Framestore, in partnership with Aleph Capital and Crestview Partners, has bought Company 3 / Method.
The acquisition creates a global giant working across every part of the creative and production process in film, television, advertising, mixed reality, stereo conversion and experiential sectors.
Framestore’s HQ is in London and it has creative studios in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Montréal and Mumbai and is known for its work on box office hits including Avengers End Game, Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity as well as original series for streaming services such as Amazon, Netflix and Disney+, to immersive theme park experiences for the likes of Wanda and Lionsgate Entertainment World.
Company 3 / Method (C3M) encompasses a number of studios in addition to Company 3 and Method including Encore, and Stereo D, based across eleven cities in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and India.
The newly enlarged business will encompass all aspects that support the making of entertainment and communications content – from concepts, through to digital and post-production.
“Our vision for the future of our industry is storytelling across all the media of content delivery – from mobile to IMAX; and headset to theme parks,” says Sir William Sargent, co-founder and CEO of Framestore. “Stories originated in one medium need to be able to travel across all of these and be adapted creatively and technically for each. I have long admired Stefan and his achievements and our expanded team will lead in the innovation of this new content world.”
Company 3’s founder and Company 3 / Method president, Stefan Sonnenfeld says “The partnership represents the combining of two great teams, both bringing world class expertise from our respective fields. What we have achieved as individual companies sets the tone for what we can deliver as a united force. The road ahead represents an incredibly exciting journey that I am thrilled about.”
“We are delighted to be partnering with Sir William and Stefan in the creation of a world leading player in the creative services industry”, said Hugues Lepic, Founder and CEO of Aleph Capital. Brian Cassidy, Partner and Head of Media at Crestview, added “the combined business is strategically well-positioned to capitalise on the unprecedented global demand for video content across a range of distribution platforms.”
On the growth opportunities presented by the acquisition, Sir William continues “Beyond the creative opportunities presented, the acquisition reinforces our global business footprint by deepening our roots in California, increasing our headcount in India, and giving our two companies the necessary scale to compete effectively.”
Jon Creamer
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