Post and vfx house, Absolute, and its animation arm, Blind Pig, are to close “following sustained industry pressures.”
In a statement, the company said that after nearly three decades in the industry, it will cease operations “following a period of sustained financial and market pressures affecting the wider commercial production sector. The decision was reached after extensive consideration and every effort to continue trading in an increasingly challenging environment. Ongoing shifts in the industry landscape, rising operational costs, tightening production budgets, and a significant downturn in available work ultimately made the business unsustainable.”
Absolute was acquired by the Envy Group at the tail end of 2022 and relocated from its Poland Street home to new premises in Fitzrovia, with Envy Advertising operating under the Absolute banner.
The news follows a series of closures of storied post and vfx houses in recent years, with Halo and Evolutions closing last year alongside earlier closures for Glassworks, Jellyfish Pictures, MPC and The Mill.
‘This has been an incredibly difficult decision,” said David Smith, CEO of Absolute and Blind Pig. “Absolute’s team, clients and collaborators have contributed enormously to the company’s legacy, and we are deeply grateful for everything they have built. The challenges facing this sector are real and widespread and despite our best efforts, we were unable to find a sustainable way forward.”
The company went on to say that the closure “marks a deeply difficult moment for everyone connected to the business. The wider post production and commercial production ecosystem has faced mounting strain in recent years, with many companies experiencing similar challenges. Changing client demands, increased cost pressures, market consolidation, and broader economic uncertainty have created difficult trading conditions across the sector.”
The majority of staff have been made redundant aside from those finishing off ongoing projects.
Jon Creamer
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