Find a job in Animation, VFX, Post Production, Film & TV Studios, or SFX

All our working groups provide forums for discussion on important topics, but they do more than this. The groups are not “talking-shops” as they seek to analyse issues from which we action new policy campaigns and initiatives.

To join a working group message us via the Contact Us page of this website. Only representatives of UK Screen Alliance or Animation UK member companies may join working groups.

Facilities Members Group

This is the group that participates in our weekly Zoom calls which covers topical issues of the week affecting post & VFX and often has guest speakers for other stakeholder organisations, like BFI, BFC, DCMS etc.

VFX & Animation Skills Working Group

Our most active group meets 10 times a year and its remit is anything to do with the VFX & animation workforce, both domestic and international. It is attended by HR, recruitment, talent management, learning and development, and visa specialists from VFX and animation companies. Its activities have included responding to consultations on post Brexit visas for skilled workers and ensuring that VFX and animation roles are on the Shortage Occupation List. It also is a focal point for developing and promoting training initiatives such as apprenticeships. It is also the driving force behind of annual workforce survey.

VFX PR Working Group

This group consists of the VFX studio publicists. Its remit is to promote the UK’s VFX industry as a whole. It collates sharable public domain information and case studies about what VFX is being performed in the UK. These resources are then used in our advocacy campaigns with government, BFI and BFC and for international promotion of the UK as a destination for inward investment.

Post PR Working Group

This group consists of the Post company publicists. It promotes the UK’s post industry as a whole. It emphasises the value of post to productions as this has become eroded and commoditised.

Animation Members Group

This is the main Animation UK member forum for all things animation, such as PSB relationships, the animation tax credit, investment and funding (e.g. YACF and GSF), co-production and international promotion at festivals and markets (e.g. Annecy)

Commercial Animation Working Group

This group consists of animation companies working in the commercial sector. It discusses and addresses issues specific to this branch of animation, such as terms of trade, contracts and codes of practice.

Feature Animation Working Group

Feature animation is a sector which has poor visibility in the UK. Productions usually claim the film tax credit, so any data for the sector is aggregated with live action productions. This group seeks to raise the profile of feature animation and show that the UK is an international player in this sector.

Ad hoc single issue groups

We set up bespoke groups to look at discreet burning topics that may crop up from time to time. In the past these issues have included Soho planning and street access, and other local concerns.

Currently we have an ad hoc group on commercials delivery liaising with Clearcast.

If your particular interest is not served by any of these groups, then please let us know. It may be that others may share similar viewpoints and we can start a new special interest working group.

The economic value of the UK’s VFX sector

The economic value of VFX in the UK is measured periodically in the BFI’s Screen Business report. This was published in 2021 and covered data from 2017, 2018 and 2019. The previous version of Screen Business was published in 2018 and featured 2016’s data. The latest report also updates 2016’s data. The data presented on this page is drawn from the 2021 report.

UK Screen Alliance is part of the steering group for the Screen Business report.

The primary purpose of the report is provide the evidence of the return on investment generated by the Screen sector tax reliefs necessary to ensure continued government support for these incentives. The data in the latest report provides a benchmark for the level of pre-pandemic activity in the industry. The report shows that every £1 of film tax relief generated £8.30 of value for the UK economy and each £1 of high-end TV relief returned £6.44 of value.

Even though VFX does not have a specific tax credit in the UK to incentivise inward investment, it can be an eligible expense within claims for the Film Tax Relief (FTR) or High End TV Tax Relief (HETR), Animation Tax Relief (ATR) or Children’s TV Tax Relief (CTR).

The BFi’s remit does not extend to commercials and other non-film/TV work but Screen Business does estimate the whole size of the VFX market whether or not its was work supported by the Screen Sector tax reliefs.

From a combined UK VFX spend during 2019 of £710m for tax relief related activity and non-tax relief related work, such as advertising, the report estimates that the sector contributed £1.68bn in GVA to the UK economy and supported 27,430 jobs. This is known to be an under estimate as the analysis of spill-over impacts attributable to advertising and brand promotion work, which creates considerable value through increased sales of the advertised goods and services, was outside the scope of the report.

The overall UK VFX workforce was estimated at 10,680 FTE (full time equivalents), of which 5,470 were employed on tax relief related work. These jobs generate high productivity, delivering £89,743 of GVA per FTE, which is £23,643 more per person than the average for the whole UK economy.

In 2019, an estimated £363.5 million was spent on VFX services in the UK for projects claiming FTR, HETR, ATR and CTR. This was up from £239.8m in 2016; a growth of 51.6%.

Overall production spending via the FTR rose by 7.6% between 2016 and 2019 but the VFX portion of FTR spending rose by 42% over the same period, to reach £309m in 2019, which is 15.3% of the total FTR supported spending.

There has been strong global growth in HETV production driven by the streaming video providers and overall the UK has seen HETV production spend grow by 113% from £977.2m in 2016 to £2078.3m in 2019. The VFX spend in the UK claiming HETR, mirrors this increase and has risen by 131% since 2016 and stood at £50.9m in 2019. However this represents just 2.5% of the total HETR claimed in that year.

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Apprenticeships in TV and Film

An apprenticeship offers you the chance to learn and earn. They offer at least 12 months of training and apprentices spend 80% of their time doing the role in on-the-job training with an employer, and 20% of their time in formal learning with a training provider, college or university.

Please note that UK Screen Alliance does not offer apprenticeships, so please do not apply to us. You will need to contact employers in our s ector to see if they are currently offering apprenticeships. The BBC and Sky also offer apprenticeships in post production.

For details of employer cash incentives for taking on apprentices and details of partnering with the BBC flexi-job agency, please scroll down.

Apprenticeships are available at a variety of levels from GCSE equivalent to master degree. There is no upper age limit for who can be an apprentice and you can be an existing employee who is being up-skilled. Even if already have a degree, you can do an apprenticeship as long as it represents new learning.

If companies have a payroll larger than £3 million per year, they must pay the apprenticeship levy. They can draw on these levy payments to fund apprenticeship training. Non-levy paying employers can receive up to 95% of the training costs from the government, but from 1st August 2026, the need to contribute even 5% will be removed, allowing 100% subsidy for training and assesment costs for non-levy paying companies.

All apprenticeships courses in England have to be approved by the Skills England. The course outline is called a “standard” and groups of employer called “Trailblazers” work together to develop new standards.

List of apprenticeship standards directly relevant to film & TV

Apprenticeship	Level	Duration
VISUAL EFFECTS
Junior vis ual effects – VFX artist or assistant technical director	4	18 months
VFX Technical Director	6	24 months
VFX Supervisor *	7	18 months
ANIMATION
Junior Animator	4	18 months
Storyboard Artist *	7	18 months
POST PRODUCTION
Post Production Technical Operator	4	12 months
Post Production Engineer	5	24 months
Assistant (audio) recording technician	4	24 months
PRODUCTION
Content Creator	4	18 months
Production Assistant – screen and audio	3	9 months
Junior Production Coordinator	4	18 months
Junior Advertising Creative	3	18 months
ENGINEERING
Broadcast and Media Systems Technical Operator	3	22 months
Broadcast and Media Systems Technician	5	24 months
Broadcast and Media Systems Engineer (Degree)	6	36 months
Camera Prep Technician	3	24 months
PRODUCTION CRAFTS
Assistant Puppet Maker	3	18 months
Costume Technician – stage and screen	3	15 months
Props Technician	3	18 months
Model Maker	6	36 months
Scenic Construction Technician	3	30 months
Scenic Artist	3	24 months
Hair, wigs, make-up and prosthetics technician	3	24 months
Scenic Automation Technician	3	24 months

* From 1 January 2026, Level 7 apprenticeships will only be government-funded for apprentices who, at the start of their apprenticeship training, are either aged 16-21, or aged under 25 and have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and/or have been, or are, in the care of their local authority. Any individual who started a level 7 apprenticeship before 1 January 2026 will continue to be funded through to completion.

DWP Incentives for employers

In 2026 a range of incentives payments for employers who offer apprenticeships were announced. The grants could be used to subsidise the apprentice’s wage. The incentives include…

SMEs hiring apprentices under 25 will get a £2,000 grant from 1st October 2026
Any company hiring a person under 25 who has been on Universal Credit for 6+ months gets £3,000 grant (stackable with SME incentive above)
Company pays no employer NIC on apprentices under 25 (saves between £3,000 and £3,600 on payroll cost over employing a non apprentice on living wage)
As of August 1^st 2026, non-levy paying employers no longer need to fund 5% of the training cost for apprentices under 25. Government will fund 100%

Partnering with the BBC Flexi Job Apprenticeship Agency

The BBC is committed to supporting and developing talent for both the BBC, its partners, and the wider creative sector. They want to partner with independent production companies and post production companies in broadcast media. Employers will provide practical skills and experiences, the learning providers will deliver high-quality education and skill development, while the BBC will manage the apprenticeship scheme. This will not only contribute to the growth of the creative sector but also support individuals in starting their careers.

Benefits of the Flexi Job Scheme

The BBC will pay up to 50% of the apprentice’s salary and on-costs.
The BBC will manage the recruitment and work with the training provider to create a bespoke learning programme for the apprentice.
The BBC will work flexibly with you to enable the apprenticeship to work with your production schedule.
The BBC funds all training costs of the apprenticeship through its apprenticeship levy.

The BBC Apprenticeships team will:

Manage the recruitment of the apprentices, hiring them on a fixed-term contract for the duration of the apprenticeship.
Provide payroll and an end-to-end HR service.
Offer access and disability services including pastoral support.
Deliver a wrap-around learning programme including apprenticeship qualification and learning support and career employability master-classes.
Partner with learning providers to deliver gold standard training programmes.

The host employer will:

Provide an on-the-job industry placement that will allow apprentices to gain experience that will fulfil the requirements of their apprenticeship.
Manage and support the apprentice day-to-day whilst they are on placement.
Ensure the apprentice is treated as supernumerary to your team so they can learn from colleagues and gain as much knowledge as possible during their time with you.
Allow time off for training and academy study.
Provide feedback to the BBC Apprenticeship Team and Learning Provider on how the apprentice is progressing.
Offer networking opportunities to the apprentice where appropriate.

If you are an independent production company or a post production company who are interested in taking on an apprentice through the BBC Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agency, further details are available here, including an Expression of Interest form.

Inclusion and diversity in the UK’s VFX, animation and post production sectors

The UK Screen Alliance in conjunction with Animation UK and Access VFX has published a major new report into inclusion and diversity in the UK’s VFX, animation and post-production sectors.

The report fills in a data gap which was highlighted by a BFI commissioned evidence review in 2018 and by the recent ScreenSkills Assessment for 2018-19 which called for more granular research at sub-sectoral industry level into inclusion and diversity. Collectively, industry trade body UK Screen Alliance in conjunction with Animation UK and Access: VFX, surveyed of more than 1,150 workers. The results reveal a portrait of diversity that will challenge many of the preconceptions about these three sectors and their progress in achieving an inclusive workplace. There has been significant improvement in some respects, but there are areas where action is still required.

The report documents a significantly higher percentage of ethnic diversity in VFX, post and animation than the overall level of diversity, or lack of it, within the wider film and TV industry. In VFX, people of colour make up 19% of the workforce. For animation, BAME representation is 14% and in post-production it is 18%. All three sectors exceed the 14% UK average percentage for people of colour in the working-age population.

Read the full report on Inclusion & Diversity in VFX, Animation and Post Production:Download

Info-graphics:

The UK’s VFX Workforce

UK Screen Alliance collects comprehensive data about the VFX workforce in the UK each year with the cooperation of the HR departments of the leading companies. We can therefore achieve a large sample size which gives a highly credible analysis of the composition of the workforce.

The BFI in its Screen Business report also makes an estimate of the number of people employed directly by VFX and the number of jobs supported by VFX in the wider economy. A bespoke job creation model was developed by Olsberg SPI from data from UK Screen Alliance workforce survey.

The following most recent statistics are drawn from these sources.

Number of people employed in VFX:

Direct employment: 10,680 ^[1] – FTE (Full Time Equivalents)

Total jobs supported by VFX in the complete film & TV value chain including indirect employment in the supply chain, induced jobs by spending of wages and spillover employment from tourism, merchandise and brand value: 27,430 FTE^[1]

Payroll

Total direct employment costs VFX: £517.6m ^[1]

52% of VFX employees are basic rate taxpayers ^[2]
46% of VFX employees are higher rate taxpayers ^[2] (salary >£44.5k- 2017 tax band)
1% of VFX employees pay additional rate tax ^[2] (salary >£150k)

Median age of VFX artists is 31^[2]

Median salary of VFX artists is £47,000^[2]

Note on the chart above that on average VFX artists hit the £25,000 threshold to be required to pay back UK student loans by age 24 i.e. 3 years after graduation.

Also note that VFX artists earn do not an average of £30,000 until aged 26. This is the proposed minimum salary threshold for UK Skilled Worker Visas and therefore will constrain the recruitment of emerging talent from Europe if the UK government implements this proposal.

However the average pay in VFX at all ages exceeds the overall UK average as well as exceeding the average pay for the creative industries by a good margin.

Contract Type

The UK Screen Workforce Survey shows that in contrast to many parts of the film & TV industry, permanent employment is a lot more common with day or week rate freelance contracts being relatively rare. There are also significant differences between VFX for film & TV and VFX for advertising.

Contract Type	VFX (Film/TV)	VFX (Advertising)
Permanent	43%	85%
Fixed term < 6 months	22%	6%
Fixed term between 6 months and 1year	16%	4%
Fixed term > 1 year	16%	5%
Freelance	2%	–
Other	1%	1%

Nationality

The VFX industry is highly cosmopolitan with more than 70 nationalities represented.

Whilst UK workers make up 60% of the total VFX workforce, the concentration of international workers is greater in the operational workforce (i.e artists, production, R&D and technical support but excluding admin, HR, finance an client services). Without the operational workforce there would be no business.

European workers make up one in three of the operational workforce, so the ending of the free movement of labour as the UK exits the EU, will have an adverse effect as visas are introduced for EU skilled workers. Note that there is also 13% of the workforce from non-EU countries (ROTW = Rest of the World)

Nationality distribution of whole VFX workforce – UK Screen Alliance workforce survey 2017

Nationality distribution of operational VFX workforce – UK Screen Alliance workforce survey 2017

Diversity

Gender

Only 27% of the workforce in VFX are female. There remains much to do in breaking down gender stereotyping to encourage women to study for and apply for the many roles that require technical or coding skills.

There is however an improving picture and evidence in the UK Screen Alliance workforce survey suggest that the gender balance is more even in the younger age group of VFX workers. Therefore if this pattern of recruitment and retention is maintained, over time this will have a beneficial effect on the ratio in the whole workforce as more women progress to senior roles. There is also a need to ensure that women return to the VFX industry if they take time out for the birth of their children, so that their valuable experience is not lost.

These factors will also be fundamental to improving the gender pay gap in the sector, which is between 24% and 33% ^[7]. There is little evidence of widespread disparity in pay between people of different genders performing the same role with similar levels of experience, however the historical pattern over 20 years of senior managers and artists tending to be male, drives the calculated pay gap upwards which is based on the median salary levels across an entire company. The proportion of women in the top quartile of earners in VFX companies ranges from 11.1% to 16.5% ^[7].

The gender balance is not the same in all departments. The IT and R&D departments are the most male dominated but the production departments are 60% women^[2].

Gender composition of VFX workforce – UK Screen Alliance workforce survey 2017

For information and figures on representation of gender in this sector, see out page on Inclusion and Diversity in the UK animation VFX and post production.

Ethnicity

Many VFX companies do not routinely collate statistics on the racial origins of their workforce. UK Screen Alliance is encouraging them to do so in future so that progress in this important area can be monitored. It may be become mandatory in future if ethnicity pay gap reporting becomes mandatory.

For information and figures on representation of ethnicity, see our page on Inclusion and Diversity in the UK animation VFX and post production sectors.

Disability

For information and figures on representation of disability and neurodiversity, see our page on Inclusion and Diversity in the UK animation VFX and post production sectors.

References:

[1] BFI Screen Business report 2021

[2] UK Screen Alliance workforce survey 2017

[3] UK Screen Alliance workforce survey 2017

[4] A Skills Audit of the UK Film and Screen Industries Report for the British Film Institute by The Work Foundation

[5] Gov.UK ONS statistics – Population of UK

[6] Gov.UK ONS Statistics -Regional ethnic diversity

[7] Gov.uk Gender pay Gap 2018 reported median figures

Find a job in Animation or VFX

Our member companies are posting new job vacancies all the time, so check out their recruitment pages from this comprehensive listing.

Check out jobs in Animation, or VFX, and VFX Apprenticeships, as well as jobs in Post Production or TV & Film Studios

Animation

A Productions: https://aproductions.co.uk/jobs/

A+C Studios https://www.aplusc.tv/careers

Aardman Animation: https://www.aardman.com/jobs/

Acamar Films: http://www.acamarfilms.com/careers/

Animation Associates: http://www.animation-associates.co.uk/opportunities/4593527396

Blue Zoo: https://careers.blue-zoo.co.uk/

Cake Entertainment: https://www.indeed.co.uk/Cake-Entertainment-jobs

Carse & Waterman: https://www.carseandwaterman.com/careers

Cloth Cat Animation: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cloth-cat-animation

Eye Present: http://www.eyepresent.co.uk/

Karrot Entertainment: http://karrotanimation.com/about/

Locksmith Animation: https://locksmithanimation.com/careers

Lupus Films: https://lupusfilms.com/tag/jobs

Mackinnon and Saunders: https://www.mackinnonandsaunders.com/jobs

Magic Light Pictures: https://www.magiclightpictures.com/

Salamandra.uk: https://salamandra.uk/careers/

Spider Eye: https://www.spider-eye.com

Studio AKA: https://studioaka.co.uk/contacts/#Vacancies

Studio Liddell: www.studioliddell.com/careers/

Tiger Aspect Productions: https://www.tigeraspect.co.uk/recruitment/

Tinmouse Animation Studio: http://www.tinmouseanimation.com/about

Wildseed Studios: http://wildseedstudios.com/category/jobs/

VFX

BlueBolt: https://www.blue-bolt.com/hiring

Cinesite: https://www.cinesite.com/careers/

DNEG: https://www.dneg.com/careers/

Electric Theatre Collective: http://electrictheatre.tv/blog/careers

Framestore: https://www.framestore.com/careers

Freefolk: https://freefolk.com/jobs/

The Imaginarium Studios: https://www.imaginariumstudios.co.uk/contact

Industrial Light and Magic: https://jobs.jobvite.com/lucascompanies/jobs/ilm

Lexhag: https://lexhag.co.uk/join-us/

Milk VFX: http://www.milk-vfx.com/careers/

One Of Us: https://www.weacceptyou.com/join-us

Outpost VFX: https://www.outpostvfx.co.uk/careers/

Scanline VFX: https://www.scanlinevfx.com/london-careers

Union VFX: https://unionvfx.com/careers

Vine FX: http://vinefx.com/#contact

VFX Apprenticeships

NextGen Skills Academy: https://www.nextgenskillsacademy.com/vfx-apprenticeships-how-to-apply

APPLYING UK INCENTIVES TO POST & VFX

VFX and post production are allowable costs within the Audio Visual Expenditure Credit (AVEC), providing the qualifying criteria are met. A minimum UK expenditure requirement of 10% of total core production expenditure must be exceeded, and the project must qualify as British via the Cultural Test or be an official co-production. Note that there can be sufficient points available in the Cultural Test to qualify if only performing VFX or post in the UK.

You do not need to perform all production activity in the UK and it is absolutely possible to claim UK tax relief for post and VFX only, even if no principal photography occurs in the UK.

It is essential to set up a UK based limited production company (FPC or TPC) before shooting begins in order to account for all production costs, even if only the post-production or VFX occurs in the UK.

The VFX uplift

VFX expenditure receives an uplift to the standard AVEC, taking it from 25.5% net to 29.25% net after tax. The AVEC is subject to tax at a notional rate of 25%, so the headline rates of 34% or 39% equate respectively to 25.5% or 29.25% after tax. Additionally, the VFX expenditure is exempt from the overall 80% cap on total core production spend eligible for UK tax relief. This means that productions can receive 25.5% incentive on filming and other non-VFX costs in the UK (up to 80% of total core production spend) and still receive a 29.25% incentive on their VFX spend, regardless of whether that spend takes their total UK core spend above the 80% cap on eligibility for relief.

All VFX expenditure claimed for must occur in the UK, so any outsourcing of VFX activity to non-UK subsiduaries or subcontractors must be deducted from the claim. This also applies to activity by remote VFX artists operating outside the UK. The use of cloud storage and rendering is a claimable expense regardless of it’s location, but it must be under the control of UK-based VFX artists.

Relevant visual effects work is defined as, “the use of computer technology to create or alter images for inclusion in a film or programme.” For example, the cost of third-party vendor contracts to provide any of the common services listed below, or other work to digitally alter or create images, is allowable:

Pre-visualisation (provided it does not occur in the development phase)
Concept design (provided it does not occur in the development phase)
Storyboarding to plan VFX work/shots
Creating CGI backdrops, characters and wholly CGI shots to be added to filmed footage
Compositing
Colour correction
Beauty work
Character and creature animation
3D modelling
LIDAR scanning and photogrammetry (where it is used to create VFX environments and assets)
Lighting and rendering
Digital matte painting
Temporary shots used for editing
Motion capture (including body scans & facial capture)
Stereo 3D conversion
Producing images for virtual sets

The definition does not extend to the principal photography that creates the images that VFX artists work on.

Costs incurred by using AI for the creation or alteration of images are eligible expenses for the VFX uplift.

VFX costs related to creating digital assets for use in Virtual Production are eligible for the uplift, but not costs of shooting in front of LED walls (you can still claim standard AVEC for virtual production on-set costs at 25.5% net, if below the 80% cap)

SFX costs are not included in the uplift (you can still claim standard AVEC at 25.5% net, if below the 80% cap)

If VFX is part of a full-service post-package including non-VFX services, the production company must apportion the fee paid to the vendor on a just and reasonable basis, to exclude the element that relates to non-VFX services. These non-VFX post production services may still be eligible for the standard AVEC at 25.5%, if below the 80% cap.

The cost of any VFX supervisor contracted directly by the production is also eligible for the VFX uplift, but must be pro-rated according to their activity in the UK.

VFX within the Enhanced AVEC for Limited Budget Films

VFX and post production are eligible expenses within the Enhanced AVEC for Limited Budget Films under £23.5 million core production expenditure, colloquially known as the Indie Film Tax Credit (IFTC), even though it is not restricted to independent films and low budget studio films could also qualify. Relief is tapered if the core production expenditure of these films exceeds £15 million and the maximum net rebate that can be claimed is £4.77 million. The IFTC only applies to productions with theartical releases; it does not apply to televison or streaming releases.

The VFX uplift cannot be combined with the IFTC or with the animation AVEC. This means that the overall 80% cap will still apply to the VFX spend if claiming the IFTC. However any VFX or post production expenditure on films claiming IFTC, are eligible costs, and could receive a net rebate of up to 39.75% depending whether the 80% cap on total eligible UK expenditure, or the overall £4.77 million IFTC cap are exceeded. If the core production expenditure is betwen £18 million and £23.5 million, it may be worth transfering to the AVEC if there is significant VFX expenditure, as the VFX uplift can then be claimed, which will be exempt from the 80% cap, and therefore the overall UK net cash rebate may be higher.