Chennai-headquartered vfx outfit, Basilic Fly Studio, has made a “major” investment in leading London and Paris-based VFX house, One of Us.
The deal will see the two studios create a “more agile VFX partner for film, streaming, and TV content producers, in tune with the changing demands of the sector.”
The existing leadership will continue to lead One of Us on a day-to-day basis. The investment sees Basilic Fly take a 70% stake in One of Us, and together the studios will have capacity for over 900 artists.
Basilic Fly Studio (BFS) started with a small team in Chennai over a decade ago. BFS has grown into a more than 500-strong workforce with studios in Chennai, Pune, Vancouver, and London. BFS has been part of projects including Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and The Last of Us. The company’s journey includes getting listed on the India Stock Exchange.
One of Us works across film and TV. Its VFX studios in London and Paris have capacity for more than 450 artists. Founded in 2004 by Rachael Penfold, Dominic Parker, and Tom Debenham, One of Us has won 2 BAFTA TV awards for its work on both The Crown and The Witcher, and an Emmy for The Alienist, alongside other awards and nominations.
Over the last 5 years, BFS has worked with OOU on many of their most important projects, including Bridgerton (Season 1 and 2); Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore; Napoleon; Zone of Interest and Luther: The Fallen Sun
The deal will allow the studios to pool talent, creativity, and resources to enhance their client service offerings.
“At a time of great change in the entertainment industry, with studios increasing their use of technologies such as AI, partnering will allow the studios to bolster their IT stacks and further explore ways of harnessing the vision of skilled VFX artists.”
Balakrishnan, CEO & co-founder of Basilic Fly Studios, said: “Since founding Basilic Fly Studios with my colleagues back in 2013, we have always wanted to create an international partner for film, TV and streaming industry and today’s deal with One of Us is an important milestone in this vision. Over the years, we have worked together on multiple projects, so we know each other incredibly well. It was immediately clear that we shared a belief in the central role of talented artists within a wider vision and culture. Throughout our relationship, I have been blown away by the skill of the One of Us team, and together with the talent of the BFS team, I am certain that we can achieve great things together.”
Rachael Penfold, CEO & co-founder of One of Us, said: “The film industry is full of challenges, and VFX is often front line – inventing new ways to realise the creative appetites and imaginations of filmmakers and creators alike. The opportunity to combine with a fast-growing studio like BFS – working closely with Bala, Yoga and their fantastic leadership is very exciting for us. It allows us to expand in ways we would not easily achieve on our own. We will bring together our brilliant and talented teams, offering a greater diversity of choice within the sector and more exciting opportunities into the hands of our artists. This will be a powerful and agile offering, at a time when the industry is transforming itself, and engaging with the work requires new and innovative thinking. On a day-to-day basis, it will remain business as usual, with myself and the founders overseeing the London studio, and Emmanuel Pichereau providing leadership in Paris.”
Jon Creamer
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