What MELS Studios does

MELS Studios et Postproduction S.E.N.C. is the largest Canadian film and television services company, headquartered in Montréal, Québec. Founded in 2014 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Québecor Inc.—a major Canadian telecommunications and media conglomerate—MELS operates an integrated production ecosystem spanning studio rental, equipment rental, virtual production, sound and image postproduction, media accessibility/localization, distribution, and mobile production trucks. Its physical footprint comprises 20 soundstages ranging from 10,000 to 37,000 square feet (totaling over 225,000 square feet) located on fully fenced and monitored secured campuses in Montréal, Longueuil, and Québec City. The company is the official Panavision rental house in Quebec and holds Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Audio certifications, anchoring its postproduction capabilities to industry-leading technical standards.

The company serves enterprise-level film, television, and streaming production clients, including major Hollywood studios, independent production companies, and global streaming platforms such as Apple TV+. Its value proposition is built on providing a single integrated campus where productions can move from script to distribution without vendor fragmentation, supported by a permanent LED wall virtual production stage (20 feet high by 65 feet in diameter / 95 linear feet), on-site Panavision equipment access, and Quebec's production tax credit regime. Customers include feature films (Beau Is Afraid, Catch Me If You Can, L'Arrivée, L'Aviateur), TV series (Indéfendable), streaming originals (Apple TV+'s The Last Frontier), music videos, and commercials.

MELS generates revenue through seven service streams: per-voucher or per-quote studio and equipment rentals, per-quote postproduction services (billed by hours or days), per-transaction localization and distribution services, and rental fees for production trucks. Pricing is quote-based, quoted in Canadian dollars, with 30-day payment terms, deposits for new clients, and tiered cancellation penalties. The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales, executed through specialized senior directors covering equipment/studio rentals, business development, postproduction, virtual production, and international business development—with a dedicated Los Angeles-based director servicing Hollywood and US streaming clients. In June 2026, MELS expanded its technical services vertical via the acquisition of Transmission Squelch Inc.

Name

MELS Studios

Legal name

MELS Studios et Postproduction S.E.N.C.

Website

https://mels-studios.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

MELS Studios is the largest Canadian film and television services company, providing integrated production services—studio rentals, equipment, virtual production, postproduction, localization, and distribution—to film, TV, and streaming productions from secured campuses in Montréal, Québec.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film and Television Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Sound Recording Studios (512240), Other Sound Recording Industries (51229)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro primary industry

Studio Campus / Production Facility Operators (MPADAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Production Office Space & Support Facilities (MPADAIAD), Dubbing & Voiceover Production (Casting, Recording, Lip-Sync) (MPAHAFAB), Voiceover Recording & Production (Narration, Promo, Commercial VO) (MPAHAEAK), Production Management & Studio Support Services (Studio Managers, Techs) (MPAIAHAO)

Keywords

• Film studio rental
• Television production services
• Virtual production stages
• Equipment rental services
• Postproduction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Studio Rental: Rental of 20 soundproof soundstages ranging from 10,000 to 37,000 square feet, on secured, fully fenced and monitored campuses.
2. Equipment Rental: On-site rental of Panavision cameras, lighting, various specialized equipment, and production trucks to film and TV productions.
3. Virtual Production: Use of the permanent LED wall virtual production stage (20 ft high x 65 ft diameter / 95 linear ft LED wall) for in-camera VFX filming.
4. Postproduction (Image and Sound): Sound and image postproduction services including colour grading, audio mixing, and related finishing services.
5. Localization / Media Accessibility: Media accessibility services including dubbing, subtitle preparation, and localization for film, television, web, and smart devices.
6. Distribution: Distribution and broadcasting services for film, television, web, and smart device content.
7. Production Trucks (Mobiles de production): Rental of mobile production trucks and trailers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MELS Studios operates an integrated film and television production campus in Montreal offering 20 soundproof soundstages, on-site Panavision camera and lighting equipment rental, a permanent virtual production LED wall stage, full sound and image postproduction with Dolby certifications, media accessibility and localization services, distribution, and mobile production trucks. Services span from script to final delivery, targeting film studios, TV production companies, and global streaming platforms seeking large-scale, secured production infrastructure in Quebec.

Product overview

MELS Studios offers an integrated film and television production ecosystem. The portfolio includes Studio Rentals (20 soundstages, 10,000–37,000 sq ft each), Equipment Rentals (Panavision cameras, lighting, specialized gear), Virtual Production (permanent LED wall stage, 20' x 65' diameter), Sound and Image Postproduction, Media Accessibility/Localization, Distribution, and Production Trucks. All services are available from script through final delivery on a secure, monitored campus in Montreal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studio Rentals Rental of 20 sound-insulated soundstages ranging from 10,000 to 37,000 square feet, totaling over 225,000 square feet on secure, fenced, and monitored campuses in Montreal, Quebec City, and Longueuil. Targeted at film, TV, and streaming production companies.
• Equipment Rentals On-site rental of Panavision cameras, lighting equipment, and specialized production equipment for film and television productions, available as an official Panavision rental house.
• Virtual Production Permanent virtual production stage featuring an LED wall 20 feet high by 65 feet in diameter (95 linear feet) enabling in-camera visual effects and real-time production for film and streaming projects.
• Sound and Image Postproduction Sound and image postproduction services including color grading, audio mixing, and visual effects for film and television productions, with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Audio certifications.
• Media Accessibility / Localization Media accessibility and localization services including dubbing, subtitle preparation, and distribution-ready content adaptation for film, television, web, and smart device platforms.
• Distribution Distribution and broadcasting services for film, television, web, and smart device platforms.
• Production Trucks and Trailers Mobile production trucks and trailers equipped for on-location film and television production, operated from the St-Hubert campus.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 soundstages totalling 225,000+ square feet of production space
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Transmission Squelch Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026MELS acquired Transmission Squelch Inc., a Quebec leader in wireless audio signal transmission and communications. The integration creates a one-stop shop for technical services, strengthening MELS's distinctive market position.
• On tourne vert (Rolling Green)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMELS is a federating partner of On tourne vert (Rolling Green), a program promoting eco-responsible production practices across all phases of filmmaking in Quebec.
• PanavisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationMELS is an official Panavision rental house, offering Panavision cameras and lenses on-site for productions. Panavision is listed as a key equipment partner and accreditation on the MELS website.
• Dolby (Vision, Atmos, Audio)coreTechnology or IntegrationMELS holds Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Audio certifications, indicating technical accreditation for postproduction work meeting Dolby's quality standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shepperton Studios: Long-established UK film/TV soundstage and production services operator serving Hollywood and international productions, comparable in scale and integrated offering to MELS.
• Kaufman Astoria Studios: Established New York-based film/TV production complex offering soundstages and production services to major studios — a comparable integrated production-facility operator.
• Vancouver Film Studios: Direct Canadian competitor operating large soundstage capacity in BC, competing for the same Hollywood and international productions that leverage Canadian tax incentives.
• Cinespace Studios: Toronto-based multi-location soundstage operator with significant capacity serving major studio and streaming productions — a direct Canadian competitor for cross-border Hollywood work.
• Trilith Studios: Large-scale purpose-built film studio campus in Georgia (Atlanta region), aggressively courting Hollywood productions through state tax credits — a primary US-based competitor to MELS for North American film work.
• Atlantic Studios: Newly developed large-scale soundstage campus in Brooklyn, NY — competing directly for the same Hollywood productions and streaming-original work that MELS serves.
• Pinewood Group: Pinewood operates a globally recognized integrated film/TV production campus (soundstages, equipment, postproduction) in the UK and elsewhere — the closest functional analog to MELS' one-stop Montreal campus model.
• Sunset Studios (Hudson Pacific): Multi-city soundstage operator (Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Atlanta, Vancouver-area) competing for major productions with purpose-built large-format facilities comparable to MELS' 20-stage footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Technicolor Creative Studios: Global VFX and postproduction incumbent serving major film/TV productions — a broader incumbent with overlapping sound and image postproduction capabilities to MELS.
• Deluxe Media: Global postproduction and media-services incumbent with localization/dubbing capabilities — overlaps with MELS' postproduction and accessibility service lines, but operates at much broader portfolio scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user21440515
• Facebookfacebook.com/melsstudios
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mels-studios
• Instagraminstagram.com/melsstudios

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 MELS Studios