BOT VFX, a privately held visual effects services company based in the US, with a production operation in Chennai, recently acquired the pipeline assets of Sony’s visual effects unit in India.
For many years Sony Pictures Imageworks India (SPII) served as an extension to Sony’s main visual effects operation in Los Angeles supporting major feature film projects Smurfs 2 and the upcoming ‘The amazing Spiderman 2’. The Indian unit’s production pipeline leveraged much of the same high tech tools and infrastructure of the parent operation in LA. SPII was established in 2007 through the acquisition of FrameFlow, a start-up by Hitesh Shah who is also responsible for creating BOT VFX.
In February, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced that as part of a broader restructuring of its visual effects operation in North America, SPII in Chennai would be closing down. BOT VFX has acquired all of the technical infrastructure and hired some of the people displaced from the erstwhile operation.
“Imageworks India’s closure has been an unfortunate downturn in an otherwise illustrious set of accomplishments by the operation. Along with Rhythm & Hues, SPII can be considered among the early pioneers of visual effects services space in India so it is particularly sad to see it close for reasons external to the operation. We feel privileged to be able to absorb some of the talent the unit had and are excited to acquire the great infrastructure it was well recognized for.” says Sreyans Bardia, Director for BOT VFX in India.