MPC Shuts Down Its Vancouver VFX Studio

MPC Shuts Down Its Vancouver VFX Studio

MPC the letter that reportedly was sent to employees is being circulated on social media. It claims the company is looking for more attractive opportunities in other locations.

December 12, 2019 – Moving Picture Company is closing its Academy Award-winning animation and visual effects studio in Vancouver.

News that the company was shuttering its Vancouver location appeared on a Reddit thread on Wednesday. A Reddit user posted a photo claiming to be the letter sent to Vancouver employees. The letter was also posted on the image-sharing site Imgur.

It says that MPC’s Vancouver studio will “cease operations effective immediately and refocus its geographical presence to other locations.” The letter notes that there are more attractive opportunities in other locations, and that it has become challenging to sustain its Vancouver office.

Messages to MPC and its parent company Technicolor confirming the closure have yet to be returned.

It is unclear how many people have been laid off, but at its height the studio had 800 artists.

Brenda Bailey, executive director of DigiBC, the Interactive and Digital Media Industry Association of B.C., says there is some uncertainty about whether B.C.’s tax credits will be reduced, and visual effects companies don’t like unpredictability.

She said MPC plans to expand its Montreal studio.

Vancouver still has a “thriving” film animation and visual effects sector, and Bailey believes some of the laid-off employees will be able to find jobs.

Although she said that a lot of cities, such as Montreal, are offering incentives to build their visual effects sector, and so predicted many of the talented artists will leave for more promising jobs elsewhere.

“This is a real loss for Vancouver. They did award-winning work. I hope we can continue to prioritize this work here in B.C. I hope this isn’t the start of things to come, but I worry,” she said.

Bailey was not sure how the employees were told of the layoffs, but said the doors were locked to MPC Vancouver by Wednesday afternoon.

MPC has worked on blockbusters such as The Amazing Spider Man, Bladerunner 2049, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Vancouver studio opened in 2007 with a 38,000-square-foot space on Hamilton Street in Yaletown. The studio won an Academy Award for its work on the The Life of Pi and is known for its redesign of Sonic the Hedgehog.

“This is very disappointing news and we feel for the many talented artists in the MPC team during this time,” said David Shepheard, director, Vancouver Film Commission, Vancouver Economic Commission. “There have been no specifics from the studio about what led to this decision.

“The global production industry is at an all-time high and continues to grow, with Vancouver and B.C. servicing a significant share of the market,” Shepheard said. “Our recent discussions with major studios and streamers indicate there’s a continued need for post-production and VFX work in 2020, and VEC and partners continue to promote Vancouver as a key hub for VFX and animation.

“Competition for this work has led many jurisdictions around the world to use tax incentives to secure film and TV business, which attracts billions of dollars of investment and job opportunities to their areas,” he said.

Many Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter users expressed their disappointment with the company leaving Vancouver, with some noting how the timing of the layoffs right before Christmas is shameful.

MPC continues to operate in Los Angeles, Montréal, London and Bangalore. There is no word whether any of the other studios are affected by the closure. Job openings at those sites are listed at the company’s dedicated careers site, The Focus.

Other VFX studios operating in Vancouver include Animal Logic, Digital Domain, Dneg, FuseFX, Industrial Light & Magic, Lux Visual Effects, Method Studios, and Pixomondo.

Affected by the MPC Closure – DigiBC & Anim&VFX Alliance of BC are hosting an industry hiring fair on Tuesday, Dec 17, 2019 at Centre for Digital Media, 577 Great Northern Way. Details at MPC Vancouver Closure – Industry Hiring Fair.

Source: Studiodaily, DigiBC, MPC.

For more info, visit at MPC.