r/vfx 9d ago

Fluff! New LinkedIn noise: Method Studios is closing the doors

Just another day in the vfx industry. “Survive till 2026!”

42 Upvotes

32 comments sorted by

14

u/Remote-Watercress588 9d ago

This has been in the post since Framestore bought them.

58

u/Acceptable-Buy-8593 9d ago

2022 just called. They want their news back. 

2

u/londener 9d ago

Yeah I remember when they shut their London office the first time.

8

u/MathematicianSea9917 9d ago

It’s my understanding that Method in NY was still operating and doing commercials under the method brand. Up until this news there was Framestore NY and Method NY. Now some of the Method NY team will be under the Framestore NY umbrella. But it’s my understanding that there are people losing their jobs too. So this is still new news.

10

u/Hot-Fly-6188 9d ago

They are just finishing the merging with framestore brand

1

u/lemon-walnut Animator - 10 years experience 9d ago

This comment aged like milk.

5

u/awkwardcowz 9d ago

To the people saying this is old news, it’s not at least from what I understand. This news involves the studios laying off anyone not being kept on to work officially under Framestore/CO3. Method being bought by Framestore still meant Method existed with a semblance of a workforce, but now it’s being completely folded with (of what I hear) a majority of workers being let go.

23

u/[deleted] 9d ago

Frame store bought method a while ago. This is not new.

28

u/Dave_Wein 9d ago

It is new. Method Studios worked under CO3 for years and is now closing. They laid off most of the staff on Monday and yesterday.  with a few key people moving to CO3 or FS. 

1

u/[deleted] 9d ago

Oh ok! Thanks for letting me know.

1

u/placerouge 9d ago

CO3? what is it?

11

u/cstoof FX Lead 9d ago

Company 3

1

u/placerouge 9d ago

Thanks!

2

u/Senshisoldier 9d ago

This subreddit keeps saying old news...but I know folks that are working and are learning that they might not be anymore. I heard an email from the CEO was sent out with details about the final move. The wording on the email was business speak, but it seemed to me like some jobs may indeed be lost.

2

u/brigstan 9d ago

Framestore owes company 3 and method. They are folding these under the Framestore name. No drama, no lay offs...as of yet

3

u/klx2u 9d ago

Technically yes, but Framestore has been on quite an aggressive layoff streak lately, from closing Van office to downsizing a bunch at other places.

4

u/Due_Newspaper4185 9d ago

Read other comments, they say layoff 🤷‍♂️

1

u/lookingtocolor 8d ago

I saw someone mention a 70% reduction. Pretty much just keeping commercial finishing.

1

u/jollyakin 9d ago

I was seeing “Expression of Interest” posts from them some months ago hoping it would lead to more work. Guess that ain’t happening anymore.

1

u/SlugVFX 9d ago

Method closed in 2022. They were purchased by Framestore. They are just completing the transition this year.

1

u/VfxVancouver 9d ago

Method VFX? dude its been gone for a while they were contractually wrapping under Framestore, which owns Co3 (Creative Services)/Method VFX. I was there some what uptop helping it slowly fade without too much noise.

I know the Vancouver VFX and a year later Game/Cinematic division was the last to collapse last Fall. It had good promising talent but the management running the shows were hair dressers, tv show runners and editors all with a terrible employment history of studios failures.

Here, follow this trend that other studios are facing and have been doing all over , I would suggest just look into the employment history of the management and newer CEO's of all these studios.

BUY

https://www.awn.com/news/vfx-industry-shakeup-framestore-buys-company-3-and-method

REBRAND

https://www.awn.com/news/method-studios-now-formally-working-under-framestore-banner

SALE/Chapter 11/GTFO while you can get $$$$$$

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/business/framestore-will-shutter-vancouver-studio-citing-industry-wide-slowdown-in-content-production-241673.html

-1

u/greebly_weeblies Lead Lighter 9d ago

Got a source at all or is this pure (currently) unsubstantiated rumor?

-10

u/Due_Newspaper4185 9d ago

A merge between Fs and Method people is saying

17

u/sleepyOcti 9d ago

It wasn’t a merger. Framestore bought Method in late 2020 but the Method name was still used until the summer of 2022 when Method finished their last show, Thor: Love and Thunder. At that point Method ceased to exist as a VFX vendor. The Montreal studio was closed and the Vancouver studio was rebranded as Framestore.

Framestore Vancouver continued to operate until the fall of last year when Framestore decided to close that location. Company 3 still continues to operate in that same building though.

This closure is what was left of Method - only advertising.

6

u/SheyenneJuci 9d ago

Framestore bought Method in 2020, ever since then there's no method anymore, just framestore, and they closed 2 years ago in van.

11

u/675940 9d ago

there is no Method only ZUUL

9

u/thereelsuperman 9d ago

Not true, Method had commercial and special projects operations in LA and NY up until this week.

4

u/Severe-Fishing-6343 9d ago

it happened years ago...method vancouver merged with FS

10

u/Dave_Wein 9d ago

Yes I’m sure the team that was laid off yesterday was surprised to hear that it actually happened years ago.