Framestore acquires Company 3 / Method

Framestore has purchased global post-production and VFX brands Company 3 / Method (C3M) for an undisclosed figure, in partnership with financiers Aleph Capital and Crestview Partners.

Framestore is HQ’ed in London, with studios in LA, New York, Chicago, Montréal and Mumbai. Its work ranges from high-profile features including Avengers End Game, Blade Runner 2049 and Gravity; high-end TV for the likes of Amazon, Netflix and Disney+; to immersive theme park experiences for brands such as Wanda and Lionsgate Entertainment World.

Meanwhile, C3M’s brands include Encore and Stereo D, which are based in 11 cities in the US, as well as Canada, UK, Australia and India.

The company is led by Stefan Sonnenfeld (pictured, above left).

In a press release, Framestore said the acquisition and resulting scaled-up business “represents the next phase of the industry, uniquely uniting all aspects that support the making of entertainment and communications content - from concepts, through to digital and post-production.”

Sir William Sargent, co-founder and CEO of Framestore (pictured, above right), said: “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. 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.

“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.”

Sonnenfeld added: “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.”

Hugues Lepic, founder and CEO of Aleph Capital, which helped finance the deal, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Sir William and Stefan in the creation of a world leading player in the creative services industry.”

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.”