VFX Legion, the Burbank-based visual effects company, has launched a studio in British Columbia, Canada. The new division accesses the province’s substantial tax rebates, and the diverse roster of senior artists needed to efficiently craft the high-quality photo-realistic visual effects that feature films and episodic television shows demand.
Although the expansion to B.C. marks the first time that VFX Legion has established a presence outside of L.A., it has been a global company since founder and creative director James David Hattin opened its doors in 2013. With a next-generation pipeline at its core, Legion can render an artist’s location irrelevant, thus establishing its Kelowna, B.C. studio as a creative hub.
The company kicks off the new venture with a skilled roster of in-house talent, along with a scalable collective of specialized visual effects artists based beyond commuting distance to its studio. Hattin is currently finalizing the signing of a head of production/sr. VFX supervisor to helm the B.C. operation as Legion continues to solidify new relationships with top-tier talent based throughout the whole of the province.
“British Columbia’s dense pool of experienced artists makes it an ideal location for VFX Legion’s first foray into a tax haven,” said Hattin, the architect of the company’s pipeline. “It enables us to take optimum advantage of our infrastructure’s capabilities and bring some of B.C.’s most creative and experienced visual effects artists into our fold.”
Hattin continued, “The impetus behind the launch of VFX Legion was the need for a new generation of visual effects companies with state-of-the-art capabilities, ensuring that establishing a presence in B.C., or any region offering tax incentives, doesn’t come at the cost of limited access to top-tier talent.”
VFX Legion’s capabilities build on Hattin’s 20+ years of experience as a tech-savvy lead talent helming visual effects teams for Hollywood’s episodic television shows and blockbuster films. The hands-on creative supervises and collaborates with the company’s LA and B.C.-based artists, as well as its worldwide network of talent, working in real-time as a single unit through every phase of production.
Shonda Rhimes’ high-profile series, Scandal (ABC), entrusted Legion to handle all its visual effects needs for three seasons, through last year’s finale. Currently, How to Get Away with Murder (ABC), Madam Secretary (CBS), and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (CW), are a few of the shows that continue to return to work with the company’s team season after season. Hardcore Henry, Sinister 2, Insidious 3, Asura, 12 Strong and Superfly are among Legion’s feature film credits.
British Columbia is the first of a series of regions offering tax incentives where VFX Legion plans to put down stakes. Hattin is in the process of assembling a core team of artists in New York, and plans are in the works to launch a division in the state.
