Framestore is a Britishvisual effects andcomputer animation studio based onChancery Lane in London, England.[1][2] The company was founded in 1986. Framestore specializes in visual effects for film and prestige TV, advertising, rides, and immersive experiences. It is the largest production house in Europe, employing roughly 3,000 staff, including 1,000 in London, and 1,500 across studios in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Montreal, Melbourne and Mumbai.[3][4][5][6]
Framestore was founded in 1986 by William Sargent and Sharon Reed, together with three friends.[7]Tim Webber joined Framestore in 1988 and led the company's push into digital film and television, developing Framestore'svirtual camera and motion rig systems. In 1992, Mike Milne started theCGI department, adding computer-generated imagery animation to the company's range of facilities.[8]
In 1997, Framestore acquired the Computer Film Company, which was one of the UK's first digital film visual effects companies, developing technology for digital film scanning,compositing, and output. CFC was founded in London in 1984 by Mike Boudry, Wolfgang Lempp (now CTO atFilmlight) and Neil Harris (Lightworks). CFC's first film wasThe Fruit Machine, in 1988, which utilised early morphing techniques.[9]
In 2004, Framestore opened their first satellite office inNew York City, to focus onadvertising.[10] This was followed by another office inIceland in 2008, which has since been closed and has reopened as a local VFX company, RVX.[11] In 2013 Framestore opened an office inMontreal, followed by another inLos Angeles the same year.[12][13][14] In 2014, it launched a production arm.[15]
Early projects for the company include the delivery of its first feature animation projectThe Tale of Despereaux with Universal;[16] the completion of Europe's firstdigital intermediate for the filmChicken Run in 2000;[17] contribution of scenes for the 2009 filmAvatar,[18] and the completion as a production project of four British feature films which opened in theaters between during 2009 and 2010.[19]
The company also worked on the 2017 filmDarkest Hour directed byJoe Wright, working out of the Montreal facility of Framestore to create historically accurate backdrops for 85 shots in the film, including battle scenes.[23]
The team created around 300 shots for the 2017 filmBlade Runner 2049, with Framestore winning a special visual effects award at the 2018British Academy Film Awards.[24] They have also worked onBlack Mirror, creating props such as the 60s-style spaceship in the premiere of the fourth season.[25]
In November 2020, Framestore announced that they have acquired Deluxe's former creative assets includingMethod Studios andCompany 3 to expand their VFX and post-production landscapes.[26]
Framestore has collaborated with companies and advertising agencies to create trade characters, and also created an attemptedphotorealistic computer-generatedAudrey Hepburn for aGalaxy chocolate advert.[36] A combination of elements includingbody doubles,motion-capture,FACS and the rendering softwareArnold were used to mimic the appearance of the actress 20 years after her death. The advert drew press attention both for the cutting-edge technology utilized and the ethical implications of using a person's likeness posthumously for commercial purposes.[37][38][39]
^Christiansen, Mark (30 August 2016)."Framestore Los Angeles".Frame.io Insider.Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved10 November 2019.
