
January, 9th 2012
by Marc Bourbonnais
When we founded Modus FX in 2007, we knew that to succeed as an industry leader, we would have to extend our reach beyond the local market. We believed that, if we could get a piece of the Hollywood and international markets, we could compete with the best.
Visual effects is a tough business. Audience expectations grow every time a new film sets the bar higher, but the movie studio's budgets don't change much. In 1999, a classic VFX film like The Matrix had just over 400 CG shots. Today, a film like Tron has almost four times as many. We are constantly challenged to find efficient ways to produce more and better effects.
We currently employ between 80 and 100 skilled artists and technicians, depending on our workload. We have created CGI for such Hollywood movies as Source Code, The Immortals, Jane Eyre, Barney's Version, Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 and many others. Every year we move a little bit closer to our goal of becoming one of the top ten visual effect studios in the world. The secret to our success so far has been careful business planning based on five key factors.
1. Think global
While we have certainly taken on big projects here at home, such as Canada's first 3D animated film, Sarila, most of our work has been on films from France, Great Britain, Asia, and, of course, Hollywood. We now run a full office in Los Angeles and recently won a spot on ICM, a major talent agency the first Canadian visual effects company to be represented by them.
2. Choose your niche
The high-end studios we work with appreciate our full visual effects capabilities, including concept development, on-set support, 3D modeling, animation, and compositing. But for most VFX facilities it is wise to specialize. At Modus FX, for example, we have developed expertise in surfaces, such as the trains in Source Code and the water plane in Barney's Version, as well as CG environments and invisible effects, such as when we changed the season from winter to summer for several scenes in Jane Eyre.
3. Find and keep talent
Visual effects artists are highly skilled and dedicated professionals. They are hard to come by. It is crucial to create an environment where they feel engaged and where their contributions are valued. To keep doing great work, we need to make sure we continue to attract, and develop, great artists.
We are now at an optimum size for a facility that serves the feature film industry. We have a stable core team of about 50 permanent staff. We typically have another 40 or 50 on a contract basis, usually hired for a specific project, and often rehired for the next one. Of course there are only so many artists to draw from in Montreal, so we also need to recruit from abroad.
Finding artists is an ongoing task. We are also becoming more involved in training new talent at home. Quebec has great training programs, such as the Centre NAD, and here at Modus we plan to extend that with in-house training for emerging artists.
4. Use tax incentives
Tax credits have been a stable part of the Canadian film production landscape for twenty years, offering local companies an advantage over their American competitors. Tax incentive programs in some states are far from stable and encourage producers to turn to dependable environments like Quebec and Canada.
In Montreal the tax credits for digital effects services can reach 35-40%. These credits are great for everyone: they support an industry that provides long-term high-tech jobs, and they infuse around $1.50 into the local economy for each dollar awarded as a tax credit.
5. Become an attractive investment
Although our business is not without risks, our size makes us attractive to local investors who want to get involved with large projects.
Expenditures on equipment and staff in this industry are high and it can be hard to get long-term advance agreements on projects. Cash flow is a challenge for almost everyone in this industry, but we benefit from having regular clients and a lot of repeat business. Our track record means our credit margin is good. Our bank has confidence in our stability and that's crucial to weathering the ups and downs. That stability works all the way down the line: from the film companies who keep coming back with new work, to the freelance and permanent staff who like to work here, to our investors and creditors who know that we're in business for the long run.
People say that the movies are a recession-proof industry. Even with the increase in the value of the Canadian dollar and the financial turmoil in the US, people want to be entertained. Digital effects are used in all films these days and increasingly for TV. This is a growing market.
Marc Bourbonnais is president and co-founder of Modus FX, a visual effects facility in Ste. Therese. He represents Modus FX at the Quebec Film and Television Commission and is an active conference speaker. Bourbonnais was recognized with the NAD Centre's Tribute Award in 2010.
Most recent headlines
12/03/2025
CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....
12/03/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...
12/03/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...
12/03/2025
PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....
12/03/2025
Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade
During Marc...
11/03/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival...
11/03/2025
Salsa is making a comeback, captivating new listeners with its infectious energy...
11/03/2025
For many people, music can serve as a reflection of their roots and upbringing. ...
11/03/2025
The solution delivers reliable, scalable and secure connectivity for critical pu...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Harmonic has announced that Weigel Broadcasting has deployed Harmonics VOS Media Software, which offers playout-to-delivery capabilities, inclu...
11/03/2025
NEW BERN, N.C. Wheatstone will introduce a Linux audio driver for its WheatNet IP audio network during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention...
11/03/2025
NEW YORK A new study finds that as TV viewership for women's sports surged by 131% in 2024, the programming also saw a 56% year-over-year increase in ad im...
11/03/2025
Powerful switcher for news studio
FOR-A, a cutting-edge video broadcast technology company backed by more than 50 years experience, has installed its HVS-1200 ...
11/03/2025
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of high-quality video over the internet, is unveiling significant advancements to its Direkt series at NAB 2025. With a ...
11/03/2025
Glensound, a leader in high-quality audio systems, is bringing yet more innovation to NAB Show 2025 (Booth N2270, Las Vegas Convention Center, 6-9 April). Well-...
11/03/2025
Whittier, Calif.-based Anaconda Street Productions (ASP) is a leading film and television production company known for creating captivating content that resonat...
11/03/2025
DNAV, a full-service systems integrator, consultant, and manufacturer's representative of leading broadcast, AV, lighting, and display equipment, announces ...
11/03/2025
MNC Software Inc., a global leader in network solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Darren Frearson as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective...
11/03/2025
Polar Graphics, a UK leading distributor for the broadcast, post and pro-AV industries, has signed a licensing agreement with XenData to include its XenData Arc...
11/03/2025
Chyron PAINT 9.9 Delivers Sharper Visuals and Smoother Workflows for Sports Tele...
11/03/2025
Alice in Wonderlight Filmed with URSA Mini Pro 12K OLPF
Brie Clayton March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Play captured in 8K60p as part of national initiative t...
11/03/2025
Twisting in the Wind - An Apple Motion Tutorial
Simon Ubsdell March 11, 2025
0 Comments
Another very simple text-based project that uses an unusual co...
11/03/2025
The secret to looking inside a Project in Premiere Pro
Colin Smith March 11, 2025
0 Comments
This tutorial demonstrates the incredible capabilities of...
11/03/2025
New Book Explores How the Quiet Storm Shaped Modern R&B In The Quiet Storm, Berklee Online alumnus Amani Roberts explores how the radio format defined America...
11/03/2025
Slapshot aims to make VFX available for a range of users including independent editors, colourists, content creators and established visual effects companies
B...
11/03/2025
Aiming to attract international film production, the 16 million complex is scheduled to open next year
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: March 11, 2025
Aimi...
11/03/2025
Kamil Pietrzyk, support and projects manager at CueScript, tells TVBEurope how an interest in electronics and IT prompted a career in the broadcast industry
By...
11/03/2025
Underwater DoP Ian Seabrook on Last Breath Credit: Jon Borg / 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC
Canadian/British Director of Photography, Ian Seabrook is one of the ...
11/03/2025
Originally opened in the early 1960s as Moonglow Records, The Sound Factory name was coined by Producer David Hassinger, who purchased the studio in 1969. A lit...
11/03/2025
BCNEXXT, a trailblazer in virtualized, cloud-native systems for Linear, VoD, and OTT publishing, proudly marks a decade of redefining broadcast playout. This mi...
11/03/2025
Experience Commerce, an integrated marketing agency within the Cheil Network, has been appointed as the official digital partner for Parle Candy Culture, reinfo...
11/03/2025
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. A new survey highlights how far major streaming platforms have come in terms of offering sports, with findings that show the number of people ...
11/03/2025
TYSONS, Va. Tegna Inc. has announced today that John Trevi o has been named president and general manager at WKYC, the NBC affiliate serving Cleveland, Ohio, ef...
11/03/2025
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that Canela Media is using Brightcove's technologies to power its streaming operations....
11/03/2025
CESSON-SEVIGNE, France Chunghwa Telecom, the leading telecommunications operator in Taiwan, has selected Broadpeak to provide solutions for its streaming servic...
11/03/2025
Leader sets US debut of LPX500 Waveform Monitor for NAB 2025
Brie Clayton March 10, 2025
0 Comments
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Instruments C...
11/03/2025
The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Presents the Grand Gathering The Signature Series concert will feature performances by all nine of the instit...
11/03/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE and Carlsbad, California 12 March 2025 Space42, (ADX: SPACE42...
11/03/2025
March 11th, 2025 Tribeca Enterprises, SIC, and the Lisbon City Council Announce...
11/03/2025
Drones, Flycam To Highlight 60+-Camera Coverage of THE PLAYERS This Weekend 60+ cameras, NEP's PGA TOUR fleet, 25 talent will be deployed at TPC Sawgrass B...
11/03/2025
The Art of 9:16: How Corporate Content Producers Have Embraced Vertical Video Leaders from the corporate space share their advice and success stories By SVG St...
11/03/2025
SVG Rewind: NFL's Tim Tubito on Elevating Gameday Activations of Super Bowl ...
11/03/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Ventuz's David Paniego on the Increasing Synergy Betw...
11/03/2025
Best Snow Day Ever: NESN, Bruins Roll Out NHL's Latest Animated Data-Visuali...
11/03/2025
To view this content, please enable our use of cookies. To do so, click Privacy ...
11/03/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Reveals Official Trailer for The Ladys CompanionPlay Video
Play Video
Entertainment
11 March 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clip...
11/03/2025
Back to All News
Geeta Gandbhir's The Perfect Neighbor to Release on Netfli...
11/03/2025
The ROI of AI: New research on how AI is transforming B2B sales Published on Mar 11, 2025 Categories: Research, Data and insights
LinkedIn Corporate Commun...
11/03/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. - March 11, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that...
11/03/2025
Powerful new switcher for news studio...