Cinefex
Cinefex is a privately held specialty magazine, founded in 1980 by Don Shay and based in Riverside, California, that publishes long-form coverage of visual effects for film and television industry professionals and enthusiasts.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersRiverside, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cinefex does
Cinefex is a privately held specialty publishing company that produces a magazine for visual effects professionals and enthusiasts, covering the craft, technology, and personnel behind film and television VFX work. Founded in 1980 by Don Shay, the company has operated continuously for over four decades as a category-defining title within the VFX community, headquartered in Riverside, California with a workforce of 11-50 employees.
The core product is a long-form print magazine focused on visual effects, with no disclosed digital platform, technology stack, or proprietary features in the available source material. The website at cinefex.com currently displays placeholder content unrelated to the publication, and no pricing, distribution, or product details are provided, leaving the underlying production and technology architecture undocumented.
The business model is consistent with niche magazine publishing: revenue is most plausibly generated through a combination of individual subscriptions, newsstand sales, back-issue catalog sales, and studio or VFX-vendor advertising. No revenue figures, pricing models, customer segments, or go-to-market mechanics are disclosed in the source material, and no funding rounds, ownership details, or strategic actions are on record. The company has no disclosed partnerships, certifications, AI/ML capabilities, or digital product extensions documented.
Cinefex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cinefex
- Website
- https://cinefex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Cinefex is a privately held specialty magazine, founded in 1980 by Don Shay and based in Riverside, California, that publishes long-form coverage of visual effects for film and television industry professionals and enthusiasts.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cinefex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visual Effects Publishing
- NAICS
- Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs) (MPAHABAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services (MPAHABAA), VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA)
Keywords
Where Cinefex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riverside
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Cinefex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Cinefex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cinefex is a magazine dedicated to the art and technology of visual effects in the motion picture and entertainment industries. Founded in 1980, it provides in-depth, behind-the-scenes coverage of film, television, and special effects productions for both working VFX professionals and dedicated enthusiasts of the craft.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cinefex Magazine
Companies that use Cinefex
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
Cinefex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cinefex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves1 record
Cinefex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- fxguide: Leading online publication providing in-depth visual effects analysis, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and industry interviews. Directly competes with Cinefex as a primary information source for VFX professionals, though delivered via web rather than print.
- Befores & Afters: Online VFX magazine and podcast featuring interviews with top visual effects artists and breakdowns of recent productions. Direct competitor in the VFX news and analysis space, representing the digital evolution of the Cinefex-style editorial model.
- Animation Magazine: Trade publication covering animation, visual effects, and related production technology. Comparable as a specialized media business serving the adjacent animation/VFX professional community with similar long-form editorial content.
- VFX Voice: Trade publication covering visual effects production, technology, and careers for industry professionals. Closest direct print-era competitor to Cinefex in the VFX trade publication category.
- American Cinematographer: Long-running trade publication of the American Society of Cinematographers covering cinematography and visual effects techniques in feature film production. Comparable as a heritage print publication serving film production professionals with deep technical editorial.
Broad incumbents
- Variety: Major entertainment industry trade publication covering film, television, and digital media including VFX industry news. Broader in scope than Cinefex but overlaps substantially in VFX production coverage and audience.
- The Hollywood Reporter: Established entertainment trade publication with dedicated VFX and technology coverage. Competes for advertising dollars from VFX vendors and studios targeting the same industry decision-makers Cinefex reaches.
Emerging players
- ImagineFX: Magazine focused on digital art, concept art, and CG techniques for game, film, and VFX artists. Overlaps with Cinefex's enthusiast and professional CG/VFX readership, though tilted toward concept art and tutorials rather than film VFX production.
- 3D World: Magazine covering 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and VFX workflows for digital artists. Comparable as a print+publication aimed at CG professionals and enthusiasts, sharing advertisers and readership with Cinefex.
Others
- Visual Effects Society (VES): Global professional honorary society for VFX practitioners, publishing industry content and hosting awards. Adjacent ecosystem participant — not a commercial publisher but serves and reaches the same core VFX professional community and influences content credibility.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
Cinefex social profiles
Digital presenceCinefex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cinefex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cinefex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cinefex 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 Cinefex
What does Cinefex do?
Cinefex is a magazine dedicated to the art and technology of visual effects in the motion picture and entertainment industries. Founded in 1980, it provides in-depth, behind-the-scenes coverage of film, television, and special effects productions for both working VFX professionals and dedicated enthusiasts of the craft.
When was Cinefex founded?
Cinefex was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Cinefex based?
Cinefex is headquartered in Riverside, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Cinefex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are fxguide, Befores & Afters, Animation Magazine, VFX Voice and American Cinematographer. Broad incumbents are Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. Emerging players are ImagineFX and 3D World. Visual Effects Society (VES) is listed as an others.
Does Cinefex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cinefex.
What industry is Cinefex in?
Cinefex's product category is Visual Effects Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHABAL, VFX Review, QC & Delivery (Client Review, Conform, Final Outputs), with a secondary code of MPAHABAA, VFX Supervision & On-Set VFX Services. Its NAICS code is 541430 and its SIC code is 7330.