1920
1920 is a UK-based, privately held VFX and colour grading studio founded in 2013, serving creative agencies, global brands, and streaming platforms with commercials and long-form film/TV content from offices in London, Bristol, and Bangalore.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 1920 does
1920 (legally NINETEENTWENTY LIMITED) is a UK-based, privately held visual effects and colour grading studio founded in November 2013 by Scott Griffin, Ludo Fealy, and Chrys Aldred. The studio operates from headquarters in Farringdon, London, with additional offices in Bristol and Bangalore, India, and employs more than 90 staff across creative, production, and pipeline functions.
The company runs two primary service lines: a Commercial VFX department serving creative agencies (adam&Eve, Mother, BBH, Droga5) and their brand clients (John Lewis, IKEA, Xbox, PlayStation, Ford, Burberry, Deliveroo), and a Film & Episodic VFX department launched in December 2022 that has delivered work for streaming platforms and studios including Apple TV+ (Slow Horses seasons 4 and 5), Disney+ (Renegade Nell), HBO (True Detective: Night Country), Netflix (Glass Onion), Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures. Core production technology is built on industry-standard VFX tools (Houdini, Maya, Nuke for compositing, Ftrack for project tracking) running on Linux-based render farm infrastructure, with Python-developed pipeline tooling and third-party AI tools used to assist, rather than drive, creative output. Colour grading is a dedicated service line led by Head of Colour Kai van Beers.
The business operates as a B2B professional services studio with project-based billing published through a rate card, standard 30-day payment terms, and the ability to require advance payment. The Bangalore office supports pipeline development and offshore production capabilities. Distribution is entirely direct-to-client, secured through creative pitches, agency relationships, and an industry reputation reinforced by 2025 awards including a Cannes Lion for Grading, a D&AD Yellow Pencil, Ciclope VFX Company of the Year, and British Arrows Craft Awards for VFX and Animation. The company remains founder-led, with Tim Phillips appointed as CEO in July 2024 as the first formal transition away from the founding partners, and no external investment or parent company has been disclosed.
1920 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 1920
- Legal name
- NINETEENTWENTY LIMITED
- Website
- https://1920vfx.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- 1920 is a UK-based, privately held VFX and colour grading studio founded in 2013, serving creative agencies, global brands, and streaming platforms with commercials and long-form film/TV content from offices in London, Bristol, and Bangalore.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
1920 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Visual Effects Production
- NAICS
- Postproduction Services and Other Motion Picture and Video Industries (51219), Motion Picture and Video Production (512110)
- SIC
- Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX) (MPAHABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG) (MPADAHAA), Color Management & Imaging for VFX (ACES, HDR, Plates/DI Interop) (MPAHABAI), Finishing & Delivery for VFX (DI Conform Support, QC, IMF/DCP VFX Deliverables) (MPADAHAL)
Keywords
Where 1920 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
1920 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Visual Effects Services: 1920 provides VFX and colour grading services for commercials, film, and episodic content. Services are billed on a project basis through rate cards, with fees based on pre/post-production equipment, personnel, creative and production facilities. The studio operates on a booking system where clients reserve facilities and personnel for specific production periods.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Project-based VFX and colour grading services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
1920 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
1920 is a visual effects studio delivering VFX and colour grading services for the advertising, film, and episodic television industries. The studio provides end-to-end visual effects work — compositing, CG, and finishing — alongside dedicated colour grading, serving agencies, production companies, and content creators across its UK and India offices.
Product overview
1920 is an award-winning visual effects studio offering a comprehensive suite of VFX services. The company operates two primary service lines: a Commercial VFX department handling advertising projects for clients such as John Lewis, IKEA, and Ford, and a Film & Episodic department producing VFX for streaming platforms including Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO, and Netflix. Supporting these core offerings are colour grading services, showreels, and VFX breakdowns. The studio's services span the full pre/post-production pipeline including creative and production facilities, equipment, and personnel. Founded in 2013, 1920 has grown from 3 founders to over 90 staff across London, Bristol, and India offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Visual Effects (VFX)
- Colour Grading
Quantifiable outcome
- VFX Company of The Year at Ciclope Awards 2025
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use 1920
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
1920 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
1920 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- JW CollectiveminorVFX house Nineteentwenty joined JW Collective for representation and creative collaboration. JW Collective was run by former Framestore client services director Jane Wilson. This partnership provided representation and creative collaboration opportunities for the studio.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
1920 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- MPC (Moving Picture Company): Major tier-1 VFX studio serving commercials, film and episodic content globally; many of 1920's senior leaders (CEO Tim Phillips, Senior Producer Paul Branch, MD-level talent) joined from MPC, making it the closest functional and talent-market comparator.
- Framestore: Larger UK-based VFX/post-production incumbent offering advertising, film and episodic VFX - directly comparable to 1920 across both of its service lines but at substantially greater scale.
- DNEG: Large VFX and post-production group spanning episodic, feature film and streaming work; competes with 1920 on the same Apple TV+/Netflix/HBO episodic bids and is a relevant scale-up benchmark for 1920's longform ambitions.
Direct peers
- The Mill: Direct competitor in commercial/advertising VFX and colour grading for agency clients - matching 1920's commercial-side offering across creative agencies and brand campaigns in the UK and globally.
- Jellyfish Pictures: UK VFX and animation studio with comparable headcount serving advertising, episodic and film customers; structurally similar to 1920 in being a mid-tier boutique competing for episodic and brand work.
- Time Based Arts: Independent VFX and design studio serving commercial and entertainment clients with comparable boutique positioning and award pedigree - another mid-tier competitor for agency and brand VFX briefs.
- BlueBolt: UK boutique VFX house specializing in episodic and feature film VFX; comparable scale and customer segment to 1920's film & episodic division, with similar agency-supplier positioning on streaming platforms.
- Freefolk: London-based VFX and post-production studio serving advertising and film clients; a direct UK peer competing head-to-head for brand and agency commercial work similar to 1920's advertising roster.
- Union VFX: UK independent VFX studio of comparable size focused on commercials and select episodic work; competes with 1920 for the same agency and streaming platform briefs in the UK VFX mid-market.
Regional players
- Lola Post Production: UK post-production house offering VFX, colour grading and finishing for advertising, film and episodic clients; matches 1920's colour/finishing service line and London agency-client base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
1920 social profiles
Digital presence1920 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
1920 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
1920 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
1920 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 1920
What does 1920 do?
1920 is a visual effects studio delivering VFX and colour grading services for the advertising, film, and episodic television industries. The studio provides end-to-end visual effects work — compositing, CG, and finishing — alongside dedicated colour grading, serving agencies, production companies, and content creators across its UK and India offices.
Is 1920 a public or private company?
1920 is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was 1920 founded?
1920 was founded in 2013. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is 1920 based?
1920 is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does 1920 make money?
One revenue line is on record: visual Effects Services.
Who are 1920's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are MPC (Moving Picture Company), Framestore and DNEG. Direct peers are The Mill, Jellyfish Pictures, Time Based Arts, BlueBolt, Freefolk and Union VFX. Lola Post Production is listed as a regional player.
Does 1920 have an API?
No public API is recorded for 1920.
What industry is 1920 in?
1920's product category is Visual Effects Production. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAHABAB, VFX Production & Shot Work (CG Integration, Matte Painting, FX), with a secondary code of MPADAHAA, VFX Production & Supervision (2D/3D, Compositing, FX, CG). Its NAICS code is 51219 and its SIC code is 7812.