[\/vc_column_text][vc_separator color=\u00a0\u00bbcustom\u00a0\u00bb border_width=\u00a0\u00bb2″ accent_color=\u00a0\u00bb#bdae8d\u00a0\u00bb][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n
The visual effects (VFX) industry in France has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade. This journey was celebrated at the PIDS Enghien 2025<\/a>, France\u2019s premier annual festival dedicated to VFX and CGI. On its 10th anniversary, the festival reflected on the evolution of a sector that has grown to become a major global player.<\/p>\n Organized across three days of conferences exploring creative, technical, and economic challenges, this year\u2019s PIDS opened with a half-day of panel discussions on the latest industry figures, market trends and a compelling roundtable titled \u201c10 Years That Have Changed Everything, That Will Change Everything?\u201d<\/em> Moderated by PIDS General Delegate Yann Marchet, the panel featured industry leaders, including Laurens Ehrmann (Founder and Senior VFX Supervisor, The Yard), Pauline Augrain (Director of the Digital Directorate, CNC), Olivier Emery (CEO, Trimaran and Co-President, France VFX), and Renaud Jungmann (Director, VFX Workshop School).<\/p>\n The roundtable revisited key events from the past decade, such as the launch of the first French VFX association and public initiatives in 2017, which laid the foundation for the industry’s growth. The early 2020s saw a surge in streaming platforms, coupled with the introduction of the Cr\u00e9dit d\u2019Imp\u00f4t International<\/em> (C2i), including a dedicated tax incentive for VFX. By 2021, the Acad\u00e9mie des C\u00e9sar added a VFX supervision trophy to its awards roster. The session also delved into more recent challenges, including the pandemic, the 2024 Hollywood strikes and the rapid rise of generative AI.<\/p>\n This insightful exchange provided valuable context to better understand the latest industry trends, which were explored further during an afternoon roundtable. Below are the key highlights:<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb9569″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb add_caption=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]A Decade of Evolution: From Advertising to Blockbusters<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Reflecting on its beginnings, Yann Marchet noted how far the French VFX industry has come. In 2015, when the first PIDS was held, most French studios focused on advertising or small domestic productions. At the time, Canada and London dominated the global VFX market, and French projects were often outsourced.<\/p>\n The turning point arrived in 2017, when the CNC<\/a> (Centre National du Cin\u00e9ma et de l’image anim\u00e9e) launched a strategic plan for VFX. This included tax incentives like the C2i and funding programs to encourage local productions. These measures attracted more ambitious projects, both domestically and internationally. By 2020, additional enhancements to the C2i with The Tax Rebate for International Productions (TRIP<\/a>)\u2014such as a 10% VFX bonus for projects exceeding \u20ac2 million in VFX expenses\u2014boosted France\u2019s competitiveness. Today, French studios are working on high-profile productions such as The Lord of The Rings : The Rings of Power – Season 2<\/em><\/a> and The Walking Dead : Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol<\/a>, <\/em>both with VFX crafted by The Yard.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space] The numbers reflect the industry’s success. According to CNC’s latest study<\/a>, 77% of French fiction films featured VFX in 2023, with total domestic VFX spending reaching \u20ac21 million\u2014an all-time high. FICAM<\/a>‘s projections for 2024 are even more promising, with \u20ac33 million expected to be invested in French VFX projects.<\/p>\n This growth has also fueled job creation. While the number of active VFX companies dropped to 67 in 2023, the average workforce per studio reached a record 13 full-time equivalents (FTEs). The total payroll for the sector has doubled over the past decade, hitting \u20ac100 million in 2023.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The industry has also matured in its organizational structure. Permanent roles have increased by 50% in the last decade, and 38% of these positions are now held by senior executives. Additionally, a third of permanent employees have over 10 years of experience, signaling better retention and career longevity.<\/p>\n Diversity has also improved. Women now make up 41% of new hires in the VFX sector, compared to just 21% in 2019. Their representation in VFX-specific roles has risen to 31%. While a wage gap remains\u2014women earn 5% less than men on average\u2014this gap has halved since 2019, thanks to greater representation in senior roles.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb9571″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb add_caption=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]A Highly Concentrated Industry<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The French VFX sector, despite its impressive growth, remains highly concentrated. Over the past four years, more than 50% of the total payroll has been absorbed by just five companies, reflecting the dominance of a few key players.<\/p>\n In 2023, the industry consisted of 67 active companies spread across 83 establishments, but 71% of these were located in \u00cele-de-France, slightly down from 79% a decade ago. While the Paris region remains the epicenter of activity, notable strides have been made to decentralize production and expand capacity into regional hubs.<\/p>\n This is exemplified by three flagship projects led or shared by studios outside \u00cele-de-France: Ridley Scott\u2019s Napoleon<\/em> (Light VFX \u2013 Nouvelle-Aquitaine), The Rings of Power<\/em> – Season 2<\/a> (The Yard VFX \u2013 Occitanie<\/a>), and Daryl Dixon<\/em> (Mathematic \u2013 Occitanie). These regional successes highlight the growing ambition of French VFX companies to distribute talent and resources across the country, paving the way for broader geographic diversification within the industry.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb9573″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Artificial Intelligence: A Tool for Innovation and Efficiency<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n The French VFX sector, despite its impressive growth, remains highly concentrated. Over the past four years, more than 50% of the total payroll has been absorbed by just five companies, reflecting the dominance of a few key players.<\/p>\n The rise of AI has added a new dimension to the VFX industry. According to the CNC\u2019s AI Observatory, 94% of VFX studios in France now use AI tools, primarily for tasks like upscaling and idea generation. However, only 62.6% of respondents expressed satisfaction with these tools, citing inconsistent quality as a concern.<\/p>\n While AI offers efficiency gains, it also challenges traditional workflows. French studios view AI as an opportunity for upskilling rather than a threat to jobs, distinguishing their perspective from other sectors like animation and post-production.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Challenges, Opportunities, and the Road Ahead\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Despite its remarkable growth, the French VFX industry faces both opportunities and challenges tied to global market dynamics. The 2024 Hollywood strikes and the reduction in content investments by streaming platforms have highlighted the sector\u2019s dependence on international trends despite a dynamic national production. The rapid expansion of the workforce, supported by training initiatives and important network of digital art schools, has raised questions about maintaining sustainable employment levels in the face of fluctuating demand.<\/p>\n A key point raised during a roundtable discussion with Laurens Ehrmann (The Yard), Pauline Augrain (CNC), Renaud Jungmann (VFX Workshop) and Olivier Emery (Trimaran) was the globalized nature of the VFX market and the intense international competition. They stressed that competitiveness operates on a national scale, requiring robust fiscal policies, public support, and political stability. Recent advancements, like France\u2019s enhanced tax incentives, have provided a strong foundation, but the industry cannot afford complacency.<\/p>\n At the same time, promising initiatives are emerging to bolster the industry\u2019s future. The France 2030 \u00ab\u00a0La Grande Fabrique de l’Image\u00a0\u00bb<\/a> Plan will enable more productions to be filmed and crafted domestically, reducing the need for outsourcing and expanding production capacity within France. These efforts, combined with the continued embrace of innovative technologies like AI, position the French VFX industry as a potential global leader. However, leaders agree that innovation alone will not suffice\u2014success will also depend on the resilience of the domestic ecosystem and France\u2019s ability to weather economic and political uncertainties.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_single_image image=\u00a0\u00bb5526″ img_size=\u00a0\u00bbfull\u00a0\u00bb add_caption=\u00a0\u00bbyes\u00a0\u00bb alignment=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n From its humble beginnings catering primarily to advertising and small-scale projects, to its current stature as a major international player, the French VFX sector exemplifies how strategic public support, creative vision, and industry collaboration can drive extraordinary transformation. With continued investment in innovation and infrastructure, as well as a renewed focus on talent retention and competitiveness, the next decade promises even greater achievements for this dynamic and evolving industry.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n You can retrieve more details in the latest\u00a0report on\u00a0 the employment in France’s VFX industry, published by the CNC by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n French trade press, Le Film Fran\u00e7ais, published a thorough article on the conference insights that can be accessed here.<\/a>[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n![\"DARYL](\"https:\/\/theyard-vfx.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/DarylDixonS2.png\")
<\/div>![\"THE](\"https:\/\/theyard-vfx.com\/stage\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Rings2.png\")
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