Global Effects
Global Effects creates, manufactures, sells, and rents specialty costumes, props, armor, and spacesuits for film, television, commercials, and museums. Founded in 1986 in Sylmar, California, it operates a global rental network via its partnership with the Peris Costumes Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersSylmar, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Global Effects does
Global Effects Inc. is a Sylmar, California-based specialty manufacturer and rental house founded in 1986 by Chris Gilman. The company creates, manufactures, sells, and rents costumes, props, armor, miniatures, sets, displays, creatures, and makeup effects for the film, television, commercial, and museum markets. Its inventory is anchored by nearly 200 spacesuits — spanning historic NASA programs (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo A7L/A7Lb, EMU, ACES, LES), Russian/Soviet suits (Sokol, Orlan), and sci-fi/fantasy variants — offered in multiple fidelity grades (A-Grade Premier, B-Grade Standard, C-Grade Economy) alongside thousands of period costumes, bio-hazard suits, armor, sci-fi props, and creature/robot rentals. Technical differentiators include the 1991 Academy Award-winning Cool Suit for actor temperature regulation, LED light-suit systems (notably 2,500+ blue LEDs for the Dr. Manhattan effect in Watchmen), FX costume components with embedded pyrotechnic/coolant effects, and genuinely functional spacesuits built for NASA, SpaceX, and the XCOR Lynx program via Orbital Outfitters.
The business operates a hybrid rental-and-manufacturing model. Rental bookings are routed through the Peris Costumes Group network following a 2019 partnership, which gives Global Effects worldwide distribution and the ability to invoice from any Peris office; rental inquiries go through a dedicated Madrid contact and email. Custom manufacturing runs in parallel, with a distinctive 'manufacture for rental' option in which clients receive discounted bespoke builds in exchange for finished items being added to the rental inventory after production wrap. Direct sales of manufactured items and museum installation services (e.g., Smithsonian Air & Space, Technik Museum Speyer) round out the revenue mix. Pricing is uniformly quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Customers include major film studios (Warner Bros., Disney/Marvel via Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Last Samurai, Django Unchained), streaming series (Netflix's Stranger Things since 2016, CBS's Big Brother every season since 2012 via the Zingbot 9000), aerospace and government entities (NASA, SpaceX, XCOR/Orbital Outfitters, Virgin Galactic), and museums worldwide. Go-to-market is direct B2B sales to production designers, costume designers, prop masters, and museum curators, supported by a portfolio-driven website and word-of-mouth within the entertainment industry rather than broad marketing.
Global Effects firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Effects
- Legal name
- Global Effects Inc.
- Website
- https://newsite.globaleffects.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Global Effects creates, manufactures, sells, and rents specialty costumes, props, armor, and spacesuits for film, television, commercials, and museums. Founded in 1986 in Sylmar, California, it operates a global rental network via its partnership with the Peris Costumes Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Effects industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Entertainment Costume & Prop Services
- NAICS
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414)
- SIC
- Aircraft & Parts (3720), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control (IMABACAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin) (IMABANAI)
Keywords
Where Global Effects is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sylmar
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Global Effects business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Costume and Prop Rental: Rental of costumes, props, spacesuits, armor, creatures, robots, and effects to film, television, and commercial productions. Rental inventory is managed through Peris Costumes Group with global reach.
- Custom Manufacturing for Rental: Custom design and manufacture of specialty items with a discounted rate in exchange for adding items to the rental inventory after production. Customers get bespoke items while Global Effects builds rental stock.
- Direct Sales: Sale of manufactured costumes, props, spacesuits and related items to productions and institutions.
- Museum Display Installation: Building and installing space-related displays for museums worldwide, including full-size mock-ups, replicas, and authentic reproductions.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Global Effects product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Effects creates, manufactures, sells, and rents specialty props, costumes, armor, miniatures, sets, displays, creatures, and makeup effects for television, movies, commercials, and museums. The company operates a large rental inventory anchored by more than 200 spacesuits (covering Mercury, Gemini, Apollo A7L/A7Lb, EMU, ACES, LES, Russian Sokol, Orlan, and sci-fi variants) and thousands of specialty costumes and props, while also offering bespoke custom fabrication and museum-quality space display replicas.
Product overview
Global Effects is a physical rental and manufacturing company that creates, manufactures, sells and rents props, costumes, armor, miniatures, sets, displays, creatures, and makeup effects for television, movies, and museums. The company operates primarily as a rental business with over 200 spacesuits in stock and thousands of costumes and props available. Their product portfolio includes: spacesuit rentals (NASA historic, Russian/Soviet, and sci-fi/fantasy), costume rentals (bio-hazard suits, period/historic, sci-fi/fantasy), prop rentals (space/NASA props, sci-fi fantasy props, tools, helmets), armor rentals, robots/aliens/creatures/effects rentals, and museum display replicas. The company also offers custom manufacturing with a 'manufacture for rental' option where items are custom-built and can be rented, then added to the rental inventory. Global Effects is now partnered with Peris Costumes Group for worldwide rental operations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Costume Rental Rental of spacesuits (NASA historic and sci-fi), bio-hazard suits, period/historic costumes, and sci-fi/fantasy costumes for film, television, and commercial productions.
- Spacesuit Rental Rental of over 200 spacesuits including Mercury, Gemini, Apollo A7L, Apollo A7Lb, EMU, ACES, LES, Russian Sokol, Orlan, and sci-fi/fantasy space suits available in multiple fidelity grades (A-Grade Premier, B-Grade Standard, C-Grade Economy).
- Bio-Hazard Costume Rental Rental of bio-hazard/hazmat suits including the iconic 'Outbreak' style suits, military MOPP suits, fire suits, and designer hazmat costumes in various colors.
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy Costume Rental Rental of sci-fi and fantasy costumes for film and television productions.
- Period/Historic Costume Rental Rental of period and historic costumes from various eras and cultures including medieval armor, 19th century Japanese clothing, and accessories.
- Prop Rental Rental of space/NASA props, sci-fi fantasy props, tools, cameras, helmets, and set dressing items for productions.
- Space/NASA Prop Rental Rental of authentic NASA space equipment including tools, cameras, helmets, bags, flight manuals, checklists, headsets, and vehicle components.
- Sci-Fi/Fantasy Prop Rental Rental of sci-fi and fantasy props including helmets, backpacks, blasters, and themed accessories for science fiction productions.
- Armor Rental Rental of period and historic armor including 14th century knight armor, 16th century Greenwich armor, fantasy armor, and functional costumes for film productions.
- Robots, Aliens, Creatures and Effects Rentals Rental of robots (including the Zingbot 9000 used on Big Brother), aliens, creatures, and special effects including LED light suits for ambient character lighting and practical FX costumes.
- Museum Display Replicas Custom manufacturing and rental of museum-quality space exploration displays including full-size Lunar Module replicas, spacesuit displays, and space artifacts for museums worldwide (e.g., Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, Technik Museum Speyer).
- Custom Manufacturing for Rental Custom fabrication of props, costumes, spacesuits, and effects with the option to rent the finished item after manufacture; items are added to Global Effects' rental inventory once the production's rental period ends, with discounted rates offered in exchange for this stock contribution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Academy Award (1991) - Cool Suit technology
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Effects
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Global Effects technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Global Effects partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Peris Costumes GroupcoreGlobal Effects is now part of the Peris Costumes Group, with locations around the world. This partnership enables global reach for rental inventory, allowing productions to invoice from any office in the network. The Peris partnership expanded Global Effects' ability to serve productions practically and financially worldwide.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Global Effects competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Western Costume Company: Long-established US film/TV costume rental house with deep inventory and century-long studio relationships. Closest direct competitor to Global Effects in the Hollywood costume-rental market, serving the same production-designer and costume-designer buyer.
- 20th Century Props: Major US film/TV prop rental house serving Hollywood productions. Directly comparable in prop rental, custom fabrication, and project-based entertainment B2B sales — competing with Global Effects' non-costume (props, helmets, tools) rental categories.
- ILC Dover: Manufacturer of genuine NASA spacesuits (including the EMU and next-generation exploration suits) and other aerospace soft goods. The legitimate aerospace counterpart to Global Effects' replica and functional-prototype spacesuit work — competing for the same NASA and commercial-spaceflight customer relationships.
- Weta Workshop: New Zealand-based prop, costume, armor, and creature-effects manufacturer serving major film productions (Lord of the Rings, Avatar). Direct competitor in specialty prop/costume fabrication for blockbuster entertainment, with overlapping capabilities in armor and effects fabrication.
- Earl Hays Press Release Props: Long-running Hollywood prop house specializing in rare, unusual, and one-off items for major productions. Comparable custom-fabrication and prop-rental capabilities to Global Effects' non-costume specialty work.
- Bill Hargate Costumes: US specialty costume rental and custom fabrication house serving film and television productions. Overlapping customer base and business model with Global Effects' period/historic and specialty costume rental segments.
- Collins Aerospace (Hamilton Sundstrand): Heritage manufacturer of functional US spacesuits and life-support systems (via the Hamilton Sundstrand acquisition). Aerospace counterpart producing genuine flight-rated suits that Global Effects' replica/prototype spacesuit work is benchmarked against.
- Peris Costumes Group: Spanish-headquartered global costume rental house and Global Effects' parent company since 2019. Operates the worldwide rental fulfillment network that Global Effects now leverages for invoicing and distribution — directly comparable in costume rental and custom manufacturing for film/TV productions.
- RBC Costumes: Hollywood costume rental house serving major film and television productions. Comparable in stock-costume rental model and direct engagement with production designers — competing for the same studio rental budget.
Others
- Madame Tussauds (Merlin Entertainments): Global wax-museum and immersive exhibit operator requiring high-fidelity replica costumes, props, and figures. Adjacent customer for Global Effects' museum-display manufacturing capability rather than a direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Global Effects social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Effects financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Effects leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Global Effects funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Effects 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 Global Effects
What does Global Effects do?
Global Effects creates, manufactures, sells, and rents specialty props, costumes, armor, miniatures, sets, displays, creatures, and makeup effects for television, movies, commercials, and museums. The company operates a large rental inventory anchored by more than 200 spacesuits (covering Mercury, Gemini, Apollo A7L/A7Lb, EMU, ACES, LES, Russian Sokol, Orlan, and sci-fi variants) and thousands of specialty costumes and props, while also offering bespoke custom fabrication and museum-quality space display replicas.
Is Global Effects a public or private company?
Global Effects is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Global Effects founded?
Global Effects was founded in 1986.
Where is Global Effects based?
Global Effects is headquartered in Sylmar, United States, in the North America region.
How does Global Effects make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Costume and Prop Rental is the primary driver. The others are custom Manufacturing for Rental, direct Sales and museum Display Installation.
Who are Global Effects's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Western Costume Company, 20th Century Props, ILC Dover, Weta Workshop, Earl Hays Press Release Props, Bill Hargate Costumes, Collins Aerospace (Hamilton Sundstrand), Peris Costumes Group and RBC Costumes. Madame Tussauds (Merlin Entertainments) is listed as an others.
Does Global Effects have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Effects.
What industry is Global Effects in?
Global Effects's product category is Entertainment Costume & Prop Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAF, Space Structures, Mechanisms & Thermal Control, with a secondary code of IMABANAI, Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin). Its NAICS code is 33641 and its SIC code is 3720.