VFX in Europe: Talent, Creativity and a Changing Landscape

We’re pleased to see Béatrice Bauwens, Head of Film & Series at The Mill and Co-President of France VFX, sharing her perspective on the strength of the French ecosystem and what continues to make France an attractive destination for international productions.

Georges Méliès invented the idea that cinema could create tricks. And really, that’s still what we do.

Reflecting on France’s long history of visual innovation, Béatrice highlights the combination of creative talent, experience, highly developed workflows and a strong filmmaking culture that continues to underpin the country’s VFX industry.

She also points to the competitive advantages of the French production ecosystem:

It’s this combination of incentives, talent, experience, creativity and cost that makes France attractive.

The article takes a broader look at how these factors play out across Europe. The UK, Germany and France remain major VFX hubs, while emerging markets across Spain, Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, the Baltics and the Nordic countries are continuing to develop their capabilities and attract international work.

At the same time, the European VFX industry is navigating significant change. Production incentives, public funding and tax credits are increasingly influential in determining where work is undertaken, while studios across the continent are adapting to a more challenging global market following the pandemic, industry strikes and wider structural pressures.

For France, Béatrice also highlights the impact of the country’s tax credit system, including the additional incentive available when productions spend more than €2 million on visual effects in France.

Ultimately, the story is not simply about incentives or economics. Across Europe, talent, creativity, experience and the ability to collaborate across borders remain at the heart of the industry, and continue to shape the continent’s role in the future of film and television.

A big thank you to Gemma Creagh for bringing together such a rich perspective on the European VFX landscape, and for including Béatrice in the conversation.

Read the full article on VFX Voice: VFX in Europe: Navigating Talent, Tax, Technology and Turbulence