Frame by Frame

What Frame by Frame does

Frame by Frame S.p.a. is a Rome-headquartered visual effects and post-production company founded in 1990 by Davide Luchetti (CEO) and Lorenzo Foschi, operating from four studios with 15 editing suites, two Baselight 4K HDR grading theatres, and two HDR 4K broadcast color grading suites, plus a dedicated sound facility. Its core offering is end-to-end post-production for long-format content, combining VFX (CGI, compositing, digital matte painting), color grading, sound editorial and design, motion graphics, and digital deliverables management for delivery to HBO, Amazon, and Netflix as well as national broadcasters. Beyond long-format, the firm operates dedicated divisions for commercials (under Executive Producer Emiliano Cerfeda), corporate communications, an art department ("depARTment") providing concept-to-previsualization, and an Interactive/AR/VR division, plus a VFX training arm (School of Frame).

The business model is primarily project-based B2B professional services, with fees negotiated per project based on scope and complexity. The company also runs a co-production initiative launched in 2023 that exchanges post-production services and financial resources for co-production credits on emerging audiovisual IP, creating a secondary licensing/royalty exposure. Go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement with directors, producers, broadcasters, and OTTs, supplemented by an alliance (IPPP) of Italian post-production houses and educational partnerships with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. Customers include international studios (Warner Bros., Sony Pictures on The Equalizer 3), leading Italian directors and production houses (Paolo Virzì/Wildside for Siccità, Gabriele Salvatores for Il ragazzo invisibile – Seconda Generazione), and major global streaming platforms. The company has won two David di Donatello Best VFX awards (2019, 2023) and received an Academy Award nomination (2008), and holds ISO 30415 / UNI/PdR 125:2022 gender equality certification.

Name

Frame by Frame

Legal name

Frame by Frame S.p.a.

Website

https://frame.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Frame by Frame is a Rome-based, founder-led VFX and post-production house founded in 1990, delivering color grading, VFX, sound, motion design, and platform delivery to film, TV, advertising, and corporate clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Post-Production and Visual Effects Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Production (51211), Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (512199)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAHAA

VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/VFX & Virtual Production

SECONDARYMPAHABAB

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

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Visual Effects (VFX) & Compositing

SECONDARYMPAHABAA

VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Visual Effects (VFX) & Compositing

SECONDARYMPAHABAI

Color Management & Imaging for VFX (ACES, HDR, Plates/DI Interop)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Visual Effects (VFX) & Compositing

SECONDARYMPAHABAL

VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Media Technology & Services (Post-Production, VFX, Animation, Streaming Infrastructure)/Visual Effects (VFX) & Compositing

SECONDARYMPAAAMAC

VFX & Motion Graphics (CGI, Compositing, 2D/3D)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Production Services for Advertising (Commercial Production, Post)

SECONDARYMPADACAD

Motion Graphics & Title Design

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Animation & Animated Production

Keywords

• Visual effects services
• Post-production services
• Color grading
• Sound design
• Motion graphics

Headquarters

HQ city

Rome

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. VFX and Post-Production Services: Frame by Frame generates revenue through providing visual effects and full post-production services (character animation, CGI, compositing, digital matte painting, editing, grading, sound editorial, sound design, ADR, TV and theatrical mixing, encoding) to film, TV, commercials, corporate, art, and interactive clients. Revenue is project-based, derived from production companies, broadcasters, and corporate clients commissioning specific work.
2. Co-Production Partnerships: Frame by Frame offers post-production services, expertise, and financial/professional resources to visionary artists, directors, and producers in exchange for co-production credits on original high-quality audiovisual pieces. This represents both a revenue stream and a creative investment model.
3. Deliverables and Distribution Services: Manages and distributes client content through major digital portals and cable providers (HBO, Amazon, Netflix), including encoding, QC, and resolution of audio/video challenges before final delivery to national and international broadcasters, content aggregators, and OTTs.
4. VFX School and Training Programs: Frame by Frame operates School of Frame, offering VFX and post-production courses designed to provide immediate entry into the job market through learning creative dynamics, technical and organizational skills directly from industry professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Frame by Frame is a Rome-based production company providing visual effects (VFX) and full post-production services for film, television, commercials, corporate, art, and interactive clients. Its offering spans character animation, CGI, compositing, digital matte painting, editing, color grading (including 4K HDR via Baselight theatres), sound editorial and design, ADR, mixing, graphics/motion design, encoding, and digital delivery to platforms such as HBO, Amazon, and Netflix. The company operates specialized divisions including depARTment (a dedicated art department), an Interactive/Immersive experiences unit, and School of Frame (VFX training).

Product overview

Frame by Frame is a post-production and visual effects house offering a comprehensive suite of services across film, television, advertising, corporate, art, and interactive sectors. The company operates as a single unified offering combining Long-Format post-production (Color, VFX, Sound, Graphics, Deliverables) with specialized divisions for Commercials, Corporate communications, the depARTment art department, Interactive/immersive experiences, and the School of Frame training program. Founded in Rome in 1990, the company delivers content to major platforms including HBO, Amazon, and Netflix.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• School of Frame: VFX training school offering courses for the next generation of visual effects artists, combining 30+ years of post-production and VFX experience with innovative technologies.

Products and services

• Visual Effects (VFX) Visual effects services providing CG elements, FX, digital matte paintings, and 2D compositing for film, television, advertising, and other projects, delivered by a large team of international artists.
• Color Grading Color correction and grading services delivered from Baselight theatres equipped with 4K HDR monitoring and projection, supporting both theatrical and broadcast workflows, combined with Baselight Slate panels and plugins.
• Sound Audio post-production services including sound editorial, sound design, ADR, television and theatrical mixing, podcast recording, and post-production delivered from a dedicated Sound Studio in Rome.
• Graphics / Motion Design Motion design and graphics services producing title sequences, HUDs, fake apps, and branding content for film, television, and advertising clients.
• Deliverables Media management, encoding, quality control, and distribution of finished content through major digital portals and cable providers (HBO, Amazon, Netflix), with audio/video troubleshooting prior to final delivery to broadcasters, content aggregators, and OTTs.
• Commercials End-to-end advertising production services including previsualization, color grading, versioning across markets, and visual effects for national and international brand and advertising clients.
• Corporate Corporate communication projects applying expertise in film, television, and design to deliver brand films, institutional content, and communication pieces with cinematic quality for multinational corporations and smaller organizations.
• Art Department (depARTment) First art department fully dedicated to entertainment in Rome, providing artistic design of objects, scenarios, and characters through storyboards, drawings, handmade maquettes, 3D digital assets for animatic, animated artworks, 3D print models, and photogrammetry.
• Interactive / Immersive Experiences Virtual, augmented, and location-based experiences produced for a wide range of applications and industries using the latest creative technologies.
• School of Frame
• Long-Format Post-Production Unified post-production offering for feature films and TV series combining color, VFX, sound, graphics, and deliverables under one roof for long-form content clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won David di Donatello 2023 'Best Visual Effects' for Siccità (directed by Paolo Virzì)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Italian Post-Production Partners (IPPP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2023A collaborative initiative presented at the Italian Pavilion during Cannes Film Festival 2023, bringing together Italian post-production companies to share great opportunities for the industry in Italy. Founding members include Blackstone Studio VFX, EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani, Frame by Frame, LaserFilm, MEDIA FENIX GROUP, and Mnemonica. Supported by ANICA and its President Francesco Rutelli. The partnership aims to promote Italian post-production capabilities internationally and foster collaboration among member companies.
• Blackstone Studio VFXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian VFX studio and founding member of IPPP. Partnered with Frame by Frame on the workshop 'Creative and Financial Balance in VFX' organized in collaboration with EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani, supported by ANICA and Unione Imprese Tecniche.
• EDI Effetti Digitali ItalianicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian digital effects company and founding member of IPPP. Co-organized the 'Creative and Financial Balance in VFX' workshop with Frame by Frame and Blackstone Studio VFX, supported by ANICA and Unione Imprese Tecniche.
• ANICAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Italian film industry association. President Francesco Rutelli opened the IPPP presentation at Cannes 2023 and the Creative and Financial Balance in VFX workshop. ANICA promotes Italian cinema and audiovisual industry internationally and supports Frame by Frame's industry initiatives.
• LaserFilmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian post-production company and founding member of IPPP.
• MEDIA FENIX GROUPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian post-production company and founding member of IPPP.
• MnemonicaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian post-production company and founding member of IPPP.
• Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia (CSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItaly's premier film school in Rome. Frame by Frame regularly participates in CSC workshops presenting VFX work on films (Siccità, Elf Me, The Equalizer 3) to VFX Supervisor & Producer Course students. Daniele Tomassetti, Artistic Director of the CSC VFX Supervisor & Producer Course, serves as workshop moderator. Frame also has educational classrooms at its headquarters for emerging talents.
• WildsidecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFilm production company led by Paolo Virzì. Frame by Frame won David di Donatello 2023 Best Visual Effects for Siccità, a Wildside production directed by Paolo Virzì. The two companies have a continued working relationship on unique film projects.
• Visual Effects Association (AVFX)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian visual effects association. Frame by Frame participated in and sponsored the Visual Effects and CGI Animation Festival organized by AVFX on March 3, 2024 at Casa del Cinema in Rome. Frame staff participated in panels and the festival included a recruiting desk.
• Fondazione Cinema per RomaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation promoting Rome's film festival and industry events. Partner in organizing the 'Dialogues on the Future of Cinema' forum within the Rome Film Festival, where Frame by Frame CEO Davide Luchetti participated as a panelist.
• Blu Mambor Paesaggista (Landscape Architect)minorOthersLandscape architect who designed Frame by Frame's living green walls and urban rooftop garden at the Piazza Cola di Rienzo headquarters. The garden has been featured as an innovative environmental sustainability project in national magazine Gardenia.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mnemonica: Italian post-production company listed as a founding IPPP member. Direct comparable in domestic film and television post-production services.
• Trix: Established Italian post-production and VFX house in Rome with similar long-format film and commercial customer base to Frame by Frame. Comparable as another mid-sized Italian post-production specialist competing for the same domestic and European clients.
• LaserFilm: Italian post-production house named as a founding IPPP partner. Directly comparable in offering Italian-language feature, television, and commercial finishing services.
• EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani: Italian VFX and digital effects studio based in Rome, and a founding member of IPPP alongside Frame by Frame. Direct comparable in the Italian post-production market with overlapping film, TV, and commercial client base.
• Blackstone Studio VFX: Italian VFX studio and IPPP co-founding member that co-organized the 'Creative and Financial Balance in VFX' workshop with Frame by Frame. Direct peer in Italian feature and episodic VFX work.
• MEDIA FENIX GROUP: Italian post-production group and IPPP founding member. Direct comparable providing similar post-production capabilities for Italian and international productions.

Broad incumbents

• Framestore: Global VFX and immersive experiences major with deep Hollywood relationships. Explicitly named in the data as a studio where Frame's senior talent previously worked (e.g., Marco Fiorani Parenzi on Jumanji and The Crown S5) and now competes against on international productions.
• MPC (Moving Picture Company): Large global VFX studio referenced in the data as a prior employer of Frame's senior artists and as a direct competitor on international productions. Overlapping in feature film, episodic, and commercial VFX capabilities.
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Premier global VFX incumbent operating across feature film, episodic, and themed entertainment. Sets the price and capability benchmark for premium VFX work that Frame by Frame competes against on Italian and international productions.
• DNEG: Major global VFX house (formerly Double Negative). Listed in the data as a prior employer of Frame's senior supervisors and a competitor for international VFX work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/framebyframeitalia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frame-by-frame
• Instagraminstagram.com/framebyframe_it

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Frame by Frame