Reel FX plans to employ 400 people at its new animation studio in Montréal, Québec, by the end of 2020 — a plan for growth that would triple the company’s current headcount across studios in Dallas and Hollywood in addition to the Canadian location.
Reel FX said it plans to employ more than 50 at the new complex in the historic Nordelec building by the end of May, then grow to as many as 200 employees there by the end of 2018. The staff would be working on feature films — three animated features are already in production at the Montréal studio, the company said — as well as VR and AR through the company’s Flight School division.
The Québec government is supporting the new studio with more than $440,000 in subsidies for training employees in animation, lighting techniques, special effects and supervision.
L-R: Benoit Dorais, president of the executive committee of the city of Montréal and mayor of the borough, François Blais, minister of employment and social solidarity, Steve O’Brien, president and CEO of Reel FX, Hubert Bolduc, president and CEO of Montréal International, Pierre Gabriel Côté, president and CEO of Investissement Québec.
Reel FX
“We considered other cities before choosing Montréal, where we received a welcome second to none and where we already have a number of friends,” said Reel FX President and CEO Steve O’Brien in a prepared statement. “We decided on Montréal for several reasons, including its unique culture, the amazing talent pool in visual arts, the outstanding quality of the universities, and the competitive operating costs found in Québec.”
