Heckler
Heckler is a founder-owned post-production and visual storytelling studio founded in 2009 in Sydney, operating four studios across Australia, Singapore, China, and the Netherlands. It delivers VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, and audio services to enterprise advertising and brand clients including Apple, Samsung, Nike, and Coca-Cola.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersSurry Hills, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Heckler does
Heckler is a privately held visual storytelling and post-production studio founded in 2009 in Sydney, Australia, by co-founders Will Alexander (CEO) and Jamie Watson. The studio delivers a full-service post-production stack spanning VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, creative direction, and a dedicated audio offering (sound design, music composition, broadcast mixing, sonic branding) operated through its Heckler Sound sub-brand. Service delivery is supported by wholly-owned studios in Sydney (headquarters), Singapore (established 2019), Shanghai, and Amsterdam, allowing regional time-zone coverage for global brand campaigns, with an interactive/immersive practice that has delivered large-format installations such as Light of Riyadh at World Expo 2025 Osaka.
The company operates on a project-based, quote-driven professional services model, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Customer concentration is concentrated in enterprise brand work across technology (Apple, Samsung), consumer goods (Nike, Adidas), beverage (Coca-Cola, Budweiser), airlines (Qantas), automotive (Lexus), tourism (Abu Dhabi Tourism, Texas Tourism), gaming (Riot Games), financial services (Standard Chartered), retail (Woolworths), real estate (Mirvac), and nonprofit (UNHCR, WWF), sourced through direct agency and brand partnerships. Go-to-market relies on portfolio-led marketing, case studies on the company website (heckler.tv), industry awards (including a Creative Circle Award for Direction and an LBB Online #1 Post House ranking for Australia), and event presence such as SXSW Sydney. Corporate structure remains founder-owned, with no external funding rounds, parent entity, or public listing disclosed in the source data; recent activity has centered on three senior leadership promotions in 2024-2025, including the appointment of Steven Marolho, formerly of Technicolor, Moving Picture Company, and Digital Domain, as Managing Director and Executive Producer in August 2025.
Heckler firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Heckler
- Legal name
- Heckler
- Website
- https://heckler.tv
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Heckler is a founder-owned post-production and visual storytelling studio founded in 2009 in Sydney, operating four studios across Australia, Singapore, China, and the Netherlands. It delivers VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, and audio services to enterprise advertising and brand clients including Apple, Samsung, Nike, and Coca-Cola.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Heckler industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Post-Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512), Motion Picture and Video Industries (5121), Sound Recording Studios (512240)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM), Cloud & Distributed Real-Time Production (Remote ICVFX, Multi-site) (MPAHADAJ), Versioning & Mastering (IMF, Mezzanine, Textless, Deliverables) (MPAHAFAF)
Keywords
Where Heckler is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Surry Hills
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices5 records
Markets served
Heckler business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Post-Production Services: Project-based production services including VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, and sound for advertising campaigns and film projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Heckler product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Heckler is a multi-location visual storytelling house and post-production studio that delivers VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, direction, and audio/sound services for advertising campaigns, music videos, branded content, and film projects. The studio operates through regional hubs in Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, and Amsterdam, with a dedicated audio division called Heckler Sound, and serves global brands and agencies on project-based engagements.
Product overview
Heckler is a multi-award-winning post-production house and visual storytelling studio offering a comprehensive suite of creative production services. The company operates as a unified studio with specialized service offerings including VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, direction, and comprehensive audio services (sound, sound post production, music composition, broadcast mixing, and sonic branding). Heckler maintains five studio locations across Australia (Sydney), Singapore, Shanghai, and Amsterdam, with a dedicated audio division called Heckler Sound. The studio works across advertising, music videos, tourism campaigns, feature films, and branded content for global clients including Apple, Samsung, Nike, Coca-Cola, UNHCR, and Abu Dhabi Tourism. The service architecture is organized by discipline rather than product tiers, with each studio location capable of delivering full-service production across the service portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Heckler Sound: Dedicated audio/sound division providing music composition, sound design, broadcast mixing, and sound post production services across all Heckler locations
Products and services
- VFX Services Visual effects services including CGI integrated into live-action footage, character animation, vehicle replacement, set extension, and traditional 3D animation, led by VFX creative director Tom Corbett in Sydney.
- CGI Services Computer-generated imagery services for creating realistic 3D environments, characters, and effects integrated with live-action footage.
- Animation 2D and 3D animation services including cel animation, motion graphics, character animation, and mixed-media collaborations.
- Colour Grading Colour correction and grading services to establish visual tone and aesthetic for films and advertising campaigns.
- Editing Professional video editing services across narrative, commercial, and music video formats.
- Motion Design Dynamic motion graphics and animated visual design for advertising, branding, and digital content.
- Direction Creative direction services for visual campaigns, music videos, and commercial productions.
- Heckler Sound Dedicated audio division providing music composition, sound design, broadcast mixing, sound post production, sonic branding, and voice over, located in Surry Hills, Sydney.
- Interactive / Immersive Experiences
Companies that use Heckler
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Heckler technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Heckler partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Studio BirthplacecoreVFX partnership collaboration on music film Earth Defender. Heckler Singapore served as VFX partner, creating forest destruction sequences, aerial shots, and afterlife transitions using drone plates, 3D/2D extensions, and CG elements.
- SXSW SydneyminorHeckler hosted Collision East x West event as part of SXSW Sydney 2024, showcasing West Australian tech and creativity.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Heckler competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rising Sun Pictures: Adelaide-based visual effects studio serving both film and advertising. Comparable as an APAC-Australia peer in VFX and CG, with similar blue-chip global brand client work.
- Smoke & Mirrors: Independent post-production company with offices in London, New York, and Asia. Comparable boutique post and VFX offering targeting global advertising brands, with similar multi-studio structure.
- Method Studios: Advertising-focused VFX and post-production boutique with studios in LA, New York, and other markets. Closely matches Heckler's premium advertising-VFX positioning, project-based model, and brand client roster.
- alt.vfx: Brisbane-based creative VFX and design studio serving advertising, episodic, and immersive clients. Closest Australian direct peer to Heckler in scale, offering mix, and brand-advertising focus.
- Carbon (formerly known as Fin Design + Effects): Australian visual effects, design, and post studio headquartered in Sydney. Direct local competitor in VFX, design, and finishing for advertising and entertainment, sharing the same Sydney talent pool.
- Time Based Arts: London-based VFX and post-production boutique serving advertising and broadcast. Comparable in scale, advertising-VFX focus, and emphasis on integrated creative and technical craft.
Emerging players
- Buck: Global design and motion-graphics studio with strong overlap in motion design, animation, and brand storytelling. Adjacent peer where Heckler's motion design and animation services compete.
Broad incumbents
- Moving Picture Company (MPC): Global VFX and post-production group (also part of Technicolor) with deep advertising and feature-film capability. Closely comparable to Heckler in advertising VFX and post, with much larger global capacity and Steven Marolho's prior employer.
- Framestore: London-headquartered VFX, design, and immersive storytelling studio serving advertising, film, and episodic clients globally. Comparable end-to-end craft model (VFX + CG + immersive) targeting similar blue-chip brand and agency buyers.
- The Mill (Technicolor): Global advertising and film VFX/post powerhouse operating across North America, Europe, and Asia. Direct functional overlap with Heckler in advertising VFX and post; broader scale and film crossover.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Heckler social profiles
Digital presenceHeckler financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Heckler leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Heckler subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Heckler funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Heckler 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 Heckler
What does Heckler do?
Heckler is a multi-location visual storytelling house and post-production studio that delivers VFX, CGI, animation, colour grading, editing, motion design, direction, and audio/sound services for advertising campaigns, music videos, branded content, and film projects. The studio operates through regional hubs in Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, and Amsterdam, with a dedicated audio division called Heckler Sound, and serves global brands and agencies on project-based engagements.
Is Heckler a public or private company?
Heckler is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Heckler founded?
Heckler was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Heckler based?
Heckler is headquartered in Surry Hills, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Heckler make money?
One revenue line is on record: post-Production Services.
Who are Heckler's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rising Sun Pictures, Smoke & Mirrors, Method Studios, alt.vfx, Carbon (formerly known as Fin Design + Effects) and Time Based Arts. Buck is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Moving Picture Company (MPC), Framestore and The Mill (Technicolor).
Does Heckler have an API?
No public API is recorded for Heckler.
What industry is Heckler in?
Heckler's product category is Post-Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADAHAA, VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG), with a secondary code of MPAFAKAM, Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.