Chennai-headquartered Basilic Fly Studio has made a major investment in leading London and Paris-based VFX house, One of Us. The deal will see the partnering of two studios whose growth has been founded on a reputation for quality.
The combined skills and technologies of the two companies will create a more agile VFX partner for film, streaming, and TV content producers, in tune with the changing demands of the sector. The existing leadership will continue to lead One of Us on a day-to-day basis. The investment sees Basilic Fly take a 70 per cent stake in One of Us, and together the studios will have capacity for over 900 artists.
Basilic Fly Studio (BFS) started with a small team of passionate artists in Chennai over a decade ago. From these modest beginnings, BFS has grown into a more than 500-strong workforce with studios in Chennai, Pune, Vancouver, and London. With aspirations to evolve into a full creative studio and be at the forefront of innovation in the industry, BFS has been part of iconic projects including Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, and The Last of Us. The company’s journey includes getting listed on the India Stock Exchange, driven by a commitment to doing great work and growing the organisation with passion, believing that everything else is a byproduct of excellence.
“Since founding BFS with my colleagues back in 2013, we have always wanted to create an international partner for the film, TV, and streaming industry and today’s deal with One of Us is an important milestone in this vision. Over the years, we have worked together on multiple projects, so we know each other incredibly well,” said BFS CEO and co-founder Balakrishnan. “It was immediately clear that we shared a belief in the central role of talented artists within a wider vision and culture. Throughout our relationship, I have been blown away by the skill of the One of Us team, and together with the talent of the BFS team, I am certain that we can achieve great things together.”
“The film industry is full of challenges, and VFX is often frontline – inventing new ways to realise the creative appetites and imaginations of filmmakers and creators alike. The opportunity to combine with a fast-growing studio like BFS – working closely with Bala, Yoga, and their fantastic leadership is very exciting for us. It allows us to expand in ways we would not easily achieve on our own,” said One of Us CEO and co-founder Rachael Penfold.
Penfold further mentioned, “This will be a powerful and agile offering, at a time when the industry is transforming itself, and engaging with the work requires new and innovative thinking. On a day-to-day basis, it will remain business as usual, with myself and the founders overseeing the London studio, and Emmanuel Pichereau providing leadership in Paris.”
With a reputation for creative excellence, One of Us (OOU) works across film and TV. Its VFX studios in London and Paris have the capacity for more than 450 artists. OOU brings a bold attitude to design and a deep understanding of the filmmaking process to support creatives at all stages of production. Founded in 2004 by Rachael Penfold, Dominic Parker, and Tom Debenham, Othe studio has won two BAFTA TV Awards for its work on both The Crown and The Witcher, and an Emmy Award for The Alienist, alongside other awards and nominations.
Over the last five years, BFS has worked with OOU on many of their most important projects, including:
- Bridgerton (Season one and two)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
- Napoleon
- Zone of Interest
- Luther: The Fallen Sun
By uniting, BFS and OOU bring together their expertise for generating outstanding VFX, and their shared love for work that delights audiences at home and in cinemas worldwide. The deal will allow the studios to pool talent, creativity, and resources to enhance their client service offerings. Driven by the two founder-led teams, each with rich experience in VFX artistry, the studios will solidify their positions in the industry, with an even stronger framework for the imagination and inventiveness required to undertake bigger, more complex projects.