animation Design and creation of original characters and their animation for film and television productions, delivered as a discrete capability within RISE's full VFX pipeline.
• Matte Painting / Digital Environment Creation of digital environments and matte paintings, including design, concept art, creation, and integration of CG and 2.5D backgrounds into live-action plates, for film and television productions.
• 3D Stereoscopic VFX Dedicated 3D stereoscopic visual effects creation service for feature films and television productions requiring stereoscopic delivery.
• LiDAR 3D Scanning High-end LiDAR 3D scanning service for accurate digital capture of locations and objects, integrated into RISE's VFX pipeline through sister company Pointcloud 9 and used by visual effects, film, and game productions.
• Pre- and Postvisualization Pre-visualization and post-visualization services used to plan complex VFX sequences before production and to review them after principal photography, for film and television productions.
• Set Supervision On-set supervision service during principal photography to ensure VFX requirements — including lighting references, camera data, and continuity — are captured correctly for downstream VFX work on film and television productions.
• VFX Producing and Coordination VFX producing and coordination service that manages the visual effects production workflow, including bidding, scheduling, and liaison between studios, directors, and RISE's internal production teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 318 shots for WandaVision (Marvel Studios, 2021)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RISE PICTUREScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE PICTURES is RISE's sister film production company. RISE VFX collaborates on co-productions with RISE PICTURES, such as Stowaway and Dragon Rider. Florian Gellinger is involved in all productions of RISE PICTURES.
• Pointcloud 9coreTechnology or IntegrationPointcloud 9 is a sister company providing high-end LiDAR 3D scanning services for the visual effects, film, and game industry. This service is offered as part of RISE's full-service VFX offering.
• The Foundry (Nuke)coreTechnology or IntegrationRISE was the first feature film VFX company in Germany to use The Foundry's Nuke as primary compositing application. Nuke is central to RISE's compositing pipeline.
• X-Filme Creative PoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term recurring collaboration with X-Filme on Babylon Berlin (seasons 1-5) and other German productions. Directors Tom Tykwer, Henk Handloegten, and Achim von Borries are consistent creative partners.
• Wiedemann & Berg TelevisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner on Netflix's Dark series (all seasons), providing VFX for this flagship German-language production.
• Rat Pack FilmproduktionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman production company for projects including Jim Knopf series and Momo. RISE provides VFX on co-productions.
• Constantin FilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman film producer for projects including Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13, Dragon Rider, and Hagen. RISE provides VFX on productions.
• Marvel StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is a recurring VFX partner for Marvel Studios across multiple film and streaming projects including Avengers: Endgame, Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Ironheart, WandaVision, Ms. Marvel, The Marvels, Loki, and Hawkeye.
• Warner Bros.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE has been VFX partner for multiple Warner Bros. productions including Fantastic Beasts 3, Blue Beetle, Reminiscence, Shazam! series, and Doctor Sleep.
• Amazon MGM StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is VFX partner for Amazon MGM Studios on Fallout (Seasons 1-2), Heads of State, and Red One.
• NetflixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is VFX partner for Netflix on Dark (all seasons), Stranger Things, Sense8, Biohackers, Lisey's Story, Fear Street, and Office Romance.
• HBOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is VFX partner for HBO on The Last of Us (Seasons 1-2), Citadel, Westworld Season 3, and Gen V.
• LionsgateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is VFX partner for Lionsgate on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
• Bad RobotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE worked with Bad Robot on Lisey's Story (TV series) as VFX vendor.
• SkyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE has worked with Sky on Babylon Berlin and Then You Run for Sky streaming platforms.
• ParamountcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRISE is VFX partner for Paramount on 1923 Season 2 and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.
• Medienboard Berlin BrandenburgminorOthersFilm funding body that has provided support for RISE's work on Babylon Berlin Season 4.
• MFG Filmförderung Baden-WürttembergminorOthersFilm funding body that supported RISE Stuttgart's work on Doctor Sleep (2019).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• DNEG: London-headquartered, publicly listed VFX and animation services company competing directly with RISE for feature film and episodic VFX work across Hollywood studios. Similar full-service offering spanning compositing, CG, and FX.
• Weta FX: New Zealand-based VFX studio with comparable end-to-end VFX and compositing capabilities for major Hollywood features and streaming series. Direct competitor for high-budget franchise work.
• Framestore: UK-headquartered global VFX house with comparable end-to-end VFX services (compositing, 3D animation, FX simulation, matte painting) for Hollywood features and streaming series. Direct competitor for Marvel, Warner Bros., HBO, and Netflix projects.
• Moving Picture Company (MPC): Global VFX house (part of Technicolor) with full-service compositing, 3D animation, FX, and matte painting for blockbuster features and series. Direct peer competing on Marvel, Warner Bros., and streaming platforms.
• Cinesite: London-headquartered VFX and animation studio with similar end-to-end feature and episodic VFX services. Competes with RISE on Netflix, HBO, and studio-driven streaming originals.
• Method Studios: Global VFX and post-production company offering feature and episodic VFX services. Overlaps with RISE in serving major streaming and studio clients with compositing and 3D work.
• Rising Sun Pictures: Adelaide-based VFX studio serving Hollywood features and series with compositing, CG, and FX. Comparable mid-sized international VFX house competing for Marvel, Disney, and streaming franchise work.
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm-owned VFX leader with unmatched scale and IP integration. Competes with RISE on Marvel, Disney+, and Paramount tentpoles; provides similar end-to-end VFX production services.
• Pixomondo: Transatlantic VFX house with offices in Germany and North America offering comparable compositing, 3D, and FX services. Closest geographic peer to RISE and direct competitor in the European VFX market.

Emerging players

• Trixter: Berlin-based boutique VFX and animation studio with overlapping compositing and 3D capabilities. Geographic peer and partial competitor for German and European production work; smaller scale than RISE.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rise-visual-effects-studios

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 RISE Visual Effects Studios