E.D. FILMS

What E.D. FILMS does

E.D. FILMS (legal entity 8288224 Canada Inc.) is a privately held, artist-driven animation studio headquartered in Montréal, Canada, founded by Daniel Gies. The studio specializes in custom illustrated animation that fuses traditional 2D aesthetics with 3D and real-time game-engine pipelines, delivering content for cinematic films, VR/XR experiences, video games, physical installations, and full-dome presentations.

The studio's technology stack pairs commercial tooling (Unreal Engine 5, Unity, Maya, Blender, After Effects, Gravity Sketch) with a proprietary tool portfolio developed through grant-funded R&D, including PSDtoUnreal, PSDtoMaya, PSDtoFBX, SceneTrack, File Temple, Z-Fighter, Puppet Tool, VRAT, and Previz/DomeViewer. Several tools (SceneTrack, File Temple) are released open-source, while others (PSDtoUnreal, PSDtoMaya, PSDtoFBX, Puppet Tool, VRAT, Z-Fighter) are available for licensing to other studios. Notable productions include the award-winning short 'Retour à Hairy Hill' (VIEW Conference Grand Prize 2024), 'Three Trees' (made entirely in Unreal Engine with Epic Games funding and narrated by Whoopi Goldberg), and the Indigenous Peoples Experience at Fort Edmonton Park (10 million+ visitors over 15 years), with planetarium dome content reaching 20 million+ visitors annually.

E.D. FILMS monetizes through two streams: professional services revenue from bespoke animation production engagements (typically multi-year, project-based contracts with museums, broadcasters, distributors, and themed entertainment operators such as Miral and Sea World Abu Dhabi), and tool licensing revenue from proprietary plugins to other studios. The studio was previously funded in part through a digital asset / plugin e-commerce store, which was discontinued in early 2023 to focus on bespoke services and direct licensing. Capital structure is grant-heavy, with funding from Canadian cultural agencies (Canada Media Fund, Canada Council for the Arts, SODEC, NFB, NSERC), Epic Mega Grants from Epic Games, and Creative Export Canada, with no disclosed institutional equity investors.

Name

E.D. FILMS

Legal name

8288224 Canada Inc.

Website

https://edfilms.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

E.D. FILMS is a Montréal-based boutique animation studio producing custom illustrated animated films, VR/XR experiences, dome content, and licensable tools (PSDtoUnreal, SceneTrack, Puppet Tool) for global cultural, entertainment, and themed-attraction clients including Miral, Sea World Abu Dhabi, and the National Film Board of Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animation Production Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (512110), Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

3D/CGI Animation Production (MPADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immersive/Interactive Animation (AR/VR/Real-Time) (MPAHACAN), Animation Services for VFX (Creature/Character, Crowd, Simulation Support) (MPADAHAF)

Keywords

• Animation production services
• Custom animation studio
• Immersive dome content
• VR/XR animation
• Animation pipeline tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

HQ country

Canada

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Animation Production Services: Custom animation production for film, VR/XR experiences, video games, physical installations, and domes. Revenue generated through project-based contracts with clients including museums, broadcasters, and distributors.
2. Tool Licensing: Licensing of proprietary animation tools (PSDtoUnreal, PSDtoMaya, PSDtoFBX, Puppet Tool, Z-Fighter, VRAT) to other studios and production companies.
3. Digital Asset Store (Discontinued): Previously sold premium digital assets and specialized plugins through e-commerce. The store was closed in early 2023.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

E.D. FILMS is an artist-driven boutique animation studio that produces custom illustrated animation for cinematic films, VR/XR experiences, video games, physical installations, and full dome presentations. The studio also develops and licenses a suite of proprietary animation tools (PSDtoUnreal, PSDtoMaya, PSDtoFBX, SceneTrack, Puppet Tool, Z-Fighter, VRAT, File Temple) that bridge 2D illustration workflows with 3D and game engine production pipelines. Projects are delivered through project-based service contracts with cultural institutions, entertainment venues, and media companies worldwide.

Product overview

E.D. FILMS is an artist-driven animation studio offering both custom animation production services and proprietary animation tools. Their production services include animated films for cinema, VR/XR immersive experiences, video game content, physical installations, and full dome presentations. Their tool portfolio includes PSDtoUnreal (for Unreal Engine 5), PSDtoMaya, PSDtoFBX, SceneTrack (for Unity), File Temple, Z-Fighter, Puppet Tool, and VRAT—designed to bridge 2D illustration workflows with 3D/game engine production pipelines. Notable productions include 'Retour à Hairy Hill', 'Three Trees', Planetarium Dome content (20M+ annual visitors), and the Indigenous Peoples Experience (10M+ visitors over 15 years). The company also offers licensing of their custom tools to other studios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Animation Production Services Full-service animation production for cinema, VR/XR, video games, physical installations, and full dome presentations, delivered on a project-contract basis to museums, broadcasters, theme parks, and distributors.
• PSDtoUnreal Plugin Plugin suite for Unreal Engine 5 that converts layered Photoshop projects into fully textured, sculptable 3D geometry, allowing 2D artists to produce 3D animation and renders without prior 3D expertise.
• PSDtoMaya Converts Photoshop illustrations into sculptable objects and riggable characters for animation and rendering within Maya.
• PSDtoFBX Exports Photoshop 2D layers as textured meshes via FBX for use in Blender, Unity, Unreal, and any FBX-compatible 3D software.
• SceneTrack Free open-source Unity tool for exporting FBX, MIDI, video, and images from the Unity game engine to integrate real-time content into animation production pipelines.
• File Temple Open-source standalone tool for identifying, recording, and storing real-time data from game engines, accepting any data type for custom pipeline tools.
• Z-Fighter

Quantifiable outcome

• Indigenous Peoples Experience reached 10 million+ visitors over 15 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• National Film Board of Canada (NFB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'Return to Hairy Hill' animated film. Provided funding and production support.
• Hidden Story ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and creative partner for Indigenous Peoples Experience at Fort Edmonton Park. E.D. FILMS developed immersive 360-degree projection experience.
• Audio CoaraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudio collaborator on 'Return to Hairy Hill' and 'Three Trees' projects for sound design and music.
• Agora StudiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on 'Return to Hairy Hill' project.
• Nightlight LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Indigenous Peoples Experience immersive installation.
• Tonic DNAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Indigenous Peoples Experience project.
• Dewi WoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Indigenous Peoples Experience project.
• Propeller Sound StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSound production collaborator on Indigenous Peoples Experience.
• Sea World Abu DhabicoreOthersClient for full dome animated environments in theme park attractions.
• MiralcoreOthersClient for dome content development for themed attractions in Abu Dhabi.
• Thinkwell GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for immersive experience design and production, including planetarium dome projects.
• CDRINminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner involved in PSDtoMaya tool development.
• Whoopi GoldbergflagshipOthersNarrated 'Three Trees' animated short film made in Unreal Engine.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atlas V: Independent immersive animation and VR studio producing premium animated VR experiences and series for global platforms. Direct overlap with E.D. FILMS' VR/XR/dome work and similar festival-circuit positioning.
• Felix & Paul Studios: Montréal-based immersive content studio producing VR, dome, and location-based experiences for museums, planetariums, and cultural institutions. Direct competitor in full-dome and 360° immersive animation, with overlapping venue clients and award pedigree.
• Nexus Studios: London-based animation and immersive studio producing short films, VR, AR, and experiential content. Comparable as a boutique animation studio with proprietary technical workflows, festival-circuit recognition, and brand-driven commissioned work.
• Moment Factory: Montréal-based multimedia studio specializing in immersive experiences, dome content, and themed attractions. Closest geographic and category peer to E.D. FILMS, with a similar boutique-to-mid-sized studio profile, custom in-house tooling, and shared clients in the themed-entertainment space.
• Buck: Los Angeles-based design and animation studio producing motion graphics, short-form film, and immersive/experiential work for major brands. Comparable mix of custom-illustrated animation, technical pipeline innovation, and high-profile commercial clients.

Emerging players

• Baobab Studios: Animation-driven VR studio behind award-winning immersive shorts. Comparable focus on illustrated animation in VR/XR and similar Emmy/festival-credentialed short-form IP strategy.
• Tender Claws: Independent studio developing VR-first interactive animation and immersive experiences. Overlaps with E.D. FILMS in pushing animation techniques inside VR/AR platforms for narrative experiences.

Others

• National Film Board of Canada: Canadian public producer and distributor of animated and interactive works. Functions as both a co-production partner (e.g., 'Retour à Hairy Hill') and a fellow producer of animated shorts and immersive experiences on the same festival circuit.
• Thinkwell Group: Experience-design and production company that develops themed attractions, museums, and immersive venues — and is also an E.D. FILMS client. Comparable engagement with the same end-client base (theme parks, cultural institutions).

Broad incumbents

• Framestore: Global VFX and immersive content powerhouse with major feature-film, themed-entertainment, and location-based-experience divisions. Competes for some of the same immersive and dome commissions at the high end of the market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/edfilmsworld
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@DanielGies
• Facebookfacebook.com/e.d.filmstudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/e-d-films
• Instagraminstagram.com/e.d.films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 E.D. FILMS