UK Screen Alliance in conjunction with the British Film Commission are proud to be platinum sponsors of the 2025 edition of the Visual Effects and Animation World Atlas, published today (29th July).
The Atlas presents a snapshot of the global workforce, and as the data collection is repeated every quarter, it gives an indication of the recent changes in the sector. The data is drawn from a study of 120,000 VFX and animation professionals associated with 2,450 studios worldwide, and is collected from public sources such as company websites and individual social media profiles.
The Atlas shows that the global VFX and animation work force grew by 9.3% in the second half of 2024, followed by a contraction of 7.6% in the first half of 2025, giving a 1% net industry global growth over the past 12 months. The London workforce reduced by 5.1%. This figure includes the impact on the UK of the global collapse of the Technicolor group, which resulted in the shuttering of The Mill and MPC in February; followed by the closure of Jellyfish Pictures in March. Together these accounted for the loss of around 500 jobs in the UK.
London remains by far the largest city hub in Europe for VFX and animation, with 10,564 people, more than double the size of Paris, it’s closest European rival. In the global league table, London sits third, just behind Mumbai on 10,866, and Los Angeles on 12,354.
The UK has recently improved its tax incentives for film and TV, with an uplifted rate of 29.25% net for VFX, which is also now exempt from the 80% cap on eligible expenditure. VFX, post production and animation are also eligible for a net rebate of 39.25% for films with core production expenditure under £15 million. Although the VFX uplift can be claimed on expenditure from January 1st 2025, it wasn’t confirmed in UK law until late March, with many productions reportedly delaying decisions for this certainty. UK Screen Alliance, the trade body for VFX, post and animation, feels that the impact of the recent improvements is only just beginning to be apparent.
“The VFX and Animation World Atlas is fast becoming an invaluable data source for our industry with its trend analysis and up-to-date information. But even though the data is recent, it reflects the industry as seen through the rear-view mirror. UK Screen Alliance has surveyed its member companies to gauge future sentiment, and found that 71% have seen an increase in sales enquires since the introduction of the VFX uplift, with 43% of those surveyed indicating a significant increase. As those enquiries translate into confirmed bookings VFX companies are showing increasing confidence in a return to sustained growth in excess of 5% over the next 12 months.
“The UK’s VFX industry has an unrivalled reputation for success, with award-winning innovative crews. Now that we can couple that with a competitive tax incentive, we know that many productions are viewing the UK as a priority destination for VFX. “
Neil Hatton, CEO of UK Screen Alliance
The VFX and Animation World Atlas is available as a free download from www.vfxatlas.com
