REALTIME
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersManchester, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
REALTIME firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- REALTIME
- Legal name
- Real-Time Visualisation Ltd
- Website
- https://realtimeuk.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
REALTIME industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visual Effects and CGI Production Services
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real-Time Rendering & Game Engine Tooling (MPAHADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Real-Time Content & Engine Services (Unreal/Unity, Real-Time Rendering Pipelines) (MPADAHAH), Virtual Production & LED Volume Services (Stage Ops, ICVFX, Real-Time Camera/Tracking) (MPADAHAB), Real-Time Compositing, Keying & On-Set Playback (MPAHADAG), Outsourced Art/Audio Production Services (2D/3D, Animation, VFX, Audio/VO) (MPAFAKAM)
Keywords
Where REALTIME is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Manchester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
REALTIME business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Project-Based CGI/VFX Production: REALTIME generates revenue primarily through bespoke project-based production contracts for CGI animation, VFX, and cinematic trailers. Clients engage REALTIME for specific productions (film/TV episodes, game trailers, automotive campaigns) with scope defined per project. Revenue is earned on a per-project basis with no recurring subscription element for clients.
- 3D Configurator Development: Development of bespoke, immersive 3D configurators for automotive and luxury brands (e.g., Lotus, Rimac, Hennessey, Princess Yachts). Configurators are delivered as standalone applications integrated with client CRM systems, supporting dealership and end-customer use. Revenue is earned per-configurator build, often tied to vehicle launch campaigns.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
REALTIME product offering
Product offeringCore offering
REALTIME is a CGI animation and visual effects studio providing end-to-end bespoke production services across three verticals: Games (cinematic trailers and in-engine cutscenes for AAA titles), Film & Episodic TV (VFX, virtual production, on-set supervision), and Automotive & Luxury (real-time 3D vehicle and yacht configurators built in Unreal Engine, plus CG marketing films and stills). The studio blends proprietary tools (Frankenstein rigging, CineScope VP tool, high-volume mo-cap pipeline) with Unreal Engine to deliver project-based creative production for enterprise brands globally.
Product overview
REALTIME is a CGI animation and VFX studio offering a comprehensive portfolio of services across three main verticals: Games, Film & Episodic, and Automotive. The company provides end-to-end production including pre-production, on-set services, VFX and animation, 2D & 3D configurators, immersive experiences, and virtual production. Their core technology relies on Unreal Engine (UE4/UE5) for real-time rendering, and they specialize in creating photo-realistic CGI content for major global brands. The studio operates across multiple sectors including gaming, television, film, and automotive, with notable products including game cinematics/trailers, automotive 3D configurators, and episodic VFX work.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- VFX & Animation End-to-end CGI animation and visual effects production covering 3D modeling, rendering, animation, compositing, matte paintings, CG FX (smoke, water, fire, rain), clean-up, prep, tracking, roto, rig removal, creature animation, and crowd replication for games, film, episodic TV, and automotive clients.
- On-Set Services On-set supervision, photogrammetry, HDRI data capture, and on-set support during production filming for virtual production and live-action shoots across film, episodic TV, and brand productions.
- Pre-Production Concept designs, storyboards, animatics, and previsualization of 3D sequences for creatures, environments, and key set pieces, supporting downstream VFX and animation production.
- 2D & 3D Configurators Real-time 3D vehicle and yacht configurators built in Unreal Engine supporting thousands of spec combinations, multiple environments, and instant beauty movie generation; delivered as standalone applications or embedded within client websites, apps, and CRM systems.
- Immersive & Interactive Immersive interactive experiences, virtual production, and XR content for events and brand experiences, including LED-screen and XR-stage activations for enterprise clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 5,500 VFX shots delivered for a single Netflix production (Dance Monsters), averaging over 25 minutes of 4K VFX per week
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use REALTIME
Customer profileNamed customers36 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
REALTIME technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
REALTIME partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation HubcoreMediaCity provided funding for the development of REALTIME's proprietary CineScope virtual production tool, created alongside the Lockerbie: A Search for Truth production. The tool enables real-time visualisation of digital elements on set for productions of all budgets.
- Princess YachtscoreREALTIME partnered with Princess Yachts (UK's largest luxury yacht builder) to create the world's first fully immersive 3D yacht configurator. The innovation was debuted at Cannes Yachting Festival and represents a ground-breaking digital milestone for the yacht industry.
- Bad WolfcoreOngoing collaboration on Doctor Who special episodes (Wild Blue Yonder for 60th anniversary), A Discovery of Witches (Seasons 2 and 3), and The Winter King. REALTIME provides virtual production services, VFX, and title sequence work.
- Lime PicturescorePartnership on Netflix's Dance Monsters — REALTIME delivered 15 mo-capped CG characters and 5,500+ VFX shots using a bespoke, industry-first pipeline. Described as the biggest and most unique show REALTIME has undertaken.
- Imaginarium (Motion Capture)coreREALTIME used Imaginarium's motion capture services for Dance Monsters, capturing full-body performances of contestants wearing mo-cap suits, combined with Imaginarium's data for animation and rendering.
- Mo-SyscoreMo-Sys provided camera tracking for the Dance Monsters production, used alongside Imaginarium's mo-cap data to enable real-time compositing and precise camera tracking in post-production.
- Epic GamescoreEpic Games' Unreal Engine (UE4) powers REALTIME's real-time configurators, in-engine cinematics, and virtual production workflows across automotive and entertainment projects.
- DI4DcoreDI4D's Head-Mounted Camera solution was used for performance capture on F1 23 Braking Point 2, enabling intricate detail capture of actor facial performances for in-game character likeness and animation.
- Quay Street ProductionsminorREALTIME partnered with Quay Street Productions on Nolly (ITVX), providing VFX set extensions, CG QE2 ocean liner recreation, and invisible effects for the three-part drama.
- RED Production Company (STUDIOCANAL)minorPartnership with Manchester's RED Production Company on Ridley Road (BBC One), providing VFX for period London recreation and set extensions.
- Mammoth ScreencoreREALTIME served as lead VFX vendor on BBC's War of the Worlds adaptation produced by Mammoth Screen — designed iconic Tripod spaceships, opening invasion sequence, and Martian creatures.
- Boat InternationalminorBoat International featured REALTIME and Princess Yachts' 3D configurator launch, providing media coverage at the Cannes Yachting Festival debut.
- UKIE (The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment)minorREALTIME has signed up to UKIE's #RaiseTheGame pledge as part of its Diversity & Inclusion commitment.
- Access: VFXminorREALTIME is a member of Access: VFX, an organisation supporting diversity in the VFX industry.
- #SafeInOurWorldminorREALTIME has partnered with mental health charity #SafeInOurWorld as part of its employee wellbeing and D&I initiatives.
- Oxfam, UNICEF, Grassroots CharityminorMonthly charitable donations to Oxfam, UNICEF, and Grassroots Charity providing food and education for children in need. Additional donations to Mind mental health charity for each employee's birthday and annual donations to St James's Place Children's Charitable Foundation.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
REALTIME competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- DNEG: UK-listed VFX and animation services provider with major episodic and feature film franchises. Comparable to REALTIME in film/TV VFX, but with a global multi-thousand-person bench and an animation production arm that competes with REALTIME's game-cinematic style work.
- Cinesite: UK VFX and animation studio with episodic TV and feature work, plus a virtual production facility. Closely comparable technology stack and client base, and like REALTIME has invested in real-time pipelines.
- Blur Studio: US-based cinematic and game trailer studio, working with AAA publishers on launch trailers and cinematics. Closest direct peer to REALTIME's games vertical, with comparable Unreal Engine expertise and AAA publisher client base.
- Jellyfish Pictures: London-based VFX and animation studio with comparable headcount and episodic/feature VFX credentials. Directly comparable sub-200-person UK studio competing for similar prestige TV and animation engagements.
- Moving Picture Company (MPC): Global VFX and advertising studio, part of the Technicolor creative group. Overlaps with REALTIME in episodic TV VFX, virtual production, and automotive CGI, with greater scale and a stronger advertising portfolio.
- Framestore: UK-based VFX and immersive content studio working across film, episodic, advertising, and immersive experiences. Closely comparable to REALTIME in episodic TV and luxury automotive CGI work, but operates at materially greater scale across multiple global offices.
- Goodbye Kansas: Swedish VFX and game-cinematic studio with Unreal Engine expertise and a dedicated automotive CGI/configurator offering. Highly comparable to REALTIME's mix of games cinematics and automotive configurators, with similar size and B2B service model.
- Outpost VFX: UK boutique VFX studio delivering episodic and feature work. Closely comparable size and positioning to REALTIME's film & episodic vertical, competing for similar BBC/Sky/streaming engagements.
Broad incumbents
- Weta FX: New Zealand-based VFX studio with episodic and feature credentials and pioneering virtual production work. Competes with REALTIME for premium episodic VFX and VP services, though at much greater scale and with a global feature-film focus.
- Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): Lucasfilm-owned VFX powerhouse and global benchmark for film/TV VFX and virtual production. Competes with REALTIME on a subset of episodic VFX and virtual production work, but at vastly greater scale and with a much broader portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
REALTIME social profiles
Digital presenceREALTIME financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
REALTIME leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
REALTIME funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
REALTIME 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 REALTIME
What does REALTIME do?
REALTIME is a CGI animation and visual effects studio providing end-to-end bespoke production services across three verticals: Games (cinematic trailers and in-engine cutscenes for AAA titles), Film & Episodic TV (VFX, virtual production, on-set supervision), and Automotive & Luxury (real-time 3D vehicle and yacht configurators built in Unreal Engine, plus CG marketing films and stills). The studio blends proprietary tools (Frankenstein rigging, CineScope VP tool, high-volume mo-cap pipeline) with Unreal Engine to deliver project-based creative production for enterprise brands globally.
Is REALTIME a public or private company?
REALTIME is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was REALTIME founded?
REALTIME was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is REALTIME based?
REALTIME is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does REALTIME make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project-Based CGI/VFX Production is the primary driver. The others are 3D Configurator Development.
Who are REALTIME's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are DNEG, Cinesite, Blur Studio, Jellyfish Pictures, Moving Picture Company (MPC), Framestore, Goodbye Kansas and Outpost VFX. Broad incumbents are Weta FX and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).
Does REALTIME have an API?
No public API is recorded for REALTIME.
What industry is REALTIME in?
REALTIME's product category is Visual Effects and CGI Production Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHADAB, Real-Time Rendering & Game Engine Tooling, with a secondary code of MPADAHAH, Real-Time Content & Engine Services (Unreal/Unity, Real-Time Rendering Pipelines). Its NAICS code is 512 and its SIC code is 7812.